Graeme McDowell Wrong for Dissing Scottish OpenG-Mac’s Criticism of Castle Stuart Ignites War of Words with Scotland’s Paul Lawrie Mark McLaughlin July 9, 2013 2:46 PM COMMENTARY |Graeme McDowell is about as genuine as they come among professional golfers. He's a great quote after good rounds and lousy ones. And he's a loyal friend - witness his staunch support of countryman Rory McIlroy through the phenom's lost season. As I wrote in a past column, he's the kind of bloke you'd want on the barstool next to you. All these endearing qualities make his criticism of this week's Scottish Open at Castle Stuart Golf Links all the more puzzling. During the Irish Open - one of seven missed cuts wedged between three wins in his last 10 starts - McDowell called Castle Stuart "too wide open" and "one-dimensional" to serve as a proper tune-up for the British Open. (The Scottish Open is played the week before the British every year). The British will be played next week at Muirfield in Gullane, Scotland outside Edinburgh. Native Scot Paul Lawrie took umbrage at G-Mac's comments and fired back this week, telling the Herald of Scotland, "Everyone is entitled to their opinions but they were poor comments. He should know better." G-Mac may have been right about Castle Stuart being too easy. Luke Donald won in 2011 with a 19-under-par total while Jeev Milkha Singh won in playoff last year after he and Francesco Molinari posted 17-under totals. Organizers tried to add some teeth to the course in 2012 by lengthening it 150 yards but the main defense against low scores on a links course is weather, specifically wind. McDowell should know better as he cut his teeth on the links at Northern Ireland's Royal Portrush. Calm conditions on typically slow links greens lead to boatloads of birdies, whether it's the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart or the British Open on the traditional championship rotation of courses. St. Andrews has produced winning scores of 19-under, 14-under and 16-under in the last three trips there while six of the last 12 Open champions have posted winning scores of 10-under or better. So G-Mac's claim that Castle Stuart is poor prep for the British Open because it's too easy makes little sense. Both Darren Clarke and Ernie Els competed there before winning the Claret Jug the very next week in 2011 and 2012. McDowell may not like the course but I'm guessing he criticized it as an excuse to take the week off and prepare for the British Open. Consistency has not been his strong suit this year and he has to be disappointed with missed cuts in the first two majors of 2013. This is after playing in the final twosome at both the U.S. Open and British Open last summer. G-Mac didn't win either but his taste of major success at the 2010 U.S. Open no doubt has him pining for another grand slam title. And the British Open has to be at the top of his list. Mark McLaughlin has reported on the PGA Tour for the New York Post, FoxSports.com, Greensboro News & Record, and Burlington (N.C.) Times-News. He is a past member of the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association. Follow him on Twitter @markmacduke.
Golf-Johnson wipes slate clean for title defence July 9, 2013 7:18 PM July 9 (Reuters) - As much as Zach Johnson loves everything about the John Deere Classic, he readily admits that past success will count for nothing when he launches his title defence in Thursday's opening round at the TPC Deere Run. Johnson triumphed last year with a birdie on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to edge out fellow American Troy Matteson, and he has posted sub-70 scores in his last 16 competitive rounds on the par-71 layout. "Fortunately I have had some success here, but I am trying to put 2012 behind me," the 37-year-old told reporters on Wednesday. "It's not like just because I won, I've got a three-shot lead going into Thursday so I frankly have to put it behind me, and that's going to be my approach. "I love the golf course. It's in great shape, as usual, and I just like coming back and seeing faces and friends and family that I love. It feels like my backyard in a lot of respects." Johnson has not triumphed on the PGA Tour since he clinched his ninth career title at the TPC Deere Run 12 months ago, but was delighted to be producing much improved form since making an erratic start to this season. "My golf game was not where it needed to be early on in the year," said the Iowa native, who missed the cut three times in his first seven events. "That was just a process to kind of get where I am now. "I was off fundamentally more than I care to admit, especially with my driver, and if I can't drive the ball in the fairway, then it's going to be difficult for me. And now my driver is probably one of the best clubs in my bag again. "I like the direction it's going," Johnson said of his overall game. "I've just got to be patient. My putting has been very up and down so any given week you've got to putt well to climb the board and hopefully this is one those weeks." Johnson faces a strong field in the final PGA Tour event before the year's third major, the British Open, gets underway at Muirfield in Scotland in nine days' time. Also competing this week are former major champions Louis Oosthuizen, Keegan Bradley, Lucas Glover and Yang Yong-eun, and American world number 11 Steve Stricker, who won the John Deere Classic for three years in a row from 2009. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Gene Cherry)
