Mickelson wins wire to wire....live scoring links to all tournaments

PGA TOUR - PHOENIX OPEN
TPC Scottsdale, Stadium Course (7,216 yards, par 71).
$6.2 million. Winner's share: $1,116,000.
CANADIANS: Stephen Ames -1 72,69 MC  Graham DeLaet +3 72,73 MC  Brad Fritsch -3 72,67 MC David Hearn T16 -14 67,65,73,65   Mike Weir E 69 73 MC


Round 4 wrap

Phil Mickelson shot a 4-under 67 to finish at 28-under 256, two strokes off the PGA TOUR record of 254 set by Tommy Armour III in the 2003 Texas Open. The 42-year-old former Arizona State star won after struggling the last two weeks,tying for 37th at La Quinta in his opener and 51st at Torrey Pines and making news by talking about tax increases.

Snedeker, the reigning FedExCup champion and current FedExCup leader, finished second, four strokes back after a 65. Scott Piercy shot a 61 to finish third at 23 under. The crowd Sunday was estimated at 58,791 for a weekly total of 525,821, short of the record of 538,356 set in 2008. ...


David Hearn made a great move from T35 up to T16 -14, 65



Live scoring link  http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html





EUROPEAN TOUR - DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC
Emirates Golf Club, Majlis Course (7,301 yards, par 72).
$2.5 million. Winner's share: $415,640.

Round 4 wrap 

europeantouur.com  
Stephen Gallacher ended his nine-year wait for a second European Tour title in stunning fashion with victory at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
The Scot holed his approach to the par four 16th for his fifth eagle of the week to finally shake off the obdurate challenge of Richard Sterne.

A one under par 71 gave Gallacher a 22 under par winning total and three shot victory margin; but that barely told the story of a remarkable final round.Three clear overnight, Sterne wiped out the former European Amateur Champion’s advantage within two holes, before the pair leapfrogged each other repeatedly until Gallacher holed a 110 yard wedge to the 16th.

Chile's Felipe Aguilar and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen tied for third and England's Lee Westwood joint fourth after hitting his second shot into the water on the par five last.




Live scoring click  http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2013/tournamentid=2013009/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y





ALPG/LET - AUSTRALIAN LADIES MASTERS
RACV Royal Pines Resort (6,647 yards, par 72).
$261,330. Winner's share: $43,560.

CANADIANS  Rebecca Lee-Bentham MC 73,75 Lorie Kane MC 76 73  Sara Maude Juneau T13 -3 72,73 68 Nancy Harvey MC 76 76

Karrie Webb at -13 203 won by 2 shots and the first prize of 30.000 euros.


Live scoring click  http://www.letscoring.com/leaderboard/63187/






EUROPEAN SENIOR TOUR - QUALIFYING SCHOOL, FINAL STAGE
Pestana Carvoeiro Golf Resort, Pinta Course (6,553 yds, par 71)

CANADIANS: Phil Jonas 73 70 71 67 -3 T5, Jean Laforce 72 71 68 71 -2 T7 , Keir Smith T27 70 73 73 71 +3, Ken Tarling T36 73 75 72 69 +5, Dave Wettlaufer T42 73 73 70 75 +7

NOTES: The 58 qualifiers from Stage One are joined by 17 exempt players in this final stage which will award six full and eight conditional cards for 2013.



Final Wrap Up

Having spent several years in the golfing wilderness, David James is relishing the prospect of making a return to competitive action on the European Senior Tour after winning the Qualifying School Final on a dramatic final day in Portugal.

The Scot, who closed with a round of 68 for a ten under par aggregate total, will be joined on the Senior Tour this season by England’s Simon Brown, Spain’s José Manuel Carriles, American Robert Thompson, South African Hendrik Buhrmann and Canadian Phil Jonas, all of who claimed full cards

Heartbreak for many including Canadian Jean LaForce who birdied 2 of his last 3 holes but still missed full status by a shot !!  He recieves conditional status.



