February 2010: Tiger Woods; No Apology Needed

February 19, 2010 By admin

Tiger Woods on February 19th, 2010 making his apology speech in teh Sunset Room at TPC Sawgrass.

Tiger Woods on February 19th, 2010 making his apology speech in the Sunset Room at TPC Sawgrass. Photo Credit: Golf.com

Tiger Woods apologized February 19^th, 2010 for his irresponsible and selfish behavior.

“I want to say to each of you—simply and directly—I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in,” he said.

In his somber speech at TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players Championship, he put his life into perspective and shared the direction he plans to pursue.

“I once heard—and I believe it’s true—it’s not what you achieve in life that matters; it’s what you overcome,” he said. “Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what really count.”

Apology received, no further apology needed.

Tiger revealed more personal insight than ever before in two unscripted, riveting interviews with The Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman and ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi on March 21.

How did someone so powerful in life, yet so powerless to stop himself, finally hit rock bottom and start on an upward path?

“You strip away the denial, the rationalization, and you come to the truth—and the truth is very painful at times,” Woods said. “And to stare at yourself and look at the person you’ve become…you become disgusted.”

“As a person, it’s hard to believe that was me, looking back on it now.”

Tiger is trying to get back to his roots, recalling something his father once said that rung hollow to him until now: “In order to help other people, you first have to learn how to help yourself.”

So Tiger is taking the time to help himself.

He is on the road to recovery through a process by which he realizes there is a higher power in his life other than himself.

Maybe he does not need to control everything anymore.

Having realized the implications of his actions, Tiger is progressing to the next step—no different from when he is on a golf course, hitting driver and approach iron and putting the ball into the hole.

“I’ve hurt so many people, and so many people I have to make an amends to—and that’s living a life of amends,” he said.

What can come from admitting one has a weakness?

“When you face it, and you start conquering it, and you start living up to it. The strength that I feel now, I’ve never felt that type of strength.”

Maybe that strength came from learning something from people with little wealth, position, or title in this world.

Maybe in the course of his treatment, Tiger Woods has connected with the regular people living regular lives out there.

So Tiger is stronger now and likely will become a better person.

That will likely make him a better golfer.

Imagine that—Tiger Woods a better golfer than we saw last year, winning six times. Better than in 2008, when we saw him win the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, hobbling around on a broken leg. Or better than in 2002, when he completed the Grand Slam, winning the four major championships in a row.

Five, if you include The Players Championship.

All that matters to Tiger Woods these days is rebuilding his marital relationship and being a good father to his two children.

Yes, there are naysayers out there—those who say this is all an orchestrated effort to deceive the public again.

Maybe we deceived ourselves into believing and expecting a human being to be perfect.

The same people who think Tiger Woods owes them something—or worse yet, that they somehow own a piece of him and have the right to sit in judgment of him.

Life is too short for most of that nonsense.

Good for Tiger to come back at Augusta National, where any out-of-line behavior— including running to get a good seat when the gates open in the morning—is punishable by revoking forever your weekly badge privileges.

Remember that they closed the waiting list several years ago because realistically, there is little chance of a badge becoming available for the mere mortal soul.

I know a grown man who cried incessantly when he lost the badges that his father passed along to him because of the careless behavior of his friends.

Good for Tiger for focusing on what is important to him—his family and the game of golf.

Tiger’s legacy—and what he wants to do with his life—is the same as before.

“I felt that golf was a vehicle for me to help a lot of people.”

Throughout his success, Tiger has been very charitable. While donating $3 million in Haiti relief funds makes headlines, other work such as the Tiger Woods Foundation goes on quietly behind the scenes.

Factor in the unprecedented growth of the PGA Tour and the subsequent rise in charitable donations—all because of the Tiger Woods phenomenon—and one easily concludes that Tiger Woods has donated more than his fair share.

After all, hasn’t he basically given his life to us since he putted a few balls on The Mike Douglas Show at age 2?

So maybe Tiger Woods is on the right road—though, unfortunately for the most part, his travel will be in the public eye.

Let’s get back to why we came to know Tiger in the first place—back in the fall of 1996, when he said hello to the world and won his first event in Las Vegas.

This is a farewell to the darker days of his life and a joyous hello to the brighter side of life—a life free of addictions.

Good for Tiger—and who knows? Maybe the steps he takes in the years ahead will be a dozen majors to surpass Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18.

Fourteen plus 12—26 sounds like a nice career major total for Tiger.

Tiger Woods style—that’s good!

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA Tour, volunteering and working part time for major golf broadcasters. He resides in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, near the PGA Tour headquarters and home of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.

He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his Web site Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary or by e-mailing him to AndyReistetter@gmail.com.

Reistetter has authored two books—one on inspirational living called “Love, The Rest of My Life (TROML) & The Pursuit of Eternity” and the other on inspirational leadership called “The Approach.” Both books are available by e-mailing AndyReistetter@gmail.com

Full Transcript of Tiger Woods’s Statement

FEB. 19, 2010

A transcript of Tiger Woods’s remarks at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. on Friday.

TIGER WOODS: Good morning, and thank you for joining me. Many of you in this room are my friends. Many of you in this room know me. Many of you have cheered for me or you’ve worked with me or you’ve supported me.

Now every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in.

I know people want to find out how I could be so selfish and so foolish. People want to know how I could have done these things to my wife Elin and to my children. And while I have always tried to be a private person, there are some things I want to say.

Elin and I have started the process of discussing the damage caused by my behavior. As Elin pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words; it will come from my behavior over time. We have a lot to discuss; however, what we say to each other will remain between the two of us.

I am also aware of the pain my behavior has caused to those of you in this room. I have let you down, and I have let down my fans. For many of you, especially my friends, my behavior has been a personal disappointment. To those of you who work for me, I have let you down personally and professionally. My behavior has caused considerable worry to my business partners.

To everyone involved in my foundation, including my staff, board of directors, sponsors, and most importantly, the young students we reach, our work is more important than ever. Thirteen years ago, my dad and I envisioned helping young people achieve their dreams through education. This work remains unchanged and will continue to grow. From the Learning Center students in Southern California to the Earl Woods scholars in Washington, D.C., millions of kids have changed their lives, and I am dedicated to making sure that continues.

But still, I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you. I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did. I am embarrassed that I have put you in this position.

For all that I have done, I am so sorry.

I have a lot to atone for, but there is one issue I really want to discuss. Some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever. Elin has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. Elin deserves praise, not blame.

The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior. I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame.

I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them.

I was wrong. I was foolish. I don’t get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife’s family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.

I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I’ve done. My failures have made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to before. It’s now up to me to make amends, and that starts by never repeating the mistakes I’ve made. It’s up to me to start living a life of integrity.

I once heard, and I believe it’s true, it’s not what you achieve in life that matters; it’s what you overcome. Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what really count.

Parents used to point to me as a role model for their kids. I owe all those families a special apology. I want to say to them that I am truly sorry.

It’s hard to admit that I need help, but I do. For 45 days from the end of December to early February, I was in inpatient therapy receiving guidance for the issues I’m facing. I have a long way to go. But I’ve taken my first steps in the right direction.

