PGA Tour
THE PLAYERS Championship
TPC Sawgrass · Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Canadians: David Hearn T68 +7 69,75, 77 74 Graham DeLaet T70 +8 71,73,76 76
UPDATE Thursday wrap...
" I hit a lot of shots really close today, to within 10 feet, and the putts just rolled in" England's Ian Poulter fired his best round of the year, a -7 65, with 9 one putt greens in a row to tie for the lead with Scotland's Martin Laird, a shot ahead of journeyman Blake Edwards 66 and 2 ahead of Kevin Na and Ben Crane at 67. Eleven players shot 68, and there were 27 players who shot in the 60s, more than half the field broke par.
Poulter says he has just moved into his new Florida home at Lake Nona. It has been 3 years in the making, with a ton of hassles and disruption which has left him little time for practice. " It's just nice to have it over with, to be in, the family is happy and my mind is finally clear to play golf "
Rory McIlroy 72 Luke Donald 72 Lee Westwood 71 Phil Mickelson 71 Tiger Woods 74 Rickie Fowler 72 Ernie Els 74
Angel Cabrera took a 9 at the par 3 17th on his way to 78 then WD, as did Symon Dyson 76, Bill Haas, DA Points and Paul Casey also WD.
UPDATE Friday Wrap..
There are 26 players within 5 shots of the lead as we go into the weekend, and the cut fell at E, the number which both David Hearn 69,75 144 and Graham DeLaet 71 73 144 made, so both Canucks will collect a pay cheque at least this year.
The leaders, all at -8 are Zach Johnson 70 66, Matt Kuchar 68 68 and Kevin Na 67 69. Not surprisingly all 3 are among the straightest drivers on tour which is essential on Sawgrass with it's narrow fairways surrounded by water and it's small undulating greens. Ian Poulter, the overnight co-leader leader had 2 doubles and 2 bogey's along with 2 birdies to slip to T17 at -3 after a 76.
It sets up an intriguing weekend, as my eyes will be on the pack more so than the leaders with the likes of Luke, Lee, Adam Scott, Rickie etc all in the hunt. Even Tiger who made 4 birdies in a row around the turn to get in at 68 -2, along with Phil 71 -2 who hasn't caught fire yet will be in the mix, as will red hot Ben Curtis at -5 just to mention a few, and as we know no lead is safe or insurmountable on this course.
Consider Martin Laird to make my point. He shared the 1st round lead with Poulter and was at -10 standing in the fairway after a perfect drive on the par 5, 16th, but hit his 4-iron into the water on the and made bogey, and he dunked one on No. 17 for double, then made bogey at 18. He lost 4 shots in 3 holes but his 73 still leaves him at -6 along with, and look out for Adam Scott 68 70 -6.
The stats point out that just 6 of 29 second-round leaders have gone on to win the tournament.
Rory shot 76 and missed the cut for the first time in more than a year, though it wasn't unusual at TPC Sawgrass. In three appearances, he has never broken par or made the cut. Sadly for many Ernie and Steve Stricker also MC. Paddy Harrington and Graeme McDowell were other notables who MC.
Rory McIlroy 72, 76 MC Luke Donald T17 72, 69 -3 Lee Westwood T17 71,70 -3, Phil Mickelson T30 71,71 -2 Tiger Woods T30 74, 68 -2 Rickie Fowler T17 72, 69 -3 Ernie Els 74, 74 MC Steve Stricker 76 74 MC
UPDATE.. Saturday wrap
The "yips" are a dreaded affliction to any golfer who has ever had to endure them, they usually attack your hands on or around the greens. Bernhard Langer in his prime got them so badly he tried locking the grip of his putter against his forearm, Sam Snead for goodness sake went 'side saddle", I had them so badly while chipping I went to one hand, or just tried to putt everything....The long putter was invented to cure the yips, essentially by taking the hands out of the equation.
Kevin Na, a pro since he was 17, the best junior golfer in the US before that, has the Yips....but on the tee !!
On the greens he is the best putter this week so far, and once he does pull the trigger on the tee, he is driving it beautifully. His 68 on Saturday has him at -12, a one shot lead over Matt Kuchar (69) -11 and they will tee off at 2.45 today in the last pairing.
