TheState.com: Golf

Youth rules S.C. colleges

Sat, 11 May 2013 21:36 EDT

If South Carolina and Clemson advance to the NCAA championship tournament later this month, youth will be served in this week’s regionals.

The Gamecocks head to the Columbus regional at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course with two freshmen, two sophomores and a senior in the lineup. The Tigers wing west to the regional in Tempe, Ariz., with three freshmen, a sophomore and a senior on the squad.

“I think the Scarlet Course will be a good one for us,” said Gamecocks coach Bill McDonald, whose team is coming off a second-place finish in the SEC championship and earned the regional’s fourth seed. “The course demands good ball-striking, and that suits us well.”

The Gamecocks will use the same lineup that battled second-ranked Alabama to the wire in the SEC tourney: Senior Dykes Harbin, sophomores Caleb Sturgeon and Sean Kelly, and freshmen Matt NeSmith and Will Starke. In the SEC individual standings, Sturgeon finished second, Harbin tied for seventh and NeSmith shared 20th.

For the season, Harbin owns the best scoring average (72.73) and earned one individual title and four top-10s in 10 tournaments. NeSmith (73.0) has six top-10s and Sturgeon (73.3), who also won an individual title, posted four top-10s.

Storms delay TPC

Sat, 11 May 2013 22:41 EDT

A rift between Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia attracted all the attention on a stormy day at Sawgrass. Swedish rookie David Lingmerth quietly went about his business and wound up atop the leaderboard Saturday in The Players Championship.

Lingmerth finished a wild day with an 8-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th and a 10-foot birdie on the island-green 17th to reach 12-under par when the third round was suspended because of darkness. It was delayed nearly two hours because of threatening storms.

Woods, Garcia and Henrik Stenson — all former Players champions — were two shots behind. Eight players had to return Sunday morning to complete the round.

The Woods-Garcia relationship already was frosty, and an incident on the par-5 second hole was sure to add another layer of chill.

Garcia was hitting his second shot from the fairway when he was disrupted by a burst of cheers from the large crowd gathered around Woods in the trees. Garcia snapped his head over to the left and glared.

Scores: S.C. ties in bold

Sat, 11 May 2013 21:36 EDT

PGA TOUR

The Players Championship

At Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Yardage: 7,215; Par: 72

Partial Third Round

Stricker stumbles at the start; despite five bogeys, he finishes just 1 over

Sun, 12 May 2013 12:03 EDT

Steve Stricker felt as good about his game as he'd ever felt going into the Masters. He was hitting the ball well and was confident and relaxed.

Then he went out and bogeyed four of the first eight holes at Augusta National on Thursday.

"I played the first eight holes like I've never been here before," he said. "I wasn't thinking; I was just somewhere else again. That's happened here way too many times. I get in my own way and start putting defensive swings on it."

After another bogey on No. 10, he was 5-over par and getting lapped by the field on a day in which 33 players broke par.

"Oh, yeah, I was angry," Stricker said. "But I figured if I could get a couple back, if I could get to 3-over, maybe 2, I'd be all right."

Guan's age doesn't hurt confidence

Sun, 12 May 2013 12:03 EDT

Tianlang Guan already was into his pre-putt routine on the third hole at Augusta National when a golf ball suddenly rolled right past him on the green Thursday.

Henrik Stenson, playing in the group behind Guan's in the first round of the 77th Masters, had smashed his tee shot to the back fringe on the 350-yard par-4.

Guan backed away from his ball, refocused, got back into his stance and calmly rolled in the ticklish downhill 15-footer for his first Masters birdie.

Displaying that kind of poise throughout the round, Guan shot a 1-over-par 73, an incredible feat considering he is 14 years old and is the youngest-ever Masters competitor.

The eighth-grader from China was tied for 46th place with, among others, Steve Stricker, Graeme McDowell, Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson - all of whom are ranked among the top 20 in the world.

Pace wins Ladies Open by 1

Sun, 12 May 2013 13:48 EDT

Lee-Anne Pace carded a 1-under-par 72 on Sunday and won the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open by a single stroke.

Pace began the day two shots back and rallied to finish at 3-under 289 for her sixth LET title and first since 2010.

Overnight leaders Charley Hull and Carlota Ciganda both shot final-round 75s, with the latter narrowly missing a playoff when her 25-foot birdie putt lipped out at the last. The pair finished tied for second place at 2-under alongside Minea Blomqvist, who carded a final-round 70 at National Golf Club.

