Arnold Palmer to Play Pro-Am with Grandson Sam Saunders on Web.Com Tour

Arnold Palmer to Play Pro-Am with Grandson Sam Saunders on Web.Com Tour











Ryan Ballengee May 14, 2013 8:13 PM



COMMENTARY | It's going to be a grand affair on Saturday on the Web.com Tour.



Arnold Palmer will play in the pro-am of this week's BMW Charity Pro-Am in South Carolina with grandson Sam Saunders, according to a source close to the situation.



Palmer will replace Saunders' originally scheduled pro-am partner, "The Voice" winner Javier Colon, who will be unable to play the final day for the amateurs as he is performing that day at the tournament. The event is contested over 72 holes, with the 168-player field split among three courses before a cut is made to the top 60 and ties for the Sunday finale.



The King will already be in town to reveal news of a golf complex at The Reserve at Lake Keowee near Greenville, S.C. A Jack Nicklaus-designed course, built at The Reserve in 2002, is one of the three 18-hole tracks in the rotation for the tournament. The Palmer complex has been on the table for several years, with developers waiting until it made financial sense to build it.



Saunders played his collegiate golf at Clemson, however, he left before his senior season to turn pro in 2009. The now-25-year-old played just once on the Web.com Tour in '09, then split time between the Web.com Tour and PGA Tour for the next two years, with his best PGA Tour finish being a T-15 at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Saunders played his first full season on the Web.com Tour last season.



In 2012, Saunders finished 50th on the money list, falling 25 spots shy of earning his PGA Tour card for 2013. He posted his second-best finish of the year at the BMW Charity Pro-Am last season, finishing T-5. His co-runner-up finish at the Utah Championship was his best effort of the year.



Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Follow him on Twitter @RyanBallengee.

Tiger Woods Given All-Clear by Other TPC Sawgrass Marshals

Tiger Woods Given All-Clear by Other TPC Sawgrass Marshals











Ryan Ballengee May 15, 2013 12:04 PM






COMMENTARY | Pulling a club from a golf bag should be a simple act. The story behind Tiger Woods' club pulling on the second hole of the third round at The Players Championship, however, has gotten even more complicated.



What began as a he-said-he-said situation between Woods and Day 3 playing partner Sergio Garcia then expanded to include the testimony of a pair of volunteer marshals, delivering their view of the situation to Sports Illustrated.



Tuesday marked an
other twist in the story, as a separate marshal duo spoke with the Florida Times-Union, offering a different perspective.





First, to play catch-up for those not already immersed in this soap opera: Woods and Garcia hit their tee shots to the par-5 second on Saturday. Garcia found the fairway. Woods found the, well, woods and pine straw.



After some delay, Garcia decided to play first, pulling a fairway wood. Just before Garcia struck his shot, the sound of light applause emanated from where Woods was. The Spaniard's shot flared way right, leading to a bogey. Garcia claimed Woods pulled his fairway wood to attempt a risky hook shot through the trees as he was preparing to hit.



Woods absolved himself, saying volunteer marshals told him Garcia had hit.



"The marshals, they told me he already hit, so I pulled a club and was getting ready to play my shot, and then I hear his comments afterward and it's not real surprising that he's complaining about something," Woods said.



The marshals quoted in the Sports Illustrated story said mum was the Woods word, making the world No. 1 seem like he lied. Note that Woods said nothing about asking marshals for that information. Video footage showed dubious timing on Woods' part, but that he also wasn't looking Garcia's way for his cue like he probably should have.



Woods' version, however, has been somewhat corroborated by Brian Nedrich and Lance Paczkowski.



Nedrich told the Times-Union he was the one who green-lighted Woods, calling off Paczkowski, who was about to hush the crowd to give Garcia the courtesy silence to hit his shot.



"That's when I yelled back at Lance, 'No ... he's already hit,' " Nedrich said, according to the report. "Tiger had already taken his club, but we did tell him that Sergio had hit."



So, it's a matter of timing. Woods was told Garcia had hit, but Tiger had already pulled his club. Obviously Woods was not going to hit at the same time as his playing partner.



Now that six different people have offered their version of events, maybe it's best to rely on the video footage. Looking at side-by-side camera footage of the pair run at the same time, it's clear that Woods does not look toward Garcia before pulling his club. Meanwhile, Garcia is ready to swing as fans begin to clap. Woods' caddie Joe Lacava raises his hand, seeming to look to quiet the crowd gathered around his man.



In the end, it seems Woods may have gotten the order of events wrong in recounting the situation to the media after play closed on Saturday. Both marshals in the Times-Union piece do not consider that lying.



"Tiger Woods did not lie," Paczkowski said. "Was there a small mistake in what he remembered? Yes. But I don't think it rises to the level of lying."



Perhaps it was a Roger Clemens moment of "misremembering" the finer details, but Woods was nowhere near Garcia when the Spaniard plunked two in the water at the par-3 17th in the final round. Those were the strokes that mattered most anyhow.



Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Follow him on Twitter @RyanBallengee.

Game Over: EA pulls plug on college football video game

Game Over: EA pulls plug on college football video game
Posted by Kevin McGuire on September 26, 2013, 5:35 PM EDT


Perhaps destined for this decision, Electronic Arts has announced the cancellation of the popular NCAA Footballvideo game franchise for the upcoming year. The video game giant is caught in the middle of an ongoing legal dispute concerning the NCAA and former college players and had already lost the license to use the NCAA brand as well as multiple conferences and a couple of schools. In this case, the writing was on the wall.

The announcement gamers have been dreading was delivered Thursday afternoon vie a press release by Cam Weber, GM of American Football at EA Sports.

“Today I am sad to announce that we will not be publishing a new college football game next year, and we are evaluating our plan for the future of the franchise,” Weber said. “This is as profoundly disappointing to the people who make this game as I expect it will be for the millions who enjoy playing it each year.”