Remember, Na, who is getting hammered in the social media, was a deliberate player before the yips attacked him, now he is in danger of being assessed penalty strokes if he receives more than 1 bad time warning. On stroke for each additional warning.
Matt Kuchar is as easy going guy as there is, so he of all people should be able to cope with Na's affliction, which one would think can only get worse as the pressure mounts Sunday afternoon. Imagine if he were paired with Rickie Fowler who's 66 has him in third at -9. Rickie is as fast a player as there is.
Charles Barkley tweeted " Kevin Na is my hero.. welcome to my world !!" The question is, will there come a time today he just can't swing ?? or make a half swing or a stab ... oh the yips are a cruel thing to be sure, especially when the eyes of the world are watching, waiting for them to attack...
UPDATE ..final wrap
Tim Rosaforte loves to come on air these days with all kinds of minutia about what is going on off the course, this week was about Matt Kuchar and his wife playing tennis against various opponents, staying with his parents in Ponte Verde, before he came out to play golf in the afternoon.
Well Matt, his wife and kids and family already fabulously rich, have just won another $1.6 million on Mother's Day no less, in case their HEAD racquets needed re stringing.
Before I get to Kuchar, what of the nervous Kevin Na, who was the story coming in.
pgatour.com He had a three-shot lead early in the with a birdie on No. 2, but he fell apart quickly. There were waggles and a few whiffs as part of his painful pre-shot routine, but there were far too many shots in the wrong spot for him to have a chance. He made four bogeys in five holes to close out the front nine in 39, and his hopes ended with a tee shot into the water on the par-3 13th. Fans were booing and heckling at times, some yelling " Hi it " and "Pull the trigger "...
Na closed with a 76 to tie for seventh, five shots behind.
Kuchar won for only the fourth time in his career, and the first time since the 2010 Barclays when Martin Laird three-putted the last hole and lost in a playoff. He closed with 70, stayed out of the water and won by 2 shots at -13 275, over 4 players.
Martin Laird made the strongest run on a cloudy, breezy afternoon, tying for the lead with this third straight birdie on No. 12. Laird nearly went in the water on the 18th, missed a 6-foot par putt for a 67. Rickie Fowler missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 18th and shot 70. Ben Curtis made a 10-foot birdie on the 18th for a 68, while Zach Johnson shot 68 to join the tie for second
Luke Donald finished alone in sixth after a 66, not quite enough to replace Rory McIlroy at No. 1 in the world.
Tiger Woods shot 40 on his front nine and rallied for a 73, at least finishing THE PLAYERS Championship under par. That was the smallest of consolations. Far more alarming was that he tied for 40th, the first time in his career that he has finished no better than 40th in three straight tournaments.
So all in all it was an interesting 2012 edition of the Players, Rickie going for 2 in a row and and Kevin with his battle over the yips kept me watching and of course TPC at Sawgrass is compelling with disaster lurking on nearly every hole, it lacked a little star power with Rory, Ernie, Stricker missing the cut and of course Phil and Tiger never a factor.
Still it was fitting on Mother's Day that the smiling family man turned out to be the winner for his wife and mother, wearing a pink hat for the occasion... nice..
Canadians: David Hearn T68 +7 69,75, 77 74 Graham DeLaet T70 +8 71,73,76 76
It's the Byron Nelson this week over here but bigger still is the World Match Play in Spain followed by the BMW PGA at Wentworth.
live scoring click here http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboards/current/r011/
Poulter says he has just moved into his new Florida home at Lake Nona. It has been 3 years in the making, with a ton of hassles and disruption which has left him little time for practice. " It's just nice to have it over with, to be in, the family is happy and my mind is finally clear to play golf "
Rory McIlroy 72 Luke Donald 72 Lee Westwood 71 Phil Mickelson 71 Tiger Woods 74 Rickie Fowler 72 Ernie Els 74
Angel Cabrera took a 9 at the par 3 17th on his way to 78 then WD, as did Symon Dyson 76, Bill Haas, DA Points and Paul Casey also WD.
UPDATE Friday Wrap..
There are 26 players within 5 shots of the lead as we go into the weekend, and the cut fell at E, the number which both David Hearn 69,75 144 and Graham DeLaet 71 73 144 made, so both Canucks will collect a pay cheque at least this year.
