Friday, August 30, 2013

Golf-PGA Championship scores


Golf-PGA Championship scores

August 9, 2013








Aug 10 (Infostrada Sports) - Scores from the PGA Championship at the par-70 course on Friday in Rochester, New York. The cut was set at 143.

131 Jason Dufner (U.S.) 68 63

133 Adam Scott (Australia) 65 68

Matt Kuchar (U.S.) 67 66

Jim Furyk (U.S.) 65 68

134 Justin Rose (Britain) 68 66

Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 68 66

135 Robert Garrigus (U.S.) 67 68

Steve Stricker (U.S.) 68 67

136 Webb Simpson (U.S.) 72 64

Martin Kaymer (Germany) 68 68

Charley Hoffman (U.S.) 69 67

Marcus Fraser (Australia) 67 69

137 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 69 68

Roberto Castro (U.S.) 68 69

138 Scott Piercy (U.S.) 67 71

Jason Day (Australia) 67 71

Hunter Mahan (U.S.) 70 68

Rickie Fowler (U.S.) 70 68

Bill Haas (U.S.) 68 70

David Lynn (Britain) 69 69

Jonas Blixt (Sweden) 68 70

139 Lee Westwood (Britain) 66 73

Zach Johnson (U.S.) 69 70

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand) 68 71

Paul Casey (Britain) 67 72

Michael Thompson (U.S.) 72 67

Graeme McDowell (Britain) 70 69

140 Ryo Ishikawa (Japan) 69 71

Tim Clark (South Africa) 69 71

Francesco Molinari (Italy) 72 68

Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 68 72

Ryan Moore (U.S.) 69 71

Rory McIlroy (Britain) 69 71

Chris Kirk (U.S.) 71 69

Marc Leishman (Australia) 70 70

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 72 68

David Toms (U.S.) 71 69

141 Matteo Manassero (Italy) 72 69

Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 70 71

Boo Weekley (U.S.) 72 69

Ian Poulter (Britain) 70 71

Marc Warren (Britain) 74 67

Shane Lowry (Ireland) 71 70

Peter Hanson (Sweden) 72 69

Keegan Bradley (U.S.) 69 72

Tiger Woods (U.S.) 71 70

Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 71 70

K.J. Choi (South Korea) 76 65

Scott Jamieson (Britain) 69 72

142 Darren Clarke (Britain) 69 73

Vijay Singh (Fiji) 70 72

Phil Mickelson (U.S.) 71 71

Brendon De Jonge (Zimbabwe) 71 71

John Senden (Australia) 72 70

Luke Guthrie (U.S.) 71 71

Josh Teater (U.S.) 71 71

David Hearn (Canada) 66 76

J.J. Henry (U.S.) 71 71

Kevin Streelman (U.S.) 70 72

143 Brooks Koepka (U.S.) 71 72

Ken Duke (U.S.) 75 68

Danny Willett (Britain) 73 70

Brandt Snedeker (U.S.) 70 73

Harris English (U.S.) 74 69

John Merrick (U.S.) 75 68

D.A. Points (U.S.) 73 70

Gary Woodland (U.S.) 73 70

Tommy Gainey (U.S.) 69 74

Ryan Palmer (U.S.) 73 70

Ben Curtis (U.S.) 73 70

Dustin Johnson (U.S.) 72 71

Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spain) 68 75

Stephen Gallacher (Britain) 75 68

Scott Stallings (U.S.) 73 70

Matt Jones (Australia) 72 71

144 DNQ Charles Howell III (U.S.) 71 73

Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 71 73


Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 71 73

Bubba Watson (U.S.) 70 74

Woody Austin (U.S.) 69 75

Bae Sang-Moon (South Korea) 75 69

Martin Laird (Britain) 71 73

Chris Stroud (U.S.) 71 73

Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 71 73

Paul Lawrie (Britain) 72 72

Davis Love III (U.S.) 74 70

Branden Grace (South Africa) 71 73

145 DNQ Jimmy Walker (U.S.) 71 74

Luke Donald (Britain) 71 74

Mikko Ilonen (Finland) 73 72

David Muttitt (U.S.) 75 70

Marcel Siem (Germany) 73 72

Rich Beem (U.S.) 71 74

David Lingmerth (Sweden) 74 71

Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) 70 75

146 DNQ John Huh (U.S.) 72 74

Russell Henley (U.S.) 76 70

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 74 72

Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 74 72

Graham DeLaet (Canada) 70 76

Charlie Beljan (U.S.) 71 75

Ernie Els (South Africa) 74 72

