TheState.com: Golf - Wire

LPGA announces 2009 schedule

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:51 EST

The 2009 LPGA Tour schedule was released by tour commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens on Wednesday and there is plenty of change coming next year.

The tour released the dates of 31 official events, down from 34 in 2008, and the Solheim Cup. Several unofficial events will have their dates released at a later time. Players will compete for nearly $55 million in official money in '09.

The season again begins in Hawaii with the SBS Open at Turtle Bay, which starts February 12. The first change on the schedule is that the second Hawaii event to open the season, the Fields Open, is off the docket.

In all, there are three events that won't return in 2009 and the Ginn company will only sponsor one event as opposed to two in '08. Also off the schedule are the SemGroup Championship and the ADT Championship.

Two weeks after the SBS Open, the tour heads to Asia for two events. First up is the Honda LPGA Thailand. That event was on the 2007 schedule, but was not played in 2008.

Morse extends lead at Q-School

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:22 EST

John Morse carded a three-under 69 Wednesday to push his lead to three strokes after two rounds of the Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament.

Morse completed 36 holes at eight-under-par 136.

Mark W. Johnson, a former winner on the Champions Tour, is alone in second at minus-five after posting a one-under 71 Wednesday.

Morse and Johnson were just two of 11 players who broke par in the second round.

Jay Don Blake (71) and Robert Thompson (73) share third place at two-under-par 142, while David Ogrin (72), Chris Starkjohann (71), Jim Chancey (72) and Kim Young (71) are tied for fifth at minus-one.

This Week in Golf - November 18th through November 23rd

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:36 EST

Sorenstam has won 72 titles on the LPGA Tour, including three this season. The Hall of Fame Swede, who turned 38 last month, has won this tournament four times (1997, 2002, '04, '05).

The LPGA Tour will spend the week looking back at her 15-year career on the circuit while following her final rounds. The dream scenario, of course, would end with Sorenstam challenging for one final win on Sunday.

But she must run a gauntlet of cuts to get there.

The tournament whittles the field of 32 down to just eight players by the final round based on a progressive cut, with those eight players beginning Sunday with a fresh scorecard. The player among the eight finalists who posts the best score on Sunday will win the $1 million first-place prize.

Lorena Ochoa, the world No. 1 and two-time defending Player of the Year, fired a final-round 68 last year to beat Natalie Gulbis by a shot for her first ADT Championship victory.

Runners-up Harrington and Els get bump in rankings

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:20 EST

Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els got bumps in the world rankings this week after they tied for second place behind Jeev Milkha Singh at the Singapore Masters on Sunday.

Tiger Woods remained No. 1, of course, and was followed by Sergio Garcia in the No. 2 position for the second week in a row. Phil Mickelson remained third.

Harrington, meanwhile, inched up a spot to No. 4 while bumping Vijay Singh to No. 5. Robert Karlsson and Camilo Villegas held onto the sixth and seventh spots again.

Els was up three places to No. 8, Anthony Kim remained No. 9, Lee Westwood was down two spots to No. 10 and Henrik Stenson dropped a rank to 11th.

Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Geoff Ogilvy, Stewart Cink, K.J. Choi, Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Kenny Perry and Miguel Angel Jimenez rounded out the top 20.

Stanford holds off Sorenstam, Lang in Mexico

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:25 EST

Angela Stanford carded a three-under 69 Sunday to hold off Annika Sorenstam and Brittany Lang to win the inaugural Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

Stanford, who has posted five straight top-five finishes, completed her third LPGA Tour win at 13-under-par 275.

"It was a great day, you couldn't ask for anything more to be at Lorena's tournament and playing with Annika in the final round. That's just pretty special," said Stanford, who collected $200,000 for the win.

Sorenstam nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback. Down two shots on the 16th, she holed out from a bunker then made an up and down from short of the 17th green.

At the last, Sorenstam had a chance to force a playoff, but her seven-foot birdie putt lipped out giving Stanford the win.

Jeev Milkha Singh rallies to win Singapore Open

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:20 EST

Jeev Milkha Singh closed with a two-under 69 Sunday to come from behind and win the Singapore Open.

Singh completed the tournament at seven-under-par 277, one stroke clear of a pair of major champions.

