A father-and-son moment for Woods

A father-and-son moment for Woods


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DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer) August 6, 2013AP - Sports








PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- Tiger Woods had a tender moment after destroying the competition at the Bridgestone Invitational. His 4-year-old son, Charlie, was in the gallery and Woods scooped him into his arms when he walked off the 18th green at Firestone.

He later had a personal photo taken of the two of them and the trophy.

Whether his son follows in his footsteps remains to be seen, though Woods said he would not push him in that direction.

''If he did decide to play golf, so be it,'' Woods said Tuesday. ''If he decides to play another sport or not play any sports - as long as he's happy and he enjoys his life, I'm there to support and guide him in his life, and that's what it's all about.''

Woods' father, Earl, placed him in a high chair as the father swung a golf club. Woods one day crawled out of the chair and copied the swing, and before long a star was born.

Woods was on the ''Mike Douglas Show'' when he was 2 to putt with Bob Hope, and at age 3 he shot 48 for nine holes.

As much as his father was a major influence in his golfing career, Woods said he was never pushed.

''It was the exact opposite,'' Woods said. He was trying to get me not to play it. 'Go play baseball.' OK, I'd go play baseball, I pitched. I can't wait to get out of this so I can go play golf. I would run track and cross country, and I would run home fast to get to the golf course. ... I fell in love with golf at an early age. That was just my deal.''

He said he loved golf because his father made it fun, and he enjoyed being on the golf course.

''That's what I want to do with (daughter) Sam or Charlie,'' he said. ''If they play golf, no lessons. We are just going to go out there and just have fun, hit it around, laugh and needle each other. He's only 4 years old, but he still gives me a little bit of grief, which is good stuff.''

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FRESH SPIETH: Jordan Spieth certainly is a lot more rested than the last major he played.

Spieth won the John Deere Classic and he was on a charter to Scotland for the British Open. That was his eighth tournament in nine weeks. He wound up withdrawing from the Canadian Open, and the surprise was that he withdrew from the World Golf Championship at Firestone.

''I didn't expect to be in the World Golf Championship ahead of time,'' Spieth said. ''I'll never skip one again. I was worn out, very tired. I didn't feel like I had anything with me. I want to be 100 percent every tournament I play in.''


The decision to skip Firestone wasn't to rest up for the PGA Championship, but for the final stretch. Spieth is at No. 15 in the FedEx Cup standings, meaning he is a lock for at least three playoff events, and could become the first player since Tiger Woods in 1996 to start a year with no status and make the Tour Championship.

True, the WGCs offer free money because there is no cut.

''But I'm not going to chase a free check,'' said Spieth, who celebrated his 20th birthday the week after the British Open.

And there was one other factor. His caddie, Michael Greller, got married last Saturday.

''He's like family to me,'' Spieth said. ''So it was very important.''

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VIDEO WATCHING: What do players chat about during a practice round?

If you're Zach Johnson, it's humorous videos on the Internet.

Walking up the 13th fairway with Matt Kuchar, Johnson brought up an NBC promo starring comedian Jason Sudeikis as an American coach trying to grasp the differences between the NFL-style football and English soccer.

''Have you seen that?'' Johnson asked Kuchar. ''It's sooo funny!''

Johnson shouted up to his caddie.

''Have you got your phone?''

Then, as they walked to hit their next shot, Johnson furiously worked the phone to locate the video so he could show it to Kuchar.

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Tiger Woods speaks at a press conference at the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country …

SPANISH DUEL: There's always a few friendly wagers during the practice rounds, though usually the money changes hands after the players get back to the clubhouse.

Miguel Angel Jimenez paid up right away.

After fellow Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal wrapped up whatever bet they had going at the 18th hole, Jimenez handed some money to his friend. Larrazabal proudly held up one of the bills for the fans in the stands.

As he signed autographs, Larrazabal wouldn't say how much he took off Jimenez. But he patted his heart and said, ''It's always a pleasure to beat Miguel. It's not easy.''

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TOP RANK: The PGA Championship stands to be the third-strongest field since the world ranking began in 1986. The tournament has 99 of the top 100 players in the world this week, matching the record set last year at Kiawah Island.

The difference in strength is the player missing this year - Louis Oosthuizen at No. 16 - was higher ranked that the one player missing last year, Ben Crane.