Weber cites the dispute between players and the NCAA over player likenesses, one in which EA has been criticized for using without any form of compensation for players represented in the game aside from the annual cover athlete. In addition, Weber says

“For our part, we are working to settle the lawsuits with the student-athletes,” Weber said. “Meanwhile, the NCAA and a number of conferences have withdrawn their support of our game. The ongoing legal issues combined with increased questions surrounding schools and conferences have left us in a difficult position – one that challenges our ability to deliver an authentic sports experience, which is the very foundation of EA SPORTS games.”

The production team that works on the video game will be placed elsewhere under the EA Sports division of Electronic Arts, but there will be no college football-themed video game released next summer. The college football franchise has been released every year dating back to 1993 on the Super Nintendo and SEGA Genesis. When introduced, the game used Bill Walsh to headline the franchise and was a bit ahead of its time. The game featured only a relatively small number of teams that resembled actual college teams but included a playoff system long before the adoption of the actual College Football Playoff. Walsh’s namesake was used to sell the franchise in similar fashion to John Madden and the NFL franchise, but the franchise was soon named College Football USA before switching to NCAA Football.

EA Sports has long been the only producer of a college football game. 2k Sports had two college football titles released in 2001 and 2002, but the company has slowly been phased out by EA Sports in the sports video game market. Will we eventually see another college football game released on our video game consoles? Probably. This is probably not a long-term or permanent solution, but until the NCAA, conferences, schools and players all start playing under a system that allows for players to be compensated we have probably seen the last college football game for a while. The demand will always be there as well as the target audience, but off-field legalities must be sorted out first.

UPDATE (5:43 p.m.): Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com reports EA Sports and Collegiate Licensing Co. have settled a number of lawsuits with as many as 100,000 current and former players.

Photo credit: EA Sports

Golf Traditionalists Rejoice Ban of Belly Putter

Golf Traditionalists Rejoice Ban of Belly Putter











Travis Mewhirter May 23, 2013 2:01 PM




COMMENTARY | On Tuesday morning, golf traditionalists took a resounding victory, a 2-0 sweep, when both the R&A and the USGA agreed on signing in rule 14-1b, a ban against the use of an anchored putter, which will begin at the onset of the 2016 season.

It's a decision that has been a long time coming and, to most, has been the obvious one to make. The change was proposed on Nov. 28, and after six months of d
ebate and a rare 90-day comment period -- there were 2,650 total comments received, 2,300 by the United States -- the decision came down.



"We strongly believe that this rule is for the betterment of the game," USGA President Glen Nager said. "Rule 14-1b protects one of the most important challenged in the game -- the free swing of the entire club. Anchoring is different: Intentionally securing one end of the club against the body, and creating a point of physical attachment around which the club is swung, is a substantial departure from that traditional free swing."

To be clear, however, this does not mean the ban of the long putter, such as the one used by Matt Kuchar, but the pan of anchoring a longer putter so as to use it as a hinge. Adam Scott, the Masters winner by use of anchor, pressed his against his chest. Webb Simpson (U.S. Open champ), Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA), and Ernie Els (British Open) all hinged at the belly. So this does not mean we will see the end of the long, sweeping style, which Scott hinted that he will likely try when the ban sets in, just that the club will be completely free of the body other than the hands.

"I've always felt that in golf you should have to swing the club, control your nerves and swing all 14 clubs, not just 13," Tiger Woods said Monday. "I hope they go with the ban. That's something that I've said, that anchoring should not be a part of the game. It should be mandatory to have to swing all 14 clubs."

And in 2016 all 14 clubs will have to be swung, but not until then. This means that there are still 11 majors up for grabs for belly-putter users like Scott and Bradley, Els and Webb. And at the rate majors have been handed over to anchored users lately -- four out of the last six -- there's a good chance we will be seeing more of golf's Big Four being lost to those using the longer version of the flat stick.

But that is still far from the worst possible consequence of the new rule. The PGA Tour and PGA of America have both been steadfastly opposed to banning the anchored putter, and both organizations have the opportunity to rewrite their own rules, as does Augusta National, which would allow for it to be used. Imagine having four major championships split by two different rule books, one allowing an anchored putter, one not allowing it.

"We are disappointed with this outcome," PGA of America President Ted Bishop said in a prepared statement. "As we have said publicly and repeatedly during the comment period, we do not believe 14‐1b is in the best interest of recreational golfers and we are concerned about the negative impact it may have on both the enjoyment and growth of the game. Growing the game is one of the fundamental purposes of The PGA of America.''

Long putters have been used for more than 40 years now, with no real backlash until Bradley won the PGA Championship and was then closely followed by Simpson, Els, and Scott. The real alarms may have gone off, however, when 14-year-old Tianlang Guan became the youngest player to make a cut at a major as he used a belly putter. It invited the question: Why on Earth does a 14-year-old kid need a belly putter that was designed, in part, to help aging players like Bernhard Langher and Fred Couples?

Woods, Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Brandt Snedecker, Steve Stricker, Arnold Palmer and Graeme McDowell have all voiced their approval of the rule while the opposing party's biggest proponent has been long time anchorer Tim Clark.

"It would be hard to find anybody in the pro game using a long putter or belly putter who didn't know this announcement was coming," Harrington said. "It's a decision for the benefit of the game. They should have done it 16 or 20 years ago and if they didn't ban them now they'd become institutionalized. If belly putters were coming on the scene now they would not be passed. It was timely to make the change and protect the traditions of the game. We don't want it to become so embedded in the game that kids think it's the right thing to do".



