Another jacket for Johnson (Yahoo! Sports)
May 31, 2010
By sundown last Friday in Fort Worth, good ole Lefty had blown the Phil-Moves-To-No.-1 storyline straight to hell.
Phil Mickelson missed a cut when he had a chance to give us poets and philosophers a reason to scribe odes to the real and literal symbolism of Tiger falling from the world’s top ranking.
Nope. Not this time. He became a DJ instead, “MC Lefty.”
It’s almost as if Mickelson missed the cut to remind us how ridiculously epic Tiger was throughout the last decade-plus. Lost amid divorce settlements and mistress counts are some of Tiger’s more remarkable numbers, like not missing a cut from Sept. 1997 to April 2005. He then only missed three cuts the next half-decade, until plowing his Escalade into a tree. Now, he’s got his own things going on.
More From Brian Murphy Day, Spieth usher in uber youth movement May 24, 2010 Texas takes on Australian flavor May 17, 2010
But Lefty? He’ll throw you a missed cut just for fun, as if he’s bored and needs to spice things up. Mickelson has now missed a cut in every year of his career since turning pro in 1992. By way of comparison, he missed 21 cuts in the span from 1997-2005 when Tiger was cut-free.
So Phil’s MC is just a reminder that, as much as some of us want to anoint him the king of the golf world in Tiger’s exile (and really, he is) it’s just a sloppier reign than we’re used to from Tiger.
Tiger kept his king’s robe neatly pressed and ironed. Lefty’s king robe – while still regal – has a couple of guacamole stains.
Phil’s weekend absence left us groping for a meaty story to celebrate Memorial Day, and the temptation was strong to turn our eyeballs to the 50-and-over set, where a Senior PGA Championship was played in the Rocky Mountains involving Freddy (Most Beloved Man in Golf) Couples with a chance to win a major.
And we’ll get to that.
While I was mourning Phil’s missed opportunity, a strange thing happened: Zach Johnson won again.
It’s not strange that Zach Johnson won. What’s strange is, guys like me keep overlooking Zach Johnson’s career.
That makes seven wins for Johnson, and more impressively, five since he won the 2007 Masters. He could have easily been written off as a Masters fluke (cough, cough, Tommy Aaron, cough, cough, Charles Coody, cough, cough), but instead is looking like a player intent on forging something.
I checked out the only two other Masters champions of the past decade who closely resemble Johnson’s profile: Mike Weir (2003) and Trevor Immelman (2008).
When I say “closely resemble Johnson’s profile,” that means, essentially, that when you read that Weir and Immelman and Johnson had won the Masters, about 90 percent of you thought to yourselves: “Holy cow, I’d completely forgotten about that.”
Well, bully for Zach. He compares quite favorably to both Weir and Immelman.
“Weirsy,” as they call him in Canada – making a nickname actually longer than the original name, thus negating the definition of “nickname” – has won only twice in 166 starts since that Masters, and one of those was a Fall Series event. You know, when the rest of us were watching the NFL.
Immelman, while battling a wrist injury that required surgery, has not won since the Masters and, worse, missed 11 of 35 cuts since.
Johnson? He’s now won five times in 78 starts since the Masters. A man can wear a plaid jacket quite proudly with those numbers.
Pounding fairways, making putts, going 64-64 on the weekend (!) at Colonial, all the while making you forget that he’s been a two-time Presidents Cup team member and ’06 Ryder Cupper, and knocking on the door of another Ryder Cup team … not a bad story for Zach Johnson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
I know, I know. It’s not Lefty toppling Tiger, but what are you going to do?
Scorecard of the week
68-71-71-71 – 7-under 271, winner, playoff, Tom Lehman, Champions Tour Senior PGA Championship, Colorado Golf Club.
No messing around here – the Champions Tour event, once again, was more compelling than the PGA Tour event.
This has happened now a few times since Fred Couples turned 50. His “Haymakers at Hualalai” fisticuffs with Tom Watson back in January produced one of the best tournaments of the year on any tour.
