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.

A Lesson Learned: Long and short of it

A Lesson Learned: Long and short of it











Jeff Coston, PGA May 27, 2013 12:04 AM



Another Senior PGA Championship in the books and what a great week it's been. I'm so grateful to the PGA of America for the first-rate championship it conducts and for the opportunity they provide club professionals like myself to play and test our game against the best players in the world.

For this week's "A Lesson Learned" I'd take away two important points that meant so much to me this week and will certainly help every golfer.

1.) When you come to a major championship, every player will tell you that the key to winning is controlling the speed of your putts. To that I say..."Yes!" The greens you putt on at home may not roll at the same championship speeds that Bellerive had this week, but whatever the speed they roll, you have to be confident that any putt you take will either go in or leave you with a comfortable (and hopefully tap-in) distance.
I see far too many amateur players tie themselves up in knots trying to read the line and not respect the speed of the putt enough. My guess is, the average energy and thought to each putt by amateur golfers is 80 percent read, 20 percent speed. I say it should be the reveresed. If you concentrate more on the right speed, you'll be a better putter. Speed dictates line anyways and if you have the right speed, you can trust more. The reason people three putt is rarely because they have a bad line, it's because they did not have the right speed.

2.) Another golf maxim that I think is overstated is that "golfers spend too much time on the range working on driving" (and thus, by default, not enough on their short game.) Of course your short game is critical but so is your driving. It's no secret in golf: If you cant drive, you wont' have any fun playing golf. So my tip on driving is - curve your golf ball. Either left to right or right to left, know your shot pattern and play to that. None other than Jack Nicklaus told me that a straight was an accident.

These two areas of my game are two that I often focus on when I know I need to play my best. If I'm confident with my driver and I'm confident on the greens, I know I'm going to have a good round. I hope that's that case for you too.

Jeff Coston is the PGA Teaching Professional at Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, Wash. Coston has played on the PGA Tour, played in 3 PGA Championships, 3 Senior PGA Championships and one U.S. Open. You can learn more about Jeff Coston at hiswebsite.

For Woods, history is all about major results

For Woods, history is all about major results











PGA.COM June 12, 2013 8:37 PM

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Instead of marveling at the swing Ben Hogan put on his famous 1-iron shot at Merion, Tiger Woods thought …


By Doug Ferguson, Associated Press

ARDMORE, Pa. - The photo of Ben Hogan hitting his 1-iron into the 18th green at Merion in the 1950 U.S. Open is among the most famous in golf history, capturing the pure swing of one of the greatest players when the pressure of a major championship was at its peak.

Instead of marveling at the swing, Tiger Woods thought more about the results.

''That was to get into a playoff,'' Woods said Tuesday, sounding more like a golf historian than the No. 1 player in the game. ''Got about 40 feet and still had some work to do. It's a great photo. But it would have been an all right photo if he didn't win. He still had to go out and win it the next day.''

Hogan managed to lag the long putt to about 4 feet and quickly knocked that in for his par to join a three-way playoff, which he won the next day over Lloyd Mangrum and Tom Fazio. Of his four U.S. Open titles, that meant the most to Hogan because he proved he could win just 16 months after a horrific car accident that nearly killed him. On battered legs, Hogan had to play the 36-hole final, followed by the 18-hole playoff.

''Knowing the fact that he went through the accident and then came out here and played 36 and 18, that's awfully impressive,'' Woods said.

In some small way, Woods can relate.

Five years ago, Woods tried to play the U.S. Open with the ligaments shredded in his left knee and a double stress fracture in his lower left leg. The USGA published a book called 'Great Moments of the U.S. Open,'' and the photo it selected for the cover showed Woods arching his back and pumping his fists after making a 12-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole at Torrey Pines to get into a playoff.

It wouldn't have been much of a photo if he missed.

Woods had to go 91 holes that week. He had to make another birdie on the 18th hole of the playoff to go extra holes before finally beating Rocco Mediate.

''I think there was a lot of people pulling for Tiger,'' said Rory McIlroy, who was 19 at the time, a rookie on the European Tour who failed to qualify for the U.S. Open. ''He was playing on a broken leg pretty much, so I was definitely pulling for Tiger. It was probably one of the best performances golf has ever seen, if not sport in general.''

Hard as it might have been to believe that day, it also was the last major Woods won.

