Webb Simpson shoots 64 after slow start to PGA

Webb Simpson shoots 64 after slow start to PGA


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RACHEL COHEN (AP Sports Writer) August 9, 2013AP - Sports








PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- Webb Simpson shot a 72 on Thursday that felt like a 64.

Then he went out and shot an actual 64.

Simpson, who was at 5 over after his first eight holes of thePGA Championship, surged into contention Friday by tying the course record at Oak Hill - only for it to be broken a few hours later. With a 6-under 64 in the morning, he was at 4 under overall, five strokes behind Jason Dufner, who matched the mark for a major with a 63 in the afternoon.

Simpson didn't know the course record, but he was almost positive that 63 was the standard for a major. And when he made four birdies in five holes to reach 7 under with three to play, he couldn't help but fantasize about history.

''I made the turn - I'm still trying to make the cut. It's amazing how a day like today, you go from outside the cut line, to just in, to going for the all-time major record,'' Simpson said. ''It's a big swing of emotions. But the mind is powerful, so I was just trying to not think about it and just stay kind of in my rhythm.''


The 2012 U.S. Open champion had five bogeys and a double bogey through eight holes in his first round. He gave himself a little pep talk on the seventh green.

''I said, 'If I have any chance in this golf tournament, any chance at all just to contend, I have to be patient the rest of the day,''' he recalled. ''I wanted to get mad. Wanted to throw clubs and do all that, but it wasn't going to help anything.''

He followed his own advice with four birdies on the back nine, including one on No. 18 to end the day with confidence cresting.

As the rain let up Friday, Simpson made three birdie putts of about 10-12 feet on his back nine. A 35-footer on No. 5 gave him an inkling something special might be happening.

And a conundrum.
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Webb Simpson reacts after missing a birdie putt on the eighth hole during the second round of the PG …

''It's so hard because, on one hand, you want to go for it. You want to go for the record,'' Simpson said. ''But you can't do that on a golf course this hard.''

He needed to stay patient and conservative.

''This game is so funny - when you try to make birdies, it seems like you don't,'' he said. ''It was there. It's like the elephant in the room.''

One of his playing partners, Angel Cabrera, withdrew because of a wrist injury after 11 holes, and Simpson said that helped in the wet weather by giving him more time between shots.

He slipped back to 6 under with a bogey on No. 7 after his second shot got tangled in the branches of one of the towering trees lining the hole. The ball came down in rough so deep Simpson had to ask a spectator where it landed.
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Webb Simpson celebrates after a birdie on the sixth hole during the second round of the PGA Champion …

After just missing birdie putts on his last two holes, Simpson learned he tied the record first set by Ben Hogan in 1942 and matched by Curtis Strange at the 1989 U.S. Open. It would later be lowered by Dufner with soft conditions yielding low scores.

Sharp-shooting Rose charges into contention

Sharp-shooting Rose charges into contention

August 9, 2013







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England's Justin Rose tees off on the seventh hole during the second round of the 2013 PGA Championship …


ROCHESTER, New York (Reuters) - Chock full of confidence less than two months after capturing a maiden major title, Justin Rose used a spectacular inward nine to surge into contention at the PGA Championship on Friday.

Rose, who became the first Englishman in 43 years to win the U.S. Open in June, shot an inward nine of 29 at a rain-soaked Oak Hill country Club to complete a six-under 66 that left him two strokes back of clubhouse leader Jason Dufner (63).

The 33-year-old believes no longer having to chase his first major makes him even more dangerous as a contender in golf's four elite championships.

"It's wonderful to be in this situation right now, talking about having (won a major); talking about feeling like you can win more, believing in yourself, not talking about how I hope it could happen this week," Rose told reporters. "So I think that alone makes it easier."

After good friend and playing partner Adam Scott enjoyed his own breakthrough major victory at the Masters earlier this year, he sent a text message to Rose insisting "this is our time".

Perhaps taking the lead from Australian Scott, who altered his training schedule with a focus on being in top form for golf's four majors, Rose adopted a similar mindset.

"I'm getting to that point now this year where I've really focused on my preparation and come into them really, really focusing on them, trying to peak for them," said Rose.


"When you're not 100 percent ready to win majors, every week is a big week, but then I feel like you get your game to a point where you're trying to make sure it's ready four times a year."

Rose, who tied for 25th at the Masters in April and missed the cut at last month's British Open, heads into the weekend in prime position to capture another major thanks to a flawless finish to a round that opened in driving rain.

