Tour Report: Watch: Finchem on Tiger, Rory, more (PGATOUR.com)
June 30, 2011
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Tour Report: Compton struggles to 76 (PGATOUR.com)
June 30, 2011
Martin/Getty ImagesErik Compton is playing for the fifth week in a row.
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — It’s understandable that Erik Compton would have a letdown after winning the Mexico Open on the Nationwide Tour last week and that’s exactly what happened Thursday a Aronimink, where he shot a 6-over 76.
BETHESDA, MD – JUNE 16: Mark … Getty Images – Jun 16, 4:53 pm EDT Golf Gallery
“I didn’t get much preparation for the tournament,” said Compton, whose week has been a whirlwind since he all but secure his PGA TOUR card for next season with last week’s victory. “I kind of knew that. Unfortunately I just didn’t have much focus today.
“It was just kind of mixed emotions when you come off a win. I can’t beat myself up too bad. I feel like I struck the ball okay, just the grind is out of me. It’s hard to grind.”
It was an up and down day for sure for Compton, who had three bogeys, three double bogeys, one birdie and one eagle.
It’s been a busy week for Compton off the course, too, with interview requests and television appearances every day leading into the tournament. This also marks Compton’s fifth week in a row playing.
”I’m not so much tired, just mentally being on the road for five weeks,” Compton said. “I almost feel like today was my practice round, so maybe tomorrow I’ll come out and shoot 4 or 5 under. “
Wrapping up Round 1
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Adam Scott and Hunter Haas share the lead at 4 under after the first round of the AT&T National. Here’s a look at some key numbers from each of their rounds:
Adam Scott
Scott’s 66 equals his low round on the PGA TOUR in 2011, which he previously shot in the opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
Scott holds the lead/co-lead after the first round for the seventh time in his TOUR career and for the first time since the 2008 Shell Houston Open (WD due to illness after second round). He has converted just one of his previous six first-round leads/co-leads in to victory, winning by one at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2004.
Entering this week, Scott has made 6-of-10 cuts on TOUR in 2011 with his best result a tie for second at the Masters. His only other top-10 on the season was a tie for sixth at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. Scott is in search of his eighth-career TOUR victory and first since the 2010 Valero Texas Open.
In his only previous appearance at the AT&T National Scott missed the cut in 2007.
Hunter Haas
It represents the second time in his TOUR career he has held the lead/co-lead after 18 holes. Haas led the 2005 Children’s Miracle Network Classic after the first round en route to a tie for 58th.
Haas’ round was highlighted by a string of four consecutive birdies from Nos. 13-16, his front nine, as he went out in 31. His only blemish on the day was a bogey at the par-4 seventh.
In 19 starts on TOUR this year, Haas has made 12 cuts and posted one top-10, a tie for third at the Puerto Rico Open. His 66 represents his lowest opening-round score on TOUR in 2011, bettering a pair of 67s carded at the Bob Hope Classic and Puerto Rico Open.
In his third full season on the PGA TOUR (2001, 2005 and 2011), Haas had made 85 starts entering this week with his best result the tie for third earlier this year in Puerto Rico.
Williams, Scott a good match
Cannon/Getty ImagesSteve Williams has been on Adam scott’s bag since the U.S. Open.
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — This is just the second tournament Steve Williams has worked for Adam Scott since Tiger Woods has been recovering from injury.
In their first tournament together, Scott missed the cut at the U.S. Open. Thursday at Aronimink, Scott shot a 4-under 66 to share the lead.
“I’ve learned some things off Steve, and he obviously knows how to manage his way around the golf course with all the people that he’s caddied for over the years,” Scott said. “He’s got a wealth of knowledge, and I’m trying to tap as much of that as I can while he’s on the bag certainly.”
Most of those years, at least the recent ones, Williams has been on Woods’ bag. He’s caddied for him in 13 of the 14 major championships Woods has won. With Woods still recovering from knee and Achilles injuries, however, Scott asked Williams if he wouldn’t mind carrying his bag until Woods was healthy again.
“You know, he’s getting there,” Scott joked. “He’s kind of getting the hang of it, yeah, now three rounds in, he might have a future one day, this guy (smiling).”
If Woods misses the British Open, it’s likely Williams would remain on the bag for Scott.
”He’s very confident in himself, but I felt like at the U.S. Open he certainly guided me around that first round very nicely and put me in all the right places and kept it very simple,” Scott continued. “It seems like he manages himself around the course like a really good golfer would, and that’s obviously nice because he understands how to get it around.”
Haas still on top for now
NETOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Aronimink continues to prove difficult — only 30 players are under par at the moment.
One of those is Hunter Haas, who is 5 under and atop the leaderboard. Haas is bogey free and at one point made four straight birdies on Nos. 13 through 16 (he started on the back nine).
Haas has missed three of his last four cuts, but he has his game working here. Haas is fourth in putting and seventh in the field in greens in regulation.