He had one more chance at a major after his season-ending knee surgery, losing a two-shot lead to Y.E. Yang in the 2009 PGA Championship. After two darks years brought on by the collapse of his marriage and more injuries to his left leg, he had at least a share of the 36-hole lead in two majors last year, and he had an outside shot at the Masters in April going into the final round.

Majors don't come as easily as they once seemed to for Woods, though he never looked at them that way.

''It wasn't ever easy,'' he said. ''I felt it was still difficult because the major of the majors, three of the four always rotated. It was always on a new site each and every year. Augusta was the only one you could rely on from past experiences. A lot of majors that I won were on either the first or second time I'd ever seen it.''

Woods won four majors on courses he had never played - Medinah for the 1999 PGA Championship, Valhalla for the PGA Championship the following year, Bethpage Black in the 2002 U.S. Open and Royal Liverpool for the 2006 British Open.


Merion is new not only to him, but just about everyone.

It last hosted a U.S. Open in 1981, when David Graham putted for birdie on every hole and closed with a 67. Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker played Merion, but they were all college kids at the 1989 U.S. Amateur. A few others competed in the 2005 U.S. Amateur or the 2009 Walker Cup.

But never at a U.S. Open.

''I don't remember much about it from that long ago,'' Stricker said. ''But I remember at least that it was a great, old course with a lot of history to it, one that I enjoyed playing back in '89 and no different than today. It's a great test.''

It figures to be a different test this week.

For all the history of Merion, this week seems like a recurrence of the troublesome weather that has followed the PGA Tour around this season. The course has received some 5 inches of rain since Friday, so much that it was closed for practice one day on the weekend, and play was stopped three times on Monday.

It was packed under mostly sunny skies Tuesday in what amounted to a crash course for so many players with the start of the U.S. Open only two days away.

''Played the golf course last Wednesday, which has proved kind of invaluable now,'' Graeme McDowell said. ''I flew in yesterday with the intention of playing 18 holes late last night, but that didn't happen. So I'm kind of adjusting my plan here at the minute. I'm going to play nine holes this afternoon and nine holes tomorrow.''

Phil Mickelson spent two days at Merion last week, which also proved invaluable. He left town Monday for San Diego to practice in California's dry weather, though he was planning on being home Wednesday, anyway, to watch his oldest daughter speak at her eighth-grade graduate ceremony.

Woods stopped at Merion on the way to the Memorial, and wondered how much he got out of that practice round. It rained practically the entire time, so the ball wasn't flying very far in the air or when it hit the ground. Woods was trying to figure out how much the ball would run along the canted fairways in dry conditions.

Now, he might not find out.

''I thought it might be totally different,'' Woods said. ''As I explained at Memorial, I thought the ball would be running out and we would hit different clubs and different shapes. But it's going to be the same as what we played'' in his practice round two weeks ago.

Woods already has forgotten about his last start, an abysmal finish at the Memorial where he couldn't make a putt and wound up 20 shots out the lead. He said he had a good week of practice at home in Florida until some tropical weather came through.

''I guess it was getting us ready for this one,'' he said.

The preparation is all part of the plan. Woods talked about going to other major courses ahead of time to map out his strategy and get a feel for how to play the course.

''But then I have to go out and execute,'' he said. ''And go out and win an event."

McIlroy does Rocky imitation on US Open eve

McIlroy does Rocky imitation on US Open eve












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"Can't come to Philadelphia and not see the `Rocky' steps!!," tweeted Rory McIlroy on Wednesday.(Rory McIlroy via Twitter)

PGA.COM June 12, 2013 9:12 PM



ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) -- Turns out Rory McIlroy decided to do the Rocky thing before teeing off in the U.S. Open.

The world's No. 2 ranked player said earlier this week that he was "half-thinking" of heading into the City of Brotherly Love to the spot where the fictional Rocky Balboa jumped up and down triumphantly after running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

On Wednesday the 24-year-old from Northern Ireland tweeted: "Can't come to Philadelphia and not see the `Rocky' steps!!" along with a photo, shot from behind, that shows a jubilant figure with arms raised Rocky-style and wearing a Phillies baseball cap backward.

The museum is about 10 miles from the Merion Golf Club, where McIlroy and the rest of the U.S. Open field begin play Thursday.

