News
Day 3 at 2012 Sybase Match Play Championship
Follow the quarterfinal matches at the Sybase Match Play, including Anna Nordqvist vs. Morgan Pressel and Stacy Lewis vs. Azahara Munoz. Quarterfinal matches at Sybase Match Play
read more at golf.com »Australian pro shoots 55, an apparent world record
Rhein Gibson made 12 birdies, two eagles and 4 pars on the way to shooting 55 at River Oaks last weekend in Edmond, Okla. Teeing off the 10th hole, he followed an opening par with an eagle, a birdie, another eagle, and then five straight birdies for a 26. He cooled off on the back with pars at the first and second holes, three straight birdies, another par, and then three more birdies - a lousy 29. Gibson, 26, is Australian and played college golf at Oklahoma Christian. Here's more from Australia's ABC News site: Only one other player has ever shot a 55 before -- Homero Blancas, a PGA Tour player from the 1960s, managed the feat on a par-70 course of just 5,000 yards. But that score was taken out of the record books after harder qualifying rules were set. Gibson's round falls in line with the new rules and is set to become a new world mark once it is cleared. ... "I just kind of got hot I guess and every putt I hit went in, that's the best I can explain it to be honest," Gibson said. As he faced an eight-foot birdie putt on his final hole, Gibson knew history was in the offing but felt calm. "I wasn't nervous," he said. "I had this song playing in my head. It is that new one from the Eli Young Band. It was in there all day." One of Gibson's playing partners was Ryan Munson, a financial adviser in Edmond who wrote about the round: Nobody really knew what was in Rhein's head, but I was as nervous as if it was my own round. He had a fantastic error-free round going. I just hated the idea of his only bogey coming on the last hole. Eric saw Rhein's swing and the ball taking flight. He said later the swing was perfect. The ball landed on the green behind the hole and stopped dead at about eight feet. Rhein had a putt for 55! Par was locked up. This would be a bogey free round of historic proportion. The buzzing from the crowd around the green resembled crackling electric lines. Other golfers, club staff, and even a group of ten year-olds, brought by the teaching pro to watch, were all eager to see a course record for the ages being set. Eric and I were doing everything we could do to avoid being a distraction but the emotion in the air was palpable. Rhein knew it. We knew it. We were part of something special. Time stood still. The ball left the putter on an aggressive roll - especially considering the fact that this putt was downhill and turning hard to the left. When it dropped out of sight, it had rolled over the exact center of the hole! Everybody went nuts! Oh by the way, I had just shot 69 and lost by 14 strokes.
read more at golf.com »Lexi Thompson makes TV appearance with prom date
Back in April, LPGA Tour phenom and soon-to-be high school graduate Lexi Thompson made a video plea to members of the military asking to take her to senior prom. Well the waiting is over, folks. After fielding a plethora of requests, Lexi found her man: Marine reservist Lance Corporal Mark Scott. The pair made an (awkward) appearance on Fox News's daytime show "Fox & Friends," decked out in -- what else? -- Puma Golf gear. Here is the result. Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
read more at golf.com »Day 2 at LPGA's Sybase Match Play
Follow the second round matches at the Sybase Match Play, including Natalie Gulbis vs. Amy Yang, and World No. 1 Yani Tseng vs. Katie Futcher, right here. Day 2 scores from Sybase Match Play
read more at golf.com »Day 2 at Volvo World Match Play
Brandt Snedeker lost to Branden Grace 4 and 3 on the second day of matches at the World Match Play, while Ian Poulter beat Tom Lewis 4 and 3. Find all the day 2 scores below. Day 2 scores from Volvo World Match Play
read more at golf.com »Truth & Rumors: Tiger Woods top athlete on Forbes Celebrity 100 List
Tiger Woods may not be pulling in as much dough as he did a few years ago, but he's still the top athlete on Forbes's annual list of the most powerful celebs. According to Forbes, Woods pocketed $58 million last year, down from $75 million in 2011, but the list also factors in "media visibility" -- TV/radio, web and print -- and social media. Woods ranked ahead of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer, David Beckham and Manny Pacquiao. Among all celebs, Woods came in at No. 12, down from No. 6 in 2011. Phil Mickelson ($48 million) landed at No. 48, ahead of Toby Keith and Lionel Messi. Jennifer Lopez topped the list, followed by Oprah, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg. Strange but true Golf Channel's Jason Sobel has the bizarre tale of Joey Snyder III, who's technically been on the PGA Tour for the last six years, but he's hardly played any golf. Due to an injury and