Golf 2014 [Archive] - OnlineSport Forum

miril

22nd February 2014, 09:32

L'arrogance et la confidence, in una si aceasi persoana, la Victor, combinatie pozitiva sau negativa, asta depinde de el, ma refer de acum incolo. Chestia cu benzina se poate aplica si francezului, Mc Dowell este un excelent putter, cu nervi de otel, calitati pe care Victor potential le poseda, lipsa de experienta la un astfel de turneu putand fi compensata de drive-ul excelent care i-ar putea creea un avantaj la cupele cu par 5. In ceea ce priveste vectorul de imagine, Victor, in afara de consistenta jocului ar trebui sa lucreze la a se face mai...medial, caci chiar daca nu as zice ca ii lipseste carisma, usoara aroganta ar putea sa-l loveasca ca un bumerang, lucru valabil si pentru Tiger. Si ceva in plus, Victor, Dumnezeule, esti francez, nu uita, mai lasa rosul ala ca nu pliaza pour un garcon de Cannes! Alaturi de francez, Oosthuizen a impresionat poate cel mai mult prin surclasarea adversarilor, indiferent de reputatia lor, dovedind ca a intrat in acea transa care-l caracterizeza cand este in forma, facandu-l periculos in lupta pentru adjudecarea trofeului. In final, incerc o predictie, pentru finala: Jason Day vs Jordan Spieth. Iata programul sferturilor cu orele de start (noua ore dupa ora Romaniei):

http://www.pga.com/news/golf-leaderboard/accenture-match-play-championship-leaderboard

miril

22nd February 2014, 10:00

Un articol, inclusiv video, cu gestul lui Garcia de a imparti cupa cu Fowler, gest care l-a costat meciul:

http://www.pga.com/news/golf-buzz/strangest-good-good-youll-ever-see

miril

22nd February 2014, 23:28

Super Rickie il va intalni pe Jason Day, in prima semifinala. Victor preia conducerea la cupa 9, in timp ce Els are avantaj, dupa cupa 12, cu doua lovituri.

miril

23rd February 2014, 00:26

Els mai departe, Victor, la egalitate dupa cupa 15.

miril

23rd February 2014, 01:10

En cool Victor il intalneste pe Els in a doua semifinala.

atisha

23rd February 2014, 14:03

Are nervi tari Victor, superb pitch-ul ala la ultima cupa dupa ce mingea a luat-o in directia gresita. O sa fie o zi de golf foarte interesanta.

miril

23rd February 2014, 20:11

Jason Day, primul finalist. Echilibrat in celalalt meci cu doua cupe ramase.

miril

23rd February 2014, 20:30

Victor in finala. Bon chance, Victor!

miril

24th February 2014, 07:08

Superba finala castigata de Jason Days dupa 5 cupe, in prelungiri si unde Victor s-a luptat ca un erou sa ramana in joc, cu tufisuri si cactusi, lucru normal pentru un Dubuisson. Doi mari tineri campioni unde, din pacate, a trebuit sa se aleaga un invingator si un invins.

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/02/23/daydubuisson-847-greenwood.jpg

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/02/23/upshot-jason-day-victor-dubuisson.html

Rickie Fowler a castigat locul trei invingandu-l pe experimentatul Els, la ultima cupa.

miril

24th February 2014, 10:05

Incep cu o rectificare, Rickie l-a batut pe Ernie la prima cupa de prelungiri si nimic altceva. Continui cu o imagine de familie:

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/02/23/Day-408-Upshot.jpg

Si inchei cu Victor...(din)Tufis:

http://www.pgatour.com/ (Vezi video-ul "Two incredible up and downs from Victor Dubuisson at Accenture")

atisha

24th February 2014, 10:13

Deci debut fulminant pentru Victor in America :) sa vedem ce va face in turneele care urmeaza.

miril

24th February 2014, 11:08

Nu stiu daca va dori sa participe regulat la turneele PGA avand in vedere ca este anul cu Ryder Cup. Atisha, de ce nu iti pui un avatar cu Victor? Ar fi frumos si te-ar prinde.

atisha

24th February 2014, 19:09

nu-i rea ideea :D e haios cum toata lumea vorbeste de invinsul finalei, dupa loviturile alea dintre cactusi :P

miril

3rd March 2014, 11:30

Last man standing, Russell Henley, la The Honda Classic, profitand de caderea lui McIlroy, la ultimele cupe, si castigand la prima cupa, cupa 18, din prelungiri, depasindu-i atat pe Rory dar si pe Ryan Palmer si Russell Knox, toti patru terminand cu -8 dupa patru runde desi la un moment dat Rory avea -12.

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/03/02/upshot-henley-wins-honda.html

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/03/02/Henley-Upshot.jpg

Uitasem sa adaug ca...Tiger withdraws during final round

http://www.pgatour.com/tourreport/2014/03/02/tiger-withdraws-during-final-round.html

miril

5th March 2014, 07:02

Inaintea turneului World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship Victor este in centrul atentiei:

Victor Dubuisson prefers actions to speak louder than words in Miami Paul Mahoney The Times

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00532/148348891_dub_532866c.jpg

European golf has a new superstar in Victor Dubuisson. The 23-year-old Frenchman may have lost the WGC-Accenture Match Play final two weeks ago to Australian Jason Day, but the way he channelled Seve Ballesteros to play miraculous escape shots from behind rocks and bushes in the Arizona desert, and the way he defeated major champions Ernie Els, Bubba Watson and Graeme McDowell, won him an army of fans. And everyone wants a piece of Dubuisson this week at the WGC Cadillac Championship at Donald Trump’s $250 million revamped Doral resort in Miami, Florida.

The trouble is, the on-course Seve from Cannes is more Greta Garbo off it. He wants to be alone. His press conference here was at times excruciating as he was forced to talk about himself. But he’d better get used to it. His performance in Arizona and his maiden victory in Turkey last November, where he held off Tiger Woods and Justin Rose, have all but guaranteed him a place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles in September. And if his meteoric rise up the rankings continues, the world No 23 is going to have to shake off his shyness and embrace his new celebrity status.

He ought to he a marketing dream. There is something about Victor. He has charisma and charm, a winning smile, and a designer beard and flowing locks that make him look more like a musketeer than a golfer. But there is also a darker, brooding side to him. He’s a reformed club-throwing hothead with a reputation for sometimes being cavalier with his time-keeping and a reluctance to expand on why he left school when he was aged 10 or 12 to pursue his dream to play golf. Even that statement was delivered with vagueness. “Well, my parents, they, well, I was more by myself,” Dubuisson struggled to say. “Just no personal family questions,” he said. “I don’t like to think about that, sorry.”

All of which, of course, makes him an intriguing superstar enigma. His past is only part of his story and may emerge as he becomes more comfortable in the spotlight. But for now it is his spectacular short game and monster long game that has the world of golf aghast. But just how will this likeable, gentle, sensitive soul cope when thrown into the cacophonous circus of the Ryder Cup? Far from being swallowed up, fellow Frenchman Thomas Levet, who played on Europe’s winning team in 2004, said it would be the making of him. “If it can bring Bernhard Langer out of his calm, it can do the same for Victor,” Levet said. “We may even see him punching the air and high-fiving.”

Dubuisson was inspired by watching Woods win his first major at the 1997 Masters but he also had pictures on his wall of Levet, his French hero and role model, who is helping him to cope with all this newly acquired attention. “The more you play well, the more people get interested in you,” Dubuisson said. “So I hope I can have more interviews.” Levet’s message is clearly getting through.

Woods, the world No 1, is the established centre of attention and speculation is still rife about whether he will play on Thursday after withdrawing from Sunday’s final round of the Honda Classic suffering from back spasms.

Rose, the world No 7, missed out last week with a shoulder injury, but he is good to go and feels good vibes here having won in 2012 citing it an important stepping-stone on the way to winning the US Open last year. “It kept me on a trend of winning bigger and bigger tournaments,” he said.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/golf/article4023317.ece

miril

5th March 2014, 12:53

Enhanced leaderboard set for Honda
PGATOUR.COM's new-look leaderboard makes its debut during Honda Classic

Va fi interesant cum va functiona acum la acest turneu si mai ales de acum inainte. Cine poate urmari in direct la TV nu va fi o problema avand in vedere ca fusul orar este favorabil prin comparatie, sase ore fata de fusul orar al Europei Centrale, respectiv sapte pentru Romania. In plus, pentru ca vor fi prezenti cei mai buni dintre cei mai buni, vor fi aliniati doar 69 de jucatori de golf, ceea ce permite sa ii vezi pe mai toti la TV, aproape in direct, prima grupa incepand la ora 17:00, ora EC si la ora 19:01, ora EC, fiecarei grupe trebuindu-i cam 4,5 ore ca sa termine o runda, adica va dura in total cam pana la miezul noptii in Suedia, spre ex., respectiv unu nopate in Romania.
Dar pentru cei care nu au acces la TV acest nou design va fi interesant caci se poate urmari virtual totul ca mai inainte plus ca video-ul este cuplat pentru loviturile care sunt interesant de vazut la mai toti jucatorii si asta la cam 15-30 de minute interval de cand a avut loc. Personal, pe vechiul format, vedeam pe o jumatate de ecran de computer Lederboard in format clasic, unde loviturile sunt urmarite descriptiv, si pe celalata, Lederboard vizual, cu ajutorul lui Shot Trails, individual sau pe grupe.

http://www.pgatour.com/content/pgatour/tourreport/2014/02/26/new-leaderboard-set-for-debut.html

atisha

6th March 2014, 06:40

De azi, Cadillac Championship la Doral, in Florida, al doilea turneu WGC al anului. Primul la care participa toti greii, chiar toti, fara absente.

Cateva grupe sunt chiar misto, clar facute pentru TV:

Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Henrik Stensson
Jason Day, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy
Justin Rose, Zach Johnson, Sergio Garcia

Let the show begin! Sper ca astia de la Sky au echipa lor de productie si comentatori, cum au avut si la World Matchplay.

miril

6th March 2014, 09:15

Doral, cu o noua infatisare. In ultima mea postare am vrut sa ma refere la World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship si nu la Honda, cand noul sistem de a urmari turneul pe noul -site-ul PGA.COM a fost testat pentru prima oara. Si grupa cu Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar si Jordan Spieth ca si grupa cu Steve Stricker, Bubba Watson si Graeme McDowell sunt interesante. Victor Dubuisson e in grupa cu Hideki Matsuyama si Luke Donald.

Tee Times:
http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/content/worldgolfchampionships/cadillac-championship/tee-times.html

atisha

10th March 2014, 09:04

Patrick Reed. Bravo lui. M-a mirat acea serie de 3 runde la -9 fiecare de la Humana Challenge, dar se pare ca tipul chiar stie meserie, n-a fost doar o intamplare.

Si ce traseu... Nici nu stiu de cand nu s-a castigat un turneu cu -4 dupa 4 zile, un turneu care sa nu fie Mare Slem.

Victor a fost primul... de la coada. Deh, in golf tre sa fii smerit.

miril

10th March 2014, 11:16

Foarte buna si prestatia preferatului meu, Bubba Watson, care a treminat...en fanafare, pe doi la egalitate cu Jamie Donaldson, fiind unul din cei trei care a terminat cu minus, -3 si printre putinii care nu a intrat la apa si nici nu a facut decat max. bogies. Ultima runda a fost cu ceva dramatism la sfarsit cand tanarul si foarte talentatul Reed a dat semne ca-i tremura manseta ajungand de la -6 la -4 in doua runde, inainte de final. Asta mai ales ca nici Bubba, care a ratat minimal, 2 inch=aprox 5 cm, un al cincilea birdie pe runda la cupa 17, runda fara bogey si nici galezul Jamie Donaldson nu au aratat semne de renuntare la lupta finala. E drept ca Donaldson a facut bogey la cupa 18 iar Watson, in stilul caracteristic, a iesit si el in decor la ultima cupa fara ca acest lucru sa aibe efect pe scor, mai degraba in buzunar, in plus pentru american si in minus pentru galez. Foarte greu traseu pe Blue Monster regandit de magnatul Donald Trump si de constructorul desemnat, mai ales cand vantul isi face simtita prezenta, lucru criticat de multi jucatori prezenti, jucatori de elita ai momentului, caci cu exceptia lui Jason Day, retras pe motiv de dureri, elita a fost prezenta.

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/03/09/Reed-Celeb.jpg

Frumos prezent facut de Patrick sotiei , un caddy aflat in concediu natal, acesta fiind inlocuita de fratele ei, adica de cumnatul castigatorului. Deci castigul ramane cu siguranta in familie, cu alte cuvinte.

miril

14th March 2014, 09:28

Foarte buna prestatie a lui Bubba Watson la acest inceput de an i-a adus confirmarea fiind declarat "Player Of The Month" in luna februarie.

http://www.pgatour.com/pom.html

Intre timp s-a desfasurat prima runda a Valspar Championship din PGA Tour. Iata clasamentul rundei:

http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

miril

17th March 2014, 10:24

Profitand de o participare mai modesta la Valspar Championship, multi se gandesc la turneul urmator, din acest sfarsit de saptamana, prestigiosul Arnold Palmer Invitational dar si la Augusta, australianul John Senden a castigat turneul dupa o pauza de 8 ani de la ultima victorie, devansandu-i pe Kevin Na si Scott Langley, in acesta ordine.

