Tiger Woods' Red-Carpet Night Reveals Players P.O.V.

Tiger Woods' Red-Carpet Night Reveals Players P.O.V.











Ryan Ballengee May 6, 2013 9:05 PM


COMMENTARY | Red is a pretty important color to Tiger Woods. It's the color he wears on Sundays, the day they hand out trophies and big, ceremonial checks.



It's fitting, then, that Woods is walking a red carpet in New York City instead of laying up in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., ahead of The Players Championship.



Woods and girlfriend-slash-champion-skier Lindsey Vonn are together in the Big Apple for the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. That's 800-plus miles away from TPC Sawgrass and its Stadium Course, where the PGA Tour's crown jewel will be played starting Thursday.



Had this been the Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship or PGA Championship, Woods wouldn't let the venue out of eyesight. Ahead of the Masters, Woods went into semi-seclusion after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, refusing contact with the media and pretty much anyone else so that he could lend maximum focus to his efforts to win a 15th major. It didn't pay off at Augusta National, but that's neither here nor there. Woods gave it everything he had, the best way he knows how to prepare.



Yes, Woods is a 37-year-old man. He certainly can handle a night out on the town -- even at an affair as high-profile as the Met Gala -- and still manage to play golf by Thursday morning.



The world No. 1 has the means to flight in his private jet to and fro, making the fairly short flight to Jacksonville before heading over to the home of the PGA Tour on Tuesday.



None of this is to insinuate Woods can't or won't win The Players this week. He won here in 2001, though he hasn't been much of a factor since the tournament's move to May in 2007. The best in the world already has three wins on the '13 campaign; predicting a fourth wouldn't be much of a reach.



Rather, Woods' night at the museum (hopefully, this will not inspire another film in that series) probably settles once and for all any debate about The Players as the proverbial "fifth major."



The tournament is an excellent one. It's well-run and well-attended. The Stadium Course is an iconic venue, even if the par-3 17th had no water surrounding it. The field is one of the deepest in golf. The purse, at $9.5 million, is the most lucrative in the game.



All of that, however, is not enough for Woods to consider it in the same company as the four tournaments per year that, from here to the end of his competitive days, will be the only measure that matters in determining his legacy.




The majors are what matters to Woods. The math is simple. He has 14 majors to Jack Nicklaus' 18. If he wins five more, then he is the greatest golfer ever. Woods would have 19 major titles, and, even if he never won another non-major PGA Tour event again, he would tie Sam Snead for the most PGA Tour victories at 82.



For all of his domination at tracks like Bay Hill, Firestone C.C. and Torrey Pines, as well as his struggles at places like Dove Mountain and TPC Sawgrass, they ultimately weigh little. That's why Woods can stand to be at the Met Gala or play in the Tavistock Cup in the same week as Arnold Palmer's tournament.



Then again, maybe it would be in Woods' best interest for The Players never to creep into the Grand Slam (or Grand Slam Plus One) discussion. Pete Dye's signature course does not seem to suit Woods well, which he shared in a somewhat-veiled criticism last year.



"Some of Pete's other golf courses are a little bit different, and this one in particular, you have to hit the ball well; and we're all playing to the same spots and then obviously to the same spots on the greens," Woods said.



"You really can't get down there on some of the holes with big drives or anything like that. There's really no room to do that because of his angles."



It's not exactly a ringing endorsement of the course. The distance advantage Woods held over the PGA Tour in his early career rarely materialized that way at Sawgrass. For better or worse, imagination is replaced by prescription. The design and setup democratizes the championship, affording a chance to any player who can shine in all facets of the game.



Woods did say the best player seems to win The Players each year, but the course does little favors to him in identifying him as champion. Tiger took his lone pro title at the Stadium Course a dozen years ago. (He won the 1994 U.S. Amateur at the venue.)



If The Players were to someday become a major , Woods would fall further behind Jack Nicklaus in the major tally. Jack won three of the first five Players, albeit none of them at TPC Sawgrass. That would leave the score at Jack 21, Tiger 15. For now, at least, Nicklaus can't claim an extra major field goal.



Whether Woods wins on Sunday, then, is of little matter. It'd be a pleasant surprise for a man that has exactly one Players top-10 finish since 2001.



No one saw Woods' night out on the town coming, so perhaps it'll be the change of pace he needs to notch a second Players trophy.



Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Follow him on Twitter @RyanBallengee.

TPC Sawgrass' 17th Hole Is Perfect as It Is

TPC Sawgrass' 17th Hole Is Perfect as It Is











Ryan Ballengee May 7, 2013 12:43 PM




COMMENTARY | The penultimate hole at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course is the ultimate hole in golf.

The island-green par-3 17th hole is the topic of a lot of discussion every year. Is it fair? Would it be better if it came earlier in the round? Could it be lengthene
d or shortened? The conversation has gone on for 32 years, dating back to the first Players Championship contested at the Pete Dye gem in 1982.



As the tournament has aged and the course matured, however, the collective view of the 137-yard demon seems to have softened, even among its biggest detractors. Perhaps that's the truest sign that the architect had it right by inserting such a quirky hole at such a pivotal point on the golf course.

Even with the heart-wrenching double-digit scores it has produced over the years, the 17th has played to a scoring average of 3.14 since 2003. It's only the eighth-toughest hole at the Stadium Course in the last decade.

By comparison, the more-celebrated par-3 12th at Augusta National plays to a historical stroke average of 3.22. For all intents and purposes, the holes score about the same. The 17th at Sawgrass is tougher than it looks, which is precisely what Dye aimed to do with this design: visually intimidate players to distract them from the task at hand.

While Sawgrass' most iconic hole has played some 1,400-over par in three-plus decades of hosting The Players, it also means that a par can be fairly routine.

In the last decade, the field has hit the green at the 17th just about 78 percent of the time. Of course, that other 22 percent mostly finds the water at least once. Rarely, their ball lands in the pot bunker that can occasionally swallow up a pushed tee shot.

Though the tee shot seems the most vexing part of the hole, it really is the putting surface that makes par tricky. It has three very distinct sections.

There's the lower tier which invites players to spin the ball back to the pin, but also into the water if they're not careful. Fred Couples jarred perhaps the most iconic reloaded tee shot in Players history in 1999, when he earned par the hard way with a hole out to a front pin.

The right side of the top tier allows for the same kind of risk-reward if a player can successfully navigate his ball to the dividing ridge, but a poorly struck shot will land in the bunker or float into the water. Remember when Sergio Garcia found that ridge in the sudden-death playoff against Paul Goydos in 2008? Though the California native had found the drink with his tee shot, Sergio was not in the clear until his ball found dry land and trickled toward the cup.

Then there's the back-left portion of that upper tier that can prove to pose a near-impossible two-putt par for a player that goes long or left of their intended target. It's from that position, often considered dead, that Tiger Woods made the "better than most" putt in 2001, leading to his only Players win, by a shot over Vijay Singh.

NBC Sports' Gary Koch found those few-but-potent words for that Sunday birdie because it was nearly inconceivable to him that it would even stop close to the hole, much less go in it.

