＜中間速報＞申ジエが首位キープ！2打差にY・ツェン

2010年11月07日12時05分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア優勝 申　ジエ -18
2 ヤニ・ツェン -16
3 S・ルイス -15
4 佐伯　三貴 -12
5 チェ・ナヨン -11
B.リンシコム -11
宮里　美香 -11
8 ジミン・カン -10
インビー・パーク -10
馬場　ゆかり -10


順位の続きを見る


＜ミズノクラシック　最終日＞◇7日◇近鉄賢島カンツリークラブ(6,506ヤード・パー72)

　三重県にある近鉄賢島カンツリークラブで開催されている、日米女子ツアー共催「ミズノクラシック」の最終日。申ジエ(韓国)が前半で3つのバーディを奪い、トータル16アンダーで首位をキープしている。2打差の2位は前半4つスコアを伸ばしたヤニ・ツエン(台湾)、トータル13アンダー3位にステイシー・ルイス(米国)がつけている。

　日本勢では佐伯三貴がトータル10アンダー4位、宮里美香がトータル9アンダー10位タイ、上田桃子がトータル7アンダー18位タイ、横峯さくらがトータル4アンダー33位タイ、宮里藍がトータル4オーバー69位タイの位置につけている。

日本オープン、勇太は初日2オーバー、藤田、諸藤が1アンダー

2011年10月13日12時36分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 チョ・ ミンギュ -4
2 Ｎ・ベーシック -2
河瀬　賢史 -2
秋吉　翔太 -2
ベ・サンムン -2
手嶋　多一 -2
高山　忠洋 -2
久保谷　健一 -2
9 藤田　寛之 -1
諸藤　将次 -1


順位の続きを見る


＜日本オープンゴルフ選手権　初日◇13日◇鷹之台カンツリー倶楽部(7,061ヤード・パー71)＞

　国内男子メジャー「日本オープンゴルフ選手権」が、千葉県にある鷹之台カンツリー倶楽部で開幕した。7時36分にスタートした池田勇太は、4バーディ・4ボギー・1ダブルボギーの2オーバーでホールアウト。藤田寛之、池田と同組で回った諸藤将次が1アンダーと上々のスタートを切った。

　石川遼は4番まで終えてイーブンパー、アマチュアの松山英樹は5番を終えて同じくイーブンパーとなっている。

＜中間速報＞遼、1オーバーで前半終了、松山、キョンテも並ぶ

2011年10月13日13時45分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 チョ・ ミンギュ -4
2 Ｎ・ベーシック -2
河瀬　賢史 -2
秋吉　翔太 -2
ベ・サンムン -2
手嶋　多一 -2
高山　忠洋 -2
久保谷　健一 -2
9 藤田　寛之 -1
諸藤　将次 -1


順位の続きを見る


＜日本オープンゴルフ選手権　初日◇13日◇鷹之台カンツリー倶楽部(7,061ヤード・パー71)＞

　国内男子メジャー「日本オープンゴルフ選手権」が、千葉県にある鷹之台カンツリー倶楽部で開幕した。石川遼はスタートの1番でボギーが先行する不穏な立ち上がり。4番パー5でバーディを奪うも直後の5番でボギーを叩くと、その後はスコアを伸ばせず1オーバーで前半を終えた。

　ディフェンディングチャンピオンの金庚泰(キム・キョンテ)(韓国)、アマチュアの松山英樹も前半を終えて1オーバー、現時点で3アンダーのアマチュア、ホン・チェンヤオ(チャイニーズタイペイ)が首位に立っている。

＜速報＞遼、日本オープン初日は4オーバー68位タイと出遅れ

2011年10月13日16時03分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 チョ・ ミンギュ -4
2 Ｎ・ベーシック -2
河瀬　賢史 -2
秋吉　翔太 -2
ベ・サンムン -2
手嶋　多一 -2
高山　忠洋 -2
久保谷　健一 -2
9 藤田　寛之 -1
諸藤　将次 -1


順位の続きを見る


＜日本オープンゴルフ選手権　初日◇13日◇鷹之台カンツリー倶楽部(7,061ヤード・パー71)＞

　国内男子メジャー「日本オープンゴルフ選手権」が、千葉県にある鷹之台カンツリー倶楽部で開幕。石川遼は初日を終えて4オーバー68位タイと出遅れた。

　石川はスタートの1番をボギーとすると、その後もスコアを伸ばせず1オーバーでハーフターン。後半もショット、パット共に精彩を欠き、11番、16番、18番とボギーを叩き4オーバーでホールアウト。首位のチョ・ミンギュ(韓国)とは8打差となっている。

　石川と同組で回った金庚泰(キム・キョンテ)(韓国)は1オーバー、注目のアマチュア松山英樹も1オーバー25位タイで初日を終えた。

＜速報＞チョ・ミンギュが単独首位！遼は4オーバー68位タイ

2011年10月13日16時52分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 チョ・ ミンギュ -4
2 Ｎ・ベーシック -2
河瀬　賢史 -2
秋吉　翔太 -2
ベ・サンムン -2
手嶋　多一 -2
高山　忠洋 -2
久保谷　健一 -2
9 藤田　寛之 -1
諸藤　将次 -1


順位の続きを見る


＜日本オープンゴルフ選手権　初日◇13日◇鷹之台カンツリー倶楽部(7,061ヤード・パー71)＞

　千葉県にある鷹之台カンツリー倶楽部で開幕した、国内男子メジャー「日本オープンゴルフ選手権」。初日を終えて、4アンダー単独首位にチョ・ミンギュ(韓国)、2アンダー2位タイには久保谷健一、手嶋多一、ベ・サンムン(韓国)ら7人が並んでいる。1アンダー9位タイグループには藤田寛之、諸藤将次、アマチュアの藤本佳則ら5名、イーブンパー14位タイに岩田寛らがつけている。

　石川遼は4オーバー68位タイと出遅れ、ディフェンディングチャンピオンの金庚泰(キム・キョンテ)(韓国)、アマチュアの松山英樹は1オーバー25位タイ、池田勇太は2オーバーの41位タイで初日を終えた。

【初日の順位】
1位：チョ・ミンギュ(-4)
2位T：ネベン・ベーシック(-2)
2位T：河瀬賢史(-2)
2位T：秋吉翔太(-2)
2位T：ベ・サンムン(-2)
2位T：手嶋多一(-2)
2位T：久保谷健一(-2)
2位T：高山忠洋(-2)
9位T：藤田寛之(-1)
9位T：諸藤将次(-1)
9位T：藤本佳則(-1)※他2名
14位T：岩田寛(E)他10名
25位T：金庚泰(キム・キョンテ)(+1)
25位T：松山英樹(+1)※他14名
41位T：池田勇太(+2)他14名

68位T：石川遼(+4)他9名

Tiger Woods to Be Tested at Augusta

Tiger Woods to Be Tested at Augusta











Rick Woelfel April 4, 2013 11:25 AM




COMMENTARY | A major championship is always a rigorous examination. Over the course of four days the field is required to answer a series of challenging questions.


Tiger Woods is in a unique position, however. When the Masters gets under way, he will find himself dealing with a series of questions that only he himself can answer.

Among them:

Is His Driver Still Reliable?

