Costa del Sol Golf

Steve Stricker was forced to hold on for victory at the Northern Trust Open after Luke Donald shot a final-round 66.

American Stricker claimed a two-shot win over the Englishman with a one-under-par 70 at the Riviera Country Club and has now climbed to the world number two ranking at the expense of two-time defending champion Phil Mickelson.

The left-hander needed a top-six finish to keep the rank but could only manage a tie for 45th after a closing 73.

The victory for Stricker continued a remarkable turnaround after he lost his PGA Tour card in 2004. He won the tour’s Comeback Player of the Year award in 2006 and 2007, won three titles in 2009 and after three tournaments this year has yet to shoot over par.

“It feels great, this means a lot,” an emotional Stricker told NBC Sports. “I remember where I was and look at where I am now, it doesn’t get any better and I really appreciate it.”

Stricker had taken a six-stroke lead into the final round near Los Angeles and, 12 months after losing a two-shot lead in the same tournament to Phil Mickelson, a nervy start in Pacific Palisades saw Donald cut the lead to two after just five holes.

Birdies at the eighth and ninth put Stricker back on the right track before both he and his rival birdied the 11th and then bogeyed the 12th, Donald’s first dropped shot in 34 holes.

Donald increased the pressure a little more with a birdie at 13 and further still with a four at the par-five 17th to cut the lead to two, but Stricker held his nerve to par the 72nd hole for victory, the Englishman also parring for his third consecutive top-10 finish at Riviera.

“It was hard,” Stricker added. “I aged a lot out there today and it was a grind from the get-go.”

Halfway leader Dustin Johnson also shot a 66 to claim a tie for third place at 13 under with fellow American JB Holmes, who carded a 67.

Newly-appointed US Ryder Cup vice-captain Paul Goydos shot a 65 to claim a share of fifth place alongside compatriots Steve Marino and George McNeill, as well as Argentina’s Andres Romero.

Closing rounds of 73 and 72 saw England’s Justin Rose slip down the leaderboard to three under par and a tie for 37th, while a closing 73 sent countryman Brian Davis to one under and Scotland’s Martin Laird wrapped things up with a 72 to finish at one over par.

Collated final round scores & totals in the USPGA Tour Northern Trust Open, Riviera CC, Pacific Palisades, California, United States of America

(USA unless stated, par 71):

268 Steve Stricker 67 65 66 70

270 Luke Donald (Eng) 68 70 66 66

271 Dustin Johnson 64 67 74 66, J.B. Holmes 68 69 67 67

274 George McNeill 70 69 66 69, Steve Marino 70 67 69 68, Paul Goydos 69 72 68 65, Andres Romero (Arg) 65 69 70 70

275 Ricky Barnes 66 71 69 69

276 Kevin Na 72 67 71 66, Kevin Stadler 65 71 69 71, Ernie Els (Rsa) 68 70 70 68, Jason Bohn 69 75 67 65, Alex Prugh 71 69 66 70

277 Marc Leishman (Aus) 71 71 70 65, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 73 68 68 68, Bo Van Pelt 70 70 69 68, Webb Simpson 70 73 69 65, Y.E. Yang (Kor) 71 70 68 68

278 Charlie Wi (Kor) 72 68 69 69, Jim Furyk 71 70 68 69, Matt Kuchar 69 71 72 66, Kevin Sutherland 69 71 68 70, Scott Verplank 68 74 65 71, Brandt Snedeker 66 72 69 71, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl) 69 67 71 71

279 Rodney Pampling (Aus) 70 70 73 66, John Rollins 71 71 67 70, Michael Allen 69 70 71 69, Robert Allenby (Aus) 72 69 70 68, K J Choi (Kor) 71 72 71 65

280 Michael Letzig 71 72 68 69, Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn) 68 68 72 72, Stewart Cink 71 71 67 71, Bryce Molder 71 68 71 70, Tim Clark (Rsa) 69 72 71 68

281 Charley Hoffman 68 71 70 72, Woody Austin 71 72 70 68, Fred Couples 69 72 72 68, Chad Campbell 70 72 71 68, Justin Rose (Eng) 69 67 73 72, Jimmy Walker 71 72 71 67, Troy Matteson 68 69 74 70, Jonathan Byrd 68 74 71 68

282 Phil Mickelson 72 66 71 73, Rich Beem 74 69 68 71

283 Brian Davis (Eng) 72 70 68 73, Vaughn Taylor 73 70 72 68, Matt Bettencourt 70 74 72 67, Briny Baird 70 72 69 72, D.J. Trahan 72 71 72 68

