Posts tagged Rory McIlroy
Weekend Re-Tee: Fowler Breaks Through, F. Molinari Wins in Spain, Swafford Shoots 62, Rory Back to No. 1
01 week ago
by Chris Chaney
in Golf
Getty Images
Welcome to Weekend Re-Tee where we take a look back at the weekend that was in the world of golf.
As golf enters its busy season, both for professionals and amateurs alike, nothing draws fans in like a big tournament with a field chalk-full of big names. That’s exactly what we got this week at the Wells Fargo Championship with a bunch of one-namers teeing it up. Tiger. Phil. Rory. Rickie. And plenty of others.
The Wells Fargo gave us a pretty exciting finish, but there was a couple of other storylines that were worthy of getting some space in this week’s edition of Weekend Re-Tee.
Orange Out in Charlotte
Rickie Fowler was able to shed the moniker of “best player without a win” with a playoff victory at the Wells Fargo, defeating the likes of Rory McIlroy and DA Points in the first playoff hole.
“It’s a good feeling right now,” Fowler said. “Definitely some relief, satisfaction. I’m definitely happy. It’s not a bad thing, winning. It’s kind of fun.”
The win was anything but guaranteed as McIlroy, who has once again regained his post as the No. 1 player in the world, had a 20-footer for the win in regulation.
McIlroy’s putt for the win was by virtue of Points’ slip up on the 72nd hole. Points had not bogeyed a hole all weekend until he pushed his drive into the right rough, then put his approach in the greenside bunker and was unable to get up and down for par.
Fowler posted his 14-under in the third-from-last group and waited as Points and McIlroy were unable to better his score. The final pairing of Webb Simpson and Ryan Moore were also unable to make a move down the stretch with Simpson having an outside chance to get into the playoff, needing a birdie on 18, but saw his birdie bid power past the hole.
On the first and only hole of the playoff, all three players hit 300+-yard drives, the only difference was that McIlroy hit 3-wood compared to Fowler and Points’ drivers.
Fowler, playing second from the fairway, stuck his 51-degree wedge to 4-feet-3-inches and knocked the putt in for his first win.
With a tricky Sunday pin, Fowler made an important decision to go after the pin when he and his caddie decided that they had the right number.
“If I don’t have a little bit of help or don’t hit it perfectly, then I land short and I’m in the creek,” Fowler said. “But playing against those two guys, I know that they’re going to make birdie at some point. And I don’t want to sit there and try and make pars and stay in it. I had a good number, and I wanted to make birdie.”
The win was not only big for Fowler, but many others will tell you it’s great for the game. Fowler has been one of the most popular players on Tour over his three-year career and the win seems like that popularity has finally been validated.
Fowler took home a $1.17 million winner’s check and climbed from 39th to 24th in the world rankings.
Final-Round 65 Gets Molinari the Spanish Open
Francesco Molinari came from four strokes behind on Sunday to shoot a 7-under par 65, good enough for a three-stroke victory over Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal and Alejandro Canizares.
“It’s just to win any tournament on the European Tour, but one with the history of this one, in the year of the centenary, is something fantastic,” Molinari said.
With two of the younger stars of the game dueling down the stretch in Charlotte, Molinari had to deal with one of his own in Spain in the form of Matteo Manassero.
The 19-year-old may have shot himself out of the tournament in the third round with a 76, but the Italian came back with a Sunday 70 to finishing in a tie for seventh place.
Manassero needed to finish in solo seventh place in order to guarantee a move up to No. 60 in the world – good enough to get into the US Open next month – but as it turned out, a tie for seventh was enough as he sat squarely on the No. 60 position when the world rankings were released today.
For Molinari, the Spanish Open was his third win on the European Tour and with it coming just a day shy of the one-year anniversary of the death of Seve Ballesteros, the win was extra special.
“It’s a very special time to win in Spain,” Molinari said.
The win got Molinari $434,362 as well as a move up 17 places in the rankings to No. 29.
Dawg on Parade
Playing on his old college course, University of Georgia alum Hudson Swafford won the Stadion Classic thanks to a final-round 62 to win by one. For good measure, Swafford holed out from the bunker for birdie on the 72nd hole to finish his round.
To win by one after shooting a 62, you can figure there was one of two certainties taking place: 1) he went out early and posted a number, or 2) someone else went stupid low as well. The former was the case in this instance as Swafford was the only one in the top-15 to shoot better than 65.
After Swafford posted his 17-under and had to wait around for an hour and a half before he could officially celebrate his first win.
“This is unbelievable. My first win is huge and to be in Athens, words don’t describe it,” Swafford said. “I couldn’t have drawn it up any better. The way it happened is a dream come true.
“This is just a starting point. This is no time to get comfortable. I’m still a long way from where I need to be. I’m another win away from getting anything done.”