And now, Couples’ participation in a three-way playoff with Lehman and David Frost in the Rockies trumped weather delays at Colonial, if only because Couples, once again, was a protagonist in that manner of his.
You know that manner of his; both low-key and charismatic, all at once.
Who else can pull off the low-profile/must-watch persona? James Dean comes to mind. Miles Davis, naturally. My wife would tell you Colin Firth, the actor, fits the bill.
He’s just Freddy, is all. His golf swing is languid, his toweling off of his grip before the swing is a fun idiosyncrasy, and his golf spikes, of late, have impersonated bedroom slippers.
Oddly, it appeared Couples was wearing more traditional golf shoes at Colorado G.C. Maybe it’s an altitude thing. Maybe the slippers don’t stay on the feet at elevations over 5,000 feet.
Either way, slippers or no slippers, the magical run of Freddy ran out on the playoff hole with Frost and Lehman.
As is Lehman’s wont, he played the playoff hole like a living, breathing human: drive into fairway, iron to green, two-putt for par.
Couples and Frost? Not so much.
Each man would double-bogey the playoff hole in ways so unsightly it almost hurts to recollect.
Let’s put it this way: At one point, Couples was staring into a shrub. At another point, Frost spent about 10 minutes clearing pinecones and various random objects in the path of his third shot.
And in the end, there was Lehman, the forgotten man.
His par was enough for his first Champions Tour win without a partner, and reminded us that Lehman was that guy in that Dockers ball cap who actually reached No. 1 in the world in April, 1997, for one week.
Wait. What else happened in April, 1997? Racking brain … racking brain … racking brain … why does the recurring image of a 21-year-old kid in a red sweater hugging his Dad at Augusta National keep coming to my mind?
Yeah. Now you remember why Lehman stopped being No. 1 in the world.
Broadcast moment of the week
“That was weak. That was a weak effort.” – Gary Koch, NBC, assessing Fred Couples’ 8-foot bid for birdie and the win at the Senior PGA Championship on the 72nd hole.
Fair play to you, Gary.
With Johnny Miller taking a powder this week, somebody needed to break out the knives. And the best part is, Koch’s call was 100 percent pure.
Couples had a dynamite chance to nail down that Senior PGA Championship, and eight feet of a fairly straight putt was certainly not too much to ask. Any great champion would make the putt and hoist his arm high, knowing the big check was coming his way.
No wonder Couples reportedly was peeved after the championship, blazing to his car with only a cursory comment afterwards.
Apparently, even the most mellow of cats can get addled after missing a putt he should have made.
Mulligan of the week
While the temptation is strong to give Couples a mulligan on his 8-footer for the win, other candidates loom large.
How about Freddy’s yank of a drive into a shrub on the playoff hole?
How about Frost’s tug of a drive into a plugged lie in the bunker on the playoff hole?
And yet, these are all runners-up.
The final twosome of the day featured Lehman and Jay Don Blake, a former PGA Tour journeyman who hadn’t won since 1991. Sadly, we’d soon find out why in his final round at Colorado G.C.
For seven holes, things were great. Blake eagled the 7th hole and had a two-shot lead.
Perhaps today was the day!
Or, maybe not.
At the 8th tee box, Blake pulled a 4-iron, made a couple of practice swings and, according to the Associated Press, cold topped his tee shot 30 yards into a ditch.
We now pause for you to feel Jay Don Blake’s pain.
He would shoot 76, fade from the scene and only say later of the incident: “It gets in your head.”
I’ll say.
In the name of humanity, let’s go back to that 8th tee, re-set the entire scene and … give that man a mulligan!
Where do we go from here?
UFC has nothing on the showdown looming on Thursday.
To wit: Jack is hosting. Tiger is playing. Lefty is lurking.
Can we call it “The Mayhem at Muirfield Village?”
All I know is, I hope Jay Don Blake isn’t hitting the ceremonial tee shot.
Oh, man. That was a cheap shot. Let me sign off before it gets any worse.
