Leishman earns Masters berth with win in Palmer's tournament

John Boyette — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 00:50:18 +0000

ORLANDO, Fla. — Marc Leishman kept shifting his eyes toward the glare coming from the silver Arnold Palmer Invitational trophy at his side. Beyond the shiny prize, between two images of Palmer, was a black banner with six words that defined how Palmer approached the game.

“You must play boldly to win.”

Leishman followed that script Sunday to a one-shot victory at Bay Hill.

He didn’t flinch over three key par putts over the last four holes. And even after his most disappointing shot down the stretch, a 9-iron on the par-5 16th hole that settled 50 feet away from the flag, the 33-year-old Australian knocked it in for an eagle that allowed him to jump past Rory McIlroy, Kevin Kisner and Charley Hoffman into the lead alone. He never gave back, and no one could catch him.

The timing couldn’t have been better for Leishman, except at the end.

“It’s sad not to have him up there walking off the 18th green, to be that first guy to walk off and not be greeted by Arnold Palmer,” Leishman said. “But he’s left such a great legacy, and I’m sure he will be proud of how everything has gone this week.”

The occasion was no less joyous. Leishman’s final act was a 45-yard pitch from short of the 18th green that ran out to 3 feet, a putt that looked a lot closer when he saw the replay on television. He calmly knocked that in for a 3-under 69.

Onto the green ran his two sons, ages 5 and 3, as wife Audrey waited for him. Just two years ago, Leishman worried he wouldn’t have her. He was called away during practice at Augusta National upon learning his wife was suffering toxic shock syndrome. Doctors put her in a coma to help fight the infection.

“It’s been a wild ride and it makes golf … I want to do it well, but it makes it less important. It’s not life and death,” Leishman said. “It’s just great to be able to share this with someone.”

The oldest boy, Harvey, kept asking him when he was going to bring home the trophy. This was a big one.

To honor Palmer, who died in September, the PGA Tour now awards a three-year exemption and raised the purse to $8.7 million, meaning Leishman won $1,566,000 — just $295,857 less than what Palmer won in his PGA Tour career.

Leishman finished at 11-under 277.

Kisner and Hoffman, tied for the 54-hole lead, each closed with a 73 and had their chances.

Kisner had a three-shot lead at the turn, but he didn’t make a birdie over his last 11 holes. Hoffman shot 39 on the front nine, rallied to get back into a share of the lead when Kisner faltered with a pair of bogeys and then three-putted for par on the 16th and made bogey from the back bunker on the 17th.

“I had it right there in the palm of my hand to win, and I didn’t get it done,” Kisner said.

Rory McIlroy had as good a chance as anyone, storming into a share of the lead by hooking a wedge around a tree, over the water and over the green on the 16th, then nearly holing the eagle chip. He had a 30-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead on the 18th, and after seeing that Leishman had made eagle on the 16th, gave it a good run. The putt went 8 feet by and three-putt for a 69 to finish two shots back.

“These things happen,” McIlroy said. “But I’m pleased with how I went. Ten under for the weekend around here is good scoring, and I can take a lot of positives from it going into next week.”

Leishman was lurking all day, and a 6-foot putt to save par from a bunker on the 15th kept his hopes going. The turning point came on the par-5 16th, playing only 515 yards with the wind, and Leishman’s tee shot left him only a 9-iron to the green that he tugged to the left.

Standing over the putt, he backed off and recalled the same putt from a practice round Tuesday. He missed it by 3 feet to the left.

“So I read it and I was over that putt and I actually remembered that I hit that putt, so I backed off, took another practice swing and adjusted my read,” he said.

It poured into the heart of the cup for an eagle and the lead.

Leishman was No. 62 in the world and only had two weeks left to secure a spot in the Masters. The victory takes care of that.

Kisner expects to be more settled for second Masters

David Westin — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 07:13:14 +0000

Kevin Kisner knows he’ll be more settled for his second Masters Tournament appearance. He hopes the wind will follow suit.

Kisner had a lot going on off the course during his debut. He was in the process of renovating his house in his hometown of Aiken and stayed with his parents during the tournament. And then there were all the ticket requests.

“I haven’t had all the people yelling at me for tickets,” he said. “Last year they were yelling the moment I got in. I think this year’s going to be way more low-key for me. And it will be fun to sleep in my own bed in my own house. I’m looking forward to all that.”

Kisner, who qualified for the Masters by virtue of winning the RSM Classic in late 2015, had the misfortune of making his debut during one of the windiest of recent Masters. The wind never let up in the first three rounds, gusting to 32 mph at one point in the third round, leading to a scoring average of 76.719 that day.

Kisner shot 77-72 to make the cut by a shot, then followed that with 76-72 to tie for 37th place.

“It’s just not that much fun to play when it’s like that just because it’s so hard and so difficult,” Kisner said. “It was as difficult as it could be. You’re just trying to get through it more than trying to make a bunch of birdies. The wind was throwing everybody off. Only 5-under par won and 2-under par was second. You don’t see that around there very often. Six-over-par is the cut so I think everybody was struggling with that.”

It wasn’t just the difficulty of pulling the right club on approach shots to the greens because of the blustery conditions that baffled the field.

“You had to be very careful on the greens with the putting,” Kisner said. “You get straight downwind, you’re just dead. You’ve got to be super careful with those. In fact, I watched Justin Thomas four-putt on No. 7 on Saturday. He had about 4 feet for par and about 50 feet for bogey. It was incredible. The wind switched right in his backstroke and it blew straight downwind and blew his ball straight off the green.”

Putting in windy conditions poses a number of problems for Kisner.

“I always find it difficult if it’s a crosswind against a break, to tell if the wind is going to affect it or not,” he said. “And I’m not the heaviest person in the world so I feel like I’m getting blown over all the time, on a skill you’re trying to be as still as possible. The ball-striking is mostly a guess, when it gets up in the 25 to 30 (mph), but for me putting is the most difficult.”

Kisner finally enjoyed himself in the final round, when he made four birdies and an eagle for 72.

“The final round was better. I bogeyed the last two for even-par so I had a chance to shoot in the 60s. It’s a lot more fun to play that way.”

Kisner said he was nervous on the first tee Thursday but had to tell himself that it was just another tournament.

“You have to prepare the same way even though I grew up right down the road and have a lot of people out there,” he said.

Nine months later, Kisner nearly joined an exclusive club on the PGA Tour in January when he flirted with shooting 59 in the third round of the Sony Open. His 9-footer for eagle on the final hole looked good all the way until it just slid by the right side of the hole.

“When I first looked up, I said dead center, that’s the first thought in my mind to tell you the truth,” he said. “Those greens get a little grainy like I’m used to at home, and the grain was going right, but I still thought it would go left. Can’t be that upset. I hit a good putt, hit a good shot and then it was fun coming down the stretch. Almost felt like you were in kind of the heat to win. That was fun.”

Thomas hopes to keep hot hand going into Masters

Scott Michaux — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 07:10:57 +0000

By January, Justin Thomas had already won three times this season, successfully defended his first title, won in back-to-back weeks, shot 59 and set a PGA Tour tournament scoring record.

His mind was already three months ahead to Augusta National.

“I’m so excited for the Masters,” Thomas said after sweeping the Hawaii swing. “I said that as soon as I finished last year, as soon as I finished the majors last year. I feel like it’s a course that’s really good for my game. It was so tough last year and I wasn’t playing well to where I didn’t have much. It’s just such a fun place to play and a cool atmosphere. I’m so ready to get back there.”

It’s not unusual for golfers to daydream about Augusta, but Thomas is particularly focused on the Masters. He’s already made several trips to Augusta National to play the course with club member Jeff Knox and get more and more comfortable with a place he intends to be a factor at for years to come.

“Just playing,” he said of his scouting trips. “You figure stuff out or find little things without even trying to. It’s not like I’m going out there with a goal or anything, but just playing and if I learn something that’s great.”

Knox – the Masters’ designated marker and the father of Thomas’ Alabama teammate, Lee Knox – is a frequently requested member companion by tour pros visiting Augusta, and Thomas has tried to glean what he can from him for two consecutive years.

“Mostly just stuff on the greens and course management,” Thomas said. “He knows it so well so it’s really just watching him plot his way around more than anything.”

Thomas got his first taste of the Masters last year, finishing tied for 39th at 10-over par with his only sub-par round a Sunday 71. He walked away understanding more than ever the value of patience in a major.

“I didn’t feel like it overwhelmed me, I just didn’t play well,” he said. “I just hit it poorly and every day I played in the toughest conditions with the tee times. I was kind of behind the eight ball to start. Every year I’m sure you’ll get more comfortable.”

Is he ready to win there now?

“I was ready to win last year,” he said.

His confidence will be justifiably higher when he returns as the longtime friend of 2015 Masters champ Jordan Spieth has stationed himself among the top 10 players in the world. His goals have grown along with his success.

“I have higher goals set for myself,” he said, without sharing any specifics. “I built my schedule this year around the majors. I feel like I’m in a better place in my game and mentally to where I can give the majors a bit of a run this year and hopefully get into contention. I guess that’s just where I’m at right now.”

After barely missing out on the 2015 Tour Championship as a rookie, Thomas stepped up last year in his sophomore season on tour. He notched his first win early in Malaysia to book his ticket to Augusta, ended up making the cut in all four majors and tied for third place four times including the Players Championship.

Yet he considered 2016 a bit of a goal-oriented letdown due to inconsistency – especially falling short of earning a spot on the Ryder Cup team despite finishing sixth at East Lake right before Davis Love III announced his final captain’s pick.

“I didn’t meet too many of (my goals) last year,” he said. “(The Ryder Cup) was the No. 1 goal I had last year, and that really, really hurt not making that team. I had a great opportunity. I should have if I just would have played like I know I could have or how I felt like I should have.”

Thomas took the momentum from the Tour Championship and ratcheted it up yet another level to start his third tour season. He repeated in Malaysia before sweeping at Kapalua and Waialae, where he opened with 59, led wire-to-wire and set a PGA Tour scoring record with a 27-under par 253. Two other top-10 finishes helped move him up to No. 7 in the world.

He secured a tight lead, blown lead and a huge lead to burnish his confidence portfolio.

“The fact I just won a lot of different ways is huge to me,” he said. “I drove it a lot better in those events that I won and was making the golf course as easy as possible with a lot of wedges in my hand. I feel like I’m really good with my wedges so they’re scoring clubs for me. I was just making golf as easy as I could.”

Thomas demands a lot from himself, and as his name hits leaderboards more and more often his goals follow suit.

“I expect to be in contention every time I play,” he said. “I’ve always expected this of myself. It just hadn’t happened yet. Now that it’s happening, I continue to have the same expectations. I just need to continue to put the work in and just be ready every time I tee it up.”

After his hot start, Thomas cooled slightly in a grueling four-week stretch before dialing back as his focus on the Masters drew closer.

“I go to a tournament to win, and if you win, it takes a lot out of you and you don’t want to be going into Augusta not feeling 100 percent,” he said of his plan not to play Bay Hill and Houston and make another scouting trip to Augusta. “Just making sure that I’m fresh and I’m ready.”

Westwood makes the best of barely qualifying for 2016 Masters with runner-up finish

Scott Michaux — Sat, 18 Mar 2017 04:48:10 +0000

Lee Westwood barely qualified for the 2016 Masters, so barely missing another opportunity to win a major was more therapeutic than stinging.

“I needed that,” Westwood said of his runner-up finish playing in the final round with champion Danny Willett. “I think when you haven’t played well for a long time, then you do start to have doubts in your mind. But it never takes long for golfers to snap out of it, really. We’re a pretty dumb breed.”

Westwood slipped into the Masters field after a harrowing wobble out and in the No. 50 spot in the world rankings at the year-end deadline. By the time he arrived in Augusta, he had fallen to 67th in the world and his confidence was on shaky ground.

“I didn’t have very high expectations going into the Masters,” he said.

But in 16 previous starts at Augusta, Westwood had good experiences to draw from, including a runner-up in 2010 and a tie for third in 2012.

“Even when I’m not playing that good I can usually get it around Augusta,” Westwood said. “So I was hoping to basically try to squeeze into the top 10 and get an invite back for next year. To actually get into contention and have a chance of winning was a real bonus.”

Sitting tied for eighth just four shot behind 54-hole leader Jordan Spieth to start Sunday, Westwood quietly moved up the leaderboard with birdies at 6, 7, 9 and 13 to offset a couple of bogeys. Then as Spieth coughed up his lead with a quadruple-bogey 7 on No. 12, Westwood chipped in for eagle on 15 to move within one of the new leader, Willett.

“I played a nice chip on 15,” he said. “Not many people hole that one under that kind of pressure.”

Westwood, who hails from Yorkshire in England along with Willett, didn’t have much time for friendly banter with his mate at that point.

“I wasn’t really talking to him,” Westwood said. “He was one of my least favorite players on the planet at that stage.”

As has often been the case, Westwood’s putter let him down on the next hole as he three-putted in conjunction with Willett’s birdie on 16 to fall three behind and effectively end his hopes. But he holed a couple of nice par saves on the last two holes to share runner-up with Spieth.

“I’ve been feeling edgy on the greens for a couple of years now,” he said. “You get under pressure in Augusta and the greens are running 16, 17 on the (Stimpmeter), you’re going to start feeling a little bit nervous, which I did. But I still made some nice putts coming in. … You come out and contend in the first major of the year, obviously I must be doing something right.”

The finish vaulted Westwood back to No. 35 in the world and got him into the U.S. Open, where he played on Sunday with eventual winner Dustin Johnson only to shoot 78 on Oakmont’s treacherous greens to fall from fourth to 32nd.

It also helped earn him a captain’s pick from Darren Clarke onto his 10th Ryder Cup team.

“Obviously it was nice to give Darren a nudge that I could still play golf under pressure against the best players in the world,” Westwood said.

Most of all, he proved it to himself. At age 42, his Masters performance was a confidence boost that extended his career on the elite stages.

“We’re only one good shot, really, from a comeback,” he said in the weeks after the Masters. “You start to feel the right things in your golf swing, and it can have an almost immediate effect. I’ll just see a couple of putts go in, and starting the ball on line, it can change in the click of a finger.

“And obviously there’s a great knock-on effect for world rankings and Ryder Cup qualification with the points won. It’s nice to secure places in the big tournaments for the rest of the year.”

Westwood ended up making the cut in all the majors last year and has played relatively consistent golf to start 2017, though he’s once again slipped to the edge of the top-50 bubble.

“I’ve been playing solid without getting full results from the way I’m playing,” he said. “I’m working on all aspects of the game – short game, mental side of it, putting. You know what golf’s like. It’s just fine tuning all the time and tinkering around with it and trying to find what works.”

Garcia hopes off-course happiness translates into major success

Scott Michaux — Sat, 18 Mar 2017 04:37:15 +0000

Sergio Garcia, 37, is no longer the carefree “El Nino” who first arrived at the Masters as an amateur in 1999 and a few months later as a teenage professional dueled with Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship.

Since announcing his engagement to former Golf Channel reporter Angela Akins in January, however, Garcia’s career seems to have found a renewed vigor.

“I think that when things are going well off the golf course it’s much easier to feel comfortable on a golf course, because there’s no worries,” Garcia said after winning his first start of the year on the European Tour at Dubai. “There’s no worries outside and you can concentrate on what you’re doing out there on the course. So it definitely helps, I’m not going to lie. I’m excited about a lot of the things that are coming, not only my way, but also Angela’s way, and our families and stuff. So you know, we’re very excited about the future coming.”

That Garcia’s future might finally bring that elusive major championship along with the happiness he’s found off the course is a question the Spaniard is eager to answer. He’s come a long way from his frustration at the 2012 Masters when he said “I don’t have the thing I need to have” to win majors.

“It’s simple,” he said in January, where he won the same event that launched Danny Willett’s Masters-winning season last year. “When I get to Augusta, U.S. Open, the British Open, PGA, I just want to do the best I can. Just like I try any other week. So that’s not going to change.

“You know, we try to play as well as we can every single week, and I’m going to keep trying and give myself more shots, more chances at majors and, you know, see what happens.”

In nearly two decades as a professional, Garcia has won 30 times around the world including nine times on the PGA Tour. His Players Championship victory in 2008 remains his most prominent triumph along with a sterling record in eight Ryder Cups.

While his motivation has seemingly fluctuated with the ebb and flow of his personal life, he says he still has the desire to compete.

“I think I’m definitely more calm than I used to be, but my enthusiasm is still very strong,” he said. “I still get very geared up to play every week and do my best every week because it’s what I love doing. I love playing golf. I try to be as strong and as focused as I can to do my best every single week.

“The hunger is still there. I still want to keep achieving things. I still want to keep becoming a better golfer when it comes down to my career. I have other goals.

“Fortunately for me, I’m still in good shape. Physically I’m still doing well. I’ve been able to avoid injuries for pretty much my whole career, so that’s always a positive. I’m excited, like I said, to keep improving, keep giving myself chances at winning tournaments, winning majors, and then just give the best that I have got in me.”

In 73 major starts, Garcia has 22 top-10 finishes including four runner-up medals and two more thirds. Augusta National has often left him frustrated, though he has shown repeatedly he has the game to contend for a green jacket.

He returns to the Masters for the 19th consecutive year with perhaps the best weapon in his arsenal – contentment. It can’t hurt his chances that 2017 might prove to be Garcia’s year.

“I think that at the end of the day, you know, it’s another step in your life, and we’re very excited about it,” he said of his engagement. “We’ll see what golf brings us with that.”

Happy Birthday Bobby Jones

John Boyette — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 05:56:10 +0000

A new exhibit about the career of Bobby Jones opens just in time for the golf great’s birthday.

“Fair Play: The Bobby Jones Story” begins today at the Atlanta History Center. Jones was born on St. Patrick’s Day in 1902 and died in 1971.

Jones is considered the greatest amateur to play the game. Between 1923 and 1930 he won 13 majors, culminating with the Grand Slam season of 1930 when he won the British Amateur, British Open, U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur.

After retiring at age 28, Jones co-founded Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament was soon born.

The Fair Play exhibit features several new artifacts, including a rare program from the inaugural Augusta National Invitation Tournament in 1934; a personal letter from Jones to two-time Masters winner Ben Hogan; and four first edition books authored by Jones.

Other highlights include rare replicas of the Grand Slam trophies and a Masters green jacket.

The exhibit focuses on the character and achievement of Jones.

“The exhibition amply illustrates how Jones transcended his sport and became an American hero at a time when the nation most needed one,” exhibit curator Dr. Catherine Lewis, a noted Jones scholar, said in a news release.

“His strength of character, athletic skill, and personal accomplishments inspire us today. One of the most compelling features of the new exhibition is a section that ponders why Bobby Jones matters.”

