News and Notes from last week

Gary Woodland-Transitions Champion

·         Gary Woodland won the 2011 Transitions Championship. Woodland’s four under, 67 was good enough edge out the slooooow playing Web Simpson by one shot. Simpson needed par on the 18^th to force a playoff, but failed to get up and down. Justin Rose looked poised for his third PGA win, but blew up with a 74 on Sunday. Sergio Garcia returned to form for at least two days before withering away on the weekend. It was Garcia’s first tournament in the US after his self-imposed sabbatical from the game. For the first time in six starts this season, Nick Watney finished outside the top ten. Thus, forcing his caddie to get a haircut. The running joke between the two was that Watney’s caddie would not get until the two finished outside the top ten. The joke ran for five weeks straight. World’s number one, Martin Kaymer was in the field and finished T20 at 6 under.

·         Karrie Webb has entered two tournaments this year and has won them both. The latest, being the well documented, inaugural RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup in which there was no actual prize fund. Instead, monies were distributed to various charities on behalf of the players who finished in the top ten. Webb divided her $200,000 donation between the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and Japan Relief Charity yet to be determined. Furthermore, LPGA.COM reported that “RR Donnelley committed $100 per birdie and $500 per eagle on holes 15-18 on Friday and Saturday to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF's Japan relief efforts. Dubbed the "Japan Relief Zone," RR Donnelley opted to up the donations on Sunday, contributing $500 per birdie and $1,000 per eagle on holes 15-18. All told, 285 birdies and four eagles made possible a $53,300 donation from RR Donnelley to the U.S. Fund.”

Karrie Webb- Founders Cup Champion

·         Japan Relief: South Korean K.J. Choi donated $100,000 and the US’s Bubba Watson handed over a check for $50,000 in the media center at the Transitions Championship.

·         Tiger Woods spent a few awkward moments on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” to promote his new video game featuring Augusta National. Woods’ took it on the chin while Fallon thanked him making jokes easier to write while his personal life fell apart.

·         Former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz was given a sponsor’s exemption to play in the Nationwide Tour’s South Georgia Classic. Smoltz said that he didn’t “want to step on anyone’s toes” by taking a spot from a player trying to make a living at the game, but went on to accept the invitation anyway. Meanwhile, PGATOUR.COM reported that Pro Football Hall of Famer, Jerry Rice “would return as tournament host and also participate as a professional competitor… "at the Nationwide Tour’s Fresh Express Classic. “I love working with the Nationwide Tour, the players and all the people here at TPC Stonebrae," the former San Francisco 49er great said. "I can't wait to do it again. Last year's reaction was overwhelming. My main goal is to help the tournament be successful." The Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae will be played at the San Francisco Bay area course April 14-17. 

·         Stephanie Wei reported that Stewart Cink’s Twitter account was hacked when a tweet (see left) from Cink's account went viral.

     

·         Gold Digest’s Ron Sirak wrote a thought provoking piece about the possibility of the PGA TOUR taking over management of the struggling LPGA. When asked, LPGA Tour officials said that there were no discussions being held on the matter between the two entities.

·         Europeantour.com: Raphaël Jacquelin (-12) held off a spirited challenge from Anthony Wall (-11) to win his third European Tour title at the Sicilian Open. A two-and-a-half hour delay for dangerous weather conditions on Sunday forced a Monday finish at Donnafugata Golf Resort & SPA, with the leading pair resuming with just one shot separating them and six holes to play. Wall twice wiped out the deficit, only to find water at the penultimate hole and run up a double bogey as 36 year old Jacquelin walked away with the €166,660 first prize.

Next up:

  

Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard

Monday Mar 21 – Sunday Mar 27, 2011

Bay Hill Club and Lodge · Orlando, Fla.