The beauty of the 17th, then, is that it's more than an intimidating tee shot. Finding the putting surface is good enough to avoid penalty strokes, but in no way does it mean par is a sure bet from there. Dye doesn't allow a player to ever relax at the Stadium Course, forcing them to execute the shots he demands if they want to score well. Some have said that prescription through intimidation is a flaw of the home of The Players. No, it's the genius of it.

For all its splendor, however, the 17th could still be improved -- and, no, it's not by filling in the pond surrounding the putting surface. Rather, it could be by lengthening it.

PGA Tour pro Matt Every grew up in Jacksonville, playing the Stadium Course more than his fair share of times over the years with friends. He told me that his buddies used to play the hole from even further back, walking to the hillside behind the tee to play the hole from nearly 180 yards.

If a 137-yard shot with a wedge or a 9-iron can make the best in the world sweat bullets, imagine taking on the challenge having to club up a few sticks?

Maybe if the wind kicks up this week in Ponte Vedra Beach, the field will get a taste of that very shot. In that case, The Players may come down to a crapshoot.

Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Follow him on Twitter @RyanBallengee.

What Will Phil Mickelson Do Next?

What Will Phil Mickelson Do Next?
Lefty Will Need Hot Putting to Continue, Tighten Long Game to Contend at Players Championship











Mark McLaughlin May 7, 2013 1:29 PM




COMMENTARY | I've covered Phil Mickelson enough to routinely expect the unexpected. Mickelson plays golf his way, which produces plenty of performance volatility. His highs are spectacular while his lows can be maddeningly frustrating.

Lefty's performance at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, where he bogeyed two o
f the last three holes to miss a playoff by a shot, was vintage Phil.



What this means for this week's Players Championship and the U.S. Open at Merion next month? Probably not much as Mickelson is a streaky player whose run of good play seldom lasts more than two to three weeks at a time.

In 2010, he carried the momentum of his third Masters victory to Quail Hollow and would have won the tournament if not for a final-round 62 by eventual winner Rory McIlroy. And last year, he narrowly missed winning back-to-back tournaments at Pebble Beach and Riviera when he lost the Northern Trust Open in a playoff.

The pattern of the last few years has Lefty shooting lights out one week - 20-under-par in Houston in 2011, 28-under in Phoenix this year - and then coming close a few other times during the season without winning. Indeed, 2009 was his last multiple-win campaign.

Given Mickelson's age (42), stature - he's already in the World Golf Hall of Fame - and off-course commitments, I expect this hot-cold pattern to continue through the remainder of his playing days. But that's not a bad thing.

Lefty still has the length, guts and short game to produce plenty of highlight reels. More importantly, he's at a point in his career where pundits have given up trying to change him.



Mickelson used to catch flak at every major championship for not dialing down his aggressiveness to suit courses that put a premium on accuracy and control. But despite his infamous meltdowns - the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot come to mind - he has never altered his playing style, never even considered it.During Saturday's round at Quail Hollow, he attempted to slice a 3-wood off a cart path and around a tree on the par-5 15th hole and instead airmailed his ball out of bounds, leading to double bogey. (Rather than play it safe, Lefty dropped in the same predicament and then hit driver around the tree and just short of the green).





Mickelson scored in his typical fashion during the Wells Fargo. He was long but crooked off the tee - finding the fairway on just one of every three drives - but made up for it with a deadly putting stroke and reliable short game, until the closing stretch Sunday.



It's amazing he has won 41 times while putting so much pressure on himself. Being behind the eight ball has hurt him the most at tight U.S. Open layouts and could stress him on a TPC Sawgrass course replete with hazards on nearly every shot.



Priorities in Right Place



Lefty cares deeply about winning but he also realizes how lucky he is to be playing golf for a living. Professional sports are entertainment and golf is no different. Mickelson plays the role of entertainer better than anyone on the PGA Tour.

That's why you'll see him signing every autograph after a round, even if it delays his personal schedule or an interview with the media.



The downside of Mickelson's hot-cold style is reflected in the few milestones he has failed to achieve as a professional. Lefty has never been ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and he's never won PGA Tour Player of the Year or the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average.

But missing accolades, short of a U.S. Open victory, will do little to dampen Mickelson's irrepressible optimism. As long as he continues to win - he holds the Tour's longest streak of years with a victory at 10 - and to draw legions of fans to the golf course, he's right where he wants to be.

Mark McLaughlin has reported on the PGA Tour for the New York Post, FoxSports.com, Greensboro News & Record, and Burlington (N.C.) Times-News. He is a past member of the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association. Follow him on Twitter @markmacduke.

Champion Chapman enjoys time of his life

Champion Chapman enjoys time of his life












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Roger Chapman clearly enjoyed himself during the fireside chat in Benton Harbor, Mich.(Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America)

PGA.COM May 22, 2013 5:38 PM


By John Kim PGA.com Coordinating Producer

ST. LOUIS - As the week of the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid commences, the players are enjoying what will certainly be one of the more memorable weeks of their lives, with a chance to change their place in golf - and their life - forever. However, for one player, this event actually started a month ago.

On April 22, one month before the official start of the season's first major for the senior players, defending champion Roger Chapman embarked on a whirlwind 36 hours to promote the event that vaulted him from journeyman professional to historic golf figure. PGA.com was fortunate enough to accompany him on his whirlwind media tour that truly reflected the special way winning the Senior PGA Championship can change one's life.

Monday, April 22, 7:00 a.m.: Chapman steps off the elevator of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in St. Louis. He's going on only a few hours of sleep after coming in late from a tournament in Atlanta, but you'd never know it by the spring in his step and the smile on his face. He has no idea what he's really in for on this Senior PGA Championship Media Day but knows that promoting this year's event means reliving last year's win.

It's a far cry from how he approached the Senior PGA Championship a year ago. He's a humble man but justifiably proud of the amazing year he had in 2012. In some ways, he's still processing it - and his newfound place in golf history.

In some ways, Chapman is the consummate Cinderella story - the relatively unheralded Englishman who showed up at Harbor Shores Golf Club in Benton Harbor, Mich., with no real expectations for his performance - and walked away with the Alfred S. Bourne trophy. And before anyone had a chance to say "fluke," he validated that win with another dominant performance at the U.S. Senior Open (coincidentally, again in Michigan) a mere six weeks later.

"I'm walking a bit taller now," he says with a wide grin, "maybe I stick my chest out a little more." Becoming a two-time major championship winner (in six weeks!) in 2012 can do wonders for one's self-esteem.

7:45 a.m.: Chapman is on the range at Bellerive Country Club, getting ready to play golf with PGA President Ted Bishop and executives from Bellerive and KitchenAid. He's hitting balls beside PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua. People come by to snap photos as he swings. More people come by to ask for photos with him. Chapman knows golf, but this - being the center of attention, the man all the cameras are trained on - is a new side of the business to him. "It's different," he shrugs. "But I don't mind it. Kind of enjoy actually."

8:00 a.m.: Chapman's group tees off on Hole No. 1. Chapman is playing with Bishop, Deb O'Connor of KitchenAid and Bob Cox, the chairman of the Senior PGA Championship.