Richard Sterne (South Africa) 72 74

Yang Yong-Eun (South Korea) 72 74

Stewart Cink (U.S.) 75 71

Jason Kokrak (U.S.) 74 72

147 DNQ Brett Rumford (Australia) 70 77

Kevin Stadler (U.S.) 74 73

Richie Ramsay (Britain) 72 75

Hiroyuki Fujita (Japan) 71 76

Billy Horschel (U.S.) 69 78

Scott Brown (U.S.) 73 74

Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 76 71

Brian Gay (U.S.) 73 74

Peter Uihlein (U.S.) 77 70

148 DNQ Derek Ernst (U.S.) 72 76

Kohki Idoki (Japan) 72 76

Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 74 74

Jordan Spieth (U.S.) 74 74

Matt Every (U.S.) 71 77

Jeff Sorenson (U.S.) 73 75

149 DNQ Alexander Noren (Sweden) 76 73

J.C. Anderson (U.S.) 73 76

150 DNQ Tom Watson (U.S.) 73 77

Nick Watney (U.S.) 76 74

George Coetzee (South Africa) 74 76

Chris Wood (Britain) 75 75

Pablo Larrazabal (Spain) 76 74

David McNabb (U.S.) 74 76

Ryan Polzin (U.S.) 73 77

Jaco Van Zyl (South Africa) 74 76

151 DNQ Daniel Balin (U.S.) 73 78

Kyle Stanley (U.S.) 73 78

Kevin Chappell (U.S.) 79 72

Rob Labritz (U.S.) 78 73

Bob Gaus (U.S.) 74 77

Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 70 81

Caine Fitzgerald (U.S.) 75 76

152 DNQ Paul McGinley (Ireland) 78 74

Lucas Glover (U.S.) 76 76

Mike Small (U.S.) 76 76

Shaun Micheel (U.S.) 76 76

153 DNQ Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 76 77

Mark Sheftic (U.S.) 75 78

Stuart Smith (U.S.) 78 75

154 DNQ Kirk Hanefeld (U.S.) 76 78

155 DNQ Bob Sowards (U.S.) 73 82

156 DNQ Jeff Martin (U.S.) 78 78

Rod Perry (U.S.) 78 78

Sonny Skinner (U.S.) 76 80

159 DNQ Mark Brown (U.S.) 77 82

160 DNQ Chip Sullivan (U.S.) 84 76

163 DNQ Lee Rhind (U.S.) 81 82

80 WDW Bo Van Pelt (U.S.) 80

80 WDW Jamie Donaldson (Britain) 80

80 WDW Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 80

McIlroy celebrates making the cut


McIlroy celebrates making the cut


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DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer) August 9, 2013AP - Sports








PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- Rory McIlroy already was 5 over for his round and appeared headed to another short week in a major. He finished with four birdies on the last eight holes, including a 40-foot putt from off the green, and achieved a first in his PGA Tour career.

He made his first cut at a tournament when he was the defending champion.

The sample size is small - this was only his fourth time as defending champ - but the 24-year-old from Northern Ireland was no less pleased. Considering the way his season has gone, he'll take even the most modest of victories.

''I'm obviously standing up pretty happy about the day,'' McIlroy said after rallying for a 71 to post two rounds at even-par 140. ''Had a nice finish to the round. I was letting the round get away from me somewhat, but making four birdies on the last eight holes was nice to redeem the round a little bit and keep myself in the tournament.''

McIlroy previously missed the cut when defending at Quail Hollow in 2011, the U.S. Open in 2012 and the Honda Classic this year when he withdrew in the middle of the second round. He has two more title defenses in the next month at the Deutsche Bank Championship and the BMW Championship. That's assuming he gets to the BMW Championship, which is for only the top 70 in the FedEx Cup playoffs. McIlroy is at No. 58.

Perhaps he can pick up some ground on the weekend, and it starts with playing.

''It makes me feel good because maybe in the middle of the season, or a couple of months ago, I wouldn't have been standing up here,'' McIlroy said. ''I would have been going home. It's good to be able to do that and fight back. Makes you feel good about yourself going into the weekend.''


