Showing posts with label Golf News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Golf News. Show all posts

Henrik Stenson targets Dubai after US double

Dubai: After a run of sensational golf that has seen him become the first European to win both the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola and FedExCup, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson will aim to wrap up a magnificent season with victory in both the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and The European Tour’s Race to Dubai.

A three-shot victory over Americans Steve Stricker and Jordan Spieth, saw the 37-year-old lift the Tour Championship and with it the FedExCup and a $10 million (Dh37 million) bonus.

Back to his previous career best as world No 4, Stenson has also confirmed he will compete in all four events in the first European Tour Final Series, which offers a prize fund of $30.5 million and culminates in the $8 million DP World Tour Championship to be staged on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 14-17.

In his current form, there is no better golfer on the planet and Stenson is sure to be the top draw when the fifth DP World Tour Championship brings the top 60 players on the European Tour to Dubai.

One man not surprised by the Swede’s return to the top is his coach of 12 years, Pete Cowen.

“If you look at Henrik’s stats, he just doesn’t have a weakness,” said Cowen. “He’s now got a lot more control over what he’s doing and his confidence is sky high. If Henrik gets a sniff of winning a tournament, then he’ll most likely win it. He could have won two Majors already this year but was only beaten by two players who had better final days. Now he’s back at the top, he’s confident and able to handle all the pressure there is. He’s got all the tournaments in the Final Series in his sights and wants to win The Race to Dubai. He also wants to win Majors and be world No 1, and why shouldn’t he be?”

Stenson, like any European Tour player hoping to qualify for the DP World Tour Championship, and earn a chance to compete for The Race to Dubai $3.75 million Bonus Pool, will have to play in two of the three events preceding the finale, presuming they are eligible for all three at the close of entries.

The three tournaments — the $7 million BMW Masters presented by SRE Group and the $8.5 million WGC-HSBC Champions (both in Shanghai) and the $7 million Turkish Airlines Open — will see The Race to Dubai converted to a points table with €1 equalling one point.

A 20 per cent ‘points’ bonus will be awarded to any player who competes in the first three events of the Final Series. The bonus will be added to the player’s points total prior to the DP World Tour Championship, improving their chances of winning The Race to Dubai or increasing their share of the Bonus Pool.

Tickets for the four-day DP World Tour Championship are free and can be obtained by registering online at www.DPWTC.com.

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Golf: Watney Takes Lead as Woods Heads Home

Charlotte, North Carolina. The Wells Fargo Championship looks like it will be missing Tiger Woods on the weekend for the third straight year.

Woods couldn’t buy a putt in his round of 73 and was at even-par 144, almost certain to miss the cut for the eighth time in his career. Instead, the leaderboard was filled with a couple of players looking to turn their games around.

Nick Watney, who has not had a top 10 in stroke play all year, shot a 64 to take a one-shot lead over Webb Simpson (68) among early starters in the second round. Watney had gone 10 straight rounds without breaking 70 until arriving at Quail Hollow.

Among those two shots behind was Stewart Cink, winless since he captured the British Open at Turnberry in 2009.

Associated Press

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Mission accomplished for defending champion McDowell

Defending champion Graeme McDowell said he accomplished his mission on Thursday by putting himself in the thick of the hunt in the first round of the US Open golf championship.

The Northern Irishman posted a one-under 70 at Congressional Country Club to put his name on the leaderboard among the early starters.

“I felt really good this morning. I felt normal,” said 31-year-old McDowell, who won his first major at last year’s US Open at Pebble Beach. “It felt like a regular major championship. It didn’t feel like I was defending anything.

“I set myself some challenges this morning, to go out and try ... to go through my processes correctly, through my routines, and just be patient and enjoy the round.”

McDowell bogeyed the first hole but bounced back with a birdie at number two and another at the par-five sixth. He parred the next 12 holes, narrowly missing on a few good birdie opportunities, to complete a solid 70.

The Briton said it was not all smooth sailing, as he had to navigate changing conditions as winds picked up.

“Holes like 15 and 16 played different than what we saw in practice. I hit nine-iron on 15, and in practice I’ve been going on with three- and four-irons. You had to adapt your game plan a little bit,” he said.

“But I kept it in play well. I played smart golf. My iron play could have been better, but all in all, very happy with most departments today.”

McDowell also experienced something out of the ordinary at the ninth hole, where he had to mark his ball on the fairway after British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen’s approach shot nestled right next to the Northern Irishman’s ball. – Reuters

(B>Scores

(US unless stated): 65: Rory McIlroy (Nir); 68: Yang Yong-eun (Kor), Charl Schwartzel (Rsa); 69: Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Ryan Palmer, Alexandre Rocha (Bra), Scott Hend (Aus), Kim Kyung-tae (Kor), Sergio Garcia (Spa);

70: Chez Reavie, Stewart Cink, Graeme McDowell (Nir), Henrik Stenson (Swe), Johan Edfors (Swe), Davis Love, Bubba Dickerson, John Senden (Aus), Robert Garrigus, Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Brandt Snedeker, Robert Rock (Eng); 71: Heath Slocum, Angel Cabrera (Arg), Padraig Harrington (Irl), Jason Day (Aus), Bubba Watson, Brandt Jobe, Bud Cauley, Zach Johnson, Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Charley Hoffman, David May, Christopher Deforest;