Brian Murphy writes a weekly golf column for Yahoo! Sports. Send Brian a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Inside the course: Muirfield Village Golf Club (PGATOUR.com)
May 31, 2010
Waialae Country Club, in the heart of Hawaiis state capital — Honolulu, paints the perfect picture of the islands.
After three weeks in Texas, The TOUR heads to Ohio for the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club—otherwise known as Jack’s place. Learn more about this week’s host.
Fast facts Course superintendent Paul B. Latshaw Original architect Jack Nicklaus and Desmond Muirhead (1974) Par value 72 Number of TOUR events as host venue 35 (including 2010) Course ranking Ranked 6 (out of 51) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2009 Yardage history 7,265 (2009-present) 7,366 (2007-’08) 7,337 (2006) 7,300 (2005) 7,265 (2003-’04) 7,224 (2002) 7,221 (2001) 7,193 (2000) 7,163 (1997-’99) 7,104 (1987-’96) 7,106 (1985-’86) 7,116 (1980-’84) 7,101 (1977-’79) 7,027 (1976) Grass Bentgrass, Poa annua (tees); Bentgrass, zoysiagrass (fairways); Bentgrass (greens); Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue (rough) Tournament Stimpmeter 13 ft Sand bunkers 73 Water hazards 13 Course tour Click here Course record 
PlayerJohn Huston Year1996 Round3rd Finish5th Holes-in-oneThere have been 13 aces recorded at Muirfield Village Golf Club Player Hole Year David Toms 4 2005 Tom Pernice Jr. 12 2004 Jim Furyk 4 2002 Hal Sutton 12 2001 Steve Flesch 12 2000 Justin Leonard 8 2000 Joe Ozaki 16 1996 Bob Tway 8 1994 Bob Tway 12 1994 Lanny Wadkins 4 1993 Kenny Perry 16 1991 Loren Roberts 16 1990 Fred Wadsworth 4 1987 Clarence Rose 4 1986 2009 RankingsMost Difficult Hole 
An inviting downhill drive to an ample fairway. But bunkers threaten at the corner of the dogleg to the right, and a long drive hit too far left can find the creek threading the tree line or can be blocked by a cluster of black walnuts short of the green. The approach is uphill across a swale to a large two-tiered and heavily contoured green bunkered front left, front right, left and rear right. A spectacular finishing hole capable of accommodating more than 20,000 spectators.2009: 0 eagle, 42 birdies, 205 pars, 119 bogeys, 19 double bogeys, 6 others.Easiest Hole 
An exposed, elevated, bunker-lined, double-dogleg hole, reachable in two by only the longest hitters. A rough-grassed swale sweeps from the right side across in front of the green. Bunkers guard the front left and right, and rear right of the putting surface, which breaks severely off to the left towards a wooded ravine. Not an easy hole to birdie, but the farther left the conservative player is on his second shot, the easier his third becomes. 2009: 10 eagles, 143 birdies, 200 pars, 33 bogeys, 3 double bogeys and 2 others. Muirfield Village Golf Club2009 rankings Last 24 years Hole Par Yards Avg. Score Rank Avg. Score Rank 1 4 470 4.197 7 4.116 8 2 4 455 4.153 9 4.132 6 3 4 401 4.028 13 4.021 14 4 3 200 3.205 6 3.165 4 5 5 527 4.762 17 4.727 17 6 4 447 4.01 14 4.083 10 7 5 563 4.698 18 4.781 16 8 3 185 3.038 12 3.054 12 9 4 412 4.12 10 4.051 13 10 4 471 4.261 3 4.179 3 11 5 567 4.826 15 4.908 15 12 3 184 3.23 4 3.153 5 13 4 455 4.212 5 4.121 7 14 4 363 4.105 11 4.055 11 15 5 529 4.775 16 4.673 18 16 3 215 3.187 8 3.087 9 17 4 478 4.274 2 4.185 2 18* 4 444 4.343 1 4.221 1 Course origins Muirfield Village Golf Club was the dream and work of Jack Nicklaus. The land was acquired in 1966, but construction did not begin until July 28, 1972. The golf course is situated on 220 acres, which includes an 11-acre driving range. The course was officially dedicated on Memorial Day—May 27, 1974—with an exhibition match between Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf. Nicklaus