Masters 2019: Francesco Molinari leads Tiger Woods and Tony Finau by twoBy Peter Scrivener

April 14, 2019

Masters 2019: Francesco Molinari leads Tiger Woods and Tony Finau by two

By Peter Scrivener

BBC Sport at Augusta National

• From the section Golf

Masters 2019: Francesco Molinari has ‘one of the rounds of his life’ to lead by two

Masters third-round leaderboard
-13: F Molinari (Ita); -11: T Finau (US), T Woods (US); -10: B Koepka (US); -9: W Simpson (US), I Poulter (Eng); -8: L Oosthuizen (SA), J Harding (SA), X Schauffele (US), M Kuchar (US), D Johnson (US); -7: A Scott (Aus), R Fowler (US)
Selected others: -6: P Mickelson (US); -4: T Fleetwood (Eng), J Spieth (US); -1: R McIlroy (NI). Full leaderboard

Open champion Francesco Molinari will take a two-shot lead over Tiger Woods and Tony Finau into the final round of the Masters at Augusta National.

Italian Molinari holed four successive birdies on the second nine to card a 66 and finish on 13 under as he looks to win a second major.

Woods, who won the last of his four Green Jackets in 2005, had a five-under 67 to move second with fellow American Finau, who was one of three players to hit a sensational 64.

Three-time major winner Brooks Koepka is a shot further back after a 69, while England’s Ian Poulter carded a 68 to remain in the hunt at nine under.

Tee times for Sunday’s final round have been brought forward because of anticipated thunderstorms. Players will be grouped in threesomes, with the first group set to start at 12:30 BST.

Woods, trying to win his first major title since the 2008 US Open, will tee off alongside Molinari and Finau in the last threesome at 14:20 BST.

The 14-time major winner said he would get up “around 03:45 or 04:00” local time to prepare for his 09:20 start.

“Usually the reward for playing hard and doing all the things correctly, you get a nice little sleep-in come Sunday, but that’s not the case,” Woods said.

“We’ve got to get up early and get after it. It will be interesting to see if that wind comes up like it’s forecast – 15-20mph around this golf course is going to be testy.”

There will be uninterrupted live coverage of the final day on BBC Two from 13:55 BST, with additional coverage starting at 12:30 online.

• Masters tee times brought forward
• Relive a stunning third round
• ‘Too many mistakes’ end McIlroy hopes

Masters 2019: Rickie Fowler & Francesco Molinari feature in best shots of day three

Molinari shows champion form

Molinari went quietly about his business, making two birdies on the first nine, and a run of four from the 12th on the second nine. The roars were appreciative, rather than loud.

The 36-year-old Italian’s previous best Masters finish was a tie for 19th back in 2012 but he has now gone 43 holes without dropping a shot, and that is champion material.

He did not make a bogey in his final 37 holes when he won The Open at Carnoustie last July. He played with Woods in the final round there but playing with Woods at Augusta, even with a two-shot start, will be a very different challenge.

Molinari, who also beat Woods three times alongside Tommy Fleetwood in the 2018 Ryder Cup, said: “I wish I only had to worry about him but there are a few more that are going to try to shoot a low round so it’s going to be exciting.

“I played slightly better on Friday but mentally I was very good.

“There were two big putts on four and five to save pars and I played the back nine as well as I’ve played it. And then there was a good par save on 18, it was nice to keep another clean scorecard.”

Patrons roar Woods birdies

Masters 2019: Tiger Woods remain in contention after day three at Augusta

Woods parred the first four holes before dropping a shot at the newly extended par-four fifth for the third day running.

However, three birdies at the next three holes got the 14-time major winner, and the patrons, interested. The roar that greeted his next birdie at the par-five 13th echoed across the course.

Patrons were still streaming down the hill on the 15th when he holed a short birdie putt, after a deft chip from the back of the green. The volume that greeted that was up a further notch.

Those without seats shuffled round to the 16th green, hundreds jammed in to a tiny corner. Most can’t have seen the tee shot, fewer still where it landed but the ear-splitting whoops and hollers told you it was close.

They say there is no roar like a Tiger roar at Augusta. And the one that followed his tap-in birdie at 16 reverberated around the Georgia pines. Nobody on the course could have missed that one.