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/03/16/Senden-Wins.jpg

Dorin

17th March 2014, 21:44

Am vazut si ce mi-a placut a fost bucuria lui naturala la sfarsitul rundei.

miril

18th March 2014, 08:36

Iata si un rezumat al ultimei runde cu zambetul final al cool-ului John:

d17_cV--TNU

La o privire mai atenta, din spate si pe spate, pe acest video, se vede si un anume rechin binecunoscut nu numai australienilor.

miril

18th March 2014, 09:09

Iata si video-urile castigatoare pe 2014 pana la victoria lui John Senden. Multe lucruri in comun, pe final, vreme frumoasa, imbratisari, saruturi si copii frumosi in brate:

H4on1RqjMaQ LOiptX3Pt6I J_XTI4nmhHY sh152uyj3rc xle7FMrIfr8 62l-bPK17rY WgWY3RebadA AYgrQ7aEEbc XZPNj5Bi70s 4PI-_zLuE1U
GMTYiVMuZiQ

miril

19th March 2014, 07:02

Woods withdraws from Arnold Palmer Invitational.

http://www.pgatour.com/tourreport/2014/03/18/tiger-woods-withdraws-arnold-palmer.html

atisha

19th March 2014, 10:20

era normal... nu arata prea bine la finalul rundei ultime de la Doral.

miril

19th March 2014, 11:49

Featured groups: Arnold Palmer Invitational Sean Martin PGATour.Com

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/03/18/bubba-847-squire.jpg

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard begins Thursday in Orlando. A strong field is assembled to pay honor to one of the game’s legends. Another legend, Tiger Woods, has dominated this event, winning eight times, including four of his last five starts here. Here’s a look at some groups to keep an eye on:

Bubba Watson-Brandt Snedeker-Rickie Fowler – 8:11 a.m. ET, 10th tee on Thursday; 12:56 p.m. ET, 1st tee on Friday: Watson, who lives only about 10 minutes away at Isleworth, has finished in the top 10 in four consecutive events, including a win at the Northern Trust Open and two runners-up; Watson has three consecutive top-25s at this event, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in 2012. Fowler played with Woods in the final group of last year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational before finishing third. Snedeker, the 2012 FedExCup champion, is seeking his first top-10 since the 2013 BMW Championship.

Patrick Reed-Adam Scott-Justin Rose – 8:23 a.m. ET, 10th tee on Thursday; 1:08 p.m. ET, 1st tee on Friday: Reed is making his first start since winning the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. His post-round comments drew attention after he said he believed he was a top-five player in the world. He’ll get a close look at two of the game’s best as he plays with reigning Masters champion Adam Scott, the world’s No. 2 player, and sixth-ranked Justin Rose, the winner of last year’s U.S. Open. Rose was runner-up at the 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational and finished third in 2011.

Henrik Stenson-Ian Poulter-Keegan Bradley – 12:56 p.m. ET, 1st tee on Thursday; 8:11 a.m. ET, 10th tee on Friday: Lake Nona neighbors Stenson and Poulter will play with Bradley, who finished third at this event last year. Stenson and Poulter also have good records here. Stenson has posted two consecutive top-15s, including an eighth-place finish last year. Poulter finished third in 2012.

http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/arnold-palmer-invitational-presented-by-mastercard/tee-times.html

miril

19th March 2014, 20:00

Uitasem!

Day withdraws from Arnold Palmer Invitational

http://www.pgatour.com/tourreport/2014/03/17/day-withdraws-from-arnold-palmer-invitational.html

miril

20th March 2014, 19:01

A Daly Round By Bubba

Se pare ca am prostul obicei sa deochi pe preferatii mei. Mi s-a intamplat cu Inter, mi s-a intamplat cu Spurs, azi mi s-a intamplat cu Bubba care a reusit performanta de a termina runda cu +11 adica 83, daca nu ma insel cea mai proasta runda din cariera lui de profesionist, cupele 18 (+3) si mai ales 6 (+6) l-au pus out of band pentru weekend, asta daca nu se va intampla o minune maine. Conduce imperial Adam Scott cu o runda de + 10 (62), adica -21 comparativ cu Bubba. No comments.

atisha

21st March 2014, 08:29

Bubba s-a si retras dupa runda. Alergic, cica. Dar si Adam a jucat bolnav.

miril

21st March 2014, 10:40

Da, alergie, e greu de spus ce inseamna asta de fapt dar este mult mai usor de speculat, mai ales din partea noastra a chibitilor. Multi sunt inclinati sa spuna ca Bubba este alergic la alergenul specific jucatorului de golf numit bogey. Mult mai putini spun ca ai sau nu ai alergie, dureri de spate si alte Woods-like problems trebuie sa arati ca esti tare si sa te bati ca un barbat adevarat in continuare in orice conditii, a se citi in cazul lui Bubba, continua si runda a doua indiferent daca vei bate la sfarsit recordul din 2008, adica peste 84 de lovituri pe runda. Si mai putini spun ca ce pacat ca Bubba are alergie tocmai acum cand se afla in mare forma, la trei saptamani de Augusta.

Daca este sa vorbim strict medical, alergia sezoniera, polenul in cazul acesta, poate fi extrem de suparatoare pana la cazuri de urgenta medicala. Alergia in forma ei chiar si foarte usoara, in afara de simptomele tipice de alergie, iti curge nasul, te freci la ochi, afecteaza si sistemul nervos producand iritare, Bubba sufera de asta si in afara sezonului, si lipsa de concentrare ceea ce ar explica teoretic performanta dezastroasa de ieri. Sincer, din ce am vazut eu in la cupa 12, adica a treia cupa pentru Bubba, ieri, o cupa de cinci, in afara de faptul ca a exclamat iritat "awfull" cand a ajuns in bunker, situatie nu foarte incomoda, nu am vazut alte semne care sa fi putut confirma retrospectiv ca are probleme alergice. Dar sa revenim la boala, odata alergic, asta implica medicatie imediata, medicamentele afecatand si ele puterea de concentrare, la care se adauga oboseala marcata, ca efect secundar. Si cum alergia la polen poate dura saptamani... singurul remediu sigur ar fi injectia cu cortizon, cortizon care, se stie, in mai toate sporturile este interzis.

Dar sa nu deviez prea mult, parerea mea, eh... Bubba, esti si vei ramane preferatul meu si de acum incolo, shit happens, personal cred mai putin in alergie decat in frustrarea de a avea o zi proasta la servici, se intampla si celor mai buni, deci si tie, deci...accepta asta. Ca sa merg si mai departe, eu nu sunt de parere ca trebuie sa dovedesti barbatie acolo unde nu este nevoie, si fac referire la un proverb suedez care se pune ca e mai bine sa o iei la sanatoasa decat sa te bati prost. Stiu, multi vor vorbi de etica, de banii multi castigati usor, etc, dar fiecare trebuie sa faca ce simte si, eu cred, ca tu Bubba, fiind printre favoriti, nu ai suportat mental sa te mai umilesti inca o runda, ceea ce din punctul tau de privire personal, inseamna, ca stiindu-te mai bine, dai dovada de discernamant daca te retragi decat sa risti sa te umilesti inca o data. Nu sunt sigur cum este in golf, daca ai voie sa te retragi fara sa motivezi, dar mi se pare normal sa procedezi asa, chiar daca sponsorii si multi iubitori de sport sunt de alta parere.

In final, putine cuvinte despre durerile de spate, vezi Tiger si raceala, vezi cazul Scott. Durerile de spate sunt conditii serioase pentru un sportiv care foloseste mult corpul in sportul practicat. Nerezolvate, pot duce in unele cazuri nefericite la sfarsitul carierei. Cat despre raceala, ea poate fi incapacitánta in sine dar poate da si, paradoxal, putina euforie care il poate purta pe un sportiv sa zicem la -10 pe runda de golf. Cu alte cuvinte, Adam Scott, cu sau fara raceala, a fost imperial in prima runda.

Cam atat pentru moment.

miril

21st March 2014, 11:08

Uau! Un nou caz de "Lavoisier si Lomonosov":

A Daly Round By Bubba vs Bubba Watson does a really good John Daly impersonation at Bay Hill

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/blogs/local-knowledge/2014/03/bubba-watson-does-a-really-god-john-daly-impersonation-at-ba.html#ixzz2waQkWGn4

miril

22nd March 2014, 10:22

Scott s-a detasat la sapte lovituri de urmaritori dupa a doua runda:

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/03/21/upshot-arnold-palmer-round-2.html

Dorin

23rd March 2014, 10:06

Adam tot mai aproape de a deveni nr 1 mondial. Si interesant intr-o perioada cand Tiger este activ( chiar daca este "accidentat" acum). Si si mai interesant ca are fostul caddie al lui Tiger... Altfel cred forma ascendenta pentru Stenson care este interesat doar de cele 4 Majors. Augusta se apropie!

miril

24th March 2014, 00:08

Matt Every a castigat Arnold Palmer Invitational.

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/03/23/Every-Wins.jpg

atisha

24th March 2014, 15:05

jur ca n-am habar cine castiga la Masters... la cate surprize au fost anul asta. aproape ca as paria pe Jimenez.

atisha

27th March 2014, 08:33

Incalzire cu folos pentru starurile Europei in vederea Cupei Ryder: 5-0 dupa fourballs in meciul pentru Eurasia Cup... cu o echipa a Asiei cam incropita (aia de la Royal Trophy, din decembrie, era mult mai buna). Jimenez a jucat superb, ca un jefe ce este.

miril

29th March 2014, 09:36

La jumatatea turneului Valero Texas Open lupta stransa. Conduce Steven Bowditch -8 dupa un dubblu bogey la ultima cupa, urmat indeaproape de Chad Collins si Andrew Loupe cu -7, plus un grup de trei, Beckham, Perez si Summerhays cu -6. Dar stirea zilei este aceasta:

Mickelson makes Valero cut in dramatic fashion

http://www.pgatour.com/tourreport/2014/03/28/phil-mickelson-valero-texas-open.html

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/03/28/MickelsonGIFNEW-734-DarrenCarroll.GIF

miril

31st March 2014, 09:46

Steven Bowditch won his first PGA TOUR title Sunday at the Valero Texas Open.

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/03/30/bowditchtiphat-847-darrencarroll.jpg

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/03/30/upshot-steven-bowditch-first-victory-valero-texas-open.html

Intre timp, inca un mare favorit, incert pentru Masterul de la Augusta, Phil Mickelson.

atisha

31st March 2014, 10:34

urata ca naiba runda finala de la Valero... bine macar ca a fost stransa.

meciul Europa - Asia a fost minunat insa, superba revenirea asiaticilor la singles si scorul egal, 10-10, foarte corect.

miril

31st March 2014, 12:41

A cam batut vantul. La propriu si la figurat.

miril

2nd April 2014, 09:45

Injured Tiger Woods ruled out of Masters after back surgery Alex Lowe The Times

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00559/134336673_woods_559780c.jpg

Tiger Woods will miss the Masters for the first time since he was in high school after undergoing surgery to correct a longstanding back injury. The world No 1 had been struggling with a pinched nerve for several months and doctors had warned him that he risked doing more damage if he continued to play through the pain.

Phil Mickelson is also an injury doubt for the Masters after withdrawing from the Texas Open last Saturday with a torn muscle in his right side. Jason Day (thumb), Bubba Watson (allergies) and Hunter Mahan (hip) are all uncertain of being fit to tee off at Augusta National in eight days’ time.

Woods, four times a Masters champion, withdrew from the Honda Classic in Florida last month with five holes remaining and suffered more back trouble a week later as he recorded a round of 78 at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, the worst final-round score of his professional career.

When Woods then pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational two weeks ago, his participation in the Masters was clearly in doubt, and the surgery, performed in Utah on Monday, is set to keep him out of competitive action until the summer. The US Open is in June and the Open Championship, at Royal Liverpool, a month later.

“After attempting to get ready for the Masters, and failing to make the necessary progress, I decided to have this procedure done,” Woods said.

“It’s a week that’s very special to me. It also looks like I’ll be forced to miss several upcoming tournaments to focus on my rehabilitation.”

Woods underwent a microdiscectomy, a procedure to relieve the pressure and pain on the spinal nerves caused by a herniated disc.

He hopes to be chipping and putting in three weeks, but whether Woods is fit to compete at the US Open — which was the most recent of the 14 majors he has won, in 2008 — or at Royal Liverpool remains to be seen.

However, Woods insisted that he is still chasing Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major titles and Sam Snead’s 82 PGA titles. “It’s tough right now, but I’m absolutely optimistic about the future,” Woods, who has won 79 titles, said.

“There are a couple [of] records by two outstanding individuals and players that I hope one day to break. As I’ve said many times, Sam [Snead] and Jack [Nicklaus] reached their milestones over an entire career. I plan to have a lot of years left in mine.”

Woods won the last of his four Masters titles in 2005, since when he has recorded seven top-six finishes in eight appearances. Last year he finished fourth after being given a two-shot penalty for taking an incorrect drop.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/golf/article4051412.ece

miril

7th April 2014, 07:15

Inca un favorit clacheaza pe final dupa un avans confortabil dupa primele trei runde:

Jones chips-in to win in Houston
Matt Jones got to chat with former President George H.W. Bush after his victory

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/04/06/JonesTrophy-847-Halleran.jpg

HUMBLE, Texas – Matt Jones called it.

He predicted a chip-in as he approached his ball, which sat in the rough right of the 18th green, on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff against Matt Kuchar at the Shell Houston Open.

“I walked up there and told my caddie I was going to chip it in,” Jones said. “My chipping has been pretty good for a while. … When I know what I have to do, I seem to be able to pull it off moreso. Especially playing golf with my friends, if I have to birdie to beat them, somehow I do it. It was nice to be able to do it on this stage.”

Jones wasn’t involved in some casual round, though. He was trying to beat one of the world’s best players to earn his first PGA TOUR victory. Jones’ 42-yard hole-out gave him that victory, and his first trip to the Masters. He also moved from 75th to 16th in the FedExCup standings.

The chip-in was Jones’ second consecutive unlikely birdie on the Golf Club of Houston’s difficult 18th hole. Jones closed regulation by making a 46-foot birdie putt.

“I was going to three-putt before I left it short,” he said. “I didn’t care about finishing second or third or fourth, it didn’t matter. I was only trying to get the win.”

Jones (66) and Kuchar (72) finished regulation at 15-under 273.

