Browne makes few mistakes to win U.S. Senior Open (PGATOUR.com)
July 31, 2011
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP)—After a stoic week, Olin Browne finally let loose.
Browne showed little emotion until rolling in a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole to clinch a three-shot victory over Mark O’Meara in the U.S. Senior Open on Sunday.
After Browne’s last putt dropped and a large gallery around the final green at Inverness Club roared its approval, he raised his arms in triumph. It was the biggest victory of the journeyman’s 27 years as a professional.
Browne’s closing even-par 71 followed rounds of 64, 69 and 65 and left him at 15-under 269.
Making few mistakes, he parred the first seven holes. After a bogey dropped him into a tie with O’Meara (72), he played the last 10 holes in 1 under, while O’Meara made two costly bogeys.
Mark Calcavecchia shot a 69 and was alone in third at 273. Ageless Hale Irwin had a 68 and was another shot back along with Joey Sindelar (70).
Browne changed his approach in the final round. He had made 15 birdies and two eagles to blitz the field and take a two-stroke lead into the final round. But in the last 18 holes, he played within himself and was content to settle for pars while everyone else tried to catch him.
O’Meara, winner of the 1998 Masters and British Open, caught up but couldn’t hang on.
With Browne typically finding the fairway, hitting the green in regulation and then making two putts for par, it was O’Meara who blinked in their final-round, head-to-head matchup in the last pairing.
With Browne and O’Meara tied for the lead, O’Meara lost his share for good when his drive on the par-4, 461-yard 13th ended up behind a tree left of the fairway. He was forced to hit a low draw around the tree that hit another tree and ended up in the deep rough right of the green. He muscled the chip shot out of the high grass, but it rolled 45 feet past the pin, leading to a two-putt bogey.
Browne maintained his one-stroke lead until Inverness’ most difficult hole, the long and uphill par-4, 488-yard 16th. While Browne was splitting the fairway and hitting a hybrid pin high on the green, O’Meara’s long-iron approach came up 30 yards short of the green. He chipped to 20 feet below the hole and failed to make the par putt as the lead doubled.
Playing keep-away with the lead, Browne made a 12-foot par putt on the 17th green. At the 18th hole made famous by Bob Tway’s sand shot that broke Greg Norman’s heart to win the 1986 PGA Championship, Browne drove into the first cut of rough and calmly put a wedge on the green. Safely below the hole, he stroked the putt into the middle of the cup.
Browne, who did not begin playing golf until he was 19, became just the second player in tournament history to go wire-to-wire by matching the accomplishment of Dale Douglass (1986).
His best showing in his two previous U.S. Senior Opens was a tie for third last year at Sahalee. He was 10th the previous year at Crooked Stick.
O’Meara was thwarted in his bid for a second Champions Tour major to go with his Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship he won last year in Maryland. Instead, he finished second for the 10th time in his five seasons since joining the over-50 circuit.
Peter Senior (71) was at 275. Corey Pavin (69) and Michael Allen (70) were another shot back. The group at 277 included Steve Pate (68), John Huston (69), Nick Price (70) and defending champion Bernhard Langer (70).
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 11
Daily Wrap-up: Round 4, The Greenbrier Classic (PGATOUR.com)
July 31, 2011
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP)—PGA TOUR rookie Scott Stallings won the Greenbrier Classic on Sunday, sinking a birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat Bob Estes and Bill Haas.
After watching Estes and Haas miss their birdie attempts on the 168-yard 18th hole, Stallings curled in a 7-footer for his first TOUR victory. He flipped his putter, then hugged and high-fived his caddie.
Stallings made six birdies on the back nine to make the playoff, where he earned a winner’s check of $1.08 million and a spot in the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.
It marked the second straight week that a tournament was won in sudden death. Sean O’Hair beat Kris Blanks on the first playoff hole a week ago at the RBC Canadian Open.
In just its second year, the Greenbrier Classic produced another dramatic finish. Stuart Appleby shot 59 in last year’s final round, including a birdie on the last hole to beat Jeff Overton by a stroke.
Haas earned his fourth top-10 finish of the season, while the 45-year-old Estes missed out on his first TOUR win since 2002 and fifth overall. Estes battled a wrist injury earlier this year and was playing in just his seventh tournament.
Estes shot 6-under 64 and was the clubhouse leader at 10 under, then watched as Haas birdied the par-5 17th six groups later to join him after a 67.
