Mickelson back to earth at Firestone with work to do

Mickelson back to earth at Firestone with work to do

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Mark Lamport-Stokes July 30, 2013

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Phil Mickelson of the U.S. (L) holds the Claret Jug as he celebrates with his wife Amy after winning …


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - Having been on cloud nine since winning his fifth major crown at the British Open nine days ago, Phil Mickelson is ready to resume his challenge for more golf titles at this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

By his own admission, the American world number two is playing some of the best golf of his life and is eager to take full advantage with several high-profile tournaments on his schedule over the next two months.

"We've got the big event here, a World Golf Championships (WGC) event, we've got the PGA (Championship) next week, and our FedExCup (playoffs)," Mickelson said atFirestone Country Club on Tuesday while preparing for Thursday's opening round of the Bridgestone Invitational.

"So it's a lot of golf left. Right now I'm playing as well as I ever have and want to make sure I stay focused this week and next week because there's an opportunity to add to this year and make this year every bit as special as it can be.

Mickelson won his second PGA Tour title of the year by a commanding three shots in the British Open at Muirfield, separating himself from the field with a stunning final round of five-under-par 66 despite difficult scoring conditions.

FIRST SUCCESS

It was his first success in the year's third major, having recorded only two top-10s in his previous 19 appearances at the event, and he has since barely kept his hands off the coveted Claret Jug.

"It's been really a fun time," the American left-hander told reporters. "I'm just excited every day that I've got the Claret Jug and I get to look at it every day. It's here with me. It's not like I'm going to leave it.


"I'll have some of my friends throughout these next couple of weeks be able to drink out it. To give friends of mine an opportunity to drink out of the Claret Jug and have a picture of it, that's a cool experience that not many people get to do."

Mickelson was delighted to be back in golf mode, his previous nine days having been a whirlwind of victory celebrations, media commitments, travel and a visit to Oak Hill Country Club, venue for next week's PGA Championship.

"Last week I had a lot of other things going on that didn't allow me to practice until Saturday," he said.

"I went up to Oak Hill and wasn't really able to work on my game yesterday as much as I was developing strategy and getting ready and prepared for next week's major, next week's PGA.

"Starting today was the first day that I was able to really work on my game and work on my touch, work on shot-making and so forth. It was not far off. I hit a lot of good shots today. I'm playing really well."

A 42-time winner on the PGA Tour, Mickelson was impressed with the condition of Oak Hill for the August 8-11 PGA Championship though he was surprised by the severity of the rough.

"It's in immaculate shape, it's really pristine," he said. "It's difficult, as you can imagine, like any major championship.

"It's as thick a rough as I've seen in a long time - long, dense, thick, heavy rough - it's very much like a U.S. Open. It will have a premium on getting the ball in play off the tee."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Gene Cherry)

Snedeker aims for first WGC win at Firestone

Snedeker aims for first WGC win at Firestone

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Mark Lamport-Stokes July 30, 2013

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Brandt Snedeker of the U.S. reacts after he hits from the rough from to the twelfth green on his way …


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - Brandt Snedeker has yet to win one of the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) titles but the in-form American goes into this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational firmly installed among the favorites.

Snedeker joined Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar as the only players with multiple PGA Tour wins this season with his victory at the Canadian Open on Sunday, and he is close to the spectacular form he displayed at the start of this year.

In his first five tournaments of 2013, Snedeker recorded four top-threes, including a two-shot triumph at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, before he was sidelined for five weeks because of a sore rib cage.

"It feels like two completely different years for me," the fast-talking, ever-smiling American told reporters while preparing for Thursday's opening round at the lush, tree-lined Firestone Country Club.

"First part of the year, I couldn't do anything wrong. I was playing fantastic, and I got injured.

"I've been fighting to get myself back to the way I was at the beginning of the year. I'm not saying I'm there, but I'm close."

Long regarded as one of the best putters in the game, Snedeker sealed victory by three strokes at the Canadian Open to earn his sixth career title on the circuit.

"It feels great to get a win, to validate all the hard work I've put in over the past three months where I haven't played my best and know that I'm working on the right stuff," the 32-year-old said.

"Now I get to try and do it all over again (this week)."

