Category: PGA

Sean O’Hair may have climbed another rung in the ladder of his post-dictator father days, but he stood silently by as the ultimate honor at a PGA Tour event went today to Ted Purdy, who two times finished second in 2004. Purdy’s closing 5-under 65 netted him a one-stroke victory at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship and his first PGA Tour win.

The tournament began with a bit of hype over the “Big Five” playing together for only the third time this season. After Tiger Woods missed his first cut in 143 tournaments (taking Retief Goosen with him), the attention fell squarely on the shoulders of O’Hair, Purdy, and their cast of merry (and winless) cohorts. Only late Sunday charges by Mickelson (67, T14), Ernie Els (66, T10), and Vijay Singh (65, T3) put them in the top 15. Vijay, who needed to finish third alone or better to regain the top spot in the world, instead tied with three others for third, falling just short. His hole-in-one at the 17th on Sunday certainly helped his cause, however.

Continue reading “Purdy in Pink at the Byron Nelson Championship”

While some of the big names faded and the showdown of the “Big Five” hasn’t materialized, some of the PGA Tour’s lesser known stars are shining this weekend at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Sean O’Hair is one of them. In his rookie season, the 324th-ranked O’Hair has had to overcome major hurdles in his quest for success among the world’s best.

His father, Marc O’Hair, once said, “I look at Sean as my son. I look at him as a business also. He likes that.” It was Marc who invested over $2 million in his son’s game having urged his him to drop out of high school to pursue his dream of being a professional golfer. Sean and his father Marc haven’t spoken in two years because of Marc’s family-business attitude.

Continue reading “A Silver Lining for Sean O’Hair”

It was a crazy day in Irving, TX, to say the least! Tiger Woods missed his first cut in 142 events, dating all the way back to 1998. He holds the record for most cuts in a row, and it will more than likely stand for quite some time, if not forever. “I just didn’t quite have it,” Woods said. He also had this to say when the media asked him what the worst part of the streak ending was. “I don’t get that opportunity to win the tournament.”

With that being said, Mr. Woods wasn’t the only story at the Byron Nelson Championship on Friday. Two guys who are basically “unknowns” share the lead at one of the top events on tour. That is right, Brett Wetterich and rookie Sean O’Hair sit atop the leaderboard going into the weekend and will play in the final group on Saturday.

Continue reading “Tiger Won’t Be On The Prowl This Weekend”

Stuart Appleby enjoyed a great round of golf today as he shot a 7-under 63 to take a one shot lead at the Byron Nelson Championship. Appleby’s last win came on January 10 at the 2005 Mercedes Championships in Hawaii at the Plantation Course at Kapalua, Maui. Since his win at the Mercedes he hasn’t finished within the top ten in six starts.

Anybody who watched Appleby today was impressed with his efficient play and ability to execute needed shots. He holed out from 23 feet on the par-4 first and followed that up by holing out from 41 feet on the par-3 second. That is the way to boost your confidence as you start a round, if you were wondering. “Today was a much more balanced round of golf,” said Appleby. “I hit the ball well. I chipped well which is something I haven’t been doing well lately. I rolled the ball [well]. Overall a good rhythmical day.”

Continue reading “Stuart Appleby Hardly Wastes A Shot”

The sun has set on a record-setting final round at the Wachovia Championship, and it is time to move on to the great state of Texas for the Byron Nelson Championship. This tournament is the only one on the PGA Tour that is named after a Hall-of-Fame golfer, and it is definitely one of the special events on tour. This will mark the first time the “Big Five” have all played in the same tournament since The Masters. Tiger Woods is still the top-ranked golfer in the world, but Vijay Singh inched ever so close to the top spot with his playoff win Sunday at the Wachovia Championship. Tiger is sitting at 13.02 points, and Vijay is now up to 12.88 points and will surely regain the number one position with a win this week.

Continue reading “EDS Byron Nelson Championship Preview”

Sergio Garcia promised he’d win. People have been talking about Garcia’s “promise” – and his raw talent – for years. He battled Tiger in 1999 at the PGA. Surely a wisened, seasoned Sergio could hold on to a six-shot third-round lead, couldn’t he?

In a word or three, no, he couldn’t. It only took 19 holes for Sergio Garcia to fail to keep his promise to the world of golf. A two-time winner last year in three-man playoffs, Sergio bowed out on the first hole of a three-man playoff late Sunday evening in Charlotte, NC to Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh. Three holes later, Vijay would one-putt par the difficult 18th – the same hole on which Sergio three-putted to lose the tournament that was seemingly his only a half hour before.

Continue reading “Forgotten Promise: Sergio ‘Singhing’ the Blues”

Quail Hollow Club is playing almost like a major championship venue this week, but that obviously isn’t affecting Sergio Garcia. He shot a third round 67 to take a commanding six shot lead going into the final round Sunday. Garcia used a stellar 32 on the back side to gain a huge lead in Charlotte. He started off the day with a birdie on the first hole. He had a double bogey on the fourth hole, and that dropped him back a little. But after that, he played one of the best ball-striking rounds of the year. He finished up by carding three solid pars on the last three holes at Quail Hollow, which have taken shots from just about every guy at the top of the leaderboard this week.

Continue reading “Sergio Pulls Away From the Field in Charlotte”

Sergio Garcia is enjoying the lead after two rounds at the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, N.C. He had a record-setting back nine yesterday and complemented that good round with a one-under 71 today. He was one over at the turn but was able to gain a couple back before his round was over. Garcia’s best finish this year was T8 at the Bay Hill Invitational. He has a total of three top-ten finishes this year and is hungry for a win.

Said Garcia:

I am swinging it well and shots like the one on 18 tell you how confident I am with my swing. I mean, that two iron from 226. To hit it that close, its good to see. I’ve been playing well and I’ve finally been able to make a couple of putts here and there and you know that gets you going a little bit. On a day like today when you know that you’re going to have some four or five footers for par if you manage to make most of those it just keeps you up.

Sergio’s 66 on the first day was remarkable as the Quail Hollow Club is not a golf course that historically gives up low scores.

Continue reading “Sergio Hangs on to Lead at Wachovia”

While most of you were busy tracking the Big Break III winner Danielle Amiee on the LPGA Tour today, you missed a very entertaining first round at the Wachovia Championship. Spain’s Sergio Garcia lit up the first nine holes by shooting 30. He finished his first round at Quail Hollow with a 66, of which he was disappointed. Garcia said, “I’m happy about the round, but at the same time, I look at it and say, ‘This could have been amazing.’ I didn’t make as many putts as I deserved. I could have easily shot 61 or 62 – easily could have shot that.” A “disappointing” 66 was still enough to hold the two-shot lead.

Continue reading “Garcia Holds Two Stoke Lead at Wachovia”