Atwal, Quigley, Haas among first-round leaders
September 30, 2010
MADISON, Miss. (AP)—Arjun Atwal, Bill Lunde, Ken Duke, Brett Quigley andBill Haas all took advantage of great early conditions to share the lead at6-under 66 after the first round of the Viking Classic on Thursday.
“I’ve never played in conditions like this,” said Atwal, who said he was abit rusty after a five-week layoff since winning the Wyndham Championship.“I’ve always played when it’s softer. But it’s playing perfect, it’s firm. It’sjust the way it’s supposed to be played.”
Only one of the players who headed out late—Brendon de Jonge, who teed offat 11:40 a.m.—was able to join them in a tie for first. De Jonge had sixbirdies and an eagle on the par-5 seventh to offset two bogeys and make it a6-way tie.
“It got a little bit tricky out there,” De Jonge said of the swirlingwinds on the front nine.
Brett Quigley, 152nd on the money list, is one of the players working tolock up a PGA exemption for 2011. The $3.6 million tournament will pay thewinner $648,000. Quigley had six birdies over his last eight holes, matching hislowest score of the year.
Nathan Green, Jeff Quinney, Dean Wilson and Charlie Wi were one stroke backat 67, and David Duval and Sean O’Hair were in a group of seven at 68 as 17players were at least 4 under in the opening round.
Duval has 13 victories on the PGA Tour, but none since the 2001 BritishOpen.
“I feel like I’m playing well enough to win again,” Duval said. “Just amatter of putting all those little pieces together that I failed to do so far.”
Unlike last year, when the tournament was canceled because of heavy rain,the wind and warm, dry weather has left the greens firm and fast. More of thesame is forecast over the last three days, which could make play difficult.
“The greens are going to get baked out, baked out in a good way,” Haassaid. “They’ll become hard and fast and very difficult to hit, especially ifyou don’t hit it in the fairway off of the tee.”
Defending champion Will MacKenzie was at 71.
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Atwal, Quigley, Hass among first-round leaders
September 30, 2010
MADISON, Miss. (AP)—Arjun Atwal, Bill Lunde, Ken Duke, Brett Quigley andBill Haas all took advantage of great early conditions to share the lead at6-under 66 after the first round of the Viking Classic on Thursday.
“I’ve never played in conditions like this,” said Atwal, who said he was abit rusty after a five-week layoff since winning the Wyndham Championship.“I’ve always played when it’s softer. But it’s playing perfect, it’s firm. It’sjust the way it’s supposed to be played.”
Only one of the players who headed out late—Brendon de Jonge, who teed offat 11:40 a.m.—was able to join them in a tie for first. De Jonge had sixbirdies and an eagle on the par-5 seventh to offset two bogeys and make it a6-way tie.
“It got a little bit tricky out there,” De Jonge said of the swirlingwinds on the front nine.
Brett Quigley, 152nd on the money list, is one of the players working tolock up a PGA exemption for 2011. The $3.6 million tournament will pay thewinner $648,000. Quigley had six birdies over his last eight holes, matching hislowest score of the year.
Nathan Green, Jeff Quinney, Dean Wilson and Charlie Wi were one stroke backat 67, and David Duval and Sean O’Hair were in a group of seven at 68 as 17players were at least 4 under in the opening round.
Duval has 13 victories on the PGA Tour, but none since the 2001 BritishOpen.
“I feel like I’m playing well enough to win again,” Duval said. “Just amatter of putting all those little pieces together that I failed to do so far.”
Unlike last year, when the tournament was canceled because of heavy rain,the wind and warm, dry weather has left the greens firm and fast. More of thesame is forecast over the last three days, which could make play difficult.
“The greens are going to get baked out, baked out in a good way,” Haassaid. “They’ll become hard and fast and very difficult to hit, especially ifyou don’t hit it in the fairway off of the tee.”
Defending champion Will MacKenzie was at 71.
