Golf rankings, player capsules

Golf rankings, player capsules










Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange April 8, 2013 2:20 AMThe SportsXchange


The Sports Xchange's 2013 PGA Tour rankings, selected by TSX Golf Staff, based on 2012-2013 performance.




1. Tiger Woods, United States -- Woods is right back where he's always wanted to be, at No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings and the favorite going into the Masters this week. That's what three victories in four stroke-play events on the PGA Tour this season, and six in his last 20 outings on the circuit will do. He's always wanted those expectations and in the past has thrived on them. The next step is to win his 15th major title, but first since the 2008 U.S. Open, and continue his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus' record of 18. ... Tiger has claimed the Green Jacket four times, but not since 2005, even though he finished in the top 10 for six consecutive years until he tied for 40th last year. That was his worst finish since his first two appearances at Augusta, a tie for 41st in 1995 and a missed cut in 1996. He won the first of his Masters titles the following year by 12 strokes over Tom Kite. ... This will be the fourth season in which Woods arrives at Augusta National with three titles already in his pocket, but in 2000 he finished fifth, in 2003 he tied for 15th and in 2008 he finished second behind Trevor Immelman. On the other hand, he has won the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational in his last two outings, and the last time Woods came into the Masters off two consecutive victories, in 2001, he was wearing the Green Jacket on Sunday night. That completed what became known as the "Tiger Slam," after he equaled Ben Hogan's 1953 feat of winning three professional majors in a season by taking the last three in 2000.



2. Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland -- Even though McIlroy couldn't pull out a victory in the Valero Texas Open, it was a wise decision to add it to his schedule on the advice of caddie J.P. Fitzgerald. He shot 4-under-par 66 in the final round and finished second only because Martin Laird closed with a brilliant 63 to win by two strokes. It was Rory's best result since he captured the DP Dubai World Championship last November and it had to give him a huge jolt of confidence headed to the Masters. ... As poorly as McIlroy has played for most of this season, it must be remembered that he captured the last major of 2012, the PGA Championship, by a runaway eight strokes at Kiawah Island after winning the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional, also by eight shots. He is making his fifth appearance in the Masters and might have been wearing the Green Jacket in 2011, when he took a four-stroke lead into the final round after opening with 65-69-70. However, he skied to an 8-over-par 80 in the final round, carding a single birdie on the seventh hole and recording a triple-bogey 7 on No. 10 and a double-bogey 5 on No. 12 while sliding to a tie for 15th. Last year, he was one stroke off the lead after opening with 71-69, but played the weekend in 77-76 to finish in a tie for 40th. ... McIlroy found something in his game on the back nine of round two last week at TPC San Antonio, carding birdies on the last three holes to close out a 67. He admitted that he still made some "silly" mistakes, and would have won without them, but will forget all about that if he is claims the Green Jacket.



3. Brandt Snedeker, United States -- Had he not been sidelined for five weeks by a rib injury and missed the cut in his two outings since returning to the PGA Tour, Snedeker would be right behind Tiger Woods on the short list of favorites heading into the Masters. Hopefully, he can find that early-season magic after he makes the drive down Magnolia Lane. Brandt finished in the top three in four of his first five tournaments, including a victory in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, in addition to runner-up finishes in the Farmers Insurance Open and the Waste Management Phoenix Open, plus a third in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. ... Sneds is making his sixth appearance in the first major of the year, and had a chance to claim the Green Jacket in 2008. He was two strokes behind 54-hole leader and eventual winner Trevor Immelman of South Africa, and pulled even by holing a long eagle putt on the second hole. However, he fell back with a bogey on the next hole and eventually was left in tears after closing with a 5-under-par 77 that dropped him to a tie for third. Snedeker was on the fringe of contention in each of the last two years, tying for 15th in 2011 and tying for 19th last year. ... He equaled that tie for third, his best finish in the Grand Slam events, last year in the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, but has only two other top-10 finishes in the majors, a tie for ninth in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and a tie for eighth in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Snedeker isn't the longest hitter, but certainly has the short game to win a major.



4. Phil Mickelson, United States -- Lefty has had an up-an-down start this season, but shooting 67-68 on the weekend to climb into contention at the Shell Houston Open and tie for 16th had to give him some confidence going into the Masters. Of course, that doesn't really mean much when it comes to Phil the Thrill, who was coming off a string of mediocre finishes when he claimed the Green Jacket in 2010. Simply being on the grounds at Augusta National seems to bring out his best. ... Mickelson is playing in the Masters for the 21st time and has recorded 13 finishes in the top 10, including victories in 2004, 2006 and 2010. He was close again last year, winding up in a tie for third by bouncing back from a 2-over-par 74 in the first round with scores of 66-68-72 to finish two shots out of the playoff in which Bubba Watson defeated Louis Oosthuizen. ... Mickelson, whose other major title came in the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol, always is tinkering with his equipment and at Houston promised a special new club for the Masters, but wasn't saying what it is. He already unveiled this season a nuclear Callaway 3-wood that he can hit straighter than his sometimes wayward driver, and he hits it as long as many players can carry the big stick. It led to his dominating performance in a victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and could play a big role if he is going to take home a fourth Green Jacket. Mickelson gone with two drivers and no driver, so it's always interesting to see what he shows up with in the bag.



5. Dustin Johnson, United States -- Perhaps the most talented golfer without a major title, Johnson hopes to make up for his missed opportunities this week in the Masters. He seemed to get his game back on track in his last outing two weeks ago, the Shell Houston Open, shooting 7-under-par 65 in the final round to tie for fourth, following a prolonged slump after he captured the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. ... DJ is competing in the Masters for the fourth time, and although Augusta would seem to be perfectly suited for his power game, he has not had much success there. He tied for 38th in each of his last two appearances in the first major, in 2010 and 2011, after tying for 30th in 2009. Johnson has broken 70 on the course only once in 12 rounds, when he posted a 4-under-par 68 in the second round two years ago. He missed the tournament last year because a back injury caused by coming back too soon from right knee surgery late in 2011. ... Johnson could have two or three major titles by now. He took a three-stroke lead to the final round of the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, but closed with an 11-over-par 82 to slide to a tie for eighth. Two months later, he held a one-stroke lead on the 72nd hole of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, but made bogey and also was assessed a two-stroke penalty for grounding his club in a bunker. That left him in a tie for fifth, two strokes out of the playoff in which Martin Kaymer beat Bubba Watson. His best result in a major was a tie for second in the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St. George's, three shots behind Darren Clarke.



6. Luke Donald, England -- Another player on the list of best golfers without a major title, Donald shows up this week at Augusta National as one of the biggest question marks. He spent a total of 56 weeks atop the World Golf Rankings in the last two seasons, but took a long break and has gotten off to a slow start this year. His tie for fourth in the Tampa Bay Championship seemed to indicate that he was regaining his old form, but then he made the trip to the Maybank Malaysian Open, where he was the highest-ranked player in the world but missed the cut. ... Even though he is one of the shorter hitters among the best golfers in the world, Luke has had his moments at Augusta National with his precise game. His best finish came in his initial appearance in the first major of the year, when he posted three rounds in the 60s, but a 5-over-par 77 in round three relegated him to a tie for third. He also tied for 10th in 2007 and tied for fourth in 2011, when he opened with a 72 before reeling off three consecutive rounds in the 60s to finish four shots behind winner Charl Schwartzel. ... Donald, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and Ian Poulter lead a contingent of players trying to become the first Englishman to capture of the of the Grand Slam events since Nick Faldo won the 1996 Masters, thanks to Greg Norman's collapse in the final round. Luke has seven top-10 finishes in the majors, with his best results that tie for third at Augusta and another tie for third in the 2006 PGA Championship at Medinah.



7. Justin Rose, England -- When Rose tied for third in the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island last August, he finally posted a finish in a professional major better than the one he had as an amateur. He was 17 years old when he chipped in on the final hole to tie for fourth, winding up as low amateur, in the 1998 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Big things were projected for him, and he turned pro soon after, but missed the cut in his first 21 tournaments. He's finally is living up to the promise he showed way back when. ... Rosy is playing in the Masters for the eighth time and he has shown that Augusta National might be the place where he could win his first major title. He has finished in the top 25 in six of those appearances, including a tie for fifth in 2007 and a tie for eighth last year. In 2004, he took the lead in round one with a 67 and still was in front after shooting 71 the next day, but struggled to a 77 on Saturday and wound up in a tie for 22nd. ... Until his strong showing last year in the final major of the season, Rose's best finishes in the Grand Slam events were that tie for fifth at Augusta and another tie for fifth in the 2003 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields. The way he is playing right now, he might be ready to take the next step and become the first Englishman to win a major since Nick Faldo in the 1996 Masters. Rose has four top-10 results on both major tours this year, including runner-up finishes in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.



