Colin Montgomerie Jose Maria Olazabal miss out as 10 qualify for British Open in England

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Colin Montgomerie missed out on a playoff to make it into the British Open by a single shot in Monday's 36-hole qualifying tournament in England.

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Series: European Tour

SUNNINGDALE, England -- Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal were among those to miss out in the European edition of International Final Qualifying (IFQ) for the British Open at Sunningdale on Monday, but England's Sam Walker will finally make his debut at Royal Lytham next month after 10 previous attempts.

Montgomerie, who took two strokes too many in a qualifying event for the U.S. Open four weeks ago, came even closer this time. But he was left needing to hole a bunker shot on the final hole to go into a playoff at the end of the one-day, 36-hole qualifier.

The shot had the length but finished six feet wide, and so the 49-year-old was able to add only a level-par 70 on the Old Course to his morning 3-under 66 round the adjoining New Course.

Olazabal, Montgomerie’s successor as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain, was on track to make it when he reached 5 under after 14 holes, but fell back to 1 under with rounds of 67 and 71.

Montgomerie, who could still be part of the Lytham action with a top-five finish at either the upcoming French or Scottish Opens, left without comment.

"I made a great start, but then had too many putts and when I hit a bad shot on the 16th that was it," said Olazabal, who at age 46 was seeking a 21st appearance in the Open. "It's consistency -- you have to do it for 18 holes four days in a row."

Or in this case, two rounds in a row.

Walker, who made his first try to qualify 14 years ago when he was 20, finished second to compatriot James Morrison as the 96-strong field battled for 10 spots.

"It's been a massive 24 hours for me -- I should rush around more often," said the Birmingham native, who won a European Challenge Tour in Scotland on Sunday, flew back home and then set off at 5:00 a.m. in order to make his tee-off time. "I'm tired, but it feels amazing and it's going to be fantastic to play. It'll be one of the best things in my life."

Morrison, another who will be making his Open debut, finished 8 under after rounds of 63 and 68. He was up even earlier for a 6:48 a.m. start -- and that after a disturbed night thanks to his 12-day-old son Finley.

"I was fighting a few demons the last few holes," he said, remembering he had finished bogey-bogey to miss out by one last year.

Sparkling though Morrison's first round was, it was bettered by one in the afternoon by Welshman Jamie Donaldson as he made it through with only a single shot to spare. His 62 equalled the course record that Montgomerie himself matched two years ago.

For Donaldson it will be a second Open, while England's Matthew Baldwin will play his first a month after qualifying for a U.S. Open debut. He too finished 5 under, as did compatriot Richard Finch, Spain's Alejandro Canizares and Australian Marcus Fraser.

However, Finch's fellow Yorkshireman Danny Willett, who beat Fraser in a four-hole playoff for the BMW International Open on Sunday, missed out by four shots. After a 9:30 p.m. flight back from Germany, Willett had "a couple of beers" to celebrate his first European Tour victory and did not get to bed until 2:00 a.m.

Others to fail included Tom Lewis, who led after the opening day at Sandwich last July and with his 65 achieved the lowest round ever by an amateur in the Open; Italian teenager Matteo Manassero; and Sweden’s Niclas Fasth, runner-up to David Duval on Lytham's last staging of the championship in 2001.

Willett could still qualify through a mini-money list that ends this week at the Irish Open. He is just over $150 behind South African Richard Sterne, who missed out himself by one stroke.

Five players – Englismen Lee Slattery and Oliver Fisher, Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth, Sweden’s Oscar Floren and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen -- were involved in the playoff for the last two places on offer.

International Final Qualifying (IFQ) events were introduced in 2004 and are held on five continents to give more players from around the world the chance to gain direct entry into golf's oldest championship. Qualifiers were held in South Africa, Australia, Asia and the United States earlier this year.

Brian Davis Roland Thatcher tied for lead after long third day at Travelers Championship

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Brian Davis made an early move Saturday, shooting a 29 on the front nine with six birdies.

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Pat Eaton-Robb

Associated Press

Series: PGA Tour

CROMWELL, Conn. -- TPC River Highlands has been the sight of the first PGA Tour win for four of its last six tournament champions.