Related Content

The Masters: A win for the Aussies, a win for the long putter



Travis Mewhirter has been working in the golf industry since 2007, when he was a bag room manager at Piney Branch Golf Club in Carroll County, Maryland, and has been involved, as a player, since 2004. Since then, he has worked at Hayfields Country Club, where the Constellation Energy Classic was formerly held, and has covered golf at the high school, college, and professional levels.

Senior PGA Championship sets new highs as most socially connected senior golf event ever

Senior PGA Championship sets new highs as most socially connected senior golf event ever











PGA.COM May 23, 2013 4:25 PM

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Even the tournament staff is promoting the social media effort this week.(Montana Pritchard/The PGA …


By John Kim, PGA.com Coordinating Producer

ST. LOUIS -- When you think seniors, Twitter probably doesn't come to mind. When you think golf, Instagram doesn't seem to be a natural platform. And when you think senior golf - well, let's just say that even Facebook turns up zero results with those terms (one 'group' for "senior golfers" - it has 108 members and updates a time a two per month). Golf - tournament golf, especially for the older folks - just doesn't translate to the social media craze. ... Or does it?

The 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid will no doubt be the most 'socially-connected' senior golf event in history. Though that claim is unofficial, the sheer volume of accounts that will be covering the event all but makes it absolute.

The Senior PGA Championship itself has an official Facebook page, Twitter account and even an Instagram account. But the reach of this event will extend far beyond those platforms. Using partnerships, dedicated resources and even the players themselves, the action from Bellerive Country Club this week will be covered extensively in the social sphere.

"Nothing can replace seeing a major championship in person or the visuals you'll see on TV," said Julius Mason, the Senior Director of Communications & Media Relations for The PGA of America, as he shared why the social experience this week matters to the Association. "But by reaching the community of golf that lives and enjoys the game on these platforms, we are placing the most prestigious event in senior golf in front of an audience that has already indicated they love golf.


"We want them to not only see the action, but feel like they are a part of a special experience - whether here at the championship, home while viewing it or even while at work or a little league game, wherever life happens to take them," Mason added. "It's not just about providing information now, it's about conversations and dialogue with the fans."

To that end, the championship itself has four dedicated social media correspondents. Each day, they will cover all areas of the event - inside and outside the ropes - to give views and perspectives that traditional media simply doesn't have resources to share. Other media, sponsor and association groups will also be taking part in the social conversations, thus saturating the social landscape with Senior PGA Championship posts.

In fact, when the first tee shot is struck on Thursday morning, there will be nearly a dozen Twitter accounts with significant followings (including PGA.com with more than 100,000 followers, the Champions Tour account and the KitchenAid Golf account) all tweeting out updates from Bellerive. Add to that, the hundreds of thousands of 'fans' on half a dozen Facebook pages and there is an obviously significant audience being reached.

Maddie Marshall of The PGA of America Championships Department is coordinating the social efforts for the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. "Our plan is simple: these separate accounts all connect to different audiences but have one singular purpose in mind - to engage and inform golf fans, both at home or here at Bellerive Country Club. We want to take this championship from a passive enjoyment to an active participant for fans and players alike."

The championship will also benefit from the strong social presence of its presenting sponsor, KitchenAid.

Said Deb O'Connor, Director of Global Partnerships for KitchenAid, "Our brand has put a major emphasis on our social media channels to connect with golf and cooking enthusiasts around the country, and we work closely with The PGA of America to engage with fans about the KitchenAid Fairway Club, chef demonstrations, leaderboard updates, and more."

Fans, media and even players will be joining in the conversation all week. You can take part or just follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #SrPGA.

Pressel poised to end drought

Pressel poised to end drought










The Sports Xchange June 8, 2013 9:10 PMThe SportsXchange



PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Morgan Pressel has teed it up 106 times in tournament play since her last victory at the 2008 Kapalua LPGA Classic.

She's positioned herself well to end that drought on Sunday in the Wegmans LPGA Championship, but there's a lot of work left to do on what will be a marathon day at Locust Hill Country Club.

There are 20 players within six shots of the lead, which sits at 6 under par after Pressel carded a 2-under 70 on Saturday in the second round. Rain washed out the first round on Thursday, meaning players will play 36 holes Sunday to complete the third and fourth rounds.

"The question will be just how committed I can be to every shot, because when you get tired your mind starts to wonder," Pressel said. "So that'll be the biggest test, truly staying focused on every shot. At the end of the day I probably won't want to think another second, but that will mean that I gave it my all."

Starting on the 10th hole in the afternoon wave and dealing with an occasional downpour on her front nine, Pressel birdied three of her first five holes to move to 7 under. She dropped shots at the par-4 16th and 18th holes but steadied herself coming in by playing her final nine holes in 1 under, thanks to a birdie on the par-5 eighth hole.

There are several players giving chase, most notably world No. 1 Inbee Park. She tied for the day's low round with a 4-under 68 and is 4 under for the tournament, tied for second place with first-round leader Chella Choi. Those two will join Pressel for the final two rounds.

Park and Pressel played junior golf together in Florida, but lately their careers have gone in opposite directions. Pressel has just one top-10 this season, and Park has won three times, including the season's first major in the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

"I've experienced a lot of golf," she said. "That really helps going into major championships like this.

"You feel a lot more comfortable."

Asian-born players have won the last eight majors on the LPGA Tour, and if Pressel falters Sunday, they're in position to continue that streak. Including Park and Choi, six of the top 11 players on the leader board come from South Korea, with Amy Yang and Jiyai Shin in a tie for fourth at 3 under and Sun Young Yoo and Na Yeon Choi part of a tie for seventh at 2 under.

The last time an LPGA major went to 36 holes in the 2012 Women's British Open, Shin romped to a nine-shot victory.

Yoo had an incredible stretch of birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie from holes nine through 12, but faltered with a pair of bogeys down the stretch to finish at 3-under-par 69 for her round.

