Golf: America's Harman cruises to British Open glory, Jason Day tied for 2nd

HOYLAKE, United Kingdom -- American Brian Harman won the British Open by six shots on Sunday, finishing 13 under par to claim his first major title at a rainswept Hoylake.

Masters champion Jon Rahm tied for second alongside Austria's Sepp Straka, Australian Jason Day and South Korean Tom Kim.

But no one could get close to Harman as the world number 26 refused to buckle under the pressure of closing out his first tournament win since 2017.

"I've always had a self-belief that I could do something like this. It's just when it takes so much time it's hard not to let your mind falter, like maybe I'm not winning again," said Harman.

"To come out and put a performance like that together, like start to finish, (I) just had a lot of control. I don't know why this week, but I'm very thankful that it was this week."

Harman held a five-shot lead overnight, a margin no player had squandered at a major since Frenchman Jean van de Velde, who collapsed at the last hole of the 1999 British Open.

The 36-year-old's temperament was tested early on the soaking Royal Liverpool course on the English west coast.

Harman bogeyed the second after a wayward approach failed to find the green and was then punished for a wild tee shot at the par-five fifth with another dropped shot.

His lead was briefly cut to three shots, but back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh settled his nerves and stretched his lead as the chasing pack failed to make a move.

"Just with the weather and the scenario, you're going to hit bad shots," added Harman. "I knew that the way I responded to that would determine whether I'd be sitting here or not."

His sublime putting was the key to his success all week and he nailed a huge 40-foot birdie putt at 14 before another birdie at the par-five 15th set the seal on a remarkably composed performance.

- Rahm, McIlroy fall short -

Rahm shot a course-record 63 on Saturday to get back in the hunt for his third major.

The Spaniard needed similar heroics to ramp up the pressure on the leader, but could only manage a one-under round of 70 thanks to a birdie at the last to climb into a share of second.

Straka's two-under-par final round was enough to secure his best-ever finish at a major and boost his hopes of representing Europe at the Ryder Cup later this year.

Kim's joint-second was also a career-best at a major, while Day, the 2015 PGA Championship winner, continued his return to form after years of struggle with a back injury.

Rory McIlroy finished in a tie for sixth on six under par alongside Argentine Emiliano Grillo.

McIlroy's wait to win a fifth major will now extend into at least a 10th year.

Not for the first time this week, the Northern Irishman made a blistering start with three birdies in his opening five holes to move into a share of second at the time.

But four pars to the turn slowed his momentum before a bogey at the 10th ended his hopes of a miraculous victory at the scene of his only British Open triumph in 2014.

McIlroy has now finished in the top 10 at seven of the past eight majors.

"If it weren't for one guy I'd be right there," said McIlroy. "Still another really solid performance and still a lot of golf to play this year."

Veteran Henrik Stenson's tie for 13th was the best of a poor showing from the group of players now plying their trade on the Saudi-backed LIV golf circuit at three under.

Further back, world number 561 Alex Fitzpatrick upstaged older brother and 2022 US Open champion Matt.

Playing in his first major championship, Alex Fitzpatrick finished at two under for a share of 17th, four shots better than Matt, who came in at two over par for the championship.

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Golf: Rahm seizes three-shot lead at Riviera, where Woods impresses

LOS ANGELES -- World number three Jon Rahm fired a bogey-free six-under par 65 on Saturday to grab a three-shot lead at Riviera, where Tiger Woods thrilled fans with a four-under par 67.

Rahm, who can return to number one with a victory, hit just five of 14 fairways but moved past overnight leader Max Homa, putting himself in position to capture a third US PGA Tour title of 2023.

His 15-under par total of 198 put him three clear of Homa, whose two-under par 69 for 201 kept him one in front of Keith Mitchell, who also posted a 69.

"It's a great round of golf," Rahm said. "Really proud of today, heck of a round of golf."

Rahm opened his round with a birdie at the first, just missing a 12-foot eagle attempt. He rolled in birdie putts from inside eight feet at the fourth, eighth and ninth.

He rolled in a two-foot birdie at the 11th, to take the solo lead at 14-under.

Homa, who started the day with a one-shot lead, kept the pressure on. He drained a 19-foot birdie putt at the third and added a five-foot birdie at the sixth. He tied Rahm's lead with a birdie at the 10th and tied him again with a seven-foot birdie at the 13th.

Homa faltered, however, with back-to-back bogeys at the 15th and 16th, and Rahm closed his round with a final flourish -- draining a 23-foot birdie putt at 18.

"The only thing I was worried about was getting that ball to the hole," Rahm said. "I've hit that putt a million times, I've seen that putt hit a million times and we all leave it just a couple, a couple rolls short, so I just wanted to get it there. Felt good obviously making it, it's a huge bonus, right?"

Rahm is seeking a third title of the year after victories at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii and at La Quinta, California, in his next event.

His hot start followed a strong autumn in Europe, where he won a third Spanish Open title in October and the DP World Tour Championship in November.

It all has him in position to grab the number one spot from American Scottie Scheffler, who supplanted Rory McIlroy with his Phoenix Open win last Sunday.

While Rahm arrived at Riviera as perhaps the hottest golfer on tour, Woods was a mystery coming into his first event since he missed the cut at the Open Championship in July.

Still severely limited by the right leg injuries he suffered in a February 2021 car accident, Woods had barely made the halfway cut.

But he equaled the third-best round of the day behind Denny McCarthy's 64 -- which pulled the American into a share of seventh, and Rahm's 65.

- Woods's best -

Woods has played just three tour-level tournaments since the crash, finishing 47th at the Masters last April, withdrawing from the PGA Championship after three rounds and missing the cut at St. Andrews.

"It's the best I've played," he said of Saturday's effort, which featured an eagle at the par-five first -- where his approach from just off the fairway looked like it might yield an albatross before leaving him a three-footer for the eagle.

Woods said there wasn't that much difference between Friday and Saturday, apart from the putts falling

"I've driven it well the last three days, my iron play has been good," he said. "I made a few adjustments today and some of the putts went in."

Woods is the host of the tournament, which features 19 of the world's top 20 all chasing a $3.6 million winner's prize from a purse of $20 million.

That prize money is bumped up thanks to the tournament's status as one of the tour's new designated events, designed to bring the best players together more often.

But even with the wealth of talent on view, Woods was the undisputed star attraction, provoking roars throughout the day from his legion of followers.

