Horsey completes 2-shot victory at Made in Denmark
AALBORG, Denmark – David Horsey overcame a late stumble to win Made in Denmark by two shots on Sunday despite a 2-over 73 in the final round.
The Englishman, who led from the first round, bogeyed the 14th and 16th holes but finished with two pars for a 13-under total of 271. Four players tied for second, including Kristoffer Broberg of Sweden who surged up the leaderboard with a course-record 62.
Terry Pilkadaris of Australia joined Horsey atop the leaderboard briefly during the round but also finished two shots back, along with David Gaunt (66) and home favorite Soeren Kjeldsen (68).
Broberg made nine birdies in a bogey-free round at the Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort.
Billy Andrade leads Champions Tour’s Boeing Classic
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. – Billy Andrade made a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole for a 7-under 65 and a three-stroke lead Saturday after the second round of the Champions Tour’s Boeing Classic.
The 51-year-old Andrade had eight birdies – three in a row on Nos. 13-15 – and a bogey to reach 10-under 134 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. The four-time PGA Tour winner teamed with Joe Duran to win the Legends of Golf in April for his first Champions Tour title.
Bernhard Langer and Jeff Freeman were tied for second. Langer, the 2010 winner, had a 66, and Freeman shot 68.
Langer, who turns 58 Thursday, birdied five of the final six holes. The German star is trying to tie Gil Morgan for third place on the tour’s career victory list with 25.
Freeman got into the tournament as an alternate. He has three top-10 finishes in 33 Champions Tour starts.
Fred Couples, from Seattle, was tied for fourth at 4 under after a 71.
Rod Spittle of St. Catharines, Ont., leads the Canadian contingent with a share of ninth-place. The 60-year-old carded a 3-under 69 and is part of an eight-way tie. Stephen Ames sits tied for 32nd following a 74 while Jim Rutledge finished the day with a 79.
Pendrith, Ryder share 54-hole lead in Ottawa
OTTAWA – Richmond Hill, Ontario’s Taylor Pendrith and Longwood, Florida’s Sam Ryder reached 15-under par through 54 holes at Hylands Golf Club on Saturday to share the lead heading into the final round of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s National Capital Open to Support Our Troops.
The 24-year old Pendrith held a two stroke lead playing the 18th hole before finding the water with his approach and making double bogey, leaving him in a tie with Ryder with one round to go at Hylands.
Uniontown, Ohio’s Ross Beal and Otsego, Minnesota’s Clayton Rask, who holed his 82-yard approach on the 18thfor eagle, were one shot back at 14-under in a tie for third.
“I played solid, hit the ball really well and made a lot of putts, so I can’t be too disappointed. It would have been nice to hit it in the fairway on 18 and a make a par, but that’s alright. It’s nothing that can’t be fixed tomorrow,” said Pendrith, a member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad.
“I played well all day and had a nice little stretch on 13 through 16. I was hitting it in the fairway and my irons were pretty good today,” said Ryder, a second year Mackenzie Tour player who sits 11th on the Order of Merit. The Stetson University grad shot a 7-under 64, including four straight birdies on the back nine.
Pendrith began the day playing in the final group with Beal, the 36-hole leader, with the pair of long bombers ranking among the longest hitters on Tour. Pendrith said the back-and-forth battle off the tee spurred both competitors on Saturday afternoon.
“It was fun. We both hit it really far and we were both swinging very hard on almost every tee ball. He made five or six birdies and an eagle and I made nine birdies, so it was a lot of fun,” said Pendrith, a graduate of Kent State University.
Ryder, meanwhile, played with current Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit leader J.J. Spaun, who shot his third straight 4-under 67 to sit tied for fifth. Ryder said the amicable atmosphere in their pairing was the perfect tone-setter for his round of 64, which included four straight birdies on the back nine on holes
“We had a good time. J.J.’s a buddy of mine. We talked before the round and said ‘Let’s go out here and get it, feed off each other a little.’ It’s nice when you both can start making some birdies and get it going, it definitely helps you and gets the juices going,” said Ryder.
Three shots back of the lead were Spaun and Zimbabwe’s Nyasha Mauchaza at 12-under. 12 players were within five shots of the lead at 10-under or better heading into Sunday.
NUMBERS YOU NEED TO KNOW
82: Clayton Rask’s yardage to the hole on his second shot at the par-4 18th, which he holed for eagle.
20: Taylor Pendrith’s number of birdies through 54 holes.
12: Players within five shots heading into Sunday.