Time was when accuracy didn't matter very much at Augusta National Golf Club because there was no rough. Since rough was added in 1999, it's become more important to keep the tee ball in the fairway.

For all he has accomplished over the last year, the driver has been the most problematic club in Tiger's bag. As of this writing, he stands 145th on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy. If he's going win his fifth Masters, he'll have to do better than that.

Does His Putter Still Make Magic?

If Woods is to be a serious contender, he'll have to do well on the greens. That means taking advantage of birdie opportunities on the par-5s but, more important, sinking putts in the 4-6 foot range. Woods will be a much more aggressive putter from long range if he's confident in his ability to sink a par putt, whatever the distance.

Does He Still Wear a 'Cloak of Invincibility'?



A decade ago, Woods could beat over half the field at any tournament merely by showing up. There was an aura about him that his foes found all but impossible to penetrate, and his physical skills took care of the rest.

Much of that aura is gone in the wake of Woods' off-course difficulties and the injuries he's suffered in recent years. When he's at his best, he's the best player in the world. But his peers/opponents aren't in awe of him as much as they once were. They're more apt to take on the challenge of confronting him as opposed to shying away from the challenge.

Can He Still Meet the Challenge of the Moment?

This may the most difficult question to answer. Woods has always done his best work from the front of the pack. How will he fare if he has a one- or two-shot lead Sunday with nine holes to play? For much of his career, it was assumed his challengers would fold and Woods would go on to victory.

That's no longer the case.

Is He The Best Who Ever Was?

Is Tiger Woods the best who has ever played the game? Jack Nicklaus has an 18-14 edge in major championships, but a case could be made that Woods has a more well-rounded short game and is competing against deeper fields than Nicklaus did in his prime.

Let me make my position clear: I still regard Jack Nicklaus as the greatest player in history, and in any case, comparing athletes from different eras is risky business. A win at Augusta would not indicate Woods has surpassed Nicklaus in a listing of the greatest players of all time. It would, however, add legitimacy to the discussion.

But that's a subject for another day.

Rick Woelfel is based near Philadelphia. He's a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and has covered the sport for more than 25 years.

Why Tiger Woods Will Win the Masters

Why Tiger Woods Will Win the Masters
World's No. 1 Golfer Peaking at Right Time to Recapture Magic at Augusta











Mark McLaughlin April 4, 2013 12:11 PM







COMMENTARY | There's nothing like a comeback to vault a star athlete back into the good graces of sports fans.

With his ascent back to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking, powered by six wins in the last 13 months, Tiger Woods has just about turned the corner on his fall from grace.



Winning the Masters will complete the makeover. And quell the roar of pundits claiming Woods can no longer win the big one.

Don't get me wrong, the doubters have a case. Woods has spit the bit in several major championships over the last two years, most notably coughing up the halfway lead at last year's U.S. Open and falling back over the weekend at the Open Championship.

I'm giving Tiger the benefit of the doubt for those close calls for two reasons: He was still in the midst of swing change No. 3 with instructor Sean Foley, and he was playing courses in national championship rotations that he only sees every decade or so.

Woods is as familiar with Augusta National as you can get, and the trend of his recent resurgence has been winning on his favorite courses: Torrey Pines, Doral, Bay Hill and Muirfield Village. He tends to get well whenever he drives down Magnolia Lane and into the surreal world of green jackets, patron's badges, hand-operated leaderboards and pimento cheese sandwiches.

For all the harping about not having won at Augusta in eight years, keep in mind that Tiger has contended in all but one Masters since he last won in 2005. Back out his T40 last April, and Woods has finished no worse than sixth in the first major of the year. His record includes back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2008.

Even in his first tournament back from his scandal-driven exile in 2010, he pulled off a T4. That's like a heart surgeon coming out of retirement to perform a quadruple bypass. And he managed a similar feat in 2011 with another T4, his only top 10 finish in a season riddled by injuries.

Over his 70 rounds at Augusta National, Tiger has the all-time lowest scoring average of 70.87. That just edges three-time winner Phil Mickelson and is more than a stroke better than six-time champion Jack Nicklaus.

Suffice it to say, Tiger will be in the mix come the back nine Sunday. And while the vision of the red shirt and black cap doesn't inspire the same fear among his competitors that they once did, you've got to believe that there will be some choking up in the final group should Tiger be chasing the lead.

More likely, however, Woods will win from ahead. He's held the lead after three rounds in each of his four Masters victories and that's been his preferred winning style throughout his career. But this trend also suggests that Tiger has to be leading heading into Sunday to have a chance. For all his accomplishments over a storied career, he has never come back to win a major.

I don't think Tiger has the firepower to change that statistic, but his swing is now back in rhythm and his putting has never been better. Just think about that for a second: Tiger's 100 putts in winning at Doral last month were his fewest ever as a professional. That includes the glory years of the Tiger Slam and nine-win seasons.

It's obvious that Woods, now 37, has grown nerves over the years. But unless Steve Stricker undoes the magic he placed on Tiger's putting stroke in Miami, we're looking at the world's best golfer peaking at just the right time to finally cash in again.

Another depressing fact for his competition: Tiger is back to being comfortable in his own skin. He's no longer seeking forgiveness from ex-wife Elin Nordegren or the golfing public. And he made a pretty confident statement by coming out about his relationship with Lindsey Vonn. Quite simply, he's as happy a camper as the world's most obsessive golfer can be.Armed with a repeatable full swing that he can now fix on the fly, a smooth putting stroke and a ton of confidence, I don't see anyone getting in the way of Tiger winning his fifth Masters.



Mark McLaughlin has reported on the PGA Tour for FoxSports.com, the Greensboro News & Record, Burlington (N.C.) Times-News and New York Post. He is a past member of the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association. Follow him on Twitter @markmacduke.

Henrik Stenson cracks top 50 to earn Masters invite

Henrik Stenson cracks top 50 to earn Masters invite











PGA.COM April 4, 2013 5:31 PM

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Sweden's Henrik Stenson regained his form at the Shell Houston Open and played his way into the 2013 …


By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer


HUMBLE, Texas (AP) -- Henrik Stenson didn't get the trophy at the Houston Open. He gladly settled for an invitation to the Masters.

Stenson, who eight months ago was No. 133 in the world, closed with a 6-under 66 on Sunday in the Houston Open and was the leader in the clubhouse when the final round was delayed because of thunderstorms. D.A. Points closed with four pars and wound up with a one-shot victory.

Both were among four players added to the field at Augusta National -- Points as a PGA Tour winner, Stenson for getting into the top 50 in the world.

Stenson needed to finish at least in 13th place alone to break into the top 50, although he didn't know the math. Stenson figured a top 10 would do the trick, and he didn't feel comfortable until he blistered his tee shot on the 18th hole and hit his approach into about 10 feet for birdie.

"I said to my caddie walking up 18, `No matter what, we're playing for a green jacket in a couple of weeks,'" Stenson said. "That will be nice. That was the main goal coming here. And when I played as well as I did, put myself in a good position."

On the other side of the Atlantic, Marcel Siem of Germany won the Hassan Trophy in Morocco. That moved him to the cusp of the top 50, but Siem fell short when Russell Henley closed with a 68 at the Houston Open to tie for 45th, just enough to earn points and stay a fraction of a point ahead of Siem, who went from No. 72 to No. 51.

Henley already is in the Masters from winning the Sony Open in January.