Swafford won $99,000 to jump from 61st to seventh on the money list. Prior to his win, Swafford had only made $23,000 in his rookie season.
The win will go a long way to getting the Georgia Bulldog his PGA Tour card next season.
McIlroy Reclaims No. 1 Ranking
In what has become a weekly change, McIlroy’s T2 finish at the Wells Fargo was good enough to move the Northern Irishman back to the world’s top spot, taking over from Luke Donald who held the top spot for all of one week in his latest stint.
“That’s nice,” McIlroy said of regaining the top ranking. “It’s a little consolation. I would rather win the tournament, but yeah, it’s good. I want to try and play well for the next few weeks and try and solidify my spot there at No. 1 and hopefully start doing that next week and giving myself another chance to win.”
The next start for Rory, as well as most of the top players in the world, is this week at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
Of course, Rory will have to deal with a strong field this week that includes Donald and Lee Westwood, both who could take over the top spot with a win at the proverbial “Fifth Major.”
Weekend Re-Tee: Dufner Wins, Lewis Holds Off Lexi and Donald Gets Back to No. 1
02 weeks ago
by Chris Chaney
in Golf
ESPN
Welcome to Weekend Re-Tee where we take a look back at the weekend that was in the world of golf.
The strong field assembled in the Big Easy for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which included defending champion and recent Masters champion Bubba Watson, was the first time since Augusta that we have seen a good amount of top-50 players in the world.
It helps that Keegan Bradley, Ben Crane, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Camilo Villegas and Rickie Fowler were given de facto appearance fees as they have been signed on as “Zurich Ambassadors.”
Thanks to the strong field and the upcoming tournaments on the schedule, fans are coming back to golf as the playing season around the country kicks into high gear.
Dufner gets first win
Jason Dufner captured his first PGA Tour victory on Sunday at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with a birdie on the second playoff hole to beat Ernie Els.
“There’s been a good bit of pressure,” Dufner said of his inability to win on Tour. “People talking about, `Why aren’t you winning? Why can’t you close the deal?’ Friends, family, media, even people in my inner circle. And not in a negative way, but when you’re leading tournaments going into weekends and you’re finishing 24th, there’s going to be some questions.”
Finally establishing himself on the PGA Tour last year after six different stints through Qualifying School, Dufner put himself on many golf fans’ radar with his performance at the season-ending PGA Championship where he would lose to Keegan Bradley in a playoff.
His patented waggle, easy-going demeanor and affinity for a nice lipper of tabacco have lent himself to a bunch of fans.
The key to getting off of the winless schneid was Dufner’s putting at the TPC Louisiana, especially from six feet and in. According to Shotlink, Duff made all 61 of his putts from inside that range last week.
Dufner’s steady demeanor was something Els pegged as a key asset, saying, “(Dufner’s) got a wonderful golf swing and I think this will help him a lot. I think he’ll win quite a few others. He’s got a really sound golf swing and game. If he keeps that shield up, he’s got — you know, that’s a pretty good defensive mechanism he’s got there.”
Els, who notoriously missed this year’s Masters, seems to be coming around as well, getting his trouble club, the putter, going this week despite a few missed putts in the playoff that could have guaranteed him into the 2013 Masters. With the second place finish, Els made his way to 40th in the world, which will get him into next month’s US Open.
For Dufner, the win was the beginning of a solid fortnight as he will marry his longtime girlfriend Amanda Boyd next week.
“It’s awesome. He’s been so close so many times. I don’t feel like it’s real,” Boyd said. “It will be a good wedding.”
The wedding will be a lot nicer now that Dufner has that monkey off his back, along with the $1.152 million he got for the win. Dufner moved up to 20th in the world.
Lewis holds off Lexi in Mobile
Stacy Lewis strung together four rounds in the 60s to hold off 17-year-old phenom Lexi Thompson by one stroke. The win was Lewis’ second and puts her squarely in the conversation as one of the best Americans on the LPGA Tour.
“I feel like I’ve been close (to winning) ever since (the 2011 Kraft Nabisco). People say I haven’t been winning, just kind of knocking on the door. It’s nice to get it out of the way,” Lewis said. “I fought. I’m exhausted. I’m glad I didn’t have to play more holes.”
Lewis had a five-stroke lead at one point, but Thompson began closing the gap as she played a few groups ahead of Lewis. Thompson shot a clean round of 65, but couldn’t manage to birdie either of the last two holes.
Lewis birdied the 16th hole and parred in to win.
The win for Lewis was solid, but the emergence of Thompson as a contender when she was under heat from the media for her prom proposal showed that Lexi thrives on being in the spotlight.
