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Tiger Woods is completely obsessed with golf, says fellow pro and U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy.
Ogilvy was on the State of The Game podcast, doing a preview of the forthcoming Open Championship.
Eventually talk turned to Tiger and he said, "He's a student of the game. You know when he's not playing, he's at home watching the game. He reads golf books. He really is into golf," later adding, "He is really just a golf nerd. He just loves golf, he loves everything about it. All he thinks about is golf, really."
From the perspective of a weekend hacker that's really into the game, this pretty neat.
A lot of professional athletes play because it's how they make money. They stop loving the game because it's work.
It's nice to know that Woods still loves golf and dorks out over it like the rest of us.
Here's Ogilvy's full comment:
He's a student of the game. You know when he's not playing, he's at home watching the game. He reads golf books. He really is into golf. Because when you actually ask him a real question and he has a moment of weakness and actually answers the question he is actually quite insightful and pretty impressive.
...
He's always been pretty good with me. I think if you get inside the ropes and you prove yourself to be not dangerous to talk to ... I guess, I don't know in Tiger's world. I don't know, he's been really great to me. We've had great chats about golf, about golf courses, he is just a student of the game is a bit of strange comment. He is really just a golf nerd. He just loves golf, he loves everything about it. All he thinks about is golf, really. Mostly, anyway. He has his moments where he doesn't obviously. He just loves the game. If you hit a shot, or someone in your group hits a shot, or you mention something that happened the week before, someone hit a crazy shot over a tree or a great chip shot, all he wants to do is "what do you work on when you chip?" or "what do you think that guy does when he's hitting his four iron?" He just loves golf, he loves golf courses, he always wants to talk about the golf courses in Melbourne. He obviously has a massive passion for coming to Scotland and the UK, and playing the British Open, it's his favorite tournament. He's fantastic.
Read more: Tiger Woods Is A Hardcore Golf Nerd Who Is Obsessed With The Game - Business Insider
Ogilvy was on the State of The Game podcast, doing a preview of the forthcoming Open Championship.
Eventually talk turned to Tiger and he said, "He's a student of the game. You know when he's not playing, he's at home watching the game. He reads golf books. He really is into golf," later adding, "He is really just a golf nerd. He just loves golf, he loves everything about it. All he thinks about is golf, really."
From the perspective of a weekend hacker that's really into the game, this pretty neat.
A lot of professional athletes play because it's how they make money. They stop loving the game because it's work.
It's nice to know that Woods still loves golf and dorks out over it like the rest of us.
Here's Ogilvy's full comment:
He's a student of the game. You know when he's not playing, he's at home watching the game. He reads golf books. He really is into golf. Because when you actually ask him a real question and he has a moment of weakness and actually answers the question he is actually quite insightful and pretty impressive.
...
He's always been pretty good with me. I think if you get inside the ropes and you prove yourself to be not dangerous to talk to ... I guess, I don't know in Tiger's world. I don't know, he's been really great to me. We've had great chats about golf, about golf courses, he is just a student of the game is a bit of strange comment. He is really just a golf nerd. He just loves golf, he loves everything about it. All he thinks about is golf, really. Mostly, anyway. He has his moments where he doesn't obviously. He just loves the game. If you hit a shot, or someone in your group hits a shot, or you mention something that happened the week before, someone hit a crazy shot over a tree or a great chip shot, all he wants to do is "what do you work on when you chip?" or "what do you think that guy does when he's hitting his four iron?" He just loves golf, he loves golf courses, he always wants to talk about the golf courses in Melbourne. He obviously has a massive passion for coming to Scotland and the UK, and playing the British Open, it's his favorite tournament. He's fantastic.
Read more: Tiger Woods Is A Hardcore Golf Nerd Who Is Obsessed With The Game - Business Insider
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2006/12/07
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There are lots of golf course rankings out there, from the biggies, Golf Magazine and Golf Digest, down to individual bloggers with unknown criteria. Of the well-known lists, those from the major golf magazines, almost all use a formula that includes architecture components such as the highly subjective “shot making value,” and history, often awarding points for tournaments no one cares about. There are also rankings of golf resorts, which presumably weigh both the quality of the golf course itself and the resort features such as rooms, dining and spas.
But as far as I know, no one has focused on the actual experience – the fun of playing golf for a day. I’ve been writing on golf and golf travel for nearly 20 years, and I’ve played most every top ranked public course in the US (and many around the world), including all the big resorts, Pebble Beach, Kohler, Kiawah, Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst, Sawgrass, etc., and when it comes to the single most fun day of golf you can pay for (meaning no private members only courses like Pine Valley or Cypress Point), to me the answer is clear: Shadow Creek.
This is not to imply that Shadow Creek is in any way lacking in quality – since it opened in 1990, it has perennially been the number one course in Las Vegas and Nevada, the number one casino course in the world, has spent every year in the Top 10 or Top 20 on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 You Can Play List. It fares even better with Golf Digest: on the magazine’s America’s Greatest Public Courses 2013-14 list it moved up from sixth to fifth place, behind only Pebble Beach Golf Links, Whistling Straits (Straits Course), Pacific Dunes, and Kiawah’s Ocean Course. On both lists, and in just about every other ranking anyplace, it is widely deemed the greatest public course ever by Tom Fazio, one of the two or three top architects alive today. Golf Digest’s ranking called it “One of a kind, and maybe Tom Fazio’s finest work ever.”
I agree that from a pure physical course perspective, the four big names mentioned above are all superior, architecturally and setting-wise, by varying slight margins, to Shadow Creek (they also are all on the ocean or a Great Lake). But from an overall pleasurable golf experience, Shadow Creek stands alone. These four, and their other top ranked peers, are all among the busiest courses in the nation, and especially in peak season, rarely have a vacant tee time. Shadow Creek, by comparison, is very lightly played, spaces tee times (at least) half an hour apart, and in the three times I’ve played it I saw one other group – once in my round. Some high-end public courses boast of a “member for the day” experience, but you won’t find this at the ultra-popular top ranked courses in this elite league, they are simply too busy, and some take a distinctly golf factory-approach to visitors.
At Shadow Creek it’s more like “King For the Day.” You’ll feel like you own the place.
When Shadow Creek was built by Steve Wynn as a prize to reward the biggest of the high-rolling gamblers, “Whales,” in Vegas parlance, it was never meant to be open to the the public at all and was widely estimated to have been the most expensive golf course ever constructed at the time, and the first to be completely sodded, rather than seeded. Ever since, no expense has been spared, including a 7-month, multi-million update by Fazio in 2008, and it is like playing on a grass carpet, perfectly groomed and in as immaculate condition as you will encounter anywhere.
Later, Wynn opened it to the public, but only from Monday-Thursday, and only to guests of his then hotels, mainly the Mirage and Bellagio, for the nation’s highest greens fees, $500 per round. He later sold the course along with the hotels to MGM Resorts International, and built another competitor, the Fazio-designed Wynn Golf Club. At the same time, not to be outdone on the whale front, Caesar’s Entertainment rolled out Cassata, by Rees Jones, rumored to have cost even more to build than Shadow Creek (actually begun by MGM before they acquired Shadow Creek, then sold). All had the same policies and target market and all asked $500. It’s telling that a few years later, only Shadow Creek, always the highest ranked of the three, has been able to keep its cache, while both Cascata and Wynn have reduced rates, by as much as half, and opened to non-guest play. Since Shadow Creek remains very exclusive, gated, and hard to even find, hidden in the desert near Boulder City (you can’t drive yourself even as a paying player, you must arrive in an MGM limo, and round trip transportation from your hotel is included in the greens fee), and is still largely for “invited” guests (meaning comped high-dollar gamblers), it is built entirely on the concept of hospitality and entertainment and this carries over to paying public guests. It has multiple practice facilities, and with so few guests, the idea is you probably have a range to yourself. Nothing is rushed, and for the most part, you tee off when you are ready. Every group gets a forecaddie, and they are very well trained and excellent. Despite the high cost and cache, Shadow Creek is largely understated once you actually arrive, with a small low key clubhouse more evocative of a 1920’s New England private club, with a tavern setting and simple but delicious fare like burgers and club sandwiches. It is a great clubhouse in which to unwind and have a few beers after one of the most enjoyable rounds of your life – your limo will always wait. The whole experience has the feel of being invited to a very exclusive private golf club, except with only one single member, at Shadow Creek you don’t feel like a guest or like you are walking on eggshells – you feel like you are home.
While it still has the nation’s highest greens fees by a tiny margin, $5 over Pebble Beach ($495 with cart) at $500, it is actually a much better value than it sounds, and a better value than many top ranked and more importantly, than many
But as far as I know, no one has focused on the actual experience – the fun of playing golf for a day. I’ve been writing on golf and golf travel for nearly 20 years, and I’ve played most every top ranked public course in the US (and many around the world), including all the big resorts, Pebble Beach, Kohler, Kiawah, Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst, Sawgrass, etc., and when it comes to the single most fun day of golf you can pay for (meaning no private members only courses like Pine Valley or Cypress Point), to me the answer is clear: Shadow Creek.
This is not to imply that Shadow Creek is in any way lacking in quality – since it opened in 1990, it has perennially been the number one course in Las Vegas and Nevada, the number one casino course in the world, has spent every year in the Top 10 or Top 20 on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 You Can Play List. It fares even better with Golf Digest: on the magazine’s America’s Greatest Public Courses 2013-14 list it moved up from sixth to fifth place, behind only Pebble Beach Golf Links, Whistling Straits (Straits Course), Pacific Dunes, and Kiawah’s Ocean Course. On both lists, and in just about every other ranking anyplace, it is widely deemed the greatest public course ever by Tom Fazio, one of the two or three top architects alive today. Golf Digest’s ranking called it “One of a kind, and maybe Tom Fazio’s finest work ever.”
I agree that from a pure physical course perspective, the four big names mentioned above are all superior, architecturally and setting-wise, by varying slight margins, to Shadow Creek (they also are all on the ocean or a Great Lake). But from an overall pleasurable golf experience, Shadow Creek stands alone. These four, and their other top ranked peers, are all among the busiest courses in the nation, and especially in peak season, rarely have a vacant tee time. Shadow Creek, by comparison, is very lightly played, spaces tee times (at least) half an hour apart, and in the three times I’ve played it I saw one other group – once in my round. Some high-end public courses boast of a “member for the day” experience, but you won’t find this at the ultra-popular top ranked courses in this elite league, they are simply too busy, and some take a distinctly golf factory-approach to visitors.
At Shadow Creek it’s more like “King For the Day.” You’ll feel like you own the place.
When Shadow Creek was built by Steve Wynn as a prize to reward the biggest of the high-rolling gamblers, “Whales,” in Vegas parlance, it was never meant to be open to the the public at all and was widely estimated to have been the most expensive golf course ever constructed at the time, and the first to be completely sodded, rather than seeded. Ever since, no expense has been spared, including a 7-month, multi-million update by Fazio in 2008, and it is like playing on a grass carpet, perfectly groomed and in as immaculate condition as you will encounter anywhere.
Later, Wynn opened it to the public, but only from Monday-Thursday, and only to guests of his then hotels, mainly the Mirage and Bellagio, for the nation’s highest greens fees, $500 per round. He later sold the course along with the hotels to MGM Resorts International, and built another competitor, the Fazio-designed Wynn Golf Club. At the same time, not to be outdone on the whale front, Caesar’s Entertainment rolled out Cassata, by Rees Jones, rumored to have cost even more to build than Shadow Creek (actually begun by MGM before they acquired Shadow Creek, then sold). All had the same policies and target market and all asked $500. It’s telling that a few years later, only Shadow Creek, always the highest ranked of the three, has been able to keep its cache, while both Cascata and Wynn have reduced rates, by as much as half, and opened to non-guest play. Since Shadow Creek remains very exclusive, gated, and hard to even find, hidden in the desert near Boulder City (you can’t drive yourself even as a paying player, you must arrive in an MGM limo, and round trip transportation from your hotel is included in the greens fee), and is still largely for “invited” guests (meaning comped high-dollar gamblers), it is built entirely on the concept of hospitality and entertainment and this carries over to paying public guests. It has multiple practice facilities, and with so few guests, the idea is you probably have a range to yourself. Nothing is rushed, and for the most part, you tee off when you are ready. Every group gets a forecaddie, and they are very well trained and excellent. Despite the high cost and cache, Shadow Creek is largely understated once you actually arrive, with a small low key clubhouse more evocative of a 1920’s New England private club, with a tavern setting and simple but delicious fare like burgers and club sandwiches. It is a great clubhouse in which to unwind and have a few beers after one of the most enjoyable rounds of your life – your limo will always wait. The whole experience has the feel of being invited to a very exclusive private golf club, except with only one single member, at Shadow Creek you don’t feel like a guest or like you are walking on eggshells – you feel like you are home.