Live scoring click   http://www.europeantour.com/seniortour/qualifying/season=2013/tournamentid=2013806/leaderboard/index.html






NGA PRO GOLF TOUR - WINTER SERIES
Timacuan Golf Club - Lake Mary, FL

CANADIANS     Stuart Anderson, Josh Bamberger, Aaron Crawford, Max Gilbert, Mathieu Gingras, Matt Hill, Mark Hoffmann, Matt Hoffmann, James Humphris, Kyle Kirkland, Louis-Alexandre Pitre, JOE BLOW, Jon Rondeau, Christopher Ross, Riley Wheeldon

Final Wrap
Joe Affrunti shot 64 64 -16 to lap the field and win easily at Timacuan GC in Lake Mary Fl.

For all Canadian scores click on live scoring below.

Live scoring   http://ngawinter.tourgolfscores.com/gscode/public/leaderboards/player/static/player384.html



Bryan Angus
twitter@mummmbles
www.nextsportstar.com
www.isr1050.com

Wood wins in Qatar, Woods leads by six after a long day at Torrey Pines.. Fritsch T3.. live scoring links

It is a world wide game these days for sure and this week the European Tour is in Qatar while Tiger returns to action at Torrey Pines in California along with 6 of our Canucks, as Adam Hadwin has Monday qualified.

Here are the details along with live scoring links to the Asian Tour final qualifying, and the All American Tour which both have Canucks involved... to make following easy for you.



PGA TOUR - FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN
Torrey Pines, South Course (7,698 yards, par 72) and North Course (7,045 yards, par 72).
 $6.1 million. Winner’s share: $1.08 million.


Round 3.4 

pgatour.com  Tiger Woods walked off Torrey Pines in the chill of twilight with a six-shot lead and only 11 more holes standing in the way of winning on the public course along the Pacific Ocean for the eighth time in his pro career.

He drove the ball with superb control in the third round on his way to a 3-under 69 to build a four-shot lead after three rounds. He lost control with his driver in the fourth round and still managed three birdies in seven holes. He was at 17-under par for the tournament and will resume his round on the par-3 eighth hole. Play will resume at 2:10 p.m. ET, 11:10 a.m. PT

The field started early 7am local and played until darkness some players got as far as 16 before calling it a day..

Playing for 2nd place are Brandt Snedeker, the defending champion who played 13 holes of the final round and Nick Watney who played eight holes. Both were at 11-under par.

Brad Fritsch is alone in 4th 69 67 70 -9.

Graham DeLaet is T10 -7 68 70 72,  Mike Weir is T62 66 75 73 +1  and Adam Hadwin T83 +5 68 74 69 but is 5 over through 15 holes of round 4.


live scoring click   http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html




EUROPEAN TOUR -QATAR MASTERS
Doha Golf Club (7,400 yards, par 72).
$2.5 million. Winner’s share: $416,660.


Round 4 wrap  

Englishman Chris Wood produced a sensational eagle at the final hole to win his first European Tour title by one shot at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

Needing a birdie at the par-five 18^th to join a play-off with South African George Coetzee and Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who had both finished on 17 under par, Wood went one better to claim the Mother of Pearl trophy, sinking a ten foot putt after a magnificent six iron approach from 202 yards.

Having led by three shots at the start of the day, Wood was under pressure early on when he double bogeyed the third, but his three under par 69 was ultimately enough to hold off Coetzee, who signed for a 65, and Garcia, who birdied the last for a 66

click here for live scoring  http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2013/tournamentid=2013007/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y






ASIAN TOUR - QUALIFYING SCHOOL, FINAL STAGE
Springfield Royal Country Club (7,043 yards, par 72) & Imperial Lakeview Golf Club (6,915 yards, par 72), Thailand

CANADIANS: Chun Il Jin, Jordan Krantz, Lindsay Renolds, Matt Johnston, Richard T. Lee, Ron Harvey, Jr.



