Latest Golf News Around the World

Langer's third win of the season at Administaff Classic

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:06:00 +0000

THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS (TICKER) —Bernhard Langer fired a 3-under-par on Sunday to win the Administaff Small Business Classic.

Langer, who entered Sunday in a tied for the lead with Lonnie Nielsen and Brad Bryant, finished at 12-under 204 to post a two-stroke victory at this $1.7 million event.

Nielsen signed for a 1-under 71 to finish second at 10-under 206. Bryant slipped with a 5-over 77 and tied for 20th at 4-under.

The win was Langer’s third of the season and earned him $255,00. He picked up his first career Champions Tour victory with his win here last season and Sunday’s triumph moved him to second in the Schwab Cup race and is his first since March.

“Houston has always been a good place and it has been especially good for me lately,” Langer said. “It could be very interesting with the Schwab Cup and the money list. They should all be on the line there in Sonoma.”

Langer started with a birdie and finished the front nine at 1-under after a bogey at No. 3 and a birdie at No. 7. He started the back nine with a bogey to drop to even-par for the round but rebounded at 11 with a birdie and had consecutive birdies at Nos. 13 and 14 to take the lead.

“The day started good with a birdie at No. 1 but then I made a mistake at No. 3,” Langer said. “Lonnie and I seemed to go back and forth today. Once I took the lead I was able to hold on to it. My key putts were on 13, 14 and 15.”

Nielsen was at 11-under after a birdie at the ninth and still had the lead at 10-under after a bogey at No. 10. He did not have a bogey on the back nine and eight straight pars to finish the round were not enough to hold off Langer.

“I played pretty well today, I just didn’t get as much out of my round as I would have liked,” Nielsen said. “The key stretch was 13, 14 and 15 for me. I hit it to eight feet at No. 13 and missed and Bernhard made a birdie. Bernhard played very well today. He’s an impressive player.”

Fred Funk fired a 3-under 69 and finished at 9-under 207.

This year’s event was held at The Woodlands Country Club after being played at Augusta Pines Golf Club for the last four seasons. The Woodlands served as the host site of the Houston Open on the PGA Tour from 1985-2002.

Marc Turnesa Got It Done In Vegas

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:02:00 +0000

LAS VEGAS (AP)—Marc Turnesa completed a wire-to-wire victory for his first PGA Tour title, closing with a 4-under 68 on Sunday to hold off Matt Kuchar by a stroke in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

The fourth rookie to win on the PGA Tour this season, Turnesa opened with rounds of 62, 64 and 69 at TPC Summerlin en route to a tournament-record 25-under 263 total. He earned a career-best $738,000 to jump from 138th to 75th on the money list.

Turnesa birdied Nos. 9, 11, 12 and 14 to reach 25 under on the mostly sunny, breezy day. He also birdied the par-3 17th, but dropped a stroke on the par-4 18th.

“I only won by a shot, so obviously every birdie I made was important,” said Turnesa, the 30-year-old former North Carolina State star who broke the event mark of 23-under 264 set last year by George McNeill.

Kuchar finished with a 64.

Former UNLV star Chad Campbell shot a 67 to tie for third at 22 under with John Mallinger (68) and 49-year-old Michael Allen (70). Tim Herron (62) and Davis Love III (67) followed at 21 under in the Fall Series event.

Kuchar, the second-round co-leader who began the final round at 19 under, birdied the par-5 13th and par-3 14th to take the lead at 24 under, but finished with four straight pars to fall a stroke back.

Matt Kuchar hits off the third…

“It started playing hard on the last couple holes,” Kuchar said. “The wind really started picking up. Fifteen and 16 are definitely birdie holes that I missed opportunities on. But into the wind with some tough pins, I’m just not quite long enough (on the par-4 15) to get quite all the way there into the wind.

“Sixteen, had a layup. It was certainly an opportunity from 110 yards. I missed one short putt on the first hole—about a 6-footer for birdie. Other than that, I played some pretty solid golf.”