His big run began with a 3-iron to 6 feet on the 215-yard third hole. He got up-and-down from 50 yards for birdie on the par-5 fourth, holed the long putt from off the green on the seventh and hit wedge to 3 feet on No. 8.

''Walking up the second hole, all I wanted to do is be here for the weekend,'' McIlroy said. ''All of a sudden, I'm somewhat back in the tournament. It's giving me a nice bit of momentum going into tomorrow.''

The key word, of course, is ''tomorrow.''

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RELIVING HISTORY: Steve Stricker felt privileged to witness someone trying to become the first player to shoot 62 in a major, even though he had the chance himself.

He just didn't remember much of that day at Atlanta Athletic Club, when Stricker missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole and had to settle for a 63 in the opening round of the 2011 PGA Championship.

''I literally didn't even think about the putt that I had on the last to break the mark,'' said Stricker, who played inJason Dufner's group on Friday. ''I was just so engrossed in what I was doing and shooting the lowest score possible that I really didn't even pay attention to how many under I was and what I was shooting at the time. So I was able to kind of enjoy Dufner's more than I was able to enjoy mine.''
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Steve Stricker waves after a par on the 12th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship go …


Dufner had a 12-foot birdie putt for a 62, but he left the putt short. Stricker could see why.

''Any putt uphill into the grain became difficult because of all the heal prints and the marks on the greens, because the greens were so soft from the rain,'' Stricker said. ''I wish he would have gotten it to the hole and had a better chance at it.

''But it was just a great round of golf,'' he said. ''He played great and it was fun to see.''

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KAYMER'S EXPECTATIONS: Martin Kaymer of Germany reached No. 1 in the world in early 2011 and stayed there for eight weeks. He has won only one tournament since then, and he has yet to finish in the top 10 of a major since winning the PGA Championship in 2010 at Whistling Straits.

Kaymer resurfaced at Oak Hill with a pair of 68s, leaving only five shots out of the lead going into the weekend.

Getting to the top of the ranking came sooner than he expected, and Kaymer said he felt his game was still a work in progress.
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Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his tee shot on the sixth hole during the second round of …


''To be honest with you, when I became No. 1, it was a surprise,'' he said. ''I was not playing like the best player on the planet. I didn't feel like the best player. And therefore, I needed to change a few things.''

He tried to retool his swing, and even as he plunged in the ranking, he wasn't concerned. He just wanted to be a better player.

''If other people see you as being No. 1, but you don't see yourself as No. 1, how can you play like No. 1?'' he said. ''That's not possible. Therefore, I became a better player.''

Kaymer said the hardest part was the burden of expectations and the distractions - he had more fans, and a lot more media attention.

That's why he is impressed with how Rory McIlroy handled the fame.

''Rory did brilliant,'' he said. ''He's still very young, and he's a good kid, and I don't see any problem.''

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Martin Kaymer, of Germany, hits his tee shot on the ninth hole during the second round of the PGA Ch …


LEFTY CAN'T GET IT RIGHT: Phil Mickelson stayed on the practice range until sunset Thursday working with coach Butch Harmon, trying to find the swing that brought him a British Open title only three weeks ago.

He hit his opening tee shot into deep rough on the left. His next tee shot went into a bunker right of the flag.

Mickelson, remarkably, went out in 34 despite not having a clear sense where the ball was going. It caught up with him on the front nine, however, with two bogeys and no birdies. Mickelson shot another 71 and was toward the bottom of the pack.

Making it look worse was playing alongside the other two major champions this year - Masters champ Adam Scott, who had a 68, and U.S. Open champ Justin Rose, who shot 29 on the front nine for a 66.

''What I found was the holes that were birdie holes actually played easier because of the rain by softening the greens. The holes that were really hard, like 17 and 18, played even harder,'' Mickelson said. ''I thought that guys that were playing well, like Adam and Justin, it gives them a chance to play and separate themselves from the players who aren't playing well - like myself.''

