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

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

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

Woods says he’ll return when his game is ready

PEBBLE BEACH, California — Tiger Woods said Wednesday his game is “not acceptable” to compete in tournaments and he will return when he thinks it is.

Hopeful of having injuries behind him, Woods made a horrific start to the new year. He shot a career-high 82 in the second round of the Phoenix Open to miss the cut by 12 shots. And then he withdrew after 11 holes of ordinary golf at Torrey Pines because of tightness in his back from a fog delay.

Woods said on his website the last two weeks have been disappointing, especially at Torrey Pines, where he is an eight-time winner. He said he never wants to withdraw, but recent injuries have allowed that to happen too often.

Woods said his latest injury was not related to the back surgery he had last spring, and that he is feeling better every day with physical therapy.

“Right now, I need a lot of work on my game, and to still spend time with the people that are important to me,” Woods said. “My play, and scores, are not acceptable for tournament golf. Like I’ve said, I enter a tournament to compete at the highest level, and when I think I’m ready, I’ll be back.”

Woods is not playing Pebble Beach or Riviera, and said he would practice next week at his home and at The Medalist “getting ready for the rest of the year.”

He said he wants to play the Honda Classic, which starts Feb. 26, but he won’t be there unless his game is tournament ready.

“That’s not fair to anyone,” Woods said. “I do, however, expect to be playing again very soon.”

Ernie Els, who has known Woods longer than any other active PGA Tour player, heard about his woes while playing in Dubai and later saw highlights.

“As competitive as we are, we don’t want to see anyone suffer like that,” said Els, who has finished second to Woods more than any other player. “We’ve got to do our stuff in public. I don’t care if you’re Tiger Woods, Ernie Els or whoever. If you have some error in your game, you get exposed.”

Woods, the winner of 79 PGA Tour events and 14 majors, has never looked this bad on the golf course. He had back surgery to relieve a pinched nerve a week before the Masters and missed three months (including the first two majors), and then he took four months off at the end of last year to regain strength and get his back fully healed.

He also hired a new swing consultant and embarked on the fifth swing change of his career.

His chipping was bad at the 18-man Hero World Challenge at Isleworth in December, when he tied for last. His chipping looked even worse at the Phoenix Open, a collection of shots that he either flubbed short or bladed across the green.

Woods is at No. 62 in the world, his worst ranking since before he won his first PGA Tour event in 1996. He is not eligible for the World Golf Championship at Doral.

“I am committed to getting back to the pinnacle of my game,” Wood said.

source: sports.inquirer.net