Fredrik Jacobson of Sweden and Richard Sterne of South Africa got into the Masters by being in the top 50. Neither played this week.

Charles Howell III, the Augusta native who started the year outside the top 100, needed to finish no worse than fourth place alone at the Houston Open. He hurt himself with middle rounds of 72-70 at Redstone, but put together a late charge. Howell closed with a 66, but likely fell at least three shots short of having a chance.

"It was a nice finish," Howell said. "Probably not quite good enough for what I need to go to Augusta, but I played well. I gave myself a chance. It was a good effort, but good efforts don't get that invitation to Augusta."

Geoff Ogilvy, who played 10 out of 11 weeks trying to get into the Masters, started the week at No. 50 and missed the cut for the second straight week. Ogilvy withdrew Sunday from next week's Texas Open, ending his hopes of returning to the Masters. The winner of the Houston Open and Texas Open earn a trip to the Masters.

Ogilvy last year fell one shot short of ending the year in the top 50 and assuring his spot at Augusta.

Howell is not playing the Texas Open, either.

"I thought my best chance of getting in was the top 50," Howell said. "I played a ton of golf. I'm a little tired, to be honest."

Howell finished third at the Sony Open, and he lost in a playoff the next week at the Humana Challenge. What hurt even more was closing with a 78 in the Honda Classic and a 73-75 weekend at Bay Hill, costing him valuable ranking points. Howell said there was no point in looking back.

"I'm not going down the road of disappointment," he said. "I played good. I would love to be in the golf tournament. So would 300 million other golfers. I played well this year and I'm going to watch the tournament on TV. It's just horrible to watch on TV, to be honest."

The addition of Stenson, Points, Sterne and Jacobson brings the Masters field to 92 players expected to compete. There are no more than two spots available for the winners of the Houston Open and Texas Open if they are not already eligible, meaning this will be the smallest field at the Masters since 90 players competed in 2006.

Stenson began his turnaround last September when he tied for fifth in the Dutch Open. He took a big leap with his win at the South African Open, and then a tie for seventh in the season-ending event in Dubai on the European Tour. Last week, he tied for eighth at Bay Hill, which moved him up five spots to No. 53 and gave him a good chance at cracking the top 50 in Houston.

And that he did. With so many players in contention in Houston -- 20 players separated by four shots going into the final round -- he needed to pile up birdies. Stenson was worried when he failed to birdie the reachable par-4 12th, and then hit a tee shot against the lip of a fairway bunker and wound up making bogey on the par-5 13th. But he birdied three of his last four holes to sew up his spot at the Masters.

"Just been a great turnaround these last two weeks," he said.

©2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press.

Aussies in top five want to end Augusta oh-fer

Aussies in top five want to end Augusta oh-fer











PGA.COM April 14, 2013 12:40 AM

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(Getty Images)


By Nancy Armour, Associated Press


AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The Aussies have had enough of their oh-fer at Augusta National.

Adam Scott, Marc Leishman and Jason Day are in the top five heading into Sunday's final round at the Masters, giving the Australians perhaps their best chance at ending their excruciating drought at the club. The Masters remains the only major an Australian has never won.

"It's hard to say exactly what it means. I'd rather not sit here and wonder so much, I'd rather do that if I win" Sunday, said Scott, a stroke behind leaders Brandt Snedeker and Angel Cabrera. "But, look, Aussies are proud sporting people, and we'd love to put another notch in our belt, just like any great sporting country.

"This is one thing that one of us would like to do tomorrow, for sure."

It's not as if the Australians haven't had their chances.

Scott and Day were in the hunt two years ago, finishing second to Charl Schwartzel. And who can forget Greg Norman's heartbreaks? Jack Nicklaus shot a 30 on the back nine in 1986 to take the green jacket from him. The next year, Larry Mize chipped in from 140 feet during a playoff.

And no one will ever forget 1996. The Shark had a six-shot lead over Nick Faldo, only to gag it all away with a final-round 78.

"It's a great opportunity for all of us to be the first," Day said. "There's been some great Aussies in the past that have had an opportunity to win the Masters and fell short a little bit. So if it happens tomorrow, that's great.

"If it doesn't, then we're going to keep plugging away."

Notes: Watson to enjoy last round as champ

Notes: Watson to enjoy last round as champ











PGA.COM April 14, 2013 12:54 AM

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Bubba Watson, at the Masters, knows he'd "have to shoot a real low one" on Sunday to have a chance to …


By Nancy Armour, Associated Press


AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Bubba Watson is about to be replaced.

The defending Masters champion made up some ground with a 2-under 70 on Saturday. But at nine strokes back, and with some big names in front of him, he knows his chances of winning a second straight green jacket are pretty slim.

"I'd have to shoot a real low one tomorrow to have a chance," Watson acknowledged. "But I'll come out tomorrow and just enjoy the walk as my last day as defending champ."

An odd number of players made the cut and Watson was the first one out, so he played with a marker. They made their way around Augusta National in a blistering 3 hours and 20 minutes, a nice change from the almost six-hour rounds from the first two days.

Better yet? Jeff Knox, who holds the non-tournament course record from the members' tees, is a Georgia alum like Watson.

"I met him about 10, 12 years ago," Watson said. "So it was fun hanging out with him and just enjoying the day."

Watson will have another reunion Sunday. He's paired with Charl Schwartzel, who, as the 2011 Masters champion, had the honor of putting the green jacket on Watson after he won.

TALKING ABOUT PRACTICE: Tim Clark had his best round ever at the Masters on Saturday, a 5-under 67 that also was the low round of the day.

Quite a surprise considering his struggles on the greens just a day earlier.

"Not a bit," Clark said when asked if he'd spent time on the putting green between Friday and Saturday's rounds to work out the kinks. "I just kind of went home and tried to forget about it and just come out with a good attitude again. I mean, that's all you can do. The worst thing I could have done yesterday was probably go and practice and grind over it.

"I just had to kind of let it go."

Beginning Saturday at 2-over, Clark birdied five of his first seven holes. He would get to 4 under with a birdie on the par-3 16th, but bogeyed the 18th. That put him at 3-under 213 for the tournament, which was good enough to keep him in contention when the course firmed up later Saturday.

Clark is four strokes behind co-leaders Brandt Snedeker and Angel Cabrera.

"It was gettable for me today, being firmer, the fairways being firmer anyway. And going off early, the front nine, the greens are somewhat receptive," Clark said. "So I was able to get some birdies early and sort of try and hang on."

BAD MOVES: Phil Mickelson made a big move at the Masters.

In the wrong direction.

He made back-to-back double bogeys on 11 and 12 on Saturday on his way to a 5-over 77. He's now 8 over for the tournament, no threat to add a fourth green jacket to his collection.

"I just played terrible. There's no way around it," Mickelson said. "I'm just not hitting very good golf shots, missing it in bad spots and not really knowing which side I'm going to miss it on. So my play has been beyond terrible, and that's certainly disappointing."

At least Mickelson didn't back up as far as his Ryder Cup buddy, Keegan Bradley. The 2011 PGA Champion posted the worst score of the day Saturday, a 10-over 82, and is in last place heading into the final round.

Mickelson took last week off, a rarity for him before the Masters, and he was nervous about being rusty when he took on Augusta National. With good reason, apparently.