Elsewhere on the leaderboard, Adam Scott is 3 under as he finishes up his round, while Vijay Singh has fallen back to 2 under. Also at 2 under is Rickie Fowler, who just finished off his 68
Leonard working with putting coach
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Justin Leonard’s season hasn’t exactly gone very well. He has just three top-25s and he’s missed the cut in seven of his last 10 starts.
That prompted Leonard, who works with Randy Smith, to also turn to Marius Filmalter for help with his putting. The two have worked together the last few weeks and again this week at Aronimink.
The result? An opening-round 2-under 68 to get Leonard near the lead.
”I’ve been working very hard and playing pretty well but just not getting the scores out of it,” Leonard said. “It was nice to get out there and make a couple birdies early and be comfortable out there shooting a good score.”
What Filmalter has been working with Leonard on is trying to shorten his putting stroke, which Leonard says had gotten long and loose.
”The main thing is gaining confidence and getting comfortable,” Leonard said. “I’m doing those two things.”
Cantlay shoots even par
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Patrick Cantlay is playing in his third PGA TOUR event this week after finishing as the low amateur at the U.S. Open and last week recording a course-record 60 during the Travelers Championship. Thursday’s round at the AT&T National came with much less fanfare with Cantlay shooting even-par 70.
Still, considering only 31 players are under par for the moment, Cantlay’s round stands up pretty well.
The 19-year-old amateur had three birdies and three bogeys and took 29 putts.
Compton proving he belongs
By Zak Kozuchowski, PGATOUR.COM
Erik Compton continues to prove he has the skills necessary to compete on the PGA TOUR. He got off to a quick start at Aronomink with a birdie on its 430-yard opening hole and is currently 1 over through his first six holes on the tough track (click here to follow him live with Shot Tracker).
Compton is battling the emotions of winning his first Nationwide Tour event last week, the Mexico Open presented by Banamex. He’s also been subject to a great deal of media attention because of his health issues Compton was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy at the age of nine, and has since undergone two heart transplants that have kept him alive. Because of his condition, Compton battles a lot of fatigue and has to pace himself.
He’s done that well this year. His win last week moved him to No. 2 on the Nationwide Tour money list, virtually assuring that he will earn his PGA TOUR card next year. This week, Compton is paired with Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan, who are also 1 over.
Vegas trying to meet difficult demands
Stan Badz/PGA TOURJhonattan Vegas opened the AT&T National with a 3-under 67 Thursday.
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Jhonattan Vegas won in just his second career start on the PGA TOUR earlier this year. Since then, he’s tried to learn and manage all the expectations and demands that go with being a winner, much less one from Venezuela, a country where golf is almost non-existent.
Naturally, it hasn’t been easy.
“Being a foreign player, especially coming from a country that has no idea about golf, the demands internationally are really tough,” said Vegas, who opened with a 3-under 67 to share the lead at the AT&T National. “The thing that I realized after a few weeks of playing horrible is that mentally you really get worn out if you’re not careful, having to deal with so many things, the media back home, and trying to explain to everyone what really golf is and finishing top 20 in a TOUR event is not the end of the world because the people keep asking, ‘Why did you finish 19th, are you kidding, what a horrible week’ and I’m like, really?”
Those demands have certainly taken a toll on Vegas’ golf. In his last 11 starts, for example, Vegas has missed the cut six times and failed to finish in the top 25.
The demands, plus the results have tested Vegas’ patience at times, but he’s also learning to be patient.
“When I won so early and then almost won the following week, expectations were a little high and I wanted to win every week,” Vegas said. “Sometimes the game puts you in your place if you’re not careful.
“It’s been hard having to deal with all that stuff, but I’m taking it as it goes and being a little bit more patient and just trying to just focus on myself a little more.”
That certainly worked Thursday at Aronimink.
“It’s a course that you have to have absolutely everything in place to play great,” Vegas said. “That’s kind of what I did from tee to green today.”
Ogilvie starts strong despite injury
Carroll/Getty ImagesJoe Ogilvie shot a 3-under 67 Thursday at Aronimink.
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Despite a left wrist injury that will require an MRI, Joe Ogilvie finds himself in a familiar position at the AT& National.
A year after shooting a 66 in the first round at Aronimink, Ogilvie opened with a 67 Thursday to share the top spot. Coincidentally, he also led after the first round in 2007 when the event was played at Congressional.
”It sets up for my eye,” Ogilvie said of Aronimink. “And I’m smart enough to figure out this is a golf course where you can miss it in certain places in the fairway and kind of have angles, so if you do hit it in the rough, you can kind of scrape it on the green. And other than 10, I executed my game plan well in the sense of where I missed the shots because I know I’m going to miss a lot of shots. I just want to miss them in the right place.”
To Ogilvie’s point, despite hitting just 57 percent of his fairways, he still hit 72 percent of his greens in regulation. That helped open the door for four birdies and just one bogey.
“[The greens] are just tricky, a lot of hills and dales, and the pin placements today I thought were tough,” Ogilvie said. “The greens are very tricky, but they’re true.”
DeLaet withdraws from tournament
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Graham DeLaet has withdrawn from the AT&T National, citing a back injury.
