'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."