This is the fifth time Woods has shot 205 or fewer after three rounds at the Masters. He won the previous four.

Woods said he gave himself a talking to between the fifth green and sixth tee. “It was simple,” he explained. “Just be patient and let the round build. The goal was to make sure I got to double digits and I did that.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in contention here, but then again the last two majors counts for something,” said Woods, who briefly led on the final day of the 2018 Open and finished runner-up to Koepka in the 2018 US PGA Championship.

Finau takes advantage of good conditions

Masters 2019: Tony Finau takes the outright lead on 10 under with a birdie on the 13th hole

Finau finished joint 10th last year despite dislocating his ankle when celebrating a hole-in-one during the par-three contest.

There were no such exuberant celebrations on Saturday, despite the 29-year-old opening his round with three successive birdies. Another birdie followed on the sixth before an eagle on the eighth took him right into the mix on nine under.

He narrowly missed a birdie putt on the ninth that was to set a new record of 29 strokes for the first nine.

And like many, he took advantage of the two par fives on the second nine to improve his score to 11 under, on a day of hot sun, light wind and low scoring all round.

‘Best golf ever seen at Augusta’

The 65 players to make the cut scored a cumulative 80 under par, which is thought to be the lowest scoring on a single day at the Masters.

“There has been some amazing golf today with three 64s,” said BBC Sport expert Ken Brown. “We have seen some of the best golf I have ever seen at Augusta.”

And BBC commentator Peter Alliss added: “They played some shots today that I can’t believe. I think ‘you can’t reach this hole with a driver, a seven or an eight iron’ but they do.”

‘The oldies are doing not so bad’ – Poulter

Poulter, who was playing with fellow 43-year-old Woods, opened with seven pars and two birdies and holed three more on his second nine, his only bogey coming on the 11th.

It was a terrific round from Poulter considering he also had to deal with being in the bubble of a super-charged Augusta crowd who are willing Woods to break his decade-long major drought.

“It’s always loud when Tiger makes birdies, but when you’re in contention at the Masters you’d probably pick Tiger Woods to play alongside. He was good fun to play with,” said Poulter.

“The oldies are doing not so bad, so I might have a 3.5% chance now,” he added, referring to a stat he said he heard on television that players aged 43 have only a 3% chance of winning the Masters.

Simpson, Koepka & Johnson also in contention

Webb Simpson, the 2012 US Open champion, was another of the three to post a 64 – one shot off the course record jointly held by Nick Price and Greg Norman – as he moved to nine under, level with Poulter.

They will play the final round with Koepka who had four bogeys in a 69.

World number two Dustin Johnson is among five players on eight under after a 70, while Rickie Fowler shot 68 to reach seven under.

England’s Fleetwood had a solid 70 to move to four under, alongside 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth who has picked up seven shots in two rounds following an opening 75.

But Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy told BBC Sport he made “too many mistakes” as his hopes of winning a first Masters title disappeared with a one-under 71 that left him one under par for the tournament.

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Mcllroy wins at 2019 TPC Sawgrass

March 18, 2019

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/47605143

Rory McIlroy has won the Players Championship, beating 48-year-old Jim Furyk by one shot after a thrilling final round at Sawgrass.

The Northern Irishman’s two-under-par 70 gave him victory on 16 under.

It is his first win in a year and sets him up for an attempt at the career Grand Slam at the Masters next month.

“I feel like I’m playing some of the best golf of my life right now and I just need to keep doing the same things,” he told Sky Sports.

“If I hadn’t won today, I’d have said I didn’t need one going into Augusta but it’s nice to win on a course that will play similar to Augusta in a few weeks.”

McIlroy, 29, won the US Open in 2011, US PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014 and The Open in 2014 but is yet to win the Masters, which starts on 11 April and is live across the BBC.

He has finished in the top six of all his tournaments in 2019.

The Players Championship is known unofficially as the ‘fifth major’ and is the most prestigious of the regular PGA Tour events.

England’s Eddie Pepperell finished two behind McIlroy, tied third after a 66.

Pepperell holed a 50-foot putt on the 17th to briefly join McIlroy in a tie for the lead before the four-time major champion pulled clear with birdies on the 15th and 16th.

Overnight leader Jon Rahm fell away in the closing stages and finished on 11 under after a 76, while Tommy Fleetwood struggled to a 73.

