PGA Tour Confidential: Women's British Open, Greenbrier Classic

Every week of the 2011 PGA Tour season, the editorial staff of the SI Golf Group will conduct an e-mail roundtable. Check in on Mondays for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors and join the conversation in the comments section below.

TIGER RETURNS
Gorant: Okay, Tiger returns this week at Bridgestone. What can we expect?

Morfit: A lot of rust.

Lipsey: He won't miss the cut.

Wei: He'll beat last year's four-day total of 18-over.

Evans: This is a no-cut event, and he gets to play on a golf course that he has ruled in the past. I think he shoots 280 and finishes four or five strokes off the winning score.

Morfit: I think that prediction is completely bonkers. I hope you are right.

Evans: It's a prediction.

Godich: Flashes of brilliance, maybe even a nine-hole run at the end of a round that will have many pronouncing that Tiger is back! In the end, more missed short putts that he never used to miss and a T28.

Herre: I thought you'd never ask! I have a feeling Woods is going to come out strong, but the question is, can he put together four good rounds? I see him going low at least once, which will get everyone talking, but will the consistency be there for him to contend? Probably not.

Hack: I just don't know what's what with Tiger anymore, as if anyone ever did. Has he hit one bucket of balls or 1,000? Is it the knee, the Achilles or both? Does he even burn to be the world-beater he once was? The man could win by five, lose by 25, or finish somewhere in between, and I'll just stand back and say, well, of course he did.
Godich: I'll be most interested to see what he's doing on the practice range.

Lipsey: I hope they pair Tiger with Adam Scott.

Wei: Throw in Jim Furyk, too.

Gorant: Do we believe that Tiger is really 100 percent, or were there other things that led to his seemingly sudden decision to return this week?

Godich: No way he's 100 percent. But I think he wanted a tune-up before the PGA to get the rust off. That said, he's got to play 72 holes, no matter how badly he might be hurting. Can you imagine the reaction if he WDs again?

Evans: Tiger will never be 100 percent. I doubt if he sees that as a goal. I think what he wants is to learn how to simply put four good rounds together.

Godich: Who would've thunk someone would be suggesting something like that about Tiger in, say, the summer of 2009?

Read more: http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,2086098,00.html#ixzz1TrSMRRnR

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Stallings wins Greenbrier Classic in playoff

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — Scott Stallings made a birdie on the final hole to qualify for a three-way playoff, then sprinted in excitement toward the 18th tee and showed he could repeat the feat on the first extra hole.

The PGA Tour rookie sank a 7-footer for birdie on the 168-yard hole to win the Greenbrier Classic on Sunday, beating Bob Estes and Bill Haas.

After watching Estes and Haas miss longer birdie attempts on the first extra hole, Stallings curled in his putt for his first tour victory. He flipped his putter, then hugged and high-fived his caddie.

"To be a champion in such a great event is a huge blessing," Stallings said.

The 26-year-old Stallings is the 10th first-time winner on the PGA Tour this year and the sixth rookie to do it.
"I've wanted to do this since I was a little kid," Stallings said. "I was that little boy running around chasing autographs and yelling at guys because they wouldn't stop and sign my golf balls."

Stallings overcame a tough start and made six birdies on the back nine to gain the playoff, where he earned a winner's check worth $1.08 million and a spot in the Bridgestone Invitational.

Stallings said he was more excited about moving from 88th to 26th on the FedEx Cup points list.

A native of Worchester, Mass., and die-hard Red Sox fan, he'll likely realize one of his biggest goals to play in the Deutsch Bank Championship, the second stop in the FedEx Cup playoffs outside of Boston. The top 100 in the points standings after the Barclays, the first playoff stop, will qualify.

It marked the second straight week that a tournament was won in sudden death. Sean O'Hair beat Kris Blanks on the first playoff hole a week ago at the Canadian Open.

In just its second year, the Greenbrier Classic produced another dramatic finish. Stuart Appleby shot 59 in last year's final round, including a birdie on the last hole to beat Jeff Overton by a stroke.

Estes and Haas each earned $528,000. Haas earned his fourth top-10 finish of the season and improved to 12th in the FedEx standings.