Stallings, who shot 69, bogeyed the par-5 17th after his drive went out of bounds and he needed a birdie at No. 18 to make the playoff. He sank a 5-footer to do it.
Jimmy Walker (68), Andres Romero (65), Brendon de Jonge (66), Cameron Tringale (67) and Gary Woodland (69) finished at 9 under.
After last year’s tournament, the course was lengthened more than 200 yards and the reseeded greens were less receptive to approach shots this time around. Appleby and Phil Mickelson were among those missing the cut, and the low rounds of the tournament were 62s shot by Anthony Kim and Walker on Saturday.
There were birdies to be made Sunday, just not the boatload that Appleby enjoyed last year.
Kim, the third-round leader, missed four birdie tries under 14 feet on the first six holes. He three-putted the par-3 8th, then hooked his tee shot into trees on the next hole and made bogey. He shot 74 to finish at 6 under, tied with four others.
Webb Simpson overcame a double bogey on the first hole, made five birdies on the front nine and took the lead briefly after a 3-footer for birdie at No. 9. It would be his last. He bogeyed the next hole and never recovered. He shot even par and finished tied with Kyle Stanley at 8 under.
Simpson relinquished the lead to Haas, who had back-to-back birdies at No. 8 and 9. Haas made bogey at No. 15 to give Estes the lead, then tied him two holes later.
Stallings started the day a shot out of the lead and seemed to take himself out of contention with three bogeys on the front nine. He responded with four birdies on the first five holes on the back, then hit a 103-yard wedge within a foot of the hole on the par-4 16th to move to 10 under before getting into trouble on No. 17.
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 11
Tour Report: Congratulate Stallings on his win (PGATOUR.com)
July 31, 2011
Martin/Getty Images
Scott Stallings birdied the first hole of a playoff against Bill Haas and Bob Estes to win The Greenbrier Classic on Sunday. Post your note of congratulations here and we’ll share it with him.
Stallings wins in playoff
Facing nearly the same putt he had in regulation, Scott Stallings again birdied the par-3 18th hole at The Old White TPC this time for the win.
The victory is the first of Stallings’ career and nets him 500 FedExCup points.
Stallings is the sixth rookie and 10th first-time winner to win on the PGA TOUR this year. With the win, Stallings moves from 88th to 26th in FedExCup points.
After watching Bob Estes and Bill Haas miss their birdie attempts on the 168-yard 18th, Stallings curled in his 7-footer, flipped his putter skyward and then hugged and high-fived his caddie.
Stallings made six birdies on the back nine to make the playoff, where he earned also earned a spot in next week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.
It marked the second straight week that a tournament was won in sudden death. Sean O’Hair beat Kris Blanks on the first playoff hole a week ago at the RBC Canadian Open.
Playoff play-by-play: Stallings wins
Bob Estes, Bill Haas and Scott Stallings are in a playoff at The Old White TPC, where the first playoff hole will be the par-3 18th, followed by the par-5 17th (if needed) and then back to the 18th (if needed).
18TH HOLE (5:58 p.m.): Bill Haas led off the playoff — and hit a nearly identical shot as he did in regulation with his ball just getting onto the back shelf at the par-3 hole. Haas used 9-iron. Estes, meanwhile, hit an 8-iron inside of Haas hole high maybe 15 feet right of the hole. Stallings was the last to go and he hit almost the same shot he hit in regulation when he made birdie, hitting it just outside 5 feet. All three will now have almost identical putts to what they faced in regulation.
(6:03 p.m.): Haas and Estes each missed their birdie putts, while Stallings, who had a nearly identical putt to what he had in regulation when he made birdie rolled his in for the win.
Three to start playoff
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. – A year ago, it took a 59 to win The Greenbrier Classic. The excitement has continued on Sunday as Bob Estes, Scott Stallings and Bill Haas embark on a playoff to decide the champion.
The playoff will begin on the par-3 18th, then move to the par-5 17th and back to No. 18, if necessary.
Estes, who has battled wrist injuries and missed the cut in five of his six starts this year, finished at 10 under first. He shot a bogey-free 65 in the final round and rolled in birdie putts of 4 and 15 feet on his last two holes.
Estes is a three-time PGA TOUR winner. His last victory came at the 2002 Kemper Open, which was 223 starts ago.