Donald back to No. 1 in the world
Just two weeks after losing the world’s top ranking due to mediocre play at Hilton Head, Luke Donald recovered the No. 1 ranking with a third-place finish in New Orleans.
“That’s a nice consolation,” Donald said. “It’s been going back and forth a little bit. Rory’s turn next week. It was a little bit of a motivation to try and play well today.”
Of course, with the current system, McIlroy or even Westwood could reclaim the top spot this week at the Wells-Fargo Championship, which Donald is sitting out in order to prepare for the Players Championship.
Weekend Re-Tee: Oosthuizen’s redemption, Pettersson’s win at Harbour Town and McIlroy back to No. 1
04 weeks ago
by Chris Chaney
in Golf
Getty Images
Welcome to Weekend Re-Tee where we take a look back at the weekend that was in the world of golf.
As the rest of the golf world seemingly took a week off following the first major championship of the season, the rest of the world got a better grasp of who Bubba Watson is.
And as fans took a breather, we were reminded that there aren’t any off weeks in the world of professional golf. Louis Oosthuizen and Carl Pettersson both raised trophies (or slipped into plaid jackets) at their wins at the Maybank Malaysian Open and RBC Heritage, respectively.
That’s not all, either. Even as Luke Donald picked up the sticks as the top-ranked player in the world last week, he would not hold onto that top spot come Monday.
Oosthuizen bounces back
Last week, Bubba Watson was the winner of the Masters tournament in a number of ways (fans, money, sponsors, a jacket), but Louis Oosthuizen proved that his win at the 2010 British Open wasn’t just a flash in the pan with his play at the National.
Lauded over during the last two rounds at Augusta for his near-perfect swing and steady demeanor, Oosthuizen showed that he has the game to win multiple majors.
Sure, every time anyone wins a major, you’re sure to get people coming out of the woodwork saying that this is “just the first of many majors for (fill in the blank),” but Oosthuizen has shown that when he wants to, he can be one of the best players in the world.
The only downside to that is the fact that even his swing coach doesn’t see Oosty as the type of guy to go out and contend every week. He’s more of a homebody a la Byron Nelson who wants to play for a few years and then retire back to his family.
In Sports Illustrated’s Masters game story, Alan Shipnuck compared the South African with a certain lad from Northern Ireland:
With apologies to McIlroy, Oosthuizen may have the sweetest swing in the game. “Unfortunately, he doesn’t have Rory’s desire,” says Oosthuizen’s swing coach, Pete Cowen. “If Louis wanted it a little more, he could easily be the best player in the game.”
However, Oosthuizen is obviously enjoy a good run of form as he carried his solid play in Georgia 30 hours across the globe to Kuala Lumpur where he won the Maybank Malaysian Open by three shots over Stephen Gallacher.
“I was a little surprised to win here after that,” Oosthuizen said. “I thought I would be a lot more tired. My golf was a bit up and down in the morning at the end of the third round, but I settled down and played well later.”
Oosthuizen is up to No. 12 in the world.
Pettersson wins at Harbour Town
In its traditional week-after-the-Masters spot on the PGA Tour schedule, the Heritage, which nearly didn’t happen this year due to its lack of presenting sponsor before RBC signed on, proved once again to be a solid tournament with a pretty decent field.
However, by the time the weekend rolled around, two players near the top of the leaderboard were getting as much press for their body types as they were for their good play.
Carl Pettersson and Colt Knost were just going about their business around Harbour Town, but it seemed as if everyone was infatuated with two of the heavier players on Tour were doing so well, especially in the Tiger Woods age when working out and fitness is at a premium among Tour pros.
Pettersson has already tried to go skinny in 2009 when he dropped 30 pounds. Instead of better fitness improving his game, it made it worse, something we’ve also seen happen with John Daly.
Pettersson missed 12 cuts in 29 starts during that 2009 season and decided that he should get back to his podgy playing weight.
“It took a while to get the swing back,” Pettersson said. “Just the last like six months I felt comfortable again.”
While Knost didn’t have the success over the weekend he would have hoped during his first tournament in contention on the PGA Tour, he did card a top-5.
Pettersson, on the other hand, was the class of the field, widening his lead to five strokes with 10 holes to play. He would go on to win by that same margin with Zach Johnson finishing as his closest competitor
With his fourth PGA Tour title, Pettersson moved up to 35th in the world.
McIlroy back atop world rankings
Rory McIlroy had a pretty solid week off in Copenhagen watching his tennis-star girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki lose in the finals of the e-Boks Open.
While that probably wasn’t the result “Wozzilroy” was looking for, McIlroy was able to regain the top spot in the World Golf Rankings thanks to a change in his divsor.
Previous top-ranked player, Luke Donald, needed to finish in the top eight at Harbour Town to have enough points to hold onto the position, but with McIlroy inactive, his divisor dropped from 50 to 49, making his average points increase.