While it still has the nation’s highest greens fees by a tiny margin, $5 over Pebble Beach ($495 with cart) at $500, it is actually a much better value than it sounds, and a better value than many top ranked and more importantly, than many
Join:
2006/12/07
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29893
AS SOON as you mention July the first thing that comes to mind in the golfing arena is playing for the most coveted trophy in the world of men’s golf “The Auld Claret Jug”.
Yes, it's Open time as 156 of the best players in the world head for the East coast of Scotland for the 142nd British Open Championship.
The event may not have the aura of Augusta or the beautifully manicured courses like a US Open or a PGA Championship, but what it does have is the distinction of being the oldest tournament on the planet and dates way back to 1860 some 35 years before the second Major came along the US Open.
For the 16th time Muirfield Golf Club will play host to the event with the renowned links known amongst golfers as being perhaps the fairest test of all the Open venues, with few of the quirky bounces and hidden dangers that links courses often contain.
Two circuits of nine rotate in opposite directions, the back nine looping inside the front nine, ensuring that the golfer is never faced with the same wind direction on two consecutive holes. As 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus once put it, “What you see is what you get.”
The list of Open Champions at Muirfield reads like a who's who of golf with the likes of Harry Vardon, James Braid, Walter Hagen, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo and Ernie Els all hoisting the jug.
Tiger Woods comes into this year's Championship with somewhat of a question mark over his fitness. The world No.1 hasn't played since the US Open in June after re-injuring his elbow. A positive for Tiger though is that he has played Muirfield before, the year Ernie Els won which was back in 2002. That year Tiger opened up with 70-68 to be 2 shots back at the halfway mark. Then the third round blew up some gnarly weather from the North Sea which caught the leaders by surprise. Woods went on to shoot 81 that day which is still his highest score as a professional. He did come home strongly on the final day firing a 65 to finish T28.
Defending Champion Ernie Els has to be put in the reckoning again this year. The past month has seen the "Big Easy" finish in a share of fourth at the US Open and then followed that up with a victory at the BMW International on the European Tour. He did miss the cut at last week's Scottish Open but that was just a minor setback. Just remember he finished runner-up in 1998 at Lytham & St Annes and then won around there last year and the last time he played Muirfield was 2002 and guess what he won!
Coming off his emphatic win at the Scottish Open on the weekend Phil Mickelson is at the top of my list to claim his first Open Championship and fifth Major. Lefty was on fire in Inverness making 23 birdies and an eagle throughout the week and I just think he will carry that form on. A big plus for him this week is the positive weather forecast. Over the four days there will be light sea breezes and sunny skies, and that plays right into his hands.
There are 10 Aussies in the field here is their form guide not counting the Scottish and John Deere Classic which some of the boys are playing:
After missing last year's Open due to the birth of his first child Jason Day returns in a good frame of mind. The Queenslander is the only player in the field to post top 10's at both Major’s this year. The big key for him will be his driving accuracy, if he can hit fairways this week he will be right there come late Sunday.
It’s been a mixed bag for Melbourne’s Marcus Fraser of late. In between five weeks at home he headed to America only to miss the cut at the US Open and again missed the weekend action at the French. He has plenty of talent it’s just hard to pick which game he will bring to Muirfield.
Canberra's Brendan Jones heads into his fourth Open feeling pretty good about his game. He is coming off his first win of the season in Japan a few weeks ago. No doubt his game suits Muirfield it just depends on how his broomstick putter behaves on the greens.
It'll be Marc Leishman's thirrd time at the Open with a tie for 60th his best in 2010. The 30-year old had a purple patch in April where he posted three top-tens including a tie for fourth at the Masters. Since then though he's been inconsistent and heads to Muirfield missing two of his last three cuts.
After a string of five straight missed cuts Geoff Ogilvy turned it all around last year at Royal Lytham & St Annes posting a tie for ninth. His 2013 campaign has again been somewhat disappointing although a runner-up at the Honda Classic in March showed he still has plenty of fight in his game. Since then though it’s been inconsistent mixing four missed cuts with a tie for 32nd at the US Open.
It's been a year to remember for Brett Rumford who claimed back to back titles on the European Tour at the end of April, since then he's chilled off and comes into this week having missed the cut at this last event the French Open.
Adam Scott has felt the ecstasy of winning a Major when he won the US Masters earlier this year and also the pain of losing after bogeying four straight holes to hand Ernie Els his third Major at Lytham and St Annes last year. The two big keys for Adam to contend this week are his driving accuracy and the long wand which seems to be hot and cold. Let's hope it's hot!
This will be John Senden's seventh time teeing it up at an Open with the burly Queenslander seeing the weekend 4 times previously. It's been a weird year for Sendo as he has made plenty of cuts but hasn't really contended. His best finish was surprisingly the US Open where he tied for 15th.
Peter Senior makes his 19th appearance at an Open and over the years has had some success. The 53 year old finished 6th behind Seve in 1988 and then was 4th at Royal St Georges in 1993 to Greg Norman. He has played Muirfield on two occasions with a share of 25th in 1992 his best. Pete has been posting some good scores of late let's hope it continues.
Vict
Yes, it's Open time as 156 of the best players in the world head for the East coast of Scotland for the 142nd British Open Championship.
The event may not have the aura of Augusta or the beautifully manicured courses like a US Open or a PGA Championship, but what it does have is the distinction of being the oldest tournament on the planet and dates way back to 1860 some 35 years before the second Major came along the US Open.
For the 16th time Muirfield Golf Club will play host to the event with the renowned links known amongst golfers as being perhaps the fairest test of all the Open venues, with few of the quirky bounces and hidden dangers that links courses often contain.
Two circuits of nine rotate in opposite directions, the back nine looping inside the front nine, ensuring that the golfer is never faced with the same wind direction on two consecutive holes. As 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus once put it, “What you see is what you get.”
The list of Open Champions at Muirfield reads like a who's who of golf with the likes of Harry Vardon, James Braid, Walter Hagen, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo and Ernie Els all hoisting the jug.
Tiger Woods comes into this year's Championship with somewhat of a question mark over his fitness. The world No.1 hasn't played since the US Open in June after re-injuring his elbow. A positive for Tiger though is that he has played Muirfield before, the year Ernie Els won which was back in 2002. That year Tiger opened up with 70-68 to be 2 shots back at the halfway mark. Then the third round blew up some gnarly weather from the North Sea which caught the leaders by surprise. Woods went on to shoot 81 that day which is still his highest score as a professional. He did come home strongly on the final day firing a 65 to finish T28.
Defending Champion Ernie Els has to be put in the reckoning again this year. The past month has seen the "Big Easy" finish in a share of fourth at the US Open and then followed that up with a victory at the BMW International on the European Tour. He did miss the cut at last week's Scottish Open but that was just a minor setback. Just remember he finished runner-up in 1998 at Lytham & St Annes and then won around there last year and the last time he played Muirfield was 2002 and guess what he won!
Coming off his emphatic win at the Scottish Open on the weekend Phil Mickelson is at the top of my list to claim his first Open Championship and fifth Major. Lefty was on fire in Inverness making 23 birdies and an eagle throughout the week and I just think he will carry that form on. A big plus for him this week is the positive weather forecast. Over the four days there will be light sea breezes and sunny skies, and that plays right into his hands.
There are 10 Aussies in the field here is their form guide not counting the Scottish and John Deere Classic which some of the boys are playing:
After missing last year's Open due to the birth of his first child Jason Day returns in a good frame of mind. The Queenslander is the only player in the field to post top 10's at both Major’s this year. The big key for him will be his driving accuracy, if he can hit fairways this week he will be right there come late Sunday.
It’s been a mixed bag for Melbourne’s Marcus Fraser of late. In between five weeks at home he headed to America only to miss the cut at the US Open and again missed the weekend action at the French. He has plenty of talent it’s just hard to pick which game he will bring to Muirfield.
Canberra's Brendan Jones heads into his fourth Open feeling pretty good about his game. He is coming off his first win of the season in Japan a few weeks ago. No doubt his game suits Muirfield it just depends on how his broomstick putter behaves on the greens.
It'll be Marc Leishman's thirrd time at the Open with a tie for 60th his best in 2010. The 30-year old had a purple patch in April where he posted three top-tens including a tie for fourth at the Masters. Since then though he's been inconsistent and heads to Muirfield missing two of his last three cuts.
After a string of five straight missed cuts Geoff Ogilvy turned it all around last year at Royal Lytham & St Annes posting a tie for ninth. His 2013 campaign has again been somewhat disappointing although a runner-up at the Honda Classic in March showed he still has plenty of fight in his game. Since then though it’s been inconsistent mixing four missed cuts with a tie for 32nd at the US Open.
It's been a year to remember for Brett Rumford who claimed back to back titles on the European Tour at the end of April, since then he's chilled off and comes into this week having missed the cut at this last event the French Open.
Adam Scott has felt the ecstasy of winning a Major when he won the US Masters earlier this year and also the pain of losing after bogeying four straight holes to hand Ernie Els his third Major at Lytham and St Annes last year. The two big keys for Adam to contend this week are his driving accuracy and the long wand which seems to be hot and cold. Let's hope it's hot!
This will be John Senden's seventh time teeing it up at an Open with the burly Queenslander seeing the weekend 4 times previously. It's been a weird year for Sendo as he has made plenty of cuts but hasn't really contended. His best finish was surprisingly the US Open where he tied for 15th.
Peter Senior makes his 19th appearance at an Open and over the years has had some success. The 53 year old finished 6th behind Seve in 1988 and then was 4th at Royal St Georges in 1993 to Greg Norman. He has played Muirfield on two occasions with a share of 25th in 1992 his best. Pete has been posting some good scores of late let's hope it continues.
Vict
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It was arguably the most revolutionary comment voiced here since the oldest golf club in the world was born more than two-and-a-half centuries ago: ‘We will have a good look at what people are saying and find the most sensible way forward.’
Revolutionary? Only when these words emanated in posh Scottish from the mouth of the R&A’s chief executive, Peter Dawson, and addressed the vexed subject of Muirfield’s men-only membership policy.
‘We understand it’s a polarising issue,’ he continued. ‘I wouldn’t even want to call what we are going to do a review, but we’re very conscious of the disparity of outlook on this subject.’
Even the ear of golfing officialdom is not entirely deaf to the outcry that has accompanied the 142nd Open Championship all the way to the first tee: Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond, last seen at a sporting event unfurling a Saltire at Wimbledon in what could only be construed as naked politicking, Maria Miller, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport as well as being Minister for Women and Equalities, and the Minister for Sport, Hugh Robertson, all announced they would boycott this week’s golf for its perceived chauvinism.
But before anyone runs away with the idea that Dawson is a convert to the ‘equality’ agenda, read his answer to this piercing question: ‘Could you please explain to the 10 women in the room why racism is unacceptable and sexism clearly is not?’
‘I really don’t think that a golf club that has a policy of being a place where like-minded men or indeed women go, play golf together and do their thing together, ranks up against some of these other forms of discrimination,’ he responded. ‘For some people, it is a way of life they rather like. I don’t think they are intending to do others down.
‘You can dress it up to be a lot more if you want. But if on a Sunday morning the guy, or the lady, gets out of the marital bed, if you like, and plays golf with his chums and comes back in the afternoon — that is not on any kind of par with racial discrimination or anti-Semitism.’
He added: ‘We do believe that membership policy is a matter for clubs. And it will take a lot to push us off that position. We happen to believe that very strongly.’
At this point, depending on your world view, you will either raise a glass to Mr Dawson or throw a golf ball through your window; hail him for espousing age-old verities or vilify him as a patriarchal prat.
In the name of seeing from what approximately half the population are disenfranchised, I broke all protocol and, with the helpful blagging of a friendly member, walked into the green-carpeted inner sanctum of the clubhouse, home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and of the 13 Original Articles and Rules at Playing Golf.
While ladies are not allowed to be members, Robert Maxwell was. That is Maxwell, the Old Etonian oarsman and gentleman golfer who twice won the Amateur Championship in the early years of the last century, of course.
Tradition abounds: giant oil paintings hang on the walls; the original silver club trophy, dating from 1744, a hand-sewn featherie golf ball and putter of similar vintage are encased in the trophy cabinet. The members are younger, relatively. In the main room, sit nine women — all guests — and a dozen men, sipping and talking. A blazered gentleman introduces his daughter Georgina to a friend.
