Golf Majors

O'Meara: Royal Birkdale will always be special to me

2008-01-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

As the last Royal Birkdale Open champion, MARK O’MEARA will defend the title he won in 1998 when the Open Championship returns to the Southport links for the first time in a decade next July. Daily Post golf writer Trevor Peake caught up with the popular American for an exclusive interview in Morocco, when he crossed the Atlantic to play in the Hassan II Trophy

HAVING turned 50 last January, Mark O’Meara has played most of his golf on the senior Champions Tour in America this year.

But he loves to play links golf and, as a past champion, the Open will always be a part of his schedule.

“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a great challenge,” said O’Meara.

“Birkdale obviously has a very special place in my heart of all the Open Championship venues.

“The Open is played on firm courses and with the winds playing a part, which dictates how the players are going to play. It’s a sort of golf I really love to play.

“It’s well known that I’m very fond of golf in Ireland and I also find all the Open courses a great test of golf.

“I’m proud that I made the cut at Carnoustie this year and played relatively decent to finish runner-up at Muirfield in the British Senior Open. But to go back to a place where I won my favourite major will be very special.

“And it will be the first time I have been back since 1998.

“In my previous Birkdale Open in 1991 I was paired in the last round with Ian Baker-Finch. Finchy played as good a round of golf on the front side as I’ve ever seen anybody play and went on to win the Open Championship.

“I finished third and then when I came back in 1998, having become the Masters champion earlier that year, winning in the play-off at Birkdale against Brian Watts was just great.”

O’Meara and Watts, a little known American who played mainly in Japan, tied on level-par 280 after four rounds of the 127th Open Championship 10 years ago, just a stroke ahead of O’Meara’s great friend, one Tiger Woods, who then had yet to win the oldest major championship.

In April that year O’Meara, by then aged 41, had won his first major, the 1998 US Masters at Augusta, and he mastered the tricky conditions on the final day at Birkdale with a two-under-par 68, to catch Watts, who closed with a level-par 70.

Leading the Open on the Saturday night, Watts later said: “I had dinner in a Chinese restaurant in Southport that night and nobody recognised me. Nobody knew who I was and I was leading the tournament.”

O’Meara birdied the first of the four play-off holes to take a lead he would never lose to clinch the championship.

He finished at one under par with Watts at one over, and his second major in his 17-year professional career had arrived within months of his first.

“My strongest memory of the week 10 years ago is probably from the Saturday on the sixth hole,” said O’Meara. “That was the biggest turn around.”

“I hit my driver off the tee, then a driver off the fairway and hit it way right and it looked like I might have a lost ball.

“We started to search for it and after a few minutes I was about to walk back, when my caddie, who at the time was Jerry Higginbotham, heard that a guy had picked it up.

“We finally got him to confess that he had it in his pocket and I was able to play it from where he had picked it up, instead of declaring it lost and having to go back and play another ball.”

At the time O’Meara said: “There was a lot of miscommunication.

“The USGA was on the radio. The R&A was on the radio. It was like Watergate, nobody would make the call.

“I made bogey but it could have been a double or a triple bogey, so that was a big turning point, that sixth hole there on the Saturday”

After winning the play-off O’Meara was asked if winning two majors gave him a place in history.

“No,” he answered. “I think I’m a very nice player, a good player, but I don’t classify myself as great. Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan. Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, those are great golfers.”

Playing on the senior tour in the States, O’Meara restricts his appearances to about 20 tournaments a year worldwide, spending much of his time back home in Windermere in Florida with his wife Alicia and their two children Michelle, 20, and 18-year- old Shaun.

He says: “I have my replica of the claret jug at home, right next to the Masters trophy and the US Amateur Trophy, three of my proudest achievements in the game of golf.

“But to know that I’m a former Open champion is very, very special.”

O’Meara’s fond memories of Birkdale stretch even further back than when he finished third in 1991.

“I also won the Lawrence Batley tournament there in 1989, so some very positive things have happened to me on that links course,” he added.

“To come back to what I think is the greatest championship in the world 10 years after winning it will be really something for me.”

O’Meara was seven strokes behind joint leaders Woods and another fellow American John Houston after opening with a 72 in 1998.

Watts added a 69 to his opening 68 on the second day to take a one-stroke lead over Woods (73) and Zimbabwe’s Nick Price (66-72) at the halfway stage, with O’Meara in a group on 140, three off the pace.

With winds gusting at 40mph on the third day, Watts posted a 73 to lead O’Meara, who shot 72, by two strokes going into the final round with Woods blowing up to a 77, Price and 1997 Open champion Jason Leonard shooting 82s and Phil Mickelson an 85.

Woods hit back with a 66 on the final day but couldn’t quite catch O’Meara and Watts and the US Ryder Cup player beat his unknown countryman to lift the Claret Jug in the early evening on July 19, 1998.

Will such high drama be in prospect on a July evening next year?

Herron Captures Colonial After Playoff

2006-05-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

Tim Herron wanted to treat the final round of the Colonial as if he were a member playing a Sunday afternoon round.
While it looked exactly like that at times, the player affectionally known as "Lumpy" won on the PGA Tour for the first time in seven years. He beat Richard Johnson with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff, the first time since 1994 extra holes were needed at Hogan's Alley.
"This winning thing isn't that easy," Herron said after his winning 9 1/2-foot birdie putt on the 382-yard 17th hole.
It was Herron's first win since Bay Hill in 1999. He gets the winner's plaid jacket and $1.08 million - more than what he got for his three previous wins combined.
Herron (2-under 68) and Johnson (67), who ended regulation tied at 12-under 268, both had long drives on the first playoff hole and had to settle for two-putt pars. They then went to No. 17, where after similar drives Johnson's approach was 25 feet short of the hole.
Johnson had birdies on the same two par 4s to finish regulation. He trailed Herron by three strokes after three-putting the 188-yard 16th hole for a bogey. But Herron couldn't close it out, and had to scramble to stay in the lead.
"I thought I was out of it," Johnson said. "I had no idea what was going on behind me."
Rod Pampling, who won at Bay Hill in March and was in the final group with Herron, had his second straight even-par round since his career-best 63 Friday. He finished alone in third, two strokes back.
Stephen Ames (63), with an incredible comeback after faltering in the third round, and Ben Crane (64) tied for fourth at 271 with Brett Quigley (66), Arron Oberholser (67), Stewart Cink (68), Peter Lonard (70) and Nathan Green (70).
Johnson was 10 under when he three-putted on No. 16, his third bogey in a round with six birdies.
A group behind, Herron was 13 under after a par at No. 15, where Pampling dropped out of a share of the lead with a double bogey. That was one of only three greens he missed, his approach going wide right and through a cart path before settling in a grass clump under a bush against a fence. He sculled that shot over and through the green.
Johnson hit his approach at No. 17 to 28 feet and made the birdie.
Herron then put his tee shot at No. 16 in the front greenside bunker, and blasted to 16 feet. But he was unable to save par and dropped to 12 under.
At No. 17, Herron hit his tee shot right and his approach left. While Johnson was making a 6-foot birdie on the closing hole, Herron saved par with a clutch 12-foot putt.
Herron missed the green again at No. 18, but chipped to 9 feet and saved par.
Even though Herron had three birdies his first four holes Sunday, he did so with some interesting plays.
After missing the fairway at the 563-yard No. 1 hole, he had a 37-yard birdie putt. At No. 3, he saved par with a blast out of the back bunker, where his second shot went after he drove well right under the trees at the 467-yard left dogleg. He hit made a 10-foot birdie at the 252-yard par-3 4th.
Herron got a members-like break at No. 5, the course's toughest hole. His tee shot was well right and headed toward the Trinity River, when it hit a tree and bounced back into the fairway. He saved par.
Green was 12 under when his approach at the 408-yard No. 9 landed in the pond that fronts the green. He took a drop and wound up with double bogey.
It was Green's best finish since getting into a playoff against Tiger Woods and Jose Maria Olazabal in January at the Buick Invitational. He hadn't been better than 33rd since, missing four of 10 cuts.
Players Championship winner Ames got off to a much better start Sunday with a 38-foot eagle putt at the 563-yard No. 1, and went on to a bogey-free 63.
When Ames started the third round in the last group and only a stroke out of the lead after rounds of 65 and 66, he had a triple bogey on Colonial's easiest hole and went on to a 77 Saturday. That matched the worst score of the day and dropped him into a tie for 38th place.
"It made up yesterday and that was nice. It was two complete opposites. It was unfortunate and I was disgusted with the way I played yesterday," Ames said. "But it's part of the learning curve. ... I look at it as a missed opportunity."
Defending champion Kenny Perry, who won by wide margins in 2003 and 2005 with record scores of 19 under, finished at 277 after a round of 71. It was just his second tournament since right knee surgery in March, when he didn't even get to play at Bay Hill as defending champion.
Divots: Ryan Moore, in his first tournament since hand surgery seven weeks ago, finished at 283 after a 70 Sunday. ... Two-time Colonial champion Ben Crenshaw, at 54 the second-oldest player to make the cut at Colonial, finished at 285. It was his only non-Champions Tour event other than the Masters.

