Former PGA Tour Jim McGovern feeling dandy ahead of '13 PNC debut

Former PGA Tour Jim McGovern feeling dandy ahead of '13 PNC debut











PGA.COM June 14, 2013 2:01 PM

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PGA Professional Jim McGovern, who won the 1993Shell Houston Open , is now in his third season as the …


By Bob Denney, The PGA of America

Two decades removed from winning the Shell Houston Open, his lone victory of a 22-year PGA Tour career, Jim McGovern is at peace in a place where television doesn't shine its bright lights or draw the rapt attention of a scrutinizing national audience.

It is home, sweet home.

In his third season as the PGA head professional at White Beeches Golf and Country Club in Haworth, N.J., McGovernhas not retired from competition. He merely refined his priorities to what comes first -- his family. McGovern, 48, will be part of the 312-player field in his first PGA Professional National Championship, June 23-26, at Sunriver (Ore.) Resort. He earned his berth by finishing third in last fall's New Jersey PGA Championship.

"It's great; I like being home," says McGovern, sounding ever like a man who found Shangri-La. "I love it here. The traveling was getting to me. My kids were getting bigger and I wasn't there to see them grow up. I have even dabbled a bit as a basketball coach."

One of nine children of Howard and Terese McGovern, owners of a family trucking business, McGovern has six brothers. Brother Rob is a former NFL linebacker turned U.S. Army military attorney; and brother Bill is the linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.

"Bill getting that job means that I might have to put on a little green, but not when they face my (New York) Giants," joked McGovern.

The McGoverns are a hard-working family, says Jim, and that stems from parents who believed in earning what comes from sound business practices and building those you care about most. "My dad made us who we are, what we are," says McGovern. "Mom is still going great at 82, and she is working in our golf shop."

A native of Teaneck, N.J., McGovern says he hurt his arm playing baseball during the same part of the season as when golf season was starting in school.

"The golf coach also was a gym teacher," says McGovern. "I was a junior in high school at the time. I remember the coach saying, 'Hey McGovern, you better try golf.'"


McGovern's path to full-time golf was later sealed when he suffered a knee injury in football at Bergen Catholic High School. Perhaps it was destiny as the McGovern brothers had grew up near the fourth hole at Hackensack Golf Club near Oradell. They would sneak on the course at twilight for any game that they could squeeze in before sunset. "It was like the biggest backyard we'd seen," says McGovern.

"Golf was a perfect challenge for me," says McGovern, who turned professional in 1988. "For me, it was facing one opponent -- the golf course. I love being tested."

The competitive side of McGovern carried over to his responsibilities as a PGA club professional. He reviews merchandise orders, trains an apprentice, coordinates junior camps and oversees details for the club's member-guest tournament.

This is the same guy who made nearly 200 PGA Tour cuts, tied for fifth at the 1994 Masters, and earned nearly $3 million. He remains just the second New Jersey native to win on the PGA Tour, following 1941 PGA Champion Vic Ghezzi, an 11-time Tour winner.

When McGovern defeated John Huston in a playoff in the rain-shortened 1993 Shell Houston Open, he became one of six first-time winners on Tour that year and pocketed $587,495. He would never win again, spending years between the PGA Tour and the former Nationwide circuit.

He regained a Tour card for the 2008 season, making just 11 cuts in 26 events. By then a lack of success and the travel away from his wife, Lauren, and their four children had taken its toll.

A disappointing 2008 season convinced McGovern it was time to consider making a career change. After playing in a handful of Tour events through 2010, McGovern interviewed successfully for the head professional job at White Beeches, a 1920 Walter Travis layout, just a few miles from his Bergen County home.

The new experience of competing against his club professional peers in The PGA of America has been a fulfilling transition. "I enjoy being with the guys that I have met in this Section," McGovern says. "They have accepted me."

The chance to compete at the highest level has been a part of McGovern's DNA throughout his career.

"I like being competitive. I'd rather be watching a tractor pull than a soap opera," says McGovern. "It excites me."

The 46th PGA Professional National Championship is presented by Club Car, Mercedes-Benz and OMEGA. The Championship, June 23-26, will be televised live by GOLF CHANNEL.

