Golf-Fitzpatrick ends England's wait for U.S. Amateur title

 

August 19, 2013

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Teenager Matthew Fitzpatrick became the first Englishman to win the U.S. Amateur Championshipin 102 years after he defeated Australian Oliver Goss in the 36-hole final on Sunday.

 The baby-faced 18-year-old from Sheffield, whose younger brother acted as his caddie, sunk a par putt on the 33rd hole to close out a 4&3 victory in the matchplay format tournament held at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

 "I mean, it's absolutely amazing," said Fitzpatrick, who won the title on the same course where amateur Francis Ouimetclaimed his famous U.S. Open victory in a playoff against Harry Vardon and Ted Ray a century ago.

"I can't really describe how I'm feeling at the minute. That's sort of what everyone wants in golf, wants to achieve, and I'm pretty sure Justin Rose said that after his U.S. Open that it's nice to go down in the history books."

 Rose became the first Englishman in 43 years to win the U.S. Open when he won his first major at theMerion Golf Club in June.

 The amateur, who grabbed attention last month when he won the silver medal at the British Open as leading amateur, ended England's wait for a victory in the tournament since Harold Hilton lifted the trophy in 1911.

The win earns Fitzpatrick, who is soon to begin a golf scholarship at Northwestern University in Chicago where former world number one and fellow Briton Luke Donald studied, an exemption into the 2014 U.S. Open provided he remains an amateur.

 He is also exempt from next year's British Open and is likely to receive an invitation to The U.S. Masters at Augusta.

Fitzpatrick led the 19-year-old Goss by one after the morning round but the Australian tied the match on the opening hole of the second when his opponent missed a seven-foot par putt.

The Englishman, who came into the event as the number two ranked amateur in the world, won the next two holes to take the lead for good.

"I'd probably say this week what's come out most is that my short game has just been really, really top drawer," Fitzpatrick said. "I'd say my weakest part of my game was into the greens.

"What's come out more than anything is I've just putted really well." (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by John O'Brien)

Liberty National has face-lift since last Barclays

 

Larry Fine August 20, 2013

By Larry Fine

 JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (Reuters) - Liberty National burst into prominence as a golf venue with its great looks at New York harbor, the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline but it took a face-lift to smooth some rough edges for The Barclays.

 Liberty National, built on reclaimed landfill on the banks of New York harbor, had its high-profile "coming out party" in hosting The Barclays in 2009 but the long, narrow layout designed by Tom Kite and Bob Cupp was not universally embraced.

Tiger Woods remarked to a player in his pro-am group that "Maybe Tom (Kite) did this course before his eye operation", in ripping some of the severe undulations on the greens.

Kite, who shed his thick-lensed eyeglasses after having Lasik surgery in 1998, fell in love with the project in 1992 and was determined to create with Cupp a world-class venue.

"We probably pushed it a little, but to get to host a tournament of this stature, you want it to stand up to them and be a challenge," Kite told a pair of reporters in a chat by the practice area on Monday.

"When I look back, a couple of greens might have pushed it a little bit."

A total of 74 changes were made to the course, many of a subtle variety involving 15 of the 18 holes.

 "I think it is a very fair golf course," said Cupp, who added that some of the changes were made to comply with PGA Tour wishes. "The tour likes to see the boys making birdies."

Five greens were entirely rebuilt and another six were adjusted. Thirteen landing areas were altered and 11 tee boxes were expanded or moved, among the changes.

Thick rough has been cut back, allowing players to rescue drives that settle before reaching the tangly fescue that lines many of the holes.

The finishing hole is using a back tee box that enabled organizers to move the green forward and open up a dramatic view beyond the 18th green.

 Kite and Cupp worked with Steve Wenzloff, the PGA Tour's vice president in charge of design services and player liaison, on some of the changes needed to ensure the venue's place in the New York-area rotation used for The Barclays.

"It's still a hard golf course, and there's nothing wrong with that," Wenzloff said. "The teeth will still be in it, just the teeth won't sink as deep into your skin."

 (Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

LPGA teen sensation Charley Hull back to work

.

View gallery

• 
  .
• 
  .
• 
  .

August 20, 2013AP - Sports

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Charley Hull returned to work Tuesday, a New York Yankees baseball cap on her head and the British flag on her golf bag.

The 17-year-old made headlines and raised expectations on both sides of the Atlantic with a brilliant performance in the European victory Sunday over the Americans at the Solheim Cup.

But Hull said nothing has changed before she hit the driving range at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club to prepare for the CN Canadian Women's Open.

''I've always aimed high, so I'm not really bothered by anyone's expectations. It's what I think and what I want to do,'' said the golfer from Kettering, England.

The youngest to ever play in the Solheim Cup, Hull racked up an impressive 2-1-0 record and dismantled American Paula Creamer 5 and 4 in Sunday's singles at the event near Denver.

