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Tiger Woods found his old Torrey Pines magic to surge to a two-shot lead after the second round of the US PGA Tour.
Starting the day three shots back, Woods fired a seven-under-par 65 on the North course to move to 11-under-par for the tournament, two clear of fellow American Billy Horschel (69, South).
Sharing third at eight-under are Casey Wittenberg (67, North), Brad Fritsch (67, South), Erik Compton (65, North), Steve Marino (68, North), Josh Teater (70, North) and Jimmy Walker (69, South).
John Senden is the only Australian sitting well placed in a tie for ninth after the Queenslander fired a 68 on the North course to move to seven-under.
Woods fired in six birdies and eagle and just a lone bogey to become odds-on favourite for a seventh title at the event having won in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2006-'08.
The old magic was back for the former world No.1 particularly around the turn where he was five-under in a four-hole run.
The 14-time major champion also won the 2008 US Open on the same venue.
"I played well today. I drove the ball great and took advantage of the par fives," Woods said.
"I've been able to dedicate more time to my short game and, consequently, it's better. I feel good right now." Senden made a sizzling start with a six-foot bending birdie putt on the first and added a 15-foot effort on the fifth and a 12-foot make on the seventh.
When he dropped in a five-foot putt on the ninth, he was in a tie for second place and looking hot.
But what had been constant light drizzle turned to heavier rain and his form cooled on the back nine, making his lone bogey on the 13th after a heavy chip before getting the shot back on the 17th with a precision seven iron to five feet.
"I felt good out there and I'm looking forward to the weekend," Senden said.
"As the conditions got worse, I kind of felt like I was just hanging on but it was good to keep myself in it and I struck the ball better off the tee today which was nice.
"There are low scores out there and I'm striking the ball well so I need to attack the soft golf course tomorrow."
In a poor day for the 14-strong Australian contingent, only Scott Gardiner, Aaron Baddeley and Jason Day joined Senden in making the cut but the trio sit 10 adrift of Woods at one-under.
Marc Leishman, Cameron Percy, Stuart Appleby, Rod Pampling (all even), Steven Bowditch (+2), Alistair Presnell (+3), Greg Chalmers (+3), Matt Jones (+4) and Geoff Ogilvy (+6) head home early as does Robert Allenby who withdrew midway through his round with a left hip injury.
Golf: Tiger back on form - Sport - NZ Herald News
Starting the day three shots back, Woods fired a seven-under-par 65 on the North course to move to 11-under-par for the tournament, two clear of fellow American Billy Horschel (69, South).
Sharing third at eight-under are Casey Wittenberg (67, North), Brad Fritsch (67, South), Erik Compton (65, North), Steve Marino (68, North), Josh Teater (70, North) and Jimmy Walker (69, South).
John Senden is the only Australian sitting well placed in a tie for ninth after the Queenslander fired a 68 on the North course to move to seven-under.
Woods fired in six birdies and eagle and just a lone bogey to become odds-on favourite for a seventh title at the event having won in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2006-'08.
The old magic was back for the former world No.1 particularly around the turn where he was five-under in a four-hole run.
The 14-time major champion also won the 2008 US Open on the same venue.
"I played well today. I drove the ball great and took advantage of the par fives," Woods said.
"I've been able to dedicate more time to my short game and, consequently, it's better. I feel good right now." Senden made a sizzling start with a six-foot bending birdie putt on the first and added a 15-foot effort on the fifth and a 12-foot make on the seventh.
When he dropped in a five-foot putt on the ninth, he was in a tie for second place and looking hot.
But what had been constant light drizzle turned to heavier rain and his form cooled on the back nine, making his lone bogey on the 13th after a heavy chip before getting the shot back on the 17th with a precision seven iron to five feet.
"I felt good out there and I'm looking forward to the weekend," Senden said.
"As the conditions got worse, I kind of felt like I was just hanging on but it was good to keep myself in it and I struck the ball better off the tee today which was nice.
"There are low scores out there and I'm striking the ball well so I need to attack the soft golf course tomorrow."
In a poor day for the 14-strong Australian contingent, only Scott Gardiner, Aaron Baddeley and Jason Day joined Senden in making the cut but the trio sit 10 adrift of Woods at one-under.
Marc Leishman, Cameron Percy, Stuart Appleby, Rod Pampling (all even), Steven Bowditch (+2), Alistair Presnell (+3), Greg Chalmers (+3), Matt Jones (+4) and Geoff Ogilvy (+6) head home early as does Robert Allenby who withdrew midway through his round with a left hip injury.
Golf: Tiger back on form - Sport - NZ Herald News
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Sweden's Caroline Hedwall held off two of the world's finest teenaged amateurs Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee to win her second NSW Open women's golf title on Sunday.
Hedwall fired a final-round 68 to finish on 13-under par, two shots clear of defending champion and New Zealand's 15-year-old world No.1 ranked amateur Ko (69).
Australian amateur champion Minjee Lee (71), the No.3-ranked amateur in the world, stayed in contention until the 16-year-old incurred her first and only bogey of the tournament after 48 holes and finished on 10-under.
"It's always good when young players come up and battle with the older ones and I think it's fun," Hedwall said. It was a repeat of the 2011 tournament in which Hedwall shaded the then 13-year-old Ko for first spot.
The tournament tilted in Hedwall's direction over the last two holes of a round played in steady drizzle.
The Swede edged a shot ahead with a par on the 17th hole which Ko bogeyed after her drive found the trees.
"I actually thought about the last time I was here two years ago, and Lydia was one up going into the last hole," said Hedwall, who earned $18,750.
"I hit a great (tee) shot and set up for a nice birdie putt and took a lot of pressure off.
"I really enjoy those situations, I love being under pressure and that's what I practise for."
Hedwall, the highest-ranked professional in the tournament at No.39, bogeyed the par-four first but picked up three birdies before the turn and two more coming home.
After carrying her own bag for the previous two days, Hedwall had younger sister Jacqueline, who missed the cut, act as her caddie.
Caroline won four European Tour events in 2011 and another one last year after spending several weeks sidelined by injury.
Ko bogeyed the first two holes to drop three off the pace, but charged back into contention by picking up four stokes over three holes, highlighted by an eagle three on the sixth.
Birdies on the 11th and 14th pulled her level with Hedwall.
On the 16th, she pulled off a miraculous par when she was granted a drop in a bunker after her ball was deemed to be lying in casual water in the sand.
Ko fluffed her bunker shot, hitting it just a couple of metres out of the sand, but then chipped in.
"I was like 'oh my God maybe I could win this,'" Ko said. "I think I got a little bit excited and a little bit tense in the shoulders and it (my tee shot on 17) went straight left."
With temporary contact lenses left back home, bespectacled Ko said she had huge problems in the steady rain.
"Every couple of holes I have to get them cleaned, I hope they make glasses like windscreen wipers in cars, I wished they had those."
Hedwall fired a final-round 68 to finish on 13-under par, two shots clear of defending champion and New Zealand's 15-year-old world No.1 ranked amateur Ko (69).
Australian amateur champion Minjee Lee (71), the No.3-ranked amateur in the world, stayed in contention until the 16-year-old incurred her first and only bogey of the tournament after 48 holes and finished on 10-under.
"It's always good when young players come up and battle with the older ones and I think it's fun," Hedwall said. It was a repeat of the 2011 tournament in which Hedwall shaded the then 13-year-old Ko for first spot.
The tournament tilted in Hedwall's direction over the last two holes of a round played in steady drizzle.
The Swede edged a shot ahead with a par on the 17th hole which Ko bogeyed after her drive found the trees.
"I actually thought about the last time I was here two years ago, and Lydia was one up going into the last hole," said Hedwall, who earned $18,750.
"I hit a great (tee) shot and set up for a nice birdie putt and took a lot of pressure off.
"I really enjoy those situations, I love being under pressure and that's what I practise for."
Hedwall, the highest-ranked professional in the tournament at No.39, bogeyed the par-four first but picked up three birdies before the turn and two more coming home.
After carrying her own bag for the previous two days, Hedwall had younger sister Jacqueline, who missed the cut, act as her caddie.
Caroline won four European Tour events in 2011 and another one last year after spending several weeks sidelined by injury.
Ko bogeyed the first two holes to drop three off the pace, but charged back into contention by picking up four stokes over three holes, highlighted by an eagle three on the sixth.
Birdies on the 11th and 14th pulled her level with Hedwall.
On the 16th, she pulled off a miraculous par when she was granted a drop in a bunker after her ball was deemed to be lying in casual water in the sand.
Ko fluffed her bunker shot, hitting it just a couple of metres out of the sand, but then chipped in.
"I was like 'oh my God maybe I could win this,'" Ko said. "I think I got a little bit excited and a little bit tense in the shoulders and it (my tee shot on 17) went straight left."
With temporary contact lenses left back home, bespectacled Ko said she had huge problems in the steady rain.
"Every couple of holes I have to get them cleaned, I hope they make glasses like windscreen wipers in cars, I wished they had those."
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Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it "marine layers." Despite the fog-out Saturday, Tiger Woods appears headed toward his eighth career win at Torrey Pines. By now it's not exactly a dog-bites-man story. And Rory? Not there. Neither is Luke Donald, Justin Rose or Lee Westwood. Give me your prediction: Does this portend a breakout 2013 for Tiger, or is it more of what we saw in 2012?
Jim Herre, managing editor, SI Golf Group: The only thing that will change perceptions is a major win by Tiger. Otherwise, this is 2012 all over again.
Mark Godich, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: It's more of 2012. Yet again, he is winning on a course where he has dominated. Tiger will be the first to tell you that his season is measured by how he fares in the majors. I want to see how he handles the pressure there when he gets in the hunt again.
Herre: In short, nothing matters until Augusta.
Morfit: I agree. There was a sense of inevitability to Tiger’s winning from the very start of the week. The guy has won five of his last six starts at Torrey. That is a totally insane statistic.
Jeff Ritter, senior producer, Golf-com: This would be a nice win, but we saw Woods ring up three similar Ws in 2012. The breakout can only come at a major. I don’t think we’ll really know if this is a vintage Tiger Season until Sunday at Augusta. Can’t wait to find out.
Charlie Hanger, executive editor, Golf-com: Agree with those who point to the majors. A multi-win season would be more of the same. A major is what he desperately needs to take the next step.
David Dusek, deputy editor, Golf-com: Tiger's performance has been impressive, but not flawless. He's won seven times at Torrey Pines, six PGA Tour events and one U.S. Open, so another impressive finish isn't really surprising. His wins in 2012 were also on courses where he's had a lot of success. If he wins the Match Play (his next event), then I’ll say we need to buckle up for something special in 2013.
Godich: Disagree on the Match Play. He could run into a buzz saw one day and be done, even on a day when he goes low.
Morfit: One thing I did see that I liked was his ability to clean up those eight-footers for pars to keep the round going. As Paul Azinger tweeted today, nobody but maybe Mark O'Meara putts those bumpy greens as well as Tiger.
Herre: Woods grew up on them.
Mike Walker, senior editor, Golf Magazine: Tiger's 2013 will be better than his 2012 (which was pretty good). Despite his gaudy record at Torrey, he hasn't won here in five years. Even more important is that he looks healthy and confident.
Ryan Reiterman, senior producer, Golf-com: What we saw in 2012 was a preview of things to come in 2013. Except this year, Woods will be more comfortable with his swing and it will hold up under major pressure. To think Tiger will keep collapsing in majors is crazy. He’s got 14 of them; he’ll win plenty more if he stays healthy.
Godich: I'd agree with that, except I wonder if he is no longer immune to the pressure. That said, he may have one of those weeks like he had at Augusta in '97 and at the Open at Pebble, where he lapped the field.