72: Shane Lowry (Irl), Harrison Frazar, Matt Kuchar, Peter Uihlein, J.J. Henry, Jeff Overton, Brad Benjamin, Christo Greyling (Rsa), Noh Seung-yul (Kor), Peter Hanson (Swe), Rory Sabbatini (Rsa); 73: Marc Leishman (Aus), Kevin Streelman, Brian Gay, Russell Henley, Paul Casey (Eng), Ernie Els (Rsa), Bill Haas, Scott Piercy, Gary Woodland, Stephen Gallacher (Sco), Retief Goosen (Rsa), Martin Laird (Sco), Todd Hamilton, Ryan Moore, Robert Allenby (Aus), Kenichi Kuboya (Jpn), Kim Do-hoon (Kor);

74: Justin Hicks, Kang Sung-hoon (Kor), Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn), Anthony Kim, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Luke Donald (Eng), Jim Furyk, Adam Scott (Aus), Justin Rose (Eng), Sam Saunders, D.A. Points, John Ellis, Pan Cheng-tsung (Tpe), Michael Putnam, David Toms, Phil Mickelson, Matteo Manassero (Ita), Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan, Chris Wilson;

75: Alex Cejka (Ger), Thomas Levet (Fra), Fred Funk, Michael Campbell (Nzl), Lee Westwood (Eng), Jonathan Byrd, Webb Simpson, Tim Petrovic, Matthew Edwards, Adam Hadwin (Can), Michael Tobiason, Scott Barr (Aus), Patrick Cantlay, Jason Dufner, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Nick Watney, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Ian Poulter (Eng), Briny Baird, Alexander Noren (Swe), Bae Sang-moon (Kor), Brian Locke, Wes Heffernan (Can), Ryan Nelson;

76: Chad Campbell, Marc Turnesa, Greg Chalmers (Aus), Kirk Triplett, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel), Joey Lamielle, Adam Long, Michael Smith, Jesse Hutchins, Bo Van Pelt, Lucas Glover, Kevin Chappell, Jon Mills (Can), Bennett Blakeman, Beau Hossler, Chris Williams; 77: Brad Adamonis, Gregory Havret (Fra), K.J. Choi (Kor), Nick O’Hern (Aus), Zack Byrd, Michael Whitehead, Geoffrey Sisk, Matt Richardson (Eng), Ben Crane, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Camilo Villegas (Col), Brett Patterson, Elliot Gealy;

78: Robert Dinwiddie (Eng), Mark Wilson, David Howell (Eng), Andreas Harto (Den), Steven Irwin; 79: Kim Dae-hyun (Kor), Marcel Siem (Ger), Robert Karlsson (Swe), Will Wilcox, Andres Gonzales, Maarten Lafeber (Hol), Hiroyuki Fujita (Jpn), Scott Pinckney; 80: Kevin Na; 82: David Chung; 83: Michael Barbosa; 84: Ty Tryon.

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Gulf Cup to Be Inaugurated for First Time in Yemen Tonight

Aden - The Gulf Football Cup will be inaugurated officially in Yemen Monday evening by Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The 20th Gulf Cup, hosted in Yemen for the first time since its accession to some GCC institutions nine years ago, will take place from November 21st up to December 5th 2010. The inauguration will also be attended by President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh and President of Eritrea Isaias Afewerki, in addition to heads of the participating delegations in the championship. The Yemeni team will face in the opening the Saudi team, three time champions of the Cup which begun in Bahrain 40 years ago. In the Second match, which will start 10 pm local time (7GMT), Qatar will play Kuwait. Yemen invested almost $1 billion to prepare for the Cup by building new stadiums and Hotels. Yemen''s Interior Minister Mutahar al-Masri said the two-week event involving eight teams from the GCC, Yemen and Iraq will be "100% safe," and the military has deployed extra 30,000 troops to Aden and Abyan. The first Gulf Cup was inaugurated on March 27, 1970, by the Emir of Bahrain with four national teams; Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. It began when the Bahrain Football Association adopted this idea under the chairmanship of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa who travelled as the head of a delegation from Bahrain to Mexico during a session of the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, and introduced the idea to the Stanley Rouse, President of world football body then. In February 1969, Rouse visited Bahrain, where he met the then Governor of Bahrain, Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. Rouse expressed his support and welcomed it strongly on the grounds that the Gulf region did not have the opportunity to participate in any tournaments and international competitions. Rouse agreed upon the establishment of this tournament and the team of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain participated in it. Qatar participated with special exception from the president of FIFA since it was not a member of International Federation of Football during those days but it received a temporary membership to take part in the event. The preliminary meeting for the Gulf Cup was held under the chairmanship of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Football Association on June 19, 1969 in the municipality of Bahrain and in the presence of representatives of associations of the four Gulf states. It was agreed to hold the first Gulf Cup in March 1970 in Bahrain, as the amendable draft was approved. The draft which was approved, included the objectives of the tournament, namely to raise interest in sport, raise the level football in the Gulf states and provide the opportunity for closer ties of fraternity and friendship between the people of the Arabian Gulf. UAE joined the party two years later in 1972, while Oman was participating for the first time in the Kuwait Torment which was held in 1974. In 1976, Iraq participated for the first time and Yemen was for the first time 8 years ago.(QNA)

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Veteran warn youngsters to take it easy

By Ashley Hammond

Dubai: Two veterans of ladies golf have warned youngsters heading into the game to take it easy — in a week when Michelle Wie, who started as a USGA Amateur aged 10, is struggling with a dilapidating back injury. She's just 21.

Laura Davies said, "The trouble is they practice so hard when they are still growing. I'm no doctor or chiropractor but I assume that's when you're doing the damage to your body."

Davies said of Wie, "She's 21 with a really bad back from what I can make out. Christina [Kim] was telling me about it today and it doesn't sound good. If she can afford to take time off to get it right over the years then she'll be fine — but if she's one of those who play 30 times a year she can't do it."