Except for a stretch early on the back nine Thursday, he's been struggling. With a 76 on Friday, he's shot back-to-back rounds over par for the first time since 2007.

"I don't know what's going on, but I've been struggling with my ball-striking," Mickelson said. "The putter actually feels good even though I missed a bunch. The ball-striking, I just don't know where it's going to go."

While his scores may not reflect it, Mickelson is still having a blast. His wife Amy and their three kids are here this week, and Mickelson got to see them after his second double-bogey Saturday. Rather than wallowing in his poor round, he was going to have lunch his family.

"Where else would you rather be than Augusta National with this kind of weather on a weekend? It's just spectacular," he said. "Certainly I wish I played better, but it sure is fun being here."

Snedeker and Cabrera lead after three rounds

Snedeker and Cabrera lead after three rounds











PGA.COM April 14, 2013 4:14 PM

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Angel Cabrera (l) and Brandt Snedeker came out of the pack, and the woods, to grab the 54-hole lead.(Getty …


By Doug Ferguson, Associated Press


AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The longest, strangest day at the Masters for Tiger Woods began with a text message from his agent Saturday morning to meet with Augusta National officials nearly six hours before his tee time. It ended some 10 hours later with a relieved fist pump for a key par that kept him in the mix for another green jacket.

It was far different for the two guys atop the leaderboard.

Brandt Snedeker, an emotional wreck when he last contended at the Masters five years ago, was the model of calm as he opened with 12 pars and fired off three late birdies for a 3-under 69.

"I'm not here to get a good finish," Snedeker said. "I'm not here to finish top 5. I'm here to win, and that's all I'm going to be focused on tomorrow. I realize what I have to do to do that, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that happens."

Angel Cabrera, who has virtually disappeared from the world scene since he won the Masters four years ago, felt comfortable on a difficult course as he birdied two of the last three holes for a 69 to join Snedeker in a share of the lead. It marks the third time in the last six years Cabrera has been in the last group at the Masters.

"That helps you to be more calm and have that experience," Cabrera said. "It all adds up and helps."

They were at 7-under 209 heading into a final group that figures to be as dynamic as ever, with 13 players separated by five shots, a list that includes major champions (Woods, Cabrera), aging champions (Bernhard Langer) and a half-dozen players who have been on the cusp of majors before.

Woods looms large, for more than just his star power.

For a few tense hours in the morning, it was not clear if Woods was going to get a chance to play.

Masters officials discovered late Friday evening that Woods had taken a bad drop in the second round and should have added two shots to his score.

Under normal circumstances, he would have been disqualified for signing an incorrect card. Officials took the blame for not alerting Woods to a potential problem -- they found nothing wrong at first glance before he signed -- and kept him in the tournament with two shots added to his score. Woods was covered under a 2-year-old rule that prevents DQs when a violation is reported by television viewers.

"It certainly was a distraction early," Woods said after three birdies on his last seven holes for a 70. "It happens and you move on. I was ready to play come game time."

So was Snedeker.

He's been building toward a moment like this for the last year, and he seized his chance on a glorious afternoon by playing without a bogey. It was only two months ago when Snedeker was regarded the hottest player in golf when in three straight weeks he was runner-up to Woods, runner-up to Phil Mickelson and then won at Pebble Beach. His momentum was slowed by sore ribs that kept him out of golf for a month, though he appears to be hitting his stride.

"I've spent 32 years of my life getting ready for tomorrow," Snedeker said. "I'm going to be disappointed if I don't win. Period."

Cabrera, whose two major titles include a Masters win in 2009, has plunged to No. 269 in the world.

"I've been working very hard for this moment," Cabrera said through an interpreter. "And I've got to take the opportunity."

For Adam Scott, it's a chance at redemption.

He was runner-up at the Masters two years ago, though the fresher wounds are from last summer at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, where the Australian bogeyed his last four holes and finished one shot behind in the British Open. Scott rammed home a 25-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole for a 69 and was one shot behind.

Two more Aussies, Marc Leishman (72) and Jason Day (73) were another shot behind, giving the blokes from Down Under as good a chance as ever to give their country some happy memories from Augusta National. It's the only major an Australian has never won, a point driven home with every mention of Greg Norman losing a six-shot lead on the last day in 1996.

"Obviously, to win the Masters would be incredible," Scott said. "It would be great for Australia. We've never looked better odds-wise going into a Sunday, except that one year in 1996. It's going to be a hell of a round tomorrow."

Day was in the lead for most of the day, going 18 straight holes without a bogey until he missed short par putts on the last two holes.

Matt Kuchar (69) was three shots back, and Woods was right behind.

Woods, the No. 1 player in the world who already has won three times this year, was the heavy favorite going into the Masters to capture a green jacket for the first time since 2005 and end his five-year drought in the majors.

His big move came after a bogey on the 11th hole, leaving him six shots behind as he made his way through a back nine that has not treated him kindly of late. But he ran off three birdies on the next four holes, and made clutch par saves on the 16th and 18th to stay in the game.

"I'm right there in the ball game, "Woods said. "I'm four back with a great shot to win this championship."

History is not on his side. Woods has never won a major from behind, every Masters champion has been no worse than a tie for fourth going into Sunday dating to Faldo's comeback in 1989. But at least he's still in the game.

That was never in doubt to the officials running the Masters. Fred Ridley, chairman of the competition committees, said he looked at video as Woods was playing the 18th hole Friday and saw no need to ask him about the drop because he didn't detect a violation. It was only after Woods' post-round interview when he implicated himself by saying he went back a few yards by design that it became an issue.

Because he saw no problem at first with the drop and let Woods sign his card without talking to him, Ridley said it would have been "grossly unfair to Tiger to have disqualified him." He said the notion of a DQ was "not even on the table."

Woods couldn't have been too shaken up by the morning activities. He birdied the first hole. The key for everyone was simply to stay somewhere around contention, and that wasn't easy. Rory McIlroy was only three shots out of the lead when he took a bogey on the seventh hole. Little did Boy Wonder realize that it would start a nasty cycle. With a pair of 7s on his card on the back nine -- wind shifts led to a triple bogey on the 11th and a double bogey on the 15th -- he shot 42 on the back for a 79.

"I play 7 through 11 in 5-over par and basically my chances in the tournament are gone," McIlroy said. "So it's very disappointing. I feel like I have been playing well coming in here and it's just a frustrating day here."

Former PGA champion Keegan Bradley had an 82, while Mickelson shot 40 on the back nine for the second straight day and had a 77. Guan Tianlang, the 14-year-old from China, went his second straight round without a birdie and had a 77. He was still smiling, soaking in his weekend at Augusta as the youngest player to make a cut in a PGA Tour-sanctioned tournament.

Meanwhile, Snedeker takes an amazing streak into the final round. He has gone 27 consecutive holes without a bogey at Augusta National, and he has a clear plan of what he needs to do be fitted for a green jacket.

"If I drive the ball in the fairway and play the par 5s well tomorrow, I'm going to have a really good day."

17-year-old leads LPGA event

17-year-old leads LPGA event










Kevin Dunleavy, The Sports Xchange May 2, 2013 8:00 PMThe SportsXchange


JAMES CITY, Va. -- At age 17, Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand is too young to be a member of the LPGA. However, Thursday in the opening round of the Kingsmill Championship, Jutanugarn showed she has the game, if not the birthdate.