“WD this week from AT&T. Back not feeling 100% and don’t really want to push it,” the Canadian tweeted.
DeLaet withdrew before his round began.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Graham DeLaet has withdrawn from the AT&T National, citing a back injury. âWD this week from AT&T. Back not feeling 100% and donât really want to push it,â the Canadian tweeted. DeLaet withdrew before his round began.
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Daily Wrap-up: Round 1, AT&T National (PGATOUR.com)
June 30, 2011
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. (AP)—Adam Scott must have felt as though he got another crack at the U.S. Open on Thursday in the AT&T National. Only this course felt more like a U.S. Open.
Aronimink built on its growing reputation when only 28 players managed to break par in the opening round despite warm sunshine and a mild breeze. Scott and Hunter Haas, who were tied atop the leaderboard at 4-under 66, followed a U.S. Open formula by trying to keep the ball in play off the tee and being cautious on the greens.
“It’s a great golf course, obviously, but in great shape,” Scott said. “But they’ve set the course up beautifully. The greens are perfect and they’ve got very generous fairways, but severe rough, which is a nice balance. There are good scores out there, but you have to play well.”
Adam Scott watches his shot du… AP – Jun 23, 5:29 pm EDT Golf Gallery
The U.S. Open became a talking point because of how hard players had to work for their scores on a course with firm fairways, fast greens and several diabolical hole locations. The average score was about 71.5, and all but four of the holes played over par.
Rain softened the course at Congressional two weeks ago, and while Rory McIlroy turned in a command performance with a record 16-under 268, the 20 scores under par at the end of the week were unusual for a U.S. Open.
“They obviously didn’t the get the greens where they really would have liked them,” said Scott, who missed the cut by one shot at Congressional. “And here, I think they’ve got the greens probably where the U.S. Open would have liked them on a Thursday.”
Scott holed birdie putts of 20 feet and 25 feet early in his round, and finished with a 15-foot par save on the 17th and another 15-footer for birdie on the 18th. His lone bogey came on a three-putt from the fringe on the difficult 10th, and he called it a “stress-free” round.
The 30-year-old Australian wasn’t even planning to play the AT&T National, but felt his game was in decent shape and that he could use another start. So he lined up Tiger Woods’ caddie, Steve Williams, for another week of work. This time, they figure to stick around a little longer.
Haas ran off four straight birdies on the back nine early in his round and he was the only player to get to 5 under until he got out of position of the tee at No. 7 and made his lone bogey.
When he played his practice round Tuesday, it was raining. Haas was surprised how quickly the course became firm, especially the greens. The reminder came from a scoreboard he saw just before he teed off, showing four players from the morning batch at no better than 67—Joe Ogilvie, Jhonattan Vegas, Dean Wilson and Kyle Stanley.
“I said, ‘Wow, I thought the scores would be a lot lower than that.’ And that’s just kind of where I put my mindset on the scoring and how to play this golf course,” Haas said.
Pat Perez was in the group at 68 that included Vijay Singh, Rickie Fowler, Justin Leonard and Robert Garrigus. Perez didn’t play the U.S. Open and felt as though he did on Thursday. Perhaps most telling is that Perez had no complaints about his score.
“This place is a month away from playing the U.S. Open,” Perez said. “If they brought the fairways in, no joke this course is ready for a U.S. Open doing very little. Because if you hit it in the rough five or six times, you’re dead.”
And then there was Chris Riley, who opened with a 69. He received some criticism for not trying to qualify for the U.S. Open, and he said even some of his friends at home in San Diego asked him why he didn’t qualify.
“I told them I was playing a U.S. Open in two weeks on this course,” he said with a grin.
That was the consensus of most players, and details of some of the rounds added more credence. Vegas managed to get around Aronimink without making a bogey. On No. 16, the easiest of the two par 5s, Wilson figured he had squandered his chance until he flopped a shot out of the rough and it firmly struck the pin and dropped for eagle.
Ogilvie said the key to his round was a bogey on No. 10. From where he hit his tee shot, left into the deep grass and trees, he figured he would be lucky to make double bogey. Instead, he managed to get up-and-down from about 90 yards to limit the damage.
“I didn’t do anything crazy on the greens. I just played them solid,” Ogilvie said. “This course is set up like a U.S. Open. The fairways are a little bit wider, but it’s definitely playing similar—except for this year’s U.S. Open.”
Garrigus was the low American at the U.S. Open, where he tied for third. He shot all four rounds under par at Congressional, and still finished 10 shots behind. He struggled to break par at Aronimink and was close to the lead after one round.
“Anything under par today is great,” he said. “They changed a few of the greens, a little more severe around the edges, so you can hit a pretty good shot and not get rewarded. But you know where you can miss it. You know where you can’t hit and you know where you can.
“I don’t think double digits is going to win this week.”