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DIVOTS: Angel Cabrera withdrew in the middle of his second round with a wrist injury. The two-time major champion opened with an 80 and was 2 over for his round when he stopped. Jamie Donaldson of Wales also opened with an 80 and withdrew before starting his second round. ... The cut was at 143, the lowest since it was 141 at Atlanta Athletic Club in 2001. That also was the last time someone had 131 at the 36-hole mark, tying the PGA Championship. Jason Dufner matched that record. ... Hiroyuki Fujita had his own version of the Grand Slam. He is the only player to miss the cut in all four majors this year.

Golf-Tiger frustrated after losing ground at PGA


Golf-Tiger frustrated after losing ground at PGA

August 9, 2013








By Mark Lamport-Stokes

ROCHESTER, New York, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Not much went right for a frustrated Tiger Woods in Friday's second round of the PGA Championship. He putted poorly and lost ground to the leaders on a day when low scores abounded in rain-softened conditions.

A heavy favourite coming into the tournament after winning last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational by seven shots,Woods battled to a level-par 70 before heading off to the practice range.

His bid to end a five-year title drought in the majors appeared to be in tatters as he ended the day 10 strokes behind pacesetting American Jason Dufner, tied for 38th at one-over par.

"Obviously I'm going to have to put together a really good weekend," Woods told reporters.

"This golf course is pretty soft. It's definitely gettable. Got to hit the ball in play and keep the ball near the hole so I can be aggressive with my putts."

Woods offset four birdies with four bogeys in a round that included 32 putts, and two three-putts over the closing stretch.

Asked if disappointment summed his feelings, Woods replied: "Just the finish I had obviously, and driving the green at 14 and three-putting there. And then three-putting at 16.


"I missed a few (putts) today. I didn't hit it anywhere near as good as I did yesterday. Consequently, I didn't have that many looks. When I did, I missed my share, too."

Every aspect of his game appeared to be in top order last week as Woods clinched his 79th career PGA Tour win and his fifth victory of the year in just 11 starts.

IDEAL POSITION

Asked to explain the sharp contract in form, he replied: "Just the way it goes.

"Obviously I need to hit it better than I have, obviously keep the ball below the hole so I can be aggressive with the putts."

A four-times winner of the PGA Championship, Woods faces a massive task going into Saturday's third round as he seeks to regain form with 37 players ahead of him on the leaderboard.

"I'm going to have to do my job and shoot a good round," said the 37-year-old. "But also, then again, I'm so far back that if the leaders go ahead and run off with it and shoot a low one tomorrow, I'm going to be pretty far behind.

"I have got to do my job tomorrow, go out there and post something in the mid to low 60s, like some of the guys did today.

"Some of the guys were seven under through 14, seven under through 14. It definitely can be done." (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Dufner makes the most of his 2nd chance in a major

