Australian Senior Golfer

TIGER WOODS broke his 28 month long US PGA Tour drought today with a five shot win at the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

Woods held of Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell to claim his first tour victory since the BMW Championship in September 2009.

It was his first tour win anywhere since the 2009 Australian Masters at Kingston Heath.

Shortly afterward that Melbourne win revelations about Woods’ private life and then a series of injuries, knee surgeries, swing changes and other issues knocked him from his world No.1 spot and led many pundits to believe his till then spectacular career was all washed up.

Today, just two weeks out from the 2012 Masters, the 14-time major winner looked like he was finally back in business.

“It does feel good. It feels really good,” said Woods, with his traditional final round red shirt reminding everyone of all the successes that had gone before.

“It has been a lot of hard work and I am so thankful of a lot of people helping me out along the way – they all know who they are. It has been tough.”

His attitude made it plain he really believed he was back and, as some suggested, at the beginning of Tiger Woods Mk11 and whole “new” second phase of his career.

If that’s true he is starting his second career way ahead of the pack.

His 13-under finish in Orlando today was his 72nd PGA Tour win, one short of the mark set by Jack Nicklaus Tour and 10 shy of all-time leader Sam Snead’s mark of 82 wins.

It was also his 7th Arnold Palmer Invitational win but with the Masters starting on April 5 the figure he is really looking at is the 14 majors, four short of Nicklaus.

“I am excited, no doubt, he said of the upcoming trip to Augusta National. “It is always fun to get there and always fun to play it and I’m looking forward to the momentum I have built here and the things I have worked on with my game. They’re all coming together at the right time.”

McDowell (74) stated the day just a stroke behind Woods (70) but faded on the back and never really put the American under serious pressure.

England’s Ian Poulter (74) was third, his best finish of the year, while Ernie Els, needing at least an outright third placing to ensure a Masters start, was a big chance of doing just that midway through his round. But the big South African ended with a 75 and will now either have to win the Shell Houston Open next week or be granted a special invitation by Masters’ organisers.

The best of the Australians was Rod Pampling (72) who finished 2-over tied for 36th, while Robert Allenby closed with a 1-over 73 to finish the tournament 4-over at T48 along with Marc Leishman (not initially listed as an Australian starter) who showed great promise in earlier rounds but finished with a 79.

None of those three, or Greg Chalmers who missed the cut, appear likely Masters starters at this stage. Like Els, they would need to win in Houston this week and would be even less likely to be rewarded with a special invitation.

2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational Final Results

Adam Scott wields the long putter during the 2011 Presidents Cup

TIGER WOODS has come out against long putters saying he’s “never been a fan”.

On the eve of his return to the 2012 US PGA Tour at Pebble Beach this week Woods said he had been talking to golf powerbrokers in recent times about the increasingly popular belly and broomstick putters.

If such a ban were put in place one of the first casualties would be Australia’s Adam Scott, who has revitalised his career since switching to a broomstick putter early last year.

Young American Keegan Bradley really bought the issue to a head when he used a belly putter to win a major, the 2012 PGA Championship, and they seem to have become all the rage with other “younger” players such as Bill Haas and Webb Simpson and who have wielded them to great success.

The long putters seem to have been regarded as okay by many when they were only being used by a smattering of (mainly) older golfers – Australia’s Peter Senior for example – but now many are clamouring for a stand to be taken.

“My idea was to have it so that the putter would be equal to or less than the shortest club in your bag,” Woods said this week. “And I think with that, we’d be able to get away from any type of belly anchoring.

“I believe it’s (putting) the art of controlling the body and club and swinging the pendulum motion. That’s how it should be played. I’m a traditionalist when it comes to that.”

Golf’s rule makers, the R&A and US Golf Association, say they are reviewing the issue.

“If you look back at the interest in it, it really never changed for over 20 years,” USGA executive director Mike Davis said on the weekend.

“Then all of a sudden in 2011 … this has become a much bigger topic. So the R&A and USGA have been talking about this at length.”

“It is something that we have taken a fresh look at, because there are more players in the game, both on the elite level and on the recreational level, using it,” Davis said.