The leaders, all at -8 are Zach Johnson 70 66, Matt Kuchar 68 68 and Kevin Na 67 69. Not surprisingly all 3 are among the straightest drivers on tour which is essential on Sawgrass with it's narrow fairways surrounded by water and it's small undulating greens. Ian Poulter, the overnight co-leader leader had 2 doubles and 2 bogey's along with 2 birdies to slip to T17 at -3 after a 76.
It sets up an intriguing weekend, as my eyes will be on the pack more so than the leaders with the likes of Luke, Lee, Adam Scott, Rickie etc all in the hunt. Even Tiger who made 4 birdies in a row around the turn to get in at 68 -2, along with Phil 71 -2 who hasn't caught fire yet will be in the mix, as will red hot Ben Curtis at -5 just to mention a few, and as we know no lead is safe or insurmountable on this course.
Consider Martin Laird to make my point. He shared the 1st round lead with Poulter and was at -10 standing in the fairway after a perfect drive on the par 5, 16th, but hit his 4-iron into the water on the and made bogey, and he dunked one on No. 17 for double, then made bogey at 18. He lost 4 shots in 3 holes but his 73 still leaves him at -6 along with, and look out for Adam Scott 68 70 -6.
The stats point out that just 6 of 29 second-round leaders have gone on to win the tournament.
Rory shot 76 and missed the cut for the first time in more than a year, though it wasn't unusual at TPC Sawgrass. In three appearances, he has never broken par or made the cut. Sadly for many Ernie and Steve Stricker also MC. Paddy Harrington and Graeme McDowell were other notables who MC.
Rory McIlroy 72, 76 MC Luke Donald T17 72, 69 -3 Lee Westwood T17 71,70 -3, Phil Mickelson T30 71,71 -2 Tiger Woods T30 74, 68 -2 Rickie Fowler T17 72, 69 -3 Ernie Els 74, 74 MC Steve Stricker 76 74 MC
UPDATE.. Saturday wrap
The "yips" are a dreaded affliction to any golfer who has ever had to endure them, they usually attack your hands on or around the greens. Bernhard Langer in his prime got them so badly he tried locking the grip of his putter against his forearm, Sam Snead for goodness sake went 'side saddle", I had them so badly while chipping I went to one hand, or just tried to putt everything....The long putter was invented to cure the yips, essentially by taking the hands out of the equation.
Kevin Na, a pro since he was 17, the best junior golfer in the US before that, has the Yips....but on the tee !!
On the greens he is the best putter this week so far, and once he does pull the trigger on the tee, he is driving it beautifully. His 68 on Saturday has him at -12, a one shot lead over Matt Kuchar (69) -11 and they will tee off at 2.45 today in the last pairing.
Remember, Na, who is getting hammered in the social media, was a deliberate player before the yips attacked him, now he is in danger of being assessed penalty strokes if he receives more than 1 bad time warning. On stroke for each additional warning.
Matt Kuchar is as easy going guy as there is, so he of all people should be able to cope with Na's affliction, which one would think can only get worse as the pressure mounts Sunday afternoon. Imagine if he were paired with Rickie Fowler who's 66 has him in third at -9. Rickie is as fast a player as there is.
Charles Barkley tweeted " Kevin Na is my hero.. welcome to my world !!" The question is, will there come a time today he just can't swing ?? or make a half swing or a stab ... oh the yips are a cruel thing to be sure, especially when the eyes of the world are watching, waiting for them to attack...
UPDATE ..final wrap
Tim Rosaforte loves to come on air these days with all kinds of minutia about what is going on off the course, this week was about Matt Kuchar and his wife playing tennis against various opponents, staying with his parents in Ponte Verde, before he came out to play golf in the afternoon.
Well Matt, his wife and kids and family already fabulously rich, have just won another $1.6 million on Mother's Day no less, in case their HEAD racquets needed re stringing.
Before I get to Kuchar, what of the nervous Kevin Na, who was the story coming in.
pgatour.com He had a three-shot lead early in the with a birdie on No. 2, but he fell apart quickly. There were waggles and a few whiffs as part of his painful pre-shot routine, but there were far too many shots in the wrong spot for him to have a chance. He made four bogeys in five holes to close out the front nine in 39, and his hopes ended with a tee shot into the water on the par-3 13th. Fans were booing and heckling at times, some yelling " Hi it " and "Pull the trigger "...
