Tuesday, August 17th, 2010Newsday (N.Y.): Tiger a likely captain’s pick for Ryder Cup, but he’s not a lockBy Art Spander MILWAUKEE — Corey Pavin didn’t directly say he would make Tiger Woods one of his four captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup team, but he certainly implied as much. Pavin was asked yesterday morning — a day after the eight top points leaders through Sunday’s PGA Championshipautomatically qualified - the pros and cons of selecting Woods, 12th in the standings. “Well, he’s the No. 1 player in the world,” Pavin said of Tiger. “That’s a pretty good pro . . . he’s high on my list . . . he’ll be a big consideration. “He’s playing better. I think we have all seen that, and he wants to play, wants to be a part of the team. But it’s going to be my judgment whether I pick him or not. I don’t think there’s any cons.” Woods has not won a tournament since returning to golf at the Masters in April after his absence because of marital infidelities and rehabilitation. He had his worst finish as a pro in the WGC-Bridgestone that ended Aug. 8, tying for 78th in a field of 80. But he was much improved at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, 60 miles north of here, tying for 28th at 2-under-par 286. “I think a couple of things have happened the last couple of weeks, ” said Pavin, who will announce his picks Sept. 7. “Obviously he played better last week. He’s working on some things that seem to be improving his game. So I was obviously pleased to see that happen last week.” The eight who qualified are led by Phil Mickelson and include Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton and Matt Kuchar. The biennial match, between Europe and the United States is scheduled for Oct. 1-3 at Celtic Manor, near Cardiff,Wales. The United States has not won in Europe since 1993. - - - - - - http://www.newsday.com/sports/golf/tiger-a-likely-captain-s-pick-for-ryder-cup-but-he-s-not-a-lock-1.2215707 |
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Monday, August 16th, 2010Global Golf Post: Crazy Week, Wild Finish, Solid WinnerBy Art Spander SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN — The PGA Championship, for reasons logical or not, used to be called the major that’s a minor. Oh how that has changed. And we’re not Whistling Straits, uh, whistling Dixie. There wasn’t much more anybody could wish for from this year’s tournament, whether it was the buildup surrounding Tiger and Phil, the fog delays, which turned the opening rounds into Unfinished Symphonies, the swapping of denials over Ryder Cup selections between Corey Pavin and Jim Gray, the course record by the guy from China whose only English may be “You’re away,” and a stretch run that included almost everyone except Palmer and Nicklaus — or Tiger and Phil. Copyright 2010 Global Golf Post |
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Monday, August 16th, 2010Newsday (N.Y.): Phil up, Tiger down after average performancesBy Art Spander SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – Phil Mickelson feels nothing is wrong now. Tiger Woods probably feels little is right. Mickelson shot a 5-under-par 67 Sunday, low round for the day, in the 92nd PGA Championship. And while his 72-hole total of 6-under 282 was considerably higher than the leaders, he was feeling good, literally and figuratively. “I feel nothing’s wrong now,” said Mickelson, who was recently diagnosed with a muscle disorder called psoriatic arthritis. “I feel normal. It’s gone. I don’t want to say it’s gone away, but all the symptoms have gone away and I feel great.” Woods shot a 1-over 73 Sunday, his only over-par round of the tournament. He was not so upbeat after a four-round total of 2-under 286. “I hit my irons really good today,” Woods said. “I drove it terrible. I just couldn’t get a feel with the driver.” A week ago, at the WGC-Bridgestone, Woods had his worst finish as a pro, tied for 78th in a field of 80. He was in the top 30 this time, but that’s not what one expects of Tiger, who went winless in majors this year and last. “Disappointed?” Woods said. “Certainly. In order for it to be a great year you have to win a major championship.” Mickelson did that, taking his third Masters. He and Tiger did tie for fourth in the U.S. Open, but Mickelson, stricken with a disease he now says is under control, has had a tough time of it since then. “It was good just to get a solid round,” Mickelson said. “I wish I had put together all four rounds here, though.” 19th hole Rob Labritz of Glen Arbor GC in Bedford Hills, Westchester County, was the only club pro of the 20 entered to make the cut. Labritz, who had a 5-over 77 Sunday for a 7-over 295 total, won the 2008 New York State Open at Bethpage Black. - - - - - - http://www.newsday.com/sports/golf/phil-up-tiger-down-after-average-performances-1.2212829 |
