Friday, August 30, 2013

'Asia's John Daly' makes splash at PGA Championship


'Asia's John Daly' makes splash at PGA Championship

Frank Pingue August 8, 2013







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Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat tees off on the 11th hole during the first round of the 2013 PGA Championship …


By Frank Pingue

ROCHESTER, New York (Reuters) - He is known as Asia's version of John Daly but little-known Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand made a name for himself by storming into contention at the PGA Championship on Thursday.

The 24-year-old's hefty physique and big-hitting, go-for-broke style of play have drawn comparisons to that of Daly and he lived up to the billing, finishing his opening round three shots ahead of world number one Tiger Woods.

Aphibarnrat, who changed his name for good luck and gave up car racing three years ago to appease his worried mother, showed no nerves while playing in only his second major, where he hopes to improve on his missed cut at last month's British Open.

"It was great golf for me and a good start for my second major," Aphibarnrat told reporters after carding a two-under-par 68 at sunny Oak Hill Country Club.


"I was doing good in the (British) Open but struggled in the second round. I was a bit nervous, but I have learned from the experience of that major and will just try to work it out on the game tomorrow."

Calling car racing too dangerous, Aphibarnrat decided to give up the sport after four years, a decision that sent his pleased mother into tears of joy on her birthday.

But the adrenaline Aphibarnrat enjoyed while racing Subaru Imprezzas in Thailand has not carried over to the golf course, where he has recorded one victory on the European Tour and two wins on his home Asian Tour.

"It's a big difference," said Aphibarnrat, who won the Malaysian Open in March. "All sports are the same, you have to focus, but golf and racing are different. Golf is like shot by shot but racing you have to go and go, it's more intense."

Aphibarnrat, who started golfing when he was eight and is one of the most exciting young players to emerge from Thailand, welcomes the comparisons to Daly, who won the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Indiana.
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Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat reacts after his birdie on the 10th green during the first round of …


"I played with him a couple of times and I am really proud with that (comparison)," said Aphibarnrat. "He is one of the PGA Championship winners as well and it's my pleasure if I can hear comparisons."

Aphibarnrat, known previously as Anujit Hirunratanakorn, changed his name about seven years ago, a ploy in Thailand which he said is seen by many as a viable way to change one's luck.

He may need a lot of luck to emulate Daly's unlikely PGA Championship victory at Crooked Stick, where the burly American triumphed by three strokes after being the ninth alternate in the build-up to the tournament.

"I don't want to force myself a lot," said Aphibarnrat, who was greeted warmly by the gallery at the 18th hole as he lumbered his way onto the green.

"Just stick to the game plan and keep it on the fairway and give me a lot of chances to putt."

(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

Van Pelt pulls out of Oak Hill with a hip injury


Van Pelt pulls out of Oak Hill with a hip injury

August 8, 2013







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Bo Van Pelt of the U.S. watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the final round of the Wells Fargo …



ROCHESTER, New York (Reuters) - American Bo Van Pelt withdraw from the PGA Championship on Thursday with a hip injury after battling his way to a 10-over-par 80 in the opening round at Oak Hill Country Club.

Van Pelt, whose only PGA Tour victory came at the 2009 Milwaukee Championship, was making his eighth appearance in the season's final major.

The 38-year-old's best PGA Championship finish was a tie for 17th in the 2005 edition at Baltusrol.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)

DSA recipient Trevino grateful for PGA of America


DSA recipient Trevino grateful for PGA of America

PGA.COM August 8, 2013







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PGA of America President Ted Bishop presents Lee Trevino with the PGA Distinguished Service Award.(Montana …


ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Lee Trevino's rags-to-riches journey, which inspired and energized American golf, was launched in 1967. That was the year Trevino received a PGA of America membership card, allowing him access into a world that opened up countless doors.

The recipient of the 2013 PGA Distinguished Service Awardon Wednesday night, Trevino reinforced his appreciation for those who helped him open that first door.

"It's hard to put into words what The PGA of America has meant to me," said Trevino, before an audience of more than 1,000 at the Rochester Convention Center. "They gave me my life. To get to where you want to be, you got to have some help."

