McIlroy and Poulter, a one two punch for Europe at Ryder Cup
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – He’d had a rough morning, the only player to start Day 1 of the Ryder Cup without making birdie.
The afternoon for Rory McIlroy at Le Golf National wasn’t proving that much better. He found a bunker on No. 2, missed a sinkable putt on No. 3, then another on No. 11. Had it not been for the steadying dependability of partner Ian Poulter, it seemed McIlroy might melt down altogether.
So when, on No. 13, McIlroy decided to go for what seemed like an impossibly optimistic approach shot, alarms rang. Really, Rory? Is this wise?
–The ball was nastily placed, stuck on a steep grass bank and below his feet. McIlroy had to squat to reach it. Slip and he’d slide into the lake directly in front of him. Another lake lurked up ahead, ready to swallow the ball if McIlroy failed to get under it.
That McIlroy delivered the ball onto the green with an assured plop, as though the outcome had never been in doubt, said as much about his mental strength as it did about his golfing skills. It was quite possibly the shot of Day 1 . McIlroy’s grin was ear to ear.
“I had full faith in Rors to get it somewhere on the green,” Poulter said. “I said 60 foot would be nice, but what a clutch shot to get it to 25, 30 feet.”
From there, Poulter did the rest, ignoring the stiff breeze that scratched at the ancient oaks which surround the hole. When the ball dropped, Poulter thumped his chest and shoulder-barged McIlroy, who tipped his head back and roared at the sky in joy.
“A little bit of a wind assist to hold its line as it was rolling towards the hole,” Poulter said. “It was nice to see it drop in.”
The one-two blow from McIlroy and then Poulter on that hole knocked the last fight out of the U.S. pairing of Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson. The birdie putt moved the European pairing to 3-up. They wrapped up victory three holes later, winning 4 and 2 to do their bit in an historic Friday afternoon for Europe. All four European pairings won, the first time that has happened in foursomes.
Although McIlroy and Poulter played fourballs together at the Ryder Cups of 2014 and 2012, this was their first pairing in foursomes. They started poorly: Poulter hit into water off the first tee. They were 2-down after three holes.
McIlroy kick-started the recovery with a 7-foot birdie putt on No. 6. Staring intently at a group of U.S. fans in the crowd, he raised a finger to his lips. The message was clear: Zip it.
The European pair won the next three holes, too, for a shift in momentum that McIlroy’s magical shot on No. 13 then helped set in concrete.
Having lost his morning match in a fourballs pairing with Thorbjorn Olesen, the win was a welcome fillip for McIlroy, given that there’s plenty more golf to play.
“You have to persist,” he said. “Persist, persist, persist, until it turns around for you.”
Tony Finau catches a big break, wins Ryder Cup debut
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Tony Finau took the scenic route around Le Golf National.
Down to the edge of the water at the first hole.
Up and over a fence at the seventh.
Right into the water at the 15th.
Then, with three holes to go Friday and the Americans desperately needing a break in the opening match of the Ryder Cup, Finau went to his bank shot.
That would seem a better option in basketball, a sport he once played so well he was offered a college scholarship.
Well, Finau made it work at the golf course.
“Sometimes the ball rolls your way,” he said with a shrug, “and sometimes it doesn’t.”
At the par-3 16th, where the water spreads out in front of the green, promising to swallow up any errant shot, Finau launched one toward the flag 177 yards away.
As soon as he struck the ball, he knew it was close.
So did his caddie. So did his fourballs teammate, Brooks Koepka. So did everyone who watched it get caught by the stiffening breeze.
“I knew it needed to get up,” Finau said. “I was kind of wishing for that while it was in the air. I got lucky.”
Lucky, indeed.
His shot caught one of the wooden planks that divide the water from dry land, deflected onto the green and stopped about 3 feet from the cup.
A few minutes later, with the European fans actually booing his good fortune, Finau tapped in the birdie to even the match. At the 18th hole, Justin Rose dumped one in the water, Jon Rahm missed a putt and the Americans somehow escaped with a 1-up victory.
It was the first time they had led all day.
Afterward, all the talk was about No. 16.
“That was a huge turning point in our match,” Finau said. “I was able to brush that one in and get our match all-square. Honestly, the momentum was on our side because they were 2-up and looking to close us out, and we were able to stretch that match out, and then we played incredible golf on 18 to win the match.”