Having paid £8.40 for a couple of glasses of port, I ventured to the secretary’s office. Mr Alastair Brown was away from his desk. I left my card and returned later. This second time a guard stopped me at the entrance and politely told me I could go no further.
‘One journalist has already been in today,’ he told me, shaking his head.
A message was relayed from Brown to say he was busy and could not see me. So I was excluded at a stroke. They are certainly a law unto themselves here. For good or bad, that is what 279 years of history breeds.
Read more: Men only golf clubs need to be kicked into the long grass - Jonathan McEvoy | Mail Online
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Revolutionary? Only when these words emanated in posh Scottish from the mouth of the R&A’s chief executive, Peter Dawson, and addressed the vexed subject of Muirfield’s men-only membership policy.
‘We understand it’s a polarising issue,’ he continued. ‘I wouldn’t even want to call what we are going to do a review, but we’re very conscious of the disparity of outlook on this subject.’
Even the ear of golfing officialdom is not entirely deaf to the outcry that has accompanied the 142nd Open Championship all the way to the first tee: Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond, last seen at a sporting event unfurling a Saltire at Wimbledon in what could only be construed as naked politicking, Maria Miller, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport as well as being Minister for Women and Equalities, and the Minister for Sport, Hugh Robertson, all announced they would boycott this week’s golf for its perceived chauvinism.
But before anyone runs away with the idea that Dawson is a convert to the ‘equality’ agenda, read his answer to this piercing question: ‘Could you please explain to the 10 women in the room why racism is unacceptable and sexism clearly is not?’
‘I really don’t think that a golf club that has a policy of being a place where like-minded men or indeed women go, play golf together and do their thing together, ranks up against some of these other forms of discrimination,’ he responded. ‘For some people, it is a way of life they rather like. I don’t think they are intending to do others down.
‘You can dress it up to be a lot more if you want. But if on a Sunday morning the guy, or the lady, gets out of the marital bed, if you like, and plays golf with his chums and comes back in the afternoon — that is not on any kind of par with racial discrimination or anti-Semitism.’
He added: ‘We do believe that membership policy is a matter for clubs. And it will take a lot to push us off that position. We happen to believe that very strongly.’
At this point, depending on your world view, you will either raise a glass to Mr Dawson or throw a golf ball through your window; hail him for espousing age-old verities or vilify him as a patriarchal prat.
In the name of seeing from what approximately half the population are disenfranchised, I broke all protocol and, with the helpful blagging of a friendly member, walked into the green-carpeted inner sanctum of the clubhouse, home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and of the 13 Original Articles and Rules at Playing Golf.
While ladies are not allowed to be members, Robert Maxwell was. That is Maxwell, the Old Etonian oarsman and gentleman golfer who twice won the Amateur Championship in the early years of the last century, of course.
Tradition abounds: giant oil paintings hang on the walls; the original silver club trophy, dating from 1744, a hand-sewn featherie golf ball and putter of similar vintage are encased in the trophy cabinet. The members are younger, relatively. In the main room, sit nine women — all guests — and a dozen men, sipping and talking. A blazered gentleman introduces his daughter Georgina to a friend.
Having paid £8.40 for a couple of glasses of port, I ventured to the secretary’s office. Mr Alastair Brown was away from his desk. I left my card and returned later. This second time a guard stopped me at the entrance and politely told me I could go no further.
‘One journalist has already been in today,’ he told me, shaking his head.
A message was relayed from Brown to say he was busy and could not see me. So I was excluded at a stroke. They are certainly a law unto themselves here. For good or bad, that is what 279 years of history breeds.
Read more: Men only golf clubs need to be kicked into the long grass - Jonathan McEvoy | Mail Online
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The Midwest Classic is bringing together 156 Web-com Tour golfers.
But only one player can call it home.
Korbin Kuehn debuted his professional golf career this week at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate.
Kuehn said he felt a whirlwind of emotions — expected of anyone who is beginning a professional career.
But having the last scheduled tee time provided a lot of time for the nervousness and excitement to build. From waking at 7 a.m. until his 2:20 p.m. tee time, he anticipated the competition.
Those emotions showed through the first nine, which he described as “really nerve-wracking.” It did help being on his home course, but he didn’t show it in his performance.
“I didn’t really have to worry about the course,” he said. “It was just about the nerves and now I had people watching me. … I’m not really used to that.”
“I was just lucky enough (to debut at LionsGate),” he said. “It was just perfect. I just graduated from college. It was just perfect. It was perfect timing.”
Kuehn is coming off his final year at UMKC, where he led the team to its second consecutive Summit League championship. He also received his second MVP title.
Kuehn competed against a celebrated pool of players in the Web-com tournament. Some are veterans, having played on the PGA Tour. They’re fighting their way back to the big stage after they missed last year’s cut. Others are new to professional golf.
Kuehn, along with fellow Overland Park native Tyler Docking, a KU graduate, received sponsor exemptions provided by the host organization Kansas City Crusaders. The not-for-profit supports local businesses and charities through professional golf.
Kuehn opened play with four bogeys in the first five holes. He birdied holes 9 and 13 and finished 5 over with a 76. An eagle on 13 and a birdie on 16 helped him finish the second round Friday at 1-over-72.
“I didn’t necessarily play my game,” he said. “If I had just played golf, I probably could’ve played a lot better.”
Although he didn’t make the cut, Kuehn remains optimistic.
“I know I have what it takes to play with these guys,” he said.
He plans to continue to participate in Monday qualifiers until PGA Tour Q-School begins in the fall. In the meantime, Kuehn is working with Blake Graham from Hallbrook Golf Club on getting the “right things,” such as his swing.
He is dedicated to his professional career now, spending a lot of time practicing.
“If I’m going to try this for real, I have to make it a full-time job,” he said.
But if that doesn’t fare well, Kuehn hopes to combine his business management degree and love for golf. Anything to stay in the golf business.
Read more here: UMKC graduate, golf star opens pro career - KansasCity-com
But only one player can call it home.
Korbin Kuehn debuted his professional golf career this week at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate.
Kuehn said he felt a whirlwind of emotions — expected of anyone who is beginning a professional career.
But having the last scheduled tee time provided a lot of time for the nervousness and excitement to build. From waking at 7 a.m. until his 2:20 p.m. tee time, he anticipated the competition.
Those emotions showed through the first nine, which he described as “really nerve-wracking.” It did help being on his home course, but he didn’t show it in his performance.
“I didn’t really have to worry about the course,” he said. “It was just about the nerves and now I had people watching me. … I’m not really used to that.”
“I was just lucky enough (to debut at LionsGate),” he said. “It was just perfect. I just graduated from college. It was just perfect. It was perfect timing.”
Kuehn is coming off his final year at UMKC, where he led the team to its second consecutive Summit League championship. He also received his second MVP title.
Kuehn competed against a celebrated pool of players in the Web-com tournament. Some are veterans, having played on the PGA Tour. They’re fighting their way back to the big stage after they missed last year’s cut. Others are new to professional golf.
Kuehn, along with fellow Overland Park native Tyler Docking, a KU graduate, received sponsor exemptions provided by the host organization Kansas City Crusaders. The not-for-profit supports local businesses and charities through professional golf.
Kuehn opened play with four bogeys in the first five holes. He birdied holes 9 and 13 and finished 5 over with a 76. An eagle on 13 and a birdie on 16 helped him finish the second round Friday at 1-over-72.
“I didn’t necessarily play my game,” he said. “If I had just played golf, I probably could’ve played a lot better.”
Although he didn’t make the cut, Kuehn remains optimistic.
“I know I have what it takes to play with these guys,” he said.
He plans to continue to participate in Monday qualifiers until PGA Tour Q-School begins in the fall. In the meantime, Kuehn is working with Blake Graham from Hallbrook Golf Club on getting the “right things,” such as his swing.
He is dedicated to his professional career now, spending a lot of time practicing.
“If I’m going to try this for real, I have to make it a full-time job,” he said.
But if that doesn’t fare well, Kuehn hopes to combine his business management degree and love for golf. Anything to stay in the golf business.
Read more here: UMKC graduate, golf star opens pro career - KansasCity-com
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2006/12/07
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The golf fan strikes again, or so says Martin Laird.
The Scotsman was assessed a 1-stroke penalty after failing to alert his playing partner that he was going to identify his ball that landed in the weeds on No. 10. Thing is, he did alert Dustin Johnson, at least he says he tried to alert him.
"I put the tee in the ground and didn't even lift my ball – just moved it quarter roll to see the number – and someone in the crowd over there saw it, and told the rules official that I hadn't alerted my playing competitor that I was going to do that," Laird explained. "I said I'm going to identify my ball, but I didn't shout it across the fairway loud enough so he could hear, so that was deemed to be a one-shot penalty."
Not that it mattered in the grand scheme. Laird, who entered Round 3 just two strokes back of the lead, effectively took himself out of contention when he carded a 9 on the par-4 third. He ended up shooting an 81, putting him 12 shots off the lead.
A rules official notified Laird of the penalty as he walked up the 16th fairway, at which point he tried to explain that he had, in fact, attempted to notify Johnson. The official was not swayed.
"I believe he maybe said it to the ball spotter, who was in closest vicinity," explained rules David Rickman, the R&A's director of rules and equipment. "But the rule is very specific. It needs to be the fellow competitor, the fellow competitor is there to protect the interests of the rest of the field, and therefore, we are specific about who that needs to be."
Rickman did not know who blew the whistle on Laird, though he disputed it was a spectator.
However Laird got called out, the penalty did make a bad day worse.
"It's the fact that none of them heard it, even though I said it," he said. "So it's one of those lovely rules of golf."
Y! SPORTS
The Scotsman was assessed a 1-stroke penalty after failing to alert his playing partner that he was going to identify his ball that landed in the weeds on No. 10. Thing is, he did alert Dustin Johnson, at least he says he tried to alert him.
"I put the tee in the ground and didn't even lift my ball – just moved it quarter roll to see the number – and someone in the crowd over there saw it, and told the rules official that I hadn't alerted my playing competitor that I was going to do that," Laird explained. "I said I'm going to identify my ball, but I didn't shout it across the fairway loud enough so he could hear, so that was deemed to be a one-shot penalty."
Not that it mattered in the grand scheme. Laird, who entered Round 3 just two strokes back of the lead, effectively took himself out of contention when he carded a 9 on the par-4 third. He ended up shooting an 81, putting him 12 shots off the lead.
A rules official notified Laird of the penalty as he walked up the 16th fairway, at which point he tried to explain that he had, in fact, attempted to notify Johnson. The official was not swayed.
"I believe he maybe said it to the ball spotter, who was in closest vicinity," explained rules David Rickman, the R&A's director of rules and equipment. "But the rule is very specific. It needs to be the fellow competitor, the fellow competitor is there to protect the interests of the rest of the field, and therefore, we are specific about who that needs to be."
Rickman did not know who blew the whistle on Laird, though he disputed it was a spectator.
However Laird got called out, the penalty did make a bad day worse.
"It's the fact that none of them heard it, even though I said it," he said. "So it's one of those lovely rules of golf."
Y! SPORTS
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As Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera captivated golf fans in a sudden death playoff at this year’s Masters Tournament, a young golfer with far less experience also made headlines.
Fourteen-year-old Tianlang Guan was the youngest player ever to compete in the Masters. The Chinese teen was the only one of six amateurs competing in Augusta, Ga., to make the cut. Despite finishing near the bottom of the pack with a 12-over par, Guan impressed fellow competitors and galleries.
For a country with a relatively brief history in golf – its first modern golf course was built in 1984 – the eighth-grader’s success may represent a new direction for the sport in China.
There are more than 300 golf courses in China, and more are being built annually. But unlike the easily affordable and accessible public courses in the United States, most of those in China are at luxurious country clubs reserved for the financially elite.
“It’s definitely like a social status, to be a member at a big club and have that opportunity just to play,” said Cyrus Janssen, an American who serves as the lead instructor at Shanghai’s world-renowned Sheshan International Golf Club.
“In China, in Asia, golf is more than just a sport. It’s a lifestyle,” he said. “That’s the type of lifestyle they’re looking for.”
Yan Wang is the chairman of the board of Changchun Guoxin Investment Group, a Chinese private enterprise company that got its start in real estate development in 1998. Wang, 55, said he began playing golf out of curiosity 10 years ago and now played several times a month.
Because he travels so frequently, Wang has memberships at golf clubs all over China. He often finishes business trips with rounds of golf with his colleagues.