For more information on the Atlanta History Center, call 404.814.4000 or visit http://www.atlantahistorycenter.com.

Throwback Thursday: Palmer's wins

Connor Threlkeld — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 05:27:00 +0000

The 2017 Masters will be the first without Arnold Palmer in decades, but as Jack Nicklaus said last year, Palmer will always play a big role.

“Whether he is swinging a club or not makes no difference, because no Masters Tournament will ever start without fond memories of the impact Arnold has made there,” Nicklaus said.

Palmer quit playing in 2004 after 50 consecutive starts, and he ended his participation in the Par-3 Contest two years ago.

But Palmer’s four victories at Augusta National Golf Club will remain part of the game’s lore forever.

In his first three victories at Augusta National Golf Club, Palmer had to produce spectacular finishes or survive a three-man playoff to earn his wins.

In 1964, his last Masters win, he faced no such obstacles in becoming the tournament’s first four-time winner.

Palmer did have to share the spotlight in the first round with four other golfers, who all shot 69s to share the lead.

But that was as near as Palmer would let anyone get to him for the remainder of the tournament.

A second-round 68 put him in the lead for good, and a 69 in the third round gave him a five-shot lead going into the final round. He also had a shot at making history.

Ben Hogan’s 72-hole record of 274 (at the time) and becoming the first player to score all four rounds in the 60s (something no one has achieved) were in Palmer’s reach that Sunday.

Palmer was steady in the final round, shooting 2-under-par 70 for a six-stroke victory over Dave Marr and defending champion Jack Nicklaus.

It was the worst round of the tournament for Palmer, whose 276 total was two shots off Hogan’s record.

“This is the most singularly exciting tournament for me ever,” Palmer said after slipping on his green jacket. “For once in my life, I planned to do something and did what I wanted.”

Palmer also took the opportunity to thank his fans.

“I want to thank Mr. Roberts, Mr. Jones and members of the gallery, especially,” Palmer said after the round. “They’re my friends.”

Although neither Palmer nor his adoring public could have predicted it, the 1964 Masters would be his last victory in a major championship. He finished no worse than fourth the next three Masters, but after 1967 Palmer never seriously challenged again at Augusta National.

“I don’t really know why it was the last,” Palmer said of 1964. “I hope it wasn’t the satisfaction of winning the Masters.”

Berger has been a quick study at Augusta National

David Westin — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 06:25:06 +0000

Daniel Berger didn’t walk away from his first Masters Tournament empty-handed. His 1-under-par 71 in the second round last year tied for the low score of the day and earned him a crystal vase from Augusta National Golf Club.

Now he wants more.

“I’d like a green jacket that fits,” said Berger, who is 6-foot-1.

The way Berger played Augusta National Golf Club in his first visit showed he has the game to contend or win.

He tied for 10th place after rounds of 73-71-74-71-289.

“I played really good; I stuck to my process,” he said.

“I wasn’t surprised,” he said of his finish. “I hadn’t won yet, but I was in the top 40 in the world.”

Berger, 24, has since earned his first PGA Tour victory. It came in the St. Jude Classic in June, where he held off Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker and Brooks Koepka to beat that trio by three shots.

It came in his 50th start on the PGA Tour, but he almost broke through in his 12th start. He lost the 2015 Honda Classic to Padraig Harrington in a playoff.

That loss, Berger says now, “showed me that I just needed to be a little bit more patient. Like I don’t know if I was ready to win The Honda Classic my rookie year. Don’t get me wrong; it would have been awesome. But I think for my golf standpoint, to mature and become a better golfer, that experience was better off for me.

“But I kept telling myself, that’s not going to be the only chance that I have, and you have some off weeks and you don’t play that good and you’re like, maybe that was the one time. But I just kind of stuck to my process and did everything that my coach, Jeff Leishman, and I have been working on and I kept getting better and better. I’m one hundred times better this year than I was two years ago. So that’s exciting.”

That playoff appearance in the 2015 Honda Classic, plus another runner-up finish and four other top-10s, helped Berger earn Rookie of the Year honors.

The fact he earned that award without a victory came up during a lightning delay in the final round of the St. Jude Classic, when Mickelson needled him about it in the players’ dining area.

Berger went out and finished off a 3-under-par 67 to win with ease.

“To do that with so many great players, Hall of Famers behind me, it’s something that I’ll never forget and I just love the way I hung in there and was able to get it done,” Berger said.

After the third round of the St. Jude Classic, Berger mentioned that he called Mickelson “Philip” instead of his preferred Phil.

“I like to call Phil Philip. He says only his wife calls him that, I can’t call him that until I win on the PGA Tour. But I still call him that anyway. I don’t care. It is what it is,” Berger said at the time.

After Berger won the St. Jude Classic, he said Mickelson told him he “earned” the right to call him Philip.

“It’s nice,” Berger said. “Phil has been one of those guys that’s been around for so many years and it’s hard not to be a fan of his when you’re growing up because he’s always happy, always smiling and I can learn a little bit from that, too.”

Asked in March why he started calling him Philip, Berger said it was “because I like to give him crap.”

Berger, who played his college golf at Florida State, has never been one to back down.

“I think you’re either born to be a competitor or you’re not and I think I was born to be a competitor no matter what sport, no matter what I’m doing with my brothers, with my friends,” he said. “I just want to win in whatever I do and I feel like that’s just the way.”

Reed’s Ryder Cup heroics could pay off in a major way

David Westin — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 06:21:24 +0000

Patrick Reed’s superb Ryder Cup record in his two appearances might serve him well when he gets into a battle for a major championship such as the Masters Tournament.

One major champion, Zach Johnson, credited his own Ryder Cup experience in 2006 with helping him win the 2007 Masters. He later won the 2015 British Open after three more Ryder Cup appearances.

Reed is 6-1-2 in the past two Ryder Cups, including team-best scores in both his 2014 debut (3-0-1) and 2016 (3-1-1), the latter coming as the U.S. beat Europe 17-11 at Hazeltine National Golf Club to end a three-match losing streak.

Asked about Johnson’s statement, Reed said “I wouldn’t know because I haven’t won a major yet. But I haven’t felt more pressure ever in golf than during Ryder Cups. I definitely see how that could help. If you could perform well in Ryder Cup you should be able to perform well in majors.”

Reed has made quite an impression in his two Ryder Cup singles matches. In 2014. he shushed the Scottish crowd after a birdie en route to victory over Henrik Stenson. Then, last year, he outdueled Europe’s top player, Rory McIlroy, in an epic battle.

Reed is still seeking his first top-10 finish in a major. In 12 starts, his best finish is a tie for 12th in the 2016 British Open. In the Masters, he missed the cut in his debut in 2014, tied for 22nd in 2015 and tied for 49th last year.

“I just need to get out of my way in majors,” Reed said. “I keep on tinkering too much and changing equipment rather than sticking with the stuff I win golf tournaments with and playing from there.”

Reed, a former Augusta State All-American, burst on the national golf scene when he won the WGC-Cadillac Championship and declared on national television that he considered himself a top-five player in the world. After the victory, he was 20th.

Since then, Reed has won three more times for five career titles. The closest he’s come to reaching the top five in the ranking is seventh last October. A so-so start this season has seen him drop out of the top-10 heading into the Masters.

“The past couple of months, I’ve been going in the wrong direction,” Reed said. “It doesn’t help playing as much as I do. But I don’t live by the world ranking. I live by competing in golf tournaments and trying to win golf tournaments. At the end of the day, if I compete and win golf tournaments, all that will take care of itself. Honestly. if I wanted to play for the world ranking, I’d play 44 or 46 events in two years, not 70 or 72 that I normally play.”

Reed is a member of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour.

“I like playing overseas,” he said. “I’m going to play on both tours. I’m enjoying doing that.”

He can still have fun with his “top five” comment, which continues to follow him around. At last year’s PGA Championship, a reporter mentioned that some people thought Reed was cocky and mistakenly said Reed said he felt he was a top-three player at the WGC-Championship victory.

“I appreciate you saying top three because I said top five,” Reed said, “and I appreciate you calling me cocky as well. You have to believe in yourself. If there was not a mic around and you asked every single guy where they want to be, they’re going to say No. 1 in the world. And if they don’t, those guys don’t have a chance to win golf tournaments because they don’t believe in themselves.”

Honorary invitees welcome at Masters, but not to play

John Boyette — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 20:28:37 +0000

Already the smallest field among majors, the Masters is shrinking the field for the Par-3 Contest.
Augusta National has sent letters to its honorary invitees to inform them that the Par-3 Contest, held on the Wednesday before the opening round, will be limited to players in the field and past Masters champions.
"It's sad," former British Open champion David Duval said. "But I understand it. Maybe there's not enough spots in the Par 3."
U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship winners are exempt to the Masters for five years. After that, they become "honorary invitees," along with all past U.S. Amateur champions. For years, that allowed them to be treated like anyone else in the field up until the opening round Thursday.
Now, however, the club is asking that they no longer play practice rounds or use the practice facility.
Augusta National said in an email that honorary invitees still have special access to the Masters, but that the Par-3 Contest will be limited because of increased participation and interest. ESPN has televised the Par-3 Contest since 2008.
"As a person and an honorary invitee, I'm disappointed because it was my favorite day of the year," former British Open champion Ian Baker-Finch said. "I loved it. I'll still be there, though, and I'll watch like everyone else."
Baker-Finch played his final Masters in 1996 and has been coming to Augusta National every year since then, either playing in the Par-3 or even playing nine holes of a practice round with Australian players who asked him to join and share tips.
Two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange rarely brings his clubs when he comes to the Masters, and he didn't mind the change in policy.
"We had our time, and now it's their time," Strange said. "I think it's extremely nice that we're invited to come back with your spouse. It's been nice for these guys who want to hit balls and play practice rounds. But times change. I think with time constraints, they want to make it for players in the field. My sense is that the Par-3 was getting a little bit crowded and taking a little bit too long, and they wanted to streamline it. I think that's fine."
The Masters pays homage to major champions more than any of the other majors by giving them special access, which includes two clubhouse badges, a $1,000 honorarium and a gift to commemorate them being there.
The Par-3 course at Augusta National was built in 1958, and Sam Snead won the first Par-3 Contest in 1960. It has been a Wednesday tradition since then, with players often suiting up their children, wives or friends in white coveralls to serve as caddies.
Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and the late Arnold Palmer up until a few years ago used to play together. Last year, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler made a hole-in-one on consecutive shots. Some players have not competed out of superstition — no one has ever won the Par 3 and the Masters in the same year.
The Masters had 89 players in the field a year ago, and it has not exceeded 100 players since 1966.
It was not unusual to see past major champions or U.S. Amateur champions on the range or on the golf course during practice days. A few years ago, two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw was playing a practice round with Jerry Pate, a former U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open champion. Crenshaw was putting to various parts of the 16th green to get ready for the tournament. Pate also was hitting several putts, even though he last played the Masters in 1982.
Duval had four good chances to win the Masters from 1998 through 2001, with runner-up finishes to Mark O'Meara in 1998 and to Tiger Woods in 2001. He now spends most of his time as an analyst for Golf Channel.
Duval said he would have considered playing the Par-3 as an honorary invitee in the future, but not a practice round.
"I would never clog up the golf course when guys are trying to prepare," he said. "That's the problem I would have had."
Rich Beem, the former PGA champion who now works for Sky Sports, said he liked to play the course during a quiet time on Monday to give him a better sense of how it was playing for his TV work. He said he has asked the club if he can at least walk with a group without playing.
The most noticeable difference, however, will be the Par-3.
"I guess it could be easily expanded if they started it earlier," Duval said. "But you have to protect it. You have to protect the competitors."

Hadwin wins to earn Masters invite

John Boyette — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 01:30:52 +0000

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Adam Hadwin had no problem saying the words “Masters Tournament” on Sunday after hanging on to win the Valspar Championship.

Hadwin, who beat Patrick Cantlay by a shot following even-par 71, used a euphemism for the Masters on the eve of the final round when he held a four-shot lead over Cantlay. He simply called it the “greenest place on the earth.”

Hadwin, who played his college golf at Louisville, is now headed to Augusta National Golf Club, qualifying as a PGA Tour winner after finishing at 14-under 270 at Innisbrook’s Copperhead course.

It will be his first Masters appearance. Cantlay played once at Augusta National, as an amateur, in 2012.

“This is pretty incredible,” Hadwin said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun in three weeks. I think it will really hit me on my first drive down Magnolia Lane.”

The Masters appearance will serve as a wedding present of sorts. His wedding date is March 24 and he’ll spend what was scheduled to be his honeymoon at Augusta National instead of French Polynesia the week before the Masters preparing for the Masters.

“I hope I can get my deposit back (from the Four Seasons hotel),” he said of the altered honeymoon plans. “I understand I won a nice check this week ($1.1 million), but I don’t like to throw money away.”

As for the Masters, he plans to ask fellow Canadian Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champ, “how did you get it done?”

Cantlay, who has played just three PGA Tour events in the past three years because of a stress fracture in his back, closed with 68. He was tied with Hadwin going to the final hole, but hit his approach in a greenside bunker and couldn’t make a 15-footer for par. Hadwin hit a “bladed wedge” from the fringe to within 2 feet and made it for par.

“I was sure he was going to make that putt,” Hadwin said of Cantlay.

Cantlay birdied five of six holes during the middle of the round to keep the pressure on Hadwin.

“He just kept coming,” Hadwin said.

“I caught him and gave it to him at the end,” said Cantlay, who also would have qualified for the Masters with the victory. “My game’s good. I’m excited to play tournament golf and I’ll try to win the next one.”

Hadwin was cruising along with a two-shot lead over Cantlay through 15 holes when he hit his tee shot into the water on No. 16 and made double bogey.

Cantlay had a par, setting up the dramatics on the final hole.

Hadwin also held the 54-hole lead earlier this season in the CareerBuilder Championship after a third-round 59, but finished second to Hudson Swafford. This time, he got it done.

“I’ve worked my butt off to get here,” Hadwin said. “I’ve slowly improved each and every year. I’ve won at every tour level that I’ve been on and now I can myself a PGA Tour winner.”

Michaux: Whether he plays or not, the Tiger Woods we want isn’t coming to Augusta

Connor Threlkeld — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 05:56:39 +0000

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Hope and optimism are fragile things. As fragile these days as Tiger Woods’ body.

Woods pulled out of next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational because of lingering issues with his surgically repaired back that forced him to withdraw from Dubai in early February and two subsequent scheduled starts since.

His status for the Masters Tournament is once again in jeopardy, with the odds of him missing it for the third time in four years at lot higher than him being any kind of relevant factor if he does choose to play.

“Presently, I have no timetable for my return to golf, but my treatments are continuing and going well,” the 41-year-old Woods said in a statement.

Whatever hope and optimism that his promising return to golf in the Bahamas last December fostered has been buried in a heap of doubt and pessimism. It’s hard to argue with the “Tiger is done” crowd when he hasn’t made a cut since August 2015.

“He’s working hard at it, but I don’t think he’s doing that well physically,” Steve Stricker, one of Woods’ good friends on tour, said two days before Woods announced his plans to miss Bay Hill.

Like the rest of us, Stricker watched Woods shuffling around Torrey Pines and Dubai like an old man and wondered what happened to the lean and limber version that led the field in birdies less than to months earlier at the Hero World Challenge.

“Just the way he was walking didn’t look quite right,” Stricker said. “Walking very gingerly. Slow and methodical. It didn’t really look physically like he was ready to play. You have that and then that goes into your game and it affects you mentally, too.”

When Woods came back in the Bahamas, he seemed to be believe that “Phase II,” as he called it, would bring him back to a level of competitiveness he is comfortable with.

“I care about what I do out there,” he said.

It is that caring that makes it easy to think that retirement is imminent for arguably the greatest competitor golf has ever seen. It’s not a question of whether or not Woods can catch Jack Nicklaus’ major record or Sam Snead’s tour win total. It’s a question of whether or not he can handle being something he’s never been – a regular golfer.

Pat Perez caught undo flak for speaking his mind about his friend and golfing hero a few weeks ago, but what Perez said wasn’t wrong.

“He’s not going to come out and play, and play poorly,” Perez said among other things that fired up Tiger’s defensive fan base. “He’s not going to do it for a long time.”

As much as we’d all love to see Woods show up to play in the Masters, what exactly are we expecting if he does?

We’ve long been conditioned to believe that Woods can’t be counted out of anything – especially at Augusta where he’s won four times and had nine additional top-10 finishes in 20 career starts.

But we can’t expect that that Woods is going to suddenly materialize on the first tee in four weeks and dazzle us like he did 20 years ago. That Tiger Woods is gone. This version couldn’t even sit for a press conference last month.

Do we really want to see a 41-year-old Woods play the Masters the way a 70-year-old Arnold Palmer used to? Tiger isn’t Arnie and doesn’t want to be seen as just some ceremonial golfer. His pride won’t allow that.

“If he gets to Augusta and he’s limping away and it’s just not going to plan and playing golf is hard work, who knows what might happen then?” said Nick Faldo, who played his last Masters a decade after his final win when he was still only 48. “There might be another press conference there of a different kind.

“This is a really important time in Tiger’s life. If he wants to stay a golfer he’s got to commit and he’s got to be rewarded. Otherwise, why would he want to put himself through this? He was oh-so dominant and he doesn’t want to just be a golfer, I don’t believe.”

I believe Faldo is right. I believe that as much as Tiger’s heart wants to lace up his spikes and play the Masters, his body and his mind are telling him not to.

Not this year, at least. In December I wrote “Tiger’s re-entry would have to be classified as more encouraging than discouraging.”

Nothing since has supported that hope and optimism. As much as we want to see Tiger Woods playing the Masters again, that Tiger Woods isn’t coming whether he decides to play or not.

Remembering those who died since 2016 Masters

Connor Threlkeld — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 02:18:07 +0000

Col. David Leonard Davis, who served as tournament director at the Masters after a distinguished military career, died Aug. 3. He was 94.

A native of Sharon, Pa., Davis received his commission into the Army after attending Infantry Officers Candidate School. In World War II, he served as an airborne infantryman and master parachutist and saw duty with the 101st Airborne, 13th Airborne and 82nd Airborne divisions. After the war, his assignments included stints at Okinawa, Newfoundland, Germany and Korea.

His assignments in the U.S. included responsibility for operational readiness of all airborne units in the Army. He is also credited with helping develop the HALO parachute.

His first assignment at Fort Gordon was as Battalion Commander, 3rd Battalion, 1st Training Brigade. His final military assignment was as Director of Instructions and Commandment of the U.S. Army Civil Affairs School at Fort Gordon, where he was responsible for the training of officers to be commanders and staff officers.