Roland Thatcher and Englishman Brian Davis would like to make it five of seven.

Davis shot a 6-under 64, and Thatcher had a 65 on Saturday to share the third-round lead in the Travelers Championship at 12 under.

Davis said he's not sure why this tournament, which comes a week after the U.S. Open, has been so good to relative unknowns.

"Obviously, some of the big players aren't here, but there is still a really good field here," Davis said. "It's just one of them things. I've had a couple of weeks off, maybe I'm not as tired as the other guys. But, I'll take my win anywhere. I don't care where it is."

Davis made an early move, shooting a 29 on the front nine with six birdies. Thatcher overtook him with three straight birdies on the back nine and had a one-stroke lead before missing a 7-foot par putt on the 17th hole.

"I executed just really well in that stretch," Thatcher said. "It's easy to say they're easy holes, and that's what you should do, but you still have to execute."

Seventeen other players were within five strokes of the lead entering the final round.

John Rollins, James Driscoll and Stuart Appleby were two strokes back. Defending champion Fredrik Jacobson, who led after two rounds, shot an even-par 70 to remain at 9 under.

Davis said his fast start was helped by the thunderstorms that pushed the finish of the second round to Saturday morning and softened up the greens.

"I didn't even realize I had shot 29," said Davis, who has been a runner-up on the PGA Tour five times. "I was just playing and everything was going right. Then obviously we hit the turn and we had the wind pick up for about three holes and it was playing tough all of the sudden."

The first-time winners at River Highlands include Jacobson last year, Bubba Watson (2010), Hunter Mahan (2007) and J.J. Henry (2006).

But Thatcher said he's not worried about that.

"I figure when I play well, I'll play well and hopefully it's going to be enough to keep the job every year," he said. "This week will go a long way towards that."

Appleby, by contrast, is looking for his 10th tour win after making just one bogey in his round. The 41-year-old Australian said he's happy to be considered the old veteran among the young guns vying for the championship.

"It would be good to get back in the winner's circle, he said. "The only cut I've made has been shaving for a long time. I played better golf when I was a rookie out here, and that's just not right."

Jacobson recovered from a bogey on 17 to birdie the final hole and stay within striking distance as he attempts to join Phil Mickelson, the 2001 and 2002 winner, as the only players to successfully defend a title at River Highlands.

"I'm really happy being three behind going into tomorrow rather than five or six," he said. "I'll take the positives."

Watson also is in the mix, one of four players at 8-under par. He had a 15-foot birdie putt to go 10-under at the 17th hole, but hit the ball five feet past the hole and then missed the return shot.

"It broke about 6 feet, maybe a gust of wind or something, and then when I putted it back up it either bounced or broke right and it shouldn't do that, obviously, because it went one way and then the other," Watson said.

Seventy-seven players spent Saturday morning finishing their second rounds after thunderstorms halted play early on Friday.

J.B. Holmes, who underwent brain surgery last September, finished the morning with 62, the second best round of his career. But he followed that a few hours later with a 75 and was nine strokes behind the leaders.

Camilo Villegas shot a second round 64 and shot 70 on Saturday afternoon. Villegas, who has three top-25 finishes this season, was four behind the leaders.

"It's nice to see my name up on the leader board," he said. "It's been a tough year and it's always good to play good."

Eighty-eight players made the cut at even par. But former UCLA star Patrick Cantlay wasn't among them. He shot a 67 on Saturday morning to finish 2 over in the first tournament of his professional career.

"I struggled on the first day and never really recovered," he said.

Danny Willett takes third-round lead at BMW International Open by one shot

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Danny Willett took the lead Saturday with a 3-under 69 that included three bogeys in the difficult conditions.

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Series: European Tour

COLOGNE, Germany -- England's Danny Willett will look for his first European Tour victory on Sunday as he begins the final round of the BMW International Open with a one-shot lead.

Willett carded a 3-under 69 to move one shot clear of fellow Englishman Chris Wood and overnight leader Joel Sjoholm, who surrendered his advantage with four bogeys on the opening nine holes.

It might have been better for Willett but he too had his share of trouble in difficult conditions, with three bogeys -- including one on the 18th -- trimming his lead.

