Woodland progress with new coach taking time
January 31, 2012
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP)—Gary Woodland was irritated that he couldn’t dobetter than a 70 on the North Course at Torrey Pines. It wasn’t much better onthe South Course, where a 72 allowed him to make the cut on the number, and a 74in the third round wasn’t enough for the 54-hole cut.
Then again, he realized it might take time for him to adjust to a new swing.
“I’m changing the whole path of the swing,” Woodland said. “I’d like tobe ready for Augusta.”
Woodland already has gone through substantial changes off the course. Whenhe left agent Blake Smith at Hambric Sports, he also wound up losing his swingcoach—Randy Smith, the agent’s father. He left Kapalua at the start of theyear and flew to Las Vegas, where he spent six straight days with Butch Harmon.
That he wants to be ready for the Masters would indicate an overhaul. Harmonsays that isn’t the case.
“He’s been pretty one-dimensional,” Harmon said Tuesday. “We’re gettinghim to move the ball around, change his trajectory a little, change the setupand the path of his swing and get more of a variety of shots, which he needs tohave. We knew he wasn’t going to be very good last week. Finally, the last nineholes things were starting to click. But it’s going to take a while.”
Harmon said Woodland is hitting the ball an extra 15 yards—“I know that’shard to believe,” he said—to the point where he had to switch the model ofhis golf ball. Harmon liked the short game but is working on lower thetrajectory of his wedges.
“The kid has a chance to be the best player in the world,” Harmon said.
Asked if he knew it would be a big project, Harmon said, “I still don’tthink it is.”
“The physical side is easy,” Harmon said. `It’s the mental side, thebelief in what he’s doing. He’ll have to work on that. He’s good on the range.He’s good in practice. But he reverts to his old stuff in tournaments because hedoesn’t trust it.”
Harmon, who has cut down on his stable of clients over the year, now workswith Woodland, Dustin Johnson, Nick Watney and Phil Mickelson. Asked who was theshortest hitter from that group, Harmon said, “Me.”
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BEGAY HONORED: Notah Begay has been selected for the Charlie Bartlett Award,given by the Golf Writers Association of America to a professional golfer forunselfish contributions to improve society.
Begay is the only full-blooded Native American to win on the PGA Tour. Hefounded the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation in 2005 to battle the epidemic ofchildhood diabetes and obesity among Native Americans. He has raised more than$3.2 million in three years through his charity golf event.
Over the last three years, the foundation has reached more than 10,000children in 11 states through golf, soccer, health and wellness and grantprograms. The largest grant was to the San Felipe Pueblo in New Mexico to buildthe tribe’s first recreation center.
Begay will be honored April 4 at the GWAA’s annual awards dinner in Augusta,Ga.
———
MICKELSON AT TORREY: Phil Mickelson might get a chance to redo Torrey Pines— the North Course, anyway.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Tuesday that Mickelson has offered towaive his design fee if given a chance to refurbish the North Course. Thenewspaper said he met with Mayor Jerry Sanders during the Farmers Insurance Openlast week and is putting together a preliminary proposal on how to renovate the55-year-old course.
The South Course is the more famous of the two and hosted the 2008 U.S.Open. Rees Jones beefed up the South before the Open, and Mickelson—no fan ofJones’ work—has been among the loudest critics.
Lefty is a three-time winner at Torrey, all before the South was redone.
The North Course is about 600 yards shorter and played three shots easierduring the tournament last week. But the views are just as stunning,particularly the par-3 sixth that drops straight down with the Pacific as abackdrop.
Mickelson’s first full design was at Whisper Rock in Scottsdale, Ariz.
———
EYE ON ELS: Ernie Els has gone to a belly putter to see if he can improve onthe greens. He also went to an eye doctor.
Els, who ranked No. 181 in putting last year on the PGA Tour, has consultedwith Sherylle Calder, an eye specialist who also works with the Springboks, AllBlacks and England rugby teams to help with hand-eye coordination, concentrationand other visual performance aids.
“We’ve been working on some good stuff to do with my eyes, and I can see alot of positives for me at the moment,” Els wrote on his website. “To use acliche, she has literally opened my eyes about putting again, and it has helpedbring back good memories of what I used to do when I was one of the best puttersin the world in the 1990s and early 2000s.
