Course Source: Pumpkin Ridge, Foxhills Hotel and Resort

Course Source: Pumpkin Ridge, Foxhills Hotel and Resort









The Sports Xchange July 7, 2013 11:30 PMThe SportsXchange


IN THE PUBLIC EYE: Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club (Ghost Creek), in North Plains, Ore.



The tracks have gone on to play host to numerous amateur and professional tournaments. Tiger Woods won a record third consecutive United States Amateur title in 1996 at Witch Hollow, which also was the venue for the 2003 U.S. Women's Open and an LPGA tournament from 2009-12, among others.



Ghost Creek began a pilot program of allowing carts to go off the paths for the first time in the spring of 2013. For the previous 21 years, the fairways were immaculate in part because they didn't receive wear and tear from thousands of golf carts pounding them throughout the year.



What makes Ghost Creek arguably the best public experience in the greater Portland area is Cupp's design. He did an excellent job of creating a unique experience on nearly every hole. Ghost Creek features a fun mix of long holes with narrow fairways and shorter holes with well-placed bunkers. Cupp weaved creeks into the layout, carved par-5s around tree-lined fairways and left enough getable holes to card a few birdies.



Bottom line, Pumpkin Ridge is a must-play when in the Portland area. Cupp's design is unique, challenging without being brutal, and you'll rarely run into other groups while weaving your way through the property. It's still rated the No. 63 public course in the nation in 2013 by Golf Digest, which said playing host to a major PGA tournament is within the course's grasp.



LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: If you can keep the ball in the fairway, you can post a solid score at Ghost Creek. The fairways are kept in pristine condition and the greens roll extremely true, albeit with a good amount of tilt to many, rewarding those who can leave uphill putts.



Almost every fairway has at least a modest turn, if not a strong dogleg, and those that are straighter typically boast a well-placed bunker or rolling creek that you must be aware of off the tee.



That's followed by easily the most difficult hole on the course, the 515-yard par-5 fourth. The tee shot plays uphill with red stakes to the left and white to the right. Anything off the fairly narrow fairway gets snagged by very dense rough. Depending on the lie, it can be extremely difficult to reach the green in three following an errant drive. And lengthy approach shots are tricky to a three-tiered green protected by fescue and trees to the back and left.



The outward nine concludes with a devilish 443-yard par-4. A safe drive to the middle or left leaves a long approach with a pond running down the left side and up to the front edge of the green. Anything right is snagged by another one of those creeks or lands in rolling mounds leaving a long and awkward approach.



One of the more difficult scoring holes is the 219-yard par-3 14th. It plays at least a club-length downhill, typically with wind to factor into the equation as well. The green is the biggest on the course, but that hardly means an easy putt on a surface that tilts toward the front right.



OTHER COURSES IN THE AREA: A good trek through the greater Portland area would include a stop at the Reserve Vineyards. The Reserve features the North and South courses, which are rotated between the public and members-only access on a half-monthly basis. If you're looking to play 36 holes, call ahead and you might be allowed to try both tracks on the same day. Both courses have five sets of tee boxes, with the North course featuring far more water in play while the South course is littered with tricky bunkers.



WHERE TO STAY: If you're in town to play golf, check out accommodations in Hillsboro that centrally locate you between Pumpkin Ridge and the Reserve Vineyards. Otherwise, Portland is a short drive to either and is closer to Heron Lakes.



--Pumpkin Ridge review by Derek Harper, The Sports Xchange



THE LAST RESORT: Foxhills Hotel and Resort in Ottershaw, Surrey, England.




It's not only that the three courses at Foxhills look and play very much like courses in the United States, it's the membership. Roughly 20 percent of the members are Americans, executives who work for large firms in and around London. Many of them bring their families because they often stay for several years, and there are several top-rate American schools in the area.



The late Bernard Hunt, honored as a Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth, was the first head professional at Foxhills when the club opened in 1975, and he served for 25 years. Hunt, who died in June at the age of 83, also played on Senior European PGA Tour.



One of eight pros to be awarded lifetime membership in the British PGA and former captain of the organization, Hunt participated in eight Ryder Cups, including twice as captain.



HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Paul Creamer.



The par-72, 6,883-yard Bernard Hunt championship course is longer but more wide open and forgiving.



The signature hole of the Bernard Hunt course is the 10th hole, a daunting 445-yard par-4 that plays downhill to a valley and then uphill to a green protected by two bunkers in front and overhanging trees on the right.



That follows the best par-5 on the course, the 560-yard ninth, which also can be a heart-tugger. It plays slightly downhill off the tee, with a pond in the fairway waiting to swallow any second shots that are mishit. The opening to the green is narrow because of trees on the left and a bunker on the right.



The tee shot must carry more than 200 yards to reach the narrow sloping fairway, and the approach is partially blind up the hill to a spacious double green that it shares with No. 18 on the Longcross Course.



The Longcross, which winds through scots pine, beech and silver birch trees, finishes with an uphill par-5, which measures 531 yards, with a large tree on the left narrowing the fairway for the second shot. Again, the approach shot is partially blind to the large, double green.



The junior program at Foxhills produced Paul Casey, who won three Pacific 10 Conference Championships at Arizona State and broke records set there by Phil Mickelson before joining the PGA Tour, and Anthony Wall, who plays the European Tour.



Also nearby are some other shrines of British golf, including the Wentworth Club and its famed West Course in Virginia Water; Sunningdale Golf Club in Sunningdale; the Belfry Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield, Europe's most prominent Ryder Cup venue; and Royal Birkdale Golf Club near Southport, which has been host to the Open Championship nine times, the last when Padraig Harrington won in 2008.



WHERE TO STAY: Located 20 minutes from Heathrow Airport, the 400-acre Foxhills estate offers a 40-suite, four-star hotel in the 19th-century manor house and its Foxhills Mews, a development of 12 apartments situated next to the 14th tee on the Bernard Hunt Course.



The five-star Stoke Park Hotel, which in 1999 became a charter member of Leading Small Hotels of the World, offers 20 bedrooms filled with priceless antiques and original paintings and prints on grounds once trod by William Penn and Queen Elizabeth I.



Also close are the Bull Hotel, a 17th-century coach stop in Gerrards Cross; Burnham Beeches Hotel, a magnificent structure of Georgian architecture on 10 landscaped acres in Burnham; Grovefield House Hotel, a charming Edwardian country house in Windsor; the Christopher Hotel, the only hotel in Eton; the Castle Hotel in Windsor, a two-minute walk from the front gate at Windsor Castle; and Sir Christopher Wren Hotel, on the banks of the Thames River in Windsor.

