Contenders and Sleepers for the Players Championship

Contenders and Sleepers for the Players Championship











Travis Mewhirter May 7, 2013 3:40 PM




COMMENTARY | The Players Championship tees off on Thursday and, as always, it provides one of the best fields of any tournament of the season. In this little list here, I provide my three favorite (fairly obvious) contenders and two relative sleepers who could be expected
do a little damage at TPC Sawgrass this weekend.



The Obvious

Tiger Woods

Tiger remains the No. 1 player in the world. Tiger is in the field. There's not much left to do but put him on top. Even if he weren't the best golfer on the planet, he'd still be No. 1 because he's Tiger Woods, and any time Tiger is in the field, post-fire-hydrant era or not, he will always be the presumed favorite until Rory McIlroy assumes the throne for good.

Aside from Tiger just being Tiger, he is also playing some ridiculous golf. He's No. 1 in strokes gained-putting, No. 1 in scoring average, and No. 1 in percentage of holes under par -- he's birdied or eagled 97 of 360 holes on the year.

Sure, he hasn't won at the Players in 12 years, but that might actually turn out to be a blessing. After all, there has never been a repeat champ in the tournament's existence which dates back to 1974 and which is also why Matt Kuchar, the 2012 winner, is subsequently absent from this list. Woods might just be due.

Adam Scott

Winning the Masters goes a long way in my -- or anybody's -- book, especially the manner in which he won it. Scott did it after he proved he could contend in a major -- and then collapse down the finish. This time was different. We got a glimpse of Adam Scott the major champion, not Adam Scott the guy with the best swing on Tour who couldn't put it all together in the biggies. He held off Angel Cabrera breathing down his neck with air-tight 7-irons and pressure-proof putting. It was his first major, his first green jacket and became the first of his country to break the Masters curse. It was momentous, and it shouldn't surprise anybody when he's lurking somewhere at the top of the leaderboard come Sunday.

The Players, as I wrote in a previous column, is not a major, but it certainly has the closest feel to one of any non-major championship. The Stadium Course is an awesome venue for the fans and the players with a nerve-tingling final three holes that favors those who have proven they have the gumption to handle it. Scott proved he could do that when he won in 2004 and since has logged three top 15s here at TPC.

This is a quirky course, with three monsters of finishing holes, and experience here goes a long way, and experience is something that Scott has at TPC.

Justin Rose

When will this guy just become the breakout star we all know him to be? Seriously, Rose is 6-for-6 this year in Top 25s, was the runner-up at Bay Hill, is second on Tour in both scoring average and total driving, third in all-around ranking, and in the top 10 in Greens in Regulation.

His putting has been the issue -- he is 147th in strokes gained-putting -- which might help explain why he breaks par far less than Tiger despite hitting greens at a much higher clip. And this is a tournament that is won by players who go fairly low. Greg Norman won it back in '94 with a 24-under which, as the tournament record, is not to be expected, but that does put it in perspective at least a little bit. The highest score in the past 12 years to win it was a 5-under from Sergio Garcia in 2008, and the average in that time period is just shy of 13-under.

So, if Rose can capitalize on all those fairways and greens he hits with a little help from his flat stick, he should have as good a chance as any.

The Sleepers

Bo Van Pelt

Here's why I like Bo: He plays all the time. Already, just a few months into the season, the guy has played 11 times, nearly double that of Rose, picked up four top 25s and a top 10. Any rust or kinks in his swing are bound to have been worked out by now. More importantly, his top 10 came at the Wells Fargo last week where he finished T6, a nice confidence booster coming into a course where confidence can easily be shaken.

Now, Van Pelt's record here at Sawgrass is far from gaudy: In eight starts he has made the cut but three times. However -- and here comes the silver lining -- Van Pelt has finished in the top 10 every time he has made the cut.

A guarantee? Not at all. But a solid sleeper if he can put together a solid opening 36? Definitely.

Ryan Moore

Moore is never spectacular at Sawgrass (he has never cracked the top 25 here) but he's never awful, either (he's never missed a cut). He's also very similar to Rose, though perhaps the poor man's version. He strikes the ball remarkably well -- he hit all 18 greens in the opening round at Quail Hollow last weekend -- but has trouble getting his putter to cooperate.