The strongest field was in 2002 at Hazeltine. Even though it had only 98 of the top 100, those two players were toward the bottom of the ranking. The PGA Championship had the top 96 players in the world that week.

As for the other majors this year, the British Open had 89 of the top 100 players. The U.S. Open, which offers the most spots through qualifying, had 73 of the top 100. The Masters had 63 out of the top 100 in the world. Then again, the Masters only had a 94-man field.

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FEELING LIKE HE BELONGS: As the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in 82 years, it's clear that 20-year-old Jordan Spieth is not intimidated by the big names on the PGA Tour.

That might just be the biggest key to his early success.

''You have to think of them as your peers,'' said Spieth, who won the John Deere Classic last month while still 19. ''When you're out on the course and looking up to anybody, saying 'Wow, that's so and so,' that's when you get into trouble.

''In order to get where I want to go, I'm going to have to beat them on a regular basis.''

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AP National Writer Paul Newberry contributed to this report.

Will Woods, Mickelson renew their rivalry at PGA?

Will Woods, Mickelson renew their rivalry at PGA?


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PAUL NEWBERRY (AP National Writer) August 7, 2013AP - Sports








PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- Here they are again, back at the top of the world rankings.

Tiger Woods, No. 1.

Phil Mickelson, No. 2.

Wouldn't it be something if they went out in the final pairing of the PGA Championship on Sunday, dueling head-to-head with a major title on the line, still the guys to beat after all these years?

Mickelson would certainly relish the challenge.


''I've always been a competitive person,'' Lefty said Tuesday, coming in from a practice round at Oak Hill. ''I'm as motivated as ever to compete and to play and get the best golf out of me, to hopefully play against Tiger when he's playing his best. That would ultimately be the goal - I can play as well as I can at the same time he's doing the same.

''I would love that opportunity.''

Both players are on top of their games entering the final major of the year.

Woods is coming off a seven-stroke win at the Bridgestone, his PGA Tour-leading fifth victory of the year.

Less than three weeks ago, Mickelson won the British Open with a dazzling final round at Muirfield.
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Phil Mickelson hits from the ninth tee during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournam …

While Woods is mired in the longest major drought of his career - more than five years - he's clearly bounced back from personal woes, a series of injuries, and major changes in his swing.

''I feel like my game's pretty good,'' Woods said.

Mickelson is playing with similar confidence, especially after claiming the claret jug.

''I'm more motivated than ever to work hard to succeed, because I can taste some of my best golf coming out,'' he said. ''I can feel it.''

Woods and Mickelson have never been especially close off the course, that sense of underlying animosity only adding to their rivalry. Also, it was a one-sided affair for much of the late 1990s and early 2000s, as Woods piled up major titles with staggering regularity while Mickelson developed a reputation as the best player without one.
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Phil Mickelson speaks at a press conference at the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Coun …

But things began to heat up in 2004 when Lefty finally broke through to win the Masters. That began a three-year stretch where Woods and Mickelson combined to win six of the 12 major titles.

In 2005, Woods won the Masters and the British Open, while Mickelson closed the year with a victory in the PGA Championship. In 2006, Mickelson earned another green jacket (and should've won the U.S. Open, if not for an epic blunder on the 72nd hole at Winged Foot), while Woods took the PGA.

Things cooled a bit in recent years, as Woods went through his well-documented problems and Mickelson endured a six-year span with only one major title - the 2010 Masters. With Lefty moving into his 40s, Woods struggling to get his game and his life back in order, and a long string of first-time major champions stealing the spotlight, it looked as though the rivalry was fading.

Not so fast.

While Woods hasn't won a major title since his one-legged performance at the 2008 U.S. Open, he's reclaimed his top spot in the world rankings with more PGA Tour victories (eight) than anyone over the last two years. He's also been a consistent contender in the biggest events and it seems just a matter of time before he claims major No. 15.
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Tiger Woods signs autographs during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak …

Mickelson has addressed two of the biggest flaws in his game, a shaky putting touch and wayward shots off the tee - so much so, that he now considers them to be strengths.

