Na hits Vegas jackpot with first PGA title

Updated October 03, 2011 11:16:41

Kevin Na kept his cool with a red-hot putter to hold off fellow American Nick Watney and claim his first PGA Tour title with an emotional two-shot victory at the Las Vegas Open.

South Korea-born Na rolled in a 43-footer to birdie the par-3 17th before parring the last for a 6-under-par 65 and a 23-under total of 261 at the TPC Summerlin.

The 28-year-old, who had been winless in his previous 210 PGA Tour starts, threw both arms skywards in celebration before removing his cap and embracing his caddie.

"Oh wow," a tearful Na said greenside after being told he had finally triumphed in his 211th career start.

"I went through a lot. I'd have nightmares finishing second.

"I used to tell my mother 'as hard as I work, when I am going to get my first win?'

"People said they believed in me more than I think I believe in myself, especially Kenny my caddie.

"Every time he was there for me and he believed in me."

Nick O'Hern and Steven Bowditch were the best of the Australians, nine shots behind Na, with a stroke further back to Rod Pampling and Nathan Green.

Tied for the lead overnight with Watney, Na was briefly caught at the top by his playing partner with four holes to play before he tightened his grip on the title with birdies at 15, 16, and 17.

World number 11 Watney, bidding to become the PGA Tour's first three-times champion this year, had to settle for second place after closing with a four-birdie 67.

Americans Tommy Gainey and Paul Goydos both signed off with 68s to share third place at 18-under.

For most of the final round, however, the tournament came down to an effective head-to-head between Na and Watney, the two overnight leaders.

Na made a red-hot start, birdies at the first and second holes putting him two strokes clear at 19-under.

Though Las Vegas resident Watney cut that deficit to one with a long-range birdie putt at the third, Na restored his two-shot cushion by sinking a 20-footer from just off the green at the par-4 fourth.

Na made his first mistake of the day with a bogey at the sixth, after missing the fairway to the left off the tee, and dropped back into a tie for the lead with American Tim Herron at 19-under.

Herron, a four-times winner on the PGA Tour whose most recent victory came at the 2006 Colonial Invitational, had birdied four of the first seven holes before losing momentum over the closing stretch on his way to a 69 and joint-fifth.

Na, however, immediately bounced back with a birdie at the seventh before picking up another shot at the par-5 ninth after reaching the green in two and two-putting.

Two ahead at the turn, Na was briefly caught by Watney when he bogeyed the par-3 14th after failing to get up and down from a buried lie in a greenside bunker.

The long-hitting Watney had rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-5 13th to get to 20-under overall.

Once again though, Na regained control, sinking a three-footer to birdie the driveable par-4 15th before following up with a two-putt birdie at the par-5 16th to lead Watney by one.

He never relinquished his grip as he finished birdie-par to triumph by two strokes.

Reuters

Tags: golf, sport, united-states

First posted October 03, 2011 11:16:41

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Jordan pulls out of Presidents Cup

Updated November 09, 2011 11:56:23

The US Presidents Cup golf team has lost star power but gained experience with basketball great Michael Jordan replaced by veteran tour pro John Cook as second captain's assistant for the contest in Melbourne in two weeks.

American team captain Fred Couples announced on Wednesday that Jordan, an avid golfer, had withdrawn from his duties at the biennial clash with the Internationals due to commitments as majority owner of NBA club Charlotte Bobcats.

He is replaced by Cook, an 11-time PGA Tour winner who now plays on the Champions Tour and joins fellow tour veteran Jay Haas as an assistant.

Cook will compete alongside eight members of the American team in the Australian Open at The Lakes in Sydney next week before heading to the Cup at Royal Melbourne from November 15-20.

"John has been a friend of mine since we broke in together on the PGA Tour in the early 1980s," Couples said in a statement.

"Having achieved success at the highest levels in the golf world, I value his opinion greatly."

Jordan previously served as an honorary captain's assistant to Couples at The Presidents Cup 2009 at TPC Harding Park.

He said with the NBA labour situation unsettled, he felt he need to remain in the USA.