David Lee, who helps develop and build golf courses in China and also works as a consultant for the championship-quality Tomson Golf Club in Shanghai’s Pudong district, said it was understandable that golf was out of reach for most Chinese.
“The boom of interest in golf, as you can see throughout golf’s history, goes with the economic growth, hand in hand. Whether it’s the U.K., the States or Japan, Korea or Taiwan, now China . . . economic growth, and then there’s more people interested in golf,” Lee said.
According to Lee, golf’s popularity in China took off in 2002, around the same time the country’s economy did. That year China’s gross domestic product soared past $1 trillion as strong growth in exports, foreign investments and consumer demand boosted the economy.
As China’s wealthy became richer, more people could afford pricey memberships to golf clubs, such as Tomson’s $200,000 price tag.
Members at Tomson enjoy a clubhouse with five-star amenities, including a second-floor restaurant that overlooks the championship-quality course. Female caddies dressed in pink pull golfers’ bags through the 18-hole, 7,400-yard course and past sparking water hazards with the Shanghai skyline in the backdrop.
Many Chinese never will get the chance to play. And those who do often don’t understand the game’s rules and etiquette, Sheshan instructor Janssen said.
Sheshan hosted the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions from 2005 to 2011, a tournament won by players such as Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia. Janssen recalled seeing many people spitting, smoking and taking photographs at the matches, behavior that doesn’t fly with golf’s traditions and has become taboo during professional tournaments.
Janssen thinks that as Chinese golfers gain experience, though, that understanding will improve.
“Every year it gets better and better, people are getting more knowledgeable,” he said. “Even in social rounds, when people go play by themselves, less and less people use their cellphones. . . . It’s only going to take time.”
Along with that increased knowledge of the sport’s tradition, there are many young people in China getting started with golf. Not far from Sheshan is the Tianma Country Club, where a small group of golfers ages 8 to 16 are working to improve.
The academy works in partnership with the Yani Tseng Sports Management Co. Tseng, a 24-year-old Taiwanese professional golfer, has twice been named LPGA Tour player of the year.
Arnaud Garrigues, senior vice president and the director of instruction at Tianma’s academy, said his students were dedicated to getting better each day.
“We try to be very focused,” said Garrigues, who works with 18 students in the program. “Try to do some relaxed training, have competitions between each other to keep it fun. They have to understand that just because they’re having fun doesn’t mean they can’t learn and improve.”
Jenna Gao, 16, has been training at Tianma for nearly three years and now participates in the school’s long term program. She began playing with her father at age 10. She said she loved the hard work she did in the program, as she hoped to play professionally one day.
“I like this lifestyle,” Gao said. “It’s hard to explain. I just love it.”
Tianma’s long term program charges about $14,000 for a full year’s tuition. While that’s more than most in China can afford, Guan’s success may spark an interest in more youths to take up the sport on their own and may get more people playing.
That new direction will surely take time, though.
Golfers “are getting more exposure . . . starting to travel abroad. More tournaments are coming to China,” Janssen said. “As time continues, there will be more and more tournaments here, because the growth is out here.”
Read more here: Fore! Golf is catching on in China | McClatchy
Fourteen-year-old Tianlang Guan was the youngest player ever to compete in the Masters. The Chinese teen was the only one of six amateurs competing in Augusta, Ga., to make the cut. Despite finishing near the bottom of the pack with a 12-over par, Guan impressed fellow competitors and galleries.
For a country with a relatively brief history in golf – its first modern golf course was built in 1984 – the eighth-grader’s success may represent a new direction for the sport in China.
There are more than 300 golf courses in China, and more are being built annually. But unlike the easily affordable and accessible public courses in the United States, most of those in China are at luxurious country clubs reserved for the financially elite.
“It’s definitely like a social status, to be a member at a big club and have that opportunity just to play,” said Cyrus Janssen, an American who serves as the lead instructor at Shanghai’s world-renowned Sheshan International Golf Club.
“In China, in Asia, golf is more than just a sport. It’s a lifestyle,” he said. “That’s the type of lifestyle they’re looking for.”
Yan Wang is the chairman of the board of Changchun Guoxin Investment Group, a Chinese private enterprise company that got its start in real estate development in 1998. Wang, 55, said he began playing golf out of curiosity 10 years ago and now played several times a month.
Because he travels so frequently, Wang has memberships at golf clubs all over China. He often finishes business trips with rounds of golf with his colleagues.
David Lee, who helps develop and build golf courses in China and also works as a consultant for the championship-quality Tomson Golf Club in Shanghai’s Pudong district, said it was understandable that golf was out of reach for most Chinese.
“The boom of interest in golf, as you can see throughout golf’s history, goes with the economic growth, hand in hand. Whether it’s the U.K., the States or Japan, Korea or Taiwan, now China . . . economic growth, and then there’s more people interested in golf,” Lee said.
According to Lee, golf’s popularity in China took off in 2002, around the same time the country’s economy did. That year China’s gross domestic product soared past $1 trillion as strong growth in exports, foreign investments and consumer demand boosted the economy.
As China’s wealthy became richer, more people could afford pricey memberships to golf clubs, such as Tomson’s $200,000 price tag.
Members at Tomson enjoy a clubhouse with five-star amenities, including a second-floor restaurant that overlooks the championship-quality course. Female caddies dressed in pink pull golfers’ bags through the 18-hole, 7,400-yard course and past sparking water hazards with the Shanghai skyline in the backdrop.
Many Chinese never will get the chance to play. And those who do often don’t understand the game’s rules and etiquette, Sheshan instructor Janssen said.
Sheshan hosted the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions from 2005 to 2011, a tournament won by players such as Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia. Janssen recalled seeing many people spitting, smoking and taking photographs at the matches, behavior that doesn’t fly with golf’s traditions and has become taboo during professional tournaments.
Janssen thinks that as Chinese golfers gain experience, though, that understanding will improve.
“Every year it gets better and better, people are getting more knowledgeable,” he said. “Even in social rounds, when people go play by themselves, less and less people use their cellphones. . . . It’s only going to take time.”
Along with that increased knowledge of the sport’s tradition, there are many young people in China getting started with golf. Not far from Sheshan is the Tianma Country Club, where a small group of golfers ages 8 to 16 are working to improve.
The academy works in partnership with the Yani Tseng Sports Management Co. Tseng, a 24-year-old Taiwanese professional golfer, has twice been named LPGA Tour player of the year.
Arnaud Garrigues, senior vice president and the director of instruction at Tianma’s academy, said his students were dedicated to getting better each day.
“We try to be very focused,” said Garrigues, who works with 18 students in the program. “Try to do some relaxed training, have competitions between each other to keep it fun. They have to understand that just because they’re having fun doesn’t mean they can’t learn and improve.”
Jenna Gao, 16, has been training at Tianma for nearly three years and now participates in the school’s long term program. She began playing with her father at age 10. She said she loved the hard work she did in the program, as she hoped to play professionally one day.
“I like this lifestyle,” Gao said. “It’s hard to explain. I just love it.”
Tianma’s long term program charges about $14,000 for a full year’s tuition. While that’s more than most in China can afford, Guan’s success may spark an interest in more youths to take up the sport on their own and may get more people playing.
That new direction will surely take time, though.
Golfers “are getting more exposure . . . starting to travel abroad. More tournaments are coming to China,” Janssen said. “As time continues, there will be more and more tournaments here, because the growth is out here.”
Read more here: Fore! Golf is catching on in China | McClatchy
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2006/12/07
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Golf fans will play a direct role in course set-up for the first time in a major at next month's PGA Championship in Rochester, New York, organisers said on today.
Through the "PGA Championship Pick the Hole Location Challenge Hosted by Jack Nicklaus," fans will be able to choose online one of four designated pin positions at Oak Hill Country Club's par-three 15th for the final round.
The 181-yard 15th is a tricky, downhill hole with a narrow green guarded by water on the right and by two bunkers on the left.
"The chance for golf fans to interact with the PGA Championship and play a role in shaping the outcome of the final round fascinates me," golfing great Nicklaus said in a statement. "It's like being able to call the shots during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl."
Fans will make their selections for the 15th hole via the PGA of America website between July 23 and August 10. The final round of the PGA Championship is scheduled to be played on August 11.
"The PGA of America is delighted to present this innovative opportunity, as we believe this is the first time that consumers have been able to make a direct and significant impact on a global sports arena," said PGA President Ted Bishop.
"We are honoured that the legendary Jack Nicklaus will lead fans as their host and teacher in understanding the nuances that the greatest players in golf consider and think about regarding course setup and hole locations."
Nicklaus, winner of a record 18 major titles, clinched the most recent of his five PGA Championship titles at Oak Hill in 1980.
The 95th PGA Championship will be played from Aug. 8-11 at Oak Hill where Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy will defend the title he claimed by a record eight shots last year at Kiawah Island.
Golf fans to choose pin position at US PGA major - Golf News | TVNZ
Through the "PGA Championship Pick the Hole Location Challenge Hosted by Jack Nicklaus," fans will be able to choose online one of four designated pin positions at Oak Hill Country Club's par-three 15th for the final round.
The 181-yard 15th is a tricky, downhill hole with a narrow green guarded by water on the right and by two bunkers on the left.
"The chance for golf fans to interact with the PGA Championship and play a role in shaping the outcome of the final round fascinates me," golfing great Nicklaus said in a statement. "It's like being able to call the shots during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl."
Fans will make their selections for the 15th hole via the PGA of America website between July 23 and August 10. The final round of the PGA Championship is scheduled to be played on August 11.
"The PGA of America is delighted to present this innovative opportunity, as we believe this is the first time that consumers have been able to make a direct and significant impact on a global sports arena," said PGA President Ted Bishop.
"We are honoured that the legendary Jack Nicklaus will lead fans as their host and teacher in understanding the nuances that the greatest players in golf consider and think about regarding course setup and hole locations."
Nicklaus, winner of a record 18 major titles, clinched the most recent of his five PGA Championship titles at Oak Hill in 1980.
The 95th PGA Championship will be played from Aug. 8-11 at Oak Hill where Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy will defend the title he claimed by a record eight shots last year at Kiawah Island.
Golf fans to choose pin position at US PGA major - Golf News | TVNZ
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Slow play has become a controversial issue in the golf world over the past few years as televised rounds routinely take anywhere from four to six hours to complete. The policy of putting players “on the clock” to speed up play helps, but it’s a reactionary rule — to be put on the clock, a player must already be far behind. The USGA launched an anti-slow play campaign earlier this year, called “While We’re Young,” but as evidenced by Hideki Matsuyama’s costly 1-stroke penalty at the British Open, the videos haven’t eradicated the problem.
Colin Montgomery is the latest golfer to propose a simple-sounding solution: a shot clock.
Via the Independent:
“There are 52 referees out there at major championships and they should all have a clock to be able to put them on the clock on the first tee to ensure they all get around in time. It has been mentioned about a shot clock, and that is interesting. There should be an allotted time to play the game, like chess, where you have a certain time to play.” There are a lot of potential problems with a shot clock — when major championships and millions of dollars are on the line, players shouldn’t have to rush the final putt on the 18th green — but a reasonable shot clock could prevent players taking well over 50 or 60 seconds every shot. All it takes is one slow player to hold up every group behind him. At the very least, television networks should adopt a shot clock (like the one we created above), if only to illustrate just how big a problem slow play has become.
Colin Montgomerie wants golf to adopt a shot clock | For The Win
Colin Montgomery is the latest golfer to propose a simple-sounding solution: a shot clock.
Via the Independent:
“There are 52 referees out there at major championships and they should all have a clock to be able to put them on the clock on the first tee to ensure they all get around in time. It has been mentioned about a shot clock, and that is interesting. There should be an allotted time to play the game, like chess, where you have a certain time to play.” There are a lot of potential problems with a shot clock — when major championships and millions of dollars are on the line, players shouldn’t have to rush the final putt on the 18th green — but a reasonable shot clock could prevent players taking well over 50 or 60 seconds every shot. All it takes is one slow player to hold up every group behind him. At the very least, television networks should adopt a shot clock (like the one we created above), if only to illustrate just how big a problem slow play has become.
Colin Montgomerie wants golf to adopt a shot clock | For The Win
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• The 17th annual SONS Golf Classic will be Aug. 2 at Fore Lakes Golf Club. Registration and continental breakfast will be at 7 a.m., with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. For information, call (810) 989-7667 or email [email][email protected][/email].
• The 29th annual St. Martin’s Pilots Community Golf Outing will be Aug. 2 at Rattle Run Golf Course. There will be a shotgun start at 1:15 p.m. Cost is $75 per person, which includes refreshments and a steak dinner. Proceeds go to the Marine City Fire Department, Marine City Scholarship Fund, Marine City Old Newsboys and St. Martin’s Church. For information contact Bill Welser at (810) 765-6499, Tony Meldrum at (810) 278-6215 or Warren Koch at (810) 765-5382.
