Category: PGA

Tiger Woods is in the field this week for the first time since his triumph at Augusta last month. He isn’t the only big name that will be in Charlotte for the Wachovia Championship. Tiger will be joined by two more golfers in the top four, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson. Vijay has played very consistently since The Masters, including his win two weeks ago at the Houston Open. The race for the number one world ranking will once again be a hot topic entering the week. Vijay pulled closer with his win in Houston, and he looks to gain even more ground on Tiger this week.

Continue reading “Wachovia Championship Preview”

Nicknames are part of sports folklore. Fans are eager to slap a sticker on any player with a special skill or quirky personality. There are plenty of both on the PGA Tour. Too often players are veiled behind their own celebrity or the blasé coverage tournament announcers churn out. For my part, I think tournament coverage can be too sanitized.

On the other hand, perhaps its good that coverage is so polite as television can magnify one’s faults. I remember Bill Cosby saying someone once told him cocaine is great because it intensifies your personality. Cosby asked, “Yeah, but what if you’re an asshole?” Maybe thats what colorful tournament coverage could do for us, but I digress.

So I invite you to get to know PGA Tour players a little better through this installment of “Player Nicknames.”

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Tiger Woods can’t seem to keep it in the fairway, and his caddie Stevie Williams can’t seem to keep the wheels on the ground. Williams, who suffered a major injury to his hand back in February while racing his saloon car in New Zealand, has gone and done it again.

The AP is reporting that Williams flipped and roll his limited saloon car four times in a dirt-track race on Saturday. Williams was examined by trackside paramedics and released at the scene, relatively uninjured.

Tiger Woods and Stevie have one of the best relationships on the PGA Tour according to many, and both have commented that their personalities are quite similar. Fortunately for golf fans, Tiger seems to get his thrills “engaging” in somewhat safer activities.

Photo Credit: © Lucy Nicholson/Reuters.

Chris DiMarco, leader after two and one-half and three rounds at the Zurich Classic and playing in his first event since losing The Masters to Tiger Woods in a playoff, fell to an even par 72 with an incoming 39 – including a three putt from 20 feet at the last hole, to fall one shot short of a three-way playoff and two shots short of an outright victory.

Tim Petrovic didn’t exactly finish strong either. His outward 32 put him in a good position, but he barely held on while coming home in even-par 36. Two birdies – on 10 and 18 – were offset by two bogeys on 15 and 17. His birdie on 18 to get to -13 came with James Driscoll and Chris DiMarco standing in the fairway at the finishing par 5, both at -13.

Continue reading “Chris Off DiMarc as Petrovic Takes PGA Tour’s Zurich”

After rain delayed play for much of the day the Zurich Classic got off the ground at 3:30 ET and continued until dark halted play part way through round three at TPC Louisiana. Officials gave credit to recently upgraded drainage for good playing conditions despite the weather.

Chris DiMarco’s impressive play against Tiger Woods at the Masters just three short weeks ago opened the eyes of many to his tremendous potential. Most importantly for Dimarco is that his performance at Augusta has given him needed confidence this weekend. He stands atop the leader board once again. “I played nice and got off to a great start, birdieing the first hole and then made a great birdie on four and birdied seven and eight back-to-back,” DiMarco said. “Being 4 under right now, I’m very happy.”

Continue reading “DiMarco Leads Halfway Through Round Three”

The India-born Arjun Atwal fired another solid round Friday in New Orleans to put himself in great position to win his first PGA Tour event. He had six birdies and two bogeys en route to his 68. Atwal was tied for the lead after the first round with Chris DiMarco but now finds himself atop the leaderboard all on his own. He leads J.J. Henry by one shot heading into the weekend, and DiMarco and Tim Clark are three shots back at eight under par. Lucas Glover sits at -7 and rounds out the top five going into Saturday’s action.

Vijay Singh, who won last week in Houston and is also the defending champion this week in New Orleans, shot a 71 on Friday and remains near the top of the leaderboard in striking distance. The other notable at the top of the leaderboard is Padraig Harrington, who also had a so-so round of 71 to stay in the hunt. These two will both be looking to go low tomorrow on “moving day” to put pressure on the leaders.

Continue reading “Atwal Takes the Lead Down in the Bayou”

Chris DiMarco and Arjun Atwal share the lead at seven-under after the first-round at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Defending champion Vijay Singh, coming off of a win at last week’s Shell Houston Open, is two-strokes back.

The Player’s Club of Louisiana is the home of this year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The Zurich Classic has moved to the year-old TPC of Louisiana from its prior host course, English Turn. Many players whom did not play in the pro-am and only had the chance to play one practice round were unfamiliar with the new course. The windy conditions did not help their unfamiliarity with the course too much either.

Continue reading “DiMarco, Atwal Lead First Round in New Orleans”

Vijay Singh is definitely getting comfortable with this defending champion stuff. Singh successfully defended his Houston Open title this past Sunday by edging out John Daly on the first playoff hole, and he will be looking to do the same this weekend in New Orleans. Last year at this venue, Vijay shot an awesome 63 in the final round to win by one stroke over Phil Mickelson and Joe Ogilvie. He will be looking to do the same this week because he is once again closing in on the world number one ranking. Vijay used a mistake-free (and nearly birdie-free) round of 70 to hold off Daly in Houston this past weekend, but he will need many more birdies than that this week to come out on top.

Continue reading “Zurich Classic of New Orleans Preview”

John Daly surged up the leaderboard Sunday with a stunning 67, but he dunked his ball when it mattered, and Vijay Singh walked easily to victory for his second straight Shell Houston Open victory and his third in four years.

Daly birdied the final two holes for his 67 to match Singh at -13 (275). His drive – with a fairway metal no less – dove left, bounced hard, and trickled into the water ont he first playoff hole. After blasting his third shot over the green, Daly had a 10-footer left for bogey when Singh tapped in for his par and the tournament victory.

Continue reading “Singh Takes his Second over Daly”