"I could not have asked for more honestly," Singh stated. "I think I am a very fortunate man to win, those boys put a good effort out there. The golfing gods are on my side so I am breathing much better now."

Padraig Harrington managed a one-under 70 on Sunday, while Ernie Els closed with an even-par 71 to share second place at minus-six.

Rory McIlroy and David Gleeson both closed with 69s to share fourth place at five-under-par 279. Charlie Wi took sixth at minus-four after a final-round, one-over 72.

Stanford one shot ahead of Sorenstam in Mexico

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:46 EST

Angela Stanford only managed an even- par 72 on Saturday, but remained atop the leaderboard after the third round of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

Stanford, the second-round leader, finished 54 holes at 10-under 206 at Guadalajara Country Club and is one shot ahead of Annika Sorenstam in her second-to-last event on the LPGA Tour.

Sorenstam fired a five-under 67 and is in the clubhouse at minus-nine. The Swede is trying to get one more win before she calls it a career next week after the ADT Championship.

"I would love to finish on a high note," said Sorenstam. "However, there's another 18 and a lot of good players here. I'm going to try and live in the moment and enjoy what's going on now."

The tournament host, world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa, shot a two-under 70 and moved into a tie for 13th place at minus-two.

Stanford leads Ochoa's tournament by two

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:40 EST

Angela Stanford continued her recent hot streak with a six-under 66 on Friday that gave her the second-round lead at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

Stanford, on the heels of four consecutive top-five finishes that started with a win in September, stood at 10-under-par 134 for a two-shot advantage over McDonald's LPGA champion and world No. 2 Yani Tseng (68).

Meena Lee (69) was in third place at six-under 138 and Karen Stupples (71) was the only other player within five shots of Stanford at five-under 139.

Annika Sorenstam, one of eight first-round co-leaders, managed just a 72 on Friday to lead a group of six players tied for fifth place at four-under 140.

Ochoa, hosting a tournament for the first time, continued to underwhelm with a 71 that left her 10 shots back at even-par 144. The women's world No. 1 -- by all accounts a gracious host -- said she was enjoying her time at her home course, Guadalajara Country Club.

PGA Tour announces 2009 slate

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:25 EST

The PGA Tour has released its 2009 schedule, but the final event hasn't been finalized at this point.

The date for the Tour Championship is still being negotiated. That event will take place either September 17-20 or September 24-27.

"While we have a couple of late-season scheduling issues to resolve, we felt it was best to release the majority of what we believe is an outstanding schedule for 2009 that is fully sponsored," stated PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. "We are very pleased to officially welcome the Valero Texas Open to the FedEx Cup schedule after performing exceptionally well during the Fall Series. The date change, combined with its planned move to the new TPC San Antonio in 2010, bodes extremely well for its future."

The 2009 season begins with the normal two-week Hawaii swing. Three of the next four events will be in California. The other event will be the FBR Open in Arizona, which again will be played on Super Bowl weekend.

The first World Golf Championship event, the Accenture Match Play Championship, will be contested February 25 - March 1. The Mayakoba Golf Classic in Cancun will again be the opposite event that week.

Sorenstam among eight leaders at Lorena's event

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:40 EST

Annika Sorenstam chipped in twice on Thursday, including one for birdie at the last, en route to a four-under 68 and a share of the first-round lead of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

Sorenstam, Karen Stupples, Nicole Castrale, Hee-Won Han, Brittany Lang, Seon- Hwa Lee, Angela Stanford and world No. 2 Yani Tseng are knotted atop the leaderboard at Guadalajara Country Club.

Ochoa's first round as a tournament host was not a memorable one in terms of the on-course performance. The world's best birdied her last for a one-over 73, but she is tied for 24th place, five behind the huge pack in first.

"This was difficult," admitted Ochoa. "Just a lot of emotions. Unfortunately, I didn't play the way I wanted to. I'm really happy. I'm going to try and make a lot of birdies tomorrow."

Ochoa brought an elite field of 36 players to her home country. This is her first experience as a tournament host, but her first event certainly brought a competitive balance.

Els, Dyson lead suspended Singapore Open

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:28 EST

Ernie Els and Simon Dyson held a share of the lead Friday when the second round of the Singapore Open was suspended due to a lightning storm.