8. Matt Kuchar, United States -- Kuchar has not played up to his standards since winning the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in February, and that continued last week when he posted a lackluster tie for 22nd in the Valero Texas Open. However, he has played well overall, with three top-10 finishes and has finished in the top 25 in six of his eight outings this year, so if he can play back to his earlier form, he could be a factor in the Masters for the second consecutive year. ... After winning the 2012 Players Championship and the Accenture earlier this season, the next step for Kooch is to win a major title, and he gets his next chance this week. He would be a popular champion at Augusta National, too, having graduated from Georgia Tech. Last year, he posted his best finish in a major when he closed with a 3-under-par 69 to tie for third, two strokes out of the playoff in which Bubba Watson defeated Louis Oosthuizen. Kuchar carded birdies on the 12th and 13th holes in the final round before holing a tap-in eagle putt on the 15th to tie for the lead, but made bogey on the par-3 16th after missing the green and fell short when he closed with two pars. ... Kuchar opened with a 2-over-par 74 and could not break 70 in any of his four rounds at TPC San Antonio. He was still in contention at 4-under for the tournament when he came to the 18th hole while playing the back nine first in round three. But he dumped his third shot into the water guarding the green and took a double-bogey 7 before making bogey on the next hole, his only blemishes in a round of 71.



9. Bubba Watson, United States -- Still enjoying the ride as Masters champion, Bubba made an appearance on "The Joe Show" on CNBC last week and unveiled the first hovercraft golf cart (no kidding), made for one of his sponsors, Oakley, by Neoteric Hovercraft of Indiana. The vehicle takes hazards out of play, skimming across water, sand, asphalt, grass and whatever terrain you might find on a golf course. Retail price is more than $20,000, but Watson was quick to point out that his was free. You won't see it this week at Augusta National. ... Before claiming the Green Jacket last year with an epic hook shot out of the trees on the second playoff hole to beat Louis Oosthuizen, Watson's best finish the first major of the year was a tie for 20th in 2008. He came close to winning a major in the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, when he took the lead in a three-hole aggregate playoff against Martin Kaymer of Germany with a birdie on the first extra hole. Kaymer evened things up with a birdie on the next hole and it essentially was over when Bubba hit his second shot into the water on the final hole. ... Watson's game seems to be in good shape heading into his title defense, as he has finished in the top 20 in five of his six tournaments this year, with a tie for fourth in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions his best and a missed cut in the Northern Trust Open his worst. He also unveiled his Masters wardrobe last week, going with a red-and-white striped shirt in round one, followed by blue on white, all red and all white on Sunday.



10. Keegan Bradley, United States -- Winning a major championship in your first try is a tough act to follow, but Bradley is doing his best as he enters his second Masters this week. After winning the 2011 PGA Championship in a playoff over Jason Dufner at Atlanta Athletic Club, he played in all four of the Grand Slam tournaments for the first time last year and closed out the major season with a tie for third in the PGA at Kiawah Island. ... He has the power game to win at Augusta National if he can get his long putter going, and recorded a very respectable tie for 27th last year in his initial appearance in the first major of the year. Keegan overcame shooting 77-73 in the middle rounds, closing with a 3-under-par 69, and might be ready to contend after getting some inside dope on the course from his friend, three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, in an early trip to Augusta last month. ... His game is rounding into shape nicely with the meat of the season approaching, having played 10 times already this season on the PGA Tour. Following a bit of a rough patch after he tied for fourth in the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua, Bradley has finished in the top 10 in each of his last four tournaments, and his five top-10s are tied with Bill Haas for the most on the circuit. He has three victories in his first three-plus seasons on the PGA Tour and it wouldn't be a huge surprise if the big fan of the Boston Celtics is wearing green on Sunday night.



11. Adam Scott, Australia -- Other than the four winners, Scott probably had the best major season of any golfer last year, although he still might have some scar tissue from his collapse on the last four holes of the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. He comes into the Masters with seven top-25 finishes in the last eight Grand Slam tournaments, including a tie for second in the 2011 Masters and that runner-up finish last year in England, where he made bogeys on the last four holes and lost by one stroke to Ernie Els. ... Scotty is playing at Augusta National for the 12th time, and had one arm in the Green Jacket two years ago before Charl Schwartzel carded birdies on the last four holes to steal away with the title. Adam tied for second with Jason Day, who also was trying to become the first Aussie to win the Masters, which would have alleviated some of the agony fans from Down Under went through with Greg Norman at Augusta. Scott also tied for eighth in the first major of the year last season and tied for ninth in his first appearance at Augusta in 2002. ... Scott has followed roughly the same abbreviated schedule he set up last year, which led to his strong performances in the majors, the worst of which was a tie for 15th in the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club. He has two top-10 finishes in four starts this year, and if he can play the way he did while shooting 66-64 in the last two rounds of the WGC-Cadillac Championship, he might become the first Aussie to win a major since Geoff Ogilvy captured the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.



12. Webb Simpson, United States -- Simpson will arrive at Augusta National to play in the Masters for the second time and hopes that this will become the first season in which he plays all four majors. Last year, after he claimed his first major title in the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club, he skipped the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes because his wife, Dowd, was expecting the birth of their first child, James. Webb was the first major champion to skip the next Grand Slam event since Tiger Woods missed the last two in 2008 because of left knee surgery following his victory at the U.S. Open. ... Simpson was at even par for his first three rounds at Augusta last year before his game went sideways in the final round and he closed with a 6-over-par 78. That was only two shots worse than the score he posted the first time he played the course as a 12-year-old in 1998. He made birdies on the 12th and 16th holes, and missed a four-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that would have allowed him to break 80. It's been his favorite course ever since and a place where he could add a second major title. ... Simpson is playing better than he was last year at this time, having recorded six finishes in the top 20 in nine events, but only two in the top 10, and is coming off a missed cut in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Other than his victory in the U.S. Open, his best finish in a major was a tie for 14th in the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional.



13. Steve Stricker, United States -- Part of Stricker's plan to play an abbreviated schedule this season, with 11 events on the slate right now, was to be ready for the majors and the World Golf Championships. He tied for fifth in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and finished second to Tiger Woods in the WGC-Cadillac Championship, so the strategy seems to be working. However, he showed rust from the inactivity in his last outing, a tie for 38th in the Shell Houston Open, and hopes he can play back to that earlier form this week in the Masters. ... Strick is making his 13th appearance at Augusta National, which has not been kind to him. He has finished in the top 10 only twice in the first major of the season and has missed the cut five times, including three in a row through 2008. His best result was a tie for sixth in 2009, when he shot 69-68 in the middle rounds, and he also tied for 10th in 2001, when he opened with a 6-under-par 66, but he could not break 70 the rest of the way. In fact, he has broken 70 only five times in 38 rounds at Augusta, and not since those two in 2009. ... Stricker has 20 victories in his pro career, including 12 on the PGA Tour, and about the only thing missing at the age of 46 is a major title. He came closest when he finished second, two strokes behind Vijay Singh, in the 1998 PGA Championship at Sahalee, one of his 10 top-10 finishes in the Grand Slam tournaments.



14. Hunter Mahan, United States -- Following his second-half slump last season, Mahan has bounced back nicely with seven top-10 finishes this year, including a loss to Matt Kuchar in the final of his title defense at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. However, this week at the Masters he will have to bounce back from his worst performance in nine starts, a missed cut in the Shell Houston Open. ... This will be Hunter's seventh appearance at Augusta National, where he has played well despite missed cuts in 2008 and 2011. His best result was a tie for eighth in 2010, a year after he tied for 20th after opening with a 6-under-par 66, his best score in the first major of the year. Mahan also tied for 12th last year, following a 68 in the third round with a closing 74 that cost him another top-10 finish. He played in the Masters for the first time in 2003, and although he did not break 70 in any of his four rounds, he made the cut and wound up in a tie for 28th. ... Mahan had two top-20 finishes in the majors last year, with a tie for 19th in the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in addition to his finish at Augusta. However, he has missed the cut in four of his last eight appearances in the Grand Slam tournaments and does not have a top-10 finish since his tie for 10th at Augusta in 2010. His best finishes in the majors were ties for sixth in the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black and the 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie.



15. Lee Westwood, England -- Westwood's name comes up any time talk turns to the best player who has never won a major championship, and it will happen again this week when he gets to Augusta National for the Masters. One thing is certain, he has had more opportunities recently than any others without that elusive title, with two top-10 finishes in the Big Four in each of the last four seasons. He has finished second twice and third five times in the last five years. ... Westwood, trying to become the first Englishman to win a major since Nick Faldo in the 1996 Masters, is playing at Augusta for the 14th time, and has come close two of the last three years. In 2010, he took a one-stroke lead into the final round after opening with three rounds in the 60s, but hooked his tee shot on the first hole en route to a bogey and went on to shoot 1-under-par 71 to finish second, three shots behind Phil Mickelson. Last year, he opened with a 67 and closed with a 68, but wound up in a tie for third, two strokes out of the playoff in which Bubba Watson defeated Louis Oosthuizen. His only other top-10 finish in the first major of the year was a tie for sixth in 1999, and he also tied for 11th in 2008 and 2011. ... After a bit of a slow start in his first season living in the United States, Westy's game seemed to be coming around when he tied for 10th in his last outing at the Shell Houston Open. A solid ball-striker, he's been working on his chipping and putting, and that's what it takes to win at Augusta.



