Golf-Teen Spieth wins John Deere on fifth playoff hole

Golf-Teen Spieth wins John Deere on fifth playoff hole

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July 14, 2013 11:26 PM


* Teen becomes youngest U.S. Tour winner in 82 years

* beats Johnson and Hearn in playoff (Adds details, quotes)

July 14 (Reuters) - Jordan Spieth become the youngest player to win on the PGA Tour since 1931 after the 19-year-old took the John Deere Classic title on the fifth hole of sudden-death on Sunday.

Spieth, who had holed out from a bunker on the last hole to join a playoff, tapped in for par on the 18th hole to beat 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson, who won last year, andCanadian David Hearn after the trio finished the regulation 72 holes tied at 19-under-par at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.

Spieth, a two-time U.S. Junior Amateur champion who began the round six shots off the pace, shot a final-round 65 and earned a spot in next week's British Open, an invitation to the 2014 Masters and membership on the Tour with the win.

"It's not settling in yet," said Spieth, who last year won a U.S. college championship with Texas. "It hasn't hit me yet. I'm not sure it will until maybe I wake up on the plane in a little while."

The win made Spieth the first teenager to claim a PGA Tour title since Ralph Guldahl won the Santa Monica Open 82 years ago.

"I don't think of my age as my age," Spieth said. "I just think of playing and competing with these guys as my peers. The guys in this event, each week, week to week, I don't think of myself as younger than them."

At 18-under-par, one stroke away from joining the playoff, were Martin Flores (63), Jerry Kelly (68) and overnight leader Daniel Summerhays (72), who overcame a string of four successive bogeys from the fifth hole.

Summerhays fought his way back into contention but failed to make the playoffs when he bogeyed the last after a brutal lie in a greenside bunker.

Playing on special temporary member status for his play in select events this year, which included five top-10s, Spieth put himself in position for something special when his greenside bunker shot on the last took one hop, hit the pin and dropped into the cup for a birdie.


Johnson came to the 18th holding a one-shot lead and looked poised to repeat as champion and notch his 10th tour title but bogeyed the hole to set up the three-way playoff.

The defending champion came close to winning the playoff when he lipped out a chip for birdie on the first extra hole and grazed the edge on another birdie putt.

Hearn, looking for his first tour title, missed two putts of about 10 feet, and Spieth had a 25-footer for a winning birdie on the first extra hole that died just short.

On the decisive hole, all three pushed their tee shots into the right rough, with Hearn having to thread a shot through a tight gap of trees and Johnson virtually stymied behind an oak.

Hearn came out short of the green, while Johnson deflected off a tree and into the water hugging the left side of the hole.

Spieth, who had the best lie of the trio, punched out of the rough and ran the ball to the fringe in back of the green, from where he two-putted for the winning par.

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy all won their first PGA events at age 20.

"A year ago we had just won a national championship, and I thought I'd be back at school right now," said Spieth. "I had a plan. I guess the plan got exceeded.

"I wanted to just earn my Tour card for next year this year somehow. And now to be able to have it for a couple of years and to be able to have an exemption to Augusta (and) all the stuff that comes with it ...

"It hasn't hit me yet, and it will, but I'm just happy to go compete with those guys you mentioned."

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Greg Stutchbury)

Golf-Saltman suffers hackers' curse as first hole bares its teeth

Golf-Saltman suffers hackers' curse as first hole bares its teeth

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July 18, 2013 6:41 AM


(Adds quotes)

By Martyn Herman

GULLANE, Scotland, July 18 (Reuters) - Sunday morning hackers know the feeling well. You step on the first tee and duff your first shot out of bounds, then take another ball and do exactly the same.

Scotland's Lloyd Saltman did just that at Muirfield on Thursday when he began his British Open challenge with a first-hole horror show which ended with an ugly quadruple-bogey eight.

Saltman, who came though qualifying at nearby Musselburgh, rallied briefly but ended up carding an eight-over 79.

"Once it starts moving on the wind here it's gone," Saltman told reporters. "It was always going to be tough after that start because it's not how you want to start the Open.

"I once hit three tee shots on the 17th at St Andrews but never started a round with three so it wasn't great.

"The only positive was I shot a 79 and not an 80."

Saltman, who grew up just down the road in Edinburgh and knows the local links courses well, was part of the first group to tee off in almost perfect conditions.


However, the 447-yard par four hole, with its tight fairway flanked by knee-high rough and guarded by deep bunkers, proved too much for the 27-year-old who took three tee shots to get a ball in play.

His first effort cleared a 20-foot high screen bordering the tented village and his second was heard to "hit an object".

Neither ball was found and Saltman's third tee shot landed just right of the fairway, after which he played the hole in exemplary fashion, finding the green with his approach and two-putting before glumly striding to the second tee.