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Golf-Ryder Cup latest scores (Reuters)
September 30, 2010
Oct 1 (Reuters) – Latest scores in the 38th Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor Resortin Newport, Wales on Friday (European pairings first):
Match 1 Lee Westwood/Martin Kaymer v Phil Mickelson/Dustin Johnson
One up through two holes
Match 2 Rory McIlroy/Graeme McDowell v Stewart Cink/Matt Kuchar
One up through one hole
Match 3 Ian Poulter/Ross Fisher v Steve Stricker/Tiger Woods
Match 4 Luke Donald/Padraig Harrington v Bubba Watson/Jeff Overton
-
Remainder of playing schedule:
Friday – Opening foursomes matches (at 15-minute intervals), from 1315(1215)
Saturday – Fourball matches (at 15-minute intervals), from 0745 (0645)
- Foursomes matches (at 15-minute intervals), from 1315 (1215)
Sunday – Singles matches (at 12-minute intervals), from 1130 (1030)
- -
To follow Reuters live blog – http://live.reuters.com/Event/Ryder_Cup_2010
- – - -
(Editing by Tom Pilcher; To query or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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Second-round tee times for Viking Classic (PGATOUR.com)
September 30, 2010
Second-round times. All times are local.
Viking Classic Tee #2TimePlayers11:40 amJohn SendenLen MattiaceJeff Quinney11:50 amJay WilliamsonCraig BarlowGraham DeLaet12:00 pmGeorge McNeillJonathan ByrdJeff Maggert12:10 pmBill HaasBill LundeMichael Bradley12:20 pmMatt BettencourtNathan GreenJerry Kelly12:30 pmParker McLachlinGreg KraftSteve Lowery12:40 pmWoody AustinTim HerronKen Duke12:50 pmSteve ElkingtonPaul StankowskiJames Driscoll1:00 pmRocco MediateKevin SutherlandScott Piercy1:10 pmRoger TambelliniSteve WheatcroftPhil Schmitt1:20 pmVance VeazeyChris WilsonJonathan Randolph11:40 amLee JanzenBriny BairdCraig Bowden11:50 amNicholas ThompsonMichael LetzigJeff Gove12:00 pmTodd HamiltonJohn DalyDavid Duval12:10 pmArjun AtwalMark WilsonDavid Toms12:20 pmCameron BeckmanHeath SlocumWill MacKenzie12:30 pmJohnson WagnerDaniel ChopraBrett Wetterich12:40 pmCarlos FrancoBrett QuigleyBrenden Pappas12:50 pmAaron BaddeleyKirk TriplettMark Brooks1:00 pmJoe OgilvieGarrett WillisCharlie Wi1:10 pmAron PriceHenrik BjornstadCameron Percy1:20 pmMichael ConnellDavid LutterusRocky Cleland7:00 amDean WilsonChris RileyMichael Allen7:10 amChad CampbellShaun MicheelKevin Stadler7:20 amBob EstesCharles WarrenGreg Owen7:30 amJason BohnBrian GayChris DiMarco7:40 amHenrik StensonSean O’HairBoo Weekley7:50 amTim PetrovicBrian DavisSpencer Levin8:00 amEric AxleyWillie WoodMathias Gronberg8:10 amSkip KendallJohn MallingerJames Nitties8:20 amRod PamplingJ.P. HayesJeev Milkha Singh8:30 amBrian StuardCameron TringaleBrent Delahoussaye8:40 amChris TidlandMartin FloresJordan Payne7:00 amCliff KresgeOmar UrestiBrendon de Jonge7:10 amCharles Howell IIIMathew GogginTom Gillis7:20 amGlen DayJim Gallagher, Jr.Robert Garrigus7:30 amCarl PetterssonRyuji ImadaTrevor Immelman7:40 amTroy MattesonRichard S. JohnsonD.J. Trahan7:50 amScott McCarronBilly MayfairTroy Merritt8:00 amTom Pernice, Jr.Chris StroudKris Blanks8:10 amBrad FaxonWebb SimpsonJohn Merrick8:20 amJoe DurantTed PurdyRoland Thatcher8:30 amRich BarceloJustin BolliKevin Johnson8:40 amJarrod LyleAndrew McLardyDaniel Mitchell
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Ryder Cup subplots lost in Tiger’s shadow (Yahoo! Sports)
September 30, 2010
There is no pressure in golf quite like Ryder Cup stress and the United States, according to European captain Colin Montgomerie, is trying to “hide” Tiger Woods from it.
The decision by U.S. captain Corey Pavin to put Woods in the third match on opening day, rather than leading off the event as he has done in previous years, was immediately pounced on by Montgomerie as evidence of the world No.1’s fragile psyche.