16. Ian Poulter, England -- Taking time off before majors has not worked for Poulter, so he decided to play his way into the Masters last week at the Valero Texas Open. Whether it works or not won't be known until this week, but he was not sharp most of the way at TPC San Antonio on his way to a tie for 37th. Since finishing in the top 10 in his first two events on the PGA Tour this year, he has not been in the top 20 in three tournaments since. ... Even though he has never won a major, Poults showed last year that he might be on the verge of breaking through by finishing in the top 10 in three of the four Grand Slam tournaments, starting with a solo seventh, his best finish in eight Masters. He went on to tie for ninth in the Open Championship at Royal St. George's and tie for third in the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. Previously, Poulter had only three top-10s in the majors in his career, with his best finish solo second, four shots behind Padraig Harrington in the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. He let a good chance at Augusta National get away in 2010, when he started with 68-68 to tie for the lead with Lee Westwood, before playing the weekend in 74-73 to wind up in a tie for 10th. ... Poulter started with a solid 2-under-par 70 last week at TPC San Antonio, but took himself out of contention by playing the middle rounds in 75-74. He saved his best for last, a closing 69, carding birdies on three of his first seven holes and adding two more down the stretch to possibly get a lift heading to Augusta.



17. Jason Dufner, United States -- Unfortunately, Duf has received more recognition for what has become known as "Dufnering," than he has for his golf game heading into the Masters. While making an appearance at J. Erik Jonsson Community School in Dallas, he was caught sitting almost comatose on the floor up against a wall. Christine Lee of KXAS-TV, a video journalist who was covering Dufner's appearance at the school, took the picture and it was posted on Twitter, where it went viral. Soon, other pros and fans were posting pictures of themselves while "Dufnering." ... Dufner is playing at Augusta National this week for the third time. In 2010, he closed with a 3-under-par 69 and wound up in a tie for 30th, and last year, he was in the picture for two days after opening with 69-70, but he shot 75-75 on the weekend to plummet down the leaderboard to a tie for 24th. ... Duf has shown in the last two years that he can be a major player, especially when he lost to Keegan Bradley by one stroke in a three-hole aggregate playoff in the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. He held a five-shot lead with three holes remaining, but made bogeys on each of those holes, while Bradley carded two birdies to force the playoff. Dufner also tied for fifth in the 2010 PGA at Whistling Straits and tied for fourth in the U.S. Open last year at the Olympic Club. He'll have to find that form quickly at Augusta because his highest finishes this year were two ties for ninth on the European Tour, and his best on the PGA Tour was a tie for 12th in the WGC-Cadillac Championship.



18. Ernie Els, South Africa -- After failing to qualify for the Masters last year for the first time since 1993, ending a streak of 18 consecutive appearances, the Big Easy took care of that for the foreseeable future when he captured the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes three months later. After starting slowly this season on the PGA Tour, he comes into the first major of the year off a tie for 14th in the Chiangmai Golf Classic in Thailand. ... Els has four major titles to his credit, but has yet to don the Green Jacket, although he has had his chances while finishing second twice at Augusta National. In 2004, he closed with a 5-under-par 67, but finished one stroke behind Phil Mickelson, who holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole. In 2000, Ernie bounced back from a 74 on Saturday with a 68, but wound up three shots behind Vijay Singh. Those runner-up finishes started and finished a run of five consecutive finishes of sixth or better at Augusta, but he has none in his last seven appearances, including two missed cuts. ... Els captured the U.S. Open in 1994 and 1997, and the Open Championship in 2002 and last year, but has more than his share of heartbreak in the Grand Slam tournaments. He has finished second on six occasions and third five times among his 33 top-10 finishes in the majors. After missing the cut in the last three majors of 2011 and then missing the Masters a year ago, he started to turn things around with a tie for ninth in the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club before winning the oldest tournament in the world.



19. Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa -- A year ago, it appeared that Oosthuizen might earn his second major title and get the Green Jacket from his good friend, Charl Schwartzel, after holing a 4-iron shot from 253 yards for a double eagle on the second hole to take the lead in the final round of the Masters. However, Bubba Watson made an improbable par out of the trees on the second playoff hole to beat the South African, and defending champion Schwartzel passed the torch to Bubba instead. ... Even though he showed he was a major player by winning the 2010 Open Championship by a whopping seven strokes at St. Andrews, his 2012 performance at Augusta National came out of nowhere. He had missed the cut in his only three previous appearances in the first major of the year, failing to even equal the par of 72 in any of his six rounds, which he played in an aggregate 19-over-par. However, he opened with 68-72 before playing the weekend in 69-69, including a clutch four-foot putt for par on the 72nd hole to get into the playoff. ... Louie's double eagle was the fourth in the 76-year history of the Masters, the first on the second hole and the first of his life. He was trying to become the second player to claim a major title with a double eagle in the final round, which only Gene Sarazen has done, in the 1935 Masters. Instead, Oosty had to settle for his third top-10 finish in the Grand Slam events, as he also tied for ninth in the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional.



20. Zach Johnson, United States -- Even though he has been unable early this year to find the form that took him to two victories last season on the PGA Tour, Zach shows up at the Masters knowing exactly what it will take for him to win at Augusta National. In 2007, the short-hitter laid up all 16 times on the par-5 holes and played them in a bogey-free 11-under-par to claim the Green Jacket by two strokes over Tiger Woods, Rory Sabbatini and Retief Goosen. ... Even though he was able to pull it off in that one brilliant week, playing the lengthened course at Augusta has not been easy for Johnson, who does not have another top-10 finish and has missed the cut three times in the first major of the year. He was putting up a good defense of his title in 2008, but closed with a 77 and slid down the leaderboard to a tie for 20th, his second-best finish in the Masters. Since shooting 68 in the third round of his title defense, he has not broken 70 in 13 rounds at Augusta, recording an cumulative score of 30-over during that stretch. ... When Johnson tied for ninth in the Open Championship last year at Royal St. George's, it was only his fourth top-10 finish in the major championships. He came close in the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, tying for second with Rory McIlroy, one stroke out of the playoff in which Martin Kaymer of Germany defeated Bubba Watson. A year earlier, Zach tied for 10th in the final major of the year at Hazeltine.



Others receiving consideration: Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland; Martin Kaymer, Germany; Nick Watney, United States; Rickie Fowler, United States; Bill Haas, United States; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Sergio Garcia, Spain; Jim Furyk, United States; Carl Pettersson, Sweden; Bo Van Pelt, United States; Peter Hanson, Sweden; Jason Day, Australia; John Merrick, United States; Charles Howell III, United States; Tim Clark, South Africa; Michael Thompson, United States; Martin Laird, Scotland.

Course Source: San Juan Oaks Golf Club, Harbour Town Golf Links

Course Source: San Juan Oaks Golf Club, Harbour Town Golf Links










Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange April 15, 2013 2:20 AMThe SportsXchange


IN THE PUBLIC EYE: San Juan Oaks Golf Club in San Juan Bautista, Calif., not far from the fabled courses on the Monterey Peninsula.


THE LAYOUT: Fred Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, designed this course that opened in 1996, along with architect Gene Bates. The immaculate fairways and large bentgrass greens are set in a rustic environment with many streams, waterfalls and stone bridges providing a dramatic golf experience.

The par-72 layout is a real test from the back tees, measuring 7,133 yards with a rating of 75.6, but is very playable for golfers of any skill level because there are five sets of tees.

This was the first Fred Couples Signature Course in California and his trophy for winning the 1992 Los Angeles Open is on display in the 19,000-square-foot hacienda-style clubhouse.

GENERAL MANAGER: Scott Fuller.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: San Juan Oaks, which hopes to add another 18 holes and a hotel on the property, is another of those courses that is almost like two different layouts.

The front nine plays through a rolling meadow, and the longer, and more difficult back side winds through the foothills among large oak trees, with water coming into play on six holes on the course.

Among the best holes on the front, which plays through what once was rancher Everett Nutting's pasture, is the par-5, 578-yard second. Your drive must clear a large lake, and the green is protected from long hitters by a creek where Nutting's cattle watered.

Couples hits a power fade, so it should come as no surprise that nine of the holes on the course are doglegs to the right. Among the best is No. 3, a 359-yard par 4, which is called "Fade Away." If your fade turns into a slice, your tee shot is in the weeds.

The 397-yard, par-4 14th is one of the more unusual holes on the course, with two fairways divided by a seasonal creek. The left side is narrower and requires the more difficult tee shot, but leaves a relatively short and open shot to the green. The right fairway is wide open but plays uphill, is longer and leaves a more difficult approach, with a large oak fronting the right side of the green.

The signature hole, No. 17, is a downhill par 4 that would fit right in at a major championship. It measures 487 yards from the back tee and the drive must be threaded into a fairway surrounded by mature oak trees, with a creek coming into play in several places.

Couples gave a driving demonstration on the hole soon after the course opened, and his longest shot still was 140 yards short of the green. The tee sits 150 feet above the green.

Completing the strong finish is the dogleg right par-4, 461-yard 18th hole. Best route to the green is a big drive over native grass to the left-center of the fairway, leaving an approach that must carry a ravine to a huge stadium-style green that has trouble on both sides of a narrow entrance.

OTHERS COURSES IN THE AREA: In neighboring Hollister is Ridgemark Golf and Country Club Resort, with two fine courses, the Diablo and the Gabilan.