• The 12th annual Justin L. Evans Memorial Fund Golf Tournament will be Aug. 3 at Leaning Tree Golf Club in Wales Twp. There will be a shotgun start at 9 a.m.. Cost is $90 per golfer, which includes a continental breakfast, beverages, hot dog at the turn and dinner. Cost is $26 for dinner only. For information, visit jlemf-com or call (810) 987-9772 or (810) 367-6040.
• The annual Croswell-Lexington athletic department golf fundraiser is Aug. 3 at the Lakeview Hills Golf Resort in Lexington. Cost for the four-person scramble is $65 per golfer and includes 18 holes on the North course, cart, dinner and prizes. Sponsorship opportunities also are available. For information, contact Rick Jakacki at [email][email protected][/email].
• The third annual Port Huron Police Department Fall Golf Outing will be Aug. 23 at the Port Huron Elks. The driving range opens at 7:30 a.m., and there will be a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Cost is $50 per golfer, and includes lunch at the turn. Registration deadline is Aug. 14, and the event will be capped at 120 players. To register, send money and names of the foursome to Port Huron Police c/o Chief Mike Reaves; 100 McMorran, Blvd., Port Huron.
• The second annual PSP Golf Outing Scramble will be Aug. 25 at the Port Huron Elks. Cost is $75, which includes breakfast and lunch, and the registration deadline is Aug. 15. There will be a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. For information, contact Terri Bartley at (810) 364-9646 or Kay McGuigan at (810) 326-2688.
• The St. Clair Rotary Golf Classic will be Sept. 13 at Pine Shores Golf Course. Two flights of 40 will play 18-hole scrambles in the morning and afternoon. Cost is $60 per golf, which includes beverages and snacks. For information, contact Jere Diebold at [email]jerediebold@comcast-net[/email] or (810) 300-1988.
• The 29th annual St. Martin’s Pilots Community Golf Outing will be Aug. 2 at Rattle Run Golf Course. There will be a shotgun start at 1:15 p.m. Cost is $75 per person, which includes refreshments and a steak dinner. Proceeds go to the Marine City Fire Department, Marine City Scholarship Fund, Marine City Old Newsboys and St. Martin’s Church. For information contact Bill Welser at (810) 765-6499, Tony Meldrum at (810) 278-6215 or Warren Koch at (810) 765-5382.
• The 12th annual Justin L. Evans Memorial Fund Golf Tournament will be Aug. 3 at Leaning Tree Golf Club in Wales Twp. There will be a shotgun start at 9 a.m.. Cost is $90 per golfer, which includes a continental breakfast, beverages, hot dog at the turn and dinner. Cost is $26 for dinner only. For information, visit jlemf-com or call (810) 987-9772 or (810) 367-6040.
• The annual Croswell-Lexington athletic department golf fundraiser is Aug. 3 at the Lakeview Hills Golf Resort in Lexington. Cost for the four-person scramble is $65 per golfer and includes 18 holes on the North course, cart, dinner and prizes. Sponsorship opportunities also are available. For information, contact Rick Jakacki at [email][email protected][/email].
• The third annual Port Huron Police Department Fall Golf Outing will be Aug. 23 at the Port Huron Elks. The driving range opens at 7:30 a.m., and there will be a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Cost is $50 per golfer, and includes lunch at the turn. Registration deadline is Aug. 14, and the event will be capped at 120 players. To register, send money and names of the foursome to Port Huron Police c/o Chief Mike Reaves; 100 McMorran, Blvd., Port Huron.
• The second annual PSP Golf Outing Scramble will be Aug. 25 at the Port Huron Elks. Cost is $75, which includes breakfast and lunch, and the registration deadline is Aug. 15. There will be a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. For information, contact Terri Bartley at (810) 364-9646 or Kay McGuigan at (810) 326-2688.
• The St. Clair Rotary Golf Classic will be Sept. 13 at Pine Shores Golf Course. Two flights of 40 will play 18-hole scrambles in the morning and afternoon. Cost is $60 per golf, which includes beverages and snacks. For information, contact Jere Diebold at [email]jerediebold@comcast-net[/email] or (810) 300-1988.
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Oakville, ON (Sports Network) - Brandt Snedeker posted a 2-under 70 on Sunday and it was more than enough for him to win the Canadian Open by three strokes.
Snedeker finished at 16-under-par 272. The win was his sixth on the PGA Tour.
"This is one I circled at the beginning of the year, I wanted to play well here," Snedeker said. "I didn't have my best stuff today, but I rolled the ball fantastic, I fought really well. The course played so tough today. It was a lot fun coming down the stretch today."
Dustin Johnson birdied the 16th hole to tie Snedeker atop the leaderboard but hit his tee shot out of bounds on 17, then left his fourth shot in a fairway bunker. That led to a triple-bogey, which dropped Johnson out of the lead.
Johnson managed a 2-putt birdie at the last for a 2-under 70. He was joined in second place at minus-13 by William McGirt (68), Matt Kuchar (71) and Jason Bohn (71).
Mark Wilson (70), John Merrick (71) and Roberto Castro (70) shared sixth place at 12-under-par 276 at Glen Abbey Golf Club.
Snedeker fired a 63 in the third round to grab the lead and was able to grab the lead after second-round leader Hunter Mahan withdrew before round three as his wife went into labor with the couples first child.
Snedeker did enough on Sunday to hold off the field. He found sand with his second to the par-5 second. He nearly holed the sand shot for eagle, but settled for a tap-in birdie.
The 32-year-old failed to save par from just over five feet out on the sixth, but he came right back with a 26-foot birdie putt on the seventh to get back to minus-15.
Snedeker, who won at Pebble Beach earlier this year, knocked in a 3-footer for birdie on the 10th to move to 16-under, where he was three clear of the field.
At the par-3 12th, Snedeker missed the green badly with his tee shot, and left his chip shot in the rough. He nearly chipped in for par, but walked off with bogey.
Snedeker's lead was down to one at that point, and as he parred the next three holes Johnson joined him atop the leaderboard.
Johnson hit his first tee shot out of bounds on the 17th, and that led to a triple-bogey 7, which dropped him three back.
Snedeker rolled in a 15-footer for birdie at 16 and was three ahead at that point. He safely parred the final two holes to earn his second win of the year and sixth of his PGA Tour career.
Johnson had two birdies on the front nine, then birdied 13 and 16 to join Snedeker in the lead. After making a mess of the 17th to fall four back, Johnson managed a 2-putt birdie at the last to share second.
McGirt birdied the second, then parred four in a row from the third. He ran off three birdies in a 4-hole span from the seventh to get to 13-under. McGirt bogeyed No. 14, but erased that mistake with a birdie at the last to share second place for the second straight year at the Canadian Open.
"I don't know, for some reason I'm very comfortable up here. The crowds are great and the people appreciate good shots," McGirt stated.
Kuchar traded a birdie for a bogey from the first. Over the next nine holes, he posted eight pars and a single bogey. He then wrapped bogeys at 12 and 14 around a birdie at the 13th. Kuchar birdied the 16th to gain a share of second.
"Today was by far the hardest day. The wind was strong and coming from a different direction. It was difficult," Kuchar said. "Definitely the most challenging all four days, for sure. I felt like I was off and running with a birdie on the first and then hit a bad drive on two. Two was drastically different. Playing into the wind on that tee shot, it was a hard one to get a line on and then into the wind you really get confused."
Bohn birdied the first, but gave the right back with a bogey at No. 2. After 10 consecutive pars, he birdied the 13th. Bohn tripped to a bogey at 15, but came right back with a birdie on 16 to get to 13-under.
NOTES: Snedeker earned $1,008,000 for the win ... Snedeker tied Bill Haas with eight top-10 finishes this year, most on the PGA Tour in 2013 ... Snedeker joined Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Kuchar as the only four multiple winners this season on the PGA Tour ... Bohn posted back-to-back top-10s for the first time in his career ... David Hearn (T44) was the low Canadian this week ... There are two PGA Tour events next week. Keegan Bradley will defend his title at the WGC - Bridgestone Invitational, while the rest of the tour will compete at the Reno-Tahoe Open, where J.J. Henry won the modified stableford scoring event last year, and will defend his title.
The Sports Network - Golf
Snedeker finished at 16-under-par 272. The win was his sixth on the PGA Tour.
"This is one I circled at the beginning of the year, I wanted to play well here," Snedeker said. "I didn't have my best stuff today, but I rolled the ball fantastic, I fought really well. The course played so tough today. It was a lot fun coming down the stretch today."
Dustin Johnson birdied the 16th hole to tie Snedeker atop the leaderboard but hit his tee shot out of bounds on 17, then left his fourth shot in a fairway bunker. That led to a triple-bogey, which dropped Johnson out of the lead.
Johnson managed a 2-putt birdie at the last for a 2-under 70. He was joined in second place at minus-13 by William McGirt (68), Matt Kuchar (71) and Jason Bohn (71).
Mark Wilson (70), John Merrick (71) and Roberto Castro (70) shared sixth place at 12-under-par 276 at Glen Abbey Golf Club.
Snedeker fired a 63 in the third round to grab the lead and was able to grab the lead after second-round leader Hunter Mahan withdrew before round three as his wife went into labor with the couples first child.
Snedeker did enough on Sunday to hold off the field. He found sand with his second to the par-5 second. He nearly holed the sand shot for eagle, but settled for a tap-in birdie.
The 32-year-old failed to save par from just over five feet out on the sixth, but he came right back with a 26-foot birdie putt on the seventh to get back to minus-15.
Snedeker, who won at Pebble Beach earlier this year, knocked in a 3-footer for birdie on the 10th to move to 16-under, where he was three clear of the field.
At the par-3 12th, Snedeker missed the green badly with his tee shot, and left his chip shot in the rough. He nearly chipped in for par, but walked off with bogey.
Snedeker's lead was down to one at that point, and as he parred the next three holes Johnson joined him atop the leaderboard.
Johnson hit his first tee shot out of bounds on the 17th, and that led to a triple-bogey 7, which dropped him three back.
Snedeker rolled in a 15-footer for birdie at 16 and was three ahead at that point. He safely parred the final two holes to earn his second win of the year and sixth of his PGA Tour career.
Johnson had two birdies on the front nine, then birdied 13 and 16 to join Snedeker in the lead. After making a mess of the 17th to fall four back, Johnson managed a 2-putt birdie at the last to share second.
McGirt birdied the second, then parred four in a row from the third. He ran off three birdies in a 4-hole span from the seventh to get to 13-under. McGirt bogeyed No. 14, but erased that mistake with a birdie at the last to share second place for the second straight year at the Canadian Open.
"I don't know, for some reason I'm very comfortable up here. The crowds are great and the people appreciate good shots," McGirt stated.
Kuchar traded a birdie for a bogey from the first. Over the next nine holes, he posted eight pars and a single bogey. He then wrapped bogeys at 12 and 14 around a birdie at the 13th. Kuchar birdied the 16th to gain a share of second.
"Today was by far the hardest day. The wind was strong and coming from a different direction. It was difficult," Kuchar said. "Definitely the most challenging all four days, for sure. I felt like I was off and running with a birdie on the first and then hit a bad drive on two. Two was drastically different. Playing into the wind on that tee shot, it was a hard one to get a line on and then into the wind you really get confused."
Bohn birdied the first, but gave the right back with a bogey at No. 2. After 10 consecutive pars, he birdied the 13th. Bohn tripped to a bogey at 15, but came right back with a birdie on 16 to get to 13-under.
NOTES: Snedeker earned $1,008,000 for the win ... Snedeker tied Bill Haas with eight top-10 finishes this year, most on the PGA Tour in 2013 ... Snedeker joined Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Kuchar as the only four multiple winners this season on the PGA Tour ... Bohn posted back-to-back top-10s for the first time in his career ... David Hearn (T44) was the low Canadian this week ... There are two PGA Tour events next week. Keegan Bradley will defend his title at the WGC - Bridgestone Invitational, while the rest of the tour will compete at the Reno-Tahoe Open, where J.J. Henry won the modified stableford scoring event last year, and will defend his title.
The Sports Network - Golf
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The cheering jarred Inbee Park from her sleep.
The 10-year-old went downstairs to find her father in front of the television in the middle of the night in Seoul as he watched Se Ri Pak become the first South Korean to win the U.S. Women's Open.