McIlroy will be back in action in two weeks at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Rose Wins Fourth Tournament in Two Years with Victory at Doral
02 months ago
by Chris Chaney
in Golf
Reuters
Justin Rose banked on the experience he had gained from his win at the 2010 Memorial to win his fourth PGA Tour event and first World Golf Championship at the Cadillac Championship held at the TPC Blue Monster at Doral.
Talking to NBC after Bubba Watson missed his birdie putt on the 72nd hole that would have forced a playoff, Rose said he thought back to coming from behind to defeat Rickie Fowler at the Memorial a few days earlier.
“I just kind of having learned the hard way a little bit, I’ve certainly had my chances in the past, as well,” Rose said after his round. “It’s kind of nice to get a little bit of momentum and confidence going. I think it’s probably a confidence thing. When I do get into contention now, I believe I can go ahead and close it out.”
Rose was able to overtake the 54-hole leader, Watson, after Bubba shot a 3-over 39 on the front nine. Rose stayed steady with an even-par outgoing nine to put himself in position.
Also making a move up the leaderboard was new world No. 1 Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman, who had made an early move on Saturday, made a similar run over the first 12 holes on Sunday.
At 6-under for his round through 12 holes and 15-under for the tournament, McIlroy was right at the top of the board with some tough holes coming in. He finished the last six holes 1-over to post at 67 and 14-under par to have the lead in the club house.
However, starting the day 10 shots back of the leader, McIlroy was well ahead of Watson and Rose, giving Rose in particular time to put himself in position to win the tournament.
I didn’t know Rory got within one of the lead,” Rose said. I’m glad I didn’t know that.”
Rose talked about how he tried to keep his head down and concentrate on his game, but the crowds and amount of leader boards on the course make it difficult for him not to know.
“I said on the range this morning that it was going to take a great round, obviously 70 is a great round in relative terms now,” Rose said. “It was all about controlling what I could control. I knew I got into the lead around 14 when I made that birdie, and from there I knew it was just a matter of closing it out.”
With McIlroy backing up, not that Rose knew that and Tiger Woods withdrawing, not that he knew that, either (“Oh, really? That’s not good news. Hopefully holding himself back for the Masters and doesn’t want to do anymore damage.”), Rose made birdies on 10 and 14 to get him to 17-under par.
Watson was unable to get anything going on the back nine as he backed up two birdies with a bogey to sit at 15-under through 13 holes.
Rose was aware on the 18th tee that he had a two-shot lead with the Blue Monster staring him down.
“This 18th hole is tough, no doubt about it. It’s the hardest thing in the world to play for five. You almost always make six everytime you do it,” Rose told the SIriusXM PGA Network after the round. “But I got the job done.”
Rose may have prematurely celebrated that five on the 72nd hole. Watson was just one-shot back with Rose’s bogey, but Rose thought Bubba had driven it in the water.
“I kind of celebrated like I had won it because I heard the crowd and the people from the grandstands shouting, Bubba has hit in the water on 18 and so I’m like, okay, all good,” Rose explained. “From that perspective, when I tapped in, I figured it was to win. Then I hear he wasn’t in the water when I got to the scorer’s hut and he hits it to nine feet and I’m kind of thinking, that was all a bit premature.”
Watson hit two great shots to give himself a look at birdie and a playoff from nine feet, but he couldn’t find the bottom of the hole.
“Tiger talks about fixing it on the course, back when he was dominating; he just talked about fixing it on the course, so that’s what I was doing,” Watson said of his sluggish start. “I was just trying to talk to myself and figure it out and knowing that I came into a stretch where a birdie putt, just over nine feet to go in a playoff, so I felt good.
“So over the putt, all I thought about was my line and I hit my line, and we just didn’t read it right.”
The win was Rose’s fourth in the last two years, having won the Memorial in June 2010, the AT&T Natioal in July 2010, the BMW in September 2011. Rose led the field in birdies with 23, but wasn’t inside the top-5 in anything other than putts per green in regulation.
The Englishman took home a $1.4 winners check and moved up 15 places in the World Golf Rankings to No. 7. He also moved to No. 8 in the FedEx Cup race.
The WGC Cadillac Championship Television Schedule and Info
02 months ago
by Chris Chaney
in Golf
The first round of the World Golf Championship Cadillac Championship is underway at the TPC Blue Monster at Doral in Doral, Fla. The second World Golf Championship of the year has every player ranked in the top 50 in the world in the field this week for the first time in any tournament since last year’s Masters. New World No. 1 Rory McIlroy will make his first start as the world’s best player alongside Luke Donald and Lee Westwood as a resurgent Tiger Woods tries to continue the momentum he built with his final-round 62 last week at the Honda Classic.