Jones narrowly missed his first Masters bid last fall, missing a 6-foot putt on the BMW Championship’s final hole that cost him a spot in the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola; the TOUR Championship’s 30 qualifiers all earn Masters invitations. Jones finished 32nd in last year’s FedExCup.

His two unlikely hole-outs on the last two holes of the last PGA TOUR event before the Masters earned him an invitation to Augusta.

“I was going home to play with my 2-year-old and 3-week-old,” Jones said of his pre-victory plans for Masters week. “So, bit of a change now that I think they’ll be on a plane to Augusta as well.”

CLOSE AGAIN: This was the second consecutive week that Kuchar was in the lead on the back nine Sunday and lost to a winless Australian.

Kuchar was tied for the lead with nine holes remaining in last week’s Valero Texas Open before being passed by Steven Bowditch. Kuchar led by one shot Sunday when he made the turn in 1-over 37. He still had a one-shot lead as he stood in the Golf Club of Houston’s 18th fairway. He pulled his 214-yard approach shot into water left of the green, though. He got up-and-down from 64 yards to save bogey and force a playoff.

“It’s smarter to bail out and give yourself a chance,” Kuchar said, “but I was looking to try to make 4 and win the tournament. Looking back, you can make par from the right bunker and not from the water. I tugged it a little too much.”

Kuchar hit the 18th fairway in the playoff, but hit his approach shot into a bunker right of the green. The tournament ended when Kuchar failed to hole his bunker shot.

Kuchar has finished fourth and second in his two appearances leading into the Masters. He also has finished in the top-10 in his previous two Masters appearances.

“I’m hoping to keep the train going,” he said.

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/04/06/upshot-matt-jones-wins-shell-houston.html

atisha

7th April 2014, 08:02

al treilea australian care castiga in ultimele 4 saptamani in PGA Tour... si puteau fi foarte lesne patru daca Adam Scott facea o runda finala normala la Arnold Palmer Invitational acum 2 saptamani. Mai lipseste sa castige Jason Day la Augusta, in weekend.

miril

19th April 2014, 11:12

Golf cu intepaturi, dupa iguanele dorince de mingii de golf, a venit randul barzaunilor sa intre in actiune:

WuglcRV1HSQ

http://hotlinks.golf.com/2014/04/18/video-pablo-larrazabal-plunges-into-lake-to-escape-hornets-in-malaysia/?sct=hp1

miril

20th April 2014, 12:00

Hristos a inviat! Sarbatori de Paste fericite, prietenilor de pe "Golf"!

Happy Easter, Bubba Watson!

Unlikely hero David Walsh The Sunday Times

Bubba Watson will always do things his own way and it has led to him getting a bad press

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/multimedia/dynamic/00698/STS2013BUBBA_698295k.jpg

You could spend a lot of time trying to figure out why Bubba Watson can hit the ball so far. The same amount of time could be devoted to working out whether he is, as he says, little old Bubba from Bagdad, Florida, or another spoilt athlete. Within the game, there are plenty who don’t warm to him.

Mild-mannered Brad Faxon tried to be diplomatic on Monday. “A peculiar guy and an interesting guy,” he said. “He has some growing up to do, how he handles some situations. Don’t we all?” There have been occasions in tournaments when Watson’s frustration led him to spit venom at his caddie Ted Scott, as he did at last year’s Traveler’s Championship. Leading the tournament on the final day, he put a tee shot on the par-three 16th in the water, then his third over the green. “So you’re telling me that’s the right yardage,” he said to Scott, each word laden with contempt.

Such was the spitefulness that CBS commentator David Feherty spoke for everyone in the game when he said: “Wait a minute, hey, you hit it bud.” There have been other times when Watson blames the crowd. After a bad shot his hearing becomes Montgomerie-esque, and he has a touch of that old Colin Montgomerie tendency to see a bad shot as someone else’s fault.

Watson speaks often of his Christian beliefs but then offends many when pointing to a passage in the bible that says homosexuality is wrong and sinful. In 2011, he came to Europe to play the French Open and didn’t know how to pronounce the Louvre, instead calling it “the building starting with an ‘L’.” The Eiffel Tower became “that big tower” and to read reports at the time you would have thought him the ugliest American to ever cross the Atlantic. He’s not. And though there are faults, there is much to like.

One answer from his victory press conference at Augusta last week transcended all. He was quizzed about his tendency to get emotional at big moments in his career, though the question came with less sensitivity than you might imagine: “Obviously there were tears after the first one [2012 Masters] and there’s tears after the second one. Are you going to cry every time you win this thing?” Watson began by explaining that he cried the day he earned his PGA Tour card because it had been his dream to play on the Tour. “Winning the Green Jacket is a little bit bigger deal. So, yeah, I’m going to cry, because why me? Why Bubba Watson from Bagdad, Florida? Why is he winning? So I just always ask the question, ‘Why, why me?’ That’s why I’m always going to cry. I’ll probably cry again tonight, just thinking about it.”

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/multimedia/archive/00699/20_SPO_12_THESHOT_699644a.jpg

This is the era of entitlement in elite sport. We put them on a pedestal and because they work hard they feel entitled to the wealth, the fame and the privilege. When it goes wrong and questions are asked, they can’t understand why this is happening to them. “Why me?” is a common question in the locker room of elite sport but rarely in the sense Watson meant.

Looked at more closely, his bad moments weren’t quite what they seemed. The camera caught him turning on Scott at the drop zone of the 16th in the Traveler’s Championship but didn’t catch their exchange on the 17th tee. “Teddy was like, ‘I’m so sorry’. I was like, ‘Teddy, we can birdie the last two holes and win this thing’.” Scott is an admirer, and not just of the golfer. “A lot of people misunderstand Bubba. He’s just different. A lot of times people take that the wrong way but I love that about Bubba. That he’s such a caring person. That’s why I like working for him.”

There are plenty of reasons for giving Watson a break. It’s hard to dislike a man who, on being told by Angie Ball on their first date that she could never have a child, said: “That’s not a problem for me,” and meant it.They adopted their first child two years ago.

It was interesting, too, to hear him explain why after dropping out of his degree course at the University of Georgia he returned years later to complete it. “I got tired of going to schools, telling kids how important their education was when I hadn’t finished college,” he said.

Accepting him for who he is, you can love all the more the way he plays. After eight years on the bag, Scott has seen most of the shots. “Freak show. I mean I can’t describe it any other way. I played golf with him 40, 50 times. And we have been together that long and every single day I play with him or watch him play, I go, ‘How do you do that?’ ”

The right side of the 13th at Augusta is always densely po****ted and when Watson’s drive came over the trees on Sunday, slicing 80 yards off the corner, it came to land in a place that left everyone shaking their heads in wonder. Some say it clipped a tree on its way but where it landed was well clear of the trees and further down than anyone had ever seen.

A 507-yard par five reduced to a drive and sand wedge. That drive set up the birdie that gave him a three-shot lead.

Watson could become one of the game’s great players but says he has no wish to be. “I’m not trying to play golf for everyone to tell I’m one of the greats of the game. I’m just trying to keep my card every year.”

More and more, the best players use the same teachers and their swings become ever more alike. Bubba Watson taught himself a swing that no self-respecting teacher would have allowed and he’s now got two majors. Leaving Augusta, the nicest thought was that we will get to see a lot more of his golf.

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/sport/golf/article1401621.ece

miril

21st April 2014, 08:31

In sfarsit, Kuuuuch, dupa o lovitura magistrala, din bunker, la ultima cupa, devansandu-l pe Luke Donald, ambii fiind protagonisti principali la RBC Heritage.

Kuchar turns another heartbreak into ecstasy at Harbour Townhttp://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/04/20/KucharWin2-847-StreeterLecka.jpg

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Just when it looked like Matt Kuchar might blow another Sunday lead, he finally closed one out in style, holing a bunker shot for birdie on the 18th hole to cap a 64 and what turned out to be a one-stroke victory at the RBC Heritage.

"I told my caddie before that last shot, 'I'm about due to make one of these,’" Kuchar said."I knew it was at least an easy par. Bunker game is good. No problem.

"I went up and took a good read, knew it would release and break right to left, played it just right of the hole, watched it roll. I heard the crowd go crazy when the thing disappeared. I went crazy myself. It was just an incredible feeling."

And an incredible ending, especially considering a few minutes earlier Kuchar inexplicably three-putted from four feet for bogey on the par-3 17th.

Instead of his extending his lead, Kuchar, who had started the day four back of Luke Donald but passed him with a front-nine 30, dropped into a tie with the Englishman.

“A little bit of shock,” Kuchar said of his reaction to the bogey."But I think I do a really good job of shaking things off.”

That’s an understatement.

In each of his previous three starts, Kuchar had at least a piece of the lead in the final round, including two weeks ago in Houston, where he squandered a four-shot advantage on the last day and hit his approach shot into the water on the 72nd hole before losing in playoff when Matt Jones chipped in for birdie.

This time, Kuchar was on the other end.

Donald, who began the day with a two-stroke lead over John Huh and was four groups behind Kuchar, was on the 15th green when he heard the roar from Kuchar’s chip-in.

"I probably should have backed off that putt, because I did hear it, " said Donald, who has finished in the top three at Harbour Town five of the last six years."Someone told me he holed out from the front bunker.

"I knew what I had to do. On 17 when I hit the tee shot, I was one back and I needed to birdie my last two."

Instead, he managed only par, including on 18, where his approach to the difficult closing hole came up short of the green and his birdie chip slid past the hole.

"Disappointing, obviously, not to have won, " said Donald, who finished with a 69."Usually a solid 69 on a windy day with a two-shot lead is usually enough to get it done on Sundays."

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/04/20/the-upshot-kuchar-wins-rbc-heritage-64.html

miril

28th April 2014, 07:06

Noh si-a pastrat cumpatul si a castigat.

Noh shows veteran calm under pressure

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/04/27/Noh-Caddie-Sunday.JPG
Seung-Yul Noh and caddie Scott Sajtinac had plenty to smile about on Sunday at TPC Louisiana. (Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)

ZURICH CLASSIC: Results, points | Photos | Event video | Koepka's membership | FedExCup standings

AVONDALE, La. – Everyone on the leaderboard at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans showed some Sunday nerves except the guy who walked away with the trophy.

Seung-Yul Noh earned his first PGA TOUR win Sunday at TPC Louisiana by playing a round of golf that made him look more like a 10-year veteran than a 22-year-old ranked No. 176 in the world.

“He was unflappable,” said caddie Scott Sajtinac, who is in his first week working with Noh. “He was calm 100 percent today. Even to the point where he laughed a little bit. I hadn’t seen him laugh the whole week.”

Noh played in the final group with Keegan Bradley, who started the day two off the lead, but finished in a tie for eighth after a final-round 75. When asked Saturday about the pairing with Bradley, Noh joked that it was “no problem.” After all, his friend Sang-Moon Bae was paired with Bradley in the final group at last year’s HP Byron Nelson Championship and Bae got the job done and claimed his first PGA TOUR win.

Noh followed suit on Sunday, moving to No. 16 in FedExCup points and earning a spot in THE PLAYERS Championship, the PGA Championship and next year’s Masters.

“The whole last season was very good experience for my game, especially mental,” said Noh, referring to the struggles he went through in 2013, when he finished the season No. 160 in the FedExCup race. He had to regain his card at the Web.com Tour finals. “My mental game is stronger (after last season). So I’m never nervous.”

After the win Sunday, TOUR players Charlie Wi and Y.E. Yang ran out on the 18th green to celebrate their friend’s win with a beer shower. Yang was scheduled to take a 6:30 p.m. flight, but came back to celebrate with Noh.

“I know he struggled last year, but for him to bounce back this year, that’s what golf is all about,” Wi said. “I thought his demeanor today was awesome. I would have been rattled and nervous, but he sure didn’t look that way.”

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/04/27/the-upshot-seung-yul-noh-wins-zurich.html

miril

5th May 2014, 07:08

J.B. Holmes, o victorie miraculoasa, o victorie pe terenul de golf dar mai ales impotriva suferintei.

Holmes' recovery now complete Helen Ross

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/05/04/Holmes-847-Upshot.jpg
J.B. Holmes has fully recovered from multiple surgeries and is now a TOUR winner again. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

CHARLOTTE -- That piece of his skull doctors removed in 2011? Well, it's stashed on a shelf in a closet in J.B. Holmes' Orlando home.

But that big silver trophy he earned for winning the Wells Fargo Championship -- the one that signifies the completion of his comeback from two brain surgeries, one broken ankle and an elbow surgery, to boot -- is sure to get much more prominent display.

Holmes took a one-shot lead into the final round and had lengthened it to three late Sunday afternoon with Quail Hollow's toughest stretch standing between him and victory. Turns out, he needed all of that as he played "The Green Mile," too, where a two-putt bogey from 45 feet at the 18th hole ended up sealing a 71 and a one-stroke win.

"Nobody is comfortable on those last three holes," Holmes said.

Jim Furyk was watching in the locker room after posting a 65, the day's low, which put him in the clubhouse at 13 under nearly two hours earlier.

"I know he was probably dying a million deaths out there but he sucked it up and made a good two-putt," said Furyk, who won the Wells Fargo Championship in 2006. "(He) made that last putt with authority and knocked it right in the middle."

The victory was the third of Holmes' career and the 500 FedExCup points he earned moved him from 83rd to No. 18 in the standings. After starting the season on a major medical extension, Holmes has job security now through the end of the 2015-16 season.

In retrospect, Holmes calls the roller-blading accident last March a "blessing in disguise." He went nearly five months without hitting balls and got to recharge his batteries even more than he had two years earlier while recuperating from brain surgery to repair the Chiari malformation that push part of his brain into the spinal canal.

He basically had to have the same surgery twice since the adhesive the doctors originally used caused an allergic reaction. They had to go back in and stitch him up, but at least the vertigo and throbbing headaches would be gone.

Small wonder, then, the Wells Fargo Championship felt so good.

