Arnold Palmer Invitational. Tiger Trounces the Course. Justin suffers the Jitters.

Tiger Woods trounced the Bay Hill course in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, shooting a third round -6 under par, 66. Meanwhile Justin Rose, who seemed to be cruising with a two shot lead, suddenly suffered a severe case of the jitters.

Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler / Greenwood / Getty Images

Tiger putted like a champion today, it helped him to his -6 under par round and a tournament total of -11 under par, a lead of two shots over the field. The man looking most likely to mount a serious challenge to Tiger is Rickie Fowler, no slouch himself today, with a third round of -5 under par, which elevated him to -9 under par and in a tie for second place. He will also play with Tiger for the final round, something that he could not handle last year when he faced the same task. He shot a last round 84 that day, compared to the winner Tiger Woods, who came home in 67.

Tiger said he now knows how to fix his game while out on the course;

” I just understand how to fix my game, it’s taken me a while. I was hurt for a long time. The changes to make the swing from where I was to now is a pretty big change.I hit a bad shot here and there, and that’s easy to fix. I know what my fix is going to be and that makes a big difference. I’m much more comfortable, but also I think that I’m feeling pretty good physically, that was huge. I’ve had one more year of working on my game, and here I am. Just because I’ve won here doesn’t ensure that I’m going to win the tournament, the conditions are different. The game might be different. But the objective is still to put myself in position to win the golf tournament and somehow get it done on Sunday. Over the course of my career, I’ve done a pretty decent job of that.”

Rickie remembers that bad day at Memorial;

” After Memorial, I’m looking for a little redemption, I’m feeling good about the pairing, about my game. I’m going in there with the attitude that I have nothing to lose and we’ll see what happens from there. He’s definitely the guy to beat but I’ll be right there to see what’s going on. With him having leads on courses he loves like this and Torrey Pines and Doral, and I’m sure there are others, he’s basically never lost with a lead in the final round. So I’m looking forward to tomorrow and seeing if we can go do that.”

Tied in second place with Rickie are jittery Justin Rose and John Huh, Justin with an even par round and John a -1 under par round.

There are five players another shot back at -8 under par for the tournament, they are; Thorbjorn Olesen, Gonzalo Fedez- Castano, Jimmy Walker, Ken Duke and Bill Haas.

To be honest I can not see anybody challenging Tiger for this title, it is his for the taking. Winning would move him to the top of FedExCup leaderboard, becoming the first player to hold the top spot in five different seasons. Additionally, he’d match Sam Snead as the only other player to win the same tournament eight times and of course he would move back to No. 1 in the World, for the first time since Oct. 30, 2010.

Nobody is going to stop Tiger.

Arnold Palmer Invitational. Justin Joined by Bill Haas

Justin Rose was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Bill Haas, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, presented by MasterCard, at the conclusion of the second round at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

Justin Rose and Bill Haas / Greenwood / Getty Images

Justin let the lead slip away from him on the last green, with a three putt, to finish his second round with a score of -2 under par 70, and a total of -9 under par.

When asked about the three putt aberration, Justin replied;

” But that was the only thing that hampered the day, really, all in all, an exciting day and I’m in a good position.”

He also gave credit to Tiger for the way he played today;

” He’s normally a fast finisher, and you can expect him to probably finish fast on the weekend. He did a lot of hard work today, he actually played really well. I thought he was probably a couple of shots away from shooting 64 today at times. I’m sure he was very disappointed because he actually played some great golf today.”

Justin also had to battle against a heckler in the crowd;

“I was reading the putt thinking, `Might go a little bit right-to-left of the hole. Fairly straight overall.’ And as I’m lining it up, someone is like, `It goes right. It goes right. It goes right.’ So I’m like, `OK, thanks, buddy. It’s just one of those annoying moments where you’re having to then battle someone who planted a seed. And I hit a great putt that’s in the middle with 4 feet to go and it goes left of the hole.”

Bill Haas said he had in his mind to get back the two shots he should not have dropped yesterday;

“So to leave, basically giving two away, my goal today was try to get those two back and go from there. That was kind of my mindset today, and then I was able to keep it going.”

John Huh is in third place at -8 under par, he had a second round of -3 under par.