20 fun U.S. Open facts

2006-05-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

1. With the addition of sectional qualifying tournaments in England and Japan, last year was the first time that participants could qualify for the U.S. Open without entering the country. It didn't take long for the rule to have a major impact — 2005 champion Michael Campbell was one of nine players to qualify from the England site. "It's highly unlikely he would have traveled all the way to the States for a qualifier," said USGA executive director David Fay in an e-mail to the Honolulu Advertiser.
2. Not everyone needs to qualify for the U.S. Open through local or sectional tournaments — there are 17 ways to earn an exemption. Some are obvious — the 10 previous U.S. Open winners and anyone who has won a major title in the past five years; the 15 lowest scores (and ties) from the previous U.S. Open, the top 30 on last year's money list and the top 50 in the world rankings. Also exempt are the top two money makers on the Japan Golf Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia.
3. Who wants to be a millionaire? Anyone who wins the U.S. Open automatically qualifies. Michael Campbell earned $1,170,000 for his upset win last year, up from the $1,125,000 Retief Goosen won in 2004. How does this compare to other sports? Last year's U.S. Open tennis champions earned $1,100,000, though the most recent World Series of Poker champion collected $7,500,000.
4. The U.S. Open comes from rather inauspicious beginnings. The first tournament in 1895 was played on a nine-hole course at Newport (R.I.) Golf and Country Club, and was pushed back a month because of a scheduling conflict with the America's Cup yachting races. There were 11 entrants and it was held in just one day — golfers went around the Newport course four times in a row. Horace Rawlins was the winner.
5. Back-to-back wins by international golfers the last two years harkens back to the tournament's roots. No native-born American won the title in the first 16 years of the U.S. Open's existence. It wasn't until John J. McDermott of Atlantic City won a three-way playoff in 1911 that the streak was broken. McDermott successfully defended his title the next year, when he officially became the first player to break par over 72 holes.
6. While Michael Campbell's win last year was certainly shocking (it was his first PGA Tour victory), nothing compares with the feat pulled off by amateur Francis Ouimet in 1913. Ouimet, a 20-year-old playing on the same Brookline, Mass., course where he had caddied, defeated respected English professionals Ted Ray and Harry Varden in a playoff in his first U.S. Open. Ouimet never turned professional, but that upset was popularized by the recent Disney movie "The Greatest Game Ever Played."
7. The greatest fourth-round comeback was pulled off by Arnold Palmer, who overcame a seven-stroke deficit to win by two over Jack Nicklaus in 1960. Palmer's final-round 65 was illustrated by his tee shot on the par-4 first, when he hit his drive almost 300 yards to the green and made the first of four straight birdies. Incidentally, Palmer also won the Masters that year by birdieing the final two holes to beat Ken Venturi by a stroke.
8. Though Nicklaus was two shots behind Palmer in 1960, his score of 282 was the lowest 72-hole score posted by an amateur, and the best finish by an amateur in more than 50 years (the next-best was James Simons, who shot a 283 and tied for fifth in 1971). The last of five amateur winners was John Goodman in 1933, who followed in the footsteps of the Francis Ouimet, Jerome D. Travers, Charles Evans Jr., and the most famous of all, four-time champion Bobby Jones.
9. Four players have won four U.S. Open titles — Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Willie Anderson, a former pro at the Apawamis Club in Rye. Anderson, who won his four titles in a five-year span (1901, 1903-05), won the last three playing under the Apawamis name. He later won the club championship there six times from 1911-20. When Anderson was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, former Apawamis caddie Gene Sarazen gave the speech.
10. Anderson isn't the only local product to win the Open. Johnny Farrell — who won the 1928 title by one stroke in a 36-hole playoff against Bobby Jones — was the head pro at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale from 1919-30. Farrell won seven tournaments in a row in 1927, a streak that slots him between Byron Nelson's 11 straight titles in 1945 and Ben Hogan's six straight in 1948.
11. The most consistent play in a victory belongs to Lee Janzen, who in 1993 became the only golfer to shoot under 70 in all four rounds at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. Janzen's total of 272 included two 67s and two 69s, leaving him 8-under. Janzen's tally was also the lowest score in U.S. Open history, a mark that ties him with Jack Nicklaus in 1980 (also at Baltusrol), Tiger Woods in 2000 and Jim Furyk in 2003.
12. The 2002 tournament at Bethpage State Park in Long Island was historic for two reasons — it was the first time the U.S. Open was held on a public-owned facility, and it was the first time a two-tee start was used in the first two rounds. Fred Ridley, the championship committee chairman at the time, said the two-tee start would add two more hours of daylight and allow for flexibility in case of bad weather.
13. Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus are most celebrated for their four U.S. Open titles, tied for the most all-time. But Jones and Nicklaus are also tied for the most runner-up finishes, also with four. While they would most likely not be happy with that honor (Nicklaus, after posting the lowest-ever score by an amateur in 1960, said: "Nobody ever remembers who finished second at anything"), they certainly have good company — Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer were also four-time runners-up.
14. It's hard to believe that the 1896 U.S. Open was played on a Shinnecock Hills course that measured only 4,423 yards. That was practically the distance of just the front nine on the 7,214-yard Black Course at Bethpage State Park, where the 2002 event was played. A year before, golfers faced the longest hole, the 642-yard No. 5 at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla.
15. The worst hole ever played belongs to Ray Ainsley. It started when he sent his ball into a creek on the par-4 16th at Cherry Hills in 1938. It's unclear whether he was stubborn, or just unaware of the drop rule — in any case, he kept swinging at the ball while it floated down the stream, and by the time his ball was safely in the hole, he had posted a 19, the highest score ever in the tournament.
16. The back-to-back wins by South Africa's Retief Goosen and New Zealand's Michael Campbell made 2004-05 the first time since 1924-25 that international champions won consecutive Opens. International players won 21 times from 1895-1927, but only eight times since (five times by South Africans Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen). While Scottish golfers won 12 times in the first 16 years, they haven't won since Tommy Armour in 1927.
17. As unlikely a champion as Michael Campbell was (he hadn't won a tournament in three years before earning the 2005 Open title), don't count on him replicating his feat. The last player to successfully defend his championship was Curtis Strange in 1989 at the age of 34. Remarkably, Strange never won another PGA tournament. On the other hand, the last winner to miss the cut the following year was Retief Goosen in 2002.
18. The best career comeback story might belong to Steve Jones. After suffering ligament and joint damage to his left ring finger due to a 1991 dirt-bike accident, Jones took almost three years off and needed to go through sectional qualifying to compete in the 1996 U.S. Open. He made it through and eventually won the title by a stroke over Tom Lehman and Davis Love III, becoming the first winner to come through sectional qualifying since Jerry Pate in 1976.
19. The least competitive finish came in 2000, when Tiger Woods won by 15 strokes with a 12-under 272 at Pebble Beach. (The previous record for a major championship belonged to Old Tom Morris, who won the 1862 British Open by 13 strokes.) Two years later, Woods also became the first champion to lead from start to finish, without even being tied after any round, though when it was over he had defeated Phil Mickelson by only three shots
20. It isn't exactly "Dewey Defeats Truman," but NBC signed off on its one-hour coverage in 1955 by announcing that Ben Hogan had won his fifth U.S. Open title. It would have been a record, and it was the result everyone was expecting, since the only other contender was unknown club pro Jack Fleck. But Fleck, using clubs made by the Ben Hogan Golf Company, birdied 18 to force a playoff, and then defeated Hogan 69-72 the next day to complete the monumental upset.

Nelson, Picard selected for World Golf Hall of Fame

2006-04-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

Larry Nelson, overlooked as a Ryder Cup captain and often forgotten despite his remarkable journey from Vietnam War veteran to three-time major champion, finally got his due Wednesday when he was elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
"Of all the awards, nothing can top this," Nelson said.
Nelson was elected on the PGA Tour ballot by getting 65% of the vote, the minimum required.
He will be inducted Oct. 30 at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla., along with the late Henry Picard, selected through the veteran's category; and Vijay Singh, who deferred his induction after being elected last year. That will bring membership in the Hall of Fame to 112.
Nelson's election came in his 11th year on the PGA Tour ballot, and in many respects, it was overdue.
He won the PGA Championship twice and the 1983 U.S. Open at Oakmont, joining Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Seve Ballesteros as the only players to capture three majors in the 1980s. Nelson played on three Ryder Cup teams, posting a 9-3-1 record and becoming the only player to go 5-0 in a Ryder Cup.
But he was passed over as U.S. captain the last four times, with the PGA of America opting for Tom Lehman for this year's matches.
"This honor is so far greater than that," Nelson said. "I don't relate the two things. This has to do with my career. The Ryder Cup captain has to do with three or four people deciding who does that for the year."
Picard, who died in 1997, won 20 times on the PGA Tour, including the 1938 Masters and the 1939 PGA Championship. He later became a teacher, with Hall of Famer Beth Daniel among his pupils.
No one was elected from the International ballot, with Jumbo Ozaki heading the list with 46% of the vote. An inductee from the Lifetime Achievement category is expected later this spring.
Nelson was informed of his election three weeks ago, and even for a man who went about his golf so quietly, it was difficult for him to keep this a secret until the announcement at the Legends of Golf tournament in Savannah, Ga.
His road to the Hall of Fame is unlike any other.
Nelson's joy was baseball as a kid, and he thought golf was a sissy sport until he met a burly soldier in Vietnam named Ken Hummel who told him about guys making a living playing golf. Returning from the war, Nelson went to Kennesaw Junior College in Georgia and decided to play golf when he wasn't in class.
He was given Ben Hogan's book, "Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf," as a guide, and was encouraged by members at Pine Tree Country Club, where he worked, to try the mini-tours.
"I fell in love with it and got better every day," Nelson said. "I was always put in a situation where everyone was better than I was. My motivation was getting better and feeding my family."
He broke 100 the first time he played, and made it through PGA Tour qualifying school in 1973. Six years later, he won the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic by three shots over Grier Jones, then won his first major in 1981 by four shots over Fuzzy Zoeller at Atlanta Athletic Club.
His defining victory might have been the U.S. Open at Oakmont in 1983, when he beat Watson by one shot. Nelson added the '87 PGA Championship at PGA National, beating Lanny Wadkins in a playoff. He ended his career with 10 victories.
"Until I get in front of everyone in St. Augustine will it actually feel it's real," Nelson said. "I'm living in a dream world right now."
What touched him the most Wednesday was a group of Hall of Famers who attended the announcement, such as Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Charlie Sifford, Tony Jacklin and Carol Mann.
"I don't know of too many people who feel they deserve to be in there," Nelson said. "To get the 'welcome' from guys who have accomplished a lot more than you have ... it's like winning another major, as far as I'm concerned."
Picard won the '38 Masters with a 32 on the front nine, holding off Harry "Lighthorse" Cooper and Ralph Guldahl, then won the PGA a year later with a birdie on the 36th hole to square his match with Byron Nelson, and a birdie on the first hole to win.
"Henry Picard was one of the country's brightest stars in the decade leading up to World War II, where his victory total compares favorably to the likes of Sam Snead during that span," PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said.
The voting body for the World Golf Hall of Fame consists of Hall of Fame members, golf writers and historians, the World Golf Foundation board of directors and members of the Hall of Fame's advisory board.
The Hall of Fame does not disclose vote totals, only percentages.
While he was selected through the veteran's category, Picard received 53% of the vote on the PGA Tour ballot. Two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange received 50%, followed by Craig Wood at 37%.

