Simpson soars to lead at Quail Hollow

Updated May 06, 2012 13:06:36

Webb Simpson soared to the top of a crowded leaderboard after three rounds of the Quail Hollow Championship by shooting a three-under 69 on Sunday (AEST).

Simpson birdied two of his final four holes as he took a one-stroke lead over fellow Americans Ryan Moore and DA Points in the $6.5 million dollar event.

"I don't want to get ahead of myself," Simpson said. "I look at the leaderboard and there's so many great players within a shot or two. So I know (Sunday) is going to be a tough day."

Moore (68) and Points (69) both shot bogey-free rounds and were tied for second at 13-under 203.

Former champion Rory McIlroy registered eight birdies and two bogeys en route to a six-under 66 for 204.

World number two McIlroy, the reigning US Open champion, was tied for fourth with overnight leader Nick Watney, who shot an even-par 72.

The young star from Northern Ireland has a shot at regaining the top ranking this week.

Simpson, who was tied for the lead after the first round, reached a 54-hole total of 14-under 202, capping his round with a two-putt par at 18.

Simpson posted a birdie on the par-four 15th and then rolled in a 12-foot putt for birdie on 17.

He was among seven players who had a share of the lead at one time or another in the round.

Simpson, who won both of his US tour titles last year, said the eight-foot birdie putt on 15 was the turning point.

"I hit a bad drive and had a bad lie in the rough and we actually considered laying it up, but it was one of those moments where you've got to take a chance, and it came out perfect," Simpson said.

Points said he would take the 69 even though he didn't putt very well.

"As a golfer I'm not very happy with the way I'm putting," Points said. "But if I focus on that instead of focusing on the 69 with no bogeys, my dinner is not going to taste very good, so I'm going to focus on the 69 with no bogeys and be excited about the position I'm in."

McIlroy liked his chances heading into Sunday's final round after he made par on the par-four 18 to get into the clubhouse at 12-under.

"I definitely feel like I've left a couple out there," McIlroy said. "The three-putt on 16 was pretty disappointing. You know, a 66 is a good score out there, and I feel like I've got another one of those scores in me, and looking forward to doing that tomorrow."

AFP

Tags: sport, golf, united-states

First posted May 06, 2012 10:29:07

View the original article here

Woods misses cut at Quail Hollow

Updated May 05, 2012 10:05:25

Tiger Woods, making his first start since a disappointing performance at the Masters, missed the cut at Quail Hollow on Friday after a second-round 73.

He struggled with his accuracy off the tee but really suffered on the greens, needing 33 putts in his round.

Woods' one-over par effort left him on even par 144, one shot above the projected cut line.

Although the cut would not be official until the round was over, Woods was resigned to what would be the eighth missed cut of his pro career.

"This is one of my favorite tour stops, and unfortunately, I'm just not going to be around for the last two days," said Woods, who won at Quail Hollow in 2007.

Woods also missed the cut at Quail Hollow in 2010, not long after he returned to golf in the wake of the sex scandal that rocked his personal life.

American Nick Watney was the leader in the clubhouse after a sparkling 64 for 12-under 132, with Woods's playing partner Webb Simpson a shot back on 133 after a second-round 68.

Australia's John Senden lies in joint third along with Stewart Cink, Ben Crane and D.A. Points.

Woods, whose tie for 40th at the Masters was his worst ever finish at Augusta National as a professional, again couldn't capitalize on good scoring conditions.

He failed to birdie any of the par-fives and said that as at the Masters, he allowed old habits to creep in and disrupt the new swing he has put together under the guidance of coach Sean Foley.

"It's just that I get out there and I want to get comfortable, and I follow my old stuff," he said. "I know what I need to do. It's just I need more reps doing it."

In an odd twist to the 14-time major champion's day, Woods was awarded a free drop after a fan apparently walked off with his ball.

Going for the green at the par-five fifth Woods went 30 yards left of the green and over the gallery.

When Woods walked up, his ball was nowhere to be found.

Tour official Mark Russell spoke to several people who saw the ball land and determined that someone took it.

He allowed Woods a free drop at the spot where spectators said they saw it.

Woods is enduring an erratic 2012 season. He withdrew in the final round at Doral with a sore Achilles tendon, then won at Bay Hill to claim his first PGA Tour title in more than two years.

That victory sent him into the Masters on a high, but he finished tied for 40th at Augusta National and drew stern criticism for a burst of temper in which he kicked a club after a poor tee shot.

Woods said he would just keep practising.

"The entire week, I didn't play the par-fives well," Woods said.

"Today I made four pars. You just can't do that, especially when all of them are reachable with irons. I didn't take care of the par-fives, missed a couple other little short ones for birdie, and consequently got no momentum during the round."

AFP

Tags: sport, golf, united-states

First posted May 05, 2012 09:58:06

View the original article here

Fowler wins Quail Hollow in play-off

Updated May 07, 2012 10:30:16

Rickie Fowler claimed his first PGA Tour victory when he won the Quail Hollow championship with a birdie on the first hole of a play-off against Briton Rory McIlroy and fellow American D.A. Points.

The 23-year-old Fowler finally justified his billing as one of the game's top young players when he sank a four-footer for birdie at the 18th hole to claim victory at the Charlotte, North Carolina course.

