Puerto Rico Open Photos – John Daly and more

Ive just uploaded another batch of photos to the HOG 2010 Puerto Rico Open Photo Gallery, bringing the total to almost 250. In this batch are a bunch of shots from when I followed John Daly around. Boy was that fun. This guy has so much raw talent it is sick. Just looking at his technique in some of the still images I captured shows very well why this guy is so good. When he hits the ball it makes a different sound than when other players do.

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Puerto Rico Open Photos John Daly and more

Bunker Shots: Home of a Monster and Trump’s playground

Blasting into the week ahead, from the home of a Monster to Trump’s playground . . .

WGC-CA Championship

Feverish, shaky and drenched in cold sweat . . .

No, that isnt how PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has been waking mornings since Tiger Woods drove into a neighbors fire hydrant three months ago. Its how Phil Mickelson felt sleeping on the 54-hole lead the last time the WGC-CA Championship was staged at Doral.

Mickelson won at Doral despite suffering from a bout of food poisoning on the eve of last years final round.

Mickelson is back to defend his title at whats now being called the TPC Blue Monster at Doral, and theres something ailing him again. Hes been sluggish, out-of-sorts and just not himself so far this season. This time he appears to be suffering from a bout of ordinary golf, a malady far more difficult to win with than food poisoning.

Longtime fans of Dorals PGA Tour stop are fighting a sickening feel, too. The event begins with CA having yet to announce it will renew title sponsorship after its contract runs out at the end of this week.

Stance: If you stuck a thermometer in Leftys mouth, you might detect some frost. Mickelsons gone cold. In fact, you can argue this is the coldest hes been in a decade upon his arrival for the Florida Swing. Thats more a testament to Mickelsons past success on the West Coast Swing than an indictment of his uninspired form this season. In four starts, Mickelsons logged one top-10 finish. We know Mickelson can get off to slow starts, but this is his slowest since 2000, when he didnt have a top 10 in his first five starts. With Woods on the shelf, Mickelsons failed to capitalize on an opportunity to gain ground on the worlds No. 1. Of course, its all about the majors for Lefty, and hes still got a month to heat up for the Masters.

Takeaway: Hurry up, fellas. It looks like the money grab in World Golf Championship events is winding down with news that Woods is intensifying his work at Isleworth for a possible return. You could argue that Woods skipping the CA Championship is akin to tournament officials announcing theyre adding $1,530,000 to the purse. Thats the first-place check Woods would be eyeing if he were in the field. Woods is far more a sure thing in WGC events than he is in majors. Throw out the two-man team World Cups that were staged as WGC events, and 33 WGC tournaments have been played since they were initiated in 1999. Woods has won more than half of them. Hes won as many WGC titles (17) as Curtis Strange won PGA Tour titles. He has more WGC titles than Tom Weiskopf (16), Ernie Els (16) and Mark OMeara (16) have PGA Tour titles.

Bunker shot: Best player never to win a WGC title? Mickelson took his name out of that mix last year winning the CA Championship and the HSBC Champions. Who does that leave? Sergio Garcia isnt just in the running for best player never to win a major, hes also never won a WGC title. Neither have Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Jim Furyk.

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Bunker Shots: Home of a Monster and Trump’s playground

Only One Final Piece

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. Work on Tiger Woods new home continues in the shadow of the Honda Classic.

If Woods is going to build a new life, the folks who have invested their hearts and souls in returning the Honda Classic to its former status as one of the PGA Tours elite events would love hearing that he plans to do so with South Florida as his new home.

Woods created yet another buzz in the game this week with news that hes returned from rehab to the Isleworth community he calls home and that hes back on the range hitting balls.

Whats happening in Tigers home, where hell ultimately call home, may be personal matters but they are also relevant developments to the Honda Classics future.

The tournament is being rebuilt so formidably Woods looks like he could be the last piece in the events renaissance.

Im pleasantly surprised at the field, said Englands Paul Casey, runner up at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship two weeks ago. Its stacked with the worlds best.

Four of the top 10 in the world rankings are here. Theres No. 4 Lee Westwood, No. 6 Casey, No. 9 Rory McIlroy and No. 10 Padraig Harrington. There are plenty of other big names. Theres Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh, Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas, J.B. Holmes, Trevor Immelman and Rickie Fowler.