8:08 a.m.: After a perfect drive and then an 8-iron to six inches, Chapman taps in for birdie.

In other ways, Chapman is not a fairytale story. It's not like he was an ugly duckling that blossomed into a swan - he's had, by any account, a successful career. Prior to 2012, he had amassed more than 500 career European Tour starts, with one victory on that tour and a couple of other wins on various circuits around the world. He has more than 20 second-place finishes worldwide and famously beat Hal Sutton twice in one day at the 1981 Walker Cup.

1:30 p.m.: Following a round where he says he shot "around par," Chapman now faces a much less familiar task - sitting on a dais of golf and political dignitaries taking questions from the media. But before the questions, a video on the history of the Senior PGA Championship is shown, as is another video on Chapman's historic performance the year before at Harbor Shores. When a clip shows Chapman looking skyward, with a photo of his golf mentor George Will appearing as part of the picture, Chapman's eyes tear up. He maintains composure enough to answer each question with grace, humility and humor - but talking about his win obviously brings about many emotions.

3:00 p.m.: Chapman joins Bishop, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and other officials as well as tournament personnel for a ceremonial raising of the 74th Senior PGA Championship flag above Bellerive. The 2013 Senior PGA Championship festivities are officially under way.

3:30 p.m.: Chapman arrives at Urban K-Life with officials from the PGA of America and KitchenAid to see firsthand the impact that PGA REACH is having in providing life guidance and direction to economically challenged Greater St. Louis. Chapman is a warmly greeted and asked to try out a homemade putting green created by the youth members. He accepts the challenge and sinks his first putt. The crowd roars its approval.

6:00 p.m.: Chapman, along with a select group of PGA and KitchenAid officials, arrives at Spirit of St. Louis airport for a 45-minute flight up to Benton Harbor. Chapman and his wife Cathy sit up in the first four seats with a KitchenAid executive and Senior Director of Communications Julius Mason. His wry English humor flashes as he looks to the other five passengers seated directly behind them and asks, "How's sitting in coach treating you?"


KitchenAid, a division of Whirlpool Corp., is the presenting sponsor of the Senior PGA Championship and has developed a special relationship with Chapman - who won the event's first playing at Harbor Shores, the Jack Nicklaus design located a par 5 from Whirlpool headquarters. The group flies into Benton Harbor for a special Media Day for the 2014 Senior PGA Championship - which will return to Harbor Shores for a second time in three years. One of the benefits Chapman enjoyed for his victory was a new kitchen compliments of KitchenAid. It is a fun conversation topic while onboard the private jet. It's not his first time on a private plane, but it's rare enough that he's obviously enjoying the experience.

7:00 p.m.: Touchdown at Southwest Michigan Regional Airport. Chapman and the group check into the Boulevard Hotel on the shore of Lake Michigan and agree to meet for a late dinner.

9:00 p.m.: The Chapmans are part of a large dinner contingent at the Boulevard. Everyone has a good golf story to share - Roger, of course, more than most. The stories and laughs could go all night. But one of the PR folks lets Chapman know he has a 5:45 a.m. radio interview. That signals the end of the day's festivities.

Tuesday, April 23, 5:45 a.m.: Chapman does his radio interview. PGA.com is not up (nor in his room) to hear the interview, but he assures us it went "quite well."

6:30 a.m.: Chapman and his wife enjoy breakfast at the Boulevard, and Chapman has one eye on the weather reports. He sees that the early morning drizzle is expected to let up just long enough to for his Media Day appearance and clinic. Rain expected later in the day. "I guess the sun always shines on me in Michigan," he jokes.

7:30 a.m.: The Chapmans leave for Harbor Shores for a Media Day with Whirlpool, Harbor Shores and community leaders.

8:00 a.m.: Chapman sits in the clubhouse for a fireside chat (minus the actual fire) conducted by the PGA's Mason. Chapman talks about memories of his career, his win at the 2012 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid (got to get the full name in there, especially when the room is full of KitchenAid execs) and interesting trivia (including a dissection of his Twitter account) about his life. Chapman doesn't always relish the spotlight, but he is clearly enjoying himself. Afterward, he is presented an honorary membership for free golf at Harbor Shores for as long as he would like.

10:00 a.m.: Chapman moves to the teaching academy to conduct a golf clinic for the locals, including a handful of youngsters. His golf advice is punctuated by humor, insight and the various shots he hits out onto the range. He is championship form for sure. The adults and children are obviously impressed.

11:00 a.m.: Chapman and the kids decide that instruction is informative but playing is more fun, and they go out to play one hole of golf. One of the youngsters will serve as Chapman's caddie, and another six will tee it up. It is probably the only sevensome allowed at Harbor Shores, and it's certainly the best one.

11:20 a.m.: The group taps in the final putt. Chapman not only plays the hole but provides instruction and feedback to each child before every shot. One young man even manages to make a par. Chapman misses a 15-foot birdie putt and taps in for his par. A gallery member calls out to Chapman, "you tied the kid." Chapman laughs.

12:00 p.m.: Chapman arrives at The Grand Mere Inn for lunch. It's typically not open for lunch, but today is a special day.

During the 2012 Senior PGA Championship, Chapman, on a rare trip without his wife, looked for a place to have dinner the night before the first round. A hotel employee suggested a nice quaint restaurant nearby called The Grand Mere Inn. Chapman had a nice dinner by himself at a small two-person table by the wall where he could eat and have some diversion from tournament pressure with his favorite book. He then went out and shot 68 the next day. So he went back to eat there (alone again) Thursday night. He shot 67 on Friday.

Not that he's superstitious (or will admit to it), but he turned down several dinner invitations from fellow players and went back again Friday night. By now, the restaurant was ready for him, even reserving that table for him. After he shot 64 to seize a five-shot lead going into the final round, there was no way he wasn't going to eat there Saturday night. And of course, he ended up winning. But he couldn't make it back Sunday night as his championship duties kept him at the course late into the evening. So this was his first return to the restaurant that helped propel him to his win.

12:15 p.m.: Chapman signs some flags for the restaurant owners and is then presented a special "Roger Chapman table" that will forever be reserved for him. The wall beside the table is a decorated with tributes to his win. A special lunch menu is then presented to the group, replicating each meal he ordered during his four visits last year. After lunch, Chapman is presented with a special "dining certificate" from the restaurant - his table and meals are now complimentary for him from this day forth.

2:00 p.m.: Chapman and his wife, Mason and your favorite PGA.com writer board a private jet to head back to Georgia, this time Savannah - the site of the next Champions Tour event. Chapman has a little more time to share his thoughts on 2012 - as well as the past day representing his title as defending champion. He speaks glowingly of the experience, relishing every detail, but closes with a simple seven-word summary when asked how it fits into his professional memory bank.

"It's the coolest thing I've ever done."