"You're fully aware where Tiger is," Rahm said.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Scheffler leads Rahm and Taylor by two at Phoenix Open

PHOENIX -- American Scottie Scheffler takes a two-shot lead over Jon Rahm and Nick Taylor into the final round of the Phoenix Open, where he's in search of a title repeat and a chance to regain the world number one ranking.

Scheffler, who started the round tied for the lead with Canadian Adam Hadwin, had four birdies in a three-under par 68 for a 13-under par total of 200 at TPC Scottsdale.

That was two clear of third-ranked Spaniard Jon Rahm, who also carded a 68, and Canada's Taylor, who posted a 67.

Rahm, like Scheffler, can overtake Rory McIlroy atop the world rankings on Sunday, the Northern Ireland star looking unlikely to challenge the leaders after a third-round 70 that left him tied for 28th, 10 shots off the lead.

Scheffler kickstarted his round with a 47-foot birdie putt at the second hole and picked up another stroke with a 15-footer at the fourth. After his lone bogey of the round at the 13th he fired out of the rough to four feet at the 14th for another birdie.

He'd add one more at the par-four 17th, where his second shot raced up the side of the green, looking scarily close to rolling into the water before it settled just off the putting surface. He rolled in an 11-foot birdie putt from there.

"Feel good," Scheffler said. "I didn't hit it as well today as I hoped to. But still got around in three-under. Kept the ball in play for the most part. Just kept plugging along.

"Only one bogey was good today," he added.

Scheffler posted his first PGA Tour win in Phoenix last year and went on to win at Bay Hill and The Masters before reaching number one in the world with a victory at the WGC Match Play.

He's since seen McIlroy return to the top, while Rahm has been a dominant figure this year with victories in successive starts at the Tournament of Champions and in La Quinta, California.

The Spaniard, who was two back to start the round, shook off an opening bogey with a birdie at the third.

- Chaos going on -

He added three more coming in at 13, 14 and 16, thrilling the crowd at the par-three 16th -- where the grandstands hold 20,000 spectators -- by curling in a 40-foot putt.

His three-under effort left him on 11-under 202 and he and Taylor were one stroke in front of Hadwin (71) and American Jordan Spieth (69).

The crowd at 16 was fired up even before Rahm made his birdie putt, thanks to playing partner Adam Hadwin's tee shot that landed just two feet from the pin.

"We felt the chaos going on," Rahm said after fans threw drink cups and other objects on the green.

"I just thought it was best to not give it too much time. I didn't want to give the crowd too much time to think about throwing anything else. So even through my routine somebody threw a bottle and I just went up and hit it. The break is not going to change.

"It was one of those things that luckily it went in and I got to enjoy that moment," he said.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Rahm, McIlroy face tension and drama at unique US Open

BROOKLINE -- A hotly anticipated US Open starts Thursday that will test the world's top golfers over a formidable layout at a historic setting with a splash of controversy as well.

Defending champion Jon Rahm, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, top-ranked Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and two-time major winners Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa lead fan and oddsmakers favorites at The Country Club.

"You've got to have all aspects of your game ready to play some good golf," reigning British Open champion Morikawa said.

In addition to creating dense rough and lightning-fast greens, the US Golf Association ensured drama by allowing players from the upstart Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series to compete rather ban them as the US PGA Tour did.

As a result, US stars Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau are among the LIV Golf rebels teeing off in a unique sub-plot to the quest for a major title -- the first LIV-PGA showdown.

"Who knew we loved all this drama?" Morikawa said. "It becomes a distraction and you don't want to be focused on this or that. We're here to win the US Open."

Mickelson, who turns 52 on Thursday, would complete a career Grand Slam with a victory after a record six runner-up efforts, and break his own mark as the oldest major winner.

"I'm excited to be back in this incredible championship that has eluded me," Mickelson said. 

Boston fans famously heckled Europe in a 1999 US Ryder Cup fightback victory and could offer more barbs.

"Whether it's positive or negative towards me directly, I think it's going to provide an incredible atmosphere," Mickelson said.

Tiger Woods, making a comeback after severe leg injuries suffered in a car crash 16 months ago, skipped the US Open to better prepare for next month's British Open at St. Andrews.

A field of 156 will compete at the same club where 20-year-old hometown hero Francis Ouimet became the first amateur to win the US Open back in 1913.

"What's so good about golf is the history and tradition and these stories," McIlroy said. "The fact he grew up just off the 17th hole and we're still talking about it to this day over 100 years on, that's so cool."

Third-ranked McIlroy won his 21st US PGA title on Sunday at the Canadian Open

"It certainly puts a pep in your step," McIlroy said. "It gives you a lot of confidence.

"Everything is certainly trending in the right direction and I'm happy with where the game is at."

McIlroy, 33, is the most recent player to win a tour event and a major title in back-to-back weeks, taking a WGC title at Akron before his 2014 PGA Championship victory at Valhalla, his most recent major triumph.

"I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with my game and at the biggest and toughest tests in the world," said McIlroy. "I feel confident going to these golf courses that are set up more difficult knowing I have the game and mentality to succeed on them."

- Scrambling for momentum -

Second-ranked Rahm will try to repeat as Brooks Koepka did in 2017-2018. The 27-year-old Spaniard won his first major title last year at Torrey Pines.

"A lot of the pressure I used to put on myself is not really there," Rahm said. "I can enjoy it a little bit more and know you don't need to do anything special to get it done."

Rahm won his first title since last year's US Open last month at the US PGA Mexico Open and practiced Tuesday with Mickelson.

"Second shots into the green are going to be important," Rahm said. "Rough around the greens is about as healthy as I've seen in a while."

Scheffler, assured of topping next week's rankings, will try to match Woods -- the only reigning world number one to win a US Open.

"I like the challenge," Scheffler said. "This style of golf really suits how I play."

Thomas, who won May's PGA Championship, likes the difficult test on offer.

"US Open is a grind. That's why I love it," Thomas said. "Driving the ball is going to be very important. Scrambling and salvaging and making those putts for par can be the momentum builders."

Agence France-Presse

Golf: McIlroy charges but Clark clings to Canadian Open lead

TORONTO, Canada -- Rory McIlroy charged into contention but American Wyndham Clark fired a level par 70 to maintain a one-stroke lead after Friday's second round of the US PGA Tour's Canadian Open.

World number 293 Clark, who led by one stroke after day one, made bogeys on two of the last four holes to stand on seven-under 133 after 36 holes at St George's Golf and Country Club in suburban Toronto.

"Overall I played really good. I felt really confident with my game," Clark said. "I had some little mishaps coming in, but other than that I played some great golf for 36 holes. If I do that again, I'll have a great chance come Sunday."