“I was expecting Tiger to go first or fourth,” Montgomerie said. “I think Tiger being hidden is a different move. Whether Tiger asked for that, I don’t know.”
Woods has not been on the winning side in golf’s premier team event since 1999 and has a miserable record of 10-13-2. Questions have been raised over his attitude toward team competitions, and never before has he been under scrutiny like this.
Yet while Woods, as always, brings the most spell-binding plotlines, there are plenty of other sagas that will be played out at Celtic Manor in Wales which will decide if the U.S. defends its trophy or returns home without it early next week.
Here are the things to watch out for on what promises to be an emotionally charged and fiercely contested three days of inter-continental hostilities.
1: Crouching Monty, Hidden Tiger
The official attack on Tiger Woods’ mental state was launched on Thursday afternoon by Montgomerie. By dispensing with the usual platitudes and mutual appreciation that tends to punctuate most final press conferences, Montgomerie sent out a clear message that he expects to be echoed by his troops: Tiger, we’re coming to get you.
Montgomerie knows all too well the perils of getting Woods all fired up. When Monty himself said of the then 21-year-old Tiger: “Now we’ll see what he’s made of” heading into the third round of the 1997 Masters, the result was a record 12-shot victory for Woods.
The suspicion in the European camp is that following his personal turmoil, Woods won’t be able to find that same level of resolve and will be shaken out of focus rather than stirred into action by strong words and accompanying actions.
The home crowd will come into play here, too. Yes, Tiger has been afforded respect and decency during his practice rounds so far, but don’t think for a moment that things won’t take on a more personal tone as play unfolds.
Such comments and hostility would be unlikely to emanate from any particular moral judgment on his extra-marital dalliances, but would be seen as a legitimate – albeit morally questionable – way for the European fans to potentially secure an advantage for their team.
2: Lethargic Lefty?
Phil Mickelson has been in golf’s equivalent of a holding pattern since winning the Masters earlier in the year and the U.S. will hope he can produce something close to his best form in Wales.
Mickelson partners with Dustin Johnson in the opening match of the Ryder Cup, and will be looking to improve upon his patchy (10-14-6) record in the event.
However, Pavin may have some cause for concern after some surprisingly downbeat comments from Lefty that led some to question his commitment.
“I don’t think the most important thing about the Ryder Cup is who wins or loses,” said Mickelson, while extolling the virtues of the tournament’s history.
Seriously? Trying telling that to Justin Leonard or Bernhard Langer or any of the countless other men who have been either hero-worshipped or haunted by their performances on this stage.
Which Mickelson will we see this week? Relaxed, calm and ready for action? Or unable to rise to the occasion?
3: Welsh weather woes
Tiger and Phil’s table tennis showdown, which has become a Ryder Cup Sunday night ritual, might take place this year with the Ryder Cup still undecided. Whisper it now lest we offend those temperamental British weather gods, but tournament officials are already discussing contingency plans in case the event is so badly affected by the elements that it can’t be completed over the weekend.
Monday has been set aside as an official back-up day, with local weather experts offering contradicting speculation on just how much rain and fog is going to kick in over the next few days. One thing the meteorologists all agree on, however: don’t expect much sunshine.
4: Reliable rookies?
Out with the old, in with the new at this year’s Ryder Cup, with the European team including six rookies and the Americans featuring five. Pavin and Montgomerie will have to work out quickly which of the newcomers will adapt best to this unique format, and who will crumble.
For Europe, few Cup first-timers have ever come in with as much hype as Rory McIlroy, the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland who is already up to No. 9 in the world. Monty could have gone for experience (Paul Casey or Justin Rose) with his final captain’s pick, but instead gave the nod to
Edoardo Molinari, who will surely partner with his brother Francesco in what is guaranteed to be a fun fourball pairing.
Of Pavin’s newcomers it is Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson who are generating the most hype as the first tee shot approaches. Both hit the ball a mile and their length could become an important factor in damp conditions. But don’t forget Matt Kuchar, Jeff Overton and Rickie Fowler, all coming off strong PGA Tour seasons.
5: The fearsome 14th hole
The most intriguing hole on the Celtic Manor course is the treacherous 14th, a 485-yard par-4 that has water everywhere you look. The hole requires an accurate drive to avoid the vast swathe of water on the right-hand side, and an equally precise second shot to steer clear of more wet stuff to the left of the green.
