McIlroy hopes he's shaping up into a contender

McIlroy hopes he's shaping up into a contender











PGA.COM June 12, 2013 9:42 AM

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Rory McIlroy attributes the strain he's been under to wanting to improve on his breakthrough 2012 season.(Getty …


By Dan Gelston, Associated Press

ARDMORE, Pa. - From No. 1 to just one of many, Rory McIlroy's game has clearly hit a rocky patch.

No wonder he's considered making Philly's most famous run.

"I was half thinking of going to the steps in the city, the Rocky steps," he said. "Wherever they are, going to run up those. Just because we are where we are."

McIlroy has more in mind that landing triumphantly at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's steps. He'd like to leave an imprint on Philadelphia as the U.S. Open champion.

First, he needs to find the eye of the tiger, even at the risk of catching Tiger's eye. McIlroy will be part of the feature group the opening two rounds, playing alongside Tiger Woods andAdam Scott - Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the world ranking.

Woods, Scott, Graeme McDowell have been rattled off at the top of the list of contenders who can win this week atMerion Golf Club. In just six months, McIlroy has gone from golf's next great player to a mere afterthought at Merion.

Most weeks, he hasn't come close to winning. The 24-year-old from Northern Ireland believes, though, his game is rounding into form, and it might help that conditions at Merion are soft because of days of rain, just as it was at Congressional for his record U.S. Open win.


"I much prefer this sort of golf," he said Tuesday. "I expect the scores to be a little lower than what they would be if the course was a little firmer and dryer."

McIlroy won the 2012 PGA championship on Kiawah Island to go along with his U.S. Open title in 2011. But he finished 25th at the Masters this year and is coming of a brutal 78 at the Memorial Tournament. He barely made the cut and finished 57th. He has a 33rd and a 45th on his resume and, most notably, quit in the middle of a round at the Honda Classic.

He played well to get in contention at the Valero Texas Open in early April, finishing second with a final-round 66 for his best finish of the year.

"This year, I feel like my game's actually in good shape," he said, referring to his Open chances. "I feel coming in this year I've got a way better chance than I did last year."

McIlroy attributed the strain to wanting to improve on his breakthrough season, when he won the PGA Championship, five tournaments around the world, money titles on the two biggest tours and established himself as the best player in golf.

McIlroy, who started the year in a slump and still hasn't won, struggled to balance his game with his business. He signed with Nike for what is said to be upward of $20 million a year and then left Dublin-basedHorizon Sports Management to set up his own management group.

He said the toughest part of this season has been "managing the expectations, probably of myself and other people."

"You want to contend and win tournaments and I haven't done enough of that this year," he said.


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Perhaps he could have continued to work on his game under the radar and without fanfare had it not been for that first-day grouping.

With just about every camera, reporter and fan at the course turned to the McIlroy-Woods-Scott grouping, the buzz from first hole of the tournament might well feel more like the first hole of a playoff. And maybe that can give McIlroy's game a jolt.

"It gets you focused from the first shot," he said. "There's going to be a lot of attention on that group and it's just nice to be a part of it."

Starting May 6, 2012, McIlroy spent 32 straight weeks at No. 1 before relinquishing the top spot to Woods after his win at Bay Hill.

Reaching No. 1 again is a worry for another day. Up first, conquering those Scottish-style bunkers known as the "white faces of Merion."

"As long as I just put it on the fairway, I feel like I can take advantage," he said.

McIlroy planned to unwind Tuesday night by watching the San Antonio Spurs play the Miami Heat in the NBAfinals. The Heat Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh might be the only trio in sports this week that can top Woods-McIlroy-Scott in A-list star power.

"They can sort of help each other out, where we're trying to do our own thing," McIlroy said. "We're trying to beat one another. But it's nice again to pair the top-three ranked players in the world. It's a cool idea and I'm just happy to be a part of it."

He'll be happier to walk out of Merion a champion again.

Why Tiger Woods Will Not Win the 2013 US Open

Why Tiger Woods Will Not Win the 2013 US Open











Adam Fonseca June 12, 2013 12:21 PM


COMMENTARY | Tiger Woods is by far the best player on the planet at the time of this writing.