scored a 6-under 66, which stood as the course record until 1979. The 18-hole layout, selected by Golf Digest as No. 16 among “America’s 100 Greatest Courses,” played at 6,978 yards in its original form, but is 7,265 at present. It had 77 bunkers, now 73, and water can be a hazard on 13 holes. A Columbus Pro-Am on Aug. 11, 1975, was the first event held at Muirfield, and the first Memorial Tournament was played in May 1976. The course has also hosted the 1986 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 1987 Ryder Cup Matches, the USGA’s 1992 United States Amateur Championship, the 1995 Wendy’s Three-Tour Challenge and the 1998 Solheim Cup. Tournament host Jack Nicklaus was the recipient of the 2005 GCSAA Old Tom Morris Award, GCSAA’s highest honor. Nicklaus received the award at the GCSAA Educational Conference and Inaugural Golf Industry Show in Orlando Feb. 7-12, 2005. —Source: Golf Course Superintendents Assocation of America Tournament course history Course Location Years Muirfield Village Golf Club Dublin, Ohio 1976-present This week’s Kodak Challenge hole 
HOLE: The par-4, 363-yard 14th at Muirfield VillageLAST YEAR: The 14th played to a stroke average of 4.105, with players recording 0 ace, 80 birdies, 215 pars, 77 bogeys, 15 double bogeys and 4 others.DESCRIPTION: Another downhill tee shot, once again into a wide, tree-lined valley. About 245 yards from the championship tee, a creek emerges from the left woods to border the fairway for some 40 yards before angling across it and then on down to flank the right side of the green. The green is long and narrow and heavily guarded left by several bunkers. A definite birdie opportunity, but only for the very accurate player. (Click here for Muirfield Village tour)
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Hill skipping final year at NC State to turn pro
May 31, 2010
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)—Reigning NCAA golf champion Matt Hill is turning pro,forgoing the 2010 championship this week and his final year at North CarolinaState.
The 2009 individual titlist announced on Monday that he will make his prodebut this week at the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village inOhio. The 21-year-old Canadian has signed with IMG.
Hill was one of the top-ranked amateurs in the world last year. He won sevencollegiate tournaments besides the NCAA championship to earn the Haskins Awardas outstanding collegiate golfer.
He competed in three PGA Tour events as an amateur last summer, making thecut at the AT&T Classic and finishing in a tie for 70th.
He felt his game was ready last year, “but now I’m finally ready for thatlifestyle.”
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Inside the field: the Memorial Tournament (PGATOUR.com)
May 31, 2010
Who’s playing at the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley? We’ve analyzed the field based on the following categories (please check the bottom for late-breaking updates to the field):
Top 10s FedExCup standings PGA TOUR Money List Official World Golf Ranking Player (Rk.) Player (Rk.) Player (Rk.) Ernie Els (1) Ernie Els (1) Tiger Woods (1) Jim Furyk (2) Phil Mickelson (2) Phil Mickelson (2) Phil Mickelson (3) Jim Furyk (3) Steve Stricker (4) Tim Clark (6) Tim Clark (4) Jim Furyk (5) Robert Allenby (7) Robert Allenby (6) Ernie Els (7) Dustin Johnson (8) Camilo Villegas (8) Rory McIlroy (9) Steve Stricker (9) Dustin Johnson (9) Camilo Villegas (10) Steve Stricker (10) Click for standings Click for money list Click for Rankings 2010 Tournament Winners Player Event(s) won Tournament Geoff Ogilvy 1 SBS Championship Bill Haas 1 Bob Hope Classic Steve Stricker 1 Northern Trust Open Dustin Johnson 1 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Hunter