Turnesa, the 2007 Miccosukee Championship winner on the Nationwide Tour, also led after three rounds last month in the Viking Classic, but made a late double bogey and ended up losing to Will MacKenzie on the second hole of a playoff.

“It was disappointing. But you know what, I did the best I could and it didn’t work out. The same thing could have easily happened here today,” Turnesa said. “You just got to get over it and move on. There’s tournaments every week out here and you just got to take the positive out of it and move on.”

Turnesa is part of a famous golf family. His great-uncle, Jim, won the 1952 PGA Championship, and his grandfather, Mike, was a six-time winner on the PGA Tour who finished second to Ben Hogan in the 1948 PGA Championship.

Mike was one of seven brothers, six of whom played on PGA Tour. One of those, Joe, was a 15-time PGA Tour winner. The only brother who didn’t turn professional was Willie, the 1938 and 1948 U.S. Amateur champion and 1947 British Amateur winner.

“I don’t really feel like I’m carrying on a name,” Turnesa said. “I guess I am without even thinking about it. I’m just trying to play golf as best I can and that’s all I can really do.”

Morgan Pressel Earns Her Second Win By Birdie The Last Hole

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:58:00 +0000

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP)—Morgan Pressel served as a gracious host but didn’t want to extend Kapalua’s welcome by going into overtime.

Pressel birdied the final hole Sunday in the inaugural Kapalua LPGA Classic for her first victory of the season.

Kapalua’s tour pro closed with a 3-under 69 to edge Suzann Pettersen (69) by a stroke. Pressel finished at 8-under 280 and earned $225,000 for her second career win.

The 20-year-old Pressel birdied two of her final three holes and made a clutch 15-foot putt from the fringe near the front of the green to secure the victory.

“I was nervous out there,” said Pressel, who missed a 2-footer for birdie on 18 in the third round. “I knew what I had to do. … I didn’t want to go extra holes.”

The victory was her first win in 43 starts and first top-10 finish since June.

“You expect her to make it,” Pettersen said. “You expect good players to make putts.”

Pressel won the Kraft Nabisco Championship last year to become the youngest player in tour history to win a major. Pettersen tied for second in that event in California after faltering down the stretch.

Conditions at the scenic and hilly Bay Course were balmy and slightly breezy. The tradewinds were down considerably from the first three rounds.

Laura Diaz (70) finished third at 6 under. Angela Stanford (70), Sun Young Yoo (72) tied for fourth at 4 under, a stroke ahead of Stacy Lewis, who closed with a 66, and Carin Koch (74).

Pressel was in tears after the win as she thanked her grandparents. It was a gutsy performance considering she played alongside top-ranked Lorena Ochoa and No. 2 Annika Sorenstam for the first two rounds and had numerous engagements to attend as Kapalua’s poster child.

Pressel shook her fist after draining a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th to catch Pettersen, who birdied 18 and was already in the clubhouse and waiting for a possible playoff.

Pressel also got up-and-down from the bunker to save par on the par-3 17th. She had a long eagle attempt on the 454-yard, par-5 15th, but three-putted for par.

The 27-year-old Pettersen had a costly bogey on that hole, which was the easiest of the tournament and one that she birdied the two previous days. She ran into trouble hitting into the greenside bunker and then three-putting.

With several players jostling for the outright lead, Pettersen emerged from the pack by birdieing four of five holes just before the turn to reach 8 under and open a three-stroke lead over Pressel, Yoo and Jee Young Lee.

That’s when Pressel told her caddie, “Wow. Suzann is on a tear this morning.”

“I had my chances out there, let a few players into the game,” said Pettersen, winless this year after winning five times in 2007.

Ochoa (71) tied for 14th at 1 under while Sorenstam closed with a 72 and tied for 25th at 2 over. She played solidly the last three days but couldn’t overcome her opening round 77. She smiled and waved to the roaring gallery as she tapped in for birdie on the final hole after missing a 15-foot eagle putt.