He's won four times on the PGA Tour, he's leading the FedEx Cup points and PGA Tour money lists, he's all but a lock to win Player of the Year honors, and he's the heavy favorite to win at Merion Golf Club.





He also will not win the US Open this week, and here
's why:



Despite the fact that Merion will present one of the shortest major championships in the last decade (the course will play below 7,000 yards at least one round), Mother Nature has taken her toll on the Philadelphia area over the past two weeks. As such, the course's longest holes -- such as the colossal 628-yard par-5 No. 4 hole and two par-4s that will measure north of 500 yards -- will play even longer.

That means Tiger Woods will have to hit his driver at some point during each round. That's not a good thing.

When Woods recorded his biggest victory in almost five years at the 2013 Players Championship at Sawgrass, golf fans saw a methodical, patient player break down a golf course with surgical precision. Woods couldn't miss, and even when he did, his miss was by no means disastrous. Golf commentator Johnny Miller mentioned that we may be seeing a "preview of what Tiger will do at Merion," and he was right. At least, he was right at the time.

As he has done so many times in his career, Woods stuck to his game plan at Sawgrass and broke every hole down into sections. He hit more 3- and 5-woods off the tee than any other club, placing himself into prime position time and time again (with the exception of his tee-shot on hole No. 14 on Sunday). He treated The Players like a major, and he reaped the benefits of his labor and focus.

Woods will not have the same luxury this week at the US Open. From a performance standpoint, Woods is currently ranked No. 75 on tour in driving accuracy at just over 61 percent. He's actually having one of his best years in that statistic, but that's due to favoring his fairway woods over his driver, which every golf fan knows is Tiger's least confident club.

For the sake of argument, let's pretend Tiger leaves his driver in his bag, thus leaving him longer approach shots into Merion's longest and most difficult holes. Chances are Tiger will miss a green here or there with a long iron. That spells more even more trouble for Woods, who is ranked No. 62 on tour in scrambling. Out of 164 missed greens in regulation, he's only managed to save par (or better) 99 times (60 percent). That ratio will not benefit him on Merion's deep rough and sloping greens.Yes, Tiger Woods will win more tournaments this season. He will probably win a major. It just won't be this week's US Open.



Adam Fonseca has covered professional golf since 2005. His work can also be found on the Back9Network. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife. Follow Adam on Twitter at @chicagoduffer.

The Key for Tiger Woods at Merion Is Pace on US Open Greens

The Key for Tiger Woods at Merion Is Pace on US Open Greens
Woods’ Search for His 15th Major Victory Will Be Decided on the Putting Surface











Chris Chaney June 12, 2013 1:20 PM




COMMENTARY | Tiger Woods has a knack for rising to the occasion.

Woods won his 100th, 200th and 300th PGA Tour starts; he tied Jack Nicklaus' career wins mark at


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to the day after he raised the US Open Trophy at Torrey Pines.



The odds-on favorite, Woods has once again risen to the top of the game in 2013. A winner of four of his eight PGA Tour starts this season, the 14-time major champion has opened up a comfortable lead in the Official World Golf Ranking over second-ranked Rory McIlroy.

Still, despite a shower of accolades and tournament wins, there are those who say Woods will not be "back" to the player he was pre-scandal until he can raise his major championship total to 15.

Now in his third year of his third swing change as a professional, Woods is in full command of his Sean Foley-taught move. The short game that so often bailed Woods out earlier in his career deserted him during the primitive stages of his relationship with Foley, but it has resurfaced and brought back comparisons of the Woods of 2000-2001.

Perhaps most important is that his putting has been exacting this year. A much made-of session with friend Steve Stricker on the putting green at the WGC Cadillac Championship propelled Woods to three wins in his next five starts.

How Woods putts on Merion's slick greens will be a big indication as to how he will fare in quest to win another major championship. In all four of his wins this year, Woods has been inside the top 25 percent of the field in strokes gained -- putting.

In the rare instances when Woods hasn't walked away from a tournament holding the trophy, his common complaint was his inability to acclimate himself with the pace of the greens.

Hitting the ball as crisply and consistently as he has perhaps ever in his career, the one bugaboo for Woods has been the occasional bad putting week.

Given the recent weather systems that have moved through the Ardmore, Pa. area, the common thought is that the greens will be the USGA's prime defense against historically low scores.