Trevino paid tribute to PGA Life Member Bill Eschenbrennerof El Paso, Texas, who took the lead in helping Trevino secure his PGA membership card. Once secured, Trevino was on his way to building his golf career.

"I have never forgotten what The PGA did to help me," said Trevino. "The PGA gave me a shot with that card, and I worked hard for that card."


Trevino said the PGA Distinguished Service Award "has excited me almost as much as anything I've ever done -- except marrying a lovely lady."

Trevino went on to win 89 events worldwide, including six major championships, served as the 1985 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain, and lead a private, yet active philanthropic life. As he attempted to balance his success and the attention that comes with it, Trevino said that he worked for so many manufacturers over the years.

However, he never did any commercial promotion for any product that was not in a golf shop. "The PGA, my family, works in golf pro shops," said Trevino.

Borrowing from Paul Harvey's classic 1978 commentary, "So God Made a Farmer," Trevino said, "When the Lord was asked to fill jobs, he had a list. He said, 'I need someone who will go to work at daylight, to close at dark; to work on holidays; to work on weekends; who will be a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a doctor, a referee; an agronomist and a Rules official.' The Lord said, "Oh, what the Hell, that's easy, we will make him a golf professional. That's who we will put in that job."

Trevino said that his PGA brethren are "special."

"But, let me tell you something. You may think you are special for getting up early and helping make 500 members happy, but I want to tell you that your wives are the ones that are special. They are the ones that put up with all that you do in the business. They do everything for you. You are lucky to have a woman next to you who can give you that support."

Following Trevino's remarks, PGA of America President Ted Bishop said that "The PGA of America could not be more proud to give this award to you, because you are truly one of us."

The PGA Distinguished Service Award, inaugurated in 1988, honors outstanding individuals who display leadership and humanitarian qualities, including integrity, sportsmanship and enthusiasm for the game of golf. It is The PGA of America's highest annual honor.

About The PGA of America Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.

Furyk pleased, not surprised, with strong opener


Furyk pleased, not surprised, with strong opener

PGA.COM August 8, 2013







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Jim Furyk put a little body English on his approach shot to the eighth green on Thursday.(Getty Ima …


By T.J. Auclair, PGA.com Interactive Producer

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Over the course of a very successfulPGA Tour career, Jim Furyk has amassed 19 top-10 finishes in major championships.

Remarkable, no doubt, but one gets the feeling Furyk is too good to have won just a single major - the 2003 U.S. Open - based on his consistency.

On Thursday, in the first round of the 95th PGA Championship, Furyk was impressive, firing a 5-under 65 - despite a bogey on the ninth hole, his last of the day - to take the early clubhouse lead.

"Obviously I'm pleased with the round," said Furyk, whose 65 was his best opening round in a PGA Championship and one shy of the Oak Hill course record. "I really felt in control this morning. It was nice to get off to a good start with a birdie on No. 10 (his first hole of the day). I knocked in a nice putt from about six feet and then knocked in a good par putt on No. 11.

"I got off to a good start with the putter. I had some testy 4-, 5-, 6-footers to start the day and was able to knock a bunch of those in and get some rhythm with my putter. That eased some tension with the rest of my game, as well. I hit a bunch of fairways today, controlled my iron shots very well. I hit 15 greens. I felt good with the putter, so it's a fun day when stuff like that happens."

Following a perfect tee shot on the 10th hole - his first of the day - Furyk stuffed an 8-iron approach to set up an 8-foot birdie try that he would covert for a fast start.

Furyk grabbed his second birdie of the day at the par-4 16th hole after holing a 40-footer and followed it up with a rare tap-in birdie on the nearly 500-yard, par-4 18th hole to make the turn in 3 under.

"Any time you get a tap-in at No. 18, that's always fun," he said.

Furyk holed birdie putts from inside of 10 feet on Nos. 1 and 4. His final birdie of the day came at No. 7. Furyk hit a hybrid off the tee that didn't travel quite as far as he anticipated. Instead of having a 5- or 6-iron in for his approach, Furyk had a 4-iron.

That proved to be no problem for Furyk. He hit the 4-iron to within 15 feet of the hole and knocked in the putt.


The lone blemish for Furyk in Round 1 was that bogey on his final hole. He sent his tee shot right into some heavy rough and was forced to chip back out into the fairway.