Corporate sponsors may be distancing themselves from Woods, polls may be showing that his popularity is plummeting, but the Palm Beach residents rebuilding the Honda Classic cant wait to welcome him to South Florida.

Thats if he still plans to move here after his fall from grace.

The uncertainty of that impacts this events future.

Just 26 miles north of PGA National Resort & Spa, Woods is building a palatial estate, a 9,000-square foot mansion on 12 acres of property he purchased for $44.5 million more than four years ago. The construction is reported to be the dream-home aspiration of Elin Woods, Tigers wife. The strife in the marriage, uncertainty whether the couple is still even living in the same house, casts doubt on the future of the property.

Still, constructions continuing, according to local real estate agents who work Jupiter Island. In fact, the Palm Beach Post reported last month that even as Woods was enduring the onslaught of reports of his infidelity, one of his attorneys was signing documents notifying Martin County officials of Woods intent to complete construction.

Honda Classic officials have worked hard to rebuild the event with hopes that Woods has noticed whats happening. Woods is a familiar presence in the area. Hes spent a lot of time in Jupiter with his yacht, Privacy, docked there. The hope among tournament officials was that Woods would be moved into his Jupiter Island compound before next years tournament.

Though Woods played the Honda Classic on a sponsors exemption when he was 17, hes never played the event as a pro.

Weve heard that he will support the Honda Classic as a hometown event, Honda Classic executive director Ken Kennerly said. Should he choose to relocate here, we hope he does play. Whether he moves here or not, I hope he considers playing because its a championship caliber venue and championship caliber tournament and our fields getting better and better every year. I think he would do well here.

The Honda Classic was an instant hit in its inception as the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic outside Fort Lauderdale in 1972. Gleason brought all his Hollywood buddies to the tournament and all the PGA Tours biggest stars showed up. Jack Nicklaus won the event twice in its formative years. It was conceived as a way to sell homes around Inverrarys new golf courses.

Through the 90s, with the West Coast Swing growing stronger and players dissatisfied with the Honda Classics move to new courses, the events fields weakened.

Kennerly and tournament director Ed McEnroe have engineered a re-making of the Honda Classic since moving into their roles before the 2007 event. They billed it as the new Honda Classic. They were part of the move to PGA National Resort & Spas Champion Course, a course redesigned by Nicklaus that features the trio of challenging holes (Nos. 15-17) called the Bear Trap. Nicklaus wasnt just recruited to spruce up the design before the inaugural event, he was brought in as a partner of sorts. The Nicklaus Foundation and its charities are among beneficiaries of the event.

The Champion Courses popularity has been a large factor in wooing players back.

The PGA Tour is viewed as events with Tiger Woods and those without Tiger Woods, said Rick Horrow, a CNN sports business analyst. Clearly, Ken Kennerly and Ed McEnroe have done a stupendous job of taking the Honda Classic to the next level. If this morphs into a Tiger Woods event, the skys the limit.

Originally posted here:
Only One Final Piece

Fantasy Island: Honda Classic

The PGA Tour swings over to Florida for The Honda Classic, the first of four consecutive events in the Sunshine State.

Each week, our GolfChannel.com staff will offer up their winning selections. The team includes senior writers Rex Hoggard and Randall Mell; Golf Channel annalyst Charlie Rymer; on-course reporter Jerry Foltz; editorial director Jay Coffin; editorial manager Mercer Baggs; senior producer Brian Koressel; travel editor Erik Peterson, and instruction associate editor Richard Currey.