This year’s purse: $8.4 million
Winner’s share: $1.4 million
FedEx Cup points to the winner: 550
Last year’s winner was: Nick Watney
Television Schedule:
Thursday: 1-6 p.m. on Golf Channel
Friday: 1-6 p.m. on Golf Channel
Saturday: 12-2 p.m. on Golf Channel // 2-6 p.m. on NBC
Sunday: 1-3 p.m. on Golf Channel // 3-7 p.m. on NBC
SiriusXM Radio Schedule:
Thursday: 12-6 p.m. Sirius 208/ XM 93
Friday: 12-6 p.m. Sirius 208/ XM 93
Saturday: 12-6 p.m. Sirius 208/ XM 93
Sunday: 1-7 p.m. Sirius 208/ XM 93
Leaderboard:
2012 WGC Cadillac Championship Leaderboard
(h/t Armchair Golfer for the idea and PGA Tour for the image)
‘Down the Stretch’ joins ‘Feherty’ and ‘The Haney Project’ as Golf Channel Successes
12 months ago
by Chris Chaney
in Golf
The Golf Channel has long been looking to break into the primetime television game and it seemed that there first big hit came when Charles Barkley teamed up with Hank Haney to try and fix his notoriously bad golf game on The Haney Project.
At the time, Haney was still working with Tiger Woods, who at the time was still friends with Barkley.
Since the show premiered in 2008, a couple things have changed for Haney, Barkley and Woods.
Of course, it all started with that little fire hydrant in Isleworth and the ensuing scandal. From that scandal came Woods’ clearing house, both professionally and personally; Haney on the professional end and Barkley on the personal end.
However, the popularity of The Haney Project wasn’t affected. The Golf Channel had found a reasonably successful show to latch on to and signed up for new seasons with Ray Romano, Ray Romano and various NFL legends.
Taking the next step, the Golf Channel knocked one out of the park prior to the 2011 US Open when they debuted Feherty. The one-on-one interview program featured the show’s namesake, David Feherty and wide arrange of golf-related guests. The show premiered as the most-watched original series in the station’s history.
Now a few years into each series, the Golf Channel debuted Down the Stretch earlier this week to compliment their Monday night lineup.
Down the Stretch is billed as four 30-minute documentaries that follow four players down the stretch in each of the four Florida Swing events.
The PGA Tour picks four guys on Saturday of each week’s tournament based on “the leader board and compelling storylines” and follows them from their hotel room to the course to the press room and even into the locker room after the final round.
The show sounds like a good concept with some behind-the-scenes footage that should appeal to the rabid Golf Channel fan base, because let’s be honest, the people watching the Golf Channel are usually golf nuts and love any look inside the ropes and behind the curtain that they can get. Besides this week’s Honda Classic final round, PGA Entertainment will also air the show following this week’s WGC Cadillac Championship, Bay Hill and the Players Championship.
With its premier episode following Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Harris English and Justin Rose’s final round at the Honda Classic, PGA Tour Entertainment was able to get lucky and unlucky at the same time.
They were lucky in that they were able to chronicle Woods and McIlroy, who will more than likely be involved in the other three broadcasts. Woods made an incredible run that everyone has seen by now, but it worked out perfectly to set up the McIlroy victory and rise to world No. 1.
The only unlucky thing about the debut episode was that the live golf was better theatre than the edited version, but that is something the PGA Tour can live with given their ratings on Sunday at the Honda Classic.
The show is well-done and interesting enough that the people who watch The Haney Project and Feherty would be more likely to stick around for another 30-minute show.
As golf fans, Down the Stretch gives us a better idea of some of the prep work that goes into the final round as well as the aftermath of a victory or defeat. Hopefully, the Golf Channel locks DTS in for a couple more episodes.
McIlroy Holds of Charging Woods, Westwood to Win the Honda Classic, Gain World’s Top Ranking
02 months ago
by Chris Chaney
in Golf
Getty Images
In the past, Tiger Woods’ name on the leader board could send his competitors into bogey-making frenzies. On Sunday, we saw the exact opposite from the newly christened No. 1 player in the world, Rory McIlroy, as the Northern Irishman held off Woods, Lee Westwood and Tom Gillis to win the Honda Classic by two strokes.
Coming into the final round with a two-shot advantage, McIlroy had a game plan to keep his round around even par and make the other players come and get him.
On his eighth hole, McIlroy saw the first leader board of the day and Woods’ name was just four shots back, standing at 7-under par through 12 holes.
“I made birdie on the 8th hole, so might have been a good thing,” McIlroy said of seeing Woods’ name in contention. “It’s different. Having him playing with me, it’s completely different, because you’re watching him and you can see what he’s doing. But I couldn’t really think about it too much. I just had to concentrate on what I was doing.”