Snedeker faces several other in-form players in the 73-man field at Firestone, among them British Open champion Mickelson and Woods, who has won a season-high four times on the 2013 PGA Tour.


'BEST GOLF'

Left-hander Mickelson, who has not competed since clinching his fifth major title in the British Open at Muirfield nine days ago, believes he is playing some of the best golf of his life.

"Right now I'm playing as well as I ever have and want to make sure I stay focused this week and next week," the American world number two said on Tuesday, referring also to next week's PGA Championship, the season's final major.

"I want to make sure I give myself every chance to play well because I've been playing some of my best golf the last few months, as you've seen and as the results have shown."

Woods is always among the pre-tournament favorites heading into the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, having won the elite WGC event a record seven times.

"This is one of my favorite courses," said the world number one and 14-times major champion, who has recorded a staggering 11 top-10s finishes in 13 appearances at the tournament.

"There is nothing tricky about it; everything is right in front of you. And the fans do a great job of supporting the event. It's a golf course I like, and I've had a little bit of success on it."

Fellow American Keegan Bradley will be defending the title he claimed by one shot last year after closing with a superb six-under-par 64.

"It's a really special place for me and I'm excited to come back," said Bradley, who has yet to win on the 2013 PGA Tour despite piling up six top-10s in 19 starts. "The course is perfect for me. You must drive the ball well there.

"If you don't, you're not going to be able to score. It's a course that I've felt comfortable on the last two years, one that I feel like every time I play that I should have a decent shot to win the tournament. "

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Gene Cherry)

Cup concern for Price over injured Oosthuizen

Cup concern for Price over injured Oosthuizen

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Mark Lamport-Stokes July 30, 2013

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Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa watches his tee shot on the sixth hole during the first round of the …


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - The decision by former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen to take two months off golf to heal assorted injuries has given International captain Nick Price "concern" ahead of the October 3-6 Presidents Cup.

South African Oosthuizen, who lies second in the International points standings, does not expect to return to action until the European Tour's Sep. 26-29 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

"I spoke to him about four or five days ago, and he's not going to play until the Dunhill, which is the week before thePresidents Cup," Price told reporters at Firestone Country Club on Tuesday ahead of this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

"So we really won't know if he's match-fit or not until the week before, and being one of the top four or five players that I have on the team, it's a concern.


"But I said to him, 'just get healthy first.' That's the most important thing. I don't really want him to injure himself further."

Oosthuizen withdrew from the British Open at Muirfield halfway through his opening round earlier this month with a recurrence of a neck-related injury.

It was the third time this year he had been forced out of a tournament with the injury, having also quit the Byron Nelson Championship in May and the U.S. Open in June.

"He has a hip flexor problem, and anything in the torso in the golf swing, as many of you know, can be very painful," said Zimbawbean Price, a three-times major winner.

"But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. He's going to keep me posted on his progress, and he's gone back to South Africa to rest up."

Oosthuizen, who won his only major title at the 2010 British Open, will be missing an array of big events packed into the latter part of the PGA Tour, notably this week's Bridgestone Invitational and the August 8-11 PGA Championship.

The Presidents Cup is a biennial competition which pits a 12-man team from the United States against a line-up of international players from outside Europe.

It will be staged this year for a 10th time, with Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio the host venue for a first time.

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

Major queries again surface after Tiger's victory

Major queries again surface after Tiger's victory

Mark Lamport-Stokes August 4, 2013







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Tiger Woods of the U.S. hits his second shot on the 11th hole during the final round of the WGC-Bridgestone …


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - The dust had barely settled afterTiger Woods coasted to a seven-shot victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday when questions were raised about his hunger to end a five-year title drought in the majors.

Woods has not landed one of golf's big four events since his remarkable playoff win at the 2008 U.S. Open, though he will go into next week's PGA Championship at Oak Hill as a heavy favorite after his dominant display at Firestone Country Club.

The world number one was certainly in a class of his own as he spread-eagled a top-quality field at the World Golf Championships event, a sizzling nine-under-par 61 on Friday when he flirted with a magical 59 that effectively ending the tournament.

However, Woods has triumphed several times on the PGA Tour in recent years on his final start going into a major, only to fall short in his bid to increase his career tally of 14 victories in golf's blue riband events.