PGA instructor Mitchell set to practice what he preaches at Senior PGA Championship

PGA instructor Mitchell set to practice what he preaches at Senior PGA Championship











PGA.COM May 22, 2013 7:10 PM

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Mike Mitchell (white shirt) and his student, 2009 Senior PGA Champion Mike Allen, show that not all …


By Bob Denney, The PGA of America

TOWN & COUNTRY, Mo. - Mike Mitchell of Rancho Mirage, Calif., will spend the first two rounds of his debut in the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid in a rare "classroom environment." He may be the envy of all his PGA teaching peers for the access he's getting this week at Bellerive Country Club.

The 51-year-old PGA director of instruction at The Hideaway in La Quinta, Calif., one of 41 PGA club professionals competing in the most historic and prestigious event in senior golf, will play in the same pairing with one of his students in the 156-player field: Champions Tour professional Bill Glasson.

Between his own rounds, Mitchell also will keep an eye on longtime student Michael Allen, the 2009 Senior PGA Champion, while Steve Lowery has had Mitchell's guidance weeks before the Championship.

"I couldn't have asked for a better situation other than to have all three of my students with me in a foursome for this Championship," said Mitchell, who earned his berth in the field after finishing tied for 21st in last fall's Southworth Senior PGA Professional National Championship in Aldie, Va.

"Oh, God! I'm proud to be here. It's a great honor to play in this Championship. I played well enough to get into this, and this week has been great. I feel like I've been getting the help I needed, including advice from players like Michael (Allen), who told me not to burn out practicing. And, I have friends and associates at Titleist that helped me get my equipment set. I feel like I'm playing well coming in. Now, it's a matter of going out to see the golf course and seeing what I can do."

Mitchell oversees an expansive training center at The Hideaway, a 36-hole complex in La Quinta that accommodates 470 members. He spends most of his time on the practice range developing a solid working relationship with students of all abilities. For most teachers, they rarely get the opportunity to extend the relationship in a major championship, inside the ropes.

"Michael and I have been at it for 10 years now," said Mitchell. "I've worked about the same with Bill, and with Steve, it's been about three years. Michael and I have a great relationship and built a strong foundation as far as mechanics. He gets it and knows what his body has to do to give him a chance to be successful. He's dropped 15 pounds and it has made a big difference."

Mitchell played one year at the University of Toledo, then decided in 1988 to move west and attempt to earn his PGA Tour card. He competed on mini-tours, and in several Ben Hogan Tour events, a forerunner to today's Web.com Tour. When he found that he would not be making a living at the game's highest echelon, he devoted his passion to teaching. His job has taken him to tournaments across the country.


"I'll be working on my game and competing, but I'll also be taking care of my students at the same time," Mitchell said. "What is taking place for me this week is certainly unique, especially for a major.

"I am a believer in time management. I try to do that in my life, my work. I have to. This week, I am playing alongside Bill (Glasson), and will watch what he is doing. After the round, we will talk about what took place in the round. Over the next two days, I will start late, then early. Michael is playing late Thursday, then early Friday. It will work out for us. I helped Steve (Lowery) quite a bit before we got here. I won't be spending time with Steve that much this week."

Allen said that he has "all of the confidence in the world" in working with Mitchell. "Mike changed my golf swing and my habits. But it is more about his passion for the game and his love for the game that has come through for me.

"I have never met anyone like him. When I was young, you didn't want to be seen on a bus with your golf clubs. He changed that image for me, and instilled the passion in me for the game."

Mitchell said that Allen's 2009 Senior PGA Championship triumph at Canterbury Golf Club near Cleveland, "was his coming out moment."

"I think that he had the advantage at Canterbury, having played against stronger fields on Tour before he arrived at Canterbury," said Mitchell. "He's worked real hard on his fitness over the past few years. His training is great and he's able to move a lot better through the swing."

Allen said that Mitchell "works me hard. But, I understand what it takes. Mike encouraged me to keep fit, and I lost the weight more for my own health."

Mitchell has helped many of golf's best golfers out on tour. One of his first students in the early 1990s was John Cook, who was runner-up in the 2012 Senior PGA Championship. Cook withdrew from the Championship earlier this week to attend the funeral of player-CBS broadcast legend Ken Venturi, who passed away May 17.

There are goals for teachers, too. Mitchell would like nothing more than to make the 36-hole cut on Friday evening.

"I want to make it to the weekend and play with one of my guys," said Mitchell. "This is a great setting, a great event that I am very proud to be competing out here with some that I normally only see on a practice range."

Window of opportunity short, even for champs

Window of opportunity short, even for champs











PGA.COM May 22, 2013 7:37 PM

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Peter Jacobsen says senior players must be realistic about how many chances they'll have to win a precious …


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

ST. LOUIS -- Winning a major championship isn't easy. Then again if it was, it probably wouldn't be called a major.

This week at Bellerive Country Club, the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid is the first crack at a major for players on the 50-and-over circuit this season.

In the last 10 years, the average age of a Senior PGA Champion is just shy of 54. Among that group is Tom Watson, who captured the 2011 championship at Valhalla at the anomalistic age of 61, becoming the second-oldest winner in history behind only Jock Hutchison, who accomplished the feat at age 62 in 1947.

That adage, "You're only as old as you feel," is a great one. However, it's not representative of the so-called window of opportunity that faces professional golfers when it comes to contending in majors on both the PGA and Champions Tour.

Yes, just like anything else in life, there are exceptions to every rule -- Watson at Valhalla in 2011 and losing in a playoff at the Open Championship in 2009 at Turnberry at age 58; a 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus winning the Masters in 1986; Hale Irwin, routinely, in Champions Tour majors; and Julius Boros winning the 1968 PGA Championship at 48 years old are just a few.

But for the most part, there's no denying that sense of urgency to win a big one.

"I think there are windows," the 63-year-old Watson said. "You look at the great champions -- with a couple exceptions like Nicklaus and maybe Woods and Snead -- they all had their really, really productive years in a short period of time. Six or seven, eight years like that. With the exception of Woods and Nicklaus and Sam, they had, that's when their window of opportunity hits. It's the same way out here on the Champions Tour. The window is there. I've been lucky enough to win the Senior PGA a decade apart. That's been my last win out here. I hope it's not my last. But as I said in the ceremony, if it is my last, it's not a bad way to go out."

Watson may only be four years younger than Irwin, but he still looks up to the 67-year-old who is a four-time Senior PGA Champion and has three top-4 finishes in the last two years at Champions Tour majors.


"I've always been a great admirer of Hale," Watson said of Irwin, who has a Champions Tour-record 45 victories -- all of which were recorded between 1995-2007. "He's an amazing golfer, amazing performer out here. His run out here has been second to none. And I still think Hale could win out here. It's not a question. I think that Hale can win out here. I think age has very little to do with the capability of Hale Irwin. I always take time to go watch Hale swing the golf club because I think he swings the golf club beautifully and it helps me swinging my golf club. He doesn't come around watch me, but I go around watching him."

As the body ages, there's a health factor that comes into play as well, explained Peter Jacobsen, a two-time major winner on the Champions Tour.

Injuries are no fun no matter your age, but they're harder to bounce back from the older one gets.