The 45-year-old Estes missed out on his first tour win since 2002 and fifth overall. Estes sat out the first three months of the year with a wrist injury and was playing in just his seventh tournament.

Estes, playing with a respiratory illness, shot 6-under 64 and was the clubhouse leader at 10 under, then found out Haas birdied the par-5 17th six groups later to join him after a 67.

Stallings, who shot 69, waited a half hour on the 17th tee and bogeyed the par-5 after his drive went out of bounds. He needed a birdie at No. 18 to make the playoff. He sank a 5-footer to do it.

After signing his scorecard, Stallings made his impromptu sprint and said later he wasn't too winded for the playoff.
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Injured Woods in doubt for British Open


(CNN) -- Former world number one Tiger Woods insists he will not rush his recovery from a knee injury, casting doubt over the 14-time major champion's participation in next month's British Open.

Woods has not played since he withdrew from the Players Championship in May, and is a doubt for golf's oldest major -- which is due to start at Royal St. George's in England on July 14.

The American has been hampered by injuries since he returned to the sport following problems in his personal life and a self-imposed exile from the sport in early 2010.

"I'm setting no timetable, which is very different for me," the 35-year-old told the PGA Tour's official web site.

"I've played hurt before. I've played through injuries, I've played in pain. Unfortunately I pushed it too hard and hurt myself, and this time around I'm not going to do that again."

Now ranked 17th, he has not claimed one of golf's four major championships since the 2008 U.S. Open, when he played on despite breaking his leg, and last won a tournament at the 2009 Australian Masters.

"All the years of playing when my knee wasn't very good and playing through it, unfortunately I broke my leg and still played," said Woods.

Despite his loss of form and slide down the world rankings, Woods is still confident in his ability to beat Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major wins.

"He won when he was 46, right? I've still got some time. I'm 35, I'm not 65. I've still got some years ahead of me. Golf is unlike any other sport," Woods said.

He cited Tom Watson's performance at the 2009 British Open, where the veteran American lost out in a playoff for the Claret Jug to compatriot Stewart Cink, as an example of how age is not necessarily a barrier to success.

"I mean, Watson was, what, 59 years old when he almost won? We can play for a very long time."

read more - http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/golf/06/29/golf.tiger.woods.open/


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Panasonic Open 2011

After a week’s break, the Asian Tour’s voyage returns to India again and this time, the spotlight is on the inaugural Panasonic Open (India). For the second time in three weeks, the region’s top players will compete at the Delhi Golf Club in their quest for glory at the Asian Tour’s newest US$300,000 event. Here is a look at the genuine contenders likely to make an impression at the Delhi Golf Club.

Jyoti Randhawa (Ind)
Randhawa created history when he became the first Indian to win the prestigious Asian Tour Order of Merit title in 2002. The powerful Indian finished in seventh place at the SAIL Open last week and will be eager to get back to his winning ways next week at the Delhi Golf Club, which he has triumphed on numerous occasions on the Asian Tour.

Siddikur (Ban)
Siddikur narrowly missed out on his second Asian Tour at the Delhi Golf Club and will be hoping to make amends this week. As the first professional golfer from Bangladesh to win an Asian Tour title, don’t rule him out from creating another impression again.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind)
Bhullar, who has two Asian Tour victories, hopes to add a third win on home soil after a enjoying solid start to the season where he has won three titles in India and one in Bangladesh since the beginning of the year. The young talent has been touted as the next big star from India and could well justify that tag with another commanding performance at the Delhi Golf Club.

Scott Hend (Aus)
Big-hitting Australian Scott Hend will be hoping to stamp his class after enjoying three top-10s last season on the Asian Tour. The Australian topped the driving average list at the Asian Tour Awards Gala last season with a driving average of 309 yards and could be in contention at the Delhi Golf Club.


Points of Interest at Panasonic Open, India




  • The players and public can make donations to the Great East Earthquake Relief funds at strategically located donation boxes around the venue during the event.
     

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  • A tree will be donated and planted at Delhi Golf Club for every birdie made by the players during the week of the event.
     

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  • Experience 3D screens by Panasonic and STAND A CHANCE TO WIN DAILY LUCKY DRAW PRIZES.