Asked by reporters if his hunger for the majors had increased with each missed opportunity over the past five years, Woods replied: "As far as wanting it more than any other, no.

"It's the same. Those are the events that we try and peak for and try and win. There are four of them a year and next week, it's important for me to get some rest come Monday and Tuesday.

"Come Thursday I've got a great pairing with Keegan and Davis. Basically just try and get a feel for the golf course and how it's playing."

Woods, a four-times winner of the PGA Championship, has been paired with former champions Keegan Bradley and Davis Love III in Thursday's opening round at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York.

"Do I want it (a major win) anymore? No, it's the same," said Woods, who has clinched a major only four of 19 times after winning on his previous PGA Tour start, most recently at the 2007 PGA Championship.

'Each and every major, I always want them. I've been successful 14 times, and hopefully next week will be 15."

Perhaps the biggest boost for Woods at Firestone, where he closed with a level-par 70 for a 15-under total of 265 to earn a record eighth Bridgestone Invitational title was the quality of iron play all week.

SHARP IRON PLAY


Woods felt that department of his game was just as sharp as it had been in last month's British Open at Muirfield where his title bid was ultimately undone by poor putting.

"I felt like this week, it's a continuation of the British Open," the 37-year-old American said. "I hit it really good there, I just didn't make anything (on the greens) after the first day.

"Once the speed (of the greens) started changing, I didn't adjust to it very well, and consequently I didn't win the tournament."

Woods ended up sixth at Muirfield after battling to a three-over-par 74 in the final round.

"I felt like I had the same type of control this week as I did at the British Open," Woods said. "Only difference is I had one hot putting day here, and the last two days I didn't really need to.

"I had a big lead and just had to make sure my speed was good and protect that with pars. But ball-striking wise I feel after coming off my injury at the U.S. Open very proud of what I've been able to do the last two tournaments."

Apart from putting, the Achilles' heel for Woods at the majors in recent years has mainly been his driving accuracy but he performed relatively well in that area at Firestone on a long and challenging layout.

Bradley, who played with Woods during Saturday's third round when the world number one preserved his seven-stroke advantage by shooting a 68, has been mightily impressed.

"He's playing very well," said Bradley, who ended up in a tie for second on his title defense at Firestone. "It's very tough to give Tiger that many shots. The round he shot on Friday was pretty special.

"You know, I hate to sit here and go on and on about how good he is, but he is. Any time you defend a title it's a little stressful, and in my eyes I almost won. I almost defended, considering what Tiger is doing.

"But I really enjoy playing with Tiger. He's super great to me, and I look forward to playing with him and Davis in the PGA next week."

The PGA Championship will be played at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York from August 8-11.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)

Golf-WGC-Bridgestone Invitational winner Tiger Woods

Golf-WGC-Bridgestone Invitational winner Tiger Woods

August 4, 2013









Aug 4 (Reuters) - Statbox on Tiger Woods after the 37-year-old American won his 79th PGA Tour title at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio on Sunday:

* His 79th victory on the PGA Tour came in his 290th career start.

* Leaves him just three shy of matching Sam Snead's record of 82 career wins on the U.S. circuit.

* It was Woods' eighth victory at Firestone, equalling the record he already shared with Snead for most wins in a single PGA Tour event. Snead won the Greater Greensboro Open eight times while Woods clinched his eighth Arnold Palmer Invitational title earlier this year.

* With his victory at Firestone, Woods landed his fifth PGA Tour title of the year - the 10th time he has posted at least five wins in a single season on the U.S. circuit.

* His Bridgestone Invitational win also earned him the 18thWorld Golf Championships (WGC) title of his career in his 42nd start.

* Woods' Firestone victory was the 13th PGA Tour win of his career in the state of Ohio.

* It is the 20th time he has won his final PGA Tour start before a major, with the 2013 PGA Championshipset to take place at Oak Hill in Rochester, New York from Aug. 8-11. On four of those previous 19 occasions, he went on to win the major, most recently at the 2007 PGA Championship.