QUOTABLES:
“Last year was my first year out here and this year has been steady. I’ve put myself in some good positions. Hitting the shots under the most intense pressure you can get out here. It’s just about being patient and waiting for your time, and when it comes, it comes.” – Sam Ryder on the value of a year’s experience on the Mackenzie Tour.
“I was five yards short of the green and he was like seven yards short. It was a good way to start the day and keep the crowd in it. I saw him swing and he went at it, so I couldn’t let him hit it by me.” – Taylor Pendrith on he and Ross Beal’s drives on the 365-yard first hole.
“I hit it good. It was funny, [Rask and caddie Don Constable] just got done saying ‘how fun would it be to hole out?’ and sure enough it happened. It’s just ironic. For all the good putts that I hit today that lipped out, some good wedge shots that didn’t do it that I thought would, to hit one and it actually do exactly what we wanted it to do, it’s exciting.” – Clayton Rask on his hole out from the fairway on 18.
Notes:
- Weather: 24 degrees Celsius (27 with Humidex). Mostly sunny. Winds 4 km/h.
- Sam Ryder can move as high as no. 2 on the Order of Merit with a win. He needs at least $10,695 and a solo third finish to pass no. 5 Michael Letzig, who sits T22 through 54 holes.
- National Capital Open Golf Ambassador Brad Fritsch sits T6 at the Web.com Tour’s News Sentinel Open through 54 holes.
- Taylor Pendrith is a member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad along with fellow Mackenzie Tour members Mackenzie Hughes, Albin Choi, Corey Conners and Adam Svensson.
- Pendrith is also a member of Freedom 55 Financial’s Team Freedom, along with fellow Mackenzie Tour members Matt Hill, Albin Choi, Mackenzie Hughes and Adam Svensson.
- Pendrith can move as high as No. 2 on the Order of Merit with a win and needs at least a solo second place finish to get inside The Five.
Woods 2 strokes behind Gore after 3rd round at Wyndham
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Tiger Woods couldn’t have asked for much more at his first Wyndham Championship.
He’s playing with confidence. His scores show it. And now he’ll play a Sunday round that matters.
Woods shot a 2-under 68 in the third round Saturday, leaving him two strokes behind leader and longtime friend Jason Gore in a three-way tie for second.
Gore had a career-best 62 to reach 15-under 195 at Sedgefield Country Club.
“I need to go out there tomorrow and make a run and get myself up there and make some birdies,” Woods said. “There’s a bunch of guys … at 13 (under). There’s a whole slew of guys at 12, 11, 10. Anybody can make a run and shoot the score Jason and Jonas (Blixt) did.”
Woods – whose streak of 28 holes without a bogey ended on the 18th when his 6-foot par putt lipped out – reeled off 10 straight pars before briefly moving within one stroke of Gore with a birdie on the par-3 16th.
“I felt very steady from the word `go,'” Woods said.
Blixt and Scott Brown joined Woods at 13 under. Blixt shot a career-best 62, and Brown had a 66.
Former Wyndham winners Webb Simpson (64) and Brandt Snedeker (67) were three strokes back along with Paul Casey (66), Jim Herman (66) and Cameron Percy (67).
Woods was poised to make a run at his first win in more than two years – one that would earn him enough points to clinch a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs opener next week in New Jersey. Depending on the math, a solo second-place finish also might be enough for Woods, who’s at No. 187.
“I think it’s awesome to see him playing well again, to see him playing like Tiger Woods,” Gore said, “because that’s what we all want to see.”
He also moved one step closer to his 80th PGA Tour victory – and first since the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Playing the Wyndham for the first time in an effort to hone his game and earn a spot in The Barclays, Woods is attempting to win a tournament in his first try for the first time since 1999 – when he won the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Spain.
For him, this day was about consistently making pars – 15 in all, including a remarkable save on the 10th with a 24-foot putt.
“The putter just felt really good. My pace, I felt like I could be aggressive,” Woods said. “I took a few runs at putts and ripped them past the hole, but I never felt like I was going to miss any of them. I took a rip at them. Some I made, some I didn’t.”
His only birdie on the back nine was an important one. He plopped his tee shot on 16 about 12 feet from the hole and rolled in the putt to move to 14 under before giving that stroke back on his final hole.
That bogey prevented a final Sunday pairing with Gore – who was instead paired with Blixt. Gore says he’s known Woods “since we’ve been 12 years old” as kids in California.
Gore started the round six strokes off the lead. He took over the top spot at 14 under with a birdie on the 15th, then closed with another on the 18th – hitting his second shot to 7 to set up his ninth birdie of the day.
At No. 166 on the points list, Gore put himself in position for his second career win on tour and his first since the 84 Lumber Classic in 2005. He has just 15 top-10 finishes in the past decade.
“Contrary to popular belief,” Gore quipped, “I’m still a good golfer.”
His big round came in relative anonymity because once again, an overflow crowd followed Woods’ every move.
Woods began the day sharing the lead with rookie Tom Hoge at 11 under, but claimed sole possession for the first time with a birdie on the first hole.
Blixt joined him at 12 under moments later, then jumped ahead with a birdie on the 17th. Woods caught him by rolling in a 5-foot birdie putt on the fifth before Gore shot past them both.
Still, Blixt has given himself a shot to make the playoffs and earn his tour card for next year. He’s at No. 135 on the points list and No. 147 on the money list, and said he’d be “very pleased if I secured my job.
“A win will take care of that,” he added. “Shoot another 62, I should have a good chance.”
Erik Compton, a two-time heart transplant recipient who shared the first-round lead, withdrew before his third round with an injured left ankle but says he’s hopeful of playing in The Barclays.
Had he pulled out a day earlier, the cut line would have moved to 2 under and 19 more players – including bubble players Michael Putnam (No. 134) and Tom Gillis (No. 138) would still be around this weekend.
Abbotsford, B.C., native Adam Hadwin finished the round 4-under 66 on the strength of five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole. He is 8-under for the competition and is T27.
Horsey stays in lead, 1 shot ahead of Pilkadaris
AALBORG, Denmark – David Horsey has a one-shot lead to take into the final round of the Made in Denmark tournament.
The Englishman hit a 3-under 68 Saturday to stay in the lead at 15-under 198.
Terry Pilkadaris of Australia hit a 6-under 65 to take second.
English duo Chris Paisley (66) and John Parry (69) are also in contention, tied for third on 11-under 202.
Horsey’s drive at No. 18 went into the trees but he found his ball and recovered well at the Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort.
Horsey started Saturday three shots clear of Parry and Australia’s Richard Green.
Woods claims share of lead at Wyndham after shooting 65
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Tiger Woods signed up for his first Wyndham Championship knowing a win would definitively keep his season from ending.
He’s halfway there.
Woods shot a 5-under 65 on Friday to share the second-round lead with rookie Tom Hoge.
“I’m only at the halfway point,” Woods said. “Only 36 holes. We’ve still got a long way to go.”
Woods and Hoge were at 11-under 129. Hoge shot a 67.
The sport’s biggest name put himself in prime position to contend for his first victory in more than two years, one that would send him into the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Woods followed his best round since 2013 – a first-day 64 – with one almost as good.
He made his big move up the leaderboard on the back nine, with birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 and an eagle on the par-5 13th that gave him a share of the lead.
“I just couldn’t get anything out of my rounds (before this tournament) and a couple lucky bounces here, take advantage of those opportunities – it’s just the flow,” Woods said.
Now he’ll spend Saturday playing with an unfamiliar rookie. When asked if he would recognize Hoge to see him, Woods responded: “No, I wouldn’t. What is it, or him?”
“I look on the Champions Tour leaderboard and I know every one of those guys because I played against them and I played with them,” Woods said. “Now I come out here, I don’t really know a lot of people.”
Davis Love III and Chad Campbell were a stroke back. Campbell shot 65, and the 51-year-old Love had 66.
Brandt Snedeker matched the tournament record with a 61 that put him in a group of six players two strokes behind Woods and Hoge.
But for the second straight day, the big story at Sedgefield Country Club was Woods.
He missed the cuts in the last three majors and hasn’t finished better than a tie for 17th at the Masters. At No. 187 on the FedEx Cup points list, he would definitely crack the top 125 with a win and qualify for the Barclays next week in New Jersey. Depending on how the math works out, a solo second-place finish also might be enough.
He took advantage of some prime scoring conditions during the first round, shooting that 64 on a course softened by showers that morning. That left him two strokes off the lead.
And then, playing under a hot afternoon sun that sped up those undulating greens, Woods almost matched it.
“I wasn’t quite as sharp as I was yesterday,” he said.
He capped that run of consecutive birdies with a 25-foot putt on the 13th that drew a mighty roar from the huge gallery.
Then came his eagle.
He placed his second shot about 10 feet behind the hole and, after his downhill putt fell into the hole, he followed with his trademark fist pump.
And as strong as his round was, it also easily could have been even better.
He settled for birdie on the par-5 fifth when his 10-foot eagle putt lipped out, then missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the next hole. He left a 10-foot birdie putt an inch from the hole on the ninth.
“I’ve shot 59 and I left a couple shots out there,” Woods said. “The great thing about golf, you can always get a little bit better.”
Love, a former University of North Carolina player whose two wins in the tournament came across town at Forest Oaks Country Club, played a practice round with Woods on Tuesday. Several times this week, Woods has referred to pointers Love gave him, notably
Love reeled off three straight birdies early in his round before closing with 10 straight pars.
“It will look boring on the card … but I made some nice putts for par, and some good up and downs, and kept the round together,” Love said.
Hoge, who was born about 70 miles away in Statesville but grew up in North Dakota, shared the first-round lead with William McGirt and two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton.
Hoge, who had two top-10 finishes in the past month, followed his opening-round 62 with another low number with birdies on three of his final five holes.
“Obviously, a new position for me,” Hoge said.
Snedeker – who won the Wyndham in 2007, its last year at Forest Oaks – shot just the fifth 61 in the history of the event and the first since Tim Herron three years ago.
He finished his round with back-to-back birdies on the eighth and ninth holes, closing by sinking a 50-foot putt.
“I was trying to shoot 7 under in my mind, get back in the mix, and to shoot 9 (under) was definitely something I wasn’t expecting on the range this morning, but great to get it,” Snedeker said.
For some players, the priority was to earn enough points to qualify for the playoffs or keep their tour card for next year.
Luke Donald, at No. 124 on the points list, made the cut of 3 under. So did No. 129 Camilo Villegas – the defending champion – and No. 125 Charl Schwartzel.
For others, their bubbles burst: No. 131 Billy Hurley III, who came to Greensboro the day after his father’s funeral in an attempt to secure his card, shot a 70 and missed the cut.
Larry Mize leads Champions Tour’s Boeing Classic
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. – Larry Mize birdied the par-5 18th hole for a 5-under 67 and a two-stroke lead over Fred Couples and four others Friday after the first round of the Champions Tour’s Boeing Classic.
The 56-year-old Mize had a bogey-free round at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. The 1987 Masters champion won the 2010 Montreal Championship for his lone title on the 50-and-over tour.
“I am pleasantly surprised,” Mize said. “I’ve been working hard to get things turned around. I was optimistic I could have a good week.”
Couples, trying to win his hometown event for the first time, was tied for second at 69 with Billy Andrade, Carlos Franco, Jeff Freeman and Chien Soon Lu.
Mize hasn’t had a top-10 finish in more than two years. He said “a little bit of everything” has been holding him back.
“More ball-striking than anything,” he said. “I guess you could say I’ve gotten my swing out of whack and I’ve just been having a hard time getting it back going again.”
Couples, from Seattle, played in the featured group with Bernhard Langer and Jeff Maggert, coming off his third victory of the season two weeks ago in Alberta. Couples, who shot a 59 Wednesday in a warmup round at the nearby Broadmoor Country Club, birdied Nos. 10, 11 and 15 also closed with three straight pars.
“I think the birdies on 10 and 11 kept the round where I got under and stayed there,” Couples said. “The greens were beautiful, rock hard, which everyone kind of likes. Larry Mize had a phenomenal round. You can tell because 15th-18th place is 1 under. That’s a long cry from 67. A 69 here before was a really nice score.”
The field average of 73.35 was the second highest for any round in the 11-year history of the event.
Couples used the same putter he had for his 59. He said it was a club that had been sitting around at a friend’s house.
“I’ve been known to leave clubs around,” he said. “I left that one there. I saw it and we went out and played. I left mine (old one) in the room. I didn’t think I could give up on it after shooting a 59. It’ll be in my bag (this weekend).”
Langer shot a 70, and Maggert had a 72.
Defending champion Scott Dunlap opened with a 74.
Beal takes solo lead at National Capital Open
Ottawa, Ont. – Uniontown, Ohio’s Ross Beal carded a 5-under 66 on Friday at Hylands Golf Club to take the 36-hole lead at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s National Capital Open to Support Our Troops.
The 30-year old Mackenzie Tour rookie reached 11-under through 36 holes to build a two shot lead over Richmond Hill, Ontario’s Taylor Pendrith and London, England’s Charlie Bull heading into the weekend in Ottawa.
“I was able to limit my mistakes. I got loose a couple of times but was able to make some easy pars and when I got some chances I finally made a couple of putts and got warm,” said Beal, who held a share of the 18-hole lead and made four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine to pull away from the pack.
Beal will play with Pendrith in Saturday’s final twosome in a duel of long bombers, with the pair currently sitting 11th and 1st in 2015 Mackenzie Tour driving distance, respectively. Beal is averaging 310.9 yards per drive, with Pendrith’s pokes reaching 339.1 yards per drive.
“I know Taylor real well and I think that will make it easier for both of us,” said Beal, who was a runner-up in a playoff with Pendrith to Drew Weaver at this year’s season-opening PC Financial Open. “I think there’s an advantage on some of the holes where some of the shorter guys might not be able to hit some of the same clubs into greens that we are, and I think that’s a big advantage.”
The Youngstown State University grad admitted he expects to feel pressure on the weekend, but that he’s well-equipped to handle what the course and field will throw his way with two rounds to go.
“I’d be surprised if I didn’t feel the nerves a little bit, but I’m looking forward to the challenge tomorrow,” said Beal.
Earlier, Pendrith and Bull posted the clubhouse lead at 9-under, with a trio of players, including Order of Merit leader J.J. Spaun along with Longwood, Florida’s Sam Ryder and Zimbabwe’s Nyasha Mauchaza one shot further behind at 8-under.
“I’m pleased with the score today. I had three bogeys and they were pretty sloppy, but if you shoot 7-under with three bogeys you’re doing something right,” said Pendrith, who made just six pars but eight birdies and an eagle in a round of 64.
“It’s been a good two days. Today I just played solid and made a nice group of four birdies in a row on the back-nine and then made some good up-and-downs coming in on 16, 17 and 18, which helps to save a good score,” said Bull.
Horsey extends lead in Denmark
AALBORG, Denmark – David Horsey of England extended his lead at the Made in Denmark tournament on Friday, hitting a 4-under 67 to go three shots clear of countryman John Parry and Australia’s Richard Green.
Horsey, who had a one-stroke lead going into the second round, appeared in trouble after bogeys on Nos. 9 and 10. He recovered with birdies on the 11th, 15th and 17th holes at the Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort.
The Englishman is on 12-under 130 at the halfway stage.
“I’ve just been trying to stick to my own strategy and not be distracted by things going on around me and it seems to be working so far,” Horsey told the official European Tour website.
Two bogies on the last three holes saw Parry (67) finish at 9-under 133.
Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship heads to Sawmill Creek Golf Resort and Spa
CAMLACHIE, Ont. – The Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship is set to begin at Sawmill Creek Golf Resort and Spa in Camlachie, Ont., from August 26-28. The 2015 edition of the event will see the debut of the Mid-Amateur division which has historically been held in conjunction with the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.
In addition to the 43rd playing of the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship, competitors over 25 years of age will compete for the Mid-Amateur Championship, while the Mid-Masters division is open to players over 40. The 54-hole stroke play Senior Championship is open to amateur players over the age of 50 and the Super Senior division is open to competitors who are 60 years of age or older.
“The Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship will be an excellent showcase of Canada’s strong golf talent,” said Tournament Director Justine Decock. “We have had many Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members hoist the Ada Mackenzie Trophy and we will continue write the championship’s history this year at Sawmill Creek Golf Resort.”
This tournament has housed the talents of Canadian Golf Hall of Famers Marilyn Palmer O’Connor, four-time Canadian Women’s Senior Champion Gayle Hitchens Borthwick and World Golf Hall of Fame member Marlene Stewart Streit.
Defending her 2014 title will be Hélène Chartrand of Pincourt, Que. The 58-year-old defeated Mary Ann Hayward on the second playoff hole at Club de golf Milby in Sherbrooke, Que. Chartrand also captured the 2014 Mid-Master division at last year’s Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship hosted at Craigowan Golf & Country Club in Woodstock, Ont.
Three-time champion Mary Ann Hayward, 55, captured back-to-back Canadian Women’s Senior titles in 2010 and 2011 before adding her third in 2013. The Aurora, Ont., native is a member of both the Ontario and Quebec Golf Halls of Fame, and was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2007. Hayward has four career victories at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and holds the distinction of being the first Canadian to win the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur title.
Also in this year’s field is 51-year-old, Thornhill, Ont., native Judith Kyrinis who recently competed in the 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. In 2014, Kyrinis finished third at the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship and was runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur.
Canadian Golf Hall of Famer and four-time Canadian Women’s Senior Champion Alison Murdoch, 65, of Victoria, B.C., along with two-time champion Jackie Little, 56, of Port Alberni, B.C., will look to add to their legacies at this year’s competition. Little and Murdoch finished in first and second place respectively at the 2015 British Columbia Senior Women’s Championship.
An inter-provincial team championship will take place in conjunction with the first two rounds of stroke play; Team Ontario won the championship by 16 strokes in 2014.
The champion of this year’s Canadian Women’s Senior division will gain an entry into the 2015 U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur at Hillwood Country Club in Nashville, Tenn., September 26 to October 1.
Additional information, including the full field and tee times, is available here.