Lincicome set to defend title at KNC
March 31, 2010
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP)—Brittany Lincicome was thinking birdie and came upwith an eagle.
That’s how she won the Kraft Nabisco Championship last year, her first majorand just her third career win.
The ending was a blur, from sinking a 4-foot putt to seal the win, gettingthe trophy and then finding out just how cold the lake is that winners jumpinto.
Always, though, there will be the shot.
After hitting a 275-yard drive down the middle of the fairway on No. 18,Lincicome hit a hybrid from 210 yards that cleared the water and landed on theupper part of the green, with the ball curling down just above the hole.
“Everybody always comes up to me, and they’re like, ‘I saw your shot. Talkme through it,’ Lincicome said this week. “It was really funny, yeah, I wasthere. I remember doing it.
“It’s definitely a shot that I kind of reflect on just for confidence, justknowing that I can hit that shot under pressure will help me in the future,”Lincicome said.
She’ll defend her title beginning Thursday at Mission Hills against a fieldthat includes South Korean Hee Kyung Seo, who ran away with the Kia Classic lastweekend, and Michelle Wie, whose rules gaffe on Sunday at La Costa cost her$90,000.
In last year’s final round, Lincicome was never worse than three strokesbehind. She stayed close as her good friend Kristy McPherson and Cristie Kerrtraded the lead back and forth.
Trailing McPherson by one stroke, Lincicome broke through with her amazingsequence of shots on the par-5, 485-yard 18th.
“My No. 1 thought was just getting the ball on the fairway,” she recalled.“After I hit that tee shot, it was like, all right, I’ve got a chance, at leastget it on the green, two putt and get the birdie and try to get in the playoff,hopefully Kristy doesn’t birdie on top of mine and beat me by one. But after Ihit that hybrid, it was right in the middle of the green, right where we wereaiming. I wasn’t anticipating it taking that slope that well, but I’m notcomplaining.”
Lincicome missed the cut at the Kia Classic. She tied for 26th in bothThailand and Singapore, the first two stops on the LPGA Tour this year.
Seo, meanwhile, ran away with the inaugural Kia Classic for her first LPGATour title. She beat Inbee Park by six strokes.
It was during Sunday’s round that Wie was penalized two strokes forgrounding her club in a hazard after hitting out of the water near the 11thgreen. The penalty dropped her into a tie for fifth.
“I think it was very unfortunate, and I left that where it was last week,and now I’m here at Kraft Nabisco and I’m really excited to play this week,”Wie said. “So all I’m thinking about is how I’m going to try to play my bestthis week.”
Still, it wasn’t her first run-in with the rules book.
“It’s unfortunate,” she said. “It’s something that you never want to do,but it happens. People make mistakes, but you know what, that’s all in the past.You know, I really think that that’s what happened, and hopefully from now on itwon’t happen. But you know, I’m just trying now to think about this week.”
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Poulter goes from 4 handicap to top 10 in golf
March 31, 2010
PALM HARBOR, Florida (AP)—Ian Poulter doesn’t see himself the way others do.
They see an Englishman with spiked hair who was brazen enough to wear allpink before a New York gallery in the final round of a U.S. Open. They see aplayer with the audacity to scatter golf tees with the final score—Europe 18 1/2 ,USA 9 1/2—on the driving range in Ireland two weeks after the 2004 Ryder Cup, aplayful jab at the Americans.
What they don’t see is the photo Poulter keeps on his mobile phone of arundown Ford Fiesta.
“My blue rust bucket,” Poulter says proudly as he flips through the photosuntil he finds it. He bought the used car in 1995 with the meager earnings fromwinning a small-time tournament when he worked as an assistant pro.
The car didn’t look like it could go very far. At the time, neither didPoulter, a 4 handicap when he turned pro.
But that’s why he keeps the picture. It’s a reminder of an amazing journeyfilled with defiance, determination and double portions of confidence, all ofwhich helped him achieve so much with so little.
Poulter now goes to Augusta National as a serious candidate to win theMasters. He is coming off his first World Golf Championship title and is rankedin the top 10 in the world for the first time in his career.
Surprising? Not to him.
“When someone hasn’t been exposed to golf at a high level early on, itbecomes a shock when someone does something,” Poulter said. “Eight-fivepercent of the top 50 in the world played college golf, the Walker Cup, goodamateur golf. There’s a background story that has them jumping on the train andgoing on their way.
“That’s why it’s a surprise to people why I’ve gotten so far.”
At an age when his peers aspired to play in the Walker Cup or qualify forthe British Open, Poulter, now 34, was putting new grips on clubs, changingspikes in soggy shoes, folding shirts in the pro shop and giving group lessonsto juniors on the weekend. Between jobs, he watched Greg Norman and SeveBallesteros on TV, believing that could be him one day.