Don’t be surprised if more than a couple of matches are heavily influenced by this hole, Montgomerie’s personal favorite.
Martin Rogers is a staff writer for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter. Send Martin a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Europeans are tweeting away at Ryder Cup
September 30, 2010
NEWPORT, Wales (AP)—So much for that ban on tweeting.
Ian Poulter, Europe’s social networking star, has been posting all sorts ofinteresting tidbits and pictures on Twitter during Ryder Cup week, though heappears to be staying within captain Colin Montgomerie’s request to keep allinside information within the team room.
For instance, Poulter reported that Lee Westwood set the alarm on assistantcaptain Paul McGinley’s cell phone to go off right in the middle ofMontgomerie’s speech at the opening ceremony Thursday.
“u should have seen the panic. Hilarious,” Poulter tweeted.
He also was the first to reveal a gift that Montgomerie and his wife,Gaynor, presented to the players and assistant captains at a dinner on the eveof the first matches: individualized framed portraits of each standing in frontof a fireplace, with a club in hand and the Ryder Cup on the mantel.
“I love it,” tweeted Poulter, who posted a picture of his portrait.
He also sent pictures of teammate Graeme McDowell getting a massage, theview from the clubhouse team room before the Europeans headed to the openingceremony, and even a plug for a 10 percent-off sale on Poulter-designed fashionsat his Web site.
And that was just on Thursday!
McDowell was nearly as prolific as Poulter. The U.S. Open champion sent apost about his pairing with fellow Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, whom hedescribed as the “Curly Haired Wonder kid.”
“Can’t wait,” McDowell tweeted.
He also posted pictures of a dinner at Cardiff Castle with Prince Charles,the Europeans donning McIlroy-styled wigs on the first tee during a practiceround, and the first details of a conference call with Seve Ballesteros, thelongtime Ryder Cup star who’s battling brain cancer.
“What a legend! Trying to win it for him this weekend. He symbolizesEuropean golf,” McDowell tweeted.
At the start of the week, Montgomerie said he wanted his players to refrainfrom social networking during the Ryder Cup, but he softened his stance after ateam meeting.
U.S. captain Corey Pavin asked his players to put their Twitter and Facebookaccounts on hiatus, as well, and they’ve apparently heeded his call. StewartCink, who has more than 1 million followers, had not sent a post since writingSunday, “Go USA y’all pull hard for us thanks!!! … see you in a week!”
COREY’S GAFFE: Blame it on the teleprompter.
American captain Corey Pavin was doing a fine job announcing the names ofhis 12-man team—until he got to one of his most experienced players.
Pavin mistakenly skipped over Stewart Cink, playing in his fifth Ryder Cup,and went straight to 21-year-old rookie Rickie Fowler. Since the U.S. playersremained standing after their names were called, the captain’s gaffe was evenmore noticeable.
As the crowd broke into laughter, Cink mockingly slumped his shoulders andreceived good-natured pats on his bald head from his teammates. Pavin realizedhis error and quickly tried to make amends.
“A special round of applause, from Sea Island, Georgia—Stewart Cink,”Pavin said.
Only one problem: Cink actually lives in Duluth, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta.Pavin confused Cink with Davis Love III, an assistant U.S. captain who does livein Sea Island.
“I’m glad the opening speech is over with. I only screwed up once, so thatwasn’t too bad,” Pavin quipped. “I only forgot one player. It could have beentwo, so it could have been worse.”
European captain Colin Montgomerie blamed the positioning of twoteleprompters for the mistake, saying they were hard to read from the podium inthe middle of the stage. But after announcing his entire team without a hitch,he couldn’t resist a little dig at his American counterpart.
“We are 1-up,” Monty said.
FAMILY TIME: The Americans were spending the eve of the Ryder Cup with thoseclosest to them.
Captain Corey Pavin told the players to bring their parents, in-laws andchildren to a barbecue at the team hotel after Thursday’s opening ceremony.
“In previous Ryder Cups, it’s been very difficult for you to even see yourfamilies during the week,” Pavin said. “So we thought it would be nice for theplayers and wives to be able to see their families this evening. So we are justgoing to have a nice relaxing kind of barbecue.”