The undulation of the greens combined with the difficult pin positions will put an emphasis on pace. Similarly, US Opens are regularly won by those who can maneuver their way past testy mid-range putts for par. A keen understanding of green speed is paramount in chipping onto the putting surface from thick greenside rough, thus giving players those makeable putts for par.

Woods' understanding of that pace will be the decisive factor in his bid for to move one win closer to Nicklaus' major record. Equally important will be his ability to get a feel for those greens early in the tournament. Notoriously known as the best front-runner in golf, Woods will likely need to successfully navigate the greens through the first three rounds to give himself at least a share of the lead going into Sunday where he is 14-for-15 in closing out major championships.

Chris Chaney is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based sportswriter. He has written for multiple outlets including WrongFairway.com, Hoopville.com, The Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer and The Clermont (OH) Sun.

Follow him on Twitter @Wrong_Fairway.

Miyazato leads LPGA event by one shot

Miyazato leads LPGA event by one shot










The Sports Xchange June 21, 2013 9:10 PMThe SportsXchange



ROGERS, Ark. -- Mika Miyazato shot an opening-round 6-under-par 65 on Friday to grab the lead after one day at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club.

Miyazato, a runner-up at the 2012 NW Arkansas Championship and a third-place finisher at the tournament in 2010, continued her strong play at Pinnacle Country Club. After an even-par start through six holes, she birdied six of her final 12 holes to move to the top of the leaderboard, where she holds a one-stroke advantage over So Yeon Ryu and Angela Stanford.

Miyazato's birdie run began at the par-5 seventh hole and continued with another birdie at the par-4 ninth to finish the front nine at 2-under 34. Four more birdies on the back nine, at holes 10, 11, 13 and 15, moved Miyazato -- the No. 15-ranked player in the world -- to first place after an morning tee time Friday.

A group of 10 players sit just two strokes behind at 4-under par. Suzann Pettersen, ranked No. 3 in the world and coming off a tie for third at the Wegmans LPGA Championship on June 6-9, shot 67 with five birdies and one bogey. Also among the players at 4-under after round one are tour rookie Chie Arimura, Mina Harigae, Christel Boeljon, Danielle Kang, Sarah Kemp, Lisa McCloskey, Beatriz Recari and Azahara Monoz, who tied for second at last year's NW Arkansas Championship along with Miyazato.

Local fan favorite and world No. 2-ranked player Stacy Lewis, who played in college at nearby University of Arkansas, is in the group at 4-under as well after a strong finish with birdies at holes 15, 16 and 18 to close out her first round.

Lewis easily attracted the largest gallery of the day, as the former Arkansas All-American was on the receiving end of several "Woo Pig Sooie" Razorback calls during her round.

A total of 52 golfers in the field of 144 finished under par Friday, with the majority of the top scores coming from the morning tee times. Among the afternoon pairings, Stanford scored the best round at 66.

Ryu, No. 5 in the Rolex World Rankings, used a hot putter to stay within one shot of the lead. Despite hitting just 11 of 18 greens in regulation, the 22-year old South Korean took advantage of just 25 total putts on the day.

Mika Miyazato leads LPGA event by one shot

Mika Miyazato leads LPGA event by one shot










The Sports Xchange June 21, 2013 9:20 PMThe SportsXchange



ROGERS, Ark. -- Mika Miyazato is in familiar territory after one round at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

Miyazato, a runner-up at the 2012 NW Arkansas Championship, shot an opening-round 6-under-par 65 on Friday to take a one stroke lead at Pinnacle Country Club.

"I hit some pretty good shots," Miyazato said. "I was working hard on my short putts, like three feet, six feet and nine feet yesterday because I changed putters in the Bahamas last week. I used the mallet type and now I use the pin type putter and it's a real difference.

"So I practiced a lot (Thursday) and had so much confidence today."

Miyazato has one career victory, that coming at last year's Safeway Classic. Two months earlier, she had another great opportunity for her first professional win right here at Pinnacle Country Club.

In a battle with eventual champion Ai Miyazato - no relation to Mika - a missed 10-foot birdie putt on her final hole of the tournament prevented Mika from forcing a playoff at last year's NW Arkansas Championship.