Northern Ireland's eighth-ranked McIlroy –- the 2019 winner and defending champion after Covid-19 caused a two-year hiatus -- birdied two of the last four holes to shoot 68 and share second on 134 with England's Matthew Fitzpatrick and Americans Keith Mitchell, Jim Knous and Alex Smalley.

Four-time major winner McIlroy sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-5 15th and rolled in a 23-foot birdie putt at 17 before parring the last with a clutch four-foot putt.

"Overall it was a good score," McIlroy said. "I scrambled well when I needed to. I didn't really take advantage of how well I hit it off the tee. But overall I felt a couple under was a fair reflection of how the day went."

Fitzpatrick, ranked 17th, led by two but made double bogey at the 14th and bogeys on the last three holes.

"Just didn't hole the putts I needed to on the last three," Fitzpatrick said. "Just pathetic. Yeah, just pathetic finish really with the putter.

"Disappointing finish, but definitely not out of it."

The seven-time DP World Tour winner seeks her first PGA victory after sharing fifth at last month's PGA Championship for his best major finish.

Clark, 28, chases his first US PGA victory as well, his best finish a runner-up effort at the 2020 Bermuda Championship.

Clark hit only eight greens in regulation, but backed his "great" short game and putting.

- 'Pretty awesome' finish -

Fitzpatrick reeled off three birdies in a row thanks to five-foot putts at the par-5 ninth and par-5 11th sandwiched around a 15-footer at the par-4 10th, reaching 10-under par.

But Fitzpatrick needed four shots to reach the fringe at the par-4 14th on the way to a double bogey, then followed an 11-foot birdie putt at the par-5 15th with three bogeys.

His troubles left the lead to Clark, who made birdie putts from just inside five feet at the par-3 eighth and 11, but missed the green at 12 and made his first bogey of the week.

Clark knocked in a nine-footer from the fringe to birdie the par-4 14th, but then fell back with back-to-back bogeys, sinking a nine-foot bogey putt at 15 but missing a par putt half as long at the par-3 16th.

At 18, Clark had a "semi-plugged" bunker lie but popped out to four feet and saved par to keep the lead.

"I would love to say I was trying to do what I did," Clark said. "It was definitely the best save I've had of the year. It was pretty awesome."

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Aussie Lee grabs lead with 54-hole record at US Women's Open

WASHINGTON -- Australia's Minjee Lee fired a four-under-par 67 to set a 54-hole scoring record and seize a three-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the 77th US Women's Open.

The 26-year-old from Perth answered a lone bogey with five birdies, four in a row starting at the ninth hole, to stand on 13-under 200 entering the final round at Pine Needles in Southern Pines, North Carolina.

"I was pretty solid all day," Lee said. "I was making pars when I needed to. I made a bogey but then made those birdies. It was nice to get those going and finish with all pars. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

Lee's total broke the old 54-hole tournament mark set by American Juli Inkster in 1999 at Old Waverly and made her the player to catch on Sunday for the record $1.8 million top prize.

"A three-shot lead is a nice cushion but it's not enough to let your heart calm down," Lee said. "I'm going to be really focused tomorrow, try and stay calm and concentrate on every shot I'm making."

American Mina Harigae shot 70 to stand second on 203 with England's Bronte Law third on 206 after a 68.

"I'm just proud of myself for hanging around, hanging in there," Harigae said. "If I just play like I did the first couple days, get a couple more putts to drop and be patient with myself, I'll have a good outcome."

A pack on 207 including Aussie Lydia Ko, China's Lin Xiyu, Swedes Ingrid Lindblad and Anna Nordqvist and South Koreans Ko Jin-young, the world number one, and Choi Hye-jin.

Fourth-ranked Lee, a seven-time LPGA Tour winner, captured her only major title at last year's Evian Championship in France.

Lee hopes to emulate Aussie mentor Karrie Webb, who won a US Women's Open title at Pine Needles in 2001.

"She texted me yesterday," Lee said. "She said, 'Keep it going, let's go Aussie.'"

Lee made bogey at the par-3 fifth hole while Harigae birdied to seize a two-stroke edge. But Lee answered with a birdie at the sixth and then reeled off her birdie run starting at the end of the front nine.

"On the par-5s, I can be pretty aggressive and some other holes you have wedges in and can be pretty aggressive," Lee said.

Harigae, whose first-round 64 was one off the US Women's Open record, seeks her first LPGA title and first top-10 finish in a major.

The best final-round comeback by a US Women's Open winner has been five strokes, so all those aside from Harigae will try to make a historic fightback for the title.

Prime among them is Law, who shook off two early bogeys with a birdie at the par-5 10th and birdies on three of the last five holes.

"I stayed patient," Law said. "Had a couple early bogeys but I didn't let it get to me. I knew if I stayed patient those chances would come on the back nine and they did. Pretty pleased."

Agence France-Presse

Golf: No.1 Scheffler wins first major at Masters after Tiger's return

AUGUSTA -- Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler captured his first major title on Sunday by winning the Masters in dominating fashion, holding firm down the stretch to seize the green jacket after Tiger Woods completed his amazing comeback from severe leg injuries.

Scheffler fired a final-round one-under par 71 to finish 72 holes on 10-under 278 and defeat four-time major winner Rory McIlroy by three strokes with Australian Cameron Smith and Ireland's Shane Lowry sharing third on 283.

"It was a long day, a tough day for me," Scheffler said. "I just tried to keep my head down and execute my shots."

Scheffler, who only won his first PGA title in February, holed a spectacular chip-in birdie from 87 feet at the par-4 third to blunt an early charge by Smith, last month's Players Championship winner.

"It was not a shot I expected to see go in but it got things off and rolling for me," Scheffler said.

He also birdied the 14th and sank a 14-foot birdie putt at the par-5 15th to signal there would be no collapse to open a door for McIlroy, chasing an Augusta National win to complete a career Grand Slam.

Scheffler endured an agonizing double bogey at the 18th hole, needing three putts from inside five feet before finally sinking the putt to secure his breakthrough major triumph.

"I can't put into words what it means to know I'll be able to come back here for life," Scheffler said.

The 25-year-old American took a $2.7 million top prize from a $15 million purse and joined 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam as the only players to win majors in their debut events as world number one.

Scheffler is only the fifth player to win the Masters while atop the rankings, joining Welshman Woosnam and Americans Fred Couples, Dustin Johnson and Woods, whose epic injury fightback dominated attention all week.

Spectators gave Woods a standing ovation at the 18th green for his astonishing return to golf 14 months after a car crash that left him hospitalized for weeks and unable to walk for months.