Firing a 7-under-par 64 at Kingsmill's River Course, Jutanugarn took a two-stroke lead over Cristie Kerr (66), the only two-time champion in the history of the event. In contention at 67 are Dewi Claire Schreefel of the Netherlands and 2011 U.S. Women's Open champion So Yeon Ryu of South Korea.

Jutanugarn, who will turn 18 on Nov. 23, is attempting to become the third underage player in as many years to win an LPGA event, following victories by 15-yer-old Lydia Ko last year and 16-year-old Lexi Thompson in 2011.

On a day of gentle breezes and temperatures in the upper 60s, it could have been a bigger lead for the long-hitting Jutanugarn. But on Kingsmill's signature 17th hole, a par 3 that plays along the James River, she made a double bogey, leaving a delicate downhill chip shot on the fringe and missing a 5-footer for bogey.

Jutanugarn regrouped with a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 18. Before her glitch, Jutanugarn had a chance to match the course record of 62, established in the first round last year by winner Jiyai Shin.

Pounding towering drives long and straight and firing short irons at pins, Jutanugarn birdied six of the first seven holes. When the round was over, she had hit 12 of 14 fairways and needed only 24 putts. Her irons were so accurate that most of her birdie putts were inside 10 feet.

"Today I'm playing very good. My putting helped me a lot," Jutanugarn said. "I made a lot of short putts. I only made like one long putt (a 15-footer)."

It was Jutanugarn's first competitive round at Kingsmill, though she has been in town for a while after coming up a stroke shy in Monday qualifying last week in the North Texas LPGA Shootout. It was a relief not having to qualify Monday at the River Course.

"I want to thank the sponsor," Jutanugarn said. "Very good experience. Thank you."


Jutanugarn's work didn't come from out of the blue. Though not a member of the tour, she has been in the lead in three LPGA events this year. Two weeks ago in Hawaii, she shot an opening-round 64 on her way to third place. In February in Thailand, Jutanugarn had a two-stroke advantage on the final hole but made a triple bogey, taking a drop and missing a three-foot putt to force a playoff, handing the title to Inbee Park.

"It was really hard because even (if I) just make bogey, I'm going to win," Jutanugarn said. "Really good experience, it makes me be stronger golfer."

Jutanugarn, who won the 2011 U.S. Girls Junior and lost to Ko in the semifinals of the 2012 U.S. Women's Amateur, petitioned for a chance to play in the LPGA Qualifying tournament last fall. She was denied, leaving it to her 18-year-old sister, Moriya, to tie for medalist honors and earn a spot on the tour.

This year as the 5-foot-2 Moriya plays on the LPGA, the 5-foot-4 Ariya is splitting time between the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour. Though not a member, she can play in LPGA events via sponsors' exemption or through Monday qualifying.

Playing five groups ahead of her sister on Thursday, Moriya Jutanugarn shot a 73. Her best showing this year was a tie for fourth in the Australian Open.

"Before I play like every tournament, we try to beat each other all the time," Ariya Jutanugarn said. "She helps like after the round. I tell her what I miss, what I do wrong, she (tries) to help me like every time."

On Thursday, the players had to deal with the wind on and off, according to Kerr.

"(The wind) was really strong when we first started, and then, you know, kind of toward the tail end of the front nine, it seemed to die down a little and then picked back up, so it was kind of coming and going all day," Kerr said. "What was good was the wind direction was fairly consistent. Sometimes on the fourth and fifth hole it can really swirl around and it can be hard to tell what it's doing. It stayed pretty consistent out there as far as one direction so that was at least a good thing."

Ryu began with four birdies in her first nine holes, but she parred each of her final nine holes.

"Yeah, that one is really tough one because before I started, teed off, I didn't expect a really low score, then I just focus on each hole," Ryu said. "Then I think the 4 under on the front nine that, oh, maybe I can hit the low score like 8 under, 9 under, then I expect birdie, birdie, birdie, and my body's getting tight and my mind wasn't there, so it's really hard to finish a great front nine and then turn on the back nine."

NOTES: There are 14 players log-jammed at 68, including the world's top three, No. 1-ranked Park of South Korea, No. 2 Stacy Lewis of the United States, and No. 3 Suzann Pettersen of Norway ... Also at 68 is the tournament's other player who received a sponsors' exemption, Katie Burnett, a former All-American at South Carolina ... Ariya Jutanugarn's first victory as a pro came five weeks ago in the Ladies European Tour's Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco. Jutanugarn leads the LET in earnings.

Rory McIlroy Finds Ways to Turn Lemons into Trophies

Rory McIlroy Finds Ways to Turn Lemons into Trophies











Ryan Ballengee May 3, 2013 1:48 PM


COMMENTARY | Consider Rory McIlroy a contrarian. Whenever a tournament venue d
oes not seem to meet the field's expectations, that's when the Ulsterman seems to strike.





McIlroy shared the lead with six others players following the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship on Thursday, May 2, opening with 5-under 67 at Quail Hollow, whose greens are the subject of a lot of scrutiny this week.



The PGA Tour and the club performed emergency surgery on two putting surfaces before the tournament, completely re-sodding the eighth and 10th greens because of their poor conditioning. The other surfaces have been said to be questionable in spots.



While many in the field were talking about the bumps and bare patches, McIlroy brushed aside using the greens as any excuse not to win a second Charlotte title.



"I guess if you start missing putts, then you've got to just accept it," the 2010 champion said ahead of the tournament. "I don't mind because I'm not a guy that relies on my putting, per se. So it will eliminate quite a lot of the field. I don't mind that at all."



Translation: I can hit it closer than anyone else, and I'm pretty sure a tap-in translates to any putting surface.



When a tournament is spun on itself, McIlroy finds a way to do handstands.



The 23-year-old (who turns 24 on Saturday) won his first major a couple of years ago at Congressional in the D.C. suburb of Bethesda, obliterating scoring records at the U.S. Open during a week when the U.S. Golf Association clearly could not control the immature putting surfaces how they wanted. A lot of rain and typical mid-Atlantic summer steaminess was the recipe for creating unprecedented scoring conditions. McIlroy embraced the challenge, winning by eight shots at 16-under-par, never flinching after realizing the game's toughest test was naked that week.



Fast forward to last summer and the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. To say the Ocean Course was a unique test that week would be an understatement. Tropical-force winds and a deluge of rain made Pete Dye's South Carolina puzzle into an even bigger Rubik's Cube -- for everyone but McIlroy. He blew the field away, again by eight shots, to claim a second major in as many years.



His first PGA Tour win in this event in 2010 was another example. Making the cut on the number, McIlroy shot a weekend 128 to capture the crown.



Quail Hollow may not be major-caliber this week, but in 2017 the Wanamaker Trophy is on the line there. In fact, all 18 putting surfaces will be redone after this week in preparation for that PGA Championship -- perhaps learning a lesson from the too-short schedule Congressional and the USGA used for the '11 Open. Next year's Wells Fargo will be the last look the PGA Tour regulars get at Quail Hollow before then.



A year ago, McIlroy lost in a three-man playoff at this tournament to Rickie Fowler, and then struggled through the months of May and June before finding his game in August to close out the year with a surge to bookend the start of his year.