"It's been a long road," Holmes said. "It's nice to get in the winner's circle again and my game is in a good spot, and I worked really hard on it on the offseason last year -- the whole year was my offseason, I guess -- but it's nice to have that hard work pay off."

Holmes now heads to THE PLAYERS Championship with considerable momentum. He's played in the PGA TOUR's showcase event seven times and finished 16th or better on four occasions, including a tie for sixth in 2011.

Holmes needed just eight FedExCup points to get make the field -- and ended up with 492 to spare.

"I really like that tournament, I like the golf course, so it's nice," he said. "I get to go home for a day and I can drive up; it's not too far from the house. It's a good week. I enjoy going there and the TOUR does a great job.

"It's a great golf course, just ... a little different than this last three holes but exciting finishing holes there, too."

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/05/04/the-upshot-jb-holmes-wells-fargo.html

miril

6th May 2014, 10:49

Felicitari mirelui si miresei, casa de piatra si un teren de golf bine ingrijit unde sa se joace copiii!

Miguel Angel Jimenez and Susanna Styblo get married at Miguel Angel Jimenez Golf Club on May 3, 2014 in Torremolinos, Spain.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/05/05/1399293369987_Image_galleryImage_TORREMOLINOS_SPAI N_MAY_03.JPG

http://www.golfchannel.com/media/ma-jimenez-marries-susanna-styblo/#slide-1

miril

12th May 2014, 10:34

Tiger ramane pe pozitie in ciuda absentei dar si neputintei lui Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Bubba Watson si Matt Kuchar de a-l detroniza macar pentru o scurta perioada. Pe aceeasi pozitie, locul unu, a revenit si un fost Number One, Martin Kaymer, castigatorul lui The Players, dupa o disputa mai mult decat palpitanta de-a lungul celor patru zile de concurs si unde neamtul a condus cu exceptia a cateva...gauri, in mijlocul rundei a patra, de la cap la coada dar competita pentru primul loc a fost acerba, mai intai Jordan Spieth si in final Jim Furik amentintandu-i suprematia.

Kaymer's journey comes full circle at THE PLAYERS

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/05/11/kaymercaddie-847-kevinccox.jpg

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- What does it take to play the kind of golf to be a major champion at age 26, become the second-youngest player to reach No. 1 in the world and now, three years later, winner of the PGA TOUR’s flagship event, THE PLAYERS Championship?

In Martin Kaymer’s case, blood.

“Extremely hard,” Kaymer’s caddie Craig Connelly said when asked how hard his boss worked to get to where he was standing Sunday night. “His hands can bleed. He’s always on the range when he’s away from tournament play. The calluses can open up.

“You don’t get to No. 1 in the world for no reason, and I think he appreciates the good things a little more now. He’s a brand new Martin. He’s obviously a much-improved golfer, but the mindset is the old Martin.”

Kaymer is also a winner again, ending a two-year drought after a wild 1-under 71 at TPC Sawgrass, where he held on for a one-shot victory over Jim Furyk.

“The belief is always there,” said Kaymer, who, after reaching the top of the Official World Golf Ranking in early 2011, held onto that position for just eight weeks before eventually plummeting outside the top 60. “I knew that I could win a golf tournament again.”

Like the first big victory in his career, he had to sweat this one out as well.

After a double-bogey 6 on the 15th hole following a lengthy weather delay, Kaymer’s lead went from three strokes to just one.

Two holes later, he survived another scare when his tee shot to the island green par 3 took an unexpected bounce sideways and nearly spun into the water. Chipping from the other side of the green, his ball stopped 30 feet short before he poured in the lengthy, bending par putt.

The 18th was far less dramatic for Kaymer, who had just over 3 feet for par. It stirred memories of his winning putt to beat Steve Stricker and clinch the Ryder Cup for Europe at Medinah two years ago. This celebration was different, but no less fulfilling.

“A lot of satisfaction,” said Kaymer, who ended the week at 13-under 275. “(My caddie and I) worked so hard and we went through up-and-downs the last two years. It's very tough because as an athlete you always want it now, but in golf you just cannot force it.”

It just took Kaymer a while to figure that out. Success wasn’t as easy as he sometimes made it look, which is a trademark of German engineering. It only goes so far in golf, though.

Four years ago, Kaymer holed a putt to force a playoff at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits that he would eventually win. Six months later, he was the top-ranked player on the planet.

“He became everything at age 26,” said Bernhard Langer. “That’s not easily done.”

Staying there proved even tougher.

Kaymer tried to change his swing because he could only hit a fade. Soon the results disappeared, too. A feel player by nature, he became too mechanical and lost his way.

He also struggled with his newfound celebrity status and the demands that go with being a major champion and No. 1 in the world, a position he was admittedly unequipped to handle.

Before Sunday’s victory, Kaymer hadn’t won anywhere in the word since late 2012 and by then was outside the top 30 and soon the top 40 and 50. He came into this week ranked 61st in the world.

But his game had started to come around in recent months after spending time with longtime swing coach Gunter Kessler in Phoenix and then again in Germany. He also played a couple of practice rounds with Langer at this year’s Masters. “We’ve had lots of talks,” Langer said. “Most of it was very positive.”

So, too, was Kaymer’s outlook, even when everything around him seemed to be collapsing -- whether it was Sunday at TPC Sawgrass or during the journey back to being able to beat the deepest field in golf.

“The mindset was fine,” he said of his near-collapse at THE PLAYERS. “I was not very nervous. I didn't think that I would screw up anything here.”

The only time Kaymer almost lost his composure and was nearly reduced to tears Sunday was when he talked about his mother, Rina, who died of skin cancer six years ago.

Stitched into his bag is a sunflower; her favorite flower. His brother, Phillip, also sent him a text that he described as “very emotional.”

“To win on Mother's Day ... we show our parents way too little,” Kaymer said. “We always need some occasions to show them, which is what you realize when they're not there anymore. So to win on those days, it adds a little bit of a nice thing to the whole week.

“I think about her every day. I don't need a Mother's Day.”

Sunday belonged to Kaymer.

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/05/11/martin-kaymer-journey-players-wacker-column.html

atisha

12th May 2014, 23:54

nu credeam sa cedeze Spieth cum a facut-o... dar deh, tanar inca.

frumos turneu, merituos invingator. par-ul ala la 17 e de antologie.

miril

19th May 2014, 06:37

Excelentul joc in ultimele doua runde i-a adus outsider-ului Brendon Todd prima victorie in PGA Tour.

Creativity lifts Todd to first title

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/05/18/Todd-847-Pennington.jpg
Brendon Todd was nothing short of spectacular around the greens Sunday at TPC Four Seasons. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

IRVING, Texas -- He holed out from a greenside bunker Sunday. Then hit a chip left-handed -- and with the back of his club -- to save par. Oh, and he led the field in scrambling all week.

"I have a great short game," Brendon Todd said, "and even I'll say it was special this week."

Indeed, it was special for 72 holes at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, special enough to allow Todd to enjoy the moment while walking up the 18th green Sunday at the TPC Four Seasons Resort, knowing he was safely on the green with a two-shot lead and about to claim his first PGA TOUR win.

He fought back the emotions. Relief. Excitement. Joy. "Joyful tears," said Todd, thinking back to the last few years he bounced back-and-forth between the TOUR and the Web.com Tour.

On a crowded Sunday leaderboard that had a potpourri of past major winners, established stars and guys looking to break through, Todd seized the opportunity and never flinched. He posted the only bogey-free round among the contenders, and he made the biggest shots.

With Mike Weir making an early charge two groups in front of him, Todd holed out from the bunker for birdie at the par-3 second. At the fifth, he rolled in a birdie putt inside 14 feet. At the ninth, he stuck his approach inside 6 feet.

And then at the par-4 13th, he got creative. After his tee shot landed 12 inches from a tree, giving him no chance to hit right-handed, Todd took a 4-iron and went southpaw. He didn't even flip the club over, instead using the back of it. His chip from 65 feet finished inside 8 feet. He buried the par putt.

It was his time.

"My brother-in-law is left-handed," Todd said when asked how he came up with the shot. "I putted with his left-handed putter before and I'm pretty good at it. So I tried to use that stroke."

If there was any doubt on whether he could slam the door, Todd delivered his final statement at the 17th, drilling a par putt from 13 feet, 9 inches. That gave him breathing room and a chance to enjoy the moment.

As most golfers on TOUR, he's had his share of wins -- junior golf, college events, etc. He's even won twice on the Web.com Tour, five years apart and was the medalist at the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament in 2011. All that success helped him deal with the pressure of being in contention on the back-nine Sunday on the PGA TOUR.

"I drew on those experiences and none of them were as nerve-wracking as this one," he said. "I couldn't explain how I felt on the back nine today."

No explanation needed. He let his short game do the talking.

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/05/18/the-upshot-brendon-todd-scrambles-hp-byron-nelson.html

miril

28th May 2014, 11:59

Adam Scott invingator la Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial dupa meci de departajare cu Jason Dufner.

Monday Finish: Being Scott is as good as it gets

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/05/26/scott-847-scotthalleran.jpg
Adam Scott, the world's No. 1-ranked player, defeated Jason Dufner in a playoff at Colonial. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

My memory isn’t great, but I think there’s a famous Oscar Wilde line that says something to the effect of how you should “be yourself” because “Adam Scott is already taken.”

Unless there is a decaying, Dorian Gray-like painting sitting in Scott’s attic (which is really the only explanation for his unfairly enjoyable life at this point), I don’t even think Wilde could find many downsides to living the life of our current World No. 1.

Of course, he keeps fans and media at arm’s length and maintains an ultra-private lifestyle, but here’s what we do know:

His golf swing looks like this.

His biceps are almost too big to fit in a Green Jacket (almost).

His wife, whom he married at a secret wedding in the Bahamas a few weeks ago, is a gorgeous architect.

He plays the guitar. He goes on surfing trips with Kelly Slater. Perhaps most puzzling is the fact that he’s just as genuinely nice in person as you always hope superstars will be.

In other words, being Adam Scott right now is just as good as it seems.

For nearly 15 years, Scott’s life has been full of the distractions that make themselves readily available to young stars. But he’s not only survived, he’s come out as the balanced, experienced player (and person) that other players try to emulate.

The proof of his few mistakes is there; just read his quotes about the complacency that came with winning THE PLAYERS at age 23. Since then, he’s dealt with very public and private heartbreak, a split from instructor Butch Harmon, a stretch in 2008 when he slipped all the way to No. 76 in the world, a four-bogeys-in-a-row The Open Championship meltdown, an anchoring ban witch hunt, an overly quotable caddie and anything else that Scott kept to himself.

But is any of that what you saw Sunday at Colonial? Not a chance. Scott seemed entirely comfortable with the moment and his new job title, World No. 1.

On his opening nine holes this week (4-over 39), Scott looked like someone in over his head. On Sunday’s back nine (and in the playoff), he looked like the best player in the world. He looked like someone capable of going on a tear this summer, particularly with all of his low, running Pinehursty and Hoy Lakey irons off the tees.

He looked like someone you’d like to trade places with.

“I enjoyed Monday night and celebrating (becoming No. 1) with close friends, but you've got to do that ... otherwise everything becomes very monotonous,” Scott said in his pre-tournament press conference. “Nothing’s great, nothing’s bad. You can't feel like that. You have to go through the highs and the lows.”

The lows he’s covered. The highs could just be getting started.

http://www.pgatour.com/monday-finish/2014/05/26/adam-scott-crowne-plaza-invitational-colonial.html

miril

2nd June 2014, 09:13

Invingator mai mult decat meritat, Hideki Matsuyama, la "The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance", dupa un final electrizant cu schimbari de lider de la o cupa la alta incepand cu cupa 14 si cu invingatorul decis in meci in doi cu Kevin Na in prelungiri, ultimul reusind o runda finala excelenta de 64. Din pacate, preferatul meu, Bubba Watson, lider pana la cupa 14, s-a transformat din hero in zero dupa mai multe greseli pe "Back nine", cea fatala fiind pe cupa 15 unde a reusit un "out of bounds", desi in zille precedente facuse doi "eagle" si un "birdie".

Matsuyama clutch in breakthrough

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/06/01/Matsuyama-847-Nicklaus.jpg
Hideki Matsuyama, left, gets congratulated by tournament host Jack Nicklaus after his maiden TOUR triumph. (Lyons/Getty Images)

Just when it looked like Hideki Matsuyama might miss out on his first career victory on the PGA TOUR, the 22-year-old birdied the 18th hole at Muirfield Village for a fourth straight day to shoot a 3-under 69. He then beat Kevin Na on the first hole of sudden death to claim the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance and move to 14th in the FedExCup standings.

Na, who finished off a 64 nearly two hours earlier, pulled his tee shot left on 18 in the playoff and watched it bounce into a creek.

Matsuyama, playing without a driver after the head snapped off when he gently slammed it to the ground following his tee shot on the 72nd hole, drove into a bunker and missed the green left. But he got up-and-down from the rough, flopping his third shot to 10 feet before sinking the par putt for the win.

“I’m really, really happy,” Matsuyama said through his interpreter. “It’s a dream come true to win at Mr. Nicklaus’ course.”

With the win, Matsuyama became the first player to win the Memorial in his debut since the first year of the event in 1976. Though it was his first Memorial, it wasn't the first time the Japanese phenom had seen the host venue.

Last year, Matsuyama teamed with Adam Scott there for the International Team at The Presidents Cup.

“It had a great effect on how I played this week,” Matsuyama said of the time he spent with Scott last fall. “I owe a lot to him.”

Scott helped him again Sunday, hitting his tee shot on the par-3 12th into the water and making double bogey to drop out of a share of the lead.

The world No. 1 also bogeyed the 14th, 15th and 16th on his way to a 71 to tie for fourth.

As for Matsuyama’s driver, he could have replaced it for the playoff if he wanted. Only he didn’t have a spare one in his locker.

