Haas' 7 over claims Sr. PGA Championship
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) -As Jay Haas approached the 18th tee at Oak Hill Country Club with a one-shot lead during the final round of the 69th Senior PGA Championship on Sunday, it felt eerily like the 1995 Ryder Cup all over again.
Same stingy East Course, same familiar pressure. And here was Haas' opportunity not to rewrite history exactly, but to make up for a memory that has troubled him since.
"I kind of had a chuckle with myself on the 18th tee, like, 'Well, you've been talking about this. It's time to put up or shut up,"' Haas said. "You talk about ripping it and all that stuff and, damn, if I didn't do it."
Did he ever.
Haas hit a perfect drive into the middle of the fairway and closed with a 2-foot putt for par to clinch his second Senior PGA title in three years with a final-round 4-over 74 to finish at 7-over 287, one shot better than Bernhard Langer. Haas won his 11th Champions Tour event and claimed the $360,000 first prize of the $2 million tournament.
Just as important, this was a finish that was far better than what happened 13 years ago, when Haas drove his tee shot into the trees and settled for bogey to lose the singles match to Philip Walton, giving up the decisive point in the European team's comeback 14 1/2-13 1/2 win over the United States.
"I exorcised some demons," Haas said. "If I could've played those two shots (today) in 1995 ... we probably would've won the Cup that year or tied it or whatever."
Langer, a member of that European team, also remembered 1995, and graciously congratulated Haas for his victory.
"I said, 'Well done and well-deserved,"' Langer said. "And he said, 'You know, there was one guy after the Ryder Cup that came over and said some nice words to me.' And he meant me. ... It was a pleasure playing with him."
It had to be a far bigger pleasure than playing this narrow and well-protected 7,001-yard course that surrendered only 12 sub-par rounds all week.
Langer, the third-round leader, posted a 76 on a day which he began with a double bogey after striking a spectator with his opening tee shot. Scott Hoch, Joey Sindelar and 1987 U.S. Open-winner Scott Simpson finished tied for third, two shots back.
"I probably had too much lunch or something," said Langer, the third-round leader, who played the front nine at 6-over 41 on Sunday. "There were probably numerous shots that weren't properly executed, let's call it that way. ... But it's done with."
Haas' 7 over was the highest winning score in relation to par in the 69-year history of Senior PGA, shattering the previous high of 2 over set by Sam Snead in 1970 at PGA National at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. It also marked the second-highest winning score in Champions Tour history, two short of Arnold Palmer's 9 over at the 1981 Senior Open at Oakland Hills.
Haas overcame a shaky putter during a topsy-turvy final round in which the final threesome - rounded out by local favorite Jeff Sluman - finished a combined 18 over for the day.
"Survived? That's kind of how I feel," Haas said following a five-bogey, one-birdie round. "I felt uncomfortable on the greens all along and made it much more difficult than it should've been."
That was a switch after Haas put himself into contention a day earlier with an eagle-2 on No. 17.
Starting the day a shot behind Langer, Haas then took the outright lead when he holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fifth, and eventually opened a three-shot lead on the field before stumbling on the back nine.
Haas finished with 34 putts on Sunday, including a missed 3-footer for par on No. 11, and a 12-footer for par on 17.
His struggles were mirrored through the rest of the field, which produced only 73 birdies on Sunday.
Sluman had the worst day among the contenders, finishing with a 78 to drop from second to ninth.
"Frankly, I just played horrible," Sluman said.
Greg Norman, who began the day five shots back and had all but conceded a chance at winning on Saturday, closed within two of the lead after posting three straight birdies on Nos. 12-14, putting him at even for the day and 7 over for the tournament. Norman, playing only his fourth event in two years, struggled down the stretch, finishing with a 73 and 10 over for the tournament to finish tied for sixth with Don Pooley and Ron Streck.
Haas became the 13th player to win at least two Senior PGA titles after he won at Oak Tree in 2006.
"I thought that one was awfully sweet," Haas said. "But I think this one is definitely better."
Copyright 2007-2008, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
Unretired for a weekend, Jones joins field for the 30th Corning Classic
CORNING, New York (AP) -The Corning Classic celebrates a milestone this weekend, and that was enough to lure Rosie Jones back.
Jones, who retired two years ago when her aching neck and body could no longer withstand the rigors of the American women's golf tour, just had to be here.
