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Thorbjorn Olesen continued his fine form at the Lyoness Open in Austria to remain three shots clear of his nearest challengers midway through his third round.

The 22-year-old, who finished ninth in last week’s Open Championship – his sixth top-10 finish of the season – was 12 under par on Thursday night and three strokes ahead of France’s Thomas Levet.

That advantage stayed intact yesterday morning when the second round was completed, after 66 players had been unable to finish on Thursday due to heavy rain and the threat of lightning at Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg.

Olesen birdied the sixth and seventh holes of his outward nine to advance to 14 under, with England’s Richard Bland, France’s Benjamin Hebert and home favourite Bernd Wiesberger joint second on 11 under.

Read More Golf: Thorbjorn Olesen leads Lyoness Open - Golf - Sports - WalesOnline

Oakhurst Links, one of the nation’s oldest golf courses, sold for $410,000 on Saturday, an auction house said.

Auctioneer Tommy Garten wouldn’t reveal the winning bidder until bank financing is completed.

Owner Lewis Keller Sr. says it’s his understanding that the bidder, a Wheeling businessman, will keep the nine-hole course and its old-style equipment intact and playable.

But Keller was disheartened by the winning bid and a lack of interest, especially from the golfing industry. He said the participating bidders were private individuals.

“I felt like it was worth more to the world of golf than it is,” Keller said. “It showed this morning. That is disappointing. One thing is whether or not it is a financial success, apparently the world of golf does not feel that it is as important to them as I thought. That’s what exactly it amounts to.”

Read More: Oakhurst Links golf course sold at auction for $410,000 Today's Front Page The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Back in the day, Jim McLean was quite the golfer.

He was an all-American for Houston, when it was THE golf school in the country. He played in the Masters, the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur, as well as several PGA Tour events.

"I played a lot of junior, amateur and college golf, but my pro golf wasn't so great," McLean says with a chuckle.

So McLean turned to teaching golf and became an expert at it. Over the past few decades he has become one of the premier golf instructors in the country, if not the world.

The 62-year-old McLean has established nine golf schools bearing his name, six in the U.S. and three in foreign countries, with the latest being located right here in Utah at the new Red Ledges Golf Club, just east of Heber City.

Read More: McLean's golf school doing well at Red Ledges | Deseret News

As it turns out, there is nothing boring about a victory at golf’s third-oldest championship.

Or a cheque for $936,000 US.

Or a trip to the Masters.

Scott Piercy learned to love Hamilton Golf and Country Club just a little bit more Sunday while pulling off a comeback victory at the RBC Canadian Open. The man who entered the weekend bemoaning the “boring golf” he was forced to play on a classic layout ended up being all smiles when the trophy was presented.

“At the end of the week if the score is good, it is exciting,” said Piercy. “So I’m pretty excited.”

The Las Vegas native closed with a 3-under 67 to edge William McGirt (69) and Robert Garrigus (70) by a shot. Those men spent the final day locked in a see-saw battle and each of them found their name atop the leaderboard at one point.

Read more: ?Boring golf? with exciting finish

Scott Piercy made four-straight birdies on the front nine then held off fellow Americans William McGirt and Robert Garrigus to win the PGA Tour’s $5.2 million Canadian Open on Sunday.
Piercy closed with a three-under 67 to finish at 17-under 263 as he tied the oldest 72-hole scoring record on the PGA Tour. Piercy two-putted from 50 feet for par on the 18th hole of the Hamilton Golf and Country club course to post his second career USPGA Tour victory.
McGirt was atop the leaderboard for much of the fourth round. But he three-putted for bogey on the 15th and failed to save par from a bunker on the final hole for a 69 that left him one shot adrift of Piercy. Garrigus, the 54-hole leader, fired a 70 after he three-putted the 16th hole for bogey and finished in a tie for second. Josh Teater and Bud Cauley both shot four-under 66 to seize a share of fourth place. They ended in a tie with Chris Kirk (68) at 14-under-par 266. Piercy’s 263 total matched tournament’s scoring record, first set by Johnny Palmer in 1952.

Read More: Piercy captures Canadian Open golf title | The Nation

If anyone can be described as the Grand Master of the World Golf Championship (WGC) series, it has to be Tiger Woods.

The 76-time US PGA Tour winner has bestrode this annual four-tournament series like a mighty Colossus, winning 16 WGC titles since the inception of the series in 1999, including seven WGC Invitationals which since 2006 has had Bridgestone as its headline sponsor, but before that went by the name of the WGC-NEC Invitational.