Two over for the day through nine holes after mixing three bogeys with a birdie, Rose turned on the jets as the rain stopped and navigated his way home with incredible precision.

He kickstarted his game into high gear, one-putting eight of his final nine holes and carding six birdies along the way.

His playing group also included British Open champion Phil Mickelson, a five-time major winner who was 33 years old when he enjoyed his major breakthrough at the Masters.

For Rose, who considers the 43-year-old American one of the game's greats, seeing Mickelson enjoy such success in the later stages of his career is inspiring.

"It's motivating to know that you can still build that kind of career in your 30s," said Rose. "But at the same time, you know, you understand how hard it is."

(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

Simpson ties Oak Hill record on 'great day'

Simpson ties Oak Hill record on 'great day'

PGA.COM August 9, 2013







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“I was extremely happy with my game today," saidWebb Simpson of his 6-under 64.(Edward M. Pio Roda/Turner …


By T.J. Auclair, PGA.com Interactive Producer

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Webb Simpson tied the course record at Oak Hill Country Club with a 6-under 64 in the second round of the 95th PGA Championship on Friday.

The 64, along with Thursday's opening round of 2-over 72, had Simpson at 4-under 136 through 36 holes and well within the top 10 after the second round's morning wave.

"It was a great day," said Simpson, who joined Ben Hogan and Curtis Strange as the only other players to shoot 64 atOak Hill. "At 5 over through eight holes (on Thursday) it was a pretty low moment for me. But I had a pep talk with myself on the seventh green and just told myself, 'one hole at a time,' and tried to get a birdie here, a birdie there and somehow played the last 10 or 11 holes under par. I was able to do that and I birdied 18 yesterday, which was huge for my confidence. Two over felt like a 64 yesterday after being 5 over.

"So, I was extremely happy with my game today. All around, it was really solid. I made some great putts, made some good par putts to keep the momentum going. It's a special feeling to have tied the course record at Oak Hill."

Simpson, the 2012 U.S. Open champ, really got things started on the right foot with back-to-back birdies out of the gate on Friday, while playing through a steady rain for much of the round.

Playing the back nine first, Simpson hit his approach shot on the 10th hole to within 10 feet to set up a short birdie putt. At the next hole, he drained a 15-footer for birdie.

Another birdie at the short, par-4 14th hole brought Simpson to 3 under through five holes.

Things really started cooking on the front nine. He birdied Nos. 2, 3 and 6 on putts inside of 12 feet and made a 35-footer at No. 5 for another birdie.


For some time, Simpson thought he might be able to shoot a 62, which would have been a new record score for a major championship.

"I was thinking about it once I birdied No. 6," Simpson admitted. "I was thinking about the all-tie major record, and I was about 99 percent sure it was 63. It's so hard because on one hand, you want to go for it. You want to go for the record. But you can't do that on a golf course this hard and I wasn't doing that at any point today. I was trying to be patient and trying to be conservative."

Simpson's only bogey Friday came at the par-4 seventh hole. Though he hit the fairway with his tee shot, Simpson clipped a tree with his approach that led to the bogey.

Since winning the U.S. Open at Olympic Club last June, Simpson has yet to win again. He came close in April, losing to Graeme McDowell in a playoff at the Heritage. Even still, he's had a consistent 2013 season, having compiled four top-10 finishes in 19 starts.

"I didn't know what to expect, but I feel like the transition to being a major champion was smooth," he said. "I felt like I kept playing well the rest of the summer. Yeah, I wish I could have had a victory since then, but you know, we've been working hard all year trying to get better, and I feel like I'm better.

"Someone told me that the older you get, the more special you'll realize what the U.S. Open meant and that's what it's been like," Simpson added. "Every day I've thought about it, and winning the U.S. Open has made me want to get back in contention in golf tournaments and majors all the more. It's hard to believe that was over a year ago."

So how does Simpson plan on backing up the 64 in Saturday's third round?

"Well, I think if you give the course you're playing proper respect, you know and I go out tomorrow not expecting to shoot 64 again, I think I'll be in a good spot," he said. "Tomorrow is a brand new day. It's probably going to dry out a bit. I think I'll be okay with that. Not saying I'll play well, but I don't think that will affect me necessarily.