As I proceed, I understand people have questions. I understand the press wants to ask me for the details and the times I was unfaithful. I understand people want to know whether Elin and I will remain together. Please know that as far as I’m concerned, every one of these questions and answers is a matter between Elin and me. These are issues between a husband and a wife.

Some people have made up things that never happened. They said I used performance enhancing drugs. This is completely and utterly false. Some have written things about my family. Despite the damage I have done, I still believe it is right to shield my family from the public spotlight. They did not do these things; I did.

I have always tried to maintain a private space for my wife and children. They have been kept separate from my sponsors, my commercial endorsements. When my children were born, we only released photographs so that the paparazzi could not chase them. However, my behavior doesn’t make it right for the media to follow my two and a half year old daughter to school and report the school’s location. They staked out my wife and they pursued my mom. Whatever my wrongdoings, for the sake of my family, please leave my wife and kids alone.

I recognize I have brought this on myself, and I know above all I am the one who needs to change. I owe it to my family to become a better person. I owe it to those closest to me to become a better man. That’s where my focus will be.

I have a lot of work to do, and I intend to dedicate myself to doing it. Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don’t realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously I lost track of what I was taught.

As I move forward, I will continue to receive help because I’ve learned that’s how people really do change. Starting tomorrow, I will leave for more treatment and more therapy. I would like to thank my friends at Accenture and the players in the field this week for understanding why I’m making these remarks today.

In therapy I’ve learned the importance of looking at my spiritual life and keeping in balance with my professional life. I need to regain my balance and be centered so I can save the things that are most important to me, my marriage and my children.

That also means relying on others for help. I’ve learned to seek support from my peers in therapy, and I hope someday to return that support to others who are seeking help. I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don’t know when that day will be.

I don’t rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game. In recent weeks I have received many thousands of emails, letters and phone calls from people expressing good wishes. To everyone who has reached out to me and my family, thank you. Your encouragement means the world to Elin and me.

I want to thank the PGA TOUR, Commissioner Finchem, and the players for their patience and understanding while I work on my private life. I look forward to seeing my fellow players on the course.

Finally, there are many people in this room, and there are many people at home who believed in me. Today I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again.

Thank you.

Reminiscing about Tom Watson & the 2009 Turnberry Open…

July 19, 2009 By admin

Tom Watson teeing off in front of the Lighthouse at Turnberry.

WOW, I can’t believe it has been five years since I went ‘across the pond’ to spot the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry for ESPN/ABC. What a week that was seeing an Open, the links golf course at Turnberry and Stewart Cink beat the indomitable Tom Watson, at age 59, in a four-hole playoff. All for less than $US 1,000 and that included an $US 800 airfare. There truly is nothing like experiencing an Open in person though it was very exciting to see Rory McIlroy win at Royal Liverpool on television this year. Where have the years gone- Louis Oosthuizen at St. Andrews in 2010, Darren Clarke at Royal St. George’s in 2011, Ernie Els at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 2012, and Phil Mickelson at Muirfield last year. You do see much better watching on television but definitely go once when you get the chance. Hard to believe it sounds like it will be Tom Watson’s final Open farewell at St. Andrews in the 2015 Open. I could not help but sense that a new era arrived with Rory winning a third major and youngsters like Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia coming in second. I know Sergio is not that young but he is not that old either. Maybe it will be Rory that breaks Jack or Tiger’s record?

In the grandest of sporting gestures, Tom Watson raising the flagstick on No. 15 to enable Steve Marino to know the location of the hole.

Everyone remembers the 2009 Open for Tom Watson’s valiant drive to win golf’s oldest championship at age 59. I remember it for something Watson did on the 15th green on Saturday. Watson’s playing partner was Steve Marino and he hit a shot wide right on the difficult par-3 15th hole. Marino was having a difficult day and now his ball was lost down in a gulley. Not only did Tom Watson go down the hill to help find the ball, once it was found, having sense of mind, respect and compassion for his playing partner he went up the hill and removed the flagstick and raised it over his head so Marino would know where the hole was. I think this speaks the world of Tom Watson, not only the golfing world. What a great guy! To do this while trying to literally make history by winning the Open at age 59 really made an impression on me. Not that he needed to because I am a big Tom Watson fan. It was vintage Tom Watson for sure!

That’s me in the background watching Tom Watson tee off on the 17th in the playoff with Stewart Cink. Photo Credit: The Golf Channel.

I think Tom Watson just ran out of gas in the playoff with Stewart Cink. Why the golf gods and Bruce Edwards up above did not stop that ball on the green on the 18th in regulation I will never know. My routine for the week was to head to the 15th grandstand after my ‘work’ spotting for ESPN/ABC was complete. I would watch the last four or five groups play the 15th and then walk in with the final group. It was an exciting playoff and not over until Watson’s drive on the third playoff hole (the par-5 17th) was found in nasty rough.Watson’s up-and-down on the par-3 sixth hole was a miracle. All the credit goes to Cink for playing the four playoff holes 1-under par. Well played Stewart Cink, indeed he was ‘the Champion Golfer of the Year’ in 2009!

‘Need Place to Stay, Will Pay’ sign did the trick. Or was it my friendly smile?

I also remember the 2009 Open for the sheer travel adventure that it was for me! I arrive in Glasgow on Sunday morning from New York’s JFK via Amsterdam without a place to stay. After a bus to City Centre and a bacon roll at the train station, I boarded a train to Ayr. The train took me past Troon and Prestwick with golf courses in full view. In Ayr I hopped a bus to Turnberry and was on the Ailsa Course by 1:30 pm. After an afternoon of rollicking amongst the hillocks and dales of the links course meeting people and enjoying the view I headed for the bus stop in front of the clubhouse. The sign I held said it quite plainly- “Need Place to Stay, Will Pay.” A young man named Stuart came to my rescue and we took the bus back to his place in Ayr. Not only did I have a bed to sleep in but the five pound fee included a walking tour of the city. As important I met Colin in the pro shop whose mother was letting out rooms for the week with one still vacant. As it turned out, after intense negotiations to meet my budget, Maybole would be my home for the week. Though I would walk to the nearby bus stop early each morning to catch the bus to Turnberry, many times someone would stop and offer me a ride without fare. Likewise, rides would appear on the way home too. All I can say is I was adopted by many loving people while living my dream that week in Maybole and Turnberry. I am happy for Stewart Cink achieving his dream of winning a Major but will always remember the 2009 Turnberry Open for what if Tom Watson won it at age 59. Who knows what will happen at St. Andrews in Watson’s last Open in 2o15…

I have countless pictures from my week at Turnberry. Okay I counted them and there are 1,384 (actually Microsoft File Explorer counted them for me). I split it up into two picture galleries- the first one being the trip and the people I met along the way (71 pics) and the second one being the competitive golf (76 pics). Both tell stories in the captions. I wish I had a way to contact every person I met to say thank you again for a wonderful Open experience of a lifetime!

The trip and the people I met:

[Show slideshow]

The competitive golf:

[Show slideshow]

Filed Under: Featured People, Hickory Golf, People in Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Memories of the 2009 US Open at Bethpage Black Won by Lucas Glover!

June 19, 2009 By admin

Couple kids enjoying the US Open with their oversized golf balls!