Purse: $6 million

Winning Share: $1,080,000

FedExCup Points: 500

http://www.arnoldpalmerinvitational.com/

TV TIMES	Thu, 3/24:	Fri, 3/25:	Sat, 3/26:	Sun, 3/27:
	GOLF 3p - 6p ET	GOLF 3p - 6p ET	NBC 2:30p - 6p ET	NBC 2:30p - 6p ET
SIRIUS XM	Thu, 3/24:	Fri, 3/25:	Sat, 3/26:	Sun, 3/27:
	12p - 6p ET	12p - 6p ET	12p - 6p ET	12p - 6p ET

Course Details: PGATOUR.COM

Course Superintendent Matt Beaver Original architect Dick Wilson, Joe Lee (1961) Redesign Arnold Palmer (2009) Par value 72 Number of TOUR events as host venue 32 (including 2010) Course ranking Ranked 4 (out of 51) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2009 Yardage history 7,400 (present) Grass Bermudagrass overseeded with perennial ryegrass (Tees, fairways, rough); Bermudagrass overseeded with Poa trivialis (Greens) Tournament Stimpmeter 10.5 ft Sand bunkers 103 Water hazards 7 Course tour Click here

Course record: 62

Player Andy Bean Greg Norman Year 1981 1984 Round 2nd 2nd Finish Won T6

Massive donation by K.J. Choi

Tremendous effort by K.J. Choi who donated 100K from his charity to the victims in Japan. The report comes from cnn.com here.

"It is shocking and terribly sad to see what is happening every day in Japan and the difficulty they face in overcoming this disaster. The situation in Japan impacts us all on a global level," Choi said in a statement on Friday.
"This is the time for us to join our hands together and do all we can to help our friends in Japan. I have special memories of playing in Japan as it set the stepping stone in helping me to become the first Korean to earn a PGA Tour card.
"Through the K.J. Choi Foundation, I want to implement projects that can attract continuous interest and support to help our neighbors in Japan."

Meet Martin Laird

Martin Laird-Getty Images

Most notable for his win at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in 2009, Martin Laird is quietly having a solid start to the 2011 season. The 2004 Colorado State University graduate has steadily improved his play since becoming a regular on the PGA Tour in 2008. Laird earned his status on the PGA Tour by way of the Nationwide Tour, finishing 13^th on the money list in 2007. He narrowly escaped having to go back to the Nationwide Tour in 2008, but managed to maintain his status by finishing in the last spot on the PGA Tour money list (125^th). Since then, Laird has made good on his good fortune—in 2009 he finished 65^th on the money list and 35^th in 2010.   

Judging by the start of the 2011 season, Laird is continuing his upward trend. To date Laird has earned over $600,000 in just six starts. He has four top 25’s and two top 10’s having missed one cut. Laird is currently 24^th on the money list with a long way to go in the marathon season.

If the Scotsman is going to be a permanent force on the tour, Laird will have to sharpen some of his stats. Despite being ranked 6^th in totally driving, Laird is ranked 91^st overall in driving accuracy. Laird hits about 67% of GIR’s, despite averaging over 300 yards off the tee; is ranked 121^st in proximity to the hole and yet still manages to average 4.42 birdies a round. Though Laird is poised to make the cut every time he tees it up (ranked 11^th in scoring average before the cut), but his final round scoring average is a pedestrian 71 (ranked 79^th). Strange enough, Laird is 6^th in GIR’s when faced with second shots over 200 yards, but his ranked 75^th in par 5 performance. To this point, Laird has been relying on solid putting, a sharp short game, and the ability to to score to get by. If he can sort out some his shortcomings, a good start to the year can easily turn into something bigger very quickly for Martin Laird.

Laird just started his second round and is currently tied for 5^th at this week’s Transitions Championship. 

~Finding Sergio

This piece was written after Sergio's final round last year; but since he is making his US debut this week, it deserves a repost.

Psychologists have noted that people remember the beginning and ending to a series, but not much in the middle. Let’s hope that Sergio Garcia can soon forget the middle of his career and start composing a memorable ending. If not, it will be a great loss to the golfing community. 