Dufner makes the most of his 2nd chance in a major

Dufner makes the most of his 2nd chance in a major
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AP - Sports
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- Jason Dufner doesn't have the same set of skills as Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott, though his career has shared the same path - from a memorable collapse at a major championship to redemption in pretty short order.
And in this sport, redemption doesn't always come easily. Just ask Dustin Johnson or Thomas Bjorn. There's an even longer list of players who gave away majors in the final hour and never so much as earned another shot, such as Ed Sneed or Mike Reid.
There was reason to believe Dufner might be part of the latter group.
Go back just two years to Atlanta Athletic Club to find Dufner standing on the 15th tee with the PGA Championship in his hands. He was four shots clear of Anders Hansen and five ahead of Keegan Bradley, who had just made a triple bogey on the par-3 15th.
What followed was painful to watch.
Dufner hit into the water and made bogey on the 15th. He hit into a bunker right of the 16th and made bogey. He hit the middle of the 17th green and still made bogey with a three-putt. Bradley answered with back-to-back birdies to catch Dufner, and then beat him in a playoff.
''Maybe looking back 10, 15 years from now, I'll feel disappointment that I let this one get away if I never get another chance,'' Dufner said that day.
He was certain there would be more opportunities.
But then, everyone feels that way.
McIlroy had a four-shot lead at the Masters in 2010 and shot 80 to tie the record for the worst score by a 54-hole leader. He vowed to learn from his mistakes, and it was the shortest lesson in major championship history. He won the very next major by setting the U.S. Open record of 268 at Congressional for an eight-shot win. That wasn't a huge surprise. McIlroy is a special player.
More agonizing was watching Scott make bogey on the last four holes at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, turning a four-shot lead with four holes to play into another British Open title for Ernie Els. Scott promised he would do better the next time. He truly believed there would be a next time, and he waited only two more majors to win the Masters.
Dufner didn't have that pedigree.
When he threw away his shot at the PGA Championship, he had never won on the PGA Tour and never cracked the top 30 on the money list. At age 34, it was only his second year playing all four majors. Would he ever get another chance like that?
Yes. And when he least expected it.
That experience in Atlanta served Dufner well in the short term. He won twice on the PGA Tour the next year. He made the Ryder Cup team and went 3-1. And his popularity as the guy with no pulse took off when he was caught by a camera slumping against the wall, zoned out, while sitting next to elementary school children learning about focus.
On the golf course, however, his game was ordinary. He was an afterthought at most tournaments. His only top 10s were in the U.S. Open and Bridgestone Invitational, and he didn't have a chance to win either one.
Without warning, his opportunity arrived at Oak Hill when he produced the 26th round of 63 in a major to take the 36-hole lead, and at least got into the last group. Dufner executed his game so beautifully on Sunday that he made the last two hours about as exciting as he looks.
But it was the blueprint for winning this major. With a two-shot lead over Jim Furyk going to the back nine, he matched scores with Furyk on every hole the rest of the way - even bogeys on the last two holes - for a 68 to win by two.
Bjorn appeared to have the 2003 British Open wrapped up until it took him three shots to get out of a pot bunker next to the 16th green and he finished one behind Ben Curtis. Bjorn didn't get another look at a major until the same course - Royal St. George's - eight years later. He finished fourth.
Johnson already has let three chances get away in the majors, the most memorable his 82 in the final round at Pebble Beach in the 2010 U.S. Open. He also had trouble recognizing a bunker on the 18th hole in the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits that cost him a spot in a playoff, and he was closing in on a claret jug a year later until his attempt to lay up with a 2-iron went out-of-bounds.
Johnson is the type who will be there again.
Dufner could not afford to waste another opportunity, especially not one that came along this quickly.
The guy who doesn't show any emotion also has thick skin. He has been bantering with Bradley on Twitter the last two years, and Dufner has taken his share of the needle. That's what made him appreciate his win at Oak Hill all the more.
''He always jabbed at me a little bit about having one of these in his house,'' Dufner said, sitting next to the Wanamaker Trophy. ''And now I've got one, too. It's pretty neat to come back and win a PGA, to be honest with you.''

