The Tour Blog
Welcome to the Tour Blog, where Golfweek reporters deliver the latest inside news and happenings on the
PGA Tour, LPGA and European Tour.
Editor's note: This is the archived
material from the end of the 2007 season.
The
European Tour announced its Shot of the Year this morning. A lot of
great shots to choose from, and the one it tabbed was Angel Cabrera's
clutch approach to the 15th green at .... drumroll, please ... Oakmont
in the U.S. Open.
After all, nothing says "European Tour" more than a golf tournament in Oakmont, Pa., and a shot hit by a guy from Argentina.
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Dec. 20
I’m thinking of entering the Sunshine Tour’s Q-School next year – seems anybody can try to play the South African circuit.
This
came about after seeing the scores posted. One in particular stood out.
South African amateur Marius Scholtz was 40 over par – for one round!
That’s
right. The hapless amateur shot 112 on the par-72 Woodlands course at
the Country Club Johannesburg. That score put him “just” 46 shots
behind fellow amateur Louis Moolman, who shot 66.
112? Are you
serious? That’s the stuff of Maurice Flitcroft, the late, legendary
English impostor who tried several times to qualify for the Open
Championship in the 1970s and 1980s.
Off my 8 handicap I reckon I’m good to break 100, maybe even 90, even under the pressures of Q-School.
Look for my name at the bottom of next year’s Sunshine Tour Q-School.
Gotta run. I need to find out where to send my entry form.
– Alistair Tait
Posted Dec. 19
LAKE
BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Took the family to Disney World last night, and we
had a big ol' time at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party inside the
Magic Kingdom. Got to give it to that mouse – he sure knows how to
throw a bash.
Anyway, on my way off the property shortly before
midnight, I made a quick pitstop to gas up the family van. Once inside
the station, I inquired about buying some Lotto tickets, as Wednesday's
Florida Lottery prize has risen somewhere in the neighborhood of $40
mil (early retirement, anyone?).
But lotto tickets? Geez, from
the cold stare I got from the young attendant, you'd have thought I'd
asked for the keys to Cinderella's Castle.
"Sir," she told me, "there is no GAMBLING on Disney property."
Alrighty then.
But
it made me think: Wonder if the PGA Tour pros who stop by here each
fall for some spirited practice rounds on the Palm and Magnolia know
about that rule ...
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Dec. 19
Tadd Fujikawa finally has a sponsor. He’s going to play Pebble, too.
According to the the Honolulu Advertiser,
Fujikawa, the 16-year-old who stole the show at last year’s Sony Open
and then turned pro in July, announced Monday that he has accepted an
invitation to play in next season’s AT&T Pebble Beach National
Pro-Am. He has also signed a one-year deal with his first corporate
sponsor, Aloha Petroleum Ltd.
The deal “gives me a little breathing room,” Fujikawa told the Advertiser.
“It’s going to help with a lot of my travel expenses and things like
that,” said Fujikawa. “It’s definitely going to help my game get
better.”
Since giving up his amateur status, Fujikawa has yet to make the cut in a professional event.
– Eric Soderstrom
Posted Dec. 18
Starting to feel a lot like Christmas in the PGA Tour universe.
On Sunday at the Target World Challenge, Rory Sabbatini did what most
unwanted house guests do around the holidays. Snagged his goodies – in
this case, $170,000 in winnings – and bolted town before the final
bell, citing personal reasons, shin splints and wanting to beat the
holiday traffic at Ikea as reasons for his WD.
And as an added bonus, the South African gave Tiger Woods an early present. Reason to be even better in 2008.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Dec. 17
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Rory Sabbatini’s
WD has been the talk of the Target. Almost every player has been asked
for reaction, but Padraig Harrington may have had the best quote.
“Is there anything you can
say on that?” Harrington said. After a long pause, he smiled and added,
“It’s Christmas,” and walked off, letting Sabbatini off the hook.
– Sean Martin
Posted Dec. 16
THOUSAND
OAKS, Calif. – Brett Wetterich just finished the final round at the
Target World Challenge in 2 hours, 22 minutes. He teed off in the first
group, and was flying solo after Rory Sabbatini’s controversial WD.
When
asked whether he was more pleased with his final-round 69 – his only sub-par
round of the week – or his pace of play, Wetterich replied,
“2:22.” As Wetterich tapped in for bogey at No. 18, the second group of
the day was on the 12th hole.
It’s not the fastest Wetterich has
toured a course. He said he made it around TPC River Highlands in 2:10
at the Hartford event.
“The (back nine) was a little hilly,” he said with a laugh.
– Sean Martin
Posted Dec. 16
OK,
so it’s not an LPGA event. But Annika Sorenstam is looking good after
three rounds at the LET’s Dubai Ladies Masters, trailing Iben Tenning
by one stroke.
Laura Davies is tied with Sorenstam in second
place. Earlier in the week, Davies picked Sophie Gustafson (currently
T-12) as the player to beat.
“Nothing against Annika,” Davies said.
Surely
Sorenstam has grown tired of people counting her out of the mix. Make
no mistake, this Swede is coming back. And she’s coming back strong.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Dec. 15
The news: Tiger Woods is up by six shots through three rounds of his own Target World Challenge out in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
The reality: The other guys in the field should be thankful Tiger is rusty.
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Dec. 15
Have heard a lot of purest types over the last year or so balk at the
idea of testing for performance-enhancing drugs on the PGA Tour. Never
happen, they say. No need for testing, they claim. We police ourselves,
they cry.
Two words: Mitchell Report. Or, how about two more: Roger Clemens.
Tiger Woods, one of the loudest proponents of drug testing, summed
things up on Thursday, “As a (baseball) fan you just wish that didn’t
happen.”
As a golf fan, be glad it won't happen.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Dec. 14
As we brace for this afternoon's Mitchell Report on baseball steroid
use, setting off a day that could shatter our national pastime, it is
yet one more day to take stock in the great integrity of golf, a sport
governed by a great code of tradition, and a game in which players
still call penalties on themselves ...
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Dec. 13
So Tiger Woods was named 2007 PGA Tour Player of the Year, and – much
like any other sport besides futbol in any country not the United
States – there was no runner-up. Only third, fourth, et al.
The Tour also named Brandt Snedeker this year’s Rookie of the Year, and
if there is any justice in this world Steve Stricker will land the
Comeback Player of the Year honor for the second consecutive season.
And since we’re in a giving mood, how about year-end hardware for the
year’s top comic (Woody Austin), headline maker (Phil Mickelson), bear
poker (Rory Sabbatini), everyman (Zach Johnson) and giant slayer (Angel
Cabrera, with special recognition for Oakmont).
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Dec. 12
Just when you thought all the big-name players were done for the year,
enter the Dubai Ladies Masters. Annika Sorenstam, Natalie Gulbis, Laura
Davies and Sophie Gustafson will kick things off at the Emirates Golf
Club Dec. 13 at the Ladies European Tour’s season-ending event.
This
is Sorenstam’s last chance to notch a victory in 2007. While that
certainly would be a nice finish for the once-dominant Swede, what
she’s really focusing on extends well beyond this weekend.
“I
can tell you that my goal for 2008 is to get to the top,” Sorenstam
said at a pre-tournament press conference. “I’ve already made
arrangements to train at the end of the season. I’m planning around
things more and I want to get back.”
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Dec. 12
Here is Forbes'
list of top-earning celebrities (not just athletes, but celebrities)
who are under 25 years old, brought to you by ESPN, which is trying its
best to survive yet another snoozer of a Monday night football matchup
in Atlanta:
1. LeBron James (basketball), $27 million.
2. Reggie Bush (football), $24 million.
3. Maria Sharapova (tennis), $23 million
4. Michelle Wie (golf), $19 million.
In
the booth, Tony Kornheiser actually pointed out that Wie's money is
actually "anticipatory money" if she ever actually wins something.
Really?
"I
love that," chuckled lead announcer Mike Tirico, who is well-versed in
golf having served in the booth for ABC. "Anticipatory money ..."
The
highest paid athlete? That's easy. Forbes reports Tiger Woods banked a
tidy $100 million in the year ending in June of 2007, including $87
million in off-course earnings.
Yes, it's going to be a merry Christmas at the Woods' palace.
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Dec. 11
Most of golf sleeps this time of year. Ernie Els never does.
This
is the time of year he returns home to South Africa, and he seemed to
be in control and headed toward a victory at the Alfred Dunhill
Championship at Leopard Creek, a place he knows well.