"My heart stopped for a while, for a beat, but you know, if it happens, it happens. We may have had to go to a playoff but I was just hitting some putts and trying not to look," said Pace, 32. "It's so nice to win again. It's been a while and to do it again is fantastic."

Two-time defending champion Christel Boeljon (75) ended alone in fifth place at 1-under, while Holly Clyburn (72), Eleanor Givens (73), Trish Johnson (75) and Florentyna Parker (75) tied for sixth at even-par 292.

Bethune-Cookman sweeps PGA Minority Collegiate

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:20 EDT

Bethune-Cookman rallied to win the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship on Sunday, and the Wildcats took their record 10th women's title on the first hole of a playoff with Texas-Pan American.

"It was a long and a very stressful day out there," Bethune-Cookman coach Scooter Clark said. "But both teams really grinded and I am just thrilled to take home both titles in this incredible tournament. It is really satisfying."

Ryan Fricker, a freshman from England, shot a 1-under 71 on PGA Golf Club's Wanamaker Course to lead Bethune-Cookman. The Wildcats beat second-round leader Texas-Pan American by a stroke in the Division I competition, finishing with a 6-over 294 for a 19-over 883 total.

"We really didn't play well yesterday and almost let the championship slip away," Fricker said. "I was happy to help the team today and it felt good to win this championship in my first appearance. It was really cool."

Texas-Pan American's Kevin Kirakossian took medalist honors, shooting a 71 to finish at 4-under 212.

Mogi wins World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup

Sun, 12 May 2013 12:18 EDT

Hiromi Mogi fired a 4-under 68 on Sunday to secure a victory at the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup.

Mogi carded five birdies and a single bogey and finished the event with a 9- under-par total for her first major title on the LPGA of Japan. It is the sixth JLPGA victory of the 36-year-old's career.

The next closest competitor was Miki Saeki, who ended at 7-under-par at Ibaraki Golf Club West Course. She was seeking her third JLPGA win of the season.

Overnight leader Rikako Morita took third place at 6-under, while 16-year-old Lydia Ko secured best amateur status with a minus-5 total. So Yeon Ryu and Ji Woo Lee also finished at 5-under.

Garcia, who once doubted himself in majors, tied for Masters lead

Sun, 12 May 2013 12:03 EDT

Just one year ago, Spain's Sergio Garcia, sullen after falling out of contention with a third-round 75 at the Masters, told the European press that he wasn't good enough to win a major championship.

"I don't have the capacity to win a major," Garcia said, an astounding statement considering it came from a world-class player. "It's the reality. I'm not good enough and now I know it.

"After 13 years I have run out of options. I'm not good enough for the majors. I will try to be second or third."

Garcia backed off those comments Thursday and for good reason. He opened the 77th Masters with a 6-under-par 66 and was tied for the lead with Marc Leishman of Australia.

"I mean, those were my words," said the 33-year-old Garcia, who has never won a major in 57 previous attempts. "I think at the end of the day, we go through tough moments and frustrating moments, and I know that was one of them.

Garcia, Woods surge at Sawgrass

Sat, 11 May 2013 00:02 EDT

The Players Championship provides plenty of theater because of its thrill-a-minute golf course. Making it more compelling is the star attraction of Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods, playing in the final group on the weekend for the first time in nearly seven years.

Garcia made seven straight putts — six of them for birdie — on his way to a 7-under 65 to match his best score on the TPC Sawgrass.

That gave him a one-shot lead over Woods, who again made short work of the par 5s and posted his second straight 67. Woods broke his 36-hole record at Sawgrass by six shots and can’t find much wrong with his game.

But it’s hard to call it a rivalry. Not only does Woods have a 77-8 margin in PGA Tour victories (and 14-0 in majors), in the five times they were in the final group on the weekend on the PGA Tour, Woods has gone on to win all five times.

Garcia ran off five straight birdies, ending the streak with putts from 20 feet and 25 feet, and then he added a 40-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth. Garcia, who won The Players in 2008, was at 11-under 133.

Woods keeps it dry and wins Players Championship

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:50 EDT

Tiger Woods had the last word against Sergio Garcia by winning The Players Championship on Sunday.