Hardy leads US Amateur, Raymond best at TCC

Hardy leads US Amateur, Raymond best at TCC

AP - Sports
BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) -- You'll excuse Neil Raymond if he doesn't view The Country Club in quite the same way as many of the Americans teeing it up in the U.S. Amateur this week.
For the 27-year-old Englishman, the course isn't the place where Justin Leonard sank a 45-foot putt to clinch the 1999 Ryder Cup, it's the one where ''the U.S. guys (were) running on the green on 17 across Ollie's line'' to celebrate. And Raymond didn't know much at all about Francis Ouimet's victory in the 1913 U.S. Open - against two British golf pros - until he arrived in Brookline this week.
''Hearing stories about it, it sounds pretty cool,'' Raymond said on Monday after shooting 67 in the first round of the Amateur at the 7,310-yard, par-70 course. ''It's about as good as my golf memories can have.''
Raymond's 3-under makes him one of the early favorites for the 113th U.S. Amateur, which consists of two days of stroke play followed by six rounds of match play. Half of the 312 golfers played the first round at The Country Club on Monday; they will switch places on Tuesday with the half that opened up at the Charles River Country Club a few miles away.
Nick Hardy, of Northbrook, Ill., shot a 65 at Charles River to take the first-round lead, and Richy Werenski of South Hadley, Mass., had a 66, thanks to a double-eagle on the par-5, 558-yard 16th. Three others came in at 3-under at the 6,547-yard, par-70 companion course.
''It feels great to be competing against the best,'' Hardy said. ''I'm going to stay aggressive at T.C.C.''
But they still have the more difficult round ahead of them at a course that Raymond called ''scary.''
''If you hang back, you can't reach some of these holes, and you're fighting a losing battle,'' said Raymond, who won this year's St. Andrews Links Trophy at the historic Scottish course. ''As soon as I got under par, I was just thinking keep my head, see what I could do.''
It's the 16th USGA championship and the sixth U.S. Amateur at The Country Club, which also hosted the '99 Ryder Cup, when Leonard's putt on No. 17 essentially clinched the victory against Jose Maria Olazabal and the Europeans. But no event has had such a hold on golf history as the 1913 U.S. Open, when local caddie Ouimet beat British superstars Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in a playoff.
The victory by the American amateur is credited with encouraging millions to take up the sport, including Gene Sarazen and Bobby Jones. And The Country Club became the sport's American birthplace - the Plymouth Rock of putting.
''Just to know that he lived across the street and he won 100 years ago, it doesn't get any better than that,'' said Mike Miller, a Brewster, N.Y., native who is playing in his fourth U.S. Amateur and shot a 69. ''I just wanted to come here and enjoy the whole experience and take it all in. The clubhouse, the whole setting ... we've never had an amateur that had something like this. It's pretty cool.''
The U.S. Open returned to Brookline for the 50th anniversary of Ouimet's win in 1963, when Julius Boros beat Arnold Palmer and Jacky Cupit in a playoff, and 1988, when Curtis Strange beat Nick Faldo in an extra round. The Amateur was last played here in 1982, when Jay Sigel won.
Defending Amateur champion Steven Fox was 2-over at The Country Club on Monday, and runner-up Michael Weaver - who lost on the first hole of sudden death last year - was also in the field.
''A 72 out here is not bad,'' Fox said. ''You've got to play well at Charles River, but you can either to make it or break it here.''
At The Country Club, the tiny greens and skinny fairways are bounded by roughs so deep that Raymonddecided to carry his own bag instead of trying to pull a handcart. ''This is the toughest golf course I've ever played,'' said Raymond, who is hoping to make the Walker Cup team and then turn pro.
Miller, whose best finish in three previous U.S. Amateurs was a loss in the round of 32 last year, said he had plenty of time during the practice round to reflect on the course's history.
''The stroke play, it's all about surviving. It's miserable out there. It's really tough,'' he said. ''Today I wasn't thinking about Francis and how he played. I was trying to focus.''
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Follow Jimmy Golen on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jgolen .