“I do feel very good about my game. I know the score doesn’t reflect that and that’s the bottom line in golf,” Sorenstam said.

The 72-time LPGA Tour winner made her second to last competitive appearance in the United States before leaving the tour at the end of the year. She will make her final U.S. appearance will be at next month’s ADT Championship.

Kapalua also marked the final LPGA Tour event she and younger sister Charlotta, will play together. They will play one more time in Dubai on the Ladies European Tour.

The Sorenstams will be spending a lot of time together. Charlotta teaches at her sister’s golf academy.

“She lives in my house and she works for me, so we don’t have to fly all the way to Hawaii to hang out,” Annika Sorenstam said. “Next year, we’ll see a lot of each other.”

Can Pettersen Gets Her First Win This Year Currently Tied Along With Brittany Lang

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:14:00 +0000

Both players stand at 4-under-par 140 after Pettersen posted an even-par 72 and Lang fired a 1-under 71 during the second round.

Pettersen, who carded a 4-under 68 to take the lead after the opening round, came back to the pack thanks to a bogey on No. 7. She had two birdies and two bogeys on Friday.

Seeking her first win of the season, Pettersen carded just one birdie on the front nine after four on the first nine holes during the opening round.

Lang, who had three birdies and two bogeys in the second round, is looking for her first career Tour win. She posted her best finish when she tied for second at the Sybase Classic in May.

The aforementioned duo briefly was joined by Laura Diaz, who was tied for the lead through 13 holes until bogeying No. 14 en route to a 3-under 71 for the round.

Diaz is tied for third one shot back with five other players, including Alena Sharp, Sun Young Yoo, Jee Young Lee, Ji Young Oh and Il Mi Chung. After carding a two-over-par 74 in the opening round, Sharp fired a 5-under 67 to put herself in that pack.

World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa is tied for 11th place with seven other players after posting a 3-under 69 in the second round en route to a 143 - three shots off the lead.

Annika Sorenstam, who announced this will be her final season earlier in the year, bounced back from a 5-over 77 in the opening round. The 72-time winner carded a 2-under 70 to position herself in a tie for 49th place, good enough to make the cut.

First prize is $225,000.

Bean Take a one stroke lead at the Administaff Classic

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:10:00 +0000

THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS (TICKER) —Andy Bean sits atop the leaderboard entering Saturday’s second round of the Administaff Small Business Classic.

Bean charged into first place on Friday, shooting a 7-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first day of competition.

Looking for his second Champions Tour win of the season, Bean birdied five of his last eight holes to take a slim lead over Joey Sindelar and Jay Haas.

Bean’s first-round performance was his best since the opening round of the Regions Charity Classic in May, a tournament he won. He also came in third at the SAS Championship three weeks ago.

Sindelar is looking for his first Tour victory since 2004 and his first top-10 finish since 2006. He posted three consecutive birdies on the back nine to move closer to the top of the leaderboard.

Haas, who is second in the Schwab Cup standings - just 28 points behind leader Fred Funk - also had a strong late showing, posting birdies on three of the last five holes. He has not won a tournament since claiming back-to-back titles at the Senior PGA Championship and the Principal Charity Classic in May.

Bernhard Langer, who is third in the Schwab Cup race, is three strokes back as he tries to defend his title at the $1.7 million event. Langer picked up his first career Champions Tour victory with his win here last season.

The German veteran bogeyed two holes on the front nine but settled down to get back in the hunt.

This year’s event is being held at The Woodlands Country Club after being played at Augusta Pines Golf Club for the last four seasons. The course is a 7,018-yard, par-72 layout. It served as the host site of the Houston Open on the PGA Tour from 1985-2002.

First prize is $255,000.