Much like Rose, if Moore can just coax his putter into helping him out a bit, he should be OK. Look at what happens when he buries a few: At the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February, he went 66, 66, 65, 65 for a 22-under.

Scottsdale is no Sawgrass, but you don't go 22-under without putting at torrid rate. He's shown he can do it, he's just got to get it down consistently.



Travis Mewhirter has been working in the golf industry since 2007, when he was a bag room manager at Piney Branch Golf Club in Carroll County, Maryland, and has been involved, as a player, since 2004. Since then, he has worked at Hayfields Country Club, where the Constellation Energy Classic was formerly held, and has covered golf at the high school, college, and professional levels.

The Curse of Winning the Players Championship

The Curse of Winning the Players Championship











Ryan Ballengee May 7, 2013 4:50 PM


COMMENTARY | Winning The Players Championship affords a champion a lot of perks: the game's largest first-place check at $1.71 million, five-year exemptions on the PGA Tour and into The Players and, now, a three-year invitation to the Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship.



What it hasn't
afforded its winners in the last five years, however, is a slew of follow-up PGA Tour wins.





Since The Players moved to May in 2007, and Phil MIckelson captured the crown, the next five winners of the proverbial "fifth major" have won a combined two times on the PGA Tour.



Sergio Garcia won in 2008 in a playoff over Paul Goydos. He slipped so low that he eventually took a few months away from professional golf in 2010 before winning in consecutive weeks in Spain almost a year later on the European Tour and finally taking the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship last season.



A year after Sergio kissed his putter after victory, the Europeans kept on rolling with Henrik Stenson taking the Players crown. The powerful Swede seemed destined for more than faux-major glory. So far, he has not been. In fact, he sunk as low as No. 230 in the Official World Golf Ranking in 2012 before beginning the long climb back now inside the top 40. His only win since The Players was the South African Open a year ago.



Then there's Tim Clark who, unfortunately, was plagued by injury. An elbow problem sidelined him for the second two-thirds of 2011, but Clark has been close to another PGA Tour win. He was solo second earlier this season at the Sony Open in Hawaii, won by rookie Russell Henley and is 29th in FedEx Cup points.



K.J. Choi outlasted David Toms in 2011 to win The Players in a playoff, making a par on the first hole of sudden-death to capture the most significant of his eight on the PGA Tour. Again, however, the Korean who was rallied by Choi's Bois that week at the Stadium Course has been unable to notch a ninth Tour title. At nearly 43 years old, maybe that's expecting a bit much.



Matt Kuchar may, in fact, be the exception to this trend of precipitous Players drops. T he year as reigning champion has barely ended for Kuchar, who was outstanding amid the torrent of greats challenging for The Players last year to earn the trophy.



In blustery conditions in Arizona back in February, Kuchar captured the WGC-Accenture Match Play title. He has three other top-10 finishes this season, including a T-8 effort at the Masters as a follow on his T-3 from the year prior at Augusta National. Kooch is nowhere near a downturn. He's a slumpbuster.



Kuchar's brilliance this season doesn't portend a successful defense of his title this week. No one has ever won consecutive Players titles. However, if one player could manage to end that anomaly, it would be the Georgia Tech product.



For whatever reason, the Stadium Course does seem to identify the best player that week, but does not seem to always identify the most talented among the field.



By comparison, it seems Augusta National does allow the best of the best -- not just for those four days in April -- to contend for a green jacket.



Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have enjoyed tremendous success amid the blooming azaleas. Lee Westwood and Ernie Els, whose games do have flaws, have been able to get painstakingly close by flexing their strengths as much as the Jones-Mackenzie test will allow. Rory McIlroy seems to love the home of the Masters and feel the antithesis for Pete Dye's Stadium Course.



It is that dichotomy that perhaps makes Fred Couples such an interesting case. Couples is one of four to win multiple Players crowns (1984 and '96) at TPC Sawgrass and, even at 53, can still manage to contend on seemingly an annual basis at the Masters more than two decades after his lone major breakthrough.



What is it about the now-Hall-of-Famer's game, then, that has crossover appeal to two very starkly contrasting courses? At his best, Couples putted well enough, but the strongest facets of his game were effortless power and ballstriking, as well as the knowledge of when to step on the gas and when to throttle back a bit.