"I think that you've got to be realistic with yourself," Jacobsen said. "As many starts and stops as I've had since I turned 50, with the injuries, like I said, I just enjoy being out here. I really love the game of golf. I love being inside the ropes and the interacting with the players and I continue to work on my golf swing. I'm always working on my swing, working on different technique, and I don't care how old we are, we can always learn something. And being involved with working in NBC and Golf Channel, when I'm out on the PGA Tour, I love to go out and watch the young guys practice and play and work, watch them hit chip shots and bunker shots, because I'm always trying to learn something from them."

Rocco Mediate, a rookie on the Champions Tour this season (which makes him chuckle every time someone mentions it), has his mind set on one thing on the eve of the Senior PGA Championship and it isn't to ponder how many years he has to pile up major trophies on the Champions Tour.

"Is there any urgency? No," Mediate said. "Don't believe in it. For me, it's the first fairway. That's all I care about tomorrow. I'm starting on the 10th hole. If I drive it in the fairway, it's time to go. If I don't, I've got to figure something out. There's no urgency. It's just another major. They're all the same. The golf course is a little harder, the rough's higher, it's awesome, it's long, it's what you want to have. I wish we had these every week."

Though Mediate doesn't agree -- and why would he? He's just a rookie -- the older a golfer gets the more the window closes. Physical abilities change, but expectations don't. Watson, for instance, couldn't be more excited about playing in his home state of Missouri this week.

"I'm going out there with the idea that I'm going to play the type of game that's going to get close enough to win this tournament," he said. "And whether physically I'll be able to do that, I don't know. But that's the attitude.

"I guess I've got a little Arnold Palmer attitude in me," Watson added. "Jack was talking about Arnold and said, 'you know, the great thing about Arnold, I love him to death,' he said, 'he still thinks he can do it. He still thinks he can do it. He goes out there and may not be able to, but he still thinks he can do it.' You better have a lot of that in you. It's not a bad thing to have and in fact it's a darn good thing to have in you. Because if you think you can't do it, you won't."

Dodt hits two aces at Nordea Masters

Dodt hits two aces at Nordea Masters










The Sports Xchange May 31, 2013 7:20 PMThe SportsXchange



Australian golfer Andrew Dodt became the first player in European Tour history to hit a pair of holes-in-one in a single round when he aced the seventh and 11th holes at the Nordea Masters in Stockholm.

"The shot at the 11th, my second, kick-started things," said Dodt, who was given a box of champagne by the tournament sponsors. "I made a few more birdies in between, then a couple of bogeys and I was heading the wrong way when I got to the seventh, our 16th hole.

Despite the record feat, Dodt was right on the cut line with his second-round 65 after shooting 77 in the opening round Thursday.

"I didn't putt very well today so I'm glad I was able to hole with a long club," he joked.

Matteo Manassero leads the tournament at 13-under following a second-round 65 at the Bro Hof Slott Golf Club. Dodt enters the weekend in a 13-way tie for 62nd at 2-under.

Pair tied for ShopRite lead atop crowded leaderboard

Pair tied for ShopRite lead atop crowded leaderboard










Rick Woelfel, The Sports Xchange May 31, 2013 7:20 PMThe SportsXchange



GALLOWAY, N.J. -- Amanda Blumenherst and Moriya Jutanugarn share the first-round lead at the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer.

Blumenherst and Jutanugarn got around the Bay Course at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club just outside Atlantic City in 5-under par 66.

The field was closely bunched behind them.

Defending champion Stacy Lewis sits alone in third place after a 4-under par 67. Michelle Wie turned in a 68. Hee Young Park, Ji Young Oh, Pornanong Phatlum, Jennifer Song, and Sara-Maude Juneau are all at 69.

Eight of the top nine players teed off in the morning wave. While they had to deal with heat and humidity, they were able to avoid the winds that kicked up in the afternoon and sent the scores climbing.

The two co-leaders are each seeking their first career LPGA win.

Jutanugarn, who won't turn 19 until July, is an LPGA rookie. She tied for fourth in the season opener in Australia after sharing medalist honors at the final stage of Q-School last fall. She has struggled in recent weeks however. In her last four starts she's tied for 26th, tied for 39th, and missed two cuts.

Her round on Friday started with two birdies; she made the turn in 1-under par 36, and then played the back side in 4 under par. She finished with six birdies on her scorecard and only a single blemish, a bogey at the par-5 third.

Blumenherst's effort was highlighted by an eagle at the third, a 35-foot putt from just beyond the back fringe. She made the turn in 2-under par 35, and then added three additional birdies coming in.

Her only bogey of the day came at the par-4 sixth,

The 26-year old Blumenherst joined the LPGA Tour in 2010. She's struggled this year, making just two cuts in eight starts prior to this week. Her best career finish to date was a tie for fifth in Thailand in 2012.

Lewis, the reigning LPGA Player of the Year, is seeking her third victory of the season.

Playing the back nine first she played her opening nine holes in 2-under par 32, then recorded two additional birdies at the third and the fifth holes. She gave back a shot at the sixth.

If Lewis successfully defends her title, she will make history. Since the tournament was first played in 1986 no returning champion has made a successful title defense.

NOTES: This marks the 25th edition of the tournament. It was first played in 1986 but there was no tournament held from 2007-09. ... The shot of the day was made by Shanshan Feng, who found herself in the rough short and right of the green at the par-5 18th (her ninth hole of the day). She chipped from heavy rough to inside four feet and made the birdie putt.

Early tee-time an advantage for ShopRite leaders

Early tee-time an advantage for ShopRite leaders










Rick Woelfel, The Sports Xchange May 31, 2013 8:20 PMThe SportsXchange


GALLWAY, N.J. -- The early bird got to the top of the leaderboard at the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer.

As the sun set Friday evening at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, Amanda Blumenherst and Moriya Jutanugarn shared the first-round lead at 5-under par 66.

Both had been finished with their day's work for some time.

The winds kicked up in the afternoon, giving the early starters a distinct advantage. Jutanugarn teed off at 8:21, Blumenherst 22 minutes later.

Defending champion Stacy Lewis sits alone in third place after a 4-under par 67. Michelle Wie turned in a 68. Seven players are at 69, including Shanshan Feng, Beatriz Recari Hee Young Park, Ji Young Oh, Pornanong Phatlum, Jennifer Song, and Sara-Maude Juneau.

In all there were 19 sub-par rounds recorded on Friday. Thirteen came from players in the morning wave.

The two co-leaders are each seeking their first career LPGA win

Jutanugarn, who won't turn 19 until July, is an LPGA rookie. She tied for fourth in the season opener in Australia after sharing medalist honors at the final stage of Q-School last fall. She has struggled in recent weeks however. In her last four starts she's tied for 26th, tied for 39th, and missed two cuts.

Her round on Friday started with two birdies; she made the turn in 1-under par 36, and then played the back side in four under par. She finished with six birdies and on her scorecard and only a single blemish, a bogey at the par-5 third.


"You know this course is going to be really windy in the afternoon," she said, "so we were lucky because we played in the morning.

"I hit it in the fairway a lot, so I kept in places that are easy to play from. But the greens were getting firmer and firmer. They're in good shape, but you have to see where you can miss it and where you cannot."