Aronimink: ThursdayEASIEST HOLE TOUGHEST HOLE 
The par-5 16th hole was the easiest with a Thursday scoring average of 4.517.EAGLES: 5 BIRDIES: 51 PARS: 58 BOGEYS: 4 OTHER: 0 
The par-3 8th hole was the toughest with a Thursday scoring average of 3.525.EAGLES: 0 BIRDIES: 6 PARS: 52 BOGEYS: 54 OTHERS: 6 About the leaders • Adam Scott converted a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to card a 66 and share the lead at 4-under after the first round. Scott’s 66 equals his low round on the PGA TOUR in 2011, which he previously shot in the opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. • Scott holds the lead/co-lead after the first round for the seventh time in his PGA TOUR career and for the first time since the 2008 Shell Houston Open (WD due to illness after second round). He has converted just one of his previous six first-round leads/co-leads in to victory, winning by one at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2004. • Entering this week, Scott has made six-of-10 cuts on TOUR in 2011 with his best result a T2 at the Masters. His only other top 10 on the season was a T6 the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. Scott is in search of his eighth-career PGA TOUR victory and first since the 2010 Valero Texas Open. • In his only previous appearance at the AT&T National Scott missed the cut in 2007. • A 2010 graduate of the Nationwide Tour, Hunter Haas carded a 66 in the first round to share the lead with Adam Scott at 4-under. It represents the second time in his PGA TOUR career he has held the lead/co-lead after 18 holes. Haas led the 2005 Children’s Miracle Network Classic after the first round en route to a T58. • Haas’ round was highlighted by a string of four consecutive birdies from Nos. 13-16, his front nine, as he went out in 31. His only blemish on the day was a bogey at the par-4 seventh. • In 19 starts on TOUR this year, Haas has made 12 cuts and posted one top 10, a T3 at the Puerto Rico Open. His 66 represents his lowest opening-round score on TOUR in 2011, bettering a pair of 67s carded at the Bob Hope Classic and Puerto Rico Open. • In his third full season on the PGA TOUR (2001, 2005 and 2011), Haas had made 85 starts entering this week with his best result the T3 earlier this year in Puerto Rico.
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Tom Lehman set for Montreal Championship
June 30, 2011
BLAINVILLE, Quebec (AP)—With the Montreal Championship set to begin CanadaDay, Champions Tour leader Tom Lehman didn’t miss the occasion to get into theholiday spirit.
“Does that mean we take the day off and sit at the range and drink beer?”Lehman joked Thursday after his pro-am round at Fontainebleau Golf Club.
Lehman and defending champion Larry Mize will tee off Friday in the secondedition of the event.
Mize’s victory last year was his first in an official tournament in 17years, dating to the 1993 Buick Open.
LOUISVILLE, KY – MAY 27: Tom … Getty Images – May 27, 2:08 pm EDT Golf Gallery
“The nice thing is I’m the only one that has won here before so you’ve gotto use that as a positive to your advantage,” said Mize, the 1987 Masterswinner. “It’s just great to be back and playing here and I’m just lookingforward to getting back out and playing in front of these great crowds.”
The 52-year-old Georgian will be hard-pressed to defend his title against afield headed up by Lehman, a three-time winner this year who leads the SchwabCup standings.
“I’ve had good momentum throughout the year,” said Lehman, who has sixtop-10 finishes in 10 events. “My game is good but there are a lot of otherplayers who are playing very well, so it should be a very competitivetournament. But I have high expectations, obviously.”
Lehman, the 1996 British Open winner, can only add to his points lead. Hisnearest competition, No. 2 Nick Price and No. 3 Tom Watson, are taking the weekoff.
“The fact that they are not here, during the course of the year it balancesout,” Lehman said. “I play some events that they don’t and they play someevents that I don’t, so typically I don’t worry about it. I just try to get agood game plan for this week and do the best I can this week, and then I’ll takewhat I get.”
Hale Irwin, the Champions Tour’s career leader with 45 wins, had his 203rdtop-10 finish Sunday in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, N.Y., tyingBob Charles’ tour record.
The 66-year-old Irwin has finished in the top-10 five times in 11 eventsthis year, including a fourth-place finish at the Senior PGA Championship inLouisville in late May, after accomplishing the feat just three times over thecourse of the three previous years combined.
“I feel like I’m in a re-learning curve, sort of, and that’s kind ofexciting,” said Irwin, a three-time U.S. Open champion. “Not that I got bored,I never got bored, but I think there’s a point in time where the status quochanges almost every day.
“I think I’ve needed challenges and this is definitely a challenge now.”
Fred Couples, the anchor of the 2011 Montreal Championship’s marketingcampaign, advised tournament organizers last weekend that he had to withdrawbecause of a back injury. Loren Roberts and Fred Funk are also sidelined byinjuries.
“Those things happen,” Irwin said.
John Huston, a Champions Tour rookie who claimed his first win Sunday, is inthe field that includes Tom Kite, Corey Pavin, John Cook, Jeff Sluman, JeffHaas, Hal Sutton and Larry Nelson.