Haas, who picked up his first two PGA TOUR victories last year, closed with a 67. He bogeyed the 15th hole but came back with a clutch 10-footer for birdie at the 17th hole to tie with Estes.
Stallings was at 10 under, as well, until he hit his tee shot in the hazard at the 17th hole and went on to make bogey. But the rookie came up with a pressure-packed 5-footer for a birdie at the 18th to rejoin the fray.
Estes shoots 65, grabs lead
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Bob Estes is trying to pull a Sean O’Hair Sunday at The Greenbrier Classic.
Estes has just finished off a bogey-free round of 64 that moved him into a tie for first at 10 under with Bill Haas. Minutes later, though, Haas made bogey at the 15th hole and Estes now has the lead alone.
Should Estes win, he would move from 254th in the FedExCup to 82nd. A win would also end a nine-year victory drought for the 45-year-old Texan, who has played sparingly this year after finishing outside the top 125 on the money list for just the second time in his career.
When O’Hair won the RBC Canadian Open last week, he moved from 147th in the FedExCup to 43rd.
Prior to this week, Estes had only played in six PGA TOUR events. He’d only cashed one check – in his first start at the Valero Texas Open back in April.
De Jonge rallies, but misses chance
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Brendon de Jonge called it a "terrible" effort.
He was looking at a birdie putt on the 72nd hole. A mere 5 feet, 7 inches stood between the big man from Zimbabwe and a share of the lead at The Greenbrier Classic.
But de Jonge missed. And another chance at his first PGA TOUR victory disappeared, as well.
"I had it straight up the hill … and barely touched the hole and just had a bad putt," de Jonge said.
Still, the former Virginia Tech standout couldn’t be too disappointed. He held a share of the 36-hole lead, lost it with a frustrating 72 on Saturday but rallied and gave himself a chance on Sunday.
De Jonge bogeyed his first hole of the final round, but made the turn in 31 after closing out the front nine with a string of three straight birdies. He went on to make a 5-footer at the par-5 17th to move to 9 under and within one stroke of Bob Estes, who was waiting in the clubhouse.
And then he missed that birdie putt.
"I didn’t get off to a great start, obviously, bogeying the first but made a couple of birdies around the turn which got me back in the tournament and gave me a chance on the back nine," de Jonge said. "Just didn’t make any putts when I needed to."
Even so, de Jonge, who had two top-10s entering The Greenbrier Classic, continues his love affair with The Old White TPC. He finished solo third a year ago.
"It was fun,” de Jonge said. "It was exciting. Obviously, it would have been nice to make that last one or a couple more coming in, but , no, that was fun."
Romero posts 9 under
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Andres Romero has given the leaders something to ponder after putting the finishing touches on a 65 and posting 9 under.
The 30-year-old from Argentina did the bulk of his scoring on the back nine — the more difficult of the two at The Old White TPC — this weekend. He shot 31 on that segment on Saturday and 32 on Sunday.
Romero, who finished third last week at the RBC Canadian Open, was one stroke off the pace being set by Bill Haas when he finished. He had a chip to tie on the par-3 18th hole but it slid 4 feet by.
Haas still has four holes remaining.
Haas trying to hold on
Bill Haas is still holding onto the lead on the back nine at The Old White TPC, but it’ a slim lead at one stroke.
The good news for Haas is that Andres Romero I already in at 9 under and Brendon de Jonge and Bob Estes are about to finish their rounds as well. Jimmy Walker, however, is 2 under through 13 holes and also at 9 under just a stroke back.
Four others, including overnight leader Anthony Kim, are on the course at 8 under.
In terms of Haas, he’s played the back nine well. He has just two bogey and both came on Thursday. The last four holes he’s played in a collective 2 under since — now it’s just a matter if he can fend off the challengers for the next hour.
Simpson has huge turnaround
Things didn’t look very promising for Webb Simpson after the first hole. He pulled his tee shot well to the left and went on to make double bogey. Since then, though, it’s been a different story for the Wake Forest product who’s searching for his first career win in what is his third year on the PGA TOUR.
Simpson just made the turn in 4 under with four birdies in his last five holes and five in all on the front nine at The Old White TPC, where he now shares the top spot at 10 under with Bill Haas.
Anthony Kim, meanwhile, has bogeyed each of his last two holes and is now two shots back after playing the front nine in 2 over.