It's not
any huge event, but hey, he appeared to be a shoo-in to win, and it was
going to be a step forward. Els needs to win a few stroke-play events
to continue rebuilding his confidence. Winning – anytime, anywhere –
always helps.
But alas, the Big Easy rinsed two balls on the
18th hole, made triple bogey, and handed away a trophy to John
Bickerton. It had to be crushing.
Els is one of my X factors
for 2008. Tiger will be Tiger, and I think Phil Mickelson appreciates
being healthy again, and will be ready to jump out to a strong start on
the West Coast.
As for Els, he seems as if he wants to jump
back into the mix among the top players in the world. But it's been a
year since he won a stroke-play title – his last one here in the States
was more than three years ago – and for every one step forward these
days, he seems to take two steps back.
Sunday didn't help.
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Dec. 9
Biggest early news out of this week's Merrill Lynch Shootout in Naples, Fla.?
John
Daly will be working with Butch Harmon in 2008. He said he may try to
see Butch the week of the season-opening Mercedes in order to get ready
for his first start of 2008, at the Sony Open.
"It's something
I should have done maybe a long time ago, but I was too stubborn," Long
John said at his pre-tournament press conference.
Here's a guess at what might be Harmon's first sentence of the first '08 session:
"Er, John, buddy, whaddya say we shorten up that swing a little bit?"
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Dec. 7
The Lexus Cup is underway in Perth, Australia. For those who need a
refresher, the annual Lexus Cup pits Team Asia versus Team
International. Se Ri Pak captains the former and Annika Sorenstam leads
the latter.
For the first time in the event’s three-year
history, Team Asia leads after Day 1 foursomes. Actually they swept the
session, 6-0.
Both captains decided to keep the same pairings for Day 2 four-balls.
“It’s not broken,” Pak said.
Obviously,
Sorenstam can’t say the same. When asked if the flies buzzing
around her players were a distraction Sorenstam jokingly said “I blame
(the results) on the flies.”
“If tomorrow goes wrong, I’ll blame it on the birds.”
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Dec. 7
OK, Stat Geeks, here's one to ponder:
Tiger Woods led
the PGA Tour in greens in regulation, hitting 71.02 of his greens in
2007. He played 16 events and earned $10,867,052. Nice chunk of change.
Brock
Mackenzie led the Nationwide Tour in greens in regulation, hitting
77.55 percent of his greens in 2007. He played 27 events, earned
$118,247 and finished 53rd in Nationwide earnings.
Go figure.
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Dec. 7
No one would be surprised if Bubba Watson won on the PGA Tour in
2008. But last week, the Tour’s longest hitter played the Emerald Coast
Golf Tour and couldn’t walk away with victory.
Watson shot
15-under 201 (65-68-68) at Emerald Bay Golf Club in Destin, Fla., but
finished three shots behind two-time Nationwide Tour winner Ben Bates.
Bates finished 118th on this year’s Nationwide Tour money list.
I'm
sure Watson's pain was eased by that cool $1,400 he earned (which
represents .087 percent of his on-course earnings this year).
- Sean Martin
Posted Dec. 5, 2007
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Memorable scenes from yet another frenetic final day of Q-School at Orange County National:
•
The pure elation of veteran Jim McGovern as he walked off the final
green after 108 brutal holes. McGovern, a popular player among his
peers, has not played a full season on the PGA Tour since 1998.
"It's going to be a good Christmas," said the 42-year-old father of four.
•
The disappointment of Geoff Sisk, who has played a lifetime of events
in New England and watched a golden opportunity to return to the PGA
Tour fade away with a closing 77. He'd started the day inside the magic
number and fell out. He did get a Nationwide card.
"I'm pleased but I'm not pleased, if you know what I mean," Sisk said.
I know what you mean.
•
A maturing Spencer Levin, now 23, absorbing his final-round setback
(72) in stride, knowing he at least got a Nationwide Tour card for
2008. The kid finally has a tour after falling short in the Q-School
each of the last two years. He played on the Canadian Tour in 2007.
"I'm
moving in the right direction," he said. "Hey, I've only been playing
golf for eight years ... I have a schedule next year. That's a positive
thing. I feel like I accomplished something this week."
• The
look of sheer shock on the face of former Florida Gators standout Matt
Every, who three-putted the 18th green at OCN's Crooked Cat to miss his
card by one shot (or so he thought; he eventually missed by two when
the number moved to 14 under).
When a reporter awkwardly told
Every this could actually be better for him, that he'd get to set his
Nationwide Tour schedule over the hit-and-miss life of a player
attaining one of the last PGA Tour cards, Every shot back, "You
obviously haven't seen my Ping contract."
• The site of Tommy
"Two Gloves" Gainey wobbling to the finish, but still earning a PGA
Tour card. Tommy is a great kid, a country boy from a three-stoplight
town in South Carolina who's got plenty of game.
"It means
everything," said Two Gloves, so named because he wears gloves on both
hands when he plays (it dates back to his youth, a baseball thing).
"It's
been my dream since I was a little boy to know what right and wrong
means. Now I get to consider myself one of the best players in the
world, to be out there with the big boys, so to speak. I can't wait.
I'm ready for it."
Is the Tour ready for Two Gloves? Stay tuned. It should be fun.
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Dec. 3, 2007
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – A full liquor bar is being set up about 10
feet from the scoreboard at Orange County National. It should be an
interesting scene in about four hours, as a little booze will surely
amplify the emotions of Q-School.
– Sean Martin
Posted Dec. 3, 2007
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Although I risk fueling the whiny golf writer
stereotype, Frank Lickliter’s media “no show” after every round this
week at Q-School rates a sour spotlight.
Lickliter informed
media Tour officials that he doesn’t want to talk to the press until
after Monday’s final round. Normally, Lickliter’s snub would be a
non-event at what is usually a low-key affair. But it reminded me of
another nondescript event that occurred earlier this year at the
WGC-Match Play Championship in Tucson, Ariz.
After losing to
giant-killer Nick O’Hern in the third round, Tiger Woods graciously
submitted to 15-minutes of media grilling. Yet after opening the week
with a pair of course-record 62s, Lickliter gets a pass because, as one
official mused, “He’s Frank,” and because it’s Q-School.
Let’s
see how that goes over next year at Doral if Woods or Phil Mickelson,
or any other player for that matter, passes on the press after a pair
of course records.
- Rex Hoggard
Posted Dec. 2, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. – One of the more humorous sights here at the Del
Webb Father/Son Challenge at ChampionsGate is watching autograph
seekers not only hunt down the John Hancocks of the esteemed 18 major
winners in this week's field but also target those of the sons.
For
instance, there was young Thomas Lehman the other day, a young lad of
only 12, neatly printing out his name on a Father/Son flag right below
his dad's, in big block letters.
At one point along the
autograph fence near 18 green on Saturday, the two players signing were
Deano Kiravites, David Duval's stepson, and Kevin Tway, Bob's son.
(Though Kiravites says he is partial to snowboarding, those who got
young Tway's signature might want to hold on to it – the Oklahoma State
frosh could be a star in the making.)
A couple years ago,
apparently Dru Love, the son of Davis Love III, thought he had
something of a dilemma on his hands when told he might get asked to
sign.
"But Dad," he told his father, "I don't even HAVE an autograph yet."
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Dec. 1, 2007
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Noticed a couple odd things today on the
caddie front at LPGA Q-School. Isabelle Beisiegel’s looper was
listening to his iPod during the round, which apparently is within the
rules as long as he’s not listening to Butch Harmon’s greatest hits.
LPGA
caddie Thomas Frank, aka “Motion,” went about his business wearing a
short-sleeved button-down shirt and tie. Frank’s been wearing a tie on
tour the last five years, but it’s more noticeable this week since
there are no caddie bibs. Inspired by the wardrobes in the “Greatest
Game Ever Played,” Frank simply said he appreciates golf’s tradition
and likes to dress up.
Gotta respect that.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Nov. 29
ORLANDO, Fla. – What's the old adage? The more things change, the more they stay the same, right?
Here
at the Del Webb Father-Son Challenge at ChampionsGate, it's not exactly
the grindfest that is taking place across town over at Orange County
National.
In fact, most players and sons finished up Thursday
and did very little practicing. At one point, Curtis Strange and his
son, Thomas, were the only two players on the range in the late
afternoon.