AAP

Tags: golf, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted November 02, 2011 13:22:35

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Day grouped with Woods

Updated November 08, 2011 18:17:13

Jason Day finally gets his wish to go head to head with Tiger Woods for the first time at this week's Australian Open and there appears little chance he will be intimidated.

Australia's top-ranked golfer, Day on Tuesday welcomed his marquee grouping with 14-time major winner Woods and Robert Allenby for the opening two rounds at The Lakes on Thursday and Friday.

World number seven Day credits Woods as a major influence on his booming career.

Unlike older Australian colleagues on the US PGA Tour like Allenby, Adam Scott and Stuart Appleby, Day, who turns 24 on Saturday, was too young to have Greg Norman as his childhood inspiration.

"I read a book about Tiger Woods and that is why I woke up every morning at 5:30 and practised," said Day on Tuesday.

"He has influenced my life a lot. I have always wanted to play against him and it's going to be fun."

But Day also he indicated he no longer sees Woods as the man to beat in world golf, even if he is still the top drawcard.

"Looking back the last couple of years, I think he's lost it a little bit," Masters and US Open runner-up Day said.

"But when he's on a roll like he was at the Masters on the front nine, people knew where the roars were coming from."

"He has plateaued a bit (but) Tiger has proved many people wrong in the past. I think he is going to come back from this and, who knows, he may beat Jack's record (of 18 major titles).

With the niceties out of the way, Day admitted he considered others his chief roadblock to world number one status.

"This is the start of a new generation coming up," he said, naming Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer as two of his main rivals.

"Rory McIlroy is leading the way (and) we had a bunch of rookies on the PGA Tour this year who won. It is only getting tougher."

Day is back in Australia for the first time in five years.

A former world junior champion, he was just a talented and perhaps cocky teenager when he left these shores, but a couple of lean years on the US Tour provided a reality check.

"I stopped practising and thought it was going to come easy," he admitted.

"Obviously it didn't. I finally realised that when you get to a level like this, it's not about making huge changes to your swing.

"It's about having the little things right and being mentally prepared for each week and being happy. It's amazing how much stress and unhappiness can influence your game."

Day certainly has not stressed out since his arrival in Sydney.

He had Monday off to take his American wife Ellie on the tourist trail to Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

Woods, too, does not seem too bothered about a meticulous preparation before confronting a stellar field, after arriving late on Monday.

In his first look at the course on Tuesday, he lasted only four holes of a practice round before the slow pace of play prompted him to quit hours before a thunderstorm lashed the course.

AAP

Tags: golf, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted November 08, 2011 13:39:21

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Million dollar fight over golf course

The owners of the Broken Hill Golf Course are being sued for more than $1 million.

The board of the Broken Hill Golf and Country Club says the owners of the golf course have not been maintaining the grounds, forcing local members to complete work.

In a notice to members, the club says it is claiming $1.1 million from Dialena Nominees, the Mildura-based company that bought the course in 2008.

The club has lodged a statement of claim with the Supreme Court and is yet to get a response from Dialena Nominees.

The board discussed the claim at a meeting last night but president Steve Tucker will not publicly comment on the case, as it is before the court.

Dialena Nominees also declined to comment.

History

Around a decade ago the then owners of the golf course, the Barrier Social Democratic Club, sold the course to the Broken Hill Golf and Country Club.

In the 2004/05 financial year a Queensland based developer, John Cowley, bought the golf club with a view to renovating and expanding the business.

After several years of inaction Mr Cowley sold the course to the Mildura based company Dialena Nominees in July of 2008, which also hoped to develop the site to include accommodation and other businesses.

The ABC understands that, as part of the agreement undertaken when purchasing the golf course, Dialena Nominees was to assume the financial responsibility for maintenaning the course.

A subcommittee of Directors from the Broken Hill Golf and Country Club say that this has not taken place and the Statement of Claim lodged in the NSW Supreme Court for $1.1 million is to recoup losses their club incurred by maintaining the course over several years.