Golf notebook: Tiger's event will go on without title sponsor

Golf notebook: Tiger's event will go on without title sponsor









Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange July 7, 2013 11:30 PMThe SportsXchange


--Tiger Woods put up in the neighborhood of $4 million of his own money to keep alive the World Challenge, which has been played every December since 2001 at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif.



"There wasn't a doubt whether we could stage it," said Greg McLaughlin, president of the Tiger Woods Foundation and tournament director. "The question was whether we could get the necessary corporate support. We're happy that we have a lot of support for the event that we've been able to generate the last few months.



The tournament is scheduled for Dec. 5-8 at Sherwood, and McLaughlin said he would announce the sources of the corporate support at a later date.



The World Challenge is one of three tournaments this year that benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation. The others are the AT&T National at Congressional and the Deutsche Bank Championship outside Boston. The foundation has taken over operations of the Deutsche Bank event from IMG.



Past title sponsors have been Target, Chevron and Williams.



The 40-year-old Banks, a resident of Jupiter, Fla., was preparing to board a flight from West Palm Beach, Fla., to Charlotte, N.C., in order to play in a charity event benefiting the Duke Cancer Institute.



Blanks reportedly told authorities that he had forgotten to remove the gun from his bag after being on a trip a week earlier, and admitted that he did not have a concealed weapons permit.



Although he did not acknowledge being arrested, Blanks said in the Tweet: "Heading home from DC. Had a great time helping raise money for cancer research today. Capital city pro-am. Cool part of the job!!!"



When he returns to the PGA Tour, he will be eligible for a major medical extension.



--Tom Watson, charged with restoring the United States' reputation in the Ryder Cup as captain of the U.S. team for the 2014 matches at Gleneagles in Scotland, has appointed Andy North as his first assistant captain.



"Any time you have a friend, you can talk honestly to that friend about anything. Whatever conversations I have with Andy, I've always known that they're private and they're not going to go anywhere else. I really, truly value Andy's observations."



Since 1993, he has been a golf analyst for ESPN.




"I've been lucky enough to cover it for ESPN for maybe the last four Ryder Cups, and I get emotional covering it. It's going to be a great experience, and the bottom line is we get a 'W' at the end of the week."



--After all the talk that the PGA Tour and the PGA of America might bifurcate and go their own way in defiance of the ban on anchored putters enacted by the United States Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, sanity prevailed.



The PGA Tour announced that it would adopt the anchoring ban that will take effect on Jan. 1, 2016, and soon after the PGA of America followed suit.



"As set forth in our report, 'Explanation of Decision to Adopt Rule 14-1b,' the game benefits from having a single set of rules worldwide, applicable to all levels of play, and the acceptance of Rule 14-1b by the PGA Tour and PGA of America supports the game in this regard."



The PGA Tour and the PGA of America cited a similar instance in which the USGA outlawed clubs with square grooves in 2010, but put off the ruling for non-elite amateurs until 2024.



Nine players on the PGA Tour who use anchored putters, including Masters champion Adam Scott, Tim Clark and Carl Pettersson, have retained an attorney, and legal action remains a possibility.



Gulbis, 30, told Golf World that she will be married later this year to Josh Rodarmel, a former Yale quarterback and co-owner of Power Balance Technologies, which produces hologram bracelets.



"It's been nice living under the radar," Gulbis said, apparently pleased that she had been able to keep the relationship out of the media and gossip columns until now. "A lot of my life has been so public. This is nice."



In the past, Gulbis was involved in highly publicized relationships that did not turn out so well, with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dustin Johnson of the PGA Tour.



Martin, 41, said he was told by John Bodenhamer, the USGA's senior managing director of rules, competitions and amateur status, that he would be granted the use of a cart at the U.S. Junior Amateur in at Martis Camp Club in Truckee, Calif., on July 22-27, and all ensuing USGA events.



Martin, who had asked for and was granted access to a cart before the qualifier, was on the course observing play when he was told he could no longer use the cart because of confusion over the rules.



It read: "The United States Golf Association has been and continues to be a strong supporter of Casey Martin. The unfortunate situation at the U.S. Junior qualifier stems from a misunderstanding over the USGA Cart Policy at our championship events. We regret that this misunderstanding may have caused Casey an inconvenience, but it certainly was unintentional. We have extended to Casey accommodations that we offer all disabled spectators at our championships. Despite this unfortunate situation, we continue to admire what Casey has been able to accomplish in the game as both a player and a coach."

Golf rankings, player capsules

Golf rankings, player capsules









Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange July 7, 2013 11:30 PMThe SportsXchange


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



1. Tiger Woods, United States -- While fulfilling his duties as host of the AT&T National, Woods greeted the golfers as they came off the final green at Congressional, then presented the trophy to the new champion, Bill Haas. Tiger was unable to defend his title because of an injury to his left elbow that he picked up while winning the Players Championship and aggravated in the deep rough en route to a disappointing tie for 32nd in the U.S. Open. ... Woods said at Congressional that his elbow felt much better after resting it and he was ready to start strengthening exercises before getting back to hitting golf balls in his preparation for the 142nd Open Championship next week at Muirfield. He said earlier that he might not be 100 percent for the third major of the year, but that he would be "good enough." His best prescription in Scotland would be to stay out of the rough, which tournament officials have promised will be high at Muirfield. ... After a brilliant start to the season, Woods has struggled in his last two events since the injury, also tying for 65th in his title defense at the Memorial Tournament. He won four of his first six stroke-play events on the PGA Tour, and it will be interesting to see if he can regain that sharpness after several weeks of inactivity. Woods putted extremely well early in the season, but not so well lately, and that's one part of his game he was able to work on during his time off. He probably spent plenty of time on the putting green in his back yard during his break.



2. Justin Rose, England -- Following the whirlwind that came after he claimed his first major championship by holding off Phil Mickelson and Jason Day in the U.S. Open at Merion, Rose did well to tie for 13th in theTravelers Championship. However, in doing so, he hit the wall and withdrew from the AT&T National, which he won in 2011. He's on the back end of a three-week break before the 142nd Open Championship at Muirfield next week, and he should be greeted as a conquering hero in the United Kingdom after becoming the first major winner from England since Nick Faldo captured the 1996 Masters. ... Looking back at the season, it was easy to see Rose coming, as other than his missed cut in the Players Championship, he finished in the top 25 in his eight other tournaments on the PGA Tour and posted four finishes in the top 10. He chased Tiger Woods all the way to the finish in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, tying for second, two strokes back. ... Rose got off to a strong start on the European Tour in January with a tie for second in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, finishing one stroke behind Jamie Donaldson of Wales, and also tied for 16th in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. Despite finishing in a disappointing tie for 50th in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, he leads the European Tour's Race to Dubai. His strong season on the PGA Tour has put him sixth in the FedEx Cup standings and fifth on the money list with $3,032,310.