Tiger Woods, partnering again with Justin today, hit the ball better but it did not improve his total for the round, in fact he was one shot worse off than yesterday. This was mainly due to  three sloppy bogies to fall four shots behind going into the weekend, when he was actually just one shot out of the lead with three holes to play;

” The good news is we’ve got 36 holes to go, we’ve got a long way to go. And certainly four shots can be made up.”

Tiger is tied in seventh place at -5 under par, after his second round of -2 under par.

Northern Trust Open, John Merrick With Play-Off Dream Win

John Merrick / Reuters

John Merrick won the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Sunday, with a final tournament total of – 11 under par. He beat fellow American Charlie Beljan with a par at the second playoff hole, the drive-able par four 10th.

John said of his dream win;

“ Growing up here in LA, I just wanted to come to this tournament. Now to win it, this is a dream come true. You dream, when you’re alone sometimes, you think about different scenarios of winning tournaments. It was fun. We would always play here at UCLA and have great games out here. To be able to play the tournament was a dream of mine. But to win? I can’t describe it. It’s so much fun.”

Charlie did not think too much of hole ten as a play-off hole;

“I think you could play here 10,000 times and still not know how to play No. 10. Eighteen is a great golf hole. I just find it tough that we go to No. 10 to play a playoff hole. I think it’s a great hole, don’t get me wrong. I’m not knocking it. But it’s just a tough hole to have a playoff on. We might as well go and put a windmill out there and hit some putts. I made every clutch putt that you would ever ask to make, and then to make that putt on 18 and hear the roar was really special. Obviously, not the way I wanted to end it, but you know what? You win some, you lose some, and that’s how it goes.”

Freddie Jacobson was one of three players who tied for third place, he missed a four-foot par putt on the last green that would have put him into the play-off, he bristled with indignation when asked about that missed chance;

“You want me to touch that one, only that one? I cannot speak about something else? The last putt wasn’t very good.”

Freddie was tied with the defending champion Bill Haas and Charl Schwartzel, all at -10 under par for the tournament.

Bill unfortunately let a three shot lead at the start of play on the last day slip away;

” Positives to be taken, but overall, you don’t get this many opportunities. A three-shot lead at one of the best tournaments of the year is a great opportunity that I squandered.”

 

Northern Trust Open, Bill Haas the Defending Champ leads after round three.

Bill Haas / Getty Images

The defending Champion at Riviera Country Club, Northern Trust Open, Bill Haas has topped the leaderboard after the third round, with a round of -7 under par, 74 for a tournament score of -2 under par. The only thing he thinks about is winning this tournament;

“It’s very difficult in this game to just pull away from the rest of the field. You’ve only seen a few guys ever really do that, and those are guys like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson. So I think I’ve just got to stay in the moment, don’t let my emotions get the best of me. I was just kind of plugging along out there and then all of a sudden, made a nice putt at 9, chip-in at 10, good up-and-down at 11.”

Webb Simpson and John Merrick from the U.S. with South African Charl Schwartzel are tied in second place with totals of -9 under par, three shots off the leading score of  Bill Haas;

Webb Simpson thinks Bill Haas has got the tournament in the bag, if he plays well in the final round;

” I think Bill is in a position, if he keeps a three-shot lead and goes and plays well again, that it’s going to be hard to catch him. But with the golf course this tricky, you get a guy that has a good front nine, he could be tied or even in the lead with nine to go. So anything can happen tomorrow.”

Charl Schwartzel said it was easy to make bogey on this course, especially for the last groups of the day;

“It’s easy to make bogeys, the course got a bit firmer and, playing in the last few groups, the greens get a bit more bumpy. So it’s hard to make birdies and also to keep the bogeys off the card. I probably won’t change anything, just keep playing the way I am and see if I can give myself chances and see what happens. I know the game is good enough to be able to win tomorrow. I’ve had a good run and been consistent, just see if we can keep going with it.”

John Merrick was happy to see some UCLA cheerleaders around the course;

“I saw some UCLA cheerleaders out there, pretty psyched. Got a lot of support out there from fans and friends and family coming up from Long Beach. So it was a good time. I played the par fives great. You’re going to have to make a lot of putts out here because you’re not going to hit every green.  You know you’re going to be chipping and you have to make those putts inside ten feet. But I was generally happy with the day. You really need to pick your spots here, definitely, you can’t shoot at every flag, and that’s kind of one of those things around here, it just baits you into being more aggressive than you need and you need to putt well obviously.”