Round 4 wrap

Canadian Richard Lee has qualified for the Asian Tour by finishing T3


for Final scoring click here   http://vm1.asiantour.com/html/livescoring.html?season=2013~tourn=13FS~




ALL AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL GOLF TOUR - EVENT No. 10
Southern Dunes Golf Club, Maricopa, AZ

CANADIANS: Kent Eger, Eugene Wong, James Love, Tyler Frank (a), Darren Wallace, Thomas Hay, Bryan Scott, Nick Taylor, Dallas Mengel, Jeffrey Graham, Tyler LeBouthillier, Eric Hawerchuck, Steven Shantz, Richard Boychuk


live scoring click  http://www.all-americantour.com/leagues/golf_leaderboard.cfm?clientid=4367&leagueid=19042&seasonnum=2012&flightnum=1



BryanA

Pro Golf this week around the world

Tiger and Phil get all the headlines this week as they both play on a course they excel on at Torrey Pines but there are so many more stories..Here is where the pro's are this week..


PGA TOUR - FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN
Torrey Pines, South Course (7,698 yards, par 72) and North Course (7,045 yards, par 72).
$6.1 million. Winner’s share: $1.08 million.
Canucks : Stephen Ames, Graham DeLaet, David Hearn, Brad Fritsch, Adam Hadwin, Mike Weir

NOTES: Tiger Woods is making his first PGA Tour start of the year after missing the cut last week in his season debut in the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi event. He has won the tournament six times and also won the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Phil Mickelson, the 1993, 2000 and 2001 winner, is making his 23rd consecutive appearance in his hometown event. He tied for 37th in La Quinta last week in his first tournament of the year.



EUROPEAN TOUR - QATAR MASTERS
Doha Golf Club (7,400 yards, par 72).
$2.5 million. Winner’s share: $416,660.

Louis Oosthuizen, coming off a victory two weeks ago in the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa, is in the field along with Justin Rose, Ernie Els, Jason Dufner, Martin Kaymer, Sergio Garcia and Retief Goosen




ASIAN TOUR - QUALIFYING SCHOOL, FINAL STAGE
Springfield Royal Country Club (7,043 yards, par 72) & Imperial Lakeview Golf Club (6,915 yards, par 72), Thailand

Canucks  Chun Il Jin, Jordan Krantz, Lindsay Renolds, Matt Johnston, Richard T. Lee, Ron Harvey, Jr.

The top-40 and ties earn playing privileges for the 2013 Asian Tour season. ...Among the notables in the field are 19-year-old Australian Jake Higginbottom, the first amateur in more than a half century to win the New Zealand Open last year; China’s Hu Mu, who won the under 18-year-old division at the China Junior Golf Open in 2001 when he was just 11 years old; Brunei’s Prince Hakeem Jefri, the eldest son of Prince Jefri Bolkiah, a brother of the Brunei Sultan could become the first Bruneian to graduate to the Asian Tour





EUROPEAN SENIOR TOUR - QUALIFYING SCHOOL, STAGE 1

Gramacho Golf Course in Lagoa, Portugal; Silves Golf Course in Silves, Portugal

Canucks: Mark Forrest, Greg Gates, Phil Jonas, Keir Smith, Dave Wettlaufer, Jean Laforce, Sly Leblanc

The Final stage will be contested by 72 players and will take place at Pestana’s Vale da Pinta from January 28 to 31, where the leading six players will receive full cards for the 2012 season, and players finishing in positions seven to 14 receiving conditional cards. ...Canada's Ken Tarling is exempt into the final stage.

Six Canadians at Torrey Pines this week, as Adam Hadwin Monday qualifies

With Abu Dhabi being a week earlier on the European Tour sked, Tiger Woods will be able to play at Torrey Pines this week, a course he has won at least half a dozen times on, even if he hadn't he of course will get all the headlines..

Here in the grips of our first deep freeze of the winter, warming news emerged yesterday as Adam Hadwin finished T1 in the Monday qualifier and will get an unexpected extra start on the PGA  tour.

Hadwin carded 11 birdies, including seven in a row at one point, at the El Camino Country Club to post an 8-under 64 which earned him one of four spots in this week's Tour event at Torrey Pines.

"It's huge," Hadwin tells the Vancouver Sun. "With all the big names teeing it up this week it's kind of just a nice little kickstart to my year. I wasn't really expecting to start my season until I went down to Colombia. I went out there, played well and now I get a chance to tee it up with the PGA guys this week."