Miller Barber dies at 82

Miller Barber dies at 82










The Sports Xchange June 13, 2013 12:50 AMThe SportsXchange



Miller Barber, whose 1,297 combined starts on the PGA Tour and Senior Tour are an all-time record, died Tuesday at age 82.

His son, Richard Barber, told the New York Times thatBarber died in Scottsdale, Ariz., of lymphoma.

Barber earned 11 wins on the PGA Tour, then won 24 times on the senior circuit. He was noted for his unorthodox swing, in which his right elbow moved away from his body.

"We are saddened by the passing of Miller Barber," PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem wrote in a statement. "He was a wonderful player who made his mark on the PGA Tour with 11 victories and then really excelled onChampions Tour, becoming one of its best players in the tour's formative years. Miller and the Champions Tour's other early stars helped establish the tour and make it the tremendous success it has become. Golf has lost a great man and competitor."

Known by the nickname "Mr. X," Barber won five majors on the Senior Tour. He captured the 1981 PGA Seniors' Championship, the 1983 Senior Players' Championship, and the U.S. Senior Open in 1982, 1984 and 1985.

His best result in a major on the PGA Tour was tie for fourth in the 1971 PGA Championship. He had six other top-10 finishes, two of them in the PGA Championship, and one each in the U.S. Open, British Open and the Masters. Barber finished in the top team in each of those events in 1969.

Pro golfer Ricky Barnes wrote on Twitter, "Just got bad news in the golf world. Lost a great player, but a better man. U will be missed Miller Barber"

Local Knowledge: 2013 PGA Professional National Championship

Local Knowledge: 2013 PGA Professional National Championship












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Few places in the world are more naturally beautiful than the Sunriver Resort, located at the edge of the high desert, just east of the Cascade Range, with spectacular views of Mt. Bachelor.(Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America)

PGA.COM June 23, 2013 2:49 PM


By T.J. Auclair, PGA.com Interactive Producer

SUNRIVER, Ore. - The 46th PGA Professional National Championship tees off at the breathtaking Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Ore., on Sunday morning.

Few places in the world are more naturally beautiful than the Sunriver Resort, located at the edge of the high desert, just east of the Cascade Range, with spectacular views of Mt. Bachelor.

The field of 312 - the top 20 of whom will receive a spot in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill in August - will play one of their first two rounds at the Sunriver Resort's Meadows Course and one at the Crosswater Course. After the 36-hole cut is made following second-round play on Monday, the entire field will move over to Crosswater for the final two rounds.

On the eve of the tournament, we caught up with Crosswater Club Manager and PGA Professional Josh Willis to talk about what's in store for the PNC.

PGA.com: Josh, this is the third time that Sunriver Resort plays host to a PGA Professional National Championship. Can you talk to me a little about the anticipation of getting another championship under way and what it means to be the host yet again?

Willis: This is a really great opportunity not only for Sunriver as a resort to be the host site for a third time, but also a great opportunity for our own personal PGA Golf Professionals to work with a PGA of AmericaTournament Director, as well as the Golf Channel prior to the event and post event. It's just an incredible opportunity for everyone.

PGA.com: As we sit hear your walkie-talkie has been going off non-stop with staff members asking you questions. You're pretty much the one-stop shop for everything going on this week to an extent. Can you tell us what a week like this entails for you?

Willis: There are so many individuals involved on the golf course and it's a total partnership between a collective group of us on making sure everything is up and running. There are so many important pieces to the puzzle -- from the scoring live scoring and how it gets there through a volunteer, but then there's a scoring trailer. That runs off a generator and there's internet going into the scoring trailer. You have all these elements out there that if one little, single thing goes wrong it ultimately effects the quality of the event that we're able to help the PGA of America produce.


PGA.com: Sunriver is gorgeous. It's also a place where you can almost experience all four seasons in one day. Tell us a little about how quickly things can change here.

Willis: Well, for instance, let's take this morning. At 4:30, it was 34 degrees and it dropped down to 30 degrees by about 5:30. Then it slowly started warming up until now, where I'd say it's about high 70s. It's not uncommon for us to have as much as a 60-degree change in temperatures really. That's just how it is out here. It's not anything unusual for us.