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Golf-Tiger’s caddie helps Scott grab share of Aronimink lead (Reuters)
June 30, 2011
By Leonard Shapiro
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania, June 30 (Reuters) -Australian Adam Scott, with tournament host Tiger Woods’sregular caddie on his bag, shared the first-round lead at theAT&T National after shooting a four-under-par 66 at Aroniminkon Thursday.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA – JUNE 30: … Getty Images – Jun 30, 6:47 pm EDT Golf Gallery
Scott made a 15-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole to tieAmerican journeyman Hunter Haas to top the leaderboard afterthe opening round.
The Australian had a run of three birdies in four holes onhis front nine, and Haas moved up the board with foursuccessive birdies on his own front side.
“It’s been fun to have (Steve Williams) on the bag for acouple of weeks,” Scott told reporters. “I’ve learned somethings. He knows how to manage his way around the golf course.He’s got a wealth of knowledge and he’s been a great help.”
Williams is on loan to Scott with Woods’s permission but isexpected to return to his long-time employer after the Americanrecovers from his leg injuries and resumes playing.
Woods said this week he has no timetable for his comebackfrom left knee and Achilles tendon problems. If he can’t playin the British Open in two weeks, Scott said he expectsWilliams to caddie for him at Royal St. George’s.
Haas has played most of his golf on the Nationwide Tourover the last five seasons. A former college standout atOklahoma University, the 34-year-old Haas earned his PGA Tourcard for 2011 by finishing third on the Nationwide money list.
Starting his round on the back nine, Haas opened with threepars before a four-hole birdie barrage beginning on the 13th.
Four players were tied for second place on three-under 67,including Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela and Americans DeanWilson, Joe Ogilvie and Kyle Stanley.
Wilson, in the first group of the day, holed out for aneagle three at the 558-yard 16th hole on his front nine with ashot out of the deep rough in front of the green.
“It was a pretty decent shot,” he said, “but it luckily hitthe pin. It probably would have gone about 10 feet by, but ithit the pin and went in.” (Editing by Larry Fine; To query or comment on this storyemail sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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Second-round tee times for AT&T National (PGATOUR.com)
June 30, 2011
Second-round times. All times are local.
AT&T National Tee #2TimePlayers12:00 pmD.J. TrahanCharlie WiBobby Gates12:11 pmBoo WeekleyJoe DurantKevin Na12:22 pmJoe OgilvieShaun MicheelChris Stroud12:33 pmChris CouchVaughn TaylorJason Dufner12:44 pmCarl PetterssonPat PerezJustin Leonard12:55 pmRobert GarrigusBill Haas1:06 pmCharley HoffmanGeoff OgilvyBo Van Pelt1:17 pmMichael PutnamBill LundeStuart Appleby1:28 pmRyuji ImadaMatt JonesAlex Prugh1:39 pmDavid MathisKyle StanleyPatrick Cantlay12:00 pmDean WilsonRicky BarnesBlake Adams12:11 pmJ.B. HolmesBrendon de JongeTommy Gainey12:22 pmJeff OvertonKent JonesMarc Leishman12:33 pmJ.J. HenryBrian DavisKevin Stadler12:44 pmAnthony KimCameron BeckmanSean O’Hair12:55 pmGary WoodlandNick WatneyMark Wilson1:06 pmHarrison FrazarKeegan BradleyJhonattan Vegas1:17 pmArjun AtwalMatt BettencourtStephen Ames1:28 pmRoland ThatcherTom GillisKevin Chappell1:39 pmDavid HearnWilliam McGirtPeter Uihlein7:20 amAndres RomeroCameron Tringale7:31 amGarrett WillisGreg ChalmersJohn Merrick7:42 amTim HerronCharles Howell IIISteve Marino7:53 amSteve FleschPaul GoydosKevin Streelman8:04 amMichael BradleyCamilo VillegasMike Weir8:15 amK.J. ChoiJustin RoseAdam Scott8:26 amJim FurykHunter MahanErik Compton8:37 amBen CurtisTag RidingsBryce Molder8:48 amGeorge McNeillSpencer LevinMichael Sim8:59 amMichael ThompsonSteven BowditchJoseph Bramlett7:20 amChez ReavieKris BlanksChris Kirk7:31 amNick O’HernRickie FowlerScott Stallings7:42 amTim PetrovicMichael ConnellTroy Merritt7:53 amChris RileyNotah Begay IIIJimmy Walker8:04 amJohnson WagnerTroy MattesonTrevor Immelman8:15 amD.A. PointsRobert AllenbyWebb Simpson8:26 amRyan MooreBrian GayVijay Singh8:37 amChris DiMarcoScott McCarronHunter Haas8:48 amRod PamplingBilly MayfairJosh Teater8:59 amZack MillerBilly HorschelBilly Hurley III
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Second-round tee times for AT&T National (PGATOUR.com)
June 30, 2011
Second-round times. All times are local.