Of course, not far away are some of the best courses California has to offer -- Pebble Beach, Pasatiempo, Spyglass Hill, Spanish Bay, Old Del Monte, Poppy Hills, Bayonet and Black Horse, Pacific Grove Muni and Half Moon Bay Golf Links.

WHERE TO STAY: Even though it's only a short drive to the Monterey Peninsula, you might want to stay in the Hollister-San Juan Bautista area and explore 200-year-old Mission San Juan Bautista and the fascinating old California town, where Alfred Hitchcock filmed parts of "Vertigo" in 1958.

Right in San Juan Bautista are the Pasada de San Juan and the San Juan Inn. Among the best places to stay in Hollister are the Best Western San Benito Inn, Casa de Fruta Peacock Inn, Cinderella Motel, the Hollister Inn and the Wiebe Motel.

ON THE WEB: www.sanjuanoaks.com.



THE LAST RESORT: Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

THE LAYOUT: Located at Sea Pines Plantation, Harbour Town has stood the test of time, as what is now the Heritage has been a fixture on the PGA Tour since 1969.

The pros played the par-71 layout, designed by legends Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus, at 6,657 yards that first year and it has been lengthened only to 6,973 over the years.

Boo Weekley won the tournament in 2007 and 2008, and last year, Carl Pettersson of Sweden, who now lives in North Carolina, won by five strokes over Zach Johnson.

Reminiscent of a Scottish seaside course, Harbour Town plays along the Calibogue Sound and has an idyllic quality with the candy-striped, hexagonal Harbour Town lighthouse standing sentinel behind the 18th green.

Harbour Town, which carries a slope of 146 from the back tees, still is ranked as the No. 1 course in South Carolina by Golf magazine.

HEAD PRO: John Farrell.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Although Harbour Town is very playable for golfers of all abilities because it is not long, accuracy is required in order to post a good score.

Position off the tee is a must, as even some drives that find the fairway do not leave the golfer with a clear approach shot to the flag or even the green.

The par-3 holes are considered perhaps the best set of any course in the United States, with the 192-yard 17th probably the most famous because it gets plenty of television exposure during the Heritage. A large waste bunker runs down the left side of the hole, but if your tee shot wanders that way you want the ball to stop in the sand -- and not in the Calibogue Sound.

The ninth hole is considered one of the best short par-4 holes in the world, only 337 yards from the back tees. But it plays through a narrow chute of trees to a V-shaped green guarded by several bunkers and a tree at the left edge of the fairway.

Although Harbour Town is relatively short, No. 15 is a true three-shot par 5 at 571 yards, with two stands of trees and a pond guarding the green to dissuade anyone tempted to go for the green in two. Keep your first two shots to the right side of the fairway to have a chance to go for the flag.

The par-4, 452-yard 18th, one of the most photographed golf holes in the world, also is one of the most challenging. The approach shot, often into the breeze, must carry natural vegetation on the edge of the Calibogue Sound.

Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland was trying to claim his first official PGA Tour victory in the 2004 Heritage when he lost his ball in the hazard, allowing Peter Lonard of Australia to win.

OTHER COURSES IN THE AREA: Unless you are planning to stay several weeks, you won't have nearly enough time to play all the courses on Hilton Head.

Guests of the Sea Pines Resort also can play the Ocean Course, the Sea Marsh Course and Heron Point Golf Club, designed by Pete Dye. The Ocean is the oldest course on Hilton Head, opened in 1962, and PGA Tour pro Mark McCumber reworked the course in 1995. The Sea Marsh Course, a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, was designed by George Cobb and retooled by Clyde Johnston in 1990.

Among the best of the rest are the Golden Bear Course at Indigo Run, designed by Jack Nicklaus; three masterful layouts at Palmetto Dunes Golf Course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Tom Fazio and Arthur Hills; the Country Club of Hilton Head, designed by Reese Jones; Hilton Head National Golf Club, designed by Gary Player; Planter's Row at Port Royal Golf Club designed by Willard Byrd; Robber's Row at Port Royal Golf Club, designed by Pete Dye; Clipper/Galleon at Shipyard Golf Club designed by George Cobb, and Eagles Point Golf Club, designed by Davis Love III.

WHERE TO STAY: The Sea Pines Resort features the Inn at Harbour Town, an AAA Four Diamond resort, in addition to rental homes, villas and condos. Guests have access to five miles of pristine beach.

Hilton Head offers larger resorts such as the Hilton Oceanfront Resort, the Crowne Plaza Resort, the Hilton Head Grand Hotel, the Marriott Grande Ocean Resort and the Westin Hilton Head Resort; or boutique hotels such as the Main Street Inn, the Daufuskie Island Resort and Breathe Spa, the Carolina Club at Shipyard and the Inn at Harbour Town.

ON THE WEB: www.seapines.com.

Golf rankings, player capsules

Golf rankings, player capsules










Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange April 15, 2013 2:20 AMThe SportsXchange


The Sports Xchange's 2013 PGA Tour rankings, selected by TSX Golf Staff, based on 2012-2013 performance.




1. Tiger Woods, United States -- The Tiger haters will say he should never have been there, while Woods' fans will lament that the eventual triple-bogey 8 he took on the 15th hole in round two might have kept him from winning his fourth Green Jacket and first since 2005. As usual, Woods never gave up and finished strong, carding four birdies in the last 10 holes, but could not make enough of them and finished in a tie for fourth. It was his seventh top-six finish since he last won at Augusta eight years ago. ... There are no events listed on the schedule page at tigerwoods.com between the Masters and U.S. Open in June at Merion, but he undoubtedly will tee it up in the Players Championship in two weeks and probably will play at the Wells Fargo Championship next week. Even though he has missed the cut in his last two appearances at Quail Hollow, in 2010 and last year, he has not finished out of the top 11 in the other four times he played the tournament, including a victory in 2007. ... Woods was tied for the lead in the Masters when his third shot at No. 15 on Friday hit the flagstick and bounced back into the water. He recovered with a shot from almost the same spot to save bogey, but took a two-stroke penalty the next day when it was determined he took an illegal drop before the second shot to turn that apparent 6 into an 8. We'll never know, but had he been lucky and the ball not hit the pin, he might have made birdie and been right there at the finish.



2. Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland -- Coming off his best finish of the season, second in the Valero Texas Open a week earlier, McIlroy played solid but inconsistent golf in the first two rounds of the Masters, but still was in position to make a move on the weekend. However, he made only one birdie while shooting a dismal 7-over-par 79 in the third round and finished in a tie for 25th, after salvaging something out of the week with a 69 on Sunday. ... While Rory was preparing for the Masters last week, he made a commitment to play in three weeks at the Wells Fargo Championship, which according to the schedule at rorymcilroy.com will be his next event. It came as no surprise that he is going to play at Quail Hollow for the fourth time, as he claimed his first PGA Tour victory there in 2010 and lost the tournament to Rickie Fowler on the first playoff hole last year. He also missed the cut in 2011. ... McIlroy opened with 72-70 last week at Augusta, catching fire with an eagle at No. 8 and three birdies on the back nine in round two to put himself in good shape heading to Saturday. However, he could make only a single birdie in the third round, at No. 3, and totally unraveled on the back nine. McIlroy hit into the water on No. 11 en route to a triple-bogey 7, and his ball splashed again at No. 15 on his way to a double-bogey 7. He took only 25 putts on Friday, but averaged 31.0 the other three days.



3. Brandt Snedeker, United States -- For the second time, Snedeker was in the hunt in the final round of the Masters, but playing in the final twosome, he closed with a 3-over-par 75 and wound up in a tie for sixth. In 2008, he tied for the lead at Augusta National with a long eagle putt on the second hole of the final round, but closed with a 77 and finished in a tie for third. ... Trying to make up for lost time after missing five weeks because of a rib injury, Snedeker is going to play for the third time in four weeks when he tees it up Thursday in the RBC Heritage. The tournament at Harbour Town probably would have been on his schedule anyway, because he has played it in each of the last six years and seven times overall. In 2011, he shot 7-under-par 64 in the final round to catch Luke Donald and then won with a par on the third extra hole. Sneds tied for 17th last season in his title defense. ... Snedeker was tied for the lead with Angel Cabrera after 54 holes at Augusta and took the lead with a birdie on the first hole of the final round. However, he fell back with four bogeys from the fourth to 11th holes before adding two more down the stretch to finish disappointed at Augusta again. He posted scores of 70-70-69 in the first three rounds, but despite being one of the best putters in the world, he lost his touch on the greens over the weekend. After taking only 55 putts in the first two rounds, he needed 63 on the weekend.



4. Adam Scott, Australia -- Carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders and his own demons in his mind, Scott finally lived up to the promise he showed as a youngster and became the first Australian to win the Masters. It took until the age of 32, but the kid once called the next Greg Norman became a national hero Down Under when he holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole and a 12-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to overcome two-time major champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina. ... The website at adamscott.com is being revamped, so there is no indication when and where Scott will play again, because he has not committed to any of the next three tournaments on the PGA Tour. Last year, under the less is more schedule that he went to in order to focus more on the major championships, he did not play again after the Masters until the Players Championship, so there is a chance we might not see him again until TPC Sawgrass next month. ... Scott, who blew a four-stroke lead with bogeys on the last four holes of the Open Championship last July at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, birdied three of the last six holes on Sunday at Augusta National to wrap up his third 3-under-par 69 of the week. He hit 55-of-72 greens in regulation, but averaged only 30.0 putts per round including several close calls on the greens slowed by rain on Sunday. Then he holed the two biggest putts of his career to claim the Green Jacket that Aussie greats Norman, Peter Thomson, David Graham and others were unable to bring home.