"I got the ball under pretty good control most of the day," Willett said. "The wind was whipping around a bit, but I drove the ball great which makes it a lot easier around this golf course.

"If you want to be in contention, you have to have things go your way a little bit," he added. "It's good to be back in a position where I feel like I should be."

Sjoholm recovered from that rough start with a pair of birdies on the back nine, and at least left the course happy.

"I was in danger of a terrible finish, and instead I actually made two good pars out of nowhere," he said. "So it feels good, and I'm real excited for tomorrow. It's going to be a really, really great day because I really love this place."

Paraguayan Fabrizio Zanotti, who had been in a share of second after Friday's round, suffered a double bogey on the 18th to sign for a 72 and drop down into a share of sixth place, although that was nothing compared with the struggles of Paul McGinley.

The Irishman had also been in a share of second on Friday night, but six bogeys condemned him to a score of 77 and sent him tumbling into a tie for 27th place.

With the leaders struggling, others took their chance. South African had the joint-best score of the day, eagling the par-5 third en route to a 67 that left him two shots off the lead in a tie for fourth alongside Marcus Fraser, who birdied the 18th to sign for 68.

"I played really well at the start and gave myself a lot of chances," said Fraser, playing himself back into contention having held a share of the lead after the first round. "I missed a couple of putts but overall pretty happy. I scrambled pretty well from the start of the back nine and managed to birdie the last which capped off a good day.

"Yesterday was good in my mind in that I didn't put myself out of the tournament, because I didn't play great, and could have quite easily been well back but made a few putts and stayed in there. Today I played well and got back into it, so it was a good day."

Home favorite Marcel Siem is one of three players three shots off the lead, alongside Richard Sterne and Zanotti, having also recorded a 68.

Siem began in blistering form, making the turn in 31 after eagling the first hole, but he had four bogeys on the back nine and things could have been worse had he not avoided a penalty when his putter touched the ball on the 17th green.

"I had a great start and really enjoyed myself out there with the big crowd behind me," said Siem. "It was really cool [to hole out for eagle at the first]. I had 75 metres to the flag, downwind, scruffy lie to be honest and I thought, it's going to be tough to get the ball stopping on the hole, and just nipped it nicely in the semi rough and it went in.

"That was great, the crowd was right there. It was awesome."

There was a humorous moment in Sjoholm's round when he was forced to confront a swan before playing his second shot at the fifth hole. The swan emerged from a water hazard guarding the green and started waddling toward the 26-year old Sjoholm who, with a wedge, began waving his hands, to no avail.

A rules official then arrived and managed to entice the swan back into the water.

Sjoholm birdied the hole but dropped three shots in the next four.

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie marked his 49th birthday with a 72 that included three bogeys over his closing five holes to remain at 1 under.

A Closer Look At New QBs Coach Rick Dennison's Role

Posted Jan 28, 2014

Ryan MinkBaltimoreRavens.com Staff Writer@Ravens All Ryan Mink Articles



Rick Dennison hasn’t coached quarterbacks before, but will help tie the offensive coaching staff together.



New Ravens Quarterbacks Coach Rick Dennison hasn’t coached quarterbacks before.

But what makes him qualified for the position in Baltimore is that he’ll be much more than a quarterbacks coach.

“We have a chance to tie the whole thing together, and to me that’s the most important thing,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said on Monday.

“We’re going to have a chance to take the quarterback room and tie it to the running back, tight end, the offensive line, the wide receivers. And that’s what Rick is going to give us a chance to do.”

Harbaugh joked that new Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak and Dennison are attached by a string at the hip.



They played together in Denver for eight seasons. Kubiak was a backup quarterback to John Elway. Dennison was a linebacker.

Then they began coaching together. Dennison has worked with Kubiak for 15 of his 19 years coaching in the NFL, first in Denver and then as Kubiak’s offensive coordinator in Houston.

They’ll continue to work together coaching Flacco.

But one of Dennison’s primary tasks, especially early on, will be to help Kubiak spread his system to the rest of the existing Ravens staff. It’s similar to when Harbaugh became head coach in 2008 and appointed Jerry Rosburg as his assistant head coach. Rosburg helped relay Harbaugh’s methods to the other coaches.