Not bad for a Ryder Cup rookie.
Finau, who is Tongan and Samoan descent and grew up in Utah to working-class parents who scraped together every spare dollar so he’d have a chance to play, earned his spot on the U.S. team with a strong season that included Top 10s at three of majors and a spot in the finals of the FedEx Cup playoff.
Still, it was a bit of a surprise when he was picked to play the opening fourballs match with Koepka – and then got the honour of hitting the very first shot of the weekend.
Clearly pumped as he stood before a massive grandstand holding nearly 7,000 fans, Finau nearly knocked his ball into the water – some 300 yards away – with a 3-iron that was merely intended as a lay-up.
“The first tee shot was not like anything I’ve been involved in before,” Finau said. “It was like a feeling of a football game back in the States, an NFL football game, and I’m in the middle of the field and I have to hit a tee shot. I have to make a golf swing with all that adrenaline. It was incredible.”
So began an adventurous day that included a tee shot slicing out of bounds, a shot that did get wet, not to mention a chip-in for eagle at No. 6.
Koepka had his struggles, too, notably when a woeful tee shot caught a fan in the eye, leaving her bleeding and in need of medical care. It wasn’t immediately known how seriously she was injured.
Through it all, Finau and Koepka never got flustered.
“In these type of matches, you can’t show your weakness. You can’t show that you have any kind of emotional weakness or you’ll get eaten alive,” Finau said. “It’s frustrating not to hit the shot you want to hit, but you’ve got to control your emotions. We were able to do that and that’s why we were able to pull this match off.”
That, and a big break at No. 16.
Four Canadians punch tickets to Drive, Chip & Putt finals at Winged Foot qualifier
MAMARONECK, N.Y. – A quartet of Canadian junior golfers became one step closer winning it all at the esteemed Winged Foot Golf Club, one of 10 regional qualifiers for the 2019 Drive Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta National.
Leading the group that advanced was Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos, who returns for a record-tying fourth championship. The 12-year-old captured last year’s 10-11 division to become the second Canadian to win a title (Savannah Grewal won the Girls 14-15 division in 2017).
“Brooke Henderson and Tiger Woods are her idols and she wants to follow in their footsteps,” said her dad, Dino, noting that Vanessa is also a two-time winner of the U.S. Kids World Championship.
Joining Borovilos are three first-time participants: Carter Lavigne (Moncton, N.B. | Boys 7-9), Andy Mac (Candiac, Que. | Boys 10-11) and Nicole Gal (Oakville, Ont. | Girls 14-15).
“I heard that going to the Masters is a religious experience and this is pretty close,” said Darsey Lavigne, whose son Carter, from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, advanced by winning the Boys 7-9 age group.
Earlier in September, Canadian Anna Jiaxin Huang of Vancouver advanced to the final in the Chambers Bay qualifier at Chambers Bay, Wash.
There are two more regional qualifiers to be conducted to fill the final field of 60 juniors.
All five juniors will look to be crowned champion at the Drive, Chip & Putt final on April 7, 2019.
Click here for scoring.
The Canadian equivalent—Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event— will be contested on Saturday, June 1 at Hamilton Golf & Country Club. Borovilos finished 2nd in the 2017 Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event at Glen Abbey Golf Club.
Meet Golf Canada’s director of Rules & competitions
Adam Helmer – Golf Canada’s director of Rules, competitions and amateur status – has been at the heart of Canadian golf championships for over 10 years.
The Ottawa native oversees the administration of over 30 championships conducted annually by Golf Canada. Among his responsibilities are refereeing the premier Canadian professional events: the RBC Canadian Open (PGA TOUR) and CP Women’s Open (LPGA Tour). In addition to the competitions, Helmer plays an integral role in the Rules of golf modernization project that goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2019.
As the lead on Rules and competitions, high on Helmer’s list of challenges is addressing pace of play.
The International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA) has more on Helmer here.
Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club set for Future Links fall series regional championship
ROBERTS CREEK, B.C. – Golf Canada’s eighth and final regional junior golf championship of 2018 is set to take begin on Friday as the Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series continues at Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club.
The tournament marks the second instalment of the Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series — a two-championship extension taking place for the first time in the fall of 2018. With the addition, the Future Links championship series now features eight tournaments through the course of the season, each hosted in conjunction with the respective provincial association.