several doctors who misdiagnosed his problem, Snyder has been sitting at home, but he's been able to keep his PGA Tour status. Four months of that. Three months with another doctor. There were even procedures done to potentially alleviate the pain. In late-2009, Snyder underwent surgery for a sports hernia, and then was told immediately afterward that he needed to have surgery on his right hip, as well. Neither solved the problem. He still couldn’t swing the golf club. All during this time, he heard the whispers from fellow PGA Tour members. When a player with full status is injured, he not only receives a medical extension which allows him to resume playing privileges once healthy, but also a monthly stipend during that absence. And this could be the craziest part of the story. During the six years he's been off the Tour, he and his wife had two children, and they've never seen him go to work. “I’ve been at home every single day of their lives. It’s been great. It’s been the only thing that’s kept me sane,” he explains. “They said, ‘Daddy, why do you have to go?’ I told them, ‘This is what Daddy does for a living. I know you haven’t seen it, but hopefully you’ll get to see what Daddy does.’” Quacking up Golfweek's Sean Martin tweeted this video of the Oregon Ducks men's golf team, and it's a doozy. Apparently taking a cue from Oregon alum Ben Crane, the boys in Eugene did a whopping 15 minute video on what it's like to be a part of the golf team. I got a few laughs from the first two minutes, but they lost me at about the five-minute mark. Tweet of the Day Among those who made it through local qualifying for the US Open: Arnold's grandson, Jack's son and Mickelson's brother. — Doug Ferguson (@dougferguson405) May 17, 2012
read more at golf.com »Day 1 at LPGA's Sybase Match Play
Follow the opening matches at the Sybase Match Play, including Natalie Gulbis vs. Mika Miyazato, and defending champion Suzann Pettersen vs. Jodi Ewart, right here. Day 1 scores from Sybase Match Play
read more at golf.com »Day 1 at Volvo World Match Play
Brandt Snedeker, whose clubs were lost during his flight to Spain, defeated Thomas Bjorn 5 and 4 in his opening match. The lone American in the field, Snedeker reportedly used borrowed clubs for several holes until his set arrived at the course. Day 1 scores from Volvo World Match Play
read more at golf.com »Whan: LPGA asked Augusta to host women's event
Keep your membership policy, but host an LPGA event at your course. That appears to be LPGA commissioner Mike Whan's stance on the controversial, men-only membership policy at Augusta National, according to a recent interview with Forbes, in which Whan said he asks the club every year to host an LPGA event. Forbes: Should Augusta National admit female members? Whan: As the commissioner of the LPGA, I think Augusta should have a women’s tournament. I don’t care if they have female members. Forbes: Really? Whan: Well, at the end of the day I would have a difficult time explaining to my kids why dad was a member of all men’s club. [Whan is not a member at Augusta.] And I really doubt by the time my kids are my age this will even be a topic. They’ll have female members by then. It’s a private club they can do what they want. It’s worth noting that Augusta National is an incredible supporter of some of our initiatives. They write us a six-figure check every year for Girls Golf, which helps gets girls into the sport. I don’t think it’s a guilt check. Maybe it is. What’s frustrating is that the best players now on our tour can’t play there. I ask every year.
read more at golf.com »Matt Kuchar suggests 40-second shot clock at tournaments
Players champion Matt Kuchar got an up-close look at the PGA Tour's slow-play problem when he was paired with endless waggler Kevin Na on Sunday, and now he's got a solution: a 40-second clock. MATT KUCHAR: It might be interesting to have a tournament with a shot clock. I think I read an article where there was a throw in an event where there is a full on shot clock on everybody on every shot. You would hope it wouldn't be a hard course. (Chuckles.) On a hard course you're going to find yourself in scenarios, I think in a couple of places, Charlotte, Memorial, the Master's, greens are fast, you have challenging shots. Three footers, it's easy to tap in. In certain places if you have three footers, and you miss, it's seven foot coming back. I would be interested to see a shot clock thrown out there. Q. What would be a reasonable time? MATT KUCHAR: Just the rules of golf, 40 seconds. Always the nice guy, Kuchar said that Na's slow play didn't affect him, but he did watch Na's painful starts and stops instead of looking away as some advised. "It did not have any affect on me," Kuchar said. "I watched Kevin, some people told me not to watch him, to turn my back to him, but I think even if I decided to turn my back I would still hear him [laughs]."
read more at golf.com »