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As badly as Adam Scott needs to get away from golf, he was in no rush to leave paradise.

Not long after the Masters champion wrapped up his final round at the Sony Open just 10 minutes away from the shores of Waikiki Beach, he was headed to the Big Island with surf champion Kelly Slater and his crew to take in some surf, sun and maybe even a little golf.

No doubt, Scott is on a wave he wishes could last the rest of his career.

But it's time to take a break, and he can feel it. Whether he goes home to Australia or to the Bahamas, the switch will be turned off. He won't return to competition for six weeks at the Honda Classic.

"There's heaps of work to do, but there's got to be a break somewhere," Scott said. "I could keep playing. I feel like I'm playing well. But you can't continue to perform at the level you want if you play all the time. I'm forcing myself to take a break, and I can see it's coming. My brain didn't completely switch on these two weeks."

The rest of his game appeared to be in order.

A pair of par 5s on two islands kept him from serious contention. At the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua, it was a long iron he smothered into a hazard on the 15th hole in the third round that turned a sure birdie into a bogey. At the Sony Open, he had 155 yards for his second shot to the par-5 ninth in the third round and made par. Both killed his momentum.

He still had a pair of top 10s in Hawaii.

The six-week break is the longest he has had away from competition since the start of last year. That worked out just fine. Scott had the moment of a lifetime when he won the Masters for his first major, even more meaningful because it was the first green jacket for an Australian. He won a FedEx Cup playoff event. Finally going home for a celebration, he gave the Aussies more reason to cheer when he won twice, was runner-up and won the World Cup team title with Jason Day.

Try finding an encore for that.

"It might be some of the best golf I've ever played over the in 12 months," Scott said. "To walk away and trust it will be there when I come back … I think I've done enough work over the last year or two to leave it for a few weeks."

The break will last only a few weeks and will include plenty of golf, except that he won't care. Scott's friends love to play golf when he's around, and that's what he'll do.

Scott said he will switch back on about three or four weeks before the Honda Classic.

He doesn't play a lot of tournament golf, which is not to suggest he's idle. The hard work takes place in the Bahamas. Scott is all about the big picture now. Yes, that means the majors. More than that, it's all about the process.

One of the most amazing chapters in his career is how he bounced back from a collapse at Royal Lytham & St. Annes — a four-shot lead with four holes to play in the 2012 British Open, only to make four straight bogeys and lose to Ernie Els. Scott might have been the only one who saw that day as a breakthrough. He played the best golf for 68 holes. He knew, finally, he had the game to win a major.

And then he did.

What's interesting is to hear him say his confidence was just as high toward the end of 2012 (the year he blew a major) as it was at the end of 2013 (the year he became a major champion).

"Lytham was that turning point where the confidence grew from the experience and performance in a major, and I think it's been pretty much the same ever since," he said. "It all accumulates a bit. But that was a real spike in confidence in 2012."

It was watching a replay of the Masters that reminded him of the real source of satisfaction.

Scott first watched highlights about 10 days after the Masters. He mostly saw the 20-foot putt he made on the 18th green, and the 10-footer on the second playoff hole that made him a major champion.

"What I experienced looking back is that elation of achievement is so short-lived," he said. "But it's longer if you enjoy the whole process. That moment of sheer joy is very short. It didn't carry on for days and days. It's numbed by formalities and all those other things. You've got to enjoy getting there as much as what happened. It was only a few hours, and then Hilton Head started, and there's another tournament. The Masters is in the past and you're looking forward.

"It's incredible that a lifelong dream can be achieved, and it's so short."

The encore doesn't start at the Honda Classic or the other two events he plays in the Florida swing, but when he gets back to the Bahamas and switches back on.

"You know when you're ready to get back into it because you're willing to put in the hours, and it's not effort," he said.

As for the performance? Can he do anything to top the last 12 months, especially that one glorious Sunday in April?

Probably not. And that's OK with him.

"It will be the biggest of my career," Scott said. "I don't know how anything could surpass that as a big moment. But it will be a lot of fun to try. Maybe winning the Slam, all four in a career. Hopefully, it's not all downhill."

Right now, it's as open as the Pacific horizon.



Adam Scott takes six-week break from golf

This may come as a surprise, but Phil Mickelson has decided to tinker with his equipment.

After a successful year in which Mickelson used five wedges at times and adopted the "Phrankenwood" en route to winning at Muirfield, the five-time major champion explained Tuesday that he will have a new Callaway driver in the bag when he joins Rory McIlroy and defending champion Jamie Donaldson for the first round of this week's HSBC Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

"As I look back on 2013, I played some of my best golf and had some huge breakthroughs but I did most of it without a driver," the southpaw told reporters.

The stat sheet indicates that Mickelson has room for improvement off the tee. Despite ranking first on Tour in birdie average and 12th in scoring average during the 2013 season, Lefty was only 93rd in driving distance and 149th in driving accuracy, a category in which he hasn't cracked the top 140 since 2004.

"This year I have the best driver I've ever hit that lowers my spin rate just like my three-wood. I drive it longer and straighter with my driver than I did with my three-wood," he added. "It's a whole different weapon in my arsenal now and if I drive the ball well, like I have been in practice and in the off-season, heading into this 2014 season it could be the best year of my career for that simple reason."


Phil Mickelson Set to Begin 2014 with New Driver | Golf Channel

Any debate over the legitimacy of golf as a modern Olympic sport is a worthwhile one. A gold medal would never usurp major titles as the pinnacle of the career of Tiger Woods, Adam Scott or Rory McIlroy. In fact, McIlroy may yet opt not to compete at all at the 2016 Rio Games because of the political sensitivities attached to him representing either Ireland or Great Britain. When the scheduling chaos that golf's Olympic return will trigger is thrown in, added to the lack of originality attached to a strokeplay format, it is very easy to be sceptical.

The flipside concerns the need for golf to grow. At a time when the sport has never been more accessible, participation numbers are falling at an alarming rate in many previously fertile golfing lands. If the Olympics can provide a kickstart, most pertinently to a new generation, then it will serve a worthwhile purpose.

For that to happen, the Rio backbone must be strong. Next to nothing has been said about the status of the purpose-built venue at Reserva de Marapendi since last March, when construction work belatedly got under way. Legal disputes over land ownership had earlier threatened to fatally undermine the project and, at the very least, caused serious embarrassment for the driving forces behind golf's Olympic return.

When contacted by the Guardian last week, Rio 2016 insisted no subsequent news was good news. There have been no updates because there have been no problems, it was said.

Some 200 workers are currently on the golf course site. Clearing, rough shaping, transplanting and earth moving are all reported to have taken or be taking place. Twelve holes have been completely shaped, another four are in the midst of that and the final two should undergo the same process in February.

The event's organisers insist everything is on schedule for the course – which will be open to the public after the Olympics – to host a test event in late 2015. They were unwilling to offer a specific opening date, which was probably wise.

Perhaps more telling was the notably cautious approach of the course's architect, Gil Hanse, during his weekend appearance on an American television network. Mindful of the problems that had beset this project in the past, Hanse admitted a "critical juncture" in construction would take place between now and March. Lessons from recent history – and his own frustrations – in Rio have taught Hanse not to be effusive about the future.

Hanse also knows better than anyone that every course benefits from maturity. Opening too close to the Olympics carries obvious dangers on that front. "None of us were led to understand how actively involved the land ownership would be in the process and how the decision-making processes have sometimes not gone the way we would have liked to see them go," he said, pointedly.

In Hanse, the Games have arguably the best course architect in the world on board. A design akin to the area around Royal Melbourne, in itself one of the finest venues on the golfing globe, is also a promising sign. Yet in this case, actions will speak a lot louder than words. Rio is hardly short of Olympic challenges; proving golf has worthwhile status there should be high among them. The fundamentals must be 100% right.

Dyson detractors must put their name to criticism

This week's HSBC Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi marks a first competitive appearance for Simon Dyson since the Englishman's suspended European Tour ban for a rules infringement at the tail end of 2013.

Dyson, who illegally flattened a spike mark in the line of a putt during the BMW Masters, was punished while being cleared of a "premeditated act of cheating". This was entirely logical; proving the "premeditated" aspect of Dyson's act was impossible barring the employment of retrospective mind readers. It was, instead, deemed a "momentary aberration".