“If my putting properly comes around, I can start winning golf tournamentsagain.”
Els is at No. 59 in the world and has to crack the top 50 after Bay Hilltoward the end of March to secure a spot in the Masters. The first step is tostay among the top 65 for two more weeks and get into the Match PlayChampionship.
———
WORLD MONEY: Lee Westwood was No. 10 on the 2011 world money list compiledby “The World of Professional Golf” annual, making him the only player tofinish in the top 10 the last three seasons.
Luke Donald was atop the world money list for the first time at just over$9.7 million, followed by U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy at about $7 millionand Webb Simpson at just over $6.5 million. The other six players were MattKuchar, Nick Watney, PGA champion Keegan Bradley, K.J. Choi, Gary Woodland andMartin Kaymer.
Only three players made the top 10 in consecutive seasons—Westwood, whofell from No. 2 to No. 10; Donald, who went from No. 4 to No. 1; and Kuchar,steady as ever in going from No. 6 to No. 4.
———
DIVOTS: Tiger Woods earned $137,041 at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.Throw out the majors and World Golf Championships, and it was his highestpaycheck from an official tournament since he made $148,929 at the 2010 DeutscheBank Championship. … Ian Poulter, whose wife gave birth to a boy last week(their fourth child), is making his season debut in the Phoenix Open. Alsoplaying in Phoenix is Arron Oberholser, trying to return from hand surgeriesthat have kept him out of golf since 2009. … Scott Piercy and Chris Kirk, bothof whom are in the Phoenix Open, have not missed a tournament this year.Jhonattan Vegas and Michael Bradley also played the first four events, but theyare taking this week off. … Luke Donald stopped by the PGA of Americaheadquarters Tuesday to collect his trophies for the Vardon Trophy and thepoints-based player of the year award.
———
STAT OF THE WEEK: Americans have won the first four events on the PGA Tourschedule for the first time since 2001.
———
FINAL WORD: “I think the players should have less say. We’re not experts atfiguring out how the tour works. We’re experts at hitting golf shots.”—Stewart Cink on the debate over proposed changes to the Nationwide Tour andQ-school.
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Travel to THE PLAYERS Championship: Information and packages from $99 (PGATOUR.com)
January 31, 2012
Looking for additional packages?
There will only be one 2012 PLAYERS Champion—make sure you’re there to witness history for yourself, but don’t miss everything that Florida’s First Coast has to offer. If you have reviewed the above packages and are still looking for more options, there are additional golf and ticket packages available. Click the button to browse more choices.
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Tour Report: Watch: Stanley tries to focus on positive (PGATOUR.com)
January 31, 2012
Stanley press conference
Prior to the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Kyle Stanley addressed the media and discussed his disappointing finish at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Make your picks: WM Phoenix
Bill Haas was a popular pick for the No. 1 spot in our Expert Picks this week, and Rob Bolton provides five players that could surprise at TPC Scottsdale.
What is your opinion for the Waste Management Phoenix Open? Tell us your thoughts below.
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Stanley ready to move on from Torrey collapse
January 31, 2012
JACKSONVILLE, Florida (AP)—American golfer Robert Garrigus didn’t see anyreason to stick around for the finish.
He had watched enough of the final round at Torrey Pines to see that KyleStanley, whom he described as “exploding with talent,” had a three-shot leadand headed for a sure win. Garrigus left for the spa to get a massage.
It didn’t take long for him to figure out what had happened.
“I got back to my car, saw my phone and it was blowing up,” Garrigus said.“I had six or seven text messages. I had four or five voicemails. I wasn’ttalking to anyone on Sunday, so there was no need for anyone to call me.”
He didn’t have to read a single message. He didn’t have to listen to avoicemail.
He knew.
“I looked at my phone and thought, ‘Uh-oh. He blew it,”’ Garrigus saidMonday evening.
Among his priorities this week at the Phoenix Open was to find Stanley andoffer the kind of advice that only comes through experience.
Garrigus has every bit of that.
He had a three-shot lead on the final hole of the 2010 St. Jude Classic whenhe smothered his tee shot into the water, took a drop, then tried to go at thegreen not realizing the size of his lead. He went left of the water into thetrees and eventually made triple bogey. He lost in a three-man playoff.
Stanley can relate only to the triple bogey, the water and a playoff.