Poulter never doubted that. Not once.
“I didn’t know any differently,” he said. “I just felt that if I workedhard enough and practiced, then I would have a chance to get out on tour and wingolf tournaments.”
Few others had reason to believe him. Some even discouraged him.
His teachers mocked him for bringing golf clubs to class so he could hitballs on the football field during recess. They said he was wasting his time.The club manager at Chesfield Downs didn’t make it easy, requiring Poulter totake holiday time to play in local tournaments.
One of those was the Panshanger Classic, where Poulter shot 66-66 and won1,800 pounds (roughly $2,700 nowadays), money he used to buy his blue rustbucket. To prove a point, he took the trophy to the shop and set it on thecounter for the club manager to see.
“I was not very politely asked to remove it,” Poulter said. “He came intowork and says, ‘What’s that?’ I said, ‘I’ve just won the tournament.’ And hesaid, ‘You can just take it off the counter.’ I got a written warning for what Isaid to him, and I left a week later.”
Small wonder he is perceived as brash and cocky.
Justin Rose, one of his best friends in golf and his roommate during theirdays in the minor tours, recalls playing golf in South Africa not long afterPoulter got his European Tour card for the first time.
“My brother remembers Ian saying, ‘Now that I’ve got my European Tour card,it’s going to be easy. I’ll probably win a couple of times.’ And my brothersaid, ‘I just played with you and I beat you.’ But that’s the way he is,” Rosesaid. “And it’s served him in good stead. Now he has the game to back up theconfidence. And he’s always had the confidence.”
Geoff Ogilvy also remembers playing with Poulter before his rookie season inEurope. In some respects, Poulter hasn’t changed. He was brash and funny. Buthis golf? Ogilvy can’t believe the turnaround.
“His game was not where it is now,” Ogilvy said. “He had a lot going forhim around the greens. From where he was then to now, he is the most improvedplayer in the world. He was a 4 handicap when he turned pro. Most guys on tourwere shooting 65 when they were 16.
“But his No. 1 attribute is belief,” Ogilvy said. “He’s not afraid. It’salmost like he’s very defiant.”
Poulter is known as much—if not more—for his clothes than anything hehas done on the golf course. He famously wore trousers of the Union Jack flag inthe 2004 British Open at Royal Troon. Another year, he wore pants with theclaret jug down one side of the leg. Ballesteros looked at them and said,“That’s as close as he’ll get to the claret jug.”
Poulter is used to hearing doubts. It’s been that way his whole life.
“There are plenty of naturally talented, better golfers out there,” hesaid. “I just think mentally I might be stronger. And I’ve got a lot ofself-belief in what I know I can do.”
What makes his rise so remarkable is that he had so few good experiences tocarry him through the struggles.
It was nothing like Rose, who had a heralded amateur career and tied forfourth in the 1998 British Open at age 17. He turned pro, then missed 21consecutive cuts.
“What got me through it was belief that I had to be good to have theamateur career I did, and if I worked hard, I could get back,” Rose said. “IfI didn’t have that, I would have struggled.”
And what did Poulter rely on? Rose just shook his head.
“You see a lot of kids, and you almost want to say to them, ‘Listen guys,enough is enough. Move on,”’ Rose said. “It just shows you that sometimes thatreal determined streak … I mean, it’s amazing where Ian has come from.”
Poulter is more interested in where he’s going.
He caught plenty of grief from a magazine interview two years ago in whichhe said when he reaches his full potential, “it will be just me and Tiger.” Itwas a slap at the rest of the players, suggesting they didn’t have what it tookto challenge the world’s No. 1. At the Match Play Championship that year, Woodspassed Poulter walking out of the locker room and said, “Hey, No. 2.”
But Poulter is rarely embarrassed over his words, his clothing, his play.
He has done a brilliant job marketing himself through his clothing, and hebelieves that in time, he will be known as much for his golf. A World GolfChampionship certainly helps. A major championship would change everything.
“I would say a lot of people over time would probably see me as the golferthat has worked hard on his game,” he said. “Yet you’ve still got people whodon’t watch a lot of golf that might think I’m cocky, arrogant, outspoken. I’veheard it quite a lot. I see myself as someone who, from where I come from,always had the self-belief that I could achieve things in golf at a high level.And I’m now starting to achieve those goals.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “But I’ve always believed that.Always. And I always will believe that.”
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Woods shamed himself but not game of golf
March 31, 2010
The azaleas will be in bloom as usual, because there are people who makesure of it at Augusta National. As a bonus this year, Jack and Arnie willreunite on the first tee.
Golf will be played as usual, and by early evening next Sunday, someone willbe wearing a green jacket.
The Masters will survive the sideshow born of the sordid tales of TigerWoods, and that’s only fitting.
Because while Woods has shamed himself plenty, he has done nothing to shamethe game of golf.
Remember that when the circus begins at Augusta National on Monday, andWoods steps into the cross hairs of the once tepid golf media. Remember it, too,when he steps onto the first tee on Thursday to hit a drive that will formallyannounce his return to golf.
Yes, he flaunted society’s rules of engagement with his bevy of mistresses.He did a terrible thing to his wife and, because of that, a lot of people willnever again regard him the same way.
But as the golf season begins anew in the year’s first major, life alsobegins anew for Woods. He’ll be back on familiar ground, with a familiar goalreplacing some new ones he may have learned in therapy.
And, after four long months spent judging Woods for what he did away fromthe golf course, maybe it’s time to start judging him again for what he does onit.
The game deserves it. So, in a way, does Woods, whose remarkable run overthe last 14 years changed the very way the game is played.
I’ve been among those who have taken Woods to task—and quite regularly—for the way he has handled this whole mess. I find it irritating that he stilltries to control the message and portrays himself as a noble figure who somehowwent astray around the same time he stopped meditating.
The details of some of his escapades—if true—are even more disturbing. Idon’t know how anyone can look at the infamous Woods glare now without eitherlaughing or feeling queasy.
But this isn’t about morality, or his startling lack of it. We’ve had plentyof time to digest and debate what Woods did and why.
This is about golf. And, really, that’s how it should be as the game returnsto one of its most revered places with a story line the late Bobby Jones couldnever have imagined when he built it.
Expect some commotion, at least outside the gates. The paparazzi will be intown, and so will every kook attempting to latch onto the moment for his or her15 minutes of fame.
Expect a golf tournament inside, and, hopefully, nothing else.
That’s what happened in 2003 when Martha Burk crusaded to enroll a woman atAugusta National. And that’s what golf desperately needs now.
I’m among the minority that doesn’t think Woods will do well in his firsttournament since going into hiding and then into therapy. I think thecombination of nerves and rust will not only prevent him from adding anothergreen jacket to his collection, but may send him home before the weekend.
Still, he’s got every right to try, no matter what anyone thinks about hispersonal life.
Yes, he could have been a better golf citizen by stopping occasionally tosign autographs or say hi to a spectator. And, long ago, he should have toneddown his penchant for using expletives whenever something went awry on thecourse.
Woods himself seemed to acknowledge that when he vowed in his first publicappearance since his accident to respect the game more.
But he never kicked his ball out from behind a tree when no one was looking,never coughed in his opponent’s backswing. As far as we know he’s never put downa 4 when he really made a 5.
Though some might argue that his transgressions did, indeed, hurt golf, whatthey really did was hurt Woods. The game survived without its greatest playerbecause the game has always been about more than just one person.
Someday Woods will be replaced by the next phenom, just as Jones and Palmerand Nicklaus were before him. When that day comes, it will be time to take stockof his career and measure him against the greats of the past.
Those measurements, though, should be based solely on what he did on thegolf course. There’s no grading curve where Woods loses greatness points becausehe couldn’t stop chasing women.
So go ahead and applaud Woods for the golfer he is. Or go ahead and turnaway in disgust.
But remember this:
There’s Tiger Woods the golfer and Tiger Woods the person.
One still has some redeeming qualities.
Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press.
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Golf-In-form Davies targets ‘ultimate’ career goal (Reuters)
March 31, 2010
By Mark Lamport-Stokes
RANCHO MIRAGE, California, March 31 (Reuters) – LPGA Tourveteran Laura Davies, buoyed by a triumphant start to thisyear, believes she is close to the best form of her illustriouscareer.
The 46-year-old won her 53rd title worldwide at the NewZealand Women’s Open in February and has set her sights on afifth major victory at this week’s Kraft Nabisco Championshipto put the seal on her glittering resume.
“A win here would mean everything to me,” the Briton toldReuters at Mission Hills Country Club on Wednesday.
“It’s the last leg of the (career) grand slam, it would getme in the Hall of Fame and it would get me in everything forthe rest of the year and the next few years coming. So there isa lot on the line.”
England’s Davies, who has piled up 20 LPGA titles, won herfirst major at the 1987 U.S. Women’s Open before adding theMcDonalds LPGA Championship in 1994 and 1996 and the du MaurierClassic, also in 1996.
The du Maurier Classic was replaced as a grand slam eventby the Women’s British Open in 2001.
Victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, where she hasposted four top-five finishes including a runner-up spot in1994, would complete a long-cherished career grand slam.
“But you don’t think about that,” the long-hitting Daviessaid. “All you think about is getting off to a good start andhaving a chance (to win the tournament) on Sunday morning.
ULTIMATE GOAL
“The ultimate goal, you try not to think about it or youput too much pressure on yourself.”
Davies has made a fast start to her 2010 campaign, tyingfor sixth at the LPGA Tour’s season-opener in Thailand beforefollowing her New Zealand triumph with a runner-up spot at thismonth’s Australian Open.
“My form is good, as good as it’s been for a few yearsplaying at this event,” she said. “It’s probably not far offthe best form of my career at the moment.
“There are just a few things to sort out. My putting seemsto come and go whereas before I was more consistent, I holed alot more putts on a regular basis. Now I’m more streaky.
“If I can just turn the putting around and hit a few morefairways, that would be my big thing.”
Davies has relished competing on the challenging par-72layout at Mission Hills since making her debut here in 1988.
“It’s just such a lovely course,” she said. “It’s a hardgolf course, it’s pretty long compared to what we normally playand the rough is normally up, which obviously makes drivingextremely important.
“And it rewards good iron play which is probably the bestpart of my game. If I can just hit a few more fairways thanI’ve done in years gone by, you never know.”
(Editing by Greg Stutchbury; To query or comment on thisstory email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Tiger Woods Chronology
March 31, 2010
Nov. 25—The National Enquirer publishes a story alleging Woods had beenseeing New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel, and that she was photographedat his hotel in Melbourne during the Australian Masters.
Nov. 27—The Florida Highway Patrol reports that Woods crashed his CadillacEscalade into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his Isleworth home in Windemere,Fla., at about 2:30 a.m. The report lists injuries as serious. Woods’ spokesmanlater posts a statement on his Web site that Woods had been treated and releasedfrom a hospital. Uchitel denies having an affair with Woods in an interview withThe Associated Press.
Nov. 28—State troopers are on their way to meet with Woods at his houseuntil his agent calls them and asks that they wait another day to speak to him.
Nov. 29—Woods again declines to speak to troopers, instead issuing astatement on his Web site in which he says the situation is his fault “and it’sobviously embarrassing to my family and me. I’m human and I’m not perfect. Iwill certainly make sure this doesn’t happen again.” The patrol releases the911 tape from a neighbor, who says Woods is lying in the street and that he isunconscious. A woman whose voice sounds like Woods’ mother is heard yelling,“What happened!”
Nov. 30—Woods withdraws from his tournament, the Chevron World Challenge,in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Dec. 1—Us Weekly magazine says it has a cover story in which JaimeeGrubbs, a 31-year-old cocktail waitress, says she had an affair with Woods thatlasted 31 months, and she had 300 text messages to prove it. The Florida HighwayPatrol wraps up its investigation and says Woods has been cited for carelessdriving and will have to pay a $164 fine.
Dec. 2—Us Weekly releases a voice mail that Grubbs says Woods left on herphone three days before his accident. It suggests his wife, Elin, may be callingher. Three hours later, Woods issues another statement on his Web site thatsays, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all ofmy heart.” He also says stories that physical violence led to the accident were“utterly false.” In its final report, the Florida Highway Patrol said Woodscaused $3,200 in property damage with his accident, and damage to his SUV wasestimated at $8,000.
Dec. 3—Famed LA attorney Gloria Allred, representing Rachel Uchitel,abruptly cancels a news conference. Jesper Parnevik, who once employed Woods’wife as a nanny, tells Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, “I have lost all respectfor him, primarily as a man and a father. … He is not the one we thought hewas.”
Dec. 5—“Saturday Night Live” performs the first of many spoofs’ onWoods’ sex scandal.
Dec. 6—Jim Furyk, one of Woods’ favorite players on the PGA Tour, wins theChevron World Challenge. Woods posts a statement on his Web site thankingsponsors and players for being part of an event that supports his foundation.
Dec. 8—Woods’ mother-in-law, Barbro Holmberg, collapses in his home and isrushed to the hospital with stomach pains. She was released about 11 hourslater.
Dec. 9—Gatorade says it is discontinuing the “Tiger Focus” drink, adecision it made before the accident. Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., says he isdropping efforts to honor Woods with a Congressional Gold Medal.
Dec. 11—Woods announces on his Web site that he is taking an “indefinitebreak” from golf to work on his marriage, confessing to “infidelity” for thefirst time. None of his corporate sponsors say they are leaving him, althoughAccenture no longer has Woods’ image on the home page of its Web site.
Dec. 12—Gillette says it won’t feature Woods in its marketing campaignwhile he takes time off to repair his personal life. A Swedish real estate agentconfirms that Elin Woods has closed on a six-bedroom house on a small islandnear Stockholm accessible only by boat.
Dec. 13—Accenture becomes the first sponsor to cut its ties to Woods,saying he is “no longer the right representative.”
Dec. 14—Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer says it will spend the next few weeksassessing its relationship with Woods. Pictures surface on various Web sites ofWoods’ wife pumping gas. She is not wearing a wedding ring.
Dec. 15—The New York Times reports that Woods is linked to a Canadiandoctor under investigation for providing athletes with performance-enhancingdrugs. The report says Dr. Anthony Galea visited Woods’ home four times inFebruary and March to provide “blood spinning,” which helps speed recoveryfrom surgery. Woods’ agent says in an e-mail to the Times, “If Tiger is NOTimplicated, and won’t be, let’s please give the kid a break.” A photo agencyspokesman says a photo of Woods probably would fetch $100,000 worldwide. UpperDeck says it will stand by Woods. Charles Barkley says Woods changed his cellphone number the day after the accident.
Dec. 16—Woods is voted Athlete of the Decade by members of The AssociatedPress, receiving 56 of the 142 votes cast since November. More than half of theballots were returned after his Nov. 27 accident. He beats out Lance Armstrong,who had 33 votes, and Roger Federer, who had 25 votes.
Dec. 17—PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem speaks for the first time as hetries to dispel the “gloom and doom” outlook of golf without Woods, whileconceding that “no sport would be at the same level without its No. 1 player.”Woods is voted player of the year by the Golf Writers Association of America.
Dec. 18—The lawyer for Dr. Anthony Galea says Woods is in no way linked tocriminal charges brought against the Canadian doctor. Swiss watch maker TagHeuer says it will not use Woods’ image in U.S. advertising campaigns for theforeseeable future. The PGA Tour announces that players have voted Woods playerof the year.
Dec. 31—AT&T becomes the second sponsor to sever its ties with TigerWoods. It will continue to sponsor the AT&T National, but Woods no longer willbe the tournament host. Woods enters therapy for what he later describes as the“issues I’m facing.”
Jan. 4—A government official says Woods’ appearance at the AustralianMasters—his last event before his accident—pumped an estimated $31 millioninto Melbourne’s economy. He had been paid a $3 million appearance fee.Electronic Arts Inc. says it will stand behind Woods, and announces the latestversion of his PGA Tour video game will be released later in the month.
Jan. 8—In a conference call with golf writers, Jack Nicklaus says if Woodsis going to pass his record for 18 majors, “this is a big year for him in thatregard” because the major venues include Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St.Andrews.
Jan. 11—Gatorade says bootleg labels with a picture of Woods and the word“unfaithful” have been found on bottles in Colorado stores.
Jan. 20—The National Enquirer says it has the first photo of Woods sincethe accident, and the image raises little argument that it’s not him. Acelebrity Web site posts eight photos from the Enquirer that show Woods in whiteshorts and a dark hooded sweat shirt outside the Pine Grove Behavioral Healthand Addiction Services building in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Jan. 21—The Florida Highway Patrol releases new audio recordings,including one in which a trooper tells a dispatcher that Woods wasn’t doinganything he shouldn’t have been doing, and that Woods had only minor injuries.
Jan. 27—Woods tops the Bloomberg BusinessWeek list of most powerfulathletes, based on earning potential.
Feb. 3—Tom Watson says Woods needs to show humility to the public when hereturns to golf. Watson also criticizes Woods for his foul language on thecourse by saying, “I think he needs to clean up his act and show the respectfor the game that other people before him have shown.”
Feb. 11—Woods leaves inpatient therapy after 45 days and returns to hisIsleworth home.
Feb. 17—IMG agent Mark Steinberg says Woods will speak publicly for thefirst time since the accident on Feb. 19 at the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse. He is tospeak to a small group of associates, friends and business partners. Three wireservice reporters and a pool of three reporters picked by the Golf WritersAssociation of America are invited to be in the room, with no opportunity to askquestions. Ernie Els is angry that Woods chose to speak during the AccentureMatch Play Championship—Accenture being the first sponsor to drop him—andsays the timing is “selfish.” Getty Images releases photos of Woods and afriend jogging in his Isleworth neighborhood.
Feb. 18—Satellite trucks start to fill the parking lot at the SawgrassMarriott. The GWAA successfully asks Woods’ management team for an increase tosix pool reporters, then announces its board has voted overwhelmingly not toparticipate. Getty Images releases more photos of Woods hitting golf balls onthe Isleworth practice range.
Feb. 19—In a 13 1/2 -minute statement televised to a worldwide audience, Woodsapologizes again for cheating on his wife without revealing the scope of hisinfidelity or when he will return to golf. “I have made you question who I amand how I could have done the things I did,” he says to a room of 40associates, including his mother and top employees. His wife, Elin, is not inthe room.
Feb. 20—Woods leaves home for family counseling in Arizona. In aninterview with the AP, the Dalai Lama said he had not heard of Woods, but thatself-discipline is among Buddhism’s highest values. Woods has said he would leanon his Buddhist faith to get through.
Feb. 23—Orlando television station WFTV reports on its Web site that Woodsand his wife have sent a written apology to parents at the preschool their2-year-old daughter attends because of all the media there. Proctor & Gamble CEOBob McDonald says he doesn’t know if Woods will ever appear in another Gillettecommercial. “We’ve got lots of great spokespeople,” he says.
Feb. 25—Nike brand president Charlie Denson says the company will continueto support Woods and looks forward to his return.
Feb. 26—Gatorade says it has ended its endorsement relationship withWoods. “We no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts,” aspokesman says. The company says it will continue its relationship with theTiger Woods Foundation.
Feb. 27—Woods returns home from family therapy in Arizona.
March 2—The AP reports that Woods is practicing as he tries to get backinto a routine of golf and fitness. It also says there still is no timetable forhis return.
March 3—Woods’ caddie, Steve Williams, says in a New Zealand televisioninterview that he was angry to learn of Woods’ extramarital affairs, but that heremains at Woods’ side. “Tiger’s one of my closest friends and he needs mysupport right now and I’d never think of walking away,” Williams says. JackNicklaus, playing in the Honda Classic pro-am, says he would be “verysurprised” if Woods did not play in the Masters, and compete somewhere beforeAugusta National.
March 11—The AP reports that Woods will not return until the Masters.
March 16—Woods announces he will end four months of seclusion and play atAugusta National. “After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feellike I’m ready to start my season at Augusta.”
March 21—Woods gives his first two interviews, to ESPN and The GolfChannel, both about five minutes. “A lot of ugly things have happened. … I’vedone some pretty bad things in my life,” he said. He refused to discuss whathappened on Nov. 27, saying it was all in the police report. He also said hewould not discuss his private life.
March 22-23—Woods spends two days practicing at Augusta National.
March 24—Augusta National says Woods will hold a news conference on April5, the Monday of Masters week.
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Masters-like conditions draw star-studded field
March 31, 2010
HUMBLE, Texas (AP)—Fred Couples is back on the regular tour this week, joiningstars like Phil Mickelson, resurgent Ernie Els and defending champion Paul Caseyat the Houston Open, an event that’s embraced its niche as the run-up to nextweek’s Masters.
Couples, 50, feels rejuvenated by his success on the seniors Champions Tourand he’s putting as well as he has in a long time.
Couples, who will play a practice round for the Masters with Tiger Woods onMonday, laughs off the notion that he’s one of the favorites at AugustaNational. But he’s definitely one to watch at Redstone, where he has a pair oftop-4 finishes the last two years.
“I’m fading out on the regular tour a little bit,” Couples said, “butthis is a great opportunity for me, because I won the last three times on theChampions Tour. Winning is a lot of fun, and so far, this year has been a lot offun.”
Els is riding a streak of his own, with victories in his last two starts. Hecan become the first player to win three in a row since Woods won five straightin 2008.
Els isn’t totally comfortable with his game, though, after nearly lettinglast week’s win at Bay Hill slip away. He led by five shots with six holes lefton Sunday, then hit two shots into the water. Rain forced a suspension, and Elshad to return on Monday to make four tense pars and win.
He said his alignment is “out of whack” and he’s working with swing coachButch Harmon this week to iron out the kinks.
“I’ve been working on that a little bit the last couple of days and I’djust like to have it under pressure,” Els said. “Obviously, next week, you’vegot to do everything right under the biggest pressure you’re ever going tofind.”
Mickelson is another one of 30 players in Houston who’s already qualifiedfor the Masters. Mickelson is seeking his first win of the year, but like Els,he’s more focused on fine-tuning his game for the season’s first major.
“My game this year hasn’t been what I expected,” said Mickelson, who tiedfor 30th at Bay Hill last week. “I keep saying it doesn’t feel far off. Ihaven’t put together the scores, and I think this week in Houston is animportant week for me because I feel like my game has been pretty close.”