• McIlroy says best golf still to come
• ‘I feel I belong on this stage’ – Wallace reflects on his week at Sawgrass

McIlroy shows his class after superb climax at Sawgrass

McIlroy is just the second Briton to win the Players Championship, following Sandy Lyle in 1987.

Lyle went on to win the Masters a year later but McIlroy will be targeting his first Green Jacket in less than four weeks after he finally claimed the tournament win which his consistent form in 2019 had been threatening.

However, the victory looked far from certain when he found the water on the par-four fourth, which led to a double-bogey six, as the leaders struggled to gain any early momentum in cold and damp conditions.

A McIlroy birdie on six was cancelled out by a bogey on the seventh but further birdies on the ninth and 11th moved him back to the front on a tightly packed leader board, which at one stage saw a five-way tie for the lead.

McIlroy picked up another shot on the short par-four 12th, briefly taking him into the outright lead.

However, Furyk, last year’s American Ryder Cup captain, overtook him with birdies on the 16th and 18th, having shaved the hole with another chance on the 17th, as he went round in 67.

 

The Northern Irishman had dropped back to 14 under after a bogey on the 14th but birdies on the 15th and 16th took him past Furyk, and he nervelessly secured the win on St Patrick’s Day with closing pars by avoiding water on the dangerous final two holes.

“This was one of the tournaments that I desperately wanted to win and get on my CV, added McIlroy, whose previous victory came at the Bay Hill Invitational on 18 March 2018.”

“It’s got the deepest field. There’s some unbelievable names on the trophy and I’m proud for my name to be among them.”

Second-placed Furyk, who only got into the event the previous Sunday as an alternate, has not won since 2015 and fell to 305 in the world golf rankings last year.

Fleetwood & Rahm fade as Pepperell ‘feels like Seve’

The English challenge on the final day was supposed to come from Fleetwood but it was Pepperell, playing in his first Players Championship, who surged into contention by firing six birdies from the 11th up until that monster putt across the 17th.

Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas,

A fine par save on the 18th gave him the clubhouse lead and he was joined on 14 under by Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas, who topped Pepperell’s putt by holing from 70 feet on the 17th.

Seve Ballesteros

Referencing the late golfing great Seve Ballesteros, the winner of five major championships between 1979 and 1988, Pepperell told Sky Sports: “I played terrible at times. I was useless with my three wood, which is normally my banker. I was great on the greens, though. I felt like Seve out there, to be fair.”

Fleetwood has elevated himself into the sport’s elite in the past two years, winning the European Tour’s Race to Dubai in 2017 and finishing second in last year’s US Open.

But a victory on the PGA Tour continues to elude him after a disappointing final round in Sawgrass, with an opening bogey five setting the tone.

Playing the par-five 16th at 12 under, four behind McIlroy, he looked out of contention but a stunning second shot to three feet set up an eagle that revived his hopes. They were quickly sunk when his tee shot into the island-green 17th plunged into the water. He ended tied fifth on 13 under, alongside world number one Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker, who both shot 69.

Playing alongside Fleetwood in the final group, Rahm fared worse. He dropped three shots in his opening four holes and although he got two of them back to regain a share of the lead, he bogeyed the 15th and double bogeyed the 17th to finish 11 under.

English world number two Justin Rose was a shot better off after a closing 68, while Tiger Woods ended six under after a 69.

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Reaction to McIlroy’s victory

Rory McIlroy has won the Players Championship, beating 48-year-old Jim Furyk by one shot after a thrilling final round at Sawgrass.

The Northern Irishman’s two-under-par 70 gave him victory on 16 under.

It is his first win in a year and sets him up for an attempt at the career Grand Slam at the Masters next month.

“I feel like I’m playing some of the best golf of my life right now and I just need to keep doing the same things,” he told Sky Sports.

“If I hadn’t won today, I’d have said I didn’t need one going into Augusta but it’s nice to win on a course that will play similar to Augusta in a few weeks.”

McIlroy, 29, won the US Open in 2011, US PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014 and The Open in 2014 but is yet to win the Masters, which starts on 11 April and is live across the BBC.

He has finished in the top six of all his tournaments in 2019.