Davies' advise to youngsters coming through the ranks like 15-year-old Alexi Thompson is to learn from Wie and to ease off on golf in order to avoid burnout by 20, "Don't stand on the range every day practicing. When you have a week off have it off — you don't have to play golf all the time just because you're a professional golfer — they wear me out just watching them."

Meanwhile, Trish Johnson's advice was more regarding the mental than physical strains. "After they've played golf with five to six years of traveling they're only 20 years of age, but they've done what most Tour pros have been doing for a long time. That's tough when you have a mental age of their age."

"It's very young mentally. I've seen a lot of good young players and not many have carried it on."

As for Wie, Johnson said, "It's interesting to see what the next few years of her career hold really. She's been subjected to something I certainly wouldn't have liked at that age — that sort of pressure at that age regardless of how much money you're earning is not for me."

"She's been around since she was 13, that's a long time and she hasn't won many tournaments [2] that's not to say she won't but it wouldn't be what I would choose if I had kids," said Johnson.

The earning potential of some of the younger players through endorsements and sponsorships, beyond their actual ability to win a tournament has become something of a running joke on tour with one caddy overheard dubbing Kim In-kyung, ‘Income Kim' instead.

Davies said of such a young introduction for Thompson, "So long as she wants to play, as long as they [her parents] are not pushing her to play. I'm not saying they are. But if she wants to play and compete then why not, as long as it's regulated properly by the parents."

Johnson said of the view that the youngsters are the poster-girls pushing the game forward, "Well they're not really. There's no bigger draw than Laura [Davies]. Do people come to watch Alexi Thompson not yet because no one know's who she is — she's potentially a very good player. But she's not a name she's a kid and people don't associate with kids."

Source: http://gulfnews.com
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Dennis Wins BSB Golf Tournament

By James Kon

Bandar Seri Begawan - Dennis Koh captured the overall gross winner's trophy of the 40th Anniversary renaming of Bandar Brunei to Bandar Seri Begawan Golf Tournament after he finished two shots ahead of the field with 71 gross at the RBA Golf Club yesterday.

His nearest rival, On Sie Lu came in second place with 73 gross and Rijal Hj Kassim was third with 74 gross.

In the Division A category, Hj Azaman Daud was first with 37ocb followed closely by Khairul Kamis (37ocb), Rudy Yussof (37), Chu Vui Kiat (36ocb) and Ak Mukmin Abd Latif (36ocb).

The Division B winner was Abd Kadir bin Abd Ghani (38) followed by Hj Jalalludin Hj Ghazali (37ocb), Sanusi (37), Ahmad Munadi Khairi (36ocb) and Khairul Jamaluddin (36).

In Division C category, Captain Kadam Thapa scored 36 points to win first spot followed by Safrin Mohammad Noor (35ocb), Fung Ah Chan (35) and Yubaraj Tamang (34).

Col (Retired) Hj Abd Aziz Abdullah (37 points) was the winner in the Senior Points category followed by Hj Zainal Daud (35ocb), Yussof Daud (35ocb), Musa Hj Mahadi (35ocb) and Hj Momin Shawal (35),

For the VIP and Sponsor category, Hj Aziz Kassim was the winner with 37 points. Dato Paduka Sa Bali Abas (36ocb) was second followed Md Ali Tuah (36ocb), Chris Tay (36ocb) and Bahrin Md Noor (36).

For the novelty prizes, nearest to the Pin for Hole No 2 went to Hj Aedy, Aminuddin Hl Ali (Hole No 5), Rijal Hj Kassim (Hole No 12), Ajamain Hj Othman (Hole No 14) and Kadir Abd Ghani (Hole No 16).

The guest-of-honour, Dato Paduka Sa Bali bin Abas, the Permanent Secretary of Home Affairs presented the prizes to the winners. Also present was Pg Hj Mohammad Ali Bin Pg Hj Othman, Chairman of Municipal Board. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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Schwartzel sinks fourth career hole-in-one

By Ashley Hammond

Dubai : Charl Schwartzel bagged the fourth hole-in-one of his career from 166 yards on the par-three sixth hole at Jumeirah Golf Estates Earth Course yesterday.

The South African told Gulf News: "It's a great feeling whenever you get a hole-in-one but to get one in a tournament is something special."

Schwartzel's last hole in one came two years ago at the Johannesburg Open, the other two came at his local golf course when he was 10 and 13 years old.

He added of the trick shot: "It was all thanks to Miguel [Angel Jimenez, his partner for Day 1]. I saw him use a six iron and decided to hit a seven. It was probably a yard or so short but where I was standing it looked as though it released perfectly."

Big boost
"I birdied hole two, bogeyed hole three then from nowhere three holes later I got the hole-in-one — it really boosts your day."

Finishing 69 three under par with four birdies, three bogeys plus that now famous hole in one, Schwartzel is now tied for fifth in the Dubai World Championship leaderboard and eighth in the Race to Dubai standings.

Having not been in contention in recent tournaments, despite playing well, Schwartzel is hopeful his luck is on the turn.

"It's a good start for me. I definitely feel there's a low score out there if I can get the putter working I'll really make a low scoring game."

Laughing off the fact he didn't win a prize for his hole-in-one, as cars or yachts are normally fair game for such an achievement, Schwartzel said: "I thought I'd won a car, because there was a car standing to the right of the tee box but yeah you know I'll have to get another one on the17th [where there is a car]"

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Harradine lifts Shaikh Rashid Trophy

Dubai - Michael Harradine kept his cool when it mattered most to win the Shaikh Rashid Trophy, organised by the Emirates Golf Federation, at the Jebel Golf Resort and Spa yesterday.