Els completed his first round in the morning -- play was also marred by a lightning storm on Thursday -- and finished off a five-under 66 that gave him the lead over Chih Bing Lam of Singapore.

One of the lucky players to complete his second round before another storm stopped play Friday, Els had a one-under 70 to move into the clubhouse lead at six-under-par 136.

Dyson, of England, had a bogey-free 67 in the second round to join the South African on top of the leaderboard.

Seventy-eight players in the star-studded field -- including Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington -- will return to the course on Saturday morning to complete their second rounds.

Champions Tour sets 2009 schedule

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:07 EST

The schedule for the 2009 Champions Tour was released Wednesday and the 26 official events will feature a record for the highest average tournament purse at $1.98 million.

Tournaments for the 2009 campaign will be played in 15 states, plus England and the Dominican Republic.

Two new sponsors -- Mitsubishi Electric and Triton Financial -- were also recently introduced.

"As the Champions Tour enters its 30th season we're fortunate to have such committed partners enabling us to provide compelling competition and engaging entertainment to legions of fans by some of the most recognizable and accomplished players in the game," said Champions Tour President Mike Stevens.

The 2009 season will begin in January with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, marking the 13th straight year that the tour will open play in Hawaii.

Champions Tour claims Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:53 EST

Nick Price fired a seven-under 65 to lead the Champions Tour trio to a win at the Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge.

This year's challenge was split into front and back nine matches at Rio Secco Golf Club.

Price posted a five-under 31 on the front side as the Champions Tour trio, that also included Fred Funk and Jay Haas, posted an 11-under 97 total to win the front side by three over the PGA Tour group of Kenny Perry, Rocco Mediate and Stewart Cink.

On the back nine, all three Champions Tour players carded two-under 34s to win the back nine by a single stroke over both the PGA and LPGA Tours. The LPGA was represented by Helen Alfredsson, Natalie Gulbis and Cristie Kerr.

The Champions Tour team split $500,000 in earnings, while both the PGA and LPGA teams split $250,000.

Azinger, Faldo to renew Ryder Cup rivalry

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:15 EST

Orlando, FL Sports Network) - Ryder Cup captains Paul Azinger and Nick Faldo will be in the field for the Del Webb Father/Son Challenge in December, three months after Azinger's United States team rolled to a five-point win over Faldo's European squad.

Azinger and Faldo will both be appearing at the non-official Champions Tour event for the first time -- Azinger with the late Payne Stewart's son Aaron, and Faldo with his son Matthew.

"Obviously the Ryder Cup was a thrill for me and the entire U.S. team, but this will be a thrill of a much more personal nature, being able to play as a team with Payne's son, Aaron, against so many great players," said Azinger, who helped end a nine-year drought for the U.S. team.

"We're looking forward to both families spending time together during tournament week, enjoying each others' company, and being a part of what I think is a very special tradition in golf."

Among the other father/son teams in the field will be two-time winners Bernhard and Stefan Langer, Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II, Arnold Palmer and grandson Sam Saunders, Greg and Gregory Norman, Vijay and Qass Singh and Raymond Floyd and Raymond Floyd, Jr., who have won the tournament three times together.

This Week in Golf - November 13th through November 16th

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:50 EST

The past few years, as Ochoa has ascended to become the top player in women's golf, Mexican crowds have grown at LPGA Tour events around the country, particularly in the Southwest. The fans are unabashedly supportive of Ochoa -- waving flags, chanting, etc. for their favorite player.

And this week she will host the top women's players in the world at her home course, Guadalajara Country Club.

Annika Sorenstam, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Suzann Pettersen and others will join Ochoa and several special invitees, including the top Mexican player from the Futures Tour (Sophia Sheridan) and the Latin player with the best score from the LPGA Wegmans Rochester (Marisa Baena).

All four rounds will be broadcast on the Golf Channel for 2 1/2 hours beginning at 3:30 p.m. (et) each day.

It is the final event before the season-ending ADT Championship next week, where Ochoa is the defending champion.

Garcia passes Mickelson for No. 2 ranking

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:40 EST

Sergio Garcia became the first European- born player in more than a decade to attain the No. 2 world ranking after his playoff win at the weather-delayed HSBC Champions tournament in China.

