While most Canadian hockey fans are focused on the Stanley Cup playoffs, now down to the final between Vancouver and Boston starting Wednesday evening in Vancouver, golf gave it's own version of the playoffs this weekend
European Tour
Luke Donald continued his phenomenal play, and became the world's #1 when he birdied the 1st playoff hole, the par 5 18th at Wentworth to win the BMW PGA Championship, after Lee Westwood's 95 yard wedge landed right over the flag but spun back sideways and trickled right into the burn guarding the green.
full leaderboard click on European Tour
PGA Tour
Keegan Bradley, nephew of LPGA Hall of Famer Pat Bradley won the Byron Nelson Championship, parring the first hole of a playoff with Ryan Palmer on Sunday when he sunk a 2-foot par putt at the 419-yard 18th hole ,while Palmer made bogey after his approach went into the water
full leaderboard click on PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Tom Watson holed a 3 foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat former PGA Rules official David Eger, after both players had missed short putts on the 18th in regulation which would have won it for either of them.
full leaderboard click on PGA Tour go to Champions Tour
Watson closed with a 2-under 70 to finish at 10-under 278 and capture his 14th career major, six since turning 50 to go with five British Opens, two Masters and a U.S. Open. At 61 he became the oldest player to win a major since the senior tour was created in 1980. He also became the second-oldest winner of the Senior PGA, behind only Jock Hutchison who was 62 in 1947.
Notes
* Rory Sabbatini has withdrawn from the Memorial this week saying he no longer needs to play it because he is now exempt from qualifying for the U.S. Open. However after his big cussed out blow up with Sean O'Hair in New Orleans, Rory who tends to run hot under the collar at times is surrounded by speculation he is facing a suspension from the PGA Tour.
If he is suspended it won't affect him playing in the US Open (USGA) or the Open Championship (R&A)
* curse of the announcers.. Renton Laidlaw calling the playoff hole at Wentworth as Donald and Westwood surveyed their wedge shots to the green "the last thing we want here is for one of these guys to end up in the water "
* 17 and 18 at Wentworth were much more exciting before the changes, 18 has become a 2 shot layup, followed by a par 3 from 100 yards..
* both Manny Manessero +4 75,and Jordan Speith +6 77 had tough days but are simply brilliant teenagers who we can look forward to for many years to come..
* the GC is on my TV daily but they broke a golden rule of broadcasting thursday and friday when they stopped their coverage from Wentworth at noon with an hour of play left, going to old replayed programming until 2pm instead, so we missed the conclusion of each day. Never start something you can't finish..
* Here are the new world rankings as of minutes ago and I heard Kraig Khan of the GC opining that for him Luke Donald just doesn't seem like a world number 1..
Really, consider this, since the Accenture World Match Play in Tuscon back in February which Luke won, he has played 9 times, has been 1st twice, lost the Heritage in a playoff, was 2nd last week at the Volvo Match Play, 4th at the Masters and the Players, 6th at the WGC Cadillac, 8th in New Orleans, and 10th at the Honda...
That is a record that even Tiger Woods would have be proud of in his prime!!
1 Luke Donald, Eng 9.14 484.20 53 -101.08 274.72
2 Lee Westwood, Eng 8.74 410.81 47 -150.70 136.56
3 Martin Kaymer, Deu 7.41 370.30 50 -130.10 144.60
4 Phil Mickelson, USA 6.18 278.13 45 -126.26 116.22
5 Graeme McDowell, Nir 5.62 309.24 55 -97.72 73.46
6 Rory McIlroy, Nir 5.42 281.76 52 -113.50 87.49
7 Matt Kuchar, USA 5.15 267.93 52 -84.96 105.82
8 Steve Stricker, USA 5.15 211.06 41 -121.13 69.39
9 Paul Casey, Eng 5.12 230.42 45 -103.28 68.38
10 Charl Schwartzel, Zaf 5.10 285.38 56 -66.34 170.10
11 Bubba Watson, USA 4.98 233.84 47 -57.31 133.91
12 Ian Poulter, Eng 4.87 258.26 53 -100.90 86.36
13 Tiger Woods, USA 4.86 194.27 40 -163.78 42.80
14 Dustin Johnson, USA 4.86 237.93 49 -80.30 92.15
15 Nick Watney, USA 4.74 246.43 52 -66.55 147.29
16 K.J. Choi, Kor 4.45 236.00 53 -48.08 144.51
17 Jim Furyk, USA 4.38 210.48 48 -115.16 39.60
18 Hunter Mahan, USA 4.19 221.87 53 -84.22 91.73
19 Jason Day, Aus 4.14 186.24 45 -43.61 102.30
20 Francesco Molinari, Ita 4.10 221.22 54 -75.65 55.06
* my good friend and long time broadcast partner Bob Weeks reports in his latest blog at Scoregolf that Weirsy has split again with Mike Wilson.
" The big news for Weir is that he's once again parted ways with Mike Wilson. Weir said he just wasn't getting what he wanted from the relationship and so has decided to look elsewhere for a teacher. He's yet to settle on just whom he wants to work with, but has been listening to a number of the top teaching professionals. As he said, there's no shortage of instructors willing to offer an opinion."
* although Hale Irwin shot 73 to fall out of the top 3 at Valhalla, to be leading a major at 66 after 3 rounds while as he said afterward " I'm not really playing that well" is unbelievable
* the wind was so tough at the Byron Nelson only 5 players ended up under par.
* 64 world ranking points and a ton of cash, prestigious event, historic course not enough incentive to attract any Yanks to Wentworth ?? ( Daly sponsor's exemption, Yang won in Malaysia in 2009). Furthermore, not that Luke will need it, but the winner at Wentworth does not get a spot in the Masters, although Keegan Bradley does for winning the Byron Nelson.... can we say American bias...
Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles
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