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    Trophée Hassan II

    A birdie at the second extra hole saw David Horsey overcome Rhys Davies and Jaco Van Zyl in a three-man play-off to win the Trophée Hassan II in Agadir.

    After a final round full of tension, incredible drama at the final hole sent the trio to extra holes in Morocco.

    Defending champion Davies and England’s Horsey – who had a hole in one at the second – exchanged blows all day at the top of the leaderboard.

    With one to play, Horsey was one ahead of the Welshman and two clear of Van Zyl, but took five from the middle of the fairway and six in total.

    His double bogey left Davies a four footer for the win, but inexplicably one of The European Tour’s finest putters ran it two feet past.

    Having gone into the bunker when they replayed the 18th, Horsey had to make a fine eight foot clutch putt to stay in it after Davies missed a third putt to win - this time from 20 feet.

    Horsey pushed his approach right again on his third trip down the last, but rather than find the bunker he caught the bank on the edge of the green and rolled to three feet - and this time he made no mistake.

    “I played well all week and did a lot of things well but I just couldn’t get the ball in the ball in the hole at the end,” admitted the 25 year old.

    “I don’t really know what to say about that to be honest. It is just one of those things that happen in golf.

    “It’s tough and the line is so fine that it comes down to things like that sometimes. It is going to be a hard one for me to take but I will pick myself up and be back at – I know I am playing well and doing the right things, this one just got away from me.”

    That allowed South African Van Zyl into a play-off with his par four as the South African carded a four under 68 to join his playing partners – both of whom signed for rounds of 69 – on 13 under.

    All three players parred the first extra hole, but Horsey held his nerve at the second to seal a second European Tour title.

    “Relieved more than anything,” said 25 year old Horsey. “I made hard work of that coming down the last.

    “I couldn’t believe Rhys missed that putt to win to be honest. If we had been playing match play I would have given him that putt because he is one of the best putters in the world.

    “So I was surprised to be in the play-off and then to win is a great feeling that hasn’t quite sunk in yet but I am sure it will in the next day or two.

    “It is not very often that you get off to a start like that on the last day of a tournament – especially when you are in a position to win. Obviously there is a certain amount of luck involved in a hole in one but it really set me up for the rest of the day.”

    A hole in one helped the BMW International Open winner complete an outward 32 to claim a two shot lead at the turn.

    Horsey, who headed into the final round as joint leader along with Davies, made the perfect start with an ace at the 180 yard second and, despite following that up with bogeys on the third and fifth, he regained his composure with putts and eight and six feet on the seventh and eighth.

    Davies was three shots adrift at that stage, but drew level with four consecutive birdies at the start of the back nine – a marvelous tee shot to within five feet at the 12th the highlight.

    Horsey struck what looked a decisive blow at the penultimate hole when his second shot from the fairway at the par five finished within 12 feet, and Davies came up short of the green.

    Horsey needed two putts, but Davies could not get up and down to match his birdie, and when Horsey found the centre of the fairway with his drive at the last it should have been game over.

    But he missed the green with his approach, duffed his first chip, and then two putted from five feet for a six that looked certain to deny him the title.

    Davies had putts of 15 and four feet for the win, but could not take advantage and Van Zyl, who kept himself in the hunt with a back nine 32, snuck into the play-off.

    “I expect to win every week,” continued Horsey. “Every time I come out on Tour I come to win.

    “It doesn’t always work out that way but you have to expect and believe you can win on any given week. I probably wasn’t swinging the club as well as I could but I played well last week and knew that I had a good chance this week.”

    Of his near-costly miss at the last he added: “It went back to the second shot that I didn’t execute and that led me to have a bad lie with my third and that was tough shot because the green was sloping away from me and it could have rolled off the green.

    “The putt, I think I just have to put that down to nerves. It is very difficult to win any golf tournament at any level and you do get nervous but I managed to regroup and finish the job off.”

    Denmark's Thomas Björn earlier signed for a course-record 62 to finish six under for the week.

    “I played well – even with a bogey and a three putt,” said the former Ryder Cup star. “It was just one of those days when I holed my fair share of putts and never made any big mistakes, hit 17 greens in regulation.”
       

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