This week’s links include a chance to play with a pro, celebrity golf tournaments, the truth about Bart Bryant and a little bit about booz.
I sat around the house all weekend watching my favorite golfer, Fred Couples, almost win my second favorite golf tournament, The Memorial. I love Freddie’s swing. It’s so smooth and silky that it will almost put you to sleep while you’re watching it on TV. Plus, his demeanor is great on the course. He looks so relaxed.
I think I have the same silky-smooth style when I put the links together.
Bart Bryant’s clutch putting Sunday and great save on 18 propelled him to victory at Jack’s tournament.
The top of the leaderboard going into Sunday at Memorial had names like Toms, Couples, and Woods on it. It was Bart Bryant, however, that outlasted all of those guys to pick up his second career PGA Tour victory. His first victory came last year at the Valero Texas Open on the same day the U.S. was beaten badly by the Europeans in the Ryder Cup. Bryant stayed steady all day long, making clutch par saves throughout the round. He and Fred Couples began to separate themselves from the pack on the back nine at Muirfield. Couples took the lead outright with back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15. He then bogeyed 16 while Bryant birdied 17, and the two switched places with Bryant moving into the lead.
Continue reading “Bart Bryant Outlasts Couples to Win Memorial”
Annika Sorenstam claims an easy victory at the Shoprite LPGA Classic.
When Annika Sorenstam is at the top of the leaderboard it’s almost a given that she will reign victorious on Sunday. Annika has won her previous five matches where she either led or held a share of the lead going into the final round so it was no surprise that the 34-year old Swede would take control on Sunday. Sorenstam has six top-ten finishes out of the seven events she has played this year and is tied with Hall-of-Famer Betsy King for the most wins in this event.
Annika entered the final round sharing a one-stroke lead with Juli Inkster with only one-stroke separating the co-leaders from Laura Davies. At the end of the day Annika closed the door with an eagle at the 18th to finish with a 7-under par 64.
Sorenstam’s third Shoprite Classic victory gave her a $210,000 paycheck, a beautiful crystal globe and bragging rights.
Continue reading “Annika Sorenstam Coasts to Her 61st Win at Shoprite”
Jeff Sluman maintains the lead after two rounds at the Memorial but Tiger Woods and others are waiting to pounce.
Today was yet again another emotional cut day on the PGA Tour for Jack Nicklaus. The Memorial Tournament could quite possibly be Jack’s last PGA event on American soil. Nicklaus finished his career at the Memorial in a rather disappointing fashion when it comes to scoring. He opened with a 75 and ended today with a 77.
“It will probably close out my golf in the United States in regular tournament golf, more than likely,” Nicklaus said. “I may come back here, but I certainly wouldn’t plan on it.”
First round leader Jeff Sluman, whom opened with a 65 (-7), was able to maintain his position atop the leaderboard in the second round of the Memorial Tournament.
Continue reading “Sluman Holds Second Round Lead while Some Big Names are on Their Way Home”
Two-time Shoprite Classic champion Juli Inkster takes the top position in first round action from New Jersey.
Juli Inkster (65) has been playing at the Shoprite Classic every year since it began and was the tournament’s first winner in 1986. Both she and Annika are two-time winners of the event. The two ladies entered the clubhouse admirably after a rain-soaked round with Sorenstam just two strokes behind Hall-of-Fame member Inkster.
Even though Inkster used five gloves and several towels by the end of her round, her score proved her to be a veteran. A dripping Inkster had this to say to the media, “Believe me, I didn’t want to be out there. But I figure if I have to be out there, I might as well make it good.”
She sure made the Bay Course look easy. Although Juli Inkster hasn’t won a tournament in two years, she showed her competitors that she could still score. With six birdies, two chip-ins and an eagle at the 16th, Juli only stumbled twice with two bogeys to finish her round ahead of Sorenstam.
Continue reading “Inkster Leads, Sorenstam within two strokes at Shoprite Classic”
Nine players finished the first round of the Memorial Tournament within two shots of the lead. Jack finished a little further back than that.
Jesper Parnevik four-putted the second green after leaving his 35-foot birdie putt four feet short and lipping out his next two putts. Jeff Sluman had no such troubles en route to a blistering 65 in sometimes drizzling, sometimes windy conditions at Muirfield Village Golf Club in the first round of The Memorial Tournament.
Of course, Thursday and Friday at The Memorial are more a part of Jack Nicklaus’ collective ego stroke than anything, and the media will no doubt fawn over Jack’s +3 75. As well they should if for no other reason than his 75 beat world #1 Vijay Singh and Charles Howell III (77) by two, Mike Weir and John Daly by one (76), and Davis Love III (78) by three. Local knowledge had its advantages as Jack bounced two consecutive approach shots to within six inches (and bounced one tee shot off of a spectator’s jaw, sending him to the hospital). He later finished with three bogeys on the final four holes to move from even to +3.
Continue reading “Sluman Surges to First-Round Lead at The Memorial”
Women’s Golf Week starts June 4 and will give women the opportunity to get into the game of golf.
I once heard that golf was a 4-letter acronym. It stood for Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden. Being a golfer myself and having worked in the industry since I was 15 I can tell you this isn’t true. However, many women who have never played before might fall prey to the idea that golf is a man’s world. Thankfully, people like Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie are helping to turn this stereotype around. There are not alone in their quest to prove that golf is a gender-neutral sport. Women’s Golf Week, a Play Golf America initiative, is also dedicated to getting women involved in the sport.
The Memorial – due to Jack’s reputation with the powers-that-be – may find its neck on the chopping block come “contraction” time.
Jack Nicklaus has built a fine career for himself, and one of the crowning jewels in his lustrous golden cap is his own tournament, The Memorial. With one of the strongest fields in non-major golf, Jack’s tournament is regarded by many as one of the best of the season.
That view, I’ve come to learn, may not be shared by the Tour elite. I’m not talking about Tiger, but Tim. Not a guy from Fiji, but a guy named Finchem. PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and his very astute, very capable team of executives haven’t lost much love for Jack Nicklaus through the years. In fact, it’s safe to say they never really had much to begin with.
In fact, Nicklaus is so far on the outside of Finchem’s camp that, should the PGA Tour season contract this winter, The Memorial may find its neck on the chopping block.
Continue reading “Jack’s Tournament on the PGA Tour Contraction Chopping Block”
Tiger Woods looks to bounce back after missing the cut at the Byron Nelson, and Ernie Els looks to defend his Memorial title this week at Muirfield.
The Memorial is one of the best events on the PGA Tour every year and for great reason. It is Jack’s tournament, and the best players in the world usually come together to play the tournament. This year will be no different. The top three players in the world will be teeing it up this week, and all of them have won this tournament in the past. Tiger will be playing for the first time since his consecutive cut streak ended at the Byron Nelson a few weeks ago. He will be looking to get his game back in shape heading into Pinehurst #2 for the U.S. Open in two weeks. Muirfield Village Golf Club has been very good to Tiger in his career. Mr. Woods won this event three years in a row from 1999-2001. He also finished in third place last year at The Memorial.
