Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Part-time strategy works well for Tour veteran Stricker


Part-time strategy works well for Tour veteran Stricker

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July 10, 2013 8:55 PM

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Steve Stricker of the U.S. hits from a bunker on the fourth hole during the final round of the 2013 U.S. …


(Reuters) - Like a connoisseur of fine wines, Steve Stricker prefers quality to quantity and his decision earlier this year to cut back on his PGA Tour schedule seems to have been a master-stroke by the veteran American.

He has recorded four top-10s in only seven starts on the U.S. circuit and is among the pre-tournament favorites for this week's John Deere Classic at the TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, where he is a three-times former champion.

"I don't know if my game has improved, my attitude is fresher," Stricker, 46, told reporters on Wednesday about the success of his part-time strategy on the 2013 PGA Tour. "I am excited to be at each and every event that I tee it up in.

"I still work at my game at home, just not as much. There are times now when I am home for two or three weeks I can set the clubs down for a week or two and then pick them up the week prior to get ready to come to an event.

"I am enjoying the down-time at home where I don't feel like I have to practice every minute. And that's been fun," said the American, who will miss next week's British Open to be at home in Wisconsin with his wife Nicki for their wedding anniversary.

A 12-times winner on the PGA Tour, Stricker said he had cut back on his playing schedule because of his desire to spend more quality time with his family while also retaining his love for competitive golf.

"This is my 20th year on tour and I want to make sure that I am fresh when I come out," said the softly-spoken Wisconsin native, who has long been regarded as one of the best putters in the game.

"I don't want to get to the point where I dread coming out. I am too old for that. I've seen guys through their career just feel like they have to come out and play for some reason and I don't want to be that guy.

"I want to be a guy who comes out and be excited to play, want to be there and put all my effort into playing well that week that I am there."


So far, so good for Stricker who has finished second twice this season, at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii and the elite WGC-Cadillac Championship among a string of good performances.

GOOD POSITION

In his most recent start, at last month's U.S. Open, he put himself in good position to clinch a first major title before fading in the final round on the way to a tie for eighth.

"Just getting it right in my mind at the start of the year that this is what I wanted to do was a big step in my own mind, knowing that I am doing the right thing," Stricker said of his curtailed PGA Tour campaign.

"And I feel good about what I am doing. That helps me play the way I have been playing too, I think."

Since his top-10 at the U.S. Open, Stricker has taken three weeks off but will launch his bid for a fourth victory at the John Deere Classic, in one of his favorite events, when he tees off in Thursday's opening round.

"It's always nice to be back and kind of re-hash some of the memories that I have had here, especially over the last four years," said the American, champion at the TPC Deere Run for three years in a row from 2009.

"I get excited to practice and get ready for this event. It's a fun tournament. It's kind of the way the tour used to be, in a smaller market ... where the town, the city, the volunteers really rally behind it to have an event.

"This is one of the more fun events I come to every year. I always look forward to coming here."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Ian Ransom)

Flawless Johnson in early tie for John Deere lead


Flawless Johnson in early tie for John Deere lead

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July 11, 2013 4:02 PM

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Zach Johnson of the U.S. tees off on the second hole during the second round of The Players Championship …


(Reuters) - Rejuvenated by improved form with his driver, Zach Johnson made a strong start to his title defense at the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois as he surged into a share of the early lead in Thursday's opening round.

The 37-year-old American piled up seven birdies in a flawless display for a sizzling seven-under-par 64 at the TPC Deere Run, finishing joint top with Colombia's Camilo Villegas.

Burly Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge was a further stroke back, mixing four birdies with an eagle at the par-five 10th to end the round level with Americans Matt Bettencourt and Daniel Summerhays.

Most eyes, however, will be firmly focused on Johnson who triumphed here last year with a birdie on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to edge out compatriot Troy Matteson.

Johnson has now posted sub-70 scores in his last 17 competitive rounds on the par-71 layout.

"I am very pleased," Johnson, a nine-times winner on the PGA Tour, told Golf Channel after making four birdies in his last nine holes. "Very few mistakes, one maybe two errant shots. I was very much in control, and very in control on the greens.

"I hit my driver beautifully, putted great and gave myself a lot of good opportunities. That's all you can ask for. Hopefully I can just continue that consistency for the remainder of the week."

Johnson was especially pleased with his driving, a component of his game which gave him trouble early on this season when he missed the cut three times in his first seven events.

"It feels tremendous," he smiled. "It's at the point now with my driver that I must have been way off (before). I feel very comfortable.

"I'm going to be hitting bad drives but I don't feel I have to grind as much off the tee box. The consistency of left-to-right and right-to-left is always nice on these tee shots.


"But I still have a lot of work to do. I am never going to be content. The leaderboard here is packed and it will be come Sunday."

GRANDSTAND VIEW

One player who had a grandstand view of Johnson on Thursday was three-times former champion Steve Stricker, who was paired with his fellow American in a high-profile grouping which also included Davis Love III.

"It was a lot of fun, an enjoyable round with two friends and watching Zach play, Zach played great," said Stricker, who charged into contention at one of his favorite events with an opening 67.

"He hit in there (close) a lot of times and when he sets the pace like that, you don't want to fall too far behind. You know he's played well here in years past and you've got to stay up to him because I think he's going to be tough to beat."