Tiger Woods has an injured elbow, but remains in U.S. Open contention

Tiger Woods has an injured elbow, but remains in U.S. Open contention











Eric Adelson June 14, 2013 5:24 PMYahoo Sports







ARDMORE, Pa. – What looked at first like a new ailment has been bothering Tiger Woods for a while.

Woods' left elbow, originally believed to be a wrist injury, has become one of the major storylines of this major tournament. It flared up again on Friday after nagging him as early as the second shot of the U.S. Open here on Thursday. After shooting even par for his second round, Woods admitted his elbow has been hurting since The Players Championship in early May.

Woods didn't seem to show much (if any) pain during The Memorial leading up to the U.S. Open, but his poor performance there now seems more of a source of wonder than an aberration. How badly has the elbow been hurting, how often, and how much is it affecting his game?

Woods, closed-lipped as ever, gave a snippy answer when asked how he hurt the elbow.





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Tiger Woods grimaces after hitting his second shot on the eighth hole. (Getty Images)"Playing golf," Woods said.



Playing golf was certainly the cause of aggravation on Friday. The winces of Thursday became full-fledged grimaces as the afternoon wore on, not on every hole but especially when he was forced to escape from rough as tangled as late '80s computer wires.

The most pain seemed to come on Hole 7, when Woods tee shot veered left and left him in the tall grass behind a large tree. His ensuing shot caused him to swing his left arm behind his back in pain. Woods then flubbed his next shot, hitting a wedge no more than two feet, before carding a bogey that left him six shots off the lead at the time of the conclusion of his round.

The injury makes Woods' impressive second round even more notable, as he fought to even par and watched many of the other leaders fall away. After the end of his first round Friday morning, Woods was tied for 45th. After the end of his second round Friday afternoon, his 3-over was tied for 27th with many others still battling the course. The world's top golfer has a puncher's chance for his 15th major, bad elbow or not.

The pain doesn't seem to be weighing on Woods mentally. Keep in mind, his last U.S. Open win came on a torn ACL.

Asked if he liked his chances over the weekend, Woods simply said, "Yes."

Amateurs enjoy solid performances at US Open

Amateurs enjoy solid performances at US Open












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Cheng-Tsung Pan shot a 2-over 72 that put him in good position to make the cut.(Getty Images)

PGA.COM June 14, 2013 8:00 PM


By Dan Gelston, Associated Press

ARDMORE, Pa. -- Cheng-tsung Pan had a pretty good day on the course. He felt even better about it when he scanned the scores.

"When I look at the scoreboard with my last name up there, it's pretty cool," he said.

The Taiwan-born Pan was one of several amateurs who had a respectable showing in Thursday's opening round of the U.S. Open. Pan shot a 2-over 72 at Merion Golf Cluband put himself in solid position to make the cut.

Kevin Phelan of Ireland topped the four amateurs who completed early rounds with a 1-over 71 that put him four shots behind clubhouse leader Phil Mickelson.

Pan and Phelan did great at No. 13: Both parred the hole and picked up a birdie or two elsewhere.

"It's always nice to be able to compare yourself to the best in the world," Phelan said. "It's the first time I've had a round anywhere close to them. It's nice, but there's a long way to go."

Pan, 21, is a junior at the University of Washington. He missed the cut in his other Open appearance in 2011, saying he was too excited and had too many distractions to play his best game.

He brought only two friends with him to Merion. And this time?

"I had it going," he said.

Pan, who also answered questions in Mandarin, wants to graduate from Washington and become the first member of his family to earn a degree. He played nine holes Wednesday with his idol, Luke Donald, but never could bring himself to say how much he admired his game.


"Nah, too embarrassing," he said.

Phelan, who failed to make the cut in the 2010 Open, plans to turn pro later this year and attend Q-School. With more rounds like Thursday, Phelan just might reach his goal of making the Great Britain-Ireland Walker Cup team.

"It certainly can't hurt," said Phelan, 22, who lives in St. Augustine, Fla.

He was nervous before his first tee, but calmed down after his first swings. He came away from a practice round with Masters champion Adam Scott with some useful advice for taming the soggy course.

Sure, it's only Thursday and the amateurs concede there's too much golf ahead to start thinking about making the cut. But perhaps history could be on their side.