Stephanie Wei, Golf+ contributor: I think winning at Torrey Pines will definitely boost his confidence, but unless he wins a major, it's going to be 2012 all over again.
Read more: PGA Tour Confidential: Tiger Woods heading for breakout season | GOLF-com
Jim Herre, managing editor, SI Golf Group: The only thing that will change perceptions is a major win by Tiger. Otherwise, this is 2012 all over again.
Mark Godich, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: It's more of 2012. Yet again, he is winning on a course where he has dominated. Tiger will be the first to tell you that his season is measured by how he fares in the majors. I want to see how he handles the pressure there when he gets in the hunt again.
Herre: In short, nothing matters until Augusta.
Morfit: I agree. There was a sense of inevitability to Tiger’s winning from the very start of the week. The guy has won five of his last six starts at Torrey. That is a totally insane statistic.
Jeff Ritter, senior producer, Golf-com: This would be a nice win, but we saw Woods ring up three similar Ws in 2012. The breakout can only come at a major. I don’t think we’ll really know if this is a vintage Tiger Season until Sunday at Augusta. Can’t wait to find out.
Charlie Hanger, executive editor, Golf-com: Agree with those who point to the majors. A multi-win season would be more of the same. A major is what he desperately needs to take the next step.
David Dusek, deputy editor, Golf-com: Tiger's performance has been impressive, but not flawless. He's won seven times at Torrey Pines, six PGA Tour events and one U.S. Open, so another impressive finish isn't really surprising. His wins in 2012 were also on courses where he's had a lot of success. If he wins the Match Play (his next event), then I’ll say we need to buckle up for something special in 2013.
Godich: Disagree on the Match Play. He could run into a buzz saw one day and be done, even on a day when he goes low.
Morfit: One thing I did see that I liked was his ability to clean up those eight-footers for pars to keep the round going. As Paul Azinger tweeted today, nobody but maybe Mark O'Meara putts those bumpy greens as well as Tiger.
Herre: Woods grew up on them.
Mike Walker, senior editor, Golf Magazine: Tiger's 2013 will be better than his 2012 (which was pretty good). Despite his gaudy record at Torrey, he hasn't won here in five years. Even more important is that he looks healthy and confident.
Ryan Reiterman, senior producer, Golf-com: What we saw in 2012 was a preview of things to come in 2013. Except this year, Woods will be more comfortable with his swing and it will hold up under major pressure. To think Tiger will keep collapsing in majors is crazy. He’s got 14 of them; he’ll win plenty more if he stays healthy.
Godich: I'd agree with that, except I wonder if he is no longer immune to the pressure. That said, he may have one of those weeks like he had at Augusta in '97 and at the Open at Pebble, where he lapped the field.
Stephanie Wei, Golf+ contributor: I think winning at Torrey Pines will definitely boost his confidence, but unless he wins a major, it's going to be 2012 all over again.
Read more: PGA Tour Confidential: Tiger Woods heading for breakout season | GOLF-com
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Admission was free on Monday for the completion of the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at the Torrey Pines Golf Course.
So thousands of fans of all races, colors and socioeconomic groups lined the fairways of this public course along the Pacific Ocean to see one man -- Tiger Woods.
Tiger was the reason why many of them had developed an interest in golf. Now through brutal crosswinds, cold and a tediously slow pace of play, they had the good fortune of seeing their hero get his 75th PGA Tour title with an even-par 72 for a 14-under total and a 4-shot win. It was Tiger's seventh victory in this event and eighth overall as a pro at Torrey Pines, including his win here at the 2008 U.S. Open.
Five years removed from his last win in this tournament as well as his last major championship, much has changed in Tiger's life, from a divorce to overcoming injuries to the hiring of a new swing coach and caddie. This week was the culmination of his efforts to bring all aspects of his game back together at a place that he dearly loves.
But as much as Tiger's fans were at Torrey Pines on Monday to celebrate his progress back from tough times, they were here to see the man who had captivated the sports world in 2000 and 2001 with feats unprecedented in the game's history.
There were many in the crowd who had been here the week in June 2008 when he won the U.S. Open over the course of 91 holes with stress fractures in his left leg.
Tiger is back. This is what they hope this win means.
But that's not the way Tiger sees it.
"I'm not going to compare it to those years, because each one's different," Tiger said. "I had a different swing then, just like I did back in '99, 2000, 2001. Those are all different swings. But the commonality is I won golf tournaments, and that's what I'm doing again."
The Tiger who won the 1997 Masters by 12 shots and the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by 15 is long gone, perhaps, but can he still win many tournaments and major championships?
The evidence points to yes.
For the last 36 holes, Tiger was paired with Billy Horschel and Casey Wittenberg, two young players who had the wind and the crowds and a slow group in front of them working against them on Monday.
Last June in the U.S. Open, the 28-year-old Wittenberg played in the final round with Woods. The Memphis native believes the 14-time major champion has made significant strides since Wittenberg beat Woods by 3 shots at the Olympic Club. "Tiger has a lot more control over his golf game," said Wittenberg, who finished in a tie for 15th after a 74 on Monday. "At the Olympic Club, he couldn't hit a draw. Now he's driving the ball long and very well. If he keeps driving the golf ball well all year, he is going to be hard to beat."
Joe LaCava, Tiger's caddie since late 2011, believes his boss is better than he was at this point last year.
"Tiger is driving it better and making some putts," LaCava said after his fourth win with Woods. "The short game is sharper and his distance control is better."
On Monday, Erik Compton spoke for many after his 75 to finish in a tie for 15th.
"You see why a guy like Tiger, who has done this for so many years, why he's so good," Compton said. "We're all thrown into this environment, and we're kids compared to him."
Back when Tiger won the unofficial Chevron World Challenge in 2011, much ado was made about his long drought from the winner's circle. To dispel that notion he used the opening lines from LL Cool J's song "Mama Said Knock You Out."
Don't call it a comeback/I've been here for years.
On Monday, he reminded of us of those famous lines when he was asked what he would say to those who said he won't really come back until he won a major.
"I never left," he said.
Rory McIlroy, who wasn't in the field at Torrey Pines, is in Tiger's sights at No. 1 in the world. The Northern Irishman has taken some of the sheen off Tiger's aura, but that doesn't bother the former Stanford star who will next play in the WGC-Accenture Match Play in February.
"All I can do is control what I do on the golf course," Woods said. "And I won this tournament by 4 shots, so that's something I'm proud of."
Tiger is taking it one tournament at a time. The fans and the players know that he is for real.
Back to what?
Winning at Torrey Pines. For now that's all we know for sure about Tiger.
Tiger takes Torrey for record 7th time in Farmers Insurance Open - Golf - ESPN
So thousands of fans of all races, colors and socioeconomic groups lined the fairways of this public course along the Pacific Ocean to see one man -- Tiger Woods.
Tiger was the reason why many of them had developed an interest in golf. Now through brutal crosswinds, cold and a tediously slow pace of play, they had the good fortune of seeing their hero get his 75th PGA Tour title with an even-par 72 for a 14-under total and a 4-shot win. It was Tiger's seventh victory in this event and eighth overall as a pro at Torrey Pines, including his win here at the 2008 U.S. Open.
Five years removed from his last win in this tournament as well as his last major championship, much has changed in Tiger's life, from a divorce to overcoming injuries to the hiring of a new swing coach and caddie. This week was the culmination of his efforts to bring all aspects of his game back together at a place that he dearly loves.
But as much as Tiger's fans were at Torrey Pines on Monday to celebrate his progress back from tough times, they were here to see the man who had captivated the sports world in 2000 and 2001 with feats unprecedented in the game's history.
There were many in the crowd who had been here the week in June 2008 when he won the U.S. Open over the course of 91 holes with stress fractures in his left leg.
Tiger is back. This is what they hope this win means.
But that's not the way Tiger sees it.
"I'm not going to compare it to those years, because each one's different," Tiger said. "I had a different swing then, just like I did back in '99, 2000, 2001. Those are all different swings. But the commonality is I won golf tournaments, and that's what I'm doing again."
The Tiger who won the 1997 Masters by 12 shots and the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by 15 is long gone, perhaps, but can he still win many tournaments and major championships?
The evidence points to yes.
For the last 36 holes, Tiger was paired with Billy Horschel and Casey Wittenberg, two young players who had the wind and the crowds and a slow group in front of them working against them on Monday.
Last June in the U.S. Open, the 28-year-old Wittenberg played in the final round with Woods. The Memphis native believes the 14-time major champion has made significant strides since Wittenberg beat Woods by 3 shots at the Olympic Club. "Tiger has a lot more control over his golf game," said Wittenberg, who finished in a tie for 15th after a 74 on Monday. "At the Olympic Club, he couldn't hit a draw. Now he's driving the ball long and very well. If he keeps driving the golf ball well all year, he is going to be hard to beat."
Joe LaCava, Tiger's caddie since late 2011, believes his boss is better than he was at this point last year.
"Tiger is driving it better and making some putts," LaCava said after his fourth win with Woods. "The short game is sharper and his distance control is better."
On Monday, Erik Compton spoke for many after his 75 to finish in a tie for 15th.
"You see why a guy like Tiger, who has done this for so many years, why he's so good," Compton said. "We're all thrown into this environment, and we're kids compared to him."
Back when Tiger won the unofficial Chevron World Challenge in 2011, much ado was made about his long drought from the winner's circle. To dispel that notion he used the opening lines from LL Cool J's song "Mama Said Knock You Out."
Don't call it a comeback/I've been here for years.
On Monday, he reminded of us of those famous lines when he was asked what he would say to those who said he won't really come back until he won a major.
"I never left," he said.
Rory McIlroy, who wasn't in the field at Torrey Pines, is in Tiger's sights at No. 1 in the world. The Northern Irishman has taken some of the sheen off Tiger's aura, but that doesn't bother the former Stanford star who will next play in the WGC-Accenture Match Play in February.
"All I can do is control what I do on the golf course," Woods said. "And I won this tournament by 4 shots, so that's something I'm proud of."
Tiger is taking it one tournament at a time. The fans and the players know that he is for real.
Back to what?
Winning at Torrey Pines. For now that's all we know for sure about Tiger.
Tiger takes Torrey for record 7th time in Farmers Insurance Open - Golf - ESPN
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A scintillating course record 62 at Kingston Heath has propelled New Zealand golfer Mark Brown into this year's British Open field.
Brown's 10-under par score, at International Final Qualifying for the Open, followed a less than spectacular 72 in the opening round of the two day event.
He will be joined in the field at Muirfield by Queenslander Steve Jeffress, second with a nine under par total of 135 after shooting 68-67 and West Australian Stephen Dartnall, who was in third spot one shot back after rounds of 67-69.
After being five off the pace on Tuesday, Brown, 37, said he went into Wednesday's final round with a carefree attitude.
"After yesterday I was a fair way back so today I really wasn't thinking about it too much and just went out and tried to enjoy it,'' he said.
"I made a lot of birdies and when I was six under after nine it started to get serious - it wasn't so much fun any more.''
He described the two-round qualifying system with three Open places available for a 70-man field as one which can produce a "hit and miss'' approach.
"I wouldn't say you don't care but you certainly don't try as much.
"Perhaps that's the key to playing good golf sometimes.''
Brown lost his European player's card in 2011 after four years and last year played mainly the OneAsia and Australasian tours.
He finished third at the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath last November and said the course "probably suits me''.
Brown had a breakout year in 2008, when he won his first Asian Tour event at the SAIL Open Golf Championship in India and the following week took out the Johnnie Walker Classic.
That lifted him to 64th in the world golf rankings and he finished the year by winning the PGA Tour of Australasia's Order of Merit.
Brown's birdie barrage began at the second and by the time he had reached the turn, courtesy of three further birdies and an eagle three at the seventh he was six under par.