"Usually you're disappointed ending the day with a bogey, but you know, a 65 at the PGA isn't so bad," Furyk said. "I'm feeling pretty good about today."

To say Furyk likes Oak Hill might be an understatement. As has been the theme all week, this is a ball striker's course. With the fairways as narrow as they are, the longer hitters can't be quite as aggressive as they'd like.

That's setting up well for a player like Furyk, who isn't quite the longest hitter, but an accurate one.

"The way they set the golf course up, they have pinched the fairways longer off the tee, and 18 is a pretty prime example in that it's a hole that's close to 500 yards and I'm hitting 3-wood off the tee, and then 4-iron for my second shot, because I felt like that was the best opportunity to get the ball in the fairway," he said. "You know, you can hit driver if you wanted to, but the fairway becomes about two thirds the size, for me. So, yeah, I can see I guess my one thing, it's easier to get a 3-wood in the fairway than it is a driver and it's easier to get 2-iron in the fairway than a 3-wood, still, there's got to be some advantage to being long. It's not the leaps and bounds, but rarely do we ever go to a major championship where the golf course is wide open and they just let you flail away and hit it again. It's not that common."

Furyk's solid play on Thursday shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Since missing the cut at the Open Championship, Furyk has tied for ninth in each of his last two starts - the RBC Canadian Open and last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Furyk is happy with his play lately, but that missed cut at the Open to go along with a missed cut at the U.S. Open certainly stung.

"I felt like I played a couple good events in there from the Masters to the British, but never really strung four rounds together, or always had a lapse in the middle of the day that maybe ruined a round, but I did play some decent events in there," Furyk said. "Also, missing the cut poorly at the U.S. Open and missing the cut poorly in the British Open are probably the thorns in my side."

The putter also seems to be coming around for Furyk lately. While a finicky short stick might be maddening for most, Furyk was never overly concerned by his putting woes.

"I feel like putting, even at your most hopeless point, even when you're out there on the course and you're really struggling, we've all been there before every player has been in that position before," Furyk said, "sometimes it takes a day; sometimes it takes a week; sometimes it takes a month, but eventually you get the putter in your hand and it feels great one day. It felt great today.

"That doesn't mean it's going to feel great tomorrow, and whatever. But I feel like I'm moving in the right direction, and I've always had a lot of confidence in my game and my short game has always been a strength. But putting is streaky. And I feel like I'm a very streaky putter at times where I've had some really good moments in my career, and I think great years with the putter, and I've also had my struggles, as well. But I think if you're out here for 20 years, you're going to go through that."

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Mickelson 'not going to worry about' poor PGA showing

Mickelson 'not going to worry about' poor PGA showing

PGA.com 
Mickelson 'not going to worry about' poor PGA showing
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Phil Mickelson spent too much time on the beaten path to be a factor at the PGA Championship.(Edward …
By Stan Awtrey, PGA.com Contributor
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Phil Mickelson completed a week that he would rather forget. He didn't go from first at the Open Championship to last at the PGA Championship, but he came closer than he would like.
Mickelson finished with a 72 on Sunday, leaving him at 12-over 292 for the week. It was his worst performance at the PGA since 2009, when he shot 12-over and finshed 73rd at Hazeltine.
"I didn't play well the last two weeks," Mickelson said. "I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to go home and take a few weeks off, get my short game sharp and start back up in four or five days for the FedEx Cup. I'm not going to worry too much about it."
It likely cost him a chance to be the 2013 Player of the Year. At the very least it was a disappointing conclusion to a summer season that saw him with the Scottish Open and the Open Championship in consecutive weeks.
Mickelson was upbeat Sunday when he finished. He got cleaned up and headed for the front entrance of the Oak Hill clubhouse and signed autographs before getting his car and leaving for home.
The No. 2 ranked player in the world just missed by three shots playing by himself in the first group off the tee. Instead he was paired with Stephen Gallacher of Scotland, only the second time they had played together. Gallacher said Mickelson was good company and enjoyable to play with and the galleries were spirited as usual. But Gallacher admitted if he was going to play with Mickelson on the final day of a major, "I'd rather it be at the sharp end than the blunt end."
Mickelson's front nine was a disaster again. It included a triple bogey at No. 5 and a double bogey at No. 7 en route to a 39. He steadied things with two birdies on the back to close in 33.
The high numbers bothered Mickelson all week. He had four double bogeys and two triple bogeys over 72 holes. The 461-yard par-4 seventh hole was problematic all week; he played that hole in a cumulative six over par.
Accuracy off the tee derailed Mickelson at Oak Hill. He hit only 28 of 56 fairways.
Mickelson will take next week off. He plans to schedule a date with wife Amy. He'll return for the Barclays, the first event of the FedEx Cup playoffs, in two weeks.