The Players Championship is known unofficially as the ‘fifth major’ and is the most prestigious of the regular PGA Tour events.

England’s Eddie Pepperell finished two behind McIlroy, tied third after a 66.

Pepperell holed a 50-foot putt on the 17th to briefly join McIlroy in a tie for the lead before the four-time major champion pulled clear with birdies on the 15th and 16th.

Overnight leader Jon Rahm fell away in the closing stages and finished on 11 under after a 76, while Tommy Fleetwood struggled to a 73.

• McIlroy says best golf still to come
• ‘I feel I belong on this stage’ – Wallace reflects on his week at Sawgrass

McIlroy shows his class after superb climax at Sawgrass

McIlroy is just the second Briton to win the Players Championship, following Sandy Lyle in 1987.

Lyle went on to win the Masters a year later but McIlroy will be targeting his first Green Jacket in less than four weeks after he finally claimed the tournament win which his consistent form in 2019 had been threatening.

However, the victory looked far from certain when he found the water on the par-four fourth, which led to a double-bogey six, as the leaders struggled to gain any early momentum in cold and damp conditions.

A McIlroy birdie on six was cancelled out by a bogey on the seventh but further birdies on the ninth and 11th moved him back to the front on a tightly packed leaderboard, which at one stage saw a five-way tie for the lead.

McIlroy picked up another shot on the short par-four 12th, briefly taking him into the outright lead.

However, Furyk, last year’s American Ryder Cup captain, overtook him with birdies on the 16th and 18th, having shaved the hole with another chance on the 17th, as he went round in 67.

 

The Northern Irishman had dropped back to 14 under after a bogey on the 14th but birdies on the 15th and 16th took him past Furyk, and he nervelessly secured the win on St Patrick’s Day with closing pars by avoiding water on the dangerous final two holes.

“This was one of the tournaments that I desperately wanted to win and get on my CV, added McIlroy, whose previous victory came at the Bay Hill Invitational on 18 March 2018.”

“It’s got the deepest field. There’s some unbelievable names on the trophy and I’m proud for my name to be among them.”

Second-placed Furyk, who only got into the event the previous Sunday as an alternate, has not won since 2015 and fell to 305 in the world golf rankings last year.

Fleetwood & Rahm fade as Pepperell ‘feels like Seve’

The English challenge on the final day was supposed to come from Fleetwood but it was Pepperell, playing in his first Players Championship, who surged into contention by firing six birdies from the 11th up until that monster putt across the 17th.

A fine par save on the 18th gave him the clubhouse lead and he was joined on 14 under by Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas, who topped Pepperell’s putt by holing from 70 feet on the 17th.

Referencing the late golfing great Seve Ballesteros, the winner of five major championships between 1979 and 1988, Pepperell told Sky Sports: “I played terrible at times. I was useless with my three wood, which is normally my banker. I was great on the greens, though. I felt like Seve out there, to be fair.”

Fleetwood has elevated himself into the sport’s elite in the past two years, winning the European Tour’s Race to Dubai in 2017 and finishing second in last year’s US Open.

But a victory on the PGA Tour continues to elude him after a disappointing final round in Sawgrass, with an opening bogey five setting the tone.

Playing the par-five 16th at 12 under, four behind McIlroy, he looked out of contention but a stunning second shot to three feet set up an eagle that revived his hopes. They were quickly sunk when his tee shot into the island-green 17th plunged into the water. He ended tied fifth on 13 under, alongside world number one Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker, who both shot 69.

Playing alongside Fleetwood in the final group, Rahm fared worse. He dropped three shots in his opening four holes and although he got two of them back to regain a share of the lead, he bogeyed the 15th and double bogeyed the 17th to finish 11 under.

English world number two Justin Rose was a shot better off after a closing 68, while Tiger Woods ended six under after a 69.

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2018 Ryder Cup, 2018: Europe beats back a talented United States team to regain trophy

October 1, 2018

After residing in American possession for two years, the Ryder Cup trophy returns to the European side

• 

• by Kyle Porter
• @KylePorter CBS

The 2018 Ryder Cup was dramatic for a short while during the Sunday singles matches, but in the end, Europe rolled to a clear 17.5-10.5 victory after entering the day leading 10-6. The United States team certainly made the hosts earn the victory with a downhill string of early points and half points, but in a flurry at the end, the Euros took back the trophy after losing it two years ago and kept the U.S. from winning on European soil for the first time since 1993.