The 27-year-old defied the stamina-sapping heat and humidity to close with a tidy 73 to go eight-over-par 224 for the tournament which, in the end, was good enough to beat his nearest challenger Daniel Hendry by a good four shots.

Top Saudi golfer Othman Al Mulla made his present felt in the elite field, finishing third on a gross 229, four shots ahead of Abdullah Al Musharrekh, who became the first UAE national to post a podium finish since the inception of the tournament in 1998.

The tournament, sponsored by Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa, turned out be a huge success with almost all leading amateurs in the UAE and a couple of them from overseas contesting for honours at three different courses from the Championship tees.

It was Harradine who held the centre stage on the final day with a solid tee-to-green golf. "It feels great to win this prestigious tournament. Overall, I am very happy the way I played. Conditions were tough, but I managed to keep the ball in play and tried to hit the greens as much possible," he said.

Hendry, who shot a 76 in the final round, had his chances, but a double-bogey on the ninth proved to be crucial in the end.

Not giving any chances
"Michael and I were eight over at that stage, but after that two dropped shots, I just couldn't match pace with him. He really played well thereafter and never gave any chances. Well, beating the heat was another big challenge. Anyway, I am really glad with the second-place finish. No regrets." said the winner of the Emirates Golf Federation's Junior Order of Merit title.

Al Musharrakh, a member of the UAE national team, carded 77 to secure a creditable fourth-place finish. "I think I could have done much better, but made some stupid mistakes. You learn new things every day in golf. The experience of playing three days on the trot will come in handy in the future," he said.

Competition was held in net division with Martin Vertigen of Emirates Golf Federation taking the honours in Division A with back-to-back rounds of 74, just ahead of Hassan Musharrekh (73 and 75). Fred Watts walked away with the Division B title with rounds of 71 and 69.

Adel Zarouni, secretary-general of the Emirates Golf Federation, and Saeed Malek, who represented the Jebel Ali Golf Club owning family, presented the prizes.

"The Shaikh Rashid Trophy will be much bigger and better next year," said Zarouni. "Quite a few players from the UK, Bahrain, Tunisia, Morocco and other countries have already promised to sign up for the event next year. Even though the tournament has returned to domestic circuit after a gap of our years, there was no dearth of enthusiasm."

Scores
Winner (gross): Michael Harradine (Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa) eight over 224 2, Daniel Hendry (Emirates Golf Club) 12 over 228 3. Othman Al Mulla (Saudi Arabia) 13-over 229 4. Abdullah Al Musharrekh (Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club) 17-over 233 5. Douglas Maclennan (Arabian Ranches Golf Club) 18-over 234 Best Net Day 1 (Al Badia Golf Club): Fred Watts net 71 Best Net Day 2 (The Els Club): Fred Watts net 69 Best Gross Day 1 (Al Badia Golf Club: Othman Almulla gross 75 Best Gross Day 2 (The Els Club): Bret Armstrong (Al Badia Golf Club) 73 Division A (scratch to 10 handicap):

Nett winner: Martin Vertigen (Emirates Golf Federation) 74 74 Net runner-up: Hassan Al Musharrekh (Dubai Cree Golf and Yacht Club) 73 75 Division B (11-18 handicap):

Nett winner: Fred Watts (Arabian Ranches Golf Club) Net runner-up: John Watts (Arabian Ranches Golf Club)

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Harradine sets the pace in Order of Merit

Dubai - Michael Harradine of Emirates Golf Club set an early pace in the Emirates Golf Federation's Order of Merit for the 2010-11 season after carving up an impressive victory in the Shaikh Rashid Trophy which ended at the Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa on Saturday.

The 27-year-old golfer, who earned a maximum 30 points for his efforts, has opened up a six-point lead from Daniel Hendry, his fellow club member and the reigning Junior Order of Merit champion, while Abdullah Al Musharrakh is placed third with 22 points — two ahead of Arabian Ranches Golf Club's Douglas McLennan.

Khalid Yousuf, at present representing the UAE in the Eisenhower Trophy, is fifth place with 19 point, going into the Sharjah Wanderers Golf Club Men's Open, the second event on the Order of Merit on November 12 and 13.

"We had a great start to this season Order of Merit, thanks to the overwhelming response to the Shaikh Rashid Trophy," said Saeed Al Budoor, general manger of the Emirates Golf Federation.

"With as many as 12 events on this season's Order of Merit we can expect some intense fight developing before the finale in April. We welcome the addition of the Yas Links Men's Open, The Els Club Open and the Palm Sports Resort Open to the Order of Merit this season."

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Dubai World Championship: Rory ready

Dubai - Rory McIlroy, who finished second to Lee Westwood in the inaugural Race to Dubai last year, believes there is plenty to play for on the final stretch before the season-ending Dubai World Championship presented by DP World at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 25-28.

McIlroy, currently 14th in The Race to Dubai, will return to European Tour action at the WGC - HSBC Champions in Shanghai next week, before playing the final two events on the International Schedule at the UBS Hong Kong Open and the Dubai World Championship.

"This year is a little different with Martin [Kaymer] so far ahead but there is still a lot of money to be played for before we get to Dubai and the guys in the top five or six will still be hoping to get some big results and catch him," said the Northern Irishman.

"We have Valderrama this week, then huge purses at the WGC - HSBC Champions and the Barclays Singapore Open, the UBS Hong Kong Open and then the Dubai World Championship itself where there is big money to be played for in the Bonus Pool. The top 15 is also important for people who want to secure places in Major and World Golf Championships next year, so there is plenty to play for."

