Boston Herald - Boston Herald

Colonial member Ryan Palmer has 1st-round lead with 62

Associated Press — Fri, 24 May 2013 07:29:46 -0400

FORT WORTH, Texas — Ryan Palmer has a definite home-course advantage at the Colonial.

Palmer and his longtime caddie James Edmondson are both full-fledged members of the club, and play there quite often. Edmondson is even the reigning Colonial club champion, having won his third such title just last year.

Making good use of all that local knowledge, Palmer shot an 8-under 62 on Thursday that matched the lowest PGA Tour first round at Hogan's Alley. That put him a stroke ahead of John Rollins, who had his best round this season.

Euro Tour CEO apologizes for saying 'colored'

Associated Press — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:52:01 -0400

VIRGINIA WATER, England — The head of the European golf tour apologized for using the term "colored" during a live television interview Thursday in which he was reacting to the spat between Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia.

European Tour CEO George O'Grady said that "most of Sergio's friends are colored athletes in the United States."

The word "colored" was once widely used in the United States to refer to African-Americans but it is now considered antiquated and offensive. In some African countries, it is used to denote individuals of mixed racial ancestry.

Woods: Garcia comment hurtful, time to move on

Associated Press — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:14:34 -0400

Sergio Garcia apologized to Tiger Woods for saying he would serve fried chicken if they were to have dinner at the U.S. Open, an ugly addition to nearly two weeks of verbal sparring.

What had been a celebration of European golf at an awards dinner south of London shifted suddenly to a racially sensitive moment involving Woods, the No. 1 golfer in the world and the only player of African-American heritage on the PGA Tour.

Garcia said he meant to give a funny answer to a playful question, and it turned out to be "totally stupid and out of place."

Inaugural tournament cut to 54 holes

Associated Press — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:06:35 -0400

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Stacy Lewis brings more value to the LPGA Tour that just her golf.

Along with becoming the first American in 18 years to win LPGA player of the year, and then rising to No. 1 in the world for four weeks, Lewis had a direct hand in bringing two tournaments to the LPGA Tour. One of them is this week, the Bahamas LPGA Classic, which grew out of her partnership with Ohio-based title sponsor Pure Silk.

She also aced what amounted to a pop quiz by the chief executive of Marathon Oil, which now sponsors a tournament in July.

Chapman set for Senior PGA title defense

Associated Press — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:06:23 -0400

ST. LOUIS — Roger Chapman is in the spotlight at the Senior PGA Championship, a year after his breakthrough victory in the major championship.

"Last year, I sort of snuck in under the radar," the 54-year-old Englishman said Wednesday, a day before the start of play at Bellerive Country Club. "I've raised the bar myself. That puts a bit more pressure on me."

Zach Johnson always feels good at Colonial

Associated Press — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:05:28 -0400

FORT WORTH, Texas — Zach Johnson always feels good when he gets to Colonial.

That feeling usually last through the week.

Johnson has won at Hogan's Alley twice in the last three years. He is the first player in more than three decades with four consecutive top-10 finishes in the event.

Now he's back as the defending champion, without a top 10 this season. But he has felt good even without eye-catching results.

Woods: Garcia comment hurtful, time to move on

Associated Press — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:59:46 -0400

Sergio Garcia apologized to Tiger Woods for saying he would serve fried chicken if they were to have dinner at the U.S. Open, an ugly addition to nearly two weeks of verbal sparring.

Garcia said he meant to give a funny answer to a playful question, and it turned out to be "totally stupid and out of place."

Rickie Fowler planning $100K donation to Oklahoma relief

Associated Press — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:26:58 -0400

FORT WORTH, Texas — Rickie Fowler is encouraging fans attending the Colonial to contribute to relief efforts after the deadly tornado this week in Oklahoma.

And Fowler is going to do his part for the state where he spent two years playing college golf at Oklahoma State.

Fowler said Wednesday he will match the first $100,000 given by Colonial fans with a donation of his own.

While he doesn't know anybody personally in Moore, Okla., Fowler says he has friends who know people around there, and that it was hard to watch and "pretty tragic to see."

Dahlberg: Sergio Garcia will pay dearly for Tiger Woods remarks

Associated Press — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:09:07 -0400

Sergio Garcia could have stopped after he whined about fans of Tiger Woods making too much noise on the golf course. He should have stopped after saying Woods is not a nice person who has been lying to the media since the first time he stepped into an interview room.

That he didn't close his mouth may end up to be Garcia's biggest regret in a career already chock full of them.

"The problem is, I'm one of the guys that has to say something," Garcia said the other day. "A lot of people think about it, but don't want to say anything."

Clark future uncertain if tour follows anchor ban

Associated Press — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:06:33 -0400

FORT WORTH, Texas — Tim Clark considers his future in golf uncertain now that the game's two governing bodies have outlawed the anchored putting stroke.