He did everything right on the final hole of the Farmers Insurance Open,even taking a sand wedge instead of a lob wedge for his third shot over the pondto a hole location in a bowl at the front of the green. What happened nextsurprises him still. His shot landed behind the hole and raced off the front ofthe green and into the water.
After a drop into the first cut to eliminate even more spin, he landed hisshot on the top shelf and three-putted for triple bogey. On the second playoffhole, he missed a 5-foot par putt and watched Brandt Snedeker pose with a trophythat should have been his.
Stanley was still in shock when he faced the media. His eyes were glassywith tears. His lip quivered. He answered every question, even if he had to stopat times to compose himself. Looking back, he realizes that was part of thehealing.
“I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve a little bit,” Stanley saidTuesday at the Phoenix Open, where he agreed to another interview to help puthis collapse behind him. “It was very tough to swallow. But one of the things Ilearned is I think you need to really be prepared for whatever this game canthrow at you.
“It’s a crazy game,” he said. “It can love you; it can hate you.”
Stanley, like Garrigus, was going for his first PGA Tour victory. Both grewup in the Pacific Northwest. Both are in the top class of power players in golf.The similarities end there.
Stanley, who grew up in the Seattle area, was an All-American at Clemson whoplayed in the Walker Cup. He is in his second full season on the PGA Tour, sonaturally skilled and polished that his long-term outlook is better than some ofthe rookies who won last year.
Garrigus, from Oregon, didn’t have the grades to get a serious scholarshipoffer. He spent two years at junior college before hitting the mini-tours. Thenhis career was nearly derailed with drug and alcohol addiction that put him in a30-day clinic. He remains an open book, which reads like a comedy given hisself-deprecating sense of humor.
“It was a lot easier for me,” Garrigus said. “I think the personality Ihad made it easier to deal with. It’s just golf. I don’t know if he thinks of itthat way. I want to reach out and talk to him. I don’t know if he wants to hearwhat I have to say, and I don’t care. He’s a good kid, and I don’t want him toget shook up over it.”
Stanley appears to be well on his way.
His family was with him Sunday night, along with a close friend and hisagent. He managed to eat. The sun came up the next day. He just signed up forTwitter a few months ago and picked up about 4,000 followers in 24 hours, thosewho felt badly for him or were impressed how he handled himself in defeat.
He received text messages from Steve Stricker, who beat Stanley with abirdie-birdie finish at the John Deere Classic last summer, and from Gonzagabasketball coach Mark Few, whom he doesn’t even know personally.
“That’s why I thought that was so cool,” Stanley said. “I’ve beenwatching Gonzaga play basketball since I was 3 feet tall. I live and die withevery game they play. I try not to miss any of them. So that was real special tohear from him.”
The other messages, including a phone conversation with Zach Johnson, wereequally meaningful.
Eventually, anyway.
“I know I may not have believed it on Sunday night, or even Monday morning,but everybody just kept telling me I’ll be a lot stronger for it, and I agreewith that. I will.”
Garrigus bounced back from that Memphis meltdown by winning the final PGATour event of the year at Disney. Stanley recalls watching Rory McIlroy’scollapse at the Masters last year—and how graciously he faced the press afteran 80—and quickly pointed out that McIlroy was a U.S. Open champion two monthslater.
He believes something good is coming his way, and although the support hasbeen overwhelming at times, Stanley is not interested in dwelling on Sunday atTorrey Pines.
After taking the 36-hole lead at Torrey Pines, Stanley was asked whatappealed to him about golf when he first got hooked. It was the independence ofthe game, that he alone determined his success, and he alone had to cope withhis failures.
That figures to serve him well.
“There’s not much anyone can say at the time to make you feel better,” hesaid. “It’s just kind of a gut check. I’ve got to dig deep. And out of thiswhole process, I’m going to figure out a lot about myself.”