The flawless form continued on the homeward nine as Brown collected four more shots.
He has played the British Open once before, in 2009 at Turnberry, missing the cut, although he finished 24th in the US PGA Championship the previous year.
Golf: Brown heading to British Open - Sport - NZ Herald News
Brown's 10-under par score, at International Final Qualifying for the Open, followed a less than spectacular 72 in the opening round of the two day event.
He will be joined in the field at Muirfield by Queenslander Steve Jeffress, second with a nine under par total of 135 after shooting 68-67 and West Australian Stephen Dartnall, who was in third spot one shot back after rounds of 67-69.
After being five off the pace on Tuesday, Brown, 37, said he went into Wednesday's final round with a carefree attitude.
"After yesterday I was a fair way back so today I really wasn't thinking about it too much and just went out and tried to enjoy it,'' he said.
"I made a lot of birdies and when I was six under after nine it started to get serious - it wasn't so much fun any more.''
He described the two-round qualifying system with three Open places available for a 70-man field as one which can produce a "hit and miss'' approach.
"I wouldn't say you don't care but you certainly don't try as much.
"Perhaps that's the key to playing good golf sometimes.''
Brown lost his European player's card in 2011 after four years and last year played mainly the OneAsia and Australasian tours.
He finished third at the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath last November and said the course "probably suits me''.
Brown had a breakout year in 2008, when he won his first Asian Tour event at the SAIL Open Golf Championship in India and the following week took out the Johnnie Walker Classic.
That lifted him to 64th in the world golf rankings and he finished the year by winning the PGA Tour of Australasia's Order of Merit.
Brown's birdie barrage began at the second and by the time he had reached the turn, courtesy of three further birdies and an eagle three at the seventh he was six under par.
The flawless form continued on the homeward nine as Brown collected four more shots.
He has played the British Open once before, in 2009 at Turnberry, missing the cut, although he finished 24th in the US PGA Championship the previous year.
Golf: Brown heading to British Open - Sport - NZ Herald News
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Michael Phelps got roundly and loudly booed Wednesday during the Waste Management Phoenix Open pro-am despite hitting a decent shot.
His response? A big smile.
Phelps, playing with reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson, landed his tee shot at the par-3, stadium-enclosed 16 on the green but watched it catch a slope and roll off — igniting the customary booing. Phelps, who told Golf Channel he considered pulling out a Speedo to feel more comfortable in front of the crowds, was nervous throughout his round. His gallery was by far the largest, and the vast majority of the 47,000 in attendance saw him hit at least one shot. "I felt my heart was going to jump out of my chest," Phelps said of the Loudest Show on Turf. "It was something that was pretty cool, something I've never seen before and something I've never experienced.
"I was very nervous and my club was like shaking as I'm over the ball. I just pretty much had to try to swing the club as fast as I could. It's wild," he said. "I've never heard people boo you. I'm sure it's happened. My face is just underwater.
"... Hopefully I have a chance to come back and play again. It's a great event. I had a blast today, and being able to play with Bubba, it's something else. We were throwing jokes back and forth the whole entire time and keeping it very light."
That started on the first hole, when Watson interrupted Phelps just as he was about to pull the trigger with his first tee shot. Phelps — who joked that Watson gave him a hard time all around the course instead of golf tips — hit one of his best shots despite the distraction.
"I had like the best drive of the day, and he's like, 'I think you're ahead of me.' Then he's like, 'Actually, no, there's absolutely no shot. I know exactly where your ball landed, and there's absolutely zero shot you're ahead of me.' " … He really is a very talented person. It's just amazing to me how much power he has and how fast he comes to the ball."
Watson joked that the best part of Phelps' game was "that he's done with 18 holes. No, the best thing is his mental drive to get better. He wants to compete, and he wants to play this game because it's a frustrating game. And his short game, you can see where he's going to have a good touch when he gets some practice in."
Phelps, who signed with Ping to play the company's clubs and is Hank Haney's student for The Haney Project on Golf Channel, has caught the golf bug and is intent on getting much better.
"It's the most humbling sport in the world," Phelps said. "I literally don't think I've ever done anything where I can't like semi pick it up. It's been a challenge and a struggle, but I have been able to pick up some things along the way and make my game better and stronger and more consistent, but it's just not at the point where I want it to be.
"Being able to work with Hank I think is a great way for me to be able to get there. We're finishing up the season now, but hopefully in the future I can continue to work with him."
Phelps is on his way to the Super Bowl.
"I'm a Baltimore boy, so I'm cheering for the Big Man, and hopefully Ray (Lewis) can have a shot at another one. He's been telling me all year he just wants to get back there. This is kind of icing on the cake, and hopefully he can be in the center of that field on Sunday night and hoisting the championship trophy."
Michael Phelps gets taste of big-time golf
His response? A big smile.
Phelps, playing with reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson, landed his tee shot at the par-3, stadium-enclosed 16 on the green but watched it catch a slope and roll off — igniting the customary booing. Phelps, who told Golf Channel he considered pulling out a Speedo to feel more comfortable in front of the crowds, was nervous throughout his round. His gallery was by far the largest, and the vast majority of the 47,000 in attendance saw him hit at least one shot. "I felt my heart was going to jump out of my chest," Phelps said of the Loudest Show on Turf. "It was something that was pretty cool, something I've never seen before and something I've never experienced.
"I was very nervous and my club was like shaking as I'm over the ball. I just pretty much had to try to swing the club as fast as I could. It's wild," he said. "I've never heard people boo you. I'm sure it's happened. My face is just underwater.
"... Hopefully I have a chance to come back and play again. It's a great event. I had a blast today, and being able to play with Bubba, it's something else. We were throwing jokes back and forth the whole entire time and keeping it very light."
That started on the first hole, when Watson interrupted Phelps just as he was about to pull the trigger with his first tee shot. Phelps — who joked that Watson gave him a hard time all around the course instead of golf tips — hit one of his best shots despite the distraction.
"I had like the best drive of the day, and he's like, 'I think you're ahead of me.' Then he's like, 'Actually, no, there's absolutely no shot. I know exactly where your ball landed, and there's absolutely zero shot you're ahead of me.' " … He really is a very talented person. It's just amazing to me how much power he has and how fast he comes to the ball."
Watson joked that the best part of Phelps' game was "that he's done with 18 holes. No, the best thing is his mental drive to get better. He wants to compete, and he wants to play this game because it's a frustrating game. And his short game, you can see where he's going to have a good touch when he gets some practice in."
Phelps, who signed with Ping to play the company's clubs and is Hank Haney's student for The Haney Project on Golf Channel, has caught the golf bug and is intent on getting much better.
"It's the most humbling sport in the world," Phelps said. "I literally don't think I've ever done anything where I can't like semi pick it up. It's been a challenge and a struggle, but I have been able to pick up some things along the way and make my game better and stronger and more consistent, but it's just not at the point where I want it to be.
"Being able to work with Hank I think is a great way for me to be able to get there. We're finishing up the season now, but hopefully in the future I can continue to work with him."
Phelps is on his way to the Super Bowl.
"I'm a Baltimore boy, so I'm cheering for the Big Man, and hopefully Ray (Lewis) can have a shot at another one. He's been telling me all year he just wants to get back there. This is kind of icing on the cake, and hopefully he can be in the center of that field on Sunday night and hoisting the championship trophy."
Michael Phelps gets taste of big-time golf
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Phil Mickelson pointed his putter at the cup and started to walk toward the hole, ready to celebrate golf's magic number.
Right at the end, though, the ball caught the right edge of the cup, curled 180 degrees to the other side of the hole and stayed out.
A fraction of an inch turned cheers to gasps and cost him a 59 on Thursday in the first round of the Phoenix Open.
Mickelson fired an 11-under-par 60 to lead the tournament at TPC Scottsdale by four shots over a group of five players including Ireland's Padraig Harrington.
"Six feet to go, it was in the centre," Mickelson said.
"Three feet to go, it was in the centre. A foot to go, it was in the centre and, even as it's approaching the hole, I couldn't envision which side of the hole it could possibly miss on, and it ended up somehow just dying off at the end, catching the lip."
His caddie, Jim Mackay, fell to his knees and stayed there several seconds.
Playing partners Jason Dufner and Rickie Fowler also watched in disbelief when the 25-foot birdie putt lipped out.
"Unlucky - he was walking it in," Dufner said.
"I thought it was in," Fowler said.
Mickelson's score matched the tournament record he already shared with Grant Waite and Mark Calcavecchia.
"Last time I shot 60 here in '05, I birdied like the last three or four holes just to do that, and I was ecstatic, and I'm ecstatic to shoot 60," Mickelson said.
"But there's a big difference between 60 and 59. Not that big between 60 and 61 - there really isn't. But there's a big barrier, a Berlin Wall barrier, between 59 and 60.
"I shot it in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. I shot 58 in a practice round. But to do it in a tournament would have been historic for me, something I'd always remember, and I'll always remember that putt on the last hole probably, too." Finishing his round on the front nine, the 42-year-old former Arizona State star birdied the par-3 seventh to reach 11-under.
He parred the par-four eighth, leaving an 18-footer a rotation short.
On the par-four ninth, he split the fairway with a 325-yard drive and hit a gap wedge left of the pin, with the ball spinning to an immediate stop.
He was thinking about breaking 60 after making the turn in seven-under 29, a mark that tied the tournament record for the back nine.
"(When) I birdied three and four, 'Done deal. I'm going to get this done'," Mickelson said.
Five players have shot 59 in official PGA Tour events.
Al Geiberger did it in the 1977 Memphis Classic, Chip Beck in the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational, David Duval in the 1999 Bob Hope Invitational, Paul Goydos in the 2010 John Deere Classic and Australia's Stuart Appleby in the 2010 Greenbrier Classic.
Japan's Ryo Ishikawa had the lowest round on a major tour, shooting a 12-under 58 to win the 2010 Crowns on the Japan Tour.
Bo Van Pelt had a 59 in the pro-am on Wednesday at TPC Scottsdale, a round that Mickelson watched closely from the group behind.
In perfect conditions on the course, softened by weekend rain, Mickelson birdied the first four holes, then parred the 14th and missed a five-foot birdie attempt on the 15th.
He rebounded on the par-3 16th, making an 18-footer with a big right-to-left break to roars from the large crowd on the stadium hole and birdied the next three holes.
Greg Chalmers is the best-placed Australian at three-under.
Mickelson shoots 60 at Phoenix Open golf
Right at the end, though, the ball caught the right edge of the cup, curled 180 degrees to the other side of the hole and stayed out.
A fraction of an inch turned cheers to gasps and cost him a 59 on Thursday in the first round of the Phoenix Open.
Mickelson fired an 11-under-par 60 to lead the tournament at TPC Scottsdale by four shots over a group of five players including Ireland's Padraig Harrington.
"Six feet to go, it was in the centre," Mickelson said.
"Three feet to go, it was in the centre. A foot to go, it was in the centre and, even as it's approaching the hole, I couldn't envision which side of the hole it could possibly miss on, and it ended up somehow just dying off at the end, catching the lip."
His caddie, Jim Mackay, fell to his knees and stayed there several seconds.
Playing partners Jason Dufner and Rickie Fowler also watched in disbelief when the 25-foot birdie putt lipped out.
"Unlucky - he was walking it in," Dufner said.
"I thought it was in," Fowler said.
Mickelson's score matched the tournament record he already shared with Grant Waite and Mark Calcavecchia.
"Last time I shot 60 here in '05, I birdied like the last three or four holes just to do that, and I was ecstatic, and I'm ecstatic to shoot 60," Mickelson said.
"But there's a big difference between 60 and 59. Not that big between 60 and 61 - there really isn't. But there's a big barrier, a Berlin Wall barrier, between 59 and 60.