Dialena Nominees has two weeks to respond to the legal action.

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Scott, Senden still have hope at PGA

Updated August 14, 2011 10:49:17

Australian golfers Adam Scott and John Senden will have work to do but still remain in contention after the third round of the US PGA Championship.

The Aussie duo finished at 2-under-par 208, five back from American's Jason Dufner and Brendan Steele who lead at 7-under 203.

Keegan Bradley is third a shot back at 6-under 204, Scott Verplank fourth at 5-under 205 and first round leader Steve Stricker is fifth at 4-under 206.

Senden started on fire by sinking a six-foot birdie putt on the first hole, moving him to a share of the lead.

But some miscued shots on the third hole resulted in a bogey and when he pulled the ball into the water on the eighth hole he once again dropped a shot.

The Queenslander kept his positive outlook and had eagle putts on back-to-back holes, the par five 12th and drivable par four 13th.

Unfortunately both burned the edge of the cup but the resulting birdies sent the 40-year-old back up into the top echelon of the leaderboard.

It was short-lived however, as he bogeyed three of the final five holes to fall back to 2-under.

"I'm not out of it but I'll need to get on a run early tomorrow," Senden said.

"I felt good down the front nine but I had some little mistakes that slowed me down a little bit."

Scott's round was scattered with missed opportunities. The Queenslander was looking solid after a birdie on the third hole and when his approach on the eighth stopped hole high and six feet away, a move up the pack looked likely.

But he missed the birdie putt by playing too much break and then had a mini disaster on the ninth.

Despite hitting the fairway from the tee and an approach to three feet, Scott then three-putted from the short distance to drop a shot.

He managed to birdie the 13th hole after driving the green and two-putting but bogeyed the tough par-three 15th.

"I had my chances there on the front nine," Scott admitted.

"If I would have converted eight and nine and headed to 10 at 3-under for the day, I could have been setting myself up for a great round and put myself right there."

The Australian's will be paired together for the final round in an all Queensland group, allowing for a team-like atmosphere as they attack the course.

Robert Allenby, the only other Australian left in the field, carded a 1-over 71 to be 3-over and tied 43rd.

AAP

Tags: golf, sport, australia, united-states

First posted August 14, 2011 07:05:54

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Singh shades local trio at Irish Open

Updated July 29, 2011 08:07:25

India's Jeev Milkha Singh carded the lowest round of his career overnight when an 8-under-par 63 gave him the Irish Open lead and put marquee names Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell in the shade.

The 39-year-old son of a former Olympic sprinter hit an eagle and six birdies which was six strokes better than British Open winner Clarke, seven ahead of US Open champion McIlroy and nine up on last year's US Open winner McDowell.

"I don't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, but 59 did cross my mind," said Singh, a three-time European Tour winner and whose eagle came with a 10-metre putt on the seventh.

Australia's Richard Green shot a 67 to be four shots off the lead.

Clarke admitted he had been disappointed with his round, his first outing since his British Open triumph two weeks ago at Sandwich.

"I didn't come here to make up the numbers," said the 42-year-old.

"I hit a lot of good shots and had lots of chances, but didn't quite have the speed of the greens."

McIlroy, out of sorts at the British Open, enjoyed mixed fortunes as he signed for a one-under 70.

The Northern Irishman had bounced straight back from his disappointing performance at Sandwich to set the early pace with four birdies in the first 10 holes, before marring his day with a bogey at the 11th and a closing double bogey.

Playing in his first tournament on home soil since the US Open, the 22-year-old pulled off what he described as "one of the best shots I've ever hit" to save par at the 14th after a spectacular hook around the trees from deep rough onto the green.

But he met trouble again on the 18th when, lying at 3-under-par and one off the lead, he went from a fairway bunker into water for his double bogey.

"At four under through 10, things were going along quite nicely, but I didn't drive it great all day and I played some scrappy golf coming in," he reflected.

"My driving caught up with me at the end. I just need to be more decisive on the tees - I was stuck in two minds."

Later, McIlroy became embroiled in a row on social networking site Twitter with commentator and former European Tour player Jay Townsend.