The players are once again raving about the condition of The TournamentCourse at Redstone. Organizers have lured another top-notch field by spreadingthe word that the course is set up to simulate the conditions at AugustaNational, from the fast greens and runoff areas to the light rough and thefairways mowed toward the tee.
“I think it’s an advantage for the players who play here going into nextweek,” Mickelson said. “The ball will react certain ways out of the first cutof rough and fairway, getting adjusted to the speed of the greens—all thatgoes into preparation for next week.”
The Houston Open moved to the week before the Masters in 2007, and theresults don’t fully support the notion that the event is a perfect tuneup.
Mickelson missed the cut in Houston last year, then finished fifth at theMasters. Couples finished fourth in 2008 and third in 2009, but missed the cutat Augusta both years. Casey beat J.B. Holmes on the first playoff hole herelast year to secure his first PGA Tour victory, then said he was disappointedwith a tie for 20th at The Masters.
“I think physically and emotionally, it took a little bit out of me,”Casey said. “If you don’t have everything in place going into a major, thenyou’re going to be found out. I think that showed where I finished at Augustathe following week.”
Inclement weather has become an annual intrusion at the tournament, andthunderstorms are possible on Friday and Saturday this year.
The event has been delayed by bad weather every year since 2006, when itmoved to the Tournament Course from the adjacent members’ course at Redstone.Last year, rain pushed back the start of the tournament by 2 1/2 hours, and highwinds forced the suspension of play later on Thursday.
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Tiger takes spotlight off other contenders
March 31, 2010
Few players have risen to No. 2 in the world with less fanfare than SteveStricker.
When he won the Northern Trust Open so convincingly in February, it was hisfourth U.S. PGA Tour victory in his last 15 starts, the highest rate of winningthis side of Tiger Woods. It was enough for Stricker to be considered among thebest players who haven’t won a major, and with his pure putting stroke, heshould be a contender at the Masters.
Not that anyone will notice in the days leading up to the year’s firstmajor.
“I’m sure we’ll get a ton of Tiger questions, and rightly so,” Strickersaid. “It’s been a huge story.”
The biggest story in golf—at least inside the ropes—in the month leadingto Augusta National has been Ernie Els. He ended two years without a victory bywinning his second World Golf Championship title, then made it two in a row witha victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. That made Els the first player in2010 with multiple U.S. PGA Tour victories, and a big favorite at the Masters.
Now, he’s expecting a quiet week.
“People are not going to be talking about who’s in form until probablyThursday morning when we start the event,” Els said. “It’s going to be allabout Tiger and him coming back and everything. So I think we will all besideshows until Thursday morning. And I think we’re fine with that. Everybody isfine with that.”
Stricker and Els are among the half-dozen players who can be consideredfavorites at the Masters. Any other year, they would be getting more attentionthan usual on the road to Augusta.
This year has been a little different.
Rarely has a tournament gone by without top players—just about any player,for that matter—getting asked about Woods.
“For a guy not being around, he sure has drawn a lot of attention,”Stricker said.
Few other players have stood out. Seven of the top 15 players in the worldranking have won this year, with Els the only multiple winner on the sport’stoughest circuit. Geoff Ogilvy opened his season with another victory atKapalua. Ian Poulter captured his first victory in America. Camilo Villegasthreatened in two tournaments before winning the Honda Classic. Jim Furyk wonfor the first time in 2 1/2 years.
All of them could be expected to do well at the Masters.
Being overshadowed by Woods might work to their advantage. They already feelpressure to perform without having to be constantly asked about the state oftheir game and whether this could be the year they break through at Augusta.
Mike Weir knows what that’s like from experience.
He had won the Bob Hope Classic and Riviera early in the 2003 season, alongwith a tie for third at Pebble Beach. The Canadian was as hot as anyone headedto the Florida swing in March, the month when the focus turns to the Masters.Indeed, media activity was busier than usual that year, but not because of Weiror how he played.
That was the year of Martha Burk’s campaign to have Augusta National changeits all-male membership. While the issue wasn’t nearly as salacious or shockingas Woods’ infidelity, it dominated the conversation. Weir quietly went to theMasters, and emerged with a green jacket.
“Going in 2003, I don’t think anybody was playing any better,” Weirrecalled. “I was hardly asked a question before the tournament started. Sothere’s some truth to that. When there’s a singular focus like this year, you’regoing in under the radar.”
Once the questions get beyond Woods’ stunning fall, his public apology andhis decision to return to the Masters, they shift toward how Woods will fare atthe Masters after not competing in five months.
Els, Stricker, Furyk, Poulter, Ogilvy, Villegas and Martin Kaymer of Germanyalready have shown what they can do.
Now it’s a question of anyone noticing before the Masters gets under way.