''I didn't feel it (the pressure) as much as I thought I would. I felt like it was just another game of golf, you know,'' Hull said.

''The crowds were really, really big. People can find them intimidating, so I just kind of tried to trick my mind (to shut the crowds out) and go out and play my own game.''

Hull, who turned pro in March, will play in Edmonton as a sponsor exemption. However, she has already received permission from the LPGA to play on tour before she turns 18.

View gallery."

Europe's Charley Hull, of England, lines up a birdie putt on the 17th hole during four-ball matches  …

She'll participate in the second stage of Q-school in October, and if all goes well she will be on tour starting Jan. 1.

She has already been tearing up the courses on the Ladies European tour, with five runner-up finishes. But she says she wants to tee it up with the best.

''I want to get on the LPGA,'' she said. ''Everything seems bigger. The players are better. It's just playing in front of bigger crowds more, so it's more fun.''

Hull has already made an impression by not standing out. She has not courted sponsors in order to avoid distractions.

Her red and black Titleist golf bag is a monument to minimalism. Aside from her name, there is little to distinguish it - no puppet heads or cutesy club covers.

''That's not me,'' she said.

The only personalized item is a fist-sized stuffed heart hanging on the side, wrapped in the flag of Britain.

Does it have special meaning?

View gallery."

Europe's Charley Hull, from England, reacts after making a birdie putt on the 17th hole during a fou …

Sort of.

''My friend gave it to me, so I thought rather than just put it in the (rubbish) bin, I'll put in on the golf bag,'' she said.

How about the Yankees hat? Big fan of America's iconic sports franchise?

No, she said, it's just something she picked up in England.

''I wear this hat because it's more comfortable on my head than the other hats. I don't even know what the (NY) symbol means.''

Hull is already known for her plain speaking. Recently she said it's ''silly'' for some golf courses to have male-members-only policies, adding, ''We are all equals and should be treated as such.''

Hull's father, David, said she got some of that from him.

''I've always brought her up to tell the truth and be honest,'' he said. ''I think that's what people should do in life. Say what you see.''

View gallery."

Europe's Charley Hull, left, from England, is congratulated by teammate Jodi Ewart Shadoff, also fro …

David said he could tell early his daughter was wired for golf.

''When she was 4, she just picked it up. She was so gifted. A natural, the way she could hit a golf ball,'' he said. ''I could show you a video of her swing when she was seven. Her swing was pretty similar (to what it is now).

''She could use her hands. (The club) seemed to be a part of her. It was strange.''

It wasn't in the genes, he added.

''I didn't start playing golf till I was 45. It doesn't come from me.''

He said his daughter practices 6 hours a day, and she thrives on the challenge.

''When she was little they used to say 'Oh, you're a girl, you have to play off the ladies' tees,''' he said.

''She would say, 'I don't want to do that. I'm playing with the boys. I want to challenge them.' So they let her play off the back tees with the boys.''

That's why the LPGA is the next step.

''There's a lot more competition here,'' he said. ''If she wants to get better that's what she wants, so I'll have to come with her until she's 18.

''I'll babysit her,'' he said, laughing.

Golf Notes: Spieth back in NY with different view

.

View gallery

• 
  .
• 
  .

DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer) August 20, 2013AP - Sports

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) -- To realize how far he has come,Jordan Spieth only has to consider the last time TheBarclays was played at Liberty National. He was about 30 miles away at Trump National, winning the U.S. Junior Amateur at age 16.

Four years later, Spieth not only is in the big leagues, he's trying to make the All-Star Game.

With a win at the John Deere Classic and a playoff loss last week at the Wyndham Championship, the 20-year-old Texan goes into the playoffs with the No. 8 seed and would seem to be a shoo-in to reach the Tour Championship.

Tiger Woods was the last player to start a season with no status and reach the Tour Championship.

''It's pretty wild,'' Spieth said. ''Each year ... I have a goal to achieve, to reach that new, higher level. And so far each year, I've been on track. This year, I maybe skipped a few steps. Like I've said before, I don't really think of my age as my age. When you're out here, everyone is your peer. New goals come up each day that I'm trying to reach out and accomplish. You can't ever really rest out here. Everybody passes you up.''

Since the FedEx Cup began in 2007, the No. 8 seed at the start has reached the Tour Championship every year.

Woods reached the Tour Championship in 1996 the old way, when it was the top 30 on the money list. He won twice in seven events after winning the U.S. Amateur for the third straight time.

---

OH, BROTHER: Two players are making it a little bit harder on themselves to qualify for the Tour Championship by skipping the first playoff event at The Barclays.

One is missing by choice, the other because of a family obligation.