Davis, according to the Masters Journal, was recruited by Clifford Roberts prior to the 1971 Masters. As tournament director, Davis oversaw the various committees chaired by Augusta National members and ran the gamut from scoring control to gallery guards to public safety.

He retired from the position in 1990.

Edwin Pope, an award-winning sports columnist who covered the Masters 63 times from 1949-2011, died Jan. 19. He was 88.

Pope covered the first 47 Super Bowls and spent more than 50 years with the Miami Herald. He had battled cancer and died in Okeechobee, Fla., where he lived in retirement, Herald managing editor Rick Hirsch said.

Pope went into the newspaper business at age 11, was a sports editor at 15 and joined the Herald in 1956. He covered the Miami Dolphins from their first season and recommended Don Shula for the head coaching job in 1970, a suggestion that transformed the franchise.

In 1989, Pope became the youngest winner of the Red Smith Award, given for lifetime achievement in sports journalism. He was a member of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame and the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.

Pope covered major tournaments in golf and tennis, the Olympics, Triple Crown races, baseball, basketball, boxing and fishing. But his favorite sport was football, and he wrote most often about the Dolphins or Miami Hurricanes.

After Shula joined the Dolphins, he credited Pope with being instrumental in the hire. When team owner Joe Robbie told Pope and another writer he was looking for a new coach, they suggested Shula, then coach of the Baltimore Colts. Shula subsequently led Miami to consecutive Super Bowl titles and holds the NFL record for coaching victories.

Pope’s journalism career began when he was in grade school in Athens, Ga. He listened to a radio broadcast of the 1940 Orange Bowl, typed a story about the game and took it to the Athens Banner-Herald. An impressed editor gave Pope a job covering high school sports and Pope said his first salary was two 11-cent movie tickets a week.

At 15, Pope became the paper’s sports editor and covered the University of Georgia. He was called the youngest sports editor in the nation and appeared in breakfast cereal commercials in newspapers from coast to coast.

Pope graduated in 1948 from the University of Georgia, where he also worked as sports information director. He worked for United Press and the Atlanta Constitution before becoming executive sports editor of the Atlanta Journal in 1954.

Pope once said the press facilities at Augusta National weren’t as spacious back when he first began covering the Masters.

“The press tent was literally a press tent, located over by the first fairway,” he said. “It had planks on the floor and 12 or 13 typewriters. Each one had a big barrel of whiskey beside it, in various stages of emptiness. Mostly empty.”

Caddie Dave Musgrove, who was on the bag when Sandy Lyle won the 1988 Masters, died Feb. 13. He was 74.

Musgrove was a veteran caddie with nearly 50 years of experience on the European Tour. He also looped for Lyle during his 1985 British Open triumph, and helped two other players win major championships: Seve Ballesteros at the 1979 British Open and Lee Janzen at the 1998 U.S. Open.

A native of England, Musgrove began caddying at the age of 12. According to Golfweek, Musgrove lived the caddie’s creed of “Show up, keep up and shut up.” That enabled him to be successful with some of the game’s top players.

“We wrote history together,” Lyle wrote on Twitter. “We’ll miss your humour and stories.”

Michaux: Local golfers on Masters bubble

Connor Threlkeld — Sat, 11 Mar 2017 06:50:47 +0000

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — It’s the season of bubbles, and nobody knows that better than golfer Charles Howell.

“I seem to find myself on these bubbles this time of year,” said Howell of all the various thresholds he’s chasing to earn a return to his hometown Masters Tournament.

The “big dance” for Howell is always a return date at Augusta National, where he has only qualified to play once since 2008. To get there in the next month, he needs to either win a tournament or climb into the top 50 a week before the Masters.

“I’ve done more research in the world ranking system as of late to figure out how that system works,” Howell said. “It kind of feels like trying to understand healthcare laws a little bit. I know I need to play well and play well often if I want to get to Augusta.”

His case could only be strengthened by qualifying to play in the two high-value World Golf Championship events clustered so close before Augusta on the schedule.

The only thing that could have kept Howell out of last week’s WGC event in Mexico was both Rickie Fowler and Gary Woodland finishing top-five at the Honda Classic, bumping him outside the top 10 from his No. 9 perch in the FedEx Cup standings. Fowler and Woodland, naturally, finished 1-2 to burst that bubble and drop Howell to 11.

“It would have been really nice to get into Mexico and it was kind of a bummer to miss out on that,” Howell said. “It was kind of a shock that could only happen in the game of golf. You look at all the guys up there and a tough golf course and a bunch of wind … such is life.”

His next bubble approaches. Howell is currently ranked No. 65 in the world, and the top 64 after Sunday earn a spot in the WGC Match Play in two weeks. Fortunately for Howell, several high profile withdrawals should help his cause.

“I probably should get into that and that would be a nice boost to help me get to Augusta because you’ve got to play those bigger events for the world ranking points,” he said. “That’s what’s on mind right now to try to figure out a way to get there.”

Howell has been on a relative tear since slipping outside the top 100 in the world last October. Starting at the PGA Tour stop in Las Vegas in November, Howell posted top-15 finishes in seven consecutive tour events through Riviera, including a runner-up at Torrey Pines.

“I feel like I’m in a better place,” Howell said after posting an opening-round 67 to once again place himself in the hunt at the Valspar Championship. “I’m actually more excited about my game now than I have been at this time in years past. Unfortunately I dug myself a hole to start this (season) to get out of.”

Now 37 years old and ranked No. 21 on the all-time money list with $32.3 million in career earnings despite only two PGA Tour victories, Howell has reached a comfortable rhythm with his career. His two children are old enough to be in school, so he travels less often with family. That allows him to concentrate more exclusively on his game when he’s on the road.

“Oddly enough with my kids being in school and not traveling full-time any more, I’ve played less and when I’ve been out here I need to do my best to make it worthwhile,” he said. “It’s nothing I’ve done differently.”

Sitting at 4-under with two rounds remaining at the Copperhead Course, Howell will not take a week off until the final Masters bubble has come and gone at the end of the Houston event.

Howell is not the only local vying for a Masters berth. Augusta resident Wesley Bryan, a former South Carolina golfer, has ascended to 78th in the world after consecutive fourth-place finishes at Riviera and PGA National.

Bryan, a PGA Tour rookie, is right in the mix again at the Valspar Championship after consecutive 68s at Innisbrook.

“It’s always good being in contention headed to the weekend,” Bryan said. “I have to keep my head down and keep doing what I have been doing to get me to this point. As far as the Masters goes, good play takes care of everything. If I play well the next few weeks, I’ll be there. And if I don’t, then I’ll be there next year.”

A solo third-place finish this week could move Howell as high as No. 51 in the rankings and Bryan as high as 56th, while a runner-up would be enough to jump both into the top 50. A top 10 might be enough to get Howell in the top 60 as he chips away at his goal.

“I’ve still got three or four events to try to work my way into the Masters,” he said.

2011 Masters champ Schwartzel's Valspar title defense in jeopardy

Connor Threlkeld — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 01:35:19 +0000

2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel is the defending champion at this week's Valspar Championship.

But he faces an unusual challenge this week. For the first time in 28 years of golf, he was struck by a golf ball in Wednesday's pro-am and is dealing with an injured wrist.

Here is a look back at the 2011 Masters winner:

Few changes have been made to golf course in last decade

John Boyette — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 03:43:00 +0000

After sweeping changes to Augusta National in 2002 and further revisions in 2006, it's been more than a decade since Masters Tournament officials made any serious changes to the golf course.

The club has focused on improving the practice facility for tournament players and increasing its footprint around the club with the acquisition of several properties on Washington Road, not to mention the shifting of Berckmans Road.

However, at last year's Masters, a lot of discussion was had about changing the par-5 13th hole.

Augusta National and Masters Tournament Chairman Billy Payne said at his annual news conference that the iconic par-5 hole, the site of so many dramatic moments in Masters history, is one of several holes that are being studied.

“We create plans looking into the future, when we believe that the shot value of certain second shots, principally, has been impacted by how far the ball is now traveling,” Payne said at the time. “As a consequence, 13 is one of those holes we are studying. We have made no decision whatsoever.”

The 13th was designed by course architects Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie to be a risk-reward hole that afforded those who wanted to gamble on the dogleg par-5 hole a chance for eagle or an easy birdie if the player reached the green in two.

“Whatever position may be reached with the tee shot, the second shot as well entails a momentous decision whether or not to try for the green,” Jones wrote in Sports Illustrated in 1959. “Several tournaments have been won or lost here, even though the decision may not have been obvious at the time.”

The 13th began as a 480-yard hole when the Masters was first played in 1934 and fluctuated between 470 and 485 yards through the 2001 Masters.

In 2001, Augusta National bought land from neighboring Augusta Country Club and pushed the tee back 25 yards at the 13th. That was part of the club’s first major expansion project that saw changes to nine holes and added 285 yards to the course’s length.

The hole known as Azalea now plays 510 yards, but players routinely hit mid-irons into the green for their second shot. Bubba Watson hit over the trees and was left with a 140-yard shot to the green in the final round in 2014.

Payne was asked whether the Masters would implement restrictions on golf balls and equipment for the tournament, but he said that was “not something we would want to do.”

“And as it relates specifically to 13, which seems to be the subject du jour, we think there are multiple options where we could increase the difficulty of the hole and restore the shot values, only one of which deals with extending the length,” he said.

Six-time Masters winner Jack Nicklaus said last year that there were several options the club could pursue to change No 13. It could buy land from Augusta Country Club again, make it a par-4, move the green back 30 yards or reroute the tributary of Rae’s Creek and put more trees in.

“I’m sure that from a traditionalist standpoint, the best way is probably to lengthen the hole, and then you don’t change anything else,” Nicklaus said. “They have done that once, bought some land from Augusta Country Club and did that.”

Nicklaus said the real issue is dialing back the distance on the ball:

“The golf ball goes so far, Augusta National is about the only place, the only golf course in the world, that financially can afford to make the changes that they have to make to keep up with the golf ball. I don’t think anybody else could ever do it.”

No course changes have been announced for the 2017 Masters, but stay tuned during tournament week.

Celebrating Clifford Roberts' birthday

John Boyette — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 04:37:39 +0000

Happy birthday, Clifford Roberts.

The man who co-founded Augusta National and the Masters alongside Bobby Jones was born in 1894 in Morning Sun, Iowa.

He would go on to serve as Masters chairman from the tournament’s inception in 1934 until 1976, and he is credited with many of the innovations that set the event apart from all the rest.

Although Roberts was known for his gruff exterior, those close to him knew he had a soft side as well. And he had a sense of humor, as evidenced by the movies made by the club that would feature Roberts appearing to walk on water or wreaking havoc in a gorilla suit.

While helping the Masters become one of the most envied sporting events in the world, Roberts also found time to help Dwight D. Eisenhower become president of the United States. He was close friends with the former president and military hero, and he helped convince him to join Augusta National after World War II.

Roberts, who died in 1977, would no doubt marvel at the Masters and its spot in the sports world today. But there’s no question he also would try to make it better, striving for perfection along the way.

Johnson validates rise to No. 1 with WGC victory

John Boyette — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 04:30:02 +0000

MEXICO CITY — The only elevation that mattered at the Mexico Championship is how much higher Dustin Johnson can go.

In his first start since a five-shot victory at Riviera that made him No. 1 in the world, Johnson captured his fourth World Golf Championships title Sunday by blowing by some of golf’s biggest names and then delivering his best shot at the end to secure a one-shot victory over Tommy Fleetwood of England.

He won for the fifth time in his last 15 starts on the PGA Tour, including a major and two World Golf Championships.

And at nearly 7,800 feet above sea level at Chapultepec Golf Club, Johnson kept soaring.

He closed with a 3-under-par 68, and finished this one off with one of the most difficult shots in golf.

Clinging to a one-shot lead, his feet on the edge of the bunker and ball below his feet, Johnson hit a three-quarter shot from 127 yards with his 54-degree wedge to the middle of the 18th green for a two-putt par.

He called it a “dink.” He also could have called it clutch.

“Probably the best shot I hit all week, especially under the circumstances, was that second shot on 18,” he said. “A fantastic shot.”

It wrapped up a spectacular week in Mexico City, which hosted this World Golf Championship after it had been at Trump Doral the last seven years. Johnson walked through the roped corridors with his arms extended to slap hands and bump fists with an energetic crowd, especially kids who called out, “Dee-Jay!”

Johnson finished at 14-under 270.

Justin Thomas had a one-shot lead over Johnson, with Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson another shot behind. It was an All-Star cast that Johnson turned into a one-man show with a 31 on the front nine to build a four-shot lead.

And just like that, it was gone.

“Around here, anything can happen,” Johnson said.

Thomas fell back with a double bogey in the water on the par-3 seventh. Neither McIlroy nor Mickelson got anything going. The challenge came from Jon Rahm, the dynamic rookie from Spain, who made an eagle and two birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine. That’s right when Johnson had his only real struggles, three-putting from 25 feet for bogey on No. 12 and taking bogey from a bunker on No. 13.

And then he was one shot behind, but only as long as it took him to get up-and-down from a bunker on the par-5 15th for birdie to tie for the lead. Johnson was flawless with pars. Rahm, who had gone 59 holes without a three-putt, took two straight for bogeys that took him out of the game.

“Sometimes you’re going to make some bogeys from those greens and unfortunately for me, it happened at the end,” Rahm said.

Johnson became the fifth player to win in his first tournament as No. 1 in the world. His fourth World Golf Championship title is second on the career list behind Tiger Woods, who won 18 times since the series began in 1999.

It was quite the consolation prize for the 26-year-old Fleetwood.

His 40-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 66 put him alone in second and secured a spot in the Masters for the first time. He moves to No. 35 in the world and is certain to stay in the top 50 over the next three weeks before the cutoff to get an invitation to Augusta National.

Rahm’s two late bogeys gave him a 68 and a tie for third with Ross Fisher, who closed with three straight birdies for 65. That assures Fisher a place in the next WGC event in three week at the Dell Match Play.

The great theater among the stars in Mexico City never really materialized.

Thomas bounced back from a 38 on the front nine and was still in range until closing with three pars for a 72 to tie for fifth with Thomas Pieters. McIlroy and Mickelson each shot 71 and tied for seventh. McIlroy had a two-shot lead going into the weekend and shot 70-71.

“These two rounds were the sort of rounds I would have expected the first two days, not the last two,” said McIlroy, playing for the first time in seven weeks while recovering from a rib injury.

Johnson was steady right to the end to capture his 14th career victory on the PGA Tour, and his second straight.

The greens of Chapultepec gave him fits all week. Johnson missed eight putts from inside 5 feet. In the opening round, he missed six putts from the 6-foot range or closer. His power and his clean striking allowed him to overcome that.

The most recent player to win in his debut at No. 1 was Adam Scott at the Colonial in 2014.

“It’s a tough spot to be in,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of pressure on you. I came out and played really well.”

Johnson now takes the next two weeks off before playing the Dell Match Play and the Shell Houston Open ahead of the Masters, where Las Vegas already has installed him as the favorite.

Masters has international flavor

Connor Threlkeld — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 21:10:44 +0000

Golfers who were born outside of the United States are now the norm, not the exception, at the Masters Tournament.

In 2016, 49 of the 89 golfers who started were international players. The foreign-born players have outnumbered the Americans since 2007.

Changes in qualifications -- the top 50 in the World Golf Ranking earn invitations -- have brought more of an international flair. Last year was a prime example of the international power: nine of the 14 players who finished at the top, led by winner Danny Willett of England, were from foreign countries.

In 1961, though, 73 of the 88 starters were Americans. And Arnold Palmer, the defending champion at Augusta National Golf Club, was their leader.

Gary Player, of South Africa, was the leading money winner on the professional tour through the first three months of the season, but Palmer was getting all the attention heading into the year’s first major.

Palmer picked up where he left off the year before by shooting 68 to share the opening-round lead with Bob Rosburg. A 69 in the second round kept Palmer at the top, but he had to share it with Player.

Player took control with 69 in the third round to open a four-shot lead over Palmer, but he had to wait an extra day as heavy rain washed out Sunday’s play.

Finishing Monday, Palmer made a charge and seized the lead on the back nine after Player found trouble on the par-5s. The South African made a double bogey at the 13th and a bogey at the 15th to surrender his lead.

Palmer came to the 18th hole with a one-shot edge, but he played a little too nonchalantly and pushed his approach into the greenside bunker. He bladed his third shot across the green, then chipped back long.

Facing a 15-footer to save bogey and force a playoff, Palmer missed.

“It was certainly a disappointment. I made a very bad mistake in the process of playing the 18th hole,” Palmer said. “It was something I was taught not to do. I knew better, but my mind was kind of reeling and I made a mistake.”

Player became the first foreign player to wear the green coat.

“It was a very important thing because it gave encouragement for many to follow suit,” Player said. “There’s an international player who can do it. It was really not the desire then to play around the world.”

Demaret's three wins recalled

Connor Threlkeld — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 02:35:40 +0000

Most folks don’t know much about Jimmy Demaret.

The colorful Texan was the first three-time Masters champion, and he dominated in an era that included Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead.

Demaret won in 1940, 1947 and 1950, and his 1947 win was notable for being the first time in Masters history a golfer played all four rounds under par.

Randy Russell's account in The Chronicle summed up Demaret's 1950 win: "Demaret, whose colorful garb made him look like an Easter egg rolling along the greensward, backed into the victory that made him the first man in history to win the Masters three times."

He was better known for the pastel colors of his clothes, but he won 44 times in his career and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1983.

Warm weather could affect Augusta's famous foliage

Connor Threlkeld — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 03:16:18 +0000

Will the flowers still be in bloom for Masters Week?

That’s the question that has been asked around Augusta the last couple of weeks because of unusually warm winter weather. The early spring has caused an explosion of color throughout the city.

“It’s been a huge topic of conversation with everything we’re doing,” Richmond County Extension Agent Campbell Vaughn told The Augusta Chronicle earlier this week.

Azaleas and dogwoods are already in bloom, and those are prevalent at Augusta National and provide much of the natural beauty found at the course. Pollen is everywhere, too.

While Augusta National and the Masters folks would prefer to have their plants in bloom the first full week in April, there are a few things they can’t control.

And, no, don’t expect them to pack the whole course in ice to keep the buds from blooming.

A professional horticulturist once shot down that theory. He said to think about the logistics involved. Augusta National is 365 acres big and filled with thousands of flowers and plants. The 13th hole alone contains more than a thousand azaleas. It would take a small army to perform this task.

And ice melts, which would make it tough to keep the ice on the plants in heat.

Typically, Augusta experiences a frost or even a freeze before Easter. That holiday falls on April 16 this year, a full week after the Masters.