AT&T National Tee #2TimePlayers12:00 pmD.J. TrahanCharlie WiBobby Gates12:11 pmBoo WeekleyJoe DurantKevin Na12:22 pmJoe OgilvieShaun MicheelChris Stroud12:33 pmChris CouchVaughn TaylorJason Dufner12:44 pmCarl PetterssonPat PerezJustin Leonard12:55 pmRobert GarrigusBill Haas1:06 pmCharley HoffmanGeoff OgilvyBo Van Pelt1:17 pmMichael PutnamBill LundeStuart Appleby1:28 pmRyuji ImadaMatt JonesAlex Prugh1:39 pmDavid MathisKyle StanleyPatrick Cantlay12:00 pmDean WilsonRicky BarnesBlake Adams12:11 pmJ.B. HolmesBrendon de JongeTommy Gainey12:22 pmJeff OvertonKent JonesMarc Leishman12:33 pmJ.J. HenryBrian DavisKevin Stadler12:44 pmAnthony KimCameron BeckmanSean O’Hair12:55 pmGary WoodlandNick WatneyMark Wilson1:06 pmHarrison FrazarKeegan BradleyJhonattan Vegas1:17 pmArjun AtwalMatt BettencourtStephen Ames1:28 pmRoland ThatcherTom GillisKevin Chappell1:39 pmDavid HearnWilliam McGirtPeter Uihlein7:20 amAndres RomeroCameron Tringale7:31 amGarrett WillisGreg ChalmersJohn Merrick7:42 amTim HerronCharles Howell IIISteve Marino7:53 amSteve FleschPaul GoydosKevin Streelman8:04 amMichael BradleyCamilo VillegasMike Weir8:15 amK.J. ChoiJustin RoseAdam Scott8:26 amJim FurykHunter MahanErik Compton8:37 amBen CurtisTag RidingsBryce Molder8:48 amGeorge McNeillSpencer LevinMichael Sim8:59 amMichael ThompsonSteven BowditchJoseph Bramlett7:20 amChez ReavieKris BlanksChris Kirk7:31 amNick O’HernRickie FowlerScott Stallings7:42 amTim PetrovicMichael ConnellTroy Merritt7:53 amChris RileyNotah Begay IIIJimmy Walker8:04 amJohnson WagnerTroy MattesonTrevor Immelman8:15 amD.A. PointsRobert AllenbyWebb Simpson8:26 amRyan MooreBrian GayVijay Singh8:37 amChris DiMarcoScott McCarronHunter Haas8:48 amRod PamplingBilly MayfairJosh Teater8:59 amZack MillerBilly HorschelBilly Hurley III
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Tour Report: Williams, Scott a good match (PGATOUR.com)
June 30, 2011
Cannon/Getty ImagesSteve Williams has been on Adam scott’s bag since the U.S. Open.
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — This is just the second tournament Steve Williams has worked for Adam Scott since Tiger Woods has been recovering from injury.
BETHESDA, MD – JUNE 16: Mark … Getty Images – Jun 16, 4:53 pm EDT Golf Gallery
In their first tournament together, Scott missed the cut at the U.S. Open. Thursday at Aronimink, Scott shot a 4-under 66 to share the lead.
“I’ve learned some things off Steve, and he obviously knows how to manage his way around the golf course with all the people that he’s caddied for over the years,” Scott said. “He’s got a wealth of knowledge, and I’m trying to tap as much of that as I can while he’s on the bag certainly.”
Most of those years, at least the recent ones, Williams has been on Woods’ bag. He’s caddied for him in 13 of the 14 major championships Woods has won. With Woods still recovering from knee and Achilles injuries, however, Scott asked Williams if he wouldn’t mind carrying his bag until Woods was healthy again.
“You know, he’s getting there,” Scott joked. “He’s kind of getting the hang of it, yeah, now three rounds in, he might have a future one day, this guy (smiling).”
If Woods misses the British Open, it’s likely Williams would remain on the bag for Scott.
”He’s very confident in himself, but I felt like at the U.S. Open he certainly guided me around that first round very nicely and put me in all the right places and kept it very simple,” Scott continued. “It seems like he manages himself around the course like a really good golfer would, and that’s obviously nice because he understands how to get it around.”
Haas still on top for now
NETOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Aronimink continues to prove difficult — only 30 players are under par at the moment.
One of those is Hunter Haas, who is 5 under and atop the leaderboard. Haas is bogey free and at one point made four straight birdies on Nos. 13 through 16 (he started on the back nine).
Haas has missed three of his last four cuts, but he has his game working here. Haas is fourth in putting and seventh in the field in greens in regulation.
Elsewhere on the leaderboard, Adam Scott is 3 under as he finishes up his round, while Vijay Singh has fallen back to 2 under. Also at 2 under is Rickie Fowler, who just finished off his 68
Leonard working with putting coach
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Justin Leonard’s season hasn’t exactly gone very well. He has just three top-25s and he’s missed the cut in seven of his last 10 starts.
That prompted Leonard, who works with Randy Smith, to also turn to Marius Filmalter for help with his putting. The two have worked together the last few weeks and again this week at Aronimink.
The result? An opening-round 2-under 68 to get Leonard near the lead.
”I’ve been working very hard and playing pretty well but just not getting the scores out of it,” Leonard said. “It was nice to get out there and make a couple birdies early and be comfortable out there shooting a good score.”