Greg Norman had the two pegged as well, with Norman winning a couples of Players titles. He also had three runner-up finishes at Augusta, including the painful '96 meltdown clearing the way for a third Nick Faldo title.



How about Hal Sutton and Davis Love III, the other multiple-time winners at Sawgrass? They could have been so much more, too, each only winning a PGA Championship in their careers.



So maybe it's not in the best interest of a player to have truly figured out TPC Sawgrass. For the ones that did, they arguably never reached their true potential. For the likes of Woods and Mickelson, just one win was enough -- they had more major business to handle.



Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Follow him on Twitter @RyanBallengee.

PGA of America names Dawes Marlatt Senior Director, Education and Employment Departments

PGA of America names Dawes Marlatt Senior Director, Education and Employment Departments











PGA of America May 8, 2013 8:19 AM



PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. --PGA Master Professional Dawes Marlatt has been promoted to Senior Director, Education and Employment, following his four-and-a-half year stint as The PGA of America's Director of Education.

During his tenure overseeing The PGA's Education Department, Marlatt led several significant enhancements and new program additions to the Association's educational services, including: Professional Golf Management curriculum, Certified Professional Program 2.0, and Golf 2.0/Player Development education.

Marlatt will now take charge of The PGA's Education and Employment departments, both vital to the delivery of important programs and services to PGA Professionals and the golf industry. His expanded role will include working closely with the 12 PGA Employment Consultants who are regionally based throughout the country to assist PGA Professionals and employers in filling key positions at both the green grass and administrative levels.

"I am honored that The PGA of America would entrust me to take on this expanded role of leading the Employment department as well as the Education department," said Marlatt, 41, a PGA member since 1997. "I believe it is truly a testament to all the dedicated individuals whom I have had the pleasure of working closely with over the past several years as we strived to enhance the education services The PGA provides to its member professionals."

"We are thrilled to elevate Dawes Marlatt to the position of Senior Director, Education and Employment," said PGA of America Chief Executive Officer Pete Bevacqua. "His track record of taking the lead on enhancing The PGA's educational offerings provides us with great confidence that he will have similar success with enhancing the employment services that our more than 27,000 PGA Professionals have come to rely upon."

About The PGA of America
Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.

Sergio Garcia Doesn’t Deserve a Pass for Racial Comments About Tiger Woods

Sergio Garcia Doesn’t Deserve a Pass for Racial Comments About Tiger Woods
Racially Charged Comments Muddy Already Murky Waters











Chris Chaney May 22, 2013 10:47 AM




COMMENTARY | The latest punch thrown in the Sergio Garcia-Tiger Woods feud was levied Tuesday night by the Spaniard at the European Tour's Players' Award dinner. And when the dust settled, it was Garcia who came out bloodied and rightful
ly so.



On stage along with his European Ryder Cup teammates, Garcia was asked by event co-host Steve Sands, tongue firmly in cheek, whether he would have Tiger Woods over during US Open week to break bread, making light of their recent public spat.

Garcia answered, "We will have him round every night. We will serve fried chicken."

The racial undertones of Garcia's comments do not need to be rehashed. The familiarity in the golfing community with the fried chicken barb goes back to the 1997 Masters when Fuzzy Zoeller made a similar comment about Woods, referencing the dinner menu the soon-to-be youngest Masters champion would serve the following year at the Champion's Dinner.

"He's doing everything it takes to win," Zoeller said when asked about Woods' play. "So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations, enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year."

The comment was shocking and off-putting in 1997 and following the backlash, Zoeller wasn't heard from much again, his reputation tarnished and legacy usurped by one off-handed comment.

16 years later, Garcia's comment comes with a similar, if not more surprising, sting. More surprising in the sense that we like to think with each passing day, racism is dying. More surprising in the sense that on a public level, personal prejudices shouldn't be levied through jokes. More surprising in the sense that someone as media-aware as Garcia would make such an off-color comment.



However, what we like to think is happening and what is actually taking place in the world are far different things. Garcia's comments prove that.

What's even more troubling is that for a racially charged comment to make its way into the public sphere, the likelihood is greater that Garcia has said or thought them in his private life, thus debunking any progress that is thought to have been made.