Golf unveils a modern set of rules to make it easier to play

Associated Press — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 22:39:41 +0000

MEXICO CITY — Golf's two governing bodies released a draft of modern rules on Wednesday aimed at bringing common sense to what can be a complicated sport.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club and the U.S. Golf Association spent more than five years trying to simplify the Rules of Golf without stripping the centuries-old game of its traditions and fundamentals of fair play. The result figures to be the most comprehensive overhaul since the first set of rules was published in 1744.

But in this case, the Rules of Golf actually shrunk.

The proposal, which now faces six months of public feedback, reduces the number of rules from 34 to 24.

In many cases, penalties have been rescinded. Players no longer will be assessed a one-shot penalty if their golf ball accidentally moves, if their club touches the ground while in a hazard or even if a putt strikes a flagstick that is not being tended.

Remember when Jeff Maggert's shot from a fairway bunker caromed off the lip and hit him in the chest? That cost him a two-shot penalty in the 2003 Masters. Under the proposed rules, it wouldn't be a penalty.

"The primary objective was, 'How do we make the rules easier to understand and easier to apply around the world,'" said Thomas Pagel, the USGA's senior director of rules and amateur status. "I think what you'll see is that part of this process is to evaluate all the outcomes and identify outcomes that are more reasonable and common-sense based."

Rory McIlroy has been informed of the changes and liked what he heard.

"I think golf's emphasis on the rules can sometimes turn people away from it," McIlroy said. "To modernize and make it simple is a good thing. With what's happened in the last couple of years, with some rulings and high-profile things that have happened at crucial stages in tournaments, people who look at that and might want to get into the game say: 'You know what? It's too complicated.'

"Making them more modern to move with the times is good."

Depending on the six-month public comment period, the proposal would be finalized in 2018 and become effective in 2019.

One of the proposed rules would penalize caddies who stand behind their players until right before the shot, to help them with alignment. That is most prominent on the LPGA Tour. If the modern rules are adopted, caddies would have to move as soon as their players take their stances.

"This is one we stepped back and said, 'Aligning yourself is just fundamental to playing the game,'" Pagel said. "It's not that caddies can no longer help the player. But when a player goes to set up to the ball, that challenge is the player's."

Another significant proposal, which got McIlroy's attention, was how to drop. The goal was to get the ball back in play quickly. Modern rules would more easily identify where to drop, and players would only have to hold the ball above the ground without it touching anything. The recommendation is at least 1 inch above the ground or grass. Currently, players have to stand upright and hold the ball at shoulder height and arm's length from their bodies.

Among other proposed rules:

— Instead of only being allowed to repair pitch marks or old hole plugs on the greens, players now can fix just about anything, including spike marks and heel prints.

— Players were disqualified if they used a club that was damaged in anger. Under the proposal, they can still use it.

— Players who touched the line of their putts or the putting green in pointing out a target faced a two-shot penalty. The modern rule has no penalty, provided they are not improving the condition of the putt.

Several proposed rules were geared toward improving the pace of play, such as encouraging players to hit their shot when ready. Players would have only three minutes to search for a lost ball instead of five minutes.

"It is important that the Rules continue to evolve and remain in tune with the way the modern game is played," said David Rickman, executive director of governance for the R&A. "But we have been careful not to change the game's longstanding principles and character."

While the Rules of Golf would only be 24 rules, that's not to suggest 10 rules were simply eliminated. That indicates how the book was taken apart and put back together.

"Probably a bit more than 10 went away," Pagel said.

Time running out to qualify for Masters

John Boyette — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 23:39:33 +0000

Time is running out to qualify for the 2017 Masters.

There are only five tournaments remaining that golfers can win and earn their way to Augusta National for the 81st edition of the Masters.

Players can also obtain an invitation if they are in the top 50 of the World Golf Ranking published March 27.

As it stands now, 87 golfers are qualified for the year’s first major. Traditionally, the Masters likes to keep its field size under 100 players. That shouldn’t be a problem this year.

A total of 16 first-time participants will play in this year’s Masters, including all five amateurs who have qualified.

England’s Danny Willett will defend his title when the tournament is played April 6-9.

Players Currently Invited

List of players invited to the Masters Tournament

Qualifications for Masters Invitation

List of qualifications for a Masters Tournament Invitation

Past champions not playing

Tommy Aaron
Jack Burke Jr.
Charles Coody
Ben Crenshaw
Nick Faldo
Raymond Floyd
Doug Ford
Bob Goalby
Jack Nicklaus
Gary Player
Craig Stadler
Tom Watson
Ian Woosnam
Fuzzy Zoeller

Fowler hangs on to win Honda Classic

John Boyette — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 14:49:29 +0000

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Rickie Fowler made it interesting Sunday for as long as it took him to make two big putts to pull away in the Honda Classic.

Staked to a four-shot lead, Fowler hit one putt into a sprinkler hole, hit a tee shot into the water and watched a big lead shrink to one over Gary Woodland early on the back nine. Fowler answered with consecutive birdie putts of 40 and 25 feet and closed with 1-over-par 71 for a four-shot victory.

“If I don’t make those putts, I’ve got a pretty tight race,” Fowler said.

Instead, those chasing him had the biggest problems with the closing stretch at PGA National.

Fowler effectively ended it with a shot over the water to the 3 feet that stretched his lead to five shots with two holes to play. Woodland appeared to have second place wrapped up until he three-putted the 17th, and then tried to lay up on the par-5 18th and came up short into the water. He closed with another bogey for a 69. He had to share second place – the difference of $128,000 – with Morgan Hoffmann, who missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

PGA champion Jimmy Walker was lurking on the fringe of contention until tee shots into the water on the 15th and 17th holes, which cost him five shots.

Tyrrell Hatton, who played in the final group in his first PGA Tour event, was out of the picture quickly. He still had a chance to finish alone in second, which would have gone a long way toward securing a PGA Tour card, until missing a 3-foot birdie putt on the 17th.

Fowler even got into the act when it no longer mattered. He hit his tee shot into the water on the 17th hole and made bogey, then hit a wedge into the bunker on the 18th and closed with another bogey to finish at 12-under 268.

All that mattered was the trophy, the fourth of his PGA Tour career.

Fowler jokingly referred to it as a “small collection” on Saturday evening, though it was important. He had gone 13 months and 25 starts worldwide without a victory as everyone around him was winning multiple times.

It was his first PGA Tour victory since the Deutsche Bank Championship in September 2015.

“I guess I can already plan on Hawaii for next year,” Fowler said, referring to the Tournament of Champions at Kapalua. “I can relax a little bit. This just lets us chill out in a way. There’s less pressure, less stress. I think this is something we needed going into Augusta. I like this spot we’re in right now.”

Fowler won with the lead last year in Abu Dhabi and in 2011 when he won the Korea Open, but it was the first time in five tries he converted a 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour into a trophy. In all five rounds with at least a share of the lead, he has shot over par.

A four-shot lead, which he built with two late birdies Saturday afternoon, allowed him to play smart and safe.

It just always didn’t work out that way.

He went over the green on the par-4 fourth and tried to putt it up the slope, except that it went into a sprinkler hole and led to bogey. Two holes later, Fowler hooked his tee shot into the water on the tough par-4 sixth and made double bogey.

He bounced back with a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 8, only to drop another shot on the ninth.

Woodland hit wedge into 4 feet on the 13th for a birdie to get to 10 under, suddenly one shot back of Fowler. And just like that, it was over. Fowler leaned over on his putter as he watched his 40-foot on No. 12 drop into the cup, and while he went long with a wedge on the 13th, he dropped that one in from 25 feet for birdie.

Woodland had reasonable looks at birdie over the next four holes and couldn’t get any to drop. He powered his 20-foot attempt on the 17th about 6 feet by the hole, ending is last hope.

“I thought all of them looked pretty good,” he said of his birdie chances. “It was a little deflating on 18. Thought I hit a pretty good drive and thought I would have a chance, and I just couldn’t get home and laid up in the water, which was bad.”

Hoffmann tied for second, his best finish ever on the PGA Tour.

Jhonattan Vegas made a hole-in-one on the 15th hole and closed with a 64 to tie for fourth.

Fowler’s victory and Woodland’s tie for second knocked Charles Howell and Hudson Swafford out of the top 10 in the FedEx Cup standings, keeping them from qualifying for the Mexico Championship next week, the first World Golf Championship of the year.

Dustin Johnson dominates Riviera, takes no. 1 spot in world ranking

Associated Press — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 00:07:42 +0000

LOS ANGELES — Dustin Johnson went to No. 1 in the world with a world-class performance at Riviera.

Johnson turned a marathon finish into a Sunday stroll in the Genesis Open. He finished the third round in the morning with a 7-under 64 to build a five-shot lead, stretched it to nine shots at one point in the final round and coasted home to a 71 and a five-shot victory.

Johnson became the 20th player to reach No. 1 since the world ranking began in 1986, ending Jason Day's 47-week stay at the top.

Johnson won for the fourth time against some of golf's strongest fields dating to his U.S. Open victory last summer. All he cared about Sunday was winning at Riviera, one of his favorite courses where he has had chances in four of the last five years.

There was no doubt this time.

Johnson had a one-shot lead when he arrived Sunday at Riviera, which lost 10 hours the previous three days to fog and torrential rain. Johnson had such command of his game that his longest par putt in the third round was from 4 feet, and he closed with three straight birdies to make the final round in the afternoon more of a coronation.

Johnson went 49 straight holes without a bogey, a streak that ended on No. 9 in the final round, and he was sloppy down the stretch when it no longer mattered.

It capped off a strong stretch that elevated Johnson to the top. Not only was it his fourth victory since June, he has finished among the top three in eight of his last 16 tournaments.

Johnson finished at 17-under 267. About the only disappointment was losing a chance to break the oldest 72-hole scoring record on the PGA Tour schedule. Lanny Wadkins won at Riviera in 1985 at 20-under 264.

Thomas Pieters of Belgium and Scott Brown tied in the other tournament. No one had a chance to win as soon as Johnson began the final round with two straight birdies, but Pieters closed with a 63 and Brown shot a 68 to share second place at 12-under 272.

Spieth breezes to big win at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Associated Press — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 00:06:30 +0000

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Jordan Spieth soaked up every step of scenery on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach, one of the prettiest places in golf and even more spectacular on a Sunday when the only work left is to hoist the crystal trophy.

All that was missing from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am were the highlights.

That's just how Spieth wanted it.

Staked to a six-shot lead, Spieth never gave anyone much of a chance by putting for birdie on all but one hole. The lone highlight was his 30-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop, and by then it was already over.

"Played a lot of boring golf today," Spieth said, "which was exactly what we needed."

He closed with a 2-under 70 for a four-shot victory over former U.S. Amateur champion Kelly Kraft, a close friend from Dallas who couldn't get a putt to fall that might have put a little pressure on Spieth.

As easy and clinical as Spieth made it look, it was no less special.

"This is a bucket-list place to win -- here, Augusta National, St. Andrews, there's only a few in the world. It feels really special. It was amazing walking up the 18th green knowing that we were going to win. It's just such a unique position. I tried to soak in."

It was his first 54-hole lead on the PGA TOUR since the Masters, where he lost a five-shot lead on the back nine. On this day, Spieth thought back to the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and the way Tiger Woods closed out his record 15-shot victory by trying not to drop a shot in the final round. Woods didn't make a bogey over the final 26 holes in severe conditions. On a course saturated by rain, Spieth played the final 28 holes without a bogey. His longest par putt Sunday was 5 feet.

"That's a dream round when you're leading by a bunch," Spieth said.

The 23-year-old Texan won for the ninth time in his PGA TOUR and became the first player since Woods with that many victories before turning 24. Woods won 15 times. Equally impressive is that Spieth won for the fifth time by at least three shots.

"He didn't have his best stuff, but he did exactly what he was supposed to do and played a great round of golf," said Brandt Snedeker, a two-time Pebble winner who played in the final group with Spieth and shot 70 to finish fourth. "Sometimes those are the hardest rounds of golf, when you have the lead that he had. It was fun to watch him do his thing out there."

Kraft, who closed with a 67, settled for a couple of consolation prizes. The $777,600 for second place was nearly double his earnings from his rookie season last year. He also earned a spot at Riviera next week in the Genesis Open.

U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson closed with a 68 to finish alone in third, enough to have a chance to reach No. 1 next week if he were to win.

Spieth's only other birdie was on the par-5 second when he two-putted from 12 feet.

One day after he took only 23 putts on the bumpy greens of Pebble Beach, he didn't make hard anything, and didn't look to be trying to make them from above the hole to avoid putting himself in a position to drop shots.

No one could put any pressure on him over the opening seven holes, which is where rallies begin at Pebble Beach.

If there was a key shot for Spieth, it came on the eighth hole. He tugged his tee shot into the wet rough to the left, facing a 210-yard shot over the ocean and into the breeze to one of the toughest greens at Pebble. It came out perfectly, 20 feet from the cup for another routine par.

"I was very, very excited once that ball landed on the green," Spieth said. "That was really avoiding a big number there. That could have been a double or triple very, very easily, if that doesn't come out the right way. So that was the shot of the day for me."

Spieth became the seventh straight PGA TOUR winner in his 20s, and he got back into the hunt for No. 1. He had fallen far enough behind that even by beating a strong field at Pebble Beach, it will not move him from No. 6.

Jason Day, the world No. 1, bounced back from his 75 on Saturday with a 67 to tie for fifth with Gary Woodland (65) and Torrey Pines winner Jon Rahm (68).

Spieth has four top 10s in his four starts this year and already appears to be peaking as the Masters gets closer. He has shot under par in all 16 rounds he has played this year, 17 in a row dating to the TOUR Championship last fall.

The only disappointment for Spieth was not winning the pro-am with country singer Jake Owen. They tied for third, four shots behind Ken Duke and Carson Daly.

Matsuyama wins WM Phoenix Open in playoff

Associated Press — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 00:03:35 +0000

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Hideki Matsuyama won the Waste Management Phoenix Open on the fourth hole of a playoff for the second straight year, outlasting Webb Simpson on Sunday at TPC Scottsdale.

Matsuyama won with a 10-foot birdie putt on the short par-4 17th, the same hole where the 24-year-old Japanese star finished off Rickie Fowler a year ago.

Matsuyama closed with a 5-under 66, parring the final three holes to match Simpson at 17-under 267. Simpson birdied three of the last four for a 64, the best round of the day.

Matsuyama won his second PGA Tour title of the season and fourth overall. He won four times worldwide late last year, taking the WGC-HSBC Champions in China, two events in Japan and Tiger Woods' Hero World Challenge.

The tournament drew an estimated 58,654 fans Sunday to shatter the weekly record with 655,434. The previous mark of 618,365 was set last year. A record 204,906 packed the grounds Saturday.

Rahm's thrilling eagle caps first career win

Associated Press — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 00:00:07 +0000

SAN DIEGO -- Jon Rahm of Spain added his name to the burgeoning list of young stars Sunday with his big game and a big finish at Torrey Pines.

Rahm made two eagles over the final six holes, the last one a 60-foot putt from the back fringe on the par-5 18th hole for a 5-under 67 to win the Farmers Insurance Open by three shots for his first PGA TOUR victory.

Rahm, who turned 22 in November, beat Phil Mickelson's mark as the youngest champion at this tournament. He also became the first player in 26 years to capture his first PGA TOUR title at Torrey Pines.

Starting the final round three shots out of the lead, Rahm made up ground in a hurry.

He hit 4-iron into 18 feet on the par-5 13th and holed the eagle putt to tie for the lead. He stuffed a wedge into 5 feet on the 17th to take the lead, and he finished with his long eagle putt that broke hard to the right and peeled back to the left and dropped in on the side of the cup.

Rahm, leaning forward during its 60-foot journey to the hole, unleashed a double fist pump as he hugged his caddie. He watched a replay of the last eagle putt, along with his celebration, and said, "I don't even remember doing it."

On a day in which nine players had at least a share of the lead, the final 20 minutes only mattered for positions.

Rahm finished at 13-under 275, three shots ahead of Charles Howell III (68) and C.T. Pan of Taiwan, who had a 70. Brandt Snedeker and Patrick Rodgers, tied for the lead going into the final round, fell back with too many mistakes on the back nine.

The way Rahm finished, it might not have mattered.

All four PGA TOUR events to start the new year now have been won by players in their 20s -- Justin Thomas (23) won both event in Hawaii, and Hudson Swafford (29) won last week in the California desert.

Rahm might have won for the first time, though this was hardly a surprise.

He won the Ben Hogan Award his final two years at Arizona State as the top college player, along with the Jack Nicklaus Award his senior year as the best golfer. He spent 60 weeks at the No. 1 amateur in the world. Two years ago in the Phoenix Open, he tied for fifth while still at Arizona State.

And when he turned pro last summer, he earned his PGA TOUR in four starts, tying for third in the Quicken Loans National at Congressional and finishing runner-up by one shot at the Canadian Open.

Mickelson knew it was coming. His brother, Tim Mickelson, was Rahm's coach at Arizona State and now is his agent.

"I think he's more than just a good young player," Mickelson said. "I think he's one of the top players in the world. I think there's an intangible that some guys have where they want to have the pressure, they want to be in that tough position, they want to have everything fall on their shoulders. And he has that."

The victory gets Rahm into the Masters for the first time, along with other big events. He moves into top 50 in the world, and if he can stay there for three weeks he will get into two World Golf Championships in March.

Snedeker was trying to become only the fourth back-to-back winner at Torrey Pines, but he was slowed by a pair of bogeys in a five-hole stretch around the turn and closed with a 73. Rodgers was tied for the lead until he made bogey from the bunker on the tough par-4 12th, and then fell back when his approach from the rough on the 14th hole came out too high and struck a tree, leading to bogey. He closed with a 72 and tied for fourth.

Howell closed with a 68. It was his third time to finish runner-up at Torrey Pines. He made a long eagle putt on the 13th and finished with a birdie. By then, however, Rahm was one shot ahead and waiting in the middle of the 18th fairway.

Pan ran off three straight birdies around the turn to tie for the lead, but he had to settle for pars the rest of the way, including a three-putt par on the 13th.

That set the stage for Rahm, and he burst through.

He became only the fourth international player to win this tournament, but it's an impressive list -- Jason Day two years ago, Gary Player in 1963 and his fellow Spaniard, Jose Maria Olazabal, in 2002.

Swafford seals first win at CareerBuilder

Associated Press — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 23:58:04 +0000

LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Hudson Swafford won the fittingly named CareerBuilder Challenge on Sunday for his first PGA TOUR title, following three straight birdies with a closing par for a one-stroke victory.