Pebble Beach at Baja Peninsula For Tiger

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:02:00 +0000

BEVERLY HILLS, California (AFP) - One day after Tiger Woods played through pain in his knee to win the US Open, he spent over three hours strolling the site of his new Mexico golf course with his business partners.

It was the first time Woods had viewed the site for the planned 100 million dollar private course overlooking the Pacific Ocean which he hopes will become known as the 'Pebble Beach' of the Baja peninsula.

"I got involved in this project just before the US Open. I was supposed to do a site visit on the Monday. But I was busy," Woods said at a news conference at the Hotel Bel-Air on Tuesday

Two days after capturing his 14th career major championship title in a Monday playoff on June 16, Woods underwent reconstructive anterior cruciate ligament surgery which ended the 2008 season for the 32-year-old American.

"He walked three and a half hours on site and had to have surgery the next day," said Woods' business partner Brady Oman, the co-founder of The Flagship Group.

The Ensenada-area Punta Brava project features a hotel, private clubhouse, luxury ocean view homes, swimming pool, spa and is expected to take two years to build with completion scheduled for 2011.

"It is like anything I get into," Woods said. "I always go into it leery. I looked at the plan and liked this one. As soon as I saw the site I was in.

"You can see the ocean from every single hole on the course."

The planned 18-hole, 6,853-yard course is located 108 kilometres (65 miles) south of San Diego. Woods' favourite holes are the par-three No. 2 and the 12th.

"There are eight shots you have to hit over water," Woods said. "When you get to No. 12 it is similar to No. 8 at Pebble Beach."

Woods, who turned down more than 12 other golf course design proposals, said it took more than 20 tries to settle on a course layout for Punta Brava.

"This is my first ocean front golf course," Woods said. "I tried to give people the feeling of building drama throughout the round."

Strong 2nd Round for Marc Turnesa Shot An Eight-Under 64

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:57:00 +0000

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) - Marc Turnesa fired an eight-under 64 to maintain a share of the lead after the second round of the 4.1 million dollar PGA Shriners Open.

Turnesa opened the day with a share of the lead along with Zach Johnson.

He had a late hiccup with a double bogey at No. 17, but struck back with an eagle at the 18th.

Johnson is alone in third a shot back at 17-under.

Kuchar posted a nine-under-par 63 for the second consecutive day.

Limiting himself to one bogey thus far, including none in the second round, the 30-year-old has rebounded from a rough stretch that saw him fail to make the cut in seven straight tournaments.

Kuchar has accomplished the great start through consistency, picking up strokes on five of the same holes that he did in the first round. He also picked up a birdie on the 18th, a hole that he had to settle for his only bogey on Thursday.

Overall, Kuchar had nine birdies in his bogey-free round, including two on the four par-three holes.

The 2007 Masters champion, Johnson lost his share of the lead when he bogeyed his opening hole but rebounded to finish with a seven-under 65.

Johnson is coming off a win at the Valero Open last week.

John Mallinger is another shot back after signing for a 64 for the second straight round.

Ken Duke (66) and Pat Perez (63) are tied for fifth at 15-under 129.

Hall of Framer Went Hip Replacement Surgery

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:37:00 +0000

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP)—Eight-time major champion Tom Watson is recovering from hip replacement surgery, saying Thursday he wanted to improve the qualify of his life and still be competitive on the golf course.

The surgery to replace his anterior approach hip was Oct. 2 at St. John’s Health Center.

Watson, 59, left the hospital one day after surgery with the use of only a cane. He is rehabilitating at home in Kansas City, Mo.

“Tom Watson evaluated his options for hip replacement with a goal of returning to professional golf competition,” said Joel Matta, director of the Hip and Pelvis Institute at St. John’s who performed the surgery.

Watson said he plans to return for the Senior Skins Game in January.

He won twice on the Champions Tour this year and was 12th on the money list with $972,343 in only 10 starts.

51 Year Old Spaniard UnderGoing For His Second Surgery

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

The condition of Seve Ballesteros has worsened with the Spanish golf legend undergoing fresh surgery to ease a build-up of fluid in the brain.