“I was really shocked, because I really didn't hit it that hard,” he said. “And I did okay with the 3-wood, so.”

NA’S CONSOLATION: The only consolation for Na? His runner-up finish moved him high enough in the Official World Golf Ranking that he’s now exempt for the U.S. Open. He was planning to play a 36-hole qualifier on Monday.

“That’s a big step, obviously,” he said. “I’m playing well, so obviously I'm having a good year. Hopefully I'll get a W soon.”

As for Pinehurst?

“I think it’s a good golf course for me,” Na said. “It requires a lot of good short game, good chipping around the shaved areas. And I love chipping around the tight lies so I'm looking forward to it.”

WHERE IT WENT WRONG FOR WATSON: Bubba Watson began the day with a one-shot lead and still appeared to be headed toward his third win of the season until a bogey on the 14th hole and a double bogey on the next after hitting his tee shot out of bounds.

“I made one bad decision,” Watson said of his tee shot on 15. “If I hit the 4-wood off the tee instead of the driver on the par 5, we make five and we win by one. But I made a double, so we lost by one.”

A victory would have been Watson’s third of the year -- one better than he has ever had in one season on the PGA TOUR.

Instead, he settled for third -- his best finish at the Memorial Tournament by 20 spots.

“It’s about getting better at the game of golf,” Watson said. “And earlier this year I haven’t played good; I love LA, but I haven’t played good there, and then somehow I won there. And here, I haven’t played good here, but I competed this week and had a chance to win. Obviously it shows my all-around game is getting better, getting more consistent.”

http://www.pgatour.com/the-upshot/2014/06/01/matsuyama-first-win-the-memorial-playoff.html

Watson's wayward drive at 15 costs him dearly

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/06/01/bubba-watson-wayward-drive-at-15-costs-him-dearly.html

Dorin

3rd June 2014, 20:08

Nordea Masters, cel mai important turneu European Tour din Suedia s-a desfasurat in weekend-ul trecut si eu m-am scaldat in lumea celebritatilor din golf. Cateva exemple: selfie cu Jimenez, in verde Stensson , in negru Dubuisson. Invingator surpriza tailandezul Jaidee dupa play off cu Dubuisson. Stenson in pozitia a cincea dupa ce a ratat surprinzator pe ultima gaura unde avusese birdie trei zile la rand...

atisha

7th June 2014, 12:36

norocosule! foarte fain turneul, mi-a placut terenul, golf in stare pura, in bataia vantului, fara chestii artificiale de amorul artei.

miril

8th June 2014, 09:02

Super, Dorin! Selfie(s) 4 Ever!

Intre timp, Tee Times For Pinehurst:

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/06/06/us-open-pairings-justin-rose-phil-mickelson.html

miril

9th June 2014, 09:18

The Golf Boys Are Back! Ben Crane castiga FedEx St. Jude Classi, a cincea victorie din cariera la o distanta de trei ani de precedenta. Concursul a fost perturbat de vremea capricioasa cu multe intreruperi si... rupere de nori, lucru care a influentat se pare si transmisia TV catastrofala si nu ar fi prima data, americanii avand mari probleme cu transmisia asigurata de doua canale de televiziune diferite care se succed in ziua de concurs sa transmita, pe tot parcursul turneului. Au fost cam in total 3 ore si jumatate de transmisie efectiva din cele patru zile de concurs. Noroc cu Online-ul!

Crane's career revived by victory

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/06/08/CraneSmile-847-Badz.jpg
Earlier this year, Ben Crane was contemplating life after golf. Now he's a TOUR winner again. (Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Ben Crane estimates he slept fewer than three hours before the final day of the FedEx St. Jude Classic. An important day awaited him. He’d endured deep struggles this season but began Sunday with a four-shot lead.

“I (was) just so nervous, so excited, so thrilled that my game has come around,” Crane said. “I did a lot of praying, lot of thanking God for some fun days.”

Crane was able to complete his wire-to-wire victory, his 3-over 73 in the final round good enough for a one-shot victory over Troy Merritt. Crane began the week at No. 150 in the FedExCup, with just one top-25 in 16 starts and leaves Memphis 41st in the season-long race.

He shot 63-65 in the FedEx St. Jude’s first two rounds, and played the first six holes of the third round in 1 under before play was called for the day. He started his 30-hole Sunday with a chip-in on his first hole. It was his only birdie of the day, but it was enough to win. He held a two-shot lead when he arrived at the 18th tee, then made a cautious bogey on the water-lined closing hole.

This is Crane’s fifth PGA TOUR victory and first since the 2011 McGladrey Classic.

“This win is different for me,” Crane, 38, said. “I want to treat it differently and I really want to enjoy it. I don’t want to act like there’s five more behind it.”

Crane had to face his golfing mortality this year. He needed to make swing changes this season to alleviate back pain that forced him to withdraw from the first event of the 2013 FedExCup Playoffs, The Barclays. He needed on-course treatment throughout his best finish of 2014, a T9 at the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation. He began to consider a future without the game.

“This has been a really tough year,” he said. “I had to finally become OK with golf not being in the picture. I just felt like things were going in that direction and so I just got to the place where I said, ‘Lord if it’s not golf, I will love You.’ But if it is that would be really fun.”

Final scores from the @fesjcmemphis:
1. Crane, -10
2. Merritt, -9
T3. Simpson, -8
T3. Every, -8
T3. Pettersson, -8

http://www.pgatour.com/the-upshot/2014/06/08/ben-crane-wins-fedex-st-jude-classic.html

Daca se intreba cineva cine sunt Golf Boys sa vada video-ul de mai jos.

PM2NocuEihw iiiOqybRvsM

atisha

9th June 2014, 10:49

bre oameni, invatati-va minte sa urmariti European Tour. runda finala de ieri a fost superba. ca tot turneul de altfel, in Austria.

Dorin

9th June 2014, 20:05

nr 1.
Multumesc de comentariile dupa turneul suedez.
nr.2
Chiar ca a fost tre de tot in Austria. Suedezul a castigat si dreptul de US open !!!Plus calificarea automat pentru ET next year.
nr 3: Transmisiile din Europa sint mai bune, mai variate , arata mai multi jucatori etc. Si fara reclame.....
Pinehurst now !!! /hello http://www.pinehurst.com

miril

16th June 2014, 08:40

Magnifica victoria lui Martin Kaymer la US Open pe un teren de golf extrem de dificil si unde a condus detasat de la inceput si pana la sfarsit.

Kaymer better now than when he was World No. 1

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/06/15/kaymersun-847-kinnaird.jpg
Martin Kaymer celebrates with his caddie, Craig Connelly, after winning the U.S. Open. (Kinnaird/Getty Images)

PINEHURST, N.C. – On Feb. 27, 2011, Martin Kaymer lost to Luke Donald in the finals of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, but in the process became the world’s top-ranked golfer. He was 26 years old, the second-youngest player at that time to ever hold that ranking. Only Tiger Woods had been younger.

Kaymer, however, was not ready. Not ready for the demands on his time, for the raised expectations, for the increased attention in his native Germany.

His place atop the world rankings lasted eight weeks. His tailspin lasted longer. He eventually separated from his caddie, Craig Connelly, feeling they were making too many mistakes. His confidence faded. It was his dark period.

It is now 1,204 days later. Kaymer – now 29 years old -- has just won the second major of his career, going wire-to-wire to win the U.S. Open by eight strokes. Just seven other players have ever done that in U.S. Open history. The weekend at Pinehurst No. 2 was essentially a 36-hole coronation. There were no train wrecks at this weekend’s U.S. Open. Only a runaway train.

Despite having won THE PLAYERS Championship and the U.S. Open in back-to-back months, Kaymer is not officially ranked No. 1 in the world. That designation belongs to Adam Scott. Kaymer is expected to move to No. 11, but perhaps he’ll be No. 1 again soon.

And this time, he will be ready.

“It shouldn’t sound cocky or arrogant, but I knew it would come,” Kaymer said. “I knew that I would play good golf again. There was enough belief there.”

Actually, Kaymer is not back to where he was three-plus years ago. He’s better. Better than the Kaymer who was No. 1 back then. His game is better. Mentally, he’s in a better place. He’s having fun, and he’s shown it on two vastly different courses these past few weeks.

“He has more shots in his armory,” Connelly said. “His short game’s improved. He’s 3 years older. So yeah, he’s improved. Absolutely.”

Connelly was asked about his split with Kaymer back in 2011. It came just three months after Kaymer moved to No. 1, and less than a year after the German had won his first major, the 2010 PGA Championship.

For outsiders, it was a surprise move. For Connelly, it was reflective of the rising pressure on the young German.

“The tension was building up,” Connelly recalled. “Him being world’s No. 1 and wanting success every single time he got to the golf course. We all do.

“But, you know, that’s what we had to do. Obviously we’re together again. It’s been very, very fortunate to have worked out.”

Connelly jumped back on the bag in August of 2012. A few weeks later, Kaymer sank the decisive putt in his match against Steve Stricker as Europe retained the Ryder Cup with an improbable final-day comeback. He did not feel he belonged on the team, but that single putt – his ability to deliver in the most crucial of moments for any golfer – was the turning point for his return to elite status.

Before Sunday’s final round, Kaymer confided in Connelly. He told his caddie that the round would be the toughest he’s ever played. He was entering with a five-stroke lead, and the difficulty of protecting that on a pressure-packed Sunday at a major is enormous. Expectations were high – just like three years ago when he became No. 1.

Unlike back then, Kaymer delivered. He didn’t shoot 65, as he had done in each of the first two days. But his 1-under 69 was just as effective. He showed early that he was not going to wilt. He was not going to fold. This was a Tiger-like performance, a Rory-like performance.

And on the 18th green, after he sank another ticklish putt to save par, he gave a big hug to his Scottish caddie. Their working relationship has mirrored Kaymer’s career arc, and nothing was sweeter than this moment.

“He’s a very calm person, very happy, very positive person,” Kaymer said of Connelly. “… I think that combination, me being fairly serious, him being a little bit more relaxed, that works out quite well for both of us.”

Indeed.

“Winning a tournament is impressive, but winning it by a large number against the best players in the world, there’s obviously no word for it,” said Jason Day, who finished 10 shots back but tied for fourth. “Martin’s had a couple of down years just recently and through, I’m just guess, like a lot of the European guys, they work very, very hard on their game. They take it very serious.

“He struggled over the past few years and this year has been his breakout year again.”

Like his caddie, Kaymer considers himself a much better player now than back in February of 2011. A more complete player. The swing changes he made have worked. The approach to focus less on technique and more on feel has worked. Striving to have fun instead of striving for perfection has worked.

“It was just a matter of time,” Kaymer said. “It’s not a huge surprise to me that I played good golf. It’s just a surprise that I won such big tournaments. That’s a surprise. But I’ll take it.”

It’s certainly a surprise to win a U.S. Open by eight strokes. It’s the fourth largest margin of victory in the 114 years that the event has been played. Kaymer had to carry the pressure of leading since his opening 65 on Thursday afternoon and he really never gave anyone else a chance to think about winning.

“He kind of killed the event in the first two days,” noted Henrik Stenson.

In his Scottish accent, Connelly tried to put into words what it meant. It wasn’t easy.

“It’s not very often you see the likes of a runaway winner,” he said. “We’ve seen it with Rory at the PGA and U.S. Open. We’ve seen it with Tiger. But that’s seeing someone else do it.

“To happen to the person you’re working for, for it to happen to us – well, right now it’s still very raw.”

Well, he better get used to it. Martin Kaymer hasn’t officially returned to No. 1 in the world, but he’s sure playing like it.

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/06/15/kaymer-us-open-major-victory.html

miril

23rd June 2014, 07:08

Ce poate aduce sapte birdie(s) la rand decat victoria. Un sfarsit electrizant pe Travelers Championship, ca la cursele de cai.

Perspective helps Streelman find 'the zone' on the back nine Sunday

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/06/22/Streelman-847-MichaelCohen.jpg
Kevin Streelman surged down the stretch to claim his second career TOUR title. (Michael Cohen/Getty Images)

CROMWELL, Conn. -- It was the day after Christmas last year and Kevin Streelman was just hoping to hear a scream from his newborn baby daughter after his wife underwent an emergency C-section a month early.

His wife Courtney suffered from cholestasis, a liver disease in which pregnancy hormones affect the normal flow of bile in the gallbladder. It afflicts about 1 in 1,000 women, typically in the late stages of pregnancy, and usually subsides shortly after delivery.

“They pulled her out and she was quiet for a few seconds and then she let out this belt, this loudest scream,” Streelman remembers. “We just looked at each other and started bawling our eyes out.”

The experience helped put life in perspective for the 35-year-old journeyman who had missed his last four cuts. Little did he know how it would translate to the golf course and help him to his second career victory.

Streelman made seven straight birdies to cap a final-round 64 and a one-stroke victory Sunday at the Travelers Championship. It was his second straight 64 and he earned 500 FedexCup points for the win to move to 27th in the standings.

Sergio Garcia and K.J. Choi tied for second. They each shot 67.

Streelman’s birdie streak to finish a round is a PGA TOUR record, surpassing Mike Souchak’s previous mark of six straight from the 1956 St. Paul Open. His back-nine 28 also matched a record at TPC River Highlands.

“When you're in the zone like that, when athletes talk about being in the zone, everything is really slow, and it's really clear and concise, and it's very vivid,” said Streelman, who began the day four strokes back and was 2 over through his first seven holes Sunday. “The lines are easy to see. The hole seems to appear bigger. It's almost to a point it doesn't matter how you read the putts because you just know they're going in before you hit them.”

At one point, Streelman had to back off his putt on the 12th hole because he started thinking about the fishing vacation he is taking next week in Flagstaff, Ariz.

He made the putt and followed with six more birdies, then had to wait 45 minutes to see if it would be enough.

Garcia and Choi each had a chance to force a playoff with a birdie on the 18th but each could only manage par.