Golf-No women likely at British Open

2006-04-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

The chances of Michelle Wie and other women playing in this year's British Open Golf Championship for the first time have faded almost to nil.
With the LPGA Tour's Women's World Matchplay event starting on July 6 in the U.S. and regional qualifying for the British Open scheduled for July 5 there will be no eligible women players trying to qualify for the men's major.
The Royal and Ancient Club, which runs the championship, agreed last year to allow women to play if they qualified.
There was a potential for 20 women professionals to take up their British Open regional qualifying entries this year with the top five finishers from the four women's majors eligible.
But the Royal and Ancient said on Tuesday at a Championship preview meeting that all the potential qualifiers had committed themselves to the Women's World Matchplay.
R and A chief executive Peter Dawson said: "The deadline for entries for qualifying is June 1 but as yet, no women players have entered.
"It is still possible we will get women entries and I personally very much hope we will. When we devised the dates for qualifying there was no LPGA event around that week."
Teenager Wie, who has been offered a sponsor's invitation for the men's John Deere Classic the week before the British Open takes place from July 20-23 at Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, could conceivably make the starting line-up.
But she would only qualify from that US PGA Tour event as the highest finisher not otherwise already exempt for the Open.
That is an unlikely scenario since despite her huge talent Wie has still to make the cut in any men's event she has played.
For the men qualifiers, Dawson said on Tuesday that local final qualifying will this year take place the on the Monday and Tuesday (July 10/11) the week before the British Open instead of the Sunday and Monday of the same week.
"It allows the qualifiers the same chance to practise on an Open course as the players already exempt, instead of them having to dash over from local final qualifying.
"It was all a bit of a scramble and now this creates a level playing field."

Mickelson uses the force in his quest for greatness

2006-04-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

TEN days before the start of the US Masters, Phil Mickelson went to Augusta National Golf Club to practise. He had two coaches with him, the taller Dave Pelz and the shorter Rick Smith, a kind of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda tandem to Mickelson's Luke Skywalker.
The threesome - as they have now done on three occasions - created the strategy that helped Mickelson win a major championship, a two-shot victory on Sunday at the Masters that seemed to portend more of the same.
"I couldn't have done this by myself," Mickelson said after winning his second green jacket. "To have the help from Dave Pelz and Rick Smith, it has really given me the guidance. When I do spend time practising, I'm spending it on the right things to help me prepare my best and play my best."
For someone once viewed as a talented player who tinkered too much with his game and took too many chances, Mickelson has confirmed his status as one of the best players of the era, even if he still has a little mad scientist in him.
When he came to the BellSouth Classic near Atlanta the week before the Masters, his decision to carry two drivers - each imparting different ball flights - seemed to be part harebrained scheme and part marketing ploy. Then he won the tournament by 13 strokes.
When Mickelson followed with his second Masters title in three years, he had the look of a golfer in perfect rhythm. Pelz had helped Mickelson with his short game, and Smith his long game. Mickelson's decision to choose drivers according to the shape and length of a hole seemed inspired.
"Last week, what he did was incredible," Fred Couples said of Mickelson's margin of victory at the BellSouth Classic. "Then coming in here to shoot the scores that he did, extremely consistent on a very tough course. He's a much better player than he was when he first started winning these majors."
Mickelson could get better. Although great things have been predicted for Tiger Woods in his 30s, Mickelson has already become the epitome of golf maturation in that decade. He had no majors in his 20s but, at 35, he has three.
Mickelson has 29 PGA Tour victories, joining Lee Trevino, Gene Littler and Paul Runyan (Woods has 48). With the Masters victory, he moved from the fourth-ranked player in the world to No.2, behind Woods and ahead of Vijay Singh.
Mickelson was asked if he was ready to embrace talk of either winning four majors in one year - the grand slam - or winning four in a row after his two straight at the PGA Championship last year and the Masters. Woods was the last player to win four in a row, accomplishing it in 2000-01, and Bobby Jones won the grand slam in 1930. "Let's settle down grand slam talk and stuff," Mickelson said. "To hold the Tiger Slam, all four majors? Incredible. That's just one of the most incredible feats in the game, that, and Bobby Jones's grand slam."
Mickelson said he would start preparing immediately for the next major championship - the US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in June - but he left a discussion of his place in golf history to others.
After the PGA Championship, Smith described how several players had won a single major, and that Mickelson had reached a new plateau. Mickelson's latest title brings him to another level, closer to Woods, who has 10 majors, and tying him with Singh and Ernie Els. "As much as I want to be a part of the history of the tournament and a part of the history of the great game of golf, it's not something I dwell on," Mickelson said. "I just try to play well and compete and hopefully win as many as I can."

Why Are Masters Champions Presented with a Green Jacket?

2006-04-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

Each year, the winner of The Masters is presented with the famous "Green Jacket." Slipping on the green jacket is the golden moment for many winners of the tournament. But how did a green jacket come to be such a big deal? What is the story behind the vaunted Green Jacket?

Let's face it: if you saw someone walking around in public in a shamrock green jacket, you'd probably think that person was severely fashion-challenged. Shamrock green jackets are, well, ugly.
But the Green Jacket presented to the Masters champion is one beautiful piece of outerwear. The tradition of the Green Jacket at Augusta National Golf Club dates to 1937. That year, members of the club wore green jackets during the tournament so that fans in attendance could easily spot them if they needed to ask questions.
According to the official website of The Masters:
"Jackets were purchased from the Brooks Uniform Company, New York City ... Members were not initially enthusiastic about wearing the warm, green coat. Within several years, a lightweight, made-to-order Jacket was available from the Club's Golf Shop.

The single breasted, single vent Jacket's color is 'Masters Green' and is adorned with an Augusta National Golf Club logo on the left chest pocket. The logo also appears on the brass buttons."
Soon, the Green Jacket became the symbol of membership in the ultra-exclusive Augusta National Golf Club. And slipping a jacket onto the winner of The Masters - a tradition that began in 1949 - symbolized that golfer's entry into the exclusive club of Masters champions.