I think anybody who played a practice round -- probably on Thursday -- realized just how quickly things could change. A lot of players were tweeting about it. In fact, one player in particular tweeted a photo he took on the tee and it was raining. He took a photo in the fairway and it was hailing. Then he took a photo on the green, the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud anywhere. That was a perfect example of three of our four seasons. We're hopeful that we'll have the better of all our four seasons this week, which is beautiful weather every day.

PGA.com: For the first two days, players will play one round each at the Meadows Course and theCrosswater Course, before coming back here to Crosswater for the final two rounds. Can you talk a little about the difference between the two courses?

Willis: The Meadows Course is a tree-lined golf course that's definitely located in the meadow. It was actually built around the Sunriver Resort Lodge, which was the foundation for the whole Sunriver community when the division of the property was built back in the 1960s.

Crosswater on the other hand, was built in 1995. It was the longest golf course in America when it opened. What's really unique is that it's 600 acres. Two hundred of those acres are for the community, 200 are for the bentgrass golf course and then 200 acres are native wetlands and fescue. We can't take an inch of land without giving an inch back to be in guidelines with our Audubon certification here.

The other amazing thing is that we've got the Little Deschutes River that curves through the golf course and basically flows into the Big Deschutes River, which also borders the golf course. I would say, without a doubt, the environment is what makes Crosswater so special.

As for the differences in the two golf courses, all in all, Crosswater is going to play a little bit longer, but there's not as many opportunities from an out-of-bounds standpoint like what the Meadows has. It'll take your best game to win this week.

PGA.com: What do you most look forward to during a week like this?

Willis: I enjoy working with the Tournament Committee. It's always a fun experience and if you don't enjoy it, you should probably take another job and do something different. I really enjoy hosting an event this size. Our goal is to have a championship of this magnitude every year and it takes a ton of work by our golf professional staff in partnership with the Tournament Committee, but also it takes a lot of work from our community with the volunteer support. We're lucky in Sunriver to have great amenities, which are attractive to the PGA of America, from our golf courses to our banquet spaces, all the way down to our food and beverage outlets. But, at the end of the day, it's the community that volunteers for us that allows us to host a championship of this magnitude.

Dobyns serves lucky menu at Champions Dinner

Dobyns serves lucky menu at Champions Dinner












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11 past champions gathered for the 2013 Champions Dinner at Sunriver.(Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America)

PGA.COM June 23, 2013 2:54 PM


By Bob Denney, The PGA of America

SUNRIVER, Ore. - Defending PGA Professional National Champion Matt Dobyns of Glen Head, N.Y., host of the annual Champions' Dinner Saturday at Crosswater Club, was overcome by the attention he received after his record-breaking, eight-stroke victory a year ago in the showcase event for PGA Professionals. Dobyns also revealed that food had something to do with what he called "a win of a lifetime."

Dobyns, 35, the PGA head professional at Fresh Meadow Country Club in Lake Success, N.Y., said he frequented the local Chili's Restaurant daily during the Championship at Bayonet Blackhorse in Seaside, Calif. He chose a take-out order of barbeque ribs and salmon, the latter choice he said was "an attempt to keep it healthy at least in part."

"I was exhausted by the time I got to the West Coast, and too tired to go out for dinner," said Dobyns, the seventh Metropolitan PGA member to win the National Championship. "So, I called in take-out from the restaurant next to my hotel. The next day I went out and shot 68. I went back the next night, ordered the same entrée and shot another 68. I said to myself, 'After all these years, it really can't be this easy.' The third round I went out and had a hole-in-one and an eagle. There was a woman working at the restaurant who recognized me and I didn't have to spend time ordering."

Dobyns' 2012 routine menu of barbeque ribs and salmon, he said, was an easy choice when asked to pick the cuisine for Saturday's Champions' Dinner menu. "I was confident that the chef at Crosswater would do an even greater job and have tastier versions of what I selected last year," said Dobyns. "Maybe it will lead us to many birdies this week."


The Champions' Dinner guests featured 11 past Champions, including Darrell Kestner, 59, winner of the 1996 Championship. who mentored Dobyns, from apprentice to assistant professional from 2009 to 2011, at Deepdale Golf Club in Manhasset, N.Y. "I would not be here today if not for Darrell Kestner, and his wife, Margie," said Dobyns.

Dobyns is in his second season as a PGA head professional, and he and his wife, Laurie, are parents to a 20-month-old daughter, Kaitlyn. Dobyns said that his wife repeatedly encouraged him over a two-month period to be confident that his staff would handle his taking a week off last year to compete in the National Championship.