Ryder Cup appears headed to Bethpage Black

Ryder Cup appears headed to Bethpage Black

Ryder Cup appears headed to Bethpage Black
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AP - Sports
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- PGA of America president Ted Bishop recalls a Ryder Cup practice round with Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler three years ago when the conversation turned to the best courses for the matches in America.
It wasn't long before Bethpage Black was mentioned.
''Phil said, 'Would that not be the best to have the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black?''' Bishop said last week at the PGA Championship.
Turns out the PGA was way ahead of him.
''Bethpage Black is very much on our radar screen,'' Bishop said. ''The PGA is highly interested in having a Ryder Cup and a PGA Championship there. We feel it's a golf course that's worthy of both. We've been interested in Bethpage going back to 2009.''
Two of Mickelson's record six runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open were at the public course on Long Island, but it wasn't just about him. The 2002 U.S. Open, in which Tiger Woods outlasted Mickelson on the back nine, was among the most raucous. The rain at the 2009 U.S. Open only slightly dampened the volume.
New York is the biggest market in the U.S. and has plenty of connections with Europe. From an operations standpoint, there is ample space in the state park for hospitality and other structures that have turned the Ryder Cup into the biggest show in golf.
The PGA of America was founded in New York in 1916 and has an office there. It last year hired Pete Bevacqua as its chief executive. Bevacqua not only has strong New York ties, he was the USGA's chief business officer when the U.S. Open was last held at Bethpage Black.
''We've had a great relationship with the state of New York, and it's escalated this week,'' Bishop said at Oak Hill. ''New York is the greatest sports city in America, and the Ryder Cup is the greatest event in golf.''
Bethpage Black most recently hosted The Barclays last year, and it is scheduled to return in 2016.
The Ryder Cup is going to Scotland in 2014, Hazeltine in 2016, France in 2018 and Whistling Straits in 2020. The next available date for Bethpage Black would be 2024. The next open venue for the PGA Championship is 2019.
Asked if the PGA of America was close to a deal with Bethpage Black, Bishop smiled and said, ''Very close.''
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END OF THE LINE: The Wyndham Championship is not just a last chance to get into the FedEx Cup playoffs.
It's a last chance to keep a PGA Tour card.
Because of the short year ahead of the wraparound 2013-14 season that starts in October, the top 125 in the FedEx Cup and the top 125 on the PGA Tour money list will keep their cards of the new season.
That's good news for Nicolas Colsaerts and Padraig Harrington. Both are outside the top 125 in the FedEx Cup (Colsaerts at No. 127, Harrington at No. 129) but are well within 125 on the money list. Harrington's exempt status from winning two majors in 2008 runs out this year.
Steve Bowditch is No. 125 in the FedEx Cup. Even if he gets bumped, at No. 114 his playing card is set for the 2013-14 season.
Peter Hanson of Sweden, who withdrew from the British Open with a back injury, returned to have two important weeks. He tied for 33rd and earned $68,000 at Firestone, and then closed with a 68 at Oak Hill and tied for 33rd at the PGA Championship to earn just over $38,000. He now is at No. 121 on the money list, and should at least keep his card for next season.
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HERE'S GREG?: Johnny Miller has one more year to call the U.S. Open before the USGA starts its new 12-year television contract with Fox Sports.
Golf Digest says the man replacing him could be another two-time major champion - Greg Norman.
Norman told the magazine's website that he already has been offered the lead analyst job when Fox broadcasts the U.S. Open in 2015 at Chambers Bay. The Shark said in an email to golfdigest.com that Hill ''has reached out to me, we have spoken and yes, they have offered me the job.''
He said he looked forward to having discussions with Hill, whom he described as a good friend. Hill, senior vice president for News Corp., ran Fox Sports Media Group before managing ''American Idol'' and ''X Factor.''
Norman and Fox were involved in an attempt 20 years ago to start a world tour. The PGA Tour fought it and rallied players to its side, and the World Golf Championships series began about five years later.
If he gets the job, viewers might not be spared stories about a 63 in a major. Norman did it twice. Just never in a final round. Not in the U.S. Open. And not at Oakmont.
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MAJOR PERFORMANCE: Adam Scott and Jason Day tied for lowest aggregate scores in the majors this year at a combined 2-over par.
The tiebreaker is easy - Scott won the Masters, Day hasn't won a major (he has only one PGA Tour event).
Scott and Day were among 13 players who made the cut in all four majors this year. The others were Tiger Woods, Brandt Snedeker, Sergio Garcia, Matt Kuchar, Lee Westwood, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Jason Dufner, Martin Kaymer, K.J. Choi and Phil Mickelson.
Scott, Dufner and Woods were the only players to make the cut in all four majors for 2012 and 2013. Scott has the longest active streak in making cuts at the majors at 10, dating to the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional.
The flip side was Hiroyuki Fujita of Japan, who had the wrong kind of Grand Slam. He was the only player to miss the cut in all four majors this year.
And the most underrated performance?
That would go to Hideki Matsuyama, who this week rose to No. 29 in the world. Matsuyama made the cut both times he played the Masters as a teenage amateur (two-time Asia Pacific Amateur champion). He didn't make it to Augusta this year, but did quite nicely in the rest of the majors. He tied for 10th in the U.S. Open, tied for sixth in the British Open and tied for 19th in the PGA Championship.
''I played far better than my expectations, but I have a lot of work to do and a lot of things I've got to practice and make my game a little stronger to be able to compete,'' Matsuyama said Sunday at Oak Hill.
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DIVOTS: The PGA Tour has hired Greg Gilligan as the managing director of its affiliate in China to help with the tour's relationships and business development. Gilligan, a former McDonald's executive in China, speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and is chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. ... TheSolheim Cup is missing five of the top 10 players are the LPGA Tour money list. Four of them are from South Korea, the other is Karrie Webb of Australia. ... Tiger Woods earned $676,623 from the four majors this year, his smallest amount in 10 years.
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STAT OF THE WEEK: In the last five years, only five players with at least a share of the 54-hole lead in the majors went on to win - Rory McIlroy (2012 PGA, 2011 U.S. Open), Darren Clarke (2011 British Open),Louis Oosthuizen (2010 British Open) and Angel Cabrera (2009 Masters).
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FINAL WORD: ''With the standard there is and the competition there is now? No.'' - Colin Montgomerie, when asked if Tiger Woods will break Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 professional majors.