Hadwin will make it six Canadians in the field this week, joining Graham DeLaet, David Hearn, Stephen Ames, Mike Weir and PGA rookie Brad Fritsch.

This will be Hadwin's eighth career PGA Tour start having made the cut in six of seven previous events. His best result was a tie for fourth at the 2011 RBC Canadian Open in Vancouver.

Victoria's Cory Renfrew and Calgary's Ryan Yip both narrowly missed joining Hadwin in the field after shooting 67 - one stroke shy of the cut off

Gay wins a playoff in La Quinta, Cook wins a playoff in Hawaii

This PGA Tour event used to be so much fun because of one great man. Bob Hope..I miss his days here when he could still play and it was the Bob Hope Classic with his tailor made cart and of course the pretty girls, all the Presidents would show up to be the butt of his good natured one liners, Arnie won it 5 times, and the world's greatest entertainers would show how vulnerable they were out of their acting or singing roles, as they hacked their way around Bermuda Dunes and Indian Wells..

Nowadays it's much more corporate, the Humana Challenge in association with Bill Clinton, the weather in La Quinta is still perfect, there isn't much rough, the greens are gently rolling and the scores are low..

Round 4 wrap

Brian Gay won the Humana Challenge in a playoff, on the par-4 10th, putting his 9-iron second shot 5 1/2 feet below the hole against Charles Howell who drove into the right rough, hit into the back bunker, blasted out to 15 feet and two-putted for bogey.

The 41-year-old Gay, hardly an imposing figure at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, worked hard last year with Grant Waite and Joe Mayo to increase his driving distance.

"My whole game's been about accuracy and short game," Gay said. "I've always been a short hitter on the TOUR and I felt like as I was getting older I'm only going to get shorter and shorter. ... It was tough last year trying to play making those changes."

Gay closed with a 9-under 63 on PGA West's Arnold Palmer Private Course to match Howell and Swedish rookie David Lingmerth at 25-under 263. Howell shot a 64, and Lingmerth had a 62.

Lingmerth dropped out with a bogey on the first extra hole -- the par-5 18th -- after hitting his approach into the left-side water.

Scott Stallings, five strokes ahead entering the round, bogeyed the final hole for a 70 to miss the playoff by a stroke. Gay began the round six strokes behind Stallings.


Canadians  Brad Fritsch T65 at 69 65 71 70 -13,    Stephen Ames T37 continues his fine form 67 68 68 68 -17,     David Hearn MC 71 66 72 -7,      Graham DeLaet T65 71 70 65 69 -13      Mike Weir MC  67, 75 67 -9


click here for live scoring  http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html



CHAMPIONS Tour

John Cook caught David Frost on the final hole of regulation, then beat him with birdie on the second playoff hole to win the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai

Cook closed with a 5-under-67 at Hualalai Golf Club to catch Frost at 17-under 199. Cook made a 16-foot birdie putt on the 18th green.

Frost shot a 69, missing a 15-foot birdie putt at the 18th that would have given him a win in the Champions Tour season-opener. He had held the lead alone since the 12th hole of the second round.



click here for live scoring  http://www.pgatour.com/champions/leaderboard.html


Bryan Angus
(notes from pgatour.com)

Donaldson wins in a dramatic finish in Abu Dhabi.

Round 4 wrap

europeantour.com   
Jamie Donaldson collected his second European Tour title in dramatic fashion at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

The Welshman went two clear with five birdies in his first 17 holes, but three-putted the par five last and bogeyed. That left overnight leader Justin Rose and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen in the final group needing a birdie at the 18th to force a play-off, but Olesen’s 15 foot effort slid by before  Rose lipped out from 12 feet.

With the win Donalson gains a place in the 2013 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational, 2013 WGC – HSBC Champions and 2014 Volvo Golf Champions, and he moves into the World top 30 from 47th.


live scoring click http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2013/tournamentid=2013005/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y



BryanA






as soon as his next event.

McIlroy and Woods stumble, Rose and Donaldson shine in Abu Dhabi

Justin Rose and Jamie Donaldson fired -5 rounds of 67 to share the lead after an intriguing first day at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.


