Golf Glance
March 9, 2010
WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
CA Championship
Site: Doral, Florida.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: TPC Blue Monster at Doral (7,334 yards, par 72).
Purse: $8.5 million. Winner’s share: $1.53 million.
Last year: Phil Mickelson won the second of his three 2009 tour titles.Taken to a hospital on the eve of the final round because of heat exhaustion anddehydration, Mickelson parred the final seven holes to beat Nick Watney by astroke. Tiger Woods tied for ninth in his first stroke-play event sincereturning from a knee injury.
Last week: Colombia’s Camilo Villegas won the Honda Classic at PGA Nationalfor his third PGA Tour victory, finishing at 13 under for a five-stroke victoryover Anthony Kim. … South Korea’s Noh Seung-yul won the Malaysian Open,beating countryman K.J. Choi by a stroke for his second Asian Tour victory andfirst PGA European Tour title.
Notes: Woods, a three-time winner at Doral, is taking an indefinite leave tosort out his personal life. He has resumed practice, but has not said when he’llreturn. … Mickelson is winless in four starts this year. He won the WGC-HSBCChampions in China in November. … Ian Poulter won the first WGC event of theyear, beating Paul Casey in the Accenture Match Play final. … The TransitionsChampionship is next week at Innisbrook. The Tavistock Cup between Orlando-areaclubs Isleworth—possibly with Woods in the lineup—and Lake Nona is March22-23.
On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
PGA European Tour site: http://www.europeantour.com
PGA TOUR
Puerto Rico Open
Site: Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Trump International Golf Club-Puerto Rico (7,526 yards, par 72).
Purse: $3.5 million. Winner’s share: $630,000.
Last year: Michael Bradley won his first PGA Tour title in 11 years, holingan 11-foot birdie putt for a one-stroke victory over Jason Day and BrettQuigley.
Last week: Colombia’s Camilo Villegas won the Honda Classic at PGA Nationalfor his third tour victory, beating Anthony Kim by five strokes.
Notes: Tom Kite, the course designer, is making his first PGA Tour startsince the 2008 event. … John Daly and Mark Calcavecchia also are in the fieldalong with Boo Weekley, 2008 winner Greg Kraft, Champions Tour winners Fred Funkand Tom Pernice Jr. and Puerto Rican players Rafael Campos, Max Alverio andErick Morales. Campos, a senior at Virginia Commonwealth, tied for 78th in 2008.
On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
AUSTRALIAN LADIES PROFESSIONAL GOLF/LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
Women’s Australian Open
Site: Melbourne, Australia.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Commonwealth Golf Club (6,673 yards, par 73).
Purse: $544,660. Winner’s share: $68,085.
Last year: England’s Laura Davies won the national open for the second time,finishing with rounds of 67 and 68 at Metropolitan for a one-stroke victory overSpain’s Tania Elosegui. Davies also won in 2004 at Concord.
Last week: Karrie Webb won her seventh Australian Ladies Masters title,closing with a course-record 11-under 61 for a six-stroke victory. TheAustralian star finished at 26-under 262 at Royal Pines to match the tournamentrecord she set in 1999.
Notes: Webb won in 2000, ’02, ’07 and ’08. In 2008 at Kingston Heath, shebeat Jiyai Shin with a 10-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff. Webbswept the Masters and Open in 2000 and 2007. … The 46-year-old Davies won theNew Zealand Women’s Open two weeks ago for her 73rd worldwide title. … YaniTseng, Katherine Hull, Lindsey Wright, Anna Nordqvist, Sophie Gustafson,Christina Kim and 15-year-old U.S. amateur Alexis Thompson are in the field. …The European tour will be in Morocco next week for the Lalla Meryem Cup.
On the Net: http://playgolf.com.au
ALPG site: http://www.alpg.com.au
Ladies European Tour site: http://www.ladieseuropeantour.com
LPGA TOUR
Next event: Kia Classic, March 25-28, La Costa Resort and Spa, Carlsbad,California.
Last event: Japan’s Ai Miyazato won the HSBC Champions in Singapore on Feb.28 to become the first LPGA Tour player in 44 years to sweep the first twoevents of a season. She beat Cristie Kerr by two strokes.
On the Net: http://www.lpga.com
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Next event: Cap Cana Championship, March 26-28, Punta Espada Golf Club,Nicklaus Course, Cap Cana, Dominican Republic.
Last week: Fred Couples won the Toshiba Classic for his second straightChampions Tour title, shooting 66-64-65 for a four-stroke victory in NewportBeach, Calif. In his only other Champions Tour starts, he won the ACE GroupClassic on Feb. 14 in Florida and finished second behind Tom Watson in theseason-opening event in Hawaii.
On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
NATIONWIDE TOUR
Next event: Louisiana Open, March 25-28, Le Triomphe Country Club,Broussard, Louisiana.
Last week: Steve Pate became the oldest champion in Nationwide Tour history,winning the Bogota Open when Aaron Watkins missed a 3-foot par putt on thesecond hole of a playoff. At 48 years, 9 months, 11 days, Pate broke the tourrecord of 48 years, 6 months, 17 days set by Dick Mast in the 1999 New MexicoClassic. Pate won for the first time since the 1998 CVS Charity Classic, thelast of his six PGA Tour titles.
On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
OTHER TOURNAMENTS
Men
NGA HOOTERS TOUR: F&S Asset Management Group Classic, Thursday-Sunday,Amelia National Golf and Country Club, Fernandina Beach, Florida. On the Net:http://www.ngahooterstour.com
PGA EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR: Thailand Senior Masters, Friday-Sunday, RoyalGems Golf Club, Nakhonpathom, Thailand. On the Net: http://www.europeantour.com
Women
JAPAN LPGA TOUR: Yokohama PRGR Ladies Cup, Friday-Sunday, Tosa Country Club,Kochi, Japan. On the Net: http://www.lpga.or.jp
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