When Aaron Baddeley also failed to birdie the last, an emotional Streelman had his second win in just over a year.

“Sometimes in this sport, especially when you miss some cuts or you just make it so important, like you just lock yourself up; you don't have freedom,” Streelman said. “I wasn't really expecting too much this week, but I just had really good perspective, and it just kind of came to fruition today.”

http://www.pgatour.com/the-upshot/2014/06/22/kevin-streelman-seven-birdies-wins-travelers.html

miril

30th June 2014, 13:32

Justin Rose la prima victorie a anului castigata de parca am fi la CM de fotbal, in prelugiri in fata lui Shawn Stefani.

Rose proves again he's one of the elite Helen Ross

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/06/29/RoseColumn-847-RobCarr.jpg
Justin Rose has six TOUR victories including the 2013 U.S. Open, and six international wins. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

BETHESDA, Md. -- The last time The Open Championship was played at Royal Liverpool, Justin Rose watched it on TV.

"Missed it because I wasn't very good," the good-natured Rose said candidly. "I was having a bit of a rough spell."

Indeed, he was. That Open was the sixth straight major in which Rose wasn't eligible to play. The man who has matured into a top-10 player in the world now calls it a "re-motivating" time in his career.

"I just remember (the course) being burnt out, really warm, people eating ice cream and Tiger winning," Rose said with a wry smile.

Times change. And the 33-year-old Englishman will head to Hoylake next month among the favorites after his gritty victory in the Quicken Loans National at Congressional, which played like a major championship venue on Sunday.

Rose came up with a clutch par at the 17th hole and an even bigger 15-footer for a water-logged bogey at No. 18 to preserve his spot in a playoff with Shawn Stefani. He then won the Quicken Loans National for the second time in five years with a par on the first extra hole after Stefani put his approach in the water.

"An amazing feeling in any sort of championship, when you make a putt like that that means something like that on the 18th hole, that's special," said Rose, who was one of just six players to break par on Sunday. "And then the playoff, it was just up to me to not do what I did the first time around."

MORE: Justin Rose's winning equipment | Rose's post-round interview | FedExCup standings | TOUR Report

The playoff was the first in the eight-year history of the Quicken Loans National, as well as the first in Rose's PGA TOUR career. With the sixth victory of his career, the 2013 U.S. Open champion won for the first time since that hard-fought victory at Merion 54 weeks ago.

"It's a huge boost confidence-wise, yeah, for sure, because I've been semi-in contention this year," said Rose, who has six top-10s this season but nothing higher than fourth until Sunday. "... I haven't really been playing with a lead all year. To do it and get it done and make key putts, that's huge for my psyche going into a major championship.

"And obviously for the rest of the year, gives me a nice boost: A nice boost into the FedExCup as the Playoffs are upon us; nice boost Ryder Cup points, probably takes that off my mind. So yeah, it's a really nice time of year to have a victory and allows me to focus on exciting challenges now ahead."

Counting Merion and Congressional, which played to an average of nearly three strokes over par on Sunday, Rose has won on some of the game's stoutest courses -- including Aronimink, Cog Hill and Jack Nicklaus' Muirfield Village. So it should come as no surprise that he'll be looked at as a contender when the game's oldest major is played on the southwest coast of England in two weeks.

"I like this type of test," Rose said. "... This week you're going to miss greens; you're going to be challenged; you're going to have to grind and you're going to have to do everything at some point this week, and that's the type of golf I like, that tests all your skill sets. That's normally what major championships do."

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/06/29/justin-rose-ready-for-The-Open-Championship-at-Hoylake.html

miril

7th July 2014, 12:13

Cand reusesti un eagle la cupa cea mai grea a traseului nu poti iesi decat invingator si detasat, pe deasupra. Masterfully done by Angel Cabrera care a dovedit ca poate castiga si turnee mai...obisnuite nu numai Master-uri.

Cabrera strolls to Greenbrier victory

Back nine hole-out, solid driving lift El Pato to first victory since 2009 Masters Tournament.

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/07/06/Cabrera-847-Warshaw.jpg
It took two weekend 64s, but Angel Cabrera is a champion again on the PGA TOUR. (Warshaw/Getty Images)

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. -- Angel Cabrera greeted that hole-out for eagle at the 13th hole Sunday with an uppercut worthy of Joe Louis.

The Greenbrier Classic certainly wasn't his -- yet. But the hard 8-iron Cabrera hit from 176 yards out was essentially the knockout punch as it gave the Argentine a commanding three-stroke advantage. (Click here to see Cabrera's hole-out eagle)

Cabrera needed it, too, as he made a couple of messy bogeys on the next two holes. He two-putted the 17th from 38 feet for the final birdie in his second-straight round of 64, though, and ended up winning for the first time since the 2009 Masters.

"This was a great opportunity," Cabrera said through his interpreter and coach Charlie Epps. "I wanted it. I needed to win a tournament. I felt under control today out there, and I didn't want to let it get away from me."

Cabrera was making his first appearance in The Greenbrier Classic. The Old White TPC, which he blistered for a winning total of 16 under, is nestled in the Alleghany Mountains, which reminded Cabrera of the Sierras Chicas, or the "little mountains," back home in Cordoba where he learned the game.

Cabrera was solid off the tee, precise with his irons and deadly with the putter all week on the C.B. McDonald gem. He ranked first in greens in regulation, fourth in driving accuracy, fifth in strokes gained putting and 11th in driving distance.

The big stick, though, was the key in Cabrera's mind.

"The big thing was the drive today," Cabrera said. "It was good all week long. It made the course play a little shorter for myself, but it was definitely my driver."

Cabrera now heads to Royal Liverpool with momentum as he seeks to add the third leg of the career Grand Slam to his resume. He won the 2007 U.S. Open and 2009 Masters -- and nearly added another Green Jacket last year, losing to Adam Scott in a playoff.

"I've been confident with my golf swing, and I feel confident mentally," Cabrera said. "I'm just going to go over there and play, and it's a very important tournament and it's a different tournament, but I'm going to go play."

For now, though, he'll savor the win at The Old White TPC.

"The truth of the matter is I just had a great week, and I've just been working very hard to get to this moment, and I'm very, very happy," Cabrera said.

1. Angel Cabrera, -16
2. George McNeill, -14
3. Webb Simpson, -10

http://www.pgatour.com/the-upshot/2014/07/06/eagle-lifts-cabrera-the-greenbrier-classic.html

miril

14th July 2014, 12:35

Gritty Harman joins winning ranks

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/07/13/Harman-Upshot-Shamus.jpg
Brian Harman put forth a stellar performance to hold off Zach Johnson for his first TOUR title. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

SILVIS, Ill. -- In the Takes-One-to-Know-One department, Brian Harman is in very good company.

“He has always been known as just kind of a gritty player who plays pretty simple golf,” Zach Johnson said in describing his St. Simons Island, Georgia, neighbor and the freshly crowned John Deere Classic champion Harman.

Sound like anyone Johnson might know?

“Jim Furyk?” quipped Johnson, the 11-time TOUR winner whose own brand of gritty, simple golf fell a shot short of Harman’s 22-under 262 winning total at TPC Deere Run on Sunday. “Yeah. That’s kind of what I try to model off of.

“He’s fierce,’’ Johnson added of his young neighbor. “There’s not a whole lot of fear there. Might be a small guy, stature-wise. But there is nothing small about him in his golf game.”

Indeed, at 5-foot-7, 180-pounds, Harman looks up to the bulk of his TOUR peers, including the 5-foot-11 Johnson.

But Harman stood tallest this week, finally collecting the victory for which he has been itching over 88 TOUR starts spanning 2-and-a-half seasons. That includes his maiden appearance here at the Deere in 2012, when he played in the penultimate Sunday pairing alongside eventual winner Johnson, while fading to a share of 19th place.

“That was the first time that I was anywhere close to the lead, and having to deal with all of the distractions of playing in the last couple of groups,’’ remembered Harman. “I actually talked to Zach about it. He felt like I was trying to get out of his way a little bit and I needed to kind of stake my ground. I definitely learned a lot from that situation.”

It showed on Sunday, when Harman went out with a one-shot lead on three-time JDC winner Steve Stricker, and promptly staked his claim to the top of the leaderboard with 223-yard shot to inside 5 feet at the par-5 second. He rolled in the eagle putt and never wavered thereafter, offsetting a bogey at the fifth with a steely birdie at the difficult par-4 9th and three birdies coming in.

He led by two on the 18th tee and a tap-in bogey for a closing round of 5-under 66 made him the 20th first-time winner at the Deere and the seventh former Georgia Bulldog to win on TOUR this year.

The latter was a significant accomplishment in Harman’s mind, because the Savannah-bred lad is a Bulldog – and a bulldog – through and through.

“We had some good teams, man,” he said of squads that included recent TOUR winners like Harris English, Chris Kirk, Russell Henley, Patrick Reed and Brendan Todd, as well as an alum named Bubba Watson. “We’re always pushing each other, still buddies, most of us. I’m so excited that now we’ve got something else to talk about.”

Harman had plenty of time to talk with several of those UGA chums on a Deere-sponsored charter flight to London Sunday night. In addition to the 500 FedExCup points that lifted him to 14th in the season-long race and the $846,000 winner’s share, the recently engaged 27-year-old’s victory earned him the final berth in next week’s Open Championship. In addition, he'll make his debuts in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and Masters Tournament next year.

Sporting a wide grin with the JDC trophy in front of him in his victory’s aftermath, Harman admitted all those perks crossed his mind during Sunday’s round.

“I think anybody who says they block all that out, they’re being a little facetious,” said Harman, whose previous best finishes on TOUR were a pair of thirds.

But his answer to those distractions was to ask: "What’s the best way to get those things you want? I’ve got eight holes to play, and I have got to play these holes like I play all the time.”

Harman played them like a champion, which, of course, is what he now is, standing shoulder- to- shoulder with all those former Bulldog teammates and the worthy list of recent Deere winners like Stricker, Jordan Spieth and his gritty St. Simons Island neighbor.

“I appreciate the way Zach plays the game,” Harman said of Johnson, who he said often bikes past Harman’s home with his children in tow. “He does it the right way. He does what he does extremely well.”

Still, Harman’s breakthrough victory also is a result of committing to stand on his own.

“At the beginning of this year, I kind of caught myself trying to imitate too many guys at once,” he said. “And I just kind of made the decision to try and be a little bit better version of myself. To do the things that I know how to do and to see where that took me.”

His immediate destination is Hoylake. And, from there, who knows where?

“I think the future looks pretty good,” said the gritty new champion.

http://www.pgatour.com/the-upshot/2014/07/13/brian-harman-wins-john-deere-classic.html

miril

28th July 2014, 06:53

Dupa o revenire incredibila...

Clark's long voyage lands him second TOUR title

Overtakes Jim Furyk with a back-nine 30 to win RBC Canadian Open

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Tim Clark earned his second TOUR victory on Sunday. He also owns 12 career second-place finishes. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

L’ILE BIZARD, Quebec -- Tim Clark stands a mere 5-foot-7, but what he lacks in height he makes up for in heart.

The 38-year-old South African suffered a myriad of injuries in 2011 – causing him to play only four events that year – and had struggled in 2013-2014 -- having previously made just 10 cuts in 20 events -- but he explained his one-shot victory at the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday will be a confidence booster.

“If I stay in this sort of frame of mind, there’s no reason why I can’t keep it going,” Clark said after picking up 500 FedExCup points to move to 27th in the standings. “The next two events are big for us, and I’d love to keep it going.”

From confidence boosting, to, perhaps, another blow to one’s confidence, Jim Furyk was unable to convert a 54-hole lead again. He’s now failed to convert seven straight 54-hole leads since his last victory in 2010 and said he has “no one to blame” but himself.

“It was a benign day, and 69 is not a bad round by any means, but by only making two birdies I let a couple guys back into the tournament,” he said.

The 44-year-old takes some solace in the fact that he is confirmed as a member of the United States’ Ryder Cup team, but that doesn’t quash the pain of this loss.

“I’m obviously disappointed,” he said. “I just didn’t putt well enough, and I didn’t convert the opportunities I had.”

Neither Clark nor Furyk were affected by the rain delay that caused a 15-minute break in play as inclement weather passed through the Montreal area.

“It was a really awkward break for everyone. It’s rare that we come off the golf course and then we’re not afforded a chance to go out and warm up, but we really weren’t in there that long,” Furyk said.

The break happened while the final pair was on the 15th hole, and Clark was in the midst of a 5-under-par 30 back nine.

“I knew I had to make birdies, and sometimes that can be easier when you know you have to be aggressive,” he said. “At that point (I had) nothing to lose. I suddenly just got hot, and I went with it.”

Clark has some existing Canadian connections – having won twice on what’s now PGA TOUR Canada in 1998, and, his wife was born in Toronto. Her father is from Montreal, so there will be some local celebrations tonight before Clark prepares for next week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, and the PGA Championship.

As Clark’s young son, Jack, ran across the 18th green to greet his father, there were tears in Clark’s eyes. It was a long road back from injury, but he is excited for what lies ahead.

“Today was just a dream day.”

Final scores from the @RBCCanadianOpen:
1. Tim Clark, -17
2. Jim Furyk, -16
3. Justin Hicks, -13
Full scores: http://pgat.us/Scores

http://www.pgatour.com/the-upshot/2014/07/27/tim-clark-wins-rbc-canadian-open.html

miril

4th August 2014, 06:51

Se pregateste predarea stafetei? Rory McIlroy in, Tiger Woods out?

McIlroy drives away with another title

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/08/03/Rory-847-Condon.jpg
Rory McIlroy's booming drives are turning heads and pushing him back toward golf's pinnacle. (Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)

McIlroy led the field in driving distance at more than 317 yards a pop and in the final round had, among others, drives of 349 yards, 345 yards, 331 yards, 330 yards, and on the final hole a 328-yard bomb that left him yet another wedge in his hands.