It felt close for a while (and it was on the scoreboard), but after losing the first session 3-1 on Friday morning, Europe went on to win the next four with a combined score of 16.5-7.5. It was an absolute thumping for the U.S., which came in as one of the better teams in this event’s history. It was also the Americans’ worst loss at this event since 2006 when they fell 18.5-9.5 at the K Club.

Sunday singles — Europe wins 17.5-10.5 overall

United States	Europe	Result
Justin Thomas	Rory McIlroy	USA wins 1UP
Brooks Koepka	Paul Casey	Match halved
Webb Simpson	Justin Rose	USA wins 3&2
Tiger Woods	Jon Rahm	Europe wins 2&1
Tony Finau	Tommy Fleetwood	USA wins 6&4
Dustin Johnson	Ian Poulter	Europe wins 2UP
Jordan Spieth	Thorbjorn Olsesn	Europe wins 5&4
Rickie Fowler	Sergio Garcia	Europe wins 2&1
Phil Mickelson	Francesco Molinari	Europe wins 4&2 (clincher)
Patrick Reed	Tyrrell Hatton	USA wins 3&2
Bubba Watson	Henrik Stenson	Europe wins 5&4
Bryson DeChambeau	Alex Noren	Europe wins 1UP

With victories from Justin Thomas, Tony Finau and Webb Simpson — plus a half point from Brooks Koepka — the Americans moved to within 10.5-9.5 of the Europeans, which led the Ryder Cup since Friday afternoon onward. The Yanks would only win one point the rest of the day.

After Thomas, Finau and Simpson provided hope, a handful of other matches teetered toward the U.S., and a path to victory was at least visible. However, the United States could not afford to let any of the matches in the middle topple Europe’s way as captain Jim Furyk front-loaded his singles with guys who were playing better golf. The back end looked dicey from the start.

Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson badly needed to flip their matches against Jon Rahm and Ian Poulter, respectively, and they didn’t. Europe got two full points from them, and it was all but over. When Rahm downed Woods 2&1 on the 17th hole with his fourth birdie of the day and Poulter took world No. 1 Johnson at the 18th 2UP, the only question left was who would do the final deed. The answer was somewhat humorous.

Phil Mickelson, who struggled all week and helped engender the task force that led to the selection of this team, hit a ball in the water on No. 16, took off his hat and conceded to Francesco Molinari. The point means Molinari is just the fourth man to go 5-0-0 in a Ryder Cup and the first to ever do it in the same year he won a major. Woods and Mickelson combined to go 0-6-0 in the Ryder Cup, and Woods’ 0-4 mark made him the fourth to do that in a single Ryder Cup since 1979.

“I don’t even think I can quantify to let you guys know how much it means,” Poulter told NBC after he got Europe to 13.5 points. “You see it in the emotion when we hole putts. You see it in the emotion of the fans. To be able to represent Europe is extremely special. To be able to win this thing back is even more special.”

Europe closed with more victories from Henrik Stenson over Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia over Rickie Fowler and Alex Noren over Bryson DeChambeau. They ended up winning a singles session they only had to halve. The ensuing celebration was more or less a parade. Fleetwood ran laps, Stenson toasted and Molinari insisted that he wishes it had been Garcia who had the holed the final putt to become the all-time points earner in Ryder Cup history. Noren ended it with a bang.

For the United States, it was a big week of questions with few answers. Why did Woods go 0-4-0 a week after winning the Tour Championship? Why did Johnson look listless for most of the event? What’s going on with Watson? And on and on we go.

For Europe, it’s yet another in a long line of machine-like performances. They took advantage of a course that fit their games, never panicked and forced the U.S. to need a miracle on Sunday. They didn’t get it, and as a result the Euros have won a seventh Ryder Cup in their last nine tries.

CBS Sports was with you the entire way Sunday updating this story with the latest scores, standings, highlights and analysis from Day 3 of the 2018 Ryder Cup. If you are unable to view the updates below, please click here.

Thanks for joining us.

Kyle Porter

CBS Sports Writer

Kyle Porter began his sports writing career with CBS Sports in 2012.