“I think we just want to be sure that we’re looking at all the angles and thinking about what is in the best interest, both the traditions of the game, the history of the game and what is what we think would be good for the game long term.”

Scott leads in Ohio

ADAM Scott and Jason Day have snatched first and second spots after the opening round of the 2011 World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational.

Out early, Day fired a sensational bogey–free 7-under par 63 to lead the field by three strokes for much of the day.

That was till Scott came up with an even better performance in the afternoon to overtake his younger rival in his closing stages to finish with an 8-under 62.

The nearest challenger, in what is essentially an invitational tournament featuring many of the world’s best golfers, was American Nick Watney with a 5-under 65, three behind Scott.

The opening day of the tournament, at the Firestone Country Club in

Akron, Ohio, also saw the return to golf of Tiger Woods – not a bad first outing that featured his first birdie in four months (since the US Masters).

Scott put on a great show, displaying his new found talent with the long putter, his usual faultless swing and crisp ball striking, and what looks to be a growing success with his new caddie Steve Williams.

“I’ve said a couple times already about Steve, I think he really understands how to manage a game well around the golf course. That was one of the first things that was really obvious to me,” Scott said.

Scott said he was very happy with his game and had been surprised but unperturbed to see Day’s score before he hit off.

“I was surprised. I actually saw that when I got on the first tee because there was a leaderboard right there, and I thought 7 under was pretty low. But you know, there were so many other good scores. I knew if I could play well and get that putter going today, there was a good score out there for me.”

Day played with Phil Mickelson for the first time in front of a huge gallery and stamped his mark on the tournament immediately by putting his opening tee shot on the par three tenth a metre from the hole

“I hit driver well and hit a lot of good quality iron shots into the greens,” the new world No.8 said, commenting that he was playing “boring “ golf to score well.

“I didn’t stomp it all day, but I hit it to a good 15 to 20 feet all day. My putter was good all day. I hit a lot of good quality putts and felt it was a boring kind of a game.

“It was down the middle, on the green, and every two or three holes was a birdie which was nice.

“But I’ll take a boring seven-under all the time.”

Woods, bound for the 2011 Australian Open in Sydney this year, looked to be playing with much improved tempo an rhythm and to have some of his old mojo with the putter back.

“The amount of progress I made in my golf swing,” he said after finishing with a 2-under 68. “The amount of compression I had in the golf ball, the shots I was hitting. I was hitting proper shots out there, and the distances I was hitting the golf ball. I hadn’t hit the ball like this. This was fun, to be able to hit the ball with that much flush feeling through the golf ball and speed I had. It was pretty nice.”

Of the other Australians, Geoff Ogilvy and Aaron Baddeley are still well in the mix after posting solid two-under-par 68s.

Richard Green had an up and down round with six birdies countered by five bogeys for a 1-under 69 while Robert Allenby carded an even-par 70.

Stuart Appleby’s struggles continued with a three-over 73 leaving him tied 64th in the 76 player field.

2011 WGC Bridgestone Invitational Leaderboard and TV Times

The 2011 WGC Bridgestone Invitational is being broadcast in Australia on ONE HD on the Ten Network.

1st Round Friday 4am to 8am; 2nd Round Saturday 4am to 8am; 3rd Round Sunday 2am to 8am; Final Round Monday 2am to 3.30am; 4am to 8am.

Scott won't be defending his Singapore Open title

ADAM SCOTT is the latest to sign on the 2011 Australian Open at The Lakes Golf Club after abandoning his defence of his Singapore Open title.

Scott will join recent signings Tiger Woods and Jason Day in what is truly shaping as a blockbuster event.

Already committed to the Open are defending champion Geoff Ogilvy, Presidents Cup captains Greg Norman and Fred Couples and the American duo Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson.

There were fears Scott, the 2009 champion, would miss the event because of the calendar clash with Singapore but the Open/Presidents Cup fortnight lure has proven to great.

“It was a tough one for me, as Barclays and the Singapore Open have been big supporters of mine but the Australian Open is really tough to pass up and I am going to be playing in Sydney,” Scott said.

“I think it’s the right move for me and I really want to get down there and win the Australian Open again. “If I win the Australian Open, I’ll be very happy going into the Presidents Cup.