"I wasn't playing my best but to have their support out there, I don't think words can describe it," Woods said.

The 15-time major winner fired weekend 78s, his worst Masters rounds, to finish with his highest Augusta National 72-hole score of 301 and in a worst-ever 47th place.

But the fact Woods was able to walk the course and play at all was nothing short of incredible given the 46-year-old medical marvel had not played a top event for 17 months and feared amputation of a right leg now held together with rods, plates, pins and screws.

"Given where I was a little over a year ago and what my prospects were, to end up here and be able to play in all four rounds, even a month ago, I didn't know if I could pull this off," Woods said.

Woods arrived at Augusta chasing a record-tying sixth Masters crown and departed knowing he had the fortitude to play majors again.

"It has been a tough road and one that I'm very thankful to have the opportunity to be able to grind through," Woods said.

- Six starts, four wins -

Scheffler won his first US PGA title at February's Phoenix Open, added another last month at Bay Hill and overtook Spain's Jon Rahm for the summit by capturing the WGC Match Play crown two weeks ago.

He's the first player to win four times in six PGA starts since Australian Jason Day in 2015.

Smith, who missed a chance to join Woods in 2001 as the only players to win the Players and Masters in the same year, opened with back-to-back birdies to trim Scheffler's lead to one stroke, but faltered with bogeys at the third and fourth holes.

"Just too many mistakes," Smith said. "Those two bogeys really slowed me down."

Both birdied from about five feet at the par-4 seventh and bogeyed the 10th.

Smith sank a 15-foot birdie putt at 11 but his tee shot at the par-3 12th found a watery grave in Rae's Creek on the way to a triple bogey to fall six adrift.

"At 12, that was the tournament," Smith said.

Scheffler, meanwhile, parred his way through Amen Corner, a perilous three-hole stretch where Scheffler sank par putts from seven feet at 11, nine feet at 12 and missed a five-foot birdie putt at the par-5 13th.

The par saves thwarted a dramatic run by McIlroy, who delivered his best Masters round with a bogey-free 64 that included a 10-foot eagle putt at 13 and a 54-foot birdie chip-in from a greenside bunker at the 18th.

"That's as happy as I've ever been on a golf course right there," McIlroy said after his best major finish since a share of second at the 2018 British Open. He hasn't won a major since 2014.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: No.1 Scheffler happy to dwell in Tiger's Masters shadow

AUGUSTA -- World number one Scottie Scheffler is just fine with Tiger Woods dominating the scene this week at the Masters.

After three victories in the past two months, Scheffler is the hottest golfer in the world and took the top spot from reigning US Open champion Jon Rahm by winning the WGC Match Play two weeks ago.

So please, Scheffler said, focus on Woods and his astonishing comeback tale from severe leg injuries to playing for a major title only 14 months later -- not Scheffler trying to win his first major title.

"Tiger takes a lot of attention away from all of us, which I think is a good thing for us," Scheffler said. "He's used to being in the spotlight. Tiger is the needle for professional golf. It seems like he's for sure going to play so that's exciting for us and we're glad to see him back."

That's far more enthusiasm than Scheffler musters for his ascension, the 25-year-old American having made his big goal simply to play on the US PGA Tour rather than leap to any particular ranking.

"Looking at the rankings and focusing on that stuff doesn't provide any benefit for me," said Scheffler. "I look forward to preparing and playing good golf and executing shots and being in contention. That's what's fun."

Scheffler admits he doesn't look at social media much. He doesn't take himself too seriously, 11th-ranked pal Sam Burns calling him "goofy" as well as "one of the most competitive people I've ever met."

"He isn't necessarily defined by golf," Burns said. "He knows that golf isn't everything. It's not who he is, it's what he does."

Scheffler, who also won at Phoenix and Bay Hill in the run-up to the year's first major, shared 19th in 2020 and 18th last year in his past two Masters starts.

"I've been playing some good golf. Definitely not going to take it for granted and hoping to keep it rolling this week," Scheffler said. "My game feels like it's in a pretty good spot."

Scheffler has been determined not to let his jump from fifth to first in the rankings change his attitude.

"Having some recent success doesn't place any more expectations on myself for this week," he said. "I feel like I've done everything I could to play well, and if I don't play well, that's just how it goes.

"I'm going to try to do my best, execute shots, and just play golf."

Scheffler hasn't seen many signs of being treated differently by others either. Topping the world rankings doesn't keep him from having to do routine chores at home.

"Outside of guys saying congrats, I wouldn't say too much," Scheffler said. "My friends are still making fun of me. I've still got to do my chores at home and nothing really changes."

Scheffler, making his 10th major start, must fight to keep his top ranking this week as five players could dethrone him.

Spain's Rahm needs at least a solo sixth finish to have a chance while British Open champion Collin Morikawa and Norway's Viktor Hovland need top-three efforts, American Patrick Cantlay needs a win or solo second place and Australian Cameron Smith must win to have a chance.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Mickelson apologizes for 'reckless' comments on Saudi-backed league

Phil Mickelson apologized on Tuesday for comments he made about the proposed Saudi-backed Super Golf League that set off a firestorm of controversy and said he planned to take "time away" from the sport.

In a November interview that was published on the firepitcollective.com last weekend, Mickelson criticised the government of Saudi Arabia for its "horrible record" on human rights, which he said included the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the execution of gay people.

Despite the government's "scary" actions, he said he would use the prospect of a new, highly-lucrative tour to gain economic leverage over the PGA Tour, a position that drew the ire of fellow golfers including Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas.

Saudi Arabia's government denies accusations of human rights abuses.

"Although it doesn't look this way now given my recent comments, my actions throughout this process have always been with the best interest of golf, my peers, sponsors, and fans," Mickelson said at the beginning of a lengthy social media post, where he claimed his previously reported comments were "off the record," a charge the journalist denies.

"The bigger issue is that I used words I sincerely regret that do not reflect my true feelings or intentions. It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words. I'm beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this."

The six-time major champion said golf "desperately needs change" and that real change is always preceded by disruption.

"I have always known that criticism would come with exploring anything new. I still chose to put myself at the forefront of this to inspire change, taking the hits publicly to do the work behind the scenes."

No golfers have publicly signed up for the proposed rival league, which is trying to lure top players away from the PGA Tour with the promise of huge paydays.

Mickelson praised LIV Golf Investments, Super Golf League's financial backer, and called the people he has worked with there "visionaries".