5. Phil Mickelson, United States -- Lefty arrived at Augusta National in search of his fourth Green Jacket, but surprisingly never really put himself in the conversation in the Masters, failing to break 70 in any of his four rounds and finishing in a tie for 54th. It was his worst finish in 21 appearances, other than a missed cut in 1997, in the first major of the year. His previous low when he played all four rounds was a tie for 46th as an amateur in 1991. ... There are no tournaments listed after the Masters on the schedule page at philmickelson.com, but it's a good bet that he will play again in two weeks at the Wells Fargo Championship. He has played at Quail Hollow in each of the last seven years, which gives him a good tune-up for the Players Championship the following week. Phil has had some success in the tournament, too, with five top-10 finishes, including second behind Rory McIlroy in 2010, and a tie for third in 2007, when Tiger Woods took home the title. ... Mickelson was in solid position at Augusta after an opening 1-under-par 71, but he played the last three days in 76-77-73. Amen Corner proved to be a nightmare for him on Saturday, when he put a ball in the water on all three holes, and carded double bogeys on the 11th and 12th, for the second consecutive day on the par 3, before salvaging a par at No. 13. His ball-striking was good enough, as he hit 45-of-72 fairways and 40-of-56 greens in regulation, but he averaged 30.5 putts per round after recently dropping the "Claw" and going with an oversized grip.



6. Dustin Johnson, United States -- Johnson was among the leaders when he opened with a 5-under-par 67 in the Masters, and was in the lead at 7-under for the tournament late the next day before falling apart. He played the last five holes in 6-over to finish at 76, followed with a 74, and eventually wound up in a tie for 13th after a closing 70. Still, he recorded the best finish of his career in four appearances in the first major of the year by 17 places. ... DJ has not committed to play in ay PGA Tour events before the Players Championship next month, but he will fly off to Incheon, South Korea, for the Ballantine's Championship next week. He has played in the tournament, co-sponsored by the European and Asian tours, once before, finishing fourth in 2011, four strokes behind winner Lee Westwood. Johnson was planning to make the trip last year, too, but had to withdraw because of a back injury that cost him two months of the season. ... Johnson's troubles at Augusta National on Friday started when he made a bogey on 14th hole, before he hit his approach shot into the water on the next hole and took a double-bogey 7. He added another bogey on No. 17 and closed with a double-bogey 6. DJ was brilliant through 15 holes on Thursday, at 6-under, before carding his only bogey of the day at No. 17. DJ putted well enough, averaging 27.8 putts per round, but one of the best ball-strikers in the game hit under 60 percent of the fairways and greens.



7. Luke Donald, England -- It was another disappointing week for one of the best players in the world without at major title, as Donald was on the fringe of contention after two rounds of the Masters before shooting 3-under-par 75 in round three. He wound up in a tie for 25th, and his tie for fourth in 2011 was the only time he has been in contention at Augusta in the last six years. ... Donald is playing this week for the sixth consecutive year and eighth time overall in the Wells Fargo Championship, and hopes to break through and win the tournament for the first time after several close calls. Two years ago he was tied for the lead after opening with 67-65, but played the weekend is 70-70, allowing Brandt Snedeker to catch him with a closing 7-under-par 65 and beat him with a par on the third playoff hole. The year before, he tied for third, and in 2009, he played the weekend in 65-66 to tie for second, although he was 10 strokes behind runaway winner Brian Gay. ... Donald posted scores of 71-72 in the first two rounds of the Masters, but managed only one bogey in round three, at the ninth hole. He salvaged a 72 in the final round with birdies on the 16th and 17th holes, but again could not come close to becoming the first Englishman to win a major title since Nick Faldo at the 1996 Masters. Luke was among the leaders by hitting 43-of-56 fairways, but hit only 43-of-72 greens and averaged 29.0 putts per round.



8. Matt Kuchar, United States -- Inconsistency cost Kuchar a chance to claim his first major title last week, but he played well enough to finish in a tie for eighth, coming on the heels of his tie for third in the first major of the season a year ago. He leads the PGA Tour with 33 top-10 finishes in the last three years and has proven he can win big events, capturing the 2012 Players Championship and the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship earlier this year, but it's time for him to show he can win a major. ... Kooch is playing for the ninth time in the Wells Fargo Championship, and it must be that Hilton Head is a terrific time for his family because he has not fared so well on the Harbour Town Golf Links. He has only two top-10 finishes in the tournament, a tie for seventh in 2007, when he shot 68-67 on the weekend, and a tie for 10th in 2005. Last year, he seemed headed for a solid finish before posting a 6-over-par 77 in the final round to slide to a tie for 44th at the finish. ... Kuchar carded six birdies in a 4-under-par 68 in round one of the Masters, and had five more birdies while recording a 69 in round three. But he shot 75 in the second round and 73 in the last while still in contention, carding only two birdies each day.

After taking 27 putts in round one, he lost his touch on the greens, averaging 29.3 the rest of the way, not really bad but not good enough, either.



9. Justin Rose, England -- Rosy was in contention for the first major title by an Englishman since Nick Faldo in 1996 when he opened with 70-71 in the Masters. Then he played the weekend in 75-74, running afoul of the treacherous 12th hole on both days, and eventually winding up in a tie for 25th, his seventh top-25 finish in his eighth appearances in the first major of the season. ... After taking two weeks off before the Masters, Rosy is in the middle of a three-week run on the PGA Tour, playing this week in the RBC Heritage, followed by the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the Wells Fargo Championship. He has played four times previously at Harbour Town, but not since 2008, when he withdrew because of back injury following a 5-over-par 76 in the first round. His best result in the tournament was a tie for seventh in his first appearance at Hilton Head, when he shot 69-66 in the middle rounds. ... Rose found the water in each of the last two rounds on No. 12 at Augusta, carding a double-bogey 5 on Saturday and a quadruple-bogey 7 in the final round when he hit Rae's Creek twice. He played the hole in 7-over-par for the tournament, making his only par there in round one. Justin hit more than 70 percent of the fairways and greens, but struggled with the short stick, averaging 31.3 putts per round. Rose took only 28 putts in the final round after needing at least 31 each of the first three days, including a putrid 36 in round two.



10. Bubba Watson, United States -- Bubba's year as reigning Masters champion came to an end with a thud, as he could not break 70 in any of his four rounds, including a 5-over-par 77 on Sunday, thanks to an ugly 10 on the 12th hole. Still, he certainly enjoyed the ride and finished with a smile on his face despite a tie for 50th when he holed an eight-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, where he donned the Green Jacket in the official ceremony last year. ... Watson is taking a week off after his title defense, but will play in each of the next two weeks in tournaments he has played well in the past. He will tee it up next week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which he won in 2011, and the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, where he tied for second in 2009, one stroke behind Sean O'Hair. Then he will make it three in a row by making the two-hour drive from his new home in Orlando, Fla., to the Players Championship. ... Watson's trouble on the 12th hole at Augusta on Sunday started when he dumped his tee ball in the water, and then found the wet stuff again with his shot from the drop area. After hitting his next shot into the back bunker, his shot from there rolled off the green and into the water. Hitting from the bunker again, he got his ball to within six feet and one-putted to tie the 10 that Kevin Na made at No. 12 earlier in the day, when he hit three shots from the tee into the water.



11. Keegan Bradley, United States -- After finishing in a tie for 27th in his first Masters a year ago, Bradley went to Augusta National with high hopes of bettering that finish and perhaps event contending in the first major of the year. However, he struggled until catching fire on the last five holes of the final round and finished in a tie for 54th. It was his worst finish on the PGA Tour this season, other than a missed cut in the Farmers Insurance Open in February. ... Having played 11 times already this season, more than most of the top players, Keegan is taking a one-week break from the PGA Tour before playing next week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the third consecutive year. He's hoping to improve on his missed cut last year at TPC Louisiana. Then he will take another week off before teeing it up in the so-called Fifth Major, the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, also for the third time. ... Bradley opened with 73-73 -- 146 at Augusta to make the cut by three strokes, but then posted a humbling 10-over-par 82, his worst score as a professional, in the third round. It started badly with a double-bogey 6 on the first hole, but he worst came when he shot 7-over 43 on the back nine, including another double bogey at the 12th hole. Something clicked on Sunday, when the 2011 PGA champion recorded a 3-under-par 69, making a total of six birdies, including four on the last five holes on his way out of town.