Scott is in Ohio preparing for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational along with six other Aussies, including his 2011 US Masters joint runner-up Jason Day.

Jason Day wants a piece of the action

Day was already lobbying to be paired with Woods in Sydney.

“I’d really love to be paired with Tiger,” Day said in Ohio. “I have met him a few times but never been paired with him and I think it would really bring out the best in my golf.

“It’s great for Australian golf to have Tiger and the other big names playing in the Aussie Open. It’s going to be awesome and a real thrill to play in front of big crowds. Hopefully it’s a shot in the arm for the game in Australia as well.”

That was said by the now very self-assured 23 year old who currently sits as the world No. 8 while Woods has dropped to 28th.

Many remembered what Day said as a very cocky 19 year old in 2007 fresh from winning the US Nationwide Tour.

“I’m sure I can take him (Tiger) down. My goal is to be the No.1 golfer in the world and I want to chase Tiger. I want to measure myself against Tiger Woods. I just want to work really hard and take him down.”

Of course in the meantime Woods’ personal life dramas and latterly injury concerns have seem him fall dramatically from his former lofty status, but there is no doubt he will still be a huge drawcard in Sydney.

Hopefully for everyone, he will be injury free and back in good golfing form.

In Ohio, Woods was talking up his enthusiasm in vying for the Stonehaven Cup.

”I’d love to get my name on the trophy. The feel of it with the history and the champions list is pretty remarkable, really.”

So would Day.

“Obviously because of my early career comments (about Woods) I’m sure there will be a bit of talk about it but it will still be great fun,” Day said.

“I said I want to be the best in the world back then and nothing has changed, I still want to be.”

“As for the Australian Open – I really want my name on that trophy. I still want to be the best golfer to come out of Australia and I feel to do that you need to have your name on the Stonehaven Cup and some other Australian titles.

“I think people will expect me to win or do well and that might add some pressure but I certainly want to give myself the best chance to win it.”

Defending champion Ogilvy has also welcomed Woods’ to the event.

“It’s exciting. The Australian Open is our biggest tournament and he adds a touch of something to the field that anyone else can’t do,” Ogilvy.

“This will be the best field the Australian Open has seen in years and the best one I have ever played in.

“We have eight guys in the top 100 in the world, so we should have a prestigious event like this – we have the level of players to support three or four big tournaments on the world stage.”

The Australian Open will be staged from November 10 to 13.

Tiger Woods....a huge drawcard

TIGER WOODS has been confirmed as a starter in the 2011 Australian Open at The Lakes Golf Course in Sydney.

The NSW Government made the announcement today but has refused to say how much he will be paid.

Woods will join defending champion Geoff Ogilvy, Presidents Cup captains Greg Norman and Fred Couples, and fellow American stars Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson.

The Open will be played in Sydney the week before the Presidents Cup in Melbourne.

No doubt Woods, who has slipped to 28th in the world golf rankings this week, will be hoping to get a start at Royal Melbourne, one way or another.

Unless he has a rapid form improvement – he hasn’t won anywhere since taking the Australian Masters title in 2009 – he will be relying on Couples to choose him as one of his two captain’s picks.

Woods is a lowly 26 in the US team standings. The top ten are automatic selections and there are the two captain selections.

Following his recent injury problems, Woods will be back in action at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, this week and is also a likely starter at the US PGA Championship next week.

“I’m excited to get back out there,” Woods said on his website a couple of days ago.

The former world No.1 was quoted today as saying he was very much looking forward to playing in the Australian Open in Sydney.

“I’m very excited to be competing in the Australian Open,” he said. “I haven’t played in the tournament since 1996, and I’m anxious to return. I have a great affinity for playing golf in Australia and I’m looking forward to competing against an outstanding field at The Lakes in Sydney.”

Woods will no doubt be a huge drawcard in Sydney and with the Cup the following week and the likes of Darren Clarke and Jason Day at the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum the week after it will be a very exciting time for Australian golf.

Woods shows long time caddie Steve Williams the door

KIWI caddie Steve Williams will now work fulltime with Australia’s Adam Scott after being axed by Tiger Woods.

Williams is not that happy about being sacked by Woods after 13 years of service, particularly after having stuck by him during his recent personal and injury problems.