"That was an ongoing conversation, and I finally gave in and decided that I would be able to attend and that all would be well at the club while I was away," said Dobyns. "My wife has handled the time sacrifices and all that goes into being married to a PGA Professional with grace, positivity and patience. Laurie, I love you."

Dobyns said that he was "amazed at the enormity of this Championship."

"It is truly an amazing undertaking by The PGA of America staff to host 312 players in something that the average person may never comprehend," said Dobyns. "I am very proud to have my name on the Walter Hagen Cup, just as all of you seated here tonight who have won this Championship."

Duke gets first PGA win in playoff over Stroud

Duke gets first PGA win in playoff over Stroud











June 23, 2013 9:10 PM


(Reuters) - Ken Duke notched his first career PGA Tour title in his 187th start by beating Chris Stroud with a birdie on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the Travelers Championship on Sunday.

The 44-year-old became the oldest first-time winner in 18 years when he claimed victory by sinking a two-foot birdie putt after fellow American Stroud's long birdie try trickled just past the hole on the 18th green.

"Worked hard," said Duke, who had been a runner-up three times on the tour.

"I knocked on the door a lot and here we are."

Both players parred the 18th in the first hole of sudden-death before returning to the 18th tee for what turned out to be the decider at the TPC River Highlands course.

Duke became the oldest first-time winner on the tour since Ed Dougherty, who was 47 when he won the 1995 Deposit Guaranty Classic.

Stroud forced the playoff by chipping in from across the green for birdie after sending his approach shot long after blasting a drive of some 340 yards.

"I'm glad I gave myself a chance in the playoffs," said Stroud, who was also chasing his maiden victory. "I wish that I would've won. Obviously, we all want to win. I gave it everything I had."

Duke fired a final-round of four-under-par 66 and Stroud posted 67 to tie on 12-under-par 268.

Graham DeLaet of Canada finished one stroke out of the playoff on 269 after shooting 69.


Another stroke back after a 70 was 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson, who relinquished the lead to Duke with a triple-bogey six on the par-three 16th after finding the water fronting the green with his tee shot.

Watson, DeLaet and Charley Hoffman, who registered 72 for 272, entered the final round tied for the lead at 10 under par.

The leaderboard was jammed at the top for most of the day with a dozen players jockeying for position within two shots of the lead.

Duke took advantage of a lucky bounce at the par-four 10th, when he pulled his approach shot into the trees left of the green but the ball rattled around and bounced out onto the green to set up his five-foot birdie putt.

"I got an unbelievable break on 10," acknowledged Duke, who had only one top 10 this season from 18 starts - a tie for eighth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

"I knew it was going to be tough and that this guy wasn't going to give up. The main thing was, I didn't give up."

Watson, who won here in 2010, had trouble pinpointing his short irons but stayed ahead by making several par-saving putts.

He led by one shot coming to the 171-yard 16th but his tee ball landed on the bank and plopped into the lake. From the drop area, he flew his 125-yard shot through the green, hit a poor chip and two-putted for triple-bogey.

Duke, who turned professional in 1994, became emotional when asked about the improvements he had made since turning to swing coach Bob Toski for help.

"I wouldn't be here without him, no question. I talked to him this morning, and he said 'it's about time for you to win'," Duke said, breaking up. "And I did."

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Mark Meadows)

No. 1 Park wins No. 5 of 2013

No. 1 Park wins No. 5 of 2013










The Sports Xchange June 23, 2013 9:20 PMThe SportsXchange


ROGERS, Ark. -- The hot streak continues for the top-ranked female golfer in the world.

Inbee Park won for the fifth time this LPGA season, holing a four-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat practice round playing partner So Yeon Ryu to capture the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Sunday at Pinnacle Country Club.

Park, the No. 1 player in the Rolex Women's World Rankings, improved to 2-1 in her career in playoffs, with the other victory coming two weeks ago at the tour's most recent tournament, the Wegmans LPGA Championship.

"It feels great," Park said. "This is one of my favorite stops on the tour and the people are just so nice and the course was in great condition this year. "The greens were holding very pure, so I was able to putt really well on this golf course and play very solid the last three days.

"It was a little tough that I had to be in a playoff with a best friend, but that happens sometimes."