 

 

Tiger Woods is back in grand fashion

September 24, 2018

Golf: Tiger Woods is back in grand fashion

https://www.golfchannel.com/article/doug-ferguson/woods-wins-tour-championship-two-strokes/

ATLANTA – Tiger Woods, in his Sunday red shirt, both arms raised in victory on the 18th green.

For so many years, the scene was familiar.This time, it was surreal.

”I can’t believe I pulled this off,” Woods said Sunday during the trophy presentation at the Tour Championship, where he gave thousands of delirious fans at East Lake, and millions more around the world, what they wanted to see, and what they thought they might never see again.

And at that moment, Woods was overcome with emotion and paused.

After two back surgeries six weeks apart, he couldn’t lie down, sit or walk without pain. Golf was the least of his concerns, so much that he once said anything else he achieved would be ”gravy.”

Tiger Woods with the late Arnold D. Palmer

One year ago, while recovering from a fourth back surgery, he still had no idea if he could come back to the highest level of golf.

”Just to be able to compete and play again this year, that’s a hell of a comeback,” he said.

Woods delivered the perfect ending to his amazing return from back surgeries with a performance out of the past. He left the competition feeling hopeless as he built a five-shot lead early and then hung on for a 1-over 71 and a two-shot victory over Billy Horschel.

It was the 80th victory of his PGA Tour, two short of the career record held by Sam Snead that is now very much in play. And it was his first victory in more than five years, dating to the 2013 Bridgestone Invitational.

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And that brought a new version of Tigermania.

After he hit his second shot to the par-5 18th safely in a bunker in front of the green, the crowd came through the ropes and followed behind in a chaotic celebration. It was like that when he walked from the left side of the 18th fairway at the 1997 Masters he won by 12. It was reminiscent of that walk up the 18th fairway later that summer at the Western Open in Chicago.

This was pure pandemonium. Fans chased after any inch of grass they could find to watch the ending.

”I didn’t want to get run over,” Woods said with a laugh.

This felt just as big as a major, maybe better considering where Woods had been.

Several players, from Zach Johnson to Rickie Fowler to Horschel, waited to greet him. It was Johnson who unveiled red shirts at the Ryder Cup two years ago in the team room that said, ”Make Tiger Great Again.”

”They knew what I was struggling with,” Woods said. ”It was special to see them.”

Woods played only one PGA Tour event over two seasons because of his back. Off the golf course, he had to overcome the embarrassment of a DUI arrest in the early morning of Memorial Day in 2017 when he was found asleep at the wheel, later found to have a concoction of pain medication in his system.

He was becoming a legend on in video highlights. And then he brought it back to life this year, especially the last four days at East Lake. The players who have turns at No. 1 during his absence caught the full brunt of Woods in control. McIlroy faded early. Justin Rose faded late.

All that was left was the 42-year-old Woods in that red shirt, blazing brighter than ever, and a smile he couldn’t shake walking up the 18th to collect another trophy.

”The 80 mark is a big number,” he said. ”It’s a pretty damned good feeling.”

He finished at 11-under 269 and won $1.62 million, along with a $3 million bonus for finishing second in the FedEx Cup.

The only disappointment – a minor one under the circumstances – was realizing as he came down the 18th that Rose had made birdie to finish in a three-way tie for fourth, which gave him the FedEx Cup and the $10 million bonus.

Without that birdie, Woods would have won his third FedEx Cup title after starting at No. 20 going into the Tour Championship.

”Congrats, Rosie,” Woods told him. ”World No. 1, hell of a season.”

Actually, former world No. 1 for Rose. His four bogeys over the last 10 holes cost him the No. 1 ranking back to Dustin Johnson, who shot 67 and finished third.

But this wasn’t about the FedEx Cup or even the world ranking. This is Tiger’s big day, and nothing was going to change it.

Woods had never lost when leading by three shots or more going into the final round. That was when he was regularly winning multiple times every season, compiling trophies at a rate never before seen in golf.

Was anything different having gone more than five years without winning?

Rose had said it was a bit more unknown, and ”there’s a lot on it for him” as well as everyone else.

But this was still Woods’ arena. The walk from the putting green snakes some 80 yards across the road and through a gallery, and everyone could hear him coming from the procession of cheering. And within the opening hour, the Tour Championship had that inevitable feeling.