Golf-Tiger lacks bite at year's final shot to end major drought

Golf-Tiger lacks bite at year's final shot to end major drought

Reuters 
By Frank Pingue
 ROCHESTER, New York, Aug 11 (Reuters) - There was a period in his career when it seemed only a matter of time before Tiger Woods would accomplish his lifetime goal of winning a record 19 major championships.
But after concluding the PGA Championship well back of the leaders on Sunday, the 14-times major winner ensured his drought at golf's elite events will spill into a once-unthinkable sixth year.
 "Didn't seem to hit it as good and didn't make many putts until the last few holes today," said Woods, whose even-par 70 left him at four-over for the tournament.
"But I didn't give myself many looks and certainly didn't hit the ball good enough to be in it."
Critics will point to Woods's barren run at the majors since his U.S. Open triumph in 2008 as a sign that his best golf is behind him, but the world number one has nine top-10 finishes in the 18 majors he has competed in since then.
That includes a tie for fourth at the Masters in April and a share of sixth place at last month's British Open, results that convince Woods he has no reason to panic about his form in the top events.
"Is it concerning? No. As I've said, I've been there in half of them. So that's about right," Woods said.
"If you are going to be in there three-quarters or half of them with a chance to win on the back nine, you have just got to get it done."
Woods got it done in brilliant fashion at last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, romping to a seven-shot victory that made him an overwhelming favourite at Oak Hill, site of the year's final major.
But surprisingly, Woods was essentially out of contention by the midway point of the PGA Championship, where he failed to break par in any of four rounds.
In fact, Woods was so far down the leaderbaord after three rounds that he signed off on Sunday nearly an hour before the leaders even teed off.
Outside of golf's four majors, it has been yet another great year for the 37-year-old world number one, who is the only player with five PGA Tour wins this season.
When Woods arrives at Augusta in April for the next major tournament on the schedule, he will be 38. The only player to win five majors after turning 38 is Ben Hogan.
For Woods, being out of contention at a major is a tougher pill to swallow than falling just short down the stretch.
"It's more frustrating not being in it. Having a chance on the back nine on Sunday, I can live with that," said Woods, who was three-over for the day after nine holes on Sunday before a trio of back-nine birdies brought him back to even par.
"It's always frustrating going out there, and I'm three-over today ... and I'm grinding my tail off coming in just to shoot even par for the day. And I'm nowhere in it. That's tough.
"I'd much rather have it like at Augusta or at the British when I have a chance."