Golf-European Tour Race to Dubai money list July 15, 2013 10:40 AM July 15 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 European Tour Race to Dubai on Monday: 1. Justin Rose (England) 1,557,900 euros 2. Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) 1,530,715 3. Matteo Manassero (Italy) 1,176,977 4. Richard Sterne (South Africa) 1,097,976 5. Branden Grace (South Africa) 1,020,546 6. Ernie Els (South Africa) 951,200 7. Brett Rumford (Australia) 909,770 8. Sergio Garcia (Spain) 903,146 9. Mikko Ilonen (Finland) 829,997 10. Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 746,474 11. Jamie Donaldson (Wales) 725,574 12. Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 705,378 13. Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 691,726 14. Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 670,206 15. Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 664,157 16. Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 644,527 17. Marc Warren (Scotland) 632,691 18. Stephen Gallacher (Scotland) 608,871 19. Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 599,864 20. Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 590,807 (Editing by Caroline Helly)
Earning His Keep: Jordan Spieth's Life Changes by the Minute Ryan Ballengee July 15, 2013 12:08 PM COMMENTARY | It's a true Cinderella story. No, not "Caddyshack." Jordan Spieth began the year merely as a hotshot kid wearing a pumpkin-colored shirt and, after winning the John Deere Classic on in a playoff on Sunday, now he has a chariot of a charter plane taking him to the ball that is the Open Championship, golf's oldest major. The 19-year-old, who turns 20 on July 27, outlasted 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson and Canadian David Hearn in a five-hole playoff to become the first teenager to win in a PGA Tour-recognized event in 82 years. That's back before the PGA Tour was its own organization, separate from the PGA of America. Needless to say, things like this simply don't happen. Spieth began 2013 without any status on the PGA Tour. None. To survive and earn a livelihood, Spieth, fresh off leading the University of Texas to the NCAA men's golf championship, would have to rely on the kindness of strangers and sponsor's exemptions to set some kind of schedule. If he played well enough in those rare opportunities to shine, then maybe the two-time U.S. Junior Amateur champion could earn enough money to get some kind of security for next season. Doing that alone would be an amazing accomplishment, but with a truncated season due to a new PGA Tour calendar, time was especially of the essence. Spieth began to prove himself in very little time. In March, Spieth finished T-2 at the Puerto Rico Open, the event played opposite the WGC-Cadillac Championship. The $308,000 check was earned against a lesser field -- the big boys were at Doral on the U.S. mainland -- but it was a sign of things to come. It also afforded him an automatic start at the Tampa Bay Championship. Spieth finished T-7 at Innisbrook. Another six-figure check for almost $150,000. Another earned start, this time in Houston. The small check from Houston put him over the threshold to earn special temporary membership on the PGA Tour, affording him the chance to take unlimited sponsor's exemptions through the end of the year. No longer limited to accepting just seven invitations to play, the rising star would no longer have to plot where and when he would compete. A month later, he finished T-9 at the RBC Heritage. It wasn't the Masters, like the week prior, but it was another sign of what was coming. After moving sideways for a month, Spieth found himself with an outside chance at Colonial. He finished T-7, but practically locked up his 2014 PGA Tour card through the nonmember money list. The biggest goal had been achieved. A win was really the only thing left for Spieth. It would give him automatic PGA Tour status, a two-year exemption and a chance to chase the FedEx Cup. Despite all of his great play, only PGA Tour members can compete in the Playoffs. Nothing short of a victory would offer Spieth that chance. A month after Colonial, Spieth was seriously in the mix for the AT&T National title, but the third-round pressure caught up with him, as he ballooned to a 74 that left him to fight for a sixth-place finish. A week later at Greenbrier, it was the final round, a 73, that got Spieth unglued. It only took Spieth 14 days to learn how to win. The Texan opened with a benign 70 at TPC Deere Run, but then took it to the Silvis, Ill. course. Three consecutive 65s, including five birdies in his final six holes, landed him in a playoff with two guys nearly twice his age. It turned out playing five playoff holes in even par was good enough to win. When the 18-inch par putt to win at the 18th hole fell, Spieth had his victory. With it, he found the only path he had left to next week's Open Championship -- a tournament tailor-made for a kid from Texas. Now instead of wondering how he might spend the better part of August and all of September, Spieth's calendar has filled quickly. He earned a spot in the PGA Championship. He'll be in the WGC-Firestone Invitational. Spieth is not only in the FedEx Cup playoffs, but he's a contender to win the whole thing. He is retroactively credited with all of the FedEx Cup points he would have earned earlier in the year and now sits 11th in the standings. The soon-to-be-20-year-old can continue to go for broke this year. Maybe that's a bad turn of phrase. Spieth has made $2 million this year with the possible to earn millions more before season's end. In fact, the rookie could take home $10 million and the FedEx Cup in September. It's said the man with nothing to lose is often the most dangerous. With $2 million in his pocket, a two-yearPGA Tour exemption, a spot in the next three major championships, Jordan Spieth still has more to gain in 2013. That could mean his finest hour is still yet to come. And, unlike for Cinderella, midnight will not strike anytime soon. Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Follow him on Twitter @RyanBallengee.