Rex Hoggard Winnings: $1,785,071	Winner: Robert Allenby	The guy is two fliers away from two potential Tour titles this season, plays PGA National like he owns it (top-5 finishes in his last three starts) and lives close enough to the Champion layout that if he did own it he’d qualify for a homestead exemption.
Randall Mell Winnings: $687,730	Winner: Camilo Villegas	Though his long trip home to Colombia early in the week could weaken him, Villegas still looks like the man to beat at PGA National. You can see his game coming together and he has good vibes on a course he came so close to winning on three years ago. He makes his home now in Jupiter, Fla., just up the road from this golf course.
Charlie Rymer Winnings: $703,833	Winner: Ernie Els	Els is off to a solid start in 2010 with no finishes outside of the top 20. He won The Honda in 2008 and its hard to believe that was his last win on the PGA Tour. He is well rested from a reduced travel schedule for this season, and more importantly he has reacquainted himself with the old Big Easy form on the greens. Watch for Els to tame the Bear Trap this week.
Jerry Foltz Winnings: $1,775,095	Winner: Charles Howell III	With three top-10s already this season, he seems to be on the verge of finishing one off soon. Plus, the Augusta native has a higher goal: to qualify for this year’s Masters.
Jay Coffin Winnings: $434,937	Winner: Robert Allenby	Its the obvious pick, but Allenby is too good at PGA National to pass. That, and Ive gone with some off-the-wall picks the past couple weeks and need to make some cash. Still, Allenby hasnt finished worse than fifth the past three years and hes playing well now.
Mercer Baggs Winnings: $2,845,228	Winner: Ernie Els	Els won this event a few years ago and hasn’t won since on the PGA Tour. He’s playing better; it’s just a matter of if he still has the nerves to win.
Brian Koressel Winnings: $559,975	Winner: Padraig Harrington	The Irishman looks to get his 2010 campaign kick-started in a top-heavy, loaded European field.
Erik Peterson Winnings: $1,585,777	Winner: Rory McIlroy	The young stud validates his resume with a win on American soil, and takes another positive step toward becoming the first 21-year-old to don the green jacket since You Know Who.
Richard Currey Winnings: $1,484,208	Winner: Robert Allenby	Having a strong start to the 2010 season, with his worst finish being T-27 at the Northern Trust and being a past winner here at The Honda even if it was back in 97 I am looking for Allenby to come out strong at the start of the Florida Swing.

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Fantasy Island: Honda Classic

Daly says on Twitter to talk to golf writer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. John Daly was so irritated that a Florida newspaper wrote about his PGA Tour disciplinary file that he referred to the writer as a jerk on Twitter and posted the writers cell phone number for his followers to call.

The Florida Times-Union reported Tuesday that the file is now public record through Dalys unsuccessful libel lawsuit against the newspaper. The file is 456 pages and notes that Daly has been suspended five times and cited 21 times for not giving his best effort.

heres the JERK who writes NON-NEWS article on debut of my show CALL & FLOOD his line & lets tell him how WE feel, Daly said on Twitter, adding the cell phone number of golf writer Garry Smits.

The story appeared the day Dalys reality show made its debut on Golf Channel.

Smits, the golf writer for the Times-Union, said he received about 30 calls after a series of three tweets late Tuesday night, and nearly 100 calls by early Wednesday afternoon. Smits said most of the callers hang up, and about 30 left messages.

His fans are very unhappy, Smits said.

Daly removed the tweets by midmorning Wednesday. He did not return a voicemail left for him, although he said in a text message to The Associated Press, Gary left his cell number and e-mail address from phone number he left in the article public record far as Im concerned. He did not answer the phone after the AP received his text.

Bud Martin, president of SFX World and Dalys agent, could not immediately be reached for comment. The PGA Tour said it would have no comment on Dalys tweets.

Over the haters To me, this isnt journalism, its paparazzi-like gossip. Please try harder to find some REAL news next time Gary, said Dalys second tweet.

It was followed by, Gnight ALL but heres GARY SMITS cell number in case you didnt get it non sports writer.

The PGA Tour does not comment on player discipline, but it was forced to turn over Dalys file to attorneys for the newspapers parent company when Daly sued for libel. The file is now public record.

The lawsuit was dismissed a year ago, and Daly was ordered to pay nearly $272,000 in legal fees.

The 456-page file includes several newspaper clippings and incidents that already have been reported during Dalys tumultuous career. It also included some startling numbers he was placed on probation six times, ordered to go to counseling or alcohol rehab seven times, cited for conduct unbecoming a professional 11 times and fined nearly $100,000.

Daly has not had his full PGA Tour card since 2006 and has been playing mainly on sponsor exemptions.