"They have a clear plan to create an updated and positive experience for everyone including players, sponsors, networks, and fans," he said.

But the 51-year-old closed by saying he planned to take a break from the sport.

"The past 10 years I have felt the pressure and stress slowly affecting me at a deeper level," he said.

"I know I have not been my best and desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be."

(Additional reporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoEditing by Christian Radnedge)

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Golf: Jon Rahm holds razor thin No. 1 margin over Collin Morikawa

Jon Rahm retained his spot atop the Official World Golf Ranking this week, but the Spaniard's grip on No. 1 is precariously thin.

Collin Morikawa entered The Genesis Invitational with his third opportunity to claim the top spot for the first time in his career. Morikawa, who also had mathematical chances to claim No. 1 at the Hero World Challenge and the Tournament of Champions, needed to win on Sunday and have Rahm finish worse than solo fourth.

Rahm, who made the cut on the number, rallied to tie for 21st at Riviera Country Club. That still left the door open for Morikawa, who made a spirited Sunday run before settling for a T2.

Morikawa is now just 0.3398 points behind Rahm for the top spot. Patrick Cantlay, who entered the week with the same equation to wrest No. 1 away from Rahm, scuffled to a T33 after also making the cut on the number.

Cantlay remains No. 3, followed by Norwegian Viktor Hovland and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy. Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas each climbed a spot with top-10 finishes at the Genesis, with Xander Schauffele, Dustin Johnson and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama rounding out the top 10.

Chilean Joaquin Niemann vaulted 12 positions to a career-best No. 20 with his second PGA Tour victory. Australian Adam Scott also surged 12 spots to No. 34 with his T4, while PGA Tour rookie Cameron Young shot up 60 places to No. 53 with his T2.

Morikawa, who admitted in January that becoming No. 1 in the world rankings is a "dream" of his, entered Sunday eight shots off Niemann's lead. He shot a 4-under 32 on the back nine to tie Rahm for the low round of the day with a 65 but ultimately was unable to catch the Chilean who led wire-to-wire.

"I just had to put together a few better rounds and make a few less mistakes," Morikawa said Sunday. "But overall I'm happy with the way things kind of played out."

-reuters

Golf: Ko Jin-young roars to LPGA Tour Championship title, wins Player of Year honors

MIAMI -- South Korea's Ko Jin-young fired nine birdies in a sensational nine-under par 63 on Sunday to win the LPGA Tour Championship and pip Nelly Korda for Player of the Year honors.

Ko's second straight victory in the season finale was her fifth LPGA title of the year.

The $1.5 million winner's prize pushed her past $9 million in career earnings.

"I don't know what happened out there," said Ko, who has battled a nagging left wrist injury that limited her practice for much of the season. "This week was amazing."

Ko and Korda had swapped the number one ranking all season, but it was American Korda who came into the event at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, atop the rankings and with a slim lead in the Player of the Year race.

Both were among a four-way tie for the lead through 54 holes, and Korda's tie for fifth wasn't enough to secure the year-end award.

Japan's Nasa Hataoka, who also shared the overnight lead, fired an eight-under par 64 to finish second on 266.

It was four strokes back to Mina Harigae and overnight co-leader Celine Boutier on 270, with Korda heading a trio on 271.

Ko opened with three birdies in her first four holes, rolling in a long birdie putt at the first to jumpstart her day.

She drained a 30-footer for her sixth birdie of the day at the ninth, seizing a four-shot lead.

Hataoka sliced into her lead with birdies at the seventh, ninth, 10th and 11th.

But Ko rolled in another long birdie putt at the 11th and birdied the 13th for a three-shot edge.

Hataoka kept pressing, with birdies at 15, 17 and 18, but Ko's final birdie at the 17th was enough to clinch the victory.

Ko, 26, now has 12 LPGA titles, and her latest was plenty impressive.

- The Ko Show -

Sunday's round was the third straight in which she hit all 18 greens in regulation. 

"It was definitely the Jin-young Ko Show today," said Korda, the Olympic gold medalist who was also going for a fifth LPGA win of the season.

Korda finished with four birdies and a bogey in her three-under effort that left her tied with Australian Minjee Lee and American Megan Khang.

"It was really cool to witness," added Korda. "I wish I could have given it a better run, but in all I think I had a great year.

"So I'm just going to kind of look back on that and enjoy it. Today, she just played amazing golf. There is not much you can do, just sit back and watch, honestly."

Ko, meanwhile, was going to savor another season-ending victory and her second Player of the Year award in three years, one that she said all week she was unlikely to wrest from Korda.

"I tried to play aggressive and I got it and I'm so happy," she said. "She got gold medal and she had major. She had three more wins this year. She hits it straight and too far and putting so good.

"I was a little bit more lucky than her, so I got this."

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Nasa Hataoka wins in Arkansas, Yuka Saso tied for 4th

Nasa Hataoka broke away from the pack early in Sunday's final round and held on to win the Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark.

The 22-year-old from Japan earned her fifth LPGA Tour title and her second since her runner-up finish in a playoff at the U.S. Women's Open in June. Hataoka, who also won this event in 2018, won the Marathon Classic in July.

Hataoka shot a 4-under 67 on the final day of the 54-hole event to finish at 16-under 197, one stroke better than Australia's Minjee Lee and South Korea's Eun-Hee Ji.

Hataoka admitted she does like playing at Pinnacle Country Club.

"The grasses type, it matches what I was doing when I was young, and so I'm able to kind of know how it reacts, so that kind of helps me," she said. "And so I like this course, yeah."

Hataoka and Lee entered Sunday as co-leaders, and the former shot ahead with five birdies on her first 11 holes. But a bogey on No. 13 pushed her a step back toward the field, and she would go on to shoot par on every remaining hole.

Lee crept up the leaderboard with birdies at Nos. 10, 14 and 17 but came up short with her 3-under 68.

"Overall I was solid all three days," Lee said. "I missed a couple birdie opportunities today that I probably should have made. Under the circumstances Nasa did play really well today. I'm just disappointed with my second shot on 18, but I still had a great week."

Ji posted a 67 with an eagle at the par-5 14th hole, two birdies and no bogeys.

Danielle Kang and the Philippines' Yuka Saso posted 6-under 65s to tie for fourth at 14 under. Former Arkansas Razorback Stacy Lewis (66) tied for sixth with South Korea's Jin Young Ko (67) at 12 under.

"I found something this week. Ball striking was so much better, and it was great today with wind picking up," Lewis said. "If I can just line up the speed a little bit better on the greens, we'll be in really good shape.