AND NOW, FOR THE WEATHER: The Ryder Cup teams can probably count on gettingwet this weekend.
The forecast called for a 90 percent chance of rain for the opening matchesFriday. Another round of heavy showers was projected to move in for Sunday’ssingles matches.
The Americans were sending out some of their biggest hitters for morningfourball. Captain Corey Pavin figures they’ll have an edge if the course atCeltic Manor is soaked.
“Me being a very short hitter, I thought there was an advantage to the guysthat are longer when it’s wet out, because it’s not going to roll into the roughand where they fly it, is where it lands,” Pavin said. “Guys that fly it 290or 300 yards, that’s where it’s going to end up. When I fly it 210, that’s whereit’s going to end up.”
ODD MIX: Miguel Angel Jimenez enjoys fine wine, big cigars—and the knot inhis stomach.
The popular Spaniard said that just shows he’s ready to play the most tenseteam event in golf.
“All week you feel a knot in your stomach,” Jimenez said on Thursdaybefore the final day of practice at Celtic Manor. “But it’s not nerves. It’ssomething you can endure. I like to feel that thing, and that makes youmotivated more. And that’s where you want to be. It’s a good thing, yeah. If youdon’t have any feelings, probably you’re not here, or you don’t play golf or youdon’t know anything. You need to feel things.”
Few players are in better form than Jimenez, who has won three times on theEuropean Tour this year, and he likes the way he has played in practice on theTwenty Ten course.
But Jimenez won’t go in the opening round of four-ball matches. CaptainColin Montgomerie decided to put him on the bench along with Peter Hanson andthe Molinari brothers, Edoardo and Francesco. All four are expected to maketheir debuts in the afternoon with the alternate-shot matches.
LIKING THE EURO ODDS: The Las Vegas oddsmakers wasted no time labeling theEuropeans a solid favorite to jump ahead in the fourball matches.
Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington were an overwhelming pick to beat RyderCup rookies Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton in the final match of the morning.Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy are favored over Matt Kuchar and Stewart Cink,while Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson are underdogs against Lee Westwood andMartin Kaymer.
The only American favorites are Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, who will goin the third match against Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher. That’s not surprising,considering bettors are usually eager to put money on Woods—even when he’sslumping—so he usually has the odds against him to even out the wagers.
DIVOTS: The always stylish Ian Poulter found a way to put his fashion stampon the Ryder Cup, even though he’s having to wear the same outfit as histeammates. The Europeans practiced Thursday in pink shirts with blue sweatersand slacks, so Poulter whipped up some two-tone shoes with pink down the sides.… In the biggest surprise of the opening pairings, seven-time Ryder Cupveteran Jim Furyk was left on the sideline by the Americans. Only once in hisprevious six appearances was he held out of matches on the opening morning, andthat was in 1999. He played in the opening matches in 1997, 2002, ’04, ’06 and’08.
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Ways both teams can win the Ryder Cup
September 30, 2010
NEWPORT, Wales (AP)—Tom Lehman dug deep for an answer when asked why theU.S. got whipped so badly under his leadership in the 2006 Ryder Cup in Ireland.
“They made more putts than we did,” the American captain said.
Odds are that might be the deciding factor again at this Ryder Cup. Becauseeven after months of over-the-top buildup, the cup can’t be decided withoutthree days of actual golf.
Here, though, are a few other reasons why each team might win, starting withthe favored Europeans:
THE FULL MONTY: Love him or hate him—and Europe’s players seem to be split— captain Colin Montgomerie is a Ryder Cup winner. He’s 20-9-7 overall, hasnever lost a singles match, and has been on five winning teams. That he’s neverwon a major championship in 86 tries merely makes him more lovable in Britain.
FAST TRACK: Montgomerie wants his team to set the pace early, both to fireup the crowd and build a cushion heading into Sunday’s singles, where the U.S.traditionally does well. He seemed almost giddy after the first morning draw,certain that he had the right matchups to do the job.
BROTHERS IN ARMS: Never have two Italians been paired together in the RyderCup. Only once have two brothers played together. Never before has any of thatmattered. Francesco and Edoardo Molinari have plenty of game, but it may betheir blood connection that helps them win points beginning, perhaps, withFriday afternoon’s alternate shot matches.