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Tour Report: This week’s live interview schedule (PGATOUR.com)
January 30, 2012
PGATOUR.COM will be streaming all pre-tournament interviews from the media center at TPC Scottsdale. Here is the schedule:
Tuesday, Jan. 31J.B. Holmes — 9:15 a.m. PT (11:15 a.m. ET)Kyle Stanley — 10 a.m. PT (12 p.m. ET)Webb Simpson — 3:30 p.m. PT (5:30 p.m. ET)
Wednesday, Feb. 1Brandt Snedeker — following 8:30 a.m. PT (10:30 a.m. ET) pro-amPhil Mickelson — following 8:40 a.m. PT (10:40 a.m. ET) pro-amMark Wilson — following 9:40 a.m. PT (11:40 a.m. ET) pro-amKeegan Bradley — following 10:10 a.m. PT (12:10 p.m. ET) pro-am
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Tour Report: Mickelson’s mansion up for sale (PGATOUR.com)
January 30, 2012
Photo courtesy of Susan Bartow/SusanSellsLuxury.com
If you’ve ever wanted to live like a four-time major champion who’s won 39 times on the PGA TOUR, all it will cost you is $7.059 million. That’s the current asking price for Phil Mickelson’s 9,500-square-foot Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., estate, which is up for sale.
The Tuscan-style home sits on 4.88 acres and features five bedrooms and comes with two guest villas.
"Simply put, this is one of the finest and most private estates you’ll find — anywhere," Susan Bartow, listing agent for the Mickelsons, told MarketWatch. "The materials used and craftsman who built this incredible estate are second to none."
Other details include:
– Hand-plastered ceilings, hand-carved fireplaces of white Cantera stone, Calcutta marble imported from Italy, cabinet hardware from Baltica of Romania and Bouvet of France, and a master suite shower featuring a curved-glass enclosure that’s complete with Baccarat crystal and sterling silver fixtures.
– Intricate mosaics were painstakingly applied over six months by renowned artisan Petri Bersage, who is noted for his work at the Bellagio.
– Meticulous grounds, lush landscaping, swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, horseshoe pit and sand swept putting green.
– Entertainment center, trophy room (or library/office), exercise room, steam room, sauna and safe room are all part of the main estate.
– Two unique and spacious guest houses – both finely appointed.
Bubba doesn’t need a courtesy car
As we told you last week, Bubba Watson purchased an orange 1969 Dodge Charger at a car auction recently, but it wasn’t a normal collector’s car. It was one of the original high-flying General Lees that appeared in the "Dukes of Hazzard" television show.
When he bought it, Watson promised to actually drive it around Phoenix instead of leaving it in a garage.
"It will be at Phoenix next week," Watson said at the Farmers Insurance Open. "It’s good enough to drive to Phoenix, but don’t tell anybody it doesn’t have any seat belts yet."
And thanks to the power of Twitter, he made good on that promise: He’s already posted video of himself driving it, and thanks to @PGATOURmedia, they posted the picture seen on the left on Monday ahead of this week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Caption this: Blimp at Torrey Pines
Stan Badz/PGA TOUR
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: The top shots from the Farmers Insurance Open
What is going on in this image at Torrey Pines? Leave your answer below — and please, keep it clean!
Par or better needed on Sunday
Failing to break — or at least match — par in the final round doesn’t necessarily eliminate you as a potential winner on the PGA TOUR. But it sure does significantly reduce the odds that you’ll be holding up the trophy when the final putt drops on Sunday — one of the scenarios that played against Kyle Stanley in his playoff loss to Brandt Snedeker at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Stanley shot a 2-over 74 in Sunday’s final round at Torrey Pines. Consider that in 2011, just one player shot over par in the final round and still managed to win the tournament — Martin Laird, who shot a 3-over 75 in winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
In addition to Laird, just three other winners shot even par in the final round — Justin Rose (a 71 at the BMW Championship), Rory Sabbatini (70 at The Honda Classic) and Darren Clarke (70 at the British Open). All the other winners on TOUR in 2011 broke par in the final round.
In 2010, just four winners failed to break par in the final round, including Graeme McDowell, who shot a 3-over 74 to win the U.S. Open at Pebbble Beach.
In 2009, just two winners failed to break par in the final round, again including the eventual U.S. Open champ (Lucas Glover, who shot a 3-over 73 at Bethpage Black).
The irony, of course, is that Stanley could have won the tournament despite a final round above par. A 1-over 73 on Sunday would have allowed him to avoid the playoff with Snedeker and escape with a one-shot win. But it was not to be.