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Sunday, August 15th, 2010Newsday (N.Y.): Tiger and Phil can’t take advantage of perfect conditions during Round 3 of PGA ChampionshipBy Art Spander SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — In the rankings, if not in actuality, they are the two best golfers in the world: Tiger Woods, No. 1, Phil Mickelson, No. 2. And when they began the third round of the PGA Championship Saturday afternoon, each believed he would be a factor. Mickelson shot 33 his last nine of the second round Friday, and Woods, who had to play the final 12 holes of his delayed second round Saturday morning, came in with a 2-under-par 70. But this tournament belongs to others, to younger, less famous players. Woods had three bogeys on the front nine of his third round Saturday afternoon and even though he recovered with four birdies on the back, he finished at par 72 and a three-round, 3-under total of 213. Mickelson wasn’t even that good. He shot a 1-over 73 for 215. So the PGA Championship’s two biggest stars are far back. Woods, who will go a second straight year without winning a major, is tied for 31st place after 54 holes, and Mickelson, who took the Masters in April, is among a group tied for 48th. Others were able to conquer the Whistling Straits layout along the Lake Michigan shoreline — for instance Wen-chong Liang of China shot a course-record 8-under 64, moving from a tie for 47th to a tie for fourth — but not Mickelson and Woods. Tiger had his moments. In both the second and third rounds, he shot 3-under 33s on the back nine. But he was over par all three rounds on the front; his shots too often landed in bunkers or rough, and he couldn’t always save par. “Ironically,” Woods said, “I hit the ball better than I did the first two days. I made nothing.” Mickelson was in anything but a good mood. “The golf course was there to be had,” he said ruefully. “It was a very frustrating day.” The holes that stymied Woods were the holes he used to own, the par 5s. “Tell me about it,” was his comment. “I haven’t played them well all week. You’ve got to make birdies on par 5s, and I haven’t done that.” He did it twice on the 11th hole, including the third round, but of the 12 par 5s he’s played so far, Woods also has had three bogeys, including the 16th during the third round. “I struggle there for some reason,” he said of the 569-yard hole, “even when I hit a good shot [off the tee].” - - - - - - http://www.newsday.com/sports/golf/tiger-and-phil-can-t-take-advantage-of-perfect-conditions-during-round-3-of-pga-championship-1.2210502 |
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Friday, August 13th, 2010RealClearSports: Tiger Steps Out of Fog and ControversyBy Art Spander SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Of course Tiger Woods will be on the Ryder Cup team. Whether Corey Pavin told Jim Gray that Tiger would or whether Corey Pavin didn’t tell Jim Gray he would begs the issue. With the interest in Tiger, NBC television, commercial involvement of billion-dollar companies, the sport of golf and even Woods himself, it is a given he will play if chosen by Pavin. © RealClearSports 2010 |
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Friday, August 13th, 2010Newsday (N.Y.): Tiger finds a bit of his gameBy Art Spander SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — “Welcome to golf,” Tiger Woods said. “It is what it is, a fickle game.” For Tiger, it should have been “Welcome back to golf.” Like the supposed Mark Twain comment of his demise, reports of the death of Woods’ game have been greatly exaggerated. Woods hadn’t broken par his previous seven rounds, but Thursday, with a birdie on his final hole, he shot a 1-under 71 on the opening day of the 92nd PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. “Got off to a quick start,” said Woods. He started at the 10th hole and began birdie-birdie, “and all of a sudden I felt like I could shoot something in the 60s. “Didn’t quite happen. Lost a few shots out there, but I made a nice birdie on nine [his 18th] and finished under par for the day.” That, he said, was his goal. It left him three shots behind several co-leaders. It left him thinking positively, maybe even thinking about winning his first major since the 2008 U.S. Open. When asked if his driving was better, Woods answered, “Everything was better.” Including his mood. When he finished Sunday at the WGC Bridgestone with a 77, equaling his worst closing round in 13 years as a professional, Woods seemed ready to hurl his clubs into a trash barrel. But a couple of days of practice changed everything. And that debate between U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin and TV announcer Jim Gray, over whether Pavin told Gray he would select Woods for the team, seemed inconsequential. If Woods plays well, he could be an automatic qualifier. The difference between this week and last? “Just one week,” Woods said. ”That’s the way it goes. I mean everyone has bad weeks.” - - - - - - http://www.newsday.com/sports/golf/tiger-finds-a-bit-of-his-game-1.2204990 |
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Friday, August 13th, 2010Newsday (N.Y.): Bubba Watson, Molinari emerge from fog to lead PGA ChampionshipSHEBOYGAN, Wis. — It was golf’s Unfinished Symphony, a round that for the longest time couldn’t get out of the fog and never did get to the end. It was Day One of the 92nd PGA Championship, which when the weather cleared offered Tiger Woods’ return from the depths and two disparate sorts, Bubba Watson and Francesco Molinari, temporarily on top of the leader board. They came in with 4-under- par 68s, but still out on the Whistling Straits course when darkness moved in were two others at 4 under, Ernie Els and Matt Kuchar. Play had had to be delayed 3 hours, 10 minutes at the start Thursday because the shoreline along Lake Michigan looked like something along San Francisco Bay, pea-soup stuff through which golfers couldn’t see 100 yards. That meant the late starters had no chance to get in a full 18, and with more fog forecast this morning, there’s a feeling this tournament might last for days. Woods, who was to go at 8:20 a.m., finally hit his first shot at 11:30, which since he shot