Dyson may well discover that harm can be done to a reputation without stiff sanctions. Nonetheless, more unedifying than anything Dyson did has been the steady whisper of unnamed professionals who have taken to the media to air their concerns.

This tactic, which arose again this week, is playground stuff that does nothing for the standing of top-level golf. If fellow competitors have a problem with Dyson they should raise it either directly with the man himself, with the European Tour or, if utilising the media, while having the guts to put their name to an opinion.

Harrington faces old putting strain

Given he finished 2013 as the 131st ranked golfer in the world, some might say Padraig Harrington should be grateful for gradual improvement. That, however, is not the Dubliner's style, as the putting woes that have afflicted him for close to two years continue to gnaw away.

Harrington finished in a highly respectable tie for fifth at the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa last weekend. He leapt 10 places in the rankings but bemoaned familiar failings.

"This is my official apology to all the amateurs in Ireland for all the putts I holed against them and how I could never understand how they found it difficult," Harrington said. "I'm happy with how I'm hitting the golf ball but distraught with how I am putting." As anyone who has paid even slight attention to Harrington will testify, that sentiment would be offered without exaggeration.

Harrington is still only 42 and therefore has plenty time to remedy his trouble on the greens. Golf would benefit from the resurgence of the three-time major winner; nobody will work harder than Harrington himself to make that happen. It would also be folly to rule such a comeback out.



Olympics 2016: Rio's golf challenge | Ewan Murray | Sport | theguardian-com

Phil Mickelson didn't have much success with his new driver in the first round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, failing to make any birdies during a 1-over 73 that left him six shots off the lead.

Mickelson made 17 straight pars in his first round of the year before a bogey on his last hole, joining a number of big names who struggled on the opening day. "I can't recall the last time I had a round without a birdie,'' Mickelson said. "But didn't make a bogey there until the last.''

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Thursday was the first time Mickelson went a round without carding a birdie in an official worldwide event since the final round of the 2012 U.S. Open -- a span of 130 rounds.

Matthew Baldwin of England was tied for the lead with Romain Wattel of France and Spain's Rafa Cabrera-Bello after a 67. Seven players, including European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, were one shot behind.

Rory McIlroy carded a 70, while Henrik Stenson had four bogeys in a 74 and Sergio Garcia complained about the rough being "dangerous'' after a 76.

Mickelson said before the event that he was driving better than ever after getting a new driver from Callaway he said could turn one of his weaknesses into a strength.

However, he hit only five of 14 fairways on the Peter Harradine-designed course.

"This first round, I was a little tentative, played a little cautious, didn't trust my swing too much,'' Mickelson said. "I haven't been out in competition for a while, but then it was good to get my feet wet.''

McIlroy was upbeat after showing signs of the form he displayed at the end of the 2013 season, which earned him the victory in last month's Australian Open in Sydney.

"I feel the benefit of ending last year well and then starting off this year with a lot of hard work, it's sort of showed off,'' McIlroy said. "Today was my first competitive round since the start of December, and I drove the ball as well as I have done in a long time.''

Martin Kaymer, a three-time winner in Abu Dhabi, had a double-bogey on the 14th and also finished with a 70.

Garcia said he hurt his shoulder while playing the Pro-Am on Wednesday and that he was troubled by the thick rough -- needing treatment on his 13th hole. He said the rough is "very, very thick,'' and that "they have cut it from green back to the tee, and by doing that the ball nestles down quite a bit.

"You just have to hit it so hard into the ground to get it out, and when you're not 100 percent it doesn't help at all,'' Garcia said. "I would say that it's dangerous and hopefully nobody else will get injured, because it could happen to several guys this week.''


Phil Mickelson off to rough start at Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship with new driver - ESPN

SIR Sean Connery’s son has told how he was terrified to show his famous father the draft for his new movie about golfing pioneer Old Tom Morris – because of the actor’s love of the sport.

But actor and director Jason Connery has revealed to The Scotsman how the Edinburgh-born star gave him “great ideas and insight” for his new film.

Jason said: “I actually sent him the first draft. It’s always a bit worrisome to do that, because usually the first draft is a bit fat and long, and there are things there that you know you’ll need to change.

“I sent it to him and said ‘this is early draft, but I’d love to get your thoughts’, and he was very encouraging and he had some real insight.

“He also gave some great notes, obviously because he has such great experience, but he comes from the idea of what is at the heart of a story from a character’s point of view.”

Jason Connery has also revealed he plans to shoot the forthcoming movie in and around St Andrews.

Based on Kevin Cook’s acclaimed book about the 19th century golfer, Tommy’s Honour will be shot on location later this year.

It focuses on four-time Open champion Old Tom Morris, widely considered the founder of the modern game, and his son, Tommy.

Morris was the son of a weaver from St Andrews who went on to design some of the world’s greatest courses, including Prestwick and Muirfield, and helped popularise the modern rubber golf ball.

He founded the Open Championship at Prestwick in 1860, and seven years later became its oldest winner, at the age of 46.

The film also explores his relationship with his son Tommy, a golfing great in his own right, who matched his father’s achievement with four Open wins, the first at the age of 17, managing the feat in consecutive championships.

Both men set records that still stand today, and have been recognised with induction into The World Golf Hall Of Fame.

Mr Connery explained how his passion for golf had come from playing with his father as a child, and had learned about Mr Morris during visits to Gleneagles.

The 51-year-old said: “I grew up, somewhat, on a golf course with my dad. When I wasn’t at school I was there, so the story really spoke to me,”

Mr Connery said he felt Tommy’s achievement was a blueprint for modern-day sportsmen and women.

He said: “He really pushed the boundaries of golf, and in some ways he was the first professional touring athlete. So, many athletes probably owe him for the fact that they’re making £150 million a year or whatever.”

An actor in his own right, best-known in the UK as Robin Hood in the 1980s ITV drama Robin of Sherwood, Mr Connery’s fifth film as a director, Tommy’s Honour, will be his first shot in Scotland.

He said the game portrayed in the film would not be considered the same type of golf played nowadays: “The golfing style is completely different. If you see the clubs they used, they’re like cudgels. I don’t know how they managed to hit the ball, let alone get it anywhere near the hole. Totally different style from now.

Though casting has not started yet, Mr Connery said his crew hoped to draw on local talent, adding there was “great talent and depth to the Scottish acting fraternity.”

Despite living in LA, the director said he maintains his links with Scotland, where he owns a cottage in the Borders, and wanted to make a film that “the people of Scotland will be proud of”.


Sir Sean Connery

Rory McIlroy was left to rue an incorrect drop early in his round today as it cost him two shots and second place at the Abu Dhabi Championship.

McIlroy thought he had carded a 68 to finish 11 under par and just one shot behind leader Craig Lee, only to be told before he signed his card of a possible infraction by Dave Renwick, caddie to his playing partner Ricardo Gonzalez.

Renwick felt McIlroy had not taken full relief from a spectator crossing on the second hole and when video evidence proved inconclusive, McIlroy and European Tour chief referee John Paramor headed back to the par five to examine the area in question.

It was then determined that McIlroy’s left foot had been touching the white line denoting the crossing and a two-shot penalty was applied.

“I’m going to go and hit the gym so hard,” a clearly frustrated McIlroy said. “I’m going to run myself into the ground to try to get some of the frustration out.

“There are a lot of stupid rules in golf and this is one of them.”

McIlroy, who said he had “better things to think about” than keeping up to date with the rules, added: “I hit my second shot on the second into the left rough but on the spectator crosswalk. I took a drop and played my shot but I did not notice my left foot was still on the line and you need to take full relief.

“We went out to see it again and see my divot and it was clear I could not have played my shot with my feet anywhere else. It’s unfortunate. If anything it was a disadvantage because I dropped it in a bad lie and did not make birdie.

“I have to try to make up the shots as early as possible tomorrow. It gives me a bit of extra motivation.”

It is not the first time that McIlroy has fallen foul of the rules in Abu Dhabi, the former world number one being penalised in 2012 for brushing away some sand that was not on the green but which lay between his ball and the flag.