Only 21, amateur Jim Simons took a two-shot lead into the final day of the 1971 Open played at -- yes, Merion. Trying to become the first amateur to win the event since 1933, Simon faded to fifth. Lee Trevino would go on to beat Jack Nicklaus in a playoff. No amateur has led again on the final day.

Bobby Jones won the U.S. Amateur in 1930 at Merion, clinching his Grand Slam.

On Thursday, Michael Kim had three birdies and shot a 3-over 73 to join Pan and Phelan as the top-three amateurs. The 19-year-old Kim was more jittery playing practice rounds than approaching his first Open tee shot.

"I didn't really feel too nervous out there, other than maybe a couple moments," he said. "I just tried to have fun. Tried not to expect too much."

Three of eight amateurs made the cut last year at Olympic Club and the best score for the tournament wasJordan Spieth at 7-over 287.

"The gap between amateur and pro, I think it's getting smaller," Pan said. "As an amateur, we're getting more chances, more opportunities to compete in professional events. We learn from those."

Four-way tie for lead at Congressional

Four-way tie for lead at Congressional










June 29, 2013 6:59 PM

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Roberto Castro of the U.S. lines up his putt on the seventh hole during the first round of The Players …


(Reuters) - A tumultuous day at the AT&T National ended with a four-way tie for the lead heading into Sunday's final round at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

Roberto Castro pitched in after hitting his approach shot into the water to save par at the 18th and complete a 71 to join the party at seven-under-par 206 along with Andres Romero of Argentina, and Americans Bill Haas and James Driscoll.

One stroke back was long-hitting Jason Kokrak, who powered a 349-yard drive at 18 on his way to finishing a 70 for 207, one stroke better than Tom Gillis and South Korea's Charlie Wi.

Wi made nine birdies, including seven on the front nine, on his way to a 65.

Jordan Spieth, a 19-year-old who began the round sharing the lead with Castro, held an early two-stroke lead after opening the third round with a pair of birdies to reach nine under par, slipped back to four under, three strokes off the pace.


Romero, who had to finish five holes early Saturday morning to complete the weather-interrupted second round, made four early birdies in the third round to reach 10 under par and seize a three-stroke lead.

But the Argentine double-bogeyed the 11th and bogeyed the 12th to set up the log jam at the top.

Haas triple-bogeyed the 11th after dumping a wedge shot into the pond right of the green as player fortunes rose and fell throughout the round as they aimed at pins often placed on the edge of trouble.

Because of a threat of stormy weather forecast for late Sunday afternoon, players will again go off both tees in groups of three beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET (1230 GMT) with the final groups teeing off two hours later.

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York,; Editing by Gene Cherry)

No day in the Park, but Inbee leads by 4

No day in the Park, but Inbee leads by 4









Joe Pantorno, The Sports Xchange June 29, 2013 7:00 PMThe SportsXchange



SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- After the first round on Thursday, Inbee Park mentioned that the United States Golf Associationwas "generous" in how it they laid out Sebonack Golf Club for day one of the 68th U.S. Women's Open.

When Sebonack was done with the best women's golfers in the world on day three however, only five of the 68 players who made the cut were under par, and only Park broke the par of 72 on Saturday.

While the rain stayed away, the wind swept through making an already difficult course that much harder.

Park, the No. 1 player in the Rolex Women's Golf Rankings from South Korea, had everything going to plan until the back nine. That's when things started to go wrong.

Eight pars and a birdie on the front nine were wiped out by three straight bogeys on Nos. 11-13.

No need to panic though, as Park rebounded with on Nos. 14-15 with one more on 18 to finish at 1-under-par 71 and ended the day at 10-under for the tournament with four-stroke lead over I.K. Kim, also of South Korea, going into the final round.

Park, who has won five times on the LPGA Tour this season, is trying to match Babe Zaharias, who in 1950 became the only player to win the first three women's majors of the year.

While Park cruised the front nine, it looked like the wheels would fall off for Kim. Following rounds of 68-69 to trail Park by only two strokes, she carded three bogeys and a double bogey in the first seven holes.

Kim shot 4-over on her first seven holes, but turned things around with birdies on the eighth, ninth, 14th and 18th to salvage a 73 and remain in second place.

Jodi Ewart Shadoff of England, who had to finish her second round Saturday morning because of the fog suspension the evening before, birdied her final hole to shoot 74.

Shadoff is seven strokes back and will join Park and Kim in the final threesome Sunday.