Blumenherst's effort was highlighted by an eagle at the third, a 35-foot putt from just beyond the back fringe. She made the turn in 2-under par 35, then added three additional birdies coming in. Her only bogey of the day came at the par-4 sixth.

The 26-year-old joined the LPGA Tour in 2010. Her best career finish was a tie for fifth in Thailand in 2012. She's struggled this year, making just two cuts in eight starts.

"It's been a while since I've had a very solid round of golf," she said. "It felt like I just played well through the entire day. It was a lot of fun out there because it's been a challenging start to the season."

Blumenherst said the key to her round was finding the fairway off the tee.

"Just being able to put it in position off the tee," she said. "I think I might have missed one fairway all day and just being able to then hit solid iron shots. The rough is very thick and there's some pretty thick heather out there. So just being able to take normal full iron shots into the greens makes it a lot easier."

Lewis, the reigning LPGA Player of the Year, is looking to make some history this week. Since the tournament's inception in 1986 no returning champion has made a successful title defense.

Lewis, who started her round on Seaview's back nine, had five birdies on her card against a single bogey. She finished her day with a birdie at the par-5 ninth hole, her 18th.

"I've been driving the ball really well," she said, "So that was one thing I was looking for coming into this week. You have to drive the ball well here.

"The greens are a little bumpier than they've been in years' past, so you're going to have some bumps go your way and some not go your way. So it's really a test of patience and missing in the right places, and taking advantage of the par-fives."

NOTES: This marks the 25th edition of the tournament. It was first played in 1986 but there was no tournament held from 2007-09. ... The shot of the day was made by Shanshan Feng, who found herself in the rough short and right of the green at the par-5 18th (her ninth hole of the day). She chipped from heavy rough to inside four feet and made the birdie putt. ...Three players, Candie Kung and Marina Stuetz, withdrew following their rounds. ... The golf course officially measured 6,155 yards.

Short 13th hole always long on entertainment

Short 13th hole always long on entertainment












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Spectators expect an ace on every shot at the short par-3 13th hole at Merion.(Getty Images)

PGA.COM June 14, 2013 8:41 PM


By Dan Gelston, Associated Press

ARDMORE, Pa. -- With the tease of an ace on each tee shot, golfers count down to the 13th hole.

It's where the shortest hole at Merion Golf Club waits.

And at the U.S. Open, that makes 13 the life of the 18-hole party, the off-campus bash down the block from the staid library.

Playing in his second U.S. Open, unheralded Scott Langleyand Morgan Hoffmann noticed they were turning into Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as they walked toward 13. Fans tailed their group all the way to the par-3 hole on Friday.

"I was walking up the fairway and was like, look at all these people that suddenly showed up to watch us," Langley said, laughing. "They're hoping for something to happen. I'm hoping to give it to them."

Lose your course map? Not a problem. Follow the roar from a crowd that sounds like it's watching a zigzagging 90-yard touchdown run more than just another tee shot. Almost every shot lands about 20 feet from the pin, prompting booming "Ohs!" from the crowd as each ball crawls toward the cup.

The bleacher seats were filled with hundreds of fans on perhaps the only hole where they wouldn't have to budge to watch first shot to last. The overhead walkway was lined with fans hoping a bird's eye view on some birdies.

Stan Feldman, of Huntington Valley, spent a few hours on Thursday and Friday in a second-row bleacher seat that lined the right of the course.

"You just expect every guy to hit an ace," he said. "Even the ones you never heard of."


Leave the driver and the power game in the bag. The sand wedge was the club of choice for every tee shot.

"It's only a wedge shot, but you don't want to be missing that green, either," said John Senden, who parred the hole.

The hole measures a taut 115 yards -- about four of them could snugly fit into the 464-yard 14th hole. The distance gives the field a needed mental break from three other daunting par 3s (third hole, 256 yards; ninth hole, 236 yards; and 17th hole, 246 yards).

"You can somewhat turn the brain off," said Langley, who made par.

At Merion, 13 has been nothing but lucky for the leaders down to the ones buried on the leaderboard. The hole had more birdies than any other and the fewest bogeys by late Friday.

"The pressure's on to make a birdie, almost," said 2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy. "It's the only one where you can take a breath. It's really difficult to not hit inside 20 feet putting uphill."

The lone challenge should have come from a deep, gaping bunker in front of the green that obscures the putting surface. But ball after ball soared over the sand and onto the green.

That made fans from hold their breath as they follow the hopeful flight for a hole-in-one.

Even scuffling golfers made quick work of 13.

Kevin Streelman was a whopping 9 over by the time he trudged up to 13. But his shot dropped just to the right of the pin as the crowd went wild. One putt later, he had a birdie on the scorecard -- and a rare reason to feel good about Merion.

Streelman flipped his club to his caddie and walked off with a smile and to a rousing ovation -- and the rare delight of being in the red.

Phil Mickelson's magical putt has him tied for the U.S. Open lead after 36 holes

Phil Mickelson's magical putt has him tied for the U.S. Open lead after 36 holes











Eric Adelson June 14, 2013 10:03 PMYahoo Sports





ARDMORE, Pa. – The horn blew. Darkness had come to Merion Golf Club. And Phil Mickelson's ball sat at the edge of the 18th green, 30 feet away from the last hole of the second round of the U.S. Open. He had a birdie chance on a day when he had not made one birdie.



He had the option to take out a ball marker, place it on the green and call it a night; he certainly didn't expect to make such a tricky putt at the end of a day when putting had all but unmade him.

In the twilight of the day, nearing the twilight of his career, Mickelson, who turns 43 on Sunday, stepped to his ball and took a good long look at the hole. He let it go.

And then there was a roar in the dark.

Mickelson, the people's choice, was back to 1-under par, good enough for a share of the lead.

It had felt all day that heartbreak was slowly creeping toward Mickelson. He held the lead for hours while he waited for his round to begin, and just about every other golfer in this Open was stumbling, some badly. The course was going to come after him too, the moment he stepped onto it.





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Phil Mickelson hits his second shot from the 18th fairway as darkness fell on Merion. (USA Today)Sure enough, Mickelson started his round at nearly 4 p.m. with a bogey. He fought back valiantly with a long string of pars, and then came the inevitable gut-punch: an easy par putt missed on 12, followed by another bogey on 13, the easiest of Merion's 18 holes. The lead was gone. He was back to even par, as if everything he had done over two days was gone.



He trod up 14 slowly, his sure smile melted into a look of concern. His eyes were reddened. His hands were on his hips. His visor was pointed down.

The scene looked like something akin to a slow drowning, just the way other leaders had raced into the red and then wilted into the black. The roar of the early afternoon had given way to worried encouragement from the winnowing gallery. "Do this, Phil!" one yelled. Another lit up a cigarette and folded her arms.

There's always been this balance of wild hope and deep dread with Mickelson. His wins have been epic; his losses have been frightful. Could a man so prone to that one mistake stand up to a course that kills with a thousand cuts? He had never won the U.S. Open, finishing second a record five times. Could he finally win here?