On that occasion it was playing partner Luke Donald who pointed out the error and McIlroy admitted both Donald and Renwick had done the right thing. “You have to adhere to the rules of this game and he (Renwick) was pointing out something he thought was questionable,”

McIlroy added. “He was just doing what I guess anyone would.”

The incident overshadowed both Lee’s chance to claim a first European Tour title and the brilliance of Phil Mickelson earlier in the day, who charged through the field with a sparkling 63.



Rory McIlroy pays the penalty for

Former University of Alabama student Derrel Curry will receive the Alabama Golf Association’s Joe H. King Award on March 7.

The award, which is akin to the AGA’s “Hall of Fame,” is named after King, who died in 2008, and was a key person within the United States Golf Association, Southern Golf Association and Alabama Golf Association, all for many years.

In 1993, the AGA created an award in King’s name to be given periodically to amateur golfers in Alabama for their contributions to golf.

To date, there have been 16 recipients: King, Ann Upchurch, Elbert Jemison, Charley Boswell, Buddy Walker, Sam Farlow, Frank Campbell, Bob Lowry, Jackie Cummings, Art Gleason, Fred Stephens, Bee McWane Reid, Sadie Roberts, Buford McCarty, Jean Miller and Martha Lang.

Curry, who is a CPA in Birmingham, grew up not too far from Tuscaloosa in Duncanville.

“We lived in a rural area and I didn’t know anything about golf. I had hardly touched a club until I started working. A co-worker and a neighbor invited me to join them. I learned by watching them.”

His interest in the Rules of Golf was piqued early on; something that has become synonymous with him.

“I kept firing (Rules) questions at my friends about the correct procedures and it became obvious that they didn’t know (all the answers) for sure.”

After graduating from the University of Alabama he wanted to “spread his wings” and took a job with Ernst and Young in West Palm Beach, Fla.

“I’d planned to stay three to five years, but came back after a year because of an awesome opportunity in Birmingham.” Not a competitive golfer, he enjoyed the game, but softball was his passion. However, after marrying his wife Becky and starting a family, the weekends filled with softball were a thing of the past.

He joined Hoover Country Club and started to play golf pretty regularly.

“I figured out even more then that I didn’t know as much (about the Rules) as I wanted to know. I always viewed, and continue to do so, the U.S. Open as the pinnacle in golf. I knew I’d never be there with my clubs in my hand, but wanted to be inside the ropes.

“I was presented the honor of serving the Alabama Golf Association as its President, Vice-President and Secretary/Treasurer (from 1997-2002). I got involved in the AGA, selfishly in 1991, as the best avenue through which to be appointed to the Rules Committee of the United States Golf Association. The USGA conducts the U.S. Open and the USGA Rules Committee is assigned to officiate this greatest of all championships, in my opinion as an American.”

Curry saw King, and even more so, Stephens, as his mentors.

“Fred was doing what I wanted to do — and he still does. He has officiated at so many USGA championships and I continue to learn from him. He whet my appetite to get involved.”

Curry’s first AGA contact was with Frank Vines at Hoover Country Club.

“Frank was on the AGA’s board and talked to (Executive Director) Buford McCarty about me. Almost immediately I got a call from then president Art Gleason. He made it clear he wanted me to be involved. He knew of my financial background as a CPA and recognized that the AGA needed help in this area. It was a conditional deal and I was happy to help.” Back then the AGA did not have the number of full-time staff they do now and Curry helped work many championships as a Rules official. That led to him “dipping his toe” in the waters of the USGA local qualifiers and then national championships.

Twenty-two years later he is still helping the USGA conduct championships. He began with the U.S. Junior Amateur and has been a fixture with it ever since, having never missed one. It began at the urging of McCarty and Stephens who knew there was an opening on the Junior Championship Committee.

McCarty stated his gratitude to Curry for all he has done, and continues to do.

“Derrel has been a very strong influence on my life. We have grown to be close friends; he is a rock solid guy.

“He has helped the AGA in so many ways. His financial expertise has been just invaluable. He has helped restructure how we do so many things. He’s taught me an awful lot about business; how to deal with people; to make sure that decisions are made as Alabama Golf Association-decisions, not Buford McCarty decisions.

“He has remained on our Executive Committee for well over 20 years and is our longest tenured person on this committee. It is at our insistence that he has done so and he continues to bring so much to the table.

“The Gold Standard in the AGA was always Joe King. He is who all others are judged by. Fred Stephens has meant so much and his resume (of championships worked, both nationally and statewide) exceeded Joe’s. Derrel is right there with Fred now. We are indebted to them both.”

In closing, I’m sure Curry won’t mind me mentioning his car tag. Car tag, I hear you say? Seems an unusual subject. Not so. His car tag reads “Rule 13-1.” That would be “The ball must be played as it lies, except as otherwise provided in the Rules.”

Something Curry has always done in life — and in golf.

Ian Thompson has been writing about golf in Alabama for over 20 years. His weekly “Mr. Golf” column concentrates on golfers, golf events and people associated with the sport of interest to the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham areas. Reach him with story ideas at [email]ian@thompsonteesoff-com[/email].



MR. GOLF: Derrel Curry to be honored by AGA | TuscaloosaNews-com

It is still January and the 2014 golf season is nearly four months old already according to the PGA Tour's convoluted scheduling, but we know better. The season begins this week.

Golf still revolves around Tiger Woods, however anyone might argue otherwise, and a new orbit begins with his 2014 debut in the Farmers Insurance Open, the de facto season opener. The rest was just filler, even Patrick Reed's remarkable performance in the Humana Challenge.

Reed opened with three straight rounds of 63 to set a 54-hole PGA Tour record in relation to par, then activated the cruise control on the Palmer Course at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., to win for the second time.

Not that anyone noticed. The Humana was a tournament without hope, Bob or otherwise, by virtue of its final round coinciding with the start of the Patriots-Broncos AFC Championship game. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady or Patrick Reed and Brendon Todd? If you're conflicted, it might be helpful to note that the latter was introduced on the first tee as Todd Brendon.

Golf is still the Tiger Woods Show and the focus on the game returns when he does. Even as his once relentless pursuit of Nicklaus and his 18 professional majors has stalled, he remains the game's most intriguing figure, maybe more so. He is now 38, time isn't the ally it once was, and 2014 might be critical to his Nicklaus chase.

"I'm really excited about the major championships," he wrote on his blog at TigerWoods-com. "I've won at three of the four venues -- Augusta National, Valhalla Golf Club and Royal Liverpool -- and on Pinehurst No. 2 (U.S. Open), I'm trending the right way, having finished third and second."

The question, however, is not his comfort level with the golf courses, but with weekends. A few weeks ago, NBC's Johnny Miller noted that "the stuff he's doing on the weekend, I'm sure he's very concerned. Even last year he was so great on Thursday and Friday and then on the weekend he's not closing out the deal."

Miller also called Woods "a different player than he was when he was younger." He is still No. 1, but no longer mentally infallible. Urgency is now part of the equation.

Urgency also infiltrated the psyche of Woods' chief rival, Phil Mickelson. He is turning 44 in June and is only a U.S. Open shy of a career grand slam. Opportunities are declining for Mickelson, who, incidentally, will be making his 2014 U.S. debut at Torrey Pines, increasing the cachet to the first must-see tournament of the year.

There was once a time that the tour was said to begin at Doral, then the first stop on the Florida swing and the beginning of the run-up to Augusta. Now, with all due respect to Reed Patrick or Patrick Reed, it starts with Tiger and his own run-up to Augusta.





Read More Tiger Will Now Return The Focus To Golf : Golf Digest

Tiger Woods kicks off his 2014 PGA Tour schedule at a venue -- Torrey Pines -- that he has won on eight times as a professional. So what's in store for the world No. 1 this week? And what happened with Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy in Abu Dhabi?

Our scribes dive into those topics and more in the latest edition of Four-Ball.

1. Which aspect of Tiger's game this week will be the most crucial to earning his 80th PGA Tour victory?

Michael Collins, ESPN-com senior golf analyst: None. He's so comfortable on this golf course he wins with his B or C game. It's why he's won here 127 times (well it seems like it). This is just one of those places where if anything is off, Tiger can still figure out a way to beat you.