3. Matt Kuchar, United States -- Playing on foreign soil for the first time since the Open Championship last July, Kuchar could not break 70 in any of his four rounds and barely made the cut on his way to a tie for 49th in the Alstom Open de France. He has made the cut in all 15 of his PGA Tour events this season, with his worst result a tie for 48th in the Players Championship. With two titles to his credit this year, Kuchar seems to have his game in good shape despite the rough week. ... Kooch brought his wife, Sybi, and their two children with him on the trip to Europe, and after the tournament was over in Versailles, they made their way to the south of France for a week off before the 142nd Open Championship at Muirfield in Scotland. He could be a factor in the third major of the year after finishing in the top 10 in three of the last six majors, including a tie for ninth in the Open last year at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. ... Kuchar opened with a solid 1-under-par 70 last week at Le Golf National near Versailles but did not card a single birdie the next day en route to a 75 and was fortunate to make it to the weekend. Once there, he did not play much better, closing with 73-73 and carding a total of only three birdies over the final 36 holes. Kooch struggled on the tricky greens, averaging 32.8 putts per round. He will have to clean that up if he hopes to contend at Muirfield.



4. Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland -- McIlroy is in the second week of a break in which he is trying to figure out the problems in his game ahead of the 142nd Open Championship after missing the cut at home in the Irish Open at Carton House. He spent part of the time away with his girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, at Wimbledon, where she was knocked out in the second round by Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic. After their twin disappointments, the couple headed for her home in Monaco to get away from it all. ... Following his brilliant 2012 season, when he won four times on the PGA Tour and five times in all en route to claiming the No. 1 spot in the World Golf Rankings, Rory has struggled for much of this season. He does have four top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, including second behind Martin Laird of Scotland in the Valero Texas Open, but this is not what was expected. Padraig Harrington had an interesting observation at the Irish Open, saying that while McIlroy has been compared to Tiger Woods, he might be more like Phil Mickelson, brilliant but streaky. ... McIlroy was innocently involved in a little bit of controversy while at Wimbledon, where he was accredited and allowed to work out in the gymnasium for players and coaches at the Millennium Building complex. That upset 10th-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia, whose boyfriend, Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, was not allowed in the gym. Tournament officials said Ovechkin would have been allowed in had he asked for accreditation ahead of time.



5. Adam Scott, Australia -- The Masters champion will get to Muirfield early ahead of the 142nd Open Championship next week, hoping that his preparation will lead to a better result than he had the last time it was held there, when he shot 77-68--145 and missed the cut in 2002. More than that, hopefully by winning at Augusta in April to claim his first major title, he has exorcised any ghosts he had from making bogeys on the last four holes a year ago at Royal Lytham & St. Annes to blow a four-stroke lead and finish second behind Ernie Els. ... After becoming the first Aussie to claim the Green Jacket, the man his countrymen hoped would become the next Greg Norman will try to become the first golfer from Down Under to claim the Claret Jug since Norman in 1993 at Royal St. George's. However, after a strong start to his season, he has not had his best form lately, finishing in a tie for 45th in the U.S. Open and tying for 57th his last time out in the AT&T National on a major-type venue at Congressional. ... Scott is one of nine players on the PGA Tour using an anchored putter who has retained a lawyer to deal with the ban on long putters by the United States Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, which will go into effect in 2016. The PGA Tour agreed to go along with the ban last week, so it will be interesting to see if any legal action ensues from any of the users of anchored putters.



6. Brandt Snedeker, United States -- Snedeker, who probably was the best golfer in the world for the first month of the season until being set back by injuries, is taking two weeks off ahead of the Open Championship at Muirfield. After struggling following his return from an intercostal strain, he seems to have gotten his game going in the right direction in his last two outings, finishing in a tie for 17th in the U.S. Open at Merion and in a tie for eighth in the AT&T National at Congressional, which he said was like playing a second U.S. Open in a span of three weeks. ... Snedeker was planning to play in the Greenbrier Classic last week, but he decided he needed to take a break before heading across the Atlantic because he had played four times in five weeks since returning from the injury. Despite his injury problems, he has finished in the top 10 seven times this season, which is tied for the lead on the PGA Tour. Last year, he tied for third in the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes after missing the cut in his first three appearances in the third major of the season. ... Because of the recurrence of rib injuries that Snedeker has been experiencing over the last few years, he has been taking nightly injections in his stomach of Forteo, a drug commonly used to treat osteoporosis, since May. Since the medicine must be kept refrigerated, he has been trying to figure out the logistics of taking it with him to Scotland. Snedeker has been diagnosed with low-turnover bone disease, which means his body is slow to regenerate bone.




7. Phil Mickelson, United States -- Coming off a two-week break following the disappointment of his sixth runner-up finish in the U.S. Open, Mickelson shot 74-68--142 and missed the cut by three strokes in the Greenbrier Classic, missing the weekend in the event for the third consecutive year. It was his third missed cut of the season in 14 events on the PGA Tour, even though he finally broke the par of 70 for the first time in six rounds on the TPC Old White Course. ... Lefty is heading to Scotland a week ahead of the 142nd Open Championship at Muirfield and will play this week in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open for the 11th time, including the third in a row since it moved from Loch Lomond to Castle Stuart Golf Links. He tied for 58th two years ago and tied for 16th last year. He has two top-10 finishes in the tournament and seemed to be headed for victory in 2007 at Loch Lomond by posting four scores in the 60s. Stop me if you've heard this before, but Mickelson hit a bad drive on the final hole of regulation and another on the first hole of a playoff, both leading to bogeys that allowed Gregory Havret of France to sneak away with the victory. ... Lefty was at even par through 16 holes in round one last week on the TPC Old White Course when he hit his drive into the water and then three-putted from 33 feet to card a triple-bogey 8, then added a bogey on the final hole to close out his 74. He tried to rally the next day with four birdies on the last seven holes of the back nine after starting at No. 10, but then he made three bogeys coming home and was gone.



8. Luke Donald, England -- Too many big numbers proved costly to Donald in the Alstom Open de France, as he could not break the par of 71 in any of his four rounds and wound up in a tie for 42nd. However it was better than his other two appearances on the European Tour this season, missed cuts in the Maybank Malaysian Open and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, which he had won the two previous years. ... Even though he won the Aberdeen Asset Scottish Open two years ago, when it moved from Loch Lomond to Castle Stuart Golf Links, and wound up in a tie for 16th last year in his title defense, Luke is skipping the tournament this week. He closed with a 9-under-par 63 in 2011 to win by four strokes over Fredrik Andersson Hed of Sweden when the tournament was shortened to 54 holes because of rain, but apparently that showing was not enough to convince him to play this week rather than take the time off ahead of the Open Championship at Muirfield. ... Donald's biggest problems at Le Golf National came on the 18th hole, where he hit the ball into the water twice and carded triple-bogey 7s en route to an opening 71 and a closing 75. He also recorded a double-bogey 7 at No. 9 while closing out a second-round 73, which means he closed with a 7 in three rounds. He also had a double-bogey 6 on the eighth hole of a 71 on Saturday. Luke struggled with the putter, averaging 31.0 putts per round, taking at least 30 each day except Thursday, when he had 28.