Swafford shot a 5-under 67 on the Stadium Course at PGA West to finish the pro-am event at 20-under 268. The 29-year-old former Georgia player earned $1,044,000 and his first spot in the Masters.

"They don't give them away out here. It's not easy," Swafford said. "I've been close. I've been in the heat lately. Just keep putting myself in position, and this just feels unbelievable."

Adam Hadwin came back with a 70 after his third-round 59 to finish second.

"I can't help but be slightly disappointed," Hadwin said. "I really wanted to come out here and kind of prove that yesterday was just kind of a continuation of some good play and kind of get it done today, but I got beat. I felt like I did all the right things. Just a couple shots here and there and who knows what could have happened. But an incredible week, my best finish ever."

Brian Harman and Bud Cauley each shot 69 to tie for third at 18 under.

Swafford tied Cauley for the lead with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-4 15th, then pulled away on the 16th and 17th -- a day after he dropped three strokes on the holes.

"Stepped up there and hit some really good shots on those two holes, knowing what happened yesterday," Swafford said. "I was just really confident on those two holes today. I knew the bad stuff on those holes were gone. I had already seen it, it had already happened, and just visualizing really good shots."

On the par-5 16th, he hit a 4-iron 230 yards to 12 feet -- staying out of the 18-foot-deep bunker that he hit into Saturday en route to a double bogey -- and two-putted to take the outright lead.

"Just trying to maybe chase it up on the front edge, and it was probably my best swing of the day," Swafford said. "It was just right out of the middle, flew on the green. I thought it was actually even going to get closer than it did. But after what happened yesterday, I was really satisfied with that."

He hit to 1 1/2 feet on the par-3 17th, with the rock-lined island green called Alcatraz.

"It was just choke up and swing an 8-iron and it ended up being perfect," Swafford said

Hadwin birdied the 16th and made a 25-footer on 17 to stay within a stroke.

Swafford found the fairway on the par-4 18th with water along the left side, then avoided the water again with an approach to the right side of the green. He lagged his 20-footer to 2 inches for the victory.

Hadwin's drive on 18 settled in the dormant grass an inch from the green rough and his approach stayed right and settled into thick dormant rough. The Canadian saved par to finish second alone.

"I would have loved to have put a little bit more pressure on Hud coming up the 18th," Hadwin said, "but just to be able to get up-and-down from the lie that I had from over there was pretty impressive."

Five strokes behind leader Chad Campbell after five holes, Swafford birdied Nos. 7-9 to join Campbell and Hadwin atop the leaderboard. On the par-5 eighth, Swafford cut a 5-wood into the middle of the green and lipped out for eagle.

"The game just felt comfortable from there on," Swafford said. "I just felt like I could hit any shot where I wanted to and just felt in total control."

Campbell holed out from 108 yards for eagle on the par-5 fifth, then made a triple bogey on the par-3 sixth -- hitting into the water and three-putting. He finished with a 71 to tie for sixth at 16 under.

Phil Mickelson shot a 70 to tie for a 21st at 11 under in the 46-year-old Hall of Famer's return from two sports hernia surgeries.

"I think this was a good start for me for the year," Mickelson said. "The only way to find out where your game is at is to play in competition. ... I'm much further along than I thought I would be."

Justin Thomas finishes off Sony Open win in record-setting fashion

Associated Press — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 23:55:18 +0000

One last putt. One more record. And two unforgettable weeks in Hawaii for Justin Thomas.

Thomas began the Sony Open with a 15-foot eagle putt on his final hole to shoot 59. He ended it Sunday with a two-putt birdie from 60 feet that gave him yet another entry in the PGA Tour record book for the lowest 72-hole score in history.

His final act was to stand before the members of Waialae Country Club, champagne flute in hand for the traditional toast. Thomas chugged it down, smiled and said to them, “I think I had a glass with a hole in it.”

Bottoms up, kid.

The 23-year-old from Kentucky gave the best glimpse yet of his potential with a game that was at times overpowering and never more efficient. He closed with a five-under-par 65 for a seven-shot victory, which gave him as much satisfaction as his score of 253 to set the record.

Thomas, who won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia last fall, became only the third player since 1970 to win three times in his first five tournaments to start a PGA Tour season. The others were Tiger Woods (three times) and Johnny Miller (twice).

His victory came one week after he won the SBS Tournament of Champions by three weeks at Kapalua.

“It's been an unbelievable week. Unforgettable,” Thomas said before going to sign his historic card.

Thomas was more nervous than ever when he arrived Sunday from endless mentions that no one had ever lost a seven-shot lead on the PGA Tour. No one got closer than five shots all day, and with four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn, Thomas took aim at the record book.

That was his only real challenge Sunday.

Tommy Armour held the previous 72-hole mark at 254 in the 2003 Texas Open. Thomas also set the 36-hole record (123) and tied Steve Stricker for the 54-hole record (188). And while his 18-hole score of 59 is no longer a record, it's still a magic number.

“I'm not joking when I say I won the other tournament,” Justin Rose said after a 64 that was only good for second place. “Had he had a bad day, I was there to pick up the pieces. But that was never going to happen. He's on cruise control right now.”

Rose beat out Jordan Spieth, who also was playing for second place. Spieth shot 63 and finished alone in third.

Austin claims wire-to-wire win

Woody Austin completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Diamond Resorts Invitational and former pitcher Mark Mulder took the celebrity title.

Austin closed with a six-under 66 on the Four Seasons Resort's Tranquilo course in Orlando, Fla., earning 31 points in the modified Stableford scoring system to finish the three-round event at 104 — eight points ahead of second-place Joe Durant. Austin opened with an 11-under 59.

A three-time winner last year on the PGA Tour Champions, the 52-year-old Austin had seven birdies and one bogey in the final round, with a birdie worth three points, a par one point and a bogey zero points. Coming off offseason hernia surgery, Austin missed only one fairway and one green in regulation Sunday.

Mulder rallied to top of the celebrity division, scoring 30 points in a 67 to finish with 77 points. Former tennis player Mardy Fish, the winner last year, and former kicker Ryan Longwell tied for second with 67 points. Second-round leader Ray Allen was fourth with 66.

Mulder made two six-point eagles, chipping in from 25 yards on the par-5 seventh and holing a 25-footer on the par-five 12th.

Lexi Thompson was 11th with 83 points to top the four LPGA Tour players in the professional field.

Gana earns spot in Masters

Toto Gana of Chile atoned for a bogey on the final hole by making a short birdie putt to win a three-man playoff in the Latin America Amateur Championship at Panama City and earn a spot in the Masters.

The 19-year-old Gana thought he had it won in regulation at the Golf Club of Panama until his 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole caught the right edge of the cup. He closed with a one-over 71 and slipped into a three-man playoff with his best friend, Joaquin Niemann of Chile, and Alvaro Ortiz of Mexico.

On the second playoff hole, the 433-yard 10th, Gana had 97 yards to a front pin. He eyed it the whole way until it settled to within three feet from the cup. He calmly tapped in his birdie putt after Ortiz, who missed his birdie try from some 65 feet away, made par. Niemann caught a plugged lie in a bunker and made bogey.

The winner of the Latin American Amateur, which began three years ago, gets an invitation to play in the Masters and an exemption into the final stages of qualifying for the U.S. Open and British Open.

Justin Thomas Wins Tournament of Champions to Kick Off 2017

Associated Press — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 23:51:11 +0000

KAPALUA, Hawaii - Justin Thomas had to sweat it out more than he wanted to enjoy that view down the 18th hole at Kapalua on Sunday.

Thomas had a five-shot lead with five holes to play when he was caught in a battle with Hideki Matsuyama down the stretch in the SBS Tournament of Champions. Thomas responded with a defining shot in his young career, an 8-iron approach he ripped from 214 yards to 3 feet on the 17th.

Matsuyama, one shot behind and needing birdie to stay in the game, ran his 30-foot putt about 8 feet by the hole and three-putted for bogey. Thomas knocked in his short putt for a three-shot lead, and he went on to another birdie for a 4-under 69 and a three-shot victory.

Thomas won for the second time this season, and third time in his career. His other two PGA Tour titles were at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.

Matsuyama holed a tough flop shot on the 14th for eagle, and then Thomas hooked a 4-iron into the hazard on the par-5 15th and made double bogey. Matsuyama had a chance to tie him until narrowly missing a 10-foot birdie on the 16th. The 24-year-old from Japan closed with a 70.

Thomas is the only player to beat Matsuyama over the last three months. In his last six tournaments worldwide, Matsuyama had four victories and a pair of runner-up finishes - both to Thomas, in Kuala Lumpur and Kapalua.

Thomas, who finished at 22-under 270, is the first multiple winner on the PGA Tour in a season that began last October. He moves to No. 12 in the world, a big victory that squarely moves him into the conversation of a growing list of young stars in golf.

All he could think about was next year.

''It changes things going forward because I know I'm coming back here,'' Thomas said about the winners-only event along the rugged coast of Maui.

The scenery down the 18th toward the blue Pacific was never more spectacular for Thomas, along with the site of his parents off the 18th green who saw him win for the first time. His father, Mike Thomas, is a longtime head pro in Harmony Landing in Kentucky who is still his coach.

Jordan Spieth closed with a 65 to tie for third with Pat Perez (67) and Ryan Moore (71). Spieth and Jimmy Walker, came down to the 18th to congratulate the winner.

Thomas started the final round with a two-shot lead and no one got closer until his blunder on the 15th. One of the longest hitters in golf with his slight build, Thomas really did miss a shot until the ninth hole, and that's when he got a huge break.

With the wind stiff and in his face, he got quick with his driver and hit a snap-hook into the knee-high weeds left of the fairway. He hit a provisional for a lost ball and was about ready to abandon the search when a TV spotter was summoned to give an indication where it went. They found the ball, and it was sitting up a few inches above the roots, allowing Thomas to at least hack out into the fairway.

He followed with a 3-wood onto the green for a two-putt par after starting with a shot that made double bogey appear likely.

Thomas made a 10-foot birdie putt on the 13th for a five-shot lead and appeared to have the tournament in hand. But then Matsuyama answered with his flop shot for eagle. Thomas, haunted by poor shots on the 15th hole the previous two rounds, picked the wrong time to try to atone for it.

He had left an 8-iron well out to the right, below the elevated green. This time, with a strong wind out of the left, he overcompensated with a 4-iron and went into the hazard. After a penalty drop, he failed to reach the green, chipped up to 8 feet and missed to walk off with double bogey.

''I stumbled more than I would have liked to do,'' Thomas said. ''But it shows where my game is at right now. I had some woes there, but I stuck it out to still get it done.''

One big shot on the 17th changed everything.

Spieth, his best friend in golf since they were teenager, expected this to be just the start for Thomas.

''I think it's potentially floodgates opening,'' Spieth said. ''The guy hits it forever. He's got a really, really nifty short game. He manages the course well. He's playing the golf course the way it should be played, and honestly, he's taking advantage of the easier holes.

''It's awesome to see,'' Spieth said. ''He's going to be tough to beat next week, too.''

Both head over to Oahu for the Sony Open.

Kuchar, English win Franklin Templeton Shootout

Associated Press — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 23:48:19 +0000

NAPLES, Fla. -- Harris English and Matt Kuchar won the Franklin Templeton Shootout on Saturday, holding off Wisconsin friends Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly by a stroke at Tiburon.

English and Kuchar also won in 2013 in their first start together and finished second the last two years.

"It's a thrilling event to come out with a win, amazing feeling," Kuchar said. "I think it's just such a fun partnership we've had. We've had such a good run. To have our last four events together, to have our track record be first, second, second, first is quite amazing."

English eagled the par-5 17th and they closed with a 7-under 65 in better-ball play to finish at 28 under.

"We had some good action there and it kind of came down to the last couple holes and kind of set up perfect on 17 for me," English said. "Really reachable par 5 and hit a really good drive off the tee and knew Kuch was in really good position so I could play really aggressive. Hit a really good 8-iron right where I wanted to and made about a 12-footer."

"That's the difference in these events," Kuchar said. "Pulling out some shots like that, getting an eagle, getting that two-shot swing, that's a big deal. This event comes down to you need to make birdies, you need to make some scores under par, and to do it on the 17th hole today and the position and the situation we were in, it was a battle. We weren't making a huge number of birdies. It's not like we were just battling with birdies, it was a fairly challenging day. But for Harris to come through and eagle 17 and give us that one-shot lead."

Stricker and Kelly also shot 65.

"We just couldn't get that momentum," Stricker said. "A shot here or there. Jerry played great. Wish I could have helped him out a couple more times. I had some putts at it I didn't make, but it was fun. Harris made an eagle. I knew somebody was going to do something there. It was just playing too short. He hit two great shots there at 17 and that was the difference really."

English and Kuchar each earned $385,000. They opened with a 57 on Thursday in the scramble round and had a 66 on Friday in modified alternate shot.

Charley Hoffman and Billy Horschel were third at 26 under after a 61.

Lexi Thompson and Bryson DeChambeau tied for last at 16 under after a 67. Thompson became the second woman to compete in the event, following Annika Sorenstam with Fred Couples in 2006.

Hideki Matsuyama prevails at Albany

Associated Press — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 23:47:35 +0000

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Hideki Matsuyama was only 5 when he first saw Tiger Woods, watching on videotape that 1997 Masters victory. Even sweeter was standing next to Woods in his Sunday red shirt to receive yet another trophy.

Right now, the Japanese star can't seem to lose.

The return of Tiger Woods ended with Matsuyama winning his third straight tournament, and fourth out of his last five, in the Hero World Challenge.

"I can't say that I played well today, but I did win Tiger's tournament," Matsuyama said. "And what a great honor that is."

Matsuyama had a few nervous moments on the back nine at Albany when his seven-shot lead at the start of the final round was reduced to two shots over The Open Championship winner Henrik Stenson with two to play.

Matsuyama closed with two pars for a 1-over 73 and a two-shot victory.

Woods found plenty of positives from his first tournament in more than 15 months, though the final round featured three double bogeys and a 76 -- the highest score of the tournament -- that dropped him to 15th place out of 17 players.

"It feels good to be back out here playing again, competing and trying to beat the best players in the world," Woods said. "I missed it. I love it."

Matsuyama is moving up in class quickly.

His big run started with a three-shot victory in the Japan Open. He was runner-up in Malaysia, then became the first Asian to win a World Golf Championships title with a seven-shot victory over Stenson and Daniel Berger in the WGC-HSBC Champions. Two weeks later, he won the Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Golf Tour by seven. And except for a few mistakes on the back nine at Albany, this was another runaway.

"It's going to give him a boat load of confidence going into next year, and he's going to be one of the top guys to beat for a very long time," Woods said.

Matsuyama, who finished at 18-under 270, won $1 million and remained at No. 6 in the world. He ended his streak of 17 consecutive founds in the 60s, though all that mattered was the trophy presentation with Woods.

"It's tough with a seven-stroke lead," he said. "But somehow I was able to pull it off. Hopefully, this experience will help me in the future."

Stenson, playing with him in the final group, closed with a 68 and made Matsuyama work hard for this title.

Matsuyama still had a six-shot lead going into the back nine when he went bunker-to-bunker around the 10th green and made double bogey. Then, he three-putted from about 18 feet on the 14th hole, where Stenson made birdie for a two-shot swing.

Just like that, the lead was down to three with four holes remaining. And it looked like it would get even closer on the par-5 15th. Matsuyama was in a greenside bunker in two and didn't quite reach the green. Stenson had a 45-foot eagle putt. But the Swede left it about 10 feet short and three-putted for par, and Matsuyama matched him.

Stenson also three-putted the 10th, costing him another chance to get closer.

"Whatever he gave me on 14, I gave it straight back to him on 15," Stenson said.

Stenson drilled a 4-iron into 4 feet on the 16th for another birdie, and Matsuyama's approach barely cleared the bunker, leading to par to stay two ahead.

The tournament was still in doubt on the 18th hole. Matsuyama's shot from the rough bounded over the green, while Stenson had 12-feet for birdie. If the Swede made and Matsuyama failed to get up-and-down, it was headed for a playoff. The Japanese star steadied himself with a good pitch to tap-in range, and that wrapped it up.

"He hit a very classy chip there," Stenson said.

Matsuyama now heads home to Japan for a break, though he won't put the clubs away for long. He starts back in Hawaii the first week of the new year, and already he is thinking ahead to April and Augusta National.

"Starting next week all my focus and preparation will be for the Masters," he said. "Hopefully, along the way I can play well on the PGA TOUR. But the Masters is my next goal."

DIVOTS: Matsuyama borrowed the caddie of good friend Hiroshi Iwata this week, Mei Inui. He said she helped keep him positive when his lead was shrinking. His regular caddie, known as Dice-K, returns to work in Hawaii. ... Rickie Fowler (69), Matt Kuchar (70) and Dustin Johnson (71) tied for third.

Rookie Hughes wins The RSM Classic

Associated Press — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 23:44:57 +0000

ST. SIMONS ISLAND -- Mackenzie Hughes holed an 18-foot par putt from off the green Monday morning to win The RSM Classic and become the first rookie in 20 years to go wire-to-wire for his first PGA TOUR victory.

The Canadian calmed his nerves and came up clutch in the 42-degree chill at Sea Island. He was the only player of the four remaining in the playoff who was never on the green at the par-3 17th hole until his ball was in the cup.

"I made the putt of my life right there," Hughes said.

All four players who had to return for the third extra playoff hole missed the green. Hughes was in the toughest spot with a pitch up the slope to a green that ran quickly away from him. It stopped a few feet short of the green and he figured he had to make it to stay in the playoff.

He poured it in for par, slamming his fist, more out of relief than celebration.

Then, he watched Blayne Barber, Henrik Norlander and Camilo Villegas each miss par putts from 10 feet or closer.

"As each guy went down, it was that much more real," Hughes said.

Hughes was standing off the green when Villegas missed . He dropped the putter from his hand, knocked the cap off his head and rubbed his hand over his head in disbelief. The 25-year-old Canadian is headed to Hawaii a week earlier next year, and more important, he's in the Masters.

Billy Horschel was eliminated from the five-man playoff on the first extra hole Sunday night when he narrowly missed a birdie putt, then shockingly missed a 2-foot putt. On the second playoff hole at the 18th, Hughes had a 10-foot putt for the win in the dark and didn't see that it turned away slightly to the left.

He earned some redemption Monday morning, though it sure didn't look that way when he didn't reach the green with his pitch.

The last rookie to go wire-to-wire for his first win was Tim Herron at the 1996 Honda Classic when he opened with a 62 at TPC Eagle Trace. Hughes started this week with a 61, and he led after every round until he was posing with tournament host Davis Love III with the trophy.