Donaldson and Rose outshone Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Rory carded a +3 75 with his new Nike equipment and Tiger started his season with a real mixed bag of E 72.
Rose puncuated his round with a holed bunker shot while Donaldson also chipped in from the sand, as they established a one stroke advantage over Dane Thorbjørn Olesen and Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal.


“I think if I'm completely honest, I didn't have it completely under control today with the long game.it didn't feel perfect" said Rose, now the world's #5.“I think this that's the most important thing to realise; it's the nature of the golf course this week. It's set up very, very difficult, the fairways are narrow. Clearly with a lot of crosswinds, the fairways are hard to hit and the rough is punishing.


Donaldson's maiden triumph at Royal Portrush six months ago in his 255th European Tour start helped to propel him into the sport's top 50 and the biggest reward for that is that he will make his Masters Tournament debut in April.


Tiger's 72 include 3 bogey's and a birdie 38 on the front nine and 3 birdies and a bogey 34 on the back, while Rory had 2 doubles and a bogey in his card of +3 75.

click here for live scoring http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2013/tournamentid=2013005/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y


BryanA  (notes from europeantour.com)

McGinley an "uninspired" choice to captain Europe

Moments ago Paul McGinley was named captain of the 2014 European Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles. The 46-year-old played in three Ryder Cups, was vice-captain in 2010 and 2012 and holed the winning putt in 2002.

McGinley was preferred to Ryder Cup legend Colin Montgomerie, who captained a victorious European team in 2010 and wanted to fulfil the role again.


While Rory McIlroy and Ryder Cup stalwarts Luke Donald and Justin Rose all publicly backed McGinley for the captaincy of the biennial event against the United States, I can't help but feel this is an uninspired choice, more giving a popular guy who has paid his dues a shot, rather than picking a charasmatic leader.

McIlroy predictably welcomed the appointment, writing on Twitter: "Common sense prevailed in the end.... Couldn't be happier for him... Roll on Gleneagles."

Better choices in my book would have been Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, the 2011 Open champion, who was originally the favourite but asked for his name to be withdrawn.

Then I would have gone back to Monty, it is in Scotland remember, or Miguel Angel Jimenez, or Bernhard Langer. How about Peter Aliss for an inspired if not somewhat off the board choice, or what the hell go for it all and bring in Sean Connery in his kilt, and let the team pick
themselves !! He would more than offset the inspired Tom Watson pick by the Yanks..

In recent times Europe have taken the view that the Ryder Cup captain should serve for one match only, with Bernard Gallacher ('91, '93 and '95) the last man to lead the side more than once.

McGinley certainly deserves the shot, and the players are right behind him, he just doesn't inspire me, as Monty, and Seve, and Tony and Jose, and Woosy, and Bernhard and Hugget and even Sir Nick did before him..

Oh well, Europe plays so well in this event it really probably doesn't matter who they pick !!


BryanA

"It's about titles, not money " Rory on his new Nike deal

Well one of the worst kept secrets in sports was made public today in Abu Dhabi where Rory McIlroy casually attired in jeans and a grey sweat top, but wearing his new trademark white Nike hat announced his new deal with the swoosh..

Although commercial terms were not disclosed, media reports say the agreement with the is worth as much as $250 million over 10 years, one of the most lucrative in global sports as Nike moves on after dropping disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong last year. Armstrong by the way is taping an interview today with Oprah, to air this Thursday, where he will admit to cheating.

McIlroy, 23, was previously sponsored by golf brand Titleist and as I wrote here last week other golfers have struggled to replicate their earlier success after switching to new equipment. However, McIlroy was full of confidence ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship which starts on Thursday.

"The new driver that I will play with this week is awesome," he told a news conference to announce his sponsorship. "As soon as I hit it I knew it was going in the bag straight away. I'm hitting it further - I thought I was hitting it far before, but this is really taking it to a new level."