TIGER HUNT: Conversation about the strength of the U.S. team usually beginsand ends with Tiger Woods, though he has struggled with the team concept in theRyder Cup. For the first time, though, there’s a European who really wants apiece of Woods and who can fault Rory McIlroy for having the youthful enthusiasmto say so? Unfortunately, singles play is a blind draw so the two may not meeton Sunday. There’s a better chance they might find themselves on opposite sidesof the green in the fourball or alternate shot matches.
ROYALTY RULES: Prince Charles spent some time with the guys at a localcastle the other night, so they’ve got that going for them.
MONEY MATTERS: A billionaire named Sir Terry spent $50 million for the RyderCup, and built a course just for it. He was thanked a lot at the openingceremony. A better way of getting him to reach into his deep pockets again wouldbe to win the cup.
FUNNY GUYS: They wear wigs, crack jokes, and seem to regard the Ryder Cup asjust good fun. Lee Westwood even set Paul McGinley’s cell phone alarm to go offas a joke just as Montgomerie was speaking in the opening ceremony. The Eurosseem less uptight than the Americans, from their captain all the way down totheir lowest rookie.
Still, the American’s have a chance. Here’s why:
CAPTAIN BULLDOG: Tenacity could be Corey Pavin’s middle name, if he didn’thave one already. If he can pass on his bulldog instincts to the U.S. team, theunderdogs have a good shot at retaining the cup. Hopefully, he remembers to sendout all his players because during an opening ceremony blunder, he forgot tointroduce Stewart Cink. And, hopefully, his second blunder wasn’t picking twoRyder Cup rookies, Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton, to play Padraig Harrington andLuke Donald in opening fourball matches Friday.
LEFTY-LEFTY: The U.S. is the only team that can pair two lefties, somethingthat would surely unsettle the right-handed Euros. The odds of Watson playingwith Phil Mickelson, though, are about the same as the odds of Tiger Woods beingpaired with Mickelson.
TIGERRIFIC: It took a few Ryder Cups to find someone who could play withTiger Woods in the first two days of team matches. A disastrous pairing withMickelson in 2004 didn’t help Woods’ losing record in Ryder Cup play, but nowJim Furyk and Steve Stricker have shown they are compatible with the manformerly known as the best player in the world. Stricker, who was 4-0 with Woodsin the President’s Cup last year, will go off with him Friday against IanPoulter and Ross Fisher.
DESPERATE TIGER: Woods usually builds his year around the majors, and treatsthe Ryder Cup mostly as an afterthought. But after a year unlike any other, he’sdesperate for something good to happen. If his swing holds up under pressure,this could be a big Ryder Cup for a very motivated Woods. If it doesn’t, well,worse things have happened this year.
MATT’S SMILE: Matt Kuchar is a Ryder Cup rookie and always seems to besmiling. His teammates will rise to the occasion to keep the Euros from wipingthe smile off his face.
STREAKBUSTERS: All streaks must end sometime, and Europe’s winning streak onhome soil is no exception. The Euros haven’t lost at home since 1993, when theballs were made of balata and Davis Love III was still using real woods.
OVERTON’S OPPORTUNITY: No one knows who Jeff Overton is. No one. He’s neverwon a tournament on the PGA Tour, never played on a Ryder Cup team, and neverhas known such pressure. In his last two tournaments he was a combined 21 overpar. What better story could the Ryder Cup have than for Overton to win a bunchof points and lead the U.S. to an upset win?
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Celtic Manor Resort eases to victory in first Friendship Bowl at Ryder Cup site (PGATOUR.com)
September 30, 2010
PGATOUR.COM
NEWPORT, Wales—The Celtic Manor Resort, represented by the talented foursome of Europe's Johana Kukkonen and Manon Molle and America's Ginger Howard and Justin Thomas, finished 4 under par over nine holes Thursday to win the "Friendship Bowl," a special prelude to the 38th Ryder Cup.
The newly-created nine-hole competition, contested on the Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor Resort, featured six groups of foursomes that included one girl and one boy from Europe and the United States. The foursomes played a composite course, blending five front-nine and four back-nine holes.
The boys' team members played from the official yardages that will be used Friday by the world's premier professionals in the opening session of the Ryder Cup.
"This was a truly unreal experience," said Thomas, 17, of Goshen, Ky. "It's a different feeling playing for your country, especially at the site of the Ryder Cup. And, there is nothing else like it."