More StoriesSeve: A career in pictures
Seve: A career in numbers
The 51-year-old, who collected 87 titles before knee and back problems forced him to retire last year, underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove a brain tumour.

"Forty-eight hours after his operation, the patient Severiano Ballesteros suffered a loss of consciousness because of a cerebral oedema and had to undergo a decompressive craniectomy," La Paz Hospital said in a statement.

"His situation is stable and is under control."

A decompressive craniectomy is a medical procedure aimed at relieving critically increased intracranial pressure.

Charity Brain Tumour UK said a craniectomy to relieve pressure on the brain was an emergency procedure only carried out in one percent of cases following the removal of a tumour.

It added the swelling could be caused by a wide range of problems, including bleeding, irritation of the brain and incomplete removal of the tumour.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said doctors would take until at least Saturday to analyse the sample and determine if five-time major winner Ballesteros was suffering from a malignant or benign tumour.

"They have to do tests to confirm the type of tumour," she said. "They have an idea but they do not want to say anything until it is confirmed from tests."

Ballesteros was taken to La Paz Hospital on October 6 after he collapsed and briefly lost consciousness at Madrid airport.

He announced on Sunday he had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and would undergo a biopsy before doctors decide on a course of treatment.

Ballesteros won the Open in 1979, 1984 and 1988 and became the first European to win the Augusta Masters in 1980, a title he repeated in 1983.

He was an influential figure in the Ryder Cup, winning 20 points from 37 matches and captaining Europe to victory at Valderrama in 1997.

Known for his flamboyant and imaginative style of play, he won one of his three Open titles by playing a shot from a temporary parking lot.

LANGER READY TO DEFEND HIS TITLE THIS FRIDAY AT THE ADMINISTAFF CLASSIC

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:42:00 +0000

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (Ticker) - Bernhard Langer will begin his title defense and be looking to make a move up the Charles Schwab Cup standings when the Administaff Small Business Classic begins on Friday.

Langer picked up his first career Champions Tour victory with his win here last season. It was about as easy as a first win can be as the two-time Masters champion shot 62-65-64 to roll to an eight-stroke victory.

If Langer is to repeat as champion of the $1.7 million event he will have to do so on a new course. This year’s event will be held at The Woodlands Country Club after being played at Augusta Pines Golf Club for the last four seasons.

With two wins this season, both in March, and 13 top-10s in 18 events, Langer is right in the mix for the Schwab Cup. He is currently third in the standings, 217 points behind Fred Funk. Jay Haas is in second, 28 points back.

Haas is the leading money winner in this event and will be one of Langers main challengers, along with Funk, Loren Roberts, D.A. Weibring and Tom Kite.

A Hall of Famer, Kite is still seeking his first win in the Lone Star state - he is a combined 0-121 in Texas on both the PGA Tour (103 starts) and Champions Tour (18 starts).

The course at The Woodlands Country Club is a 7,018-yard, par-72 layout. The course served as the host site of the Houston Open on the PGA Tour from 1985-2002.

First prize is $255,000.

NORWEGAIN LEADS THE WAY IN KAPALUA CLASSIC

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:36:00 +0000

LAHAINI, Hawaii, (AFP) - Norway's Suzann Pettersen carded a 4-under-par 68 and holds a one-stroke lead after Thursday's opening round of the 1.5 million dollar Kapalua LPGA Classic.

Pettersen, who is seeking her first win of the season in North America, birdied three of her final four holes to move ahead of Brittany Lang.

Pettersen has won twice this season, but both were on the European LPGA Tour. She won the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open and the Irish Ladies Open.

"I've been close over here," said the 27-year-old, who has seven top-10 finishes this year - including a third-place showing two weeks ago at the Samsung World Championship.

"I just haven't quite caught up. But I know that if I am patient and I play well, I'm capable of winning - and that's the most important thing."