"Hit it really solid, just never really got the putter going. Today, I made five birdies and three were within about a foot and a half, and one was a chip-in."

So Yeon Ryu of South Korea fired a 9-under 62 Sunday, the lowest round of the tournament. That lifted her into an eight-way tie for eighth at 11 under.

-reuters

Golf: Cantlay edges DeChambeau in epic playoff for BMW Championship crown

WASHINGTON -- Patrick Cantlay drained a 17-foot birdie putt at the sixth playoff hole on Sunday to deny Bryson DeChambeau and win the US PGA Tour BMW Championship.

Cantlay secured his fifth Tour title -- and his third of the year -- when DeChambeau was unable to get his own eight-foot birdie attempt to drop, an agonizing defeat for a player who had looks at potential tournament-winning putts at the 72nd hole and first three playoff holes.

The last-group playing partners started the day tied for the lead and carded six-under par 66s to finish on 27-under 261 -- four strokes in front of South Korean Im Sung-jae.

The victory in the second of three PGA Tour playoff events sends Cantlay into the concluding Tour Championship atop the playoff standings and in pole position to claim the FedEx Cup top prize of $15 million.

Cantlay rolled in a 21-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole to pull even, piling the pressure on DeChambeau who couldn't get his 12-foot birdie attempt for the win to drop.

DeChambeau had taken a one-shot lead with a birdie at the par-five 16th, and appeared to be in full control when Cantlay hit his tee shot into the water at the par-three 17th.

But both players ended up with bogey there, Cantlay making a clutch eight-footer to limit the damage as DeChambeau's poor chip from the greenside rough left him a 10-footer for par that he missed.

The two had been neck-and-neck all day, DeChambeau using his long-hitting aggressive style and Cantlay a more methodical approach.

DeChambeau had three birdies on the front nine while Cantlay had four birdies and a bogey as they made the turn tied for the lead at 24-under par.

DeChambeau edged ahead with three birdies in a row at the 10th, 11th and 12th, bombing a 332-yard drive at the 11th and making a five-footer for birdie before rattling in a 10-footer at the par-five 12th.

That kept his nose in front even as Cantlay birdied 11 and 12, but Cantlay pulled level with a 21-foot birdie at the 14th.

A 340-yard drive in the fairway at the par-five 16th set DeChambeau up for another birdie, but Cantlay just wouldn't go away.

Both were in the fairway at the first playoff hole, the 18th, DeChambeau yards ahead. Cantlay's second shot put him in deep greenside rough as DeChambeau was on the green in two. But Cantlay's chip kissed the cup and holed a five-footer coming back for par.

DeChambeau couldn't get his long birdie attempt to fall, making his two-footer to send it to the second extra hole.

They returned to the 18th where DeChambeau again had a golden opportunity to seal the win but couldn't do so.

Cantlay's poor approach left him a lengthy birdie try that came up seven feet short.

- Kissed the cup -

After he rolled in his par putt, DeChambeau stepped up for his six-foot birdie attempt and watched in disbelief as it kissed the edge of the cup and rolled two feet past.

DeChambeau had another chance to put it away at the third playoff hole, the par-three 17th. But after Cantlay two-putted for par from 24 feet DeChambeau saw his own 17-footer lip out.

DeChambeau was in trouble at the fourth playoff hole, hitting his tee shot into the stream that winds up the right side of the 18th hole as Cantlay again found the fairway.

But he stuck his third shot five feet from the pin and after Cantlay could only two-putt for par from 22 feet DeChambeau made his par-saving effort to extend the playoff.

Both then birdied the fifth playoff hole, the 17th, and returned again to 18, where DeChambeau shook off his earlier error with a booming drive up the middle of the fairway.

But Cantlay also reached the green in two, and rammed in a 17-foot birdie putt that was good for the victory when DeChambeau missed his own eight-foot birdie attempt.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Eagles lift Koepka to PGA Phoenix Open victory

LOS ANGELES -- Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka grabbed two eagles -- including a chip-in at the 17th hole -- to win the Phoenix Open for his first US PGA Tour title since 2019.

Koepka returned to the winner's circle at the same TPC Scottsdale course where he won the first of his eight US PGA Tour titles back in 2015, posting a six-under par 65 for a 19-under total of 265.

He finished one stroke in front of South Korean Lee Kyoung-hoon, who carded a 68, and American Xander Schauffele, who shared the overnight lead but settled for an even-par 71 and his eighth runner-up finish since his last win in January of 2019.

Koepka, who rose to number one in the world on the strength of four major titles over 2017, 2018 and 2019, battled through a 2020 season disrupted not only by the coronavirus pandemic but als by nagging knee and hip injuries that prevented him from playing the PGA Tour playoffs and the delayed US Open at Winged Foot in September.

"It has been a wild ride for the last year and a half and very frustrating," said Koepka, an often taciturn competitor who acknowledged he'd had some "dark moments."

"I've had moments where I didn't know if I was going to be the same, if I could even come back," he said.

Although he hadn't scored well in two prior 2021 starts, Koepka said he felt his game was coming around.

He put himself in striking distance of 54-hole leaders Schauffele and Jordan Spieth with four birdies to close his third round, and bounced back from a bogey at the 12th on Sunday with his first eagle of the day -- a 24-footer at the third.

Birdies at 13, 14 and 15 put him in a tie for the lead at 17-under.

And he leaped to the top of the board with his eagle at the short par-four 17th, where his chip from 97 feet out took a couple of hops and rolled into the center of the cup.

"I felt like the chip, if I just caught it right in the fringe it was going to check up on me, and it did perfectly.

"Took a nice little right kick for me, and didn't look anywhere else but the hole.

"Hell of a week," added Koepka, who like all in the field relished the presence of 5,000 fans a day -- the most at a PGA Tour event since the coronavirus pandemic exploded.

It was a far cry from the norm for a tournament that usually attracts some 700,000 over the course of the week, but it was enough for Koepka to enjoy a rousing cheer when his eagle landed at 17.

"I've missed fans," Koepka said. "Just being around fans is something else. I love it."

- Lee learned a lot -

Lee had four birdies with one bogey in his three-under round, but left himself a 33-footer at 18 to try to match Koepka and force a playoff.

He couldn't get it to drop, but said he'll take away plenty of positives from his week.

"I learned a lot of things this week," he said. "Hopefully another week when I get a chance I will win after that."

Spieth and Schauffele started the day sharing a three-shot lead but neither could end his dry spell.

Schauffele had two bogeys before his first birdie at the ninth. He birdied 15 and 16 but found the water at 17 on the way to a bogey so his closing birdie left him one back.