Merion has laid out even the best players. Nearly five hours before Mickelson's final putt fell, three weary champions walked away from their last hole of the day, their faces creased with exhaustion and regret. Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Adam Scott were all supposed to dazzle; instead the course had left them dazed, Tiger injured.

They cut across the first fairway to the scorer's tent – the only shortcut Merion allowed them all day – and the roar of the crowd that always follows Woods and McIlroy suddenly exploded.







View gallery.

Rory McIlroy, left, and Tiger Woods are both plus-3 after 36holes. (AP)Mickelson was lumbering straight at them, chasing after his first tee shot of the day, grinning like a madman.



The throaty cheers had met and multiplied like two thunderclouds building over the plains, and it was hard not to witness the scene and wonder if the paths of these men – the best golfers of this generation – are bound to cross again. But it was also hard not to wonder if Mickelson's wide smile would last the weekend. Or the day.

"This is the stiffest test of par 3s we've ever faced," Woods said moments later, which is quite the statement considering the two toughest holes on the course are not par 3s.

"It feels like you can shoot 66," said McIlroy, who along with Woods is plus-3, "but where these pins are …"

McIlroy wondered, almost to himself, what the 18th will be like with a weekend of good weather. He suggested tee shots would be impossible to keep on the fairway without some sort of idiotic slice. We've learned a player must stay in the fairway to win, yet what if that's not possible?

As Woods and McIlroy spoke of the par 3s and the nasty finishing hole, Mickelson trudged on, getting closer to that 18th. There was only one player under par for the entire tournament – Billy Horschel at 1-under – andMickelson would need something outrageous to match that now.

"Throughout every hole at Merion," he would later say, "you fight for par, fight for par …"

Then he arrived at the 18th green even for the tournament, and there was one more fight for birdie. There was one more shot in the dark.

If you believe in history, you can feel it unfolding here. This is the course that bequeathed Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, and Lee Trevino versus Jack Nicklaus in a playoff. There is a sense that something of great magnitude is getting ready to happen. There is a sense that a legendary name will be called on Sunday night.

Eventually this tournament will belong to history. For now, it belongs to Phil.

Horschel and Mickelson share clubhouse lead

Horschel and Mickelson share clubhouse lead












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Billy Horschel hit an amazing 18 of 18 greens in his second round on Friday.(Getty Images)

PGA.COM June 14, 2013 10:05 PM


ARDMORE, Pa. -- Billy Horschel hit all 18 greens in regulation. Hard to think of a better way to climb to the top of the leaderboard at the U.S. Open.

He shot 3-under 67, sufficiently managing the nasty rough and hard-to-read greens to become the clubhouse leader late in the second round Friday at the Merion Golf Club.

Horschel was 1 under with a 139 total, posting one of the few red numbers on a trying day for much of the field. He missed the cut in his only previous U.S. Open, in 2006, but recently won for the first time on the PGA Tour at the Zurich Classic.

"I've acquired some patience, not as much as I wish I had," said the 26-yeaar-old from Jacksonville Beach, Fla. "But I just think that the older I get, the more mature I get on the golf course, the more understanding that if I do have a bad stretch of holes, it's not that I don't hit the panic button, I just don't press right away."

Phil Mickelson held the solo lead for much of the afternoon, but he missed birdie chances during a streak of 10 consecutive pars. He then 3-putted No. 12 for a bogey and dropped another stroke when he put his tee shot in the sand on the short par-3 13th, the easiest hole on the course.

Seconds later, Steve Stricker, playing in Mickelson's group, sank a birdie putt from about 15 feet to move into a tie with Horschel for the lead. Justin Rose was also at 1 under on the back nine.

Hoping to build on his own 67 from Thursday, Mickelson put his first shot in a bunker and 3-putted the first hole for a bogey. He was in rough and sand at No. 2, but he recovered to start the run of pars, avoiding even the distraction of a groundhog -- a relative of Punxsutawney Phil? -- who made a mad dash across the fairway at No. 6. Mickelson lipped out a 4-foot birdie putt at No. 8.

A five-time runner-up seeking his first U.S. Open title, Mickelson had the luxury of a late tee time, much needed after he showed up with just a few hours to spare for the opening round so he could attend his daughter's eighth-grade graduation in California. It turned out to be a gift. While Mickelson was able to rest Friday morning, much of the field endured the ordeal of finishing a delayed first round followed by a second round with little break in between.

By the time Mickelson teed off, only he and Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts were under par. Colsaerts shot a 69 in the first round, but he fell off the pace Friday with three bogeys on the front nine.

As for the weather, the sun stayed around for most of the afternoon after play began in a cool drizzle that was far gentler than the storms that interrupted play twice on Thursday. The fallout from all the rain was a cramped schedule, complicated because the course requires long shuttle rides to move the players to and fro. It also left players and spectators spackled in mud from their shoes on up.

The must-see group of Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy was at times a hard-to-watch bunch -- perhaps even for Woods' ski champion girlfriend Lindsey Vonn, who was part of the gallery.


The trio combined to shoot 14 over at the halfway mark. Woods' troublesome left elbow flared up again, and he hit a chip from just off the green that traveled barely a foot while making bogey at the par-4 7th.

Woods then dropped his left hand off the club and shook his wrist while putting his tee shot wide of the fairway at No. 8, just as he had done several times on Thursday. The arm clearly bothered him again on the next shot, which he put in the rough near the green. He saved par on the hole and finished a second-round 70 that left him at 3 over for the tournament, still in contention if he can stay healthy.

"It's hard with the wind and the pin locations," Woods said. "They're really tough. ... We didn't think they were going to be as severe as they are."

Woods was tight-lipped about his elbow, saying only that it first bothered him at the Players Championship five weeks ago. Asked what he felt, he answered: "Pain."

Masters champion Scott fell apart quickly, all but quashing any hope for a Grand Slam. He was 3 under when first-round play was suspended Thursday, but he hit a hard-luck Merion shot at No. 12: an approach that landed just short of the pin, spun backward and rolled some 75 feet to the edge of the fairway rough. He also put a tee shot out of bounds at No. 14 to complete a first-round 72, then came back after the short turnaround to post a 76, 8 over, through two rounds.

"I got off on the wrong foot and just struggled to find my rhythm all day," Scott said. "I didn't make the putts I needed to kind of save some shots here and there. And they just slipped away too easily. But that's what can happen if you're just a little bit off."

McIlroy had quite the adventure, putting his drive at No. 4 onto the No. 8 fairway. Once he got back to the correct hole, he put a shot in a bunker and bogeyed the par 5. His second-round 70 left him at 3 over.

"I'm very happy. Right in there for the weekend," McIlroy said. "I don't think I'll be too far away by the end of the day."

Then there was Luke Donald, who actually pulled ahead of Mickelson at 4 under with back-to-back birdies, including a chip-in at the par-3 13th during his second round. But Merion took him apart on the front nine when he bogeyed four consecutive holes, turning his number from red to black. His second-round 72 left him at even-par.

Coming into the Open, the question was how Merion would fare against a modern-day championship field. It last hosted this event in 1981, with the thinking that today's golfers had outgrown the course.