Within a week, Park wrapped her hands around a golf club for the first time, not knowing that it one day would lead her to the brink of history.
''They were doing replays every day on TV, her hitting the shot out of the water with her socks off,'' Park said. ''It was cool to see her white feet. I didn't know what was happening, but I thought it was really cool to be seen playing golf and being on TV. Everybody was talking about it. Golf looked really fun.''
Fifteen years later, everyone is talking about Inbee Park.
A win this week in the Women's British Open - at St. Andrews, of all places - would make the 25-year-old Park the first golfer to win four majors in one season.
Arnold Palmer created the modern Grand Slam, winning four professional majors in one year. Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam got halfway home before their pursuit of it ended. No one has ever had a better shot at it than Park, who has won three LPGA Tour majors this year.
She is a heavy favorite when the Open begins Thursday, just as Woods was at St. Andrews when he won to complete the career Grand Slam in 2000. Park already has won six times this year - half of those wins at majors - and has earned more than $2 million. No one else in women's golf has crossed the $1 million mark.
''I think she can do it,'' Pak said Wednesday, a Hall-of-Famer revered for cutting a path for so many South Koreans. ''She's dominating. Her game is strong. Her confidence is strong. All the attention is on her. Everyone thinks she can do it.''
Woods and Mickey Wright are the only players who have held four professional majors at the same time, both done over two seasons. Woods won the U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship and Masters in succession in 2000-01. Wright, who Ben Hogan once said had the best swing he ever saw, won the U.S. Women's Open, LPGA Championship, Titleholders and Western Open over the 1961-62 seasons.
Wright has been watching Park on television this year and is struck by her calm.
''She certainly is an unflappable young lady,'' the 78-year-old Wright told The Associated Press in a rare telephone interview from her home in Florida. ''She's probably the best putter I've ever seen. And I've seen some good ones. I'm hoping she can pull it off, and then win the fifth one in France. No one will ever come close to that unless the LPGA adds a sixth major.''
The debate this week at St. Andrews is not whether Park is capable of a fourth straight major, but whether that will constitute a calendar Grand Slam.
The LPGA Tour, not nearly as established or well-funded as men's golf, designated the Evian Championship in France as a fifth major this year. The Grand Slam - the one Palmer created in 1960 on his way to St. Andrews - has always been about four majors for more than a half-century.
''It's pretty incredible to win the first three,'' Woods said Wednesday at the Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio. ''And the way she did it ... executing, and it seemed like she just is making everything. ... It's really neat to see someone out there and doing something that no one has ever done, so that's pretty cool.''
The Grand Slam in golf was first mentioned in 1930 when Bobby Jones won the four biggest events of his era - the British Open, U.S. Open, British Amateur and U.S. Amateur. The term came from contract bridge - winning all 13 tricks - or a clean sweep.
Slam or not, there is little debate that Park can do something no one else has in the modern game.
''If it could happen, it's something that I will never forget,'' Park said. ''My name will be in the history of golf forever, even after I die.''
Her pursuit began with a four-shot victory in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. She won the LPGA Championship in a playoff over Catriona Matthew, and then took one giant step closer to history with a four-shot win at the U.S. Women's Open.
''What she already has done is absolutely fantastic,'' Wright said. ''I know she'd be satisfied with that.''
The one constant to her remarkable run is that she makes it all look so easy.
''You would think after winning two of them it would faze her a little bit,'' said Stacy Lewis, whom Park replaced at No. 1 in the world in April. ''But obviously at the U.S. Open, it didn't. I don't know. Inbee is playing so good this year, and she's so steady. You wouldn't know whether she's winning a tournament or whether she's losing it, and that's what you need in a major. As a player, you'd like to know if she's human, to see if she actually feels the nerves like the rest of us do.''
Park doesn't really have an intimidating presence, not like those who preceded her in women's golf. She doesn't overpower courses like Yani Tseng. She isn't always accurate off the tee like Sorenstam. She's not athletic like Karrie Webb. She lacks the charisma of Lorena Ochoa.
But she can putt. She can score. And she can win, especially the big ones. Especially this year.
''Sometimes you want to know what she's feeling, what's going through her head,'' Paula Creamer said. ''With Annika, with Lorena, with Yani, you knew what was going on. We have so much respect for players that dominate the game and raise the bar and change what we're doing. With Inbee, it's much harder to see. Obviously, she's one of the greatest putters. She has so much confidence in it, and the way she plays the game, it's so steady.
''She never makes mistakes, and if she does, she manages to walk away with par.''
Park moved to America when she was 12, first to Florida and eventually to Las Vegas. Her parents emphasized school - and learning to speak English - as much as golf. Her fiance, Gi Hyeob Nam, is a former Korean PGA player who has bee
The 10-year-old went downstairs to find her father in front of the television in the middle of the night in Seoul as he watched Se Ri Pak become the first South Korean to win the U.S. Women's Open.
Within a week, Park wrapped her hands around a golf club for the first time, not knowing that it one day would lead her to the brink of history.
''They were doing replays every day on TV, her hitting the shot out of the water with her socks off,'' Park said. ''It was cool to see her white feet. I didn't know what was happening, but I thought it was really cool to be seen playing golf and being on TV. Everybody was talking about it. Golf looked really fun.''
Fifteen years later, everyone is talking about Inbee Park.
A win this week in the Women's British Open - at St. Andrews, of all places - would make the 25-year-old Park the first golfer to win four majors in one season.
Arnold Palmer created the modern Grand Slam, winning four professional majors in one year. Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam got halfway home before their pursuit of it ended. No one has ever had a better shot at it than Park, who has won three LPGA Tour majors this year.
She is a heavy favorite when the Open begins Thursday, just as Woods was at St. Andrews when he won to complete the career Grand Slam in 2000. Park already has won six times this year - half of those wins at majors - and has earned more than $2 million. No one else in women's golf has crossed the $1 million mark.
''I think she can do it,'' Pak said Wednesday, a Hall-of-Famer revered for cutting a path for so many South Koreans. ''She's dominating. Her game is strong. Her confidence is strong. All the attention is on her. Everyone thinks she can do it.''
Woods and Mickey Wright are the only players who have held four professional majors at the same time, both done over two seasons. Woods won the U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship and Masters in succession in 2000-01. Wright, who Ben Hogan once said had the best swing he ever saw, won the U.S. Women's Open, LPGA Championship, Titleholders and Western Open over the 1961-62 seasons.
Wright has been watching Park on television this year and is struck by her calm.
''She certainly is an unflappable young lady,'' the 78-year-old Wright told The Associated Press in a rare telephone interview from her home in Florida. ''She's probably the best putter I've ever seen. And I've seen some good ones. I'm hoping she can pull it off, and then win the fifth one in France. No one will ever come close to that unless the LPGA adds a sixth major.''
The debate this week at St. Andrews is not whether Park is capable of a fourth straight major, but whether that will constitute a calendar Grand Slam.
The LPGA Tour, not nearly as established or well-funded as men's golf, designated the Evian Championship in France as a fifth major this year. The Grand Slam - the one Palmer created in 1960 on his way to St. Andrews - has always been about four majors for more than a half-century.
''It's pretty incredible to win the first three,'' Woods said Wednesday at the Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio. ''And the way she did it ... executing, and it seemed like she just is making everything. ... It's really neat to see someone out there and doing something that no one has ever done, so that's pretty cool.''
The Grand Slam in golf was first mentioned in 1930 when Bobby Jones won the four biggest events of his era - the British Open, U.S. Open, British Amateur and U.S. Amateur. The term came from contract bridge - winning all 13 tricks - or a clean sweep.
Slam or not, there is little debate that Park can do something no one else has in the modern game.
''If it could happen, it's something that I will never forget,'' Park said. ''My name will be in the history of golf forever, even after I die.''
Her pursuit began with a four-shot victory in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. She won the LPGA Championship in a playoff over Catriona Matthew, and then took one giant step closer to history with a four-shot win at the U.S. Women's Open.
''What she already has done is absolutely fantastic,'' Wright said. ''I know she'd be satisfied with that.''
The one constant to her remarkable run is that she makes it all look so easy.
''You would think after winning two of them it would faze her a little bit,'' said Stacy Lewis, whom Park replaced at No. 1 in the world in April. ''But obviously at the U.S. Open, it didn't. I don't know. Inbee is playing so good this year, and she's so steady. You wouldn't know whether she's winning a tournament or whether she's losing it, and that's what you need in a major. As a player, you'd like to know if she's human, to see if she actually feels the nerves like the rest of us do.''
Park doesn't really have an intimidating presence, not like those who preceded her in women's golf. She doesn't overpower courses like Yani Tseng. She isn't always accurate off the tee like Sorenstam. She's not athletic like Karrie Webb. She lacks the charisma of Lorena Ochoa.
But she can putt. She can score. And she can win, especially the big ones. Especially this year.
''Sometimes you want to know what she's feeling, what's going through her head,'' Paula Creamer said. ''With Annika, with Lorena, with Yani, you knew what was going on. We have so much respect for players that dominate the game and raise the bar and change what we're doing. With Inbee, it's much harder to see. Obviously, she's one of the greatest putters. She has so much confidence in it, and the way she plays the game, it's so steady.
''She never makes mistakes, and if she does, she manages to walk away with par.''
Park moved to America when she was 12, first to Florida and eventually to Las Vegas. Her parents emphasized school - and learning to speak English - as much as golf. Her fiance, Gi Hyeob Nam, is a former Korean PGA player who has bee
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Tiger Woods, a six-time Bridgestone Invitational champion, opened with a 4-under 66 on Thursday and trailed leader Webb Simpson by just two shots in Akron, Ohio.
Woods has 11 top-10 finishes in his 13 starts at Firestone Country Club's South Course, so he knows where to hit. Still, he needed caddie Joe LaCava's counsel from time to time.
"I hit a lot of good shots. I had a really good feel for the distance, and Joey and I really read the wind right," Woods said after his best opening round at the course since another 66 spurred him to a one-shot win over in 2005.
Simpson, playing his first competitive round at Firestone, shot 64, and said it all came down to trust.
"I knew it all through my caddie (Paul Tesori), who's been here so many years," said Simpson, the 2012 U.S. Open champion at the Olympic Club. "I just kind of had to listen to him."
Henrik Stenson was in second at 65.
Defending champion Keegan Bradley, Ryan Moore and Chris Wood, another first-time entrant in the WGC event, matched Woods at 66.
While top-ranked Woods was in prime position, that wasn't the case for Nos. 2 and 3.
Phil Mickelson, coming off a British Open win two weeks ago, struggled with his concentration and came in with a 72.
"Tonight I'll get a little bit more rest and see if I can come out tomorrow a little bit more focused," he said.
Rory McIlroy, who'll defend his title at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill next week but is winless since Kiawah Island last year, shot 70.
"I just threw a few shots away around the greens," he said.
LPGA Tour: Wearing a rain suit and a soft smile, Inbee Park looked calm before the imposing Royal & Ancient clubhouse moments before teeing off in the Women's British Open.
Only after her unsteady round of 3-under 69 did she reveal she was nervous at the Old Course at St. Andrews (Scotland).
"But then once the round started, and especially playing so good in the first few holes, that really gave me a lot of confidence," Park said. Park wound up three shots behind Morgan Pressel and Camilla Lennarth, a solid start to what should be a fascinating week at the home of golf. The South Korean is seeking to become the first golfer to win four professional majors in one season.
Stacy Lewis, the former No. 1 player, shot 31 on the tougher back nine to be part of a large group at 67. The group at 68 included Pleasanton native Paula Creamer.
PGA Tour: Josh Teater took the first-round lead in the Reno-Tahoe Open, scoring five points with an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole and finishing with a two-point birdie on the ninth in the modified Stableford event.
On the 636-yard eighth hole, he had a 341-yard drive and a 298-yard hybrid approach to set up a 16-foot eagle putt.
He had 15 points in gusty wind at Montreux Golf & Country Club, a point ahead of Gary Woodland and James Driscoll.
Golf: Tiger Woods takes aim at seventh Bridgestone title - San Jose Mercury News
Woods has 11 top-10 finishes in his 13 starts at Firestone Country Club's South Course, so he knows where to hit. Still, he needed caddie Joe LaCava's counsel from time to time.
"I hit a lot of good shots. I had a really good feel for the distance, and Joey and I really read the wind right," Woods said after his best opening round at the course since another 66 spurred him to a one-shot win over in 2005.
Simpson, playing his first competitive round at Firestone, shot 64, and said it all came down to trust.
"I knew it all through my caddie (Paul Tesori), who's been here so many years," said Simpson, the 2012 U.S. Open champion at the Olympic Club. "I just kind of had to listen to him."