Just 13 players are under par after another cold, wet day. Overnight rain left the already-waterlogged course downright sloppy in areas.

"I've heard a lot of people talk about the rough and you just gotta not hit it in it, basically. It's easier said than done, but just stay away from it," said Australian Sarah Jane Smith, who did that by hitting 11 of 14 fairways on her way to a round of 3-under 69.

Park hit 12 of 14 fairways in the second round.

"If you hit the ball straighter, it makes the golf course play a lot easier," she said. "I've been doing that the last two days here."

NOTES: Tying Park for low round of the day with a 68 was Michelle Wie. She's at par for the championship and moved up 57 spots on the leaderboard, from a tie for 71st to a tie for 14th. ... World No. 2 Stacy Lewis, the top-ranked American, is in a tie for 31st at 2 over for the tournament after shooting par 72. ... South Korean Mi Jung Hur has hit only 25 percent of the fairways this week, an astonishingly low number because of the heavy rough, but made the cut thanks to taking just 51 putts, second in the field to Pressel's 50 through two rounds.

Woods paired with McIlroy and Scott at Merion

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Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods will play together for the first time ever in a major.(Getty Images)

 

PGA.COM June 9, 2013 7:27 PM

ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) -- Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy andAdam Scott will play together the opening two rounds of the U.S. Open next week at Merion.

For the third straight year, U.S. Open officials have put the top three players in the world ranking in the same group. The feature group will start at 1:14 p.m. Thursday off the first tee, and then 7:44 a.m. starting on the 11th tee Friday.

The U.S. Open disclosed the Nos. 1-2-3 group in a tweet, and McIlroy immediately responded on Twitter.

"Decent group for the first 2 rounds at Merion I see ..." he tweeted.

Woods is trying to end five years without a major title. McIlroy, who has yet to win this year, will be trying to capture a major for the third straight year. Scott is the Masters champion, the only player capable of the Grand Slam this year.

This will be the first time Woods and McIlroy have played together in any round of a major. They have played in the opening two rounds together at five previous tournaments -- twice in Abu Dhabi, the Cadillac Championship at Doral this year (won by Woods), the BMW Championship last year (won by McIlroy) andThe Barclays last year.

The USGA first went to the 1-2-3 grouping in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines -- Woods, San Diego native Phil Mickelson and Scott.

Playing in front of that threesome will be former U.S. Open champions Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell, and former Masters champion Zach Johnson.

Mickelson is on the other side of the draw -- starting Thursday morning on the 11th hole, Friday afternoon on the first hole. Mickelson, with a record five runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open, is joined by Steve Strickerand Keegan Bradley, his partner from the last Ryder Cup.

In front of that group will be the power trio of Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson and Nicolas Colsaerts.

For those wanting to see Woods and Sergio Garcia mix it up again, that won't happen, at least for the weekday rounds. Garcia might not be thrilled with his tee, however, because he's playing with Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink. Garcia and Harrington, despite being Ryder Cup teammates, are not terribly close. Harrington beat the Spaniard in a playoff at Carnoustie to win his first major in the 2007 British Open, and the Irishman beat him again a year later in the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.

Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer are in another group, just as they were two years ago at Congressional.

Here are the pairings and tee times for Thursday's first round. The numbers 1 or 11 in front of each group indicate wich hole the group will tee off on -- at Merion, the players will begin on on No. 11 instead of No. 10 for logistical reasons:

1 6:45 a.m.: KRESGE, C. TAMBELLINI, R. TBD 11 7:00 a.m.: WATSON, B. JOHNSON, D. COLSAERTS, N. 1 6:56 a.m.: TBD UEDA, Y. PARRY, J. 11 7:11 a.m.: MICKELSON, P. STRICKER, S. BRADLEY, K. 1 7:07 a.m.: WATNEY, N. HANSON, P. MAHAN, H. 11 7:22 a.m.: KUCHAR, M. ROSE, J. SNEDEKER, B. 1 7:18 a.m.: GLOVER, L. CASEY, P. HAAS, B. 11 7:33 a.m.: OOSTHUIZEN, L. SCHWARTZEL, C. CLARK, T. 1 7:29 a.m.: BADDELEY, A. SABBATINI, R. LINGMERTH, D. 11 7:44 a.m.: GARCIA, S. CINK, S. HARRINGTON, P. 1 7:40 a.m.: COETZEE, G. LAIRD, M. SIEM, M. 11 7:55 a.m.: POULTER, I. DUFNER, J. WEEKLEY, B. 1 7:51 a.m.: KELLY, J. HOFFMAN, C. HUH, J. 11 8:06 a.m.: FOWLER, R. MANASSERO, M. DAY, J. 1 8:02 a.m.: STENSON, H. MOORE, R. GARRIGUS, R. 11 8:17 a.m.: YANG, Y. JACOBSON, F. FUJITA, H. 1 8:13 a.m.: TBD KHAN, S. POTTER JR., T. 11 8:28 a.m.: STALLINGS, S. PETERSON, J. KARLSSON, R. 1 8:24 a.m.: STEFANI, S. KIM, M. (a) THOMPSON, N. 11 8:39 a.m.: BLAKE, J. JOBE, B. CAMPBELL, M. 1 8:35 a.m.: DOAK, C. SVOBODA, A. LABELLE II, D. 11 8:50 a.m.: HEARN, D. TBD VAN ZYL, J. 1 8:46 a.m.: SUTHERLAND, K. WEIBRING, M. HUTCHISON, R. 11 9:01 a.m.: PHELAN, K. (a) COLLINS, W. TBD 1 8:57 a.m.: MCELYEA, C. (a) NELSON, R. HAHN, J. 11 9:12 a.m.: PAN, C. (a) HUGHES, M. SISK, G. 1 12:30 p.m.: TOMS, D. CLARKE, D. OLAZABAL, J. 11 12:45 p.m.: HICKS, J. HOWELL, D. STUARD, B. 1 12:41 p.m.: OGILVY, G. CABRERA, A. LAWRIE, P. 11 12:56 p.m.: STEELE, B. GOYA, E. HEDBLOM, P. 1 12:52 p.m.: DONALD, L. WESTWOOD, L. KAYMER, M. 11 1:07 p.m.: LEISHMAN, M. SENDEN, J. FRASER, M. 1 1:03 p.m.: FURYK, J. MCDOWELL, G. JOHNSON, Z. 11 1:18 p.m.: LANGLEY, S. WILLIAMS, C. (a) HOFFMANN, M. 1 1:14 p.m.: WOODS, T. MCILROY, R. SCOTT, A. 11 1:29 p.m.: THOMPSON, M. WEAVER, M. (a) WITTENBERG, C. 1 1:25 p.m.: JAIDEE, T. FDEZ-CASTANO, G. OLESEN, T. 11 1:40 p.m.: CHOI, K. MOLINARI, F. PETTERSSON, C. 1 1:36 p.m.: SIMPSON, W. FOX, S. (a) ELS, E. 11 1:51 p.m.: PIERCY, S. CHAPPELL, K. DONALDSON, J. 1 1:47 p.m.: TBD OGILVIE, J. GUTHRIE, L. 11 2:02 p.m.: VAN PELT, B. STREELMAN, K. POINTS, D. 1 1:58 p.m.: TEATER, J. TSUKADA, Y. PEPPERELL, E. 11 2:13 p.m.: GRACE, B. BAE, S. HENLEY, R. 1 2:09 p.m.: LOAR, E. MADSEN, M. HWANG, J. 11 2:24 p.m.: MATSUYAMA, H. HORSCHEL, B. SPIETH, J. 1 2:20 p.m.: HOMA, M. (a) KNOX, R. BETTENCOURT, M. 11 2:35 p.m.: GOGGIN, M. ALKER, S. PRESNELL, A. 1 2:31 p.m.: HADWIN, A. NIEPORTE, J. HERMAN, J. 11 2:46 p.m.: HARMON, M. HALL, G. (a) KIM, B. 1 2:42 p.m.: BROWN, B. MURRAY, G. (a) SMITH, J. 11 2:57 p.m.: FISCHER, Z. SULLIVAN, R. CRICK, B.