McIlroy has been slow out of the gates this year, but Quail Hollow may be the spark he needs to quell talk of an equipment switch to Nike and propel him to another major triumph this summer.



Once again, just when it seems the golf world is ready to write off McIlroy, he is poised to strike.



Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel.

Five Reasons It's Hard Being a Fan of Phil Mickelson

Five Reasons It's Hard Being a Fan of Phil Mickelson











Ryan Ballengee May 3, 2013 2:49 PM







It's easy to like Phil Mickelson -- the smiles, thumbs up and aggressive style embody the four-time major winner. But he sure makes it difficult sometimes.



Here are five reasons why it's tough to be a Lefty fan.



1. The missed opportunities -- Phil, let me count the ways you've broken your fans' hearts, particularly in the majors. How about the '06 U.S. Open, when you took needlessly took driver on the 72nd hole? Or maybe the '04 Open Championship, one of two chances you've ever had to the Claret Jug? At least you hold the distinction of the most second-place finishes in U.S. Open history and own perhaps one of the three greatest shots in Masters history.



2. The thumbs-up parade -- When things are going well for Phil, his thumbs get a workout. Since the 2010 Masters, Phil has used the thumbs-up as his gesture of choice to acknowledge fans. It's friendly and endearing, but man, just step on some throats sometimes. Make the cutthroat sign with that thumb every once in a while.



3. The strange equipment decisions -- Mickelson has probably employed some of the most unique 14-club bags in major-championship history. From the two drivers at the '06 Masters (that worked), to that ill-fated effort to use the belly putter (probably to prove a point about anchoring), to the Phrankenwood he used at Augusta National in April, it seems Lefty is never satisfied with a standard set of clubs.



4. The shows of brilliance -- In the opening round at this year's Waste Management Phoenix Open, Mickelson was a lip-out away from the sixth 59 in PGA Tour history. He went on to win that week, locking up a 10th consecutive year with at least one Tour win. Imagine if Phil cashed in on more opportunities over the years? His win tally might be closer to 60 than the 41 he has on the PGA Tour.



5. He has been overshadowed by Tiger -- Whatever Phil does between now and the end of his career, he will finish second-best in this generation behind Tiger Woods. While Mickelson could have done much more against Tiger head-to-head with majors on the line, the undisputed best of this era somewhat marginalized the career achievements of one of the game's great magicians.



Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel.

Golf Glance

Golf Glance










The Sports Xchange May 20, 2013 11:40 AMThe SportsXchange



COMING UP

PGA TOUR: Crowne Plaza Invitation at Colonial at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday through Sunday.

TV: Thursday and Friday, 3-6 p.m. EDT on the Golf Channel; Saturday and Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. EDT on the Golf Channel and 3-6 p.m. EDT on CBS.

LAST YEAR: Zach Johnson holed a five-foot putt for par to give him what appeared to be a three-stroke victory overJason Dufner for his second title at Colonial in three years. However, Johnson forgot to re-mark his ball after moving it because his coin was in Dufner's line, and he was assessed a two-stroke penalty, leaving him with a one-stroke victory after a closing even-par 70. Johnson also won the John Deere Classic in July, giving him two victories in a season for the third time in his PGA Tour career. Dufner, a 35-year-old journeyman who had never won on the circuit before 2012, seemed to be headed for this third victory in four tournaments by opening with scores of 65-64-66 before closing with a 74 that included a double bogey and a triple bogey.



CHAMPIONS TOUR: 74th Senior PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Thursday through Sunday.

TV: Thursday and Friday, noon-3 p.m. EDT on the Golf Channel; Saturday and Sunday, 3-6 p.m. EDT on NBC.

LAST YEAR: Roger Chapman of England built a nine-stroke lead early in the final round and held on to claim his first victory on the Champions Tour by two shots over John Cook at Harbor Shores Golf Club in Benton Harbor, Mich. The 53-year-old Chapman, who had only three professional victories previously, added the U.S. Senior Open less than a month later. In the Senior PGA, he built a five-stroke lead after 54 holes with rounds of 68-67-64 before closing with a 1-over-par 72, carding bogeys on three of the last five holes. Kenny Perry posted a tournament-record 62 in the final round, but all it got him was a tie for ninth, five strokes behind Chapman.



LPGA TOUR: Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic at Ocean Club Golf Course in Paradise Island, Bahamas, Thursday through Sunday.

TV: Thursday and Friday, 6:30-8:30 p.m. EDT; Saturday and Sunday, 3-6 p.m. EDT, on the Golf Channel each day.

LAST YEAR: This is the inaugural tournament and the first time an LPGA Tour event will be played in the Bahamas.

Tucker brothers writing special history at Bellerive

Tucker brothers writing special history at Bellerive











PGA.COM May 20, 2013 11:53 AM

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PGA Professionals Mike (left) and Jerry (right) Tucker are brothers with a rich history at Bellerive …


PGA Professional brothers Jerry and Mike Tucker each earned a college degree in journalism, and have been writing their own special chapters in their respective careers. This month, they happen to be sharing a piece of the stage at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, which opens its doors, May 21-26, to host the 74th Senior PGA Championship present by KitchenAid.

Jerry, 63, the oldest of three brothers, is a member of the 156-player field that will compete in the most historic and prestigious event in senior golf. Tucker is a PGA Life Member who owns the Jerry Tucker Golf Academy in Stuart, Fla.

Mike Tucker, 48, succeeded Jerry in 1996 as PGA head professional at Bellerive, and is a past Gateway PGA Section president and former District 7 Director on the PGA Board of Directors. Middle brother, John, 61, is an engineer and will be a member of the gallery at the Senior PGA Championship.

It was evident from the beginning that the Tuckers, born in Carbondale, Ill., and Southern Illinois University graduates, didn't want to stray too far from their roots.

"There is something about the Midwest that is different from other parts of the country," said Jerry. "It's easy to make friends, the people are polite and there's just good values. That was what made me so comfortable at Bellerive. It was a family club and had legacy membership. We accomplished many things there, and it was a highlight of my life."

Jerry Tucker served 15 years as PGA head professional at Bellerive Country Club, the last stint from 1987-97. During that period, he was the first PGA Master Professional to compete in a major championship, when he teed it up in the 1989 PGA Championship at Kemper Lakes in Hawthorn Woods, Ill. In 1992, while busy overseeing his staff at Bellerive, he had time to become the last host PGA Professional to compete in a PGA Championship.

That Championship also was special for Mike, who served as his brother's caddie.

"It was a great experience for both of us, a great week overall," says Mike. "Growing up, and with Jerry 15 years older than me, I looked up to him. Somewhere in my mid-20s, I began to compete. It was pretty tough catching him."

Mike won't serve as caddie this month for his oldest brother. That honor goes to someone Jerry gave instruction to over the years, Brett Burton, son of Professional Bowling Hall of Famer Nelson Burton Jr.

Jerry Tucker graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1976, and turned professional that year. Mike graduated from the same alma mater in 1987, and in 1989 began a two-year term as an assistant professional at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, site of the 1971 Ryder Cup. He followed by serving from 1990 to 1993 as PGA head professional at Green Hills Country Club in Mount Vernon, Ill.


In 1994, Mike Tucker was named associate professional at Bellerive, and two years later became co-head professional with Joe Schwent. The arrangement was unique, but not exclusive.