"It had been tugging on my sleeve a little bit," Jones said Wednesday. "Knowing that it was their 30th anniversary, I wanted to be here."
Jones, who had been here as a television commentator since retiring, was invited by tournament officials to take part in the festivities. And she thought if she was going to return, she might as well bring her clubs.
"When I called back, I said, 'Well, you know, if I'm coming up ... what are the chances that I can play?"' said Jones, whose last event on tour was the 2006 U.S. Open.
Turns out those chances were pretty good. Jones accepted a sponsor's exemption and will tee off Thursday in an afternoon group with Meg Mallon and Sherri Steinhauer.
"I was thrilled. It definitely would take this tournament to get me out of retirement," Jones said. "Wouldn't do this for any tournament."
That's understandable. Jones is the only consecutive Corning winner (1996-97) and its all-time money leader by a wide margin - her $564,630 (?358,426) in earnings is nearly double the total of runner-up Tammie Green.
Still, there is trepidation, even for the player who ranks eighth on the U.S. LPGA Tour's all-time money list with more than $8.3 million (?5.27 million).
"The more golf I play, the worse I feel," said Jones, who only plays a couple times a week these days. "I haven't really wanted to go back out and play on the LPGA in the last two years. This was really out on a limb for me. I just didn't really have that need or craving to play again. And now that I'm back here, it's a little bit scary. As soon as I hung up the phone I thought, 'What am I, crazy? What am I thinking?' I haven't really taken the game serious for over two years.
"But I want to play well," Jones said. "It would be a miracle to win. But you know what? Stranger things have happened in this game. You never know."
Although the tour's top two players aren't here - Lorena Ochoa dropped out after initially entering and Annika Sorenstam hasn't returned since she was runner-up to Kang Jimin in 2005 after winning the previous year - this year's field does include Paula Creamer and Jang Jeong, third and fifth on the 2008 money list. Also back are former Corning champions Han Hee-won (2006), Kang, Laura Diaz (2002), Sherri Turner (1988), Cindy Rarick (1987), and last year's winner, Kim Young.
The 51-year-old Turner turned teary-eyed when asked about the future of the Corning Classic. It comes near the end of a grueling 10-week stretch on the schedule between the Kraft Nabisco Championship in early April and the McDonald's Championship the second weekend in June, and rumors are afoot that it could be in jeopardy when its current contract expires in 2010.
"I just think that the older players, the players that have been here year after year, they just feel a connection with the community," said Turner, who will be playing here for the 24th time. "And a lot of the younger players - and I'm not really naming anyone in specific - plan their schedules around the biggest prize money. To them, it's become more of a business now. There's going to be some events that we're going to lose."
Copyright 2007-2008, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
22-year-old Anthony Kim cruises to Wachovia title; youngest PGA Tour winner in 6 years
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (AP) -Knee surgery prevented Tiger Woods from attempting to defend his Wachovia Championship title. Anthony Kim didn't disappoint fans at Quail Hollow Club looking for Tiger-like brilliance.
In a near flawless performance Sunday, the 22-year-old Kim became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in six years. Following monster drives with flagstick-hitting approach shots and steady putting, Kim shot a 3-under 69 to cruise to five-shot win over Ben Curtis.
The former NCAA freshman of the year at Oklahoma won't turn 23 until next month. But he dominated a star-studded field by finishing with a 16-under 272 total, three shots better than the previous tournament record held by Woods.
Kim earned $1,134,000 and became the youngest winner since Sergio Garcia won his third PGA Tour title in the 2002 Mercedes Championship.
Kim brought memories of Garcia, but for a different reason, when he strolled to the first tee Sunday with a four-shot lead and no PGA Tour wins. Garcia blew a six-shot lead at Quail Hollow in 2005 and lost in a playoff to Vijay Singh.
Kim birdied the first and fifth holes to pull away from playing partner Heath Slocum, who shot a 73 and finished at 8 under.
Kim made 25- and 20-foot putts for birdies on the seventh and eighth holes to reach 17 under for a seven-shot lead as his giant belt buckle reading "AK" sparked in the bright sunshine.
Kim's first miscue was on the par-4 ninth, when his drive landed in a fairway bunker, forcing him to lay up. He then hit the flagstick with his third shot and saved par.
Kim's bogey on No. 13 was erased with birdies on the next two holes. He finished bogey-bogey-par, pumping his fist as his last putt dropped, as he lapped a field that included 18 of the world's top 25 golfers,
Curtis' 65 was the best round of the day and the best final round in the tournament's six years. The 36-hole leader, Jason Bohn, shot a 71 to finish third at 10 under.