That all seven of Tiger's victories in this event came at Firestone Country Club's famed 'Monster' South Course must clearly make it one of his all-time favourite tracks and with him recently rediscovering much of his old form - he's already won three times this year, finished in a tie for third at The Open Championship only a fortnight ago, leads the US PGA Tour money list and in recent weeks, has charged up the World Ranking list to No 2 - must clearly make him the strongest favourite to win this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Read More: Tiger looks tops - Sport LIVE

With the Summer Olympics in full swing this week, the PGA Tour will host its own global event of sorts this weekend. The Bridgestone Invitational, one of the World Golf Championships, will be played at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.

And while the rest of the world comes together every two years for the Olympics, alternating Summer and Winter Games in that schedule, men’s golf has done a nice job of brining the world together about 10 times a year.

Four years before golf returns to the Olympics, the men’s game is already a pretty global affair. It may not yet be a world tour as Greg Norman once envisioned, but it is pretty close.

Read More: www-mydesert-com/article/20120801/SPORTS05/308010004/Golf-already-global-Olympics

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Adam Scott is back in action this week at the PGA Tour's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, but he's behind the favored Tiger Woods on the golf odds for the tournament at Bovada.

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Scott last played two weeks ago at the British Open, when he collapsed over the last few holes to lose the event to Ernie Els. Scott, though, has a pedigree at Firestone, as he's the defending champion at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational having topped Luke Donald and Rickie Fowler at the event by four strokes in 2011.

Still, Woods has had the most career success at this tournament by far, winning it in each of 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009. Woods, who ended up four strokes back of Els in third place at the British Open, is the 5/1 favorite to get the win this week.

Donald is next at 14/1 on the golf odds at Bovada, followed by Scott at 16/1, and both Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy at 18/1. McIlroy turned in a sixth-place result at this tournament in 2011, while Westwood was ninth. Woods was 37th at Firestone last year.

Hunter Mahan won this tournament by two strokes in 2010, and he's at 25/1 odds for this week. That has him just ahead of Bubba Watson (28/1), Jason Dufner (28/1) and Zach Johnson (28/1), with Fowler and Phil Mickelson among a group of golfers at 33/1 odds.

Els ended up tied for 37th place at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2011, and he ended up missing the cut at the Canadian Open last week; he's a 50/1 Firestone long shot.

Find all your golf betting odds for this week's tournaments today at Bovada.

Padraig Harrington is the favorite atop the golf odds at Bovada to win the PGA Tour's second-tier tournament this week, the Reno-Tahoe Open at Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nevada.

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The bulk of the tour's top golfers will be in Akron, Ohio this week for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, leaving Harrington as the 8/1 favorite to win in Montreux at a tournament with a twist – it'll be using the Modified Stableford scoring system this week for the first time.

That means eagles are worth 5 points, birdies 2 points, pars zero points, bogeys -1 points, and double bogeys or worse -3 points. A rare double eagle is worth 8 points at the event.

Seung-Yul Noh is next at 18/1 odds to win the Reno-Tahoe Open this week, followed by J.B. Holmes at 20/1, and both John Merrick and John Rollins at 22/1. Rollins won this tournament back in 2009, but wasn't in the field last year. Merrick finished 25th in 2011.

Chris Kirk, Troy Matteson and Pat Perez are all pegged at 25/1 on the golf odds for this week to win in Nevada, with Perez finishing a single stroke behind winner Scott Piercy at the Reno-Tahoe Open last year. Piercy won the Canadian Open last week, and as a result he'll instead be in the field for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron.

Jeff Overton (28/1), Andres Romero (33/1), Bryce Molder (33/1), J.J. Henry (33/1) and Spencer Levin (33/1) round out the second tier of contenders for this week's Reno-Tahoe Open, with Billy Horschel and Camilo Villegas both listed at 40/1 odds for the tournament.

Find all your golf betting odds for this week's tournaments today at Bovada.

Ten days after suffering a nightmare collapse in the final round of the British Open, Adam Scott had a smile on his face while completing preparations for his title defense at this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Though the Australian was left feeling numb and shell-shocked after he squandered a four-shot lead with four holes to play in the year's third major, he has since had time to reflect on the superb golf he played for the previous 68 holes.

"I'm disappointed that I didn't win from that position, but I left that major the same as I've left every other one, and that's empty-handed," Scott told reporters at Firestone Country Club on Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time).

"I've been disappointed a lot of times at majors, even though I've never been closer to [winning] one. There wasn't that much healing for me.