"I think it's harder when you're playing somewhere where all the scores are very low and you go out and shoot a low number. In that situation, you're trying to press and make birdies. Here, you don't really have to make birdies, as long as you're kind of hanging around par."

Golf-PGA Tour FedExCup points table

 

August 12, 2013

Aug 12 (Reuters) - PGA Tour 2013 FedExCup points table on

Monday (U.S. unless stated):

 1. Tiger Woods 3,059 points

2. Matt Kuchar 2,293

3. Brandt Snedeker 2,218

4. Phil Mickelson 2,166

 5. Billy Horschel 1,487

6. Bill Haas 1,457

7. Justin Rose (England) 1,447

8. Henrik Stensen (Sweden) 1,426

9. Keegan Bradley 1,416

10. Adam Scott (Australia) 1,347

 11. Kevin Streelman 1,333

10. Boo Weekley 1,305

13. Jason Day (Australia) 1,284

14. Jason Dufner 1,256

 15. Dustin Johnson 1,226

 16. Jordan Spieth 1,136

17. Harris English 1,134

18. Webb Simpson 1,125

19. Steve Stricker 1,117

 20. Hunter Mahan 1,101

(Editing by Caroline Helly)

Golf-European Tour Race to Dubai money list

 

August 12, 2013

Aug 12 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013

European Tour Race to Dubai on Monday:

1. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 2,118,961 euros

2. Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) 1,693,388

 3. Justin Rose (England) 1,661,024 

 4. Richard Sterne (South Africa) 1,265,514

 5. Matteo Manassero (Italy) 1,228,188

6. Branden Grace (South Africa) 1,069,469

 7. Ernie Els (South Africa) 1,036,616

 8. Sergio Garcia (Spain) 1,016,700

9. Ian Poulter (England) 973,716

 10. Brett Rumford (Australia) 948,180

11. Lee Westwood (England) 943,639

 12. Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 882,321

13. Mikko Ilonen (Finland) 877,527

14. Jamie Donaldson (Wales) 826,072

15. Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 821,744

16. Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 756,699

17. Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 749,550

18. Marc Warren (Scotland) 736,862

19. Stephen Gallacher (Scotland) 719,387

20. Chris Wood (England) 690,469

(Editing by Ed Osmond)

Jason Dufner Proves Intensity Comes in Many Forms

 

Adam Fonseca August 12, 2013

COMMENTARY | Jason Dufner has never been known to be an excitable person, on or off the golf course. In fact, that might be a bit of an understatement.

During the final round of the 2013 PGA Championship, Dufner's longtime friend Nick Malinowski told Yahoo! Sports' Eric Adelson that Dufner has always exuded a sense of melancholy. If there are emotions flowing through the mind of the newest major champion, you sure as heck wouldn't know it by watching him play golf.

Even as he tapped in his final putt of the tournament to claim his first major, all the excitement Dufner could muster was a mild fist pump and a nod of the head to his caddy. Following a brief embrace -- and loving "tap" -- with his wife, Amanda, Dufner headed into the scoring tent to sign his card, much like he's done in any other tournament round previously.

Just another day at the office. This one just ended with a bigger trophy.

Still, don't let Dufner's lack of outward exuberance fool you. Behind the eyes of the tobacco-chewing, shaggy-haired Alabaman is a golfer who has been driven to excel at any level that he has played. After picking up the game at 14 years old, Dufner played on his school's golf team for St. Thomas Aquinas High School for three years. His determination to succeed pushed him to walk on to play collegiate golf at Auburn University, where he won three tournaments and earned an All-American Honorable Mention in 1997.

While his amateur career following college was brief, Dufner's poised attitude and consistent ball-striking earned him an appearance in the finals of the U.S. Amateur Public Links at Torrey Pines in 1998. He would turn professional two years later and has accumulated five professional wins, including three on the PGA Tour.

You would never know it by looking at his reaction at the time, but Dufner's biggest professional disappointment came at the 2011 PGA Championship where Keegan Bradley defeated Dufner by a single stroke in a three-hole aggregate playoff.

"I'm disappointed now, but there are a lot of good things to take from this week," Dufner told PGA.com's Stan Awtrey following the loss. "Coming from where I came from, to be in this position, it's a dream come true. I'm not going to let this [loss] define my career."

 Time showed how Dufner would stay true to both his word and his temperament. Even after finally winning his first PGA tournament in 2012 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans -- 12 years after turning pro -- Dufner barely cracked a smile. The story remained the same one month later at the 2012 HP Byron Nelson Championship as he carded his second win, chew tucked firmly in his lip. 