Spieth, who hasn't won since capturing his third major title at the 2017 British Open, couldn't match the third-round 61 that thrust him to the top of the leaderboard.

He carded a one-over 72 that left him sharing fourth on 17-under with Mexico's Carlos Ortiz and US Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker, who at 53 was trying to break Sam Snead's record as the oldest player to win a PGA Tour title.

Agence France-Presse

Reed shows his moxie and wins Mexico Championship

MEXICO CITY — Patrick Reed was more concerned about how to save par than how to answer his critics. He was consumed with navigating around the trees from 152 yards away with a gap wedge more than any chatter about his character.

Reed only plays for himself. And when it feels as though the world is against him, he plays his best.


A week that began with Brooks Koepka saying he thought Reed cheated when he was penalized for swiping away sand in the Bahamas ended with Reed delivering clutch moments down the stretch Sunday to win the Mexico Championship..

Two shots behind with four holes to play, Reed ran off three straight birdies to overtake a faltering Bryson DeChambeau, closing with a 4-under 67 for his second World Golf Championships title.

As for the outside noise?

“I’m used to it,” Reed said. “Honestly, it’s one of those things that at the end of the day, all I can control is me and what I do on and off the golf course. And if I feel like I’m improving each day on and off the golf course and setting a good example for the next generation coming up … then that’s all I can do, and I feel like I’ve been doing a good job of that.”

If questions remain, they have nothing do with his moxie.

Reed made it interesting in the end with a wild tee shot into the trees on the 18th hole, forcing him to chip back to the fairway. He had to two-putt from 35 feet for eighth victory of his PGA Tour career.

He one-putted 45 times over 72 holes, an astounding performance on the poa greens of Chapultepec. The birdies at the end might not have mattered without par putts from 10 feet on the 11th and 8 feet on the 13th as DeChambeau was starting to pull away.

“And then after that, the hole seemed to get a little larger,” Reed said.

In a wild final round in which five players had a share of the lead — four were tied heading for the back nine — DeChambeau appeared to seize control with five birdies in a six-hole stretch starting at No. 9.



Everyone around him faltered — Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Erik van Rooyen — everyone but Reed, who played bogey-free until he only needed a bogey to win.

DeChambeau missed two good scoring chances on the 15th and 16th, and then he three-putted from 65 feet on the par-3 17th to fall into a tie. Reed seized on the moment. Blocked by the edge of the trees left of the 16th fairway, he hammered a hook with a gap wedge that rolled around the ridge and fed down the slope to 3 feet.

Reed never flinched with so much going on around him, on and off the golf course.

He has yet to shake whispers on the tour and heckling from the gallery over the Hero World Challenge in December, when video caught him twice swiping away sand behind his ball in a waste area in the Bahamas. Reed accepted the two-shot penalty and said a different camera angle would have shown his club wasn’t as close to the ball as it looked.

Koepka became the strongest voice during an interview Monday with SiriusXM in the Bay Area while he was previewing his title defense at the PGA Championship in May.

Radio host Sway Calloway asked Koepka if Reed was cheating.

“Uh, yeah. I think, yeah, yeah,” Koepka said, known for speaking his mind. “I mean, I don’t know what he was doing, building sand castles in the sand. But you know, you know where your club is. I mean, I took three months off and I can promise you I know if I touched sand.

“If you play the game, you understand the rules,” he said. “You understand the integrity that goes on. I mean, there’s no room for it.”

Reed said all week that he doesn’t listen to what others are playing, he just plays golf.

All he did Sunday was win. If he had anything to prove, it was only to himself.


“Coming into this week, I knew we were in a good pattern and I knew all I needed to do was continue to try to improve on my golf game, but at the same time just block out all the noise, no matter what it was,” Reed said. “I feel like I’ve been able to do that really well throughout my career. … I’ve always been able to — when I get inside the ropes — just focus on what I need to do, and that’s play golf.”

He finished at 18-under 266 and moved to No. 8 in the world.

DeChambeau walked back across the bridge to the 18th green to congratulate Reed. DeChambeau can appreciate heavy criticism, his variety for his pace of play.

“There’s been a lot of stuff said in past years, I guess you could say, with him, and even with me. I feel like unfortunately sometimes we get quite a bad rap,” DeChambeau said. “And yeah, there’s things that we’ve done that hasn’t been right, but we haven’t got really gotten the best rap. … He’s a great player, and he’ll be a great player for a long time, and I have a lot of respect for his game.”

Rahm had a chance to reach No. 1 in the world with a victory, depending on how McIlroy finished. It was a moot point when the Spaniard took bogey on the par-5 11th and dropped another shot on the 14th with a short iron that went just over the back of the green.

McIlroy was within one shot until going nine straight holes without a birdie.

Thomas lost the lead when he hit into the water on the par-3 seventh, and then made another bogey on the next hole. He then had to play a left-handed shot on the 10th on his way to a double bogey. He shot 73.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Mickelson salutes Woods win

Phil Mickelson led the praise for Tiger Woods after the former world number one ended a five-year title-drought with victory at the Tour Championship here Sunday.

Mickelson, who will face Woods in a lucrative head-to-head shoot-out in Las Vegas in November, said he had never doubted that the 14-time major winner would add to his collection of PGA Tour titles.

“He’s played such good golf all year that it is just not surprising,” Mickelson said.

“Tiger’s played so well on a very difficult golf course and we almost kind of expected it.


“We never doubted he would not win again, not from what I’ve seen he’s been swinging the club and the way he’s being playing.

“It was just a matter of time.”

The victory lifts Woods tally to 80 PGA Tour titles and just three wins shy of becoming the most successful player in the history of the PGA Tour.

Mickelson meanwhile said he is looking forward to joining up with Woods for this week’s Ryder Cup in Versailles, despite a disappointing showing in Atlanta which saw him finish on 13 over par.


“It was not the week here I would have liked heading into any big tournament but next week in France is going to be totally different with different grass, different course and different everything so we’ll see,” Mickelson said.

“It’s going to be a special week and with Patrick (Reed) and I playing together today we were talking about it and it’s going to be a fun and exciting week.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

McIlroy opts out of Rio Olympics over Zika concerns

Golfer Rory McIlroy became one of the most high-profile sports stars to opt out of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics because of concerns about the Zika virus, saying Wednesday it is “a risk I am unwilling to take.”

“After speaking with those closest to me, I’ve come to realize that my health and my family’s health comes before anything else,” the four-time major winner said in a statement released by his management company.