Looks like Bill Haas has this repeat win sewn up, but anything can happen on a golf course, tomorrow will tell.

Waste Management Phoenix Open, It’s Phil The Real Deal

Phil Mickelson / Stan Bedz / Getty Images

Phil Mickelson proved the first round 60 was no fluke as he followed that up with a second round -6 under par 65, to lead the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale by four shots at the conclusion of play.

Phil sadly took a double bogey on his final hole in the second round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, costing him another shot at history, a chance to break the PGA TOUR’s 36-hole scoring record. Phil said he needed to remain focused, and not make those kinds of mistakes;

“You always remember kind of the last hole, the last putt, but I think it’s very possible that’s going to help me, because it’s got me refocused, that I cannot ease up on a single shot. I’ve got to be really focused, these guys are going to make a lot of birdies and I’ve got to get after it and cannot make those kinds of mistakes. Unfortunately, I made a double on the last hole and didn’t finish the way I wanted to, but I think it’s a good example of what can happen on this course. You can make a lot of birdies and eagles, make up a lot of ground, but there’s a lot of water and trouble there that if you misstep you can easily make bogeys and double.”

Phil’s drive on 18  drive on bounced into the left-side water hazard and, after a penalty drop, he still had a chance to get up down for par and the record;

“I hit a good shot, I thought, I tried to start it right down the middle and hold it into the wind. It just leaked a little bit left. I still thought it was up. Then I hit a poor wedge from there, but the tee shot I didn’t think was going to be in the water at any point.”

In second place on his own is Bill Haas, at -13 under par, he knows he has to keep making birdies;

“We all know the way the course is playing, if there’s no wind on the weekend, you’ve just got to keep making birdies.”

Talking about tomorrow Bill hoped that Phil doesn’t go too crazy on moving day;

“It’s just another day. It’s moving day, hopefully, I can move up the leaderboard and he doesn’t go too crazy.”

Keegan Bradley and Brandt Snedeker are tied in third place at -12 under par, Keegan recalled his Eagle on the par 5 fifteenth hole, needing only a seven iron to hit it to within eight feet;

“I just smashed a driver down there, I had been hitting 3-wood and I’m driving the ball so well that I just decided to rip driver down there.”

He followed that with a birdie at sixteen, his approach came to rest just five feet from the pin, Keegan said he loved the atmosphere at the sixteenth hole;

 ”It reminds me of when I go to Fenway Park, there’s always like a murmur, it’s really cool, I dig it. I wish there was more holes like that out here. It was such a relief to shoot a good number, I’ve been playing so well this whole year and haven’t made many putts. Today, the putts started to go in.”

I cannot see anybody catching Phil, the real deal, Mickleson.

I will be at TPC Scottsdale in July, contact me if you want to join me in a round.

 

 

 

Euro Tour WGC-HSBC Champions, China. Wonderful Westwood shoots 61

Lee Westwood/ getty images

England’s Lee Westwood caught Louis Oosthuizen at the top of the leaderboard after his wonderful third round of  -11 under par, 61, at Mission Hills in China, at the WGC-HSBC Champions. Both players are now at -18 under par for the tournament as Louis had a more modest third round of -2 under par to record his -18 under par total. Amazingly Lee Westwood has played in 41 WGC events, more than any other player, but he still has yet to record a win. A fact that is not lost on the 39 year-old Lee, who has been runner three times, the Worlds fourth ranked player said;

“ It does surprise me I’ve played more than anyone else, I didn’t realize I was that old! I know I’ve played a lot but I’ve never won one. As the week’s gone on, and we’ve played it and walked it more, I started to sort of get a feel for the golf course more and sort of see the lower scores around it. I played very solidly, got off to a nice start, birdied the first three holes and kept ticking over, birdieing the odd hole and finished strongly. I hit it good, hit it in the fairway, hit it close, and made a couple of 20 footers which has been missing.” 