McIlroy's ire was spiked when Townsend described his course management as "shocking" and "some of the worst I have ever seen beyond under-10 boys' golf competition".

McIlroy responded: "Shut up ... you're a commentator and a failed golfer, your opinion means nothing!"

Townsend stated that he stood by his comments and McIlroy then said: "Well, I stand by my caddie."

McIlroy set the golfing world alight with his eight-stroke win at the US Open, but his hopes of doubling up in the British Open were dashed in the poor weather in Kent when he trailed in only 25th.

It was then announced that McIlroy's relationship with long-time girlfriend Holly Sweeney was over and he was linked with tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki, but he laughed on Wednesday when asked if the tape on his fingers was caused by playing too much tennis.

"Very funny," he said before commenting about his personal life: "I try to keep it as private as possible.

"Sometimes it's not possible, but it is what it is and you just have to handle that as best you can."

AFP

Tags: golf, sport, ireland

First posted July 29, 2011 07:57:25

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Close but no cigar for Baddeley

Updated September 26, 2011 10:00:52

Australian Aaron Baddeley has fallen one shot short of a play-off at the US PGA Tour Championship in Atlanta, won by American Bill Haas over countryman Hunter Mahan.

Haas captured $US11.44 million ($A11.75 million) as winner of the tournament at East Lake Golf Club and also the season-long FedEx Cup on the third sudden-death play-off hole with a clutch par.

Both men finished regulation at 8-under-par.

The pair parred the difficult par-three 18th hole and the par-four 17th, before returning to the 18th in the play-off.

Haas was able to two-putt while Mahan failed to get up and down from the greenside bunker.

The shot of the tournament came on the second play-off hole when Haas managed to play a shot from in the water hazard on the left of the green to just a few feet to stay alive.

Baddeley was left to rue two short missed putts on the back nine, each just over a metre.

It left the 30-year-old with a 2-over 72 final round and an 7-under total, tied third with Englishman Luke Donald and South Korean KJ Choi.

Fellow Australians Jason Day and Adam Scott finished in a tie for sixth at 6-under-par.

"Two short misses on the back nine cost me," Baddeley said.

"That was the golf tournament. Make those two short ones, I win."

The Victorian still had a chance on the last hole but his putt from just outside 10 metres agonisingly burned the edge of the hole.

"I felt like I played good enough to win," he said.

"I hit it pretty good all day except for a couple of loose tee shots."

Baddeley, who started tied for the lead, began nervously when his opening drive went well left of the fairway and into tree trouble but he scrambled well for par and then added four more despite a few loose shots.

But his luck ran out on the par-three sixth when missing the green meant hitting the lake.

Thankfully, he limited the damage to a bogey and remained in a tie for the lead as Mahan also dropped a shot. Fast-forward two holes and Baddeley took charge, grabbing birdie from two metres to take the outright lead.

But it was short-lived when he nuked his second shot on the par-five ninth past the green and failed to reach the putting surface with a flop shot third.

He eventually took bogey when a four-metre putt would not drop and settled back into a battle with Mahan and Haas.

More trouble befell Baddeley two holes later when he turned a five-metre birdie chance into a three-putt bogey, dropping him out of the lead for the first time.

Another close miss on the 16th hole proved crucial and the bogey seemingly ended his run, although a great birdie on the second last hole gave him one last chance.

But it was not to be.

When Haas bogeyed the final hole in regulation, Day was actually in the $10 million hot seat but his three-wood betrayed him on the 17th tee and sailed right into the rough.

He carried the ball up to the greenside bunker but failed to get up and down and the bogey dropped him one back.

The Queenslander gave himself an eight-metre look at birdie and a play-off spot on the last and gave the putt a good run only to see it run by the edge and just over a metre long.

Emotionally exhausted, he missed the short putt to drop to sixth.

Geoff Ogilvy (tied 11th) and John Senden (25th) rounded out the Australian charge.

AAP

Tags: golf, sport, united-states

First posted September 26, 2011 09:54:12

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