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Tiger Woods keen to give back to Thailand

Bangkok - Tiger Woods says he's looking forward to giving something back to Thailand, his mother's home country, when he makes a quick visit for the first time in ten years to play a one-day skins tournament next month.

The November 8 event is part of celebrations to mark King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60th year on the Thai throne.

Woods said in a statement released yesterday by organisers he hopes to "win it all" and sees the event as "a good opportunity to give something back" to Thailand. His last visit was in 2000.

Prize money for the one-day event goes to charities overseen by the 82-year-old king.

Eight birdies
Paul Casey of England, Camilo Villegas of Colombia and Thailand's top player, Thongchai Jaidee, will also compete in the event. In Malaysia, Ricky Barnes fired eight birdies in a faultless 63 to lead the CIMB Asia-Pacific Classic on Thursday by a stroke from fellow American Ryan Moore, adds AFP.

The lanky Californian coped best in the searing heat at the PGA Tour's inaugural event in Southeast Asia, rolling in putt after putt on an impeccable course at Kuala Lumpur's Mines Resort and Golf Club.

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Pagunsan Has Perfect Start in Mercedes-Benz Indonesia

Juvic Pagunsan took the first-round lead in the Mercedes-Benz Masters Indonesia on Wednesday to make the perfect start in his bid to finish the year ranked No. 1.

The Filipino carded an eight-under-par 64 at Emeralda Golf and Country Club to take the lead ahead of Thailand’s Borwon Chaisri, who shot 66.

The $80,000 tournament is the last of the season on the Mercedes-Benz Tour, and Pagunsan heads the Order of Merit with earnings of $22,450.

Pagunsan claimed the Mercedes-Benz Masters Thailand in June by seven strokes and carded a flawless round on Wednesday, making eight birdies.

He played the front nine in five under helped by three birdies in a row from the second.

He also made three on the trot from the 14th.

“That was one of my best rounds of the year. I did not put a foot wrong,” Pagunsan said.

Indonesian No. 1 Rory Hie, whose sole victory since turning professional came in the 2008 International Championship on the Mercedes-Benz Tour, shot an even-par 72.

Rory made an eagle in the par-5 seventh hole and a birdie in the 17th, but hit bogeys in the first, fifth and 15th holes to finish the day tied at 18th with seven others.

Burhan Bora and Johannes Dermawan had the next best score in the Indonesian field coming in at joint 26th with a 73.

In a rare treat for the crowd, two players recorded aces. Thai Atthaphon Prathummanee had a hole in one on the 16th while his countryman Philip Matsson, an amateur, aced the fourth.

Thailand’s Pinsawat Pariwat, the youngest of all amateurs at the age of just 13, fired a very respectable 73. 

Leading first round scores (par 72):

64 - Juvic Pagunsan (PHI)

66 - Borwon Chaisri (THA)

68 - Namchok Tantipokhakul (THA), Antonio Lascuna (PHI). Wittawat Sae-ung (THA), Artemio Murakami (PHI)

69 - Nicholas Fung (MAS), Wisut Artjanawat (THA), Panuwat Muenlek (THA), Mohd Sukree Othman (MAS), Ferdie Aunzo (PHI), Pawin Ingkhapradit (Am) (THA), Atthaphon Prathummanee (THA)

Agence France-Presse

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With Tiger’s Game in Shambles, Players Scramble for PGA Tour Glory

Paramus, New Jersey - The dominance of Tiger Woods becomes even more defined when he can’t beat anyone at all.

In the years when he wasn’t winning a major or three, Woods compensated by winning at least five times on the US PGA Tour against some of the strongest fields on some of the toughest courses.

He won 31 times and six majors in the previous five years.

The only time during that span that Woods did not win USPGA Tour player of the year was in 2008, when he made it through only half the year until his knee gave out.

Padraig Harrington captured the last two majors to win the award. He won four times in six starts, including a US Open.

The FedEx Cup playoffs get under way this week at The Barclays, and Woods is at No. 112 in the standings, right between Bob Estes and Cameron Beckman.

Dominance has given way to parity.

Five players have multiple victories this year — Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Justin Rose and Hunter Mahan — yet none of them has more than two wins, and none of them won a major.

Why has no one filled the void?

“That’s how good Tiger Wood is — that’s what I make of it,” Adam Scott said on Tuesday.

Golf is bunched up at the moment, at least on the US PGA Tour.

“No one has separated themselves,” Mahan said. “Tiger hasn’t won five times. You’ve got a bunch of guys who have won twice.”

In its first three years, the FedEx Cup has provided four great tournaments after the majors were over, and the list of winners backs that up — three wins for Woods; two apiece for Mickelson, Stricker, Vijay Singh and Camilo Villegas; and Heath Slocum as the outsider, but only after beating Woods, Stricker, Harrington and Els on the last hole.

This year — thanks to Woods — it’s a little different.

The four playoff events over the next five weeks will likely decide who is the best player on the US PGA Tour this year. Not only is there no clear-cut favorite for player of the year, it’s hard to determine the front-runner.

Winning the FedEx Cup might be all it takes for Els to be voted player of the year. Then again, it’s mathematically possible for him to do that without winning another tournament. Can a guy get voted best player with only two wins and no majors?

The defining shot of this goofy season was the 6-iron Mickelson hit through the pines on the 13th at Augusta National when he won the Masters.

He is the only major champion in the FedEx Cup because the other three — Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and Martin Kaymer — were not US Tour members.

For the eighth time over the last three months, Mickelson will have yet another chance to replace Woods atop the world ranking. It should have happened by now, as poorly as Woods has performed. Trouble is, Mickelson hasn’t been much better.

He has not finished in the top 10 in the four tournaments he has played since the US Open.