Tiger lacks bite at year's final shot to end major drought

Tiger lacks bite at year's final shot to end major drought

Reuters 
Woods walks to the first tee during the final round of the 2013 PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester
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Tiger Woods of the U.S. walks to the first tee during the final round of the 2013 PGA Championship golf …
By Frank Pingue
ROCHESTER, New York (Reuters) - There was a period in his career when it seemed only a matter of time before Tiger Woods would accomplish his lifetime goal of winning a record 19 major championships.
But after concluding the PGA Championship well back of the leaders on Sunday, the 14-times major winner ensured his drought at golf's elite events will spill into a once-unthinkable sixth year.
"Didn't seem to hit it as good and didn't make many putts until the last few holes today," said Woods, whose even-par 70 left him at four-over for the tournament.
"But I didn't give myself many looks and certainly didn't hit the ball good enough to be in it."
Critics will point to Woods's barren run at the majors since his U.S. Open triumph in 2008 as a sign that his best golf is behind him, but the world number one has nine top-10 finishes in the 18 majors he has competed in since then.
That includes a tie for fourth at the Masters in April and a share of sixth place at last month's British Open, results that convince Woods he has no reason to panic about his form in the top events.
"Is it concerning? No. As I've said, I've been there in half of them. So that's about right," Woods said.
"If you are going to be in there three‑quarters or half of them with a chance to win on the back nine, you have just got to get it done."
Woods got it done in brilliant fashion at last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, romping to a seven-shot victory that made him an overwhelming favorite at Oak Hill, site of the year's final major.
But surprisingly, Woods was essentially out of contention by the midway point of the PGA Championship, where he failed to break par in any of four rounds.
In fact, Woods was so far down the leaderbaord after three rounds that he signed off on Sunday nearly an hour before the leaders even teed off.
Outside of golf's four majors, it has been yet another great year for the 37-year-old world number one, who is the only player with five PGA Tour wins this season.
When Woods arrives at Augusta in April for the next major tournament on the schedule, he will be 38. The only player to win five majors after turning 38 is Ben Hogan.
For Woods, being out of contention at a major is a tougher pill to swallow than falling just short down the stretch.
"It's more frustrating not being in it. Having a chance on the back nine on Sunday, I can live with that," said Woods, who was three-over for the day after nine holes on Sunday before a trio of back-nine birdies brought him back to even par.
"It's always frustrating going out there, and I'm three‑over today ... and I'm grinding my tail off coming in just to shoot even par for the day. And I'm nowhere in it. That's tough.
"I'd much rather have it like at Augusta or at the British when I have a chance."

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Stanford's Rodgers advances in US Amateur

Stanford's Rodgers advances in US Amateur

AP - Sports
BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) -- Stanford's Patrick Rodgerssurvived a playoff Wednesday to advance to match play, then beat Sean Dale 3 and 2 of Jacksonville, Fla., in the first round of the U.S. Amateur at The Country Club.
Rodgers, the 21-year-old Avon, Ind., player who will represent the U.S. next month in the Walker Cup, will face England's Greg Eason in the second round
I would rather just have gotten through clean in stroke play, that would have been really nice,'' said Rodgers, who tied for 15th last month in the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic. ''But it's all part of this tournament. There's almost 250 players that get cut, so it's a tough cut to make and I had some adversity this week and that won't be the last time.''
Rodgers overcame a lot of problems to reach match play.
''My group got a stroke penalty for slow play on the first day, I got a ball stuck in a tree and I triple-bogeyed my third-to-last-hole yesterday and made a 30-footer to get in the playoff,'' Rodgers said.
One of five players already named to the 10-man Walker Cup team, Rodgers was the only one who made it to match play. Max Homa, Michael Kim, Justin Thomas and Cory Whitsett failed to make the cut.
''It's disappointing to see that they missed but I'm sure they'll be ready,'' Rodgers said.
Eason beat 2012 runner-up Michael Weaver of Fresno, Calif., 3 and 2.
Qualifying medalists Neil Raymond of England and Brady Watt of Australia advanced on the windy day. Raymond, trying to become the first English winner since Harold Hilton in 1911, edged Jason Anthony of Fairfeld, Calif., 1 up, and Brady topped Sean Walsh of Keller, Texas, 5 and 3.
Jordan Niebrugge, the Oklahoma State player from Mequon, Wis., who swept the U.S. Amateur Public Linksand Western Amateur, dropped out, falling 1 up to Seth Reeves of Duluth, Ga.
Brandon Hagy, the lone member of the talented five-man University of California team to survive the cut and a semifinalist last year, advanced with a 19-hole victory over Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia.
Gouveia, an Amateur quarterfinalist last year, made a 30-foot putt on 18 to force the extra hole, but Nagy won with a par on the first extra hole.
''I'm the last Bear in the field,'' he said. ''I'm confident in match play. I'm right there and just got to keep doing what I'm doing.''