Park trailed four players atop the leaderboard by two shots heading into Sunday's final round, but closed with a 4-under-par 67 to finish even with Ryu, her South Korean compatriot.

Park quickly moved into final-round contention with birdies on the sixth, seventh and eighth holes.

After a bogey at the par-3 11th, Park used a birdie on the par-5 14th to move back to 11-under, then closed out with the birdie at the par-5 18th to finish at 12-under 201.

Park then watched as Ryu, playing one group behind, closed her round with an eight-foot birdie putt to close out a 69 and force the third playoff in NW Arkansas Championship history.


After a near perfect drive on the 18th in the playoff, Park's approach was short and left of the green. But her third shot settled four feet from the hole.

Ryu missed the fairway and was forced to lay up short of the green in the playoff. Her approach sailed over the green and her birdie chip slipped past the hole before Park holed the winning putt.

"I know I tried my best, so it's fine," said Ryu, the No. 5 women's player in the world. "Actually, today the round wasn't really great to me because my distance control was really bad.

"But I felt really great to finish strong on 17 and 18 and also I wanted to chase (Inbee) down. I'm so happy for Inbee that she won the tournament."

Mika Miyazato of Japan, the opening round leader with a 65, finished one shot back after a closing with a 67. Miyazato had to settle for a par on the 18th hole and wasn't able to join the playoff.

Park's five victories this season on the LPGA Tour include wins in the first two majors this season, the Kraft Nabisco Championship and the LPGA Championship.

She will try for the third straight major victory in the U.S. Women's Open, which starts Thursday atSebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.

Park will try to match Babe Zaharias (1950) as the only LPGA player to win the first three majors in a season.

"This week is a good preparation week for me as I go into the U.S. Women's Open," Park said. "I've won the last two weeks and there's a lot of emotions, so I'm just going to try to calm down myself a lot and try to play the course.

"I'm sure the course is going to make me concentrate, so I'm really looking forward to playing there and not to think about any kind of history or trying to break somebody's record."

Stacy Lewis, the local fan favorite who was a four-time all-American at nearby University of Arkansas, entered Sunday tied for the lead with Chie Arimura of Japan, Beatriz Recari of Spain and Ryu.

But Lewis struggled to find her groove and finished at 71 to tie for fourth, while Recari and Arimura both shot 72 and tied for seventh.

"I'm pretty disappointed," Lewis said. "You know, I had one bad swing on No. 7, but really other than that I played pretty solid and I hit so many good shots and so many good putts today.

"I don't really know, going back, what I would do much different."

Amateur Lydia Ko, a 16-year-old from New Zealand who won the 2012 Canadian Open at the age of 15, finished with a 68 and tied four fourth.

NOTES: Inbee Park's victory marked the third time in six years the NW Arkansas Championship has been decided in a playoff. Yani Tseng won the 2011 tournament in a playoff over Amy Yang, and Jiyai Shin defeated Angela Stanford and Sun Young Yoo in a playoff in 2009. ... Park's 54-hole total of 12-under 201 was one shot shy of the tournament record. Tseng won the first of her two NW Arkansas Championship titles with a 13-under total of 200 in 2010. ... Park has five victories and seven top 10 finishes in 12 LPGAevents this year. Since the start of the 2012 season, she has recorded seven wins and 19 top 10 finishes in 36 events. ... This marks the sixth consecutive year the NW Arkansas Championship has been won by an Asian-born player. Stacy Lewis won the tournament as an amateur in 2007, but was declared an unofficial winner when the event was cut to 18 holes due to rain.

Lateral Hazard: Bubba Watson's ball-dunking, caddy-blistering blowup opens door for Ken Duke

Lateral Hazard: Bubba Watson's ball-dunking, caddy-blistering blowup opens door for Ken Duke











Brian Murphy June 23, 2013 11:47 PMYahoo Sports






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Ken Duke won his first PGA Tour event at age 44. (USA Today Sports)



They're not booing at TPC River Highlands, where 44-year-old Ken Duke won his first-ever PGA Tour event. They're saying "Duuuuuuke." That is, when they're not saying "Bubba: You mad, bro?"

Post-major Tour stops are generally snoozers; the equivalent of a hangover that requires a nap on the couch while the Sunday final round plays on your TV at a barely audible level, so that Verne Lundquist's voice actually enters your subconscious and lulls you into blissful REM, purring phrases like "My gracious!" – which he did when Chris Stroud forced a playoff with a 72nd hole chip-in.