Mahan 1 Waste Management Phoenix Open Camilo Villegas 1 The Honda Classic Derek Lamely 1 Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular Ernie Els 2 World Golf Championships-CA Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard Jim Furyk 2 Transitions Championship, Verizon Heritage Phil Mickelson 1 The Masters Jason Bohn 1 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Rory McIlroy 1 Quail Hollow Championship Tim Clark 1 THE PLAYERS Championship Adam Scott 1 Valero Texas Open Jason Day 1 HP Byron Nelson Championship Zach Johnson 1 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Past winners of the Memorial Tournament Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 2001, 2009) Kenny Perry (1991, 2003, 2008) K.J. Choi (2007) Carl Pettersson (2006) Ernie Els (2004) Jim Furyk (2002) Vijay Singh (1997) Tom Lehman (1994) Major winners Player Major(s) won Tournament Geoff Ogilvy 1 2006 U.S. Open Y.E. Yang 1 2009 PGA Championship Mike Weir 1 2003 Masters Trevor Immelman 1 2008 Masters Lucas Glover 1 2009 U.S. Open Ben Curtis 1 2003 British Open Zach Johnson 1 2007 Masters Stewart Cink 1 2009 British Open David Duval 1 2001 British Open Jim Furyk 1 2003 U.S. Open Davis Love III 1 1997 PGA Championship Mark Calcavecchia 1 1989 British Open Tom Lehman 1 1996 British Open Angel Cabrera 2 2009 Masters, 2007 U.S. Open Vijay Singh 3 1998, 2004 PGA Championship; 2000 Masters Ernie Els 3 1994, 1997 U.S. Open; 2002 British Open Phil Mickelson 4 2004, 2006, 2010 The Masters; 2005 PGA Championship Tiger Woods 14 2000, 2002, 2008 U.S. Open; 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007 PGA Championship; 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 Masters; 2000, 2005, 2006 British Open International players 
Argentina Andres Romero, Angel Cabrera 
Australia Jason Day, Michael Sim, Marc Leishman, Aaron Baddeley, Adam Scott, Matt Jones, Geoff Ogilvy, Mathew Goggin, Nathan Green, Greg Chalmers, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, John Senden, Rod Pampling 
Canada Matt Hill, Graham DeLaet, Mike Weir 
China W.C. Liang 
Colombia Camilo Villegas 
England Justin Rose, Brian Davis 
Fiji Vijay Singh 
Germany Alex Cejka 
India Jeev Milkha Singh 
Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy 
Japan Ryuji Imada 
Korea Byeong-Hun An, Noh Seung-yul, Y.E. Yang, K.J. Choi 
Scotland Martin Laird 
South Africa Trevor Immelman, Tim Clark, Rory Sabbatini, Ernie Els 
Sweden Peter Hanson, Carl Pettersson, Henrik Stenson, Fredrik Jacobson 
Thailand Thongchai Jaidee 
Zimbabwe Brendon de Jonge Younger and older Young Guns (under 30) Grizzled Vets (40 and over) Byeong-Hun An Martin Laird Angel Cabrera Jerry Kelly Noh Seung-yul Ryan Moore K.J. Choi Billy Mayfair Rickie Fowler Sean O’Hair Ernie Els Tim Petrovic Rory McIlroy Jeff Overton Jim Furyk Steve Stricker Jason Day Graham DeLaet Tim Herron J.P. Hayes Sam Saunders Bill Haas Rod Pampling Kevin Sutherland Matt Hill J.B. Holmes Brett Quigley Woody Austin Troy Merritt Hunter Mahan Mike Weir Davis Love III Webb Simpson John Merrick Thongchai Jaidee Vijay Singh Dustin Johnson Camilo Villegas Tom Gillis Brad Faxon Spencer Levin Aaron Baddeley Kevin Johnson Mark Calcavecchia Alex Prugh Ricky Barnes Tom Lehman Kenny Perry Michael Sim Brendon de Jonge Tom Pernice Jr. Marc Leishman Derek Lamely Brandt Snedeker Andres Romero D.J. Trahan Justin Rose Nick Watney Adam Scott
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Golf-Davis looks for positives after again finishing second (Reuters)
May 31, 2010
FORT WORTH, Texas, May 30 (Reuters) – Britain’s Brian Daviscould be forgiven for thinking the golfing gods have desertedhim but he maintained a positive outlook after finishingrunner-up at the Colonial Invitational on Sunday.
While the Englishman had to settle for the bridesmaid’srole for the second time in six weeks on the PGA Tour, hefirmly believed a breakthrough win would eventually come hisway through sheer persistence.
“If I keep knocking on the door, I am going to get onesoon,” Davis told reporters after finishing three strokesbehind American winner Zach Johnson at Colonial Country Club.
“It’s been a great week. If you would have said at thestart of this week, after three missed cuts in a row, you aregoing to finish second you would be delighted.”
Six weeks ago, Davis lost a playoff to Jim Furyk for theHeritage Classic at Hilton Head after calling a two-strokepenalty on himself at the first extra hole, an act ofsportsmanship that gained him fame well beyond golf.
Although he missed three cuts before arriving at Colonialfor this week’s event, he regained form to share thethird-round lead and was two shots clear of the chasing packwith 11 holes remaining on Sunday.
“I had a chance today, I just couldn’t get over the hump,”Davis said after closing with a two-under-par 68. “Zach playedgreat. He won the tournament, I didn’t lose it.
GOING LOWER
“It’s been a couple of times now where guys have shot lowto beat me and maybe I need to go a bit lower next time.”
Johnson fired a sizzling 64 on a hot and humid afternoon atColonial, overhauling Davis with a barrage of long-range birdieputts on the back nine.
Davis, seeking a maiden PGA Tour victory to add to his twoEuropean Tour titles, had forged two ahead with a birdie at theseventh but was unable to pick up any further shots over theclosing stretch.
“I had a couple of chances and didn’t really hit it close,”the 35-year-old Englishman said. “Just didn’t quite hit goodenough shots.
“I had a great chance just before they blew the horn. Thenwe went back out and I missed an eight-footer which obviouslywould have put the pressure on,” Davis added, referring to hisbirdie attempt at the par-four 17th after a weather delay.
“Overall, though, I played great, I didn’t have many bogeysthis week. I just came off three missed cuts. There are a lotof positives to take from it.”
(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing byIan Ransom; To query or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Golf-Johnson keeps his cool in Texas heat to win Colonial (Reuters)
May 31, 2010
FORT WORTH, Texas, May 30 (Reuters) – American Zach Johnsonnervelessly sank four long-range birdie putts over the closingstretch to overhaul British pacesetter Brian Davis for athree-shot victory at the Colonial Invitational on Sunday.
Ice-cool on a hot and humid afternoon at Colonial CountryClub, Johnson shrugged off two suspensions in play because ofthreatening weather to card a sizzling six-under-par 64.
The 2007 U.S. Masters champion broke clear of a congestedleaderboard with birdies at 12, 13, 15 and 17 sandwiching alone bogey on 14 as he posted a tournament record low of21-under 259.
“There is a reason why I love playing here and I keepcoming back,” a beaming Johnson said greenside after clinchinghis seventh PGA Tour title, and his third in Texas.
“The course does suit me as far as shot-making, I think,and certainly the bent grass which is what I grew up on. I justfeel honoured.”
Englishman Davis, who had led by two shots with 11 holes toplay in pursuit of a maiden PGA Tour victory, had to settle forsecond place after bogeying the last for a 68.
Johnson’s playing partner Ben Crane rolled in a 32-footerto birdie the 18th for a 67, tying for third at 17-under withfellow American Jeff Overton who also closed with a 67.
For much of the afternoon, it seemed Davis would finallyland a breakthrough win just six weeks after he lost a playofffor the Heritage Classic at Hilton Head where he called atwo-stroke penalty on himself at the first extra hole.
PENALTY DROP
Co-leader overnight with American Bryce Molder, he birdiedthe first two holes to edge one ahead before he faltered at thepar-four fifth where he had to take a penalty drop afterhitting his tee shot into a hazard.
A bogey there briefly dropped him back into a three-way tiefor the lead with Molder and Johnson but Davis immediatelyrecovered by rolling in a 12-footer to birdie the sixth.