Muirfield History Favors Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Even Sergio GarciaBritish Opens Held at Historic Edinburgh Course Produce Hall of Fame Champions Mark McLaughlin July 15, 2013 12:12 PM COMMENTARY | The British Open will produce a fluke winner every now and then - witness the victories of unsung Americans Todd Hamilton and Ben Curtis - but don't count on it happening at Muirfield Golf Club, site of this week's 142nd edition of golf's oldest championship. Muirfield is to golf what Tiffany is to jewelry - it only produces gems as champions. The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers will be hosting its 16th Open since opening its links course at Muirfield on Scotland's southeast coast in 1891. Every winner at Muirfield dating back to 1948 is a Hall of Famer: Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino,Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Harry Cotton. All-time greats Walter Hagen, James Braid and Harry Vardonalso raised the Claret Jug at Muirfield. The second most visited course on the modern British Open rotation has witnessed plenty of championship firsts: - In 1896, Vardon won the first of his record six British Opens here. - In 1901, Braid held off Vardon to win the first of his five Open titles. - In 1929, Hagen won the last of his four Opens on a links expanded by architect Harry Colt into the layout that still exists today. Hagen led a contingent of eight Americans in the top 10, a trend that portended American dominance of the event in the modern era. - In 1959, Player won the first of his nine majors at Muirfield. - In 1966, Nicklaus won his first British Open here. So enamored was the Golden Bear of the course that he named the golf course he designed in his Ohio hometown Muirfield Village. He would finish second and fourth in the next two Opens at Muirfield. - In 2002, Els outlasted Thomas Levet, Steve Elkington andStuart Appleby to win the only four-way playoff in the event's history. So which of the game's current elite is best positioned to add their name to Muirfield's storied history? Ernie Els: Repeat winners are common at Muirfield -- Vardon, Braid and Faldo won twice here while Hagen and Trevino won at Muirfield as defending British Open champs. Els carries into the tournament the karma of being defending champion and the last champion on this course as well as the confidence from a victory last month at the European Tour's BMW International Open. Tiger Woods: A win for Tiger would not only get him back in the major victory column for the first time in five years but also make up for his worst round as a professional -- a wind- and rain-blown 81 that knocked him out of contention in 2002. The course is playing hard and fast, which means Woods can get around without the driver like he did in winning at Royal Liverpool in 2006. Phil Mickelson: Winning the Scottish Open -- his first career victory in Europe -- could be a great steppingstone to the bigger prize of the Claret Jug. Lefty said this week that winning the British Open would be his greatest accomplishment, and he's got the mojo to do it. Like Tiger, Mickelson can thrive on a course that doesn't require driver. Padraig Harrington: An 18th-hole bogey kept Paddy out of the four-way playoff in 2002. The Irishman bounced back to win two Claret Jugs in succession, but he has not been a factor since winning his second in 2008. Rory McIlroy: If Rory is destined for historic greatness, he could follow in the footsteps of Nicklaus in winning his first British Open at Muirfield. Like Harrington, McIlroy comes in struggling but he's been known to turn things around when counted out. Sergio Garcia: The troubled Spaniard could do worse than break his major drought at Muirfield. Player did it here as did Faldo. Sergio finished two shots out of the 2002 playoff, and he's mostly played well in the big tournaments this year. And I've got to believe Dan Jenkins can't retire from covering majors until Sergio finally surprises him. Mark McLaughlin has reported on the PGA Tour for the New York Post, FoxSports.com, Greensboro News & Record, and Burlington (N.C.) Times-News. He is a past member of the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association. Follow him on Twitter @markmacduke.