Pettersen surpassed Lang, who is at 3-under 69. The 23-year-old Lang, who is seeking her first career Tour win, posted her best finish when she tied for second at the Sybase Classic in May.

Lang sank five birdies, including consecutive ones on Nos. 14 and 15. Her only mistakes were bogeys on the par-3 12th and 17th.

"I played great," Lang said. "I didn't think it played that tough."

Tracy Hanson recorded just one birdie in a flawless round but notched a hole-in-one on the par-3 12th. She is tied with Lang at 3-under.

"It was a 7-iron from 156 yards," Hanson said of her hole-in-one. "It hit, kind of bounced right and then I looked away and one of the caddies said, 'I think that went in' and I said 'No, no one is cheering.' But the wind was blowing so hard, we couldn't hear the cheering. I already had my putter in my hand."

Anna Rawson is one of six players tied for fourth at 2-under 70. Like Lang, the 27-year-old Australian is seeking her first win on the Tour.

RED HOT ZACH JOHNSON SHOT -10 UNDER PAR FIRST ROUND AT VEGAS

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:32:00 +0000

LAS VEGAS – Zach Johnson had another "boring" day on the course. Not that that's a bad thing for a player who relates boring to efficient.

Coming off an unexpected victory last week in the Texas Open, the 2007 Masters champion shot a 10-under 62 on Thursday for a share of the first-round lead with Marc Turnesa in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

"All in all, it was pretty boring," Johnson said. "I feel boring golf is one where you hit the ball on the fairway, hit the ball on the green and give yourself a chance at a birdie. It was boring because I hit a lot of fairways. I missed one on seven just because I hit it too far. Then, I believe I missed a fairway on the 11th, and that was it. I picked my target, swung at it and dun, dun, dun, da, da."

After closing with weekend rounds of 62 and 64 in San Antonio, Johnson had 10 birdies on a sunny, windless day at TPC Summerlin. He opened with a 4-under 32 on the back nine, then birdied Nos. 1-5 and finished with another birdie on No. 9.

"The greens were in great shape," Johnson said. "The only things you really have to pay attention to is where the Stratosphere (tower) is and the roll of the fairway."

The 62s were a stroke off the course record set by Davis Love III in 2001.

Johnson's victory last week was his fourth on the PGA Tour.

"I think it's just the confidence," Johnson said. "Confidence in that my fundamentals are going in the right direction and confidence in my execution being good, especially down the stretch."

Turnesa also birdied the par-4 ninth to complete a bogey-free round.

"I'm just trying to make a lot of birdies because it's going to take a lot of them to win this tournament," said Turnesa, a PGA Tour rookie. "There's no defense without the wind. I came in with no expectations at all, and that's probably why I played well. This week will be all about putting and, obviously, I putted great today."

Michael Allen, Nick Watney, Matt Kuchar and Ken Duke opened with 63s, and Canadian Open winner Chez Reavie, Kevin Na, John Mallinger, Nick Flanagan shot 64s. U.S. Ryder Cup players Hunter Mahan and Chad Campbell, a former UNLV star, topped a group at 65.

The 49-year-old Allen also had a bogey-free round.

"I made some 10-footers and a few putts," Allen said. "I didn't make a ton of bombs or anything. Out here, you keep the ball in play and try and make sure you make pars at worst, and stay away from the few tricky shots. Then, the rest of the course, you just know you've got to make birdies, that's for sure.

"I saw the scoreboard when we were on 15 or 16 with 9 under. That's (Johnson's score of 62) pretty good after you come back from winning last week to come out here and put up 62. He's a great competitor."