In June, there was another close-but-no-cigar call in the U.S. Open, where he was runner-up for a record sixth time. Then, he conquered Muirfield with one of the greatest clutch rounds in major championship history, a 5-under 66 on a course that was about as hard as a paved road.

The 43-year-old Mickelson can sense another golden era in his career about to unfold, even though he's at an age when most players are beginning their slow, steady spiral toward the senior tour.

''I feel as though I started to play my best golf in the last four, five, six months,'' he said. ''I feel like now the major championships are possibly the easiest ones for me to be in contention and maybe even win, because of those weaknesses becoming strengths.''

Mickelson is even more confident in his game when he goes against Woods.
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Tiger Woods speaks at a press conference at the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country …

''He brings out the best golf in me,'' Lefty said. ''He's a great motivator for me. He's helped me work hard. He's helped me put forth the effort to try to compete at the highest level, year in and year out.''

Woods isn't quite as exuberant when the subject turns to Mickelson.

When asked about their relationship Tuesday, Woods meandered through a drawn-out answer that didn't say much about anything until he summed up tersely, ''It's been a lot of fun.''

If Woods should go through another year without a major title, he doesn't think it diminishes what he's done in 2013 - or might still do, considering the Tour playoff and championship are still to come.

Some might perceive that Woods has lowered his standards just a bit. After all, the four majors have always been the focal point of his season, with Jack Nicklaus' record 18 titles the end game he was striving to reach. He's been stuck on 14 for a while, and each passing year makes it a little more likely that he won't beat the Golden Bear's mark.
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Phil Mickelson taps fists with a fan as he walks to the ninth tee during a practice round for the PG …

''I think it's been a great year so far for me,'' Woods said. ''Winning five times, and you look at the quality of tournaments I've won, a Players and two World Golf Championships in there, that's pretty good.''

You know what would be even better?

Woods vs. Mickelson on Sunday, with a major title on the line.

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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

5 best to make PGA Championship their 1st major

5 best to make PGA Championship their 1st major


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File-This Aug. 17, 1997 file photo shows Davis Love III, of Sea Island, Ga., holding up the trophy after he won the PGA Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. Love shot 66 in the third round and was tied for the 54-hole lead with Justin Leonard, a good friend who had won his first major a month earlier at the British Open. Love was always in control over the final round in what became a two-man race, and he finally pulled away late. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer) August 7, 2013AP - Sports








PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- The list of best players to have never won a major seems to get longer every year. And it becomes more meaningful at the PGA Championship, the final chance of the year for these players to stop answering questions about when they will win a Grand Slam event.

Lee Westwood and Luke Donald share the distinction of being the only players to be No. 1 in the world without ever having won a major. Sergio Garcia has been a candidate for the last five years, even though he's only 31. Steve Stricker joined the conversation with his resurgence.

The focus becomes even more intense considering that Adam Scott (Masters) and Justin Rose (U.S. Open) became first-time major champions this year. Go back even further to find that 14 of the last 18 majors went to players who had never won the big one.

The PGA Championship is as good a place to start as any major. It comes with a lifetime exemption into the tournament, not to mention the heaviest trophy among the majors, and an invitation to a champions-only dinner that is similar to the one at the Masters, but far more inclusive (wives are invited, for example).

Here are five examples of great players who won their first major at the PGA Championship:

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5. PAUL AZINGER

A late bloomer in golf, Paul Azinger won his first PGA Tour event in 1987 and quickly became an American force. He won every year since then, and had 10 wins on tour when he came to the 1993 PGA Championship at Inverness.

He already had lost the 54-hole lead in a major twice - in 1987 at the British Open, when he bogeyed the last two holes at Muirfield and finished one behind Nick Faldo; and in 1988 at the PGA Championship at Oak Tree, when Jeff Sluman closed with a 65 and won by three.

Azinger was one shot behind Greg Norman going into the final round at Inverness, which produced one of the great leaderboards in a major. Among those with a chance that day were Faldo, Vijay Singh, Tom Watson, John Cook, Lanny Wadkins, and even a young Californian in his second year on tour, Phil Mickelson.

Azinger closed with a 68 to force a sudden-death playoff with Norman. On the second extra hole, Azinger missed a good birdie chance. He was preparing to go to the next hole when Norman's 4-foot par putt spun out of the hole.