However, the 47 year old said he was excited to be working with another Australian after starting his career with greats Peter Thomson and Greg Norman.

Williams has worked for Scott recently, carrying his bag at the US Open and British Open and that relationship will now be “permanent”.

The news comes as quite a shock to the golfing world as it means the end of one of the sport’s most successful partnerships.

Since his public “demise”, Woods as made wholesale changes in his personal life, his coach, his swing and elsewhere and now his loyal caddie is included.

Williams was Woods ever present sidekick for 13 of his 14 major victories and 63 of his 71 PGA Tour titles, earning an estimated $US4.73 million from tournament wins alone (at 5 percent of the prize money).

Williams reacted to the news with what was reported as “thinly-veiled fury”.

“I am no longer caddying for Tiger after he informed me that he needed to make a change,” Williams said. “After 13 years of loyal service needless to say this came as a shock. Given the circumstances of the past 18 months working through Tiger’s scandal, a new coach and with it a major swing change and Tiger battling through injuries I am very disappointed to end our very successful partnership at this time.”

The upside will be for Scott, a golfer who of late has gained increasing confidence since turning to the broomstick putter and whose quest for his first Major can only be advanced by having the experience of Williams permanently by his side.

“I have had the opportunity to work of late for Australian Adam Scott and will now caddy for him on a permanent basis,” Williams said.

“Having started my caddying career with Australian great Peter Thomson and working for Greg Norman in the ’80s I am excited about the future working for another Australian.”

Woods confirmed the decision on his website, saying: “”I want to express my deepest gratitude to Stevie for all his help, but I think it’s time for a change. Stevie is an outstanding caddie and a friend and has been instrumental in many of my accomplishments. I wish him great success in the future.”

The short announcement published Wednesday in the US concluded that:  “Presently, a replacement has not been named. Woods continues to rest and rehabilitate his left leg. No decision has been made when he will return to competition on the PGA Tour. “

UNHERALDED Aussie golfers Alistair Presnell, Adam Bland and Daniel Gaunt lead the JBWere Masters after the first round but a resurgent Tiger Woods is not far off the pace.

The Australian trio carded six under par 65s at the Victoria Golf Club to sit four strokes ahead of title holder Woods, who had an up and down 69.

Fancied Australians Robert Allenby (73) and Geoff Ogilvy (72) were over par in the morning, while Colombian Camilo Villegas had a par 71 and Spaniard Sergio Garcia had to settle for a 73.

Presnell shot an eagle and five birdies to race to seven under after 15 holes and at one stage holding a three-shot lead.

His only blemish was a bogey on the final hole.

“After the last month (of struggling with his putting) I’m pinching myself I can actually be under par, let alone shooting 65, it’s very nice,” the Victorian said.

Bland was at one-under, before roaring home with five birdies in his last six holes. whilst Gaunt spoke later of earlier in the year questioning whether the financial struggle to sustain a professional golf career was worth it.

Woods said his ball-striking during the day was the most consistent it had been for a full round since he and new coach Sean Foley started making changes to his swing several months ago.

”I felt pretty good. That was probably the highest score I could have shot today. I mean, I really played well, hit a lot of good shots and I gave myself a bunch of looks early for birdie. Every putt was hit a little bit shy, not quite hard enough to hold the pace. I tried to be a bit more committed coming in. I tried to hit the putts a little harder but still kept leaving them short.”

2010 JBWere Masters Live Leaderboard

THE 2010 JBWERE Masters is underway at the Victoria Golf Club with former world No.1 Tiger Woods defending the only to title he still retains in world golf after his first winless season in 15 years.

Woods hit off at the Melbourne sand belt course at 7.27 this morning in a group containing Aussie hopefuls Robert Allenby and Brett Rumford.

Another tournament favourite, Geoff Ogilvy, was in a preceding feature group also containing Stuart Appleby and Matthew Griffin.

The field also contains international drawcards Sergio Garcia of Spain and Columbian Camilo Villegas.

Unlike the sell-out last year, tickets were still available to various stages of the event.

“I’m here to defend my title,” a determined Woods said in Melbourne this week, brushing aside questions about his spectacular fall from public grace that had its beginnings at this tournament last year.