Garcia's public relations machine jumped into high gear following the comments, releasing an apology that read, "I apologize for any offence that may have been caused by my comment on stage during The European Tour Players' Awards dinner. I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner."

Woods, who is no stranger to racial injustice, responded with a string of tweets, not quite exonerating Garcia, but making his feelings known with an eye towards moving on.

Said Woods, "The comment that was made wasn't silly. It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate. I'm confident that there is real regret that the remark was made. The Players (Championship) ended nearly two weeks ago and it's long past time to move on and talk about golf."

Garcia met with the media Wednesday morning, sheepishly taking the stand looking like a dog that had just soiled the carpet, apologizing profusely. He said he had talked with the commissioners of both the PGA and European Tours and felt as if they had accepted his apology.

He also said he plans to talk to Tiger directly to apologize for his comments, but calls to Woods' agent had not yet been returned.

The problem is that our culture is too quick to move on from the real problems that present themselves, especially taboo topics such as racism. The predominant thought is that racism has no place anywhere and from a PR standpoint, golf is the last business that wants to furl itself into a racial dispute given the game's poor track record in that arena.

More than likely, Woods will let the comments wash off his back; he has bigger fish to fry. If he were going to be impacted negatively by any ignoramus with a derogatory comment to make, he wouldn't be in search of his 15th major championship and on track to become the greatest player of all time. Likelier still, Woods will use Garcia's words as some kind of motivation, pushing him to even higher heights.

For those reason and many more, Garcia does not deserve a pass on this. He needs to be held accountable for his actions and words. What that entails is up to those in charge of the game, but to accept an apology and sweep the comments under the rug is to do a disservice to all those offended by the comments.

Chris Chaney is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based sportswriter. He has written for multiple outlets including WrongFairway.com, Hoopville.com, The Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer and The Clermont (OH) Sun.

Follow him on Twitter @Wrong_Fairway.

Sergio's Racial Comments Prove We Have a Long Way to Go

Sergio's Racial Comments Prove We Have a Long Way to Go











Adam Fonseca May 22, 2013 11:12 AM


COMMENTARY | The recent feud between Sergio Garciaand Tiger Woods has turned ugly. While Garcia's recent comments at a press conference prior to the 2013 BMA PGA Championship were a mere two sentences, his words speak volumes on how far we have come as a society in terms of eradicating racism in our culture.





Unfortunately, for Garci
a, professional sports provide the grandest of stages and the brightest spotlight when mistakes are made and poor judgment is displayed.



Golf hasn't exactly been the poster child for equality and fairness over its history. It is a creature that, at one time, thrived on its own organic exclusivity. Golf was originally meant to be enjoyed by society's elite, which at one time was defined by the number of sheep you owned. It was a pastime meant to be enjoyed by few yet heralded by many. It was all very disgusting, to be honest.

As a result, the idea of an African-American golfer playing in what was once considered to be a "white man's sport" was downright unspeakable. This mentality continued well past the Civil Rights movement in America, albeit in less pronounced ways. Make no mistake: Even if people weren't talking about it, racism in golf remained alive and breathing.

In 1990, the New York Times ran a story about Shoal Creek Country Club -- an all-white private country club -- that was the site of that year's PGA Championship. Club founder Hall W. Thompson issued a statement that "we don't discriminate in every other area except the blacks." Thompson's statement sparked one of the more inflammatory and socially polarizing events that professional golf had ever seen. The PGA of America quickly became the subject of scorn and protest, most notably from Rev. Joseph Lowery, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

''To cooperate with evil is to affirm it,'' Lowery said at the time. "'Golf is deceptive, because it seems like only plush clubhouses and green fairways. It looks very decent. But this blatant admission that we don't want black folks uncovered a hidden agenda that really isn't hidden anymore.''

Less than a decade later, Tiger Woods happened. Barriers were broken down and professional golf received a much-needed wake-up call. Thankfully, golf has never been the same since.

At least, that is until Garcia's comments earlier this week.

What is most disappointing about Garcia's poor taste in humor -- other than his carefully contrived "I didn't mean it to come out that way" apology -- is that fact that he should know better when speaking publicly. Garcia's suggestion that he was "caught off guard" by the question is laughable. This is a man who has been a professional athlete in the public eye for 14 years. I'm going to guess he has been asked odd questions in the past. Call it a hunch.