Henrik Stenson was in second at 65.
Defending champion Keegan Bradley, Ryan Moore and Chris Wood, another first-time entrant in the WGC event, matched Woods at 66.
While top-ranked Woods was in prime position, that wasn't the case for Nos. 2 and 3.
Phil Mickelson, coming off a British Open win two weeks ago, struggled with his concentration and came in with a 72.
"Tonight I'll get a little bit more rest and see if I can come out tomorrow a little bit more focused," he said.
Rory McIlroy, who'll defend his title at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill next week but is winless since Kiawah Island last year, shot 70.
"I just threw a few shots away around the greens," he said.
LPGA Tour: Wearing a rain suit and a soft smile, Inbee Park looked calm before the imposing Royal & Ancient clubhouse moments before teeing off in the Women's British Open.
Only after her unsteady round of 3-under 69 did she reveal she was nervous at the Old Course at St. Andrews (Scotland).
"But then once the round started, and especially playing so good in the first few holes, that really gave me a lot of confidence," Park said. Park wound up three shots behind Morgan Pressel and Camilla Lennarth, a solid start to what should be a fascinating week at the home of golf. The South Korean is seeking to become the first golfer to win four professional majors in one season.
Stacy Lewis, the former No. 1 player, shot 31 on the tougher back nine to be part of a large group at 67. The group at 68 included Pleasanton native Paula Creamer.
PGA Tour: Josh Teater took the first-round lead in the Reno-Tahoe Open, scoring five points with an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole and finishing with a two-point birdie on the ninth in the modified Stableford event.
On the 636-yard eighth hole, he had a 341-yard drive and a 298-yard hybrid approach to set up a 16-foot eagle putt.
He had 15 points in gusty wind at Montreux Golf & Country Club, a point ahead of Gary Woodland and James Driscoll.
Golf: Tiger Woods takes aim at seventh Bridgestone title - San Jose Mercury News
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ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Inbee Park wanted tough conditions at St. Andrews to try to make up an eight-shot deficit in her pursuit of a fourth straight major.
It turned out to be too tough for anyone.
The third round of the Women's British Open was suspended Saturday by gusts that topped 40 mph and kept golf balls from staying put on the greens. After waiting six hours for the wind to calm, players were told to return Sunday morning for a marathon finish.
Whether that becomes a huge break for the leaders - Na Yeon Choi at 10-under 134 was an hour away from teeing off - won't be known until Sunday.
"It's still going to be windy tomorrow -- not, hopefully, as windy as it's been today, but there's no letup in it," said Susan Simpson, head of operations for the Ladies Golf Union. "It's still going to be very breezy and equally difficult conditions."
How difficult?
Nine players who completed the third round had an average score of 78.2. Cristie Kerr and Lydia Ko each had a 75, the best of those who finished. Rikako Morita shot 86. The cumulative nine-hole scores for the 20 players who at least made the turn was 54-over par.
There were 508 holes played, and only 26 birdies.
Park is trying to become the first golfer, male or female, to win four straight professional majors in the same season. Her hope was for a steady round in raging wind and for the leading players to lose ground. Park was 1 under through four holes, making a 30-foot birdie putt at No. 3.
But it was her par on the fourth hole that helped make officials realize it was time to stop. The ball moved from its position from a gust, and Park called for a ruling to make sure she could replace it as long as she didn't address the ball.
Simpson said it wasn't Park's ruling alone.
"The time frame for the balls actually moving was very short," Simpson said. "We got five calls, all in the space of a few minutes. ... So I can't actually say which one was the last one that made the difference because it all happened so quickly. There was a gust of almost 40 mph, and with that singular gust, all the balls started to move on the five calls that we had. And we suspended play immediately."
The most impressive round belonged to Anna Nordqvist, who was 1 under through 15 holes. Danielle Kang was even through 11 holes.
Everyone was to return at 6:15 a.m. Sunday to resume the third round. That means the last group of Choi and Miki Saiki is expected to tee off about 7:30 a.m. The draw will not change for the final round -- players will head right back out, and if everything goes according to plan, the Women's British Open should finish around 6 p.m.
Choi had a one-shot lead over Saiki. Morgan Pressel was another shot behind.
Most of the trouble was around the loop -- Nos. 7-11 on the far end of the Old Course that is exposed to the elements. Simpson said the wind reached a sustained speed of 30 mph, and during the suspensions, one gust was recorded at 50 mph.
Because more than half of the 69-player field did not finish, there is an option to scrap the third round and start over. Eighteen players had not even started the third round. Simpson said starting over was considered, but not for long.
"We had five groups complete the round, and while we took that into account and it was part of the discussions, it was quite quickly ruled out," she said. "Because we don't feel that's fair to the players who have also competed and already played their rounds. We want to try to continue. Tomorrow, the conditions are meant to be difficult in the morning, as well."
She said she spoke to all the players and their response was mixed.
"Some are delighted and some are not delighted," she said. "And I think that's the way it works."
Wind is the main defense of links courses, and St. Andrews is among the toughest of the British links in these elements because the Old Course is exposed. Simpson said officials prepared for a big blow Saturday by not cutting the green on the par-3 11th hole and being mindful of hole locations, making sure they were not on ridges. The greens were 9.4 on the Stimpmeter, compared with 10 the previous two days.
They just weren't prepared for this much wind.
Simpson said the tournament could be extended to Monday, if necessary, which would lead to chaos for the Solheim Cup captains, Meg Mallon and Liselotte Neumann. This is the final qualifying event for the Cup, which starts Aug. 16 at the Colorado Golf Club. They were to announce their captain's picks two hours after the Women's British Open is over, and Mallon said her 12-player team was to fly to Denver on Monday for a practice round.
Wind pushes third round of Women's British to Sunday - Golf, LPGA Tour, PGA Tour - CBSSports-com PGA, News, Leaderboard Scores, Schedule and Stats
It turned out to be too tough for anyone.
The third round of the Women's British Open was suspended Saturday by gusts that topped 40 mph and kept golf balls from staying put on the greens. After waiting six hours for the wind to calm, players were told to return Sunday morning for a marathon finish.
Whether that becomes a huge break for the leaders - Na Yeon Choi at 10-under 134 was an hour away from teeing off - won't be known until Sunday.
"It's still going to be windy tomorrow -- not, hopefully, as windy as it's been today, but there's no letup in it," said Susan Simpson, head of operations for the Ladies Golf Union. "It's still going to be very breezy and equally difficult conditions."
How difficult?
Nine players who completed the third round had an average score of 78.2. Cristie Kerr and Lydia Ko each had a 75, the best of those who finished. Rikako Morita shot 86. The cumulative nine-hole scores for the 20 players who at least made the turn was 54-over par.
There were 508 holes played, and only 26 birdies.
Park is trying to become the first golfer, male or female, to win four straight professional majors in the same season. Her hope was for a steady round in raging wind and for the leading players to lose ground. Park was 1 under through four holes, making a 30-foot birdie putt at No. 3.
But it was her par on the fourth hole that helped make officials realize it was time to stop. The ball moved from its position from a gust, and Park called for a ruling to make sure she could replace it as long as she didn't address the ball.
Simpson said it wasn't Park's ruling alone.
"The time frame for the balls actually moving was very short," Simpson said. "We got five calls, all in the space of a few minutes. ... So I can't actually say which one was the last one that made the difference because it all happened so quickly. There was a gust of almost 40 mph, and with that singular gust, all the balls started to move on the five calls that we had. And we suspended play immediately."
The most impressive round belonged to Anna Nordqvist, who was 1 under through 15 holes. Danielle Kang was even through 11 holes.
Everyone was to return at 6:15 a.m. Sunday to resume the third round. That means the last group of Choi and Miki Saiki is expected to tee off about 7:30 a.m. The draw will not change for the final round -- players will head right back out, and if everything goes according to plan, the Women's British Open should finish around 6 p.m.
Choi had a one-shot lead over Saiki. Morgan Pressel was another shot behind.
Most of the trouble was around the loop -- Nos. 7-11 on the far end of the Old Course that is exposed to the elements. Simpson said the wind reached a sustained speed of 30 mph, and during the suspensions, one gust was recorded at 50 mph.
Because more than half of the 69-player field did not finish, there is an option to scrap the third round and start over. Eighteen players had not even started the third round. Simpson said starting over was considered, but not for long.
"We had five groups complete the round, and while we took that into account and it was part of the discussions, it was quite quickly ruled out," she said. "Because we don't feel that's fair to the players who have also competed and already played their rounds. We want to try to continue. Tomorrow, the conditions are meant to be difficult in the morning, as well."
She said she spoke to all the players and their response was mixed.
"Some are delighted and some are not delighted," she said. "And I think that's the way it works."
Wind is the main defense of links courses, and St. Andrews is among the toughest of the British links in these elements because the Old Course is exposed. Simpson said officials prepared for a big blow Saturday by not cutting the green on the par-3 11th hole and being mindful of hole locations, making sure they were not on ridges. The greens were 9.4 on the Stimpmeter, compared with 10 the previous two days.
They just weren't prepared for this much wind.
Simpson said the tournament could be extended to Monday, if necessary, which would lead to chaos for the Solheim Cup captains, Meg Mallon and Liselotte Neumann. This is the final qualifying event for the Cup, which starts Aug. 16 at the Colorado Golf Club. They were to announce their captain's picks two hours after the Women's British Open is over, and Mallon said her 12-player team was to fly to Denver on Monday for a practice round.
Wind pushes third round of Women's British to Sunday - Golf, LPGA Tour, PGA Tour - CBSSports-com PGA, News, Leaderboard Scores, Schedule and Stats
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Tiger Woods' son Charlie was on hand for the first time to see his dad win a golf tournament on Sunday. He took a pretty cute photo, hopped into pops' arms, and then after it was all over Tiger talked about their relationship.
Here's what Woods told ESPN:
"This was the first win he's ever been at. That's what makes it special for both of us. He's never seen me win a golf tournament. (Daughter) Sam was there when I won the U.S. Open in '08, and she loves to look at the YouTube videos. Charlie has never had that, never felt what it's like to be with the trophy."
A pretty cool moment from somebody who almost never talks about anything besides himself and golf.
When asked whether Charlie would become a golfer, Woods responded:
"He likes playing, likes going out there and giving it a hit. He likes anything where there is contact with a bat and a ball or any hand-eye sport."
And Charlie likes the fist pump.
"He has done that and he's kind of cute when he does."
My favorite line, though, was Tiger's response when a reporter asked if Charlie was a Rickie Fowler fan.
"My kid is not going to wear a flat bill (cap)."
Thank God
Here's what Woods told ESPN:
"This was the first win he's ever been at. That's what makes it special for both of us. He's never seen me win a golf tournament. (Daughter) Sam was there when I won the U.S. Open in '08, and she loves to look at the YouTube videos. Charlie has never had that, never felt what it's like to be with the trophy."
A pretty cool moment from somebody who almost never talks about anything besides himself and golf.
When asked whether Charlie would become a golfer, Woods responded:
"He likes playing, likes going out there and giving it a hit. He likes anything where there is contact with a bat and a ball or any hand-eye sport."
And Charlie likes the fist pump.
"He has done that and he's kind of cute when he does."
My favorite line, though, was Tiger's response when a reporter asked if Charlie was a Rickie Fowler fan.
"My kid is not going to wear a flat bill (cap)."
Thank God
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Pine Valley Golf Club, in Pine Valley, N.J, is the world’s greatest golf course, according to Golf Magazine’s biannual list of the Top 100 Courses in the World and the Top 100 Courses in the U.S. It was the 15th straight time Pine Valley received the magazine’s top ranking.
Rounding out the top five courses in the world are Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Calif., Augusta National in Augusta, Ga., St. Andrews (Old Course) in Scotland, and Shinnecock Hills in Southhampton, N.Y. Of the top five courses, only the Old Course in St. Andrews is accessible to the public. In 1983, the magazine started listing the Top 50 golf courses in the world and in 1985 the list grew to 100. The top seven golf courses in the United States and the top four courses in the world in 2013 did not change from the 2011 list.
“What we do is, we have experts who help us,” said Joe Passov, Golf Magazine’s course rankings editor. “We have 100 people around the world on a panel who are so experienced at traveling the world and playing great golf courses that we let them make up their minds for themselves.”