"I was asked by the board my opinion who I would recommend to succeed me," says Jerry. "I knew that both Joe and my brother were the best in-house candidates. I said that we had 94 percent membership approval in surveys, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I also added that if Augusta National could have two professionals for 23 years sharing the job, it could work here, too."

The arrangement worked to perfection, and Schwent would ultimately land a PGA head professional position in 2006 at The Country Club of St. Albans in St. Albans, Mo. From that point, Mike Tucker has been the sole leader of his staff at Bellerive.

"We are very fortunate to be able to do some neat things in golf," says Mike. "I am very happy with where I am, and the great staff here at the club."

Mike proved that he also has game and versatility in his position. He was the 2003 Gateway PGA Player of the Year, the 2004 Gateway PGA Golf Professional of the Year and was a two-time Section Merchandise of the Year, from 2003-04. Mike has competed in eight PGA Professional National Championships.

Jerry keeps adding to his playing résumé, making his 10th Senior PGA Championship appearance, to go with trips to two PGA Championships, two U.S. Opens, two U.S. Senior Opens and 20 PGA Professional National Championships. He tied for 34th in the 1988 PGA Professional National Championship.

Already a 2002 Gateway PGA Section Hall of Famer, Jerry Tucker has just about achieved everything a senior could and more in the South Florida PGA Section (SFPGA).

In 2011, he became the first player in Section history to capture a regular Section Player of the Year and Senior Player of the Year, and Chapter Player of the Year in the same season. He earned that distinction in May 2011 in Vero Beach, Fla., due to the weather-delayed SFPGA Section Championship, which was finally completed after being postponed from the previous fall.

For someone who has won what he calls "105 significant events as a PGA Professional," there were three moments that Jerry quickly recalls as "special" in his career.

"My getting to play golf three times with Arnold Palmer were my highlights," says Jerry. "The first was in 1989 at the PGA Championship, then in 1992, when he called to play a practice round with me, the host professional, at Bellerive before the PGA Championship. And, the third came just before the course closed in a practice round near dark and in misty rain at Ridgewood Country Club (in Paramus, N.J.) before the 2000 Senior PGA Championship. "Can you believe it? There were two spectators watching us on the third hole. I went up to one of the guys in between shots and said, 'Do you know I'm playing with? That's Arnold Palmer. I surprised the guy so much, we ended up having dinner together that night and remain friends today."

Multiple Winners Becoming Endangered on PGA Tour

Multiple Winners Becoming Endangered on PGA Tour











Adam Fonseca May 20, 2013 1:24 PM




COMMENTARY | Sang Moon Bae won the HP Byron Nelson Championship on Sunday, May 19 for his first career victory on the PGA Tour. In doing so, he also became the eighth first-timer to win in 2013.

Needless to say, times are tough if you are a veteran player on the tour not named Tiger Woods.

This season has quickly become a type of resurgence on tour, beginning with Russell Henley's first win at the Sony Open in Hawaii last January. John Merrick accomplished the same feat at the Northern Trust Open one month later at Riviera. Two weeks later at the Honda Classic, Michael Thompson tasted the winner's circle -- and $1.08 million -- for the first time. Scott Brown quietly won the Puerto Rican Open during Masters week.

Kevin Streelman, while having turned professional in 2001 and a veteran in terms of tenure, finally broke through at the Tampa Bay Championship for his first win March 17. In April, The TPC Louisiana yielded another maiden-victory in the form of Billy Horschel at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Tour rookie Derek Ernst followed suit the following week at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.

With Bae's victory in Texas, debut winners now account for a third of all winners on Tour this season. When you include the four additional victories from world No. 1 Woods, more than 50 percent of events on the PGA Tour schedule (12 out of 21 total) have either been won by the best in the world or a first-timer. I cannot find a year in recent history that the same can be said prior to 2013.


So what does this trend mean for past winners on tour? Simply put, the talent bar has been raised yet again.

Being an experienced winner on tour no longer makes you a favorite to win a tournament on any given week, at least this year. Forget about playing the odds. As the season has progressed up until this point, we are more likely to see either Tiger Woods or someone who has never won a PGA Tour event come out victorious than the opposite.

At last week's HP Byron Nelson, former major winner and Ryder Cup fan-favorite Keegan Bradley attempted to become the tournament's first wire-to-wire winner since Tom Watson in 1980. Former winners like Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel and Scott Piercy were in contention throughout the week, but it was Bae's perseverance and determination that earned him the victory over others who have been there, done that.

Of course, pure logical reasoning suggests the current trend is a bit of a fad. With 20 events remaining on the PGA Tour schedule, including the FedEx Cup Playoffs, a handful of former champions are sure to start winning again. Experience and time-tested methods have to count for something. Surely everything will balance out in the end.

Then again, nobody could have guessed that names like Henley, Merrick, Thompson, Brown, Streelman, Horschel, Ernst or Bae would have more PGA Tour wins in 2013 than names like Garcia, Westwood, McIlroy or Kaymer at this point in the season. If there is anything certain about the tour, it is that there is no such thing as a sure bet these days.



Adam Fonseca has been a golf writer and blogger since 2005. His work has been featured on numerous digital outlets including the Back9Network and SB Nation. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife. Adam can be found on Twitter @chicagoduffer.

Lee wins shortened LPGA event

Lee wins shortened LPGA event










The Sports Xchange May 26, 2013 9:30 PMThe SportsXchange



Ilhee Lee captured the wet and shortened Bahamas LPGA Classic by firing a 5-under-par 42 over 12 holes on Sunday, giving her a two-shot victory over Irene Cho.

She finished the event in Paradise Island, Bahamas, with a 36-hole total of 11-under 126 for her first tournament victory of the year.

"I can't believe it right now," said Lee. "It feels amazing. This is the best day in my life. I'm so happy right now."

Heavy rain had caused the event to be shorted to 36 holes, the fewest number of holes required for the event to be considered official.

Thursday's play was canceled, and players played 12 holes Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The final round at the Ocean Club featured strong winds at the end of the day, and it ended in a downpour.

Work by the golf course staff from Wednesday through Saturday morning resulted in 45 million gallons of rain water being pumped off the tournament course.

Every player started on No. 10 Sunday, then moved around the course. The par-5 18th hole was used for the first time in the tournament, and the fourth hole was eliminated after being used the previous two days.

Lee, whose best finish this year had been a tie for third at Kingsmill, birdied her first three holes Sunday to catch Paola Moreno at 9-under and tie for the lead.

"In the morning, my goal was just pars," Lee said. "I made long putts first hole, the second hole, third hole, birdies, and then I was thinking maybe it's close. So I felt comfortable with the wind today. I think the wind helped me today."

Lee took the lead by herself with a birdie on the 14th hole and added another birdie before finishing her bogey-free round.

She earned $195,000 for the victory.

Cho birdied three of the last five holes for a 7-under 40, which was the best round of the tournament. Cho had an eagle at the 11th hole, and, two holes later, she saved par after hitting shot onto the sandy beach.

"I'm very proud of Ilhee," Cho said. "She played hard. I'm just thankful we got in all 36 holes, and here's to next week.

"I wish we got to see the rest of the golf course because it's really, really pretty, and it's a great look out on the ocean. But kudos to the maintenance crew for having us finish on hole 18, which is only the second time I've played it."