WINNING WITH A FINAL ROUND ABOVE PAR (since 2009)
YearFinal-round scoreWinnerTournament201175 (3 over)Martin LairdArnold Palmer Invitational201074 (3 over)Graeme McDowellU.S. Open201074 (2 over)Dustin JohnsonAT&T Pebble Beach200973 (3 over)Lucas GloverU.S. Open201073 (2 over)Rocco MediateFrys.com Open201072 (2 over)Jason DayHP Byron Nelson Championship200972 (1 over)Phil MickelsonNorthern Trust Open
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Tour Report: Ask J.B. Holmes a question (PGATOUR.com)
January 30, 2012
Got a question for J.B. Holmes?
Send us your questions for Direct Connect — PGATOUR.COM’s newest video franchise that gets you closer to a PGA TOUR pro each week — and host John Swantek might use it when he chats this week with Holmes, who has returned to competition this month after undergoing successful brain surgery last September. Holmes is in the field this week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a tournament he has won two times (in 2006 and 2008).
Just fill out the form below and you might get an answer from Holmes.
Direct Connect video will be posted each Wednesday afternoon on PGATOUR.COM
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Woods might need to teach himself how to win
January 30, 2012
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP)—Tiger Woods laughed at the question and it washard to blame him.
Woods had won 82 times around the world, including 14 majors. In the 47tournaments that he had the outright lead going into the final round, only fourplayers had managed to beat him. This was golf’s ultimate closer.
But this also was a new world for Woods.
In the 12 months since his personal life came crashing down, he not onlyfailed to win, he was never in serious contention. On this occasion, the 2010Australian Masters, he made two eagles on the last four holes to turn anordinary round into a 65 and back his way into fourth place. He was asked thatday if he would have to learn how to win again the longer he failed to get inthe hunt.
“No,” he said, breaking into a confident smile.
Woods didn’t even let the reporter finish a follow-up question, smilingwhile shaking his head. “No, no, no.”
Three weeks later, Woods blew a four-shot lead in the final round of theChevron World Challenge and lost in a playoff to Graeme McDowell. He laterattributed that to being able to hit only one shot—a draw—while in the earlystages of a swing overhaul.
A year later, when his health returned, Woods had a one-shot lead going intothe weekend at the Australian Open and shot 75, falling six shots behind andnever catching up. And then on Sunday in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, he wastied for the 54-hole lead with Robert Rock and couldn’t hang with an Englishmanwho was No. 117 in the world with one career victory.
One shot behind when he made the turn, Woods didn’t make a single birdie onthe back nine.
Not to be overlooked was his win at the Chevron World Challenge two monthsago, when he started the final round one shot behind Zach Johnson and birdiedthe last two holes for a one-shot victory. It was an important win because itmeant something to Woods, yet it was hard not to notice how much harder he hadto work to get it.
Woods is still not there. He never thought winning was easy, but he used tomake it look that way.
So what to make of Abu Dhabi?
As usual, it’s best not to jump to conclusions about Woods. Even back inmore peaceful times, there were whispers that he was in a slump to start the2001 season. He failed to win his first five tournaments, then went to Dubai andlost a one-shot lead to Thomas Bjorn, hitting into the water and making doublebogey on his last hole.
“A lot of people are talking about Tiger being in a slump and he’s notdoing the right things,” Bjorn said that day. “The guy is playing fantasticgolf. He just hasn’t won in the last couple of weeks.”
Not years. Not months. Weeks.
Sure enough, Woods won his next three tournaments, capping it off at theMasters for an unprecedented sweep of the majors.
Expectations always will be higher for Woods for no other reason than hisrecord was so astounding from the lead. After that loss to Bjorn until the 2009PGA Championship, he was 25-0 with the outright lead going into the final round.
Over the course of a career, it’s bound to even out a little. And remember,there was one year when Woods twice lost tournaments when he had at least ashare of the lead going into the final round. That was in 2000, when manybelieve he was at the top of his game.
Winning, though, is more important than ever now.
Woods no longer has that aura of invincibility. That will only return if hestarts winning with regularity, and it doesn’t matter whether he beats RobertRock or Rory McIlroy.
Nick Faldo once thought the Masters would be the only major Woods could win,because it was the only golf course where the media were kept outside the ropes.Only later did Faldo realize what an advantage that turned out to be for Woods.
“Everyone joining him now on the weekend at a major goes into his world,”Faldo said in a 2007 interview. “That’s Tiger’s arena. Other guys will stepinto that arena one week and go back out. He’s there all the time. And eachtimes he’s there, he gains more experience. And then for the rest of the guys,good luck stepping into his world.”
That world suddenly is crowded.
At the moment, no matter how much he has improved, Woods has not set himselfapart.
To suggest that Woods faces deeper competition than ever before is to ignorehis dominance, and to show little respect for those who had to face him at hisbest. When one guy is winning 11-of-29 majors while taking an average of six PGATour events a year, that doesn’t leave much for everyone else.
But the more opportunities Woods lets slip away, such as Abu Dhabi, thelonger it takes to regain his edge, if he ever does.
Woods decided two years ago that he was willing to put in the time to revamphis swing under a third coach, Sean Foley, and that process appears to be comingalong. Not to be forgotten is that Woods missed nearly five months of being ableto practice because of injuries to his legs.
Luke Donald and Robert Karlsson, who played with him in Abu Dhabi, werestruck by the flight and shape of Woods’ shot. That’s what always set him apartfrom the others—that and his putting. Ultimately, putting will determine notonly whether Woods wins again, but how often.
In the meantime, Abu Dhabi can be perceived two ways.
It was another chance for Woods to establish himself against this new worldorder, and he couldn’t buy a birdie; or in his last three tournaments, he haswon and finished third twice.
But the question remains from two years ago.
He took the time to learn a new swing under a new coach. Now does he have toteach himself how to win again?
For that, he has only one teacher.
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Tour Report: Memorable Moments: WM Phoenix (PGATOUR.com)
January 30, 2012
Waste Management Phoenix
Relive all the best shots and victories at TPC Scottsdale, including Tiger Woods' ace on the par-3 16th in 1997.
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Rock reminds us Tiger’s still in comeback mode (Yahoo! Sports)
January 30, 2012
There is no official confirmation, but sources say Tiger Woods, winging it back to the States from the United Arab Emirates, texted Kyle Stanley from 30,000 feet above the Indian Ocean to say: “Meet you at Heartbreak Hotel for a cold one. You know the address: at the end of Lonely Street, near Sunday Pain Lane.”
Sunday was one of those weird days in golf. From the serene bluffs of Torrey Pines all the way to that creepy-weird, SuperFriends-esque clubhouse in Abu Dhabi shaped like a enormous concrete eagle, the day would be remembered more for its losers than its winners.
Oh, don’t misinterpret, please. The Robert Rock story is magnificent, from club pro a decade ago to Tiger Slayer in 2012, a hatless wonder letting his fabulous mane blow in the desert breeze, sort of the Fabio of the European Tour. Even his name deserves our awe. Bob Rock! We haven’t seen a handle like this since Jhonny Vegas won at the Bob Hope a year ago. Jhonny Vegas and Bob Rock surely are half of somebody’s dream all-name foursome.
More From Brian Murphy West is best for Wilson after Humana win Jan 23, 2012 Wagner makes bold statement in Hawaii Jan 16, 2012 
Tiger Woods entered the final round in Abu Dhabi tied for the lead, but he couldn't pull out a victory.(Getty Images)
Fans got caught up in Rock’s story, staring down Tiger when the two shared 54-hole lead, shooting 70 to Tiger’s 72. They cheered the underdog appropriately, with “Rock-y! Rock-y!” chants. Some even went so far as to sing the hallowed Bill Conti theme music from the grandstands. Who knows? Maybe Abu Dhabi is the Philly of the U.A.E.
Bottom line: Tiger has to know, despite reports to the contrary, you don’t just wing it into the Persian Gulf and mess with a cat like Bob Rock.
And yet, as cool as Bob Rock is, once again the global story is how Tiger, post-Escalade-into-a-tree, is failing to be Tiger. By that I mean the remorseless, ruthless, I-drink-Bob-Rock’s-blood-for-breakfast Tiger. On the one hand, it’s great that Tiger’s knocking on doors, playing well, in the hunt, back in the news.
On the other hand, losing to Bob Rock when they start a Sunday level with each other is another chapter in the e-book bestseller, “A Post-Tiger World: How Official World Golf Rankings and Guys Like Bob Rock Remind Us Tiger Is No Longer King.”
As such, I was fully prepared to dedicate the column’s lead item to a full dissection of Tiger – the good (he’s had a win and a tie for third in his last two starts), the bad (he still hasn’t won an official Tour event in Europe or America since the iPad was launched) and the ugly (he’s now stumbled three times either tied or leading after 54 holes in the last three years).
[ Related: Lack of consistency dooms Tiger Woods in Abu Dhabi ]
But then, Kyle Stanley happened.
Tiger had company.
The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines had the shame of a JV tournament – no Tiger and the top four players in the world (Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer) were all at Abu Dhabi. Plus, hometown hero Phil Mickelson missed the cut (although it was later reported his daughter had suffered a mild seizure at school last week, and while she’s OK, the lack of concentration is understandable).
Worse, Torrey Pines had no drama. Kyle Stanley, a big-hitting, good-looking kid from Gig Harbor, Wash., a star player at Clemson, was using Torrey as his arrival party. At 24 years old, Stanley could add his name to the list of bright young names crowding the golf landscape – if he could hold on to a five-shot, 54-hole lead and a three-shot advantage on the 72nd hole.
For 71 holes it was Blowout City, and the kid with the well-groomed facial scruff surely would coast home with the win, then celebrate by hang-gliding off a Torrey cliff at sunset.
Except … golf happened.
Stanley laid up on the par-5 18th, watched his third shot suck back into the lousy little man-made puddle they call a “billabong” at Torrey, dropped for four, hit his fifth shot onto the green and, of course, three-jacked for an “8.”
Brandt Snedeker, three shots back and likely in a rental car on the way to the airport, suddenly had an appointment on the 73rd hole. That Snedeker won on the second playoff hole because Stanley three-putted the par-3 16th was less a testament to Snedeker’s 67 on Sunday and all-around excellence than it was to the tragic heartbreak of young Stanley’s nationally-televised implosion.
It was believed to be the first triple bogey on the last hole by a leader to blow a tournament since Robert (Swamp Butt) Garrigus came unraveled in Memphis in 2010. At least Stanley didn’t have the indignity of having his sweat-stained rear-end – never wear khakis in Memphis in June, Robert – shown on CBS, too.
So, yes, Brandt Snedeker and Robert Rock scored big wins on Sunday. Congrats, gents, huzzah, and all that. It’s just that there’s a reason the Greeks invented comedy and tragedy masks.
Barkeep, get Tiger and Kyle Stanley another!
Scorecard of the week
70-69-66-72 – 11-under 277, tie-3rd, Tiger Woods, European Tour Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Abu Dhabi GC, United Arab Emirates.
Tiger’s week is worth more parsing.
For instance, Tiger went from tied for the lead on Sunday morning to a tie for third with Thomas Bjorn and Graeme McDowell – one shot behind second-place finisher Rory McIlroy.
You don’t think that went unnoticed by Camp Rory and Camp Tiger?
Oddly, Tiger made birdie on Nos. 2 and 3 to start the day. Business as usual, right? Tiger is back, the swing changes are dialed in, and he’d back up his Chevron win with a full-field victory.
Kyle Stanley played it cool for 71 holes at Torrey Pines before he fell apart.(Getty Images)
But he made bogey on Nos. 4 and 5, added another one on 10 and made zero birdies on his back nine. This is Tiger Woods we’re talking about.
Worse, it was how Tiger shot 72 on Sunday. He found only two of 14 fairways and just six of 18 greens in regulation. This, after he hit 46 of 54 GIRs in the first three days. One could draw the conclusion that Tiger’s Sunday “bottle,” as they say on the European Tour, is lacking. How else to explain the disparity between Thursday-Saturday and the Sunday stats?
Tiger keeps saying the swing changes with Sean Foley are a “work in progress,” but that work has gone on for 18 months now, making the “progress” slower than the seismic renovations on the San Francisco Bay Bridge. And we can see improvement in many facets – except for some of those Sunday shots under pressure.
Tiger, suddenly nervous on a Sunday? Chew on that.
My feeling is, Tiger will continue to be a factor on Sunday leaderboards. His swing looks better than at any point in the last two years. Two factors may prevent him from a multiple-win, dominant season: 1. The putter remains maddeningly inconsistent, as if he’s lost some confidence; and 2. The rest of the world is different now. The days of everybody folding like beach chairs when Tiger appears on the leaderboard appear done.
Mind you, Tiger will get his. It’s just that so will everyone else. In many ways, it’ll be more fun than ever.