Farrell Evans, ESPN-com senior golf writer: Tiger has won eight pro events at Torrey Pines, including the 2008 U.S. Open. He's won here on a broken leg and with at least five different golf swings since he took his first victory at the San Diego muni in the 1991 Junior World Championship. As long as he doesn't lose the mindset that he is the best ever on this golf course, he can't lose.

Bob Harig, ESPN-com senior golf writer: Driving. There's a lot that goes into winning, obviously. Putting well, good short game, etc. If those aspects are missing, it is always going to be tough to win. But for Tiger, getting the ball in play off the tee is key. It sets up everything else.

Kevin Maguire, ESPN-com senior golf editor: His putting. The flatstick saves golfers all the time when the rest of the game could be rusty. Woods might be striking the ball beautifully on a course he loves in Torrey Pines, but a hot putter cures all.

2. What did you learn from Phil Mickelson's performance in Abu Dhabi?

Collins: I learned it takes him only one competition day to dial in the new driver. I also learned that the saying "a tiger never changes his stripes" has two pictures of Phil next to it. One making a triple-bogey in a tournament, and another holding a trophy in a different event.

Evans: Phil's game is historically sharp at the beginning of the season. This tie for second with Rory McIlroy at Abu Dhabi just confirms that he will be very competitive in the events leading up to the Masters in April.

Harig: Not much has changed with Phil. You must take the bad with the good. He wouldn't be Phil if he wasn't trying to pull off the impossible shot; it is simply his personality. But big picture, it can't hurt that Phil got better each day in his first tournament of the year.

Maguire: That Mickelson continues to be wonderfully inconsistent. Phil The Thrill was in midseason form at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship when he took a triple-bogey, then birdied three of the last five holes to finish a shot behind the eventual winner, Pablo Larrazabal.

3. More impressive for Patrick Reed, three straight 63s or the fact that he barely hung on to win the Humana Challenge?

Collins: I don't care if you're playing on a par-70 course that's only 6,200 yards long, shooting 63 on three courses in three consecutive days in a tournament is just not easy. Even in perfect conditions and easy hole locations, there's a reason it had never been done before.

Evans: The three 63s are the most impressive aspect of Reed's week. Those amazing scores gave him a 7-stroke lead going into the final round that allowed him just enough cushion to hold on for his second career win. In Sunday's final round, Reed beat only 12 of the 84 finishers with his closing 1-under 71.

Harig: The three straight 63s. Even though those courses in the desert are the easiest on tour, he shot the lowest score each day, an impressive feat. And by doing so, it allowed him to have an average final round and still win.

Maguire: Hanging on to win. Granted, the 63s had never been done before, but watching the 23-year-old squirm yet gut it out down the stretch with major champions Zach Johnson and Justin Leonard staring him down will do the young Reed a world of good in what is sure to be a long career on the PGA Tour.

4. Fact or fiction: The Rory McIlroy ruling controversy was handled properly.

Collins: I'll say yes, but refer to my favorite Ron White album when talking about some of the rules in golf ... You Can't Fix Stupid.

Evans: Fact. McIlroy's foot was partially in the area of where he took a drop, which was a rules violation. The rules are in place to protect competition and the players. McIlroy should have known better.

Harig: Fact. In the end, McIlroy broke a rule that is quite basic. It was noticed by another caddie in the group -- which is how rules violations are supposed to be pointed out. But veteran caddie Davie Renwick (who wasn't able to stop McIlroy before the infraction occurred) waited until after the round but before he signed his card so as not to cause a distraction but to also assure he wouldn't be disqualified.

Maguire: Fact. The what-if scenarios will be coming out of the woodwork, but ultimately Richardo Gonzalez's caddie Dave Renwick did the right thing to protect the field and report the incident. Just think -- at least it wasn't a phoned-in violation and Rory ended up getting DQ'd. That would have been the worse-case scenario.


How can Tiger notch win No. 80 in Farmers Insurance Open? -- golf - ESPN

It’s what we know as Phil being Phil and, my, how the golfing crowd loves it, craves it. Phil Mickelson is the crazy game’s risk-taker, its test pilot, its Chuck Yeager. If one of his errant shots were stuck in Hell, Phil would wrap himself in asbestos, trudge down below and wedge the ball out of the fire, around the brimstone, caroming it off the Devil’s bag.

Phil Mickelson, San Diego born and raised, is the second-greatest golfer of his generation -- behind You Know Who, hardly an embarrassment -- and in my unwritten book, among the 10 best since the Scots first knocked around a rock. Still, even at 43, he must rank as the finest of all shotmakers, certainly the most creative, a master painter with a club for a brush and a green canvas in front of him.

Unlike Tiger Woods -- the perfectionist, the You Know Who -- when Phil errs, he may make a face, but he doesn’t launch his stick as if it were a javelin or spew invectives. Mickelson’s game is one of intrigue, and often he hasn’t a clue as to how his whodunits are going to end. But he isn’t afraid to write several different denouements, even if the result doesn’t make true golfing sense.

It’s Phil being Phil. There is a calm wickedness, a wink-wink to his game, and he seems to walk his 18s without much of an outward care. But just put him in front of a Chargers game, when football separates his personality from golf. The effects of San Diego’s AFC divisional playoff defeat in Denver did not, let’s say, have the same feel to him as getting flagged for a penalty in Abu Dhabi last weekend that cost him the tournament.

“It was crushing, you know,” Mickelson said of the Chargers’ defeat prior to Tuesday’s Farmers Insurance Open Pro Am at Torrey Pines. “But the thing about this is that, it was the greatest year for the Chargers, because we had a new coach, we have a new GM, we have great key players, we have a great direction, we got better every week and we lost only one game by more than a single score … we lost to the Raiders by 10.

“If I equate that to golf, it’s like putting. When you’re putting well, they might not all go in, you might lip some out, but when those balls are catching lips, you’re putting well; you’re not missing by six inches. I’m excited about the Chargers next year.

“Certainly I get more excited and there’s more anxiety watching the Chargers play, just like watching my kids perform in their athletics because I have no control. When I’m playing golf, I have control. It’s much more relaxing, I feel, when you’re the one behind the wheel.”



Chargers and golf Mickelson's passions | UTSanDiego-com

House Speaker John Boehner says he likes his life too much to run for president.

Making his first appearance Thursday night on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," Boehner twice gave an emphatic "no," then repeated it, when Leno asked if he'd ever seek the nation's highest office.

Boehner told Leno he likes to play golf, cut his own grass, drink red wine and smoke cigarettes, and he's "not giving that up to be the President of the United States."

The line got a round of applause from the Burbank, Calif. audience.

Boehner also got a laugh when he agreed with Leno that GOP infighting might be the worst he's seen, but then downplayed the conflict, saying Republicans in Washington agree on all their goals, and fight only over tactics.


Boehner tells Leno he won't give up wine, golf to be president | Fox News

There’s a program on the Beeb called Room 101. In it people you have vaguely heard of or you sort of recognize (celebrities, that is what they are) offer suggestions for things, people or yokes that they wish to throw down a big hole that connects to the oblivion of room 101.

When, eventually, my lifetime plan of becoming a celebrity takes hold and I get invited onto the programme I have my candidate for Armageddon all parceled up and ready for the trip.

Well, technically, my candidate is currently gathering mould in a long-abandoned golf bag in a shed at the bottom of the garden.

My candidate is the Rules of Golf.

“But why, Martyn, why for Ben Hogan’s sake, why?” I hear you cry.

Well ,I will explain.

Their marbles
Firstly, no one in full possession of their marbles has ever read, studied and inwardly digested the Rules of Golf. There are 200 pages of them and a further billion pages of decisions, arbitrations, rulings and judgements.

I have got by, for almost 60 years now, playing golf at various competitive levels without reading the rules.

My trophy cabinet of three electric carving knives (perfect for me, the vegetarian golfer), a wifi speaker, three clocks encased in glass and, the zenith, The Presidents Prize, Woodford Golf Club, 1963 were all won on the back of total ignorance of the rules of the game I was playing.

Thus, we might deduce, they were probably illegally gained ‘cos who knows what laws I transgressed whilst I was being triumphant. I don’t. I suspect that I am not alone in operating in this netherworld of playing golf without being quite sure of the finer details of the game I am playing.