A good third of the course behind Woods, McIlroy didn’t pay much attention to what the former World No. 1 was doing because he had his eyes set on becoming the new World No. 1 himself.
“With what could happen after today, with being able to go to the top of the World Rankings, it meant a lot to go out there and produce the golf that I needed to do to get the job done,” McIlroy said. “It was always a dream of mine to become the world No. 1 and the best player in the world.”
Knowing that Woods was making a run didn’t change how the Ulsterman played, he kept making pars, causing his opponents to force the issue, which was no small task given the conditions. The wind became such a factor that play needed to be suspended early Sunday morning, although it admittedly laid down as the day went on.
Playing with Harris English and Gillis in the final threesome, McIlroy never was in jeopardy of losing his lead. English got off to a rough start that took him out of contention completely and Gillis went backwards to start the day before finishing strong.
McIlroy’s biggest competition came from Ryder Cup teammate Lee Westwood and Woods. Westwood appeared to be having the round of the day, shot a 7-under par 63 to get to 8-under for the tournament. And Woods, who had set the 8-under mark as his number to aim for to start the day, had to change up his game plan.
“I thought starting out the day that 6‑under was, for the day, and 8‑under for the tournament, was going to be the number to shoot to at least put myself where I had a chance,” Woods said. “But that changed quite a bit when the wind died down.
“When I turned at 4(-under), I had to change that game plan because the wind was not blowing as hard, and I knew the guys were not going to back up as much.”
Of course, everyone knew where the tournament would be decided: the Bear Trap, a set of holes that were surrounded by water that had given players fits over the years.
Designed by Jack Nicklaus, the Golden Bear said that holes 15-17 would be where a tournament was won or lost.
Still needing to make up some ground, Woods entered the Bear Trap, which, in his words, had played a “little bit easier” because the wind was helping.
With Woods stalling at 7-under, unable to pick up a stroke over the previous five holes, Tiger knew he needed something to happen at 17 to get to his 8-under number and a tie with Westwood in the clubhouse.
Woods put himself just under 25 feet from the hole and calmly rolled in his birdie putt to get himself to 6-under for the day and 8-under for the tournament with the reachable par-5 18th hole still ahead of him.
Woods then smacked a driver 325 yards on 18 to cut the corner, giving himself 205 yards to the flag.
“There’s a tunnel that we walk off and it was on the left edge of the green, probably about three steps into the green,” Woods explained. “And I was just aiming it in, and off that downhill lie, I knew it was going to cut.”
Woods put his approach to eight feet and drained the putt to post 10-under par. Just about that time, McIlroy was lining up a birdie putt of his own on the 13th hole, coming off a bogey on the 12th.
That’s what sets McIlroy apart from the rest of the golfers out there now, he heard the roar and then knocked in his birdie to put him back up two strokes with five holes left.
“I wasn’t really paying much attention until he made that eagle on 18,” McIlroy said. “I heard the huge roar and it definitely wasn’t a birdie roar. That’s when I knew that he probably got to 10. You know, it was nice to have that two‑shot cushion going into the last five holes after holing that birdie putt.”
McIlroy showed why he is a special player coming down the stretch. Even with some nervous swings, McIlroy was able to get up-and-down for par on 14, 15 and 17 to hold on to his two-shot lead through the Bear Trap.
Coming down 18, McIlroy smoked a driver, laid up and put his approach on the green in regulation with 40 feet to navigate over three strokes.
McIlroy needed just two to clinch his fifth career win and third on the PGA Tour. Perhaps most importantly of all, McIlroy rose to the top of the Official World Golf Rankings, supplanting Luke Donald.
Woods finished in a tie for second with Gillis, who birdied the 18th hole to match him at 10-under. Westwood finished in solo fourth at 8-under par.
McIlroy is the second-youngest player to reach World No. 1, behind Woods, the 16th player to reach the top spot since the rankings began in 1986 and the fourth consecutive Euro to hold the ranking.
“It was a lot more meaningful,” McIlroy said of holding of Tiger and garnering the top ranking. “I think the way I won today, as well, was great. I missed a few greens coming in, but I was able to get up‑and‑down. I made a couple big par saves early as well which kept my momentum. It was just one of those days. There was a 62 and a 63 out there, which, I mean, is unbelievable playing. I just needed to focus on my game and do what I needed to do, and thankfully that’s what happened.”
McIlroy took home a $1.026 million winner’s check. He planned to fly up to New York City to spend a few days with his girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki, and then it was back down to Florida for the WGC Cadillac Championship at Doral this week.
Following Doral, McIlroy will take off three weeks to prepare for the year’s first major, the Masters at Augusta National on April 5-8.