Mahan won in Phoenix, got engaged to a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, then won his first World Golf Championship title at Firestone. He would get consideration with a victory or two in the next month, plus the $10 million prize for the FedEx Cup.

The same holds true for Stricker, Furyk and Rose. Someone needs to separate themselves from the pack.

“I guess there’s a lot of people in the mix,” said Dustin Johnson, who recently lost the PGA Championship for grounding his club harmlessly in a bunker. “But whoever has a good playoffs will probably be the top candidate.” (Doug Ferguson)

Associated Press

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Will Tiger win 18 Major C’ships?

By Dale Dhillon

Tiger Woods has been focused on reaching and possibly breaching the 18 major championship win mark established by Jack Nicklaus since his first major championship win in 1997.

However, Woods has been stuck at 14 major wins since June 2008, when he miraculously hobbled around Torrey Pines, San Diego practically on one leg to win the US Open.

Immediately after that victory he was asked about being four wins away from the record when he said: “Well, only being four back, it’s hard to believe I’m in this situation, you know? It’s hard to believe I’ve had this nice a run in my career. And hopefully it will continue. I’m going to keep practicing, keep trying to grind and get better.”

That was then! He sat out the remaining two major championships of 2008 due to knee surgery and rehabilitation. He’s played in seven majors since and not tasted victory once.

In 2009 he suffered a stunning loss to unheralded Y.E. Yang after holding a two stroke lead going into the final round of the PGA Championship. This was a turning point in his historic domination of major championships.

Tiger appeared numb as he approached the scorer’s tent as his wife Elin and two children looked on. It was surreal to observe a relatively unknown player in Yang steal a major championship right from under Tiger’s nose.

He managed to close 2009 winning the PGA’s year long Fedex Cup along with a king’s ransom of US$10 million. This “king” would have gladly traded his $10 million for a major championship in 2009, a paltry sum compared to his $1 billion in record earnings.

The news that shook the golf world broke before his 35th birthday in December last year. It’s been a sordid saga not to be rehashed here.

Tiger’s doubters however are back in vogue. There are those who say that his multiple knee injuries, surgeries and other physical ailments will stifle his chances of making and breaking Jack’s mark.

Tiger approaches his 36th birthday in December and there is concern that few players have managed to win multiple majors beyond that age. There are some that question his desire to win. I do not believe there is a deficit in desire.

If anything, Tiger knows the best way to redeem himself is to win and there is no better remedy than winning a major championship.

He recently said at the US Open at Pebble Beach his game is coming together: “I feel like I put some pieces together this week. It’s a process. It’s a long process, but I’ve put some of it together, and I hit some shots this week that I haven’t hit in a long time.”

Heading into the British Open (where he finished 23rd) he was asked if after all he’s been through he would change anything in his approach to winning a major.

He said: “Yeah, nothing changes. I know what it takes to be ready, and I know what it takes to win major championships. Just need to get to that point and put it all together at the right time.”

There’s no doubt the roller coaster turmoil in his life has taken a toll on his game. At the AT&T National in Philadelphia recently he failed to break par in 3 consecutive rounds, something he had not done in 12 years.

Yes, the unexpected happens in golf even to Tiger Woods these days. Woods is looking for his elusive 15th major win and will have his final shot in 2010 at The PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin in mid-August. He finished 24th the last time the event was played there in 2004.

He may not win at Whistling Straits but his odds at tying Nicklaus’s record of 18 major wins are still good. He’s finished within striking distance in 4th place in two of the three majors he’s played so far in 2010 amidst all the fanfare.

We must not forget that he has won 14 of the 49 major championships he has played in, which is approximately 29 percent.

Time, however is not his ally. On the other hand he only needs to win ¼ of the 16 majors he plays before he turns 40.

If anyone can do it, it’s Tiger Woods but only if he can make golf his only professional pursuit. Nicklaus, the man that Tiger is pursuing has a different perspective.

When asked about Woods recently he said: “We have no idea what his neck issue is. We have no idea if his knee is bothering him. We have no idea whether he’s got his head screwed on properly because of his private affairs.”

Nicklaus anticipates however that Woods would pass his record if he is able to win at least one major this year. We should get that answer in three weeks.

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Caddy sees no split with Tiger Woods

Steve Williams doesn't believe his job as Tiger Woods' caddie is under any threat, despite media speculation about their 11-year association and concern over the golfer's form.

Williams told New Zealand radio Wednesday that he and Woods remain close friends and there is no possibility their working relationship is about to end.

"I'm sure if there was going to be some sort of parting of the ways, I'd be the first to know," he said. "From my point of view, I don't see any chance of that happening."

Williams said Woods had no plans to change his key personnel, though he has struggled to regain form after taking a break from the PGA Tour amid revelations of marital infidelities.

"People speculate. He's not playing well and his results aren't what we're used to," Williams, of New Zealand, said. "Tiger and I are very good friends and we've been through a tough time. There's no question about that.

"I'm fully supportive of the guy and he's been great through this whole situation with me."

Woods consulted with swing coach Sean Foley at the PGA, but it's unclear whether he will work with him full time.

"He hasn't decided if that's the coach who's going to be with him, but I really like what this new guy had to say and what his theories are," Williams said. "If Tiger decides to stick with Sean, I believe he'll get better. It might take a little while."

Woods finished 28th at last week's PGA Championship in Wisconsin, a week after posting the worst 72-hole total of his career - 18 over par - at the Bridgestone Invitational event in Ohio.

Williams said nobody should rush to the conclusion Woods was losing his ability or his aura.

"At the end of the day, Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods," Williams said. "He's won 14 majors and 71 PGA Tour events. Regardless of what's gone on, you can't take that away from the guy.