12. Webb Simpson, United States -- The reigning U.S. Open champion, two months away from his title defense at Merion, shot 73-76 -- 149 and missed the cut last week in the Masters. Since he won at the Olympic Club last June, he skipped the Open Championship because of the birth of his first child and has failed to reach the weekend in the last two majors, also missing the cut at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island last August. Although he has two top-10 finishes and six in the top 25 this season, he has missed the cut in three of his 10 tournaments. ... Already having played a busy schedule this season, Simpson plans to tee it up three more times in the next four weeks, in the RBC Heritage, the Wells Fargo Championship and the Players Championship. He is playing this week at Harbour Town for the fifth consecutive year, with his best results ties for 14th in 2010 and 2011. He missed the cut in his first appearance in 2009, and last year could not break 70 in any of his four rounds en route to a tie for 52nd, his worst finish of the season other than four missed cuts. ... Simpson was safely inside the cut-line through 10 holes in round two last week at Augusta, but then he carded three consecutive bogeys through Amen Corner and added another on the final hole. The biggest problem on Friday was his belly putter, as he needed 31 putts after taking only 26 in the opening round.



13. Steve Stricker, United States -- Four days of mostly solid, but unspectacular golf left Stricker in a tie for 20th last week in the Masters. He still has only two finishes in the top 10 in 13 appearances at Augusta National, the last one a tie for sixth in 2009, but at least he did not miss the cut for the sixth time. ... At the age of 46, Stricker is cutting way back on his PGA Tour schedule this season, concentrating on the majors and the three World Golf Championships events in the United States because he does not enjoy the travel, with only 11 tournaments on his slate as of now. He has played in only five tournaments this season and his cutback probably means that he will not tee it up again competitively until the Players Championship next month at TPC Sawgrass. ... Perhaps showing the rust after playing only four times previously this season on the PGA Tour, Stricker carded five bogeys on the first 10 holes in round one last week at Augusta, but salvaged a round of one-over-par 73 with an eagle at the 15th hole and two birdies on the back nine. His middle rounds of 70 and 71 were marred by double bogeys, at the 16th hole on Friday and the 18th on Saturday, and he carded only two birdies in a closing 75. Stricker hit roughly two-thirds of the fairways and greens, but was let down by the putter, usually the best club in his bag. He averaged 30.5 putts per round, including 35 on Sunday.



14. Hunter Mahan, United States -- After playing very solid golf all season, Mahan has bit a bump in the road by missing the cut in his last two starts, including last week at the Masters. He shot 76-82 -- 158 at Augusta to miss the weekend by a remarkable 10 strokes, making it three missed cuts for him in seven appearances in the first major of the year. Hunter also missed two consecutive cuts late last season, at the PGA Championship and the Barclays. ... With 10 tournaments under his belt already this season, Mahan is going to keep on playing, with three more tournaments in the next four weeks. He's hoping to regroup this week in the RBC Heritage, and after a week off, will tee it up in the Wells Fargo Championship and the Players Championship. This will be only his second appearance at Harbour Town, as he tied for 44th in 2007 and has not been back after closing with a 4-over-par 75. He broke 70 only when he posted a 69 in the third round. ... Following his opening 76 at Augusta, Mahan needed a solid effort in round two in order to play the weekend, but instead went from bad to worse, scattering four double bogeys across his scorecard. Those doubles came at the third, 10th, 11th and 18th holes. He was not sharp in any phase of the game, hitting only 17-of-28 fairways and 19-of-36 greens, while taking 66 putts, including 35 in his wretched second round. Mahan carded three birdies in the first round, but also recorded seven bogeys. He beat only three players in the 93-man field.



15. Lee Westwood, England -- Despite being on the fringe of contention virtually all the way in the Masters, Westwood really never made a big move and could not break 70 while finishing in a tie for eighth. It was of no consolation that he wound up as the low Englishman and finished 11th or better for the fourth consecutive year at Augusta, including a tie for third last year, two strokes out of a playoff, and solo second in 2010, three shots behind Phil Mickelson. ... Westy has been busy in his first season living in the United States, playing a total of nine times, including a trip to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour, where he started his season with a tie for fifth. He is going to take two weeks off before playing next in the Wells Fargo Championship, in which he tied for fifth last year, one week before heading to TPC Sawgrass for the Players Championship, which he skipped occasionally while playing primarily on the European Tour. ... Westwood carded a double-bogey 6 on the first hole of his opening round last week at Augusta, but bounced back with five birdies the rest of the day to open with a 2-under-par 70 before following that with a 72. However, he carded two bogeys in the first seven holes before carding his only birdie at No. 7 in a third-round 73. Holding an outside chance on Sunday, he recorded two birdies in the first seven holes but had only one more in a closing 71. Lee has worked on his putting and averaged 27.8 putts per round, but hit only 42-of-72 greens in regulation.



16. Ian Poulter, England -- While Poulter might have been refreshed by his abbreviated early-season schedule, his lack of competition seemed to catch up with him at the Masters, where he shot 76-75 -- 151 and missed the cut by three strokes. It was his first missed cut on the PGA Tour since the 2011 Deutsche Bank Championship, ending a stretch of 20 consecutive events in which he made it to the weekend, which was the second-longest active streak on the circuit. Ian has missed the cut only twice in the last 14 majors, the other coming in the Open Championship last year at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. ... Poulter is another player who is cutting back on his schedule this season, after playing on 26 weeks last year, and he doesn't give any indication at ianpoulter.com as to where he might play next. He took six weeks off after opening the season at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and played well when he returned, but has not committed to any of the upcoming events, so it's possible he might skip the next three tournaments ahead of the Players Championship. ... Poulter managed only one birdie, at No. 12, in the first round last week at Augusta, and added only two more on Friday. His troubles in round two started after he recorded six consecutive pars at the start before a double-bogey 6 at No. 7 and couldn't recover. He hit only 12-of-28 fairways and 20-of-36 greens, and even struggled with his trusty putter, taking 61 strokes on the greens.



17. Jason Dufner, United States -- Dufner was in contention through two rounds last week in the Masters, posting scores of 72-69, but he played the weekend in 75-73 and finished in a tie for 20th. It was similar to his second trip to Augusta National a year ago, when he started with 69-70, but he shot 75-75 in the last two rounds and wound up in a tie for 24th after tying for 30th the year before in his debut in the first major of the season. ... Duf has been a busy man at the start of this season, with 10 tournaments behind him, including two on the Middle East Swing of the European Tour and he doesn't play to slow down any time soon. He is playing the next two weeks, at the RBC Heritage before defending his title next week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and then will take a week off before the Players Championship. His best finish in five appearances at Harbour Town was a tie for 14th in 2011, and last year he bounced back from a 7-over-par 78 in round one with 66-67 in the middle rounds to salvage a tie for 24th. ... Dufner was in good shape through 11 holes in round three at Augusta, but carded a double-bogey 6 on the 11th hole that began his demise. He took three bogeys in a span of four holes through No. 16 and shot 4-over-par 40 on the back nine. After collecting 11 birdies on the first two days, could manage only five on the weekend. Duf started the final day with another double-bogey 4, but salvaged his round with his only two birdies of the day on the back nine.



18. Ernie Els, South Africa -- By the time Els really got it going in the final round of the Masters, it was much too late, and his 3-under-par 69 left him in a tie for 13th. Still, it was his best finish at Augusta National since 2004, when he finished second, one stroke behind Phil Mickelson, for his fifth consecutive finish of sixth or better in the first major of the season. ... The Big Easy has played nine tournaments this season on three continents, and he is going to keep on going, teeing it up the next two weeks in the RBC Heritage and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans before taking a week off ahead of the Players Championship. The week at Harbour Town is one of his favorites on the PGA Tour schedule because his family enjoys Hilton Head, but he has missed the cut in three of his last four appearances. That came after his best result in the tournament, solo second in 2007, when he opened with 65-65, but played the weekend in 71-70 to wind up one stroke behind Boo Weekley. ... Els carded an eagle in the 15th hole in round one of the Masters en route to a 71, but he took himself out of contention by playing the middle rounds in 73-74. He made eagles on those days, too, but also had seven bogeys on Friday and six more on Saturday. Ernie putted well with his belly model, averaging 27.0 putts per round, be he had to in order to stay afloat because he hit only 36-of-72 greens in regulation.



19. Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa -- Oosthuizen entered the Masters with high hopes after losing out in a playoff to Bubba Watson last year at Augusta, but went home early this time when he shot 74-76 -- 150 to miss the cut by two strokes. It was the fourth time he missed the weekend in five appearances at the first major of the year, and in those eight rounds he is a total of 25-over-par. It was his third missed cut in six starts this season on the PGA Tour. ... Oosty was planning to play in the RBC Heritage this week, and it was still listed on the schedule page on his website at louis57.co.za late last week. However, he changed his mind and will instead play next week in the Ballantine's Championship at Blackstone Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea, a tournament co-sponsored by the European and Asian tours. This is his first appearance in the tournament, or in South Korea for that matter, but Louie claimed his first title in Asia last year, when he posted four rounds in the 60s to beat Stephen Gallacher of Scotland by three strokes in the Maybank Malaysian Open. ... The South African carded three consecutive bogeys through No. 5 in a stumbling start to his second round at Augusta, but put himself back inside the cut-line with a birdie at No. 8. However, that was the only time he picked up a stroke all day, and when he recorded bogeys on the 11th and 15th holes before closing with three pars, he was gone.