Park shows why she's No. 1, wins LPGA title

Park shows why she's No. 1, wins LPGA title










The Sports Xchange June 9, 2013 8:40 PMThe SportsXchange



PITTSFORD, N.Y. --- No one can ever say Inbee Park isn't a fighter.

The No. 1 player in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings captured her second straight major championship Sunday, defeating Catriona Matthew of Scotland with an 18-foot a birdie on the third playoff hole in the Wegmans LPGA Championshipat Locust Hill Country Club.

Park, a 25-year-old from South Korea, became the third player in the last 40 years to win the first two majors of the women's season, joining Annika Sorenstam in 2005 and Pat Bradley in 1986.

In winning for the sixth time in her last 22 LPGA Tour starts, including the Kraft Nabisco Championship to start the major season, she was the last player standing after a 36-hole marathon was required on Sunday because the first round was rained out on Thursday.

In the end, Park needed 39 holes before claiming her seventh LPGA victory, including three majors, the first coming in the 2009 U.S. Women's Open.

Park did it by coming from five strokes behind Morgan Pressel after nine holes of the third round on Sunday morning on a course where birdies are hard to come by.

With four birdies on the back nine of that morning round, she turned the deficit into one-shot lead when the final round began.

Park extended her lead to three shots by the time she reached the 14th tee in the final round, but her swing began to get away from her. She dropped shots at holes 14, 16 and 18 to shoot 3-over-par 75 in the final round and allow Matthew into a playoff.

The 43-year-old Matthew, who 2009 Ricoh Women's British Open among her four titles on the LPGA Tour, closed with a bogey-free 68 and got into the playoff when Park made a bogey on the 72nd hole.

After both players made par on the opening two playoff holes, Park made a birdie on the par-4 18th to secure the win after Matthew hit into the rough and was scrambling simply to save par.

Pressel, trying to win for the first time since the 2008 Kapalua LPGA Championship, was tied for the lead in the final round, but carded three bogeys in the last nine holes and shot 75 to tie for third with Suzann Pettersen of Norway, who closed with a 65.

Pettersen and Pressel finished one stroke out of the playoff.

NOTES: The best round of the tournament was turned in by Suzann Pettersen, who carded a 7-under 65 in the final round. That moved her all the way up from a tie for 31st at the start of the day to her tie for third. ... Amateur Lydia Ko, the 16-year-old from New Zealand who last year became the youngest-ever winner on the LPGA Tour, continued her strong play with a tie for 17th. Ko's 3-under-par 69 in the final round was her best of the tournament. ... Defending champion Shanshan Feng, the first player from Mainland China to win a major, closed with a 70 to finish in a tie for ninth that included and Michelle Wie, who finished with a 71.

Notebook: Short week for rare local qualifiers

Notebook: Short week for rare local qualifiers












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Gain Hall, 18, clearly had a great time despite missing the U.S. Open cut.(Getty Images)

PGA.COM June 16, 2013 5:27 PM


By Doug Ferguson, Associated Press

ARDMORE, Pa. -- Among those who had the shortest week at the U.S. Open took the longest road to even get to Merion.

For the first time since at least 1997, none of the 20 players who endured 18 holes of local qualifying and 36 holes of sectional qualify for the U.S. Open made the cut.

That doesn't mean the experience was a total waste of time.