Woods ended a weekend of testy words with Garcia by doing what he does best - closing out tournaments, even if he let this one turn into a tense duel over the final hour at the TPC Sawgrass. Tied with Garcia with two holes to play, Woods won by finding land on the last two holes for par to close with a 2-under 70.

If only it were that simple for the Spaniard.

Garcia was standing on the 17th tee shot, staring across the water to an island as Woods made his par. He took aim at the flag with his wedge and hung his head when he saw the ball splash down short of the green. Then, Garcia hit another one in the water on his way to a quadruple-bogey 7. He completed his stunning collapse by hitting his tee shot into the water on the 18th and making double bogey.

Woods was in the scoring trailer when he watched on TV as Swedish rookie David Lingmerth missed a long birdie putt that would have forced a playoff. It raced by the cup, and Lingmerth three-putted for bogey.

Westwood, others tumble down Players leaderboard

Sat, 11 May 2013 21:49 EDT

Lee Westwood swung and missed on Moving Day at The Players Championship.

Literally.

Westwood double-bogeyed two of his first four holes to open the third round Saturday, the first one coming after he whiffed trying to make contact with his second shot that had nestled close to a pine tree. Westwood's club scraped the tree on his downswing, causing him to miss the ball by at least 6 inches.

He also doubled the par-4 fourth thanks to an errant chip. He was the only golfer to play the first 36 holes at TPC Sawgrass without a bogey.

Thanks to that streak, Westwood started the day at 9-under par - two strokes behind second-round leader Sergio Garcia - but found himself six shots back after a bogey at No. 10.

Woods, Garcia, Lingmerth tied for Players lead

Sun, 12 May 2013 09:38 EDT

Former Players Championship winners Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia are tied with rookie David Lingmerth as the tournament enters its final round Sunday morning.

Lingmerth had a 2-stroke lead with one hole to play when Saturday's third round was suspended due to darkness. The Web.com Tour graduate began with a shaky drive when play resumed Sunday morning and eventually settled for a bogey to wrap up a third-round 69. He is 11-under-par 205 through 54 holes.

Woods, the 2001 Players champion, birdied the par-5 16th, then parred out for a 1-under 71 and a share of the lead.

Garcia, the 2008 winner, bogeyed the 15th but bounced back and secured a share of the top spot with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17. He and Lingmerth will be in the final pairing when the fourth round begins. Woods will play alongside Casey Wittenberg, who carded a 70 and wrapped up 54 holes at 10-under.

Henrik Stenson (71) and Ryan Palmer (70) are all also one stroke off the pace, while Jeff Maggert (66) is alone in seventh place at 9-under. Hunter Mahan (71) and David Lynn (68) are tied for eighth at minus-8.

Royal Melbourne to host World Cup in November

Sat, 11 May 2013 23:54 EDT

The World Cup of Golf will be held at Royal Melbourne in November the week after the Australian Masters.

The International Federation of PGA Tours said in a statement Sunday that the World Cup will be held from Nov. 21-24 at the sand-belt course which hosted the 2011 and 1998 Presidents Cups.

That's the week following the Australian Masters on the same course, and where U.S. Masters champion Adam Scott is expected to defend his Australian Masters title.

The World Cup will use an individual, stroke-play format and a team component akin to that to be used for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro when golf returns to the event.

Kueny claims Symetra Classic

Sat, 11 May 2013 18:44 EDT

Laura Kueny closed with a 1-under 71 on Saturday to earn a 1-stroke win at the Symetra Classic.

Kueny finished her first Symetra Tour title at 6-under-par 210 at Raintree Country Club.

Second-round leader Alena Sharp stumbled to a double-bogey on the par-4 17th to tumble out of the lead. Sharp posted a 2-over 74 to finish one back at minus-5. Sharp was joined there by Izzy Beisiegel (69) and Caroline Westrup (70). Tiffany Joh carded a 73 and ended alone in fifth at 4-under 212.

Kueny parred the first 10 holes on Saturday. She traded a bogey for a birdie from the 11th. Kueny moved to 6-under with a birdie on the par-5 16th. She parred the last two to end there.

Sharp birdied the second, but stumbled to a double-bogey at the third. She got back to even-par for her round with a birdie on No. 12. Sharp fell out of the lead when she double-bogeyed the 17th. She parred the last to share second.

Palmer plays 2nd round at TPC with heavy heart

Fri, 10 May 2013 20:29 EDT

Playing with a heavy heart and the initials "CA" on his hat, Ryan Palmer managed to keep his composure before and during the second round of The Players Championship on Friday.