Woods was hitting some errant shots early in his round and wasn’t a happy man.

As a sponsor commented as Woods lined up an 8 iron approach shot: “Last year you’d be thinking he would get it near the pin, this year you are hoping he hits the green.”

The JBWere Masters is being telecast on Fox Sport, with the afternoon sessions on  Channel 9.

2010 JBWere Masters Leaderboard

FRANCESCO Molinari has clinched a thrilling win at the HSBC Champions Tournament whilst a Melbourne bound Tiger Woods impressed with a final round four under 68.

Molinari had a well deserved one stroke win after new world No.1 Lee Westwood (67) missed a lengthy eagle putt on the final hole.

The Italian closed with a bogey-free 67 to finish at 19 under 269 and led after every round at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai.

The two Europeans dominated with third placegetter Luke Donald leading the rest of the field 10 strokes behind.

“It wasn’t easy. I’m just really proud of the way I played, said the 28 year old (today) Molinari.

The second placing will get Englishman Westwood at least a second successive week on top of the world golf ranking.

Just days out from the 2010 JBWere Masters in Melbourne this week, many eyes were on the performance of the man he deposed, Tiger Woods.

Woods rattled off five back nine birdies and looked close to regaining some top form ahead of his defence of his Australian Masters title at the Victoria Golf Club.

“I hit the ball a lot better today,” Woods said after finishing equal sixth with six other players, including Australian Richard Green, a distant 12 shots behind Molinari. “I missed up 18 (with a three putt) but overall it was a very good day.”

Final round playing partner Green was impressed with what he saw from Woods, who is due to arrive in Melbourne on Tuesday after an exhibition in Thailand.

“Watching him up close, and listening to the way the ball comes off the clubface, is inspiring,” Green said.

“He’s definitely just waiting to click, get the right opportunities at the right time, a bit of momentum and off he’ll go.

“I didn’t notice anything different to how he used to hit the ball five or six years ago. It’s just a matter of getting in the groove again.”

Green’s sixth placing was the best of the Australians, with Robert Allenby (72) next on four under and T21, and Brendan Jones (68) and Adam Scott (70) another shot back.

YES Virginia, there is a Tiger Woods.

Showing just how close Australian Senior Golfer is with the Tiger Woods camp, our report yesterday suggesting the World No 1 wouldn’t be showing up for the 2010 JBWere Masters in Melbourne turns out to be entirely erroneous.

Media announcements yesterday about tickets going on sale from today seemed to studiously avoid mentioning the man.

We were even worried how the poor scalpers – warned off by the Victorian Government and threatened with big fines – were going to make a buck in the let down over a Tigerless event.

Sergio Garcia and Camilo Villegas were touted just 24 hours ago to be the big international stars joining headline Australian act Geoff Ogilvy.

Surprise, surprise, as tickets go on sale today it is announced Woods will return to Melbourne to defend his title.

I think that is called media management. And we fell for it. (Must be getting old).

But to set the record straight – and to steal a line from a new very annoying television commercial – that’s not good news. It’s GREAT.

As the organisers of the event say in their release today, the Tiger Woods led JBWere Masters event last year set a new benchmark for Australian golf with record crowds and television audiences and delivered in excess of $34 million to the Victorian economy.

Everyone I spoke to who managed to attend the event last year were stoked. No complaints about overcrowding or overstretched facilities.

The only complaints were from Channel Nine viewers who, as Woods hit off on the Thursday morning were greeted with the Kerri-Anne Kennerley’s morning show. Even Kerri-Anne would have rather been watching the golf.

Let’s hope they get that right for the sake of all the television viewers this time. And I know there are lots of messy local broadcasting provisions involved.

On his forthcoming trip to Australia, Tiger Woods commented: “I am pleased to be able to return to Melbourne to defend the JBWere Masters.  The Australian galleries made last year’s event a great experience for all the players and I look forward to playing at The Victoria Golf Club in November.”

The 2010 JBWere Masters will again be broadcast on Channel Nine and FOX SPORTS (at least in part) and will be played at The Victoria Golf Club from 11 – 14 November. Tickets from Ticketek.