Take 18-year-old Gavin Hall, who birdied his last four holes to make it through sectional qualifying in New York. Hall went to bed Thursday night with his name on the leaderboard because he was 1 under par when the opening round was suspended. He ran off a string of bogeys Friday morning, though he also holed out from the eighth fairway for an eagle to open with a 74.

The second round was tougher -- a 40 on the front nine, and then a triple bogey on the 10th hole, the shortest par 4 at Merion. He shot 77, but that included back-to-back birdies on Nos. 15 and 16, and an experience he wouldn't trade.

"That's a special place, a special tournament to play in, and for me to play in this at such a young age is a great learning experience, and it's just a great tournament to kick off the summer," said Hall, who clearly had a great time despite missing the cut.

"I've gotten exposed to a lot of things and I have a lot to work on," he said. "But I still feel like if I clean up some things in my game, I belong out here."

Harold Varner III made it through local qualifying, and he was an alternate from sectional qualifying to play in his first U.S. Open. He went 76-79, so it was never really close when it came to staying for the weekend.

Varner was one of two players who competed in The First Tee event at Pebble Beach -- Scott Langley was the other -- only the 22-year-old who played at East Carolina was more disappointed with his results.

The biggest surprise was the size of the crowd.

"When I played in the Wal-Mart First Tee, there was a lot of people, and then I played in the one Web.com in Charlotte, seeing that many people," Varner said. "But this week was obviously like a circus. It was unbelievable."


WEIBRING'S STRUGGLES: Matt Weibring made the cut in his first U.S. Open, though it becomes an even greater achievement considering that Merion was only his second form of competition in the last two months.

Weibring, a Web.com Tour player and the son of former PGA Tour player D.A. Weibring, has been coping with Bell's palsy, a form of facial paralysis.

"I was happy just to be here, just to be back playing," he said. "And I hung in there, and I did what I had to do. It's hard out there."

Weibring, who qualified out of Dallas, had to return Saturday morning to complete his round and slipped over the cut line with two holes to play. But he made a birdie on the par-3 ninth hole, hung on for par and a 73 and earned two more days at Merion.

The 33-year-old Weibring said he couldn't even practice the last two months.

"Your face gets paralyzed so you can't close or blink your eye or anything," he said. "It's hard being outside because if the wind blows, you feel disoriented. I practiced a couple of weeks leading up to the qualifier. Sometimes you go out after you've been sick and shoot good, and I tied for medalist, and here I am. So I'm excited."

BIG NAMES MISS THE CUT: Former Masters champion Zach Johnson was among 12 major champions who failed to make the cut, and he wasn't happy -- not about his game, not about the way Merion was set up, and certainly not with the USGA.

"I would describe the whole golf course as manipulated," Johnson said after rounds of 74-77, his first weekend off at a U.S. Open since 2009 at Bethpage Black. "It just enhances my disdain for the USGA and how it manipulates golf courses."

As another example of how predicting winners is mostly guesswork in golf, three of the players who some thought would contend at Merion were Johnson, Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk. All of them missed the cut by at least three shots. For McDowell, it was his second straight cut in a major -- in a year when he already has won twice.

Furyk had his worst U.S. Open, and it hurt coming in his home state.

The most painful cut belonged to Stewart Cink, who played his last four holes in 4 over -- including a double bogey at No. 18 -- to miss by two shots.

DIVOTS: Kevin Sutherland, who turns 49 on July 4, was the oldest player remaining at Merion. Jay Don Blake, now on the Champions Tour, said he only recognized a dozen or so players in the locker room. "I have seen some of the kids walking in there," the 54-year-old Blake said. "Even seeing the name, I didn't even know some of the names, either. It's pretty interesting. It's kind of neat, though." Blake missed the cut with 74-80. ... For the second straight year, only two players were under par through 36 holes. The winning score at Olympic Club turned out to be 1-over 281. ... Thirty players were separated by five shots going into the third round.

Woods matches his worst-ever score in a major

Woods matches his worst-ever score in a major












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Tiger Woods shot a 4-over 74 Sunday, which gave him his worst 72-hole score as a pro in the U.S. Open, and tied his high score in any major at 13-over 293.(Getty Images)

PGA.COM June 16, 2013 7:47 PM


By Doug Ferguson, Associated Press

ARDMORE, Pa. -- This isn't the kind of record Tiger Woods had in mind at the U.S. Open.

Woods went out-of-bounds on his second tee shot of the final round at Merion on Sunday and closed with a 4-over 74. That gave him his worst 72-hole score as a pro in the U.S. Open, and it tied for his high score in any major.

"I did a lot of things right," Woods said. "Unfortunately, I did a few things wrong, as well."

Woods finished at 13-over 293.

His previous high score in a U.S. Open was 290 at The Olympic Club in 1998 and Shinnecock Hills in 2004. Woods shot 294 at Oakland Hills in 1996 as an amateur.

Just two days ago, Woods was four shots out of the lead and very much in the hunt to end his five-year drought in the majors. Then, he went 76-74 for his worst weekend in a major championship. Just over two weeks ago, the world's No. 1 player had won three of his last four events on the PGA Tour and was starting to establish his dominance.

But he looked ordinary at Merion.

Starting the final round 10 shots behind, Woods made a birdie putt on the opening hole. Instead of a fist pump, he offered only a mild wave. Whatever hopes he had of at least getting his name on the leaderboard ended quickly. Woods pushed his tee shot to the right on the par-5 second hole, over the trees and out-of-bounds. His next tee shot was close to going out-of-bounds, stopping a few yards away in front of a tree. He wound up with a triple bogey.


It was his only big number of the week, though his 20 bogeys were startling.

"I struggled with the speed all week," Woods said. "These greens are grainy. It's one of the older bent grasses -- creeping bent. I struggled with the speed, especially right around the hole. Putts were breaking a lot more. I gave it a little more break and then it would hang. That's kind of the way it was this week."