After was a different story.

Playing just hours after the death of one of his best friends, Palmer got a little emotional following his par putt on the 18th green.

"The day was over so I kind of let it all out for a minute," Palmer said after a 3-under 69 that left him at 8-under 136 and squarely in contention at TPC Sawgrass.

Palmer got the call Thursday night that Clay Aderholt was killed in a car accident in San Antonio earlier in the evening.

Sergio implicates Tiger for bad shot at Players

Sat, 11 May 2013 18:28 EDT

Sergio Garcia lost his lead in two holes at The Players Championship, and he said it didn't help playing with Tiger Woods.

The third round Saturday was delayed nearly two hours when thunderstorms moved toward the north Florida coast. During the delay, Garcia provided a little more fuel to his rivalry with Woods by suggesting he caused the crowd to cheer as Garcia was playing a shot.

Garcia, who started with a one-shot lead over Woods, was in the fairway on the par-5 second hole. Woods hooked his tee shot deep into the trees, where he was surrounded by a thick wall of fans. Garcia heard a big cheer as he swung, and his ball sailed well to the right under some trees, making it nearly impossible to get onto the green.

The big cheer that disrupted Garcia was the crowd reacting to Woods pulling out a fairway metal for his second shot, a risky play with a 15-foot gap through the trees. Garcia looked over to the crowd as his ball was headed well right of the green. In a television interview during the storm delay, Garcia implicated Woods.

"Well, obviously Tiger was on the left and it was my shot to hit," Garcia said. "He moved all of the crowd that he needed to move. I waited for that. I wouldn't say that he didn't see that I was ready, but you do have a feel when the other guy is going to hit and right as I was in the top of the backswing, I think he must have pulled like a 5-wood or a 3-wood and obviously everybody started screaming. So that didn't help very much."

Sergio 1 clear of Tiger at Players

Fri, 10 May 2013 20:53 EDT

Sergio Garcia fired a 7-under 65 on Friday and grabbed a 1-stroke lead after two rounds of the Players Championship.

Garcia, the 2008 winner, finished 36 holes at 11-under-par 133. His second-round 65 matched his career-low round on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

World No. 1 Tiger Woods carded his second straight 5-under 67 to move into second place at minus-10. Woods, the 2001 champion, has won three times this season on the PGA Tour.

Lee Westwood and Kevin Chappell both fired 66s on Friday. They are two strokes off the pace at 9-under-par 135, and were joined there by Henrik Stenson, who chipped in for eagle on No. 9, his final hole. With that closing eagle, Stenson carded a 5-under 67 in round two.

Ryan Palmer (69), Casey Wittenberg (69) and David Lingmerth (68) are tied for sixth place at minus-8.

Texas-Pan American leads PGA Minority Collegiate

Sat, 11 May 2013 19:19 EDT

Kevin Kirakossian shot a 5-under 67 in windy conditions Saturday on PGA Golf Club's Wanamaker Course to help defending champion Texas-Pan American take the second-round lead in the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship.

Texas-Pan American had a 3-over 291 for a 9-over 585 total and four-stroke lead over Bethune-Cookman in the Division I standings. Alabama State was third, nine shots back.

"The round was really good today, considering I played the par 5s at 1 over for the day," Kirakossian said. "Our team wanted to come out and win the day, shoot the lowest score of any team out there. Then we could see where we stood and try and win it all tomorrow."

In the women's division, defending champion Bethune-Cookman extended its lead to 13 strokes over Texas-Pan American. Andrea Orozco led the Wildcats with a 69 on the Ryder Course.

"We wanted to build on our lead and play well as a team," Orozco said. "I hit a lot of wedges into greens, hit it close and made some good birdies."

Golf roundup: Castro suprise at Players

Thu, 09 May 2013 23:28 EDT

Tiger Woods was nine shots out of the lead, not the best position at The Players Championship, especially since he had not started his round. Perhaps the bigger surprise was the guy who posted the record-tying round Thursday.

Roberto Castro had only played the TPC Sawgrass in a practice round. He made a debut he won’t soon forget.

There was the 9-iron to a foot on the island-green 17th and a 4-iron to about the same tap-in range on the 18th, the hardest hole on the course. He hit a 3-iron to 3 feet for eagle, and twice hit wedge so close he didn’t have to read the putt.