No one brings excitement like Woods, even when he plays so good and so smart that he eliminates any potential for drama.

The buzz was endless. A couple of teenagers climbed into a tree to see him made a 10-foot birdie on the first hole. When the putt dropped and cheers died, there was a wild sprint some 200 yards up the hill as fans tried to get into position for the next shot. He tapped in for par, and another stampede ensued to line the third fairway.

On and on it went. No one wanted to miss a shot.

A year ago, there was no guarantee anyone would see much of Woods, much less Woods winning.

He’s back again. This victory, his first since the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone in August 2013 – 1,876 days, to be exact – brought him to No. 13 in the world. Not bad for a 42-year-old with four back surgeries who returned to competition in December at No. 1,199 in the world.

The next stop for Woods is to board a plane with the rest of his U.S. teammates for France and the Ryder Cup.

After that?

There’s no telling.

Doug Ferguson is a national golf writer for The Associated Press.

US PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka wins

August 14, 2018

US PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka holds off Tiger Woods to win at Bellerive

By Jonathan Jurejko

BBC Sport

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/45164851

 

Brooks Koepka is fifth man to win the US Open and US PGA in the same year after Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

100th US PGA Championship final leaderboard
-16 B Koepka (US); -14 T Woods (US); -13 A Scott (Aus); -11 S Cink (US), J Rahm (Spa); -10 T Pieters (Bel), F Molinari (Ita), J Thomas (US), G Woodland (US)
Selected others: -9 T Hatton (Eng); -8 R Fowler (US); -7 J Rose (Eng), M Wallace (Eng); -5 I Poulter (Eng); -4 T Fleetwood (Eng), R Knox (Sco); -2 R McIlroy (NI)

American Brooks Koepka won his second major of 2018 by seeing off a resurgent Tiger Woods to claim the US PGA Championship on a compelling final day.

The US Open champion, 28, who led by two shots overnight, shot a four-under 66 to win by two on 16 under par.

Excitement grew at Bellerive as Woods pushed for a first major since 2008, falling short despite a final-day 64.

Koepka holed birdies on the 14th and 15th to keep clear of Woods and Adam Scott (67), who finished on 13 under.

It was 14-time major winner Woods’ lowest final round at either the Masters, US Open, The Open or US PGA.However, his efforts were still not enough as Koepka became the first man since Woods in 2000 to win the US Open and US PGA in the same season.

Koepka, watched by his mother and girlfriend from the side of the 18th green, fought back tears after tapping in a par to set a new 72-hole PGA Championship scoring record of 264.

Spain’s Jon Rahm finished as the leading European player on 11 under after a 68, a shot ahead of Belgium’s Thomas Pieters, who had a double-bogey on the par-five 17th in his 66, and Italy’s Open champion Francesco Molinari, who closed with a 67.

Their performances will have encouraged European captain Thomas Bjorn in the run-up to next month’s Ryder Cup in Paris, along with Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello’s final round of 64 as the Dane contemplates his four wildcard picks, with eight players qualifying automatically.

Tyrrell Hatton was the best-placed British golfer. He played with Cabrera Bello and also signed for a 64 as both players finished on nine under.

‘Patient’ Koepka reaps the rewards

Koepka came into the 100th PGA Championship on the back of a fine season which has seen him claim two other top-five finishes on the PGA Tour along with his US Open victory at Shinnecock Hills.

The world number four had feared his year would be ruined after partially tearing a tendon in his left wrist and then missing the Masters with another wrist injury. But he battled back to fitness and has been rewarded with his third major win in just over a year.

Again, his nerveless demeanour and powerful ball-striking, honed partly by his dedication to the gym, enabled him to hold off several challengers on a high-quality leaderboard.

Koepka remained calm and composed as he held off Englishman Tommy Fleetwood’s final-day charge to retain his US Open title in June – and did the same at Bellerive as Woods, Scott and defending champion Justin Thomas all made moves.

After rounds of 69, 63 and 66 earlier in the week, he moved to 14 under after four birdies and two bogeys in his first nine holes, and then maintained his composure to not drop a shot in a two-under 33 on the back nine.

“For some reason the majors get my attention more,” said Koepka. “Every shot is so important. You have to be patient and I always do that very well in the majors.”