"I shot it in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. I shot 58 in a practice round. But to do it in a tournament would have been historic for me, something I'd always remember, and I'll always remember that putt on the last hole probably, too." Finishing his round on the front nine, the 42-year-old former Arizona State star birdied the par-3 seventh to reach 11-under.
He parred the par-four eighth, leaving an 18-footer a rotation short.
On the par-four ninth, he split the fairway with a 325-yard drive and hit a gap wedge left of the pin, with the ball spinning to an immediate stop.
He was thinking about breaking 60 after making the turn in seven-under 29, a mark that tied the tournament record for the back nine.
"(When) I birdied three and four, 'Done deal. I'm going to get this done'," Mickelson said.
Five players have shot 59 in official PGA Tour events.
Al Geiberger did it in the 1977 Memphis Classic, Chip Beck in the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational, David Duval in the 1999 Bob Hope Invitational, Paul Goydos in the 2010 John Deere Classic and Australia's Stuart Appleby in the 2010 Greenbrier Classic.
Japan's Ryo Ishikawa had the lowest round on a major tour, shooting a 12-under 58 to win the 2010 Crowns on the Japan Tour.
Bo Van Pelt had a 59 in the pro-am on Wednesday at TPC Scottsdale, a round that Mickelson watched closely from the group behind.
In perfect conditions on the course, softened by weekend rain, Mickelson birdied the first four holes, then parred the 14th and missed a five-foot birdie attempt on the 15th.
He rebounded on the par-3 16th, making an 18-footer with a big right-to-left break to roars from the large crowd on the stadium hole and birdied the next three holes.
Greg Chalmers is the best-placed Australian at three-under.
Mickelson shoots 60 at Phoenix Open golf
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Somerset West - The Sunshine Tour, in conjunction with the International Federation of PGA Tours, on Friday announced that the much-anticipated $8.5m Tournament of Hope has regrettably been put on hold for the foreseeable future.
Scheduled for a first staging in late November 2013, the Tournament of Hope is sanctioned by all the member Tours that make up the International Federation of PGA Tours. However, the Sunshine Tour confirmed that its commercial partner has been unable to fulfil the expectations of potential sponsors for various reasons beyond its control.
While the necessary funding for the event was originally in place, the recent weakening of the Rand has added more pressure to the budget and it has been decided it would be unreasonable to expect sponsors to commit to the event at this stage.
“It is deeply regrettable that we have had to take this decision,” said Selwyn Nathan, Executive Director of the Sunshine Tour.
“However, we as a Tour cannot be associated with an event that cannot deliver all of our sponsors' expectations at a fair price and therefore puts them and us at risk. We will continue to work with the International Federation to implement suitable guarantees to sponsors who commit to the event, which will allow us to move forward to the first staging of the Tournament of Hope.
“There has been an overwhelming amount of support for this event from South African and international sponsors and we thank them for their commitment and interest. We look forward to making further announcements in due course that will provide clarity on the way forward in order to deliver this world-class event to South African golf fans.”
The Sunshine Tour has been engaged in ongoing discussions with Sun International and Nedbank to explore the possibility of combining the Tournament of Hope and the Nedbank Golf Challenge. With these recent developments, both Sun International and Nedbank have reaffirmed their commitment both to the growth of the game in South Africa and to the staging of the 33rd Nedbank Golf Challenge in its traditional year-end period within the Sunshine Tour’s 2013 summer swing.
Further announcements about the date and the final format of the 2013 Nedbank Golf Challenge will be made in due course.
Mega golf event put on hold | Sport24
Scheduled for a first staging in late November 2013, the Tournament of Hope is sanctioned by all the member Tours that make up the International Federation of PGA Tours. However, the Sunshine Tour confirmed that its commercial partner has been unable to fulfil the expectations of potential sponsors for various reasons beyond its control.
While the necessary funding for the event was originally in place, the recent weakening of the Rand has added more pressure to the budget and it has been decided it would be unreasonable to expect sponsors to commit to the event at this stage.
“It is deeply regrettable that we have had to take this decision,” said Selwyn Nathan, Executive Director of the Sunshine Tour.
“However, we as a Tour cannot be associated with an event that cannot deliver all of our sponsors' expectations at a fair price and therefore puts them and us at risk. We will continue to work with the International Federation to implement suitable guarantees to sponsors who commit to the event, which will allow us to move forward to the first staging of the Tournament of Hope.
“There has been an overwhelming amount of support for this event from South African and international sponsors and we thank them for their commitment and interest. We look forward to making further announcements in due course that will provide clarity on the way forward in order to deliver this world-class event to South African golf fans.”
The Sunshine Tour has been engaged in ongoing discussions with Sun International and Nedbank to explore the possibility of combining the Tournament of Hope and the Nedbank Golf Challenge. With these recent developments, both Sun International and Nedbank have reaffirmed their commitment both to the growth of the game in South Africa and to the staging of the 33rd Nedbank Golf Challenge in its traditional year-end period within the Sunshine Tour’s 2013 summer swing.
Further announcements about the date and the final format of the 2013 Nedbank Golf Challenge will be made in due course.
Mega golf event put on hold | Sport24
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Five days after Tiger Woods won the PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open with a tortuous final round, the United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced measures to address the game's growing problem of slow play.
The USGA laid out plans to launch a "multi-faceted programme" this year, in partnership with golf industry leaders, allied organisations, media partners and golf course managers, to resolve the issue.
"The cry that pace of play has become one of the most significant threats to the game's health has become only louder over the last year," USGA president Glen D Nager said, during the organisation's annual meeting in San Diego.
"Industry research clearly shows that slow play and the amount of time it takes to play a round of golf detract from the overall experience and threaten to drive players away from the game.
"This problem touches every golfer, from the professional to the elite amateur to the collegiate player to the millions of recreational golfers at both public and private facilities."
On Monday, former world No 1 Woods clinched his 75th PGA Tour title by four shots at Torrey Pines outside San Diego, after completing a fog-delayed final round that was played at a painfully slow pace.
At one point eight strokes in front of the chasing pack on a breezy day, Woods dropped four shots over his last five holes, as he and his playing partners had to wait on virtually every tee before they could proceed.
"We played nine holes in just over three hours and three of them are par threes," Woods said of his increasing frustration over the closing stretch. "I started losing my patience a little bit and that's when I made a few mistakes."
USGA executive director Mike Davis echoed Woods' thoughts.
"Six-hour rounds are just not good for the players, our championships or the game," Davis said. "Slow play is also incompatible with our modern society, in which our personal time for recreation is compressed. This is an issue that demands our complete attention."
The USGA initiative will include an analysis of key factors known to influence the pace of play, the development of a "pace-of-play" model based on quantifiable data, and assistance at golf courses to help managers assess and improve the pace of play.
"We must be committed to addressing - over the long term - the amount of time it takes to play, armed with the determination to improve pace of play and a belief that the time that golf takes to play can be reduced through the dedicated efforts of everyone connected with the game," Nager said.
The USGA laid out plans to launch a "multi-faceted programme" this year, in partnership with golf industry leaders, allied organisations, media partners and golf course managers, to resolve the issue.
"The cry that pace of play has become one of the most significant threats to the game's health has become only louder over the last year," USGA president Glen D Nager said, during the organisation's annual meeting in San Diego.
"Industry research clearly shows that slow play and the amount of time it takes to play a round of golf detract from the overall experience and threaten to drive players away from the game.
"This problem touches every golfer, from the professional to the elite amateur to the collegiate player to the millions of recreational golfers at both public and private facilities."
On Monday, former world No 1 Woods clinched his 75th PGA Tour title by four shots at Torrey Pines outside San Diego, after completing a fog-delayed final round that was played at a painfully slow pace.
At one point eight strokes in front of the chasing pack on a breezy day, Woods dropped four shots over his last five holes, as he and his playing partners had to wait on virtually every tee before they could proceed.
"We played nine holes in just over three hours and three of them are par threes," Woods said of his increasing frustration over the closing stretch. "I started losing my patience a little bit and that's when I made a few mistakes."
USGA executive director Mike Davis echoed Woods' thoughts.
"Six-hour rounds are just not good for the players, our championships or the game," Davis said. "Slow play is also incompatible with our modern society, in which our personal time for recreation is compressed. This is an issue that demands our complete attention."
The USGA initiative will include an analysis of key factors known to influence the pace of play, the development of a "pace-of-play" model based on quantifiable data, and assistance at golf courses to help managers assess and improve the pace of play.
"We must be committed to addressing - over the long term - the amount of time it takes to play, armed with the determination to improve pace of play and a belief that the time that golf takes to play can be reduced through the dedicated efforts of everyone connected with the game," Nager said.
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With Phil Mickelson's super performance in Phoenix he seemed determined to remind everyone that his expertise is in golf, not public policy. Phil's talent is unquestionable, but his motivation and focus come and go. Was this just a one-off or is Phil now on his way to a big year?
Mark Godich, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: The new driver has re-energized Phil. We'll look back at the win in Phoenix as the start of something big.
Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: You can never count Phil in -- or out -- of anything. He's unpredictable. But this new driver looks more like a game-changer for him than a one-week blip. The Masters and a big course like the PGA Championship at Oak Hill are tailor-made for him if he's getting off the tee better. Big year for Phil, especially since I wasn't expecting it.
Jeff Ritter, senior producer, Golf-com: Phil's now won 41 times on Tour, but you'd be hard-pressed to find as complete a victory as this one. Everything was clicking. He could be in for a great year, but there will probably be more bumps along the way, because after all, he's Phil. Ride the wave.
Ryan Reiterman, senior producer, Golf-com: Does this mean Phil's going to be a challenger for No. 1? No, he'll never be that consistent. But this does mean he's trending toward another run at a green jacket, and that's all that matters.
Mike Walker, senior editor, Golf Magazine: This isn't coming out of nowhere. He played well in the FedEx Cup events last year and looked sharp at the Ryder Cup. No matter what the odds-makers say, the smart money will be on Mickelson at Augusta.
Shipnuck: After watching Keegan Bradley's super-straight driving at the Ryder Cup, Phil seemed to have found religion, vowing he'd stop swinging for the fences and play more from the fairway. If his tremendous ball control in Phoenix is indeed the manifestation of a more refined style of play than I think this could be the start of something big. With his iron game and play from 125 yards and in, he'll be very tough to beat playing consistently from the short grass.
John Garrity, contributing writer, Sports Illustrated: The only thing Phil's brilliant play tells us is that he is far from finished as a tour star. We've seen this before -- weeks of bland play followed by a streak that makes the golf gods yelp. Next week, who knows? But he's a joy to watch, a real gift to golf fans.
Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Phil will contend at the Masters. If he wins, he may go radio silent for the rest of year. If he loses, he may go radio silent for rest of the year.
Cameron Morfit, senior writer, Golf Magazine: I don't think we can say he's headed for a monster year, or we'd make the same mistake we made after he won Pebble last year. I think that inconsistency is here to stay. But I agree that he'll be a force at Augusta, every year for the next 10 or so.
Godich: 10? Seriously?
Morfit: Oh, yeah -- Augusta will be the last place where he's still able to contend.
Garrity: I can see it, assuming Phil's arthritis doesn't kick in. He's still got a full shoulder turn, there's no sign that he's starting to lose distance, and he's got the great short game. Plus he's more comfortable at Augusta National than he is at home with his accountant.
Bamberger: I agree. Jack had a similar build and a similar big swing and he played Augusta beautifully at age 56.
Godich: But for a guy battling arthritis, contending at Augusta at 52 seems to be a pretty big ask.