Not your father's, or Jack's, Augusta anymore

2006-04-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

When Bobby Jones saw the young Jack Nicklaus, he said the Golden Bear played "a game with which I am not familiar."
If Jones came back from the grave this week for the Masters, he might say Augusta National Golf Club is a course with which he is not familiar ... and he, along with legendary designer Alistair MacKenzie, created the jewel in the Georgia pines.
The Green Jackets at Augusta National have twice lengthened the course in the last five years in an effort to keep up with technology and the strength of the modern golfer.
"I know what Augusta is trying to do," Nicklaus told reporters a few weeks ago. "Whether they've gone overboard, I'm not sure. But they've eliminated a lot of guys. ...
"Could Tiger (Woods) do (what it will take to win on the revamped course)? Or Ernie Els or Vijay Singh? Yes. Could Mike Weir or Jose Maria Olazabal -- one of those guys of moderate length -- could they do that? Probably not.
"That's the change at Augusta I have a hard time with."
When told at the Bay Hill Invitational of those comments and that Nicklaus believes only 10 or 12 players are capable of winning the Masters on the longer course, Woods said: "I agree."
Since Augusta lengthened the course by almost 300 yards in 2002, Woods has won twice, including last year, and Phil Mickelson claimed the title in 2004.
Weir, who won in 2003, showed a medium-length hitter could still win, but that was before 155 more yards were added on six holes -- this time without the previous changes having had a chance to be truly evaluated.
Augusta National will measure 7,445 yards this week, the second longest in major championship history behind only the 7,536-yard test at Whistling Straits in the 2004 PGA Championship, won by Vijay Singh.
As soon as the changes were announced, there was a dissenting voice. And it wasn't Martha Burk's.
"We have yet to have it hard and dry and fast for the entire week (since the 2002 changes)," Woods said, adding that the speed and subtleties of the greens, not to mention difficult pin positions, are plenty of defense for the course. "If we do, with these new tee locations, it's more likely over par will win.
"We used to see all the old footage of guys making shoulder turns on four-footers. Nowadays, you just need to breathe on it and it's going to roll quite a bit. I don't quite understand it because since they changed it in 2002, we have yet to have a dry week."
If it rains again, that plays even more into the sluggers' hands.
In addition to Woods, count the rest of the Big Five — Singh, Els, Mickelson and Retief Goosen — among those on Nicklaus' short list of title contenders.
Others, based on length off the tee and resume, would probably include Davis Love III, Sergio Garcia, Fred Couples, John Daly, Adam Scott, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke.
A long shot would be up-and-coming Henrik Stenson of Sweden.
Woods, who could move to within one of Nicklaus' record of six Masters titles with a victory this week, was serious when he said he might skip the tournament if his father's battle with cancer dictates.
However, expect the best player on the planet to drive down Magnolia Lane unless Earl Woods' condition takes a turn for the worse.
When Tiger showed up in California on the eve of the Players Championship, the former Green Beret lieutenant colonel barked at his son, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Remember, the old man started priming him for this when Tiger was a cub.
"We're taking it day-by-day," Woods said after the Players Championship, adding that he would not make another trip to Augusta before the Masters. "I've already been up there, so I don't have to worry about it. I've already prepared, seen it."
What he saw was that Augusta National is altering three holes on each nine — Nos. 1, 4 and 7 on the front and Nos. 11, 15 and 17 on the back.
The par-3 fourth hole has been lengthened to about 240 yards, with the tee moved back 30 to 35 yards.
"That hole is already hard enough, so I don't know why they'd change it," Nicklaus said.
The 11th hole, the beginning of storied "Amen Corner," will become the first par-4 hole in Masters history that will play longer than 500 yards. With the tee moved back 10 to 15 yards, the hole measures about 505.
The other changes include:
Moving the tee on No. 1 back 15 to 20 yards, stretching the par-4 hole to 455 yards. In addition, trees have been added to the left side of the fairway to require more accuracy with the driver.
The seventh hole was lengthened by 35 to 40 yards, making the par 4 play to 450 yards. Additionally, the green has been altered to create a possible right-rear pin position, while trees were added along both sides of the fairway.
Said Nicklaus of the alteration at No. 7: "That green is not made to accept three- or five-iron approaches. It's made to accept a wedge."
The par-5 15th hole was lengthened to 530 yards by a new tee 25 to 30 yards farther back and approximately 20 yards to the left.
The tee box on No. 17, once a breather coming home, has been moved back 10 to 15 yards, lengthening the par-four hole to about 440.
"They've changed the nature of the golf course," Nicklaus said. "Bobby Jones wanted a second-shot golf course. He loved St. Andrews and that style of golfing, second-shot golf courses. I think the concept of (Augusta) has changed greatly. It's looking more like a U.S. Open golf course than a Masters golf course.
"I love Augusta. Don't get me wrong. All I want is for Augusta to be Augusta, because it's such a great tournament. But when you take a golf course and limit the number of people that have the ability to win ...
"Their intention is not to do that. But they're doing that."
Masters officials would like Arnold Palmer, who won four titles at Augusta, to become an honorary starter the way Gene Sazazen, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson were for years.
As of yet, Palmer has not accepted, and perhaps the changing nature of the course has something to do with it. He also weighed in on the subject recently, and he sides with Nicklaus.
"I love the place, but now I'm not so sure," Palmer said. "There are some things that are taking the realistic Augusta away. It's changed dramatically from the course I've known the last 50 years."
No disrespect intended toward the classic courses that host the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, but the Masters and Augusta National are supposed to be unique.
It seems they are trying to make Augusta into Whistling Straits or Bethpage Black.

Mickelson looks poised to successfully defend his title

2006-03-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

It’s all about your agenda. Do you want to win a golf tournament or just prepare for one? No question there’s heavy highlighter -- green, probably -- on everyone’s calendar for the first full week of April. That’s Masters Week, the first major of the season, the annual rite of Spring that makes Spring so right in the golf world. But PGA TOUR players look ahead at their own peril. The $5.3 million BellSouth Classic begins Thursday at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga., a couple of miles west of Augusta. First prize is $954,000 -- a lot of green that can buy any color jacket you want. If anyone doubts that this Atlanta area stop, in its 38th year, isn’t special, just check the roll of champions, which includes Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Tom Watson, Larry Nelson and Tom Kite among the old guard. More recent title holders: John Daly, Tiger Woods, David Duval, Retief Goosen and defending champion Phil Mickelson. Sure, the majors club is nice, but reputations are nothing but enhanced in this fraternity, too. No sense preparing for the next big thing when living large will pay off in the present. It’s all about your agenda. Last year: Phil Mickelson won his second BellSouth Classic title by surviving a five-man playoff, the first in nine years, as the PGA TOUR completed its second straight tournament on a Monday -- with regulation ending after 54 holes because of inclement weather. Mickelson poured in a 20-foot birdie putt on the fourth extra hole to defeat Rich Beem. Brandt Jobe, Arjun Atwal, and Jose Maria Olazabal were eliminated earlier in the playoff after the five men completed 54 holes in 8-under-par 208. How he did it: Mickelson’s all-around game wasn’t particularly sharp, but he took advantage of his birdie chances, converting 16, third most in the field, and posting the fifth best putting average after hitting the green in regulation. He also got a little lucky as Olazabal missed short birdie chances on the final hole of regulation and in the playoff. Strange but true: Three of the last five winners of the BellSouth Classic – Scott McCarron, Ben Crane and Zach Johnson – didn’t ride that victorious momentum into Augusta National Golf Club the following week. Fact is, they couldn’t, having not qualified for the Masters Tournament. True but not so strange: Mickelson is the only player in PGA TOUR history to win twice in a calendar year in Atlanta, the 2000 BellSouth Classic and THE TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club. If the course could talk: “Chipping and putting impress me more than anything else. And that could be good preparation for that older cousin of mine down the street the following week.” Worth knowing: • Davis Love III decided he wasn’t going to sleep on that second-round 83 at THE PLAYERS Championship until he gets to Augusta National Golf Club. Love was a late addition to the field for this week’s BellSouth Classic, where he hasn’t played since missing the cut in 2002. His record at TPC Sugarloaf also includes ties for seventh and 11th. • Count a refocused and recommitted Joe Durant among the latest to enlist the teaching services of Bryan Mogg, who recently took on Charles Howell III as a client. • Hale Irwin remains the only back-to-back winner of the BellSouth Classic winning in 1975 and ’77 (the ’76 event was pre-empted for the U.S. Open at nearby Atlanta Athletic Club), but Mickelson might be a good bet to join him with his two wins and third place finish in ’02. • Duluth resident Stewart Cink has six top-10 finishes and has made the cut in eight of 10 starts near his home course. • Since New Zealander Bob Charles won the first Atlanta stop in 1967, only two foreign-born players have won in the 36-year tournament history: Goosen, from South Africa, and Canada’s Dave Barr in 1987. Internationals have won six of 13 events this year, including four of the last five. TOUR Insider’s strength of field index: Some guys know an opportunity when the see it. 7.6. TI’s power ranking for the BellSouth Classic: 1. Phil Mickelson, 2. Ben Crane, 3. Stewart Cink, 4. Retief Goosen, 5. Scott McCarron. Parting shot: “Bloody hell, are you wearing green underwear?” -- Nick Faldo to a reporter after fielding a question about Augusta National Golf Club just minutes after the Englishman and three-time Masters champion missed the cut in THE PLAYERS Championship.

Golf Hall voting not a popularity contest

2006-03-08T12:41:00.000-08:00

Getting into the World Golf Hall of Fame isn’t that easy.
Tiger Woods has won 47 times on the PGA Tour including 10 majors and he’s not even eligible. But, golfers like Denny Shute, Craig Wood and Graham Marsh are on the 2006 induction ballot.
There are 32 names in this year’s ballot and many are recognizable to even the casual golf fan. Domestically, the list includes Fred Couples, Davis Love III, Fuzzy Zoeller, Curtis Strange, fan-favorite John Daly and 16 others. The international ballot features Jose Maria Olazabal, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, Colin Montgomerie and seven more that only avid golf fans may know.
The issue isn’t who’s on the ballot, but who will get in this year and why some prominent names are missing. If Couples, Love and Daly are up for induction, then where’s Woods, Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard? Between them, they’ve got 84 wins on the PGA Tour, including 13 majors and two Players Championship titles (Leonard in 1998 and Woods in 2001). And, where is Ernie Els, who has 15 Tour wins, another 42 international titles and two majors?
Despite impressive resumes, those guys aren’t in because they don’t meet one of the basic requirements for eligibility.
“In order to get on the ballot, a player must have 10 official PGA Tour wins or two majors and a Players Championship and they must be at least 40 years old,” explained Jack Peter, CEO of the World Golf Hall of Fame. “That’s why John Daly is on the ballot this year and Tiger isn’t.”
The qualifications for international players is a little different. Hall consideration is based on a win matrix involving the four majors — The Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship — and The Players. They, too, must be 40 years old and have 10 years on the PGA Tour.
“You earn your way onto the ballot,” said Peter, explaining why active golfers are in the golf hall whereas the other major sports require their players be retired for several years. (The National Hockey League made an exception when it retired Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99 jersey league-wide and inducted him into the hockey hall in Toronto immediately following Gretzky’s retirement after the 1999 season.) “There’s no waiting period because golfers don’t really ever retire. Gary Player (who turned 70 last year) is still competing regularly.
“Knowing that, when this institution was put together in 1998, we knew we needed an alternative way to induct players while they continue to play.”
Peter said it’s good for all of golf to have members of the Golf Hall of Fame competing on a regular basis in tournaments all over the world.
“It’s an anomaly that’s unique to the sport,” he said.
Once on the ballot, though, golfers are at the mercy of about 225 golf writers, golf historians and living Hall members. That group got their ballots about three weeks ago and have until the Sunday of The Players Championship to return them. Every player that receives at least 65 percent of the vote is in, with an exception. Provided that at least 50 percent of the ballots are returned, the PGA and international player that receives the most votes is in. Last year, no one received 65 percent of the vote. However, Vijay Singh got 56 percent and Ayako Okamoto got 52 percent. Okamoto was inducted last fall while Singh, who deferred his induction, will be part of this year’s ceremony.
“Two weeks after The Players, our board of directors will meet at the Masters in Augusta to review the ballots and ratify the vote,” said Peter. “Following the Masters, we put out a series of press releases announcing the 2006 class.”
Peter said he doesn’t believe a golfer’s popularity is given more merit than their playing credentials. Daly has won two majors, but he only has three other PGA Tour wins and a handful of international titles. Daly’s career has also been plagued by off-the-course issues including divorces, alcohol problems, a musical career and his infamous trashing of a room at the Sawgrass Marriott several years ago during The Players.
“We spend a lot of time educating the writers on the process,” said Peter. “It’s not a popularity contest. People that deserve to be in are getting in. Hall of Fame caliber individuals will get in. I think the voters take it seriously and look at the merits of the player. I don’t think anyone that’s in the Hall, doesn’t deserve to be in.”
The PGA Tour ballot includes: Miller Barber, Bob Charles, Couples, Daly, Doug Ford, Hubert Green, Don January, Tony Lema, Love, Harold McSpaden, Larry Nelson (who was edged by Singh last year by 1 percentage point), Mark O’Meara, Henry Picard, Shute, Macdonald Smith, Dave Stockton, Strange, Ken Venturi, Lanny Wadkins, Wood and Zoeller.
The international ballot includes: Peter Alliss, Max Faulkner, Lyle, Montgomerie, Kel Nagle, Christy O’Connor, Olazabal, Masahi “Jumbo” Ozaki, Norman Von Nida and Woosnam.
Once nominated, players remain on the ballot until they receive enough votes for induction or 15 years. After 10 years, a player may be considered for the veteran’s category.