Cho finished ahead of third-place Anna Nordqvist by a stroke.

Nordqvist had a final-round 2-under 45 to finish at 8-under, one shot ahead of a five players: Paul Creamer, Mika Miyazato, Karine Icher, Mindy Kim and Cristie Kerr.

Senior PGA Championship: Sunday notebook

Senior PGA Championship: Sunday notebook












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Kohki Odoki received the Alfred S. Bourne Trophy from PGA President Ted Bishop.(Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America)

PGA.COM May 26, 2013 9:52 PM


By The PGA of America

ST. LOUIS -- With his victory today in the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, Kohki Idoki:

--Gets his name inscribed on the Alfred S. Bourne Trophy, awarded to the winner of the most historic and prestigious event in senior golf Earns a Lifetime Exemption into the Senior PGA Championship --Receives an Exemption into the 2013 PGA Championship, Aug. 8-11 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. --Gains an Exemption into the 2013 Senior British Open --Gains an Exemption into the 2013 U.S. Senior Open --Claims his first major championship on the Champions Tour --Has a one-year calendar exemption on the Champions Tour

KOHKI'S FIRSTS: In his first-ever visit to the United States, Kohki Idoki becomes the first Asian-born male to win the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. Y.E. Yang became the first Asian-born male to win a major championship when he captured the 2009 PGA Championship.

Idoki is the second consecutive international player to win the Senior PGA Championship (Roger Chapman of England last year)

Statistically, Idoki led this week in Putts Per Greens in Regulation, and tied for first in Birdies (19) and Total Putts (108). He also tied Mark O'Meara for the second low round of the Championship, with a closing 65.

Idoki gained entry into the Championship as one of the top four players from the 2012 Japanese Seniors Tour Order of Merit.

MORE ON IDOKI: Idoki's 65 is the second-best final-round score by a Champion - Allen Doyle closed with 64 to win the 1999 Senior PGA Championship. He improved his score each day here at Bellerive, from 71 to 69 to 68 to 65.

RUTLEDGE FIRES 64, SETS CHAMPIONSHIP MARK: Canadian Jim Rutledge shot the low score of the Championship today, with a bogey-free, 7-under-par 64. Rutledge played the front nine in 5 under par, then added birdies on Nos. 14 and 17.

The competitive course record at Bellerive Country Club belongs to Jim Furyk, who shot 62 in the second round of the 2008 BMW Championship, when the course played to a par of 70.

"I got off to a good start and I think that that was a key to a good day," said Rutledge, whose wife, Jill, caddies for him. "We knew that we had a good score out there, because we put together some good stretches of holes. We just hadn't put it all together at once. But today was the day."

Rutledge had 11 one-putts for the round and vaulted 30 spots on the scoreboard. He finished the Championship tied for sixth place, at 6-under-par 278.

TOP 15 AND TIES QUALIFY FOR 2014: One of the criteria to be eligible to compete in the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid is being among the low 15 finishers, and ties, in the preceding Senior PGA Championship. So, based on their finishing scores today, the following players have gained a spot in the 2014 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, to be held May 22-25 at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich.:


Kohki Idoki Jay Haas Kenny Perry Mark O'Meara Kiyoshi Murato Jim Rutledge Kirk Triplett Duffy Waldorf Rod Spittle Russ Cochran Dan Forsman Peter Senior Bart Bryant Bernhard Langer Joel Edwards Tommy Armour III Steve Pate Fred Funk

COSTON, MIELKE SHARE LOW PGA CLUB PROFESSIONAL HONORS: Mark Mielke of East Norwich, N.Y., birdied No. 18 today to tie Jeff Coston of Blaine, Wash., for low PGA Club Professional honors. Both finished at even-par 284, as Coston closed with 72 and Mielke with 73. They tied for 28th place. This is the second time that Coston has finished as the Low PGA Club Professional in this Championship (2007).

Sonny Skinner of Sylvester, Ga., who almost holed out of a greenside bunker for birdie on the 18th that would have matched Coston and Mielke, tied with Don Berry of Rogers, Minn., at 285. St. Louis native Bob Gaus shot 73 today and tied for 59th.

BY THE NUMBERS ... ONE LAST TIME: 4: par-5 hole at Bellerive that played the easiest for the Championship, with a 4.686 stroke average 6: par-3 hole at Bellerive that played the most difficult for the Championship, with a 3.486 stroke average 6: number of birdies made today by Kohki Idoki, the 74th Senior PGA Champion 7: number of strokes Idoki made up today on third-round leader Kenny Perry 10: number of one-putt greens today for Idoki 26: number of putts taken today by Idoki 38: score for Kenny Perry on the back nine today, as he lost the lead in the Senior PGA Championship 55: number of consecutive holes Bernhard Langer played without a bogey (from his final hole in Round 1 through the completion of his round today) 64: low 18-hole round of the Championship, shot today by Jim Rutledge 65: second-best 18-hole round of the Championship, shot today by Idoki, and Mark O'Meara, who was fourth 67: score posted by Bernhard Langer each of the last three rounds, to climb back from 8-over par after the first round to 4-under par for the Championship 273: winning score for Kohki Idoki

FOUR EAGLES TODAY: The four eagles recorded today at Bellerive brought to 15 the total number made during the Championship, with the most eagles made on the par-5 17th hole (7).

HAAS TOPS AMONG SIX SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONS: He may not have won his third Senior PGA Championship, but Jay Haas does have the distinction of finishing with the best score among the six Senior PGA Champions who played through the weekend.

The 72-hole scores of Senior PGA Champions, and where they placed in the Championship: Jay Haas (9-under-par 275, tied for second) Michael Allen (2-under-par 282, tied for 20th) Tom Watson (even-par 284, tied for 28th) Hale Irwin (5-over-par 28, tied for 56th) Defending Champion Roger Chapman (7-over-par 291, tied for 64th) John Jacobs (10-over par 294, 75th place)

A FINISHING FOURSOME OF PGA CHAMPIONS: Jeff Sluman (1988 PGA Champion), Hal Sutton (1983), Bob Tway (1986) and Lanny Wadkins (1977) all completed 72 holes at Bellerive. Sutton and Tway had the best scores of the round (70) but Sluman finished with the lowest 72-hole total of the four. Their results:

Jeff Sluman (71 today for 287 total, tied for 47th) Hal Sutton (70 today for 291 total, tied for 64th) Bob Tway (70 today for 291 total, tied for 64th) Lanny Wadkins (80 today for 299 total, tied for 79th)

The 2013 PGA Championship, the Season's Final Major, will be played Aug. 8-11 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.

ALMOST THE SAME EACH DAY: Jeff Sluman and Boonchu Ruangkit finished 72 holes with the same total (287). They also had the same score in Rounds 1 and 4 and virtually had identical scores each day. Their scores per round:

Sluman 75-71-70-71 Ruangkit 75-70-71-71

ALMOST THE SAME AS IN '92: Russ Cochran tied for sixth this week in the Senior PGA Championship at Bellerive. He tied for seventh in the 1992 PGA Championship at Bellerive. Duffy Waldorf tied for ninth in the '92 PGA Championship and tied for sixth today.

SEE YOU IN 2018: The 100th PGA Championship will be played in the summer of 2018 here at Bellerive Country Club. Nick Price won the first PGA Championship contested at Bellerive, in 1992.