While winds, as predicted were light, the course was proving precarious on the opening morning as the narrow fairways, thick rough and steep-sided bunkers took their toll.

The opening hole, rated as one of the toughest of all the Scottish links courses, was particularly brutal and Saltman was not alone in coming a cropper.

American Brooks Koepka, making his Open debut, also took an eight and Britain's Chris Wood andAmericans Bud Cauley and Luke Guthrie began with triple-bogey sevens.

Australia's Jason Day, strongly fancied to win the title after finishing third at the Masters and second at the U.S. Open, also came to grief with a six, although he repaired the damage with a couple of birdies before the turn.

After 60 of the 156 starters had passed through only four birdies had been seen on the first, one of which was sunk by early leader Miguel Angel Jimenez.

British title hope Ian Poulter, wearing a pair of tartan trousers, did locate the first fairway but still began his challenge with a bogey on a hole averaging 4.5 early on.

"You're asking how the rough is at Muirfield. I thought it was hay. Big tip for week: Hit it on the mowed stuff," Poulter said on his Twitter page on the eve of the tournament. (Editing by Ed Osmond)

Rory McIlroy shrugs off advice from Nick Faldo

Rory McIlroy shrugs off advice from Nick Faldo

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PGA.COM July 18, 2013 8:35 AM

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Heading into the Open Championship, some have speculated that off-the-course activities have cut into …


By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP National Writer

GULLANE, Scotland (AP) -- Rory McIlroy hasn't become too worked up about his struggles this year.

He certainly doesn't need any advice from Nick Faldo.

McIlroy shrugged off a suggestion from the six-time major champion to spend more time concentrating on golf, saying on Wednesday that Faldo "should know how hard this game is at times."

McIlroy won his second major title last summer with a runaway win at the U.S. PGA Championship, but he has been off his game this season after changing equipment. Heading into the British Open, some have also speculated that off-the-course activities have cut into his preparation time and mental sharpness.

This week, Faldo seemed to join that group when he urgedMcIlroy to spend the next two decades focused solely on his golf, calling it his "window of opportunity," before savoring all the benefits of being a multiple major champion.

"What's the big deal?" McIlroy said. "I haven't had the best six months, but it's OK. I'm fine. I've got a good life. So, you know, it doesn't bother me. I'm in a good place. And as I said, I'm working hard. I feel like I'm working on the right things. And sooner or later it will turn around and I'll be back lifting trophies."

Faldo said he believes McIlroy's struggles are mainly mental.


"The most ideal thing is to go to the club, 9 in the morning, hit balls all day long, and you leave at 5," Faldo said. "Concentrate on golf, nothing else. Hopefully when you retire, in your 40s or 50s, hopefully you have another 40 years to enjoy it. So just concentrate on golf."

McIlroy said he intends to play 108 practice holes at Muirfield leading up to the Open, and he took a jab at Faldo's proposed schedule.

"I actually was on the range at 6:15 (a.m.), and got out of the gym at 6:15 (p.m.) -- actually a 12-hour day compared to his eight-hour day," McIlroy said. "Nick should know how hard this game is at times. He's been in our position before. He should know how much work that we all put into it."

McIlroy said he doesn't feel as though his game is that far off.

Certainly, there's no need to panic.

"It's like life," he said. "You're going to go through highs and you're going to go through lows. It's just about trying to work your way out of the lows. Yeah, I haven't played my best golf this year, but I've showed signs that it is there. It's just a matter of trying to do that more often. But, yeah, it's been difficult to try, I guess, to explain why I'm not playing well or why I haven't had the results that I've wanted over the past six months."

McIlroy said he does his best to avoid what others are saying, though it was clear Faldo's words got back to him.

"Obviously it's hard to avoid at times," he said. "You just have to have the confidence and the self-belief in yourself that you're doing the right things and know that what you're doing is ultimately going to get you to the place that you want to be."

©2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press.

Criticism of Muirfield for not allowing female members doesn't make the cut

Criticism of Muirfield for not allowing female members doesn't make the cut

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Jay Hart July 18, 2013 8:41 AMYahoo Sports


GULLANE, Scotland – In the lead up to Thursday's British Open, the big stink here was that Muirfield, host of the 142nd edition of the Open Championship, doesn't allow female members.

Predictably, cue the media outrage. Never mind that this is an issue that has no impact on any of our lives – Muirfield isn't in the cards on a journalist's salary – nor the lives of 99.9999999 (I could keep going) percent of the women on this planet. When there's low-hanging fruit to be picked, well, we'll pick it.

As you said, Peter Dawson, chief executive of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, was asked in a news conference Wednesday, single-sex clubs are legal, but morally, what's the difference between men only and whites only?




Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A, addresses the media regarding Muirfield's 'controversial' policy. (Getty …"Oh goodness me, I think that's a ridiculous question, if I may say so," Dawson responded. "There's a massive difference between racial discrimination, anti-Semitism, where sectors of society are downtrodden and treated very, very badly, indeed. And to compare that with a men's golf club I think is frankly absurd. There's no comparison whatsoever."



Moral equivalency is a little trick they don't teach in journalism school, but it certainly comes in handy. When it comes to issues like this, it's always made out to be about the exclusion of someone or some group rather than something much more innocuous: a bunch of guys who want a man cave – in this case, a golf course – to themselves.

(It should be noted that while Muirfield doesn't allow female members, females are welcome to play the course.)

Of course, on our side of the pond we've already dealt with the issue of men's only clubs at Augusta National, home of the Masters. Thanks to Martha Burk's protests and a relentless line of questioning, Augusta finally allowed female members 11 months ago, and, oh, how the world is a better place.

Has the R&A become a hostage to fortune on this issue? Dawson was asked.

You bet your ass the R&A has become a hostage on this issue, because the media gets to set the agenda as we see fit. And so we ignore the exclusive clubs we deem acceptable – and there are plenty of women's-only clubs, just ask Justice Sonia Sotomayor – and pick on the ones we don't.

Wednesday, Dawson was asked if he could "explain to the 10 women in the room why racism is unacceptable and sexism clearly is?"

"I don't think in doing that they're intending to do … others harm," he responded. "It's just a way of life that some of these people like. And realistically, that's all it is.

"You can dress it up to be a lot more, if you want, but on the Saturday morning when the guy gets up or the lady gets up and out of the marital bed, if you like, and goes off and plays golf with his chums and comes back in the afternoon, that's not on any kind of par with racial discrimination or anti-Semitism or any of these things."

The nature of the "question" meant that no answer other than total agreement would be acceptable nor will dissent ever be acceptable. Like a kid hungry for ice cream, we won't stop screaming until we get what we want.

So this is how it's going to go: We're going to keep hammering away with questions and in the process we'll marginalize the opposition, all in the pursuit of making this world a better place, in our vision of course. Then, one day soon, the folks at Muirfield will get sick of dealing with the pressure and relent, just as Augusta National did. When they do, we'll criticize them for taking too long.

And for 99.9999999 percent of women, the world will have changed not one bit.

Tiger aims to regain winning ways at happy hunting ground

Tiger aims to regain winning ways at happy hunting ground

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July 25, 2013 7:01 PM

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Tiger Woods of the U.S. (L) shakes hands with his former caddie Steve Williams, after finishing his final …


(Reuters) - Frustrated after a wasted opportunity to win last week's British Open, Tiger Woods will be back in PGA Touraction for next week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at one of his favorite venues as he hunts a fifth victory this year.

American Woods has triumphed a record seven times at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio where he will also be looking to build momentum for the season's final major, the PGA Championship to be played the following week.

"This is one of my favorite courses," world number oneWoods said on his website (http://web.tigerwoods.com/) about the tree-lined venue for the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event.

"There is nothing tricky about it; everything is right in front of you. And the fans do a great job of supporting the event."

Woods will aim to return to the PGA Tour winner's circle, having tied for sixth in last week's British Open at Muirfield in Scotland where his bid for a 15th major title unraveled in the final round as he closed with a three-over-par 74.


He was happy with his overall game at Muirfield, though he struggled with his putting, especially in the final round.

"The whole week, I really hit so many good shots and really had control of my ball," the 37-year-old told reporters. "The frustrating part is I didn't get the (putting) speed.

"I'm very pleased with the way I'm playing, there's no doubt. I'm right there. We have the World Golf Championship here at (Firestone) a golf course I like, and I've had a little bit of success on it. I'm looking forward to that."

Woods has not won a major title since his remarkable playoff victory at the 2008 U.S. Open where he was severely hampered by a double stress fracture in his left shinbone.

However, he has displayed excellent form on the PGA Tour this year, winning four times in just 10 starts, and ranks first in FedExCup points, money earnings and scoring.

The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational will be played from August 1-4.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Frank Pingue)

Golf-Man of Steele in charge at Canadian Open

Golf-Man of Steele in charge at Canadian Open

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July 25, 2013 8:06 PM


* Late starters struggle in tougher afternoon conditions

* American Kuchar lurks one shot off the pace (Recasts at end of round)

By Steve Keating

OAKVILLE, Ontario July 25 (Reuters) - American Brendan Steele took full advantage of ideal early scoring conditions to forge a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Canadian Open on Thursday.