Zach Johnson, at No. 18 in the standings, will be in Chicago this week for his brother's wedding. Only one player has started at No. 18 and failed to reach the Tour Championship - J.B. Holmes in 2010.

Steve Stricker is not at The Barclays because of his part-time schedule. He won the event in 2007 at Westchester Country Club.

---

DOWN TO THE WIRE: Patrick Cantlay won his second start on the Web.com Tour at the ColombiaChampionship and looked set to earn a PGA Tour card. But the former UCLA star missed three months with a back injury, only returning last week and missing the cut.

View gallery."

Zach Johnson Chips to the 11th hole during the second round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournam …

During that time off, Cantlay has fallen to No. 25 on the money list.

The top 25 after the Cox Classic this week in Omaha, Neb., are assured their PGA Tour cards for the 2013-14 season, and the next 50 are thrown in with the PGA Tour players from 126-200 in the FedEx Cup standings to fight for the other 25 cards.

Cantlay's lead over Wes Roach at No. 26 is a mere $2,807.

Farther down the list is Michael Connell at No. 75, the cutoff for getting into the series of four tournaments to vie for 25 tour cards. Connell's lead over Zach Sucher is $126.

---

THE C'S HAVE IT: European captain Liselotte Neumanntold her team not to look at the scoreboards Sunday in the Solheim Cup, worrying only about their match instead of what kind of comeback the Americans might mount.

Turns out it didn't matter, as Europe led early in the singles and had control most of the day.

It's the lineup that made it clear Neumann was expecting a win all along. Just look at the names at 4-5-6 in the lineup, along with the ninth spot - all of the players had a first name that started with the letter ''C.''

She revealed Sunday night that every player that has won the decisive point for Europe in their four previous wins all had names that began with ''C.''

Catrin Nilsmark in 1992. Carin Koch in 2000 at Loch Lomond. Catriona Matthew in 2003 at Barseback. Caroline Hedwall in 2011 at Ireland.

''We just tried to put all the players that their names start with a 'C' close together,'' Neumann said. ''And it worked out really good. That was the strategy.''

She smiled at the silence.

''Did you get that?'' she said. ''Did I lose you?''

The winning putt came from Matthew in the No. 6 slot.

View gallery."

Jordan Spieth tees off from the third tee during the third round of the Wyndham Championship golf to …

---

GRAND SLAMMED: In a development that shocked no one,British Open champion Phil Mickelson has pulled out of thePGA Grand Slam of Golf because of a scheduling conflict. He was replaced in the field in Bermuda by Padraig Harrington.

Harrington won a year ago as an alternate for Ernie Els.

Mickelson shot 59 in the Grand Slam when he won at Poipu Bay in 2004. He was runner-up to Tiger Woods in Hawaii the next year. He has not played it since.

---

MISREADING THE TEA LEAVES: Tiger Woods was the overwhelming favorite going into the PGA Championship, particularly coming off a seven-shot win at the Bridgestone Invitational. But looking back at the whole of his career, it's not as though Woods ever had a strong record of making majors a consecutive win.

The PGA Championship was the 20th time he had gone into a major coming off a win. His majors record under those circumstances is 4-16.

Woods won the Memorial and U.S. Open in 2000; The Players Championship and Masters in 2001; the Buick Open and PGA Championship in 2006; and the Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship in 2007.

His record in his next start after winning a major is 4-10. That includes a second-round loss in the Match Play Championship in 2009, held eight months after he won the U.S. Open and then had reconstructive knee surgery.

---

DIVOTS: Rory McIlroy plans to play in the Australian Open this year, held Nov. 28-Dec. 1 at Royal Sydney. ...Hideki Matsuyama tied for 15th in Greensboro and easily wrapped up a PGA Tour card for the 2013-14 season. Matsuyama, who had a pair of top 10s in the majors, made $771,640. That would be the equivalent of No. 105 on the money list. ... Davis Love III ended his streak of 27 consecutive years inside the top 100 on the PGA Tour money list when he failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs. ... Eight players failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the FedEx Cup began in 2007 - David Toms, Padraig Harrington, Chad Campbell, Vijay Singh, Jonathan Byrd, Troy Matteson, Sean O'Hair and Robert Allenby. ...NBC Sports is televising the final round of the Evian Championship, the fifth and final major of the LPGA Tour season. It will be shown from noon to 1:30 p.m. EDT. ... As expected, Matt Kuchar is playing the World Cup in Australia at Royal Melbourne, one week after the Australian Masters on the same course.

---

STAT OF THE WEEK: Four players qualified for the FedEx Cup playoffs without having a top 10 this year on the PGA Tour.

---

FINAL WORD: ''I don't think that golfers care about how long it takes, I think they care if they wait. I think that should be everybody's mission when they play. Don't have anybody wait on you.'' - Judy Rankin.