When his memorable day was over, Castro had a 9-under 63 and his name in the record book twice. He tied the course record held by Fred Couples and Greg Norman, and his three-shot lead was the largest margin after the opening round at The Players in 21 years.

Welcome to Sawgrass.

Column: Who's humiliating whom in Singh lawsuit?

Thu, 09 May 2013 19:38 EDT

Vijay Singh is suing the PGA Tour for exposing him to "public humiliation and ridicule" by investigating his use of deer-antler spray.

Now that's funny.

Because Singh was doing such a bang-up job of humiliating himself.

Rewind back to February and take another look at the Sports Illustrated article that kicked up a stir at the Super Bowl. It starred soon-to-be-retired Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and highlighted his purchases of the same spray that Singh used, from the same supplier, Sports With Alternatives to Steroids (SWATS), a two-man operation run out of the back of a gym in tiny Fultondale, Ala.

Turns out that in addition to deer-antler spray, SWATS was marketing all kinds of crackpot cures and pseudo-performance-enhancers - underwear exposed to radio waves, holographic stickers, even negatively charged water - to a growing list of college and pro athletes with the hope of someday getting them to endorse the stuff. The catch is that none of it works.

Garcia goes 1 up on Tiger at Players Championship

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:39 EDT

Sergio Garcia had one of those stretches where it felt like every putt was going to drop. He needed every one of them Friday for a 7-under 65 to match his best score on the TPC Sawgrass and take a one-shot lead over Tiger Woods among early starters at The Players Championship.

Garcia didn't miss a fairway and putted for birdie on every hole on the back nine and wasn't gaining any ground. That changed on the front nine when he made seven straight putts - five of them from about 15 feet or longer - to race by Woods and into the lead.

"When you start going like that, obviously it feels great," said Garcia, who was at 11-under 133. "Everything seems kind of clearer in your head. You seem to see the break. You seem to feel like everything is a little bit easier, a little bit smoother, and you hit the putt and it manages to go in.

"If it was easy, we would have plenty of those, but it's not," he said. "Enjoy them while you have them."

Woods looks like he's having a good time on the course that has vexed him more than any other on the PGA Tour, and he could be the greater threat on the weekend. Already a three-time winner this year on tour, Woods has rarely put himself in trouble and had his second straight 67.

Singh's suit draws little public reaction at TPC

Thu, 09 May 2013 20:08 EDT

One spectator wore fake deer antlers. Another yelled about eating venison. And a group of guys shouted, "Stay off the spray, Vijay."

But for the most part, there was little public reaction to Vijay Singh's lawsuit filed against the PGA Tour during the opening round of The Players Championship on Thursday.

Hecklers were few and far between at TPC Sawgrass - possibly because it was a well-behaved golf crowd, possibly because it was Singh's home course and possibly because few care enough to make a public outcry.

"He doesn't deserve that," playing partner Robert Garrigus said. "I don't know how many majors he's won. I don't know how many tournaments he's won. He's won a lot of money out here. He deserves our respect as players even if he's suing the PGA Tour or not. It's a delicate situation right now. Unfortunately, it had to happen. But it is what it is. ...

"I only heard a couple of idiots out there today. They were getting a little saucy. There were a couple of guys being stupid, but other than that, it was fine."

Portland, Ore., to host 2015 US Women's Amateur

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:56 EDT

Portland Golf Club will host the 2015 U.S. Women's Amateur.

It will be the third USGA championship tournament held at the Portland Golf Club. The last was the 1999 Senior Amateur.

Oregon has hosted the U.S. Women's Amateur six times, most recently in 2008, when Amanda Blumenherst won the title at the Eugene Country Club.

The U.S. Women's Amateur, first played in 1895, will be held this year at the Country Club of Charleston in South Carolina Aug. 5-11.

The USGA announced Portland Golf Club's selection on Thursday. The event is scheduled for Aug. 10-16, 2015.

Sergio moves ahead, Tiger 1 back at Players

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:58 EDT

Sergio Garcia fired a 7-under 65 on Friday and grabbed a 1-stroke advantage over Tiger Woods and overnight leader Roberto Castro midway through the second round of the Players Championship.

Garcia, the 2008 Players champion, highlighted his scintillating day with a 40-foot birdie putt on the eighth and closed 36 holes at 11-under-par 133.