9. Bill Haas, United States -- Coming off his victory in the AT&T National, Haas started with three rounds in the 60s in the Greenbrier Classic and was within hailing distance of the leaders. However, he recorded an early double bogey in the final round and closed with an even-par 70 to finish in a tie for ninth. Still, he has to feel good about his game heading to the third major of the year after recording his eighth top-10 finish of the season. ... Haas is passing up the John Deere Classic this week, at least in part because he has missed the cut four times in his five appearances at TPC Deere Run, and will head to Muirfield, Scotland, early for theOpen Championship. He tied for 19th last year in the third major of the year at Royal Lytham & St. Annes and tied for 20th earlier this season in the Masters, but he never has finished in the top 10 in his 15 appearances in the Grand Slam events. ... Haas hit his approach shot into a greenside bunker on the sixth hole of the final round last week at the TPC Old White Course, needed two more shots to get on the green and then missed a four-foot putt to take a double-bogey 6. That was the only blemish on his scorecard, but he could only make two birdies on Sunday after carding rounds of 68-68-67. He had 11 birdies in the first two rounds, but only six on the weekend. Haas ranked among the leaders by hitting 42 of 56 fairways and 53 of 72 greens in regulation, but he could have been better with his belly putter, averaging 29.3 putts per round.



10. Dustin Johnson, United States -- DJ spent time at home in Myrtle Beach after finishing in a tie for 18th in the BMW International Open at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried in Munich, Germany, but has made another trip across the Atlantic ahead of the 142nd Open Championship next week at Muirfield. He flew into Dublin and is playing some of the classic links courses in Ireland before heading to Scotland on Sunday night. ... Johnson showed signs in Germany that his game is returning to the form he had at the start of the season, when he captured the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, before being stalled by illness and injury. Actually, he seemed to be coming around when he tied for 10th in his title defense at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, but then he struggled to a 55th-place finish in the U.S. Open at Merion. ... Johnson has been one of the more active travelers among the American players in recent years, making several trips to Europe and Asia, and has taken to links golf, finishing in the top 15 in each of the last three Open Championships. One of the longest drivers around, he was not wild about the set up at Merion with the tightness of the fairways, and he said he was looking forward to playing at Muirfield. Even though tournament officials have promised that the rough will be up for the third major of the year, there figures to be more room off the tee and hopefully the big bombers will be able to hit driver more often than they did in the U.S. Open.



11. Webb Simpson, United States -- Last week in the Greenbrier Classic, Simpson opened with a bogey-free, 6-under-par 64, his best score of the season, but he could not break 70 the rest of the way and wound up in a tie for 41st. He posted two 65s his previous time out while tying for fifth in the Travelers Championship, so his game could be heating up just in time for the third major of the season. ... Even though he has played in the John Deere Classic three times previously, Webb has decided to skip the tournament this week and get to Muirfield, Scotland, early in order to prepare for his second appearance in the oldest championship in the world. He tied for 16th in 2011 at Royal St. George's but skipped the tournament last year after winning the U.S. Open because his wife, Dowd, was expecting their second child, Willow Grace. ... Simpson struggled to a 73 in the second round on the TPC Old White Course, salvaging the day with his only birdies of the day on the 16th and 17th holes, and then played the weekend in 70-70. His final round was shaping up to be very much like the second, as he was 3 over without a birdie through 14 holes, but he finished with three birdies in the last four holes to leave the Greenbrier with a good taste in his mouth. Simpson hit 46 of 56 fairways and 54 of 72 greens in regulation but ran hot and cold with his belly putter, taking a total of 51 putts in the first and third rounds, and a total of 64 in the second and last.



12. Keegan Bradley, United States -- After making a commitment a few weeks ago to play in the Greenbrier Classic, Bradley changed his mind at the last minute and instead will make his final competitive tune-up for theOpen Championship at Muirfield in the John Deere Classic, beginning on Thursday. Then he will take the flight to Scotland for the third major of the season on Sunday night in one of two planes chartered by John Deere officials to entice players to enter their event. ... Keegan is playing at TPC Deere Run for the first time, and his addition to the field was a big lift for the tournament, which loses many players who would like to play, but they want to get to the United Kingdom early ahead of the Open Championship. He might have made the switch because he has not played well in the Greenbrier Classic, tying for 43rd as a rookie and tying for 46th last year on the TPC Old White Course. ... Bradley has played 17 times on the PGA Tour this season, and while he has yet to add to his three career victories, he is enjoying another solid season. He has placed in the top 10 in six tournaments, including four finishes of fourth or better, and came closest to winning when he finished second, two strokes behind Sang-Moon Bae of South Korea, in the HP Byron Nelson Championship, which he won in 2011. Bradley has to consider that as one that got away, because he posted scores of 60-69-68 and had the lead going to the final round, but he couldn't get it done on Sunday, closing with a 2-over-par 72.



13. Lee Westwood, England -- His move to South Florida from his lifelong home in Worksop, England, late last year allowed Westwood to play more on the PGA Tour in the first half of this season, and he took advantage of that to compete in 14 events in the United States. He also opened the season in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and then made the trip back to England for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, but then he hit the wall a few weeks ago. ... Westy felt so fatigued that he withdrew from the AT&T National and the Alstom Open de France, one of his favorite events on the European Tour, in which he tied for second in 2009. He also decided to pass on the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, which he has played 16 times and won in 2002 at Loch Lomond. When he tees it up at Muirfield next week, it will be almost a month since he last hit a shot in competition. ... Westwood has long been considered one of the best ball-strikers around, with his short game keeping him from even greater heights and possibly his first major championship. Being able to work on his weakness in the warmer weather in Florida has led to a vast improvement around the greens, and he ranks ninth on the PGA Tour in scrambling, getting up and down for par 63.87 percent of the time. His ball-striking suffered for a while, but before he finished 74th in the Travelers Championship, which he attributed to fatigue, he put together a stretch of five tournaments in which he finished no worse than a tie for 15th in the U.S. Open.