But the Travelers Championship in Connecticut kept you out of the Nap Zone. It was pyrotechnics and emotion. It was Ken Duke, the pride of Henderson State University in Arkansas, pumping his fist and hitting an absolute whopper of a game-winner for birdie, a sand wedge from 117 yards to inside a yard on the second playoff hole.

It was Stroud, removing his cap and whipping it over his head in the playoff, firing up a crowd that was into the proceedings.

And it was Bubba Watson, who hasn't won since last year's Masters, blowing his lead on the 70th hole with a triple bogey – and a triple whammy of invectives directed at his caddie, Ted Scott. CBS caught it all, and Watson came off looking like a heel. In the golf world, this counts as four-star gossip.





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Ken Duke won the Travelers Championship on the second playoff hole. (AP)That's why it's good we had a feel-good ending. Duke is one of those guys who reminds you of the PGA Tour back in the 1970s and 1980s, when the words "Fitness Trailer" didn't exist, unless it meant showing one's drinking fitness when spending Saturday night knocking back beers in a trailer.



Duke isn't fit. He sweats a lot. He has played on Tours in Asia, Canada and South America. He doesn't have Rory McIlroy's Nike contract, or Rickie Fowler's flat-billed Puma cap. He's got a handsy, old-school swing and drives it straight as a string, No. 1 on Tour in driving accuracy. And yet he appeared destined to be one of those journeymen who play golf for a living, make some good dough and never win, never get famous.

But sometimes, things happen for guys like Ken Duke. An approach on the 10th hole is headed for big trouble – then hits a tree branch and plops five feet from the cup. Birdie. Or, a 45-foot, cross-country triple-break putt drops in the side door on the 13th hole. Birdie. Or, the leader dumps a ball in the water, gets mad at his caddie and leaves you an opening. And then, just when you think you've reached the mountaintop with a super solid par save on 18, able to make "4" after a poor, nervous drive for a one-shot lead, the kid Stroud chips in for birdie to force a playoff.

Ken Duke could be forgiven for wondering if it wasn't meant to be, that his automatic invite back to Augusta National (he played in the 2009 Masters) would remain out of reach. But then he fully committed to that sand wedge, had the right club and right yardage, and gave himself a kick-in birdie for victory.

He got a little choked up talking to David Feherty, but snapped right back into happy Duke mode by getting a bottle of Coca-Cola (no Diet Coke for an old-school guy like Duke) and shaking it up, flashing the CBS camera with the bottle and saying: "Yeaaaaahhhh … that's what I'm talking about!"

Just what he was talking about, we don't know. A frizzy, shaken-up Coke, to punctuate his first win? Cool by us, Ken. You made for a likeable winner, so keep talkin' about whatever you want.

SCORECARD OF THE WEEK

63-69-69-69 – 18-under 270, Ernie Els, winner, European Tour BMW International Open, Golfclub Munchen Eichenried, Munich, Germany.





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Ernie Els was a big hit on the course and in his lederhosen in Munich. (Getty Images)Pretty hard not to enjoy Ernie Els, like Duke a fortysomething winner at age 43. The Big Easy not only got on the board with his first victory since Adam Scott gift-wrapped him the 2012 British Open (complete with greeting card, a cheese plate and iTunes gift card), he did so in true Ernie style.



By that, I mean he wore lederhosen at one point, and after his win spoke of the quality of Munich beer.

"I used to drink a lot of beer in this town. The beer here is so good," he said in his post-victory news conference, "you don't get those hangovers that you get with the other stuff."

A winner who shoots 63 to open a wire-to-wire job, and praises the local lagers as hangover-free nectar? That's a gracious guest.

And yes, lederhosen. To celebrate 25 years of the European Tour coming to Munich, players dressed in traditional German garb for a cow-milking contest party, while wives and girlfriends were encouraged to dress as comely fräuleins, too. The sight of Ernie in the 'hosen, big grin on his South African mug, on the stool crushing those udders en route to victory in the cow-milking contest, too, was one of the richer images of the year.