Na closed with a 76 to tie for seventh, five shots behind.
Kuchar won for only the fourth time in his career, and the first time since the 2010 Barclays when Martin Laird three-putted the last hole and lost in a playoff. He closed with 70, stayed out of the water and won by 2 shots at -13 275, over 4 players.
Martin Laird made the strongest run on a cloudy, breezy afternoon, tying for the lead with this third straight birdie on No. 12. Laird nearly went in the water on the 18th, missed a 6-foot par putt for a 67. Rickie Fowler missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 18th and shot 70. Ben Curtis made a 10-foot birdie on the 18th for a 68, while Zach Johnson shot 68 to join the tie for second
Luke Donald finished alone in sixth after a 66, not quite enough to replace Rory McIlroy at No. 1 in the world.
Tiger Woods shot 40 on his front nine and rallied for a 73, at least finishing THE PLAYERS Championship under par. That was the smallest of consolations. Far more alarming was that he tied for 40th, the first time in his career that he has finished no better than 40th in three straight tournaments.
So all in all it was an interesting 2012 edition of the Players, Rickie going for 2 in a row and and Kevin with his battle over the yips kept me watching and of course TPC at Sawgrass is compelling with disaster lurking on nearly every hole, it lacked a little star power with Rory, Ernie, Stricker missing the cut and of course Phil and Tiger never a factor.
Still it was fitting on Mother's Day that the smiling family man turned out to be the winner for his wife and mother, wearing a pink hat for the occasion... nice..
Canadians: David Hearn T68 +7 69,75, 77 74 Graham DeLaet T70 +8 71,73,76 76
It's the Byron Nelson this week over here but bigger still is the World Match Play in Spain followed by the BMW PGA at Wentworth.
live scoring click here http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboards/current/r011/
EUROPEAN Tour
Madeira Islands Open
Madeira, Portugal
Canadian: Andrew Parr (75) T128
UPDATE Thursday wrap..
Spaniard Alvaro Velasco stormed into the lead in the first round of the Madeira Islands Open, Portugal with a superb -8 64 at Santo da Serra.
The 30 year old, who won the 2010 Challenge Tour Rankings, had nine birdies and a bogey to lead by two from five players, English trio Tommy Fleetwood, Ben Parker and Oliver Wilson, Swedes Magnus A Carlsson and Joakim Lagergren and Denmark’s Morten Orum Madsen all on 66. Half the field for the €675,000 event is made up of Challenge Tour players.
UPDATE Friday wrap..
europeantour.com..Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson leads a European Tour event for the first time since November 2008 after a sublime seven under par 65 in the second round of the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal.
The Englishman, who lost his European Tour card after finishing 130th in The Race to Dubai last year, showed signs he is rediscovering his best form, having not dropped a shot in two rounds at Santo da Serra to lead by one from Swedish pair Magnus A Carlsson and Joakim Lagergren, who both had two rounds of 66, and England’s Andy Sullivan, who shone with a 64.
Wilson has made eight appearances so far this season – six as a sponsor’s invitation – but has made just €22,084, so he is particularly pleased to be leading the way as he attempts to win a maiden European Tour title. The last time he was in pole position on The European Tour was after 54 holes of the 2008 Hong Kong Open (part of the 2009 International Schedule).
Canuck Andrew Parr opened with a +3 75, fought back with a -4 68 to get to -1 143, but the cut fell at -3 141 so he won't be playing this weekend.
UPDATE.. Saturday wrap
europeantour.com Spaniard Carlos Del Moral surged to the top of the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal leaderboard with a stunning nine under par 63 in the third round at Santo da Serra.
The 26 year old will take a three shot lead into the final day as he goes in search of his maiden European Tour title, thanks to an exquisite putting display which racked up nine birdies.
Del Moral had just 20 putts in a round which ended with three consecutive birdies – plus two more putts from just off the green – to power ahead of young Swede Joakim Lagergren, who is 14 under, while Mikael Lundberg and Magnus A Carlsson, also of Sweden, Portugal’s Ricardo Santos and Englishman Oliver Wilson are another shot back at 13 under
UPDATE Final wrap
Ricardo Santos fired a stunning nine under par 63 on home soil in the final round of the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal to claim his maiden European Tour title.