Ryder Cup Hang Over For Robert Karlsson Shot a 69 In The Portugal Masters

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:17:00 +0000

VILAMOURA, Portugal, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Robert Karlsson remained in control of Europe’s order of merit race when the Swede shot a three-under-par 69 in the Portugal Masters first round on Thursday.
While the world number eight lies three strokes behind early leaders Mark Foster of Britain and Spain’s Alvaro Quiros, money-list rival Lee Westwood slipped to a 72 after a promising start.
Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, also in with an outside chance of winning the order of merit and playing in the same group as Karlsson and Westwood, could only summon up a 73.
Money-list leader Karlsson, aiming for a third successive tournament win, had to rally after a poor opening.
“I didn’t play great at the start, it’s a bit difficult to concentrate on just the event because everyone’s talking about the order of merit and it’s hard not to be affected,” Karlsson told reporters.
“You have to learn how to do it, though, and it’s good the first round’s out of the way.”
With Padraig Harrington, second on the money-list, absent this week Karlsson can go close to clinching the order of merit.
TIRED WESTWOOD
The signs for the third-placed Westwood are not encouraging. Two-under coming to his eighth hole, the 17th, he found water with his approach and that caused his round to fold.
“I played like a tired man who wants the year to end,” said the Briton. “I walked away with a (double-bogey) seven on 17 and it was what I deserved because I should have laid up instead of trying to hit the green coming out of semi-rough.”
The tournament’s top group were put on the clock after falling behind time but escaped penalty. Karlsson and Westwood said they deserved their warning.
Co-leaders Foster and Quiros are trying to add to maiden wins, coincidentally in the same event, the Dunhill Championship.

George NcNeill Eager to raise his profile in the Game

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:12:00 +0000

LOS ANGELES, Oct 15 (Reuters) - American George McNeill, eager to raise his profile in the game, will launch his title defence among illustrious company in Thursday’s opening round at the Las Vegas Open in Nevada.
Pop singer and actor Justin Timberlake is hosting the event for the first time and former major winners John Daly, Mike Weir, Davis Love III and triumphant U.S. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger are all competing this week.
“Hopefully I’ll be a household name soon,” McNeill told reporters in the build-up to the fourth event in the PGA Tour’s Fall Series. “I’ve played well in the past and I don’t think I’m that big of a surprise.”
Twelve months ago, McNeill clinched his maiden title on the world’s biggest tour by four shots but he will never forget he had been working as a club professional just a year earlier.
“I was a club pro for about six or seven months,” the 33-year-old recalled. “It wasn’t very long but it was long enough to drive me back to playing the game competitively.
“I know I don’t ever want to have to do that again, so I keep that in the back of my mind and just keep plugging away out there and try and have fun.”
Fun is hardly the priority for several players in this week’s field at the TPC Summerlin where time is running out to secure playing privileges on the 2009 PGA Tour.
EXEMPT STATUS
Only four more events remain on the 2008 Tour schedule for players to break into the top 125 on the money list and earn exempt status for next season.
Among those on the outside looking in are former major winners Rich Beem (128th) and Tom Lehman (129th).
“These are big weeks for a lot of guys for a number of reasons,” said Canadian left-hander Weir, who lies 15th in the money list with earnings of $2,719,169.
“Guys trying to keep their card, trying to move up the money list and trying to win. Not only will you have a great time in Vegas, but it’s a good golf course to play and I think the combination of everything gets a better field here.”
Apart from McNeill, other former winners in this week’s field include fellow Americans Bob Estes, the 2001 champion, Love (1993) and Azinger (1987).
Timberlake becomes the 13th celebrity to host a PGA Tour event, following in the footsteps of luminaries such as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.