The high of his career came crashing down a few months later when Azinger was diagnosed with cancer in his left shoulder. He recovered to win again on the PGA Tour seven years later. He never seriously contended in another major.

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4. PAYNE STEWART

Payne Stewart stumbled into the first of his three major championships.

He had four wins, including the Bay Hill Invitational in 1987 and a five-shot win at Hilton Head in 1989. He was No. 13 in the world ranking when he came to the 1989 PGA Championship at Kemper Lakes just outside Chicago. Stewart, dressed in Chicago Bears colors through an NFL apparel deal, was six shots behind going into the final round and closed with a 67. Still, it looked like he would be runner-up at best, as he was at Royal St. George's in 1985 when he finished one behind Sandy Lyle in the British Open.

The man in charge was Mike ''Radar'' Reid, known for his accurate driving. Reid instead produced one of the great collapses in PGA Championship history. He made bogey on the 16th, double bogey on the 17th and missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th to force a playoff.

Stewart went on to win the 1991 U.S. Open at Hazeltine, and another U.S. Open in 1999 at Pinehurst No. 2 before his death that fall in a freak plane accident.


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3. DAVIS LOVE III

Tom Kite was the first player of his generation to be labeled the ''best without a major'' until he broke through at the 1992 U.S. Open. Most of the attention shifted to Corey Pavin, who won the 1995 U.S. Open at Shinnecock. And while there were others who fit the mold - such as Paul Azinger and Nick Price - next in line was Davis Love III.

He was a premier power player of his generation, the son of a popular teaching pro. Love already had 10 wins on the PGA Tour, including The Players Championship. He was runner-up at the 1995 Masters by one shot to Ben Crenshaw, and his best chance at a major was the 1996 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills, where he three-putted from 20 feet on the last hole and wound up one shot behind Steve Jones.

The 1997 PGA Championship was at Winged Foot, the end of a major year for youth - Tiger Woods at the Masters, Ernie Els with his second U.S. Open, Justin Leonard at the British Open.

Love opened with a 66 and had another 66 in the third round to share the 54-hole lead with Leonard. Love was in control for much of the final round and finally pulled away at the end. He made birdie on the last hole for a five-shot win, commemorated by that beautiful rainbow over Winged Foot.

It was the only major Love won, though he is a lock for the Hall of Fame with his 20 PGA Tour victories.

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2. LARRY NELSON

Larry Nelson didn't get hooked on golf until he was in the Army serving in Vietnam. He didn't qualify for the PGA Tour until he was 27. So while he won his first major at age 33, it was an astounding rise to the elite in golf.

Nelson won twice in 1979 to finish second to Tom Watson on the money list. The 1981 PGA Championship was held at Atlanta Athletic Club, not far from his home. Nelson seized control with a 66 in the third round that gave him a four-shot lead going into the final day. Given his experience outside of golf, he didn't flinch. Nelson closed with a 71 for a four-shot win over Fuzzy Zoeller.

Nelson never got enough attention, and probably not enough credit. He just kept winning. He added the U.S. Open at Oakmont two years later, than captured another PGA Championship in 1987, beating Lanny Wadkins in a playoff.

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1. NICK PRICE

Nick Price first showed his class ball-striking when he was runner-up to Tom Watson at Royal Troon in 1982, and won at Firestone a year later by four shots over Jack Nicklaus. A decade later, Price hit his stride. And it was only fitting that the first of his three majors came at the 1992 PGA Championship.

A year earlier, Price had to pull out of the PGA Championship at Crooked Stick at the last minute when his wife had their first child. That caused a rookie from Arkansas named John Daly to drive up to Indiana as an alternate. Daly got into the PGA, used Price's caddie and overpowered Crooked Stick to win.

Price was No. 15 in the world when he went to the Bellerive outside St. Louis for the 1992 Championship. He opened with a pair of 70s to trail Gene Sauers by four shots, and he cut the deficit in half in the third round with a 68. Sauers faltered to a 75 in the final round, and Price closed with a 70 to win by three shots.

It was the start of a dominant period of golf for the Zimbabwean. Price won four times on the PGA Tour the following season, and in 1994 won the British Open at Turnberry and he went to No. 1 in the world for the first time by adding the '94 PGA Championship at Southern Hills.