Howard, 16, of Bradenton, Fla., also counted the rare experience as one that will aid her golf career.
"I enjoyed the whole week that surrounded the Junior Ryder Cup," said Howard. "It was the best experience of my life."
Howard and Thomas were joined in a foursome featuring Finland's Kukkonen, 16, and France's Molle, 15, who both won their respective singles matches on Tuesday in Scotland to keep the competition tight on the final day of the Junior Ryder Cup.
The contestants were made up of competitors in the recent Junior Ryder Cup, which the U.S. won Tuesday, 13 1/2 to 10 1/2 , at Gleneagles, Scotland. The matches were designed to continue building international friendships.
The Friendship Bowl format counted the two low gross scores on each hole. Each team represented a Welsh golf club, with juniors from each club attending the matches. The winning team donated the crystal Friendship Bowl to its adopted Welsh club.
The Friendship Bowl Participants:
Team Celtic Manor Resort Justin Thomas, Goshen, Ky. Johana Kukkonen, Europe Ginger Howard, Bradenton, Fla. Manon Molle, Europe
Team Royal Porthcawl Oliver Schniederjans, Powder Springs, Ga. Kristoffer Ventura, Europe Emma Talley, Princeton, Ky. Manon Gidali, Europe
Team Conwy Anthony Paolucci, Del Mar, Calif. Albert Eckhardt, Europe Alison Lee, Valencia, Calif. Klara Spilkova, Europe
Team Royal St. David's Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas Chris Lloyd, Europe Doris Chen, Bradenton, Fla. Isabella Deilert, Europe
Team Ashburnham Denny McCarthy, Burtonsville, Md. Moritz Lampert, Europe Kristen Park, Buena Park, Calif. Kelly Tidy, Europe
Team Maesdu Jim Liu, Smithtown, N.Y. Thomas Detry, Europe Cassy Isagawa, Wailuku, Hawaii Amy Boulden, Europe
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Monty has everything at stake at Ryder Cup
September 30, 2010
NEWPORT, Wales (AP)—The man must love the sound of his own voice.
Colin Montgomerie will talk about almost anything: his personal life, alifelong struggle with weight, the merciless heckling from galleries in theStates, a record of heartbreak and failure in the majors (0-for-86) that mighthave broken a lesser competitor.
All that remained Thursday for the man whose legacy will be defined by theRyder Cup was the most important talk of his life.
“This is without question the proudest moment of my golfing career,”Montgomerie began his speech at the opening ceremony.
“As each of you takes your place as a player at Celtic Manor,” he said amoment later, addressing the European team arrayed behind him, “know that yourname will be written into the rich history of the Ryder Cup forever.”
But none of the dozen golfers on either side may have more at stake thanMontgomerie.
Despite winning 40 tournaments around the world and leading the EuropeanTour’s money list eight times, Montgomerie’s oh-fer in the majors means hisreputation in the game will rise or fall on his Ryder Cup performance. As aplayer, he couldn’t have done much better, posting a 14-9-5 record during teamplay in eight cups and never losing a singles match.
Only Nick Faldo has contributed more points to his side as a player—andeven that might not have been so had Faldo made his fellow Brit a captain’s pickat Valhalla two years ago. So when someone asked whether losing this one as acaptain might tarnish his sterling record, Monty was quick to wave the questionoff.
“Not at all. Not at all,” he said, before joking, “I’ll still hold therecord of not having lost a singles match.”
The truth is that Montgomerie wears his heart on his sleeve so often that itcould be mistaken for a sponsor’s logo. In a 1997 singles match at Valderramaagainst Scott Hoch, when the Europeans already had clinched, Monty refused toconcede a putt at the final hole until then-captain Seve Ballesteros showed upand shamed Monty into settling for a half. When the golf shoe was on the otherfoot two years later at Brookline, Mass., he fussed and fumed on the 18th greenuntil the late Payne Stewart gave Monty a 25-foot putt and a meaningless pointalong with it.
At least Montgomerie comes by that bit of insecurity honestly. Everythingfrom his diet to his clothes to his facial expressions have been grist for thetabloid mill.
“He’s a little bit more relaxed this week, I think. His mood swings areless,” said Lee Westwood, selected by Montgomerie for the honor of hittingEurope’s opening tee shot on Friday.