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 11
Stallings wins Greenbrier Classic in playoff
July 31, 2011
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Virginia (AP)—PGA Tour rookie Scott Stallings wonthe Greenbrier Classic on Sunday, sinking a birdie putt on the first playoffhole to beat Bob Estes and Bill Haas.
After watching Estes and Haas miss their birdie attempts on the 168-yard18th hole, Stallings curled in a 7-footer for his first tour victory. He flippedhis putter, then hugged and high-fived his caddie.
Stallings made six birdies on the back nine to make the playoff, where heearned a winner’s check of $1.08 million and a spot in the BridgestoneInvitational.
It marked the second straight week that a tournament was won in suddendeath. Sean O’Hair beat Kris Blanks on the first playoff hole a week ago at theCanadian Open.
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 11
Golf-Stallings wins first PGA Tour title in Greenbrier playoff (Reuters)
July 31, 2011
NEW YORK, July 31 (Reuters) – Rookie Scott Stallings heldhis nerve in dramatic fashion to win his maiden PGA Tour titlein a playoff with fellow Americans Bob Estes and Bill Haas atthe Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia on Sunday.
The 26-year-old, who sank a five-foot birdie putt at thefinal hole in regulation to join the playoff, birdied the samehole moments later to triumph for the first time on the U.S.circuit.
Stallings threw both arms skywards in joyful celebrationand then embraced his caddie after his curling seven-foot puttdropped into the cup at the par-three 18th.
The trio had finished the 72 regulation holes on10-under-par 270 at The Greenbrier resort in White SulphurSprings, Estes closing with a six-under 64, Haas with a 67 andStallings with a 69.
(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing bySteve Keating; To query or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 11
Browne makes few mistakes to win US Senior Open
July 31, 2011
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP)—Olin Browne showed little emotion until rolling in a30-foot birdie putt on the final hole to clinch a three-shot victory over MarkO’Meara in the U.S. Senior Open on Sunday.
It was the biggest triumph of the journeyman’s 27 years as a professional.
Browne’s closing even-par 71 followed rounds of 64, 69 and 65 and left himat 15-under 269.
Making few mistakes, he parred the first seven holes. After a bogey droppedhim into a tie with O’Meara (72), he played the last 10 holes in 1 under, whileO’Meara made two costly bogeys.
Mark Calcavecchia shot a 69 and was alone in third at 273. Ageless HaleIrwin had a 68 was another shot back along with Joey Sindelar (70).
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 11
Golf-Estes, Haas and Stallings in playoff at The Greenbrier (Reuters)
July 31, 2011
NEW YORK, July 31 (Reuters) – Americans Bob Estes, BillHaas and PGA Tour rookie Scott Stallings took the GreenbrierClassic into a sudden-death playoff in White Sulphur Springs,West Virginia on Sunday.
The trio finished the 72 regulation holes on 10-under-par270 at The Greenbrier resort, Estes closing with a six-under64, Haas with a 67 and Stallings sinking a five-foot birdieputt at the last for a 69.
(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing bySteve Keating; To query or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 11
Tiger Woods returns to plenty of advice
July 31, 2011
LAS VEGAS (AP)—Like most of you, I get much of my Tiger Woods news online,delivered directly from the great one himself.
It’s where I learned he was missing the U.S. and British Opens, where I sawpictures of his fancy new practice facility in Florida. It’s where I learned heand Elin would be no longer, and where I found out his caddie had been sentpacking.
Right there on TigerWoods.com, where the latest news is that Woods isexcited to be back.
“I’m excited to get back out there,” Woods quoted himself as saying.
His followers seem just as excited to see him back, with most wishing himgood luck in the comments section of the website. Surely Woods will find some oftheir words inspirational as he returns this week to try salvaging a season onthe brink of slipping away.
They want him to win, though they’re worried about his leg and concernedabout life without caddie Stevie Williams. They hope Woods has his killerinstinct back, but don’t seem totally convinced he does.
And, unlike the yes men Woods surrounds himself with, they’re not afraid tooffer him advice. Most it has absolutely nothing to do with new methods Woodsmight use to find the fairway with his driver.
“Please be nice in your (replies) to news questions,” wrote one, whoobviously tuned in for the final round of the Masters this year. “I know it maybe hard, but sometimes you are short and not very nice. That does not do you anygood, even if it’s a dumb question. Thanks for listening.”