He says he visited Nike's research and development facility in Fort Worth, Texas, in late 2012 to try out his new clubs and balls and has continued to practice over Christmas and New Year, and added the sponsorship deal was about improving his game rather than personal riches

"I play for titles, I don't play for money...If at the end of 2013 I haven't won a major I will be disappointed," said McIlroy, adding the new nice balls were more stable in the wind and he was now driving the ball at about 180 miles (290 kms) an hour

If what Rory says turns out to be true, it is surely not good news for the rest of his peers on as he sets out to defend the titles he won on both sides of the Atlantic, playing with his old clubs !!


BryanA
(notes from Reuters)

Laurie Buckland, I'll miss you sorely..RIP

On a sad note my fondest condolences to the Buckland family after the passing of Laurie on Wednesday at the young age of 64, such a fine guy and vital part of our golf community. Laurie had cancer and it took him from us very quickly. He leaves behind his wife Renee who meant the world to him, and his sons Jordan (Dawn) and Jeremy (Andrea), his adored grandchildren Quinn, Grace, Marlee, Rowan, Lohan and Jessa who brought him great joy

I knew Laurie best from his days as Director of Golf at Woodensticks, and he was a regular on our Fairways Golf Show with golf instruction and stories of how excited he was about the new replica course he was helping to build up in Uxbridge.

It is today a roaring success, much of that due to the warm and friendly personality that Laurie possessed. I will miss him sorely.

A private family funeral will be held at Roadhouse & Rose Funeral Home, Newmarket. Friends are invited to gather at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge on January 19th between 1 and 4 p.m. to celebrate Laurie's life and share their special memories of him. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Brain Tumour Research Centre at Sick Kids Hospital or the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre at Southlake. Online condolences may be made at www.roadhouseandrose.com

BryanA

European Tour: Oosthuizen moves to #4 after win in Durban

Europeantour.com
For the third successive season, Louis Oosthuizen won the first European Tour event of the new year after overhauling Scotland’s Scott Jamieson with a superb closing round of 66 to capture the Volvo Golf Champions title.

Having won the Africa Open in January 2011 and successfully defended his title 12 months later, Oosthuizen ran up a hat-trick of victories in this week’s elite 33-man event, held at Durban Country Club.

Oosthuizen’s joint best-of-the-day round of 66 for a 16 under par aggregate winning total secured the former Open Champion the €350,000 first prize by a single stroke, after Jamieson’s eagle chip at the last stopped inches away from the cup

For live scoring click  http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2013/tournamentid=2013003/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y




BryanA

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Henley record setting win, Ames top Canuck in Hawaii..Live scoring link

Rory and Tiger will start their year's in Abu Dhabi nest week, but the first full field event of this 2013 season got under way on Thursday on Oahu, the Sony Open and all five of our Canucks make their debuts

Round 4 wrap

Russell Henley, who made two prior starts on the PGA TOUR as an amateur, became the first player in 12 years to win in his debut as a TOUR rookie member.

He recorded the third-best score for a 72-hole tournament in PGA TOUR history, and a record score at the Sony Open in Hawaii by four shots en route to tying Dustin Johnson atop the FedExCup standings with 500 points.

He finished with five straight birdies -- only one of them inside 10 feet -- for a 29 on the back nine and a 7-under 63, the lowest finish by a Sony Open winner.

Henley finished at 24-under 256, breaking by four shots the Sony Open scoring record held by Brad Faxon in 2001 and John Huston in 1998. It was the third-lowest score for a 72-hole tournament in PGA TOUR history, two shots behind Tommy Armour III in 2003 at the Valero Texas Open and a shot back of Steve Stricker’s 255 at the 2009 Bob Hope Classic

And that wasn't the only mark Henley left on Waialae Country Club. He set tournament records for the low 36-hole score after his 63-63 start, he shared the 54-hole record with Langley and set another tournament record with the lowest final round by a champion

Stephen Ames is the top Canadian T20 65, 67 70 67 -11, David Hearn T31 67 70 66 68 -9 and Brad Fritsch T36 67 70 67 68 -8



I 'll be covering them as always right here all year and of course on air daily M-F 7-9am www.nextsportstar.com  and every Sunday morning between 8-10am at www.isr1050.com


For live scoring click  http://www.pgatour.com/content/pgatour/leaderboard.html




Bryan Angus

Expect McIlroy / Nike deal to be announced shortly.