Woods, who won this event in 2001, shot 67 for the second consecutive round and hit the clubhouse one stroke off Garcia's pace.

Castro, who carded a course record-tying 9-under 63 in his Players debut on Thursday, has one birdie through three second-round holes.

Lee Westwood and Kevin Chappell both fired 66s and ended 36 holes at 9-under 135.

Tee to Green: Vijay's lawyers aren't helping matters

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:03 EDT

The lawyer was one of the first characters to die in Jurassic Park.

He abandoned John Hammond's grandkids and was chomped in half by a T-Rex while hiding in an outhouse.

Pretty subtle symbolism, huh?

I don't really prescribe to the whole "Lawyers are heartless, bloodsucking scum of the earth" notion. I mean, I get it, and while I generally agree with the sentiment, I still believe each person, attorney or not, should be judged on an individual basis.

But after reading Vijay Singh's lawsuit against the PGA Tour, I have to say, bring on the T-Rex.

Singh's lawsuit’s timing surprises

Wed, 08 May 2013 23:46 EDT

Vijay Singh sued the PGA Tour on Wednesday for exposing him to “public humiliation and ridicule” during a 12-week investigation into his use of deer antler spray that ended last week when the tour dropped its case against him.

The lawsuit was a surprise, and so was the timing — the day before The Players Championship, the flagship event on the PGA Tour held on its home course where Singh has honed his game for the past two decades.

“I am proud of my achievement, my work ethic and the way I live my life,” Singh said in a statement. “The PGA Tour not only treated me unfairly, but displayed a lack of professionalism that should concern every professional golfer and fan of the game.”

Singh filed the lawsuit in New York, where he has a home and the tour has an office. He is in the field at The Players Championship.

The 50-year-old Fijian, inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2006, said in a Sports Illustrated article in January that he used deer antler spray and he was “looking forward to some change in my body.” The spray was said to include an insulin-like growth factor that was on the tour’s list of banned substances. The tour sent a sample from Singh to be tested, and it returned small amounts of IGF-1.

In N Dakota, golf hazards include the weather

Wed, 08 May 2013 18:43 EDT

The women's golfers at North Dakota State say they're often pegged as members of a winter sports team, given the fact that most of them are measured in the 5-foot-10 range and look like they haven't seen the sun. Turns out they haven't.

The Bison, who will be making the team's first Division I postseason appearance, are the northern-most school in the West Regional and won the Summit League title without having a single practice session outdoors because of brutal weather in North Dakota.

"We call ourselves the big kids from the north," said Sarah Storandt, who joked about the difficulty of maintaining a consistent tan. "Everyone thinks we're like a volleyball team or basketball team."

No tans, perhaps, but the Bison say they're rested and ready for Thursday's start of the regional at the Stanford Golf Course in Palo Alto, Calif., where they're seeded next-to-last in the 24-team field. Senior standout Amy Anderson, who is making her fourth straight individual trip to the regional, is happy to have the company in teammates Abby Knutson, Cydney Hasselberg, Storandt and Hailey Boner.

"I don't doubt that we have the ability on our team but it's another thing to put it all together at the same time," Anderson said. "We're going to have fun. I can guarantee that."

Roberto Castro opens with a 63 in Players debut

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:25 EDT

Roberto Castro made a debut he won't soon forget in The Players Championship, opening with a 9-under 63 Thursday to tie the course record at the TPC Sawgrass and build a three-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and other early starters.

Facing the infamous island-green on No. 17 for the first time in competition, Castro left a 9-iron within a foot of the hole. On the daunting 18th, he hit 4-iron to a foot. When his day was over, Castro was in the record book with Greg Norman and Fred Couples for lowest score on the Stadium Course.

"I hit it close a lot," said Castro, making it sound as easy as it looked.

Sawgrass finally made sense to McIlroy, too.

The two-time major champion had never made the cut or even broken par at The Players Championship, but the 24-year-old figured it out on a gorgeous morning by dialing it back off the tee and letting his iron play take over. McIlroy never came seriously close to a bogey on his way to a 66, leaving him tied with Zach Johnson.

Singh sues PGA Tour over deer antler spray situation

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:20 EDT

Vijay Singh filed a lawsuit against the PGA Tour on Wednesday, claiming that the tour caused "public humiliation and ridicule for months" after he admitted using deer antler spray.

Singh admitted using deer antler spray in an article on Sports Illustrated's website, SI.com, on Jan. 29. At the time, the spray was on the tour's banned substance list.