Hughes, who closed with a 69 and finished at 17-under 265, capped a memorable fall season.

He began his rookie season by playing the final two rounds with Phil Mickelson, which helped him deal with the distractions of a large gallery. In his only week off, he and his longtime girlfriend from Kent State, Jenna, were married. They plan a honeymoon in the offseason, and now he gets to plan a schedule that includes Kapalua, Augusta National and the PGA Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he lives.

Hughes earned $1.08 million and a two-year exemption on the PGA TOUR. He was the second rookie to win during the fall start to the season. Cody Gribble won in Mississippi, though that was against the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions.

Villegas and Norlander do not have full PGA TOUR cards, and a victory would have changed that. Villegas got into the field as a past champion, while Norlander has no PGA TOUR status and received a sponsor's exemption.

Villegas had made every big putt, from his birdies on the 16th and 17th in regulation to his 6-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to join the playoff, and another tough 4-foot putt in the dark Sunday night to stay alive. He missed from 7 feet Monday.

"I just pushed it a tiny bit," Villegas. "But once again, I'm proud of myself. We want to win a golf tournament, so you go with a little bittersweet, but you've got to look at the positive and keep moving forward."

Tiger Woods: Looking Back at 1997

Connor Threlkeld — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 00:57:06 +0000

The 2017 Masters Tournament marks the 20th anniversary of Tiger Woods' historic 1997 win. We're looking back with exclusive content from the remarkable victory.

It's hard to overstate the hype surrounding Tiger Woods' first Masters as a pro in 1997.

He had won three consecutive U.S. Amateurs but had foregone the automatic invitation to Augusta when he turned pro in 1996. He quickly earned a spot in the field by winning on the PGA Tour.

1997 STORY: Tiger tracks into history with Masters win

Woods came in as one of the favorites, but his first major tournament as a professional didn't get off to a smooth start.

Woods played the first nine holes in 4-over-par 40, hardly the beginning he was looking for. He righted his ship with 30 on the second nine, including a chip-in birdie at No. 12 and an eagle on the 15th.

LEADERBOARD: 1997 Masters Tournament

From that point, the rout was on. Woods shot 66 and 65 the next two rounds as he overpowered Augusta National and made believers out of his critics.

Woods teed off in the final round with history for the taking. A final-round 69 gave him the lowest 72-hole score in Masters history and a 12-stroke victory, and at 21 he became the youngest winner in tournament history.

HOLE BY HOLE: How Tiger played Augusta National

As he walked off the 18th green, Woods gave his father, Earl, a tearful embrace.

"As my dad said Saturday night, 'Son, this will probably be one of your toughest rounds of golf you've ever had to play in your life. Just go out there and be yourself, and it will be one of the most rewarding rounds you've ever played in your life,'" Woods said. "He was right, because I had to deal with a lot of different thoughts and emotions that were going through my head."

SLIDESHOW: Through The Years: Tiger Woods

Woods was the first black major champion. In a locale where traditions mean everything, it was one of the game's biggest moments.

"I sneak into the back of the winner's dinner. (Woods) comes in the room and members give him nice applause," writer Rick Reilly said. "And then in the back, all the cooks, busboys, waiters. They're all black. They took off their gloves and gave him a standing ovation. That moment still gives me chills."

SLIDESHOW: 10 Greatest Masters Shots

Woods would go on to win three more Masters, including in 2001 to cap four major championships in a row. He successfully defended his title the following year, and in 2005 he joined Arnold Palmer as a four-time champion with a sudden-death playoff victory.

He might have had more success at the Masters in the 2000s, but the Woods era began in 1997. He set 20 Masters records and tied six others.

FRONT PAGE: Buy the Chronicle's iconic front page

"I've never played an entire tournament with my A-game," Woods said. "This was pretty close."

SLIDESHOW: All Tiger Photos

Pat Perez wins OHL Classic in Mexico

Associated Press — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 05:28:27 +0000

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — Pat Perez won the OHL Classic at Mayakoba on Sunday in his third start since returning from shoulder surgery.

Perez closed with 4-under 67 for a two-stroke victory over third-round leader Gary Woodland on the Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course. Perez finished at 21-under 263.

“I had an attitude that I can’t really repeat, but I had a lot of thoughts going on,” Perez said. “The main one was I wanted to stay aggressive. I knew if I just stayed aggressive I was seeing the line great on the putting green. … This type of grass and these greens, if you can get it on line you can make them.

“I just saw the line, I thought I could make them all and I just had a confidence. I had an entirely different attitude than I would have had a few years ago. It was definitely a different win than last time. Last time, I was a little more scared coming down the stretch. I didn’t really believe and this and that. This time, I really had like this calmness, kind of like a madness to get it done.”

Perez had surgery on his shoulder in February. He returned with a tie for 33rd in Malaysia, and tied for seventh last week in Las Vegas.

“When you hit 40 and then you have surgery, it’s like ‘Oh, God, you know, what are we going to do?’” Perez said.

“I had sleepless nights, I had a lot of sleepless nights wondering, ‘What are we going to do? How are we going to do this? What’s going to happen here? What would happen here? Because all you do is sit around and think. That’s all you have time is to sit around. You’re just sitting in a sling doing nothing and you can’t hit balls for five months. I had a lot of time to think about a lot of things.”

Perez shot 62 on Saturday to pull within a stroke of Woodland. The 40-year-old former Arizona State player birdied five of the first eight holes and had a bogey on the par-4 12th.

“In a lot of ways, when you win you’ve got to have a lot of things go your way,” Perez said. “You’ve got to make a lot of putts, you need some help from other players. It’s everything. It’s so hard to win. But I just had this different look about it this week and I’ll hopefully carry that through for a while.”

He also won the 2009 Bob Hope Classic.

“I guess I’m just one of those late-maturers,” Perez said. “I know I was sort of a punk and all that early on, but I think I learned a lot about myself in the last nine, 10 months and it just paid off this week. I couldn’t be more excited about what’s going on.”

Woodland birdied the final two holes for a 70.

Russell Knox was third at 18-under after a 66.

“I wasn’t all that comfortable out there.” Knox said. “This course kind of makes you put the steer on sometimes, but I made seven birdies. A couple mistakes, but overall starting the day I would have taken 66.”

Chez Reavie (67), Kevin Streelman (65) and Scott Piercy (70) were 17 under.

“Great first, third and fourth rounds, just struggled there on Friday, which cost me winning the tournament, but a lot of good stuff,” Streelman said, pointing to a second-round 73. “Obviously, it’s early in the year and real excited.”

Pampling gets first PGA win in decade

Connor Threlkeld — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 03:05:05 +0000

LAS VEGAS — The birdie putt was still a foot from the hole when Rod Pampling raised his right arm and thrust it in the air as the balltumbled into the cup.

His victory Sunday in Las Vegas was a long time coming.

Pampling left nothing to chance by holing a 30-foot putt on the final hole at TPC Summerlin to close with 6-under 65 for a two-shot victoryin the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, his first PGA Tour title in 10 years.

“Sometimes you amaze yourself at what you can do under the gun, which hadn’t been for a long time,” Pampling said.

The 47-year-old Australian last won on the PGA Tour at Bay Hill in 2006. He lost his card and spent two full seasons on the Web.com Tour,then had to return to the Web.com Tour Finals at the end of last season just to get his card back.

He was No. 451 in the world ranking.

And now Pampling is headed to Kapalua for the Tournament of Champions in January, and he’ll be returning to the Masters Tournamentfor the first time in 10 years.

“It’s extremely rewarding,” Pampling said. “Winning Arnold Palmer’s event is still on top. But coming back from what we’ve had the lastfew years, to get a win under the belt, it’s phenomenal.”

Brooks Koepka closed with 67 to finish second.

Lucas Glover, going for his first victory in five years, was tied with Pampling with two holes to play until he made a bogey from the bunkeron the par-3 17th. He shot 69 to finish third.

Francesco Molinari of Italy had a career-best 61 and tied for fourth with Geoff Ogilvy (68) and Harris English (67).

Pampling kept his poise even when it looked as though the final round was getting away from him. He began the back nine with twobogeys in three holes – a three-putt on No. 10, missing the green with a pitching wedge on No. 12 – and fell one shot behind Glover.

Pampling bounced back with a 12-foot birdie putt, then an 8-iron to 18 feet for birdie on the 14th to catch Glover. Pampling made a 12-foot birdie on the next hole to keep pace, and his biggest shot might have been for par.

Tied for the lead on the par-5 16th, he pushed his drive well right into rough so deep that Pampling asked to identify his ball, and it was agood thing – it wasn’t his ball. His ball was a foot to the right, buried so badly that he could only muscle it about 30 yards behind anothertree, and he had to lay up short of the water. From 121 yards, Pampling hit wedge into 6 feet and saved par to stay tied.

Thomas successfully defends CIMB Classic title

Associated Press — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 22:49:38 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Justin Thomas completed a fairytale return to the CIMB Classic with a successful title defense after eight birdies in the final round Sunday earned him a three-shot victory over closest rival Hideki Matsuyama.

The American did not match his record tournament score of 26-under-par 262 in 2015, but he still finished with an impressive 23-under for only his second PGA Tour title.

“It’s great to win again here. It’s a place I’m comfortable with ... Hopefully I will be able to come back next year,” said Thomas, who shot 64 to match his first-day score.

Overnight leader Anirban Lahiri, who led the field by four shots into the final round, lost ground after a quadruple bogey on the third hole, after his tee shot went into a tree.

Lahiri recovered with a birdie and eagle over the next two holes, but the early setback left him in a tie for third with Derek Fathauer (67).

“I got unlucky with the tee shot and just compounded my errors. My short game again, coming up a little bit to bite me,” said Lahiri, the 2015 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner.

Marc Leishman (66) finished one shot away from Lahiri in fifth, with Keegan Bradley (68) one spot below him at 16-under.

US Amateur winner Curtis Luck rallies to win Asia-Pacific Amateur

Connor Threlkeld — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 05:23:30 +0000

INCHEON, South Korea — Curtis Luck overcame a seven-stroke deficit to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur on Sunday and earn a Masters Tournament invitation that the Australian didn’t need.

Already in the Masters with his U.S. Amateur victory, Luck, 20, made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th for 5-under-par 67 and a one-stroke win over countryman Brett Coletta.

“I’ve had an amazing year and this has topped it off,” Luck said. “I came here to try my best and win, but I wasn’t expecting to be standing here with the trophy at the end of the week.”

Luck finished at 12-under 276 at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club. He earned a spot in the British Amateur, after securing positions in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open with his U.S. Amateur victory in August at Oakland Hills.

Coletta, the third-round leader, had a chance to force a playoff on 18, but missed a 14-foot birdie try.

“It was a pretty nerve-racking finish,” Luck said. “I knew Brett could make birdie on 18, so fortunately for me he didn’t. That bunker shot was probably one of the most nervous shots I’ve ever had to play, and the putt just topped it off. I left myself a bit of a swinging putt, but I had a really good feel for it.”

Luck ended up costing Coletta a spot beside him the Masters.

“Brett’s a really close friend of mine,” he said. “I do feel a little guilty and sad, but I’m so competitive I couldn’t give up the chance to win an event like this.”

Coletta, 20, had two double bogeys in his 75.

“It’s really hard to swallow, but you’ve got to look at the positives,” he said.

New Zealand’s Luke Toomey was third at 9-under after 66.

Australia’s Cameron Davis, a stroke ahead of Luck and Coletta with four holes to play, closed bogey-bogey-birdie-triple bogey for 77 that left him fourth at 7-under.

Last week in Mexico, Davis teamed with Luck to lead Australia to victory in the World Amateur Team Championship and topped the individual standings.

The tournament is run by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the Masters and The R&A.

Michaux: We should all thank Palmer

Scott Michaux — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 02:22:05 +0000

Golf will never be the same for two reasons. First, that Arnold Palmer lived. Second, that Arnold Palmer has died.

The single most important figure in the history of the game – you can argue with me about this if you want, but you’d be wrong – passed away Sunday at the age of 87. It’s disorienting thinking about a world without him.

Golf – actually, all of sports – as we know it today owes everything to Palmer.

It was Palmer who created the modern image of sporting celebrity. It was Palmer who invented the concept of sports marketing with a handshake deal with Mark McCormack. It was Palmer who made golf a viable television entity. It was Palmer who invented the idea of the modern Grand Slam. It was Palmer who set the bar for civility and grace and manners that every athlete today can only aspire to achieve.

And closer to home here in Augusta, it was Arnold Palmer who made the Masters Tournament the Masters.

“He’s done so much for us,” said three-time major winner Nick Price. “He made the Masters. I’m telling you, hemade the Masters. There’s no doubt. When he won in 1958, the tournament was only 24 years old.”

Arnie was born in Latrobe, Pa., on Sept. 10, 1929, but Arnie’s Army was born in 1958 at Augusta. The soldiers from nearby Camp Gordon were offered free admission to the Masters for the first time and the club recruited them to run the leaderboards. The servicemen quickly embraced the charismatic Coast Guard veteran, swarming in his wake as he charged to a one-shot victory over Ken Venturi.

By the next year, “Arnie’s Army” showed up on one of the Masters boards, and his legion swelled everywhere golf is played as he won four green jackets every even-numbered year between 1958-64. His era of dominance happened to coincide with the advent of golf on television, and his magnetism came through on camera.

“When he came on, and television came on, it was a mix made in heaven,” Price said. “Arnold Palmer, television and golf. Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus obviously did a lot, but it was Arnold who had that magnetism that brought everyone together.”

Palmer connected with the golfing public like no player ever had. You were simply drawn to his energy and charisma and bravado. He was a pin-up idol in a buttoned-up sport. Only Seve Ballesteros from a European perspective had a similar kind of impact on the sport. Even Tiger Woods as the biggest sports celebrity in the world could not match Palmer’s universal appeal.

Ask any player – past or present – what Arnie meant to the game and they will wax on. Chances are, every one of them received a signed letter from Palmer at some point congratulating them on a victory or milestone achievement in their own careers and lives.

“I would say what hasn’t he done for the game would be easier to explain,” said former PGA Tour winner Billy Kratzert, an eight-time Masters participant. “He might have been looking at the whole crowd, but when he looked over there you kind of felt he was looking at you directly. To have that sense connecting to the people, that was huge. You connect to the people, you win major championships, you win other golf tournaments, you’re friends with presidents, celebrities like Bob Hope, club companies, first guy with a jet. What hasn’t he done? Everyone said Tiger (Woods) made golf cool, well that’s probably true. But the guy who piqued the interest of everyone about the game and brought it to where the golf is pretty cool (was Arnie). I’m watching this guy hit from under the tree and making birdie, he’s got that Pall Mall hanging out of his mouth and he’s hanging around Jackie Gleason and Bob Hope, that’s pretty cool.”

There’s a reason Palmer is still one of the top paid golfers decades after he stopped competing.

“He made the modern game,” said two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North. “He’s the man that put us on the map. We said for every dollar we make, we should give twenty-five cents to Arnold.”

We were blessed to have Palmer grace the game in the most public fashion for nearly seven decades. Long after he stopped being competitive, his mere presence at a tournament or in a pro-am drew us to him like moths to a flame. Even the most cynical media members stood up and applauded him as he tearfully exited the U.S. Open at his hometown Oakmont in 1994.

In 1988 in Richmond, Va., I went and saw Arnold Palmer win his last tournament at a Senior Tour event called the Crestar Classic. That was a year before I became a professional sports writer and had never met him, but I knew if The King was leading a golf tournament in your hometown you damn sure better show up and watch him.

Like so many of us who’ve been blessed to see him year after year in places like Augusta and Bay Hill and St. Andrews, Palmer’s stature grew every time he showed up. He never treated anyone with anything but respect and dignity. Old sportswriting friends like Ron Green Sr. might have traced their relationships with Palmer back to having breakfast with him at their hotel before the 1958 Masters, but he treated even his newest acquaintances with the same warm smile and thoughtfulness.

It’s already hard trying to comprehend an April without Arnie at the Champions Dinner or on that first tee at Augusta. Many of us have made a point of getting in place early on Thursday morning just to see him make that familiar lash at the golf ball. When he wasn’t fit enough to hit a tee shot this year, we still flocked to the first tee to see him just sitting there. I stood not more than 10 feet from his chair and he looked over toward the ropes and stared me straight in the eyes and gave a thumbs up. He might have been looking at anyone around me, but that image will forever burn in our memories as a last precious gift from The King.

It’s another personal story that stands out on a Sunday night when the reality that Mr. Palmer is no longer with us. It was at a reception on the eve of the 2006 Ryder Cup in Ireland introducing some already forgotten golf course his company designed. Palmer stood up to give a little speech, and as was often the case his emotions got the better of him. He was already tearing up as he toasted his late wife, Winnie, and his new bride, Kit. Then for some reason he thanked all of us.

“I’ve been lucky to live the best life any man could wish for,” Palmer said as we all had something in our eyes.

Palmer indeed lived a blessed life. He didn’t win as many majors as his Big Three mates Nicklaus or Player, but he won more hearts than any golfer who’s ever lived.

Yet we are the ones who were blessed to have Arnold Palmer around for so long as the game’s greatest ambassador. No one can ever replace him, but every lesson he left behind will live forever in our hearts and in the game.

Instead of saying goodbye, we should simply say “Thank you Arnold Palmer.”

Masters legend Arnold Palmer dies

John Boyette — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 00:52:41 +0000

Arnold Palmer, who won the Masters Tournament four times and helped bring golf to the masses, died Sunday night, according to multiple media reports. He was 87.

Known as the “King,” Palmer won 62 PGA Tour events before evolving into a successful businessman and golf’s elder statesman. His go-for-broke style – hitching up his pants and unorthodox swing – endeared him to the public and helped make golf a sport for the common man.

In a span of more than six decades at the Masters, Palmer seemingly did it all. He won four times in a seven-year span from 1958-64. He became the first winner invited to join Augusta National Golf Club as a regular member, and he revived the honorary starter tradition in 2007 after it had gone dormant.

Palmer established a Masters record with 50 consecutive starts from 1955-2004. He won tournaments all over the world, but Palmer was most closely associated with Augusta National and the Masters.

“When I walked on that hallowed ground, if you want to call it that, it was pretty special,” Palmer once said during a Golf Channel interview about Augusta National. “It was a privilege. And, of course, I think there is something to be said for the fact that America gives you a chance to earn those privileges.”

Health issues kept Palmer from participating in the Par-3 Contest the past two years, and Palmer gave up his duties as an honorary starter at the opening ceremony this spring. He still made an emotion-filled appearance alongside fellow Big Three members Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.

Palmer’s rise to the top of the golf world was hardly unique, but he never forgot his humble roots. He was born in Latrobe, Pa., in 1929 and his father, Deacon, was a club professional. The elder Palmer taught his young son the game, and he excelled.