That may give hope to TV golf interviewers everywhere, but the Internetsuggestion box doesn’t stop there. Amateur psychologists seem particularlyinterested in Woods’ latest comeback, and they’re eager to share their wisdomwith him.
“Remember that friends are not always who they seem to be and you shouldnot allow yourself to be hostage to anyone,” wrote one. “You are a free manand if you want to change your caddie, then you have a right just like anyoneelse to do so. Right now, in my humble opinion, your beloved mother is the onlyone who has your best interest at heart—so listen to her and you will stay onthe straight and narrow.”
Someone identifying himself as the Unknown Comic was more Zen-like inoffering his take.
“Son, perform well. Be yourself. Stick to your plan.”
Just what that plan may be, of course, is anyone’s guess. There is noblueprint for overcoming a humiliating scandal, finding yet another new swing,and trying to smash a golf ball more than 300 yards on a leg that could breakdown on any given swing.
But this is Tiger Woods we’re talking about. Winner of 14 majors.Intimidator of other players. Greatest golfer of his era.
His fans want that Tiger back, not the one who quit after just nine holes ofThe Players Championship the last time he played for real.
“Now that your physical ability is back, get the attitude back Tiger! Goout there with a chip on your shoulder like you used to have and run away fromthe pack,” wrote one.
“Smash those clowns!” offered another.
Unfortunately for Woods, those clowns aren’t nearly as clownish anymore.There’s a whole new group of players who don’t feel the urge to bow down in hispresence, as the back nine of the Masters showed.
Besides, it’s hard to intimidate anyone when you’re hitting the ball sosideways it ends up on the adjoining hole.
That’s one more reason Woods will be missing Williams, the caddie he teamedup with for 13 of his major championship wins. Not only was Williams a confidantto Woods and a leader in the fight to allow caddies to wear shorts, but he wasamong the best at clearing a path through fans for his man.
Unfortunately, Woods hasn’t taken to his website to announce his caddie forthis week’s Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone, where he has won seven times.We’ll know when he shows up, though the Golf Channel reported it would be BryonBell, a childhood friend who allegedly also once made travel arrangements for atleast one of Woods’ mistresses.
We’ll also know when he shows up how much facial hair he’ll have, a subjectthat seems to intrigue his fans just as much as the state of his mind.
“Shave off all of the face hair!” one wrote. “The last thing you need isto look like Charles Barkley!”
“I like your beard sexy and macho,” wrote another. “Keep it that way.”
Proof, perhaps, that whatever Woods does in his latest comeback, he’s notgoing to please everyone.
Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Writeto him at tdahlberg(at)ap.org or http://twitter.com/timdahlberg
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 11
Tour Report: Estes shoots 65, grabs lead (PGATOUR.com)
July 31, 2011
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Bob Estes is trying to pull a Sean O’Hair Sunday at The Greenbrier Classic.
Estes has just finished off a bogey-free round of 64 that moved him into a tie for first at 10 under with Bill Haas. Minutes later, though, Haas made bogey at the 15th hole and Estes now has the lead alone.
Should Estes win, he would move from 254th in the FedExCup to 82nd. A win would also end a nine-year victory drought for the 45-year-old Texan, who has played sparingly this year after finishing outside the top 125 on the money list for just the second time in his career.
When O’Hair won the RBC Canadian Open last week, he moved from 147th in the FedExCup to 43rd.
Prior to this week, Estes had only played in six PGA TOUR events. He’d only cashed one check – in his first start at the Valero Texas Open back in April.
De Jonge rallies, but misses chance
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Brendon de Jonge called it a "terrible" effort.
He was looking at a birdie putt on the 72nd hole. A mere 5 feet, 7 inches stood between the big man from Zimbabwe and a share of the lead at The Greenbrier Classic.
But de Jonge missed. And another chance at his first PGA TOUR victory disappeared, as well.
"I had it straight up the hill … and barely touched the hole and just had a bad putt," de Jonge said.
Still, the former Virginia Tech standout couldn’t be too disappointed. He held a share of the 36-hole lead, lost it with a frustrating 72 on Saturday but rallied and gave himself a chance on Sunday.
De Jonge bogeyed his first hole of the final round, but made the turn in 31 after closing out the front nine with a string of three straight birdies. He went on to make a 5-footer at the par-5 17th to move to 9 under and within one stroke of Bob Estes, who was waiting in the clubhouse.
And then he missed that birdie putt.