"Tiger knows how to win and people know that he knows how to win. When he gets back in the situation where he's playing well again and he's in contention to win, he'll get the job done."

Williams said Woods remained hopeful of being selected by U.S. captain Corey Pavin for the Ryder Cup.

"It's one of the biggest events in the world and anybody that's played in it before always has the desire to play in it again," Williams said. "We've got a couple more weeks to show him (Pavin) that he's playing better."

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Fun-Loving Bubba Watson Gets Serious at Whistling Straits

Sheboygan, Wisconsin - While other players waited out the fog delay on the driving range or putting green, Bubba Watson played games on his phone and threw things at Rickie Fowler while his good friend was trying to sleep.

There are, Watson knows all too well, more important things to get worked up about than a round of golf.

The fun-loving Watson earned a share of the early lead with Francesco Molinari at the PGA Championship on Thursday, shooting a four-under 68. Jason Day of Australia turned in a 3-under 69, and sits one shot off the lead.

Afterward, he choked up talking about the difficult year his family has endured, with his father battling cancer and his wife having a scare of her own.

“It’s kind of emotional now,” he said, stopping several times to compose himself. “The first doctor told us the wrong diagnosis, but we didn’t know that at the time, so it was scary.”

It wasn’t all that long ago that Watson had a different outlook on life. A fan favorite for his booming tee shots and pink-shafted driver, he missed five straight cuts last summer, starting at the British Open.

Usually good-natured, he found himself getting angry every time he stepped on the course.

Finally, his longtime caddie — and good friend — Ted Scott pulled him aside. Watson needed to change his attitude. If not, Scott said, he could find a new caddie.

“When he sat there as a good friend of mine and told me that he was going to quit because of my attitude, you’ve got to change it,” Watson said.

Instead of getting worked up about his game, now Watson puts as big a premium on fun as he does on his driving and putting.

Since arriving at Whistling Straits on Sunday night, Watson and Fowler have been busy tossing the football around and playing basketball.

Of course, if any player could use some off-the-course levity these days, it’s Watson.

When he and his wife were visiting his father during Christmas, Angie Watson checked herself into a hospital with a severe headache.

“She’s a professional athlete who had surgery on knees, shoulder, everywhere possible,” Watson said of his wife, a former WNBA player.

“So when she wants to go to the hospital, I know something’s wrong.”

She wound up only being dehydrated. But doctors told the Watsons that, during the course of their tests, they’d found a tumor in Angie Watson’s pituitary gland.

“Two months went by and we did some more tests — man, this is hard,” Watson said, stopping to compose himself.

Later, doctors told them Angie Watson did not have cancer. Like many taller women, her pituitary gland was enlarged.

When Watson won in Hartford in June, the emotions of everything he’s gone through this last year spilled over.

“When I’ve been angry, my wife has yelled at me a few times and said, ‘Why are you angry? This is what you love to do,’ ” he said.

“When you’re home, when you’re not playing golf, you’re playing golf with all the boys back home. So you love to do this. So why not just go have fun and do it.’ ”

Associated Press

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com
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Woods has good reason to look ahead in US PGA

CHASKA, Minnesota — Tiger Woods barely had a chance to down a post-round bottle of Gatorade Tiger, and already he was thinking ahead. The weather report for Friday's second round in the U.S. PGA Championship was in, and it was clear Woods liked the idea of strong winds raking Hazeltine Country Club while others try to catch him from behind.

By the weekend he should have his plan to win a gold medal in the 2016 Olympics down, too. Woods will be 40 by the time he gets a shot at Olympic glory, but by then he will have long since been declared the greatest golfer ever and it will give him some incentive to get off his yacht and take on a new challenge.

Most in golf would crown Woods right now, if only he would sit still long enough for the coronation. The things he has done for himself and the sport are staggering, but he's not about to name himself the best until he stands on the 18th green somewhere holding major championship trophy No. 19.

The way he cruised through the opening round of the U.S. PGA on Thursday, that time will not be far away.

Hold off on the engraving on the Wanamaker Trophy just for now. This is Minnesota, after all, so there's always a chance for a tornado or a freak August snowstorm to hit.

Barring that or Woods hitting a sleeve of balls into the Hazeltine Lake, though, No. 15 is in the bag.

Woods himself said so after his seemingly effortless 67 on a monster of a course gave him his first lead after the opening round of a major in four years. Well, maybe he didn't come right out and say it, but it doesn't take much to read between the lines.

'When I'm playing well," Woods said, "I usually don't make that many mistakes."

Hopefully, the other players weren't listening. They usually genuflect when Woods walks by anyway, and it wouldn't look good for them to just up and quit before the tournament reaches the weekend.

Actually, one did. John Daly showed up in wild pants, then played some wild golf before claiming a back injury and heading out of town in his custom RV.

The fact is nobody beats Woods when he gets out in front in a major, and he got out in front in this one so early that they barely had time to show him on television. The margin may only be a stroke over Padraig Harrington, but the message his flawless opening round sent made it seem even bigger.

Woods is statistically a stroke a round better than his nearest challenger even in a year he's been making mistakes — and a lot of them. But he didn't make many while winning his last two tournaments and he didn't on this day, hitting fairway after fairway and green after green on his way to five birdies.

There was none of the wildness that plagued him off the tee at the other three majors this year, none of the frustration that cost him a lost weekend at the British Open.

Just cool, collected golf.

"No big tee shots way right or way left or anything like that," playing partner Rich Beem said. "It was easy."

