Category: PGA

Vijay Singh lipped out no more than a three foot putt on the second playoff hole and the Irishman Padraig Harrington has captures his first victory on the PGA Tour four days shy of St. Patrick’s Day. Harrington, who started the day 8 back of the leaders and finished more than 90 minutes before the third-round leaders, fired a course-record 63 to Singh’s 64 to get into the playoff. Joe Ogilvie – not third-round leader Geoff Ogilvy – fired a 68 to get into the playoff, but was eliminated on the first hole with a bogey.

Continue reading “Luck of the Irish: Padraig Drives Away with the Honda”

The windy conditions made it difficult for players to go low in the third round of the Honda Classic. However, Geoff Ogilvy overcame an eight-stroke deficit to join Brent Wetterich at –12 to sit atop a crowded leaderboard. Lee Janzen, who bogeyed the last hole to shoot 72, is in a tie for third with Pat Perez at -11. Ogilvy fired a third round 64, while Wetterich followed his opening 66s with a 72. Ogilvy is looking to win his second tournament of the year, after winning in Tuscon last month, while Wetterich is looking for his first PGA win.

Continue reading “Ogilvy and Wetterich Share Honda Lead”

Half of the field got a break and the other half was dealt some serious pain. Players who teed off Thursday morning in cold, wet conditions at the Honda Classic played the afternoon on Friday… just as the winds started gusting to 30 MPH. Nine of the top twelve players after two rounds had the easier go: Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

Brett Wetterich (-12) holds a one-stroke lead over a surging Lee Janzen, and first-round leader Chad Campbell sits two back at -10. Wetterich played the first 36 holes without a bogey and fired consecutive 66s. Janzen, who has not won since his US Open victory in 1998, made five putts between 15 and 35 feet to get to -11. Campbell was tied for the lead, but bogeyed two of the final four holes to shoot 71, now tied with Robert Damron, who pulled out a nifty 65. Vijay Singh, who will not be able to regain the #1 spot in the world rankings even with a win this week, shot 69 on Friday afternoon and was at -8

Continue reading “Wetterich Leads Janzen at Windy Mirasol”

Heavy rains Wednesday forced the cancellation of the Honda Classic Pro-Am. However, the rains were a blessing in disguise for most players since the typically hard, fast greens at the Sunrise Course became far more receptive. Tournament officials also put lift, clean, and place (dubbed “lift, clean, and cheat” by tour pros) into effect due to the water-logged fairways. First-round scoring reflected this, with 59 players at even par or better. However, it was Chad Campbell who stood above the crowd with an impressive first-round score of 64. Although course conditions were softer, wind gusts of 15 mph combined with a long 7,468-yard course presented some difficulty for the players.

Continue reading “Campbell’s 64 Leads at Honda Classic”

There will be no repeat of a Phil vs. Tiger final round of the 33rd Honda Classic. However, this tournament still boasts an excellent field with some recognizable names: Vijay Singh, Davis Love III, Fred Couples, and David Toms just to name a few.

Last year it was breakthrough winner Todd Hamilton who fought off Davis Love III to win the event. Hamilton managed to birdie the final two holes to clinch his first Tour victory. Unfortunately, the scene has become too familiar for Davis Love III, who has finished 2nd at the Honda Classic the last two years, and cites that as a major reason for competing this year. Only three golfers have won this tournament multiple times: Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, and Mark Calcavecchia. However, there are nine previous winners in the field this year ready to join the other greats as two-time winners.

Continue reading “Honda Classic Preview”

WOW!

Tiger Woods made a statement Sunday, outdueling Phil Mickelson and slaying the Blue Monster in the process. Tiger Woods has won the 2005 Ford Championship at Doral and, in doing so, re-claimed his spot on top of the World Golf Rankings.

Woods, who began the day two shots back of Mickelson, first took the lead when he eagled the 603-yard par-5 12th after knocking a 3-wood 295 yards to the back of the green. We’d later learn that he hit it a bit thin. Sheesh!

Continue reading “Monster Mash: Tiger Topples Mickelson, Doral”

“Phil Mickelson vs. The Blue Monster” ended in a TKO, with Phil Mickelson firing 64, 66, 66. But Sunday’s matchup is even better.

Tiger Woods fired a blistering 63, with a back-nine 30, and put the pressure on Mickelson, who managed to retain a two-stroke advantage going into the final round at the Ford Championship at Doral. Mickelson is at -20, Tiger’s at -18, and nobody else is closer than -14.

Miami ain’t exactly the Ol’ West, but there’s a showdown scheduled for 1:45pm EST today, and it’s World #2 vs. World #4. Tiger is spotting Mickelson – who has lead or shared the lead in each of his last ten stroke-play rounds – one stroke a side. Who will win?

Continue reading “Doral Showdown: Woods v. Mickelson”

Phil Mickelson is playing like the world’s number one golfer of late and proved it again today. He fired a 6-under 66 to claim exclusive rights to first place and sits at -14. His six birdies put him two strokes ahead of Billy Andrade. Phil – not the course – is the true monster this week.

On a course that historically has been one of the PGA’s most dramatic, we are seeing some low scores. Just to give you an idea of what these guys are up against, the Blue Monster is a par 72 7,255-yard course. There are 117 sand bunkers and water comes into play on 12 of its 18 holes. The 18th hole was the most difficult hole on the PGA Tour last year. It is a course that attracts the world’s best golfers and has provided some memorable moments since the tournament’s inception in 1962.

Continue reading “Mickelson: the Real Monster at Doral”