Having restored his one-shot cushion, the Englishman struckhis approach to five feet at the seventh and calmly knocked inthe putt to double his lead.
Johnson, however, drew level at the top after makingbirdies at the 10th and 12th, the second of them a 22-footerwhich prompted him to pump his right fist in celebration.
He then holed out from a similar distance at the par-three13th to snatch the outright lead for the first time at 20under.
Johnson recorded his only bogey of the day at the par-four14th, finding the right rough off the tee and a greensidebunker with his approach before lipping out from five feet withhis par putt.
That left him in a tie for the lead with Davis, who hadfive holes remaining, when play was suspended for 47 minutesdue to the threat of lightning.
Once play resumed, Johnson wasted little time in regainingthe lead when he coolly sank a 25-foot birdie putt at the 15thto return to 20-under.
He then knocked in a 14-footer to forge two strokes clearbefore the siren sounded for a second time to halt the action.
Davis lipped out with a birdie attempt from eight feet atthe par-three 17th after play resumed before Johnsoncomfortably parred the last to secure the title.
(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing byIan Ransom; To query or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Golf-Johnson seals victory at Colonial by three shots (Reuters)
May 30, 2010
FORT WORTH, Texas, May 30 (Reuters) – American Zach Johnsonsank four long-range birdie putts over the closing stretch tooverhaul British pacesetter Brian Davis for a three-shotvictory at the Colonial Invitational on Sunday.
Ice-cool on a hot and humid afternoon at Colonial CountryClub, Johnson shrugged off two suspensions in play because ofthreatening weather to card a sizzling six-under-par 64.
Related Coverage Blog: Amazing putt
The 2007 U.S. Masters champion broke clear of a congestedleaderboard with birdies at 12, 13, 15 and 17 sandwiching alone bogey on 14 as he posted a tournament record low of21-under 259.
Englishman Davis, who had led by two shots with 11 holes toplay in pursuit of his maiden PGA Tour title, had to settle forsecond place after closing with a 68.
(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing byIan Ransom; To query or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
A Lesson Learned: Rocky Mountain High’s effect on distance (PGA.com)
May 30, 2010
Golf had higher elevations means a number of adjustments for every level of golfer. (Photo: The PGA of America)
This past week’s Senior PGA Championship showed off some of Colorado’s great climate, scenery and one of our great golf courses. But as many of the world’s top players learned this week, bringing your golf game here is going to bring about a few challenges that you’ll need to make adjustments for in order to really enjoy your golf.
When I first came to Colorado twenty years ago, it was as if I had received a great gift in my golf game—added distance. You will hit the ball farther, a good bit farther. I went from sea level to this mile-high altitude and immediately was hitting the ball 20 to 30 yards farther. You can expect to hit your shots at least one club and often two clubs farther than you would at lower elevations. So when playing golf here or at similar elevations, your first note is to know you’re going to hit the ball further.
However, another item to consider is the variation in distance of each particular club will also be greater. Most people may think of their 7-iron as 150-160 yards. Well, in Colorado, that same club could vary up to 20 or 25 yards. That variance really increases when people get caught up enjoying that added distance and start swinging in a way just to find out how far they can hit a certain club. Therefore, it’s critical that you learn to swing within yourself and control your distance, otherwise you could find your swing all out of sorts for the remainder of the day.
And if the added distance and variance in range weren’t enough, you’ll often get to deal with some wind. It’s been a little windier here this year than typical, but a good breeze certainly isn’t unusual any time you come visit.
When I see students or players trying to make adjustments to the wind, particularly in hitting the ball into the wind, there are a number of ways to play this shot. One option is to move the ball back in your stance to try and hit a lower ball. Another option, probably the more popular choice, is to just take a less lofted club and make your normal swing. The one option to avoid is to try and hit your normal swing any harder than normal.