Stricker made an explosive start to his round, holing out with a sand wedge to eagle his opening hole, the par-five 10th. He got to five under for the round after 11 holes before recording two bogeys over his closing stretch.

"I kept it going for a little while, then ran into a couple of bad holes at four and five on the way in," said the 46-year-old American, who was champion at the TPC Deere Run for three years in a row from 2009.

"But a good start overall. I wish I could have taken a little bit more advantage of that start but I am pretty pleased with the way I finished off the round."

South African world number 10 Louis Oosthuizen, the highest-ranked player in this week's field, was among the day's late starters.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Frank Pingue)

Woods drawn with McDowell and Oosthuizen at Muirfield


Woods drawn with McDowell and Oosthuizen at Muirfield

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July 15, 2013 7:22 AM

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Tiger Woods of the U.S. walks across the 18th green during a practice round ahead of the British Open …



GULLANE, Scotland (Reuters) - World number one Tiger Woods has been drawn to play alongside former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and South African Louis Oosthuizen in the first two rounds of this week's British Open at Muirfield.

The trio will tee-off at 1445 local time (0945 EDT) on Thursday and at 0944 on Friday.

Defending champion Ernie Els, U.S. Open winner Justin Rose and American Brandt Snedeker feature in another marquee three-ball at 0911 in Thursday's opening round.

U.S. Masters champion Adam Scott has been drawn to play with American Matt Kuchar and Britain's Luke Donald.

(Reporting by Tony Jimenez, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

Muirfield is No. 1 on Open rota, says champion Els


Muirfield is No. 1 on Open rota, says champion Els

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Tony Jimenez July 15, 2013 10:19 AM.View gallery
Ernie Els of South Africa hits out of a from a bunker on the third hole during a practice round ahead …By Tony Jimenez
GULLANE, Scotland (Reuters) - Title holder Ernie Els believes Muirfield, the venue for this week's 142nd British Open, is the finest links course on the championship rota.
The globetrotting South African is not only the defending champion, having won the coveted Claret Jug at Royal Lytham 12 months ago, he also won the season's third major when it was last played at Muirfield 11 years ago.
"This course is right at the top of the list for me, right at number one," the 43-year-old Els told reporters on Monday.
"It looks very similar to 2002. It's a little firmer...but it's a great course. It's a wonderful design and the par-threes are unbelievable.
"The par-fives have been changed a little bit, they are longer, but each and every hole is different. Every links shot you could imagine, you are going to have to play it this week."
Els's assertion that the 7,192-yard, par-71 layout is the best on the rota is backed up by the former greats who have triumphed at Muirfield.
The list reads like a golfing 'Who's Who' and contains Harry Vardon (1896), James Braid (1901 and 1906), Ted Ray (1912), Walter Hagen (1929), Henry Cotton (1948), Gary Player (1959), Jack Nicklaus (1966), Lee Trevino (1972), Tom Watson (1980) and Nick Faldo (1987 and 1992).
"I'm fortunate enough to be in that group of players," said four-times major champion Els. "There are some marquee names who have won here.
"I really can't wait for it to start on Thursday, I really have a good feel about it. The weather here has been unbelievably good recently and the course is getting firmer and faster.

"Accuracy is going to be at a premium and your shot-making is going to be really tested. You're going to have to come in to the green high sometimes and you're going to have to come in with bump and runs so your short game will be tested."
Els won the U.S. Open in 1994 and 1997 before landing his first British Open crown in 2002.
Last year's victory at Lytham was especially sweet as it came after a 10-year wait to land one of golf's four majors.
"It's an amazing feeling," said Els. "It's just something you almost cannot describe.
"You know you've done something really special and you've joined a special club of players. For a long time you ride on that wave."
Els, who had a reputation as a hard drinker in his early days as a professional, took the Claret Jug with him on his travels after the victory at Lytham but the trophy was filled with something rather different this time.
"The jug went round the world in 2002 and it did a very similar thing in 2012," he explained. "There were some very similar travels but a lot different...how do I want to say?... there was juice drunk out of it this time.
"It went to just about every part of the world except maybe South America. I took some great photographs with it with fans and friends and family.
"That's the great bit that comes with it. Winning this championship, you can have the actual trophy and keep it for a year so it was a wonderful time."
(Editing by Clare Fallon)

Golf-World rankings


Golf-World rankings

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July 15, 2013 10:40 AM



July 15 (Reuters) - World rankings on Monday (U.S. unless stated, last week's positions in brackets): 1. (1) Tiger Woods 12.37 average points 2. (2) Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) 8.79 3. (3) Justin Rose (England) 7.82 4. (4) Adam Scott (Australia) 7.07 5. (8) Phil Mickelson 6.68 6. (5) Matt Kuchar 6.46 7. (6) Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) 6.12 8. (7) Brandt Snedeker 5.93 9. (9) Luke Donald (England) 5.68 10. (11) Steve Stricker 4.96 11. (10) Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 4.96 12. (12) Lee Westwood (England) 4.70 13. (13) Ernie Els (South Africa) 4.69 14. (15) Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 4.67 15. (14) Sergio garcia (Spain) 4.67 16. (17) Bubba Watson 4.45 17. (18) Jason Day (Australia) 4.42 18. (16) Keegan Bradley 4.42 19. (19) Webb Simpson 4.23 20. (20) Ian Poulter (England) 4.16 (Editing by Caroline Helly)