The fourth-ranked McIlroy was scheduled to play for Ireland as golf makes its return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.

The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) said it was “extremely disappointed” not to have McIlroy on its team.

“However, as we have always said, it is down to the individual and of course we respect his decision, which he has taken for personal reasons,” the OCI said in a statement.

The 27-year-old McIlroy said this month that he and his fiancee, Erica Stoll, may consider starting a family “in the next couple of years.”

“Even though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low,” McIlroy said, “it is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take.”

Australian golfer Marc Leishman has already pulled out of the Olympic tournament, citing concerns over the health of his family because of the mosquito-borne virus which is linked to severe birth defects and possible neurological problems in adults. Leishman’s wife, Audrey, nearly died last year from toxic shock syndrome.

Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Vijay Singh have also said they won’t compete at Rio, mostly due to scheduling commitments.

Last month, 150 health experts issued an open letter to the U.N. health agency calling for the games to be delayed or relocated “in the name of public health.” The agency, the World Health Organization, responded that such steps would “not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus.”

The OCI said it has been taking its lead on the Zika situation from the International Olympic Committee.

“They have provided us with every assurance and we have total confidence that the games will be safe for all athletes,” the Dublin-based organization said.

McIlroy, who has won three of the four majors in golf, had been eligible to compete for either Britain or Ireland at the Olympics. He eventually chose Ireland, which he had represented throughout his amateur career and twice in the World Cup.

“I trust the Irish people will understand my decision,” McIlroy said. “The unwavering support I receive every time I compete in a golf tournament at home or abroad means the world to me.

“I will continue to endeavor to make my fans and fans of golf proud with my play on the course and my actions off it.”

The International Golf Federation said it was “disappointed with Rory’s decision but recognizes that some players will have to weigh personally a unique set of circumstances as they contemplate their participation in golf’s historic return to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, with the Zika virus foremost among them.”

It added that “the Olympics is the world’s greatest celebration of sport and we remain excited about golf’s return after a 112-year absence.”

The IGF, founded in 1958, is recognized by the IOC as the official world body for golf.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Spieth’s ‘chicken wing’

IT HAS taken me some time to write about the unexpected victory of Danny Willet, son of a preacher, and the mind-boggling collapse of Jordan Spieth at golf’s first major of the year, the Masters.

Willet wasn’t even supposed to be in the 2016 Masters, one of golf’s most coveted titles, because he prioritized his family before his golf career. But since his wife gave birth earlier than he had expected, he proceeded to play and the golfing gods smiled on him.

But the real story that will continue to baffle me is the sudden collapse of three-day leader Spieth.

He birdied the last four holes of the front nine and had such a commanding five-shot lead that I did not expect him to lose everything in just three holes.

This is my take on what caused that collapse:

Spieth’s phenomenal rise has definitely earned him the label of the next golf superstar, following in the footsteps of Tiger Woods, in terms of achievements at a very young age.

However, I have always questioned his fundamentals, which I felt are suspect during heavy-pressure situations.

He is the only golf professional on the US PGA Tour who uses a very “weak” grip. This makes him swing through the ball with what golf gurus and commentators call a “chicken wing.”

On a missed shot, the result of this action is usually a blocked shot that lands way off target.

The way he missed his drives on the last two holes of the second and third rounds of the Masters was already an indication that he was not comfortable with his swing.

And on the last day, his quadruple bogey on the famous par-3 No. 12 was just unbelievable. It is very unusual to miss shots like those if you are a professional.

However, his recovery from this horrendous hole showed the stuff he is made of. It’s one of the reasons why he is one of golf’s finest players today.

He exudes a heart that appears to be equal to the ones that came before him. It will be very interesting to watch him in the next three Majors.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Tiger Woods has second microdiscectomy surgery on back

With his game ailing, Tiger Woods announced he underwent a second microdiscectomy surgery on his back.

“This is certainly disappointing, but I’m a fighter,” Woods said. “I’ve been told I can make a full recovery, and I have no doubt that I will.”

Woods made the announcement on his website — www.tigerwoods.com — and reported the microsurgical procedure — intended to relieve pain from a pinched nerve — was performed late Wednesday in Park City, Utah, by neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Rich. Woods pulled out of three events he planned to play this year and isn’t expected to return to the tour until January at the earliest.

Dr. Rich, who performed the initial operation in March 2014, called it “a complete success.” Woods was discharged Thursday.

The 14-time major champion hasn’t won one of golf’s four biggest events since the 2008 U.S. Open. Woods also has won more than 100 events worldwide, but none since the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Woods canceled planned appearances in the Frys.com Open at Silverado in California and the Bridgestone America’s Golf Cup in Mexico City next month and his own Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in early December.

“I’d like to send my regrets to Frys and all those associated with the America’s Golf Cup … I will be attending my foundation-hosted Hero World Challenge but won’t be able to play,” Woods said.

After experiencing lingering discomfort in his back and hip, Woods elected to have surgery quickly in hopes of returning to the PGA Tour early in 2016, or as soon as possible. He is scheduled to begin rehabbing within a week.

“I appreciate the fans’ concern and support,” he said. “This is unfortunate, but these things happen. I’ve been injured before and played again. It won’t be any different this time.”

In his last tournament, Woods had a season-best 10th-place tie late last month in the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina. He played only 11 events this season, missing four cuts and withdrawing once, and has dropped to 283rd in the world ranking.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Golf: Putt the question! Player proposes to girlfriend on course

COPENHAGEN, Denmark—Danish golfer Andreas Harto missed the cut at the Made in Denmark tournament Friday, but was still celebrating after proposing to his girlfriend on the 16th green.

The 27-year-old made a birdie, then gestured to his stunned girlfriend, Louise, who was watching from the sidelines and got down on one knee before plucking a jewellery box from his pocket.

The couple embraced on the green much to the delight of the packed gallery, estimated at around 3,000 people watching from the course’s Himmerland Hill.

“Her favorite number is seven, and one plus six is seven.” Harto, a three-time winner on the Challenge Tour, told europeantour.com.

“I couldn’t say any words and I didn’t hear her say ‘yes,’ so I had to ask her afterwards and luckily she did want to marry me so I’m a lucky man.”

He added: “It came into my mind that I could do it here, but it took some convincing myself and some courage. I was very nervous when it happened, but I couldn’t have written it any better.

“It was crazy and I was almost crying when I hit the putt because I knew what was about to happen.”

Harto was not able to tempt Lady Luck to also smile on him as he finished two rounds on five over par and missed the cut.

source: sports.inquirer.net