The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on Sept. 27 before the tournament gets underway with round one on Sept. 28.
Originally designed by Ernie Brown, with later additions from Les Furber, the Sunshine Coast course has boasted stunning mountain and ocean views since opening in 1969. The lush fairways and winding forest holes will challenge up-and-coming junior golfers in Golf Canada’s final championship of the 2018 season.
“British Columbia Golf is excited to host our first Fall Series event with Golf Canada at one of our province’s many beautiful facilities,” said Greg Moody, tournament director with British Columbia Golf. “Hosting another Future Links regional championship provides additional opportunity for Canada’s top junior golfers to showcase their skills and continue their development.”
The field will consist of 62 junior golfers with the top six earning exemptions into their respective Canadian Junior National Championship.
Forty-five boys will vie for one of three spots into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from Aug. 11-15, at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B.
The Junior Girls Division will see 17 girls battle to earn an exemption into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship from July 29 – Aug. 2, at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.
A tie for the third position in the Junior Boys division will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play.
Results for previous 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Championship can be found here: Pacific, Ontario, Western, Quebec, Prairie, Atlantic, Fall series (Quebec).
Click here for scoring, pairings and additional information.
Canada’s golf team announced for 2018 Youth Olympic Games
Golf Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) are proud to name the two athletes nominated to represent Team Canada in golf at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Ares, Argentina from October 6-18, 2018.
Celeste Dao, 17, of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que. will represent Canada in the girls’ golf competition while William Duquette, 17, of Laval, Que. will compete in the boys’ event.
The two golf athletes earned their spots on the Canadian Youth Olympic Team based on a collection of 2018 championship results as well as their standing on the Canadian Golf Order of Merit as of August 9th, 2018.
“We are very pleased to announce that Celeste Dao and William Duquette have been selected as the athletes to represent Canadian golf at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “Both of these talented competitors are eager to succeed in representing Canada on the international stage and have shown tremendous progress in their development.”
The Golf competition at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games will be held at the Hurlingham Club, from October 9-15. The boys’ and girls’ 54-hole individual competition runs October 9-11 with a 54-hole mixed-gender competition running October 13-15.
A total of 64 golfers are eligible to take part in the golf competition including 32 male and 32 female athletes.
Celeste Dao
Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que. is in her first year as a member of Golf Canada’s National Development Squad. She won the recent 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship as well as the 2018 Mexican Junior Girls Championship. In May, she played her way into the 2018 US Women’s Open by earning medalist honours at a Regional Qualifier. In August, she earned an exemption to compete in her first-ever CP Women’s Open at The Wascana Country Club in Regina. She was also named to one of Canada’s two entries in the 2018 World Junior Girls Championship at Camelot Golf and Country Club in Ottawa where she finished fifth in the individual competition and helped Canada One finish fourth among 19 countries.
William Duquette
A native of Laval, Que., William Duquette’s season includes a fourth place finish at the Quebec Junior Boys Championship, T29 at the Quebec Men’s Amateur, T22 at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship and T48 at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. Last season, he won the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship and had top-five finishes at both the Graham Cooke Junior Invitational and Quebec Men’s Amateur Championship.
The Quebec duo will be accompanied by Matt Wilson, Golf Canada’s Director, Next Generation and Women’s Development Team Coach.
The 2018 Games will mark the second time that the sport of golf is included in the Youth Olympic Games after making its inaugural including in the 2014 Games in Nanjing, China.
AC Tanguay finishes tied for 5th at Guardian Championship
PRATTVILLE, Ala. — Entering the final round of the second annual Guardian Championship, Kendall Dye (Edmond, Oklahoma) trailed by two shots, but a 6-under par 66 performance this afternoon erased that deficit and helped claim her fourth career Symetra Tour title.
The University of Oklahoma alumna concluded the 19th event of the Symetra Tour season at 16-under par overall to raise the trophy, one shot ahead of Ruixin Liu (Dalian, China) and Min Seo Kwak (Seoul, Republic of Korea).
“I never really thought that I would get four professional victories out here, but I am so grateful,” said Dye, who recorded seven birdies and only one bogey today. “There was a lot of great competition and I thought if I gave myself a lot of good opportunities, make a few more putts than the last few days, then I could shoot something low. I’m thankful we got it done.”