 No, Jason Dufner is not the textbook image of an electric champion athlete. The terms "adrenaline" and "electric" don't seem to fit the description of the 36-year-old. 

Thanks to his focus, commitment and strive to make his mark on the game he respects more than anything, the phrase "major champion" perfectly describes Jason Dufner.

Adam Fonseca has covered professional golf since 2005. His work can also be found on the Back9Network. Follow Adam on Twitter at @chicagoduffer.

Golf-McIlroy commits to Australian Open appearance in Sydney

 

August 17, 2013

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Double major winner and world number three Rory McIlroy will tee off alongside U.S. Masters champion Adam Scott at this year's Australian Open in Sydney, organisers said on Saturday.

 The 24-year-old Briton, who followed up his 2011 U.S Open triumph with a victory at last year's U.S. PGA Championship, will return to play the tournament held at theRoyal Sydney Golf Club from Nov. 28-Dec. 1 after a seven-year absence.

It will mark the first time he has taken part in the event since 2006, when he finished in a tie for 59th competing as an amateur.

The event, co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the PGA Tour of Australasia, will also witness a home appearance for Australia's world number four Scott, who became the first golfer from his country to triumph at Augusta National earlier this year.

 "It's been a few years since I last competed in an Australian Open," McIlroy, who also played in the Australian Masters in 2007 in Melbourne and finished tied for 15th, said in a statement from the organisers.

 "I am very much looking forward to returning to Royal Sydney."

Former world number one McIlroy, who has endured a patchy season, showed glimpses of a return to form at last week's U.S. PGA Championship at Oak Hill, where he finished in a tie for eighth after flirting with a missed cut in his second round. (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by John O'Brien)

McIlroy commits to Australian Open appearance in Sydney

 

August 17, 2013

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Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy makes his second shot after hitting out of bounds from the fourth tee …

(Reuters) - Double major winner and world number three Rory McIlroy will tee off alongside U.S. Masters champion Adam Scott at this year's Australian Open in Sydney, organisers said on Saturday.

 The 24-year-old Briton, who followed up his 2011 U.S. Open triumph with a victory at last year's U.S. PGA Championship, will return to play the tournament held at theRoyal Sydney Golf Club from November 28-December 1 after a seven-year absence.

It will mark the first time he has taken part in the event since 2006, when he finished in a tie for 59th competing as an amateur.

The event, co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the PGA Tour of Australasia, will also witness a home appearance for Australia's world number four Scott, who became the first golfer from his country to triumph at Augusta National earlier this year.

 "It's been a few years since I last competed in an Australian Open," McIlroy, who also played in the Australian Masters in 2007 in Melbourne and finished tied for 15th, said in a statement from the organisers.

 "I am very much looking forward to returning to Royal Sydney."

 Former world number one McIlroy, who has endured a patchy season, showed glimpses of a return to form at last week's U.S. PGA Championship at Oak Hill, where he finished in a tie for eighth after flirting with a missed cut in his second round.

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by John O'Brien)

McIlroy commits to Australian Open appearance in Sydney

 

August 17, 2013

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Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy makes his second shot after hitting out of bounds from the fourth tee …

(Reuters) - Double major winner and world number three Rory McIlroy will tee off alongside U.S. Masters champion Adam Scott at this year's Australian Open in Sydney, organisers said on Saturday.

 The 24-year-old Briton, who followed up his 2011 U.S. Open triumph with a victory at last year's U.S. PGA Championship, will return to play the tournament held at theRoyal Sydney Golf Club from November 28-December 1 after a seven-year absence.

It will mark the first time he has taken part in the event since 2006, when he finished in a tie for 59th competing as an amateur.

The event, co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the PGA Tour of Australasia, will also witness a home appearance for Australia's world number four Scott, who became the first golfer from his country to triumph at Augusta National earlier this year.

 "It's been a few years since I last competed in an Australian Open," McIlroy, who also played in the Australian Masters in 2007 in Melbourne and finished tied for 15th, said in a statement from the organisers.

 "I am very much looking forward to returning to Royal Sydney."

 Former world number one McIlroy, who has endured a patchy season, showed glimpses of a return to form at last week's U.S. PGA Championship at Oak Hill, where he finished in a tie for eighth after flirting with a missed cut in his second round.

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by John O'Brien)