Playing the back nine first on a calm, sunny morning atGlen Abbey Golf Club, Steele mixed eight birdies with a single bogey for a seven-under 65 that left him a shot clear of compatriots Matt Kuchar and Scott Brown and Australian Scott Gardiner.

As breezes stiffened and conditions toughened for the afternoon starters no one managed to come close to nudging Steele, 30, from the top of the leaderboard.

Steele, whose has just one PGA Tour win, had three birdies on his outward nine on the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout and picked up the pace after the turn with five birdies over seven holes before dropping his only shot of the day at the ninth.

Kuchar, the highest ranked player in the field at world number six, mixed an eagle with five birdies and a bogey while Brown turned in a flawless round with six birdies.


"It was perfect conditions," smiled Kuchar, who has made 20 consecutive cuts, including all 16 starts this season. "I feel like last week, conditions were so challenging and so difficult at the British Open to come here and play golf that is more friendly and more what we are use to was great."

Gardiner, who has made the cut just twice in his last 16 events, began his day with a par then reeled off six consecutive birdies to race up the leaderboard.

The Australian's red-hot start cooled with seven consecutive pars before he picked up another birdie at 15 followed by his only bogey of the day at 16.

American Hunter Mahan and Swede David Lingmerth were a further shot back after returning 67s while Chez Reavie, whose only career PGA Tour win game at Glen Abbey in 2008, and former Masters champions Bubba Watson and Trevor Immelman were among a large pack three off the pace.

"The first two days the afternoon wave is going to be tougher for sure," said Mahan. "In the morning the greens are pure and the wind is not blowing quite as hard."

Indeed, some of the tournament's biggest names were left floundering in the breezy conditions with former world number one Luke Donald of Britain (73), twice Canadian Open champion Jim Furyk (72) and 2010 U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell (76) all failing to break par.

American Woody Austin, who fired four sub-par rounds of 70 last week at the Sanderson Farms Championships to claim his first PGA Tour title in six years, crashed to the bottom of the leaderboard with a 10-over 82.

Reigning champion Scott Piercy began his title defense with 10 straight pars before signing for a one-under 71.

Without a homegrown winner in 59 years, local fans were out in full force to offer their support but could not inspire the Canadian contingent to anything better than a three-under 69 from Brad Fritsch that left him four back of the leader. (Editing by Frank Pingue)

Golf-Canadian club on the rocks after opening round

Golf-Canadian club on the rocks after opening round

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July 25, 2013 8:28 PM


By Steve Keating

OAKVILLE, Ontario, July 25 (Reuters) - The search for a home-grown winner of the Canadian Open looked poised to stretch into a sixth decade after the local contingent failed to make an impression on the first round leaderboard on Thursday.

Only once in the last 99 years has a native son claimed the national title and that was back in 1954 when Pat Fletcherended what was then a 50-year barren run with a victory at Vancouver's Point Grey Golf and Country Club.

Local fans were out in force offering their support on a brilliant sunny day at the Glen Abbey Golf Club but they could not inspire the Canadian contingent to anything better than a three-under-par 69 from Brad Fritsch.

That left him four strokes behind pacesetting American Brendan Steele, who took advantage of ideal early scoring conditions to return an eight-birdie 65.

"I feel like I've played well, I feel like I hit the ball great off the tee," said Fritsch, who closed his round with three straight birdies. "The stats won't say it, but I think I missed, you know, five or six fairways probably by a foot."

Eighteen Canadians teed off on Thursday but only four - Fritsch, David Hearn (70), Roger Sloan (71) and amateur Corey Conners (71) - broke par.

ROLLER-COASTER MORNING


Graham DeLaet, the top-ranked Canadian in the field and considered the country's best hope to end the long drought, had a roller-coaster morning that included a triple-bogey seven at the 14th before he birdied his final hole for a level-par 72.

"It was pretty Jekyll and Hyde," said world number 67 DeLaet, who is also battling for a spot on the International team that will take on the United States at the Presidents Cup in October.

"I hit a couple of bad tee shots, had a couple of plugged bunkers and a three-putt from four-feet but other than that I made six birdies. I made enough birdies to shoot a good round, I just had too many poor swings in there.

"You want to play well, you don't want to get behind the eight-ball and I feel I kind of am a little bit with that even par because it was pretty scoreable out there today.

"At the same time, I didn't shoot myself out of it. It was nice to finish with a birdie to kind of make lunch taste a little better."

Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion who is on the comeback trail after a series of injuries, battled to a one-over 73 but declared himself satisfied with his effort.

The little lefty may have lost some of his form but none of his confidence as he looked ahead to the weekend.

"I could have easily been six, seven, eight under, who knows," said Weir. "You get rolling. You have a good putting day and that's a 63. I feel like I can make a charge tomorrow morning." (Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)