The Honda Classic Television Schedule and Info
12 months ago
by Chris Chaney
in Golf
The first round of the Honda Classic is underway at the PGA National Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The Honda is boasting a strong field that includes Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Keegan Bradley, Kyle Stanley, Jim Furyk, Camilo Villegas, Mark Wilson, Ernie Els and Charl Schwartzel. The Honda Classic is the longest-running corporate sponsored event on the PGA Tour, dating back to 1982 and the PGA Tour announced earlier this week that Honda has signed on for four more years of sponsorship.
This year’s purse: $5.7 million
Winner’s share: $1.026 million
FedEx Cup points to the winner: 500
Last year’s winner was: Rory Sabbatini
Television Schedule:
Thursday: 3-6 p.m. on Golf Channel
Friday: 3-6 p.m. on Golf Channel
Saturday: 1-6 p.m. on Golf Channel (Bear Trap Spotlight) // 3-6 p.m. on NBC
Sunday: 1-6 p.m. on Golf Channel (Bear Trap Spotlight) // 3-6 p.m. on NBC
SiriusXM Radio Schedule:
Thursday: 12-6 p.m. Sirius 208/ XM 93
Friday: 12-6 p.m. Sirius 208/ XM 93
Saturday: 12-6 p.m. Sirius 208/ XM 93
Sunday: 12-6 p.m. Sirius 208/ XM 93
Leaderboard
2012 Honda Classic Leaderboard
(h/t Armchair Golfer for the idea)
Mahan Reminds Us That He Really is Good at Match Play
02 months ago
by Chris Chaney
in Golf
Getty Images
If Rory McIlroy was the sexy pick and Tiger Woods was the hopeful pick, then Hunter Mahan had to be the redemptive pick at last week’s World Golf Championship Accenture Match Play Championship.
Mahan, who famously chili dipped a pitch shot against Graeme McDowellon the 17th hole at Celtic Manor during what turned out to be the decisive match in the 2010 Ryder Cup, proved his match play prowess as he took down McIlroy in the finals of the 14th playing of the Accenture Match Play, 2 and 1.
McIlroy was the toast of the weekend as the 22-year-old Northern Irishman had his eyes set squarely on the world’s No. 1 ranking and he wasn’t shying away from his motivation.
“It’s another incentive waking up each morning and knowing that if you win your match at the end of that day, at the end of the week you could be world No. 1,” McIlroy said earlier in the week. “I have to get through a lot of matches before that, but it definitely gives me an added incentive this week.”
The added incentive didn’t produce much high-quality golf from McIlroy as he struggled through his early matches.
McIlroy got past George Coetzee in the first round despite a lack of focus down the stretch. He seemed to see the error in his ways as he vanquished Anders Hansen 3 and 2 in the second round and dropped Miguel Angel Jimenez in the third round 3 and 1, but that wasn’t all due to his stellar play.
McIlroy made just seven birdies through his first three rounds of competition, being the recipient of some less than great play from his competitors.
Mahan, on the other hand, was filling it up, making 17 birdies through his first three rounds. He defeated Zach Johnson 1 up in a tough first-round matchup, then dismantled YE Yang and Steve Stricker 5 and 3, 4 and 3, respectively.
It was Mahan’s quarterfinal matchup with Matt Kuchar that really proved how well he was rolling the rock with his new Ping mallet putter, taking down Kuch 6 and 5 to set up a semifinal match wit the scrappy Mark Wilson.
McIlroy faced PGA Tour rookie Sang-Moon Bae in the quarterfinals. Bae is a rookie inasmuch as McIlroy is a bit a fan of JagerBombs. Still, McIlroy dusted Bae 3 and 2 to set up a semifinal matchup with jaded friend Lee Westwood.
In a new setup, the Match Play was drawn differently as opposed to year’s past. Instead of two matches on Saturday with a 36-hole final on Sunday, the WGC was changed to have the 18-hole semifinals on Sunday morning with an 18-hole final in the afternoon.
Mahan kept doing what he had been doing on Sunday morning, beating Wilson 2 and 1 to advance to the finals as the two Ryder Cup teammates both with a shot at being No. 1 ranking threw haymakers at one another.
McIlroy came out of the right side of the bracket, defeating Westwood 2 and 1 to face Mahan on Sunday afternoon, but the early-morning match took a bit of energy out of McIlroy.
“This is no disrespect to the other two guys in the other semifinals, Hunter and Mark, but it was like my final in a way,” McIlroy said of his match with Westwood. “I really wanted to (play Lee). That was the one I wanted all week and I got. And that’s what I got myself up for. Maybe mentally and emotionally it did take a little bit out of me.”
Maybe McIlroy proved what he wanted to by defeating Westwood, but Mahan wouldn’t be denied his redemption song.
After halving the first five holes, Mahan took four of the next five to sit at 4-up through 10 holes.