The huge crowds that lined fairways 10 to 20 deep certainly appreciated the effort. Minnesotans love their golf and anyone who appreciates great talent has to love what Woods has done for the sport.

Those behind golf's inclusion in the Olympics have to be loving him even more. Without Woods' enthusiastic endorsement, it's hard to imagine that the sport would have won a recommendation on Thursday from the International Olympic Committee that all but assured golf a spot in the 2016 Games.

Just why Woods likes the idea is easy to see. As the face of the sport he stands to profit most if the Olympics spurs golf to take off in countries like, shall we say, China. He'll get the endorsement contracts and course design deals that will add even more millions to his already fat bank accounts.

But it's more than the money. Jack Nicklaus and his 18 majors were always the target on Woods' bedroom wall growing up in Southern California, but even as great as Nicklaus was, he never won an Olympic gold.

It's one more thing that will separate Woods from Nicklaus, one more conquest that will keep others behind him from ever matching his feats on the golf course.

Source: http://thewebtalk.net
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Woods returns to golf by finishing 4th at Masters

By most standards, Tiger Woods' comeback would be deemed a success. He contended for a fifth Masters title when some wondered if he'd even make the cut. He took a step toward winning back fans who were appalled by the serial cheating on his wife.

Woods didn't see it that way.

He came back to the Masters to win, not just contend. To him, there was no joy and no relief in tying for fourth in his first tournament in five months, only disappointment and frustration.

"That's not what I wanted," Woods said Sunday after finishing five strokes behind Phil Mickelson. "I wanted to win this tournament. As the week wore on, I kept hitting the ball worse."

He had vowed to tone down his emotions, try to smile a little more, acknowledge the fans every now and then. But that even temperament quickly faded as the poor shots piled up. He yelled at himself several times, loud enough for the gallery to hear and the television microphones to pick up. He flipped clubs away in anger.

Afterward, Woods got a bit testy when asked if the new Tiger was still a work in progress.

"I think people are making way too much of a big deal about this thing," he said. "I'm not going to be walking there with a lot of pep in my step because I hadn't hit a good shot yet."

Woods did hit some good shots, of course. The best Sunday was an 8-iron that he holed out from the fairway at No. 7 for an eagle. He followed with back-to-back birdies and made the turn just three strokes out of the lead, looking as though he was ready to make a charge.

But Woods has never come from behind on the final day to win a major, and this one wasn't any different.

Another errant tee shot at the 11th led to a bogey. Then, an inexplicable three-putt from 6 feet ended his hopes at the 14th.

He did bounce back to make an eagle on the par-5 15th, but Mickelson was pulling away at that point. A short birdie putt at the final hole only assured that Woods tied K.J. Choi for fourth place.

"I had another terrible warmup," Woods said. "I didn't have it. And it was pretty evident."

He yanked his opening drive into the adjacent ninth fairway and wound up with a bogey. Two more bogeys followed in the next five holes, and he was on the verge of falling off the leaderboard.

Even though he turned things around before heading to the back side, Woods never felt he was a serious contender.

"I still was pretty far out of it," he said. "The guys were making birdies on the easier holes and for most of the day I was four, five, six back. It's a long way to climb and I was still making mistakes out there. I made too many mistakes."

He seemed a little hard on himself.

But when Woods decided to return to golf at one of the biggest tournaments on the schedule, a place where he had captured four of his 14 career major titles, it was all in for the world's top-ranked player.

He was here for a fifth green jacket. Nothing else was acceptable.

"I entered this event and I only enter events to win," said Woods, whose wife Elin did not attend the tournament. "I didn't get it done. I didn't hit the ball good and I made too many mistakes around the greens. Consequently, I'm not there."

This was Woods' first tournament since November. A Thanksgiving night car crash had ripped his personal life apart, revealing a golfer with an impeccable reputation who was actually leading a sordid double life.

For a while mistresses were coming forward on an almost daily basis. Woods went into hiding and tried to figure out how to save his marriage. He even checked into rehab for 45 days, hoping to learn how it all went wrong, a process of self-examination that he admits revealed plenty of flaws.

Despite his disappointment Sunday, Woods clearly made the right personal decision to make his return at Augusta; it exhibits more control over ticketing and media credentials than any other tournament. Everyone expected the fans would be polite, and they seemed to warm to Woods as the week went on. The muted applause got louder and louder when it became apparent he would be a contender.

It might be different at future tournaments, where the crowds are rowdier and the tabloid media may have more success gaining access.

Woods is more concerned about getting his game in shape.

"Other than my backswing going bad and my downswing going bad, it wasn't too bad," he griped.

Woods said he's not sure when he'll play again, but the next stop in his comeback figures to be the Quail Hollow Championship, which begins April 29 in Charlotte, North Carolina. That would give him a tuneup for the Players Championship the following week, considered the biggest event on the PGA Tour outside of the four majors.

"I'm going to take a little time off," is all Woods would say, "and kind of re-evaluate things."

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com
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Woods will still be "terrifick," says Obama

Miami - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he was sure scandal-hit Tiger Woods will still be a "terrific golfer" when he returns to competition at next month`s Masters tournament.

In an interview with the Fox News Channel, Obama was asked his thoughts on Woods` decision to return to golf at the event.

Woods has not played in a tournament since November last year after disappearing from public view following tabloid revelations about his marital infidelities.

"I think that Tiger has acknowledged that he betrayed his family; that is a personal issue that he has got to work out," said Obama, himself a keen golfer.

"I hope they`ve worked it out and I am sure he is still going to be a terrific golfer."
Obama was due to host a St. Patrick`s Day party on Wednesday with Irish golfer Padraig Harrington among the guests.

Source: http://www.antara.co.id
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