"I didn’t get off to a great start, obviously, bogeying the first but made a couple of birdies around the turn which got me back in the tournament and gave me a chance on the back nine," de Jonge said. "Just didn’t make any putts when I needed to."
Even so, de Jonge, who had two top-10s entering The Greenbrier Classic, continues his love affair with The Old White TPC. He finished solo third a year ago.
"It was fun,” de Jonge said. "It was exciting. Obviously, it would have been nice to make that last one or a couple more coming in, but , no, that was fun."
Romero posts 9 under
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Andres Romero has given the leaders something to ponder after putting the finishing touches on a 65 and posting 9 under.
The 30-year-old from Argentina did the bulk of his scoring on the back nine — the more difficult of the two at The Old White TPC — this weekend. He shot 31 on that segment on Saturday and 32 on Sunday.
Romero, who finished third last week at the RBC Canadian Open, was one stroke off the pace being set by Bill Haas when he finished. He had a chip to tie on the par-3 18th hole but it slid 4 feet by.
Haas still has four holes remaining.
Haas trying to hold on
Bill Haas is still holding onto the lead on the back nine at The Old White TPC, but it’ a slim lead at one stroke.
The good news for Haas is that Andres Romero I already in at 9 under and Brendon de Jonge and Bob Estes are about to finish their rounds as well. Jimmy Walker, however, is 2 under through 13 holes and also at 9 under just a stroke back.
Four others, including overnight leader Anthony Kim, are on the course at 8 under.
In terms of Haas, he’s played the back nine well. He has just two bogey and both came on Thursday. The last four holes he’s played in a collective 2 under since — now it’s just a matter if he can fend off the challengers for the next hour.
Simpson has huge turnaround
Things didn’t look very promising for Webb Simpson after the first hole. He pulled his tee shot well to the left and went on to make double bogey. Since then, though, it’s been a different story for the Wake Forest product who’s searching for his first career win in what is his third year on the PGA TOUR.
Simpson just made the turn in 4 under with four birdies in his last five holes and five in all on the front nine at The Old White TPC, where he now shares the top spot at 10 under with Bill Haas.
Anthony Kim, meanwhile, has bogeyed each of his last two holes and is now two shots back after playing the front nine in 2 over.
De Jonge gets back in race
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Brendon de Jonge has proven quite resilient this week.
He held a share of the lead starting the third round but had a horrible opening nine Saturday at The Old White TPC. After rolling in a 12-footer for birdie on the second hole, de Jonge bogeyed No. 3, doubled the fifth and dropped two more shots before turning in 38.
The big man from Zimbabwe did manage to right the ship on the back nine, though, with a couple of birdies to finish 54 holes at 5 under for the tournament. He was five strokes behind Anthony Kim, as a result.
"I couldn’t get the wind right," said de Jonge, who finished third at The Greenbrier last year. "I hit a couple of bad shots in the wrong time and got a couple bad breaks.
"I did (hang in there). It’s nice. It gives me a bit of an outside shot on (Sunday)."
Indeed it has. Granted, De Jonge, who went to school at Virginia Tech and has plenty of crowd support, bogeyed the first hole. But he’s made four birdies since, including three straight to end the front nine, and currently is tied for second at 8 under, two behind Kim.
"I’ll have to get off to a really good start to make a run at it," de Jonge had said on Saturday evening. Mission accomplished.
Haas in hunt early
The final round is in full swing with the final group of Anthony Kim and Scott Stallings having teed off about 20 minutes ago.
One of the players trying to catch Kim is Bill Haas. So far, he’s off to a good start at 1 under through his first three holes putting him two back of Kim. Haas has played very well the past three rounds with 10 birdies and just one bogey going back to the beginning of the second round.
Haas has cooled off since the beginning of the season, and he’s broken 70 just once in his last eight final rounds, but he’s one of the best ball-strikers on the PGA TOUR and that’s what’s paid off for him this week. He’s also putted well, ranking second in the field in putts per round.
Can he keep that trend going? When he won at the Bob Hope Classic last year he certainly did, shooting a final-round 64.
Restoration a rousing success
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — What a difference a year makes.
In 2010, 77 players completed four rounds at The Greenbrier Classic and 46 of those shot four rounds in the 60s — or in Stuart Appleby’s case, three in the 60s and one 59.