Oberholser Gets First Tour Win on ‘Home’ Course

2006-02-21T14:52:00.000-08:00

On a course he has played dozens of times ever since he was a teenager, Arron Oberholser finally broke through and grabbed his first PGA Tour victory. The San Jose State University graduate couldn’t have written a better script as he strolled down the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach on a glorious sunny day before a cheering crowd with a five-stroke lead over his closest pursuer.
No further drama ensued as the 31-year-old made a safe par on the famous par-5. Oberholser closed with an even-par 72 for a 17-under 271 total to win the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and take home $972,000.
Oberholser’s tally was five strokes lower than that of Rory Sabbatini, who also shot a 72 on Sunday. Mike Weir, who shared the third-round lead with Oberholser, stumbled and closed with a 6-over 78 to fall into a tie for third with Jonathan Byrd (69).
The victory came on Oberholser’s 76th start on the PGA Tour. He became the first player since Matt Gogel in 2002 to make the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am his first Tour win. The victory was particularly pleasing since it came on a course he’s revered since childhood.
“I always watched guys growing up win the golf tournament, and the walk up 18 at Pebble Beach is unlike anything else,” he said. “Even when you’re playing here by yourself, or with a foursome, it’s still an incredible walk. But knowing that you’re the champion . . . I wish everybody could feel that way. It’s incredible.”
Oberholser said he battled with his swing throughout the final round, but managed to hold things together as the rest of field fell back. “I didn’t feel that confident in my swing,” Oberholser said. “I think Mike sensed it a little bit, that I was starting to choke on some cotton. He was doing his best to put some pressure on me.”
But Weir’s game left him. Though Weir hit many fairways, the Canadian left-hander couldn’t get up and down for pars. “My wedge game and putting was what killed me,” Weir said.
As for Oberholser, he’ll take advantage of all the perks enjoyed by a PGA Tour winner, including qualifying for a possible million-dollar payday at the Accenture Match Play Championship in La Costa on February 22-26, and an automatic entry in all of golf’s majors.

Broadhurst has Finally Made It

2006-02-21T14:39:00.000-08:00

It has taken some time, it has, but English veteran Paul Broadhurst has finally made it into his first World Golf Championships event. He's set to make his debut tomorrow (Wednesday) in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play championship at La Costa against the No 3 seed, Retief Goosen. Both four and five years ago the 40-year-old former Ryder Cup star was fighting for his future at the European Tour qualifying school and wondering what he would do if he did not survive the ordeal. At the second attempt he managed to make it back onto the circuit, however, and now Broadhurst is part of the elite 64-man field at La Costa competing for a first prize of £745,000. He is one of 17 Europeans taking part, but the only one making his WGC debut. It is a story of triumph over adversity, but the experience did not feel very special on the journey across the Atlantic this weekend. "I left home at 11am on Saturday and got here 4pm Sunday," said the Warwickshire player, trying to shake off the effects of jet-lag. "I sat on the plane at Heathrow for four-and-three-quarter hours before they announced they were cancelling the flight because of computer problems. "I ended up going back home, but then getting up at 3.30am on Sunday to drive back to London and have another delay of one hour. "Then when we got to Los Angeles the connecting flight to San Diego was delayed for an hour as well. "Because I have not played for two weeks, the plan was to get out early and get some work done. But I did not have time to do anything Sunday and my first practice round was a bit of a shocker." There is the obvious danger that the event could be a very short one for him - what with Goosen waiting for him in Wednesday's opening round. Amazingly, apart from an unofficial event in Ireland over a decade ago, this is the first time Broadhurst has played match play since 1991. That was the year he made his one and only Ryder Cup appearance, winning both his games at Kiawah Island, and then represented England in the Dunhill Cup. He has played only a handful of tournaments in America during his career and his only two majors other than the Open, where he equalled the major record with a 63 at St Andrews in 1990, were the US Open and USPGA nine years ago. Since the trauma of dropping out off the European Tour and then having to battle to resurrect his career at it's Q-school Broadhurst has had a new lease of life. His victory in last April's Portuguese Open was his first for 10 years, he earned over £625,000 for 22nd place on the Order of Merit and with a runners-up finish to Henrik Stenson in Qatar last month his world ranking is now at what he believes is an all-time high - he is also currently in 10th place in the Ryder Cup race. If he can climb into the top 50 it will open even more doors - such as the Masters at Augusta in April It would be a brilliant achievement to earn a second Ryder Cup cap 15 years after his first, but he says: "I think you have got to be playing all the big events to have a chance really and I am not in a lot of them yet. "I have asked for an invitation to the Bay Hill Invitational (in Florida next month), but I don't know whether I will get it. "It all gets so much more complicated when you play well! When you are a bit lower down the rankings you just get the European Tour schedule and decide where you want to go." Broadhurst could have played in the USPGA last August, but the father-of-four turned it down because he had already organised a family holiday to Florida to mark his 40th birthday. Thanks to the fact he has continued to play well, though, another chance of success on the world stage has arrived this week. And Goosen or no Goosen, he is determind to make something of it.

Tiger Aims at Fourth Buick Title in Eight Years

2006-01-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods makes his first appearance of the year at this week's Buick Invitational in San Diego, where he will be aiming for his fourth victory in eight starts at the tournament.
He won the title for the first time by two shots in 1999, triumphed by four in 2003 and completed a hat-trick of successes in foggy conditions 12 months ago by three strokes.
Last year's victory at Torrey Pines Golf Course was his first in a PGA Tour strokeplay event since the 2003 WGC-American Express Championship and paved the way for a season of dominance.
Woods went on to win a further five titles, including the U.S. Masters and British Open, and ended his campaign with player of the year honors and tour earnings of more than $10 million.
Never having finished out of the top 10 in eight attempts at Torrey Pines, Woods clearly has a strong affection for the Buick.
"It's a great tournament and it gets lots of local support," he said during last year's event.
"In general, this tournament has always provided a really strong field, with the guys wanting to get off to an early start in the year."
This year is no exception.
Apart from Woods, two other members of the world's top six are set to tee off in Thursday's opening round -- fourth-ranked Phil Mickelson and number six Sergio Garcia.
WOODS LINK
Mickelson, a San Diego native, has another link with Woods this week in that both are bidding to become the first player to win the Buick Invitational four times.
Left-hander Mickelson, making his second successive appearance of the season after tying for fifth at the Bob Hope Classic on Sunday, was champion at Torrey Pines in 1993, 2000 and 2001.
"This is a tournament that means a lot to me because, growing up from here, I was on the outside of the ropes looking in and dreamed of being a Tour player," Mickelson said last week.
"Whenever I play here, I always feel as though I am a 16-year-old kid looking from the outside in, wanting to be doing what I am.
"It gives me a great feeling that I'm realizing those dreams of playing the Tour."
Most eyes this week, however, will be on Woods as he aims to strengthen his grip on the game.
Fresh from a month-long break with his family, the 10-times major winner is about to embark on his 10th full season on the PGA Tour since turning professional in August 1996.
Already the winner of 46 Tour titles and career earnings of $55,770,760, there is still a great deal more he wants to achieve.
"I never thought I'd win 10 major championships in my 20s because that's never happened before," he said shortly before his 30th birthday on December 30 last year.
"Hopefully, my best years are still ahead of me.
"But I have a lot of work ahead of me, and a lot of things I need to do to make myself peak at the right times and get all the things coming together.
"Winning major championships is what I want to do for the rest of my career."