"Man, this is getting really serious now," Clark said Wednesday from the Colonial. "You kind of deal with it and suddenly it's made, and you're like 'Wow.' It's tough."

The next step is whether the PGA Tour will accept the decision made this week by the U.S. Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club. The anchored ban, which had been expected, begins in 2016.

Ernie Els: Can 'play ball' without long putter

Associated Press — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:26:34 -0400

VIRGINIA WATER, England — Ernie Els is ready to "play ball" even without a long putter.

The four-time major champion, who won last year's British Open with a belly putter, said Wednesday that the PGA Tour should accept the decision by golf's ruling bodies to ban anchoring and long-handled putters in 2016.

Rory McIlroy: Still friends with Graeme McDowell

Associated Press — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:26:20 -0400

VIRGINIA WATER, England — Rory McIlroy has dispelled any split in his relationship with longtime friend Graeme McDowell.

McDowell confirmed that McIlroy will be leaving Dublin-based Horizon Sports Management after only 18 months, though neither McIlroy nor Conor Ridge at Horizon have commented on the split.

When asked about his management Tuesday at Wentworth, McIlroy said, "Go ask GMac. He knows more than me."

Timeline of Garcia and Woods quotes

Associated Press — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:55:37 -0400

UNDATED — A timeline of quotes in the verbal sparring between Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods. It dates to May 11 at The Players Championship, when Garcia was preparing to hit his second shot on the par-5 second hole and was disrupted by cheers from the gallery surrounding Woods in the trees because he took 5-wood from the bag:

MAY 11

Garcia, Woods take their shots at each other

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:01:32 -0400

VIRGINIA WATER, England — Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia don't like each other, and they're making no effort to disguise their feelings.

The verbal feuding began May 11 during the third round of The Players Championship. It resumed this week on both sides of the Atlantic when Woods offered a one-word answer if he thought about contacting Garcia to put the matter to rest.

"No," he replied with a tight smile.

Garcia fired back at a sponsor function outside London.

Chinese teenager pulls out of US Open qualifying

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:39:29 -0400

FAR HILLS, N.J. — Guan Tianlang has decided not to try to play in the U.S. Open.

The USGA said Tuesday that the 14-year-old from China has withdrawn from sectional qualifying in Dallas on June 3. Guan informed the USGA shortly after he received a sponsor's exemption to play in the Memorial, which ends June 2. The USGA offered to move Guan's qualifier from Texas to the Ohio to help with travel, but the teen declined.

Golf adopts rule to ban anchored putting stroke

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:37:46 -0400

Golf's two governing bodies outlawed the anchored putting stroke used by four of the last six major champions, approving a new rule that starts in 2016 and urging the PGA Tour to follow along so the 600-year-old sport is still played under one set of rules.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club and the U.S. Golf Association adopted Rule 14-1b, which prohibits players from anchoring a club against their bodies.

Tiger will return to Begay's charity event

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:45:18 -0400

VERONA, N.Y. — Tiger Woods is returning again to play a charity event hosted by Notah Begay III, his former teammate at Stanford.

Woods will play in the NB3 Foundation Challenge in late August at Turning Stone Resort's Atunyote (ah-DUNE'-yote) Golf Club. It'll be his fourth appearance in the six years Begay has hosted the event, a fundraiser that targets health issues facing Native Americans.

Europe captain to pick 3 for Ryder Cup, up from 2

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:40:56 -0400

VIRGINIA WATER, England — Europe captain Paul McGinley has given himself an extra pick for next year's Ryder Cup, copying American counterpart Tom Watson's decision to choose three players.

McGinley announced the decision on Tuesday, after meeting the leading European players on the U.S. PGA Tour at the Players Championship. He received their unanimous endorsement to increase his picks from two to three.

In Watson's first big move as captain, he said in March he will reduce his selections to three players, down from four, as captain's picks.

4 Americans to qualify for British Open in Texas

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:46:42 -0400

PLANO, Texas — Americans Josh Teater, Scott Brown Johnson Wagner and Bud Cauley qualified for the British Open on Monday at the international final qualifying at Gleneagles Country Club Queens Course.

The 34-year-old Teater shot rounds of 64 and 69 to take medalist honors. He has never played in a major championship before taking one of eight spots available under very windy conditions at the par 70 course.

The British Open will be held July 18-21 at Muirfield Golf Club in East Lothian, Scotland.

Just say 'no' to make-up between Woods, Garcia

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:44:41 -0400

BETHESDA, Md. — Tiger Woods spoke for some 20 minutes about the state of his game, belly putters, the U.S. Open and the AT&T National. As he was wrapping up, he needed just one word to cover the topic of Sergio Garcia.

Asked if he had any thought of contacting Garcia to make amends between the two, Woods quickly answered: "No." He smiled. Nearly everyone else in the room laughed.