While Rory McIlroy is amongst the world's top players choosing to stay away from this week's Tournament of Champions invitational season opener in Maui, he continues to make news ... and money.

As I reported here last year Rory's contracts with Dubai-based hotel company Jumeirah Group, and Titleist expire today after 5 years.

"Jumeirah became my first corporate sponsor when I turned professional back in 2007 and I would like to thank everyone at the company for their support in helping me become the player I am today," McIlroy said in a news release just issued.

Nike who have Tiger as their main man, despite all his scandal, are set to give Rory $250m over 10 years to wear the swoosh

The list of players who have changed equipment in return for big money and then have struggled is lengthy, most recently Graeme McDowell who won the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach changed from Calloway to Srixon in 2011 and had a dismal year

TaylorMade landed FedEx Cup champ Jim Furyk to play its driver and ball for 2011 and Furyk went on to have one of his worst years in 2012.  They also signed Camilo Villegas to a full-line pact for 2011 and he is now off the PGA Tour. Furyk won the Fed Ex Cup with Srixon, Villegas was in the top 25 with Cobra.

Personally I think Rory is so good he could win with broom sticks for shafts, however if things don't start off well in this 2013, you'll be hearing all about it and reading it here.


Bryan Angus
www.nextsportstar.com 7-9am daily
twitter@mummmbles
www.isr1050.com

Johnson wins by 4 over Stricker in Maui..Live scoring link

AP.    Despite hitting two drives into native areas that cost him three shots, Dustin Johnson never lost the lead at Kapalua. He closed with a 5-under 68 for a four-shot victory in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, though it was up for grabs with five holes remaining.

Steve Stricker came within a fraction of an inch of tying for the lead until his birdie putt peeled away from the cup on the 13th hole, which Johnson chopped up for a double bogey. With only a one-shot lead, Johnson pitched in from 50 feet in front of the 14th green to restore his three-shot lead, and Stricker never challenged him after that.

And so, the tournament that didn't start until the fourth day because of a powerful wind finally ended with a guy who overpowered the Plantation Course.

Johnson, who finished at 16-under 203, won for the sixth straight season. Only Phil Mickelson with nine straight years has a longer active streak of most consecutive seasons with a PGA TOUR victory.

Next up these players take the short hop from Maui to Oahu for the full field Sony Open which includes 5 Canucks, Mike Weir, Stephen Ames, Brad Fritsch, David Hearn and Graham DeLaet.


For live scoring, tee times click  http://www.pgatour.com/content/pgatour/leaderboard.html


BryanA

2013 PGA Tour season gets underway tomorrow..live scoring link

Already many of my colleagues are talking  about the feature story this year being the Rory vs Tiger duels that lay ahead, and for sure if they transpire it will be just great for the game, but to be honest there is so very much more to look forward to.

If 2013 which eases in luxurious fashion back into action tomorrow on Maui with the Tournament of Champions, can be nearly as good as 2012, I will have no complaints.

One of those story's is Ian Poulter who jump started the historic European comeback at the Ryder Cup when late on Saturday, with Europe down and out the matchplay specialist finished with five consecutive birdies to earn one of two valuable points in the fourballs, giving his team a slim hope of retaining the trophy as they headed into Sunday's concluding 12 singles trailing 10-6. The rest is history.

He rebounded from a slow start to last season with a spectacular run of success and consistency that included three top-10 finishes in the majors and his second World Golf Championships (WGC) crown in China in November.

This year he continues his rise to the top echelon that only a major can bring...

30 guys are in the field, all winners from last year, before the first full field event on Oahu next week.

If you've ever been to Hawaii, you know what paradise it is, even for these spoiled brats, most of whom bring their wives and family for a 3 week vacation...

As I said, it's a luxurious way to ease into 2013.... but the drama starts here and only gets better..



PGA Tour Tournament of Champions live scoring click  http://www.pgatour.com/content/pgatour/leaderboard.html

2013 PGA Tour tournament schedule click  http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/schedule.html



Bryan Angus
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