Fowler fired a three-under-par 69 to join US Open champion McIlroy (70) and Points (71) in the sudden-death playoff after tying at 14-under-par 274 after the regulation 72 holes.

Fowler, who had made the last US Ryder Cup team despite lacking a tour victory, saw the pressure lift off his shoulders when both Points and McIlroy missed their par putts.

McIlroy had left himself 34 feet from the cup after his approach, and Points was 41 feet away.

Despite losing out in the playoff, the finish ensured 23-year-old McIlroy would reclaim the number one world ranking.

Home-town favorite Webb Simpson, the third-round leader, finished one stroke out of the playoff at 275 after posting a 73 for fourth place.

Simpson was two shots better off than Briton Lee Westwood 66 and Americans Ben Curtis 67 and Ryan Moore 74.

Reuters

Tags: sport, golf, united-states

First posted May 07, 2012 08:38:52

View the original article here

Cink shares Quail Hollow lead

Updated May 04, 2012 12:41:56

Stewart Cink birdied his last three holes to tie for the lead after 18 holes of the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.

American Cink, seeking his first PGA Tour victory since his playoff win at the 2009 British Open, fired a 7-under-par 65 to end a humid day at Quail Hollow Club level with compatriots Ryan Moore and Webb Simpson.

Australian John Senden, Britain's Brian Davis and Americans Rickie Fowler, DA Points and Patrick Reed all shot 6-under par 66, while golfing heavyweights Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson had to settle for one-under-par 71.

US Open champion Rory McIlroy three-putted to bogey his final hole for a 70, British world number three Lee Westwood carded a 71 and 2009 U.S. Open winner Lucas Glover launched his title defence with a 72.

Cink, who has mainly struggled for form since pulling off his first major victory at Turnberry in Scotland three years ago, was delighted to remain bogey-free despite not playing his best.

"It was a good round," the 38-year-old told reporters after sinking a 20-footer on his final hole, the par-four ninth.

"It wasn't a great round, far from perfect, but I had a few putts go in the hole and managed my misses pretty well.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm back ... but it's still good to see something like this and give yourself a little bit of confidence," added Cink, who has recorded only one top-25 finish in 10 starts on the 2012 PGA Tour.

Woods, who won the event in 2007, put himself under early pressure after bogeying two of his first six holes on his first PGA Tour event since last month's Masters.

Front-nine errors

"I made too many mistakes on the front nine," the 14-times major champion said after mixing four birdies with three bogeys.

"I didn't get up and down a couple times and made a couple bad shots on the wrong side of the hole.

"I didn't take care of the par-fives and I had an easy up and in at eight, which I messed up there. I've got to obviously not make those little mistakes like that tomorrow."

McIlroy, who closed with a course record 62 to blow away a top-quality field by four shots in the same tournament in 2010, was let down by his usually accurate driving.

"I didn't hit many fairways and if you do that around here, it makes it a lot more difficult to score," the 22-year-old said after carding four birdies and two bogeys.

"Conditions out there were pretty much perfect. Seventy probably wasn't enough out there but it's okay. I'll go out tomorrow and see if I can do a little better."

Four-times major champion Mickelson was briefly derailed by a triple-bogey at the par-four fourth where he hit his tee shot out of bounds.

"I played pretty well today and hit a lot of greens but made one mistake with the triple there," left-hander Mickelson said after a five-birdie display. "That was a really poor tee shot.

"Fortunately I came back to shoot one under. I'll try and come out tomorrow and shoot something in the mid-60s and get into the weekend ... if I can get a hot round, I'll get right in it."

Reuters

Tags: sport, golf, united-states

First posted May 04, 2012 11:55:05

View the original article here

Glover edges Byrd in Quail Hollow play-off

Posted May 9, 2011 10:50:00

Lucas Glover won his first title since the 2009 US Open by beating his former college team-mate Jonathan Byrd on the first hole of a sudden-death play-off at the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Byrd, who played three years with Glover at nearby Clemson University and has competed against him since they were 10 year olds, forced the play-off with a birdie at the 18th to finish the regulation 72 holes locked at 15-under-par.

Returning to the 18th, Byrd hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker on the right and then pulled his approach left into rough just behind a creek running alongside the green.

His pitch ran well past the hole and he two-putted for bogey, while Glover safely two-putted for par to end his title drought 41 tournaments after his major triumph at Bethpage Black.

Glover, who relied on his putting to make up for erratic play off the tee, shot a final-round of 3-under 69, while Byrd posted a par 72.

One stroke behind the two Americans was South African Rory Sabbatini, who surged into contention with seven birdies in a flawless 65 to reach 14-under.

"I putted great," said the bearded Glover, who did not have a single three-putt in the tournament.

"The key for me, especially here, is I made a lot of five to eight-footers for par to keep the rounds going."

The victory gave the 31-year-old Glover his third PGA Tour title.

In fourth place on 13-under, was Bill Haas, followed by fellow American Kevin Na another shot back.

Former Masters champion Zach Johnson made two eagles on par-fours to post a 4-under 68 and tie for sixth on 277 for his first top 10 of the year.

Another shot away in a group on 278 were Phil Mickelson (69) and Ireland's Padraig Harrington (68).

-Reuters

Tags: sport, golf, united-states

View the original article here