“It’s a good thing, especially for me,” Stricker said. “I don’t care tobe looked at as a favorite or a top player. I would rather do my own stuff, myown business, and slide under the radar.”
That might not last once thetournament begins on Thursday, heads into the weekend and onto the back nine onSunday. The course has not gone through any significant changes, and Mastersofficials showed last year they are interested in bringing some noise back bysetting up the course for birdies and eagles.
There is no shortage of players capable of taking advantage, even if alleyes are on one guy.
“I think it could be one hell of a year,” Els said before winning theArnold Palmer Inivitational. “There’s a really good group of players playingwell, and I think that bodes very well for the first major and the rest of theyear. It’s not going to be a walkover for anybody.”
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Couples says he’ll play practice round with Woods
March 31, 2010
HUMBLE, Texas (AP)—Fred Couples is scheduled to play a practice round for theMasters with Tiger Woods at Augusta National on Monday.
“This is not going to be questions and answer,” Couples said Wednesday atthe Houston Open. “This is going to be strictly golf. I play with him a lot atAugusta. This is not unusual.”
Woods is making his return to competitive golf next week at the Mastersafter months of seclusion following revelations that he cheated on his wife.
Couples said Wednesday he would be playing in a foursome with Woods, thoughhe did not know who the other two golfers would be.
“He’s the best player in the world. He plays Augusta extremely well,”Couples said. “We play and we try to learn a little bit.”
Couples wasn’t sure what time the practice round would begin. Woods has anews conference scheduled for 2 p.m. that day.
“I’m looking forward to it for sure,” Couples said. “I’m excited to seehim play and the reaction (from fans) and how he’s hitting.”
Couples said he and Woods had been exchanging texts during Woods’ period ofseclusion.
“We stay in touch,” Couples said. “He teases me about winning a couple oftimes on the Champions Tour. He needs shots is what he’s telling.”
Couples, who will be returning as captain of the U.S. Presidents Cup teamnext year, said he expects Woods to commit to play in the event in Australia.
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Golf-Tiger ready to play Couples again after trouble and strife (Reuters)
March 31, 2010
By Andrew Both
HUMBLE, Texas, March 31 (Reuters) – Fred Couples, one ofgolf’s most experienced campaigners and the U.S. Presidents Cupcaptain, will play a U.S. Masters practice round with TigerWoods at Augusta National on Monday.
Couples said he was not sure what time he and Woods wouldplay on Monday, speculating that it might not be until after thedisgraced world number one’s 2pm (1900 BST) press conference.
“I’ve played with him six or eight times the last 10 yearsin a practice round there, so it’s not like I’m trying to getaround him,” said the 1992 Masters champion.
“He’s the best player in the world, he’s won it a bunch oftimes, he knows how to play the course, and even at my age Istill learn some of the nuances about Augusta, and that’s whyI’m playing with him.”
Couples said he expects four-time winner Woods to come outwith all guns blazing at the Masters, which will be the worldNo. 1’s first tournament in nearly five months, since reports ofmarital infidelity first surfaced.
“We all know he made a mistake and we’ll see how heovercomes it. I’m a friend of his, not his counsellor but I knowat Augusta he’ll be ready to go.”
HOT STREAK
Couples also has no doubt Woods will be part of the Americanteam at next year’s Presidents Cup against a World team, but isnot quite so sure Woods will be on board for this year’s RyderCup in Wales.
“I believe he’s ready to start playing and I know all theteam mates will want him on there but I don’t know.”
Couples, 50, was speaking ahead of the Houston Open thatstarts on Thursday.
He arrived here on a hot streak after winning the past threetournaments on the Champions Tour for seniors aged 50 or over.
Couples attended a press conference with PGA Tourcommissioner Tim Finchem, who announced that Couples and GregNorman would return as respective captains for the PresidentsCup at Royal Melbourne in Australia next November.
Couples guided the Americans to victory against theNorman-led International team at last year’s event in SanFrancisco.
(Editing by Jon Bramley; To comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Couples, Norman return as Presidents Cup captains
March 31, 2010
HUMBLE, Texas (AP)—Fred Couples and Greg Norman are returning as captains forthe 2011 Presidents Cup in Australia, the only place where the Internationalteam has won.
It will be the third time since the Presidents Cup began in 1994 thatcaptains served in successive matches. Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player werecaptains for three straight Presidents Cups.
Couples led the Americans to a 19 1/2 -14 1/2 victory at Harding Park in SanFrancisco last year.
The Presidents Cup will be played next year at Royal Melbourne. The matcheslast were played there in 1998, when the Internationals won 20 1/2 -11 1/2 .
The United States leads the series, 6-1-1.
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