From one coastal premier public golf course to another—the West Coast version—the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines headed east to the East Coast version—the 2009 US Open at Bethpage Black. Lucas Glover won his only major title, two strokes ahead of runners-up Ricky Barnes, David Duval, and Phil Mickelson. This was the second U.S. Open at Bethpage Black; the first in 2002 was won by Tiger Woods, also the defending champion. The 2009 edition was hit heavily by continuous rain throughout the tournament, and resulted in multiple suspensions of play. Mickelson announced that this would be his last tournament for a while, before he took time off to tend to his ailing wife, Amy, who had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. It was Mickelson’s fifth runner-up finish at the U.S. Open, breaking the record of four by Sam Snead, Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus. His sixth came four years later in 2013 at Merion. Glover birdied 16 and parred the final two holes to seal the victory.

Enjoying the 2009 US Open with my brother-in-law Bob!

I love having the US Open at Bethpage Black as I stay with my sister who lives not too far away. This year I did features on the people I met during the week—People of the US Open! While I know the focus is the golf competition inside the ropes, for me as much fun, as much entertainment, and as much inspiration lies outside the ropes, hence an earlier name for ‘Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary’ was “Outside the Ropes Entertainment!”

Another Monday finish at the US Open, this time the completion of the Final Round, last year the 18-hole playoff and 2-hole sudden death win by Tiger Woods over Rocco Mediate.

The cross bunkers of the majestic par-5 4th hole!

The par-5 4th hole at Bethpage Black being the Signature Hole does not adequately convey its beauty, its historical design or its spiritual aspects walking it for 5 days in a row watching the best golfers in the world trying to master its competitive greatness as well. Plus the entertainment outside the ropes not far from the greatest city in the world!

Here are 121 picture memories of the 2009 US Open at Bethpage Black won by Lucas Glover!

TROML Baby!

[Show slideshow]

Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Memories of the 2009 PLAYERS Championship won by Henrik Stenson!

April 28, 2009 By admin

President Bush No. 41 honored with Life TIme Achievement Award.

The 2009 Players Championship was my second so I knew my way around TPC Sawgrass a little better than 2008. It was an extraordinary year both before and during the golf competition which has become known as “Golf’s Fifth Major” and one-and-only THE PLAYERS Championship.

On a somber, sad yet joyous note there was the tribute to Dave “Duffy” Lemon, a.k.a. “Reptile” on the 17th green. I literally had met him a few days before his death. He lived next door at the beach and we chatted a little with a promise to “talk more golf” next time. See the article I wrote at the time below past the picture gallery.

On Wednesday, which is always Military Day at THE PLAYERS, in 2009 it was incredibly patriotic with President George Walker Bush, No. 41 present to receive the PGA TOUR’s highest honor, a Lifetime Achievement Award. There was a procession up the 18th fairway and a memorable ceremony near the green complete with an F-16 flyover.

Hal Sutton’s portrait revealed in the Clubhouse in 2009.

Hal Sutton’s “Be the right club today” portrait was unveiled in the clubhouse on the other side of the front door from Steve Elkington’s “3-iron first to win on the 18th with a birdie.” Both two-time winners joined two, now three, two-time winners Tiger Woods (second win in 2013), Davis Love III and Freddie Couples. Three-time champion Jack Nicklaus and first time winner at TPC Sawgrass Steve Pate complete the seven-portrait greeting in the lobby of the Clubhouse.

On Sunday I spotted Henrik Stenson’s group for NBC Sports and he shot a bogey-free 66 to come out of the pack and lap the field and win by four strokes. At the start of the final round he was tied for second with Tiger Woods and five others five strokes behind Alex Cejka. It was the most amazing round I ever witnessed with two incredible bunker saves on Nos. 3 (back bunker with back flag) and 5 (short upper right bunker) before his first chip putt birdie on No. 7.

“Spectacular,” as Sj would say, memories from 2009!

[Show slideshow]

Longtime PGA TOUR Caddie Dave Lemon Dies Unexpectedly at Age 54

Dave “Duffy” Lemon, a.k.a. the “Reptile” caddied for John Mahaffey when he won the 1978 PGA Championship. He was a regular guy that grew up in Chicago and caddied on the PGA TOUR for 27 years. I met him only three days ago as I was to become his new upstairs neighbor living on the beach in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. He started a conversation with me about life on the tour caddying for the likes of John Daly before he won at Crooked Stick. Unfortunately that conversation ended Christmas Eve morning when I came back from the YMCA just in time to see the coroner take his body from his apartment on a stretcher draped in black. Dave “Duffy” Lemon, a.k.a. “a really nice guy” is dead at age 54 as a result of complications of kidney failure and diabetes.

Duffy as his close friends knew him liked his caddie nickname “Reptile.” He told me there were a lot of Dave’s out there caddying on tour and the nickname made him unique so people could remember him. So even back then in the early 80s the world of marketing impacted the caddies. He told me he received the nickname playing a little golf up in Hilton Head with some tour buddies. He wasn’t that good so his golf ball was always out past the outskirts of the fairway in the friendly confines of the swamp and jungle where the reptiles live. Hence Duffy being appointed the “Reptile.”

The surfer dude young civil engineer Dustin next door recalled Duffy recently telling him “he was living on borrowed time.” He would wait patiently outside his apartment sitting for a friend to pick him up and take him to dialysis treatment. Duffy mentioned to me in our brief encounter that his vision would become so clouded at times from the diabetes that he could hardly see. I had to put my name and number in his cell phone for him. His life was simple and good which is pretty much what all of us hope for especially around this time of year.

I can tell you he had friends. His dialysis-driving friend was there with him three times a week. Tony called to check on him in the morning and knew immediately something was wrong and came over to find out what it was. His landlord and billiard-shooting friend Terry who virtually let him live at the beach rent-free. They met at a bar during the PLAYERS many years ago and were friends for life after that. His upstairs neighbor Jeff who could fix just about anything. The PGA TOUR didn’t forget one of its own as Terry told me they contacted him to pay his rent and make sure Duffy was being taken care of. Maybe there will never be a movie about Duffy’s life but it surely is an example of the goodness of life around the game of golf and living here in America.

Our conversation, I wish could continue. Maybe it will. That’s the funny thing about the game of golf- it is never what you expect and usually it is what you least expect. I am researching a golf book about the history of the golf course I grew up on in Binghamton, New York. I never expected to, but what I received was a million stories about my deceased father who was a one-time club champion including newspaper articles I had never seen with his picture of him in them. I think the Duffy conversation will continue though it will be others doing the talking for him.

Doesn’t it seem we always find golf clusters in our lives? When the surf was low neighbor Dustin managed the building of the Tom Fazio designed Amelia National Golf & Country Club course. Duffy, the PGA TOUR caddie was downstairs. Golfers bring a special type of friendship and bond to each other. Maybe it’s the fact that the game is difficult to excel at and humbles you and your playing partners in a way that only brings you closer together. I think professional players and caddies take it to a higher standard of being. Where else can you see a player lose the game and a lot of money and then genuinely take his hat off, congratulate and shake the hand of the person who defeated his hopes and dreams? A caddie like Duffy is the fiber of our community. It is a good game that brings out the good in people. “Reptile” is certainly one of the good guys that have left us behind only to make us more thankful for the gift of life and to think about what we should be doing with that gift.