In a week that shook the golf world with the tragic loss of Celia Barquin Arozamena (Puente San Miguel, Spain) last Monday, Dye joined the 120-player field in wearing Iowa State University hats donated by New Era and memorial ribbons throughout tournament play. During the trophy presentation, the first thing Dye talked about was dedicating the win to Barquin Arozamena.
“It was a very important week for all of us across the sport, especially in the women’s game,” Dye said. “I wanted to be the person to win this week in honor of Celia. We are going to carry on her legacy and play our hearts out for her each and every day. This is for her and her family.”
Meanwhile, the occasion etches Dye into the history books as the first two-time winner on the Symetra Tour in 2018. Up to this point, there had been 18 different champions for the season, but Dye becomes the first to step into the winner’s circle multiple times.
“I don’t set a ton of goals, but when I was told that no one had a repeat victory this year, I wanted to be that person to do it,” said Dye, who also won the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY in late July. “I was late getting out here since I spent most of the year on the LPGA Tour, so it’s important to get my full membership for next year. I was really excited to play this week and if you can wake and still be excited late in the fourth quarter of the season like this, that’s a good thing.”
The result launches Dye from No. 23 to No. 7 in the Volvik Race for the Card. With two events remaining, the battle for the top-10 to earn full LPGA membership for 2019 still faces its biggest tests yet.
“It’s kind of like today, you can’t play prevent defense out here, you have to go and be hungry to win,” Dye said. “I don’t look at the money list because I’m not that smart to add it all up, I just come out here and play golf, get the ball in the hole. My experience will hopefully pay off. I’m really excited for the finish.”
Canadian Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City finished in a tie for 5th at 12 under par after an even-par 72 on Sunday. The Team Canada Young Pro Squad member held the 36-hole lead after setting a personal record through two rounds, but couldn’t keep it rolling into the finale.
Canadians Silverman, Svensson, Sloan secure PGA TOUR cards for 2019
ATLANTIC BEACH, Florida – The 2018 Web.com Tour season came to a close on Sunday in Atlantic Beach, Florida, as the Web.com Tour Championship wrapped up the sixth-annual Web.com Tour Finals. University of Virginia alum Denny McCarthy won the season-ending event, where 25 players secured their PGA TOUR cards for the 2018-19 season.
The Web.com Tour awarded a first set of 25 PGA TOUR cards for the 2018-19 season at the conclusion of the WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft-Heinz in August, with a second set of 25 solidified at the conclusion of the Finals.
South Korea native Sungjae Im began his rookie season with a win at the season-opening The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay. The 20-year-old backed up his win with a runner-up finish the following week, essentially locking up a spot in The 25 at the end of the Regular Season. Im continued his momentum throughout the year, winning the Regular Season-ending WinCo Foods Portland Open to end the year with two victories and six additional top-10 finishes. Im’s performance continued into the Finals, allowing him to win the combined money list. Im became the first player in Tour history to lead the money list wire-to-wire for the duration of the season and became the first Korean-born player to be named a money list winner.
McCarthy graduated from the Web.com Tour via the Web.com Tour Finals in 2017, picking up three top-20 finishes in the four-event series to earn his first PGA TOUR card. The 25-year-old struggled in his rookie season on TOUR, however, carding just one top-10 finish in 22 starts. The three-time Maryland Open winner found his stride in the 2018 Web.com Tour Finals, notching four top-13 finishes, capped off by a win Sunday in Atlantic Beach.
By virtue of winning their respective money titles, Im and McCarthy have earned fully-exempt status on the PGA TOUR next year, which includes a spot in THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass, located just minutes from Atlantic Beach.