Fitzpatrick wins silver medal as low amateur PGA.COM July 21, 2013 1:10 PM .View gallery Matthew Fitzpatrick is now headed to college at Northwestern.(Getty Images) GULLANE, Scotland -- Matthew Fitzpatrick started the Open Championship being mistaken for Tiger Woods' ball-carrier on the range. He ended it taking home a silver medal for the top amateur and being hailed as the latest prodigy in British golf. Fitzpatrick's birth certificate says he is 18 but the fresh-faced youth did not look out of place as he confidently covered Muirfield this week. Playing alongside Fred Couples -- a man nearly three times his age -- Fitzpatrick shot a 1-over 72 on Sunday for an overall score of 10 over, beating fellow amateur and compatriot Jimmy Mullen by five shots. Fitzpatrick says "I can't imagine any other amateur event ever being as hard as the course we've played this week." He now heads to Chicago to play for Northwestern.
Golf-Completed British Open final-round leaderboard July 21, 2013 1:25 PM GULLANE, Scotland, July 21 (Reuters) - Completed final-round leaderboard from the 142nd British Open at Muirfield on Sunday. Par Holes P.Mickelson (U.S.) - 3 18 H.Stenson (Sweden) level 18 L.Westwood (Britain) + 1 18 I.Poulter (Britain) + 1 18 A.Scott (Australia) + 1 18 (Compiled by Ed Osmond)
Phil Mickelson becomes third to qualify for 2013 PGA Grand Slam of Golf .View gallery With his win in the Open Championship, Phil Mickelson became the third player to qualify for 2013 PGA Grand Slam of Golf.(Getty Images) PGA.COM July 21, 2013 1:27 PM Phil Mickelson, for a long time, believed that the Open Championship was the least likely of the four majors for him to be victorious. Well, that all changed in the 142nd Open Championship at Muirfield. A week earlier, Mickelson figured out the intricacies of links-style golf in Scotland with a win at Castle Stuart in the Scottish Open. Riding that momentum, Mickelson showed up more confident than ever at Muirfield. On an incredible Sunday that featured four birdies over his final six holes, Mickelson closed with an amazing, 5-under 66 to capture his fifth career major championship. Mickelson ended the Open at 3-under 281, three strokes better than runner-up Henrik Stenson. With the victory, Mickelson became the third player to qualify for golf's most exclusive foursome, joining Masters champ Adam Scott and U.S. Open winner Justin Rose in the 2013 PGA Grand Slam of Golf to be played Oct. 14-16, 2013, at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda. Mickelson began the final round of the Open Championship trailing 54-hole leader Lee Westwood by five shots. Following a steady front nine, it was those last six holes that earned Mickelson arguably his greatest win to date. The PGA Grand Slam of Golf features a $1.35 million purse, with the winner receiving $600,000, second place $300,000, third place $250,000 and fourth place $200,000. TNT's prime-time broadcast of the event reaches a worldwide audience of 88.9 million U.S. homes and international viewers in more than 100 countries. The PGA Grand Slam of Golf is hosted by the Bermuda Department of Tourism, Port Royal Golf Course, and the Fairmont Southampton Hotel. Established in 1979, the PGA Grand Slam of Golf has grown from an 18-hole, single-day charity event to a 36-hole annual showdown that matches professional golf's best against each other. The final spot in the foursome will be filled out by the winner of the 95th PGA Championship, August 8-11, at Oak Hill. By: T.J. Auclair, PGA.com
Mahan's priceless moment might have cost $1 million Steve Keating July 27, 2013 .View gallery Hunter Mahan of the U.S. greets fans as he walks off the eighteenth green at the Canadian Open golf tournament … By Steve Keating OAKVILLE, Ontario (Reuters) - Hunter Mahan turned his back on potential million dollar pay day walking away from a two-shot lead at the Canadian Open on Saturday to return home for the birth of his first child. Athletes in North America's big four professional sports leagues are routinely granted time off to attend the birth of a child and never miss a pay check. Even Britain's Prince William was given leave from his military duties to be with his wife Katherine when she gave birth to their first child earlier this week. Mahan's decision, however, to rush home to be with his wife Kandi, who suddenly went into labor, could have come with a considerable price tag with the winner's check worth $1 million. "The birth of a child is an unforgettable experience," said world number six Matt Kuchar, who will start Sunday's final round just two shots back of leader Brandt Snedeker. "It just happens only maybe once in a lifetime. "It's something that's special, something that's completely magical and unforgettable. "I hope with the early birth everything is safe and everybody is well. "I think Hunter has got to make sure he takes care of his family. That's first and foremost." Mahan's fellow golfers explained that Mahan was caught a bit off guard by his wife's call with her due date not expected until mid-August. "I think we were all surprised," said Kuchar. "I talked to Hunter just two days ago. He said that I think the due date was weekend of Greensboro (August 15-18). "So it's quite early." After carding an opening round 67 followed by a sparkling eight-under 64 on Friday, Mahan surged two shots clear at the top of the leaderboard and in pole position to finally cash in on his good form and collect his first win of the season. While one of the tournaments marquee names will be missing from Sunday's final round, the Canadian Open is set for an exciting final round with several players moving into contention in Mahan's absence. "Hopefully everything goes all right, I know it's one of those situations where you probably wouldn't expect him to have to leave," said Dustin Johnson, who fired a sizzling nine-under 63 to sit just three off the pace. "But sometimes that's just how it works. "He's playing really well right now but things happen and obviously I'm in a good position for going into tomorrow." (Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
Golf-U.S. PGA Tour Canadian Open scores July 27, 2013 July 27 (Infostrada Sports) - Scores from the U.S. PGA Tour Canadian Open at the par-72 course on Saturday in Oakville, ON 202 Brandt Snedeker (U.S.) 70 69 63 203 David Lingmerth (Sweden) 67 71 65 204 Matt Kuchar (U.S.) 66 74 64 Jason Bohn (U.S.) 70 68 66 205 Dustin Johnson (U.S.) 75 67 63 Kyle Stanley (U.S.) 68 71 66 Greg Owen (Britain) 70 68 67 Charley Hoffman (U.S.) 69 69 67 John Merrick (U.S.) 71 62 72 206 Mark Wilson (U.S.) 70 69 67 Roberto Castro (U.S.) 69 70 67 James Hahn (U.S.) 69 68 69 Patrick Reed (U.S.) 68 68 70 207 Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 68 73 66 Fabian Gomez (Argentina) 72 68 67 William McGirt (U.S.) 71 69 67 Jeff Maggert (U.S.) 72 67 68 Alistair Presnell (Australia) 72 67 68 Jim Furyk (U.S.) 72 67 68 Bubba Watson (U.S.) 68 67 72 208 Vijay Singh (Fiji) 69 73 66 Greg Chalmers (Australia) 73 68 67 Chris Kirk (U.S.) 68 69 71 209 Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 73 70 66 Chad Campbell (U.S.) 71 72 66 Matt Every (U.S.) 71 71 67 Chez Reavie (U.S.) 68 73 68 Jason Kokrak (U.S.) 72 68 69 Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 69 69 71 James Driscoll (U.S.) 69 69 71 Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 68 68 73 210 Justin Leonard (U.S.) 71 72 67 Ernie Els (South Africa) 71 72 67 Marcel Siem (Germany) 71 70 69 Richard Lee (U.S.) 72 69 69 David Mathis (U.S.) 71 69 70 Casey Wittenberg (U.S.) 71 69 70 Andres Romero (Argentina) 69 70 71 211 Justin Hicks (U.S.) 72 71 68 Nicholas Thompson (U.S.) 73 70 68 David Hearn (Canada) 70 73 68 Yang Yong-Eun (South Korea) 75 68 68 Stuart Appleby (Australia) 69 73 69 Luke List (U.S.) 72 69 70 Morgan Hoffmann (U.S.) 70 70 71 Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) 69 71 71 Tommy Gainey (U.S.) 73 64 74 212 Kevin Chappell (U.S.) 68 75 69 Jeff Gove (U.S.) 71 70 71 Cameron Beckman (U.S.) 70 71 71 Billy Horschel (U.S.) 71 69 72 Ryan Palmer (U.S.) 70 70 72 J.J. Henry (U.S.) 73 67 72 Cameron Tringale (U.S.) 72 67 73 213 Andrew Svoboda (U.S.) 71 72 70 Gary Woodland (U.S.) 69 72 72 Bae Sang-Moon (South Korea) 71 70 72 Tim Petrovic (U.S.) 71 69 73 Scott Verplank (U.S.) 72 68 73 Mike Weir (Canada) 73 67 73 Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 74 65 74 214 Steve LeBrun (U.S.) 73 70 71 Scott Langley (U.S.) 71 72 71 Roger Sloan (Canada) 71 71 72 Cameron Percy (Australia) 71 70 73 Brendan Steele (U.S.) 65 75 74 215 Will Claxton (U.S.) 69 74 72 Brian Gay (U.S.) 72 71 72 Scott Piercy (U.S.) 71 71 73 Bob Estes (U.S.) 73 68 74 Robert Allenby (Australia) 72 69 74 Scott Gardiner (Australia) 66 74 75 Scott Brown (U.S.) 66 72 77 WDW Hunter Mahan (U.S.) 67 64 WDW Brad Fritsch (Canada) 69 73
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