"I was disappointed last year," Mika Miyazato said. "But I am a very good friends with Ai. She's like an older sister.

It was a good experience and Ai won and I finished second."

Miyazato's strong play at Pinnacle Country Club, which began with a third-place finish here in 2010, continued Friday with birdies on six of her last 12 holes. Her birdie run began at the par-5 seventh hole and continued with another birdie at the par-4 ninth to finish the front nine at 2-under 34.

Four more birdies on the back nine, at holes 10, 11, 13 and 15, moved Miyazato -- the No. 15-ranked player in the world -- to a one-stroke lead over So Yeon Ryu and Angela Stanford, a runner-up at the NW Arkansas Championship in 2009.

A crowded group of 10 players sit just two strokes behind at 4-under par. Suzann Pettersen, ranked No. 3 in the world and coming off a tie for third at the Wegmans LPGA Championship on June 6-9, shot 67 with five birdies and one bogey. Also among the players at 4-under after round one are tour rookie Chie Arimura, Mina Harigae, Christel Boeljon, Sarah Kemp, Lisa McCloskey, Beatriz Recari and Azahara Monoz, who tied for second at last year's NW Arkansas Championship with Mika Miyazato.

Local fan favorite and world No. 2-ranked player Stacy Lewis, who played in college at nearby University of Arkansas, is in the group at 4-under as well. Lewis, who drew her hometown "Woo Pig Sooie" Arkansas calls on the final two holes, used a strong finish to get near the top of the leaderboard, with birdies at holes 15, 16 and 18 to close out her first round.

"I got off to a little bit of a slow start," Lewis said. "Just wasn't really making any putts on the front and then kind of relaxed there on the back and made a few putts. I played solid. I was feeling good. Even when I was even par I was feeling good about my game.

"I'm just glad to get a few there so I can go out tomorrow and make a few more."

A total of 52 golfers in the field of 144 players finished under par Friday, with the majority of the top scores coming from the morning tee times. Among the afternoon pairings, Stanford posted the best score with a 66.

"I think I'm two shots off the lead, which the lead was shot this morning," Lewis said. "So I think it plays a little bit easier in the morning and that's what I'm looking forward to."

Ryu, No. 5 in the Rolex World Rankings, used a hot putter to stay within one shot of the lead. Despite hitting just 11 of 18 greens in regulation, the 22-year old South Korean took advantage of just 25 total putts on the day.

Stanford, who lost to Jiyai Shin in a playoff at the 2009 NW Arkansas Championship, was 3-under through seven holes. After a bogey at the par-4 12th, birdies followed at Nos. 14, 16 and 18 to get back to 5-under.

"Today seemed to be fairly consistent ball-striking wise," Stanford said. "Then putting was pretty good, too. I just seemed to have a lot of opportunities, so those are good days."

Friday Notebook: Past champions give lessons

Friday Notebook: Past champions give lessons











PGA.COM June 22, 2013 6:55 PM


By Randy Stutzman, The PGA of America

SUNRIVER, Ore. -- Defending PGA Professional National Champion Matt Dobyns of Glen Head, N.Y., and 2011 National Champion David Hutsell of Baltimore were featured guests Friday morning at Lost Tracks Golf Club in Bend, Ore., host of the traditional Youth Golf Clinic. The clinic attracted nearly 40 youngsters ranging in age from 6 and 14, representing the Redmond and Terrebonne chapters of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Past PGA President Brian Whitcomb, owner/course designer of Lost Tracks, and his son, PGA General Manager Ryan Whitcomb, served as hosts. Local Boys & Girls Club directors Brandi McClennen of Redmond and Leo Gonzalez of Terrebonne said that the majority of the visiting youngsters were experiencing golf for the first time.

"It's always special to have a premier golf event in our immediate area, with a third PGA Professional National Championship conducted just miles away. To have this great group of youngsters with us to learn the game is doubly nice," said Whitcomb, who served from 2007-08 as the 35th president of The PGA of America.

Hutsell, PGA director of instruction at The Elkridge Club in Baltimore, demonstrated the fundamentals of a player's set-up before attempting a golf swing. The long-hitting Dobyns, PGA head professional at Fresh Meadow Country Club in Lake Success, N.Y., gave a lesson with one of his favorite clubs, the driver.