He earned a college scholarship to Wake Forest, but he dropped out after a close friend and teammate was killed in an accident. Palmer joined the U.S. Coast Guard and took a hiatus from the game.

In 1954, he returned to national prominence by winning the U.S. Amateur and earning his first Masters invitation.

He quickly found success as a professional, and Palmer’s rugged good looks and his charisma were a perfect match for an evolving medium in the 1950s: television.

Up-and-coming CBS producer Frank Chirkinian would supply the innovations that would make the telecasts more enjoyable, and Palmer would supply the electricity that made golf must-see TV.

Chirkinian, who worked on Masters telecasts for nearly 40 years, remembered the first time he saw Palmer on television at the Masters. It was in 1959.

“Here comes Arnold, at the brow of the hill on 15, and this is my first experience with Arnold,” Chirkinian said. “And you know, the camera either loves you or hates you. The camera fell in love with him, standing there next to his caddie, hitching his trousers, wrinkling his nose, flipping a cigarette to the ground. He hitched his trousers again and grabbed a club from his caddie. And he hits it on the green.

“I thought, ‘Holy mackerel, who is this guy?’ He absolutely fired up the screen. It was quite obvious this was the star. We followed him all the way.”

Palmer finished third that year as Art Wall Jr. birdied five of the final six holes to win. But in Chirkinian’s mind, a star was born.

“It was electrifying. He was just magic,” he said.

His PGA Tour bio credits him with 62 victories on the PGA Tour, 10 on the Champions Tour and 11 international victories, but Palmer is remembered most for his seven victories in major championships.

He was at his best in Augusta, where he won the Masters four times between 1958 and 1964 and was so popular that “Arnie’s Army” followed his every move.

He first won at Augusta National in 1958 thanks to a controversial ruling that went his way and a timely eagle on the 13th hole. He later said it was one of the most important victories in his career.

“It put me in a position to feel a little more confident in my game. To then go on and win it three more times was sort of icing on the cake,” he said. “That was my first major objective - to win the Masters.”

In 1960, Palmer won his second green jacket, at the expense of Ken Venturi. The California pro held the clubhouse lead, and Palmer trailed by one with two holes to play.

Palmer drove safely but hit an indifferent approach to the 17th green. Facing a putt of nearly 30 feet, Palmer’s ball crept toward the hole, teetered on the edge and fell in for a birdie.

On the 18th, Palmer lashed a big drive around the corner that left him just a 6-iron away. He played a crisp shot that landed near the hole and stopped six feet left of the pin. With a national television audience watching, Palmer calmly rolled in the birdie putt to become the 1960 Masters champion.

Two months later, Palmer traveled to Denver to play in the U.S. Open at Cherry Hills. Palmer struggled for 54 holes, and his 215 total left him seven shots behind Mike Souchak.

Grabbing a quick lunch after his morning round, Palmer encountered his old friend, Bob Drum, the golf writer for the Pittsburgh Press.

As Dan Jenkins wrote in his book Fairways and Greens, Drum’s words inspired Palmer to go out and win the U.S. Open that afternoon:

“If I drive the green and get a birdie or an eagle, I might shoot 65,” Palmer said. “What’ll that do?”

“Nothing,” Drum replied. “You’re too far back.”

Palmer did drive the green at the first hole, and he birdied six of the first seven holes. He would go on to win by two shots over Jack Nicklaus, who was a 20-year-old amateur.

With victories in the first two majors, Palmer drew the attention of the sports world. The British Open, the game’s oldest major championship, had been spurned by most American pros for years. But with a possible Grand Slam in sight, Palmer made the trip to St. Andrews.

He made a game effort of it, but fell short by one stroke to Kel Nagle. The next two years, Palmer would win the British Open and receive credit for rekindling American interest in the event.

Palmer almost became the first man to win back-to-back Masters in 1961, but a poor bunker shot led to a double-bogey six on the final hole and South Africa’s Gary Player became the tournament’s first international champion.

Palmer shrugged off that disappointment the next spring.

He fired three consecutive subpar rounds to start the 1962 Masters, but he had to rely on some late-round magic (birdies at Nos. 16 and 17) to force the tournament’s first three-man playoff.

In the Monday playoff, Palmer made five birdies on the incoming nine to win easily over Player and Dow Finsterwald.

“Maybe it helped me that everybody kept asking me how I made six at the last hole last year,” Palmer told reporters.

Palmer played some of the best golf of his career at the 1964 Masters. His six-shot margin of victory was the second best in tournament history, as was his 276 total.

Palmer remembers that tournament for a different reason. He was trying to quit smoking, something he gave up for good later on.

“That was the year there was a lot of question about my game,” Palmer said. “The press was on me a little bit about quitting smoking. They thought it was (detrimental). I probably played the best Masters I ever played.”

With his victory, Palmer became the first four-time Masters winner.

No one could have predicted it, but that would be Palmer’s final victory in a major championship. He never won the PGA Championship to complete the career Grand Slam.

He would go on to challenge in the majors for another decade, but his last PGA Tour win came in the 1973 Bob Hope Desert Classic.

Palmer was the cornerstone of the “Big Three” with rivals Nicklaus and Player. The three were close friends, and under the guidance of agent Mark McCormack they each expanded their influence beyond the golf course. While Palmer was the first golfer to surpass $1 million in career earnings, he made far more than that from endorsements and business deals.

Forbes’ ranking of highest-paid retired athletes listed Palmer as third with earnings of $42 million in 2014. Beyond designing golf courses and endorsing golf-related products, he was known for popularizing his own drink (the “Arnold Palmer” is half lemonade, half sweet tea) and for co-founding The Golf Channel, a 24-hour network devoted to the game.

Despite those off-course successes, Palmer was devoted to playing the game as much as possible.

He would tee it up every chance he got and loved the “needling” and badgering that are a part of the daily games at Bay Hill Club and Lodge, the course he owns in Orlando, Fla.

Not even surgery for prostate cancer in 1997 could keep Palmer away from Augusta, and he continued to play in PGA Tour events and at the Masters well beyond his prime. His last Masters appearance as a competitor came in 2004.

Ovations from his adoring fans and well-struck shots motivated him.

“The people and those things are the reason I played as long as I have,” Palmer once said after playing in his PGA Tour event at Bay Hill. “Without the thoughts that they give me and to continue to tell me that they want me to play, I wouldn’t be here now. It’s nice, and it’s been nice through the years.”

McIlroy wins PGA Tour Championship

Associated Press — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 00:35:16 +0000

ATLANTA — Rory McIlroy finally won the FedEx Cup when he least expected it.

McIlroy was three shots behind with three holes to play Sunday in the Tour Championship. Nearly two hours later, he holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the fourth extra hole to win the tournament and claim the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus.

"I took advantage of my opportunities today and yeah, here we are," McIlroy said, his voice hoarse from screaming over so many quality shots and big moments.

In its 10th year, the FedEx Cup never had a finish like this.

McIlroy fittingly won on the 16th hole, where his remarkable rally began in regulation when he holed out from 137 yards for eagle, and then made birdie on the final hole for a 6-under 64 to join a three-man playoff with Ryan Moore (64) and Kevin Chappell (66).

Moore had an 8-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win and it caught the lip and spun out. Chappell had a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole to win and left it short.

They finished at 12-under 268.

Dustin Johnson surprisingly was never a factor and he hit too many errant shots on the front nine and never recovered, closing with a 73. Johnson, however, still would have won the FedEx Cup if either Moore or Chappell had won the tournament.

McIlroy had control of this all along. He looked to put the perfect finish onto his big day when he hit over the water to 6 feet for an eagle putt on the par-5 18th in the first playoff hole. Moore, however, holed a 10-footer for birdie. McIlroy was ready to pump his fist until his eagle putt slid by, and he removed his cap in disbelief.

Returning to the 18th, McIlroy missed an 18-foot birdie putt for the win. On the third extra hole, the par-3 15th over the water from 201 yards, McIlroy had to make a 7-foot par putt just to stay in the game.

Nothing was bigger than that birdie at the end. McIlroy stiffened his back, clutched both arms and shouted above the raucous cheers at East Lake. He earned a total of $11.53 million on Sunday, including $1.53 million for the Tour Championship. It was the 13th victory

At the start of the month, he had not won all year on the PGA Tour. He won the Deutsche Bank Championship three weeks ago, and then needed a little bit of help from Johnson to capture the FedEx Cup.

The consolation prize for Moore might be a trip to Hazeltine National for the Ryder Cup.

The American team decided to wait until after the Tour Championship for Davis Love III to make his fourth and final captain's pick. Moore, who won the John Deere Classic last month, showed all the qualities of a Ryder Cup player on Sunday, right to the very end.

Moore looked as though he would make it easy on McIlroy on the 16th in the playoff when his chip over a mound ran some 15 feet by the hole. He had to putt for par before McIlroy made birdie, and Moore drained it to force McIlroy to make his.

Love was to announce his pick later Sunday at halftime of the NFL game.

It was the longest playoff in the 30-year history of the Tour Championship.

For Johnson, it was the difference of $7 million with McIlroy winning. Johnson finished second in the FedEx Cup and received $3 million.

And it was more heartache for Chappell, who had his fourth runner-up finish this year. He twice was runner-up to Jason Day, and once to McIlroy. Chappell's closing rounds in those runner-up finishes were 67, 69, 69 and 66.

He had a two-shot lead with two holes to play when his tee shot found the nasty rough on the 17th and he made bogey — only his third of the week — and he failed to birdie the 18th.

"Played those two holes in 10. Probably not going to win too often," Chappell said. "I gave it all I had and got some good breaks, got some bad breaks there the last couple holes. But I'm proud of the way I fought. It just wasn't enough."

Reed wins Barclays, Fowler loses Ryder Cup spot

Associated Press — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 05:41:06 +0000

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Patrick Reed had a crystal trophy, a clear shot at the richest payoff in golf and a spot on the Ryder Cup team.

All he could offer Rickie Fowler was best wishes to join him at Hazeltine.

Reed picked up two victories Sunday at The Barclays. He rallied from an early two-shot deficit to win the FedEx Cup playoff opener and assure himself a clear shot at the $10 million bonus. And he secured a spot on the U.S. team at Hazeltine that will try to win back the Ryder Cup.

"Everyone's been talking about the Ryder Cup, been talking about, 'Oh, you're in the eighth spot and you're on the bubble' and all that," Reed said after his one-shot victory. "If you go and win, it takes care of everything else. ... It takes care of everything."

The way Fowler finished only leads to two weeks of uncertainty.

Fowler needed only to finish alone in third place, which was the farthest from his mind as he battled Reed at Bethpage Black.

"I wasn't trying to get a decent finish," Fowler said. "I was trying to win."

Two shots behind with four holes to play — and two shots clear of third place — Fowler missed a 4-foot par putt on the 15th hole and made double bogey on the next hole. His late meltdown sent him to a 74, a tie for seventh and kept him off the Ryder Cup team.

Reed built a big enough lead that a few sloppy mistakes over the final hour didn't matter. He made bogey on the final hole for a 1-under 70 and a one-shot victory over Sean O'Hair and Emiliano Grillo.

Fowler still could have made the Ryder Cup team with a birdie on the 18th hole. He missed another fairway and took bogey. It was the fourth time Fowler has failed to convert a 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour, though he remained optimistic.

"He just told me, 'Hey, I'm going to go get my work done. I'll see you in Minnesota,'" Reed said.

Sunday was the final day to earn eight automatic spots on the U.S. team. Fowler's late collapse allowed Zach Johnson to claim the eighth and final spot. Davis Love III still has four captain's picks over the next three weeks.

Reed, who finished at 9-under 275, wasn't the only player who felt like a big winner.

O'Hair was among five players who moved into the top 100 in the FedEx Cup, advancing to the next playoff event at the TPC Boston that starts Friday. And he made a big move, closing with a 66 to tie for second. That moved him all the way up to No. 15, assuring two more playoff events and giving O'Hair a good shot at staying in the top 30 who qualify for the finale at the Tour Championship.

Grillo birdied the final hole for a 69 and moved to No. 6.

Defending champion Jason Day struggled all week with his accuracy and had to settle for a 69, tying for fourth with Gary Woodland (69) and Adam Scott (71).

Reed had gone 55 tournaments worldwide since starting 2015 with a victory at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. A bogey on the par-3 third hole put him two shots behind Fowler, but not for long. Reed made three birdies on the next four holes to tie for the lead.

Even so, Reed could sense another tournament slipped away. Just seven holes into the final round, he already had missed four putts from 10 feet or closer and began to think back to other lost opportunities that kept him from winning.

That's when his caddie, brother-in-law Kessler Karain, told him to let it go and look ahead. A pair of tough par saves and a birdie at No. 12 gave Reed a two-shot lead, and he was on his way.

Fowler missed the 11th fairway and ended his streak of 55 consecutive holes without a bogey, losing the lead in the process. Reed holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the next hole for a two-shot lead, and Fowler never got any closer.

Sung Kang matched the course record with a 64 to move from No. 122 to No. 88. John Huh, Tyrone Van Aswegan and Derek Fathauer also moved into the top 100, while Shane Lowry, Peter Malnati, Robert Streb, Lucas Glover and Jonas Blixt fell out and ended their season.

The top 70 after next week advance to the third playoff event, with the top 30 going to East Lake for the Tour Championship.

With his victory, which moves Reed to No. 9 in the world ranking, Reed goes to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup. He will be assured of being in the top five who only have to win the Tour Championship to capture the $10 million prize.

Ryan Moore wins John Deere Classic for 5th PGA Tour title

Associated Press — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 05:17:04 +0000

SILVIS, Ill. — For all the late pars and the closing run of 46 holes without a bogey, Ryan Moore thought the key to his victory Sunday in the John Deere Classic was a 24-foot birdie putt on the fourth hole.

It moved him to 20-under and kept him two strokes ahead of Morgan Hoffmann, who was about to birdie the fifth hole.

“That was huge to get another birdie early, just to show the guys behind me I’m not messing around,” Moore said. “The worst thing to do is to be even or 1 over after five or six holes. Then all of a sudden you’ve got 10 guys thinking, ‘All right, I can go get this today.’”

With Moore making three birdies on the front nine and another on the 10th hole en route to 4-under-par 67, they had no chance. He won his fifth PGA Tour title by two strokes over Ben Martin.

Moore, 33, finished at 22-under 262 at TPC Deere Run. He won for the first time since successfully defending his CIMB Classic title in Malaysia in 2014.

“Every win is a little different,” he said. “I like how steady this was, with no bogeys on the weekend.”

Martin had three consecutive back-nine birdies in 68.

“I never got a whole lot going,” Martin said. “I just told (Moore), ‘You couldn’t make one bogey out there for me today?’ Hats off to him for just a solid round of golf. I don’t think he really ever sniffed a bogey.”

Whee Kim shot 67 to tie for third with Hoffmann (71) at 17-under.

Moore birdied Nos. 2, 4, 9 and 10 and closed with eight pars. He had a five-stroke lead when Hoffmann bogeyed the 12th hole. Martin, playing with Moore in the final twosome, birdied Nos. 12-14, but couldn’t get closer than two strokes. Martin parred his last four holes, and Hoffmann his final six.

“I just wanted to make a putt, which didn’t happen all day,” Hoffmann said. “In the middle of the round, it kind of went sideways.”

Moore hit 13 of 14 fairways in the final round and 14 of 18 greens in regulation, including the 18th, which he two-putted from 47 feet for the victory. He opened with three 65s in a row in the event thrown off schedule by rain Thursday and Friday.

Jordan Spieth chose not to defend his title because he didn’t think it would be appropriate in light of his decision to skip the Rio Olympics.

Augusta resident Wesley Bryan, the leader Friday when play was suspended, tied for eighth at 14 under after his second 70 in a row. He earned a PGA Tour card last week with his third Web.com Tour victory of the year.

NCAA champion Aaron Wise followed his third-round 63 with 70 to tie for 16th at 12-under in his PGA Tour debut as a pro. The former Oregon player won a PGA Tour Canada event two weeks ago in Edmonton, Alberta.

Zach Johnson, the 2012 winner and member of the tournament’s board, shot a 69 to tie for 34th at 9-under 275. He’s from nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Steve Stricker had 72 to tie for 52nd at 6-under. The 49-year-old Stricker, a former University of Illinois player from Wisconsin, won the event in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Jhonattan Vegas rallies to win Canadian Open

Associated Press — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 02:16:43 +0000

OAKVILLE, Ontario — Jhonattan Vegas birdied his way off Glen Abbey and waited to see if anyone could catch him. No one could.

Vegas rallied to win the Canadian Open on Sunday for his second PGA Tour title, birdieing the final three holes for an 8-under 64 and one-stroke victory.

The 29-year-old Venezuelan Olympic player began the day five strokes behind leader Brandt Snedeker and four behind U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson and Canadian amateur Jared du Toit. Last week in Alabama in the event opposite the British Open, Vegas shot a course-record 61 in the second round and tied for fourth.

"That's the fortunate breaks that sometimes you need to be a champion on the PGA Tour," Vegas said. "It's a great feeling. I mean, last week, I had a six-shot lead going into the weekend and lost by three. I was five back starting today and won by one. It's a crazy sport. You've just got to keep your head down and play hard."

Vegas had five straight birdies on Nos. 2-6, bogeyed the par-4 eighth and also birdied the par-5 13th.

"Starting the round, I knew that if I could get to 12 under, literally that's the number I had in my mind," Vegas said. "I didn't know that it was going to be enough, obviously, to win by one, but I knew it was going to give me a good chance."

He birdied the par-5 16th, par-4 17th and par-5 18th to post at 12-under 276.

"I think there were a bunch of guys around 11 or 10," Vegas said. "We had, I think, Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker, a bunch of guys, really close. Great players. I knew, if I got lucky, it was going to be a playoff. Super surprised when I saw that nobody got to 12."

Johnson, Jon Rahm and Martin Laird tied for second.

Vegas earned $1,062,000 and a spot in the PGA Championship next week at Baltusrol in New Jersey. He also received a two-year tour exemption and a spot in the Masters next year.

Also the 2011 Bob Hope Classic winner, Vegas did some soul-searching after the loss in Alabama

"I had a long talk with my parents. I had a long talk with my golf teachers about what was missing, what was the missing component of the formula to win," Vegas said. "Obviously, we had a long talk, a lot of things came out. Came this week with a completely different approach about things, and obviously it worked out."

Johnson eagled the 16th and birdied the 18th for a 69.

"It has to do with the putter. I just did not roll it that well," Johnson said. "Honestly, I had a good finish. But other than that, I didn't roll any putts.