“Having played with him at his peak at the end of the ’90s, he can be upand down quite a lot. But I think this week, because whatever he does isdirectly influenced onto the team, I think he wants to be on an even keel, andsort of nice and calm,” Westwood added. “I see that in him a lot more thisweek.”
Great players, though, don’t always make great leaders and even before theteams arrived, Montgomerie sounded a contradictory note about what hiscontribution should be.
On the one hand, the Scotsman groused it was “overplayed, since we never toget to hit a shot.” But he quickly followed up by saying, “Look at the recenthistory of the event, and it is the team whose captain gave the best speech whostart well the next day and set the tone for the match.”
By his own scoring, Monty got Europe off to a quick lead, if only becauseCorey Pavin, his U.S. counterpart, inadvertently left one of his 12 players outof the original introductions. After skipping Stewart Cink, Pavin started backto his seat, realized his gaffe and then returned to the microphone, asking thecrowd to give Cink a “special, special welcome.”
Afterward, Monty tried to be gracious.
“That was just unfortunate, but I think he was very, very good in coveringhis tracks,” he said.
But the competitor in him couldn’t resist.
“We,” Montgomerie said with the hint of a smile, “are 1-up.”
Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Pres. Write tohim at jlitke(at)ap.org
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Scene and Heard: Thursday in Wales (PGATOUR.com)
September 30, 2010
PGATOUR.COM
Welcome 11, uh, 12 team members: The best bit of levity during the Opening Ceremony was when U.S. Captain Corey Pavin was introducing the team and inadvertently forgot to introduce his own captain's pick player, Stewart Cink. As Pavin finished his introductions, 11 members of the team stood while Cink sheepishly kept his seat, with a large grin and mocking wave to the captain. The rest of the team and the huge crowd roared in laughter. The captain made a nice save by coming back and providing a warm introduction for Cink.
Say What?: Signs dot the Celtic Manor venue reading "Croeso" can be spotted all over the course. Croeso is the Welsh word for "hello." Many visitors were surprised that there is a Welsh language since English is ubiquitous. Interestingly, less than 20 percent of the natives actually speak the Welsh language, though local representatives insist that it is commonly used in business and government, and the schools are emphasizing its learning more in recent years. Other popular Welsh terms that might be heard this week include: "Iechyd da!" (Cheers!), "Y Rhodfa" (A Fairway), "Pluen" (Par) and "Dai awn" (Very good).
Building stronger bonds: Visitors to Celtic Manor on Thursday may have been surprised to learn the competition had already started. But it was the participants from the Junior Ryder Cup taking center stage, and the format altered to create a greater sense of unity between the two sides rather than the spirited matches that will take place when the professionals tee it up Friday.
The juniors teamed up in foursomes, with a male and female player from both the U.S. and European teams comprising each international pairing, to compete in the first-ever Friendship Bowl. Each group represented a different golf club in Wales, and the winner will present the Friendship Bowl to the club it represented.
Coincidentally, the team representing Celtic Manor (the host venue) won the inaugural Friendship Bowl. The nine-hole matches were played on the front nine while the actual Ryder Cup teams practiced on the back. In addition to building friendship, the event offered the Junior Ryder Cup players a chance to experience the atmosphere and facility of the Ryder Cup course. In the Junior Ryder Cup, played earlier this week on the course that will host the 2014 Ryder Cup in Scotland, the U.S. squad prevailed 13.5 to 10.5 points.
Something for everyone: The sprawling Tent Village that has been erected here at Celtic Manor offers a little something for all the golf fans that will be attending the competition. From game improvement areas to a video game area to a huge video monitor showing the golf action to tourism bureaus from all over Europe to even a museum to visit, a visitor could spend an entire day in the village and never see the same item twice—and never actually go see the action on the course itself. There is also massive food court and dining area and even a drugstore for fans who might need some aid after walking the challenging grounds.
Expensive Art: BMW, one of the partners of the European Tour, had a new BMW Sport Wagon showcased in a special fan area, and in an ode to the competition, allowed fans to come by and write encouraging notes on the car itself. Most of the encouragements were, not surprisingly, for Team Europe, though there were a few pro-U.S. notes and several for specific players such as Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. There were staffers on hand to erase non-family friendly notes or any message deemed improper—including one that lasted all of 30 seconds that read "I love my Jaguar."
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