July 5, 2008
It is listed as 518 yards for the AT&T National - the third longest par 4 on the PGA Tour so far this year - and the large water hazard around the right front of the green makes it even more daunting. The shorter hitters are going to have a long, long, long shot in there with a green that’s really designed for a wedge. He’d love to be in the final pairing Sunday against first-round leader Steve Marino, who grew up in the nearly Virginia suburbs and attended the University of Virginia. Fred Couples subbed for Woods at Wednesday’s opening ceremony, hitting the ceremonial first shot while accompanied by 25 children whose parents are actively serving in the military. read more
[Tags]long, shot, , bunker, choi, front, golf[/Tags]
July 4, 2008
PGA Tour events that Woods typically doesn’t play often get criticized for being meaningless, so it’s no small coincidence that it would happen at his own tournament. Choi and runner-up Steve Stricker are the only two players from the top 10 in the world ranking. There are only five of the top 20, adding Jim Furyk, Masters champion Trevor Immelman and Anthony Kim. The second edition of the AT&T National begins Thursday on a Blue Course at Congressional that players have raved about this week, a change from complaints of bumpy putting surfaces a year ago. Using the FedEx Cup standings that only measures this year’s performance, there are 10 of the top 20 players, which adds tour winners such as Ryuji Imada, J. None of this matters to Paul Goydos, who missed the tournament last year and claimed one similarity with Woods. read more
[Tags]field, players, top, woods, year, 10, golf[/Tags]
July 3, 2008
ASH, England (AP) — Colin Montgomerie isn’t ready to give up on the Ryder Cup just yet. After ending a recent slump at last week’s French Open, Montgomerie hopes a successful defense of his European Open title this weekend will help earn a spot on the European team for the ninth time. His second-place finish in France boosted him to 14th in Europe’s Ryder Cup standings. Still, he conceded that he probably does not deserve a wild-card spot at the moment, saying he would rather pick Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington if he was captain. Montgomerie has not won a tournament since his victory a year ago at The K Club, which staged the European Open for 13 years. Open and was outside the top 100 in the world rankings two weeks ago. read more
[Tags]open, cup, european, montgomerie, ryder, ago, golf[/Tags]
July 2, 2008
Perry shot a 6-under 66 on Sunday to win the Buick Open by a stroke at 19 under, giving him two victories in June and his fourth top-six finish in a six-tournament run. Vijay Singh has three Buick Open titles, while Tiger Woods, Julius Boros, Tony Lema and Perry have two in the tournament that celebrated its 50th anniversary. Perry has 11 victories on the PGA Tour, including seven since winning the 2001 Buick Open. Perry bounced back at 16 with a birdie, putting him in position to take advantage of Austin’s collapse and Watson’s errant tee shot on the final hole to earn his second comeback win of the year and the third of his career. read more
[Tags]perry, open, shot, austin, buick, hole, golf[/Tags]
July 1, 2008
A few groups behind her on a windy Sunday at Interlachen Country Club, a teenager from South Korea was on her way to a final round romp to become the youngest Open winner ever. Sorenstam has been running on fumes for quite some time now, looking little like the player who dominated women’s golf so totally that when she didn’t win it came as a surprise. Indeed, Sorenstam was the best from tee to green in the first three rounds in this Open before it all came apart on a final day when her usual laser-like drives found the rough and trees instead of the center of the fairway. It was that drive that helped her win 11 tournaments in one year, be as dominate on the women’s tour as Tiger Woods is on the PGA Tour, and give her the confidence to play - and play well - with the men. read more
[Tags]sorenstam, open, play, golf, year, career, golf[/Tags]
June 29, 2008
Nineteen days after she turned pro, Lewis showed the poise of a veteran Saturday at Interlachen with no bogeys and a 6-under 67 that gave her a one-shot lead over Paula Creamer going into the final round of the U. Creamer is two years younger but already in her fourth season on the LPGA Tour with six victories, enough for some to already anoint the 21-year-old product of a golf academy as the best player without a major. Helen Alfredsson of Sweden, 15 years removed from her Women’s Open heartache, stayed close to the lead throughout an afternoon of scattered clouds at Interlachen and came in at 71 to finish two shots out of the lead at 7-under 212, along with Inbee Park (71). She turned pro on June 9, and won her Women’s Open qualifier that day by four shots. On the bag this week is her father, Dale, who paced for six hours in the waiting room the day of the surgery, then was amazed as his daughter won 12 times in college, the highlight an NCAA title a year ago. read more
[Tags]lewis, lead, shots, years, creamer, day, golf[/Tags]
June 28, 2008
She missed the cut in all three events she entered; since that improbable victory at Pumpkin Ridge in 2003 she has finished no higher than 22nd place in any tournament. Davies is one of the best players from her generation, bringing power long before any of her peers had it and winning her first of four majors 21 years ago at the U. She balked at the suggestion she bypass the performance-based LPGA Hall of Fame criteria and try to get the 65 percent vote needed for induction through the international ballot. Thompson barely missed a 15-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole when it hugged the lip of the cup, settling for birdie and a 2-over 75. Paul, but she once finished eighth at the Open in 1987 and owns three LPGA Tour victories - including one major, the 1994 du Maurier Classic. Tied with Michelle Wie at 8-over 81 after the first round was a junior-to-be at Kansas named Emily Powers, who is believed to be the first participant in The First Tee program to qualify for a major championship. read more
[Tags]tour, cut, finished, lpga, missed, open, golf[/Tags]
June 27, 2008
After a delay of nearly four hours, tournament officials decided that a three-hole playoff would be held between the four teams that were tied for the lead through 28 total holes. On Monday, “we came in and made par on the last three holes and I told Bubba, ‘Let’s make three birds (in the playoff),”‘ Villegas said. Villegas, a native of Colombia who graduated from the University of Florida, dropped his approach shot to the par-4, 401-yard 16th hole 2 feet from the cup and tapped in for bird. Villegas put his team ahead for good on the par-3, 145-yard 17th even though his tee shot landed on the back fringe of the green. read more
[Tags]hole, holes, par, playoff, villegas, 16th, golf[/Tags]
June 26, 2008
VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) — The World Matchplay Championship is moving to southern Spain with a new format after 44 years at Wentworth, England. There will be no event this year and the new Champions League format starts from 2009 at the Finca Cortesin Golf Club near Malaga. The 16 players, including defending champion Ernie Els, will be split into four groups, playing each other over 18 holes on the first two days. The leading players from each group will contest semifinals on Saturday, before Sunday’s final. There will be a $5 million purse. read more
[Tags]england, format, players, 151, 16, 18, golf[/Tags]
June 25, 2008
Then he played a role in Stewart Cink’s win last week at the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. According to Cink (18-under 262), Merrins “just walked up to me one time and said, ‘Don’t get your goals and rewards confused. The good result follows a trend that began after Armour’s younger brother and swing coach, Sandy, started carrying his bag at the Zurich Classic in March. Since then Armour has made seven of eight cuts, including four top 10s, vaulting him to 46th in the FedEx Cup standings and, with $1. UCLA senior Tiffany Joh beat incoming USC freshman Jennifer Song 2 and 1 to win her second U. Joh, a 21-year-old from San Diego, was outshone only by Erin Hills Golf Course, the Wisconsin public course that will host the 2011 U. read more
[Tags]u, goals, made, merrins, 1, cink, golf[/Tags]