Harrington and Jiménez spearhead challenge for Maybank Malaysian Open

2006-01-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

Ryder Cup players Padraig Harrington and Miguel Angel Jiménez will lead a powerful European challenge when the Maybank Malaysian Open gets underway on February 16.
Irishman Harrington heads for the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club for his first European Tour event in 2006 having won twice on the US PGA Tour last year.
Spain's Jiménez, meanwhile, will be looking to add to his 14 European Tour victories, a record that includes three wins in Asia.
Spearheading the Asian field will be two-time Malaysian Open defending champion Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand and China's best-known player, Zhang Lian Wei.
"The depth of the field in recent years just goes to show how far this tournament has come and how much players like Harrington and Thongchai like to play here," said Dato' Thomas Lee, president of the Malaysian Golf Association.
"This year's Maybank Malaysian Open is building up to be a feast of top-quality golf and intense competition."
The Maybank Malaysian Open has been a major fixture on The European Tour and the Asian Tour since 1999, when it became the first national Open to be granted co-sanctioned status.
Past champions include World Number Two and three-time Major winner Vijay Singh of Fiji and US-based Indian star Arjun Atwal.
"We're very excited to be involved in a competition of this calibre," said Agil Natt, deputy president of Maybank. "Hopefully, Maybank will one day help Malaysia produce a golf champion of an international standard."
Harrington, 34, will tee-off as favourite after his two US PGA Tour successes in 2005. His first was in March at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach, Florida, when he came from seven strokes off the lead after three rounds to beat Singh and Joe Ogilvie in a play-off.
If that victory was dramatic, his next, at the Barclays Classic in Harrison, New York, was astonishing. Three strokes behind with five holes to play, he sank a 65-foot eagle putt on the final hole to beat Jim Furyk by one shot.
Jiménez, 42, will be hoping for third time lucky in the Maybank Malaysian Open after tying for sixth in each of the past two years.
Thongchai, one of Asia's best-ever players, has a habit of making history. In 2004, he became the first Thai to win a European Tour event when he captured the Malaysian Open - a feat so significant the Thai government presented him with a diplomatic passport.
Then in February last year, he repeated the victory, making him the first Asian ever to retain a European Tour title. Next month, he will be going for a hat-trick.
While many eyes will be on these four stars, a talent-packed field will offer a stern challenge with Malaysia's Danny Chia keen to make an impact in his home tournament.
The Malaysian Open, which carries a prize fund of $1.25 million, will mark a new era for the tournament with Maybank signing on as title sponsor in an agreement that lasts through 2010.
It will also be the first time the tournament has been held at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. The club boasts two par 72 championship golf courses, the East Course and the West Course, both designed by Canadian Neil Haworth from Nelson Haworth, the company that also designed the Bali Golf and Country Club in Nusa Dua, Bali and the Shan-Shui Golf and Country Club in Tawau, Sabah.

Should the PGA Tour use a uniform ball?

2006-01-24T14:24:00.000-08:00

At the Sony Open two weeks ago, Bubba Watson wowed the galleries with his mammoth tee shots, knocking one drive an incredible 398 yards. So what does that mean for the little guys like, say, Fred Funk, who was paired with Watson in the third round and found himself 140 yards farther back of the rookie before his second shot?
There have long been rumors that the USGA -- or, more precisely, the PGA Tour -- might someday call for players to use a uniform ball that conforms to certain standards and won't fly as far as current models. Should this ever happen? ESPN.com's Bob Harig and Golf World's Ron Sirak debate in this week's version of Alternate Shot.
Should the PGA Tour limit players' length by requiring conforming golf balls?
YESThere already have been numerous drives recorded at more than 400 yards this year on the PGA Tour. Players routinely take the entire golf course away with the driver, leaving short irons to play holes meant for much more.
At some point, something has to give. Golf courses cannot contain players who continue to hit the ball farther. And it is a lot easier to fix the golf ball. The average guy wants to play the same equipment the pros play, and there is a romance about the fact that Joe Schmoe can use the same equipment as Tiger Woods.
Most of that is myth. Tiger and all the other pros have clubs and balls specifically suited to their games. We might use the same brand, but we are not using the same stuff. Not really. So what's the big deal if the manufacturers dial back their golf balls 10 percent just for use on the PGA Tour? They could still have the same spin characteristics, the same aspects the players like for putting and chipping and playing in the wind. They just wouldn't go as far.
Instead of a drive going 350 yards, it would go only 315. That's still plenty far. The longest players still would have the advantage. But it would not force golf course architects to stretch venues farther than they already are stretched.
And it might require some players to become adept at other parts of the game.
The long ball is great, and it will continue to be. But there comes a point when it is detrimental to the overall game. Jack Nicklaus has been preaching the need for a reduced-distance golf ball for years. So has Arnold Palmer. If it's good enough for them ...
NOThings seem to be working quite well exactly where they are. One of the most exciting television moments in golf last year was the aerial shot of Tiger Woods' golf ball as he drove the green on the par-4 16th hole at Doral in the Ford Championship.
And that came only a couple of hours after Phil Mickelson drove it 311 yards on No. 8 -- and Woods hit it 41 yards past him. Now that's entertainment.
Among the great things about golf are those risk-reward moments when a player must decide whether to gamble or play it safe. The game is now full of those kinds of decisions. The golf ball clearly goes longer now, but there are ways to defend against it. As we see at the British Open every year, putting a premium on accuracy puts more decision making into the game. Do I hit driver or a 2-iron off the tee on this par-4? Do I go for this par-5 in two or lay up?
The point of the game is still to get the ball into the hole in the fewest strokes. That rarely occurs with a tee shot alone. And remember, not only does the ball go farther now but misses are wilder. That brings into play the most exciting shot in golf -- the recovery shot.
Think about it: The truly memorable shots Woods has hit in his career are mostly recovery shots. Some would argue that the distance the ball goes now has made the game a one-dimensional power game. It has done the exact opposite.
Added length means added decision making. For the fan, that means more fun as a spectator, and for the recreational golfer, it means more fun on the golf course. Let's just leave things alone.

Top names in golf and entertainment to appear at the 2006 PGA Merchandise Show

2006-01-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

Greg Norman, Jim Furyk and Annika Sorenstam are just some of the celebrities making special appearances this year.
Top names in the world of professional golf, golf instruction and entertainment will be on-hand to meet the more than 40,000 golf industry professionals and some 1,200 exhibitors who will gather for the world's largest and most influential golf exhibition and convention, the 53rd PGA Merchandise Show ... & Convention, Jan. 26-29, 2006, in Orlando, Fla.Greg Norman, Jim Furyk, Annika Sorenstam and Paula Creamer are among the professional golfers scheduled to appear on behalf of exhibitors. Meanwhile, a trio of golf's most renowned teachers -- Rick Martino, Butch Harmon and Dave Pelz -- will present several highly coveted "teach-the-teacher" clinics on the Show floor.Additionally, a variety of industry experts in the fields of merchandising, retailing, player development, golf event management, golf travel and business management will present programs within the education conference and in learning labs on the Show floor. And, bringing a rock 'n roll edge to this year's event, The Black Crowes will perform a Friday night concert sponsored by IzodG."Celebrity participation at the PGA Merchandise Show ... & Convention adds yet another level of excitement to the already energized atmosphere of product introductions, company launches, demo events, hands-on learning labs, business networking and live TV," said PGA Golf Exhibitions Vice President and Show Manager Ed Several. "It becomes just one more compelling reason to come experience all the golf industry has to offer in one setting, as we launch the new business year for golf."Special guests at the PGA Merchandise Show ... & Convention include: Greg Norman for GPS Industries, MacGregor Golf and the Greg Norman Collection; Jim Furyk for Srixon; Annika Sorenstam for Cutter & Buck; Paula Creamer for adidas Golf; Mark McCumber for Gaim Golf; Erica Blasburg for Puma Golf; Chi Chi Rodriguez for The Golf Network; Rick Martino, Butch Harmon and Dave Pelz presenting "Teach-the-Teacher" Clinics; The Black Crowes in concert for IzodG; Tom Pasha, Phil Immordino and Lisa Smith presenting in the Golf Event Magazine Tournament & Outings Pavilion; and PGA Merchandisers of the Year Ron Dunham, John Buczek, and Fabian McIntyre presenting in the Dream Golf Shop. (Full details for schedule of events and appearances are available on the media information page at http://www.pgamerchandiseshow.com/.)The PGA Merchandise Show ... & Convention, Jan. 26-29, 2006, in Orlando, Fla., is the world's most influential gathering of PGA Professionals, retailers, golf manufacturers and industry leaders. Attendees travel from more than 70 countries to test the latest products, find the hottest trends, learn cutting-edge business techniques and grow participation in the game. More than 1,200 golf-related manufacturers showcase their newest products and services within more than 500,000 net square feet of exhibit space in the Orange County Convention Center.GolfWeek's Golfest, a consumer demo weekend, kicks off Show week, Jan. 21-22, 2006. Demo Day, Jan. 25, 2006, marks the official opening of the Show for thousands of PGA Professionals, key retailers and media, as they test the products of some 80 participating manufacturers at the 42-acre practice facility of the Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge in Winter Garden, Fla.The PGA Merchandise Show, organized in partnership with The PGA of America, is one of four leading golf trade shows in PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions' golf portfolio, including the PGA Fall Expo in Las Vegas; the Ontario PGA Golf Merchandise Show in Toronto, Canada; and the PGA Merchandise Show of Australia in Queensland.Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2006, The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf, while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.

