Tour golfer update
The PLAYERS Championship
Rarely does a tournament go by without offering a reminder of how fickle golf can be. Consider the PLAYERS Championship, for example.
Records will show that Stephen Ames won the event and won it convincingly by a clear six shots from Retief Goosen. That in itself is not a shock. Ames didn't have a great 2005, but he's won on tour before.
But cast your minds back to the Accenture Match Play Championship at the end of February. Ames went out in the first round, beaten nine and eight (a record-breaking defeat) by Tiger Woods. Not so much a loss as a humiliation.
A few weeks later, and Ames is walking away with a $1,440,000 winner's check. And Woods? T22.
Some players only had to wait a day or two to experience this kind of topsy turvy result...
>> Davis Love III ended Thursday top of the leaderboard with a 65. An 11-over 83 on the Friday saw him miss the cut by four shots.
>> Adam Scott was tied for second on Friday night before a third-round 82 scuppered his chances.
>> Sergio Garcia was a stroke off the lead on Saturday night before shooting 76 on Sunday to finish 8 shots behind Ames.
Like the Bay Hill Invitational the week before, THE PLAYERS Championship had a strong international feel: five of the top seven players were from outside the USA.
The win means Ames now has an invite to the Masters in April, but he hinted he might prefer to take off for a family holiday (his wife is recovering from cancer).
And did the Match Play thrashing prey on his mind at all?
Ames said, "I never thought about it. I got my ass kicked and that was it. Next week, next event; that's how I went on. What am I going to do, sit down and cry about it?"
He can probably laugh about it now...all the way to the proverbial bank.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Records will show that Stephen Ames won the event and won it convincingly by a clear six shots from Retief Goosen. That in itself is not a shock. Ames didn't have a great 2005, but he's won on tour before.
But cast your minds back to the Accenture Match Play Championship at the end of February. Ames went out in the first round, beaten nine and eight (a record-breaking defeat) by Tiger Woods. Not so much a loss as a humiliation.
A few weeks later, and Ames is walking away with a $1,440,000 winner's check. And Woods? T22.
Some players only had to wait a day or two to experience this kind of topsy turvy result...
>> Davis Love III ended Thursday top of the leaderboard with a 65. An 11-over 83 on the Friday saw him miss the cut by four shots.
>> Adam Scott was tied for second on Friday night before a third-round 82 scuppered his chances.
>> Sergio Garcia was a stroke off the lead on Saturday night before shooting 76 on Sunday to finish 8 shots behind Ames.
Like the Bay Hill Invitational the week before, THE PLAYERS Championship had a strong international feel: five of the top seven players were from outside the USA.
The win means Ames now has an invite to the Masters in April, but he hinted he might prefer to take off for a family holiday (his wife is recovering from cancer).
And did the Match Play thrashing prey on his mind at all?
Ames said, "I never thought about it. I got my ass kicked and that was it. Next week, next event; that's how I went on. What am I going to do, sit down and cry about it?"
He can probably laugh about it now...all the way to the proverbial bank.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Bay Hill Invitational
Some tournaments are remembered for who won and some are also remembered for who didn't. The 2006 Bay Hill Invitational looks likely to fall into the second category.
That's not to take anything away from the winner. Rod Pampling secured his second PGA Tour victory with a 65 and 67 on Friday and Saturday, allowing a 72 to wrap things up on the final day. But it should never have been like that.
He was behind Greg Owen on the 17th hole on Sunday and looking odds-on for second place. Then Owen imploded, three putting from just a few feet from the hole to record a double bogey and tie the lead.
Owen's second putt on the 17th lipped out, and that misfortune repeated itself on the 18th to give him a bogey and put him a shot behind Pampling. Despite the disappointment, the Englishman deserved his own trophy for facing the press afterwards and displaying brutal honesty.
He said of the 17th, "...just to throw away a shot like that after the hard work you've done all week is just stupid. That's what I've done."
Pampling was sympathetic and gracious in victory, consoling Owen and saying later, "it's a cruel game and you just never want to see that happen."
The action on the 17th shifted attention away from other remarkable features of the tournament.
For example, it was only the second time the winner came from outside the USA (the first time was Ernie Els in 1999.) Indeed, international players occupied six of the top seven places.
And in a very strong field, only one of the money list leaders (Vijay Singh) made it into the top 10. No strong finishes from the likes of Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods, or current hot players like Geoff Ogilvy.
A fact that will give Owen some consolation when he reflects on what might have been and what was.
Note: Next year, the tournament carries a new name: the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
That's not to take anything away from the winner. Rod Pampling secured his second PGA Tour victory with a 65 and 67 on Friday and Saturday, allowing a 72 to wrap things up on the final day. But it should never have been like that.
He was behind Greg Owen on the 17th hole on Sunday and looking odds-on for second place. Then Owen imploded, three putting from just a few feet from the hole to record a double bogey and tie the lead.
Owen's second putt on the 17th lipped out, and that misfortune repeated itself on the 18th to give him a bogey and put him a shot behind Pampling. Despite the disappointment, the Englishman deserved his own trophy for facing the press afterwards and displaying brutal honesty.