But shortly before darkness fell, a couple of
practicing legends were a couple of the last survivors on the putting
green. Bernhard Langer was there, working with his long putter, as was
Tom Kite.
Guess that's the type of stuff that help guys win major championships.
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Nov. 29
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Michael Boyd – one of the most likeable
players to ever lose his Tour card – rebounded from his opening 77 with
a 73 on Day 2 at Q-School, which gave the 2007 rookie a reason to be
optimistic.
“So, I shot 1 over today, does that make me the Dennis Rodman of the week?” Boyd smiled.
Yeah, other than the tattoos, criminal record, wardrobe, bank account and piercings, just like Rodman.
- Rex Hoggard
Posted Nov. 29, 2007
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Fog delayed the start of the second round of
LPGA Q-School this morning. Tee times at LPGA International’s Champions
Course were pushed back 45 minutes, but only 30 minutes at the Legends.
You know what they say: The fog is always thicker on the other side of the street.
There is a silver lining: The range will stay open another 30 minutes, until 4:30 p.m., still an hour before sunset.
– Sean Martin
Posted Nov. 29, 2007
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Those first-round 62s by Frank Lickliter II
and Brendon de Jonge matched the opening-day low for final stage and
the duo’s four-shot lead is the widest Day 1 cushion. They also caused
more than a few double-takes considering how demanding the two Orange
County National layouts are.
“Good God, are you kidding me?”
said Bob Heintz, who opened with a 5-under 67, when told the leaders
were at 10 under. “Guess I’ll keep practicing.”
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Nov. 29, 2007
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – My esteemed colleague Rex Hoggard reported in
this blog yesterday that Paula Creamer and Casey Wittenberg were
hamming it up on the driving range at Orange County National on
Wednesday while Wittenberg prepared for this week’s final stage of
Q-School.
Interesting, then, that the color of Wittenberg’s shirt for today’s first round is a Creamer-esque pink.
Coincidence? Good question...
– Dan Mirocha
Posted Nov. 28, 2007
You may think PGA Tour Q-School is little more than a lost footnote
at the end of a long golf season, but keep an eye on what happens this
week, because it can hold significance to what you'll see in the very
near future.
Ben Curtis went from 2002 Q-School grad to 2003
British Open champion at Royal St. George's; Todd Hamiltion repeated
that formula one year later, in 2004, when he won at Troon.
The
last time the Q-School was here in central Florida at Orange County
National, John Holmes was runaway medalist, shooting 24 under par
(he'd appear at PGA Tour events that next year as "J.B."). It wasn't
long before he was hoisting a Tour trophy in Phoenix.
The last
PGA Tour card at OCN two years ago went to a guy who sneaked in at 11
under. The name? Brett Wetterich, who last weekend competed in his
first Skins Game.
Quite a jump in a rather short period of time.
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Nov. 28, 2007
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Best sighting on the Orange County National
practice range this week was neither swing nor PGA Tour
star-in-waiting. That honor belonged to LPGA standout Paula Creamer,
who was spotted Tuesday afternoon watching fellow Bradenton (Fla.)
Academy alum Casey Wittenberg prepare for final stage.
When one
observer was asked if the two were romantically linked, the response
was priceless: “Nope, she’s probably here getting her (Tour) card.”
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Nov. 27
Geez, talk about a Sunday afternoon dilemma: Watch Day 2 of the Skins Game, or trudge outdoors to hang up the Christmas lights?
Just saw a stat where Fred Couples has made more dough in the Skins Game than he has in 86 majors . . .
OK, where did I leave the ladder?
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Nov. 25
The countdown continues leading up to the PGA Tour's final stage of
Qualifying School at Orange County National down here in Orlando.
Scanning the second stage scores, there were 80 players teeing it up at
Hombre Golf Club's Bad/Ugly up in the Florida Panhandle, and Richard
Johnson shot 16 under to beat the field by 11 shots.
Eleven shots, ladies and gentlemen.
Shouldn't the guy be given a 2008 Tour card just for that?
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Nov. 23
Still doubting that money rules the world? Look no farther
than yesterday's blockbuster announcement that the European Tour not
only will stage its year-end event in Dubai in 2009, but will move its
International headquarters there.
That's right. European Tour headquarters. Dubai. United American Emirates.
Wonder what Old Tom Morris would think about that ...
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Nov. 20
ORLANDO, Fla. – A day after missing the cut at the phenom-filled
ADT Championship, Annika Sorenstam drove home to Orlando, Fla., to hang
out with teenagers. She was the special guest Sunday night at the
American Junior Golf Association’s Rolex Junior All-America Awards
Banquet, which was held in the Grande Ballroom at Ginn Reunion Resort,
home to the Annika Academy, the LPGA’s Ginn Open and this week’s AJGA
Polo Golf Junior Classic.
“Without (the AJGA) we wouldn’t have
all these great juniors,” Sorenstam said during a brief speech. “I can
tell you that because they beat me every week on tour. I used to be the
young one, and now I’m called the crusty old veteran...”
Her
appearance at what is often billed as “the greatest night in junior
golf” only makes one wonder if the new, diversified Annika is looking
to someday play a bigger role than just featured speaker.
– Eric Soderstrom
Posted Nov. 19
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Shame everyone missed this afternoon’s live
draw behind the 18th green at the ADT Championship. Well, all but the
250 fans and media gathered around to watch the game-show-like gimmick
the LPGA dreamed up to add even more drama to this wacky and fabulously
successful event. Because of a two-hole playoff, the Golf Channel was
unable to air the draw and switched over to an infomerical at 4 p.m.
Figures.
If you weren’t sitting close to the stage you might
have missed all the side comments going on between the eight players as
they picked between four tee times.
Lorena Ochoa picked first
and went for the last tee time, 10 a.m. Paula Creamer followed and
placed her name beside the third time, 9:50. Karrie Webb said earlier
in the week she didn’t want to go first or last so she has to be
pleased with her 9:40 a.m. slot. When U.S. Women’s Open champ Cristie
Kerr got up from her stool to grab her name off the table she put her
finger up to her chin as if to ponder and said “This is like ‘Deal or
No Deal.’ Well, I might as well go first.” And so Kerr put her name in
the 9:30 a.m. slot and watched as the next three players – Sarah Lee,
Natalie Gulbis and Mi Hyun Kim – passed up the chance to join her.
“Nobody wants to play with me apparently,” Kerr said.
Christina
Kim stuffed a 7-iron from 149 yards to within inches on the second
playoff hole to earn the last spot in Sunday’s final round and final
pick of the draw.
“Yeah, Christina. You asked to play with me,” said Kerr with an awkward smile as she double high-fived Kim.
As
the eight players gathered around the plexiglass box filled with $100
bills – 10,000 of them – Donald Trump called over his moose of a
security guard to pose with the cash.
“I’m not Rain Man so I
wasn’t able to calculate whether it was actually a million,” Christina
Kim said. “You always see in movies they’ve got the million dollars and
it’s in a very thin briefcase. I don’t know, maybe there’s just a lot
of packed air in there.”
Hot air, to be sure.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Nov. 17
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – In case you’re wondering what
happened to Suzann Pettersen, who shot 2-over 74 and failed to make it
to Sunday at the ADT, she’s suffering from bronchitis. Pettersen began
feeling ill Friday and didn’t make it to the Rolex banquet last night
honoring first-time winners.
She three-putted the first hole for bogey and never looked comfortable. Rotten timing with $1 million bucks on the line.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Nov. 17
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. –
Attended the Rolex Cocktail Reception last night at The Donald’s
incredibly ornate Mar-a-Lago Club White and Gold Ballroom. Much was
made over Seon Hwa Lee’s Rookie of the Year speech last year but Angela
Park’s was equally impressive. Park delivered the first half of her
speech in English and then took a few minutes to express thanks to her
parents in Korean, a nice touch from a teenager committed to family.
It’s not just her game that’s mature beyond her years.
Lorena
Ochoa’s acceptance speech for Player of the Year was filled with a few
hearty laughs, particularly when she lost her place and held up note
cards exclaiming “My speech!” in that heavily accented endearing voice.
And
Louise Suggs, feisty as ever, didn’t fail to entertain. The LPGA
founder couldn’t help but slip in the fact that she never played for
this kind of money. “But if it haven’t been for me they wouldn’t be
either,” she said.
Amen, sister.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Nov. 17
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Christina Kim needs to find her way to the
media room more often. She lights the place up. And half of it is even
printable.