Stephanie Wei, WeiUnderPar-com: Forty-one wins. Think about it. That's pretty incredible and over a period overlapping with Tiger in his heyday. Who knows with Phil? This win reminds me of last year at Pebble. He looked confident and sharp that week and especially that Sunday, playing with Tiger. As impressive and dominant he was in Phoenix, Phil is not a young chap anymore. Can't see him maintaining this pace.
Godich: Phil would gladly slip on another green jacket, but I think the prize he covets most now is the U.S. Open.
Shipnuck: I think Merion is a great opportunity for Phil. Off the tee he can hit 3-irons and 3-woods all day and let the rest of his game carry him.
Morfit: That'd be the story of the year, especially since I don't immediately think Phil when I think Merion.
Bamberger: Merion would be an amazing, and unlikely, place for Phil to finally get his U.S. Open. He likes the big parks.
Van Sickle: Phil's iron play and great putting from mid-range -- the 10-to 20-foot range -- make him a U.S. Open contender if he can avoid big numbers.
Read more: Phil Mickelson wins Waste Management Phoenix Open - PGA Tour Confidential | GOLF-com
Mark Godich, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: The new driver has re-energized Phil. We'll look back at the win in Phoenix as the start of something big.
Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: You can never count Phil in -- or out -- of anything. He's unpredictable. But this new driver looks more like a game-changer for him than a one-week blip. The Masters and a big course like the PGA Championship at Oak Hill are tailor-made for him if he's getting off the tee better. Big year for Phil, especially since I wasn't expecting it.
Jeff Ritter, senior producer, Golf-com: Phil's now won 41 times on Tour, but you'd be hard-pressed to find as complete a victory as this one. Everything was clicking. He could be in for a great year, but there will probably be more bumps along the way, because after all, he's Phil. Ride the wave.
Ryan Reiterman, senior producer, Golf-com: Does this mean Phil's going to be a challenger for No. 1? No, he'll never be that consistent. But this does mean he's trending toward another run at a green jacket, and that's all that matters.
Mike Walker, senior editor, Golf Magazine: This isn't coming out of nowhere. He played well in the FedEx Cup events last year and looked sharp at the Ryder Cup. No matter what the odds-makers say, the smart money will be on Mickelson at Augusta.
Shipnuck: After watching Keegan Bradley's super-straight driving at the Ryder Cup, Phil seemed to have found religion, vowing he'd stop swinging for the fences and play more from the fairway. If his tremendous ball control in Phoenix is indeed the manifestation of a more refined style of play than I think this could be the start of something big. With his iron game and play from 125 yards and in, he'll be very tough to beat playing consistently from the short grass.
John Garrity, contributing writer, Sports Illustrated: The only thing Phil's brilliant play tells us is that he is far from finished as a tour star. We've seen this before -- weeks of bland play followed by a streak that makes the golf gods yelp. Next week, who knows? But he's a joy to watch, a real gift to golf fans.
Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Phil will contend at the Masters. If he wins, he may go radio silent for the rest of year. If he loses, he may go radio silent for rest of the year.
Cameron Morfit, senior writer, Golf Magazine: I don't think we can say he's headed for a monster year, or we'd make the same mistake we made after he won Pebble last year. I think that inconsistency is here to stay. But I agree that he'll be a force at Augusta, every year for the next 10 or so.
Godich: 10? Seriously?
Morfit: Oh, yeah -- Augusta will be the last place where he's still able to contend.
Garrity: I can see it, assuming Phil's arthritis doesn't kick in. He's still got a full shoulder turn, there's no sign that he's starting to lose distance, and he's got the great short game. Plus he's more comfortable at Augusta National than he is at home with his accountant.
Bamberger: I agree. Jack had a similar build and a similar big swing and he played Augusta beautifully at age 56.
Godich: But for a guy battling arthritis, contending at Augusta at 52 seems to be a pretty big ask.
Stephanie Wei, WeiUnderPar-com: Forty-one wins. Think about it. That's pretty incredible and over a period overlapping with Tiger in his heyday. Who knows with Phil? This win reminds me of last year at Pebble. He looked confident and sharp that week and especially that Sunday, playing with Tiger. As impressive and dominant he was in Phoenix, Phil is not a young chap anymore. Can't see him maintaining this pace.
Godich: Phil would gladly slip on another green jacket, but I think the prize he covets most now is the U.S. Open.
Shipnuck: I think Merion is a great opportunity for Phil. Off the tee he can hit 3-irons and 3-woods all day and let the rest of his game carry him.
Morfit: That'd be the story of the year, especially since I don't immediately think Phil when I think Merion.
Bamberger: Merion would be an amazing, and unlikely, place for Phil to finally get his U.S. Open. He likes the big parks.
Van Sickle: Phil's iron play and great putting from mid-range -- the 10-to 20-foot range -- make him a U.S. Open contender if he can avoid big numbers.
Read more: Phil Mickelson wins Waste Management Phoenix Open - PGA Tour Confidential | GOLF-com
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This is the largest golf tee in the world. Guinness World Records announced Monday that the Casey, Ill., company Brolin Enterprises officially broke the old mark with its tee.
It's over 30 feet long and weighs more than 6,000 pounds, so I would sure hope so!
Here's a hilarious video showing the golf tee next to some normal humans.
Pictures: Largest golf tee in the world constructed - CBSSports-com
It's over 30 feet long and weighs more than 6,000 pounds, so I would sure hope so!
Here's a hilarious video showing the golf tee next to some normal humans.
Pictures: Largest golf tee in the world constructed - CBSSports-com
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A man living on a golf estate in Vanderbijlpark has had enough of being pelted by stray golf balls - even in his living room - and blames this on the 14th hole which is barley 10 metres from his premises.
Eric Schoeman turned to the Pretoria High Court to interdict the owner of the Emfuleni Golf Course on the Emfuleni Golf Estate from allowing anyone to play golf on the 14th hole unless the green is relocated to a position not closer than 40m from his premises.
This, Schoeman said, must be measured over the shortest distance between the border of his premises and the edge of the green.
The golf course is situated more or less in the middle of the estate and houses surround it.
Schoeman earlier explained to the court that the living area of his house fronts the golf course.
There is a large patio on the outside with sliding doors leading to the living room.
When the sliding doors are open, the patio and the living room become one living area where he and his wife spend most of their time and entertain visitors.
Their property is situated close to the 14th hole, which includes the tee from where the players play their first shot, the fairway along which they progress towards the green, and the green itself.
Schoeman said the fact that the 14th hole is about 10m from his property, gives rise to a highly dangerous situation in that players play their shots towards his house.
Many players, he said, play their shots too long, with the result that the house and adjacent living area are often hit by fast-travelling golf balls. He said apart from causing damage to the property, these balls may cause serious injury or even death if a person is hit by them.
Schoeman
said before he took steps to alleviate the situation somewhat, the house was hit by about 100 balls a month. Some of the balls hit the patio, some the porch, others the outside of the house, while some went right into the house.
These often damaged the furniture or pictures on the walls, or struck the floor and bounced against the ceiling.
Schoeman said when he bought the property, the developer and then owner of the golf course assured him that the 14th green would be relocated to a safe distance. Believing these verbal assurances, he bought the property.
After they moved in about seven years ago, they asked why it was not being moved and was told it would be moved soon.
The golf course was, however, sold to somebody else and the new owner did not relocate the 14th hole. Schoeman meanwhile, in a bid to temporarily alleviate the problem, replaced the sand bunker with grass and built a pond between the green and his house.
He said while this helped, his house was “still regularly hit inside and outside by fast-travelling golf balls”.
A technical dispute meanwhile arose during the hearing of the case, where the new owner of the golf course, S Y Kim, said the verbal agreement earlier given to Schoeman (that the 14th hole would be relocated) was not mentioned in the sale agreement which he entered into when he bought the golf course.
He said that in terms of the constitution of the Emfuleni Estate Home Owners Association, this dispute should have been referred to arbitration, rather than being brought before the court. Schoeman, on the other hand, is disputing this.
Judge Natvarlal Ranchod ordered that the parties must at a later stage present oral evidence to the court on these issues, as it cannot be determined merely on documents before court.
Eric Schoeman turned to the Pretoria High Court to interdict the owner of the Emfuleni Golf Course on the Emfuleni Golf Estate from allowing anyone to play golf on the 14th hole unless the green is relocated to a position not closer than 40m from his premises.
This, Schoeman said, must be measured over the shortest distance between the border of his premises and the edge of the green.
The golf course is situated more or less in the middle of the estate and houses surround it.
Schoeman earlier explained to the court that the living area of his house fronts the golf course.
There is a large patio on the outside with sliding doors leading to the living room.
When the sliding doors are open, the patio and the living room become one living area where he and his wife spend most of their time and entertain visitors.
Their property is situated close to the 14th hole, which includes the tee from where the players play their first shot, the fairway along which they progress towards the green, and the green itself.
Schoeman said the fact that the 14th hole is about 10m from his property, gives rise to a highly dangerous situation in that players play their shots towards his house.
Many players, he said, play their shots too long, with the result that the house and adjacent living area are often hit by fast-travelling golf balls. He said apart from causing damage to the property, these balls may cause serious injury or even death if a person is hit by them.
Schoeman
said before he took steps to alleviate the situation somewhat, the house was hit by about 100 balls a month. Some of the balls hit the patio, some the porch, others the outside of the house, while some went right into the house.
These often damaged the furniture or pictures on the walls, or struck the floor and bounced against the ceiling.
Schoeman said when he bought the property, the developer and then owner of the golf course assured him that the 14th green would be relocated to a safe distance. Believing these verbal assurances, he bought the property.
After they moved in about seven years ago, they asked why it was not being moved and was told it would be moved soon.
The golf course was, however, sold to somebody else and the new owner did not relocate the 14th hole. Schoeman meanwhile, in a bid to temporarily alleviate the problem, replaced the sand bunker with grass and built a pond between the green and his house.
He said while this helped, his house was “still regularly hit inside and outside by fast-travelling golf balls”.
A technical dispute meanwhile arose during the hearing of the case, where the new owner of the golf course, S Y Kim, said the verbal agreement earlier given to Schoeman (that the 14th hole would be relocated) was not mentioned in the sale agreement which he entered into when he bought the golf course.
He said that in terms of the constitution of the Emfuleni Estate Home Owners Association, this dispute should have been referred to arbitration, rather than being brought before the court. Schoeman, on the other hand, is disputing this.
Judge Natvarlal Ranchod ordered that the parties must at a later stage present oral evidence to the court on these issues, as it cannot be determined merely on documents before court.
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Lee Westwood still doesn’t know why his father took him to the golf course.
He played just about every other sport in England when he was 12, such as football, cricket and rugby. He used to go fishing with his father, but the fish weren’t biting, mainly because Westwood kept throwing stones into the water. So off they went to a golf course called Kilton Forest, neither of them having ever so much as swung a club.
Westwood was hooked.
“I turned pro at 19 and came on tour, and he was still a 12 handicap, so I can’t understand the reasons for that,” Westwood said. “He went to every lesson that I’ve had, drove me there and sat there and listened to it. I just got a bit better than him. Must be down to talent or something like that. I must have my mom’s talent for golf.”
Westwood was particularly sharp with his dry humor Wednesday at Pebble Beach, where it’s easy to be in a good mood when the landscape is colored with a blue sky, green grass, white surf and a blazing sun.
He is making his first start on the PGA Tour, and this week is a reminder to the 39-year-old Westwood where his career all started.
It was his mother, a podiatrist, who bought a set of golf clubs from a patient in case her son wanted something to do while on holiday from school. It was his father, a math teacher, who had the idea of going to the golf course for the first time.
Nearly 30 years later, Westwood has put together quite the career. He reached No. 1 in the world, ending the five-year reign of Tiger Woods in October 2010. He has won the Order of Merit twice on the European Tour. He has played on eight Ryder Cup teams.