Merry Christmas Duffy and Happy New Year in your new home up in Heaven.

Say hello to Payne Stewart for me.

Filed Under: Hickory Golf, People in Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Jerry Kelly Marches On to Victory in New Orleans in 2009…

April 27, 2009 By admin

It seems like Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker are always side-by-side on the PGA TOUR. Photo Credit: Google Images

The other Wisconsin boy Steve Stricker shot a final round 67 to move up from T21 to T7. He waited around for two hours and watched the finish from the tunnel underneath the Zurich hospitality tent at TPC Louisiana.

He saw his buddy Jerry Kelly finish off a Sunday 71 by ramming a four-footer hard into the cup for a one stroke victory his first in seven years. Kelly embraced him in the tunnel and blurted out “I could not have done it with out you this week.”

That says it all about friendship on the PGA TOUR and how difficult it is to win no matter who you are.

Kelly was quick to point out how much the friendship means to him in the post victory interview. “Steve Stricker this week took time, again, to help me so much with my putting. He’s been such a great friend to me. I hope he can say I’ve been a great friend to him through the years as well.

“But to have someone special like that out here, I can’t say enough for the man because he’s been there for me.”

Through the years it is evident Kelly has been there for Stricker too—that is what friendship is all about.

Jerry Kelly won for the third time on the PGA TOUR at the 2009 Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Photo Credit: Google Images

When did Kelly really know for sure that he won again on the PGA TOUR?

“After I made the last putt. Pretty sure that was the only time I knew it was mine to have. I knew when Steve (Marino) hit it in that left bunker and there were no other 13s on the golf course that I just had to put my head down and play. Not look at the boards anymore. I knew where I stood.

“So basically I was playing against myself and against my nerves. I did very well with them until the final putt. The final putt had me drained because I thought I hit a good first putt, and it came up to short.

“I thought how did I do that? They say the hardest thing in golf to do is to lag so you can win on your next putt. I wasn’t trying to lag. I just wanted to snuggle it up there a little bit.”

When the four-footer went in for the one stroke victory Kelly’s caddie Eric Meller told him immediately after the win: You’ve got to stop saying the last time you won was (in) ’02 (and a) long ago. Now you can say, ’09 divine.”

It surely was a divine day for Jerry Kelly who earned the victory through sheer determination.

Other rewards came with the victory in New Orleans for Jerry Kelly… Photo Credit: Google Images

Kelly’s playing partner in the final twosome of the day Steve Marino made a spectacular shot late in the round to jump into contention. “I holed that chip shot on 16. All of a sudden I was there in the mix.”

But then on the par-five 18th hole his tee shot found one of those Pete Dye bunkers with a bulkhead that leads to nowhere.

“I was thinking of bombing it down there, and trying to knock it out in two. I hit a pretty good drive. It took kind of a bad kick, and it went all the way up to the top of the bunker and rolled back down. I just had nothing in there. I wish 18 would have turned out a little different. But I played well, and I can keep my head high.”

Marino failing to birdie the final hole to force a playoff with Kelly tied for second place with Charles Howell III, Charlie Wi and Rory Sabbatini who shot a 67.

The tournament was Howell’s to win after establishing a two-stroke lead mid way through the back nine. He was six-under after 11 holes but bogeyed the 15th and 17th holes.

“I played well, I got myself in position. I was four (strokes) back (at the start of) the day. I caught Jerry pretty quick. I did not quite get it done. I had a lot of good shots down the stretch. I still gave myself chances for birdie. I didn’t finish it off. I’ve got to keep working on that.”

“I don’t know really what to say. I’m just pretty frustrated. I got up to 15 (under par); I thought 15 or 16 (under par) would win it. I just I don’t know what to say. There are times I think I (will) look at the positives though, but it’s frustrating.”

Charlie Wi the first round leader on Thursday after an opening 66 started the day four shots back and made up all but one of those strokes shooting a bogey-free 68. After birdieing the first, second and seventh holes he missed short birdie putts on Nos. 11 and 12 came back with a deuce on the 14th and failed to birdie the par-five 18th hole.

Sabbatini had seven birdies in his five-under par round of 67 but bogeyed the difficult par-three 17th hole down the stretch. The winner of four PGA TOUR events last won at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in 2007.

David Toms who won this tournament back in 2001 the same year he won his Major at the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club bogeyed the first hole but then birdied the last four holes of the front nine. “It was fun. My heart started beating a little bit faster. I knew I had a chance. I just couldn’t make anything happen on the back nine.”

Shooting 68 and finishing T5 with Steve Marino the Louisiana native and local hero Toms knew he had to shoot a good round to have a chance.

“I started off bad, but they (his large galleries) were still into it and behind me. It was good motivation for me to continue to play hard and let things happen, and they did. (I am) looking forward to coming back next year and see if I can do better. ”

Toms after playing this Pete Dye designed swamp golf course reincarnated is looking ahead to the PLAYERS Championship at similar TPC Sawgrass. “There’s a lot of points, lot of money, lot of prestige. Being the fifth major, it’s held very highly with the players. I feel good about my game. I’m going to go there and hopefully have a good week.”

Wisconsin buddies Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker went on to win Greg Norman’s Shark Shootout later in the year in 2009. Photo Credit: Google Images

Mr. Kelly won the 2009 Zurich New Orleans golf tournament. There is no question about that. He is on the short list of invitees to the 2010 Masters.

With his love of New Orleans food there is no question what will be on the Champions menu if he wins the Masters. “I’m going to start with Drago’s charbroiled oysters. And then I’ll go with some Wisconsin stuff after that.” And no doubt his Wisconsin buddy Steve Stricker will be there by his side.

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering for the tournaments and working part time for various golf networks. He resides in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his website www.AndyGolfTravel Diary.com or by e-mailing him to AndyReistetter@gmail.com

Filed Under: Hickory Golf, People in Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Leading Phil Mickelson Taunts Tiger Woods after Rd. 2 of 2009 WGC-CA

March 13, 2009 By admin

Confidence in the driver we all know sets up confidence and performance in other aspects of our game such as iron play and the short game.

Recently, Phil made an instructional video on the short game, and doing so has improved his short game, too. Kind of like when we get our old notes out from the driving range and actually read them to discover a few tips that worked magic for us in the past.

“Simplifying my techniques and to articulate and translate it so everybody can do it has forced me to simplify my own game; and consequently, I’ve never chipped or hit bunker shots as well.”

Being 13-under par the after two rounds, Lefty is looking around for some competition over the weekend in this World Golf Championship. Tiger Woods is 10 strokes back. There is no neck-to-neck battle at this point.

Mickelson’s verbal taunting would indicate he is looking for an interaction with Tiger to avenge a defeat in 2005. “It kind of sucks. I hope he comes out tomorrow and plays a great round and makes a move. I would love to get back from ’05. I came close in ’05 and got beat and I would love the opportunity to play head-to-head.”

The confident 35-time winner on tour including three majors is looking ahead to the Masters which is only four weeks away.

“I can’t be any more excited. As well as I’m driving it, to be hitting it as high and as far as I’m hitting it, with my short game being as good as it’s ever been, I can’t wait for Augusta to get here.”