284 D.A. Points 69 72 70 73, Anthony Kim 71 66 69 78

285 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 72 72 70 71, Brett Quigley 70 73 72 70, John Merrick 70 72 68 75, Roland Thatcher 68 73 74 70, Martin Laird (Sco) 72 72 69 72, Brenden Pappas (Rsa) 71 68 72 74, Mark Wilson 72 72 72 69

286 Justin Leonard 71 73 71 71, J J Henry 70 73 71 72, Jeff Overton 70 71 71 74, Greg Chalmers (Aus) 71 73 70 72, Ben Curtis 73 68 75 70, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 71 73 71 71, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 71 71 71 73

287 Nicholas Thompson 69 73 74 71

289 Steve Flesch 73 70 73 73, Craig Bowden 69 74 73 73

292 Parker McLachlin 71 73 72 76

294 Kevin Streelman 69 73 74 78

Tags: Golf News by admin
No Comments »

A hole in one from Dustin Johnson helped the overnight leader regain the initiative from Steve Stricker at a rainy Riviera Country Club in the second round of the Northern Trust Open.

Big-hitting Johnson had shot an opening seven-under-par 64 on Thursday to lead by a stroke from Argentina’s Andres Romero and fellow American Kevin Stadler.

But as he waited to get his second round under way at Pacific Palisades near Los Angeles, world number three Stricker had moved to the top of the leaderboard.

Stricker fired a seven-birdie, one-bogey 65 to take the clubhouse lead at 10 under, with Stadler shooting a level-par 71 to finish at six under alongside Tim Wilkinson, who had carded a 67.

Johnson, though, soon made inroads with birdies at the par-five first and the par-three fourth and moved into the outright lead when he aced the 199-yard, par-three sixth.

Romero was trying to keep pace with Johnson and he had got to eight under after two birdies in his first seven holes, while England’s Justin Rose was going well, four under for the day and six under for the tournament after 11 holes.

A further shot back was compatriot and Ryder Cup team-mate Luke Donald, also starting from the 10th tee and two under for his round after seven holes. That got him to five under alongside Americans Anthony Kim (66), Steve Marino (67) and Ricky Barnes (71), with JB Holmes and Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa on the same mark after their front nines.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson enjoyed a much a better day in the rain than he had on Thursday when he had shot a one-over 72. The world number two got his bid for a third Northern Trust Open title in a row back on track with a 66 to leap to four under alongside fellow American Brandt Snedeker (72) and South Africa’s Ernie Els (70).

Mickelson credited a late-night chat with both his swing coach Butch Harmon and putting coach Dave Stockton for turning his fortunes around.

“I felt like I wasn’t far off after yesterday’s round, even though the score didn’t reflect it,” Mickelson said. “I had a good conversation with Butch and Dave Stockton last night, and I think it settled in today.

“I was able to make the last adjustment and it felt great. I hit the ball much better and putted much better.”

Mickelson had taken 32 putts in his opening round, but needed just 26 in the second.

“I’d been a fraction off on the greens and catching lips but it was a good talk with Stockton and that last bit of fine tuning, a little adjustment, and it all seemed to click today.

“Even though conditions were much more difficult I played a lot better.”

With the halfway cut mark hovering around the one-over-par mark but conditions and scores worsening as the afternoon wore on, some of the later starters were having to be mindful of making the weekend’s play.

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington was one of those as he bid to shake off some rust in his first tournament of the year. The three-time major winner had opened with a 72 and started his second round well with two birdies in his first three holes but he was soon back at one over following bogeys at the fourth and ninth.

Martin Laird of Scotland was faring worse, three over after eight holes playing the back nine first, two over for the day.

Tags: Golf News by admin
No Comments »

US Open champion Lucas Glover shrugged off an ugly double-bogey at the opening hole to charge into a one-shot lead in the first round of the SBS Championship.

The long-hitting American made the most of ideal scoring conditions at the Kapalua Resort, recording two eagles over the front nine on the way to a sparkling seven-under-par 66.

Glover signed off with his sixth birdie of the day at the par-five last to finish a stroke in front of compatriots Matt Kuchar, Nick Watney and Dustin Johnson, Britain’s Martin Laird and Australian Nathan Green.

Open champion Stewart Cink and Masters title holder Angel Cabrera carded matching 68s in the PGA Tour’s season-opening event which brings together the tournament winners from last year.

Glover, who covered the nine-hole stretch from the fifth in a sizzling nine under par, was delighted with the way he rebounded after running up a six at the opening hole on the hilly Plantation Course.