Read More: Golf: Scott in positive mood for Firestone | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere

Golf Channel recorded the most-watched July in the network’s 17-year history according to data released today by The Nielsen Company, extending its consecutive streak of “best ever” months to six in 2012.

Golf Channel’s July delivery was up 36 percent over July 2011, averaging 95,000 viewers per any minute over a 24-hour period. Based upon six consecutive quarters of growth since becoming part of the NBC Sports Group, Golf Channel is television’s fastest-growing network among those servicing more than 80 million homes.

“Maintaining the record-setting growth of the past six quarters is a testament to the company's commitment to high quality programming and production, and a result of the exciting golf being played by some of the game's bright new stars,” said Golf Channel President Mike McCarley.

Golf Channel kicked off the year with its most-watched quarter ever, which was followed by its most-watched second quarter ever. The second quarter averaged 115,000 viewers per any minute over a 24-hour period and topped the past two years by 29 percent and 34 percent, respectively. Through July, average viewers per minute (113,000) are up 24 percent over the same period last year (91,000) and an impressive 47 percent over 2010 (77,000).

Read More: Most-watched July ever on Golf Channel | World Golf News

No cheer that sounded like the clap of thunder. No need to raise both arms or pump the fist in celebration.

Webb Simpson won the U.S. Open while sitting in the clubhouse at The Olympic Club, a nervous wife at his side as they watched the last few holes on television. Ernie Els was pacing on the practice green behind the clubhouse at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, spending more time on his phone than rapping a few putts in case of a playoff, when he realized he had won the British Open.

These are not unusual spots to win, but they seem to be popular places in this most peculiar year.

Three majors, three-come-from behind winners.

The PGA Championship, which starts Aug. 9 at Kiawah Island along the coastal waters of South Carolina, is known as "Glory's Last Shot" because it's the final major of the year. The way this season has gone, that slogan could apply to any number of players going into the last round - just not the 54-hole leader.

Read more here: No lead is safe in the majors this year | Golf | Macon-com

Though Tiger Woods ended up well short of victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday, he gave himself a perfect send-off for next week's PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

Having failed to break par in first two rounds at Firestone Country Club, the American world number two signed off with a flawless four-under-par 66, describing his game from tee to green as "dialed in".

He lipped out with a birdie putt from 18 feet on the final hole and was happy with how he finished his week at a tight, tree-lined venue where he has triumphed six times in the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event.

"I played well today," Woods told reporters after recording four birdies to post a four-under total of 276. "I hit a lot of good shots and never really sniffed making a bogey all day. So that was a good day."

Asked if he felt confident about next week's PGA Championship, he replied: "I feel very good about where I'm at. I'm excited about it."

Read More: Golf-Tiger signs off at Firestone on high note for next week | Reuters

Keegan Bradley, who has relatives and friends in York, Maine, never looked like a winner over four days and 71 holes at Firestone until he poured in a 15-foot par putt on the final hole Sunday.

Given the way golf has gone this year, no one should have been surprised.

Two weeks after Adam Scott gave up a four-shot lead with four holes to play in the British Open, Jim Furyk was poised to finish off a wire-to-wire win at the Bridgestone Invitational until he made double bogey from the middle of the 18th fairway.

His 5-foot bogey putt to at least get into a playoff never had a chance, and he immediately dropped his putter and bent over with a mixture of shock and disgust.

"I led the golf tournament the entire way and lost it on the very last hole," Furyk said. "To get that close and to know that I played more than good enough to win the golf tournament, and not close the door, is disappointing. It is a cruel game. I've lost some tournaments in some pretty poor fashions, but I don't think I've let one ever slip nearly as bad as this one. This was my worst effort to finish off an event."

Lost in his 18th hole collapse was a sterling performance by Bradley, who shot 31 on the back and came up with one clutch putt after another. None was bigger than the final stroke of his 6-under 64. After blasting out of a plugged lie in the bunker, he poured in a 15-foot putt for par that turned out to be the winner.

Read More: Golf: Bradley wins Bridgestone Invitational in a stunning turnaround | SeacoastOnline-com

Jim Furyk has handed the World Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational to Keegan Bradley after a disastrous double bogey on the final hole.

Having led the first three rounds, Furyk appeared to be cruising to victory for most of the day only to make a mess of the 72nd hole, allowing Bradley to take a one-stroke win.