"I played really nicely. I feel like I'm hitting the ball really well. I'm really looking forward to going into next week. I think the game is in really good shape. Do a little practice on the putting in the next few days over at Baltusrol. But other than that, I'm really confident in the game right now. I feel like everything is going really well"

Rahm, du Toit's former Arizona State teammate, birdied 16 and 18 in a 67. The Spaniard missed a 10-foot eagle putt on 18.

"He just went straight and didn't break," Rahm said. "It was hard to see it go by the left edge of the hole and not go in, that's for sure. ... Probably, if not the best, one of the best 5-irons I've ever hit, that's for sure. Came off perfect off the clubface."

Rahm tied for third in his pro debut late last month at Congressional.

Laird finished with two pars in a 67.

Snedeker shot a 71 to tie for fifth at 10 under. He birdied the 16th and closed with two pars.

"Very disappointing," said Snedeker, the 2013 winner at Glen Abbey. "Put myself in a position to win a golf tournament and to play the way I did today is disheartening to say the least. To putt the way I did and make decisions the way I did, put the ball in play off the tee like I did today and have every chance to be successful and completely gave it away.

"It's going to be a tough night, very frustrating to say the least. Lots of positives to build on for next week, and hopefully by tomorrow get my mind right and get ready to go for next week."

Du Toit tied for ninth at 9 under after a 71. He birdied 16 and 18.

"Once I got the first hole out of the way, I felt pretty good," du Toit said. "I was just so excited to be out there and in the final group in the atmosphere. I really wasn't thinking too much about my score or anything."

Du Toit, an Arizona State senior from Kimberley, British Columbia, was trying to become the first Canadian winner since Pat Fletcher, born in England, in 1954 at Point Grey in Vancouver, British Columbia. Doug Sanders was the last amateur to win the event in 1956, and Phil Mickelson — then also an Arizona State student — was the last amateur winner on the tour in the 1991 Northern Telecom Open.

Geoff Ogilvy also was 9 under after a 63.

Top-ranked defending champion Jason Day had a 67 to tie for 14th at 7 under.

Stenson wins duel with Mickelson to claim British Open

Connor Threlkeld — Sun, 17 Jul 2016 22:15:32 +0000

TROON, Scotland — Henrik Stenson is the champion golfer of the year, thanks to a final round for the ages.

He kept hitting the best shots of his life, one after another, and he needed each one to stay ahead of Phil Mickelson in a British Open duel that ranked among the best in major championship history.

Stenson made 10 birdies, including a 50-foot putt across the 15th green that had him pumping his fist in a rare show of emotion Sunday.

The final stroke in this masterpiece was a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that curled into the cup on the final turn. It gave him an 8-under 63, tying Johnny Miller at Oakmont for the greatest closing round by a major champion, and Stenson didn't even realize it until he sat down to sign his card.

Records didn't matter. This was about winning his first major.

"Right now I'm running on adrenaline. But there will be some point when I'll struggle to make it up the stairs when I get back to the house," Stenson said after four hours of an epic battle between two 40-somethings at Royal Troon.

Mickelson was a runner-up for the 11th time in a major, but never like this. He can't look back at a mistake because he really didn't make any. He opened with a 63, closed with a career-best 65, shot the second-best score in Open history and was 11 shots better than everyone in the field.

Except one.

"It's probably the best I've played and not won," Mickelson said. "I think that's probably why it's disappointing in that I don't have a point where I can look back and say, 'I should have done that or had I only done this.' I played a bogey-free round of 65 on the final round of a major. Usually, that's good enough to do it, and I got beat. I got beat by 10 birdies."

He got beat by arguably the best final round in 156 years of major championships.

Miller also made 10 birdies in his final round of the 1973 U.S. Open, and then waited to see if anyone could catch him. Stenson started the final round with a one-shot lead over Mickelson, and knew it would be a two-man race from the opening hole when Mickelson nearly holed out from the fairway.

He answered great shot with one of his own, finally pulling away with birdies on the 14th and 15th holes, and then a third in a row after Mickelson drilled a 3-wood onto the green at the par-5 16th and came within a fraction of an inch of making an eagle.

The last birdie was for the record book.

Stenson finished at 264, breaking by one shot the 72-hole scoring record in the majors that David Toms set in the 2001 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. His 20-under par matched Jason Day's record for lowest under par at last year's PGA Championship.

His biggest challenge was 46-year-old Mickelson, who has won five majors.

"I knew he wasn't going to back down at any point, and in a way that makes it easier for myself," Stenson said. "I knew I had to keep on pushing, keep on giving myself birdie chances. He wasn't going to give it to me, so I had to pull away. I'm just delighted I managed to do that with a couple of birdies at the right time."

This was heavyweight material, reminiscent of the "Duel in the Sun" just down the Ayrshire coastline at Turnberry in 1977, when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus battled to the final hole, and no one else was closer than 10 shots.

Stenson and Mickelson were never separated by more than two shots over 40 straight holes until the Swede's final birdie. In the final round, they combined to make 14 birdies and an eagle. If this was a better-ball match, they would have shot 59.

"I've always thought that he is one of the best ball-strikers in the game and that major championships are perfectly suited for him," Mickelson said. "I knew that he would ultimately come through and win. I'm happy that he did. I'm disappointed that it was at my expense."

J.B. Holmes won the B-Flight. He finished third, 14 shots behind.

The Swede won his first major in his 42nd attempt, becoming only the ninth player to capture his first major after turning 40. Beyond the score, the measure of his performance was that he putted for a birdie on every hole Sunday in a mild wind off the Irish Sea. Stenson three-putted for bogey from just off the first green, and he three-putted on No. 11 to fall back into a tie for the lead.

They matched pars on only six of the 18 holes.

Stenson became only the fourth player to win the British Open with all four rounds in the 60s, joining Tiger Woods, Nick Price and Greg Norman. He also ended a streak of six American winners at Royal Troon that dated to 1950.

He gave Sweden a long-awaited major in men's golf, 19 years after Jesper Parnevik lost a 54-hole lead at Royal Troon. Stenson said Parnevik send him a message that said, "Go out and finish what I didn't manage to finish."

"I'm really proud to have done that, and it's going to be massive for golf in Sweden with this win," Stenson said.

Maybe he can take that silver jug down to Rio in his search of Olympic gold.

Golf's top four players have withdrawn from the Olympics , but the Rio Games will have at least two of this year's major champions — Stenson and Masters winner Danny Willett of England.

There's one more major to play before Rio. Take a breath, Henrik. The PGA Championship starts a week from Thursday.

Noren wins Scottish Open for 5th European Tour victory

Associated Press — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 00:51:59 +0000

INVERNESS, Scotland — Alex Noren held off his pursuers in the final round Sunday to win the Scottish Open by one shot for his fifth victory on the European Tour.

All of Noren's victories have come after he started the final round in the lead and this was another impressive display of front-running from the Swede, who shot a 2-under 70 to finish on 14-under 274.

Tyrrell Hatton, Noren's playing partner, was the runner-up at Castle Stuart in northern Scotland after a 69, while Nicolas Colsaerts (66), Danny Lee (69) and Matteo Manassero (70) were a further shot back.

Hatton, Colsaerts, Manassero and Richie Ramsay took the final four qualification places for next week's British Open at Royal Troon.

Noren began the day with a two-shot lead, which disappeared after a bogey at No. 8 that left him tied with Lee. The 33-year-old Noren birdied Nos. 12 and 15 to go two shots in front again, and a two-putt par at the par-5 18th was enough to win.

"I was so nervous the whole day today," said Noren, who also led after the second round. "When the game doesn't feel as good as it looks, you just want it to be over and to come out with a win. That's what happened."

When Noren birdied the 12th, there were seven players within two shots. Yet the chasers barely made a birdie putt in the closing holes, with Colsaerts the fastest finisher by making eagle with a huge putt on No. 12 and then rolling in birdies on Nos. 13, 14, 15 and 18.

"I don't even want to calculate the length of putts on the back nine," the big-hitting Colsaerts said.

Hatton, who was bogey-free in his final round, ended a frustrating run of five straight pars by making birdie at No. 18 to break free of a four-way tie for second. It secured his place at a fourth consecutive British Open but Hatton remains without a professional win.

Americans Phil Mickelson (66), Patrick Reed (67) and Steve Stricker (67) were among the players going low in the final round, with Castle Stuart playing easier because of only light winds.

Billy Hurley III reigns at Congressional for first PGA Tour victory

Associated Press — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 23:17:21 +0000

BETHESDA, Md. — Billy Hurley III held the club in his left hand and fist pumped with his right. Not far from his Annapolis home and the Naval Academy he graduated from 12 years ago, he became a champion.

Hurley shot a 2-under 69 on Sunday to win his hometown Quicken Loans National at Congressional for his first PGA Tour victory. He finished at 17 under in Tiger Woods’ annual tournament, three strokes ahead of three-time major champion Vijay Singh.

To beat Singh, Ernie Els and 21-year-old Jon Rahm, Hurley showed the poise he developed at the Naval Academy and during his five years of service. Mental toughness and focus he said help with adversity on the course, and that showed through in his 104th PGA Tour start.

With the 53-year-old Singh closing on him, Hurley was at his best. He holed out from 35 yards on the fairway for birdie on the 15th, a shot worthy of celebration and one Woods himself called “impressive, really impressive.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Hurley made a 27-foot putt on the 16th to seal the tournament and wrap up the $1,242,000 first-place prize and a spot in the British Open. He had never finished higher than a tie for fourth in a PGA Tour event.

On Saturday the 34-year-old said there’s no better tournament to earn his first win, based on its proximity to home and its connections to the military.

“I’m just thrilled to have gotten it done today,” Hurley said.

Singh closed with a 65. Rahm, the former Arizona State star from Spain, wrapped up his professional debut with a 70 to tie for third with Bill Haas (68) at 13 under. Els was fifth at 12 under after a 72.

Hurley also had his father on his mind, 10 months after he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He thought of his dad, a police officer, when he saw officers following his group Saturday.

“It’s been a hard year,” Hurley said. “It’s been a really hard year, so it’s nice to have something go well.”

Hurley maintained his focus in the final round with Woods watching in his trademark Sunday red and with galleries full of fans supporting the local boy who grew up in Leesburg, Virginia, and proudly sports Navy colors including a club head cover of the academy’s goat mascot.

All week, Hurley heard chants of “Maryland” and “21412,” the zip code for the Naval Academy. The honorary starters on the first hole Sunday were Naval officers Georges Labaki and Matthew Cook, who both had met and talked to Hurley about golf and service.

“He served, for one,” Labaki said. “He did his time and he’s also representing the Navy. I’ve had a talk with him, personally, also, a few years ago. He said it’s been an honor to serve, but he wanted to follow his passion, golf.”

On Saturday the 34-year-old said there’s no better tournament to earn his first win, based on its proximity to home and its connections to the military.

“I’m just thrilled to have gotten it done today,” Hurley said.

Hurley also had his father on his mind, 10 months after he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He thought of his dad, a police officer, when he saw officers following his group Saturday.

“It’s been a hard year,” Hurley said. “It’s been a really hard year, so it’s nice to have something go well.”

Michaux: Dustin Johnson has the talent to win many more major championships

Scott Michaux — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 05:21:45 +0000

Only Dustin Johnson could finally end his long-suffering major championship history on America’s meanest golf course in the middle of a Twitter riot with the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head.

Despite the United States Golf Association’s best efforts to clutter up the game’s most uncluttered mind with the unnecessary threat of a retroactive penalty, Johnson buried any uncertainty and his tortured past with a decisive three-shot* victory in the 116th U.S. Open at Oakmont.

(* – The USGA isn’t fooling anybody; we all know it was really four shots.)

On the toughest hole on the golf course, Johnson dismissed his demons and any doubts with a dart of a 6-iron from 190 yards to 5 feet for an exclamation-point birdie. For old times’ sake he could have three-putted from there like he did last year at Chambers Bay and accepted a penalty like he did from the PGA of America at Whistling Straits and still had his name engraved on the trophy.

The only thing that could have stopped DJ was pulling a Roberto de Vicenzo with his scorecard. It would have fit the Dustin Johnson brand that he carried with him at all previous major championships, but that story doesn’t suit him any more. Golf’s most athletically gifted player finally fulfilled what has always been meant to be his destiny provided he could get out of his own way.

“After last year, to come back this year and perform like this, you know, I think it shows what kind of golfer I am,” he said.

Sunday’s triumph doesn’t erase Johnson’s past major transgressions, but it ends the misery generated by the annual rehashing of them. The meltdown at Pebble Beach, bunker-gate at Whistling Straits, the OB stumble at Royal St. George’s and the three-putt on the cauliflower greens at Chambers Bay are all just footnotes now that he’s broken through the glass ceiling. With talent like his, there are few limits to his potential to collect many more.

“It couldn’t be any better,” he said. “I think it’s well deserved. After everything that I’ve been through in the majors – I’ve knocked on the door a bunch of times – to finally get that major win, it’s huge. It gives me a lot more confidence going into every major to know that I can win. It’s a big monkey off my back for sure. I feel a lot lighter.”

En route to his rally from four shots behind Shane Lowry at the start of the round, Johnson had to endure the latest case in a long list of buffoonery from the USGA. Cleared by the on-site rules official when his ball moved slightly toward his putter as he was getting ready to address it on the fifth green, Johnson was informed by another official on the 12th tee that he might face a one-stroke penalty after a post-round review.

The impending threat basically hijacked the final hours of the U.S. Open. The game’s top players staged a social media rebellion against the “amateurs” running the national championship. There was no mincing of words on Twitter or confusion as to who was the villain and who was the sympathetic figure.

“This is ridiculous... No penalty whatsoever for DJ,” said Rory McIlroy. “Let the guy play without this crap in his head. Amateur hour from @USGA.”

“Lemme get this straight,” said Jordan Spieth. “DJ doesn’t address it. It’s ruled that he didn’t cause it to move. Now you tell him he may have? Now? This a joke?”

“Laughable!” said Rickie Fowler.

“@USGA treatment of @DJohnsonPGA absolutely shocking,” chimed in Ernie Els.

After Johnson was indeed assessed what the masses agree was a bogus penalty stroke after his round, the crowd around the 18th green erupted in boos when it was brought up during the trophy presentation. Johnson didn’t seem to care that the governing body that failed to restrain him from hitting drivers that carry 329 yards in the air would look like fools over a ball that wobbled a millimeter on absurdly fast greens despite him never touching or soling his putter behind the ball.

Johnson didn’t need to put up much of a fight in the clubhouse. He rendered it all moot by his impervious performance and handled it better than most golfers probably would have, shrugging it off in his usual manner then taking care of what he could control while everyone with a chance to benefit from his misfortune faltered all around him.

“I felt like I wasn’t going to be penalized,” he said. “So I just went about my business – just focused on the drive on 12 and from there on out, that we’d deal with when we got done. It doesn’t matter now. I’m glad it didn’t matter because that would have been bad. But, you know, it worked out.”

Amidst his own dejection for letting his four-shot lead slip, Lowry tipped his hat to Johnson for not letting the situation get to him.

“It didn’t affect the way I played,” Lowry said. “If anything, I credit Dustin for playing the way he played on the way in, having that hanging over him, because I probably would have wanted to know straightaway if it was me.”

When history reflects on the 116th U.S. Open, the egg all over the USGA’s face won’t matter as much as the name etched permanently onto its trophy and the scene of him celebrating Father’s Day with his 18-month-old son, Tatum, in his arms a year after hugging the infant as consolation.

For all his faults, Dustin Johnson deserves to be counted among the major winners. Of course there had to be more adversity along the way. It only makes the outcome that much sweeter.

“Just one more thing to add to the list, right?” he said of the weirdness he’s endured. “It definitely makes it sweet. It’s nothing new at this point. It’s happened so many times you kind of expect it now. To not have it effect the outcome is fantastic. It shows how well I played.”

Dustin Johnson wins U.S. Open

Connor Threlkeld — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 01:02:45 +0000

OAKMONT, Pa. — All the chaos and confusion couldn't stop Dustin Johnson from proving he had the head to be a U.S. Open champion.

One year after the most devastating of all his close calls in the major, Johnson endured two hours of not knowing the size of his lead while the USGA questioned whether he should be penalized one stroke for his ball moving on the fifth green.

Johnson said it didn't. The USGA said it would wait until after the final round to decide.

America's most powerful golfer took matters into his own hands Sunday at Oakmont with a 10-foot par save on the 16th hole, a tee shot he smashed down the middle of the 18th fairway and an approach to 5 feet for birdie that left no doubt who won the toughest test in golf.

Only after he was guaranteed that silver trophy did the USGA assess him a one-shot penalty, turning his final score into a 1-under 69 for a three-shot victory.

The lingering question was whether this U.S. Open was tougher than it needed to be.

Johnson had a short par putt on the fifth hole, took a few practice strokes and as he placed the putter behind the ball, it moved slightly — backward. Johnson stepped back and called over the rules official, told him it didn't move and he tapped in for par.

The USGA later decided to review it, and the timing was peculiar.

Johnson was in deep rough left of the 10th fairway when he was given relief from a television tower in his line-of-sight to the flag. He was able to move left toward the 11th fairway and drop it in the first cut of rough, and he powered it over the tower and onto the green, setting up a par. It was a huge break — within the rules — the kind that major champions often get.

One hole later, the USGA informed they had questions about the ball moving on No. 5.

"After looking at video, the actions he took could have caused the ball to move," said Jeff Hall, director of rules and open championships for the USGA. "We asked if there was some other reason the ball could have moved. He didn't state a reason."

The USGA wanted him to know that a one-shot penalty was likely so he could play accordingly, but it led to confusion over the back nine — for Johnson and for the players trying to catch him.

Shane Lowry, who began the final round with a four-shot lead that he lost on the front nine, caught him when Johnson made his only bogey on the back nine. Were they tied? Was Johnson one shot behind? No one knew.

Johnson played through it all, thinking only of that silver trophy that got away from him at Chambers Bay last year when he had a 12-foot eagle putt to win and then three-putted for par to lose by one to Jordan Spieth.

Lowry, the first player since Payne Stewart at The Olympic Club in 1998 to lose a four-shot lead in the final round of the U.S. Open, lost his putting touch that had carried him to the lowest 54-hole total at Oakmont. He three-putted from long range on three straight holes, and Johnson was flawless at the end.

Johnson finished at 4-under 276.

He gave three quick fist-pumps when the birdie putt fell on the 18th, hugged his brother, Austin, who caddies for him and scooped up his son Tatum on Father's Day.

Among the first to greet him was Jack Nicklaus, who won his first major at Oakmont in 1962. The gold medal for the winner is named after Nicklaus.