With his back up against the wall, McIlroy chipped in for eagle at the par-5 11th to keep himself within striking distance, but Mahan stayed unfazed, playing his game and waiting for the right moment to close it out.
“I thought he was due for a chip‑in,” Mahan said of McIlroy. “It was a pretty straightforward chip. He made it right in there. I didn’t let it bother me or anything. I thought he played a great hole. And if I kept playing solid and forcing him to make eagles to win holes, I was going to do my job. And that’s all I could do.”
The pair halved the next two holes – No. 12 with pars and No. 13 with birdies – and then McIlroy cut into Mahan’s lead one last time on the par-4 14th with a birdie.
Mahan stood 2-up with four holes to play and momentum riding with McIlroy.
Both players drove the green on the short par-4 15th and traded birdies, a big halve for Mahan.
With the obvious advantage, Mahan made sure he didn’t give the match away, playing safely on 16 and 17, making McIlroy force the issue.
The same short game that doomed Mahan two years prior had become the strong suit of his game in Marana, Ariz. Mahan made pars on the 16th and 17th holes to close out McIlroy and his hopes of reaching the top of the golfing world.
“Hunter played very, very solid golf,” McIlroy said afterwards. “And even though I threw a few birdies and an eagle at him in the back nine, he still responded well and held on. I think during the course of the week, he had played the best golf and deserved to win.”
Mahan played 96 holes in his six matches and made 35 birdies, easily the most of anyone in the field. With the win, Mahan claimed his fourth PGA Tour win, his second WGC and took home $1.4 million.
McIlroy held his spot as the second-best player in the world as Mahan cracked the top-10, rising to No. 9 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
The First Must-See Weekend of 2012 Raises Appearance Fee Questions
03 months ago
by Chris Chaney
in Golf
Getty Images
We’ve had the Hawaii Swing and a nice little pro-am in California so far in 2012, but all these tournaments have lacked the star power that drives people to their television sets to watch golf in the middle of winter.
All that changes this weekend as there are two tournaments taking place on opposites sides of the globe that are sure to catch the attention of the hibernating golf fan, the HSBC Champions in Abu Dhabi and the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Both tournaments are boasting pretty strong fields with players that are capable of stealing away some viewers from the misery of watching the NFL Pro Bowl.
The question that arises from the split fields of the two tournaments stems from a purely financial point of view and involves Tiger Woods.
Imagine that.
During his press conference earlier in the week, Woods was asked a number of questions about his health, his swing and the state of his game, but an interesting line of questioning came up when the former world No. 1 was asked if appearance fees have an impact on the scheduling of high-profile players.
Woods was pretty forthcoming when asked if it affects how he schedules tournaments, saying, “You know, I’d have to say yes, it certainly does. That’s one of the reasons why a lot of the guys who play in Europe. I think the only tour that doesn’t pay [appearance fees] is the U.S. Tour.
“But, you know, a lot of the guys play all around the world and they do get appearance fees. Only place we don’t get it is the U.S.”
As I’ve said many times before, the upper echelon of professional golfers are independent contractors, setting their own schedule, rarely taking into consideration what their respective tours would like from them.
This week is the perfect example, especially in Woods’ case.
Growing up in southern California and playing on Torrey Pines all of his life, including some of his most iconic victories, you would think that Eldrick would like to take every opportunity to tee it up at Torrey.
However, as Tiger said in his presser, the PGA Tour will not pay their members or members of any other tour to simply show up, something PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem is adamant about.
“From the standpoint of professional athletic competition, it raises the specter in the fans’ mind that the player is only there because he was paid to be there and not there to really compete,” he said. “If the player doesn’t play well, in light of that perception, then there is a secondary perception that he didn’t even come to compete, he just showed up to get his appearance money. That is not a good thing for your image.
“This is something that’s been part of the PGA Tour since its inception in 1968. We think our image is the most important thing we have, and we’re not going to take the risk.”
First of all, the image of the PGA Tour is certainly not the most important thing they have, it’s the players, but the commish does make a good point.
People are cynical and if someone like a Tiger Woods shows up at an off-brand tournament and collects and appearance fee only to shit the bed, excuse the expression, people are going to go into full cynicism mode.
It will become a common thread around the golf world that Woods only showed up because he was paid to be there, not to try and win a tournament, regardless if that were true or not.
The European Tour combats that with paying enough high-profile players to make it worth their while to not only show up for the money, but to compete because of the world ranking points on the line.
This is all just a long way of saying that both systems work when implemented properly. As they say, there is more than one way to skin a cat.
As it stands now, if players are going to get paid good money to show up and play against good fields, they will continue to pass up the Torrey Pines’ of the world to play in Abu Dhabi for a nice pay day before the tournament even starts.