It is clear that Garcia attempted to answer a playful question in a way to insult Woods, regardless of what he said after the fact. All Garcia did in the process was prove that he was more interested in throwing fuel on the bonfire separating him and Woods than taking the high road and moving on.

Who would have thought the road Garcia preferred to take would be so low?



Adam Fonseca has been writing and blogging about golf since 2005. His work has appeared on numerous digital outlets including the Back9Network and SB Nation. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife. Follow Adam on Twitter @chicagoduffer.com.

Flooding reduces LPGA event to 54 holes

Flooding reduces LPGA event to 54 holes










The Sports Xchange May 22, 2013 4:10 PMThe SportsXchange



Torrential rains forced the LPGA to reduce this week's inaugural Pure Silk Bahamas Classic to 54 holes beginning Friday.

Even that schedule sounds tenuous based on the excess rainfall in the forecast and dreary course conditions with measurable standing water on nearly half of the fairways on the Atlantis, Paradise Island, course.

Nearly a foot of rain fell on the Ocean Club Golf Course in an eight-hour period on Tuesday.

In the wake of violent storms, significant amounts of standing water remain on at least seven holes with the ninth and 18th fairways completely flooded. Crews are working around the clock to abate water with additional efforts to clear debris and make the golf course playable ongoing.

First and second-round pairings will remain the same with a 36-hole cut made on Saturday night.

"Mentally, you're still in it although physically you can't do anything today at the course," said Suzann Pettersen. "I'm happy I got 18 holes of practice in yesterday. We will play whenever we can."

Locals are calling the worst storm in the last 20 years and Nassau has significant flooding and home damage. But a 60 percent chance for more rain Wednesday into Thursday could cause further havoc.

"You can't feel guilty about not practicing or playing today because no one is allowed out there," said Stacy Lewis. "I certainly wish for the tournament's sake that we could have played the pro-am. First-year events have some bumps and we always get through them. This is no different."

Feng leads ShopRite field by three

Feng leads ShopRite field by three










The Sports Xchange June 1, 2013 8:10 PMThe SportsXchange



GALLOWAY, N.J. -- Shanshan Feng came sprinting out of the starting gate. Now it's up to the rest of the field to chase her down.

Feng sits atop the leaderboard at the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer at the 36-hole mark. She fired a 4-under par 67 on Saturday at the Bay Course at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club just outside Atlantic City to stand at 6-under par 136.

The 23-year old Feng is seeking her second career LPGA win; she won the Wegmans LPGA Championship in Rochester one year ago and will defend her title next week.

Feng will be three shots clear of the field when the final round gets underway Sunday morning. Haeji Kang, and first-round co-leader Moriya Jutanugarn are at 3-under par 139. Kang, who like Feng had an early tee time on Saturday, carded a 69 while Jutanugarn shot 73.

Chie Arimura and Anna Nordqvist are both at 140 while Karrie Webb, Michelle Wie, Karine Icher, Hee Young Park, and first-round co-leader Amanda Blumenherst were all at 141.

Defending champion Stacy Lewis, who was one shot off the lead when the second round started, wound up shooting 80 and fell into a tie for 49th place at 5-over par 147. She made the cut with just a shot to spare.

For most of the field, Saturday was a survival test. At times the winds blew at more than 25 mph and played havoc with the players' distance control. The winds also hardened the putting surfaces.

Feng started her round on the Bay Course's back nine and it wasn't long before her putter heated up. After starting her round with four straight pars she reeled off four consecutive birdies and made the turn at five under par after a bogey at 18. She picked up an additional stroke on par on her second nine.

Kang played her front side in even par before making two birdies on the backside.

Wie had an up-and-down round that included four straight birdies at one point. Standing on the eighth tee (her 17th hole) she was just one shot off the pace. But she finished double bogey-bogey to drop three shots.

NOTES: The cut came at 6-over par 148. Angela Stanford, a past winner, along with Natalie Gulbis and Lexi Thompson, are among the players who failed to qualify for the final round. ... Just 18 players in the 141-woman field broke par. ... Wie first played in this event 10 years ago at age 13. She tied for 52nd that year.