Shadoff matched Park's par parade with seven in a row to start, but she fell back with four bogeys on the back nine.

So Yeon Ryu of South Korea, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, shot 73 on her 23rd birthday to follow a 69 and is tied for fourth with Angela Stanford, who followed a second-round 68 with a 74.

Lizette Salas, who came into round three five strokes off the lead, fell out of contention with four bogeys and two double bogeys en route to an 82 that dropped her to a tie for 25th.

Park takes four-stroke lead at U.S. Women's Open

Park takes four-stroke lead at U.S. Women's Open









Joe Pantorno, The Sports Xchange June 29, 2013 7:42 PMThe SportsXchange


SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- After the first round on Thursday, Inbee Park mentioned that the United States Golf Associationwas "generous" in how it laid out Sebonack Golf Club for Day 1 of the 68th U.S. Women's Open.



While the rain stayed away, the wind swept through, making an already difficult course that much harder.



Park, the No. 1 player in the Rolex Women's Golf Rankings, had everything going to plan until the back nine. That's when things started to go wrong.



"11 and 12 were not bad bogeys. You could make up a couple bogeys," Park said. "But 13 was a little bit disappointing. I think that actually got to me."



"Those three bogeys were tough to handle," Park said. "On 14 I thought I hit it a little too strong, but I was lucky."




"I'm just going to try and do the same things I've done the last three days," Park said. "It will be a big day, but it's just another round of golf."



"I was tired. But it was tough out there all day," Kim said. "I'm not sure it was the wind that got me, but playing conditions were very tough. I had some tough lies, tough breaks."



"I was able to stay focused," Kim said. "I mean, it's the U.S. Open. It's going to test you in every way."



"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous on the first tee," Shadoff said. "But the first couple holes steadied me down."



Shadoff matched Park's par parade with seven in a row to start, but she fell back with four bogeys on the back nine.



So Yeon Ryu of South Korea, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, shot 73 on her 23rd birthday to follow a 69 and is tied for fourth with Angela Stanford, who followed a second-round 68 with a 74.

A Lesson Learned: Play faster, play better

A Lesson Learned: Play faster, play better










Christopher Hawkins, PGA July 7, 2013 10:19 PM



Right now, one of the 'hot topics' in the golf world is pace of play - as it should be. But for all the talk about "Tee It Forward", "Time for Nine" and "While We're Young" (all great programs) - nothing makes golfers walk a little faster and get their rounds in quicker than the threat of bad weather or losing daylight.

So it didn't really surprise me when the Tour was able to finish on Sunday despite the last group not teeing off until after 5 pm and the sun scheduled to set around 8:30. It's not ideal but as the commercial says, "these guys are good." And if they (and the Tour) want to avoid a Monday finish, the reclubbing and extra reads don't appear near as often.

Of course, pace of play is never about one group. No matter how aware you are of playing faster, you can only go as fast as they group ahead of you. Isn't it amazing how they played faster too (again, no one likes the early Monday wake up to come back to play just a hole or two.) And at the local course, it's quite understandable that when you pay for 18 (or 9), you'd like to get your money's worth.

So this week's "A Lesson Learned" is a few simple tips to help you play well while playing faster.

* Playing faster does not mean swinging faster. Picking up the pace means everything that goes on between shots. Your swing tempo does not change.
* Keep your focus on your shot. Don't let the race against the sunset or coming rain distract you from your objective.
* Go through all your proper preparations and pre-shot routines. However, do them while your partner(s) are hititng their shots. When it's time for you to hit, you should be ready.
* Between shots; as you walk to your next shot, the cart or to the next tee, that is the time that a faster walk or even a jog might be in order.

I recently readthe story about the foursome who played four rounds in four time zones- all in one day. Amazingly, as a foursome walking, they played each round in under two hours!

An added bonus is that when you spend less time looking at other golfers and what they are doing, and you spend that time focusing on your game and your pace of play, you will be surprised at how much better you tend to play.

Obviously, we can't have a setting sun or a looming deadline on every group on every course, but the lessons learned from golfers when they are looking at time issues can apply for all of us for all our rounds.

Christopher Hawkins is a PGA instructor at John A. White Golf Course in Atlanta, GA. You can follow him on twitter at@chrishawkinsPGA