“Having been in the system so many times before – he’ll be an extension of Gary in the quarterback room, but also across the whole offense,” Harbaugh said. “That’s what got me excited about him. … It’s a unique way of doing it, and it’s going to be a really effective way of doing it.”

Dennison doesn’t have as much experience coaching quarterbacks as Kubiak, but said he was predominantly in the quarterbacks room with Kubiak during his time in Houston.

“I know how he thinks with a quarterback, how he coaches a quarterback, having spent my time with him,” Dennison said. “But also I’m going to touch as many areas as I can. I know what kind of system he likes – run and pass – having dealt with it for a long time. So, I’ll try to do as much as I can to help that whole process.”

Dennison is quite familiar with how important the quarterback position is, and isn’t afraid to jump in.

“Football is football,” he said. “There may be some terminology things here and there, and maybe Gary can answer this better than I can, but you definitely build your offense around your quarterback. It starts with Joe, and those are conversations that we’ve had going forward. So, we are going to do whatever we can to make Joe the best player he can be, and Joe is pretty fired up about that.”

森田、最終ホール痛恨4パット…「最後まで頑張れなかった」

2010年11月26日18時20分
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リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 宮里　美香 -3
2 森田　理香子 -1
横峯　さくら -1
4 アン・ソンジュ 0
インビー・パーク 0
6 キム・ナリ +1
佐伯　三貴 +1
不動　裕理 +1
9 有村　智恵 +2
上原　彩子 +2


順位の続きを見る





ラウンド後黙々とパット練習を繰り返す森田、悔しさは明日以降にぶつける（撮影：米山聡明）









＜LPGAツアーチャンピオンシップリコーカップ　2日目＞◇26日◇宮崎カントリークラブ（6,520ヤード・パー72)

　今季の女子ツアー最終戦「LPGAツアーチャンピオンシップリコーカップ」の2日目。初日5アンダー単独首位スタートを切った森田理香子は、風が強く吹く難しいコンディションに苦しみ1つスコアを落としたものの4アンダー単独首位で最終ホールを迎えた。しかし、土壇場で20歳を試練が襲う。

【関連リンク】さくら、難コンディションも耐えて2位タイ浮上！

　パー4の18番ティショットは大きく曲げてトラブルに陥ったが、なんとか3打目でグリーンをとらえピン手前5メートルにつけた。ファーストパットは高麗グリーンをしっかり打って80センチオーバー。返しを決めればボギーとダメージは最小限ですんだはずだったが、「目が上からきてるから、多めに読んで打ったけど」このパットはカップを外れ3メートルオーバー。ダブルボギーパットも決めることが出来ず4パットでトリプルボギーを叩きトータル1アンダーで2日目を終えた。

　ラウンド後は「ショットが良くない中で、きわどいパーパットが入ってくれて頑張っていたけど、最後まで頑張れなかった」と最後の最後で踏ん張りきれなかったことに悔しさをにじませたが、まだ2日目。巻き返しのチャンスは残っている。「気持ち切りかえていかないと」下を向いている暇はない。

【2日目の順位】
1位：宮里美香(-3)
2位T：森田理香子(-1)
2位T：横峯さくら(-1)
4位T：アン・ソンジュ(E)
4位T：インビー・パーク(E)
6位T：佐伯三貴(+1)
6位T：金ナリ(+1)
6位T：不動裕理(+1)
9位T：有村智恵(+2)他2名

谷口塾からまたチャンピオン誕生！塾長も笑顔で祝福

2011年11月20日18時04分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア優勝 武藤　俊憲 -12
2 Ｇ・フェルナンデスカスタノ -8
3 Ｓ・ローリー -7
R・バーンズ -7
5 B・ジョーンズ -6
6 小田　孔明 -5
7 片山　晋呉 -4
薗田　峻輔 -4
藤田　寛之 -4
10 山下　和宏 -3