Meet The 50 newest @PGATOUR members, as they receive their 2018-19 TOUR cards @WebTourChamp. https://t.co/2gshI6PvHM
— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) September 23, 2018
Jim Knous picked up the 25th and final card with a par-save on the last. The Colorado School of Mines alum had a breakout sophomore season on Tour in 2018, picking up five top-25 finishes in the Regular Season to earn his first Web.com Tour Finals berth. Knous continued his strong play into the Finals, where he finished T10-T25-T24 in the first three events before eventually finishing at No. 25 on the Finals-only money list.
|
Player
|
Finals Stats
|
Finals Earnings
|
College
|
|
1. Denny McCarthy
|
One win
|
255,793
|
University of Virginia
|
|
2. Sangmoon Bae
|
One win
|
218,156
|
Sungkyunkwan University
|
|
3. Robert Streb
|
One win
|
187,460
|
Kansas State University
|
|
4. Peter Malnati
|
One runner-up
|
157,296
|
University of Missouri
|
|
5. Cameron Davis*
|
Two top-20s
|
126,675
|
N/A
|
|
6. Adam Schenk
|
One runner-up
|
125,798
|
Purdue University
|
|
7. Lucas Glover
|
One runner-up
|
125,212
|
Clemson University
|
|
8. Matt Jones
|
One runner-up
|
112,000
|
Arizona State University
|
|
9. Hunter Mahan
|
One runner-up
|
107,505
|
Oklahoma State University
|
|
10. Roger Sloan
|
One runner-up
|
84,307
|
University of Texas – El Paso
|
|
11. Shawn Stefani
|
Three top-25s
|
80,579
|
Lamar University
|
|
12. Seth Reeves*
|
Two top-5s
|
80,360
|
Georgia Tech
|
|
13. Max Homa
|
Two top-10s
|
78,200
|
University of California
|
|
14. Roberto Diaz
|
Three top-25s
|
70,326
|
University of South Carolina – Aiken
|
|
15. Stephan Jaeger
|
One top-5
|
69,923
|
University of Tennessee – Chattanooga
|
|
16. Curtis Luck*
|
Two top-10s
|
64,920
|
N/A
|
|
17. Nicholas Lindheim
|
Two top-20s
|
59,169
|
N/A
|
|
18. Dylan Frittelli
|
Two top-20s
|
48,600
|
N/A
|
|
19. Wes Roach
|
Two top-25s
|
48,100
|
Duke University
|
|
20. Sepp Straka*
|
One top-5
|
47,844
|
University of Georgia
|
|
21. Cameron Tringale
|
One top-5
|
47,760
|
Georgia Tech
|
|
22. Ben Silverman
|
One top-5
|
47,700
|
Florida Atlantic University
|
|
23. Michael Thompson
|
Two top-25s
|
45,466
|
University of Alabama
|
|
24. Fabián Gómez
|
Two top-20s
|
43,657
|
N/A
|
|
25. Jim Knous*
|
Three top-25s
|
41,931
|
Colorado School of Mines
|
Finishing 26th on the Finals money list Justin Lower, who earned $41,441 to finish $490 behind Knous. Lower had a career-best season on Tour in 2019, earning a Web.com Tour Finals berth for the first time in his career. The Malone University alum was on the bubble all week, but ultimately missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole at Atlantic Beach CC to come up just shy.
The 25 players from the Web.com Tour Finals money list will join the 25 players from the Regular Season money list on the PGA TOUR. The 25 from the Regular Season are below:
|
Player
|
Hometown
|
Stats
|
College
|
|
1. Sungjae Im*
|
Jeju, South Korea
|
Two wins
|
Korea Nat’l Sport
|
|
2. Sam Burns
|
Shreveport, La.
|
One win, five top-10s
|
Lousiana State University
|
|
3. Scott Langley
|
Barrington, Ill.
|
One win, five top-10s
|
University of Illinois
|
|
4. Martin Trainer*
|
Palo Alto, Calif.
|
Two wins
|
Southern California
|
|
5. K.H. Lee*
|
Ilsan, South Korea
|
Three runners-up
|
Korea Nat’l Sport
|
|
6. Cameron Champ*
|
Sacramento, Calif.
|
One win, five top-10s
|
Texas A&M
|
|
7. Sebastian Muñoz
|
Bogotá, Colombia
|
Six top-10s
|
North Texas
|
|
8. Anders Albertson*
|
Alpharetta, Georgia
|
One win, two top-10s
|
Georgia Tech
|
|
9. Chase Wright*
|
Muncie, Ind.
|
One win, four top-10s
|
University of Indiana
|
|
10. John Chin*
|
Temecula, Calif.
|
Three top-10s
|
UC Irvine
|
|
11. Kyle Jones*
|
Snowflake, Ariz.
|
Four top-10s
|
Baylor University
|
|
12. Jose de Jesus Rodriguez*
|
Irapuato, Mexico
|
One win, three top-10s
|
N/A
|
|
13. Adam Long*
|
St. Louis, Mo.