None of the big names lurking near the top of the leaderboard Sunday made a charge.
Jim Furyk (7 under) and Phil Mickelson (5 under) shot 72s. Singh was out of it before he hit two tee shots in the water on No. 17 before chipping in for triple bogey. His 74 left him at 4 under.
Robert Allenby's 66 put him at 9 under and alone in fourth place. But there was no match for Kim, who became the eighth 20-something golfer to win this year.
After leaving Oklahoma following his junior year, Kim tied for second in his PGA Tour debut at the 2006 Texas Open. He earned his tour card that winter and was the youngest rookie in 2007 when he had four top-10s finishes.
But Kim didn't come close to winning and struggled with his temper and his decision-making.
After missing three cuts earlier this year, the confident Kim started to practice more, hired veteran caddie Eric Larsen, and decided he'd no longer take unnecessary gambles on the course.
He played in the final group at the Verizon Heritage two weeks ago, but never threatened for the win. Things changed at Quail Hollow, where Kim finished tied for seventh behind Woods last year.
Kim is the fifth first-time winner in 2008, joining Brian Gay, Greg Kraft, Andres Romero and Johnson Wagner.
Copyright 2007-2008, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
Sorenstam wins Stanford International in playoff
AVENTURA, Fla. (AP) -At last year's ADT Championship, when Annika Sorenstam's first winless season since her rookie campaign came to a disappointing end, she issued what seemed like a vow.
"I'll be back," Sorenstam said that day in November.
Her performance this week shows she might be there.
Sorenstam's par on the first playoff hole Sunday was good enough to beat Paula Creamer and win the Stanford International Pro-Am, the Swede's 71st career victory on the LPGA Tour and one where she rallied from a one-shot deficit in the final two holes of regulation.
It was Sorenstam's second win of 2008, albeit both in events where Lorena Ochoa - who had won in each of the last four weeks before deciding to skip this event - wasn't in the field. Still, Sorenstam left Turnberry Isle on Sunday night convinced she's heading into the remainder of the season with a slew of momentum.
"I'm very, very excited with the way this season has started," Sorenstam said. "I feel like I've been very consistent. If we go back to the end of last season, the British Open and on, I've been top 10 every tournament except two. That's as consistent as when I was at my peak. I feel good about my game. I would say it's very, very close. This week, I hit the ball beautifully, I thought."
Creamer wouldn't argue with that.
She closed with a 69, and Sorenstam shot a 70. They finished at 8 under.
After a wayward 9-iron off the tee - "a careless shot," she said - followed by a poor pitch, Creamer made bogey at the par-3 17th to lose the outright lead with one hole left in regulation. At the par-5 18th, Creamer pulled her chip from just inside of 100 yards and was left with a 25-foot birdie putt, which stayed out and forced her to settle for par.
Both laid up at the 18th in the playoff, with Creamer facing a tricky downhill birdie putt from just off the fringe, and Sorenstam leaving herself a birdie try from almost the same spot where she missed a potential winner in regulation.
Sorenstam missed, but Creamer's 6-foot comebacker for par stopped short and gave the Swede the victory - her 16th in 22 career playoff appearances.
"It's very disappointing," Creamer said. "But at the same time, I'm going against one of the best players in the world ever to play golf. There's a lot to learn from that."
It was the first time in five weeks someone other than Lorena Ochoa won on the LPGA Tour. The top-ranked Ochoa skipped this event.
Young Kim (69) and Karrie Webb, who turned in the round of the week with a 7-under 64, tied for third, one shot behind Sorenstam and Creamer. Momeko Ueda (71) finished alone in fifth at 5 under.
It was Webb's best finish since placing second at last year's LPGA Championship, 17 events ago.
"It's a good finish for me," Webb said. "I would have liked to made the one on the last, but I feel great about things."
Sorenstam has similar sentiments. And in the playoff, her experience shone through.
A first-time playoff participant, Creamer said her hands shook grasping her putter.
Sorenstam was the polar opposite, exuding nothing but coolness and confidence. That was the difference.
"That's what I love. That's why I do this," Sorenstam said. "Not to say I want to have playoffs every week, but it's a lot of drama and you have to hit that certain shot when it counts."