Broadcast moment of the week
“I’m kind of in shock right now. I don’t know what to say.” – Kyle Stanley, to David Feherty on CBS, moments after missing a short putt to lose a playoff at the PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open.
If CBS’ Konica Minolta Biz Hub SwingVision camera had taken us inside Stanley’s head at that precise moment, we may have seen the cranial equivalent of burning buildings, raging floods, seismic temblors and shrieking, fleeing mini-people.
What could Stanley say, really? I mean, I guess he could have taken us through the 72nd hole, how he thought the lay-up was the smart play, what went wrong with the wedge that sucked back too much, how he misread the putt to win. … But the fact is, the kid didn’t know what to say. Can’t really blame him.
[ Related: Kyle Stanley falls apart at Torrey Pines ]
You wonder how these things happen, how sensationally-talented pros dissolve like this. Steve Elkington, on Twitter, noted that Stanley’s three-shot lead on 18 essentially boiled down to this: “I’ve got a guy making a $1 million bet I can’t make a ‘7.’ ” Elkington said the smart play would be to bomb it over the green in two, because making an “8” from there is darn near impossible, while leaving the water in play on the lay-up brings “8” into play.
Just goes to show, it’s way easier to play pressure-packed golf from the comfort of one’s own home and Twitter account.
Interestingly, Bob Rock’s win in Abu Dhabi also contained a little 72nd-hole drama. Rock owned a two-shot lead over McIlroy, and hit driver on the par 5 when all he needed was bogey. When he fanned that driver into the hazard then thought about playing out of it, golf fans all over the world were hiding their eyes. Thankfully, his caddie talked him into a drop for a penalty stroke, telling his man: “We can still make ‘5.’ ” Good thinking. Rock made “6” and won by a stroke.
This week was a particularly good week for BMOWs, including Gary McCord’s on-air admission that he’d left his broadcast tower at No. 16 because he was certain Kyle Stanley would hold on to a three-shot lead on the 72nd hole. So, apparently, were the check-writers at Torrey, given that there’s now a photo on the Internet of a check for $1.08 million made out to Kyle Stanley hidden underneath the Torrey bleachers.
McCord said he heard Stanley’s implosion on the radio and had to race back to Torrey for the playoff.
Also a candidate for BMOW: the fans shouting “Rock-y!” for Bob Rock at Abu Dhabi, which warmed my TV screen. Any “Rocky” reference is always welcome, because it’s simply the greatest sports movie ever made.
The Golf Channel’s Renton Laidlaw said of Rock, “Some people might have wondered if he could have coped with the pressure today, but my goodness, he’s coped. He’s grown in stature, hasn’t he?” That had all the shades of Rocky Balboa lying in bed the night before the fight, telling Adrian that all he wanted to do was go the distance, because “if that bell rings and I’m still standin’, see, then I’ll know for the first time in my life I weren’t just another bum from the neighborhood.”
Of course, Rocky Balboa didn’t have Bob Rock’s expensive haircut or stylish facial growth, nor did he pocket 347,024 Euros like Rock did. But you get my drift.
Mulligan of the week
Some weeks, this category is a kick-in.
Kyle Stanley will replay the 18th hole at Torrey Pines about 6 million times in his brain this week, from his decision to lay-up to his wedge with too much backspin to his insufficient lag putt to his nerve-laden miss from three feet for an “8.”
Just to show how cruel the game is, when Stanley played the 18th in the playoff, he birdied it without breaking a sweat.
So, let’s go back to the 72nd tee, remind Kyle Stanley he has a three-shot lead for his first win, have him do several yoga breathing drills, let him re-tee and – give that man a mulligan!
Where do we go from here?
It’ll be tough for the golf world to top the Abu Dhabi/Torrey Pines double-dip of stunners, especially since Tiger isn’t playing this week – neither at the PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open nor at the European Tour’s Qatar Masters.
Phoenix figures to provide some memories as well as a good field including Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Keegan Bradley, Fred Couples, Bubba Watson, Nick Watney and Torrey combatants Snedeker and Stanley. Plus, Johnson (‘Stache) Wagner is playing, so figure on some mustache-related hijinks from the miscreants at the 16th hole.
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Brian Murphy writes a weekly golf column for Yahoo! Sports. Send Brian a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