Who is competing with Mickelson this week?

Nick Watney followed up a Thursday 66 with a Friday 67 to secure second place, alone, at 11-under. The 27-year-old golfer from Fresno State won the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines earlier this year for his first tour victory.

“I feel pretty comfortable on this golf course and I’m playing very well and I’m putting well to start. So pleased with the first two rounds, and as far as tomorrow goes, very excited to play with Phil, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Watney credits the coach he shares with Mickelson and an improvement in his putting for his rise on tour this year.

“I would say the biggest difference would be putting, for sure. I hit the ball fairly well last year, but just my putting was really—really let my down. So I worked real hard in the offseason with my coach, Butch Harmon, and it’s really been paying off so far this year.”

He does a good job of, he sees—he has five students here. So he sees us all, and I don’t think anybody feels slighted or anything. Butch’s knowledge of the game is incredible.”

Can the lesser known guy in Butch’s camp knock off the marquee guy on the WGC-CA stage?

Maybe grizzled tour veteran, Ryder Cup hero, and winner of 13 tour events including the 2009 FBR Open Kenny Perry can put up a fight for Phil this weekend. He shot 64 on Friday by making better club selections on tee shots to suit the monster at Doral.

“Today I played shorter, shorter clubs off the tee just through the doglegs. I didn’t try to bomb it over to the corners like I did yesterday, and it paid off. I hit more fairways and had more opportunities at birdies.”

Perry is tied for third place, only three shots back with Northern Ireland’s up-and-coming golfing star Rory McIlroy who shot 66 Friday to go with Thursday’s 68. How fast has he risen in the world of golf? “Only eight months ago I was 200th in the world.”

Does he find it overwhelming? “No, it’s what I always wanted to do. I always expected to get to this point but I never thought I would do it so quickly.” At only 19 years of age this kid has game and could very well win this golf tournament come Sunday afternoon.

The threesome tied for fifth place only four shots back includes first round co-leader Prayad Marksaeng (Thailand), local favorite Camillo Villegas (Colombia), and veteran Rod Pampling (Australia).

Like so many American golfers of a bygone era, Prayad is the rags-to-riches story of the Asian Tour.

“I came from a poor family and so many members are in my family, so I had to work and make money for survival. I worked when I was young and worked many kind of work, like bicycle and like a taxi and selling food at a railway station. I was a caddie and a boxer.”

Marksaeng did what it took to find his passion and excel at it. Best of all he realizes the impact golf can have on one’s life. “I never thought that I would come up here this day. I thought I would only be able to play the Asian Tour, but now I can come up at this stage. Golf changed my life.”

Camillo is careful to not mix pleasure and popularity with business.

“I enjoy the support. It motivates me to stay focused, but at the same time, you’ve got to give yourself a little slap in the face and remind yourself that you’re there to play golf. But at the end of the day it’s business. You have to have your targets, commit to the shots and pull the trigger.”

Alvaro Quiros (Spain) also shot 64, the low round of the tournament, and heads a group of seven golfers five strokes back but still in contention with 36 holes to play: recent two-time winner Dustin Johnson; 2003 U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk; 2008 British Open runner-up Ian Poulter (England); the Swede who kept his clothes on Soren Kjeldsen; first round co-leader Jeev M. Singh (India); and South African newcomer Louis Oosthuizen.

The other first round co-leader Retief Goosen shot 76 falling into a tie for 35th with Tiger Woods.

Taunting a tiger may not be the wisest thing to do. This one is well-rested, improving, and will be pouncing soon. “Today felt a lot better than it did yesterday and yesterday felt a lot better than it did in Tucson. I’m starting to get a feel for being in that environment again, and it’s starting to feel better and better.”

Realistically can the six-time winner of this event come back over the weekend and win? “Hopefully tomorrow I can shoot a good round and at least give myself somewhat of a chance going into Sunday. I need to play well and I need to have help.”

Wouldn’t it be ironic if Phil’s taunting helped Tiger comeback?

Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen Lead Field at 2009 WGC-CA Championship

March 12, 2009 By admin

It’s a little too early to call, but this may be one of the best WGC to go down in history. Tiger Woods isn’t even part of the script yet.

Well, it is only Thursday at Doral’s Blue Monster. The wind blew but in the easy direction with the signature 18th hole playing downwind. Tiger shot 1-under 71 and is tied for 40th in a field of 80 world-class golfers.

There was drama on Thursday though with a promise of much more to come. Three-time major champion Phil Mickelson, himself an emerging legend with 35 PGA Tour victories in a storied career since turning professional in 1992, put on a theatrical performance shooting a 7-under par 65 with only 20 putts.

Twice-baked U.S. Open Champion Retief Goosen (South Africa) brought out his favorite putter from the corner of his cold and dark garage to the warm Florida sunshine and it sizzled, too. He needed only 23 putts in his own version of 7-under 65.

Padraig Harrington (Ireland), the reigning showman of the world golf tour, though spraying his drives a bit, had his irons dialed in with laser accuracy with six birdies in his bogey-free round of 66.

Atop the leader board with Mickelson and Goosen are Jeev M. Singh (India) and Prayad Marksaeng (Thailand).

Jeev has won three times on the European Tour, but not yet in the United States. The 37-year-old golfer comes from a sporting family as his father was the director of sports for the state of Punjab in India.

Back when Jeev started playing golf and later when he turned professional in 1993 the emphasis was on education and becoming a doctor or engineer. Family and friends would say to him: “I know you’re a pro, but what else do you do?” Now golf is the fastest growing sport in India.

Singh credits Doug Sanders, a 20-time winner on the PGA Tour with getting him to the U.S. to play college golf at Abilene Christian University.

Sanders sponsored an international Junior Golf Championship for 20 years and called him from Abilene when he was playing in a tournament at Fairway Oaks in the middle of the night India time.

The result was a full golf scholarship for a kid from India at ACU, which is about 180 miles west of Dallas/Fort Worth and halfway to Midland, Texas. Now he is leading a World Golf Championship.

Prayad Marksaeng, playing in his first WGC-CA, started on No. 10 with a fairly routine first nine holes, with two birdies and then he bogeyed the most difficult hole of the day, No. 18.

Making the turn, he caught fire shooting 6-under 30 on the front side needing only 24 putts for the round. The 43-year-old golfer is a three-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour in 2008 but has yet to win in the United States.

Mickelson needed only eight putts on his back nine. He chipped in for birdies on his last two holes. He matched the third-least number of putts for nine holes in PGA Tour history. Stan Utley needed only six on the front nine in the second round of the 2002 Air Canada Championship.

On the front nine, Phil was in a water hazard on two consecutive holes. On No. 3, he double-bogeyed the hole after hitting into the drink short right of the green. After drowning his tee shot on the 238-yard par-3 fourth hole he chipped in to save par. Then after that, he was off to the races, finishing the round with eight birdies and no bogeys.

Phil, after winning at Riviera CC in the Northern Trust Open, three weeks ago appears to be back and confident as ever.

“I felt going into this tournament that I was playing as well as I ever have as far as I can remember. From 50 yards in, my short game has never been this good and I’ve never driven the ball this long and this straight without the fear of a big miss.”