Numbers like that make it a lot easier to lead the field in greens in regulation, which McIlroy did at Firestone too.

“If you're hitting arguably the hardest club in your bag that well, then the other stuff should sort of fall in line,” said McIlroy, who carded a 66 on a soggy Sunday that included three straight birdies to start to turn a three-shot deficit into a one-stroke lead that he would never fully relinquish the rest of the afternoon. “Whenever I drive the ball well, I always put myself in positions where I can attack flags and try and make birdies, but when I'm swinging it well with a driver that sort of funnels through the rest of my game.”

Just a year ago and only a handful of months into an equipment overhaul, McIlroy struggled to hit the driver straight. It came to a head at The Open Championship at Muirfield, where he shot 79-75 to miss the cut.

But he eventually got it figured out and in his last few starts in particular has driven it exceptionally.

“The big thing for me is if you let it affect you mentally, it makes it more difficult,” McIlroy said. “If you can stay strong mentally when you’re going through the struggles you always seem to come out the other side OK. It’s when it affects you mentally you can start to lose confidence, then you’re losing confidence in your swing. It can spiral out of control, kind of like I did last summer.

“It's the most comfortable I've ever felt trying to close out a golf tournament out there today. I felt normal. I felt like it was the first round or the second round. It didn't feel like a fourth round.”

http://www.pgatour.com/the-upshot/2014/08/03/rory-mcilroy-wgc-bridgestone-invitational.html

miril

4th August 2014, 06:53

McIlroy regains No. 1 world ranking

http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/08/03/rorynumber1-847-gregoryshamus.jpg
Rory McIlroy moved up to No. 3 in the FedExCup standings with his victory at Firestone. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

AKRON, Ohio -- With his victory Sunday at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, Rory McIlroy moved back to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time since early 2013.

McIlroy now has 9.4077 points in the Official World Golf Ranking, followed by Scott at 9.2368. Sergio Garcia is third at 7.7803.

McIlroy also picked up 550 FedExCup points to move to No. 3 in the FedExCup standings, important because the top five players entering the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola control their own destiny of winning the FedExCup. The FedExCup Playoffs begin with The Barclays, Aug. 21-24.

Scott had a chance to hold on to the top spot with a solo fifth or better at Firestone but stumbled down the stretch, bogeying three of his final five holes to shoot 71 and finish in a tie for eighth.

Not that Scott, who has held the position for the last 11 weeks, seemed too broken up about it. As McIlroy played behind him on the 18th, Scott stood on the green and playfully held up a No. 1 gesture to McIlroy with his index finger. Scott will also have a chance to reclaim the top spot next week at the PGA Championship.

"It's been a lot of fun," Scott said. "Obviously, Rory's in incredible form at the moment. He'll be the man to beat next week, by the looks of things, and I'll be gunning for him for sure."

For McIlroy, it is the third time he has reached No. 1 with a win. He first did it with a victory at the 2012 Honda Classic and again later that year with a record-setting eight-shot victory at the PGA Championship at Kiawah.

"I think you just go and you play and you try to win golf tournaments, and if you win golf tournaments, the ranking takes care of itself," McIlroy said. "My goal now until the end of the year is just to try to win as many golf tournaments as I can. It's not to try to finish No. 1 in the world. It's just to get as many titles as possible."

http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/bridgestone-invitational/news/2014/08/03/rory-mcilroy-regains-top-world-ranking.html

miril

4th August 2014, 06:56

Tiger withdraws mid-round at Firestone

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Tiger Woods hits a shot out of the rough on the second hole Sunday. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

AKRON, Ohio -- Tiger Woods withdrew from the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Championship after just eight holes Sunday, citing lower back pain.

Woods, who had microdiscectomy surgery at the end of March and was playing in just his 10th competitive round since returning, said he injured his back when he fell back into a bunker after playing an awkward shot on the second hole.

"I just jarred it, and it's been spasming ever since," said Woods, who was 3 over on the day, 4 over for the tournament and 18 strokes behind leader Sergio Garcia when he withdrew following his tee shot on the ninth hole. "It's just the whole lower back."

By Sunday evening, Woods was already back in South Florida, where he will be evaluated and make a decision on next week's PGA Championship in due course, Woods' agent Mark Steinberg said via email.

Playing partner Bubba Watson didn't see Woods hit from the rough on the second hole but could tell something was bothering him.

"I know that he's in the rough on 6, he hit it fat on 5 off the tee, which is going to, again, strain your back, put some stress on it," Watson said. "I've never had back problems, so I'm guessing it's pretty painful. He hit some shots that we're not used to seeing Tiger hit, even when he's coming back from an injury like this.

"I told him when I shook his hand, I said, 'I'm praying for you. Hope everything turns out good. Hope to see you next week.'"

When Woods arrived at his courtesy car he moved gingerly and was unable to bend down to tie his sneakers. He cautiously got in the passenger seat and was driven away by caddie Joe LaCava.

Asked what his status is for next week's PGA Championship, Woods said, "I don't know. Just trying to get out of here." He had planned to arrive at Valhalla on Monday for a practice round.

Woods' status for the upcoming FedExCup Playoffs was already in jeopardy before he showed up at Firestone, where he has won a record eight times. He entered this week 215th in the standings -- only the top 125 following the Wyndham Championship in two weeks are eligible.

The last time Woods, a two-time FedExCup champion, failed to qualify for the Playoffs was in 2011 when knee and Achilles injuries caused him to sit out three months in the middle of the season.

At 69th in Ryder Cup points, Woods' status for the matches at Gleneagles later this fall is also in question. He has been on every American team since turning pro except one, missing the 2008 matches after undergoing season-ending knee surgery following his U.S. Open victory at Torrey Pines.

The WGC-Bridgestone was just Woods' third start after missing more than three months following surgery to alleviate pain caused by a pinched nerve.

In his first tournament back Woods missed the cut in July at the Quicken Loans National, where he admitted he would not have played if the tournament did not benefit his foundation. But he said his back felt good.

Two weeks later at Royal Liverpool, Woods made it to the weekend but shot a final-round 75 to finish at 3-over 294, his highest career total in an Open Championship. Still, he was encouraged that he was getting stronger.

When Woods arrived to defend his title at Firestone, he admitted the back injury proved more debilitating than he thought.

"There's no comparison between a knee and a back," the 38-year-old said. "The knee is so much easier to deal with and rehab from than coming back from a back. I've had Achilles injuries, obviously knee surgeries, but this thing is just way different.

"Most of the people I talked to who have had the procedure have no idea how I'm even back here playing."

Sunday's withdrawal marked the second time this season that Woods has pulled out of a tournament mid-round because of injury. He withdrew from The Honda Classic in March with five holes to play in the final round because of back spasms

http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/bridgestone-invitational/news/2014/08/03/tiger-wd-bridgestone.html

miril

11th August 2014, 07:01

Noul rege al golfului, Rory McIlroy, The New Kid In Town, a castigat ultimul turneu de Grand Slam, PGA Championship, intr-un final electrizant care datorita ploii i-a adus pe protogonisti sa joace la limita vizibilului, ultimele doua grupe, incluzand pe castigator si pe locurile doi si trei, Phil Mickelson si Rickie Fowler, jucand aproape simultan ultima cupa.

Updates from Valhalla

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/08/10/rorymcilroy-847-jeffgross.jpg
Rory McIlroy beat darkness, and the field, at Valhalla Golf Club. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The scene on 18 was surreal, but the result was familiar. Rory McIlroy won the PGA Championship for his fourth major championship and third consecutive victory. He two-putted from 45 feet on the final hole for a one-shot victory.

McIlroy and fellow competitor Bernd Wiesberger played the final hole in darkness alongside the penultimate pairing of Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler.

“I wanted to win this thing and get out of here,” said McIlroy, who has won two of the past three PGA Chamionships. He shot a final-round 68 to finish at 16-under 268 (66-67-67-68). Mickelson (66) finished one shot back after nearly holing a chip for eagle on the final hole. Fowler (68) and Henrik Stenson (66) tied for third, two shots back.

McIlroy arrived at Valhalla Golf Club after winning his past two starts, at The Open Championship and World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. He has held the lead after seven of the past eight rounds in major championships.

“I never dreamed I’d have a summer like this,” McIlroy said.

He started the final round with a one-shot lead, but was two behind after bogeys at Nos. 3 and 6. He was bogey-free on the final 12 holes, though. McIlroy made birdie at the seventh hole, then hit a fairway wood to 7 feet for an eagle at No. 10 and made birdie at No. 13. McIlroy seemingly sealed the tournament after hitting a fairway-bunker shot to 11 feet and making the birdie putt to take a two-shot lead to the 18th tee.

That was enough for McIlroy to beat darkness, and beat the field, at Valhalla Golf Club.

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/08/10/updates-from-valhalla--round-4.html

Rory McIlroy's Open Championship ball fetches $52K

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Rory McIlroy throws his ball into the stands at Royal Liverpool after winning The Open Championship (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Three weeks after Green Jacket Auctions put the ball Rory McIlroy used to win The Open Championship on the auction block, a golf memorabilia collector purchased the ball on Sunday for $52,038.

McIlroy threw the Nike RZN Black ball he used to win his third major championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in the stands, where it was caught by Lee Horner of Leeds, England.

After holding onto the ball for a several days, Horner decided to sell it to Green Jacket Auctions — the same auction house that sold Ben Hogan's 1953 MacGregor irons, and the clubs Al Geiberger used to to shoot the first 59 ever recorded on the PGA TOUR.

According to ESPN's Darren Rovell, the $52,038 paid for the McIlroy ball is the second-highest for a golf ball after the $55,865 that was paid in April 2011 for a Bobby Jones autographed ball.

"How many chances will a collector have in their entire life to obtain the actual ball used to win a Major Championship?" Green Jacket Auctions said on its website. "This is a ball that will only gain in significance for the next 20, 50, even 100 years. In the collecting world, this is what's called a "dream piece" - something that no one could ever expect would become available for sale; yet here it is."

Apparently, someone agreed with the auction house's assessment. A total of 45 bids were placed by 22 different bidders from across the world.

http://www.pgatour.com/equipmentreport/2014/08/10/mcilroys-open-championship-ball-fetches-fifty-two-grand.html

miril

14th August 2014, 07:08

Tiger Woods withdraws himself from Ryder Cup consideration due to injury.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/aug/14/tiger-woods-ryder-cup-withdrawal-back-injury

miril

14th August 2014, 10:33

2014-15 schedule-Complete schedule for the upcoming PGA TOUR season

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/08/13/pga-tour-2014-15-schedule.html

miril

18th August 2014, 07:02

In sfarsit:

Positive thoughts fuel Villegas' resurgence

Colombian took some time away and now takes momentum into FedExCup Playoffs

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Camilo Villegas claimed his first trophy since 2010 on Sunday. (Todd Warshw/Getty Images)

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Camilo Villegas never hated the game. There were definitely times in the last three-and-a-half years, though, when he didn't love it very much.

After all, this is a man who was ranked 12th in the world when he made the 2010 Honda Classic his third PGA TOUR title and entered the FedExCup Playoffs with great momentum. But when he came to the Wyndham Championship this week, Villegas had tumbled all the way to No. 254.

There had been that 2012 trip to Q-School, as well as a stretch of 73 events where Villegas only posted two top-10s. The determined Colombian never completely lost confidence, though, and Sunday his resolve was rewarded when he fired his second 63 of the week to win by one.

"You got to stay strong and keep working," Villegas said philosophically as he sat beside the big silver cup named the Sam Snead Trophy in tribute to the Wyndham Championship's eight-time winner.

"I've always done that. I've always been a hard worker and always kind of believed in myself, sometimes more than others and, again, just happy to be right here right next to this trophy."

Villegas, who shot a 29 on a front that included four birdies and an eagle, spent the final 50 minutes Sunday afternoon in the air-conditioned comfort of the scorer's trailer, waiting to see if Bill Haas, Freddie Jacobson or Nick Watney could force a playoff.

Jacobson, who arrived at the 18th tee tied with Villegas at 17 under, came the closest. His approach landed short and on the fringe. All the Swede needed was a two-putt par, but he sent his first putt 10 feet past the hole and couldn't make the save.

"Tough sometimes when you're watching it, you can't control (it)," Villegas said. "When the boys got closer to the last hole, you get a little anxious and, like I said, you don't have a golf club in your hand.

"Sometimes it's better to be on the golf course."

There have been times in the last few years, though, that Villegas was happier on one of his 100-mile bike rides than hitting balls on the range. In fact, he prepared for the Wyndham Championship by heading home to South America to visit his parents last week and ended up putting another 400 miles on those tires while the clubs were back home in Jupiter, Fla.

"But, you know what, it's funny because your mind tells you things and then the next day you do it all over again," Villegas said. "What I mean by that is yes, there's times you go like, 'Man, I hate this game. How much longer do I want to play the game? How much longer do I want to travel?'

"That's just you being silly because once again, you take two days off, you show up to the range, good attitude, keep practicing, keep grinding, show up to the tournament, hope you have a good week, work for a hard week, look at the trophy, want one of those in your house and, again, there's low spots but is that really you talking to you? I don't know."

The margin between success and failure is one Villegas knows all too well after his struggles over the last three years or so. His game was spot-on at Sedgefield, though, and if he can practice what he preaches and not be so hard on himself, Sunday's turnaround just might continue.

Villegas heads into the FedExCup Playoffs ranked 37th and likely safe for at least three of the four events after jumping 68 spots on Sunday. He's tasted Playoffs success in the past, too, finishing second in 2008 after two wins in the all-important final four.

"Beginning of the year I look at my caddie and I said, 'Big guy, I want to win on the PGA TOUR again,'" Villegas said. "It happened to be the last tournament of the regular season and so, yes, I've accomplished my primary goal this year.