The tour adopted its list from the World Anti-Doping Agency. Singh's lawsuit claimed that the tour failed to "determine, in a responsible way, and without any scientific examination, whether the Spray in fact fell within the Anti- Doping Program's definition of 'banned substance.'"

In April, WADA took deer antler spray off its banned substance list. Shortly thereafter, the PGA Tour dropped any sort of case against Singh, although he contends in his suit that the tour tried suspending him for 90 days. He appealed and claims his $99,980 in earnings during the appeals process have been held in escrow.

Singh's attorney, Peter J. Ginsberg said in a statement: "The PGA Tour has now finally admitted that the use of deer antler spray is not prohibited. Rather than performing its duties to golfers first, and then determining whether there had been any violation of the Anti-Doping Program, the PGA Tour rushed to judgment and accused one of the world's hardest working and most dedicated golfers of violating the rules of the game.

Singh suing PGA over proposed suspension

Wed, 08 May 2013 16:13 EDT

Vijay Singh sued the PGA Tour on Wednesday for exposing him to "public humiliation and ridicule" during a 12-week investigation into his use of deer antler spray that ended last week when the tour dropped its case against him.

The lawsuit was a surprise, and so was the timing - the day before The Players Championship, the flagship event on the PGA Tour held on its home course where Singh has honed his game for the last two decades.

"I am proud of my achievement, my work ethic and the way I live my life," Singh said in a statement. "The PGA Tour not only treated me unfairly, but displayed a lack of professionalism that should concern every professional golfer and fan of the game."

Singh filed the lawsuit in New York, where he has a home and the tour has an office. He is in the field at The Players Championship.

The 50-year-old Fijian, inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2006, said in a Sports Illustrated article in January that he used deer antler spray and he was "looking forward to some change in my body." The spray was said to include an insulin-like growth factor that was on the tour's list of banned substances. The tour sent a sample from Singh to be tested, and it returned small amounts of IGF-1.

The driving force behind Merion's upcoming Open

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:11 EDT

Sometimes, when most everyone else is fixated on the many reasons why something probably can't happen again, maybe someone has to ponder why not.

In all the back-and-forth as to whether Merion's famed East Course still had whatever it took to host another U.S. Open, that voice mainly belonged to David Fay.

The former executive director of the U.S. Golf Association, who retired at the end of 2010 after 21 years on the job, has been credited with driving many initiatives aimed at bringing the organization into the 21st century. That's why its flagship event went to public facilities such as Bethpage Black and Torrey Pines, and will soon be at nearly unknown courses Chambers Bay and Erin Hills, as well.

It's also why golf's self-proclaimed hardest test is returning this June to a course that has hosted more USGA events than any other, a course that's ranked sixth in the country, a course where Jones, Hogan and Trevino (over Nicklaus in a playoff) have left their indelible fingerprints.

And also a course that was thought to be outdated for modern times, given the logistical monster that the Open has become.

Golf Glance

Tue, 07 May 2013 22:17 EDT

PGA TOUR

THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

SITE: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

SCHEDULE: Thursday-Sunday

COURSE: TPC Sawgrass, Players Stadium Course (7,215 yards, par 72)

Sawgrass a mystery to the best players

Tue, 07 May 2013 18:28 EDT

The Players Championship should consider changing the name of its course to the TPC Mystery.

The reason The Players is talked about as the next best thing to a major is because the field is the strongest and deepest in golf. Until the PGA Tour recently created a spot for the Senior Players Championship winner, anyone who teed it up on the TPC Sawgrass had as good a chance as the next guy.

The mystery is trying to determine whose game best suits the golf course.

The list of winners is impressive, though it doesn't offer concrete clues except that two-thirds are major champions. More curious is how infrequently some of the game's best players are even in the mix late Sunday afternoon.

Start with Tiger Woods.

Woods goes from red carpet to TPC Sawgrass

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:26 EDT

One night after making his red carpet debut in New York, Tiger Woods was on a golf course that hasn't treated him very well over the years.

Woods said it took him a week to get over his tie for fourth at the Masters. Next up is The Players Championship, where he has won only once in 15 years and has just one top 10 since that victory in 2001.

"If you're not playing well, you're going to get exposed," Woods said.