Nine golf courses made their debut on the U.S. list, led by Florida’s Steamsong Red and Blue courses, which debut at No. 52 and 62, respectively. Oak Hill (East) in Rochester, N.Y., the site of this week’s PGA Championship, is up one spot from the 2011 U.S. list coming in at No. 32. (No. 60, World)
Only five courses made debuts on the world list: Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland, Shanqin Bay on Hainan Island, China (No. 78), Cabot Links in Cabot Links in Inverness, Nova Scotia (No. 82), Royal Melbourne (East) in Australia (No. 94) and Rye in Camber, England (No. 96).
Passov said he has different criteria in what he looks for in the perfect golf course.
“I look for variety, first and foremost, because I think that variety is the key to memorability,” Passov said. “Many courses will test you at just one thing. Maybe great driving or maybe a great golf course that’s just scenery from start to finish. I want it all. I want to be able to be asked to do different tasks, solve different puzzles and also be entertained by the scenery and have fun at the same time.”
When golf pros and amateurs look at golf courses, Passov said that everyone sees different things and that’s why there has been a shift in the rankings over the years.
“For a while, we liked artificiality and mounding to maybe make nature perfect,” Passov said. “Now, we are trending back to more natural. Spend less money on watering so courses aren’t quite so green. A lot of people love the green grass, but brown, firm turf encourages less money being spent and it is kind of more fun watching your ball trundle along the ground and see where it winds up like they do at the British Open.”
Read more: Pine Valley named world
Rounding out the top five courses in the world are Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Calif., Augusta National in Augusta, Ga., St. Andrews (Old Course) in Scotland, and Shinnecock Hills in Southhampton, N.Y. Of the top five courses, only the Old Course in St. Andrews is accessible to the public. In 1983, the magazine started listing the Top 50 golf courses in the world and in 1985 the list grew to 100. The top seven golf courses in the United States and the top four courses in the world in 2013 did not change from the 2011 list.
“What we do is, we have experts who help us,” said Joe Passov, Golf Magazine’s course rankings editor. “We have 100 people around the world on a panel who are so experienced at traveling the world and playing great golf courses that we let them make up their minds for themselves.”
Nine golf courses made their debut on the U.S. list, led by Florida’s Steamsong Red and Blue courses, which debut at No. 52 and 62, respectively. Oak Hill (East) in Rochester, N.Y., the site of this week’s PGA Championship, is up one spot from the 2011 U.S. list coming in at No. 32. (No. 60, World)
Only five courses made debuts on the world list: Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland, Shanqin Bay on Hainan Island, China (No. 78), Cabot Links in Cabot Links in Inverness, Nova Scotia (No. 82), Royal Melbourne (East) in Australia (No. 94) and Rye in Camber, England (No. 96).
Passov said he has different criteria in what he looks for in the perfect golf course.
“I look for variety, first and foremost, because I think that variety is the key to memorability,” Passov said. “Many courses will test you at just one thing. Maybe great driving or maybe a great golf course that’s just scenery from start to finish. I want it all. I want to be able to be asked to do different tasks, solve different puzzles and also be entertained by the scenery and have fun at the same time.”
When golf pros and amateurs look at golf courses, Passov said that everyone sees different things and that’s why there has been a shift in the rankings over the years.
“For a while, we liked artificiality and mounding to maybe make nature perfect,” Passov said. “Now, we are trending back to more natural. Spend less money on watering so courses aren’t quite so green. A lot of people love the green grass, but brown, firm turf encourages less money being spent and it is kind of more fun watching your ball trundle along the ground and see where it winds up like they do at the British Open.”
Read more: Pine Valley named world
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The PGA Championship might rank fourth in major championship prestige, but if common sense were the barometer, it would rank ahead of the Masters and Augusta National.
Recall that Tiger Woods entered the Masters having won consecutive starts and anticipation was at a zenith. Yet only the final few holes of his first round were televised and Augusta National did not include his group in its featured pairing that it showed on its website, choosing instead to show the group of Peter Hanson, Charl Schwartzel and Webb Simpson.
Woods came into the PGA Championship off a landslide victory in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, his fifth victory of the season, amping up the anticipation again. The PGA of America chose to have his group be the featured pairing on its website, enabling those with access to a computer to watch his entire round, as flawed as it turned out to be.
Too much risk, no reward
It began with a tee shot right of the fairway. Stymied by a tree, Woods still attempted to slash a hard slice around it (see photo) and failed, putting him in more of a bind.
On TNT, Ian Baker-Finch criticized Woods' course management. "David, I often wonder with Tiger, he tries to make that spectacular recovery shot, why doesn't he just pitch it out in the fairway and pitch it from 60 yards close?" Baker-Finch said. "It would have been easier."
"It's not in his nature, Feherty replied.
Read More Media: Tiger stumbled, but at least we saw it: Local Knowledge: Golf Digest
Recall that Tiger Woods entered the Masters having won consecutive starts and anticipation was at a zenith. Yet only the final few holes of his first round were televised and Augusta National did not include his group in its featured pairing that it showed on its website, choosing instead to show the group of Peter Hanson, Charl Schwartzel and Webb Simpson.
Woods came into the PGA Championship off a landslide victory in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, his fifth victory of the season, amping up the anticipation again. The PGA of America chose to have his group be the featured pairing on its website, enabling those with access to a computer to watch his entire round, as flawed as it turned out to be.
Too much risk, no reward
It began with a tee shot right of the fairway. Stymied by a tree, Woods still attempted to slash a hard slice around it (see photo) and failed, putting him in more of a bind.
On TNT, Ian Baker-Finch criticized Woods' course management. "David, I often wonder with Tiger, he tries to make that spectacular recovery shot, why doesn't he just pitch it out in the fairway and pitch it from 60 yards close?" Baker-Finch said. "It would have been easier."
"It's not in his nature, Feherty replied.
Read More Media: Tiger stumbled, but at least we saw it: Local Knowledge: Golf Digest
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Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are considered the two best golfers presently on the circuit. Last weekend Woods won his 8th title at the Bridgestone and Mickelson recently won the Open Championship and the Scottish Open.
However, it is still Woods who is favourite to win a head-to-head matchup at the PGA Championship.
Woods currently has odds of 9/2 while the best available on Mickelson are 16/1.
The bookies are preparing themselves for a massive amount of bets on Woods ot win his fifth US PGA Championship and his first since 2007 after he shot a brilliant 61 during the second round of his dominant win at the Bridgestone Invitational.
So far Woods has attracted more than a third of the $1.6 million already bet on the tournament at Betfair where he is the $5.60 favourite. Michael Felgate of Centrebet said that “The punters love backing Tiger and he is getting into the odds he used to be when he dominated the majors five and six years ago.”
Unsurprisingly Woods is also the favourite in the PGATour-com Power Rakings. Mickelson is all the way down in eighth place; instead Henrik Stenson is listed as second in the rankings.
Tiger Woods Strong Favourite for US PGA Championship - Online Casino Archives
However, it is still Woods who is favourite to win a head-to-head matchup at the PGA Championship.
Woods currently has odds of 9/2 while the best available on Mickelson are 16/1.
The bookies are preparing themselves for a massive amount of bets on Woods ot win his fifth US PGA Championship and his first since 2007 after he shot a brilliant 61 during the second round of his dominant win at the Bridgestone Invitational.
So far Woods has attracted more than a third of the $1.6 million already bet on the tournament at Betfair where he is the $5.60 favourite. Michael Felgate of Centrebet said that “The punters love backing Tiger and he is getting into the odds he used to be when he dominated the majors five and six years ago.”
Unsurprisingly Woods is also the favourite in the PGATour-com Power Rakings. Mickelson is all the way down in eighth place; instead Henrik Stenson is listed as second in the rankings.
Tiger Woods Strong Favourite for US PGA Championship - Online Casino Archives
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Over the weekend, the media was given a rare opportunity to watch President Barack Obama play golf. And after watching Obama run a chip 15 feet past the hole and needing three putts to get in, it’s not hard to figure out why information about the POTUS golf game is kept more secret than NSA documents.
Obama, on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard, played at Farm Neck Golf Club with aide Marvin Nicholson, White House chef Sam Kass and Wall Street consultant Robert Wolf. The press pool was allowed to watch the foursome play around the green on No. 1 and CBS News has the video. We double-digit handicappers never pick on our own, so let’s just say that Obama’s golf game looks like that of someone who has bigger things to worry about than launch angles and ball trajectory.
A PGA teaching pro we spoke with says Obama’s chips and putts need more follow through. “[Obama] has a sort of “stab at it” approach,” he said. “His swing ends way to quickly and promotes deceleration.”
Some other thoughts from the video:
1. Does no one mark their ball in this group?
2. The president spends more time over his chip (four waggles) than Congress did in drafting the original Obamacare bill.
3. The pool report says the president let out a loud “ooooh” after missing his first putt. You hear that, Tiger Woods? It’s possible to hit a bad shot and not curse like a sailor.
4. Is POTUS getting dap for needing four shots to get in from 50 feet away on the first hole? It sure looks that way. If so, I want to go golfing with the president’s foursome. I’d be getting dap on every hole.
5. Obama needs a golf fashion makeover. The baggy shirt, ankle-cut socks, penguin shoes and divot repair tool attached to a floppy hat are straight out of 1992. Something tells me Michelle and the girls didn’t see dad leave the house before his round.
President Obama played golf in front of the media, then three-putted | For The Win
Obama, on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard, played at Farm Neck Golf Club with aide Marvin Nicholson, White House chef Sam Kass and Wall Street consultant Robert Wolf. The press pool was allowed to watch the foursome play around the green on No. 1 and CBS News has the video. We double-digit handicappers never pick on our own, so let’s just say that Obama’s golf game looks like that of someone who has bigger things to worry about than launch angles and ball trajectory.
A PGA teaching pro we spoke with says Obama’s chips and putts need more follow through. “[Obama] has a sort of “stab at it” approach,” he said. “His swing ends way to quickly and promotes deceleration.”
Some other thoughts from the video:
1. Does no one mark their ball in this group?
2. The president spends more time over his chip (four waggles) than Congress did in drafting the original Obamacare bill.
3. The pool report says the president let out a loud “ooooh” after missing his first putt. You hear that, Tiger Woods? It’s possible to hit a bad shot and not curse like a sailor.
4. Is POTUS getting dap for needing four shots to get in from 50 feet away on the first hole? It sure looks that way. If so, I want to go golfing with the president’s foursome. I’d be getting dap on every hole.
5. Obama needs a golf fashion makeover. The baggy shirt, ankle-cut socks, penguin shoes and divot repair tool attached to a floppy hat are straight out of 1992. Something tells me Michelle and the girls didn’t see dad leave the house before his round.
President Obama played golf in front of the media, then three-putted | For The Win
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It’s easy to slip into a mind set that only the highest level of competition in a sport matters. But imagine if we thought that in, say, football. We’d all watch the NFL, but we wouldn’t pay attention to college football and never give a second thought to high school football. It would be the NFL or nothing.
It would be wrong to do that in basketball or baseball, too. And it’s wrong to do it in golf.
Over this weekend and the coming week, Southern California golf fans have a chance to understand that the game is not just about the PGA Tour.
The first example is in San Diego at the Southern California Golf Association Amateur Championship at San Diego Country Club. There might not be too many names in the field you recognize right away, other than perhaps Beau Hossler, the University of Texas player who made a strong run in the U.S. Open in 2012 when he was still a high schooler in Mission Viejo.
Several levels
But did you know Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler and Patrick Cantlay all have won the SCGA Amateur? So maybe the tournament is a little more important than most fans give it credit for. Maybe the winner today in San Diego is a future PGA Tour or college star. If you are looking for that kind of winner, look no further than Hossler.
Then comes next week and the California State Open. That will be played at the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet in Beaumont. It is strange that a state as big and as golf crazy as California has a state championship that often is so overlooked. A purse that hovers just below $100,000 probably doesn’t help the prestige of such an event outside of the state, but that’s still good money for a professional tournament short of the PGA Tour or Web-com Tour.
The event also featured mini-tour players and club and teaching pros from throughout California as well as amateurs. In the past, PGA Tour players like Fowler and Brendan Steele have played in the event.
Now owned by the SCPGA, the tournament will feature 156 players, from former PGA Tour winners to players currently active on tours around the world. Berry Henson, a winner on the Asian Tour and 12th on that tour’s Order of Merit this year, is a good example of the strong players in the field.
So cozy up to the television today to watch the John Deere Classic of the LPGA’s Manulife Financial LPGA Classic, and next week wake up early to watch the Open Championship from Muirfield. But don’t forget there are golf tournaments all around us these days, and for the people playing in events like the SCGA Amateur or the California State Open, their events are just as important as the Open Championship.
www-mydesert-com/article/20130713/SPORTS0501/307130051/Golf-not-all-about-pros