Garcia beat Oliver Wilson in a Monday playoff for the win, passing Phil Mickelson for the No. 2 spot behind Tiger Woods. It is a career-best ranking for the Spaniard, who is the first European to hold the spot since Colin Montgomerie 12 years ago.

Woods, of course, remained in the top spot despite losing the last half of the season to an injury. Garcia jumped past Mickelson, who was the defending champion in China.

Vijay Singh, Padraig Harrington, Robert Karlsson and Camilo Villegas held onto positions 4-7, while Lee Westwood's one-spot improvement to No. 8 dropped Anthony Kim down a notch to No. 9.

Henrik Stenson was up two places to 10th, kicking Ernie Els and Jim Furyk down to 11th and 12th. Steve Stricker and Stewart Cink held onto their spots at 13 and 14

Dye among six inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:45 EST

St. Augustine, FL (Sports Network) - Famed golf course architect Pete Dye was among six people inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame Monday.

Dye's courses have hosted major championships, PGA Tour and LPGA Tour events, Ryder Cups and Solheim Cups. Among his most notable are Harbour Town Golf Links (with Jack Nicklaus), Crooked Stick, PGA West at LaQuinta, Whistling Straits and the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.

"Somebody asked about different golf courses that are memorable, and I always go back to the Dominican Republic because that's the Teeth of the Dog," said Dye. "I went down there and there wasn't a paved road within 35 miles. If I live long enough, I've got nine more holes to complete down there and I'll have 90 holes, and there's 50,000 people that have jobs. The way things are going right now, it looks like they're doing okay down there as far as employment."

Dye, 82, joins a select group of architects in the World Golf Hall of Fame. Alastair MacKenzie, Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones, Sr. are some notable golf course architects already enshrined.

Others inducted Monday were Bob Charles, Carol Semple Thompson, Denny Shute, Herbert Warren Wind and Craig Wood

Love gets lifetime exemption with 20th win

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:08 EST

Davis Love III fired an eight-under 64 on Sunday to come from behind and win the title at the Children's Miracle Network Classic.

Love finished the championship at 25-under 263 and collected his 20th career victory on the PGA Tour. That magic win total earned him a lifetime exemption on tour.

The win, Love's first since Greensboro two years ago, came remarkably close to the 20-year anniversary of his father's tragic death in a plane accident.

"I've been out here grinding, trying to get a win," said Love, who finally won on his sixth appearance in the Fall Finish. "I can't believe it happened. I'm excited to get it in."

Love won by a single stroke over the unlikeliest of runner-ups, Tommy Gainey.

Shin cruises to huge win at Mizuno Classic

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:43 EST

Ji-Yai Shin fired a five-under 67 Sunday to cruise to a six-stroke win at the Mizuno Classic.

Shin, who won the Women's British Open earlier this year, finished her second LGPA Tour title at 15-under-par 201.

Mayu Hattori posted a one-under 71 in the final round to take second place at minus-nine. Eun-A Lim carded her second straight two-under 70 to end alone in third at eight-under-par 208.

Il Mi Chung (69), Yun-Jye Wei (70) and Jee Young Lee (72) shared fourth place at minus-seven.

Shin posted a pair of early birdies to stretch her lead. After a birdie on the second, she converted another birdie at the third to move to 12-under.

Bettencourt wins Nationwide Tour Championship and money title

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:13 EST

Matt Bettencourt birdied the 72nd hole Sunday to earn not just the victory at the Nationwide Tour Championship, but also the money title.

Bettencourt shot a two-under 69 on Sunday and won the trophy with a total of 17-under 267. It was his second win of the year after titling in Oregon in mid-September.

Bettencourt earned $180,000 for the win and that vaulted him past Brendon de Jonge for the money title. Bettencourt was in the mid-90s on the money list this summer, but the win in Oregon, a runner-up in his last start at the Miccosukee Championship and this title gave him the No. 1 spot.

"It's a dream come true," said Bettencourt, who passed a kidney stone earlier in the week. "I started the year off slow. It's something you work for your whole life."

Jeff Klauk fired a six-under 65 on Sunday and took second place at 16-under 268.