Augusta adds yards

2005-12-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

There's a large surprise waiting behind the two-story hedges that separate the fairways of Augusta National Golf Club from the pavement of Washington Road. When the Masters is played in April, it's going to be the longest one ever.Six holes have been lengthened by a total of 155 yards and the course now extends to 7,445 yards - 520 yards longer than it was in 1999. This makeover marks the third time in the last seven years that the historic course laid out by Bobby Jones and Alister Mackenzie has been significantly toughened.Augusta National now ranks as the second-longest course in major championship history, trailing only the 7,514-yard long Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, where the 2004 PGA Championship was played.There is greater trouble everywhere you look, beginning with the 455-yard first hole, which is 20 yards longer than it was last year.The par-3 fourth hole is now a massive 240 yards, 35 yards longer than last year and it has drawn the attention of Tiger Woods."Well, [No.] 4 is brutal," he said.Woods will use a 5-wood that he recently added to his bag specifically for this hole.The seventh hole is now 85 yards longer than it was in 1999, and plays at 450 yards. The par-4 11th is now 505 yards, the par-5 15th now 530 yards and the par-4 17th now 440 yards.For every change at Augusta National, the longer hitters are going to benefit, but only if they hit the ball straight. Fred Couples, who played the course after it opened in October, said the intent of the makeover is obvious."I think we're all talented enough and for all of the length, it's very, very tight, so for a shorter hitter playing No. 7, if he hits four really good drives down the middle of the fairway, I would say he's got an advantage," Couples said.Hootie Johnson, the chairman of Augusta National, doesn't think players will be alarmed by the changes to the course. "These are the greatest players in the world, so I wouldn't expect them to be frightened," Johnson said in a response to an e-mail.

Vijay joins big names at Qatar Masters

2005-12-27T15:41:00.000-08:00

FIJI'S world No. 2 Vijay Singh will take part in the US$2 million ($3.33m) Qatar Masters Golf Tournament next month, organisers said yesterday.
Vijay's entry further boosts the tournament's profile.
Last year's winner, Ernie Els of South Africa, has already confirmed his entry for the tournament, which is co-sanctioned by the European PGA Tour and the Asian Tour.Retief Goosen of South Africa and Britons David Howell, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Lee Westwood are also scheduled to compete at the event from Jan 26 to 29.

Golf resort latest gem for officials to show off

2005-12-27T15:38:00.000-08:00

In a banquet hall of the tall, pink San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter hotel, the city's business and political elite gathered Wednesday to laud the official announcement of Cibolo Canyons — the luxury PGA golf resort that has weathered four years of public strife.
"It was a very tortured process," state Sen. Jeff Wentworth said of the political struggle that went into creating the resort. It was a heady moment for officials who pushed for the project, and it came as part of a spate of recent economic boosts for the city: a new Toyota pickup factory; the ascendance of Valero Energy as the country's largest petroleum refiner; and SBC's acquisition of AT&T, the world's largest telecommunications company.
As that business growth and the recent speculation over potential major league sports teams make national news, Wentworth said that "it creates a buzz for San Antonio that's very beneficial."
So the big players took some time to slap each other on the back and graze on a fajita buffet.
They listened to the golf course designers and admired preliminary sketches of the two courses and the JW Marriott hotel. Developers estimate the completed resort will be valued at $1 billion by the time it's completed.
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff was having a particularly good day on the heels of announcing that baseball's Florida Marlins are considering San Antonio for a new home.
It's exciting even if it turns out to be a ploy by the Marlins to make news that gets someone else's attention, he told Kenneth Jastrow, chief executive officer of Temple-Inland, the parent company of Lumbermen's Investment Corp., owner and developer of 2,850 acres in Northeast Bexar County where the resort will be.
"You know how you date one girl to get to the other girl?" Wolff quipped.
He later said that much of the groundwork for the region's growth has been done over the past 20 years. Now that growth is gaining momentum, Wolff said, it's time to push for everything that can be gained from it.
But officials should not equate success in sports development with the more meaningful growth of major industry, warned Char Miller, director of the urban studies program at Trinity University.
"I think big-league sports is nowhere near as important as the economic growth and the kinds of jobs produced by Toyota, AT&T and the like," Miller said.
For Cibolo Canyons, the project must overcome several years of opposition and bad blood.
Water quality concerns and a bill that would have given the resort eminent domain powers of a city raised an uproar from environmentalists in 2001, when Lumbermen's tried to set up a deal with PGA of America.
One massive public petition drive and two collapsed deals later, Lumbermen's, local politicians and businessmen struck a new agreement with PGA Tour and brought in hotel heavy-hitter Marriott International Inc.
Resort developers increased environmental protections and offered wage guarantees in exchange for a 29-year non-annexation agreement with the city.
Then they had to wade through the tide of negative public opinion and a late start in the legislative session to pass a bill that lets the district levy taxes and issue bonds.
"We tried our best not to let it get into the newspaper, and it worked for a while," Wolff told the crowd.
Officials are waiting on a development agreement that will pay for it all.
The pressure is on for board members of a public improvement district to hammer out the agreement with Lumbermen's and Marriott before Christmas, said board member Robert Rodriguez.
"I think we've been asked to meet as many times as we need to get that done," said Rodriguez, who is a member of a subcommittee working on the agreement.
County commissioners will have final say on the development agreement.