14. Steve Stricker, United States -- After Stricker plays this week in the John Deere Classic, perhaps his favorite event on the PGA Tour, we might see him only three more times this season and not until the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational next month. The 46-year-old claims he will play only 11 times on the circuit this season and is even passing on the 142nd Open Championship next week at Muirfield, where he tied for 59th the last time the third major of the year was played there in 2002. ... Strick is making his 12th start at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., which is less than a three-hour drive from his home in Madison, Wis. The fans at the John Deere have embraced him since he is a graduate of the University of Illinois, plus an all-around good guy. He won the tournament in 2009, 2010 and 2011 before finishing in a tie for fifth last year, when he had a chance to make it four in a row after rounds of 65-67-66 but closed with an 1-under-par 71 and finished four strokes out of the playoff in which Zach Johnson beat Troy Matteson. ... Stricker closed with 61-68-64 to beat Johnson, Brandt Snedeker and Brett Quigley by three strokes at TPC Deere Run in 2009. He started with scores of 60-66-62 before closing with a 70 to beat Paul Goydos by two shots in 2010, and he made it a hat trick when he went 66-64-63-69 and overcame Kyle Stanley by one stroke in 2011. Stanley held a one-stroke lead going to the final hole, where he made bogey, and Stricker pulled out the victory by holing a 25-foot birdie putt from the fringe.



15. Hunter Mahan, United States -- Having tied for fourth in the U.S. Open at Merion, the best of his five top-10 finishes in the major championships, Mahan is taking two weeks off before playing in the 142nd Open Championship next week at Muirfield. Even though he missed the cut in the AT&T National in his last outing, he has had a solid first half of the season on the PGA Tour, with 11 finishes in the top 25 in his 18 tournaments, coming closest to winning when he lost to Matt Kuchar in the final of his title defense in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. ... Mahan is looking forward to getting to Muirfield, where he has never played, with his best finish in the third major of the year a tie for sixth in 2007 at Carnoustie, and he also tied for 19th last year at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. He has proven that he can win on tough courses against fields that include the best players in the world by capturing the 2010 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the 2012 Accenture. The next step in his progression would be winning the first major championship of his career. ... Hunter's ball-striking has been solid this season, as he has hit in the neighborhood of two-thirds of the fairways and greens, but he can do better than his average of 29.66 putts per round. He has a reputation of being a streaky player, winning twice in 2010 and again in 2012 but going winless in 2011. He has not been able to find the winner's circle so far this season.



16. Ernie Els, South Africa -- The Big Easy, preparing for his rare double title defense in the Open Championship at Muirfield, finally confirmed last week that he will play in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open this week at Castle Stuart Golf Links. It's been a busy season for him already, as usual, as he has played 18 times in eight countries, and Scotland the next two weeks will make it nine. ... Els is playing in the Scottish Open for the 18th time and has posted seven top-10 finishes, including victories in 2000 and 2003. However, those wins came at Loch Lomond, and he has not fared as well since the tournament moved to Castle Stuart two years ago, finishing in a tie for 25th in 2011 and tying for 52nd last year. Ernie claimed his first title at Loch Lomond by one stroke over Tom Lehman, and prevailed again three years later when he ran away from Phillip Price of England and Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland by five shots. ... Els, who won the Open last year at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, in addition to prevailing the last time it was held at Muirfield in 2002, is heading toward his title defense in great form. He has four top-10 finishes, all in different countries, in his last six outings, including the 70th victory of his career a few weeks ago in the BMW International Open at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried in Munich, Germany. Until his recent hot streak, he had not finished in the top 10 all season, but he showed that he was getting close with five results in the top 20.



17. Bubba Watson, United States -- Bubba broke the par of 70 in every round on the TPC Old White Course but simply did not go low enough and finished in a tie for 30th in the Greenbrier Classic. He finished fourth in his previous outing at the Travelers, although he blew a chance to win with a late triple bogey. His game seems to be rounding into shape with the third major of the season only a week away. ... Watson has played in the John Deere Classic four times but hasn't been back since he missed the cut at TPC Deere Run in 2010, and he won't be there this week, either. He's going to take a week off before heading to the Open Championship at Muirfield, Scotland, where he hopes to at least finish in the top 10 in a major championship for the first time since winning the Masters last year. He's never posted a top-10 result in his four appearances in the third major of the year. ... Watson opened with a 68 last week in the Greenbrier Classic and followed with three consecutive 69s, but he never got on a sustained run. For example, he carded five birdies in the third round but also mixed in four bogeys that kept him from climbing the leaderboard. Bubba played well at the finish, covering his last 10 holes in a bogey-free 2 under, and he hopes to take some momentum to Muirfield. He hit 41 of 56 fairways while leading the field with an average drive of 316.0 yards, including a long of 367. Watson also hit 49 of 72 greens and averaged 28.8 putts per round.



18. Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland -- Following four consecutive missed cuts, including one the previous week in the Irish Open, McDowell was simply trying to get his game back on track heading to the Open Championship. Instead, he closed with a 4-under-par 67 to win the Alstom Open de France by four strokes over Richard Sterne of South Africa. It was his third victory of the year and second on the European Tour, lifting him to second in the Race to Dubai standings behind U.S. Open champion Justin Rose. ... Even though he's played in the relatively low number of 13 tournaments this year on both major tours, G-Mac has decided not to play this week in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, even though he's played the event eight times and won it in 2008. Instead, he will head for Muirfield early to finish his preparation for the 142nd Open Championship. He shot 66-68 on the weekend five years ago to beat James Kingston of South Africa by two strokes at Loch Lomond, but he tied for 41st when the Scottish Open moved to Castle Stuart in 2011 and will skip the tournament for the second consecutive year. ... McDowell found himself one stroke behind Sterne after carding his only bogey at No. 7 on the final round at Le Golf National near Versailles, but he played the final 11 holes in 3 under, recording birdies on the ninth, 10th and 17th holes as the South African stumbled home with three bogeys to close with a 71. After struggling on the greens for three days, averaging 31.0 putts per round, G-Mac needed only 26 on Sunday.



19. Jason Dufner, United States -- Duf again showed that he could be a major player when he tied for fourth in the U.S. Open at Merion, but after missing the cut in the Travelers Championship, he is taking three weeks off before teeing it up in the 142nd Open Championship at Muirfield. After playing in the majors only four times between 2001 and 2009, he has finished in the top 10 once in each of the last four years in the Grand Slam events. ... After claiming his first two PGA Tour victories last year at the age of 35, Dufner has finished in the top 10 only three times this season, twice on the European Tour in January and again in the second major of the season. Last year was the first time he played in all four of the Grand Slam events in the same season, and even though he was struggling early this year, he managed to tie for 20th in the Masters. His best result in a major was second in the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club, where he blew the lead down the stretch and lost in a playoff to Keegan Bradley. ... Dufner has often said that putting is his least favorite part of the game and that the putter is the weakest club in his bag, and his numbers this year again bear that out. He has hit in the neighborhood of two-thirds of the fairways and greens, but he is 155th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting at minus-.392 and 152nd with an average of 29.71 putts per round.