He said of the 17th, "...just to throw away a shot like that after the hard work you've done all week is just stupid. That's what I've done."
Pampling was sympathetic and gracious in victory, consoling Owen and saying later, "it's a cruel game and you just never want to see that happen."
The action on the 17th shifted attention away from other remarkable features of the tournament.
For example, it was only the second time the winner came from outside the USA (the first time was Ernie Els in 1999.) Indeed, international players occupied six of the top seven places.
And in a very strong field, only one of the money list leaders (Vijay Singh) made it into the top 10. No strong finishes from the likes of Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods, or current hot players like Geoff Ogilvy.
A fact that will give Owen some consolation when he reflects on what might have been and what was.
Note: Next year, the tournament carries a new name: the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Honda Classic
Geoff Ogilvy and David Toms both continued their excellent 2006 form at the Honda Classic, but it was England's Luke Donald who confirmed his young star status with the victory.
It didn't look that way after the first round. With wind making the course play like "...British Open conditions with PGA TOUR setup" (as Ryuji Imada told journalists afterwards), Donald shot 72 on the Thursday. That put him five back of the leaders, who included both Toms and Ogilvy.
Donald was still five back of Toms after another windy round on Friday, and the latter looked set to gather victory at the weekend. Right up until a third round 76 left Toms with too much to do on Sunday.
Donald, in contrast, hit a 68 for a share of the lead with a resurgent Billy Mayfair, the latter looking for his first win since 1998, when he won the Nissan and Buick Opens.
Come Sunday, it was a solid if unspectacular round of 69 that gave Donald the win, with Ogilvy taking second two shots behind and Toms joint third with Mayfair.
Although Donald's second win on the PGA Tour, it was his first with a conventional finish. He won the 2002 Southern Bureau Classic when the final round was cancelled due to rain.
He noted, "This one, obviously, is more rewarding."
Monday, March 13, 2006
It didn't look that way after the first round. With wind making the course play like "...British Open conditions with PGA TOUR setup" (as Ryuji Imada told journalists afterwards), Donald shot 72 on the Thursday. That put him five back of the leaders, who included both Toms and Ogilvy.
Donald was still five back of Toms after another windy round on Friday, and the latter looked set to gather victory at the weekend. Right up until a third round 76 left Toms with too much to do on Sunday.
Donald, in contrast, hit a 68 for a share of the lead with a resurgent Billy Mayfair, the latter looking for his first win since 1998, when he won the Nissan and Buick Opens.
Come Sunday, it was a solid if unspectacular round of 69 that gave Donald the win, with Ogilvy taking second two shots behind and Toms joint third with Mayfair.
Although Donald's second win on the PGA Tour, it was his first with a conventional finish. He won the 2002 Southern Bureau Classic when the final round was cancelled due to rain.
He noted, "This one, obviously, is more rewarding."
Monday, March 13, 2006
Ford Championship at Doral
There are various rules of golf, but after last week's Ford Championship and the Accenture Match Play before it, we can add another one...
Never, ever, issue a challenge to Tiger Woods. Not even a meek one.
At the Matchplay it was Stephen Ames who innocently pointed out one or two flaws in Tiger's game. Then lost by a record-breaking score in his match-up with Woods.
At Doral, it was Phil Mickelson who made a similar mistake after round 1, which saw him finish in second place (one shot behind Woods). He actually paid the latter a lot of compliments, but nestled in there among the adulation was the phrase, "I'm trying to maybe have another shot at dueling out with him on Sunday."
Innocent enough. Mild enough. But enough of a challenge to incur the curse of Tiger.
By Sunday evening, Mickelson had slipped to T12, eight shots behind the eventual winner...Tiger Woods.
It didn't look that way after round 2, where Mickelson, Scott Verplank and Camilo Villegas all drew level with Woods. In fact, Mickelson got his duel in round 3, when the two played together. But in the end it was the Colombian Villegas and David Toms who got closest, finishing just one shot behind Tiger when all the scorecards were in.
Afterwards, although pumped with the victory, Woods noted, "Still got some work to do." Though you probably won't hear his opponents agreeing.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Never, ever, issue a challenge to Tiger Woods. Not even a meek one.
At the Matchplay it was Stephen Ames who innocently pointed out one or two flaws in Tiger's game. Then lost by a record-breaking score in his match-up with Woods.
At Doral, it was Phil Mickelson who made a similar mistake after round 1, which saw him finish in second place (one shot behind Woods). He actually paid the latter a lot of compliments, but nestled in there among the adulation was the phrase, "I'm trying to maybe have another shot at dueling out with him on Sunday."
Innocent enough. Mild enough. But enough of a challenge to incur the curse of Tiger.
By Sunday evening, Mickelson had slipped to T12, eight shots behind the eventual winner...Tiger Woods.
It didn't look that way after round 2, where Mickelson, Scott Verplank and Camilo Villegas all drew level with Woods. In fact, Mickelson got his duel in round 3, when the two played together. But in the end it was the Colombian Villegas and David Toms who got closest, finishing just one shot behind Tiger when all the scorecards were in.
Afterwards, although pumped with the victory, Woods noted, "Still got some work to do." Though you probably won't hear his opponents agreeing.
Monday, March 06, 2006