Dobyns' lesson was interrupted by 5-year-old Brody Whitcomb, grandson of Brian.

"If you hit it too far, you will get in trouble," said Brody, who referred to the protected Deschutes National Forest bordering Lost Tracks Golf Club's practice range along Holes 1, 2 and 3.

"You're right," said Dobyns with a big grin. "I'm hoping this week that I don't hit it sideways."

MORE FAMILY FUN: On Saturday, Riverbend Park in Bend will be transformed into a Get Golf Ready Family Fun Zone from noon to 4:00 p.m. This free family golf festival open to the public will include group lessons, games and other fun activities to encourage area families to play the game.

A TWOSOME OF DISTINCTION: The 2013 PGA Professional National Championship features 312 players who have distinguished themselves at various levels of competition in their career. One twosome in this week's field marks their respective debuts with particularly impressive résumés.

Jim McGovern of Oradell, N.J., and Sam Randolph of Fort Worth Texas, each have won on the PGA Tour.


McGovern captured the 1993 Shell Houston Open, his lone victory during a 22-year PGA Tour career. The 48-year-old made 200 PGA Tour cuts, tied for fifth at the 1994 Masters, and earned nearly $3 million over his career.

But a disappointing 2008 season convinced McGovern it was time to consider making a career change. After playing in a handful of Tour events through 2010, McGovern interviewed successfully for the PGA head professional position at White Beeches Golf and Country Club, just a few miles from his Bergen County home.

McGovern is now in his third season at White Beeches. He earned a National Championship berth by finishing third in the 2012 New Jersey PGA Championship.

Randolph, 49, is the PGA teaching professional at Hawks Creek Golf Club in Westworth Village, Texas, during the summer, and at Plantation Golf Club in Indio, Calif., during the winter. He earned a National Championship berth by finishing seventh in the North Texas PGA Section Championship.

Randolph enjoyed a sterling amateur career, winning the 1985 U.S. Amateur, and was low amateur in the 1985 and 1986 Masters Tournaments. He turned professional in 1986, and won the 1987 Bank of Boston Classic in his rookie season on the PGA Tour. He continued his career on the former Nationwide Tour, posting two runner-up performances.

BOTH YOUNG AND OLD: Clayton Wonnell is the youngest member of the 312-player field. Wonnell, 24, a PGA assistant professional at Dallas (Texas) National Golf Club, is playing in his first PGA Professional National Championship. Wonnell won the 2012 Southern Texas PGA Section Championship and competed in the 2013 Shell Houston Open.

Jim White, a PGA Master Professional and director of golf at The West Nine and Learning Center at Firethorn in Lincoln, Neb., is the oldest player in this year's field. The 63-year-old has competed in a total of 26 PGA Professional National Championships and seven PGA Championships.

White's best finish in the PGA Professional National Championship was second place in 1985, when the Championship was contested at Mission Hills Country Club in La Quinta, Calif.

SEE YOU ON TV: The 46th PGA Professional National Championship presented by Club Car, Mercedes-Benz and OMEGA, set to begin Sunday at Sunriver (Ore.) Resort, will air live on Golf Channel for each of the four rounds. See broadcast schedule below (All Times Eastern):

Opening Round: Sunday, June 23: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Second Round: Monday, June 24: 3:30-6:00 p.m. Third Round: Tuesday, June 25: 4:00-7:00 p.m. Final Round: Wednesday, June 26: 4:00-7:00 p.m.

BY THE NUMBERS: 2 - Reigning PGA Players of the Year. They are: Rod Perry and Sonny Skinner 3 - Total visits the Championship has made to Sunriver Resort. The Championship was also hosted at Sunriver in 2001 and 2007; and Crosswater was the site of the 1998 Western PGA Professional Championship 4 -National Championship participants that made the cut in the 2013 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. They are: Jeff Coston, Sonny Skinner, Bob Gaus and Don Berry 7 - Metropolitan PGA Section members that have won the National Championship. The Carolinas and Michigan PGA Sections are next with 4 National Championships each 9 - 2011 PGA Cup team members that are in the 2013 field 11 - National Championship participants that competed in the 2013 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid 13 - Past Champions in the 2013 field 45 - States represented 88 - Championship rookies

Captain's Blog: A throwback U.S. Open and Ryder Cup planning

Captain's Blog: A throwback U.S. Open and Ryder Cup planning










PGA.COM July 3, 2013 1:27 PM

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U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Tom Watson says that the pressure of trying to win a U.S. Open is similar to …


By Tom Watson 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain

The U.S. Open at Merion was fantastic this year. It was far different than what we've seen in recent years. The rough was a lot deeper and we didn't see the "graduated" rough the USGA has used the last several years.