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Dustin Johnson enjoyed the BMW International Open with girlfriend Paulina Gretzky. (Getty Images)By the way, American Dustin Johnson was at the event, and tweeted out a picture of his lovely lady, Paulina Gretzky, in the traditional gear. He captioned it, "The Original St. Pauli Girl," and when I viewed the size of the stein from which Johnson was quaffing, and the head-turning Gretzky as his favorite fräulein, it suddenly made a lot more sense why Johnson has been chilling well away from the winner's circle since his Maui victory to open the year.



A keen statistician would note that Johnson's bid to win in Munich was undone by a Saturday 73, the day after he tweeted out the Paulina-as-fräulein photo. Young love. What are you gonna do, golf fans?

Back to Els. He says he will take the next three weeks off, skipping the Scottish Open, to rest up for a return to Muirfield, where he won the British Open in 2002. He did say he may attend a party in Monte Carlo to honor a friend, but said he only had a day or two of partying in him, "not three weeks." Laughs all around. Ernie is playing winning golf, and the golf world is better for it.

BROADCAST MOMENT OF THE WEEK

"Hey, you hit it, bud." – David Feherty, CBS, to Bubba Watson after Bubba Watson undressed his caddie for a bad yardage on the 16th hole.

Look at Feherty, man of the people. He was not only sticking up for Watson's caddie, Ted Scott, but also saying what all of us were thinking: Hey, bud. You hit the golf ball over the green, not the caddie.

Watson has admitted in the past that he has let his emotions run too hot, and taken things out on his caddie. But he said an intervention of sorts from his wife and caddie years ago cured that, made him a better player and is partially why he broke through at the Travelers Championship for his first win in 2010, the first of four wins, including last year's Masters.

It was a three-part drama Watson laid on Scott. First, there was the tee shot into the water, where cameras caught him saying, "That club," to Scott, disgustedly. Second, was the shot from the drop zone that flew the green, and cameras caught Watson saying: "So you're telling me that's the right yardage?" – dripping with sarcasm.

This is where Feherty stepped in and offered that thought.

Finally, Watson missed his putt for double bogey, and was seen to say, "There's no reason for you to even show up," to his caddie, chewing off the words.

Had there been a bus that drove by on a nearby road, Watson may have suggested a caddie-toss underneath.

It was bad form by the lefty, and he'll have to wear this one for a day or two, until we get distracted by more pictures of Ernie Els in lederhosen, or Paulina Gretzky as a St. Pauli Girl.

MULLIGAN OF THE WEEK

In fact, let's stay on this point for our Mully o' the Week.





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Bubba Watson had kinder words for fans after the final round than he did his caddie. (USA Today Sports)Watson was at the 16th tee with a one-shot lead, and all he had to do was par out for victory, in all likelihood. But that tee ball into the water sunk him, and then his three outbursts at Scott sunk his reputation on social media, where armchair etiquette officials like yours truly gave him the old tsk-tsk.



I'm not even talking about giving Watson a mulligan on the tee shot. In fact, I'm happy Ken Duke won, so I don't care about the tee ball into the water. What I do think deserves a mulligan, however, is Watson's reaction.

What we need to do is go back out to that 16th tee, let Bubba dump that ball into the drink and then have him say loud enough for the cameras to hear: "I picked the wrong club … that's on me." Right? So let's go back out there and … give that man a post-shot reaction mulligan!

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

If Tiger Woods throws a golf tournament, and Tiger Woods doesn't play in it, did the tournament happen? These are deep philosophical questions and pertinent ones since Tiger is throwing a golf tournament – this week's AT&T National at Congressional – and Tiger isn't playing, to rest an elbow strain he suffered at the Players Championship (where he won) and aggravated at Merion's U.S. Open (where he didn't win).

Justin Rose and Adam Scott will play, however, so at least there will be someone who can win a major in Tiger's tournament. Hey, now! I kid. Sort of.

This is also one of those rare weeks where the women's game trumps the men's. I love the U.S. Women's Open, and the ladies' national championship takes place at Sebonack in Southampton, N.Y.

In the last eight years, Cristie Kerr (2007) and Paula Creamer (2010) are the only Americans to win America's national championship. Given that the Fourth of July is around the corner, maybe it'll be a lucky week for the red, white and blue. Or, the tournament can be like any other women's tournament these days and be won by Inbee Park, who wins 'em all. Either way, a fun week. The only thing more fun would be hanging with Ken Duke and Ernie Els, although we can keep Duke out of the lederhosen, for everyone's sake.