Certainly, the 301-yard par-3 10th and 102-yard par-3 13th yielded their share of makeable shots, but pre-tournament concerns about scores in the low 60s seem totally unwarranted.

"It's very difficult to make those putts," Donald said, "when the ball is breaking so much."

Golf-Spieth, Castro remain co-leaders at weather-hit event

Golf-Spieth, Castro remain co-leaders at weather-hit event










June 29, 2013 12:59 PM



June 29 (Reuters) - Teenager Jordan Spieth and second-year tour player Roberto Castro shared a one-shot lead heading into the third round of the AT&T National after completion of the weather-interrupted second round on Saturday.

The 19-year-old Spieth and fellow American Castro finished their rounds on Friday and stood at seven-under-par 135 atCongressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

Argentina's Andres Romero, who had five holes to finish for the second round when the threat of lightning suspended play on Friday, made a late push to join them but bogeyed the par-five 16th on his way to a 66 and was one shot back on 136.

Tied at five-under 137 were big-hitting Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts (68) and South Korea's Lee Dong-hwan (66).

The cut came at three over par with Hunter Mahan among those failing to qualify for the third round. The former U.S. Ryder Cup player, who shot 72 for five-over 147, has been in the top 12 here four times, including a runner-up showing in 2009.

John Merrick aced the par-three seventh hole on Saturday with a six-iron from 178 yards but that was not enough for him to make the cut as he posted an even-par 71 for 147.

Castro and Spieth, a former University of Texas standout, are both seeking their first PGA Tour win, with Spieth competing on a sponsor's exemption this week.

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York,; Editing by Gene Cherry)

Spieth, Castro remain co-leaders at weather-hit event

Spieth, Castro remain co-leaders at weather-hit event










June 29, 2013 1:06 PM

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Jordan Spieth of the U.S. watches his second shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the Wells …



(Reuters) - Teenager Jordan Spieth and second-year tour player Roberto Castro shared a one-shot lead heading into the third round of the AT&T National after completion of the weather-interrupted second round on Saturday.

The 19-year-old Spieth and fellow American Castro finished their rounds on Friday and stood at seven-under-par 135 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

Argentina's Andres Romero, who had five holes to finish for the second round when the threat of lightning suspended play on Friday, made a late push to join them but bogeyed the par-five 16th on his way to a 66 and was one shot back on 136.

Tied at five-under 137 were big-hitting Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts (68) and South Korea's Lee Dong-hwan (66).

The cut came at three over par with Hunter Mahan among those failing to qualify for the third round. The former U.S. Ryder Cup player, who shot 72 for five-over 147, has been in the top 12 here four times, including a runner-up showing in 2009.

John Merrick aced the par-three seventh hole on Saturday with a six-iron from 178 yards but that was not enough for him to make the cut as he posted an even-par 71 for 147.

Castro and Spieth, a former University of Texas standout, are both seeking their first PGA Tour win, with Spieth competing on a sponsor's exemption this week.

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York,; Editing by Gene Cherry)

Golf-U.S. PGA Tour AT and T National scores

Golf-U.S. PGA Tour AT and T National scores










June 29, 2013 6:09 PM


June 29 (Infostrada Sports) - Scores from the U.S. PGA Tour AT and T National at the par-71 course on Saturday in Bethesda, Maryland

206 James Driscoll (U.S.) 69 69 68

Bill Haas (U.S.) 70 68 68

Roberto Castro (U.S.) 66 69 71

Andres Romero (Argentina) 70 66 70

207 Jason Kokrak (U.S.) 71 66 70

208 Tom Gillis (U.S.) 70 72 66

Charlie Wi (South Korea) 72 71 65

209 Brendon Todd (U.S.) 74 67 68

Brandt Snedeker (U.S.) 69 71 69

Jordan Spieth (U.S.) 69 66 74

210 Morgan Hoffmann (U.S.) 73 68 69

Brendan Steele (U.S.) 73 71 66

Stewart Cink (U.S.) 70 69 71

Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 69 68 73

211 Fabian Gomez (Argentina) 69 73 69

Chad Campbell (U.S.) 72 70 69

Ken Duke (U.S.) 71 70 70

Graham DeLaet (Canada) 68 72 71

Gary Woodland (U.S.) 70 69 72

212 Rickie Fowler (U.S.) 71 71 70

Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 71 70 71

Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 70 70 72

Martin Flores (U.S.) 73 71 68

David Lingmerth (Sweden) 74 65 73

Shawn Stefani (U.S.) 70 74 68


Lee Dong-Hwan (South Korea) 71 66 75

213 John Huh (U.S.) 71 71 71

Nicholas Thompson (U.S.) 73 69 71

Richard Lee (U.S.) 74 68 71

Brian Davis (Britain) 70 72 71

Adam Scott (Australia) 73 71 69

David Mathis (U.S.) 71 70 72

Cameron Tringale (U.S.) 71 67 75

214 Ted Potter Jr. (U.S.) 72 70 72

Jason Day (Australia) 70 73 71

Jason Bohn (U.S.) 73 70 71

Bob Estes (U.S.) 73 71 70

Patrick Reed (U.S.) 76 64 74

Russell Henley (U.S.) 69 70 75

Luke Guthrie (U.S.) 71 74 69

Vijay Singh (Fiji) 70 75 69

215 Ricky Barnes (U.S.) 72 71 72

Chez Reavie (U.S.) 71 71 73

Steve LeBrun (U.S.) 71 72 72

Kevin Chappell (U.S.) 70 72 73

David Hearn (Canada) 73 68 74

George McNeill (U.S.) 71 69 75

Matt Jones (Australia) 72 72 71

Chris Stroud (U.S.) 70 74 71

Charley Hoffman (U.S.) 74 71 70

Yang Yong-Eun (South Korea) 74 71 70


216 Robert Garrigus (U.S.) 72 71 73

Lucas Glover (U.S.) 72 70 74

Brian Stuard (U.S.) 74 69 73

Brandt Jobe (U.S.) 71 73 72

Martin Laird (Britain) 71 73 72

Ryan Palmer (U.S.) 73 71 72

Erik Compton (U.S.) 73 72 71

Sean O'Hair (U.S.) 73 72 71

Harris English (U.S.) 74 71 71

Derek Ernst (U.S.) 73 72 71

217 Jim Furyk (U.S.) 69 74 74

Troy Matteson (U.S.) 72 68 77

John Rollins (U.S.) 73 72 72

Nick Watney (U.S.) 70 75 72

218 Brad Fritsch (Canada) 72 72 74

Henrik Norlander (Sweden) 72 72 74

Dicky Pride (U.S.) 72 73 73

Joe Ogilvie (U.S.) 76 69 73

219 Tommy Gainey (U.S.) 73 71 75

Billy Horschel (U.S.) 68 72 79

Doug LaBelle II (U.S.) 73 71 75

Ben Kohles (U.S.) 69 71 79

220 Bryce Molder (U.S.) 72 71 77

John Senden (Australia) 71 73 76

Bud Cauley (U.S.) 68 72 80

222 Pat Perez (U.S.) 73 72 77