* Woods, a four-time PGA Championship winner, will be bidding at Oak Hill for his 15th major title, having not clinched one of golf's four big events since the 2008 U.S. Open. (Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Golf-U.S. PGA Tour Reno-Tahoe Open scores

Golf-U.S. PGA Tour Reno-Tahoe Open scores

August 4, 2013








Aug 5 (Infostrada Sports) - Scores from the U.S. PGA Tour Reno-Tahoe Open on Sunday in Reno, Nevada

44 Gary Woodland (U.S.) 14 7 16 7

35 Jonathan Byrd (U.S.) 2 4 11 18

Andres Romero (Argentina) 8 14 5 8

33 Brendan Steele (U.S.) 5 8 17 3

32 Dicky Pride (U.S.) 5 6 13 8

David Mathis (U.S.) 10 7 12 3

31 Noh Seung-Yul (South Korea) 3 4 14 10

Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) 3 12 8 8

30 Chris DiMarco (U.S.) 6 8 6 10

29 Johnson Wagner (U.S.) 4 11 2 12

28 Brian Harman (U.S.) 5 13 4 6

Charlie Wi (South Korea) 4 15 6 3

27 Richard Lee (U.S.) 6 5 7 9

Brendon Todd (U.S.) 7 4 8 8

Brandt Jobe (U.S.) 8 8 4 7

26 David Toms (U.S.) 2 15 1 8

Stuart Appleby (Australia) 12 7 2 5

Will Claxton (U.S.) 8 5 9 4

Russell Knox (Britain) 4 8 10 4

25 Scott Langley (U.S.) 4 2 7 12

John Rollins (U.S.) Par 8 10 7

Brad Fritsch (Canada) -1 10 10 6

24 James Hahn (U.S.) 7 5 2 10

Mark Wilson (U.S.) 9 -1 6 10

Woody Austin (U.S.) 7 5 3 9

23 Glen Day (U.S.) -3 12 6 8

Rod Pampling (Australia) 2 17 -3 7

Justin Hicks (U.S.) -2 11 8 6

Michael Bradley (U.S.) 5 8 6 4

Peter Tomasulo (U.S.) 3 8 9 3

Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 5 5 10 3

22 Ted Potter Jr. (U.S.) 7 2 Par 13

Ben Kohles (U.S.) 4 5 3 10

Kevin Stadler (U.S.) 9 4 Par 9


Davis Love III (U.S.) 2 12 2 6

Justin Bolli (U.S.) 10 -1 11 2

21 Brian Stuard (U.S.) 1 6 1 13

Bud Cauley (U.S.) 10 7 4 Par

20 Bobby Gates (U.S.) 6 3 1 10

Robert Gamez (U.S.) 5 2 6 7

Nathan Green (Australia) 7 4 4 5

Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 10 -2 9 3

Greg Chalmers (Australia) 13 5 Par 2

James Driscoll (U.S.) 14 2 5 -1

Tom Gillis (U.S.) 6 10 6 -2

19 Dean Wilson (U.S.) 10 4 2 3

Steve LeBrun (U.S.) 6 3 7 3

Robert Streb (U.S.) 7 10 4 -2

18 Ben Crane (U.S.) 3 7 4 4

Luke List (U.S.) Par 15 2 1

17 Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 1 6 8 2

Chris Riley (U.S.) 3 3 9 2

Colt Knost (U.S.) 12 6 -1 Par

Thomas Aiken (South Africa) 2 7 10 -2

Matt Bettencourt (U.S.) 6 5 9 -3

16 Chris Williams (U.S.) 9 6 -8 9

Skip Kendall (U.S.) 7 4 2 3

Jeff Gove (U.S.) 2 5 7 2

Josh Teater (U.S.) 15 Par 2 -1

Marc Turnesa (U.S.) -4 13 12 -5

15 Vaughn Taylor (U.S.) 3 9 7 -4

12 Ricky Barnes (U.S.) 9 -1 2 2

10 Heath Slocum (U.S.) 4 3 -2 5

Joey Snyder III (U.S.) 2 10 -3 1

Jim Herman (U.S.) 4 5 Par 1

9 Tag Ridings (U.S.) 5 7 -6 3

David Duval (U.S.) 1 5 2 1

8 Ryuji Imada (Japan) 3 4 -1 2

6 Scott McCarron (U.S.) 8 1 Par -3

-1 Wes Short Jr. (U.S.) -2 8 3 -10

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.