The 293 matched his high score at any major, last year at the Masters when he tied for 40th.

Woods didn't mention any pain in his left elbow, though he kept that a mystery throughout the week. He was flexing and shaking his left hand on shots out of the rough early in the week, saying only that it was painful. He later revealed that he first hurt it at The Players Championship last month, which he won. But he didn't mention the shot or even which round it happened.

Merion remained a mystery for Woods throughout the week. For the first time since Olympic in 1998 -- the year he was rebuilding his swing -- he failed to break par in any of the four rounds at a U.S. Open.

"It played tricky. The rough was up," Woods said. "They were raking the rough up every morning into the grain, and the pins were really tough."

Woods plays again in two weeks at the AT&T National at Congressional, where he is the defending champion. His next major is the British Open at Muirfield, where in 2002 he was going for the calendar Grand Slam until he got caught in a vicious weather pattern of a cold, sideways rain and shot 81 to fall from contention.

The final major of the year is at Oak Hill for the PGA Championship, where 10 years ago Woods never shot better than 72 and wound up at 12-over 292.

"There's always a lesson to be learned in every tournament, whether you win or lose," Woods said. "I'll look back at the things I did right and the things I did wrong."

Stefani makes hole-in-one on Merion's 17th hole

Stefani makes hole-in-one on Merion's 17th hole












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Shawn Stefani aced the 17th hole Sunday, making him the first golfer to make a hole-in-one at any U.S. Open at Merion.(Getty Images)

PGA.COM June 16, 2013 5:32 PM


By Dan Gelston, Associated Press

ARDMORE, Pa. -- Shawn Stefani lost track of the ball as soon it rocketed off his 4-iron. A roaring U.S. Open gallery tracked it for him.

"Go! Go! Go! Go!"

It did Sunday when Stefani aced the 17th hole, making him the first golfer to make a hole-in-one at any U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club, which is hosting the major for the fifth time.

"When the crowd went crazy, I knew it went in," he said.

His shot bounced out of the rough and rolled some 50 feet toward the pin before falling in the cup.

Stefani raised his arms and hopped around the tee in celebration. Caddie Chris Callas gave him a playful hug and a slap on the back.

"I didn't know what to do but jump up and down for joy," Stefani said.


Then he walked down the 213-yard, par-3 hole and planted a kiss on the sweet spot where it landed.

"We're in Philly. There's some great fans up here and I know they can be tough on you and they can love you forever," he said.

USGA Museum officials waited for Stefani near the scorecard trailer and hoped to acquire the ball. Stefani declined.

"It's hiding right now," he said. "I'm going to save it."

But he did pull the ball out of his pocket and showed it off. He also inquired about getting some sort of commemorative plaque from Merion.

The USGA's Far Hills, N.J. museum didn't go home empty-handed -- Stefani donated a signed glove and scorecard.

His only other ace came when he was 13 at Goose Creek Country Club in Baytown, Texas, his hometown.

It was the first ace at Merion, but not at a Philadelphia Open. The first U.S. Open hole-in-one came in 1907, when Jack Hobens aced the 147-yard 10th hole at the Philadelphia Cricket Club.

Perry ends heartbreak with Senior Players title

Perry ends heartbreak with Senior Players title










June 30, 2013 6:49 PM



(Reuters) - Kenny Perry seized his long awaited first seniors major title with a stellar final round at the Senior Players Championship on Sunday.

Perry shot a six-under 64 to vault past overnight leaderFred Couples and finish at 19-under 261 as he claimed a two-shot victory at the Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh.

Perry, 52, had suffered playoff losses at the 1996 PGA Championship and 2009 Masters before losing last month'sSenior PGA Championship despite a two-stroke lead.

This time, he trailed Couples by two heading into the last round but forged a comeback with a bogey-free round.

After Couples three-putted at No. 15 to give Perry a one-stroke lead, the eventual winner hit consecutive approach shots to tap-in range on the 16th and 17th holes.

Couples had a final chance to tie on the par-5 18th, but after he reaching the green in two shots his 45-foot putt slid past the hole.

Couples finished at 17-under 263, tied with Duffy Waldorffor second.

Michael Allen and John Huston shared fourth at 12-under 268.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles, Editing by Gene Cherry)

Park wins U.S. Open for third major of 2013

Park wins U.S. Open for third major of 2013









Joe Pantorno, The Sports Xchange June 30, 2013 7:00 PMThe SportsXchange


SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. - Inbee Park was just a few holes from making history, and she appeared to be playing a practice round on Sunday. Park seldom shows emotion during a round of golf, but she finally cracked a smile walking toward the 18th green, with the U.S. Women's Open Trophy waiting for her.



In what became a two-player race, Park, the world's top-ranked golfer, beat out I.K. Kim by four strokes to win the 68th U.S. Women's Open at Sebonack.



The others who won three majors in a year were Babe Zaharias (1950), Mickey Wright (1961) and Pat Bradley (1986). Park joined Zaharias as the only players to win the first three majors.



It was Park's second U.S. Women's Open win of her career, the first coming in 2008. It also was Park's sixth straight LPGA Tour victory.



Park shot a 2-over-par 74 in the final round to finish at 8-under for the tournament.




Paired with Kim for the final round, Park parred her first five holes while Kim birdied two and bogeyed four in her first six holes.



"I had a really good chance out there," Kim said. "If I putted a little better this week I think I could've pushed it a little bit more."



Park merely limited her mistakes the rest of the way. She made par on six of the last eight holes. She also had bogeys on 14 and 15, but the cushion she had was more than enough.



Park finished with a par to a standing ovation on the 18th hole followed by a champagne bath from So Yeon Ryu and Na Yeon Choi.