“Obviously a rocky start but I turned it around on five with an eagle and that kind of got things going,” the 30-year-old said after a day of relatively gentle trade winds on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

“I made a mile of putts from (hole) five through to 13. I felt like I should have made a couple more on 14 and 15 but it just didn’t happen. I had a good birdie on 18 to finish up a good day.”

Glover very nearly eagled the par-five last, his wedge approach from 72 yards rolling up to the front edge of the cup before curling off to the left just nine inches away.

“Maybe one more roll and it might have been there,” he said with a broad grin. “I wasn’t planning on that or expecting it. I’m happy with two (eagles).”

Glover eagled the fifth after hitting a six-iron to 18 feet and also the ninth after successive three-woods left him 28 feet from the cup.

“Just be patient,” he said of his strategy after messing up the opening hole. “I knew there were a lot of birdies.

“I saw some scores early and I knew guys were making birdies and if I played well, I could get something going, so just don’t rush anything, be patient.

Laird struck the first shot of the 2010 PGA Tour season, splitting the first fairway, before climbing into contention with four successive birdies from the par-four 13th.

“Four birdies in a row on the back nine was really nice,” said the Scot, who booked his place in the elite field of 28 at Kapalua with victory at last year’s Las Vegas Open.

“I tend to struggle putting on Bermuda (grass) sometimes but I read the greens well today. My pace was good after struggling at the start of the week, so that was nice.”

Australian Geoff Ogilvy, who romped to victory at Kapalua last year by a commanding six shots, birdied three of the last four holes for an opening 69.

World number three Steve Stricker, the highest-ranked player in the field in the absence of fellow Americans Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, carded a level-par 73.

Only two players - Americans Mark Wilson (74) and Heath Slocum (75) - finished over par on a day when the average score was 69.86.

Tags: Golf News by admin
No Comments »

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will next week be part of the strongest field ever assembled in Asia.

The HSBC Champions in Shanghai becomes part of the World Golf Championships for the first time and there are certain to be a record number of ranking points on offer - even with 10 players, eight of them American, not taking up their spots.

“Although the field is yet to be finalised our estimation is that the strength is such that this year’s winner will receive 68 world ranking points, which is 30% more than in any previous year,” said Ian Barker, the rankings administrator.

He confirmed that the projected 68 points would make it the second-highest ranked event played outside the United States this year, behind only the Open Championship.

The final places in the field will be taken by the winners of this week’s Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain and the European and Barclays Singapore Open.

Already 23 countries are represented in the field and Woods and Mickelson are competing together in Asia for the first time.

Steve Stricker, Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk are missing from the top 10. Others not making the trip are their fellow Americans Zach Johnson, Scott Verplank, Dustin Johnson, Heath Slocum and US open champion Lucas Glover, plus Fiji’s Vijay Singh and South African Tim Clark.

Tags: Golf News by admin
No Comments »

Ten players including US Open champion Lucas Glover have turned down the chance to play in next week’s HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.

The event has been included in the World Golf Championships series for the first time but Lucas and seven fellow Americans have all decided against making the journey.

The championship, which boasts prize-money totalling £4.2 million, has still attracted the big names of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson among the 78-strong field.

But the tournament will be without Americans Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Kenny Perry, Scott Verplank, Dustin Johnson and Heath Slocum, plus Fiji’s Vijay Singh and South African Tim Clark.

The United States has hosted all the World Championships since 2006 - when the American Express Championship was held at the Grove in England.

The Accenture Match Play has only been taken out of the country once since the series started a decade ago, and the 2001 tournament in Australia saw the weakest field ever.

Tags: Golf News by admin
No Comments »

Masters champion Angel Cabrera will compete in next week’s HSBC Champions event in Shanghai and will therefore be eligible for the Dubai World Championship two weeks later.

After Cabrera missed his tee-off time and was disqualified from the Castello Masters in Spain last week - he had been delayed en route from the Grand Slam in Bermuda the previous day - there was speculation he might not play the minimum 12 events required by the European Tour for entry into the season-ending championship.

But the Argentinian has told the Tour he will be flying on from this week’s Volvo World Match Play to join the star-studded field headed by Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

Although the Chinese event now has World Golf Championships status, a long list of players, mostly Americans, have turned down their places.

In addition to Fiji’s Vijay Singh and South African Tim Clark, not making the trip are world number three Steve Stricker, Ryder Cup team-mates Jim Furyk, Kenny Perry, Zach Johnson and Scott Verplank, plus Dustin Johnson, Heath Slocum, Marc Leishman and Sunday’s winner Troy Matteson.

Ian Poulter and Ernie Els were among those who could have missed out if everybody had decided to play, despite being ranked 21st and 22nd in the world, but there are now spots available for them.

Tags: Golf News by admin
No Comments »