He re-emphasized the state of his game by saying it again: “I’m telling you, I’ve never hit the ball this long or straight.”

Retief Goosen went to the belly putter at the start of the year and has changed back to the short C-groove YES putter he used to win the 2001 and 2004 U.S. Opens. “The last couple of years, I have not been putting well. That’s why I tried something new at the beginning of the year, and it didn’t work.”

After a second place tie in last year’s WGC-CA finishing one stroke behind champion Geoff Ogilvy Retief is excited with Thursday’s performance. “I’ve done well here in the past. Last year, obviously I had a good chance of maybe winning, but this year I’m off to a good start, and I’ve got something to build on for the next three rounds.”

Padraig Harrington, tied for second place with Nick Watney, Rod Pampling (Australia), and James Kingston (South Africa), changed his plans for a three-week break in the schedule opting to come back to America and play because his game needed it.

“I needed to play some competitive golf. Not having played enough so far, it would have been foolhardy to go into Bay Hill and Houston and then obviously the Masters without feeling like I’ve been on the golf course and being sharp.”

The Masters, the first major of the year, is on everyone’s mind and Harrington has been fielding questions since winning the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills CC back in August 2008.

“The last thing I want to be doing is trying to win the Masters in the second round at the CA Championship.”

Padraig is not getting ahead of himself but is thinking ahead to three big tournaments this year: “(The) Masters being potentially winning my third Major in a row, the (British) Open being my potential of winning three (British Opens) in a row and the PGA (Championship) defending (champion).”

The rest of us are thinking about that fourth chance at Bethpage in the U.S. Open in June. If he wins the Masters can he complete the “Tiger-Slam” and win that fourth major in a row?

Even Rod Pampling, a two-time winner on tour, most recently at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill tournament in 2006 and tied for second with a 66 of his own is thinking about the Masters and the most obvious omission with regards to that tournament.

“Obviously, you want to play all of the majors and it’s the only one an Australian has not won yet, and I enjoy that golf course. It would be nice to win Augusta. If you are not there, you can’t do it. So it’s obviously very important to get into the tournament.”

There was some comedy out there on the Blue Monster today. Henrik Stenson’s tee shot on No. 3 ended up in a hazard on mud bit in decent shape. Having no rain gear in the bag left him no other options.

“I was only wearing two things when I hit the shot, my jocks and my golf glove…that is the only thing that will appear in the picture aside from the golf club…just the way God created me!! Shirt, trousers, socks, shoes, hat, the lot was off!

His female caddy Fanny Sunesson who use to loop for Nick Faldo might have been secretly wishing to see a Full Monty. Stenson at least would be better than the other Monty…Colin Montgomerie. Postscript: Stenson shot a 3-under 69, so saving the shot may lead to victory on Sunday.

Jeev Singh and the other leaders had a good day out on the golf course. “I hit the ball well today and I think it all comes down to putting at the end of the day. I rolled it well, so I’m pretty pleased with a 65 today.”

Tiger Woods, on the other hand, had a different result from a good ball-striking day, full swing that is.

“It was a little bit frustrating on those greens today. I hit so many putts that looked good. I thought I hit my lines and thought I had the right speed, but they just didn’t go in.”

Though frustrated there is optimism for tomorrow’s second round: “I’ll just keep doing the same things. It’s not like I was playing poorly or struggling all the way around. I had my speed on the greens all day.”

There was simplicity in the final assessment for the day by Tiger: “I played well and just didn’t make the putts.”

It’s early, there’s a lot of drama and much more to come. Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Who Gets To Play In the World Golf Championships?

March 12, 2009 By admin

Well, of course, that depends on which WGC we are talking about.

Two weeks ago at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championships, the Top 64 golfers were eligible to compete as determined by the Official World Golf Rating (OWGR) as of February 15th, a week before the tournament started. No exceptions, either you make the Top 64 list at that appointed time or you do not play. If you make the list and choose to not play you are not replaced and your first round opponent automatically wins.

In August, at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone CC, it will be only the Top 50 golfers as determined by the OWGR. In addition, playing members of both teams from the 2007 President’s Cup and 2008 Ryder Cup are included in the field as well as tournament winners since the prior year’s tournament.

That is, tournament winners on the Asian Tour, the European Tour, the Japan Golf Tour, the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Australasia, and the Sunshine Tour (South Africa) were eligible. There is a caveat; however, that in order to be eligible the tournament winner must have an OWGR point total of 115 points or more. This is equivalent roughly to an OWGR of No. 75 today. No rift-raft or one-time Charlie’s in WGCs.

At this week’s WGC-CA Championship held on the Blue Monster at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida, the field is basically the world’s No. 1 golfer Tiger Woods and the other Top 50 golfers as determined by the OWGR. There are some important distinctions and additional qualifying criteria which make a huge difference to those golfers on the bubble.

In the end you are in or you are not. If you are into the $8M tournament with no cut, there is guaranteed money if you finish all four rounds. Last year that amounted to $35,500 for last place. So being in or not is a big deal.

One of the distinctions about the top 50 OWGR golfers is when you make that distinguished list. There are two opportunities: one week ago after the WGC-Accenture Match Play on Monday, March 2nd and this past Monday after the Honda Classic.

Boo Weekley was in the top 50 one week ago, last week he was not. One week ago Davis Love was not in the top 50, but with his joint 13th place finish at the Honda last week he moved up to No. 50. Both are playing at Doral starting today. Stuart Appleby also fell out of the Top 50, but is playing based on his 2008 No. 17 FedExCup points finish.

An additional qualifying criterion is this year’s FedExCup point list, the Top 10. Similar to the OWGR in that is takes two snapshots one week apart mainly to capture the best golfers either going up or down the list.

Making it into the WGC-CA on the latter list were Honda Champion Y.E. Yang (South Korea) and runner-up John Rollins. This year’s European Tour Order of Merit Top 10 also qualifies for this WGC. Since there was no European Tour tournament this past week there was no movement in or out of the Top 10 and all these golfers were ranked in the OWGR Top 50.

Oops typo there this year’s European Tour Order of Merit is called the Race to Dubai. Wonder if they use Fed Ex?

The other qualifying criteria were based on last year’s performance: namely the Top 30 in the 2008 FedExCup points list, the Top 20 European Order of Merit, and the Top three Order of Merit from each of the four other Federation Tours, which come together to conduct the WGCs-the Asian Tour, the Japan Golf Tour, the PGA Tour Australasia, and the Sunshine Tour (South Africa).

These golfers knew they were in the tournament for sure before last year before anybody else, although it is hard to drop out of the Top 50 OWGR especially if you are Tiger Woods. Easier if you are Boo Weekley.

Golfers who qualified only on their 2008 Top 30 FedExCup points are Briny Baird, Chad Campbell, Ken Duke, Dudley Hart, Ryuji Imada (Japan), Billy Mayfair, Carl Pettersson (Sweden), Kevin Sutherland, D.J. Trahan, and Bubba Watson. They may not be off to a great start in 2009, but they earned their way here with a great year in 2008. All it takes is a dream and an entry spot.