20. Ian Poulter, England -- Despite breaking 70 only when he posted a 2-under-par 69 in round three, Poulter was mostly solid as Le Golf National played very tough, and he finished in a tie for 25th in the Alstom Open de France near Versailles. He tied for 21st in the U.S. Open at Merion, so the Englishman seems to have his game going in the right direction heading toward the third major of the season next week. ... Poults has played in the top 10 of the Aberdeen Asset Scottish Open in four of his 10 appearances, but all of those were at Loch Lomond, and he won't be making his first trip to Castle Stuart Golf Links this week. Instead, he will get toMuirfield early for the 142nd Open Championship to see what changes have been made to the course since he tied for 50th when the third major of the season was last played on the Scottish links course in 2002. ... Poulter could have finished in the top 10 last week in France if not for bookend 73s. He nearly played himself out of the tournament in round one after opening on the front nine, which he finished with double bogey, double bogey, bogey to post a 5-over 40, but salvaged the round by carding three birdies on the front. His best stuff came in the middle rounds, when he shot 71 to make the cut by two strokes, and followed with a 69. In the final round, he played steady golf other than making three consecutive bogeys through No. 11. Poulter struggled again with the putter, averaging 29.8 putts per round.

Perry tastes more major success at US Senior Open

Perry tastes more major success at US Senior Open

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July 14, 2013 9:01 PM

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Kenny Perry of the U.S. watches his tee shot on the first hole during the third round of the Memorial …


(Reuters) - Kenny Perry savored his "greatest round" of golf after firing a 63 to complete a record comeback victory at the U.S. Senior Open on Sunday and claim a second successive senior major.

The 52-year-old went from 10 shots behind pacesetterMichael Allen at the halfway mark of the tournament to a five-stroke victory in Omaha, Nebraska.

Perry, a winner of 14 PGA Tour titles including a trio of trophies at the Memorial Tournament, said the victory at Omaha Country Club was the highlight of his career.

"Today's round was probably the greatest round I've ever played," said Perry, who had a 13-under-par total of 267.

"I just was spot‑on with all my irons. I putted like Ben Crenshaw. It all just came together for me. It's just been a remarkable month. I've had a great run."

Perry, who two weeks ago won the Senior Players Championship, shot a 64 in the third round and finished with a seven-under round on Sunday.

Fellow American Fred Funk, who shot a final-round 68 for eight-under-par 272, was in second place.

Another stroke back were Rocco Mediate (66) and Corey Pavin (67) on 273, with Allen a further shot behind after finishing with a two-over 72.

"He put it to us. Six-under yesterday and seven-under today. Back‑to‑back, it's kind of what he did two weeks ago at Fox Chapel," said Funk. "He just smoked the field on the weekend. That's what you got to do. He just lapped us."


Perry erased the previous record for the biggest comeback after 36 holes in a senior major, which was seven strokes.

The Kentuckian also set a new standard for the lowest score over the final 36 holes of the U.S. Senior Open at 127, three better than the old mark, and tied records for lowest 72-hole total, lowest score for the last 54 holes (200), and the lowest final-round score.

For Perry, who came agonizingly close to winning a PGA Tour major, winning a national Open was the sweetest of victories.

"It means a lot to win a national Open. For me to have that now attached to my name, (it is) the greatest win I've ever had," he said.

"To lose a Masters in a playoff (2009) and lose a PGA Championship in a playoff (1996), heartbreak. All I felt was heartbreak.

"To finally get it all together and to finally have a major ‑ two majors - attached to my name, is very sweet."

Perry began the final round two shots behind Allen, but back-to-back birdies from the second hole set the tone for his brilliant finish.

After a bogey at the fifth, Perry made four birdies in a row to make the turn at five-under 30, needing only 10 putts as he took command of the championship.

In winning the U.S. Senior Open, Perry became the 11th player to win back-to-back senior majors.

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Lateral Hazard: Phil Mickelson looks like British Open threat after Scottish Open win

Lateral Hazard: Phil Mickelson looks like British Open threat after Scottish Open win

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Brian Murphy July 14, 2013 10:43 PMYahoo Sports





Phil Mickelson geared up for Muirfield by winning the Scottish Open. (AP)



It's a 180-mile, 3½-hour drive from the highlands of Inverness, Scotland, down south to the region they call East Lothian, where venerable Muirfield will host the 142nd Open Championship, or the "British Open," this week, but for Phil Mickelson, the journey might as well have been a heavenly ride on a winged chariot.

On Sunday night, he became a champion at the home of golf, and that can't sound much better.

(Come to think of it, Lefty's so loaded, he probably bypassed the stark, remote scenery and long and winding roads and loaded up the G-4 for a quick flight down, but that doesn't fit with my point of stressing Gaelic golf and its poetic imagery.)

Mickelson, see, played the European Tour's Scottish Open at the dramatic Castle Stuart Golf Links way up there in Scotland's nether regions better than any player in the field. He outlasted South Africa's Branden Grace in a playoff in true Mickelsonian style – first blowing a chance to win in regulation by three-putting the 72nd hole; then winning with a birdie on the same 18th hole with a bit of Lefty wizardry, sticking a wedge from a tight and low greenside lie to about two feet.

And just like that, a big-name win in Scotland, and it all felt so good and right – the long hours of upper Northern Hemisphere summer light on the TV screen, golf played against Scottish bodies of water (in this case, the Moray Firth), players tested with blind shots and set against the background of gorse and broom and heather, their golf balls bouncing along classically rumpled fairways.




Mickelson won the Scottish Open with a birdie on the first playoff hole. (AP)In other words, fire up for the British Open, starting Thursday at Muirfield.



For this week, American golf fan, put aside your fondness for parkland-style golf, for irrigated fairways painted Technicolor green. Embrace patches of brown turf, as Mother Nature would have them. Enjoy the concept of playing a golf shot after it takes an unplanned, bouncy ride through fairways that don't promise anything. Savor the challenge of the world's best in a pot bunker, their minds spinning on how to best conquer those terraced walls.

I'm not the only one feeling romantic. Heck, even former dirt bikers from Southern California who dress in garish all-orange outfits are immersing themselves in the spirit: Rickie Fowler on Sundayposted an Instagram with the caption, "As the sun sets over the 18th grandstands," with the hashtag #TheOpenChampionship. It's a silhouetted image of those tall grandstands that surround the British Open's final hole, and Fowler showed an artist's eye in choosing it to post. Those grandstands, and how they're built, how they encompass the final green, always leads to an acoustic sensation, thunderous applause and guaranteed goose flesh for the golfer who makes that final 100-yard walk to the 72nd green, Claret Jug imminent on Sunday evening. Fowler showed his respect for the beauty of it all.