In a recent European Tour Broadcast, Sergio was once again the topic of discussion as he putted out on eighteen for his final round of the year. “Sergio must get back to finding a passion for the game” they said, and I agreed. “Look at Lee Westwood” as he battled back from renting the basement floor of the world rankings. Why stop there. You might as well throw in a couple of boys from down under as well—Stuart Appleby and Adam Scott--who have won this year. And don’t forget two-time “comeback player of the year”, Steve Stricker. All are suitable examples for Sergio to follow except for one thing, and it pains me to write it even from the comfy confines of my couch. The truth is that Sergio will not be another “comeback” story until he shows the thing the aforementioned have already displayed---CHARACTER. 

The busting Sergio that scissor kicked his way around Medinah with youthful enthusiasm has been replaced not with maturity, but with youthful petulance. You remember the quotes. There were the golf gods at Carnoustie—“I'm playing against a lot of guys out there, more than the field. It's funny how some guys hit the pin and go to a foot. Mine hits the pin and goes 20 feet away." Don’t forget the unlucky guy raking the bunker who took “forever” and left poor Sergio to wait an eternity to play his final shot into eighteen.  There were USGA officials at the US Open at Bethpage—“If it was raining that hard on Tiger, they would have called it.” Self sabotage is self sabotage whether you’re Sergio Garcia or John Daly. At least Daly doesn’t blame anyone but himself. He even blamed his putting woes on his recent weight loss. He said that he putted better when he was fat because he could rest his arms right on his “love handles.” 

Instead, Sergio refuses to look in the mirror for the same reasons Tiger said he was afraid to look in the mirror—“for fear of what he might find.” Sergio’s real problem is that you don’t find character like you found your lost golf swing. Character is revealed over time like Jack Nicholas and Arnold Palmer. Sergio has bigger problems than not winning golf tournaments. First he needs to find a mirror.

Watney Wins, Tiger improves, and tours unite

Watney birdies the 18th

Nick Watney stepped up to the 18^th and stared down his demons. Having rinsed his tee shot just a day earlier, Watney piped his tee shot down the middle and finished with a birdie to win the Cadillac Championship. Some might say poetic justice for Watney who was denied at the rim of the cup on the 18^th that would have sent him and Mickelson into a playoff in 2009. Mickelson would tap in for par and win. "I'm not sure it owed me one," Watney said recalling that final round with Mickelson. "I think I settled the score. If you keep working hard, you get back in that situation. And luckily today, I was able to do a little better."

1	Nick Watney	-16
2	Dustin Johnson	-14
T3	Anders Hansen	-13
T3	Francesco Molinari	-13
5	Matt Kuchar	-12

Tiger likes the progress in the "process"

 

Tiger Woods’ final round 66 will surely get more play in the media than Watney’s win; but nevertheless, he seems to be getting on in the “process” of putting his swing back together. ”It’s definitely getting better, there’s no doubt. I’m putting the pieces together. Everything is kind of shaping up and heading the right direction, which is good, and peaking right at the right time, right for Tavistock Cup (laughing).” The Tavistock Cup, being the inter-club championship for inter-galactic dominance in the world of the rich and famous that will be played tomorrow and Tuesday. In terms of his chances at the Masters, Tiger seems to like them. “Oh, yeah. Mm-hmm” he said smiling.

Finchem and O'Grady

 

Integration was the word of the day as PGA commissioner Tim Finchem and European Tour chief executive George O’Grady met at Doral to speak about the pebble in each tour’s shoe. Over the years, there has been much posturing between the two tours, but even more recently, when the South African Open was scheduled the same week as this year’s Presidents Cup. Ernie Els is leading the international side in points that would qualify him for the President’s Cup, but is also the defending champion of the event. In addition, fellow South Africans, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oousthuizen are also potential players for the international team, but would also like to play in their native land. O’Grady spoke on the matter, saying that "With the leading players on the rest of the World ranking coming from South Africa at the moment, the choice of that date doesn’t appear perfect. …  There are different alternatives, and I would hope that we can get it sorted out quite quickly."