|
Five top-10s
|
Duke University
|
|
14. Adam Svensson*
|
Surrey, B.C., Canada
|
One win, four top-10s
|
Barry University
|
|
15. Josh Teater
|
Lexington, Ky
|
Three top-10s
|
Morehead State
|
|
16. Wyndham Clark*
|
Denver, Colo.
|
Four top-10s
|
University of Oregon
|
|
17. Julian Etulain
|
Buenos Aires, Argentina
|
Three top-10s
|
N/A
|
|
18. Alex Prugh
|
Spokane, Wash.
|
Four top-10s
|
University of Washington
|
|
19. Joey Garber*
|
Petoskey, Mich.
|
One win, three top-10s
|
University of Georgia
|
|
20. Chris Thompson*
|
Lawrence, Kan.
|
Five top-10s
|
University of Kansas
|
|
21. Carlos Ortiz
|
Jalisco, Mexico
|
Four top-10s
|
North Texas
|
|
22. Brady Schnell
|
Omaha, Neb.
|
One win, two top-10s
|
University of Nebraska
|
|
23. Kramer Hickok*
|
Dallas, Texas
|
Four top-10s
|
University of Texas
|
|
24. Roberto Castro
|
Atlanta, Georgia
|
Five top-10s
|
Georgia Tech
|
|
25. Hank Lebioda*
|
Orlando, Fla.
|
Four top-10s
|
Florida State University
|
Tiger Woods a winner again for 1st time since 2013
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.”
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.
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.
Canada’s AC Tanguay leads heading into final round at Guardian Championship
PRATTVILLE, Ala. — A rookie on the LPGA Tour this season and 2017 Symetra Tour graduate, Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City, Canada) holds the outright advantage after two rounds in the Guardian Championship on the Senator Course at Capitol Hill of the Robert Trent Jones (RTJ) Golf Trail.
The former University of Oklahoma standout is 12-under par overall and takes a one-stroke lead into the final round over Nontaya Srisawang (Chiang Mai, Thailand).
“It feels really good and has been awhile since I have been out on the Symetra Tour as well,” said Tanguay, who set her career 36-hole scoring mark with the performance so far. “I’m really happy to see my name at the top of the leaderboard. I played really solid today, gave myself a lot of chances and stayed pretty patient. It’s definitely a good feeling.”
Competing on the official qualifying tour of the LPGA once again last week and this week, Tanguay is simply keeping herself in competition to get ready for Q-Series from Oct. 22 through Nov. 3 at Pinehurst Resort.
Already a champion on the Symetra Tour at the 2017 Garden City Charity Classic, her second career professional win would be icing on the cake as she prepares for the LPGA Qualifying Tournament.
“These events are so great and the field is deep, so I thought it couldn’t be more perfect to test myself and play amazing courses,” said the Team Canada Young Pro Squad member. “It is very familiar for me to come out and play on this Tour. I’m happy because my game is where I want it to be heading into Q-Series, so I think I will keep working in that direction for the next few weeks.”
Furthermore, having been in the position of many individuals when it comes to the Volvik Race for the Card, Tanguay has one piece of advice.
“The pressure is huge and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves,” said Tanguay. “We think if you finish 11th and miss your card, then it’s kind of the end of the world to us. You have to put it in perspective. For me, it was extremely difficult and I understand what they are going through. Your goal is to be out there, but you’re not there yet so really have to see the big picture and really embrace the pressure.”
Meanwhile, a bogey-free round of 7-under par 65 launched Srisawang into solo second position after day two. She will join Tanguay in the final pairing tomorrow looking for her first career Symetra Tour victory.
“I hit it really well today and put the ball in good position on the greens, then made the putts,” said Srisawang, currently No. 25 in the Volvik Race for the Card. “I missed a couple greens, but I could get up and down really well. Out here, we have to trust the target that you’re aiming at and I just feel really comfortable with my putting this week.”
Two groups did not complete the second round because of unplayable conditions after heavy rains moved into the area this evening. They will restart tomorrow at 7 a.m. CT then a cut will be made to the low 60 players and ties. From there, the final round will begin no earlier than 8 a.m. CT. A total of 61 players sit at even par or better.
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