Buoyant Bellerive unable to roar Tiger to victory

Woods drew the biggest crowds of the day on Sunday as he chased that elusive 15th major victory.

Leading from fellow American Gary Woodland going into Sunday’s final round, Koepka started with a birdie on the first to extend his overnight advantage to three shots.

He had only made two bogeys and one double bogey all week but dropped shots at the fourth and fifth saw him move into a share of the lead with Thomas, who had three birdies in his opening seven holes.

A run of three birdies before the turn moved Koepka back into the outright lead but, as Thomas faltered, Woods roared to within a shot with successive birdies on the 12th and 13th.

Loud cheers accompanied every shot hit by 42-year-old former world number one Woods, who was looking to complete what would be regarded as one of sport’s greatest comebacks, 10 years after his last major victory at the 2008 US Open.

Koepka handled the pressure to create a number of birdie opportunities at the start of the back nine, but was unable to take one as Scott moved level with successive birdies on the 12th and 13th.

“At the beginning of the back nine I could hear all the roars, when Tiger made his run and Scotty did,” said Koepka. “It was fun and enjoyable.”

Clearly thriving on the atmosphere, Koepka finally landed a birdie on the 15th to restore his lead and added another from six feet on the 16th to move two clear of Scott with two holes to play.

Woods was still three behind Koepka after wiping out a bogey on the 14th with a birdie on the 15th, but Koepka’s birdies put him into a lead which he never looked like relinquishing.

Pars on the final two holes illustrated Koepka’s steeliness as Scott sprayed his drive right on the 18th before carding a bogey which allowed Woods, who had birdied the last, to take outright second.

Woods ‘thankful’ to be in contention

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The Woods fist-pump returned at Bellerive as he made a charge on the final day

Woods saw his career – and seemingly-inevitable march past Jack Nicklaus’ record mark of 18 major wins – stall following several years which were hampered by personal issues and a serious back injury.

He did not play a major in 2016 and 2017 and only returned to competitive golf in November last year following fusion surgery to repair his back.

After a brief surge to the top of the leaderboard at last month’s Open, Woods proved once again he can compete in golf’s greatest events with a scintillating final-round performance at Bellerive.

Opening rounds of 70, 66 and 66 meant he started four shots behind Koepka on Sunday, a deficit which the four-time US PGA champion said he knew would be difficult to overcome.

Unable to hit a single fairway on the front nine, Woods still turned in three under and finished the back nine in the same score to earn his highest-placed finish at a major since the 2009 PGA at Hazeltine

“I was in contention at the last two majors and would never have foreseen that a year ago. I’m just so thankful to be here,” said Woods.

“I played hard. It was a bit of a struggle with my game. I was just hanging in there, grinding it out and trying to make as many birdies as possible. I made a little bit of a run and am going to come up a couple of shots short.

“I was always chasing. When I was on the range I could see guys were three under through six holes so I knew I couldn’t sit still. I had to get birdies.

“I didn’t drive well all day – I was hitting it left and right on the driving range, even with my sand wedge – so I knew it was going to be a struggle to piece together a round but I did.”

 

The Passing of Australia’s Greatest Golfer Peter Thomson

July 23, 2018

by Peter Rolfe, Herald Sun

June 20, 2018 10:23am

Peter Thomson

TRIBUTES are flowing for Aussie golf legend Peter Thomson who died this morning, two months shy of his 89th birthday.The five time British Open champion is being remembered as a great of the game and a proud Victorian.

Brunswick-born Thomson was the first Australian to win the British Open and one of only two men to win it five times alongside Tom Watson of the US.

He won on the American senior tour nine times in 1985, setting a record that may never be broken.

His record includes:

— Five British Opens (1954, ‘55, ‘56, ‘58, ‘65)

— Six PGA Tour wins

— 33 PGA Tour of Australasia wins

— 11 PGA Tour Champions wins

— Fifth at US Masters (1957)

— Tied fourth US Open (1956)

— World Golf Hall of Fame (1988)

— Arnold Palmer Award (1986)

Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer and Bruce Devlin

He is survived by his wife Mary, son Andrew and daughters Deirdre Baker, Pan Prendergast and Fiona Stanway, their spouses, 11 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

peter.rolfe@news.com.au