So as we watched Tom Lehman take home the Alfred S. Bourne trophy in that exciting playoff, I hope you were also able to take in what a tremendous golf community we have here in Colorado. With over 300 days of sunshine each year, we are a premier golf destination. And of course, we eagerly welcome your visit. Just know when you do come out, you’ll need to make a few adjustments in your club selection to optimize your scores.
Danny Harvanek is the Director of Instruction at The Golf Club at Bear Dance in Larkspur, Colo. Harvanek has been a PGA Master Professional since 1990, served as president of the Colorado PGA section 1989-90 and has served on the board of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame where he is now director emeritus.He was named PGA Colorado Section Professional of the Year 1990-91-92; PGA Section Teacher of the Year in 2003 and the CGA’s 1990 awardee as outstanding contributor to Amateur Golf. You can learn more about Danny at http://www.pgamasterteacher.com
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
A Lesson Learned: Rocky Mountain High’s affect on distance (PGA.com)
May 30, 2010
Golf had higher elevations means a number of adjustments for every level of golfer. (Photo: The PGA of America)
This past week’s Senior PGA Championship showed off some of Colorado’s great climate, scenery and one of our great golf courses. But as many of the world’s top players learned this week, bringing your golf game here is going to bring about a few challenges that you’ll need to make adjustments for in order to really enjoy your golf.
When I first came to Colorado twenty years ago, it was as if I had received a great gift in my golf game—added distance. You will hit the ball farther, a good bit farther. I went from sea level to this mile-high altitude and immediately was hitting the ball 20 to 30 yards farther. You can expect to hit your shots at least one club and often two clubs farther than you would at lower elevations. So when playing golf here or at similar elevations, your first note is to know you’re going to hit the ball further.
However, another item to consider is the variation in distance of each particular club will also be greater. Most people may think of their 7-iron as 150-160 yards. Well, in Colorado, that same club could vary up to 20 or 25 yards. That variance really increases when people get caught up enjoying that added distance and start swinging in a way just to find out how far they can hit a certain club. Therefore, it’s critical that you learn to swing within yourself and control your distance, otherwise you could find your swing all out of sorts for the remainder of the day.
And if the added distance and variance in range weren’t enough, you’ll often get to deal with some wind. It’s been a little windier here this year than typical, but a good breeze certainly isn’t unusual any time you come visit.
When I see students or players trying to make adjustments to the wind, particularly in hitting the ball into the wind, there are a number of ways to play this shot. One option is to move the ball back in your stance to try and hit a lower ball. Another option, probably the more popular choice, is to just take a less lofted club and make your normal swing. The one option to avoid is to try and hit your normal swing any harder than normal.
So as we watched Tom Lehman take home the Alfred S. Bourne trophy in that exciting playoff, I hope you were also able to take in what a tremendous golf community we have here in Colorado. With over 300 days of sunshine each year, we are a premier golf destination. And of course, we eagerly welcome your visit. Just know when you do come out, you’ll need to make a few adjustments in your club selection to optimize your scores.
Danny Harvanek is the Director of Instruction at The Golf Club at Bear Dance in Larkspur, Colo. Harvanek has been a PGA Master Professional since 1990, served as president of the Colorado PGA section 1989-90 and has served on the board of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame where he is now director emeritus.He was named PGA Colorado Section Professional of the Year 1990-91-92; PGA Section Teacher of the Year in 2003 and the CGA’s 1990 awardee as outstanding contributor to Amateur Golf. You can learn more about Danny at http://www.pgamasterteacher.com
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
Meaghan Francella wins LPGA Brasil Cup in playoff
May 30, 2010
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)—Meaghan Francella has won the LPGA Brasil Cup by defeatingMariajo Uribe in a playoff.
Francella made a 10-foot birdie putt on the sixth extra hole, the par-317th, to win the $105,000 first prize.
Playing in the final group, Francella and Uribe were level at 6 under aftermaking birdies on the 18th hole. Francella and Uribe then proceeded to matcheach other shot for shot in the playoff, rotating between the par-5 18th holeand No. 17.
This is the second year for the exhibition, which included 27 players and a$700,000 unofficial money purse.
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