Only four players have that opportunity on Sunday, though. They are Anthony Kim, Webb Simpson, Chris Couch and John Merrick.
Looks like the restoration of the Old White TPC has accomplished its mission to make the C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor creation more challenging.
Win could be biggest of Kim’s career
What would a win today mean for Anthony Kim?
“I think it would actually mean more than any of the other wins I’ve had just because of the fact that I’ve come back from something,” said Kim, who has struggled since thumb surgery last year. “I didn’t know where my golf game was going. Even up to this point, I’m excited about the rest of the year, the FedExCup playoffs, and the chance to win a golf tournament.”
If Kim, who will tee off at the bottom of the hour, is going to win, he’ll have to have a better final round than he’s had in most of his final rounds this year — his final-round scoring average is 71.
That said, Kim’s game is driven by confidence and he has plenty of it going into the final round.
“It’s absolutely on an upside,” Kim said Saturday night. “I can’t tell you the last time that I ever played golf where I was not wanting to be on a golf course, but for the last six months before the British Open, I just did not want to be on the golf course.
“I didn’t know where the ball was going, and I was just hoping it would bounce out of the trees. It wasn’t a matter of it going in the rough, it was a matter of it bouncing in or out of bounds. People may think I’m exaggerating, but this is how tough this game got for me. Going back to the basics is really what helped my game. Without that, I would still be struggling.”
By simple approach Kim is trying not to get caught up in how far to hit the ball, he said. “If I have to hit it 170 yards, I just hit my 8-iron and don’t think about anything else,” Kim said. “It’s been a lot easier to hit golf shots that way.”
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — A year ago, Stuart Appleby came from eight strokes off the pace to beat Jeff Overton by one shot at the inaugural Greenbrier Classic. Of course, he had to shoot just the fifth 59 in PGA TOUR history to do it. And Appleby birdied his last three holes. Judging […]
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 11
Tour Report: Romero posts 9 under (PGATOUR.com)
July 31, 2011
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Andres Romero has given the leaders something to ponder after putting the finishing touches on a 65 and posting 9 under.
The 30-year-old from Argentina did the bulk of his scoring on the back nine — the more difficult of the two at The Old White TPC — this weekend. He shot 31 on that segment on Saturday and 32 on Sunday.
Romero, who finished third last week at the RBC Canadian Open, was one stroke off the pace being set by Bill Haas when he finished. He had a chip to tie on the par-3 18th hole but it slid 4 feet by.
Haas still has four holes remaining.
Haas trying to hold on
Bill Haas is still holding onto the lead on the back nine at The Old White TPC, but it’ a slim lead at one stroke.
The good news for Haas is that Andres Romero I already in at 9 under and Brendon de Jonge and Bob Estes are about to finish their rounds as well. Jimmy Walker, however, is 2 under through 13 holes and also at 9 under just a stroke back.
Four others, including overnight leader Anthony Kim, are on the course at 8 under.
In terms of Haas, he’s played the back nine well. He has just two bogey and both came on Thursday. The last four holes he’s played in a collective 2 under since — now it’s just a matter if he can fend off the challengers for the next hour.
Simpson has huge turnaround
Things didn’t look very promising for Webb Simpson after the first hole. He pulled his tee shot well to the left and went on to make double bogey. Since then, though, it’s been a different story for the Wake Forest product who’s searching for his first career win in what is his third year on the PGA TOUR.
Simpson just made the turn in 4 under with four birdies in his last five holes and five in all on the front nine at The Old White TPC, where he now shares the top spot at 10 under with Bill Haas.
Anthony Kim, meanwhile, has bogeyed each of his last two holes and is now two shots back after playing the front nine in 2 over.
De Jonge gets back in race
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Brendon de Jonge has proven quite resilient this week.
He held a share of the lead starting the third round but had a horrible opening nine Saturday at The Old White TPC. After rolling in a 12-footer for birdie on the second hole, de Jonge bogeyed No. 3, doubled the fifth and dropped two more shots before turning in 38.
The big man from Zimbabwe did manage to right the ship on the back nine, though, with a couple of birdies to finish 54 holes at 5 under for the tournament. He was five strokes behind Anthony Kim, as a result.
"I couldn’t get the wind right," said de Jonge, who finished third at The Greenbrier last year. "I hit a couple of bad shots in the wrong time and got a couple bad breaks.
"I did (hang in there). It’s nice. It gives me a bit of an outside shot on (Sunday)."