Copyright 2007-2008, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
Wiebe leads Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am in bid for 2nd straight win
LUTZ, Florida (AP) -Coming off a victory two weeks ago in the Cap Cana Championship in the Dominican Republic, Mark Wiebe followed his opening 66 with a 65 to take a three-stroke lead in the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am on Saturday.
"I feel confident with my game," Wiebe said. "I played some good golf."
Wiebe reached 11 under to tie the event 36-hole record held by Bruce Fleisher (2000 and 2002). Defending champion Tom Watson (71) and Scott Hoch (67) were 8 under, and Tom Jenkins (66) and Mike Reid (68) followed at 6 under.
Wiebe had surgery on Feb. 20 in Denver to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He was back on the course hitting balls two weeks later.
"I had to talk my doctor into it," he said.
At the Cap Cana Championship, Wiebe won his second Champions Tour event in 12 starts since turning 50 in September. He had two victories on the U.S. PGA Tour.
"I don't anticipate him coming back to everyone else," Hoch said. "I think someone is going to have to go after him."
Hoch closed strong with birdies on 13, 15, 17 and 18.
"I started making putts," Hoch said.
Long ones at that.
His birdie putts at 15 and 17 were each 25 feet.
"I'm pleased with where I'm at," said Hoch, a two-time winner this year. "But yesterday I played much better and there's room for improvement."
Watson was stuck in neutral for much of his round.
A day birdieing seven of his final nine holes, Watson opened with 13 straight pars, made birdies at 14 and 16 but gave both shots back with a double bogey on the par-3 17th after hitting his tee shot on the 217-yard hole into the water.
Copyright 2007-2008, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
Snedeker pulls even with Immelman for Masters lead; Tiger struggling to rally
AUGUSTA, Georgia (AP) -Brandt Snedeker drew the first big cheer at windy Augusta National on Sunday, making a 35-foot eagle putt at the second hole to pull into a tie with Trevor Immelman for the Masters lead.
Immelman and Snedeker both made bogey at the first hole, leaving the South African with a two-shot lead. But the American reached the green with his second shot at the par-5 second, then rolled in a speedy putt to pull even with Immelman at 10 under.
Immelman drove his first shot of the day into the trees right of the fairway, leading to a bogey, and caught a bunker at the second hole, settling for par.
What about Tiger Woods? Starting out with a daunting six-shot deficit to Immelman, he showed no signs of winning his first major when trailing after 54 holes.
Woods parred the first three holes, then drove into a bunker at the par-3 fourth and lipped out a 3 1/2-foot putt to save par. He slipped to 4 under and remained six strokes behind.
The 28-year-old Immelman was hoping to win his first major. In fact, none of the top four on the leaderboard after three rounds had captured one of golf's biggest events.
Woods had 13 major titles, but all of them came when at least holding a share of the lead going to the final round. Only two players - Jackie Burke, who was eight shots down in 1956, and Gary Player, who rallied from a seven-shot deficit in '78 - have overcome larger final-round deficits to win the Masters.
Immelman shot in the 60s each of his first three rounds and was joined in the final group by Snedeker. The next-to-last pairing featured Steve Flesch, three shots off the pace, and Paul Casey, who faced a four-shot deficit.
Immelman got off to a shaky start, hitting his first tee shot into the trees along the right side of the fairway and lipping out a putt to save par. He managed to sink a testy 5-footer coming back for bogey.
Snedeker's first shot was much better, hopping down the right side of the fairway, but the wind sent his second shot off to the right of the green. He failed to get up-and-down, matching Immelman with a bogey and falling to 8 under.
Stewart Cink had it going early on. Playing with Woods, he birdied the first two holes to push his score to 6 under, just four strokes off the lead. British Open winner Padraig Harrington also had a pair of early birdies and was at 4 under.
Copyright 2007-2008, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
Masters rookie soaks up the experience - and plenty of pimento cheese sandwiches
AUGUSTA, Georgia (AP) -Let Tiger Woods worry about the green jacket. Johnson Wagner is more focused on the orangish - or is that yellowish? - delicacy that's as much a part of Augusta National as the azaleas.
Celebrating his last-minute invitation to the Masters, Wagner made a run on the pimento cheese sandwiches Monday. He managed to woof down three of them right out of the chute.
"I'm going to OD on pimento cheese," Wagner quipped. "I love 'em, just love 'em."