The truth is that absolutely no one except one particular acquaintance of mine, knows the rules. And I’m not sure about him. After all, I only have his word for it.

Since last week we know that Rory McIlroy doesn’t know the Rules of Golf. We have known,since last year’s Masters,that neither does Tiger Woods.

Being sliced
Nor does poor Simon Dyson who is currently being sliced in bits for doing something that would come naturally to any ordinary person.

Tapping down a spike mark. Who wears spikes these days apart from Miguel Angel Jimenez?

Now if Simon Dyson had brushed some of Miguel Angel Jimenez’s cigar ash off the line of his putt then that would have been okay – assuming he had brushed in the manner prescribed by the R&A.

Neither does Pádraig Harrington who illegally fixed a pitch mark which was just off the green and was deemed to have improved his lie. Which was a lie in itself, of course. He was just being considerate of other golfers, which is as it should be.

Neither, it seems, do Senior Tour players know the Rules of Golf. You would think with all their years of experience they would.

But no, they don’t. I was only told today, as part of the deep background research The Irish Times demands for these exposees, that a Senior Tour golfer was recently seen on TV consulting with a referee as the senior player didn’t know his arse from his elbow rules-wise. So the referee was consulted. And he decided. And according to the commentators on the television box the referee got it wrong too.

Know the rules
So that is professionals, senior professionals and professional referees – they don’t know the rules.

But then maybe the TV commentators know the rules. Except, apparently, after the episode with the senior professional and the referee they disagreed over the matter. So the TV commentators don’t know the Rules . . .

But what about the R&A themselves. surely they know the Rules of Golf? No, apparently they don’t. That friend of mine, He Who Has The Wisdom, (so he says), organised a couple of quizzes based on the Rules of Golf.

Oh yes, you should hang out with me and my friends – life in the fast lane. He told me that when he got the idea he wrote to the R&A who kindly sent him, in return, 20 questions and answers for his quiz.

Unfortunately, he said, one of the answers they sent was wrong. So even the R&A don’t know the rules. Neither, of course, did the participants in his quiz. But we knew that already, didn’t we.

So if no one knows the rules then, pray tell, what is the point of them?

Why are they necessary? Golf is simple. Hit ball, with suitably approved equipment, from tee A to hole B. Count the number of times you hit the ball and that is it.

If you get waylaid in the process by an offending, bush, lake, dinosaur print or any other obstruction chuck another ball down close by, not nearer the hole and add a shot to your score. End of. No need for a zillion debates on what is fair and what isn’t. All playing
Nothing in life is fair but if we are all playing the same course then we all have the same chance to wind up in a bush, lake or hole made by a burrowing animal.
Then you can add a bit about not taking advantage and that would be it, really. Golf as it is played every day by thousands of people who have never even seen the Rules of Golf, yet alone read them.

Peter Dobereiner, the late and actually great golf correspondent of the Observer claimed that there were two things which would improve the game of golf.

Demon putter
The first was that the size of the hole should be increased so golf became more about hitting shots rather than being a demon putter.

The second was that the Rules of Golf should be written on the back of the scorecard. He was not wrong.

Personally I would have one page of rules and 10 pages of etiquette. If anything ruins the game it is people who don’t know how to behave on a golf course, not people who don’t know the rules. I’ll write about that next year.

That is a threat, not a promise.



Rules of Golf should be banished to Room 101 - Golf News | World & Ireland Golf Results, Fixtures & Tables - Sat, Jan 25, 2014

Gary Woodland didn't have to overpower the par 5s to take the lead at Torrey Pines.

Woodland found his five birdies elsewhere Saturday on another tough day of scoring on the South Course for a 2-under 70, giving him a one-shot lead over 20-year-old Jordan Spieth and Marc Leishman of Australia going into the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open.

That final round won't include a familiar figure. Defending champion Tiger Woods, an eight-time winner at Torrey Pines, went seven straight holes making bogey or worse on his way to a 79. That not only matched his highest score on American soil, he failed to make the 54-hole cut.

Woods had said at the start of the week that he hasn't seen Torrey this tough since the US Open he won in 2008. It sure looks that way.

Spieth had a one-shot lead to start the third round and it was gone quickly. He missed a 30-inch par putt on the opening hole and took a double bogey on No. 5. His biggest putt might have been a 6-footer for par on the 14th, and Spieth looked confident the rest of the way to salvage a 75.

Leishman had a relatively boring round of 72 on a gorgeous day along the Pacific -- one birdie, one bogey, 16 pars. That might be what it takes on this monster of a course that features rough that might even make the USGA blush.

"If you let bogeys worry you on that golf course, it's going to be a pretty long day," Leishman said. "You don't have to do a whole lot wrong to have a bogey."

The average score on the South through three rounds is 74.24, compared with 74.97 during the US Open six years ago. And the field for the Farmers Insurance Open is nothing but PGA Tour or European Tour players.

Woodland was at 8-under 208. It was the highest 54-hole score to lead this tournament since Dave Rummells at 4-under 212 in 1993.

And it's far from over. San Diego native Pat Perez, who used to work the practice range as a teenager during this event, salvaged a 72 and was two shots behind with Morgan Hoffman (72). Ryo Ishikawa had a 69 and was in a large group at 5-under 211 that included Nicolas Colsaerts (75) and Andres Romero of Argentina, whose 67 was the best score of the day.

Twenty-two players were separated by four shots going into Sunday.

The only suffering might be CBS Sports. In the first network telecast of the year -- and the first Sunday in golf without going against the NFL -- Woods was out of the tournament and headed east toward Dubai, and Phil Mickelson pulled out Friday night because of muscle pain in his back after making the cut.

Woodland has been heading north since winning the Reno-Tahoe Open last year. He contended at The Barclays, lost in a playoff in Malaysia and now feels confident about who's in charge at San Diego. Yes, the South is a beast. But the Kansas native hits it a long way.

"If I drive the ball in play, I have a lot of chances to make birdie," Woodland said. "The par 5s, I can get to in two."

Then again, he made par on all of them, including three-putt pars on the sixth and 18th holes. That was OK, for Woodland had nothing more than a wedge in on No. 1, and he collected a pair of birdies on the par 3s.

"If I drive the ball in play, I'm playing a little different golf course than most guys are playing," Woodland said.

Spieth, with a chance to move into the top 10 in the world with a win, hits the ball plenty far. He just wasn't very straight. The Texan pulled his opening tee shot and struggled to find fairways the rest of the day. He hit only five of them.

The steady finish left him confident about collecting his second PGA Tour win.

"Only one shot back and a bunched leaderboard," Spieth said. "It's going to take a good score tomorrow. ... I'm excited about tomorrow. I had some great saves down the stretch today, so take that momentum."

Woods thought he had some momentum, coming off a birdie on the 17th hole and in the fairway on the par-5 18th with a shot at the green. He went into the water and made double bogey, then made another double bogey on the first hole with a three-putt. It was his first time with back-to-back double bogeys since the 2011 PGA Championship. And it only got worse from there.

The good news? He chipped in for par on the eighth hole and made an 8-foot par on the final hole or he would not have broken 80. He had only three rounds over par on the South Course going into the week.


Woodland tops closely packed leaderboard at Torrey Pines - Golf, PGA Tour - CBSSports-com

KGC’s Afsar Ali came out with his best when it mattered the most as he carded an impressive five-under-par 67 on the final day to win Bank Al Habib’s 3rd Rashid D Habib Memorial National Professional Golf Tournament here at the Karachi Golf Club on Sunday.



After returning with scores of 68 and 70 on the first two days, Afsar was in contention but he was trailing fellow KGC golfer Waheed Baluch.



Having scored a stunning eight-under-64 on the opening day, Baluch had managed to stay on top of the leaderboard after carding a par 72 on Saturday. He began with a slim one-shot advantage on the final day that belonged to Asfar Ali.



On top of his game in excellent weather conditions, KPT’s Afsar overtook Baluch and finally won the championship by two strokes. He walked away with a winner’s cheque of Rs385,000 after finishing the three-day event with an aggregate of 205.



Two shots off the pace was runner-up Baluch. The PPL golfer was unable to raise his game against a rampaging Afsar and had to contend with the second spot in the Rs3.6 million championship that marked the start of this year’s national golf calendar.



The top honours completely belonged to Karachi golfers as another KGC pro Abrar Ahmed – the man who sank a hole-in-one on Saturday – finished third after returning with a card of 71 on the final day.



Former Pakistan number one Muhammad Munir from Islamabad was the top finisher from amongst the upcountry golfers, finishing fourth after hitting a par 72 on the final day. He was followed by Shafiq Masih and Muhammad Ashfaq (KGC).



Shabbir Iqbal, the reigning Pakistan number one, had a forgettable last round in which he returned with 74 to finish a disappointing seventh place.



But Shabbir will have a chance to redeem himself next week as he and fellow pros will be competing in the CAS Open Golf Championship here at the Airmen Golf Club.



“I was unable to give my best at this event but I’m confident of bouncing back in the CAS Open,” Shabbir told ‘The News’. “I like playing at the Airmen course as it’s a long one and that suits my game. I’ve won there twice and hopefully will do well next week.”

Afsar Ali received the trophy and winner’s cheque from Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Asif M. Sandhila and Bank Al Habib’s CEO and MD Abbas D. Habib. Also present at the occasion was Bank Al Habib’s Akbar Raza Khan. Abrar also received keys of a brand new Toyota Corolla as prize for his hole-in-one during the ceremony.


Afsar claims Habib Memorial Golf crown - thenews-com.pk

Gone but not forgotten, Tiger Woods' implosion was still a part of the conversation Sunday, even if the world's No. 1 golfer was well on his way to the Middle East in search of his game.

Woods' 79 on Saturday and early exit from the Farmers Insurance Open meant the attention in the final round shifted to a slew of players who found themselves in the mix at Torrey Pines, a rare victory in their sights.

And it should provide more perspective for what he has accomplished, and just how hard it is to do.

Scott Stallings emerged victorious, shooting a 4-under-par 68, posting a score of 9-under par as he watched the other contenders fall short. It was his third victory in four years, and he did it despite hitting just four fairways but by making a clutch birdie at the 18th hole.

It sure wasn't easy. Stallings lamented the swing issues he has been dealing with, the quest to get better, the changes to his game he decided to make last fall.

And he credited with Woods with getting him started down this road to professional golf.

When Woods won the 1997 Masters by 12 shots, Stallings, now 28, was a 12-year-old multi-sport athlete getting ready to join his traveling baseball team in Tennessee. Woods' victory changed everything.

"Just pure domination," Stallings said. "He was going to beat them so bad they were going to end up having to like it. Obviously, Tiger's done it a ton of times now, but at that point, no one's really kind of come on and just smoked them, and I was like, 'Man, that is awesome; he's driving it a hundred yards past these guys he's playing with.'

"I'm like, man, I want to do that.'"

Stallings decided then and there -- as Woods was winning his first major at age 21 -- that he wanted to be a pro golfer.

"I quit everything, every sport I was playing, and said that's what I want to go do and every one of my friends thought I was crazy," Stallings said.

Seven birdies in the final round is the kind of stuff that would make Woods proud. Stallings, despite struggling with the driver, pulled it out of the bag at the par-5 18th, knowing he needed a birdie. He pumped his drive, knocked a 4-iron on the front of the green, then two-putted for the birdie that nosed him out front.

And there was no thought of laying up on a hole where water fronts the green.

"You don't get very many opportunities to win golf tournaments and I've been fortunate to come out ahead three times," Stallings said. "As a player, all you ever want is chances. I didn't necessarily understand the situation I was in as far as the score and so on and so forth, but I did know I had an opportunity.

"I think any player out here would tell you they would do the same thing in the same situation, and knowing that you have an opportunity to win a golf tournament, you have to hit a 4 iron on the green and two putt to win, every person on the PGA [Tour] would tell you the same thing."

Stallings' birdie knocked out K.J. Choi (-8), who is an eight-time winner looking for his first victory since the 2011 Players Championship. Graham DeLaet, looking for his first win and also at 8 under, was now out of contention. Jason Day and Pat Perez came up a shot short, too.

Also making a run was Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa, Aussie Marc Leishman and former Masters champion Trevor Immelman -- who has no tour victories since his 2008 Masters triumph.

Long-hitting Gary Woodland was in contention most of the day, getting up and down from all over San Diego to hold a share of the lead as late as the 16th hole. But then he hit his tee shot into a hazard on No. 17, made a double-bogey and ended up dropping into a tie for 10th.

Jordan Spieth, the 20-year-old phenom who is the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, was unable to capture his second title. He played beautifully on Friday, shooting 63 playing alongside Woods to take the 36-hole lead. A 75-75 weekend dropped him to a tie for 19th.

None of the players in the mix Sunday was a prolific winner, and each one showed how difficult it is to emerge on top. Only two players -- Immelman and Keegan Bradley -- who have won a major finished among the top 20 on Sunday.

And this, basically, is what the PGA Tour looks like without its stars. For the first time since 1992, the final round at Torrey Pines didn't have either Phil Mickelson or Woods -- players who have combined to win 121 times on the PGA Tour.

Mickelson made the cut but withdrew due to a bad back and his status for this week's Waste Management Phoenix Open is uncertain. Woods missed the secondary cut made after 54 holes because he had slumped to the bottom of the leaderboard due to his 79.

Their struggles seem tame compared to the kind of ups and downs experienced by a player such as Stallings, who coming into this week had played five events in the 2013-14 season and made just two cuts, with his best finish a tie for 47th.

Imagine if Woods did that?

But Stallings had been working through a swing change -- Woods has been down that road a few times -- after realizing what he was doing would not work for the long haul. He expected growing pains.

"We've still got some work to do, but it was nice to see it coming down the stretch this week," Stallings said.

The victory gets Stallings in the Masters -- he is the first winner in 2014 who had not already been invited -- and gives him a nice boost in the FedEx cup standings as well as $1,098,000.


Scott Stallings earns hard fought win at the Farmers Insurance Open -- golf - ESPN

Each week of the season, our experts share their insights into which players fit the criteria for our four categories: Horse for the Course (a golfer who knows the track inside and out), Birdie Buster (a guy who could take it low this week), Super Sleeper (a player who could unexpectedly contend) and Winner.

This week's tournament: the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Horse for the Course

Michael Collins, ESPN-com senior golf analyst: Phil Mickelson
He won't have to worry too much about the sore back at TPC Scottsdale. The rough is light and easy to play out of, unlike last week. Phil has won here three times, including last year when he lipped out a birdie putt for a 59 in the first round.

Farrell Evans, ESPN-com senior golf writer: J.B. Holmes
Holmes is coming off a broken ankle that cut his 2013 season short, but he has earned both his PGA Tour victories on TPC Scottsdale's Stadium course in 2006 and 2008.

Bob Harig, ESPN-com senior golf writer: Phil Mickelson
Lefty will make his 25th start in the event if a bad back allows, and he's attempting to become the tournament's first four-time winner. The defending champion shot 60 in the first round a year ago on his way to victory.

Kevin Maguire, ESPN-com senior golf editor: Webb Simpson
The 2012 U.S. Open champ owns back-to-back T-8 finishes at TPC Scottsdale, so clearly he knows the track. Toss in the fact that his worst finish in the new 2013-14 wraparound schedule was a T-23 at the Humana Challenge, and he'll contend in the desert.

Birdie Buster

Collins: Webb Simpson
His last two starts at this event -- he didn't play last year -- resulted in two eighth-place finishes. And if Las Vegas is Sodom (where Webb won earlier in the wraparound schedule), Scottsdale could easily be considered Gomorrah, meaning the choirboy is going to have another top-10 finish.

Evans: Marc Leishman
The 30-year-old Australian has a fifth and tie for second in his past two events. That second came at the difficult Torrey Pines course last week, where he finished a shot behind the winner, Scott Stallings.

Harig: Scott Stallings
The winner of the Farmers Insurance Open acknowledged that a fall move to Arizona really helped him with the improvement he was seeking. Now he's getting his first "home" game at TPC Scottsdale.

Maguire: Pat Perez
He might not be the most famous former Arizona State golfer in the field (assuming Phil Mickelson tees it up), but Perez is on a nice early streak here in 2014 with a pair of top-10s in his past three starts.

Super Sleeper

Collins: Brian Harman
He made it through his first start in this event last year playing the final three rounds in 11 under. I expect now that the lefty from Georgia is comfortable in this setting, playing the 16th in 2 under, and he'll get his third top-10 of the season this week.

Evans: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano
The 33-year-old Spaniard is the 37th-ranked player in the world. In November, he won the prestigious BMW Masters and he had a tie for 10th at the U.S. Open in June.

Harig: Lee Westwood
The Englishman is making his first start at the tournament and after finishing 47th at the Farmers Insurance Open, has posted just one top-10 in his past 11 starts.

Maguire: Erik Compton
The two-time heart transplant recipient's third full season on the PGA Tour hasn't gone exactly as planned, with less than $50,000 earned in six starts prior to the Farmers Insurance Open. Then a T-19 finish at Torrey Pines that saw him get as high as T-3 during the final round showed he just might be able to play his way on to more leaderboards soon.

Winner

Collins: Scott Piercy
In five starts at this tournament, he has finished outside the top 10 only twice. We hear guys say all the time, "It's a course that just fits my eye." His third-round scoring average of 66.6 is a testament to that, but remember last year he shot 61 in the final round. This year, trophy No. 3 goes in his case.

Evans: Brandt Snedeker
The six-time PGA Tour winner finished second here last year, 4 shots behind Mickelson. Snedeker shot a pair of 65s on the weekend. He's off to a slow start in 2014, but he will jump-start his season with a victory in Phoenix.

Harig: Graham DeLaet
It's just a matter of time for the Canadian, who was on the International Presidents Cup team last year and continues to put himself in contention. He came up a shot short at the Farmers but gets it done at TPC Scottsdale.

Maguire: Marc Leishman
Two starts ago at the Sony Open, the Aussie finished fifth. Last week at Torrey Pines, Leishman came up a shot short of a playoff. He's clearly trending upward and after beating both his playing partners in the final pairing Sunday at Torrey Pines, there's only one place to go from his T-2 in La Jolla.


Waste Management Phoenix Open experts' picks -- golf - ESPN

Depending on which route of travel you take, it's approximately 8,424 miles from San Diego to Dubai, giving Tiger Woods plenty of time to ponder how to rebound from one of his worst performances on the golf course.

Front nine
As he begins play in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic this week, Woods does so with the knowledge that another break from golf is forthcoming.

While it might seem strange that a six-week hiatus followed by two tournaments and then another four-week absence from competitive golf is something to cherish, it is also part of golf's new reality.

With a season that lasts virtually all year, players, especially the top ones, are looking more and more to find extended breaks throughout the year. With the expectation that Woods will skip the WGC-Accenture Match Play in February, it appears he will take a month off after this week's tournament at the Emirates Golf Club. He likely will not play competitively for three or four weeks following the Masters, too.

And then, it's pretty much all-out through the early part of October.

"The year basically gets pretty congested starting at the British Open," Woods said Wednesday following his pro-am round in Dubai. "I take [the week of the Canadian Open] off but then it's Firestone (WGC-Bridgestone), then a week off, then all four playoff events, and then for the Americans there's a Ryder Cup or a Presidents Cup every year.

"And now with this new wraparound schedule [on the PGA Tour] going on, I think we're all trying to get our heads literally wrapped around it and trying to get a feel for it. It's very different." Woods apparently will bypass the WGC-Match Play, which he has won three times, for just the third time. He missed it in 2001 when the event opened the schedule in Australia, and he did not play in 2010 when he took the first four months away to deal with personal issues.

This absence probably should not be a surprise. There was considerable conjecture about Woods missing the tournament when it was believed he would accompany Olympic champion skier and girlfriend Lindsey Vonn to the Sochi Olympics. Even though she won't be competing after all because of her most recent knee surgery, Woods has lukewarm feelings about the course at Dove Mountain outside of Tucson. Since the tournament moved to the current venue in 2009, Woods has never advanced past the second round and twice was knocked out on the first day.

Perhaps more important, however, is he's simply pacing himself. And he's not alone. Adam Scott is in the midst of a six-week break, for example. Graeme McDowell won't play his first event of 2014 until next week at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Steve Stricker, who played a limited schedule last year, won't tee it up in his first event until the Match Play in mid-February.

There are so many good tournaments, so many opportunities throughout the year, that it's easy to take a pass even on a big event with guaranteed money such as the Match Play.

Woods is scheduled to head from Dubai to Delhi, India, for a corporate exhibition.

After that, he'll have three weeks to get ready for what appears to be his run up to the Masters: the Honda Classic, followed by the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational -- the latter two where he will defend titles.

At the turn
The Omega Dubai Desert Classic is the 122nd official European Tour event as a pro for Tiger Woods. He has missed just one cut (last year in Abu Dhabi) and has 40 victories. Of course, 32 of those wins also count on the PGA Tour, as major championships (14) and World Golf Championships (18) are official events on both tours.

Back nine
They are brothers in the Nike stable, and even prior to that had struck up a friendship, despite a 14-year difference in age.

But Rory McIlroy admits that he'd still love nothing better than a back-nine tussle with Tiger Woods, especially in a major championship.

"Of course that excites me," McIlroy said this week in Dubai, where he is playing in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic during the first two rounds with Woods and helped open a Nike Golf store at the Dubai Mall. "I grew up dreaming of a scenario like that, taking on Tiger down the stretch of a major. Taking him on down the stretch of any tournament, in fact.

"It hasn't quite happened yet. We have sort of been in contention a few times without having a battle. You always want to put yourself against the best and Tiger has been the best at this game the past 15 to 20 years."

Perhaps the closest they came was at the 2012 Honda Classic, where McIlroy got a scare on the final day from Woods, who shot 62 but came up a shot short and tied for second.

Later that year, Woods was in the mix at both the Deutsche Bank Championship and BMW Championship, tournaments that McIlroy won. Another was the 2012 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, where McIlroy finished second to Robert Rock while Woods was a shot further back.

"It's great to have him here," McIlroy said of the Dubai tournament, where the Northern Irishman captured his first professional title in 2009. "He got off to a bit of a slow start to the season, so he will be wanting to make up for that this week. I think he has still got a few good years left, so I am looking forward to battling with him a few times."


Pre-Masters schedule likely different for Tiger Woods in 2014 -- golf - ESPN

The distance from the desert of the Middle East to the velvet of Augusta National approaches 8,000 miles, but it might as well be light-years away for Stephen Gallacher.

The veteran Scottish golfer has toiled all over the world in a professional career that has spanned nearly 20 years. He reminisced the other day with Tiger Woods about their Walker Cup encounter when they were amateurs in 1995, but since then their paths have rarely crossed. Woods has won more major championships (14) than Gallacher has played (12).

And Gallacher has never received an invitation to the Masters.

That goal is within reach after a remarkable run Saturday afternoon at Emirates Golf Club in which Gallacher, 39, became just the fourth player in European Tour history to play nine holes in 9 under par.

His third-round score of 63 jumped him to the top of the leaderboard at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and earned him a final-round pairing Sunday with Rory McIlroy.

After an indifferent start to his round, Gallacher played the last 10 holes in 10 under par. His run included eight birdies, an eagle and a par, which came at the par-4 14th, the only routine hole in the stretch. He knocked it on the green and two-putted from 30 feet.

"Misread it," he quipped.

It was a dreamlike round and put him in position to win for a third time on the European Tour after starting the day 4 shots behind McIlroy. He takes a 2-stroke lead into the final round, with a 4-stroke advantage over American Brooks Koepka and Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen.

"It's up there, obviously," Gallacher said about where the round ranks in his career. "To get yourself back in contention when you needed to do it was good."

Gallacher had a 62 here a year ago on his way to victory in the Dubai Desert Classic, just the second victory of his career to go with a 2010 Dunhill Links title. But unlike the PGA Tour, where a victory brings an automatic invitation to the Masters, European Tour wins come with no such guarantees. Aside from high finishes in the other majors, the best way to Augusta National is through the Official World Golf Ranking.

At No. 67 in the world, Gallacher is in position to climb into the top 50 by the March 30 deadline. Even without a win, he has an excellent chance of securing a spot in the WGC-Accenture Match Play and is already in the WGC-Cadillac Championship. Those tournaments will offer the opportunity to get into the coveted top 50 and earn that first trip down Magnolia Lane.

Somewhat surprisingly, Gallacher was not asked about the Masters. Perhaps it is because it has been such an elusive goal and major championships have been so rare. His best finish was a tie for 18th at the 2010 PGA Championship, and he has missed seven cuts.

He was, however, posed a question about the Ryder Cup, a perfectly logical query, given its importance in Europe and the fact that the 2014 event will be played at Gleneagles in Scotland. Gallacher has never been on a European Ryder Cup team, either, and his answer might suffice for his views on the Masters.

"The thing with the Ryder Cup is to try and shelf it and put it to the back of your mind," he said. "You can't think of it now. If I go about my day-to-day stuff and you're preparing to win tournaments every week … if you can just knock a couple of them off, then you've got a real chance. But obviously that's a long-term goal of mine to get to the Ryder Cup."

The Masters is a much more immediate goal, and even more so than that is defending his title in Dubai. Gallacher gave himself an opportunity to accomplish that doing what he did Saturday. And it came despite a slow start that saw him 1 over par through eight holes.

"But then I hit a beautiful drive and a 7-iron to about 3 feet [at the ninth] and from then on I never missed a shot," he said.

"That's phenomenal," said McIlroy, who shot 69. "I didn't know he was 10 under for the last 10 holes. That's some golf right there."

McIlroy is the closest competition and still the man to beat. He has dealt with a stomach issue the past two days and bemoaned some driving deficiencies after a phenomenal display off the tee Thursday.

But McIlroy is clearly back on the path that saw him get to No. 1 in the world in 2012. He won in Australia toward the end of 2013 and started this year with a runner-up finish two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi.

Gallacher, despite having won this title a year ago, was clearly the overlooked man when he was grouped with McIlroy and Woods for the first two rounds. But here he is about to play with McIlroy in the final round, with Woods a distant 11 strokes back.

"I thought I'd done all right playing with Woods and McIlroy the first couple of days," he said. "It was something not in the norm, so it's quite different to the normal stuff. There's a lot of things, outside agencies and stuff you've got to get used to a bit. I thought I had done OK with it."

He has done more than OK. Gallacher could be a day from his third European Tour victory -- and perhaps making shorter that huge distance gap from here to Augusta National.


Stephen Gallacher nears title defense at Omega Dubai Desert Classic -- golf - ESPN

Scotland's Stephen Gallacher struck a final round 72 to clinch the $2.5 million Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday as he overcame a nightmare start to become the first player to retain the coffee pot trophy.

Gallacher, whose Dubai win 12 months ago was his first title in nearly a decade, skittered four bogeys on the front nine holes, but clawed back four shots after the turn in a gritty display to end on 272.

"My emotions are gone, I'm a nervous wreck," the world number 67 told reporters.

"I never really played the front nine that well all week.

"No one was racing ahead, that was the key, if someone had come out of the traps maybe it would have been different."

His closest challenger was Argentina's Emiliano Grillo (66), who sunk a 60-foot eagle putt on the 18th for 273, while France's Romain Wattel (66) and Brooks Koepka (70) of the United States were tied on 274.

Gallacher, 39, began the day two shots clear of world number six Rory McIlroy and most of the 8,500 crowd must have anticipated a classic duel between the wily veteran and golf's great young hope.

But both players faltered on an overcast Majlis course, although that made for a thrilling finale as four different players - Gallacher, McIlroy, Koepka and Grillo - claimed outright leadership at some stage, while England's Robert Rock and Finland's Mikko Ilonen also shared top spot.

Poor start

Gallacher hit his first two drives into the rough to begin with successive bogeys and gift playing partner McIlroy the lead.

Yet the Northern Irishman failed to capitalize. He slugged his tee shot at the par-three seventh into the water for a bogey and dropped three further shots between holes 10 and 13, dooming his hopes of ending a 14-month title drought on the European Tour as he slipped to a share of ninth.

"The golf course played a lot differently today," McIlroy said. "The greens were firmer. The rare times I did get the ball close I didn't make any putts. It was one of those days."

Gallacher, in contrast, was a man transformed after the turn, where a day earlier he had equaled a European Tour record with nine-under-par on the back nine.

"I think yesterday was the key - Saturday is when you're trying to get into contention, to get a lead," said Gallacher.

He did not quite reach the same heights on Sunday, but a chip from the rough on the 17th provided a one-foot birdie chance he duly converted to reclaim the outright lead, making par on the 18th with a nerveless three-foot putt to seal the title.

Ryder Cup

Gallacher is one of golf's late bloomers, rising from 461 in the rankings in 2010 to be on the cusp of the top 40 following back-to-back Dubai titles.

Now with three tour victories to his name, he has narrowed his sights on playing in September's Ryder Cup, which will be held at Gleneagles, around 65 kilometers from his home.

"I wouldn't want to get too far ahead of myself, but my uncle played it eight times, captained it three and vice-captained it two, so it's pretty much what I grew up watching," said Gallacher, referring to Bernard Gallacher, who skippered Europe's 1995 winning Ryder Cup team.

"For my generation it's never going to be in Scotland again. It's always been a long-term goal to play in a Ryder Cup, it just so happens that the best spell I'm having is when it's in Scotland. There's seven months to go, a lot of golf to be played and a lot of good golf is needed to get in."


Golf: Gallacher overcomes dire start to retain Dubai title | Sports | GMA News Online

The Smallrus finally hoisted a big PGA Tour trophy.

Kevin Stadler, the 33-year-old son of major champion Craig “The Walrus” Stadler, won the Phoenix Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory.

Stadler won when playing partner Bubba Watson missed a 5-foot par putt on 18.

“I was a little (bit of a) weird way to win a golf tournament,” Stadler said. “I fully expected him to make the putt. I would have rather made mine to win it.”

Stadler closed with a 3-under 68 for a one-stroke victory over Watson and Graham DeLaet, of Weyburn, Sask. Watson shot 71, and DeLaet had a 65.

“I have been playing well for the last few months,” DeLaet said. “I really feel like I worked super hard in the off-season. It’s nice to see it paying off.”

Stadler won in his 239th tour start, earning a spot in the Masters — a tournament his father won in 1982. The Stadlers are the ninth father-son winners in tour history and will be the first to play in the same Masters.

“It’s going to great for me because it’s really my last one,” said Craig Stadler, a 13-time PGA Tour winner with nine Champions Tour victories. “I kept saying, ‘When he gets in, that’s my last one.’ ... I’m proud of him. It’s awesome.”

Kevin Stadler finished at 16-under 268 at TPC Scottsdale, his home course. Raised in Colorado, he played in Denver Broncos colours, wearing an orange shirt and blue pants and hat.

What was he thinking when Watson was standing over his par putt on 18?

“How long the playoff was going to take, and ‘how long until I can watch the football game?’” Stadler said. Stadler’s previous biggest win was in Australia in the European Tour’s 2006 Johnnie Walker Classic. In that event, he hit a 3-iron to a foot for an eagle on the final hole for a two-stroke victory. He also won the Argentine Open that winter and has four Nationwide Tour wins.

“It’s been a long time since I won anything,” Stadler said. “It’s pretty special.”

Watson is winless since the 2012 Masters.

“I was a challenging day,” Watson said. “Again, it’s the same thing, just waiting on every tee box and waiting on every shot.

“He beat me. He’s a great player.”

DeLaet bogeyed the 15th after hitting into the water, but rallied with birdies on the final two holes. He also tied for second last week at Torrey Pines.

Phil Mickelson closed with a 71 to tie for 42nd at 3 under. Lefty was making his 25th appearance in the event he won in 1996, 2005 and 2013.

“My game is not far off, even though the score says that it is,” Mickelson said. “It was just a fraction off.”

He showed no signs of the back pain that forced him to withdraw at Torrey Pines, and will play next week at Pebble Beach.

“Back feels great,” Mickelson said.

The event drew an estimated 563,008 fans, breaking the seven-day record of 538,356 set in 2008. The tournament drew a golf-record 189,722 on Saturday and 60,232 on Sunday.


Golf: Kevin Stadler wins Phoenix Open, Canada’s Graham DeLaet second | Toronto Star