Wie in the spotlight again as a Solheim pick

Wie in the spotlight again as a Solheim pick

AP - Sports
Wie in the spotlight again as a Solheim pick
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PARKER, Colo. (AP) -- Michelle Wie hasn't won a tournament in three years. She didn't come close to earning a spot on the Solheim Cup. Being a captain's pick for the second time on the last three American teams stood out even more this year because one of the players left out won on the LPGA Tour this year.
This would seem to be a good time to do whatever she can to blend in at Colorado Golf Club.
Except for the socks.
Wie added her own touch to the U.S. uniform of a khaki skirt, red shirt and a blue cap. She showed up on the practice range with knee-high socks of red-and-white stripes capped off by a thick blue stripe with white stars.
''It's a bit patriotic,'' Wie said Wednesday. ''I just kind of accumulate things over the year. I see things and I'm like, 'Oh, that would be great for Solheim Cup.' And I just brought them out.''
It's far more important that she bring out her very best game as the Americans try to stay perfect on home soil and win back the Solheim Cup from Europe.
U.S. captain Meg Mallon met with Wie at St. Andrews after the Women's British Open to tell her she was on the team. The next thing she told Wie - after the 23-year-old from Hawaii stopped crying - was to not think of herself as a wild-card selection, but one of 12.
''It's tough being a captain's pick,'' Mallon said. ''There's a lot of pressure that players put on themselves being a pick.''
Then again, that's a big reason why she took Wie.
Few other golfers have received so much attention for winning so little. Wie first was recognized in golfing circles when she was a 12 and blasted 270-yard tee shots during a Pro-Junior event at the Sony Open alongside PGA Tourplayers. Scrutiny followed a short time later, and it has been relentless.
Some of it was grounded in jealously. Without having won a tournament, Wie still attracted the largest galleries and the richest endorsement contracts. Some of it was grounded in reality. Wie spent her teen years trying to play against the men - PGA Tour events, even U.S. Open qualifying - without ever showing she could beat the women.
If there is additional pressure as a captain's pick, who better to handle it?
''She lives on this stage almost every day that she plays,'' Mallon said. ''So walking into this environment is not going to affect her. I needed another player like that on the team. I had three rookies already. And like I said earlier, do I want five to six birdies a day at home sitting on the couch? So for me, that was a pretty easy decision.''
The hard part falls to Wie.
She has a 4-3-1 record in two appearances, including a 3-0-1 mark in her debut in 2009 outside Chicago when she also was a captain's pick. Wie went 1-3 two years ago in Ireland, losing to Suzann Pettersen in singles on the 18th hole in a European victory.
There is reason for skepticism when Mallon says she didn't want to leave ''five or six birdies'' at home on the couch. Wie has never been a great putter, and it has been several years since she was considered among the longest hitters.
Now, her putting is noticed for the peculiar stance. She struggled so badly late last year that she tried stooping her 6-foot frame so that her back is perpendicular to the ground and her eyes are directly above the ball. It looks funny. It looks painful. But it works.
''I always felt a little bit uncomfortable being tall putting,'' Wie said. ''And I was just like, 'OK, I'll go down lower to the ground. And I made every single putt coming in. And then I went to Dubai and I did the same thing there. I putted a lot better.''
As for the stance?
''A lot of people have asked me how my back is, if my back hurts,'' she said. ''But it actually feels a lot better doing that for me. Because I'm flexible, it's easier.''
Mallon is more interested in numbers than appearance.
She said Wie has gone from 147th in putting a year ago to 37th this year. Mallon also said Colorado Golf Club is more of a second-shot course. Wie has been wild off the tee, but the fairways here are exceptionally wide.
''Her trouble has nothing to do with approach shots, and her short game is one of the best we have on our tour,'' Mallon said. ''This golf course, players will need lot of creativity. So I knew this was a very good fit for her.''
Mallon gave Wie one other piece of advice. Don't bother reading any stories about the captain's picks.
The pick smacked of yet another dose of entitlement for Wie, even suggestions that she was chosen solely for television ratings. Remember, this is the kid who was given an exemption to the U.S. Women's Open when she was 14, and who was the first amateur to play in the LPGA Championship as a teen.
Wie, who graduated last year from Stanford with a degree in communications, quit reading long ago. And despite facing criticism at such a young age, she has shown remarkable maturity in not fighting back. The high road comes naturally.
''It's just the way my parents raised me,'' she said. ''My mom always said - and I know it's a cliche - 'If you have nothing nice to say, then say nothing.' Everyone has their reasons for saying things and everyone is entitled to it. I always try to think the best of everyone. It does hurt when I hear things. But if I don't have something nice to say, I'm not going to say it. That's how I work.''