And that we're at Muirfield makes it all the better. Run by the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers – a name to make Fred Flintstone's Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes Lodge green with envy – Muirfield is so honourable, indeed, that its roster of champions is a veritable almanac of the game.

Walter Hagen won at Muirfield. Tom Watson won at Muirfield. Nick Faldo won twice at Muirfield. Lee Trevino won at Muirfield. Gary Player won at Muirfield. Ernie Els won at Muirfield, in 2002, the last time it was held there. Hell, Harry Vardon won at Muirfield. As if that list doesn't knock your argyle golf socks off, consider that Jack Nicklaus won his first British Open at Muirfield in 1966, came back to America, built his own golf course, and called it "Muirfield." Imitation by the Golden Bear is the sincerest form of golf flattery.

Who will join that list? If 2013's pattern is our guide, following Adam Scott's Masters and Justin Rose's U.S. Open, it will be a major-less but highly ranked and well-liked international player. Lee Westwood, anyone? Luke Donald? Brandt Snedeker? But if history is our guide, it will be a huge name, a Hall of Fame name, a Muirfield-worthy name.

Mickelson, at age 43 and now having won in the land of William Wallace, is a different player, a bigger threat at a British Open than he has been in the past. His high-ball flight used to automatically disqualify him, along with what appeared a defeatist attitude. It took his 12th Open Championship start, in 2004 at Troon, before Lefty cracked the top 10. He even finished runner-up to Darren Clarke at Royal St. George's two years ago, and he has the win at Castle Stuart, so it's in him now to perform across the pond. Certainly, his name would slide alongside Player and Els and Faldo and Nicklaus quite nicely.

No, Tiger Woods has not won at Muirfield. He had a pretty good shot to win at Muirfield, teeing off on Saturday, July 20, 2002, in the third round, two shots off the lead and gunning for a Grand Slam, having won the 2002 Masters and U.S. Open already. But a cold and angry and lashing storm moved in off the Firth of Forth just as he was teeing off, and Tiger saw tee shots blown into knee-high rough, left a golf ball in a bunker, skulled some shots over greens, tossed a club in frustration, couldn't reach par-3s in the wind and shot 81 – at that time, his worst-ever score as a professional. The storm, part of the vagaries of summer on the Scottish coast, drowned Tiger's dream in harsh, near Shakespearean fashion.

Back then, Tiger was only 26 years old, a bachelor, and already owned eight majors. He was gracious and patient after his round, talking to reporters after a day when umbrellas were blown inside out and his Grand Slam dream was, too. "We all understand that is just the way the Open Championship is," he said. "It just wasn't meant to be today."

So much has changed in those 11 years for Tiger. Six more major victories, a marriage, two children, public humiliation, a divorce, knee surgeries, four wins in 2013, an elbow injury, a new girlfriend – and Tiger arrives back at Muirfield, as likely to win it as anyone else, as likely to be a dogged victim of inexorable fate as anyone else.

What hasn't changed is the magic of the Open Championship. They started playing this thing before the United States had its Civil War, and while Rolex didn't sponsor big timepieces on tee boxes back then, and while those big yellow grandstands didn't shake with noise back then, some things remain the same: the curve of the Earth, the light of the summer eve, the feel of the wind, the sight of the sea and the ever-loving challenge to golf your ball through it all, to be declared Champion Golfer of the Year.

SCORECARD OF THE WEEK

70-65-65-65 – 19-under 265, Jordan Spieth, winner (playoff), PGA Tour John Deere Classic, TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill.




Jordan Spieth became the youngest Tour winner since 1931. (AP)While you were fading out around the third or fourth playoff hole at the John Deere, Jordan Spieth, 19 years young and with the golf world in his palm, watched his ship come sailing in.



And speaking of transportation, here's hoping young Spieth threw a duffel bag together in time to fly to Muirfield, where he has now qualified to play in his first Open Championship. Heck, kid, don't even bother with the duffel bag. Use some of that John Deere check to buy cashmere sweaters and a fancy toothbrush when you get to Scotland.

Nineteen! And a winner on the PGA Tour. He's the youngest to win on Tour since 1931, and the fourth-youngest winner of all time. Not Rory, not Tiger, not Jack, not Arnie, not Phil, can say they won on Tour at age 19. And this doesn't appear a fluke. Spieth has been hanging around all year, with six top 10s already. He's the kid who played the Byron Nelson as a 16-year-old and finished tie-16th, then bagged a top 25 at Olympic Club's U.S. Open last year as an 18-year-old. Jordan Spieth can play, and more important, isn't afraid to score.

He outlasted the Prince of the Midwest, nine-time Tour winner, Masters champ and Deere defending champ Zach Johnson, who got wet on the fifth playoff hole and made bogey. And Spieth outlasted a Canadian named David Hearn, who missed a 4-foot putt for the win on the fourth playoff hole. Sometimes, you gotta have the breaks, right, kid?

He said as much to David Feherty afterward. Spieth's win will forever be defined by two shots, both of which showed the golf gods were feeling him. First, on the 72nd hole, Spieth one-hopped a bunker shot into the cup for a birdie to get him to 19-under, good enough for the playoff. Not that it wasn't a brilliant shot – it was his fifth birdie in his final six holes – but if it hadn't found the cup on the hop, his Titleist was bound for a watery grave on the back side. So, cool. That worked out.

Next, he blocked his tee shot into the trees on the fifth playoff hole, but found a fortuitous lie and a shot he envisioned – a punched 7-iron through a narrow gap. He told Feherty he simply told himself to trust it, and the result was so beautiful – purely struck, right on target, great distance – that he only needed to two-putt from the fringe for the win. Feherty told him it was one of the best shots he'd ever seen.

Meanwhile, Spieth got a tweet from @The_Open saying: "Congrats. We hope to see you. P.S. Muirfield is looking amazing!" As tweets he's ever received go, I'm thinking that's top five all time.

BROADCAST MOMENT OF THE WEEK

"That's, by far, the greatest round of golf I've ever played … it all came together today. I can't explain why today, after all these years. Here I am, almost 53 years old, and it all came together for me. It's just neat how it all turns out. This is by far the biggest tournament I've ever won." – An exultant Kenny Perry, to Steve Sands of NBC, greenside after holing out for a final-round 63 at the U.S. Senior Open in Omaha.

The phrase "weekend warrior" originally connoted a part-time soldier, or reservist, but has come to describe a person who attacks a hobby or sport on weekends, to make up for the drudgery of Monday through Friday.




Kenny Perry has now won consecutive Champions Tour majors. (USA Today Sports)It may be time to slap the nickname on Kenny Perry, except with some stronger language, something along the lines of: "Weekend Butt Kicker" or "Weekend Destroyer."