What Filmalter has been working with Leonard on is trying to shorten his putting stroke, which Leonard says had gotten long and loose.
”The main thing is gaining confidence and getting comfortable,” Leonard said. “I’m doing those two things.”
Cantlay shoots even par
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Patrick Cantlay is playing in his third PGA TOUR event this week after finishing as the low amateur at the U.S. Open and last week recording a course-record 60 during the Travelers Championship. Thursday’s round at the AT&T National came with much less fanfare with Cantlay shooting even-par 70.
Still, considering only 31 players are under par for the moment, Cantlay’s round stands up pretty well.
The 19-year-old amateur had three birdies and three bogeys and took 29 putts.
Compton proving he belongs
By Zak Kozuchowski, PGATOUR.COM
Erik Compton continues to prove he has the skills necessary to compete on the PGA TOUR. He got off to a quick start at Aronomink with a birdie on its 430-yard opening hole and is currently 1 over through his first six holes on the tough track (click here to follow him live with Shot Tracker).
Compton is battling the emotions of winning his first Nationwide Tour event last week, the Mexico Open presented by Banamex. He’s also been subject to a great deal of media attention because of his health issues Compton was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy at the age of nine, and has since undergone two heart transplants that have kept him alive. Because of his condition, Compton battles a lot of fatigue and has to pace himself.
He’s done that well this year. His win last week moved him to No. 2 on the Nationwide Tour money list, virtually assuring that he will earn his PGA TOUR card next year. This week, Compton is paired with Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan, who are also 1 over.
Vegas trying to meet difficult demands
Stan Badz/PGA TOURJhonattan Vegas opened the AT&T National with a 3-under 67 Thursday.
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Jhonattan Vegas won in just his second career start on the PGA TOUR earlier this year. Since then, he’s tried to learn and manage all the expectations and demands that go with being a winner, much less one from Venezuela, a country where golf is almost non-existent.
Naturally, it hasn’t been easy.
“Being a foreign player, especially coming from a country that has no idea about golf, the demands internationally are really tough,” said Vegas, who opened with a 3-under 67 to share the lead at the AT&T National. “The thing that I realized after a few weeks of playing horrible is that mentally you really get worn out if you’re not careful, having to deal with so many things, the media back home, and trying to explain to everyone what really golf is and finishing top 20 in a TOUR event is not the end of the world because the people keep asking, ‘Why did you finish 19th, are you kidding, what a horrible week’ and I’m like, really?”
Those demands have certainly taken a toll on Vegas’ golf. In his last 11 starts, for example, Vegas has missed the cut six times and failed to finish in the top 25.
The demands, plus the results have tested Vegas’ patience at times, but he’s also learning to be patient.
“When I won so early and then almost won the following week, expectations were a little high and I wanted to win every week,” Vegas said. “Sometimes the game puts you in your place if you’re not careful.
“It’s been hard having to deal with all that stuff, but I’m taking it as it goes and being a little bit more patient and just trying to just focus on myself a little more.”
That certainly worked Thursday at Aronimink.
“It’s a course that you have to have absolutely everything in place to play great,” Vegas said. “That’s kind of what I did from tee to green today.”
Ogilvie starts strong despite injury
Carroll/Getty ImagesJoe Ogilvie shot a 3-under 67 Thursday at Aronimink.
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Despite a left wrist injury that will require an MRI, Joe Ogilvie finds himself in a familiar position at the AT& National.
A year after shooting a 66 in the first round at Aronimink, Ogilvie opened with a 67 Thursday to share the top spot. Coincidentally, he also led after the first round in 2007 when the event was played at Congressional.
”It sets up for my eye,” Ogilvie said of Aronimink. “And I’m smart enough to figure out this is a golf course where you can miss it in certain places in the fairway and kind of have angles, so if you do hit it in the rough, you can kind of scrape it on the green. And other than 10, I executed my game plan well in the sense of where I missed the shots because I know I’m going to miss a lot of shots. I just want to miss them in the right place.”
To Ogilvie’s point, despite hitting just 57 percent of his fairways, he still hit 72 percent of his greens in regulation. That helped open the door for four birdies and just one bogey.
“[The greens] are just tricky, a lot of hills and dales, and the pin placements today I thought were tough,” Ogilvie said. “The greens are very tricky, but they’re true.”
DeLaet withdraws from tournament
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Graham DeLaet has withdrawn from the AT&T National, citing a back injury.
“WD this week from AT&T. Back not feeling 100% and don’t really want to push it,” the Canadian tweeted.
DeLaet withdrew before his round began.
Wilson grabs early lead
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Dean Wilson is the early clubhouse leader after carding a 3-under 67 Thursday at Aronimink.
That might not sound very low, or you might think the chances of it holding up are slim, but considering Aronimink ranked as the fourth-toughest course on the PGA TOUR last year (and second-toughest non-major venue), it just might stand. Wilson made two birdies, an eagle and a bogey.