Woods was at full exposure Monday night at the Met with girlfriend Lindsey Vonn. For someone who has demanded so much privacy off the golf course, he attended the Costume Institute Gala. Vonn was a guest of Vogue. He posed on the red carpet wearing a black suit, while the Olympic ski champion wore a long white dress with see-through slits. The theme of the gala was "PUNK: Chaos to Coutre."

Woods has always been more about green jackets and claret jugs.

Couples' career began with 'dumbest decision'

Tue, 07 May 2013 16:05 EDT

Fred Couples was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, a journey that began with what he called "the dumbest decision I ever made." It was one that, like so many other things in his life, turned out just fine.

Couples lost to eventual winner Hal Sutton in the 1980 U.S. Amateur and was headed to Houston for his final year of college.

For reasons he can't explain or remember, Couples instead went to Los Angeles and spent a week with friends of his parents. He became bored after a few days and asked if there was a golf course nearby. So he went down the street to El Dorado.

"We drive into the parking lot, and I knew something was going on because there was a big banner that said, 'Queen Mary Open,'" he said.

Couples couldn't play or even hit balls because the course was booked, but a man he met in the pro shop, Larry Benson, invited him to play that afternoon. When they finished, Couples asked if he could enter the Queen Mary Open as an amateur before going back to school.

Golf Tidbits: Are Monty and Couples deserving Hall of Famers?

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:07 EDT

As we heard several times on Monday evening, the World Golf Hall of Fame is the highest honor in the game.

This year's class was headlined by Colin Montgomerie and Fred Couples. Monty elected on the International ballot and Couples tabbed on the PGA Tour ballot.

Their worthiness to enter those hallowed halls is certainly up for debate.

Montgomerie never won a major nor an event in the United States.

Couples won one major - the 1992 Masters - but has only 15 career PGA Tour wins. He didn't even garner the required number of votes to get into the Hall.

Couples, Monty highlight Hall of Fame inductees

Tue, 07 May 2013 00:20 EDT

St. Augustine, FL (Sports Network) - Fred Couples and Colin Montgomerie headlined the 2013 World Golf Hall of Fame class that was inducted on Monday evening.

Ken Venturi, Ken Schofield and Willie Park, Jr. were also inducted in this year's class. Venturi and Schofield were inducted via the Lifetime Achievement Category. Park was elected via the Veterans Committee.

Last year, Sandy Lyle became the first living Scot to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was joined by two others this year, Montgomerie and Schofield.

Couples was a 15-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 1992 Masters. After playing on nine national teams (five Ryder Cups, four Presidents Cups), Couples will captain his third straight American Presidents Cup team this fall.

The previous two U.S. Presidents Cup squads were victorious. He was also an assistant captain to Davis Love III at the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Quail Hollow: Rookie glides past Lefty

Mon, 06 May 2013 00:28 EDT

On a day that looked like it would belong to one of golf’s biggest stars, 22-year-old PGA Tour rookie Derek Ernst walked away Sunday with the Wells Fargo Championship trophy.

Ernst, who was in college at Nevada-Las Vegas a year ago and made the tournament as an alternate, beat journeyman David Lynn on the first playoff hole to cap a rainy, chilly day that began for the players just after the sun came up at Quail Hollow Club.

Winning was the last thing on Ernst’s mind.

“Never, really, at all,” Ernst said of how often that thought occurred to him Sunday. “I just stuck to my game. If I win, great. If I (finish) 10th, great.”

The unlikely appearance of Ernst and Lynn in the playoff was even more surprising, given that Phil Mickelson had appeared until the 16th hole to be positioning himself for his first victory at Quail Hollow.

Schwab Cup returning to Desert Mountain in 2014 and 2016

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:48 EDT

The Champions Tour's season-ending event, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, will be contested at Desert Mountain in 2014 and 2016.

The Cochise Course will host the tournament at Desert Mountain, which has six courses.

This year's Charles Schwab Cup Championship will be contested at Harding Park in San Francisco. Tom Lehman won the title last year on the Cochise Course, as he rolled to a 6-stroke win thanks in part to a third-round 62.

Desert Mountain had hosted The Tradition, which is one of five Champions Tour majors, for 13 years.

"I am thrilled that the Champions Tour and Charles Schwab Cup Championship are returning to Desert Mountain," said Lehman, who was the first player to win season-long Charles Schwab Cup two straight years. "For a number of reasons, it has always been a special place for me and I look forward to competing in 2014."