Perry's homemade golf swing – "it's not pretty", Johnny Miller said at one point on NBC – continues to deliver the goods, time and again. And now Perry has won consecutive Champions Tour majors with weekend rounds nothing short of devastating to the field. His 63 at Omaha Country Club followed a Saturday 64, meaning he went 13-under on the weekend alone. Perry overcame a 10-shot third-round deficit to win the coveted USGA championship, and said the joy goes a long way to overcoming the pain of his 2009 Masters playoff loss to Angel Cabrera, and his PGA Championship playoff loss to Mark Brooks back in 1996.

And get this, it's not the first Champions Tour major where Perry dropped a 63-64 weekend hammer on the field. The chipmunk-cheeked Kentuckian did the same thing at the Senior Players Championship, this time going 63 on Saturday and 64 on Sunday. So, if you're counting – and Perry's doing a lot of counting these days, of U.S. currency – that's four weekend rounds in majors the last month, and two 63s and two 64s and two wins for Perry. That'll work quite nicely for Kenny Perry, weekend partier extraordinaire.

MULLIGAN OF THE WEEK

You're forgiven if you don't know of David Hearn, a 34-year-old Canadian with zero PGA Tour wins and the lowest of profiles. Hearn was pitted against local hero Zach Johnson and teenage wunderkind Jordan Spieth in the three-man, five-hole playoff at the John Deere, and while most everyone was rooting for the storyline of Johnson or Spieth, it was Hearn who had the best chance to win. And then … poof. Gone, just like that.

It was the fourth playoff hole, the 17th hole, and Hearn had four feet for the win, and surely he'd make it and vault his name into the Masters and maybe the British Open and … oh, no. He missed the 4-footer. On to the fifth playoff hole, and on to glory for Spieth.

So even though Spieth's story was remarkable, and the best possible story for the weekend, we can't endorse that kind of pain for the Canadian journeyman. Let's go back out to the 17th green, mark off four paces, place Hearn's ball on the green, remind him to breathe and … give that man a mulligan!

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

If you've got to ask, you'll never know. On to Muirfield, where your Honourable Company is requested.

NBC video of Mickelson's playoff win at Scottish:

Forgotten man Hamilton enjoys rare moment in the sun

Forgotten man Hamilton enjoys rare moment in the sun

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Ed Osmond July 18, 2013 8:48 AM

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Todd Hamilton of the U.S. hits his tee shot on the second hole during second round play at the 2009 Masters …


By Ed Osmond

GULLANE (Reuters) - American Todd Hamilton, shock winner of the 2004 British Open, was briefly the clubhouse leader of this year's tournament after shooting a first-round two-under-par 69 on Thursday.

Playing in the second group out, the 47-year-old showed glimpses of the form that brought him the Claret Jug nine years ago with four birdies around the Muirfield links.

It was a rare moment in the spotlight for the unassumingHamilton who has never won again on the U.S. or European Tours since beating Ernie Els in a playoff to claim the Open title at Troon.

"I definitely thought my golfing career would have been better after that than it was," he told reporters.

"(It has been) terrible," added Hamilton. "I try not to reflect on it. It's been trying, I guess. There's been days where I didn't want to play."

Hamilton was a prolific winner on the Japanese circuit before earning his U.S. PGA Tour card at the eighth attempt in 2003.

He won the Open and the U.S. Tour's Honda Classic in 2004 but was unable to maintain his form and has had only three top-10 finishes on his home circuit since.

"Looking back I had done a lot of good things overseas at places that people probably wouldn't know that golf even exists," Hamilton said.


"I played a lot in Japan, I played a lot in Asia. So when I won the Open I was kind of at the end. I think I was 38, so I was kind of close to the end of the decent career," he added.

"I thought it was decent, I just didn't do it on the European Tour or U.S. Tour."

Hamilton never achieved celebrity status in the United States, even in his sleepy former home town of Oquawka, Illinois.

"I think I get recognized more over here than I do in my home country which is kind of an oddity," he said.

"I walk down the street, had dinner the other night, and we were sitting outside of a little fish and chip place. The owner knew who I was."

Hamilton felt comfortable on the Muirfield links, even though he has only twice made the cut in eight British Open appearances since Troon.

"I enjoyed it," he said. "I do enjoy this style of golf. I think it takes a person that is very happy with not only their game but themselves.

"You've got to be very confident and do stuff that you feel you can do, otherwise you try to chase the game. And on courses like this it is very difficult. "

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)

Miguel Angel Jimenez off to another fast start at Open Championship

Miguel Angel Jimenez off to another fast start at Open Championship

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Miguel Angel Jimenez is looking to become the first Spanish champion at the Open since Seve Ballesteros in 1988.(Getty Images)

PGA.COM July 18, 2013 9:45 AM


By Steve Douglas Associated Press

GULLANE, Scotland (AP) -- Leaning on his putter and gazing out toward the Firth of Forth, Miguel Angel Jimenezhad the look of a contented man as he waited his turn for a birdie attempt under sunny skies on the 11th green.

The pony-tailed, pot-bellied, cigar-smoking Spaniard had birdied five of his first nine holes -- including the first three -- and was leading the Open Championship by three strokes early in the first round.

Not bad for a 49-year-old man who recently returned to action after breaking his right leg in a skiing accident.

He couldn't quite keep it up, though, missing that putt and making two bogeys on his back nine to shoot a 3-under 68. But the charismatic Jimenez is still on the leaderboard.


"I would love to have a major in my career," Jimenez said. "I would love to have one of these. I don't know how much longer for me on the tour. I'm 49, you know."

Unless a Scot goes on to lift the claret jug, there would likely be no more popular winner than Jimenez, a Ryder Cup stalwart and the owner of a frame that could generously be described as portly.

He would become the oldest winner of the oldest major -- Old Tom Morris holds the record at 46 from back in 1867 -- as well as the first Spanish champion at the Open since Seve Ballesteros in 1988.

But Jimenez won't be getting ahead of himself. He has been here before at Opens, where his fast starts are now commonplace.

At Turnberry in 2009, he was the first-round leader but came home tied for 13th, and he was one off the first-round lead at Sandwich in 2011 after a 66.

This year's showing is even more impressive since he missed the first three months of the season after his skiing fall while on vacation in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Andalucia, southern Spain.

"If you break your leg at 30 years old, you can say, `OK, I'm going to have a sabbatical year,' but at 49 you don't want to spend any sabbatical day," Jimenez said, laughing. "It's tough so many months without hitting. Just knowing the competition that is around."

Jimenez, who is playing with padding under his left elbow because of tendonitis, became the oldest winner in European Tour history when he won the Hong Kong Open last year at 48 years, 318 days.

He's looking to make more history at Turnberry.