He might be feeling a little bloated by the time he strikes his first tee shot Thursday. After all, the listed ingredients include cream, sodium citrate, salt, sorbic acid, vinegar, ammonium sulfate, sugar, calcium propionate, soybean oil, and - oh yeah - those little red specks of pimento.
Not that Wagner is worried about such things.
He's planning on experiencing Augusta to the fullest, right down to the menu.
"I've been pinching myself all day," Wagner said. "This is just incredible."
Who can blame him for being so giddy?
A week ago, Wagner was a player going nowhere. He had missed six cuts in nine starts this year and ranked 193rd on the money list. Not exactly Masters material. But, with the first major of the year having reinstated its rule that gives all PGA Tour winners a spot in the exclusive field, the 28-year-old American had one more chance to get in.
The Houston Open.
He sure took advantage of it.
Wagner opened with a 63 - matching Adam Scott for the course record - and zealously guarded the lead the rest of the way, earning his first Tour win by two strokes.
"The first thought was, 'Oh my gosh, I just won on the PGA Tour,"' said Wagner, who had planned on taking a trip to the beach with his wife and another couple this week. "But immediately after that, I said, 'Holy cow, I'm in the Masters."'
In addition to his pimento cheese indulgence, Wagner relished some of the other traditions at this time capsule of a golf course.
He couldn't wait to get to the par-3 16th during his first practice round, yearning for a chance to skip his ball off the pond that runs nearly the length of the hole. The object is to hit a low screamer, have it ricochet off the water and come up dry somewhere near the flag on the other side.
Wagner actually thought of getting in a little practice after he arrived at his hastily arranged house near the course sometime after midnight.
"They had a swimming pool, and there's just a perfect little grass hill next to it," he said. "I thought, 'This is a great chance,' but I think there was (another) house on the other side. They probably wouldn't appreciate it."
Going sans practice, Wagner's first attempt lodged in the bank at the pond's far end - "pretty pathetic," he said. The next one rolled up just in the front of the green, and he moved on with a smile on his face. Mark off another line on that Masters checklist.
For one day at least, Wagner even felt like a bit of a celebrity.
"It seemed like every time I looked in the gallery, someone said, 'Hey, Johnson, congrats, great playing last week,"' he said. "It was amazing that so many people knew my name and knew what happened. It was probably the greatest day on the golf course I've ever had."
Otherwise, it was a typical Monday before the Masters. Some 40,000 fans milled around the one-time nursery, posing for pictures in front of the famous scoreboard along the first fairway or queuing up in lines that seemed to stretch on forever outside the merchandise store. Youngsters dressed in garish yellow coveralls and matching caps with "Litter" written above the bill got some last-minute instructions on how to keep the grounds looking immaculate.
And, of course, everyone strained for a look at Woods. The world's No. 1 player, four-time Masters winner and overwhelming favorite arrived Sunday, played another 18 holes Monday morning and planned one more practice session before beginning his quest for a Grand Slam.
"He's the only player capable of doing that," Steve Stricker said. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if he does do it."
In recent days, Augusta National was softened by 3 inches of rain, with the chance of more thunderstorms this weekend. That could present a much different setup than a year ago, when bone dry fairways allowed Zach Johnson - all 160 pounds of him - to keep up with the big hitters.
Johnson was able to lay up on the par 5s and still do most of his scoring, finishing with a 1-over 289 that matched the highest winning score at the Masters.
"It would be nice if the fairways could be dry again," said Nick O'Hern, the left-handed Australian who might have trouble outdriving some of the guys down at the muni. "You just hit it as far and as straight as you can. There's no shaping the ball, except to the greens. Just get up there and smash it."
Even on the rain-soaked grounds, plenty of players managed to get a sampling of Augusta's fiendish greens.
Jeev Milkha Singh of India, who got in with a special foreign invitation, worked on some chipping from just behind the three-tiered ninth green. Two of his skittish attempts didn't even make it past the fringe. Another skidded by the cup and kept right on rolling down to the second level, finally stopping some 40 feet away.
And this was just practice. Imagine what that shot might look like when he's playing for real.
Wagner is a Masters rookie, but he does have some experience at Augusta National. He got a chance to play a few rounds for fun 4 1/2 years ago as a guest of his great-uncle, who happens to be a member. He even managed to get off a joke when he pulled up to the gate on Magnolia Lane.
"Hey, do y'all have any tee times for the morning?" Wagner asked the security guard.
Good one, rookie.
Now go have another pimento cheese sandwich.
Copyright 2007-2008, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
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