順位の続きを見る





10位タイに終わった谷口だが武藤の優勝には心から喜んだ（撮影：米山聡明）








【もっと写真を見る（12）】




＜ダンロップフェニックストーナメント　最終日◇20日◇フェニックスカントリークラブ(7,010ヤード・パー71)＞

　国内男子ツアー「ダンロップフェニックス」の最終日。4打差からスタートした武藤俊憲が8つスコアを伸ばす猛チャージを見せ逆転優勝を果たした。オフの練習を共にするなど良い兄貴分として武藤と接してきた谷口徹は、18番グリーンで松村道央、河野晃一郎ら共に祝福の水かけ。ブリヂストンオープンで優勝した際に、武藤に思いっきり水を浴びせられた借り？ を返して「目ぇ覚めたやろ？」と満面の笑みを浮かべた。

2年振りVの武藤が取り戻した“2つの足りなかったこと”

　自身が目をかけてきた諸藤将次、松村道央らがブレイク、さらに不振にあえいでいた上田桃子の「ミズノクラシック」での復活優勝を後押しするなど、今最も注目を集めている“谷口塾”。武藤もオフには合宿に参加しており、門下生の一人といっても過言ではない。かわいい後輩の逆転優勝に塾長は「すげーなこの風の中」と素直に祝福の声を上げた。

　自身は最終日の追い上げはならず10位タイフィニッシュ。いよいよ賞金王争いでもがけっぷちに追い込まれた。それでも弟子達の奮起に闘志は燃え上がっている。「来週勝った人間にだけチャンスはある。頑張りますよ」と不敵な笑みを浮かべて頂点を見据えた。

【最終結果】
優勝：武藤俊憲(-12)
2位：ゴンサロ・フェルナンデスカスタノ(-8)
3位T：シェーン・ローリー(-7)
3位T：リッキー・バーンズ(-7)
5位：ブレンダン・ジョーンズ(-6)
6位：小田孔明(-5)
7位T：片山晋呉(-4)
7位T：薗田峻輔(-4)
7位T：藤田寛之(-4)
10位T：谷原秀人(-3)他4名

38位T：グレアム・マクドウェル(+4)他4名
43位T：※松山英樹(+5)他5名

松山英樹、最終日はグリーン上に苦しみ失速

2011年11月20日18時17分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア優勝 武藤　俊憲 -12
2 Ｇ・フェルナンデスカスタノ -8
3 Ｓ・ローリー -7
R・バーンズ -7
5 B・ジョーンズ -6
6 小田　孔明 -5
7 片山　晋呉 -4
薗田　峻輔 -4
藤田　寛之 -4
10 山下　和宏 -3


順位の続きを見る





43位タイに終わった松山英樹（撮影：米山聡明）








【もっと写真を見る（8）】




＜ダンロップフェニックストーナメント　最終日◇20日◇フェニックスカントリークラブ(7,010ヤード・パー71)＞

　国内男子ツアー「ダンロップフェニックス」の最終日。3日目の中止を挟んでトータル1アンダーの17位タイで最終日をスタートした松山英樹だったが、6つスコアを落とす大乱調。トータル5オーバーの43位タイで今大会を終えた。

松山英樹「寝ていたらいつの間にか中止になってた」【3日目】

　「2番、3番のパッティングが打ち切れなくて、それで迷いが出てしまった」とこの日は得意のグリーン上で苦戦。「8番も良いセカンド打って、バーディくるかなと思ったらパットをミス。小さなミスがのしかかってきて、良いプレーが出来ませんでした」と自らリズムを作り出すことが出来ず下位に沈んだ。

　それでも、「1日でも良いプレーを出来たのは自信になります。最終日に限って言えばドライバーはけっこうフェアウェイにいってました。それを続けながらパッティングとかを磨いていきたい」と今大会でも収穫はあった様子。2日目に披露した好プレーの感触と、最終日のドライバーの手ごたえを胸に来週の「カシオワールドオープン」に挑む。

【最終結果】
優勝：武藤俊憲(-12)
2位：ゴンサロ・フェルナンデスカスタノ(-8)
3位T：シェーン・ローリー(-7)
3位T：リッキー・バーンズ(-7)
5位：ブレンダン・ジョーンズ(-6)
6位：小田孔明(-5)
7位T：片山晋呉(-4)
7位T：薗田峻輔(-4)
7位T：藤田寛之(-4)
10位T：谷原秀人(-3)他4名

38位T：グレアム・マクドウェル(+4)他4名
43位T：※松山英樹(+5)他5名