"It feels great and I go to the Playoffs hopefully ... the same way I did this week and hopefully (I will) play some good golf."

http://www.pgatour.com/the-upshot/2014/08/17/camilo-villegas-wins-wyndham-championship-fedexcup.html

Standings: 125-man Barclays field set

http://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.02394.html

miril

25th August 2014, 07:04

S-a intrat in faza decisiva a sezonului, patru turnee, unde castigatorul ia 2500 de puncte in comparatie cu 500 de puncte pentru un turneu obisnuit sau 600 pentru un turneu de Slam.

FedExCup fate now in Mahan's hands

He fires a final-round 65 at The Barclays to capture his sixth TOUR title and first since 2012

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/08/24/MahanFamily-847-Condon.jpg
Hunter Mahan poses with his wife Kandi, daughter Zoe and the tournament trophy after winning The Barclays. (Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)

PARAMUS, N.J. -- Kandi Mahan stopped short of saying she had a premonition on Saturday night.

But she knew that she and her 1-year-old daughter Zoe needed to fly to New Jersey to see how the final round of The Barclays played out. Her husband, Hunter, after all, would start Sunday's 18-hole finale one shot off the lead with so very much at stake.

Win and he'd vault to No. 1 in the FedExCup. Win and that victory drought of more than two years would be history. Win and U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Tom Watson just might have him on speed dial next week when he announces his Captain's Picks.

So Kandi and Zoe knew they had to be there.

"It's just great to be together no matter what," Kandi said Sunday afternoon as she glanced at her curly-haired daughter, who was entertaining herself on the 18th green. "And if Hunter did win, we'd definitely wanted to be there. So we decided we wanted to go. Me and Zoe decided we wanted to go."

Kandi and Zoe left her family's home in Odessa, Texas, at 10:30 on Sunday morning. Luckily, the plane had WiFi so she was able to keep tabs on the competition. Hunter was playing the 15th hole when they landed, and the 16th when the two got to Ridgewood.

"There was no traffic," Kandi said with a smile. "... I mean, I got here quick."

The best part? Hunter had just started a run of three straight birdies when his family arrived. Kandi and Zoe hid in the stately stone clubhouse until he teed off on the 18th hole, then waited outside the tunnel under the grandstands while he saved bogey from the bunker and preserved a two-stroke lead.

Only then did Kandi put Zoe on the ground so she could take those unsteady steps of a toddler toward her daddy, oblivious to the cheers of the crowd. And when Jason Day, playing in the final group, couldn't hole his second shot, Mahan had his first victory since 2012.

And a Kodak moment, as well.

"I think every player dreams about that, when you have a child, for them to come out on the green," Mahan, who closed with a 65, said later. "It wasn't the last group or anything but felt good to see them. ... They always make everything special."

Kandi said her husband was in shock when he realized they were there. The two actually were supposed to meet him on Tuesday in Massachusetts where he will play in the Deutsche Bank Championship -- and now goes in as the top seed in the FedExCup.

"The first thing he was saying is when did you get here, when did you leave?" Kandi said. "He was just so confused. He's so excited. I think once it sets in, we'll have so much fun tonight celebrating as a family."

After one more flight to Boston Sunday night, that is.

The scenario brought back memories of last year's RBC Canadian Open, where Mahan held the lead entering the third round. Less than an hour before he was scheduled to tee off, though, he found out Kandi had gone into labor -- several weeks prematurely -- back in Texas.

Mahan withdrew immediately. A friend knew a friend, well, you know how that story goes, and Mahan hitched a ride on a corporate jet already scheduled to head to Texas on Saturday. Within 15 hours he was by Kandi's side and present for Zoe's birth.

So was it payback, Kandi was asked. "That's one way to look at it," she paused and said with a smile.

Mahan, who is the only player to have competed in all 29 FedExCup Playoffs events, said no payback was needed.

"Well, nothing to make up for but it feels good to be back in contention and get a win," he said. "I was playing great that week, as well, but you never know what could have happened.

"It feels good to get a 'W.' It's been a couple of years, and it feels good the way I did it with a great round on Sunday."

Final scores from @TheBarclaysGolf:
1. Mahan, -14
T2. Appleby, -12
T2. Tringale, -12
T2. Day, -12
Full scores: http://pgat.us/Scores

miril

2nd September 2014, 07:04

Un alt concurs playoff, un alt castigator (din afara listei primilor zece):

Kirk's victory shows he's ready for big stage

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/09/01/ChrisKirkTrophy-847-JaredWickerham.jpg
With his win at the Deutsche Bank Championship, Chris Kirk now leads the FedExCup standings by 819 points. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

NORTON, Mass. -- Chris Kirk picked up the biggest win of his career with a two-stroke victory Monday at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Just how big he’ll have to wait to see.

But that’s a story for Tuesday night when Tom Watson makes his captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup.

In the meantime, Kirk was happy with moving to the top of the FedExCup standings and earning a spot in the season-ending TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, where the Atlanta native will have a chance to play for $10 million and his first FedExCup title.

“I'm still just in such shock that I actually won this tournament,” Kirk said. “It's going to take me a little while to figure that out.”

A dozen birdies -- including five on Monday -- and no bogeys over the final 36 holes at TPC Boston certainly helped.

So apparently did playing alongside Rory McIlroy a day earlier. Kirk fed off the environment and matched the world’s top-ranked player shot for shot.

On Monday, Kirk held McIlroy, and everybody else, off with more mistake-free golf

“Being in the group with (McIlroy) and watching him play so great (Sunday) … and just the huge crowds that go along with that, it's really just kind of heightens your focus a little bit,” Kirk said. “That's something that I do struggle with every now and then, really getting myself into it and getting focused, playing how many tournaments we play every year, every single shot, it's hard to get to that extreme level of focus where you don't even see anything around you or hear anything.”

It was quite a turnaround from earlier in the week.

Ten shots behind after the opening round, Kirk was so disgusted he skipped his usual practice session.

But by the time he got to Monday he had rounded into form. Kirk made two birdies and a clutch 15-footer for par over his final nine holes to stay in front.

As for whether he makes the Ryder Cup?

“I would absolutely love to do it,” he said. “But I'm not going to really base how happy I am with how I'm playing, or how my year has gone, on whether I make the team or not.”

Final from @DBChampionship:
1. @Chris_Kirk_ -15
T2. Geoff Ogilvy -13
T2. @RussHenleygolf -13
T2. @BillyHo_golf -13
http://pgat.us/6012WSoy

#FedExCup Standings
1. Chris Kirk
2. Rory McIlroy
3. Hunter Mahan
4. Jimmy Walker
5. Matt Kuchar
Full list: http://pgat.us/6015WSqf

http://www.pgatour.com/the-upshot/2014/09/01/upshot-final-round.html

miril

8th September 2014, 10:38

Frumoasa revansa lui Billy Horschel la BMW Championship, la o saptamana de la Deutsche Bank Championship unde a pierdut pe propriul...drive, la penultima cupa:

Horschel riding wave of confidence to East Lake

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/09/07/HorschelTrophy-847-Squire.jpg
Billy Horschel ranks fourth on the PGA TOUR this season in greens in regulation (70.03 percent). (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. -- Confidence may not be everything in golf, but it doesn't hurt. Right now, no player on the PGA TOUR has more confidence than Billy Horschel.

A tie for second last week at the Deutsche Bank Championship, followed by a two-shot win Sunday at the BMW Championship makes Horschel the hot man on TOUR. It couldn't have come at a better time, given that the FedExCup and its $10 million bonus are up for grabs next week in Atlanta.

"I'm not going to go ahead and guarantee a victory right now," Horschel said, "but I will say that I'm probably going to play very well and I will have a chance to win on Sunday."

Strong words, but who can blame him?

You could argue that he's a fat 6-iron away from consecutive victories in these Playoffs. Unlike Monday's poor swing on the 18th hole at TPC Boston that cost him a chance to catch eventual winner Chris Kirk, Horschel successfully avoided any meltdowns at Cherry Hills.

He started the day with a three-shot lead over Ryan Palmer, but by the time they finished the 11th hole, the two were tied at 14 under.

At that point, though, it was Palmer who drifted back, a victim of his own poor swing that he shanked out of the rough at 13, costing him a double bogey.

Horschel had to survive challenges from Bubba Watson and Sergio Garcia on the back nine, although neither player put serious heat on him (Garcia eventually was done in by a triple bogey). And even though Horschel wasn't as his best, he did nothing wrong to give anybody else hope, reeling off 11 consecutive pars after making his final birdie of the day on the seventh hole.

"I didn't have my great stuff," Horschel said about his 1-under 69.

And so when he reached his approach shot at the 18th hole Sunday, were there any memories of that fat 6-iron he hit on his approach at 18 six days earlier? The one that he refused to dwell on this week but that others used in social media circles to criticize his game?

No, Horschel didn't think about it. All he could think about was hitting the shot, then running to the bathroom.

"I had been holding it for way too many holes," Horschel said with a smile. "I just felt like, you know, I can sort of relax now."

And as for any critics that still don't believe in Billy Horschel?

"You want to keep saying negative things to me, that just adds fuel to my fire," he said. "I'm going to stick it to you every time."

Hmm, playing well and playing with a chip on his shoulder. Maybe a victory guarantee next week isn't that outlandish.

Final from the @BMWChamps:
1. Horschel, -14
2. Watson, -12
3. Hoffmann, -11
Full scores: http://pgat.us/Scores

Your #FedExCup Top 5:
1. Chris Kirk
2. Billy Horschel
3. Bubba Watson
4. Rory McIlroy
5. Hunter Mahan

http://www.pgatour.com/the-upshot/2014/09/07/final-round-bmw-championship.html

miril

15th September 2014, 10:36

Final de sezon cu un invingator mai mult decat meritos, Billy Horschel, care a reusit un final fulminant in play off, locurile 2, 1, 1 in ultimele trei turnee finale.Pe langa cele 10 milioane castigate, pe Horschel il mai asteapta o comora de nepretuit, acasa, sotia ii va darui in zilele care urmeaza, primul nascut, mai bine zis, nascuta, o fetita. Sa le traiasca!

Dreams actually do come true for Horschel

http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/editorial/2014/09/14/HorshcelNOTE-847-StanBadz.jpg
Billy Horschel hoists the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola and FedExCup trophies at East Lake Golf Club. (Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)

ATLANTA -- When Billy Horschel was 10 years old he had a dream that he was going to get hit in the eye playing baseball. It came true.

When he was in college, he dreamt that he would marry his then-girlfriend Brittany and later did.

Sunday at East Lake, he lived out another premonition.

After dreaming earlier this year that he would hoist the FedExCup trophy, Horschel shot a 2-under 68 to win the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola by three strokes over Rory McIlroy and Jim Furyk and claim the FedExCup and its $10 million bonus.

“I'm not sure life can be better than this,” Horschel said.

Over the last month, no one was better.

Following a missed cut in the first event of the Playoffs, Horschel caught fire, finishing second at TPC Boston before winning outside Denver and then at the finale.

No player had ever won the FedExCup beginning the Playoffs lower than No. 19. But Horschel, who started at No. 69, played his last dozen rounds under par to shatter that mark.

Always a superb ball-striker -- Horschel led the field in greens in regulation at East Lake -- it was his putter that helped pave the way for the biggest payday of his life.

Clinging to a one-shot lead over Furyk, Horschel sank an 8-foot par putt on No. 13. Three holes later, after hitting his drive right into the trees and pitching back to the fairway, his next shot spun back 30 feet short of the flag.

Horschel’s putt raced toward the cup and fell in.

“It came off and got up on top of that ridge and I said, ‘This looks good.’ And it went in, and it was huge,” Horschel said. “I knew Jim was nipping at my heels and everything, and that was a big, big putt.”

So big that Horschel’s wife, at home due in two weeks with the couple’s first child, leaped off the living room sofa, screaming.

“That’s when I kind of knew (it was over),” she said. “I just wanted him to play the best golf he could and he did. I’m so proud of him. I have always known the player he is and I wanted him to show everybody else.”

Afterward, he showed plenty of emotion, too, sharing a tearful hug with his parents. Horschel’s road was a long one in more ways than one.

Before his dad would even take him to a golf course as a kid, Horschel had to prove he could hit the ball far enough for it to fly 100 yards over a creek in their backyard.

In college, he was a walk-on at the University of Florida before earning a scholarship and eventually becoming a four-time All-American for the Gators.

But not long after turning pro, Horschel suffered a season-ending wrist injury and later had to regain his card by going to q-school.

The experience humbled but hardened him. He became a better player and has improved every year since.

“I don’t think anybody’s given him anything,” Horschel’s coach Todd Anderson said. “He had to earn everything since junior golf.

“He’s always had a little chip on his shoulder and he always wants to show people that if you have desire and believe in yourself and talent, you can get where you want to go. If you tell him he can’t do something, he’s going to try to figure out how to do it.”

Sunday at East Lake that included pulling away from the No. 1 player in the world (McIlroy) and holding off a veteran and former FedExCup champion (Furyk).

“He played awesome,” Horschel’s caddie Micah Fugitt said, fighting back tears. “He was calm all day.”

It showed with mostly mistake-free golf, something that hasn’t always been the case for the often emotional Horschel.

“He’s a confident guy,” Anderson said. “He feels he can hit every shot, but he’s learning he doesn’t have to be aggressive on every shot.”

It helped that Furyk came up short with his approach on 17 and made bogey to fall two back, then three-putted 18 trying to make birdie.

Horschel breathed easy and two-putted for par to clinch the win, something just a month ago he had a hard time envisioning after wishing what to that point had been a disappointing season would be over with.

But there was still the matter of that dream.

“There's certain things throughout my life that have come true, and I've sort of seen it beforehand,” Horschel said. “I woke up and I wasn't sure if it was real or not because it was very faint, but I remember holding up the FedExCup trophy, and as the season went along, I never thought about it, but I just said, 'Well, maybe it was just a dream that wasn't real.'”

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2014/09/14/billy-horschel-dreams-tour-championship-by-coca-cola.html