Indeed it has. Granted, De Jonge, who went to school at Virginia Tech and has plenty of crowd support, bogeyed the first hole. But he’s made four birdies since, including three straight to end the front nine, and currently is tied for second at 8 under, two behind Kim.
"I’ll have to get off to a really good start to make a run at it," de Jonge had said on Saturday evening. Mission accomplished.
Haas in hunt early
The final round is in full swing with the final group of Anthony Kim and Scott Stallings having teed off about 20 minutes ago.
One of the players trying to catch Kim is Bill Haas. So far, he’s off to a good start at 1 under through his first three holes putting him two back of Kim. Haas has played very well the past three rounds with 10 birdies and just one bogey going back to the beginning of the second round.
Haas has cooled off since the beginning of the season, and he’s broken 70 just once in his last eight final rounds, but he’s one of the best ball-strikers on the PGA TOUR and that’s what’s paid off for him this week. He’s also putted well, ranking second in the field in putts per round.
Can he keep that trend going? When he won at the Bob Hope Classic last year he certainly did, shooting a final-round 64.
Restoration a rousing success
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — What a difference a year makes.
In 2010, 77 players completed four rounds at The Greenbrier Classic and 46 of those shot four rounds in the 60s — or in Stuart Appleby’s case, three in the 60s and one 59.
Only four players have that opportunity on Sunday, though. They are Anthony Kim, Webb Simpson, Chris Couch and John Merrick.
Looks like the restoration of the Old White TPC has accomplished its mission to make the C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor creation more challenging.
Win could be biggest of Kim’s career
What would a win today mean for Anthony Kim?
“I think it would actually mean more than any of the other wins I’ve had just because of the fact that I’ve come back from something,” said Kim, who has struggled since thumb surgery last year. “I didn’t know where my golf game was going. Even up to this point, I’m excited about the rest of the year, the FedExCup playoffs, and the chance to win a golf tournament.”
If Kim, who will tee off at the bottom of the hour, is going to win, he’ll have to have a better final round than he’s had in most of his final rounds this year — his final-round scoring average is 71.
That said, Kim’s game is driven by confidence and he has plenty of it going into the final round.
“It’s absolutely on an upside,” Kim said Saturday night. “I can’t tell you the last time that I ever played golf where I was not wanting to be on a golf course, but for the last six months before the British Open, I just did not want to be on the golf course.
“I didn’t know where the ball was going, and I was just hoping it would bounce out of the trees. It wasn’t a matter of it going in the rough, it was a matter of it bouncing in or out of bounds. People may think I’m exaggerating, but this is how tough this game got for me. Going back to the basics is really what helped my game. Without that, I would still be struggling.”
By simple approach Kim is trying not to get caught up in how far to hit the ball, he said. “If I have to hit it 170 yards, I just hit my 8-iron and don’t think about anything else,” Kim said. “It’s been a lot easier to hit golf shots that way.”
Weather could cooperate Sunday
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Sunday’s forecast is very similar to that of Saturday with the threat of thunderstorms in the afternoon.
The cold front that blew through the area on Saturday stalled near the border between Virginia and North Carolina. That’s kept it just close enough for there to be a slight possibility of showers.
Of course, we got away with a 13-minute weather delay on Saturday so we can always hope. And temperatures have moderated in the mid-80s so that’s another plus.
Old White TPC playing tough
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — A year ago, Stuart Appleby came from eight strokes off the pace to beat Jeff Overton by one shot at the inaugural Greenbrier Classic.
Of course, he had to shoot just the fifth 59 in PGA TOUR history to do it. And Appleby birdied his last three holes.
Judging by Sunday’s early results at The Old White TPC, a similar come-from-behind win may not be in the offing. There are 54 players on the course right now and only 23 are under par for the day.
And of those 23, only four are 3 under or better. J.P. Hayes, who started at even par, is 5 under through 15 holes while Matt Bettencourt is 4 under through 10 holes and 5 under for the tournament.
Both Carl Pettersson and Garrett Willis are 3 under for the day. Pettersson has played 11 holes and is 4 under for the tournament while Willis, who started the day even, is 3 under through 13 holes.
They’ll all be done way before Anthony Kim and Scott Stallings tee off in the day’s final group at 1:50 p.m. Kim is 10 under after shooting 62 Saturday while Stallings is another stroke behind.
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 11