Similarly for those who qualified only by virtue of their 2008 Top 20 finish on the European Tour are Darren Clarke (Northern Ireland), Richard Finch (England), Soren Hanson (Denmark), James Kingston (South Africa), Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark), and Pablo Larrazabal (Spain).

Okay time to test your knowledge of international golf. The Top three qualifiers from the Asian Tour?

They are Jeev M. Singh (India), Lin Wen-tang (Taiwan), and Mark Brown (New Zealand).

From the Japan Golf Tour, we have Shingo Katayama (Japan), Azumo Yano (Japan), and Prayad Marksaeng (Thailand).

Likewise from the PGA Tour Australasia coming to play are Mark Brown (also No. 3 in Asia), Rod Pampling (Australia), and Geoff Ogilvy (also No. 4 in the world ranking).

Finally from the Sunshine Tour and all from South Africa also teeing it up this week at Doral are Richard Sterne, Garth Mulroy, and Thomas Aiken.

Looking at the field by country of origin there are 27 golfers from the United States, 10 from South Africa, eight from England, six from Australia, and four each from Spain and Sweden. In total there are 80 golfers from 20 countries—the best in the world competing in the same tournament.

All the familiar names are there, in all the familiar places… Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia (Spain), Geoff Ogilvy (Australia), Vijay Singh (Fiji), and Padraig Harrington (Ireland) are all playing the Blue Monster at Doral.

Then there are some unfamiliar names becoming familiar to us like Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Dustin Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa), and Alvaro Quiros (Spain) may end up winning.

Enjoy the competition!

Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Y E. Yang Breaks Through with Win the 2009 Honda Classic

March 11, 2009 By admin

Yang celebrates with the trophy after winning The Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Y.E. Yang has something in common with K.J. Choi other than their Korean heritage and international victories. He is now a winner on the PGA Tour having captured the 2009 Honda Classic in convincing fashion.

After a 65 on Friday vaulted him into the lead, solid steady rounds of 70 and 68 over the weekend earned him the victory and the $1,008,000 winner’s check.

It will also cause him to change his travel plans to play in the WGC-CA Championship this week in Miami instead of the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular. Plus, there is an invitation to the Masters coming in the mail.

After beating Tiger Woods and winning the 2006 HSBC Champions, Yang admits to having a lapse in goals after that win enabled his first Masters appearance. In addition, that win brought more invitations to play in the most competitive world golf events.

With no victories against the better competition, Yang’s confidence suffered. Even in his gracious acceptance speech, complete with prepared notes for him and his interpreter he said “I didn’t think I could win.” But win he did, in convincing fashion.

It was a day where several contenders tried to narrow the gap over the course of the day where the golf course, Jack Nicklaus’ backyard baby, the Champion at PGA National played tough as the wind blew and the Florida sun continued to shine.

Temperatures hovered around 80 degrees the entire week and by Sunday afternoon the greens and even some fairways turned that crusted brownish color indicating their firmness and difficulty.

But as each contender emerged, Yang maintained the gap and played the right card and in the end his being one stroke better than anyone else translated into his first win in America.

First to keep Yang honest was his playing partner, Jeff Klauk, who stayed as close as he possibly could the entire front nine.

The 31-year old rookie, playing in only his eighth PGA TOUR event, carded all pars except for the par-4 14th hole, where his tee shot found the water.

Though the lack of birdies was as noticeable as the Florida drought, Klauk’s fourth round score of 71 earned him solo fourth place and a check for $268,800.

This surely will whet his appetite for more competition with more success not that far down the road, maybe even in Puerto Rico.

“I played well. Just couldn’t really get any momentum going, but made some nice putts for par, and unfortunately didn’t make any for birdie.”

Next to challenge Yang was Robert Allenby with four birdies in his first 10 holes being offset with one bogey on No. 4.

However, he faltered down the stretch with bogeys on Nos. 12, 13, and 18 to finish tied for seventh place with Will MacKenzie and Fredrik Jacobson. All three golfers shot even-par 70 on Sunday.

The biggest challenge came from John Rollins, the only golfer to record four rounds in the 60s this week. Rollins got hot mid-round with birdies on Nos. 8, 9, 11, and 12. But his performance was matched by Yang, who birdied No. 12 to get to 11-under par for the tournament.

Rollins bogeyed No. 15 and was watching scoreboards and saw what seemed to be an insurmountable gap.

“I got on the 16th tee and I saw that I was four back. So at that point, I felt that I had three holes to buckle down and really focus on second place.

“And if something happened, something happened. I honestly was playing for second place. When I was four shots back, I was playing as hard as I could to make sure I didn’t come back to the guys behind me and at least get second by myself.”

Rollins second place finish was worth $604,800 and came with an invitation to next week’s WGC-CA Championship. Since that is an $8 million event with no cut, it is a guaranteed paycheck.

Though his play for second place almost led to a playoff for first place, Rollins was pleased with his performance and had hearty congratulations for the winner.

“It’s not easy out there. He had it 11-under par at one time, and I’m just thinking, man, where is that? Where is 11-under par out here? I was doing all I could just to get to 8-under.

“But I’m very happy. I did all that I could do today. I shot 3-under par, like I said, on a tough golf course to give myself a chance to win. And you can’t frown at that.”

Ben Crane, who rode a roller coaster on Saturday with an ace on the par-3 fifth hole and two double bogeys, shot 68 on Sunday to finish solo third and earn $380,800. He takes away all positives from this week’s work.

“I’ve put a lot of work in with my instructor, and I am playing better than I have ever played. I’m physically fit more than I ever and working with my mental coach. I just feel like everything I’m doing, I’m just going the right direction.

“I’m trying not to press for results, just keep plugging away and I’m really encouraged after a great finish today.”

The big winner, though, was Yang, who was relieved after facing a tough two-putt for par from 49 feet on the 18th hole to maintain his one stroke lead over Rollins.

“That putt was not an easy putt. It was actually pretty intimidating. Looking at the green conditions on that hole, I just asked myself, what do I need to do to two-putt this?

“You know, the grass was leaning towards the water. It was a downhill putt. It was very hard to determine the speed. I asked myself, how strong do I have to hit it? But once I made the decision, it was simple; just execute.”

And execute he did, leaving himself a tap-in for his first PGA Tour victory.

On Saturday, Yang characterized his even-par round of 70 as: “I just didn’t make the putts that I needed to, the birdie putts. All five of the birdie chances I had missed the hole ever so slightly. I think that was the big difference, not being able to make the putts.”

At the end of the day on Sunday, his scorecard showed that he made the five birdies he needed on Nos. 3, 4, 5, 8, and 12 to offset bogeys on Nos. 6, 15, and 17. Though the famed “Bear Trap” of hole Nos. 15, 16, and 17 caught him a bit he still captured the victory.

“I think my dreams are now bigger, now that I’ve won here. My expectations are higher.”

Competition against the world’s best golfers awaits Yang down the road at Doral at the WGC and at the Masters and Players for sure.

Yang uses an interpreter at his media interview sessions. When asked how good his English is he replied: “I think my English is just good enough just to get around.”

Well, he got around PGA National in stellar fashion this week and interestingly enough, when asked about those five birdies that helped him win today, he described them to a “tee” using the English language!

Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Yang, Klauk, and Overton May Spring Forward at the 2009 Honda Classic

March 10, 2009 By admin

Y.E. Yang driving at the 2009 Honda Classic. Photo Credit: Bill Ingram /The Palm Beach Post

Korean Y.E. Yang stayed in place on top of the leader board when all the moving was over on Saturday. So did Jeff Overton, who remains tied for second place one stroke behind.

Both shot even par 70 on the tough and demanding Champion golf course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Jeff Klauk moved into a tie with Overton coming all the way from seventh place by shooting an impressive 67.

None of these players have won a PGA TOUR event although Yang has won five times in Japan and his native Korea.

Right behind them two strokes off the lead are Charles Wi, Brett Quigley, and John Rollins. Of those three, John Rollins is the only one who has won on the PGA TOUR—twice, the last being the 2006 B.C. Open presented by Turning Stone.

He has 238 career starts while Quigley trumps that as a winless tour veteran with 339 starts. Wi, also Korean, has 84 starts and nine international victories.

Further behind at three strokes off the lead but certainly not out of it is the ultimate tour veteran Mark Calcavecchia. Bear-like in some physical respects he got caught in course designer Jack Nicklaus’ famous Bear Trap to fall out of contention last year on Sunday afternoon.

The sand shot on the par-three 15th hole that would never stop and kept rolling and rolling across the hardened green ending up on the rocks in the water hazard. His Sunday 73 resulted in a fourth-place tie, three strokes behind winner Ernie Els.

“Calc” has 498 career starts, 13 PGA TOUR victories including a Major in the memorable playoff win over Greg Norman and Wayne Grady at Royal Troon in the 1989 British Open.

There are five other players tied with Calcavecchia. Swede Fredrik Jacobson has played in 125 PGA TOUR events with no ultimate success though he has won three times internationally.

Ben Crane (169 starts, two victories, most recent was 2005 U.S. Bank Championship) who aced the par-three fifth hole on Saturday to only double bogey the ninth and nearby 11th hole later in the day.

Jason Dufner, Q-School graduate with 84 starts shot 68 on Saturday to move up from 13th to seventh place. Will MacKenzie who faltered with a 72 in the third round has 110 starts and two victories including last fall’s Viking Classic.

Local resident Robert Allenby the sentimental favorite mourning the recent loss of his mother had some quirky lies that resulted in a double bogey on the par-five third hole and bogeys coming in on Nos. 13 & 14.

Maybe all the breaks will come his way in the final round resulting in his first victory since 2001 in 310 PGA TOUR starts.

Tournament leader Y.E. Yang with 46 PGA TOUR starts wants to avoid going back to Q-School needs the putts to fall on Sunday and shoot under par to have a legitimate chance to win.

“I just didn’t make the putts that I needed to, the birdie putts. All five of the birdie chances I had missed the hole ever so slightly. I think that was the big difference, not being able to make the putts.”

He may be hoping that no shoots a 65 and comes out of the pack.

“So I’ve just got to stay very patient, and when I get those birdie opportunities, try to make them, otherwise, I think it will be difficult without shooting at least one or two under to win.”

Ernie Els won last year with a 274 total (six-under) while Mark Wilson’s total was 275 (five-under).

Maybe an even par round by Yang will do it but a 67 and 270 total (10-under) is more convincing given the number of pursuers.

Jeff Klauk, a 31-year old rookie is playing in only his eighth PGA TOUR event. He has won three times on the Nationwide Tour and earned his tour card by finishing third last year.

When asked if there is any difference between winning the Honda Classic and a Nationwide event he replied:

“Nothing, except the surroundings I guess. It’s just 18 holes of golf, and you’ve got to really approach it that way. It’s a much bigger stage, but you can’t really worry about that. You just have to get in your own little world and just fairways and greens and just try to play like it’s any other round.”

He has the pedigree to be a PGA TOUR champion, maybe even a Major champion some day. His father Fred was golf course superintendent at TPC Sawgrass before retiring after last year’s PLAYERS championship.

The elder Klauk earned the 2000 Golfweek’s 2000 Golf Father-of-the-Year award for having passed his love of golf down to his three sons. He set up golf courses for 27 PGA TOUR events including 22 PLAYERS.

He even prepared Eagle Trace for the Honda and Jeff has memories of it as an eight-year old. “I remember sitting up on 18 with my dad in the cart watching the guys finish. It’s neat to be on the other side of it.”

It would be really neat if he can make this year’s Honda Classic his first PGA TOUR victory.

Klauk is a hard worker and though given opportunities in life it is his performance that earns him the respect of those in the game of golf. He played six weeks straight from the SONY Open in Hawaii to the Northern Trust Open at Riviera before taking a break last week.

With a tie for twelfth at the SONY and a tie for eleventh at the Buick Invitational he is poised to breakthrough with a win. “It’s just great to be in this position. I expect to be in this position.

I’m not out here just for a year and that’s it and go back to the Nationwide Tour. This is where I want to be, and contend and win tournaments on the PGA TOUR.”

Jeff Overton with 85 career starts was wearing all white on Saturday survived a triple bogey seven on the 11th hole and birdied three of the last six holes coming in. Though his mistakes were costly he is in a position to win this tournament.

On 11, he misjudged the wind and his approach landed in the water well short of the green. His next attempt cleared the hazard but hit the bank and rolled down into the muck. Though playable due to the south Florida draught conditions he chose not to go in after it.

“Yeah, I thought about it and I had this nice, great, white outfit on. I would rather just go ahead and have the extra shot than get it all muddy.” It will be interesting and hopefully not funny to see if he needs that one stroke at the end of the Honda Classic on Sunday afternoon.

A million guys probably would have put the rain suit on or taken the white pants off but then again there is only one Jeff Overton and there will be only one 2009 Honda Classic champion.

Mark Calcavecchia, the always competitive veteran turns 49 in June and the associated two-year exemption would dovetail nicely with his 2007 Pods victory giving him plenty of PGA and Champions Tour options.

“Last year I had a good chance. I said last year, if I can keep my ball out of the water all day long, I’d have a good chance and I hit three balls in the water last year, including that bunker shot on 15.

“So we’ll try to erase that memory. If I can keep my ball dry tomorrow, like I said last year, I may have a good chance.”

His scores have improved every day—Thursday 74, Friday 67, Saturday 65. He made the biggest move on moving day climbing all the way up to seventh from 36th place. A Sunday 65 would definitely earn him his third Honda Classic title and one in each of the last three decades (1987, 1998, and 2009).

Brett Quigley is taking a relaxed approach. “I’m just trying to go have fun. That’s what I’m doing all week, just not really worried about playing golf. I’m sure I’ll be thinking about it tomorrow, but I know if I can just think about playing golf when I’m out there, I might have a chance to win.”

What would a PGA TOUR victory mean to him? “If I finish tomorrow, if I’m atop the leader board, that’s great. That’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole life.”

All said there are 18 players within five shots of Yang. A 64 or 65 is not out of the question. With the Bear Trap looming no doubt it will be an exciting Sunday back nine. Will it be a relative newcomer that secures that first victory or a grizzly veteran that snatches up another one?

With the end of daylight savings time there will be an extra hour of sunshine tomorrow evening with plenty of time for a playoff. Who knows what will spring forward at that time.

Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf