Golfers live longer
Whose turn is it this week to treat golf as their whipping boy?
Mainstream media feed on the sport as a source of unsubstantiated headlines, many based on the fallacious stereotype of golfers as overweight entitled middle-aged men riding in golf carts while smoking a cigar and chugging a beer. (I do wish they would stop using my foursome as an example.)
For their edification, and yours, here are some verifiable facts about just one positive aspect of golf.
Last fall, Dr. Andrew Murray and his colleagues at Edinburgh University’s Physical Activity for Health Research Centre reported on the results of a review conducted by researchers into 5,000 existing studies about golf.
5,000 studies!
What they found was stunning.
Golf not only has physical and mental health benefits for everyone who plays, but those benefits increase with age. Older folks improve their balance and endurance as well as respiratory and cardiac health.
“We know that the moderate physical activity that golf provides increased life expectancy, has mental health benefits and can help prevent and treat more than 40 major chronic diseases such as heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, breast and colon cancer,” Murray told the BBC.
“Evidence suggests golfers live longer than non-golfers, enjoying improvements in cholesterol levels, body composition, wellness, self-esteem and self-worth.”
The Edinburgh University study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and is part of the Golf and Health Project, which is led by the World Golf Foundation.
A visit to the Golf and Health web site www.golfandhealth.org is a revelation. (Highly recommended for those mainstream media types mentioned above.)
Other studies show that walking 18 holes is equivalent to an eight-kilometre hike. That hike can drop blood glucose levels by up to 30 per cent in older golfers and helps everyone with weight maintenance and physical fitness. Walking and carrying your clubs can burn up to 2,000 calories per round. Even if you can’t carry, get off the power cart and use a manual or electric push cart (what the Brits call “trolleys”).
Heck, even being a spectator at a golf tournament is good for you.
“Spectators at golf events have been reported to walk significantly further than the 7,500 to 10,000 steps recommended daily for health,” according to Golf and Health. So you don’t have to actually play the game to reap the health benefits associated with it.
Even if the preceding hasn’t persuaded you to get out and golf, how about this for a kicker?
The death rate for golfers is 40 per cent lower than for non-golfers of the same age, sex and socio-economic status, according to a study of 300,000 golfers by Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet. That equates to a five-year increase in life expectancy for regular golfers.
When the Edinburgh University study was released, the London Daily Mail ran this above the story:
“Play golf and you’ll live longer.”
Now, that’s a headline you can believe.
Tiger Woods makes Masters 15th and most improbable major win
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Fallen hero, crippled star, and now a Masters champion again.
Tiger Woods rallied to win the Masters for the fifth time Sunday, a comeback that goes well beyond the two-shot deficit he erased before a delirious audience that watched memories turn into reality at Augusta National.
Woods had gone nearly 11 years since he won his last major, 14 years since that green jacket was slipped over his Sunday red shirt. He made it worth the wait, closing with a 2-under 70 for a one-shot victory and setting off a scene of raw emotion.
He scooped up 10-year-old Charlie, born a year after Woods won his 14th major at Torrey Pines in the 2008 U.S Open. He hugged his mother and then his 11-year-old daughter Sam, and everyone else in his camp that stood by him through a public divorce, an embarrassing DUI arrest from a concoction of painkillers and four back surgeries, the most recent one just two years ago to fuse his lower spine.
“WOOOOOOO!!!” Woods screamed as he headed for the scoring room with chants of “Tiger! Tiger! Tiger” echoing as loud as any of the roars on the back nine at Augusta National.
“It’s overwhelming, just because of what has transpired,” Woods said in Butler Cabin. “Last year I was lucky to be playing again. At the previous year’s dinner, I was really struggling. I missed a couple of years not playing this great tournament. To now be the champion … 22 years between wins is a long time. It’s unreal to experience this.”
Woods lost his impeccable image to a sex scandal, one of the swiftest and most shocking downfalls in sport.
He lost his health to four back surgeries that left him unable to get out of bed, much less swing a club, and he went two years without even playing a major. It was two years ago at the Masters when Woods said he needed a nerve block just to walk to the Champions Dinner. At that time, he thought his career is over.
Now the comeback is truly complete.
He wrapped his arms around his father when he won his first green jacket in 1997, changing the world of golf.
“Now I’m the dad with two kids there,” he said.
He wanted his children to see him win, once saying they saw him only as a YouTube legend. They were at the British Open when he had the lead briefly. They couldn’t make it to East Lake last September, when he won the Tour Championship for his first victory in five years.
“I wasn’t going to let that happen to them twice,” he said. “To let them see what it’s like to have their dad win a major championship, I hope it’s something they’ll never forget.”
Woods won his 15th major, three short of the standard set by Jack Nicklaus. It was his 81st victory on the PGA Tour, one title away from the career record held by Sam Snead.
“A big ‘well done’ from me to Tiger,” Nicklaus tweeted. “I am so happy for him and for the game of golf. This is just fantastic!!!”
It was the first time Woods won a major when trailing going into the final round, and he needed some help from Francesco Molinari, the 54-hole leader who still was up two shots heading into the heart of Amen Corner.
And that’s when all hell broke loose at Augusta.
Molinari’s tee shot on the par-3 12th never had a chance, hitting the bank and tumbling into Rae’s Creek for double bogey. Until then, Molinari had never trailed in a round that began early in threesomes to finish ahead of storms.
And then it seemed as though practically everyone had a chance.
Six players had a share of the lead at some point on the back. With the final group still in the 15th fairway, there was a five-way tie for the lead. And that’s when Woods seized control, again with plenty of help.
Molinari’s third shot clipped a tree and plopped straight down in the water for another double bogey. Woods hit onto the green, setting up a two-putt birdie for his first lead of the final round.
The knockout punch was a tee shot into the 16th that rode the slope just by the cup and settled 2 feet away for birdie and a two-shot lead with two holes to play.
Xander Schauffele failed to birdie the par-5 15th and scrambled for pars the rest of the way for a 68. Dustin Johnson made three straight birdies late in the round, but he got going too late and had to settle for a 68 and a return to No. 1 in the world.
Brooks Koepka, one of four players from the final two groups who hit into the water on No. 12, rallied with an eagle on the 13th, narrowly missed another eagle on the 15th and was the last player with a chance. His birdie putt on the 18th from just outside 10 feet never had a chance, and he had to settle for a 70.
“You want to play against the best to ever play,” Koepka said. “You want to go toe-to-toe with them. I can leave saying I gave it my all. He’s just good, man.”
Wood finished at 13-under 275 and became, at 43, the oldest Masters champion since Nicklaus won his sixth green jacket at 46 in 1986. That for years has stood as Augusta’s defining moment.
This was one is sure to at least rival it.
“This is definitely, probably one of the greatest comebacks I think anybody’s ever seen,” Koepka said, before rattling off Woods’ total PGA Tour victories and 15 majors.
Is the Nicklaus record back in play?
“I think 18 is a whole lot closer than people think,” Koepka said.
Koepka and Molinari both faced Tigermania in the majors and held their own, Molinari at Carnoustie to win the British Open, Koepka last summer at Bellerive to win the PGA Championship.
Molinari went 49 straight holes without a bogey, a streak that ended on the seventh hole. It was the double bogeys that cost him, and the Italian was gracious as ever in defeat.
“I think I made a few new fans today with those double bogeys,” he said.
Molinari builds 2 shot lead over Woods, Finau in Masters
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Francesco Molinari blocked out the buzz from Tiger Woods charging up the leaderboard Saturday at the Masters and produced solid golf that looks spectacular only on the scorecard.
Molinari played bogey-free for the second straight round at Augusta National and took advantage of the rain-softened course for a 6-under 66, giving the British Open champion a two-shot lead going into a Sunday like no other at the Masters.
Because of severe storms in the forecast, the final round will start off hours early, teeing off on both sides and with players in threesomes instead of pairs. Officials hope that speeds up the finish to early afternoon, ahead of the rain.
That puts Woods in the final group of a major for the first time since the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine, where he gave up a two-shot lead on the final day to Y.E. Yang.
Woods made three straight birdies on the front and finished with three birdies over his last six holes for a 67, his best score at the Masters since the final round in 2011. Joining them will be Tony Finau, playing this year on two good ankles after a self-inflicted injury a year ago . He was part of a history-making Saturday as one of three players to shoot 64.
Molinari was at 13-under 203, two shots ahead of Woods and Finau.
“Obviously, he’s playing great,” Molinari said of Woods. “But a lot of guys are playing great. I wish I only had to worry about him. I think a few more are going to come out tomorrow and try to shoot a low one.”
Another shot behind was Brooks Koepka, who has won three of the last six majors and had a 69 despite four bogeys. Corey Conners (71) of Listowel, Ont., was tied for 22nd at 4 under, nine shots behind Molinari.
Woods has won all 14 of his majors when he had at least a share of the lead going into the final round. He brings momentum to this major, having contended in the last two.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in contention here,” Woods said. “But then again, the last two majors count for something. I’ve been in the mix with a chance to win major championships in the last two years, and so that helps.”
Molinari knows what kind of atmosphere Woods brings to a major. He was paired with him in the final round at Carnoustie last year, where Woods briefly took the lead and the Italian never flinched, playing bogey-free to capture his first major.
Augusta National might sound different than a tough links along the North Sea of Scotland.
This is where Woods first captured the attention of the sporting public when he set 20 records in winning the first of his four green jackets. This is the gallery that has longed to see him recapture the past, especially after four back surgeries that only two years ago left him hobbling up the stairs, wondering if he would play again.
Woods looked good as new, even for a 43-year-old who hasn’t won a major in nearly 11 years. Not since 2013 in the British Open as Muirfield has he been within two shots of the lead.
He joined the chasing pack on a day when going neutral meant losing ground on a course in which 65 players combined to go 80-under par, at 70.77 the second-lowest scoring average in Masters history.
When he rolled in a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th, and the massive gallery rose to their feet with yet another ear-splitting roar, Woods became the ninth player Saturday who had at least a share of the lead.
Molinari, playing in the final group, kept right on rolling.
When he saved par from a bunker on the 18th hole, it was his 43rd consecutive hole without a bogey. That streak started on the 11th hole on Thursday, and it’s the only bogey he has made all week.
“I hit the ball a little less well than yesterday,” Molinari said. “But I holed some really good putts at 4 and 5 to save par. I can only be happy about today. It will be an exciting day tomorrow.”
No one figures to be as excited as Finau, who last turn grotesquely turned his ankle celebrating a hole-in-one in the Par 3 Tournament, and still managed to tie for 10th. He nearly holed a 4-iron on the par-5 eighth on his way to a record-tying 30 on the front nine that sent him to his 64.
Because of the change in starting times, Finau gets to play alongside Woods – his golfing hero – not only at the last group in a major, but at the Masters. Finau said it was “something that I’ve dreamed of for a long time.”
“As a kid, I always wanted to compete against him and have the opportunity to … you know, I’ve dreamed of playing in the final group with him in a major championship.”
Webb Simpson, who also shot 64, joined Ian Poulter (68) at 9-under 207, four shots behind and very much in the picture. The group another shot back included Dustin Johnson, who only made birdies on the par 5s and bogeyed his last hole for a 70.
Woods makes a Masters logjam look even larger
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tiger Woods ran into the long leg of the law and escaped with a most unlikely birdie.
He just couldn’t take the next step – one more birdie on a back nine filled with so many chances – to join the largest 36-hole logjam in Masters history.
Golf’s best worked their way to the top Friday at Augusta National to set up a weekend pregnant with possibilities. Francesco Molinari, Jason Day, Brooks Koepka, Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen created the first five-way tie for the lead going into the weekend at the Masters.
All of them are major champions. Three have been No. 1 in the world.
Looming just as large was Woods, who made it look even more crowded at the top by making Augusta National sound as loud as ever. Despite missing two birdie chances inside 8 feet on the back nine, he holed consecutive 30-foot birdie putts for a 4-under 68.
One of those big birdies followed a bizarre moment on the 14th hole.
Trapped in the trees, Woods hooked a low punch toward the green and was walking toward the fairway when a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent trying to contain the gallery slipped on the rain-slickened grass and slid into the lower right leg of Woods.
He managed to keep his balance, winced, hobbled and flexed his ankle repeatedly when he made it to the fairway. Then he turned trouble into a birdie and was walking just fine the rest of the way.
“I’m fine. It’s all good,” Woods said. “Accidents happen and move on.”
What’s happening is a weekend at Augusta National loaded with top players, and not just those tied at 7-under 136. Dustin Johnson, poised to return to No. 1 in the world after Justin Rose missed the cut, has looked effortless over two days and was one shot behind.
Nine players were separated by one shot, a group that includes seven major winners and five former No. 1-ranked golfers. Phil Mickelson, at 48 trying to become the oldest major champion, was three shots back. Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler were four shots behind.
“This is really stacked,” Scott said. “I think it’s going to be an incredible weekend no matter what happens now.”
Corey Conners (71) of Listowel, Ont., was in a group tied for 16th at 3-under par, four shots back of the leaders. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., missed the cut by a shot.
Woods has gone 14 years since he last won the green jacket, 11 years since his last major and had five surgeries – four on his back, the other to rebuild his left knee.
But he feels he’s getting closer.
“The last three majors, I’ve been right there,” Woods said.
He briefly held the lead Sunday in the British Open. He chased Koepka to the finish line in the PGA Championship. And now he goes into the weekend one shot behind, the closest he has been to a lead going into the weekend at a major since the 2013 British Open at Muirfield.
But that’s not just anyone he’s trailing.
Molinari, the British Open champion who has shown he belongs among the elite in golf, had a 67 and was the first to reach 7 under. Day was right behind, coping with nagging soreness in his lower back with a 67 to match the Italian.
Koepka, the U.S. Open and PGA champion, began with a birdie to quickly take the lead, only to hit out of the pine straw, off a tree and into the creek to make double bogey on the par-5 second hole. He made two more bogeys before reaching the seventh hole, and then pulled himself together to salvage a 71.
“You’re going to be tested in a major championship one way or another,” Koepka said. “I hit a bad shot; just got to suck it up and just keep going on. You’ve got a lot of holes left, and you can make up some ground.”
Scott was the only player to reach 8 under with a 2-iron into 5 feet for eagle on the 15th, only to miss a 3-foot par putt on the 16th. It added up to a 68 for the Australian who won the Masters six years ago, and has gone three years since his last victory.
He had a chance to win the PGA Championship in his last major until Koepka pulled away and Scott made a careless bogey at the end to finish third. He has shown flashes this year on the West Coast, at Torrey Pines and Riviera, but has geared his game toward this week.
Here he is, with a lot of company.
“Look, tomorrow is a very important day because there’s no doubt someone in the top 15, or a few of them, are going to play very well,” Scott said. “This is the best players in the world on the biggest stage that we all want to be in so badly.”
Storms stopped play for only 29 minutes, long enough to stall Woods.
He made the only birdie on No. 11 all day, and hit his tee shot on the dangerous par-3 12th to 5 feet when the horn sounded. Woods returned and missed the putt, and then took three shots from 35 feet behind the par-5 13th green to lose another prime birdie opportunity. But he made it up for them with a couple of long birdie putts, and he had no complaints with his position.
“I feel like I played my own way back into the tournament,” Woods said. “I was just very patient today, felt very good to be out there doing what I was doing. This is now three straight majors that I’ve been in the mix and so it’s good stuff.”
As for Rory McIlroy, the career Grand Slam might need to wait another year. McIlroy played the par 5s in even – two bogeys, one par and an eagle on No. 8 that got him under par, but only briefly. He was only seven shots behind, but he had 35 players in front of him.
Conners off to strong start at Masters
AUGUSTA, Ga. – The last guy into the Masters left no doubt he deserved his spot.
Corey Conners followed up a thrill at the first tee – a greeting from Jack Nicklaus – with a 2-under 70 that put the Canadian in solid position after the opening round Thursday.
“I feel like I belong,” Conners said.
Playing in the first group of the day, he got a chance to watch Nicklaus and Gary Player hit the ceremonial tee shots that traditionally kick off the first major of the year. On his way back to the clubhouse after his one and only swing, the 79-year-old Nicklaus congratulated Conners on last weekend’s victory at the Valero Texas Open – the performance that got him into the Masters as the final entrant in the field.
“That felt pretty special,” Conners said. “It’s cool that that Jack Nicklaus knows who I am.”
The 27-year-old native of Listowel, Ont., endured a sluggish start, playing the front nine at 1 over. He was solid off the tee, but a little too cautious on the treacherous greens. Then in the middle of the back side, Conners made his move.
He rolled in back-to-back birdies at the 13th and 14th holes before making eagle at the par-5 15th.
After a booming drive left only 212 yards to the green at the bottom of the hill, Conners launched his approach over the water, the ball coming to a stop just 6 feet past the cup for barely more than a tap-in.
A three-putt bogey at the final hole put a bit of a damper on his day.
But Conners wasn’t complaining.
Not after his improbable journey just to claim a spot in the first major of the year.
Since he’s currently ranked outside the top 125 in the FedEx Cup, Conners had to go through Monday qualifying just to get into the Texas Open. He made a 20-foot birdie at No. 18 to sneak into a six-man playoff for the final berth in the actual tournament. Then, with a birdie at the first extra hole, he eliminated the other five contenders.
With a 10-birdie round on Sunday, Conners captured the first PGA Tour victory of his career – and an invite to Augusta.
Conners certainly understands the enormity of the odds of everything falling into place the way it has.
“Look, I’m a math and stats guy,” he said, standing near the giant magnolia tree that shades the porch of the stately clubhouse. “I know I was very unlikely to be here. I can say with certainly that I didn’t think I would be here, but it worked out very well.”
Conners is off to a much better start than his only other appearance in the Masters.
The fun continues! @coreconn holds the lead at #TheMasters ?? pic.twitter.com/1ENLpNAK7U
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) April 11, 2019
After qualifying as an amateur in 2015, he opened with an 80 that left him no real chance of making the cut.
Now, with another solid round, he’ll be heading on to the weekend for the first time.
He has plenty of fans cheering him on.
“There are way more Canadian people than I was expecting – or at least people pretending to be Canadians – out there,” Conners quipped. “It was awesome.”
Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion and the only other Canadian in the field, shot a 72.
McIlroy juggling mind and game in Masters quest
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Rory McIlroy feels as prepared as ever for the Masters.
He is spending more time with his nose in a book than with his hands on a putter. “The Greatest Salesman in the World” by Og Mandino is among the best books he has read in the last year. He has been working with Brad Faxon on his putting, but their best sessions take place over a cup of coffee.
His morning routine goes beyond stretching. There is juggling – yes, juggling – meditation and mind training.
“I was watching the Women’s Amateur over the weekend and I saw a few women on the range juggling, so it’s catching on,” McIlroy said Tuesday. “How many balls can I juggle? Just three. I’m a rookie.”
It’s all geared toward becoming a complete person.
And whether it makes him a complete player by capturing the only major he has yet to win, well, that would be a bonus.
McIlroy is in the early stages of this process, and it’s hard to argue with the results, even if results don’t drive him like they once did. He has yet to finish out of the top 10 in his seven tournaments this year, which includes a victory at The Players Championship.
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Welcome to the RBC Canadian Open, @rorymcilroy – see you in JUNE! ?? #SummersOpen #RBCCO
But that green jacket is a powerful pull on the mind, and McIlroy has reason to believe he can fit comfortably into one.
He famously lost a four-shot lead with an 80 in the final round in 2011 but, even at age 21, showed enough resolve and enormous talent to win the U.S. Open in the very next major. He played in the final group on Saturday in 2016 with Jordan Spieth until falling back with a 77. He played in the final group Sunday last year with Patrick Reed, three shots behind, and fell out of the mix before reaching the back nine.
“I know I’ve played well enough and I’ve shot enough good scores around here over the years that if I can put my best effort forward, I’m going to have a good chance to do well here,” McIlroy said. “But it’s definitely different. My mind set is a little different in terms of … I’m still practicing. I’m still getting better. I’m not getting ahead of myself, not thinking about the tee shot on Thursday or thinking about what is to come this week.
“I would dearly love to win this tournament one day,” he said. “If it doesn’t happen this week, that’s totally fine, I’ll come back next year and have another crack at it. But I’m happy with where everything is – body, mind, game.”
No one was particularly happy with Mother Nature on Tuesday, as more storms arrived that shut the course down for about three hours in the morning and pounded an already soft Augusta National with rain before giving way to patches of sunshine in the afternoon.
Wednesday is a short day of practice because of the Par 3 Tournament.
The curtain raises Thursday with a host of players capable of getting in McIlroy’s way of joining golf’s most elite club. Only five other players have captured the career Grand Slam – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
This is McIlroy’s fifth crack at the Masters with a Grand Slam at stake. In the modern era of the Grand Slam that dates to 1960, no one went more than three years between the third and final leg.
Phil Mickelson is in a similar situation, if not worse. He lacks only the U.S. Open – he has a record six silver medals – and is 0 for 4 since the Grand Slam has come into view. He also believes McIlroy’s game is at a high level.
“That’s always a challenge when you put so much emphasis on playing a particular event, but it’s also the chance to bring out your best,” Mickelson said. “And he’s had such a phenomenal start to the year, he’s been playing such great golf consistently week in and week out, I think contending will be a given. He’ll be in contention. You just need those little breaks … that push you over the winner’s circle and that’s probably all that he’s waiting for this week.
“You can’t force it. It just has to happen.”
The books McIlroy has been reading are recommendations from successful businesspeople. Along with Mandino’s book, he liked Ryan Holiday’s “The Obstacle is the Way” and “Ego is the Enemy,” and he’s just now starting on the biography of Steve Jobs.
In an interview at the Match Play, he was asked if he was spending more time on his golf or on his attitude.
“Life,” he said. “I hit balls once last week. That was it. So much of this game is mental. It’s taken me a while to get to this point, but the proof is there of what I’ve been doing, the way I’ve been playing, how I’ve been approaching the game.”
So what happens if he’s right in the mix Sunday afternoon, facing the most dynamic back nine in golf, the coveted green jacket there for the taking? What if that Sunday afternoon includes Woods, who eliminated McIlroy at the Match Play in a finish so irritating that McIlroy left without speaking to the media?
“I haven’t thought about it,’ McIlroy said. ”I guess there’s a lot of bridges to cross until we get to that point.“
Conners rides whirlwind week all the way back to the Masters
As the man in the green jacket recounted the incredulous events of the past week, Corey Conners cocked his head to one side and smiled ever so slightly.
Almost as if he couldn’t believe it, either.
A little over a week ago, Conners snatched the last spot in the Valero Texas Open by the skin of his teeth. Then he won the tournament with 10 birdies in the final round, claiming the last opening at the Masters.
So here he is at Augusta National.
Ready to compete for a green jacket.
“A special week, a crazy week,” Conners said. “Things are good.”
Certainly, the 27-year-old Canadian wasn’t thinking about the Masters on his way to San Antonio, where his first – and, really, only priority – was the chance to earn a much-needed paycheque. Because he was outside the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings, he had to earn his way into the Texas Open during Monday qualifying.
Up to 100 players go at it for 18 holes during Monday qualifying, with the top four finishers getting into the actual tournament. Conners went to the final hole needing a 20-foot birdie putt just to get into a six-man playoff for the last of those spots. He made the putt, and then poured in another birdie on the first of the extra holes to vanquish the other five contenders.
Dramatic stuff indeed.
Though, in all honesty, no one was paying much attention. Since 1980, only four Monday qualifiers on the PGA Tour had gone on to win the tournament.
Make it five.
Conners’ performance was impressive. His wife, Malory, even became a bit of a celebrity for her reactions while lugging a cup of white wine.
“She’s been my biggest fan for years and my biggest supporter,” Conners said. “I’m really lucky to have her by my side. It’s pretty cool to see her in the spotlight a little bit. Her reactions were awesome. You can see how much she cares about what I’m doing, and it means a lot to me. It was pretty cool. She got a lot of messages and gained a lot of followers on social media, so she was pretty pumped about that.”
It was a rollercoaster of emotions for the Conners crew ? pic.twitter.com/WHuazSadD7
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) April 8, 2019
Count Justin Rose among those new-found fans.
“I loved the cameras being on her and you could tell what a big moment it was for the two of them,” the world’s top-ranked player said. “It was very special to see those stories out there because winning is difficult and it’s nice to see it when it does change someone’s life.”
But Conners takes issue with those who make him out to be some sort of Rocky, the hopeless underdog who makes for a good story early in the week but is quickly shoved aside as soon as the Rory McIlroys and the Tiger Woodses take to the course.
He tied for third at the Sony Open in Honolulu, shooting back-to-back 64s on the weekend, and finished second last fall at the Sanderson Farms Championship, four strokes behind winner Cameron Champ.
Conners is not even a Masters rookie. He qualified for the event as an amateur in 2015, though he was not ready for such a stiff test. He opened with an 80 and missed the cut.
Conners feels much better equipped this time around.
“Everyone was calling me the Monday qualifier, but I don’t feel like a Monday qualifier,” he said. “I’ve played well in a bunch of tour events this year.”
A little more time to prepare would’ve been nice, but that’s a minor complaint. Valero flew him to Augusta on a corporate jet, his clothing supplier sent along some new duds and his manager took care of housing and other arrangements that had to be made on short notice. Conners did have to do a bit of shopping after arriving in Augusta, “so I could get a couple T-shirts and a pair of pants to go to dinner in.”
He has got good memories from his last Masters appearance.
After that rough start, he bounced back to shoot a 3-under 69 in the second round.
“I’ve been playing rounds over in my head,” Conners said. “Although the course has changed slightly, a lot of the shots are going to be pretty similar to what I faced in 2015. … I think the course suits my game really well, so I’m really, really excited to get going.”
He already is playing with house money.
Might as well let it ride.
“I was excited to watch the coverage on TV back at home for an off week,” Conners said. “But, you know, I’m even more excited to be here playing.”
Rousseau à Augusta : Fleetwood, DeChambeau et le Tigre
Collaboration spéciale d’André Rousseau et du site lescoulissesdusport.ca
AUGUSTA, Géorgie — Tommy Fleetwood et Bryson DeChambeau ont été parmi les premiers golfeurs à se rendre dans la salle d’entrevues avant le 83e tournoi des Maîtres. Je suis allé les voir parce qu’ils ont tous les temps un style très particulier. Fleetwood a l’air de Jésus-Christ Superstar ou encore d’un guitariste du groupe Kiss, ce qui n’enlève rien à son talent pour frapper la balle. Quant à DeChambeau, on peut l’appeler le « physicien du golf » par sa façon d’analyser la situation sous tous les angles possibles.
« Il ne fait aucun doute que cette semaine est différente des autres, a dit Fleetwood. Il y a tellement d’options qui se présentent à toi sur ce genre de parcours. L’atmosphère n’est pas la même, d’autant que c’est le premier tournoi majeur de l’année. Pour avoir du succès ici, il faut rester dans sa bulle, que tu joues avec Tiger Woods ou avec un autre. Moi, je joue toujours dans le but de finir premier. Plus tard, je ne veux pas raconter à mes petits-enfants que j’ai terminé 5e à Augusta ou 3e au TPC. Je sais ce que je dois faire pour gagner. Si mon bois-1 fonctionne bien, ça me facilitera la tâche ».
Après avoir expliqué pourquoi tous ses fers avaient la même longueur, DeChambeau a fait une suggestion intéressante pour accélérer le jeu : « Que les gars marchent plus vite pour se rendre à leur balle ! »
« La semaine du Masters est absolument unique, a-t-il ajouté. Je me prépare du mieux que je peux et j’étudie attentivement les verts. Je pense que l’expérience est un facteur important à Augusta. J’en apprends plus chaque fois que je joue ici ».
Fleetwood a terminé deuxième à l’Omnium des États-Unis, l’an passé. Il s’est même permis une ronde de 63 à Shinnecock Hills. Quand il tombe « dans la slot », il joue du grand golf. DeChambeau a gagné 3 tournois l’an passé et un autre durant les derniers mois. Il est lui aussi capable de grandes performances. Il a remporté sa plus belle victoire quand il a gagné le tournoi de Jack Nicklaus en Ohio. On verra ce qu’ils ont dans le ventre cette semaine.
Tiger y croit encore
Tiger Woods n’a pas gagné un tournoi majeur depuis bientôt 11 ans, une chose absolument impensable en 2008, mais il n’a pas perdu espoir de renverser la vapeur et d’inscrire sa 5e victoire à Augusta, dimanche prochain.
« Non, je n’ai pas besoin de gagner ici, mais je veux vraiment gagner ! », a-t-il déclaré avec son plus beau sourire dans une salle d’entrevue remplie à craquer. « Ma victoire à East Lake l’automne dernier (dans le championnat de fin de saison) m’a fourni la preuve que j’étais encore capable de gagner un tournoi d’envergure après tout ce que j’ai vécu durant les dernières années, a-t-il poursuivi. J’ai beaucoup amélioré mon jeu durant les 12 ou 14 derniers mois et j’ai la certitude que je peux encore gagner un tournoi du Grand Chelem ».
À la blague, Tiger a dit qu’il aimerait être capable de frapper la balle 40 verges plus loin que tous les autres joueurs, comme il le faisait à ses débuts, mais ces jours ne reviendront jamais.
Pas plus que l’époque où il calait presque tous les coups roulés de 10, 15 ou 20 pieds. Quoi qu’on en dise, le fer droit était son meilleur bâton.
« Je sais encore quoi faire avec le putter, mais mon dos m’empêche de passer des heures et des heures sur le vert d’exercice, a-t-il ajouté. C’est aussi vrai pour l’ensemble de ma partie ».
Du haut de ses 43 ans, l’ancien roi du golf a aussi déclaré :
- « Je n’oublierai jamais l’électricité qu’il y avait autour du 16e trou lorsque j’ai réussi mon chip miracle en 2005. Ce sont les spectateurs qui font du Masters un tournoi aussi extraordinaire. Les gens sont très respectueux, peut-être un peu moins en début de semaine, et ils te font sentir comme un roi lorsque tu réussis un bon coup ».
- « Le trou numéro 5, allongé de 40 verges, ne sera pas une sinécure. Si tu expédies la balle dans la fosse de sable (sur la gauche), tu ne peux pas atteindre le vert en 2. Ils savent faire les choses ici. Quand ils effectuent un changement, tu penserais que le trou est dessiné comme ça depuis 100 ans ! »
- « Notre défaite en coupe Ryder a été très frustrante. J’ai perdu mes 4 matchs et n’ai pas été en mesure d’aider l’équipe. Il n’est jamais amusant de perdre, surtout par une aussi grande marge ».
- « En 2019, le Masters est un mélange de tradition et de technologie nouvelle. Un tournoi fascinant ».
- « Bravo aux dirigeants du club pour la création d’un tournoi féminin juste avant le nôtre »
En bref…
- ANDRÉ RAYMOND, D.G. du club de golf La Tempête visite aujourd’hui le sanctuaire du Masters avec sa belle CAROLE. Ils ont aussi fait un saut à PINEHURST.
- TIGER WOODS a joué 65 en ronde d’exercice avec JEFF KNOX, membre émérite du club Augusta National. Ça ne veut rien dire, mais il semble complètement remis du malaise au cou qui l’a empêché de participer au tournoi Arnold Palmer le mois dernier.
- Le grand ÉRIC MERCIER, adjoint-pro au club Hillsdale, est venu faire son tour au Centre de presse avec son frère ANDRÉ, de Sherbrooke. Éric est aussi habile avec un bois-1 qu’avec le volant d’une automobile !
- GHISLAIN DELAGE a complété sa saison de golf en Floride avec un TROU D’UN COUP au club Eagle Trace. Le 3e de sa longue carrière. Faut croire que ça valait la peine de rater le gala des Rondelles d’Or !
- Le 9 avril 2006, PHIL MICKELSON signait sa 2e victoire à Augusta
- SERGE THIVIERGE, vétéran de la PGA du Québec, fête ses 63 ans
U.S. Open Local Qualifier moving to TPC Toronto
Due to extenuating circumstances, the 2019 U.S. Open Local Qualifier previously scheduled at Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ontario will be changing courses.
The US Open Local Qualifier will now take place at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ontario, on Monday, May 13th.
TPC Toronto reached out to Golf Canada after hearing news of the winter course damage at Beacon Hall and are pleased to add this qualifier to their schedule. Already committed to host the RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier on Thursday, May 16th, the club will host both qualifiers on the North course that week. In addition to these qualifiers, TPC Toronto is home to the Osprey Valley Open, the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada’s only Greater Toronto Area event. TPC Toronto is a tremendous facility and will prove to be a strong host for the U.S. Open Local Qualifier.
Canadian pair of Sharp, Henderson share 17th place at ANA
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Jin Young Ko won the ANA Inspiration for her first major title, celebrated with the traditional winner’s leap into Poppie’s Pond and will jump to No. 1 in the world ranking.
The woman who said this year that her goal was to be the happiest player on the course was thrilled about the first two.
“I still can’t believe,” Ko said. “I’m really happy.”
She wasn’t all that excited about the No. 1 spot in the world.
“I just try to focus on my game on the course,” Ko said. “It doesn’t matter about world ranking. I don’t like numbers like No. 1 or No. 2. I’m just playing on the course.”
She did that better than anyone else over four days on the Mission Hills course made more difficult by thicker rough, tighter fairways and some longer holes. On Sunday, the 23-year-old South Korean closed with a 2-under 70 in hot and mostly calm conditions for a three-stroke victory over Mi Hyang Lee.
“If ball goes right or left it doesn’t make me happy, but I’m still trying to be happy,” Ko said. “Also, I really try, don’t think about future, doesn’t matter. Just focus on my swing, on the putting. That’s why I win this week.”
After bogeys on 13 and 15 cut her lead to a stroke, Ko made a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th and closed with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th. She also had a rough back-nine stretch Saturday, allowing In-Kyung Kim to cut a five-stroke deficit to a single shot going into the final round.
“Yesterday was a little bit hard for me,” Ko said. “I’m not robot. We are human.”
Ko won for the fourth time on the LPGA Tour, completing a desert sweep after taking the Founders Cup two weeks ago in Phoenix. She leads the money list and has five top-three finishes in six events this year.
Is she surprised by her start?
“No, no, no,” Ko said. “I had really hard practice in winter training off-season in Palm Springs.”
Ko gave caddie David Brooker his third victory in the event. The Englishman also leaped into Poppie’s Pond with Grace Park in 2004 and Lorena Ochoa in 2008.
“He knows this course,” Ko said. “He helps me all the time on the course. So really say thank you for my caddie.”
She finished at 10-under 278.
Lee parred the final six holes in a 70.
“This is really good momentum for me,” said Lee, also from South Korea. “I’m so happy with this week.”
Ko had a three-stroke lead at the turn and faced little pressure until stumbling with the two bogeys. Her drive on the par-4 13th jumped into the thick right rough and her long approach ended up short of the green in the left rough. After missing a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 14th, she hit into the left greenside bunker on the par-4 15th and missed a 12-foot par try.
“I had couple miss shot, but I think it will be fine,” she said.
It was.
Lexi Thompson was third at 6 under after a 67.
“My caddie, Benji (Thompson), helped out tremendously,” Thompson said. “I was getting down a little bit, but he just kept me right in there playing aggressively the whole day – making those birdies and just firing at every pin I could.”
Kim closed with a 74 to tie for fourth at 5 under with Carlota Ciganda. The 30-year-old South Korean lost a chance to win the event seven years after missing a 14-inch putt on the final hole of regulation and losing on the first hole of a playoff.
Kim declined to comment after the round.
Ciganda finished with a 68.
Brooke Henderson (72) of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (73) tied for 17th at 2-under par.