The field are all on course or have finished their first rounds. The weather set to reach 85*f with some showers expected this afternoon. Arnie has declared the course to be ready although he will be closing the course on May 15, and remember that is out of the main Florida tourist season, to rip out all 18 greens and practice greens, to replace the turf with a new strain of Bermuda grass to better withstand the winters. His greens are bumpy this year, not at the top of Tour standards to be polite.
1215am Breaking news***... with 5 birdies, 2 pars 2 bogey's David Hearn was out in 33 having started on the back nine, he came home in 36 T11 -3 halfway through round 1.
The clubhouse leaders are Hearn's playing partner Jason Kokrak at -5 67, along with 44 year old Ken Duke, but they are followed by a stellar pack including at -4 68, Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Brandt Snedeker and Keegan Bradley.
Rory McIlroy playing with Rickie Fowler and Jason Day went off at 12.56pm on the first tee.
Wednesday was a day when Mr Palmer and Rory McIlroy amongst others spoke to the media and for the record this week I like Henrik Stenson who has been T4 last two weeks to win and Keegan Bradley who was 2nd here last year. Ian Poulter gave it all away at Doral, but gets my honourable mention.
* Masters champion Bubba Watson withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Wednesday because a childhood friend died unexpectedly.Watson told the PGA Tour that the friend died Tuesday night. A year ago, he withdrew after an 83 in the opening round because of allergies. A few weeks later, he took out a membership at Bay Hill.
Watson was replaced by Kevin Kisner, who will play the opening two rounds with Brooks Koepka and Adam Scott
* Rory's interview held a lot more interest to us in the media, than the world's #1, however after answering all the mundane, word that he had an unscheduled visit with his Northern Ireland-based instructor Michael Bannon over the weekend, wanting to make sure that some issues in his game of late are resolved was interesting.
"The last five days have been really good work with him just one-on-one, no one else around. It's been really good. Feeling much better about my game now than I was walking off Doral 10 days ago."
* This week is all about Arnie of course, now 85. The Golf Channel has been running his documentary which if you know him at all is all about his stern upbringing by his father Deacon, and of course his loving mother Doris who spoiled him at every opportunity. His father was the superintendent at Latrobe GC, which Arnie bought in 1971 and that is where he considers home. He had this to say about Tiger.
I've known him since he was 3 feet high and he's a great player. He was a very talented young kid with his father instructing him.For me to tell Tiger what he could do ... there's only one thing I can say, and that's practice. And confidence. Regain the confidence he had when he was starting out, and that was what made him what he is and that's the way he'll get it back. Just regain the confidence and the ability to hit the golf ball.
"And this is an opinion that I haven't even given to anybody, and that is he should do what he thinks he should do with his game. I think he should find a coach that he has confidence in and go work on his game, and that's my best advice."
Canadians.. David Hearn paired with Jason Kokrak and Bernd Wiesberger 747 off #10...... Nick Taylor, Hideki Matsuyama Stewart Cink off #10 1.20pm ... Graham DeLaet David Lingmerth, Branden Grace #10 1.56pm
European Tour breaking news ***
Round One of the Madeira Islands Open, Portugal has been suspended overnight due to strong winds (50mph) and the tournament has been reduced to 54 holes. First Round tee times will remain the same for Friday. Last year it was reduced to 36 holes..
Bryan Angus
No comments:
Post a Comment