PGA Members and retailers change their approach for the PGA Show

2005-12-27T15:35:00.000-08:00

While the PGA Merchandise Show remains the best forum for discovering and purchasing the latest golf merchandise, this year thousands of PGA Professionals and golf retailers will travel from more than 70 countries with a much more diverse set of goals to accomplish in their days at the new PGA Merchandise Show & Convention, Jan. 26-29, in Orlando, Fla.
The 53rd PGA Merchandise Show & Convention continues to serve as the traditional premier marketplace for the global business of golf, but due to the ever-growing number of resources the industry has invested in golf's annual business gathering it has also grown to address virtually all aspects of the game in one efficient setting.
"The 2006 PGA Merchandise Show & Convention combines the great tradition of our annual industry gathering with contemporary programs designed to make us all more effective at what we do," said PGA President Roger Warren. "A significant interactive education component mixed with a strong business element has created an increasingly important setting for our industry to annually come together with common goals and purposes."
New and enhanced programs are added to this year's schedule to help all attendees "learn, grow, test and find" solutions, products, strategies and best practices that will directly impact their business, career and overall growth of the game. Programs such as the new "Teach-the-Teacher" clinics by renowned instructors Rick Martino and Butch Harmon, interactive learning labs within exhibitors' pavilions, the 100-plus seminars of the expanded education conference, Demo Day, the Dream Golf Shop, the PGA Experience and Business of Golf Conference are just a few programs that will provide a wealth of resources and tools for PGA Professionals and retailers to implement at home in their facilities.
"We recognized that PGA Professionals are asked to perform miracles in the business world 52 weeks of the year," said PGA Golf Exhibitions and Vice President Ed Several. "In response, all of the programs and seminars at the 2006 PGA Merchandise Show & Convention have been developed in collaboration with The PGA of America, leading golf organizations and experts in their fields to provide effective solutions to business challenges faced every day. Our collective goal is to make this an extremely productive and valuable several days in Orlando."
Attendees Respond and Plan Accordingly
"I've had the privilege to attend the PGA Merchandise Show each year since 1987, and my father, Ken Morton, Sr., since 1978, and I can honestly say that the Show is more valuable than ever to the golf professional, merchandiser or buyer," said Ken Morton, Jr., PGA member and vice president of retail & marketing for Haggin Oaks Golf Super Shop/Morton Golf LLC.
"The added-value programs that Reed continues to bring to the table, including Demo Day, New Product Center, additional educational seminars, fashion shows and networking opportunities continue to make this event critical to the overall growth of our company. Every single year, our team of ten that attends the Show returns home to Sacramento armed with ideas and products that help separate us from our competition."
"Because I am involved with a variety of manufacturers -- all partners in PGA's Golf Retirement Plus -- I am especially pleased that the PGA Merchandise Show is building programs that enhance income opportunities for PGA Professionals," said Jim Vincent, respected golf industry veteran and 2000 Ernie Sabayrac Award winner.
"Two initiatives in particular are of great value. The new Rick Martino and Butch Harmon 'Teach-the-Teacher' clinics, by two of the game's most respected instructors, will better prepare all teaching professionals to reach their potential in this important area of business. And, the first-time inclusion of the tournament and outings pavilion provides a great opportunity to combine exhibits with learning programs to better prepare PGA Professionals for the myriad of functions involved with popular member tournaments and guest and corporate outings."
"The business of golf is ever changing and attending the 2006 PGA Show & Convention helps me stay current," said John W. Boykin, PGA member, Business Golf International, Ltd.
"The Show continues to be the largest and most significant gathering of all the elements of our industry, in fact Reed and The PGA have acknowledged as much by adding Convention to the title. It is not ever been just about buying and selling products and services, networking and information gathering have been just as important. The added educational opportunities are exceptional. As one popular TV golf commercial says, 'you gotta go!'"
"There is such a vast network of golf-related business at the PGA Merchandise Show," said Ben Alexander, PGA teaching professional at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif., and 2004 PGA Teacher of the Year for the Northern California PGA Section. "The most important thing I learned in The PGA of America's business schools is to 'plan your work and work your plan.' By defining what my needs for my business are prior to the Show, the value of the PGA Show and its many programs pays dividends throughout the year."
2006 PGA Merchandise Show & Convention New and Enhanced Attendee Programs
Golf Demo DayThe 2006 Golf Demo Day presented by Sprint, Jan. 25, opens one hour early exclusively for PGA members at 9:00 a.m. VIP retailers and media join PGA members at 10:00 a.m. to test products from some 80 participating exhibitors, watch demonstrations and participate in special events at the 42-acre practice facility of the Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge in Winter Garden, Fla.
Equipment Test CenterThe Equipment Test Center (ETC), the country's largest indoor golf range, features a scalloped design of some 40 hitting bays, two putting greens, an elevated chipping area and the ETC Stadium -- a demo area for product presentations and professional instruction.
Fashion Spotlight Fashion ShowsDaily fashion shows, presented four times daily during the first three days of the PGA Merchandise Show, will showcase the latest fashion trends of more than two dozen top apparel companies. Produced by Tracy Yates in collaboration with Golf Digest's Publications Fashion Director Marty Hackel, this year's production will enlighten the audience on retailing trends as well as uncover the next season's hottest styles
Teach-the-Teacher Clinics on the Show FloorPGA Director of Instruction Rick Martino and renowned golf instructor Butch Harmon will present new "teach-the-teacher" clinics. The seminars are designed to provide teaching professionals with the tools they need to become better teachers, build their client base and increase teaching revenue.
The Dream Golf ShopThe 2006 Dream Golf Shop, designed by Bauer International and a replica of a high-end working golf shop, will expand to 1,600 square feet and feature additional merchandise categories; expanded hands-on learning models to provide retailing solutions; and on-site experts to help PGA Professionals and retailers improve merchandising techniques, customer service and profit margins.
Exhibitor Pavilions with Learning LabsNew specialty exhibitor pavilions with learning-based models are designed to help golf industry professionals become better merchandisers, and drive profit and product-category success. These new learning based pavilions include the PGA Magazine Travel pavilion, Golf Event Magazine tournaments & outings pavilion, the teaching & training aids pavilion, the PGA Experience and an expanded Dream Golf Shop.
Education ConferenceThe 2006 Education Conference adds roundtables and Best Practices sessions to a calendar that already boasts more than 100 seminars, PGA of America member programs and teaching & training clinics at the ETC Stadium. All programs are presented daily in the OCCC by PGA Golf Exhibitions in partnership with The PGA of America, the Association of Golf Merchandisers and leading allied associations.
New Product Center by Red e GolfThe Hot Zone New Product Center by Red e Golf has become the best place to view all the new innovations in the golf industry in one convenient location to all attendees. Over 350 companies and products are represented here every year in this designated area on the Show floor, which is open to new products only. PGA Professionals and key retailers are able to vote for the best new product in some 14 categories.
PGA Business of Golf ConferenceThe PGA of America will host the third annual PGA Business of Golf Conference, Jan. 26 -- 8:30 to 10 a.m., featuring PGA of America President Roger Warren as moderator for a panel of golf's most influential leaders who will address timely issues in a roundtable format. PGA Professionals, industry leaders and PGA Merchandise Show attendees will be invited to ask questions and interact with the panelists following the roundtable discussions.
PGA Employment CenterDesigned as a clearinghouse for golf industry positions and a networking hub on the Show floor, the PGA Employment Center is a wide-ranging employment service provided free of charge to all golf exhibitors, employers, attendees and job seekers who are interested in working in the golf industry. The PGA Employment Center, located in the PGA Experience pavilion, will have career counselors available throughout all four days of the Show and include employer programs.
The new PGA ExperienceThe new PGA Experience is an interactive pavilion providing access to PGA Partners' business solutions, the PGA Employment Center, PGM Universities and allied golf organizations. It also will feature a PGA Learning Center fitness pavilion providing attendees with access to state-of-the-art golf fitness equipment, the PGA Kinematics Lab and daily clinics by PGA Director of Instruction Rick Martino.
Pro-Pro TournamentsSix Pro-Pro tournaments, produced in partnership with PGA Magazine, offer a combined purse of $24,000 and will be played at some of Orlando's most prestigious golf courses. Tournaments are open to PGA members and apprentices only.
The 19th Hole, Amstel Light Grill & PGA ExperienceIndustry networking is facilitated on the Show floor in three separate locations spread throughout the exhibit hall. The 19th Hole, located in the equipment hall, will feature multiple TVs, golf simulators by Full Swing Golf, the Club Car Experience meeting areas and daily food service. The Amstel Light Grill, located in the apparel hall, will feature a pub, plush seating by Bauer International, clinics and meeting areas. The PGA Experience, located in the product and services hall, offers distinctive seating and informal meeting areas.
Play Golf America ConferencePGA Section leaders, PGA Professionals and employers nationwide will convene at the inaugural Play Golf America Conference, Jan. 27th, featuring player development presentations, highlights of some of the most successful "best practices' in player development, plus an opportunity for all attendees to network and share ideas.
PGA of America Awards NightThe PGA of America presents their most prestigious national awards on Friday, Jan. 27, honoring an industry leader with the annual Ernie Sabayrac Award, plus the Merchandisers of the Year and PGA Golf Professional of the Year Awards. Show attendees are invited to the pre-awards reception and the evening presentation at the Orange County Convention Center's Grand Auditorium.
The PGA Merchandise Show … & Convention, Jan. 26-29, in Orlando, Fla., is the world's most influential gathering of PGA Professionals, retailers, golf manufacturers and industry leaders. Attendees travel from more than 70 countries to test the latest products, find the hottest trends, learn cutting-edge business techniques and grow participation in the game. More than 1,200 golf-related manufacturers showcase their newest products and services within more than 500,000 net square feet of exhibit space in the Orange County Convention Center.
Golfweek's Golfest, a consumer demo weekend, kicks off Show week, Jan. 21-22. Demo Day, Jan. 25th, marks the official opening of the Show for thousands of PGA Professionals, key retailers and media as they test the products of some 80 participating manufacturers at the 42-acre practice facility of the Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge in Winter Garden, Fla.
Buyers and media can register online, plus make hotel and travel reservations at http://www.pgaexpo.com/ or by calling 1-800-PGA-EXPO. The PGA Merchandise Show offers airfare discounts and shuttle bus service from 32 official hotels.
The PGA Merchandise Show, organized in partnership with The PGA of America, is one of four leading golf trade shows in PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions' golf portfolio including the PGA Fall Expo in Las Vegas; the Ontario PGA Golf Merchandise Show in Toronto, Canada; and the PGA Merchandise Show of Australia in Queensland.
Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2006, The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf, while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.

Turning 30 may mark Woods' coming of age

2005-12-27T15:33:00.000-08:00

The hairline under his Nike cap is receding, and the aches and pains from years of pounding golf balls are more apparent. It used to be nothing for Tiger Woods to train by running six to 10 miles, then doing it again the next day."Now I need another day off," he said.
Ah, Tiger is getting old.
He turns 30 Friday.
And next month, he will begin his 10th full season on the PGA Tour.
But that hardly suggests any sort of dropoff is imminent. Woods, who is coming off a six-victory season that saw him win two major championships, knows all about golf history.
"If you look at most of the guys' careers, it looks like their peak years are in their 30s," Woods said. "Hopefully that will be the case for me. Hopefully my 30s will be better than my 20s. That would be pretty neat to have happen."
And it would be pretty amazing. Because Woods put together in his 20s a run of excellence that has been surpassed by only six players in PGA Tour history during their entire careers.
Woods' 46 official wins rank seventh behind Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson and Billy Casper. Woods' 10 major championships trail only Nicklaus' 18 on the preceding list. (Walter Hagen, who won 44 times, captured 11 majors.)
Not only did Woods win the Masters and British Open in 2005, he contended at the U.S. Open, where he finished second by two shots to Michael Campbell, and at the PGA Championship, where he tied for fourth, two shots behind Phil Mickelson.
Although Woods pointed out that the competition is better than ever, he hits his 30th birthday as the undisputed No. 1 player in the world.
And because golf is a game that allows players to prosper into their 30s and even their 40s, there is reason to believe his greatness can be sustained.
Nicklaus, who won 30 times before turning 30, enjoyed his greatest stretch after turning 31. From 1971 to 1973, Nicklaus won 19 times, including four majors. Nicklaus also won six majors after turning 35, including three after turning 40. One was the 1986 Masters, when Nicklaus was 46.
"How do you compare what he's doing, because nobody has ever done what he's doing," Nicklaus said this year. "He's dominated way beyond how anybody's ever dominated."
Palmer is one who believes Woods will learn to manage his strength. And he also thinks that getting married and having a family can help rather than hinder Woods as he continues.
"Between now and 35 could be the absolute best years of his life," Palmer said.
Palmer is proof. Between the age of 30 and 35, he earned 31 of his 62 PGA Tour titles. He also won six of his seven major championships after turning 30.

Cameo appearance for Campbell on PGA Tour

2005-12-27T15:28:00.000-08:00

Open champion Michael Campbell will make his 2006 debut next month in the Mercedes Championship at Kapalua.
Take away the majors, World Golf Championships and The Players Championship, and that leaves him only one other PGA Tour event he can play.
Despite winning a major, Campbell’s options on the PGA Tour are limited because of a bad year in 2003.As a New Zealand native, he claimed “home circuit” status on the PGA Tour two years ago, meaning he did not need a release to compete overseas provided he played at least 15 times on tour. Campbell quit after playing 14 events, and it has cost him.
“The penalty for using the home circuit exception and not satisfying the requirements is immediate forfeiture of membership the following year, and for five years, he can play only 10 tournaments as a nonmember,” said Andy Pazder, the tour’s vice president of competition.
Campbell was at a low point in 2003. He made only five cuts in his 14 tour events, and three of those were at WGC events that had no cuts. He was disqualified at The Players Championship after opening with an 89.
“I played (bad),” he said. “I had no house to go to. I was traveling with the family, two kids. It made me crazy. So I went back to England, to the European tour, and I won about a month later at the Irish Open. That told me it was time to pack up my bags and get back to England.”Campbell sought a compromise with the tour, asking if he could play 12 or 13 events in 2006. Because he could not commit to 15 tournaments, his request was denied.
The only other regular tournament he will play is the Bay Hill Invitational.
“I want to play Memorial, but I can’t play that now because of my restrictions,” Campbell said. “I feel that my wings have been clipped a little bit. I want to be a global player. I want to play in Europe and Australia and different parts of the world. But I couldn’t commit to 15 events.”