20. Zach Johnson, United States -- The 2007 Masters champion opened with a 3-under-par 69 last week at Augusta, but could not break 70 the rest of the way and finished in a tie for 35th. Since claiming the Green Jacket, he has not finished better than a tie for 20th as defending champion in the first major of the year. ... Johnson is going to play this week in the RBC Heritage before flying off to Asia next week to play in the Ballantine's Championship at Blackstone Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea, an event that is co-sponsored by the Asian and European tours. He has never won a tournament overseas, and in fact, has played in very few, other than his nine appearances in the Open Championship. Zach is playing at Harbour Town for the ninth time and posted his best finish there last year, solo second, five shots behind Carl Pettersson. He also was sixth in 2007. ... Zach made a bogey on the first hole in round one at Augusta, but that was the only blemish on his scorecard, which included three birdies on the last six holes. However, he followed with rounds of 76-71-75, failing to record a birdie in the second round, when he took a woeful 35 putts. In fact, he had trouble with his normally-reliable putter throughout the tournament, taking at least 29 putts each day and averaging 31.3 per round. Johnson had to bounce back from three consecutive bogeys through No. 6 to save his 71 on Saturday with three birdies in five holes through No. 12.



Others receiving consideration: Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland; Martin Kaymer, Germany; Nick Watney, United States; Rickie Fowler, United States; Bill Haas, United States; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Sergio Garcia, Spain; Jim Furyk, United States; Carl Pettersson, Sweden; Bo Van Pelt, United States; Peter Hanson, Sweden; Jason Day, Australia; John Merrick, United States; Charles Howell III, United States; Tim Clark, South Africa; Michael Thompson, United States; Martin Laird, Scotland; Angel Cabrera, Argentina.

Golf notebook: Lyle making progress toward return to PGA Tour

Golf notebook: Lyle making progress toward return to PGA Tour










Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange April 15, 2013 2:20 AMThe SportsXchange


--Jarrod Lyle of Australia, who left the PGA Tour in March of 2012 because he was diagnosed with leukemia for the second time, has made enough progress that he recently was able to return to the golf course.


The 31-year-old Lyle played 18 holes for the first time in 18 months and later took to Twitter to announce the good news.

"Absolutely knackered now after 75 hits at The Sands Torquay ... hit a couple goodies," told his Twitter followers.

As he mentioned, he obviously was worn out, because in a later post, he wrote: "Thanks everybody for your thoughts. It's nice to feel normal again and get back to swinging the club. Might be some time till another 18."

The Sands Torquay is a private oceanside course in Victoria a few hours' drive from his hometown of Shepparton, Victoria.

Lyle, who was diagnosed with leukemia at age 17, learned it had returned in March 2012, shortly after the birth of his first child, a daughter. He underwent chemotherapy and received a transplant of donor blood from umbilical cords.

Only a few weeks before it was learned that the leukemia had returned, Lyle tied for fourth in the Northern Trust Open, the best finish of his career on the PGA Tour.

Lyle, who helped Australia win the 2004 World Amateur Team Championship, captured the 2008 Mexico Open and the Knoxville Open on the Nationwide Tour (now the Buy.com Tour). He finished fourth on the circuit's money list that season with $382,738 to earn his PGA Tour card for the following season.

Lyle has said he hopes to return to the PGA Tour next year.

--Sir Nick Faldo is content with his job calling shots from the CBS-TV booth and doubts he will play competitively again in the Masters, even though he is eligible for the rest of his life.

The 55-year-old Faldo played Augusta National with his 14-year-old son, Matthew, on the Sunday before the first major of the year, and also played in the Masters Par-3 Contest opposite 14-year-old Tianlang Guan, who last week became the youngest player in tournament history.

"Probably not," said Faldo, when asked about playing in the tournament again, even for what would be a "farewell" Masters.

"I can't see that. I couldn't let myself go and shoot any number. It's just not me. ... If I keep my nose clean and keep my job at CBS, I'm quite happy to be here and doing that."

Faldo, formerly No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings, claimed the Green Jacket in 1989, 1990 and 1996, in addition to winning the Open Championship three times.

In his last Masters appearance in 2006, he shot 79-74 and missed the cut.

Six months later, Faldo signed a multiyear deal to be the lead golf analyst for CBS, which broadcasts the Masters and several other PGA Tour events every season.

Faldo, who was 49 at the time, had played in the Masters 23 times and ended a streak of 19 in a row.

"I'm not in this era; I don't hit the ball far enough," said Faldo, who won 46 times in his career and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. "I don't even play and practice one percent of what I used to do. It's no way to gear up, so you have to forget all of that. I've had my day, I've had my era.

"I'm doing a lot of cool, wonderful things business-wise and family-wise, so I haven't got the inclination to go and grind mentally or physically. I know how I've got to work."

And now, his work is in the booth.

Faldo said believes that if he wanted, he could play in the Masters and still call the tournament for CBS later in the day.

"I could have, if I spoke very nicely" to Sean McManus, the chairman of CBS ports, Faldo said.

But it's not going to happen.

An Englishman has not claimed a major title since Faldo's last victory at Augusta and at least one of the current generation would like to the old master play Augusta again.

"I'd like to see him play one more time," Justin Rose said. "That way, I get a practice round with him and get some tips. He hung his clubs up quite early, I thought Nick did.

"I'm sure he misses the game and that competitive side. He'll only do it if he's fit and able and certainly capable of making the cut at the worst."

And, by his own admission, Faldo is not sure he could do that.

--Guan Tianlang of China, who last week became the youngest competitor in the Masters at the age of 14, made sure he would get everything out of his first trip to Augusta National by arriving three weeks early.

Guan played at least seven rounds on the course before the others players began arriving on the weekend before the first major of the year and wasn't shy about hanging out with some legends of the game.

The Asian-Pacific Amateur champion talked putting with Ben Crenshaw, played practice rounds with Tiger Woods and Tom Watson, and was paired with Nick Faldo in the Par-3 Contest the day before the tournament started.

"He's way more mature than 14," said Crenshaw, who won the Masters in 1984 and 1995. "I think we're all asking ourselves what the heck were we doing when we were 14. He's very accomplished and you could just tell that he lives and breathes it.

"He doesn't over exert himself, he's balanced."

Two years younger than Matteo Mannasero of Italy was when he set the former age record in the 2010 Masters, Guan also was impressive in the media center, answering questions in English with a very natural, self-assured demeanor.

Asked if he was intimidated, he said: "I'm not going to say that."

Guan was the youngest player in the field when he won the Asian-Pacific Amateur to qualify for the Masters, and also was the youngest player to win on the China Amateur Futures Tour, the China Amateur Tour and the China Amateur Open. He also captured the Junior World Championship.

"I have the confidence and I know I can play well," Guan said. "So I'm going to play like myself. I'm not going to try to do too much."

Guan, who is from Guangzhou, the largest city in the province of Guangdong, took up the game at the age of 4 and was taught by his father.

He said he was inspired by watching Woods on television.

"When I was probably three or four years old, I was looking at him win the Masters, and it's pretty exciting to watch him," Guan said.

"I played with him twice in the past couple years, and he gives me advice and I will say every time I play with him, I feel a lot better and give myself confidence."

With golf returning to the Olympic Games for the first since in 112 years in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Guan said he hopes to represent China.

Despite being assessed a controversial one-stroke penalty for slow play on Friday, Guan shot 73-75 -- 148 to make the cut by one stroke in the Masters, becoming the youngest player to make the weekend in a PGA Tour event. The previous youngest was Bob Panasik, who made the cut at the 1957 Canadian Open.

Guan played the weekend at Augusta in 77-75 to finish as low amateur at solo 59th.

--Chairman Billy Payne of Augusta National Golf Club announced that the winners of the six PGA Tour events this fall that start the 2013-14 schedule, the circuit's first wrap-around season, will earn invitations to the Masters next year.

Those tournaments are taking the place of the Fall Series, six tournaments in which the winners did not receive invitations to the Masters.

"As many of you know, I have been personally fully committed to players gaining entry to the tournament after winning a PGA Tour event," Payne said.

"All of us take great pride and pleasure in seeing a tournament winner beam with pride and excitement knowing that his victory had earned him an invitation to the Masters."

The 2013-14 season opens with the Frys.com Open on Oct. 10-13 in San Martin, Calif., a week after the Presidents Cup. The PGA Tour moves on to the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas on Oct. 17-20.

Next event will be the CIMB Classic on Oct. 24-27 at the Mines Resort & Golf Club in Selangor, Malaysia, followed by the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China, on Nov. 1-4.

The opening stretch of the season concludes back in the United States, with the with the McGladrey Classic on Nov. 7-10 at Sea Island, Ga., and the OHL Classic at Mayakoba Playa del Carmen, Mexico, on Nov. 14-17.

The winners of the six tournaments also will earn spots in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, the first tournament of 2014, which will be played Jan. 4-7 on the Plantation Course at Kapalua.

Payne also unveiled three other qualification changes in an effort to maintain a similar field size to this year's 93-player field.

The top 12 finishers (and ties) on the Masters leaderboard this year will qualify for next year's event, a decrease from the top 16,

The top four finishers (and ties) in the U.S. Open at Merion in June will qualify for the next year's Masters, a decrease from the top eight.

The top 30 in the PGA Tour's final money list has been removed as one of the qualifications. However, the top 30 in FedEx Cup points who qualify for the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola continues as one of the Masters qualifications.

All 11 players who qualified for the 2013 Masters via the top 30 money list would have qualified under a different category.

--Carl Jackson, Ben Crenshaw's caddie, watched 14-year-old Guan Tianglang of China become the youngest player in the history of the Masters last week and had at least an inkling of what the kid of going through.

Jackson has his own memories of the Masters at that age.

The 66-year-old Jackson was only days past his 14th birthday in 1961 when he made his Masters debut as a caddie on the bag for Billy Burke, who in 1931 captured the U.S. Open by surviving two 36-hole playoffs against George Von Elm.

Burke was 58 in 1961 and was playing the Masters for the 22nd and final time, and Jackson believes it might have been the last time a player played the Masters while wearing knickers, "a white starched shirt," and a tie.

"He was a very caring man," Jackson said. "His character carried him a long way."

Jackson worked his 52nd Masters last week, missing only one since 1961, when he underwent treatment for colon cancer in 2000. He has caddied for Crenshaw every year since 1976.

"I go to feel the spirit," Jackson, of Roland, Ark., said of the Masters. "The tournament has a spirit about it and it doesn't matter if it's raining or the sun is shining. I see why the older players hate to let it go."

And Jackson isn't letting go just yet, either.

--Masters rookies often are taken under the wing of a veteran, who tries to give the newbie the lay of the land at Augusta National.

Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium is more fortunate than most, getting his lessons from Jack Nicklaus, who claimed a record 18 major championships, including six Green Jackets, also a record.

"I feel pretty lucky to have the chance to talk to someone like Jack Nicklaus for an hour, considering how his schedule is," Colsaerts told reporters at Augusta National on Monday.

"We pretty much spoke about every hole. He told me about a few pin positions and a few shots that you might need to hit and the ones you don't want to hit.

"Usually when you play courses, you don't really think about the shots you don't want to hit, not as much as here. Here it takes a bigger part of your tactical approach to the course."

Colsaerts ran into Jack Nicklaus Jr. in South Florida about a week before the Masters and asked if he had any advice about Augusta before the Belgian played in the Masters for the first time.

"I would just ask Dad," the younger Nicklaus said, and so about an hour later, Colsaerts was sitting in front of the greatest golfer of all time, who captured perhaps the most famous Masters in 1986 at the age of 46.

Colsaerts said he saw Augusta National in person for the first time about a month earlier and knew he had only scratched the surface in terms of what he needed to know about the course.

After talking with Nicklaus, he arrived at Augusta with a jolt of confidence.

"I feel pretty lucky," said Colsaerts, who could be a contender in the Masters because of his prodigious length off the tee. "I felt like I had the place pretty well screened up for somebody that's never played here.

"So if you add some of the useful information he's given me, it's actually given me quite a confidence boost and made sure that I had the right eyes on certain parts of the golf course."

Colsaerts has won twice on the European Tour and played a role in the Euros' come-from-behind victory over the Americans in the Ryder Cup last year at Medinah.

His best result in six events on the PGA Tour this year before the Masters was a tie for ninth in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, with his best finish in a stroke-play event a tie for 18th in the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

Colsaerts likes his chances for the Masters, now and in the future.

"Course-wise, it's so much more subtle than I thought," said the man nicknamed "The Belgian Bomber" and "The Muscles from Brussels." "You think after watching it for so many years (on TV) you have an idea of what it's going to be like, but everything is accentuated a thousand times. It's very special here.

"It's the tournament for me. ... Certain players come here and look at this place and feel like they have the game that suits it, and I definitely think that I do.

"Any tournament you win, you're going to have to hole some putts. It might be a little more difficult to do out here because the greens are very different, but yeah ... I like my chances."

Colsaerts became the second player from Belgium to play in the Masters, joining Flory Van Donck, who playing at Augusta in 1958.

Donald Swaelens of Belgium qualified for the 1975 Masters, but had to withdraw after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Swaelens died on April 25, 1975, at the age of 34.

The information gleaned from Nicklaus didn't help in Colsaerts' first Masters, as he shot 74-77 -- 151 to miss the cut by three strokes, but with his talent he should be back.

--Alex Notte, a 19-year-old who has represented Tennessee in Special Olympic golf, is going to be the center of attention at his prom next month at Bearden High in Knoxville, Tenn.

Notte has lined up as his date Belen Mozo of the LPGA Tour, who tied for 41st two weeks in the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

"This has given him something to talk about with other people, which has been great," said Kristine Notte, Alex's mother. "On (Mozo's) LPGA profile, she said she really wants to make a difference in the world. ... Well, she's walking the walk. This has made such a difference to Alex."

Actually, Alex has his sister, Arielle, to thank for the date.

"If you could take anyone to prom, who would it be?" Arielle asked Alex, while she was home from college in Canada on Spring Break.

Alex, who has hearing, vision and neurological disorders, told her through a combination of sound and sign language that he wanted to go to prom with Mozo, whom he had met two years ago at the Wegmans LPGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y., while on vacation with his parents.

Arielle, 22, took a video camera and to nearby Gettysvue Country Club, where Alex plays golf almost daily during good weather, despite multiple physical and cognitive challenges.

There she filmed a short video of Alex playing golf, dancing and signing a prom invitation to Mozo, with pop music singer Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," playing in the background.

Later, Arielle uploaded the video on YouTube and on Mozo's public Facebook page, but admitted she had no idea if the golfer would ever see it.

The answer came when Mozo telephoned the Notte home, spoke with Kristin Notte and accepted the invitation.

"She wanted to verify that (the video invitation) was real," Kristine Notte said.

Miles Soboroff, Mozo's agent, confirmed that his client will accompany Alex Notte to the prom on May 11.

Mozo, who is from Spain, was a four-time All-American at USC, who in 2006 became the first golfer since 1972 to win the Women's British Amateur Championship and British Girls Amateur Championship in the same year.

She earned her LPGA Tour card on the first try in 2010 and her best finish on the circuit was a tie for fifth in the 2011 NW Arkansas Championship.

"I was really moved when I saw the video," the 24-year-old Mozo said. "I knew immediately that I wanted to say, 'Yes,' but the only question that popped into my mind is, 'What am I going to wear?'

"What impressed me was how Alex was so determined to follow his dreams, whether it be golf or finding a prom date, and that he refuses to be defined by the challenges standing in his way."

On the morning of the prom, Mozo will host a clinic at Gettysvue to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics golf.

--Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland withdrew from the Masters early on tournament week because a hamstring injury,

The 44-year-old Clarke, whose only major title came in the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St. George's, also withdrew a week earlier from the Valero Texas Open because of the injury.

According to a release International Sports Management, which represents Clarke, the injury occurred a few weeks earlier when Clarke was on vacation in the Bahamas.

"It is with deep regret that I will not be able to play at Augusta this year," Clarke said in the ISM release. "Playing in the Masters is one of golf's greatest pleasures and I am very disappointed to be missing out."

In the two years since he claimed the Claret Jug by three strokes over Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, Clarke has not been able to play back to the form he displayed on that magical week.

Last year, he missed the cut in four of the seven events he played on the PGA Tour, including the Masters and in his title defense in the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Clarke also withdrew from the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club because of a groin injury and tied for 54th in the PGA Championship.

This year, he has not yet played on the PGA Tour, and in fact has played only 10 competitive rounds, finishing in a tie for 63rd at the Tshwane Open in South Africa early last month.

Clarke has 17 victories in his career, three on the PGA Tour, including the 2000 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, in which he beat Tiger Woods in the final, and the 2003 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

In 11 starts at Augusta National, Clarke's best finish was a tie for eighth in 1998. Because of his victory in the Open Championship, he will remain eligible for the Masters through 2016.

--The Masters Tournament Foundation, United States Golf Association and the PGA of America announced the creation of the Drive Chip & Putt Championship, a nationwide junior skills competition that will conclude on at Augusta National on Masters week in April next year.

Participants will compete in local and regional qualifiers throughout the United States.

Competitors from ages 7-15 will compete in boys and girls divisions in four age categories. The regional champions in each of the boys and girls divisions will advance to finals at Augusta, which will be televised on the Golf Channel on the Sunday before the Masters.

"Generations of players have been inspired by the dream of sinking a winning putt on the 18th green at Augusta National," said Billy Payne, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament Foundation.

"Now an exciting opportunity exists to make that dream a reality. I am confident that our collective efforts with the USGA and the PGA of America will showcase the talents of kids who already play this game and motivate others to give the sport a try."

Local qualifying events will take place at courses in 19 states and Washington, D.C. Local qualifiers will provide more than 17,000 opportunities to compete.

PGA professionals and USGA professional staff and volunteers will conduct the competitions.

Regional qualifying will be conducted at courses in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas (2), Virginia and Washington.

"The Drive, Chip & Putt Championship, I think that's a special thing and I'm glad to see organizations come together and do that," 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson said.

"I think that's amazing for kids at that age to be a part of something like that, but also be a part of Augusta National and maybe get the dream to come here and see this place. (The announcement) was a big deal and that was cool to see."

Interested players can find the official rules, qualifying sites and register at www.DriveChipandPutt.com.