The 29 year old delighted the home crowds as he overhauled overnight leader Carlos Del Moral and withstood the challenge of Andreas Hartø to finish four shots clear on22 under par – a record low total for the event.
Del Moral started the day three shots ahead, but his challenge faltered with a triple bogey seven at the ninth and ultimately signed for a 73 to finish tied fourth, while Hartø reached the turn in six under par, but could not maintain the momentum. Three bogeys in four holes from the 12th proved costly, and he had to settle for third place, one shot behind Magnus A Carlsson, who finished on 18 under thanks to a 67
UPDATE Thursday wrap..
Spaniard Alvaro Velasco stormed into the lead in the first round of the Madeira Islands Open, Portugal with a superb -8 64 at Santo da Serra.
The 30 year old, who won the 2010 Challenge Tour Rankings, had nine birdies and a bogey to lead by two from five players, English trio Tommy Fleetwood, Ben Parker and Oliver Wilson, Swedes Magnus A Carlsson and Joakim Lagergren and Denmark’s Morten Orum Madsen all on 66. Half the field for the €675,000 event is made up of Challenge Tour players.
UPDATE Friday wrap..
europeantour.com..Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson leads a European Tour event for the first time since November 2008 after a sublime seven under par 65 in the second round of the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal.
The Englishman, who lost his European Tour card after finishing 130th in The Race to Dubai last year, showed signs he is rediscovering his best form, having not dropped a shot in two rounds at Santo da Serra to lead by one from Swedish pair Magnus A Carlsson and Joakim Lagergren, who both had two rounds of 66, and England’s Andy Sullivan, who shone with a 64.
Wilson has made eight appearances so far this season – six as a sponsor’s invitation – but has made just €22,084, so he is particularly pleased to be leading the way as he attempts to win a maiden European Tour title. The last time he was in pole position on The European Tour was after 54 holes of the 2008 Hong Kong Open (part of the 2009 International Schedule).
Canuck Andrew Parr opened with a +3 75, fought back with a -4 68 to get to -1 143, but the cut fell at -3 141 so he won't be playing this weekend.
UPDATE.. Saturday wrap
europeantour.com Spaniard Carlos Del Moral surged to the top of the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal leaderboard with a stunning nine under par 63 in the third round at Santo da Serra.
The 26 year old will take a three shot lead into the final day as he goes in search of his maiden European Tour title, thanks to an exquisite putting display which racked up nine birdies.
Del Moral had just 20 putts in a round which ended with three consecutive birdies – plus two more putts from just off the green – to power ahead of young Swede Joakim Lagergren, who is 14 under, while Mikael Lundberg and Magnus A Carlsson, also of Sweden, Portugal’s Ricardo Santos and Englishman Oliver Wilson are another shot back at 13 under
UPDATE Final wrap
Ricardo Santos fired a stunning nine under par 63 on home soil in the final round of the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal to claim his maiden European Tour title.
The 29 year old delighted the home crowds as he overhauled overnight leader Carlos Del Moral and withstood the challenge of Andreas Hartø to finish four shots clear on22 under par – a record low total for the event.
Del Moral started the day three shots ahead, but his challenge faltered with a triple bogey seven at the ninth and ultimately signed for a 73 to finish tied fourth, while Hartø reached the turn in six under par, but could not maintain the momentum. Three bogeys in four holes from the 12th proved costly, and he had to settle for third place, one shot behind Magnus A Carlsson, who finished on 18 under thanks to a 67
for final scoreboard click here http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2012/tournamentid=2012032/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y
JAPAN Golf Tour
PGA Championship
Karasuyamaja CC
Tochigi, Japan
Toru Taniguichi, 65 70, 76 73 -4 led from wire to wire to win the Japan Tour's PGA Championship earlier this morning by one shot at 284.
Toru Taniguichi, 65 70, 76 73 -4 led from wire to wire to win the Japan Tour's PGA Championship earlier this morning by one shot at 284.
Live scoring click here
NATIONWIDE Tour
off this week
CHAMPIONS Tour
off for 2 weeks
LPGA Tour
off this week
eGolf Professional Tour
off this week
ASIAN Tour
off until June 14
Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles and at www.isr1050.com
No comments:
Post a Comment