Louis had standing still day, which has brought everybody else back into contention. By contrast to his round Brandt Snedeker matched The European Tour’s lowest round with a -12 under par, 60 , Brandt also had a putt for a first-ever 59 on the final green. Louis, the former Open Champion managed only four birdies and two bogeys in his -2 under par 70,  he spoke of his frustration today;

” Early I didn’t play really well and then started to find a little bit of form on the back nine, but just didn’t make any putts. Knowing all the birdies that were out there, you look at the leaderboard, but I’m still in a good position for going into tomorrow. I still gave myself birdie opportunities, just normal ones and the ones I hit really close I just didn’t make. So the putter went cold on me today, but I still hit good putts which is very frustrating.”

The two-time WGC winner Phil Mickelson shot a -6 under par 66 to be in third place alone on -15 under par, his compatriot Bill Haas, Ernie Els and Ian  Poulter are a shot further back on -14 under. American Brandt Snedeker leapt 31 places on the leaderboard, to be at – 13 under par, after his record round. Tomorrow is going to be an exciting event, could someone shoot a 59 to win this event, I think the possibility certainly exists.

 

Memorial Tournament, Bubba Is back. Luke is also there.

Luke Donald, Halleran/Getty Images

Luke Donald tee’s it up on the tenth at 0804 in the Nationwide Insurance, Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village as the reigning World Number One. On the tee with him will be the man he deposed of that title, Rory McIlroy. Rory has missed the cut in his previous two starts and will surely be out to prove to Luke, and the rest of the golfing world, that he is still a serious contender for the number one spot. To keep the two of them company over the first eighteen holes is American Keegan Bradely,  the reigning PGA champion.

Enjoying a late morning call will be Bubba Watson, 1305 off number one tee, he won the Masters ten days after becoming an adoptive father but is now back, playing for the first time since defending his title in New Orleans a month ago. He will play alongside Rickie Fowler, who picked up his breakthrough victory earlier this year at the Wells Fargo Championship. Rickie was also the runner-up at Muirfield Village in 2010. Third member of this group is Phil  Mickelson, a recent inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame, Phil has finished 20th or better six times, he is no slouch when it comes to this course.

Following Luke Donald on the tenth tee, at 0815 is Tiger Woods, a four-time Memorial champion, he won three straight Memorial titles after Fred Couples picked up his only victory at Muirfield Village in 1998., Fred Couples joins him on the tee. Making up the three ball will be Bill Haas, who won the Northern Trust Open earlier this year.

Steve Stricker, 1254 on the first tee, the defending Champion will partner the previous champion in Justin Rose, who currently leads the European Tour’s Race to Dubai , and also has plenty of momentum after finishing second in England last week at the BMW PGA Championship, played on the West Course at Wentworth. Third in this group is Hunter Mahan, who proudly stands in second place  in the FedExCup. He is one of two players who have won twice  in 2012 after winning the World Golf Championships, Accenture Match Play Championship and the Shell Houston Open.

 Another player returning to golf action in this weeks Memorial Tournament is the big hitting Dustin Johnson, but returning from injury and seriously contending for a coveted title over four days is hard graft, but good luck to Dustin.

Bill Haas Beats Mickelson,and Bradley at Riviera, Northern Trust Open

Bill Haas out lasted Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley to win the Northern Trust Open, at the Riviera Cllub in the wonderfully named area of Pacific Palisades, California. The win came via a play-off between the three after they all finished on -7 under par. Disappointingly for Phil and Keegan, that was the score they started the day on, both shooting an even par round of  71,  and Bill just crept on past them. He said;

“A part of me was saying, ‘I’ve done this once, let’s do it again. Another part of me was saying, don’t screw this up. I never expected to make a 40-footer, especially in that situation. A little luck was involved. I guess it was meant to be.”

How/Getty Images

 

Best round of the day came from the newly recharged Sergio Garcia who fired in a -7 under par 64 to tie for fourth place, a poor second round 76 kept him out of contention.

No Luke Donald in the top ten, a last round 78 is a worrying factor for the Worlds number one, compatriot Justin Rose fared a little better finishing tied for 13th place on -2 under par for the tournament.

But the day belonged to Bill Haas, and that 40 foot putt, congratulations Bill.