As a result, there were complaints from players. That's how it was when I played in all those USGA events years ago and it's the way USGA events are supposed to be. The rough is a lot deeper and it magnifies errors. A major or minor error is penalized more than in a regular tournament.

The rough at Merion was so tough that even the strongest players weren't able to advance it to the greens. All the talk leading into the U.S. Open was about how short Merion is, playing at just less than 7,000 yards. However, that quickly became a non-issue. One over won the tournament and that's precisely how the USGA wants its courses set up. Par -- in the eyes of the USGA -- is the ultimate final score. If you shoot par, you win.

It was a unique course if you look at it. There were a lot of short holes, but also some extremely long holes -- like a couple of the par 3s. They messed up with the 274-yard, par-3 third on Sunday. They just had the wrong wind direction for the hole to be playing at that length and Phil Mickelson let them know about it.

I was at Merion on Tuesday and stood at the par-3, 17th tee for about four hours. They played to a 258-yard hole location that day and it was slightly downhill and into the wind. I was amazed at the length they hit the ball. Players were hitting irons over 240 yards over the false front and onto the green. I couldn't even think of hitting an iron from back there! It was impressive.

U.S. Opens are just so difficult. Everything from the narrowness of the fairways to the length of the rough to the speed and firmness of the greens. Of course, I don't think the firmness of the greens was much of a factor last week just because of the rain, but the design of the greens and the speed still made it difficult for the players.

I'll say it again - that's the U.S. Open. Those are the things you think about when you think of a U.S. Open. I was lucky enough to win one and my forte certainly wasn't hitting fairways. The USGA forces you to be more focused than ever and hitting fairways is a must.


There were six Americans (Phil Mickelson T2; Jason Dufner T4; Billy Horschel T4; Hunter Mahan T4; Steve Stricker T8; and Rickie Fowler T10) that finished in the top 10 at the U.S. Open and that was nice to see. Billy Horschel was impressive. He went through Q-School to make it on Tour this season and has played great, picking up a win recently. I welcome people like Horschel on the Ryder Cup team. I want new blood. I think it's important. Having new players every two years on the team is crucial to gain experience. Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan are great examples of that. They're still young, but they've already had a taste of a Ryder Cup too. And, at a U.S. Open, the pressure there rivals Ryder Cup pressure. That's why I'm always interested in watching the majors.

On the Ryder Cup front, we do have some things going on right now. We'll have some news on July 3 at the Greenbrier, where we'll talk a little about the players who have jumped into the Ryder Cup standings after the U.S. Open and I'll also touch on what I've been doing for the start of the process of the Ryder Cup and much of that is logistical work.

During that gap between the Open Championship and the Senior British Open, I'll head over to see the hotel at Gleneagles and also the Centenary Course. I played golf in the early 80s at Gleneagles, but that was on the King's and Queen's Courses. This will be my first look at the PGA Centenary Course that Jack Nicklaus designed, the one we'll be playing the Ryder Cup on. Basically I'll get to see the course and the hotel and start talking logistics.

As for my own game, aside from the Masters, I've played five events on the Champions Tour this season, but I'm about to embark on a stretch where I'll play six of the next seven weeks and three of those will be with the kids on the PGA Tour (the Greenbrier Classic, the Open Championship and the PGA Championship).

I look forward to playing with the younger guys the next couple of years in at least four tournaments -- the Masters, Greenbrier, Open Championship and PGA Championship. I'll be around them and I want to get up close and personal. I want to see how they react under pressure and how they play in bad conditions.

As I keep saying: What kind of heart do they have?

That's what's most important to me.

Follow 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Tom Watson on Twitter, @TomWatsonPGA.