Perhaps it’s only fitting that Westwood goes back to his roots at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am by playing with his father.
John Westwood told the UK version of Golf World that they both shot somewhere in the neighborhood of 180 that first day at Kilton Forest. On the third day, Westwood chipped in for his first birdie, and then his father made a long putt on the same hole for his first birdie.
Read More: Golf: Westwood goes back to his roots | Courier-Post | courierpostonline-com
He played just about every other sport in England when he was 12, such as football, cricket and rugby. He used to go fishing with his father, but the fish weren’t biting, mainly because Westwood kept throwing stones into the water. So off they went to a golf course called Kilton Forest, neither of them having ever so much as swung a club.
Westwood was hooked.
“I turned pro at 19 and came on tour, and he was still a 12 handicap, so I can’t understand the reasons for that,” Westwood said. “He went to every lesson that I’ve had, drove me there and sat there and listened to it. I just got a bit better than him. Must be down to talent or something like that. I must have my mom’s talent for golf.”
Westwood was particularly sharp with his dry humor Wednesday at Pebble Beach, where it’s easy to be in a good mood when the landscape is colored with a blue sky, green grass, white surf and a blazing sun.
He is making his first start on the PGA Tour, and this week is a reminder to the 39-year-old Westwood where his career all started.
It was his mother, a podiatrist, who bought a set of golf clubs from a patient in case her son wanted something to do while on holiday from school. It was his father, a math teacher, who had the idea of going to the golf course for the first time.
Nearly 30 years later, Westwood has put together quite the career. He reached No. 1 in the world, ending the five-year reign of Tiger Woods in October 2010. He has won the Order of Merit twice on the European Tour. He has played on eight Ryder Cup teams.
Perhaps it’s only fitting that Westwood goes back to his roots at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am by playing with his father.
John Westwood told the UK version of Golf World that they both shot somewhere in the neighborhood of 180 that first day at Kilton Forest. On the third day, Westwood chipped in for his first birdie, and then his father made a long putt on the same hole for his first birdie.
Read More: Golf: Westwood goes back to his roots | Courier-Post | courierpostonline-com
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Condoleezza Rice's first name comes from the Italian musical term con dolcezza - "with sweetness." That was how Rice played her round Thursday at Pebble Beach on the first day of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. She was all smiles and nods to the galleries, backslaps and friendly chatter with her group.
And that's how Rice, intentionally or not, is quietly helping change the face of golf for women and people of color. She keeps popping up at golf clubs and in tournaments that were once fortresses of the white, male ruling elite.
This week, for Rice, it's all about playing golf, con dolcezza, although there were a few sour moments Thursday, like Rice's tee shot on No. 6 that clonked off the forehead of a woman in the gallery, drawing blood. (The injury proved minor.)
Mostly, the former secretary of state and national security adviser in George W. Bush's administration, and current Stanford professor, was all sunshine, like the weather. Pebble Beach on a day like Thursday is so nice that it's almost sickening.
Rice takes her golf seriously, but refuses to wear the face of the ferocious grinder. She was addressing her second shot on No. 17, near a grandstand, when a marshal began barking at a man who ignored shouted orders to put away his cell phone camera. For any golfer, this is a code-red distraction. Rice smiled at the angry marshal and said quietly, "It's all right."
That's diplomacy.
Landing Rice in the field of celebs was a big coup for the Pebble folks. She represents power. Rice is probably the most powerful person to play this tourney since former President Gerald Ford in 1992.
Power-wise, Rice makes Pebble Beach regular Bill Murray look like a caddie.
More relevant, Rice quietly has become a one-woman wrecking crew of golf's barriers to women. Last year, she and banker Darla Moore became the first women accorded membership at Augusta National, a playground of super-powerful white men and home of the Masters tournament.
Country club membership
Rice is also a member of Alabama's Shoal Creek Country Club, ground zero for golf's major integration/exclusion battle in 1990. And Rice is a member of Monterey's Cypress Point Golf Club, which was kicked out of the AT&T tournament's three-course rotation in 1990 because it had no black members (although some women), and refused to come into compliance with PGA Tour inclusion rules.
The AT&T tournament field itself, as usual, isn't exactly teeming with women. There are two among the 156 amateurs. The other is Heidi Ueberroth, whose husband, Peter, is a quarter-owner of the Pebble Beach course.
So Rice, intentionally or not, is kicking down doors and focusing attention on golf's racial and gender selectivity.
Nice about it
While carrying a big stick, she is speaking softly.
When Rice was asked after her round if she set out to integrate those three notoriously exclusive bastions, she replied sunnily, "I'm just trying to play golf, just trying to play golf. They're great places. I'm honored to be a member of all of them."
The Augusta membership is the most significant. To many women, the exclusion there wasn't about denied access to a game.
"Let's face it," said Martha Burk of the National Council of Women's Organizations, "It was never about golf. It's about access to power, access to the place where deals are made and money passes hands."
By all appearances, though, to Rice it's all about golf. She's 59, took up the game at age 50, works at it diligently with coaches, takes it quite seriously.
The day job
Rice's day job is at Stanford, where she teaches courses in politics and graduate-level economics. She is also the godmother of Cardinal athletics. She is heavily involved in the recruiting of athletes in all the sports, and she counsels and advises many Stanford athletes. And works on her game.
Rice's pro partner, Jason Bohn, said that when the going got tough Thursday, Rice got tougher, willing her game back on track instead of simmering or moping. She competes.
"I appreciate that more than anything, that she's kicking herself in the butt saying, 'Come on, let's go!' " said Bohn, who was 1-under-par Thursday. With the help of Rice, a 17-handicap, the team stands at 2-under.
Bohn, who played golf at the University of Alabama, was thrilled to be paired with the Alabama-born Rice, who introduced herself on the practice green by saying, "Roll, Tide!"
Rice's bag is stamped with a Stanford "S," and her club-head covers are the 'Bama elephant, Notre Dame shamrocks (she went to grad school there) and Augusta National logos.
Let's talk golf
Bohn said he and his wife made up a list of questions for him to ask Rice, and their neighbors chimed in with more questions.
Said Bohn, "I was like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa! I've got to see how it goes. I've got to see how deep we can go into it.' "
Not very deep. Bohn said Rice was more interested in talking golf, and that's fine with him. He could see that she's here to play golf. She left her political resume and her soapbox at home, packed her clubs and came to golf's paradise.
Rice didn't talk about how, as a girl in Alabama during the civil rights revolution, she practiced piano while her father sat at the window with a loaded gun, ready to defend the home against violence.
Now she can tee it up at once-forbidden courses, walk the fairways as a welcome guest. A star, even. She won't say it, but that's pretty cool.
Read more: Condoleezza Rice changing face of golf - SFGate
And that's how Rice, intentionally or not, is quietly helping change the face of golf for women and people of color. She keeps popping up at golf clubs and in tournaments that were once fortresses of the white, male ruling elite.
This week, for Rice, it's all about playing golf, con dolcezza, although there were a few sour moments Thursday, like Rice's tee shot on No. 6 that clonked off the forehead of a woman in the gallery, drawing blood. (The injury proved minor.)
Mostly, the former secretary of state and national security adviser in George W. Bush's administration, and current Stanford professor, was all sunshine, like the weather. Pebble Beach on a day like Thursday is so nice that it's almost sickening.
Rice takes her golf seriously, but refuses to wear the face of the ferocious grinder. She was addressing her second shot on No. 17, near a grandstand, when a marshal began barking at a man who ignored shouted orders to put away his cell phone camera. For any golfer, this is a code-red distraction. Rice smiled at the angry marshal and said quietly, "It's all right."
That's diplomacy.
Landing Rice in the field of celebs was a big coup for the Pebble folks. She represents power. Rice is probably the most powerful person to play this tourney since former President Gerald Ford in 1992.
Power-wise, Rice makes Pebble Beach regular Bill Murray look like a caddie.
More relevant, Rice quietly has become a one-woman wrecking crew of golf's barriers to women. Last year, she and banker Darla Moore became the first women accorded membership at Augusta National, a playground of super-powerful white men and home of the Masters tournament.
Country club membership
Rice is also a member of Alabama's Shoal Creek Country Club, ground zero for golf's major integration/exclusion battle in 1990. And Rice is a member of Monterey's Cypress Point Golf Club, which was kicked out of the AT&T tournament's three-course rotation in 1990 because it had no black members (although some women), and refused to come into compliance with PGA Tour inclusion rules.
The AT&T tournament field itself, as usual, isn't exactly teeming with women. There are two among the 156 amateurs. The other is Heidi Ueberroth, whose husband, Peter, is a quarter-owner of the Pebble Beach course.
So Rice, intentionally or not, is kicking down doors and focusing attention on golf's racial and gender selectivity.
Nice about it
While carrying a big stick, she is speaking softly.
When Rice was asked after her round if she set out to integrate those three notoriously exclusive bastions, she replied sunnily, "I'm just trying to play golf, just trying to play golf. They're great places. I'm honored to be a member of all of them."
The Augusta membership is the most significant. To many women, the exclusion there wasn't about denied access to a game.
"Let's face it," said Martha Burk of the National Council of Women's Organizations, "It was never about golf. It's about access to power, access to the place where deals are made and money passes hands."
By all appearances, though, to Rice it's all about golf. She's 59, took up the game at age 50, works at it diligently with coaches, takes it quite seriously.
The day job
Rice's day job is at Stanford, where she teaches courses in politics and graduate-level economics. She is also the godmother of Cardinal athletics. She is heavily involved in the recruiting of athletes in all the sports, and she counsels and advises many Stanford athletes. And works on her game.
Rice's pro partner, Jason Bohn, said that when the going got tough Thursday, Rice got tougher, willing her game back on track instead of simmering or moping. She competes.
"I appreciate that more than anything, that she's kicking herself in the butt saying, 'Come on, let's go!' " said Bohn, who was 1-under-par Thursday. With the help of Rice, a 17-handicap, the team stands at 2-under.
Bohn, who played golf at the University of Alabama, was thrilled to be paired with the Alabama-born Rice, who introduced herself on the practice green by saying, "Roll, Tide!"
Rice's bag is stamped with a Stanford "S," and her club-head covers are the 'Bama elephant, Notre Dame shamrocks (she went to grad school there) and Augusta National logos.
Let's talk golf
Bohn said he and his wife made up a list of questions for him to ask Rice, and their neighbors chimed in with more questions.
Said Bohn, "I was like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa! I've got to see how it goes. I've got to see how deep we can go into it.' "
Not very deep. Bohn said Rice was more interested in talking golf, and that's fine with him. He could see that she's here to play golf. She left her political resume and her soapbox at home, packed her clubs and came to golf's paradise.
Rice didn't talk about how, as a girl in Alabama during the civil rights revolution, she practiced piano while her father sat at the window with a loaded gun, ready to defend the home against violence.
Now she can tee it up at once-forbidden courses, walk the fairways as a welcome guest. A star, even. She won't say it, but that's pretty cool.
Read more: Condoleezza Rice changing face of golf - SFGate
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The former secretary of state, and first woman ever admitted to Augusta, badly shanked a shot on the sixth hole at Pebble Beach and hit a spectator.
At least she didn't shoot a man in the face.
But former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice still had her own projectile-to-face moment a-la Dick Cheney this week, when she accidentally hit a woman in the face with a golf ball. Competing in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Thursday, Condi shanked a shot on the sixth hole into the gallery, where it hit a spectator on her forehead.
At least she didn't shoot a man in the face.
But former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice still had her own projectile-to-face moment a-la Dick Cheney this week, when she accidentally hit a woman in the face with a golf ball. Competing in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Thursday, Condi shanked a shot on the sixth hole into the gallery, where it hit a spectator on her forehead.