a 1-under 71 — he made birdie at his last hole, the ninth — didn’t prove to be detrimental. On the contrary, his play was greatly improved from his awful finish last weekend in the WGC-Bridgestone. Phil Mickelson, who didn’t begin until around 4:45 p.m., was 1 under par through 11 holes when play was called. Watson, like Mickelson, a lefthander, contended he was not bothered by the delay. “I get excited about playing golf,” Watson said. “So I stayed up late [Wednesday] night when I should have been going to bed. My wife was yelling at me to go to bed. I was up playing games on my phone . . . I wasn’t myself this morning when I woke up. So maybe the delay helped, since I didn’t have much energy.” Molinari, from Italy, said of Whistling Straits: “It seems like some courses in Europe, but it’s a lot softer, and I like the course. And watching Graeme McDowell [U.S. Open] and Louis Oosthuizen [British Open] win, we [Europeans] think we can win a major as well.” “It played like an American course today,” said Charles Howell III (69) of Whistling Straits, which looks like a British links but requires different shots. “It was a bit bizarre.” Howell got up at 5:30 a.m. for what he thought would be an 8:50 a.m. start that evolved to a noon start at the 10th tee. He quickly birdied 11, 12, 13 and 14. “I had breakfast three times,” said Howell, as Woods said he did. “To have the start I did was beneficial because it calmed me down a bit.” - - - - - - http://www.newsday.com/sports/golf/bubba-watson-molinari-emerge-from-fog-to-lead-pga-championship-1.2205128 |
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Thursday, August 12th, 2010Newsday (N.Y.): PGA Championship is filled with question marksBy Art Spander SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — So golf faces the famous cliché used when people in sports don’t have a clue what may happen next, to wit, “Now what?” The 92nd PGA Championship starts today at Whistling Straits, along the western shore of Lake Michigan, an hour’s drive from Milwaukee, and at a huge 7,514 yards a place where big drives are needed from the tees. It’s a major championship, the final one every year, but this year with the decline of Tiger Woods and rise of internationals such as Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and Rory McIlroy, it is shadowed by that question, “Now what?” Is the game in trouble because television ratings, negatively affected by Tiger’s troubles and victories by previously unheralded players, have plummeted? Is there an American capable of winning, or as in three of the last four majors, starting with Y.E. Yang stunning Woods the final day of the 2009 PGA, does the trophy end up in the hands of someone from Korea, Northern Ireland, South Africa or another country? Is U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin being candid when he says, as he did Wednesday, there was no certainty Woods would be on the team. The Golf Channel’s Jim Gray, who reported Pavin told him “of course” Woods be selected, challenged Pavin, stuck a finger in his chest, called him a liar and growled, “You’re going down.” For sure, this is the first time in 13 years a major is being held with Woods in the field and he is not the prohibitive favorite. After the worst four-round event of his pro career — the WGC-Bridgestone that ended Sunday with Woods tied for 78th among 80 players — Tiger is second behind Phil Mickelson in the odds. Yet Mickelson, who said he is recovering from psoriatic arthritis, also played poorly in the Bridgestone; Lee Westwood, third in the world rankings behind Woods and Mickelson, has withdrawn because of a calf injury; and as far as McDowell, the U.S Open winner, and Oosthuizen, British Open champ, it’s rare to win two majors in a calendar year, unless you’re Woods or Padraig Harrington. Steve Stricker, a Wisconsin native, is No. 4 in the world, and said: “You always think you can win a tournament, going into a tournament.” But he never has won a major. Pavin won the 1995 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. He went to UCLA and was called, in a nickname borrowed from one of the school’s Rose Bowl teams, “The Gutty Little Bruin.” After a contentious news conference involving him and European Ryder captain Colin Montgomerie, he needed the courage. Gray, emboldened by a Golf Channel statement supporting his report, approached Pavin and wife Lisa, who claims she recorded the exchange on her cell phone. At one point Gray, who years ago had a memorable faceoff with Pete Rose about Rose’s gambling, raised his hand to keep Lisa from intervening. Pavin pushed it away. After the exchange, Pavin again insisted he never told Gray that Woods was assured of a spot on the team for the Oct. 1-3 matches in Wales. Gray defended his report and said Pavin was being “disingenuous.” - - - - - - http://www.newsday.com/sports/golf/pga-championship-is-filled-with-question-marks-1.2201440 |
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Wednesday, August 11th, 2010RealClearSports: Humbled Tiger Still Able to LaughBy Art Spander SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — The man still can laugh. And make us laugh. In a season which surely has had its tears and most likely some fears — finishing next-to-last in a tournament he won seven times previously would make even the strongest among us cringe — Tiger Woods hadn’t lose his sense of humor. Or, he wants us to believe, his ability to be a champion once again. © RealClearSports 2010 |
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