Last year a glass box of cash (supposedly $1 million)
sat on the first tee to inspire/intimidate the final eight as they
began the final round. Kim wasn’t in the field last year but she did
see the money on TV. She even had a dream about the glass box, but said
she won’t go into any details until Sunday.
“I’ll probably tell
you in January when I’m like 6’2” with blonde hair and a size 4,” Kim
said. “You’ll figure out how I spent the million dollars.”
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Nov. 15, 2007
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – What is it with Lorena Ochoa and par-3 17th
holes? First that quad in the third round of this year’s Kraft Nabisco
Championship, and now this? In case you missed it, Ochoa dumped two
balls in the water on 17th hole to drop from the top of the leaderboard
to seventh. Ochoa was six under heading into the last two holes and
finished with 70.
But unlike the Kraft, this quad gets wiped off
the board Friday evening after the field is cut to 16. Ochoa is
celebrating her 26th birthday today and didn’t seem the least bit
worried about her closing gaffe.
“I thought I might run out of balls,” she said with a laugh shortly after signing her scorecard. Gotta love the attitude.
Annika
Sorenstam certainly didn’t crack a smile when she walked off the course
after an opening 74. Sorenstam had her own issues with the 17th,
hitting her tee shot into the water and then getting up and down for
bogey. In fact, Sorenstam hit three balls in the water on Thursday:
Nos. 7, 15 and 17.
“I think I played well, just had a few bad shots that really magnified the whole score today,” Sorenstam said.
Last year Sorenstam didn’t see any weekend action after rounds of 74-72.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Nov. 15, 2007
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Had a chance to catch up with Reilley Rankin about that 10 on her scorecard.
Here’s
the rundown: Hit her drive right off the tee into the trees. Two shots
later she’s in the fairway. Rankin then hit an 8-iron into a greenside
bunker for her fourth shot and found the ball below her feet on a
sidehill lie. Proceeded to thin it out of the bunker and into the
woods. The ball was so lost she didn’t even look for it. Took her
penalty stroke and dropped another ball in the bunker. Hit her seventh
shot back over the green, chipped on and two-putted from 30 feet.
“I
played well. I’m not going to go rip apart my swing,” said Rankin, who
shot 76 and is tied for 20th. “I’m going to take it as a challenge the
higher you shoot the more you learn.
“The good thing is it can’t keep me from winning this tournament.”
If she makes it to the weekend.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Nov. 15, 2007
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Reilley Rankin was cruising along at 3
under par through 11 holes when she suddenly nose-dived toward the
bottom of the ADT Championship leader board. Rankin posted a 10 on the
par-5 12th hole and followed it up with bogies on Nos. 13-14.
Wednesday
afternoon she stood in the player parking lot discussing which tee time
she’d pick for Sunday’s final round. At this rate, she won’t be around
to worry about making that decision.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Nov. 15, 2007
With the ADT Championship being such a wacky little event, it’s no
surprise that players would be unclear about this year’s format changes.
A
36-hole cut remains in place for the 32-player field but this time
players will start with a fresh scorecard for the third round. After
Saturday’s round the field again will be reduced to eight, and the
scores wiped clean for the closing 18 holes.
And as if the
million-dollar finish weren’t dramatic enough, officials have come up
with a new way to determine tee times for the final round. Rather than
go off third-round results, the final eight players will take part in a
Saturday night draw televised live on the Golf Channel.
Asked
three players what they thought of this new draw format and none of
them had a clue what I was talking about. (Seems they haven’t read all
the literature posted in the player locker room.)
The order of
the draw will be based on third-round scores, but players will have the
opportunity to swap spots prior to taking their places on the back
patio of the Trump International clubhouse.
Players can choose
from four tee times. Sure there’s some strategy involved. Do I want to
go out first and post a score that will intimidate? Or do I want to go
out last and know what needs to be done? And, do I really want to play
with her?
Oh, the drama.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Nov. 13
Count the week of Sept. 8-14 among the rarest of Tour occurrences.
That’s right, for the first time since Tiger Woods was a bean-pole and
Charles Howell III sported Coke-bottle glasses, the circuit will go
“dark” during prime golf-playing season in 2008.
In an attempt
to give the top players a break during the FedEx Cup playoffs/Ryder Cup
run, the Tour will play the first three post-season events (Barclays,
Deutsche Bank and BMW) followed by a week off. The Ryder Cup is
scheduled for Sept. 15-21 in Kentucky and the Tour Championship will be
held the following week.
The Tour could have cut its working
class some slack as well by playing one of the seven Fall Series events
during the pre-Ryder Cup “dark” week. Instead, the rank-and-file have
seven consecutive starts to make their bones in the Fall Series. Or,
considering how many lengthy walks players endured between greens and
tees at the Ginn sur Mer Classic and Frys.com Open, maybe the lineup
should be renamed the Forced March Series.
-Rex Hoggard
Nov. 13, 2007
Says here that Justin Timberlake will be the host of the Tour’s Las
Vegas stop starting next year. Doesn’t quite have the same classic ring
as Crosby’s Clambake, does it?
-Rex Hoggard
Nov. 13, 2007
One of the funnier lines from Monday night's Hall of Fame induction
came from Hubert Green, when talking about his choice of colleges.
Growing up in Birmingham, Ala., it seemed Hubert was always known as
Dr. Green's kid, or Maurice Green's little brother.
Let Hubert take it from there:
"I
turned down golf scholarships from the University of Alabama and Auburn
to go to Florida State, where I could be 'unknown.' And boy, did I
succeed."
Star of the show might have been Allan Strange, twin
brother to Curtis, who gave an eloquent speech when introducing his
brother. If ABC-TV ever gets back into golf full-time, maybe he's the
guy the network should put in the booth ...
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Nov. 13
The ADT Championship field is finalized and Julieta Granada will
not be back to defend her title. Granada has struggled with swing
changes for most of the season and lost her consistency. After a rookie
year that saw her miss four cuts in 30 events, Granada failed to see
weekend action nine times in 2007 and was DQ’d at the MasterCard
Classic. Granada was 12th on the tour in birdies in 2006 and dropped to
T-48 this season.
Of the top 32 players on this year’s money
list, Nos. 1-30 are in the field. No. 31 In-Kyung Kim and No. 32 Young
Kim did not qualify, while Reilley Rankin (34th) and Inbee Park (37th)
are making their debut at the million-dollar soiree.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Nov. 12
It's certainly quiet on the golf front this time of year as a
result of the new FedEx schedule, far quieter than it has been in years
past. Nonetheless, the Silly Season has begun to rev its engines. The
Tour can send out as many missives as it wants calling this stretch the
“Challenge Season,” but it will forever be the Silly Season, and here's
a couple reasons why:
• Fred Couples will make more starts
during the Silly Season (LG Skins Game, Merrill Lynch Shootout, Target
World Challenge) than he did during the regular season (Nissan Open,
Masters) and probably will make more cash than the No. 125 guy in Tour
earnings this season.
• Natalie Gulbis, teaming with John Elway,
captured the ADT Skills Challenge. The two split first-place money of
$310,000, which represents Gulbis' second largest check this year (No.
1 being the $450K she made winning the Evian Masters).
Gulbis won three of the challenge events: greenside chip, trouble shot and shot over a hazard.
Still awaiting word on the winner of the "Getting it up and down from a trash can" competition ...
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Nov. 12
The nine-member PGA Tour Policy Board meets this morning in St.
Augustine, Fla., with a full slate of possible changes to be considered.
Among
the highlights of this morning’s meeting will be a schedule change to
the 2008 FedEx Cup playoffs that would move the Tour Championship after
the Ryder Cup in an attempt to give the game’s top players a break
during a tense segment of the season.
The board will also look
at the possibility of reducing field sizes for the first three playoff
events and consider possible punishments for violations of the Tour’s
new performance-enhancing drug policy.
While it’s probably to
late to add to the agenda, may we suggest a close examination of the
Skins Game (haven’t we had enough of Fred Couples’ silly-season
shtick?) and a cap on players’ growing entourages. Do we really need a
swing coach, short-game coach, sports psychologist, physical therapist
and courtesy car driver?
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Nov. 12
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – I've been covering golf on the PGA Tour
for the better part of two decades, so it's always interesting to see
anything for the first time.
Sunday at the Children's Miracle
Network Classic at Disney, that would be a foursome coming up the final
hole together. Oh, it wasn't as dramatic as one might think. You see,
with players having gone off split tees on Sunday, the leaders were
still playing on the back nine, and the four guys coming up the ninth
hole together at the Mag, their 18th hole of the day, were well out of
the hunt and ready to be done with 2007. The sparse gallery there to
watch barely outnumbered the competitors and their caddies inside the
ropes.
There they were, four guys ready to bid adieu to a
season of struggle: Bob Tway and Greg Owen, and David Branshaw and
Steve Wheatcroft. Branshaw and Wheatcroft originally were scheduled to
go as a twosome; Tway and Owen became a twosome when Eric Axley decided
to withdraw. None of the four would be keeping their Tour card after
Disney. So they walked alongside another down the final hole like
pipers.
"I basically played poorly the whole year," said
Tway, 48, who will not have full-exempt status on Tour next season for
the first time since 1994. (An eight-time Tour winner, he'll play out
of the Past Champion category.) "It's pretty simple, really. . . .
Putting and chipping and wedge play, it's been so pitiful that it's
tough to play any good.
"It had better get better, or it's
going to be a long rest of my career. It's not much fun to play poorly.
There's not much doubt about that."
As he made the long walk to
the Disney locker room, a youth about 12 years old approached Tway,
swallowed hard, and boldly asked, "Mr. Tway, can I have your hat?"
"It's
your lucky day, kid," Tway told the youngster, taking his hat off and
adding his autograph on the bill for good measure and reaching into his
back pocket for his glove. "Today, you can have it all."
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Nov. 5
Playing a TaylorMade TP Black golf ball, Justin Rose won both the
season-ending Volvo Masters and the European Order of Merit title Nov.
4.
The irony is that Rose might have been playing a
different ball if the tournament had been played one week later. Four
new golf balls from TaylorMade officially will appear on the
USGA/R&A conforming ball list on Nov. 7, and Rose will switch to
either the new TP Red or TP Black.
Here's betting he will go
with the TP Red. Why? Because one of the major differences between the
two new balls is that the TP Red exhibits less spin with wedges and
short irons.
– James Achenbach
Posted Nov. 5
LAKESIDE, Calif. – Nationwide Tour officials doled out 25 PGA Tour
cards Sunday night in the California twilight, but they should have
issued questionnaires.
There are more questions swirling
around this year’s crop of graduates than on a ninth-grade algebra
test. Maybe a better title for this year’s grads would be Q Class.
A random Q&A:
Q. What impact could this year’s grads make in ’08 on the PGA Tour?
A.
That question is best answered by an MD. Australian wunderkind Jason
Day’s ailing right wrist was a hot topic at Barona Creek. Insiders have
dubbed Day a singular talent, but with the possibility of surgery – and
a three- to six-month recovery – looming the 19 year old’s future
likely rests in doctor’s hands.
Nick Flanagan, another young
Australian with plenty of potential, was also slowed in ’07 by a hernia
injury and Jimmy Walker, a former player of the year whose rookie year
was derailed by a neck ailment, could excel in ’08 if he’s healthy.
Q. Who will be the first to win on the PGA Tour?
A.
Day, if he’s healthy, should be a perennial pick. After that, Nicholas
Thompson has the explosiveness to surprise and Roland Thatcher, despite
his fade from the top spot on the money list at the finale, has a
consistent game that plays on tougher courses.
Q. Who is the 2008 Rookie of the Year front-runner?
A. Day (see above). Next best option may be Matthew Jones, another Aussie with good mechanics and a steady demeanor.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Nov. 5
LAKESIDE, Calif. – The top 60 players, give or take a few ailing
heavyweights, are making the Nationwide Tour Championship look more Bob
Hope than hit and hope.
Michael Letzig’s four-stroke cushion
after two rounds was a tournament record and the 68.24 scoring average
featured more eagles (24) than double bogeys (20). But wind and nerves
combined in the fading moments of Round 3 to bring a more tense feel to
the finale.
Holding a two-stroke lead, Letzig – who at No. 26 in
earnings needs a good week to earn a 2008 PGA Tour card – hit his
approach at No. 18 into a green-side bunker, blasted to 30 feet and
proceeded to blast his next three putts everywhere except the hole.
Triple bogey.
Seven holes earlier, Letzig’s playing partner
Richard Johnson got sideways in the arid California hills, hit rock,
tree and rough on his way to a quadruple bogey-7.
“There’s going to be some guys throwing up all over themselves (Sunday),” said Jim McGovern, who is four strokes behind Johnson.
We
can only assume McGovern’s was a metaphorical assessment of the
pressure that awaits on Sunday, and not the traditionally raucous
after-tournament party.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Nov. 3
LAKESIDE, Calif. – Weather report says the dreaded Santa Ana winds,
the fuel that helped whip southern California into a fiery blaze last
week, may return on Sunday. Even more unsettling was the dozen fire
trucks lurking in the lot adjacent the Barona Creek layout.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Nov. 3
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Forget co-leaders Scott Verplank and
Stephen Ames. Kevin Stadler and Mathias Gronberg are the guys who
really will feel the pressure Sunday in the final round of the
Children’s Miracle Network Classic.
They’re projected to finish Nos. 124 and 125, respectively, on the PGA Tour money list if the leaderboard holds form.
Stadler
started the week 127th on the list, but shot a third consecutive 69
Saturday to move into a tie for 20th. He knocked in lengthy birdie
putts on Nos. 13 and 14 for his final two of the day.
Stadler
has found his game just in time. He was No. 103 on the money list after
finishing in the top 10 two consecutive weeks in mid-August. He’s
missed five of seven cuts since, including an 83-71 showing last week
at the Ginn sur Mer Classic.
Gronberg, who started the week at
No. 124, should be used to this situation after finishing 124th on the
money list last year. He posted consecutive top 10s in early October to
move inside the top 125.
The top 150 also has some importance,
as it guarantees players partial Tour status and exempts them into the
final stage of Q-School. Billy Andrade is currently holding down that
spot.
Former Tour winner Robert Gamez, who started the week No.
152 on the money list, shot Saturday’s low round (67) to move up 39
spots on the leaderboard into a T-9.
– Sean Martin
Posted Nov. 2
LAKESIDE, Calif. – Don’t want to say it’s a tough time of year for
those who ply a living from the manicured turf, but the bubble paranoia
has reached a crescendo here in the SoCal hills.
Consider Brad
Elder’s response when asked to wrap up his season: “Overall, I’m glad I
worked hard in the off-season and it showed, but who knows? At a
birdie-fest like this (Nationwide Tour Championship) anything can
happen. Eleven guys could blow by me.”
That’s right, Elder is
15th in earnings and the top 25 earn 2008 PGA Tour cards. For 11 guys
to pass him the purse would have to double (which it won’t), he would
have to miss the cut (which there is none at the finale) and he’ll have
to finish the tournament with three clubs (which he won’t).
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Nov. 2
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – News that Srixon had reached an agreement
to acquire Cleveland was received well by both Cleveland and Srixon
staffers at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic.
“I just
heard,” said Cleveland staffer Steve Lowery, a two-time winner on Tour.
“I think it’s a good thing for Cleveland. (Srixon) makes a good golf
ball, and Cleveland never had a golf ball so it’s a good fit there.”
Tim
Clark, who was with Cleveland before signing with Srixon four years
ago, feels Srixon will become a bigger name in the U.S. as a result.
Despite
the positive reviews of the acquisition, questions still linger about
how it will impact staff members of both companies.
One insider
mentioned concerns over what will be done with the Huntington Beach,
Calif.-based Cleveland headquarters and Atlanta-based Srixon plant.
Another
question that remains is if Cleveland staffers will be required to play
the Srixon golf ball. According to the source, Steve Flesch is the only
full-time Cleveland staff member who plays a Srixon ball.
“I
don’t know what the story will be with us, if we’re going to have to
play the ball or not,” said Richard Johnson, a Cleveland staff member.
“That’s something that will have to be seen.”
– Ray McCarthy
Posted Oct. 31
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – When Arron Oberholser pulled out of the
upcoming World Cup in China because of injury, Scott Verplank was one
of the players along the succession line with a chance to replace him.
Verplank never really put much consideration into it, preferring to
stay home with family during the Thanksgiving holidays.
"I'm eating turkey and dressing," he said with a smile. Instead of what, he was asked? "As opposed to rice and Peking duck."
The
two players heading over to the World Cup will be Boo Weekley and Heath
Slocum, a couple of good old boys from the Florida Panhandle. When
Weekley made it to the British Open this summer, his first venture to
Europe, it made for a great adventure.
"You know what?" Verplank
asked playfully. "They could make a difference in world relations. ...
They could open a new era in U.S./China relations."
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Oct. 31
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Tour Policy Board member Stewart Cink let
it slip Tuesday that the field size for Colonial next year will
increase from 114 to 120 players.
Earlier this year when the
Tour was scrambling to replace the International with a new tournament
in the Washington, D.C., area that would be hosted by Tiger Woods, some
players balked at another limited-field event.
Organizers
settled on a 120-player field for the inaugural AT&T National and
players were assured every effort would be made to standardize
invitational field sizes at 120.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational
already had a 120-player field, but there seems to be little chance the
Memorial – Jack Nicklaus’ Ohio event that had a 107-player field this
year – will yield to the 120-player standard.
“No way Jack (Nicklaus) signs on for that,” said one player Tuesday at Disney. “Jack does what he wants.”
Seems when it comes to invitationals, less really means more.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Oct. 31
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Don’t want to hear players complaining
about a lack of playing opportunities under the Tour’s new FedEx Cup
banner.
At last week’s Sur mer Classic, the alternate list of
available bodies stretched all the way to Donnie Hammond (who, by the
by, turned down his spot in the field) and Gary Hallberg, former
champions clinging to a sliver of status.
Here at Walt Disney
World Resort there seems to be a similar lack of magic. As of 5 p.m.
(EST), ten players had bolted and had been replaced by alternates. Next
up? Arjun Atwal, who will likely pass on Disney to play the Nationwide
Tour Championship in California.
I don’t want to say the Fall Series fields have been weak, but next up after Atwal are guys named Vardon, Hagen and Morris Jr.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Oct. 30
A thought for PGA Tour officials and U.S. Golf Association types as
they lament the game’s long-ball mentality. Folks at Coors Field in
Denver had a similar long-ball problem because of the thin, mile-high
air. The fix came via a humidor. Just imagine, dozens and dozens of
new, dimpled orbs loosing yards with each, moist minute. Before each
tee time, a Tour player picks up a dozen damp balls and half dozen
Cohibas.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Oct. 29
During the 3-4 times I’ve been around new PGA Tour winner Daniel
Chopra, I noticed a trend. In each case, his desire to improve was
evident.
Most interesting was an incident this spring on
the putting green at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. I was
talking with Pernice Jr. on the edge of the green when Chopra walked up
and asked Pernice, who has a terrific short game, a question about
chipping. If memory serves right, Chopra wanted to know the proper
technique when chipping against the grain in Bermuda rough.
Pernice
stopped what he was doing and helped answer Chopra’s questions. It
wasn’t a big deal, but you don’t see that every day at a PGA Tour
event. Sure, you might see another player help a buddy now and then.
But I’ve been hanging around Tour ranges a long time and it’s rare to
see one player walk up and solicit advice or seek swing confirmation.
This year I also ran into Chopra at a health club. He was running on a treadmill, trying to get in better physical condition.
Last
year, at the Cialis Western Open, I remember talking with him about his
swing. He said he had worked for two months getting his swing
technically right so he wouldn’t have to rely so much on rhythm on
weekends.
Well, he didn’t win his first Tour title on a weekend.
He won on a Monday. Regardless of closing day, my guess is he handled
the pressure and realized what he called his “dream” because of that
desire to improve.
– Jeff Rude
Posted Oct. 29
Suzann Pettersen hates to see October come to an end. She’s won
three tournaments this month and rapidly is closing the gap that
separates her from World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa.
Pettersen’s victory
in Thailand was her fifth of the LPGA season and her sixth worldwide.
She’s now second on the money list with $1,753,309, but trails Ochoa by
$1,584,684.
Both Ochoa and Pettersen have two limited-field
events left on their 2007 schedules: The Mitchell Company LPGA
Tournament of Champions and the ADT Championship.
Even if
Pettersen captures both titles (including a $1 million top prize at the
ADT), she’ll still come up short in the race for the money title at
$2,903,309. Pettersen has no chance of crossing the $3 million mark, a
feat Ochoa accomplished Oct. 7 at the Longs Drugs Challenge.
Ochoa,
who has seven titles in ’07, clinched her second consecutive LPGA
Player of the Year title earlier this month with her victory at the
Samsung World Championship. One category that sticks out between their
seasons is the top-10 tally: Ochoa 19, Pettersen 10. Consistency is key.
It’s
terrific to see a new rivalry taking shape on the LPGA, especially with
Annika Sorenstam looking to retire in the not-so-distant future. Next
year, perhaps an American (Paula Creamer or Morgan Pressel?) will even
get in the mix.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Oct. 29
Here’s an update on damage to Phil Mickelson’s Rancho Santa Fe property caused by the southern California wildfires:
“We
have some damage, about three or four inches of soot over everything,”
Mickelson said today. “But the house made it and, certainly relative to
a number of our neighbors who lost everything, this was nothing.”
Indeed
Mickelson was lucky. A street that intersects Mickelson’s street lost
all but one home, and two houses on his street were lost, according to
a Mickelson aide.
– Jeff Rude
Posted Oct. 26
Talk about a Shanhai Surprise: Boo Weekley is going to represent
the U.S. at the World Cup in China next month. As the top American
willing to make the trip, he's free to choose his partner, and he'll
take old high school buddy Heath Slocum.
Ought to be fun.
Being
asked to play for his country is quite an accomplishment for Weekley,
who a year ago was toiling on the Nationwide Tour. He's had an
incredible season that hasn't really received its proper due. He nearly
won the Honda, won at the Verizon a few weeks later, has five top 10s
and amassed $2.6 million in earnings.
That buys a lot of live bait.
Wonder if China has a deer season, or even any bass fishing, for that matter?
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Oct. 26
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – With Arron Oberholser having pulled out of
next month's World Cup because of injury (he was to play with Sean
O'Hair), it left the U.S. scrambling down the World Ranking list to
find a replacement to represent the country in China.
Not too
far down that list – beyond Stewart Cink, Scott Verplank, David Toms,
Brett Wetterich, Charles Howell III and a couple others – is one Boo
Weekley, who had quite the geographic experience earlier this summer
when he ventured over to the British Open. Now, Boo in China might be a
trip worth going over to see.
However, I asked Joe Durant,
Boo's buddy and Florida Panhandle neighbor, if he thought Boo ever
would consider making such a trip.
"I don't know," smiled Durant. "That's hunting season."
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Oct. 25
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – There will be winners and losers this week
at the Ginn Classic, as there have been at all the Fall Finish stops
this autumn.
One guy who is hurting is veteran Billy Andrade,
who started the week 146th on the PGA Tour earnings list, having
dropped four spots since the previous week. Remember, originally this
event was slated for Running Horse in California, but had to be
rescheduled and relocated here to The Tesoro Club, creating a
first-year event.
Andrade had committed to the original event in
California; when it was moved, players were required to re-commit.
Andrade failed to do so, and when the deadline came and went last
Friday at 5 p.m., he was out of luck.
He'll now have only one
event – next week's Tour stop at Disney – to make up a bunch of ground
and try to climb into the top 125.
Ouch.
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Oct. 25
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – You know this week's PGA Tour stop is a
little challenged when a local wag quipped to this writer that the
weekend tournament crowds will depend on whether or not John Daly makes
the cut. At The Tesoro Club, a funky Arnold Palmer layout with lots of
hazards that pinches in the long hitters, I don't know that JD is going
to have a particularly great time.
Anyway, the pre-tournament
highlight had to be a visit paid on Wednesday by Errie Ball, who played
in the first Masters in 1934. Ball is 96 years young, looks terrific,
and still teaches down the road here at Willoughby Golf Club in Stuart.
He met the Fathauer twins, Derek and Daryl, the amateurs who
are playing this week on sponsor exemptions, and worked with them for a
few minutes on the practice tee. Ball is an incredibly rich resource of
golf knowledge, having been brought over to this country from England,
in part, through the encouragement of Bobby Jones, who was at East Lake
at the time, where Ball's uncle was the pro.
Not every day you
see a guy who has played with Jones, Snead, Hagen, Hogan and Nelson,
AND met the Fathauer twins. And he is still sharp as a tack.
Ball's secret to longevitity? He said it's because he has spent his life intertwined with golf, which is something he loves.
A lucky man.
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Oct. 25
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Big talk on the practice range here at the
Tesoro Club, site of this week’s PGA Tour stop, is on the wild fires
that were raging in southern California.
One update late in
the afternoon suggested Torrey Pines, site of the annual Buick
Invitational and next year’s U.S. Open, is in danger of being scorched.
“Good,” snorted one player, among the many who don’t like the changes
to the venerable South Course, “they need to start over anyway.”
Ouch.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Oct. 23
Don’t want to say golf has become an afterthought, but I watched an
hour long SportsCenter on ESPN this morning and the closest thing I saw
to a golf shot was J.D. Drew’s grand slam in the first inning of
Saturday’s American League Championship Series between Boston and
Cleveland.
Seems neither a Pettersson (Carl, PGA Tour
third-round leader) nor a Pettersen (Suzann, LPGA Tour third-round
leader) has much of a chance vs. Red Sox Nation and college football.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Oct. 21
Tiger Woods and John Daly may be separated by 11 majors and a few
gazillion dollars in endorsement deals, but there is no denying “Long
John’s” talent or celebrity.
“JD” is the second-largest draw
this week in Scottsdale, Ariz., behind adopted son Phil Mickelson, and
one Tour player who was recently paired with Daly gushed, “After
(Woods) he’s the second-most talented guy out here. Around a green,
there’s nothing he can’t do.”
Chicks may dig the long ball, but it seems a stellar short game is how you impress your Tour brethren.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Oct. 19
Name a cup, any cup will do, and it’s a near statistical lock that
it’s currently in the hands of an American team. In order this season,
U.S. Walker, Solheim, Curtis and Presidents Cup teams have found the
winner’s circle, an accomplishment Golfweek’s Forecaddie applauded a few weeks back.
In
his rush to kudos, however, the Man Out Front omitted the U.S. PGA Cup
team that landed gold in September at Reynolds Plantation in Georgia.
It was a gaffe that was tactfully pointed out by one of our favorite
members of the PGA’s blue-collar set, Ryan Benzel.
“We also own the PGA Cup. I think its worth mentioning,” wrote Benzel, a key member of the U.S. team.
We
agree. Congrats to Benzel and the other U.S. PGA Cuppers. Now, if only
the PGA can figure a way to keep the good cup vibes going for the U.S.
next year when the Ryder Cup, the only chalice currently not in
American hands, is played at Vahalla.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Oct. 17
Sunday could be a good day for sport in Argentina. U.S. Open
champion Angel Cabrera teed off early against Ernie Els in England at
the World Match Play Championship. Fellow Argentine Daniel Vancsik has
a two-stroke lead at the Madrid Open in Spain. And Argentina was set to
play South Africa in the semifinals of the Rugby World Cup in France.
George
McNeill, the PGA Tour rookie pacing the field in Vegas heading into the
final 18, isn’t from Argentina. But he does look a bit like Juan Peron
from “Evita” fame.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Oct. 14
PALM DESERT, Calif. – Lorena Ochoa thought she had the 18th hole
all figured out. After blowing her tee shot right of the fairway and
into a bush Thursday at the Samsung World Championship, Ochoa hit it
perfectly down the last during the second round.
On Saturday
when Ochoa looked at the leader board on the 17th green and saw that
Suzann Pettersen had posted 12 under par, she told her caddie, Dave
Brooker, she wanted to birdie the last two holes so that she could have
a big dessert.
Ochoa’s 20-foot birdie attempt on the 17th,
however, slid by the hole. When she cranked her tee shot off the 18th
Brooker yelled “Fore, right!”
She’d done it again. This time the
ball landed in a bush 5 yards away from the previous bush. She took an
unplayable and drained a 25-foot bogey putt to tie Pettersen at 12
under.
“I’m not happy,” said Ochoa.
What about dessert?
“No. Maybe not tonight,” she said. “Maybe (not) the next three days.”
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Oct. 13
PALM DESERT, Calif. – The final round of the Samsung World
Championship features No. 1 and No. 2 in the final pairing, deadlocked
at 12 under par. Lorena Ochoa and Suzann Pettersen dueled in a playoff
last week at the Longs Drugs Challenge with Pettersen coming out on
top. These California fans are getting spoiled.
Here’s the tale
of two rounds: Pettersen made everything she looked at. Ochoa left a
lot out there. Pettersen birdied nine holes in Round 3, including the
last four to shoot 64.
Ochoa made five birdies (four on the front) and two bogeys to shoot 69. She missed three consecutive 12-footers on Nos. 14-16.
“Today it could’ve been a 6-under, 7-under round,” Ochoa said. “I think it’s waiting.”
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Oct. 13
HSBC has put player comfort over environmental concerns at the week’s World Match Play Championship.
This
is an event that prides itself on five-star service for every member of
the 16-man field. However, driving the players 200 yards from the 18th
green to the clubhouse is not exactly going to please
environmentalists, especially when the mode of transport is 4x4 Toyota
Land Cruiser.
Each player has been ferried from the 18th green
to the clubhouse after every morning round. I paced it out, and it was
exactly 200 paces.
You couldn’t have the players walking through the crowds, could you? I mean, that entails an uphill walk to the clubhouse.
HSBC
calls itself the “world’s local bank” but it might want to consider its
carbon footprint or the world might just become a smaller place.
– Alistair Tait
Posted Oct. 13
Part of HSBC’s five-star service includes accommodations in one of
the many mansions that dot the exclusive Wentworth Estate. A personal
chef is also provided for each player, and free 24-hour transport
should a player or his wife decide to take a little jaunt into London.
Such luxuries might appeal to the common man, but surely wouldn’t be a big deal to multi-millionaire golfers?
Those
little touches certainly thrilled Open champion Padraig Harrington. He
might have more money in the bank than he will ever need, but he still
enjoyed HSBC’s pampering.
“We’re treated like stars this week,”
Harrington said. “The house I’m staying in is basically a mansion. I’ve
got a chef and transport on 24-hour call. You get everything. It makes
you feel like a star for a week.”
Harrington’s only problem was
that he wasn’t here long enough to enjoy it. He lost his opening round
match to Anders Hansen. Then it was back to Dublin to his own mansion,
albeit with him or his wife doing the cooking.
– Alistair Tait
Posted Oct. 13
PALM DESERT, Calif. – Angela Park was complaining Wednesday
afternoon that the Canyons Course favors long hitters with its wide
fairways and friendly rough. Said she was disappointed with the setup
and worried she might not be able to go low enough.
Think again.
Despite a few extra nerves playing with Michelle Wie (Park said a
prayer to calm herself down), the field’s only rookie opened with three
birdies and closed with two more Oct. 11 to shoot 5-under 67. At the
end of Round 1 she leads the tournament while Wie sits in the caboose.
Who’s complaining now?
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Oct. 11
LAS VEGAS – For the third consecutive week, Craig Bowden and
Jeff Overton, both of Bloomington, Ind., are paired together for the
first and second round on the PGA Tour (someone may want to check the
computer pairings program). Since I was born and spent most of my life
in Bloomington, I felt like I needed to watch this pair.
It
was a great day in Las Vegas for golf – as it usually is this time of
the year - and Overton made it a little interesting. I was actually
thinking about bowing out after nine, but after a slippery downhill
10-footer for birdie curled into the cup, the former All-American from
Indiana was 6 under after seven holes. Anyone for a 59 watch?
Overton
failed to get up-and-down on the par-3, eighth hole but birdied on No.
9 to post a 6-under 30 on the front. He then birdied No. 10 and the
buzz started growing, but it wasn’t to be.
The magic round did not happen. But Overton’s 7-under 65 left him in a share of third at the Frys.com Open.
You think anyone from Bloomington is reading this?
– Lance Ringler
Posted Oct. 11
PALM DESERT, Calif. – In case you didn’t get an invitation to
Michelle Wie’s birthday party here at Bighorn, she turns 18 today on
Round 1 of the Samsung World Championship. Interestingly enough, she’s
paired with the youngest exempt player on tour, 19-year-old Angela
Park, who also happens to be a lock for Rookie of the Year.
Park
was busy signing trading cards yesterday afternoon after the pro-am
round. Patrons are given a stack of 20 cards when they arrive at the
Canyons Course and Park was reading her statistics aloud as she signed.
“I need to get one in the victories category,” she told one fan.
Meanwhile
the thought of finishing 20th out of 20 has surely crossed young
Wiesy’s mind. Anyone who has spent much time watching her on the range
this week expects a real grind from the falling star. Studying for a
Stanford mid-term might have been a better way to celebrate the big day.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Oct. 11
LAS VEGAS – Today at the Frys.com Open had the feel of a Week 17
game in the NFL. You know the ones, where teams that are already in the
playoffs are resting their skilled players.
Wait a minute … did I say playoffs? Aren’t the playoffs usually reserved for the conclusion of the season?
There
are a lot of oddities this time of the year. One thing I noticed from
the PGA Tour notes: It’s not what you shoot, it’s more a question of
when you do it. Jeff Overton is currently T-25 in scoring average, but
is 111th on the money list. On the other hand, Chad Campbell is 132nd
in scoring average, but 43rd on the money list.
Another odd
observation: There were more than a dozen people on the range watching
Tadd Fujikawa hit drivers. Jesper Parnevik was practicing right next to
him, and I’m not sure anyone noticed.
At any rate these guys are
playing for a $4 million purse, the winner will add $720,000 to their
bank account and fully exempt cards are at stake for 2008. That has to
be exciting … to someone, right?
– Lance Ringler
Posted Oct. 10
PALM DESERT, Calif. – Couple points of interest from Michelle Wie’s
first interview since she started school at Stanford this fall:
On looking back over the year ... “The only thing that I would do differently, I wouldn’t have played this year. It’s as simple as that.”
On apologizing to Annika ...
“I still don’t feel like I did something wrong but if I felt if Annika,
or anyone felt like I disrespected them, or if I'd done anything wrong
to them, you know, I do apologize for that.”
On her decision not to go to LPGA Q-School ...
“It was more of a personal decision for me because unfortunately it
conflicted right with orientation week at school. It was my first week
at college.”
And if it didn’t conflict? ... “Most probably I would have. I think it was definitely on my mind to qualify and stuff like that.”
On meeting her new roommate ... “We both said the same thing to each other, 'God, I’m so glad you’re not psycho or going to kill yourself this year.' ”
On the difficulty of her Stanford class schedule ...
“It’s the first time where I felt like, you know, when you're in high
school, and you are usually the outstanding student. But when you
go into Stanford, you are like, am I the mistake exception? Everyone is
so smart.”
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Oct. 9
Here’s a disconnect for you. Joe Durant, last year’s Mr. October
who finished the season with five consecutive top-5 finishes, slipped
from 125th in earnings to 127th last week. Luckily, Durant’s victory at
the 2005 Disney tournament secured him a two-year Tour exemption.
The
baffling part of all this is Durant’s lofty spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup
points list (sixth). The PGA of America overhauled the U.S. selection
process earlier this year, awarding points only for major championships
in 2007 in an attempt to identify the players in the best form.
However, all post-Ryder Cup finishes in 2005 were grandfathered in,
giving Durant an early jump to make captain Paul Azinger’s squad.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Oct. 9
LAS VEGAS – I had to go all the back to my days as a caddie to
remember the last Monday I spent on the driving range at a PGA Tour
event. I forgot how boring Monday’s can be. Add to that a site (Las
Vegas) that has traditionally had poor attendance, the fact that this
is the Fall Finish and the mood is somewhere between a Nationwide Tour
event and a PGA Tour event.
Noticed John Huston grinding –
he hit the most bags of practice balls (six). Jeff Brehaut had the
video camera out checking his angles, and it looked pretty good. And
Brehaut needs some good swings. His best showing this year came at, of
all places, the U.S. Open where he earned over $100,000 – he has yet to
make his second $100,000 this year. Also noticed former Georgia
All-American Chris Kirk, who was all smiles as he is in the field on a
sponsor exemption.
Overall, a nice day under the Vegas sun. I even got some work done. Check out “Off Campus” to hear what some of the pros thought about their college golf days.
– Lance Ringler
Posted Oct. 8
DANVILLE, Calif. – There’s a reason signs are posted everywhere at
golf tournaments warning patrons to turn off cell phones. No. 1, it’s
annoying. No. 2, it’s distracting.
A woman sitting in the
bleachers off the 18th green was canceling her dinner plans as Lorena
Ochoa hit from the fairway on the first playoff hole. Pretty sure
everyone around her wasn’t interested in this tidbit of information
and, like most cell phone users, she was talking louder than she
probably realized.
Things only got worse when the pair reached
the green. As Suzann Pettersen stood over her birdie putt and started
her backstroke a photographer’s cell phone went off. To my horror, I
realized it was coming from the man sitting directly to my right, and
we were both positioned just off the 18th green. He struggled to get
his phone out of his pocket and leaned into me hoping my leg would
somehow help muffle the sound. Thankfully, Pettersen’s putt was
terribly short and she knocked it in to extend the playoff to a second
hole.
Meanwhile marshals hurried over to chastise the offending
photographer who thankfully moved several yards away from Yours Truly.
This is precisely why my company-issued Treo remains in the media room during tournament play. I like my job.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Oct. 7
OK, we’re still some 12 months away from the next biennial
exhibition, but the thought occurred that with Jesper Parnevik closing
on his first victory since 2001 down in Texas and Woody Austin’s
Aquaman act last week in Montreal the wardrobe possibilities for next
year’s Ryder Cup teams could be endless.
Think red, white and blue fedoras with European Union flags tucked in the side and an optional mask and snorkel set.
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Oct. 7
DANVILLE, Calif. – Gotta hand it to the fans at Longs Drugs --
they’re troopers. The layout and terrain here at Blackhawk Country Club
East Bay is anything but spectator friendly. Lengthy walks from green
to tee make it difficult to keep up with play and there are some crazy
uphill climbs on this quirky 6,212-yard track.
So quirky in fact
that last year Nos. 12 and 13 were closed to spectators as buses
shuttled fans from No. 11 green to the 14th tee. This year those same
shuttles are in place but fans are allowed to backtrack if they so
desire. Needless to say, few desire to take the extra steps.
No wonder members at Blackhawk have to take carts.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Oct. 6
DANVILLE, Calif. – The new LPGA logo isn’t exactly beloved by all
on tour. Earlier in the year players were told they’d be able to vote
on several different designs before the new logo was finalized. But
when the tour’s new “swinging lady” was unveiled on Wednesday at the
player’s meeting in Danville, it was clear there would be no
discussion. Many took issue with the colors that were chosen, and one
rookie said it looked too similar to the Duramed Futures Tour’s logo.
Several
players also are under the impression that a story written earlier in
the year criticizing the old version of the “swinging lady” as having a
mullet is what prompted LPGA officials to seek a new look. The new
version got rid of the feathered look of the 80’s and replaced it with
a green ponytail. Progress? That’s definitely up for debate.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Oct. 6
This just in from the Samsung World Championship: Annika Sorenstam is out, Sarah Lee is in.
The official word from tournament officials is that “due to contradictory
and
confusing information being given to players regarding the eligibility
for 2007 Samsung World Championship, Annika declined the invitation to
the event.”
When Samsung changed its criteria and extended the
invitation last week, Sorenstam didn’t realize she would be knocking
someone out of the field. Guess when you’ve reigned over women’s golf
for as long as Sorenstam has tournament qualifying criteria isn’t
something you study much.
The tournament elected not to invite
another Hall of Fame candidate (such as Juli Inkster, who is the second
alternate) “so as not to put her in a similar situation.”
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Oct. 5, 2007
Nationwide Insurance recently signed on to title sponsor the NASCAR
Busch Series, but reports that the insurer would drop it’s title
sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s secondary circuit seem to be a bit off
the mark.
Word from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., is the Ohio-based
insurer has no plans to cut its golf ties. In fact, Nationwide
officials were in north Florida last week to meet with Tour types, and
Nationwide signed a new, five-year deal with the Tour last year to
sponsor the secondary circuit through 2012.
“That (report) is
totally contrary to anything I’ve seen or heard,” said one Nationwide
Tour official. “We had a great year this year and are making plans for
next year.”
– Rex Hoggard
Posted Oct. 4
Word on the putting green at the Longs Drugs Challenge is that
Annika Sorenstam has backed out of the Samsung World Championship.
Feeling heat from players who are miffed about the last-minute criteria
change Samsung announced last week, rumor has it that Sorenstam is
pulling out to give Sarah Lee the field’s final spot.
If this is
true, Sorenstam is doing the right thing. Talk about a big waste of
time and energy on the part of IMG and everyone else involved.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Oct. 3
Posted: 1/11/2008
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