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A few thousand people at Clearwater - and golfing media worldwide - were left searching for adjectives to describe Lydia Ko and her feats after the New Zealander claimed her third professional title at the ripe old age of 15 yesterday.
Few, if any, seem appropriate to use in conjunction with this teenage golfing phenom.
Sure, SBW might have been dominating sporting headlines in New Zealand and Australia, but Ko's feats in winning the New Zealand Women's Open in Christchurch yesterday caught the attention of a wider international media audience, from Australia, to Asia, to Europe and the United States.
The Golf Channel in the US were scrambling for footage of the tournament to do a piece on Ko - what a shame there was no live telecast of the event, which she was one of the clear favourites to win, but that's another story.
We probably don't know how lucky we are to have the opportunity to witness her playing on New Zealand shores. Before long the North Harbour school pupil will probably be winning LPGA Tour events for fun - she's already started, actually - and if she only just maintains where her game as at right now, let alone improve it, major championship titles surely are not far away.
That's huge expectation to place on a 15-year-old but a) it is realistic (after all, she will probably be ranked close to 20th in the world now) and b) it wouldn't worry or affect her one little bit.
You've only got to listen to, or read on Twitter, what seasoned professionals think of Ko and her abilities. Most describe her as a superstar already.
She played two rounds at the New Zealand Open alongside the the European No 1 Carlota Ciganda of Spain, and America's world No 19, Angela Stanford. With respect to those players and their achievements, Ko looked in a different class in every facet of the game. And this was the best field ever assembled in New Zealand, with 32 LPGA Tour players - and several winners - as well as many of Europe and Australia's finest in town. They all had nothing on the amateur Ko, who incredibly now has three wins and two-runner finishes in 12 professional tournaments.
Technically she is brilliant, her course management and awareness top drawer and, most crucially, she is seemingly unflappable when it comes to the mental side of things. Ko had plenty of opportunities to fall apart under the pressure in Christchurch, with the expectation and pressure that comes with being a favourite at your national open, but she didn't flinch once and enjoyed every moment. The world No 1 amateur's putter wasn't always kind but when it came to the clutch moments - like sinking a five-footer for birdie on 15, a six-footer for par on 17 and a knee-knocking three-footer for par on 18, when you could cut the tension in the crowd with a knife - Ko stood tall.
She didn't act anything like a 15-year-old kid when she sank that last putt, she simply hugged her fellow players and acknowledged the rapturous applause, almost embarrassed to accept it such is her humility.
There was a hint that she is human though, when she shed a few tears walking off the green. She later said she's not the sort of person to show emotion of feelings but the win had meant so much to her, rating it above her most notable win, the LPGA Tour's Canadian Open last year but alongside her US Amateur Championship triumph.
So in the past 13 months Ko has become the youngest ever winner of a professional event, men or women, at last January's New South Wales Open, then 14, the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour with her Canadian Open victory, and the youngest winner on the European Tour with her victory yesterday.
A golf official was overheard to say the only person who could top her achievements as an amateur is Bobby Jones, winner of 13 major championships including a grand slam in 1930. The key point he was making, I think, is that she's achieved more than the great Tiger Woods as an amateur.
Of course there are a couple of question marks around Ko.
Will she lose the passion and desire at some point and, perhaps of most concern, how will she deal with turning professional, when the time comes? Add money and increased scrutiny and expectation into the equation and it could change the outlook.
There's also a school of thought, and this was again raised by an American journalist in Christchurch this week, that Ko is so cool, calm and fearless because she hasn't tasted defeat enough. She rarely fails. How will she cope with a loss of form or in confidence when playing week in week out at the very top level?
Name a professional golfer who hasn't had to deal with both of those at some point. And not all of them do it successfully.
For now, though, we should just enjoy watching and following Ko's progress. She's super serious on the course but rather engaging off it, and always stops to sign autographs, many for people four and five times her age.
Her skill and incredible consistency mean she is a chance to contend in every tournament she plays this year, whether it be the New Zealand amateur championship or the US Open.
There aren't many golfers in the world you can say that about, and certainly no 15-year-olds.
Golf | Lydia Ko On Rapid Rise To Top Of Women's... | Stuff.co.nz
Few, if any, seem appropriate to use in conjunction with this teenage golfing phenom.
Sure, SBW might have been dominating sporting headlines in New Zealand and Australia, but Ko's feats in winning the New Zealand Women's Open in Christchurch yesterday caught the attention of a wider international media audience, from Australia, to Asia, to Europe and the United States.
The Golf Channel in the US were scrambling for footage of the tournament to do a piece on Ko - what a shame there was no live telecast of the event, which she was one of the clear favourites to win, but that's another story.
We probably don't know how lucky we are to have the opportunity to witness her playing on New Zealand shores. Before long the North Harbour school pupil will probably be winning LPGA Tour events for fun - she's already started, actually - and if she only just maintains where her game as at right now, let alone improve it, major championship titles surely are not far away.
That's huge expectation to place on a 15-year-old but a) it is realistic (after all, she will probably be ranked close to 20th in the world now) and b) it wouldn't worry or affect her one little bit.
You've only got to listen to, or read on Twitter, what seasoned professionals think of Ko and her abilities. Most describe her as a superstar already.
She played two rounds at the New Zealand Open alongside the the European No 1 Carlota Ciganda of Spain, and America's world No 19, Angela Stanford. With respect to those players and their achievements, Ko looked in a different class in every facet of the game. And this was the best field ever assembled in New Zealand, with 32 LPGA Tour players - and several winners - as well as many of Europe and Australia's finest in town. They all had nothing on the amateur Ko, who incredibly now has three wins and two-runner finishes in 12 professional tournaments.
Technically she is brilliant, her course management and awareness top drawer and, most crucially, she is seemingly unflappable when it comes to the mental side of things. Ko had plenty of opportunities to fall apart under the pressure in Christchurch, with the expectation and pressure that comes with being a favourite at your national open, but she didn't flinch once and enjoyed every moment. The world No 1 amateur's putter wasn't always kind but when it came to the clutch moments - like sinking a five-footer for birdie on 15, a six-footer for par on 17 and a knee-knocking three-footer for par on 18, when you could cut the tension in the crowd with a knife - Ko stood tall.
She didn't act anything like a 15-year-old kid when she sank that last putt, she simply hugged her fellow players and acknowledged the rapturous applause, almost embarrassed to accept it such is her humility.
There was a hint that she is human though, when she shed a few tears walking off the green. She later said she's not the sort of person to show emotion of feelings but the win had meant so much to her, rating it above her most notable win, the LPGA Tour's Canadian Open last year but alongside her US Amateur Championship triumph.
So in the past 13 months Ko has become the youngest ever winner of a professional event, men or women, at last January's New South Wales Open, then 14, the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour with her Canadian Open victory, and the youngest winner on the European Tour with her victory yesterday.
A golf official was overheard to say the only person who could top her achievements as an amateur is Bobby Jones, winner of 13 major championships including a grand slam in 1930. The key point he was making, I think, is that she's achieved more than the great Tiger Woods as an amateur.
Of course there are a couple of question marks around Ko.
Will she lose the passion and desire at some point and, perhaps of most concern, how will she deal with turning professional, when the time comes? Add money and increased scrutiny and expectation into the equation and it could change the outlook.
There's also a school of thought, and this was again raised by an American journalist in Christchurch this week, that Ko is so cool, calm and fearless because she hasn't tasted defeat enough. She rarely fails. How will she cope with a loss of form or in confidence when playing week in week out at the very top level?
Name a professional golfer who hasn't had to deal with both of those at some point. And not all of them do it successfully.
For now, though, we should just enjoy watching and following Ko's progress. She's super serious on the course but rather engaging off it, and always stops to sign autographs, many for people four and five times her age.
Her skill and incredible consistency mean she is a chance to contend in every tournament she plays this year, whether it be the New Zealand amateur championship or the US Open.
There aren't many golfers in the world you can say that about, and certainly no 15-year-olds.
Golf | Lydia Ko On Rapid Rise To Top Of Women's... | Stuff.co.nz
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Billionaire Donald Trump has unveiled the designs for his second Scottish golf course.
The plans for an 18-hole course, which he wants to name after his Scottish mother Mary MacLeod, would sit next to his Championship links on the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire.
The American tycoon paid tribute to the architect Dr Martin Hawtree, who also designed the first course and the world-famous Royal Birkdale.
Trump said: "Once again Martin Hawtree's design in genius. We have the greatest piece of links land in the world. The unprecedented demand to play our championship course has accelerated our plans to build the second course."
Designer Dr Hawtree said: "The special challenge for me is to ensure that it sits comfortably beside its majestic neighbour, neither outshone by the existing course nor making any attempt to mimic or rival those leviathan qualities."
Many residents on the Menie Estate spoke of their devastation that another course was to be built on the other side of the homes those who have battled Trump's efforts to remove them from the land.
David Milne said: "I think it's despicable they can consider surrounding someone like this and if they continue this kind of treatment then it is an issue."
Sarah Malone, executive vice president for Trump International Golf Links Scotland, said: "We are more committed than ever to creating the greatest golf destination in the world."
Trump is due to return to Scotland in April where he will finalise the layout.
The mogul will then put the plans to Aberdeenshire Council. Unlike the first course, which opened last July, the new layout would lie outside a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The plans for an 18-hole course, which he wants to name after his Scottish mother Mary MacLeod, would sit next to his Championship links on the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire.
The American tycoon paid tribute to the architect Dr Martin Hawtree, who also designed the first course and the world-famous Royal Birkdale.
Trump said: "Once again Martin Hawtree's design in genius. We have the greatest piece of links land in the world. The unprecedented demand to play our championship course has accelerated our plans to build the second course."
Designer Dr Hawtree said: "The special challenge for me is to ensure that it sits comfortably beside its majestic neighbour, neither outshone by the existing course nor making any attempt to mimic or rival those leviathan qualities."
Many residents on the Menie Estate spoke of their devastation that another course was to be built on the other side of the homes those who have battled Trump's efforts to remove them from the land.
David Milne said: "I think it's despicable they can consider surrounding someone like this and if they continue this kind of treatment then it is an issue."
Sarah Malone, executive vice president for Trump International Golf Links Scotland, said: "We are more committed than ever to creating the greatest golf destination in the world."
Trump is due to return to Scotland in April where he will finalise the layout.
The mogul will then put the plans to Aberdeenshire Council. Unlike the first course, which opened last July, the new layout would lie outside a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
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Tiger Woods will play in three consecutive PGA Tour events, starting with next week's WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona, as part of his build-up to the Masters, the year's first major.
The American world number two will also compete at the Feb. 28-March 3 Honda Classic, which is staged close to his home in Florida, and then the March 7-10 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, he said on his official website.
Woods enjoys a good track record in both World Golf Championships (WGC) events, having won the Match Play three times and the Cadillac Championship on six occasions.
He tied for second in last year's Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens, two shots behind Rory McIlroy, after closing with a sizzling eight-under par 62.
"I'm excited to be playing in the Honda Classic again," Woods, who lives in nearby Jupiter Island, said in a statement. "It's a really good tournament, and it does a lot for the community.
"I like the golf course, and I came pretty close last year. It's part of a busy stretch for me, and I want to continue playing well."
Former world number one Woods has not played on the PGA Tour since he clinched his 75th title on the U.S. circuit by four strokes at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego three weeks ago.
The 2013 Masters will be played from April 11-14 at Augusta National where Woods is a four-times champion.
Golf-Woods adds three PGA Tour events to Masters buildup - Yahoo! News
The American world number two will also compete at the Feb. 28-March 3 Honda Classic, which is staged close to his home in Florida, and then the March 7-10 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, he said on his official website.
Woods enjoys a good track record in both World Golf Championships (WGC) events, having won the Match Play three times and the Cadillac Championship on six occasions.