Lorena and Annika Head to Head at Kapalua

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:27:00 +0000

LAHAINI, Hawaii (Ticker) - The world’s top two players, Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam, highlight the field this week at the inaugural Kapalua LPGA Classic.
The $1.5 million event starts Thursday at the Kapalua Resort’s Bay Course and is the fourth of six inaugural tournaments on the 2008 LPGA Tour schedule.
Ochoa, who finished fourth at last week’s Longs Drugs Challenge, is joined by seven of the top-10 players from the LPGA money list.
The world No. 1, Ochoa has racked up 17 top-10 finishes in 19 starts this season and the 24-time LPGA Tour winner will be shooting her first victory in the Hawaiian Islands.
Sorenstam returns to action and is tracking her fourth victory of the season. The 72-time LPGA Tour winner, who announced earlier this season that she will be stepping away from competitive golf at the end of the year, won the first event of 2008 at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay, where she defeated three players by two strokes.
Also in the field this week are Morgan Pressel, rookie Yani Tseng, Cristie Kerr, Anna Rawson and Karrie Webb.
Playing in her third season on tour, Pressel has finished in the top-15 in five of her six appearances in tour events in Hawaii. Ranked 33rd on the money list this season, Pressel is in search of her second career victory.
Tseng will have an opportunity to extend her Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year lead as her closest challenger - South Korean Na Yeon Choi - is not entered. Tseng contended last week at the Longs Drugs Challenge before finishing tied for third.
The Bay Course at Kapalua Resort will play at a par-72 and 6,600 yards.
First prize is $225,000.

Ballesteros Suffered a Complication after Brain Surgery But Is In Stable Condition

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:20:00 +0000

MADRID, Spain (AP)—Five-time major champion Seve Ballesteros suffered a complication following surgery on a brain tumor, but is in stable condition, Madrid’s La Paz hospital said Thursday.
Doctors removed a piece of Ballesteros’ skull to relieve pressure that was building up on the brain following Tuesday’s surgery. The hospital said in a statement that the 51-year-old former golf star is stable but still in intensive care.
On Tuesday, doctors removed a sizable part of Ballesteros’ tumor. It was not immediately known if it was malignant.
The hospital said Ballesteros had presented a “decreased level of consciousness by brain swelling,” adding that a decompressive craniotomy had been carried out.
Decompressive craniotomy involves part of the skull being removed to allow a swelling brain room to expand. Doctors say it is not uncommon after such operations.
Ballesteros, who won three British Opens and two Masters, briefly lost consciousness and on Oct. 6 was admitted to the hospital, where the tumor was discovered. On Sunday, he acknowledged having a tumor and said he faced the “hardest challenge of my life.”
Ballesteros, who won a record 50 tournaments on the European tour, retired last year because of a long history of back pain and has since concentrated on golf course design.
Ballesteros transformed European golf. After the Ryder Cup was expanded to include continental Europe in 1979, Ballesteros helped beat the United States in 1985 to begin two decades of dominance. He also captained Europe to victory in 1997 at Valderrama, Spain.
Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal made one of the most formidable partnerships in Ryder Cup history, with 11 wins, two losses and two halves.

Furyk Beat Harringtion In PGA Grand Slam On Wednesady

noreply@blogger.com (CaddyTimes) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:09:00 +0000

Jim Furyk won the PGA Grand Slam of Wednesday on Wednesday, birdieing the final hole to force a playoff with Padraig Harrington and winning with an 8-foot eagle putt on the first extra hole.
“I’m obviously very happy with the outcome,” said Furyk, who played in place of the injured Tiger Woods in the four-man event for major champions.
“It’s kind of a wonder that I’m even in the event to start with. So I kind of treated the week like I had nothing to lose. Rarely do I kind of go in just thinking about having fun. I’m usually all business and maybe it’s something to learn. I kind of kept plugging away and didn’t let too many things bother me.”
Furyk, winless on the PGA Tour since the 2007 Canadian Open, shot his second straight 2-under 68 to match Harrington at 4-under 136 on the Mid Ocean Club course. Harrington, the British Open and PGA champion, also shot consecutive 68s.
“Obviously, I had a chance to win,” Harrington said. “I think Jim played well, solid golf through the two days, and you know, is a deserved winner, but I had opportunities. … That’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Retief Goosen shot a 71 to finish at 1 over, and Masters champion Trevor Immelman had a 69 to end up last at 5 over.
Furyk earned $600,000.