"I started off well, had good up and downs. I had a good opportunity, but I made her [Park] comfortable," Kim said. "It was hard to make mistakes. It's disappointing but I was still pleased with how I played."



A consistent outing from Paula Creamer enabled her to tie Angela Stanford and Jodi Ewart Shadoff at 1-over for fourth place. Creamer, like Ryu, managed to stay even on on the final round, but Stanford shot 2-over and Shadoff 4-over.



"It's a top-10 [finish], so I'm not going to complain about that," Korda said after finishing tied for seventh. "This is my sixth U.S. Open, so I would say this one had, by far, the toughest greens and was the windiest."

Golf-South Korean Park wins third consecutive major

Golf-South Korean Park wins third consecutive major










June 30, 2013 8:09 PM


(Adds details, quotes)

* She joins Zaharias with three majors in row

* Park will try for fourth at Women's British Open

* Kim never challenges, finishes four back

June 30 (Reuters) - South Korean Park Inbee became only the second LPGA player to win the first three majors in a season when she roared to a four-stroke victory at the U.S. Women's Open on Sunday.

The world number one held steady with a final-round two-over-par 74 to finish at eight-under 280 at Sebonack Golf Club in New York.

"I just hope this is not a dream," Park, who earlier this year won the Kraft Nabisco and LPGA championships, told reporters. "I don't want to wake up tomorrow and play the final round again."


Only Mildred (Babe) Didrikson Zaharias has previously won the first three women's majors in a season. She did it in 1950, winning the Titleholders Championship, the Women's Western Open and the U.S. Women's Open.

Fellow South Korean I.K. Kim matched Parks' 74 and took second at four-under 284 but was never able to really challenge Park.

Ryu So-Yeon was third at one-under 287 with Americans Paula Creamer and Angela Stanford and England's Jodi Ewart-Shadoff tied for fourth at one-over 289.

Entering the day with a four-stroke advantage, Park's lead was briefly trimmed to three when Kim birdied the second hole but the runner-up gave a shot right back with a bogey on No. 4.

After bogeying holes No. 6 and No. 7, Park ran off birdies at the ninth and 10th holes to swell her cushion to six shots.

Park has won five times overall this year and three in a row. She took over the top ranking after claiming the Kraft Nabisco Championship in April, then added the LPGA Championship earlier this month.

She will attempt to make it four majors in four tries at the at the Women's British Open in August before competing in September's Evian Masters, which has become the women's fifth major.

"I'm glad that I can give it a try at St. Andrews (for the British Open)," Park said. "That's going to be a great experience. Whether or not I (win it), I'm just a very lucky person." (Reporting by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles, Editing by Gene Cherry)

Golf-Perry banks on power game at U.S. Senior Open

Golf-Perry banks on power game at U.S. Senior Open

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July 10, 2013 5:42 PM


July 10 (Reuters) - Searing heat and a hilly course are likely to pose problems for players at this week's U.S. Senior Open in Omaha, Nebraska where Kenny Perry hopes his power game can help him clinch a second successive major title.

The 52-year-old American is one of the longest hitters on the over-50s Champions Tour and he views his length off the tee as "a huge advantage" on the 6,711-yard, par-70 layout at Omaha Country Club.

"It's all going to be how well I drive the golf ball is how well I play this week," Perry told reporters on Wednesday while preparing for Thursday's opening round at the fourth of the season's five senior majors.

"Definitely length is going to be a big advantage this week, but you've still got to hit the fairways. The rough is very penal out there. It's chip-out rough.

"It's got definitely a U.S. Open feel out there, with the greens as small as they are and undulating. But with my power, if I can keep driving it straight like I did at Fox Chapel ... I've got a huge advantage."

Perry landed his first major title by two shots in last month's Senior Players Championship at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh for his third career win on the Champions Tour.

He capped a superb driving display there with a closing six-under-par 64 to seal victory but this week he knows he will need stamina as well as power if he is to visit the winner's circle for a second consecutive event.

"This is probably the hardest walking course I've ever been on," Perry said of the Omaha Country Club layout. "I played the (PGA) Tour 27 years and a couple of years out here and it's the hilliest I've seen. It's very physically demanding.

"You're always coming off the green and walking 50 to 80 yards up the hill to the next tee box, and then you're walking straight down and then back (up).

"The guys that will do well this week are going to be the guys who are in pretty good shape."


MAJOR DEAL

Winning a first major crown, even at senior level, meant a great deal to Perry, who had twice been beaten in playoffs for one of golf's four blue riband events on the regular PGA Tour.

"Anything that has major attached to it was always my one goal," said the American, a 14-times winner on the PGA Tour. "I came so close at the PGA (Championship) when Mark Brooks beat me in the playoff, and then I lost to Cabrera at the Masters.

"Our majors out here (on the Champions Tour) probably are not looked upon like they are on the PGA Tour, but yet they're still a major.

"It still will be attached to your name," said Perry, who was pipped by fellow American Brooks in the 1996 PGA Championship at Valhalla, then lost out in a three-way playoff for the 2009 Masters won by Argentina's Angel Cabrera.

Perry also suffered a close call in May at the Senior PGA Championship at Bellerive Golf Club in St. Louis where he fell back into a tie for second after going into the final round with a two-stroke lead.

"It was a huge monkey off my back when I won (the Senior Players Championship)," he said. "I had a three-shot lead with six to play at the Senior PGA, and I blew that one.

"It was finally nice to get that off my back. It was finally nice to say, 'Hey, yeah, I was able to do it.' That was awesome. That was a great feeling."

Englishman Roger Chapman is defending his title this week, having won last year's U.S. Senior Open by two strokes in Lake Orion, Michigan.

Also competing are Americans Tom Watson and Loren Roberts, who are each seeking to emulate Jack Nicklaus by winning a fourth different senior major title. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Gene Cherry)