He tied for second in last year's Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens, two shots behind Rory McIlroy, after closing with a sizzling eight-under par 62.
"I'm excited to be playing in the Honda Classic again," Woods, who lives in nearby Jupiter Island, said in a statement. "It's a really good tournament, and it does a lot for the community.
"I like the golf course, and I came pretty close last year. It's part of a busy stretch for me, and I want to continue playing well."
Former world number one Woods has not played on the PGA Tour since he clinched his 75th title on the U.S. circuit by four strokes at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego three weeks ago.
The 2013 Masters will be played from April 11-14 at Augusta National where Woods is a four-times champion.
Golf-Woods adds three PGA Tour events to Masters buildup - Yahoo! News
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Graeme McDowell tried not to watch golf on TV the last few months to avoid the temptation to play. Adam Scott has been so far removed from the game that he didn't learn about Phil Mickelson's cruel lipout for a 59 until he finished his pro-am round Wednesday at Riviera.
''Was it a big lipout? Oh, that stinks,'' Scott said.
It's not that news travels slowly Down Under. But when the 32-year-old Australian gets away from golf, he really gets away. Asked if he had any idea what's gone on over the last six weeks of the PGA Tour season, Scott mentioned Brandt Snedeker winning at Pebble Beach after being runner-up in consecutive weeks.
''I know Brandt is playing really good,'' he said. ''I was in America last weekend.''
As much as golf is played around the clock and around the world, there's still time for a long winter's nap. The offseason is as long as players want it to be.
McDowell, Scott and Luke Donald are proof of that.
They are playing together the opening two rounds of the Northern Trust Open, which is only fitting. They are the only three players from the top 20 in the world who have yet to play anywhere in the world this year.
Donald last played in Dubai last November. McDowell hasn't played since winning the World Challenge up the road at Sherwood the week after Thanksgiving. Scott's most recent tournament was the second weekend of December at the Australian Open.
It's a formula that works for Donald.
Two years ago, he returned from a long break, shot 79 in the second round at Riviera to miss the cut, and then won a week later in the Match Play Championship, the first step toward going to No. 1 in the world. ''It's been a long year, and it's hard to find breaks and it's hard to find time where you can actually work on your swing to try and make some improvements with your game,'' Donald said. ''So I took a decent amount of time off, but I feel rested, ready to go.''
McDowell learned the hard day. Coming off his dream season in 2010 - a U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach, the clinching point for Europe in the Ryder Cup, coming from four shots behind to beat Tiger Woods at Sherwood - he started up again in Hawaii and never felt like he had time to recharge.
He took 10 weeks off this year, the longest break since he can remember. It was long enough to joke about the white legs of his English caddie, Ken Comboy.
And he has no regrets.
''You have to be disciplined enough to do it,'' McDowell said as he walked down the first fairway on a gorgeous day off Sunset Boulevard. ''I resisted the temptation to turn the TV on the last month to see guys at Kapalua, to see guys at Torrey Pines, to see guys at Phoenix. It's hard especially for the guys playing two tours. You play right up into December and then you've got to tee it up in the Middle East. If you play the European Tour, there is no offseason.''
McDowell said he has been bombarded with tweets from his followers in recent weeks, asking why he wasn't at Abu Dhabi or any of the West Coast events on the PGA Tour.
''It's hard to turn down great purses, great sponsors, great courses,'' he said. ''But you've got to pick and choose if you want career longevity.''
This is one course he didn't want to miss, and that's true for so many others.
Riviera is one of the classic courses on the PGA Tour, and the field is so deep that three players who finished in the top 10 last week at Pebble Beach did not get into the Northern Trust because there wasn't any room for them.
It is the strongest field on the PGA Tour this year, with 16 of the top 25 players from the world ranking.
''This is why a lot of guys fly a long way to get here,'' Ernie Els said.
Fred Couples is playing for the 31st time, simply because he loves Riviera and it's one of the courses where he still feels he can win. Couples won this tournament twice.
Scott won at Riviera, even though it didn't count. The tournament was hit so hard by rain in 2005 that it took until Monday before 36 holes could be completed, and he won in a playoff. Because it was 36 holes, all he got was the money - not an official win.
Weather shouldn't be an issue this week, with sunshine in the forecast through Sunday.
Scott's swing looked as sweet as ever on the range and in his pro-am round, and there's a reason for that. While he hasn't played competitively since the Australian Open in Sydney, he has been playing plenty of golf.
''Having this break has been really good for me,'' Scott said. ''I've played a lot of golf, actually. I'm loving golf. A couple of years ago, my frustration level was so high I could have gone six weeks without playing. I like playing now, playing with my mom and dad, and I've played a lot.''
Most of his golf was played in Queensland while he was home, and it included a trip with his parents to Barnbougle in Tasmania. He is anything but rusty, though the next few days will give him a gauge on tournament golf.
This break was not an accident. Scott plans to play four of the next five weeks, only missing the Honda Classic. His aim, like other players, is to be fresh in the summer.
''There isn't a long offseason is you don't want there to be one,'' Scott said. ''I've played plenty of golf over the last 10 or 12 years as a pro, and I'm going to play heaps more. Missing a few events is not going to hurt me. My main focus is to be prepared, being fresh and ready during the major season. If you rush out and play a bunch early, when June comes around, you're fatigued early. And that's the biggest golf there is.''
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''Was it a big lipout? Oh, that stinks,'' Scott said.
It's not that news travels slowly Down Under. But when the 32-year-old Australian gets away from golf, he really gets away. Asked if he had any idea what's gone on over the last six weeks of the PGA Tour season, Scott mentioned Brandt Snedeker winning at Pebble Beach after being runner-up in consecutive weeks.
''I know Brandt is playing really good,'' he said. ''I was in America last weekend.''
As much as golf is played around the clock and around the world, there's still time for a long winter's nap. The offseason is as long as players want it to be.
McDowell, Scott and Luke Donald are proof of that.
They are playing together the opening two rounds of the Northern Trust Open, which is only fitting. They are the only three players from the top 20 in the world who have yet to play anywhere in the world this year.
Donald last played in Dubai last November. McDowell hasn't played since winning the World Challenge up the road at Sherwood the week after Thanksgiving. Scott's most recent tournament was the second weekend of December at the Australian Open.
It's a formula that works for Donald.
Two years ago, he returned from a long break, shot 79 in the second round at Riviera to miss the cut, and then won a week later in the Match Play Championship, the first step toward going to No. 1 in the world. ''It's been a long year, and it's hard to find breaks and it's hard to find time where you can actually work on your swing to try and make some improvements with your game,'' Donald said. ''So I took a decent amount of time off, but I feel rested, ready to go.''
McDowell learned the hard day. Coming off his dream season in 2010 - a U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach, the clinching point for Europe in the Ryder Cup, coming from four shots behind to beat Tiger Woods at Sherwood - he started up again in Hawaii and never felt like he had time to recharge.
He took 10 weeks off this year, the longest break since he can remember. It was long enough to joke about the white legs of his English caddie, Ken Comboy.
And he has no regrets.
''You have to be disciplined enough to do it,'' McDowell said as he walked down the first fairway on a gorgeous day off Sunset Boulevard. ''I resisted the temptation to turn the TV on the last month to see guys at Kapalua, to see guys at Torrey Pines, to see guys at Phoenix. It's hard especially for the guys playing two tours. You play right up into December and then you've got to tee it up in the Middle East. If you play the European Tour, there is no offseason.''
McDowell said he has been bombarded with tweets from his followers in recent weeks, asking why he wasn't at Abu Dhabi or any of the West Coast events on the PGA Tour.
''It's hard to turn down great purses, great sponsors, great courses,'' he said. ''But you've got to pick and choose if you want career longevity.''
This is one course he didn't want to miss, and that's true for so many others.
Riviera is one of the classic courses on the PGA Tour, and the field is so deep that three players who finished in the top 10 last week at Pebble Beach did not get into the Northern Trust because there wasn't any room for them.
It is the strongest field on the PGA Tour this year, with 16 of the top 25 players from the world ranking.
''This is why a lot of guys fly a long way to get here,'' Ernie Els said.
Fred Couples is playing for the 31st time, simply because he loves Riviera and it's one of the courses where he still feels he can win. Couples won this tournament twice.
Scott won at Riviera, even though it didn't count. The tournament was hit so hard by rain in 2005 that it took until Monday before 36 holes could be completed, and he won in a playoff. Because it was 36 holes, all he got was the money - not an official win.
Weather shouldn't be an issue this week, with sunshine in the forecast through Sunday.
Scott's swing looked as sweet as ever on the range and in his pro-am round, and there's a reason for that. While he hasn't played competitively since the Australian Open in Sydney, he has been playing plenty of golf.
''Having this break has been really good for me,'' Scott said. ''I've played a lot of golf, actually. I'm loving golf. A couple of years ago, my frustration level was so high I could have gone six weeks without playing. I like playing now, playing with my mom and dad, and I've played a lot.''
Most of his golf was played in Queensland while he was home, and it included a trip with his parents to Barnbougle in Tasmania. He is anything but rusty, though the next few days will give him a gauge on tournament golf.
This break was not an accident. Scott plans to play four of the next five weeks, only missing the Honda Classic. His aim, like other players, is to be fresh in the summer.
''There isn't a long offseason is you don't want there to be one,'' Scott said. ''I've played plenty of golf over the last 10 or 12 years as a pro, and I'm going to play heaps more. Missing a few events is not going to hurt me. My main focus is to be prepared, being fresh and ready during the major season. If you rush out and play a bunch early, when June comes around, you're fatigued early. And that's the biggest golf there is.''
Y! SPORTS
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In 2012, Weir missed the cut in all 12 tour events that he entered. Last week at the Humana Challenge, he triple-bogeyed his last hole to miss the cut. For the past few years, the lefty has been hampered by an elbow injury.
His swing teacher is Grant Waite, a former tour player who won the 1993 Kemper Open. On Tuesday, Waite told me that Weir had lost considerable strength on his left side. So they were working on helping him build his swing around some of his limitations. Weir, who is just 5-foot-9, 155 pounds, was already one of the shorter hitters on tour.
"I'm happy with the progress I'm making," Weir said. "As golfers, you want it right away, but I've seen some good signs, so that's always positive."
Tag's Ace
At the par-3 third hole on the Torrey Pines South Course, Tag Ridings made a hole-in-one with a pitching wedge from 141 yards. Ridings' ace came after his playing partner, Steve Marino, hit his tee shot to within a foot of the hole.
"Called it in the air and said, 'go in,' and it landed right behind the hole and went in the cup," said Ridings, who shot a 5-under 67 on Thursday. "It was beautiful."
Foxy Start
In his first career PGA Tour start, Steven Fox, the 2012 U.S. Amateur champion, had a 2-under 70 on the North Course. The 22-year-old University of Tennessee-Chattanooga senior looked just like a tour player, decked head to toe in the logos of a major golf equipment company.
The time when amateurs went logo-free in tour events is long gone. Once upon a time the lack of logos was how you could identify the amateurs at these events. Fox fit right in with the rest of the players with a slighter smaller bag with the same big logo.
Hockey Girlfriend
Paulina Gretzky, daughter of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, was out in full force for her boyfriend, Dustin Johnson, on Thursday at Torrey Pines.
Gretzky is becoming a regular around the tour.
Move Over Monday
It's rare for a Monday qualifier to be on the top of a PGA Tour leaderboard, but that's exactly where Adam Hadwin is after a bogey-free 6-under-par 66 on Thursday. The 25-year-old Canadian shot 64 just to get into the Farmers Insurance field, his eighth career start on tour.
There's a Mike Weir sighting at Torrey Pines -- golf - ESPN