Playing in the final group with Furyk, Bradley made a clutch up and down from a buried lie in a greenside bunker, holing a putt from almost 16 feet to finish at 13-under-par 267, while the leader produced his calamitous finish.

Having pulled his tee shot left into trees, Furyk actually received a fortuitous bounce back into the fairway. But he sent his approach long to the edge of a bunker, chunked the chip short of the green, left his next chip five-feet short and then, with a place in a playoff on the line, gunned the putt past the hole.

Read More: Bradley's stunning Ohio golf win

Ernie Els returns to Kiawah Island for the PGA Championship as a major champion, the same status he carried the last time he was there.

He was the U.S. Open winner in 1997, earning his second major at age 27. He came here that fall to represent South Africa in the World Cup. The rest week was a blur. He vaguely remembers the Ocean Course, only that it was hard.

"I think they designed that course for match play," he said with a grin.

So much has transpired between then and now. That '97 U.S. Open win came right after 21-year-old Tiger Woods won the Masters by 12 shots. Golf looked like it might have a rivalry to last a generation, only it didn't pan out that way.

Els was runner-up in three consecutive majors in 2000, two of them to Woods by a combined 23 shots. The Big Easy finally added another major in 2002 at the British Open, and he had a chance to win all of them in 2004 in a most empty season.

Read More: Els, again major champ, hopeful for new beginning | champ, major, els - Golf News - Brownsville Herald

Keegan Bradley is the defending champion at the PGA Championship and he's also coming off a high-profile victory over the weekend. Can Bradley carry that momentum over to this week and pay off on some of the golf prop betting options posted at Bovada?

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Bradley defeated Jason Dufner in a playoff at the Atlanta Athletic Club last year to claim the 2011 PGA Championship title, and over the weekend at Firestone he beat Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk by a single stroke to grab the win in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational – shooting a round of 6-under 64 on Sunday to claim that tourney victory.

That makes Bradley an interesting option on the golf props this week as the PGA Championship is contested at the Kiawah Resort in South Carolina.

Bradley is currently set at +300 odds to finish in the Top 10 at the PGA Championship this week, and he has -450 odds to end up outside the Top 10 in South Carolina. You can find Bradley at 33/1 overall odds to win the tournament as well, and he's also at 33/1 to be the first-round leader at the event on Thursday.

In a head-to-head matchup with Graeme McDowell both golfers are listed at -115 odds.

Tiger Woods has the best odds to end up in the Top 10 this week, as he's at -120 on that prop bet. Luke Donald sits at +150 to end up in the Top 10, with Rory McIlroy at +165, Lee Westwood at +200, and each of Dufner, Adam Scot, and Dustin Johnson at +250.

Donald is a slight -120 favorite over McIlroy (-110) in their head-to-head matchup for the PGA Championship this week, with both of those golfers listed behind Woods (14/1) at 22/1 odds to be in the lead at the major tournament after the first round of action.

Missing the cut at the U.S. Open in June proved to be a valuable lesson for Luke Donald, the British world number one said on Tuesday as he continues his quest to end a title drought in the majors.

While Englishman Donald has yet to triumph in any of golf's blue riband events, he has consciously eased off on self-imposed pressure and goes into this week's PGA Championship invigorated by Ernie Els' victory at last month's British Open.

Sixteen days ago at Royal Lytham, South African Els won his fourth major crown at the age of 42 while Donald tied for fifth to record his seventh top-10 finish in a major championship.

"Certainly coming off the U.S. Open, I was very disappointed how I handled the situation mentally," Donald told reporters on a wet day at Kiawah Island. "I didn't come in hitting the ball that great, and maybe that added to some of the anxiety.

Read More: Golf-U.S. Open missed cut gives Donald a major lesson | Reuters

There was grumbling about the legitimacy of the long putter when it first appeared on the professional tours decades ago. But as time passed, it remained mostly on the fringe in elite golf, with no player winning a major championship using one. Traditional shorter putters reigned, and that kept the grousing to a minimum. Then, a year ago, Keegan Bradley won the P.G.A. Championship with a putter anchored against his stomach. This year, two of the three majors were won by golfers wielding longer-than-normal putters.

Not only that, more than a quarter of the field at last month’s British Open was using a nontraditional putter. The winner, Ernie Els, had his putter jabbed in his belly. The runner-up, Adam Scott, had his putter staked against his chest.

It was at this juncture that the grumbling took on a loud, authoritative voice, and it portents change.

Read More: www-nytimes-com/2012/08/09/sports/golf/golf-pros-line-up-to-debate-use-of-long-putters-html