It’s been an up-and-down year for Wilson, who came into this week having missed three of his last five cuts. But he’s also had some good weeks, like at the Valero Texas Open, where he tied for 11th, and at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he was in contention after a second-round 64 before finishing 71-75 on the weekend.
Wilson also got some help from his instructor Andy Plummer — one half of the stack-and-tilt guys — who used to be a teaching pro here at Aronimink.
“I think I have a good grasp on how tough this course is, so I’m really happy with 3 under,” said Wilson, who has played this course a number of times before. “I think with the rain earlier in the week, for us this morning and probably for the guys later today, it’s going to be a little easier to hold the fairways. You’re not going to have too many roll through the fairways or even on the greens, but if the weather stays like this I’m sure it’ll firm up and by the end of the week it’ll be pretty tough to control your shots.”
Glover withdraws from AT&T
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Lucas Glover withdrew after nine holes Thursday morning at Aronimink, citing illness.
Since winning the Wells Fargo Championship in early May, Glover has struggled with two missed cuts and zero finishes inside the top 40. When he pulled out Thursday he was 5 over after six bogeys and one birdie through nine holes.
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — This is just the second tournament Steve Williams has worked for Adam Scott since Tiger Woods has been recovering from injury. In their first tournament together, Scott missed the cut at the U.S. Open. Thursday at Aronimink, Scott shot a 4-under 66 to share the lead. âI’ve […]
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First-round tee times for AT&T National (PGATOUR.com)
June 30, 2011
First-round times. All times are local.
AT&T National Tee #1TimePlayers7:20 amD.J. TrahanCharlie WiBobby Gates7:31 amBoo WeekleyJoe DurantKevin Na7:42 amJoe OgilvieShaun MicheelChris Stroud7:53 amChris CouchVaughn TaylorJason Dufner8:04 amCarl PetterssonPat PerezJustin Leonard8:15 amLucas GloverRobert GarrigusBill Haas8:26 amCharley HoffmanGeoff OgilvyBo Van Pelt8:37 amMichael PutnamBill LundeStuart Appleby8:48 amRyuji ImadaMatt JonesAlex Prugh8:59 amDavid MathisKyle StanleyPatrick Cantlay7:20 amDean WilsonRicky BarnesBlake Adams7:31 amJ.B. HolmesBrendon de JongeTommy Gainey7:42 amJeff OvertonKent JonesMarc Leishman7:53 amJ.J. HenryBrian DavisKevin Stadler8:04 amAnthony KimCameron BeckmanSean O’Hair8:15 amGary WoodlandNick WatneyMark Wilson8:26 amHarrison FrazarKeegan BradleyJhonattan Vegas8:37 amArjun AtwalMatt BettencourtStephen Ames8:48 amRoland ThatcherTom GillisKevin Chappell8:59 amDavid HearnWilliam McGirtPeter Uihlein12:00 pmAndres RomeroGraham DeLaetCameron Tringale12:11 pmGarrett WillisGreg ChalmersJohn Merrick12:22 pmTim HerronCharles Howell IIISteve Marino12:33 pmSteve FleschPaul GoydosKevin Streelman12:44 pmMichael BradleyCamilo VillegasMike Weir12:55 pmK.J. ChoiJustin RoseAdam Scott1:06 pmJim FurykHunter MahanErik Compton1:17 pmBen CurtisTag RidingsBryce Molder1:28 pmGeorge McNeillSpencer LevinMichael Sim1:39 pmMichael ThompsonSteven BowditchJoseph Bramlett12:00 pmChez ReavieKris BlanksChris Kirk12:11 pmNick O’HernRickie FowlerScott Stallings12:22 pmTim PetrovicMichael ConnellTroy Merritt12:33 pmChris RileyNotah Begay IIIJimmy Walker12:44 pmJohnson WagnerTroy MattesonTrevor Immelman12:55 pmD.A. PointsRobert AllenbyWebb Simpson1:06 pmRyan MooreBrian GayVijay Singh1:17 pmChris DiMarcoScott McCarronHunter Haas1:28 pmRod PamplingBilly MayfairJosh Teater1:39 pmZack MillerBilly HorschelBilly Hurley III
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Golf writer Tom Ramsey dies at 75 in Australia
June 30, 2011
SYDNEY (AP)—Longtime Australian golf writer Tom Ramsey has died at 75.
He fought cancer for a decade and died Wednesday.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 29: Go… Getty Images – Jun 29, 10:40 am EDT Golf Gallery
Tom Ramsey was News Limited newspapers’ chief golf writer for more than 40years and was inducted the Memorial Tournament’s Hall of Fame in 2001 by JackNicklaus.
News Limited chairman John Hartigan called Ramsey a “stubborn NorthernIrishman” who covered 141 majors. Hartigan said Ramsey was “afraid of no oneand regularly dished it out to the likes of Greg Norman despite his iconicstanding in this country.”
Sydney’s Daily Telegraph said Friday that Ramsey was cremated and his asheswill be spread at his favorite course, Royal County Down in Northern Ireland.
Ramsey is survived by his wife, Carmel, and son Andrew.
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