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Daly says on Twitter to talk to golf writer

Quick Round with Mark Wilson

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. When Mark Wilson walks the fairways at PGA National, long-time Honda Classic fans stop and point.

Hes more than the first guy to win the tournament after it moved to the Champion Course in 2007. Hes the guy who won despite calling a two-shot penalty on himself after his caddie broke the Rules of Golf.

Wilson, 35, penalized himself after his caddie, Chris Jones, gave advice on club selection to a fellow competitor on the fifth tee in the second round. After Camilo Villegas asked his caddie what club he thought Wilson hit there, Jones chimed in.

Oh, its an 18-degree hybrid, Jones told them.

Wilson knew that response violated Rule 8-1 of the Rules of Golf, a rule that forbids a player or caddie from giving advice to anyone but each other, or a partner in match play. The rule falls into a gray area because the rules actually allow players to go up and look in a fellow competitor’s bag to see what club’s being used.

Wilson went on to beat Jose Coceres, Boo Weekley and Villegas in a playoff for his first PGA Tour title. He did it in dramatic fashion, making birdie at the difficult Bear Traps 17th hole. He won the Mayakoba Golf Classic last year for his second title and ended the season 32nd on the FedEx Cup money list, just missing out on a berth in the Tour Championship, which would have gotten him into his first Masters.

Before this weeks Honda Classic began, Wilson sat down for a Quick Round:

Honda Classic fans will always remember you for how you won, for the integrity you showed calling a penalty on yourself. How much are you still asked about it?

Im amazed how much it lingers and people still talk about it. I truly believed if it hadnt happened, I wouldnt have won the tournament. I was going through the motions that week. I just didnt really have it. The penalty was something that just spurred me on. After that happened, I birdied six holes to put myself in position to even think about winning and I played great on Saturday and ended up prevailing in the playoff.

You didnt fire your caddie, Chris Jones, for his transgression that day. In fact, youre still together, right?

This is our fifth year together.

Chris probably thought he was finished as your caddie that day.

We all make mistakes, and it was a big one at the time. I was disappointed. It was a weird situation. He was giving the spec of the club. It wasnt like he was saying, `Hey, its a 5-iron. He was saying, `Its an 18 degree. I think in his head he didnt realize that was wrong. We had a talk when he first started working for me, that this is something we dont do. Maybe other caddies signal across the tee box to other caddies, but we dont do that. You might give it to the TV guys, but you dont give it to other players because thats cheating. He was distraught, but hes a positive force on my bag. He helps me a ton. We have good camaraderie, and he knows my game as well as I do.

The rule you penalized your caddie for breaking falls in a kind of gray area and might be one of the most violated rules on tour. Should the rule be changed?

When I think about someone breaking that rule, its just laziness. All you have to do is walk over to someones bag on the tee box and see which club is missing. If someone cant do that, its just being lazy. I dont look at the rule as needing to be changed. Overall, I wish caddies and other competitors would hold it in the same regard, because I dont think everyone does. Its a tough one in the sense that people who might break the rule would argue, `Hey, Im just helping out a fellow brother out there. Were all a family. Like they are being nice about it. But its against the rules.

Are there any other gray areas in the rules like that which get violated?

The only thing that comes to mind is where a ball last crossed the hazard. Sometimes, when you have a long carry over water, youre not sure where it crossed. Youre supposed to know 100 percent. Youre supposed to know, `Yes, it crossed that little corner and you go up there and take your drop up there. Where you take your drop can save you a couple shots sometimes. That one is a gray area. Its what you see. You use information you get from marshals but thats not always right. There are certain players who might bend that slightly. You dont see it often. Im just saying, its really in the players head, if he believes it crossed a certain point, and if he can live with himself.

How often do you see cheating in a year?

I cant think of an instance. I might occasionally see a caddie flashing what club was hit. Some people might not call that cheating. When I see that, it might have been to the TV guy over my shoulder. I might have thought it was to another player. I cant think of anything. Its still a gentlemans game, and we call penalties on ourselves. Im still impressed when a guy comes out of the woods and says, `Hey, you know what, my ball moved back there and I replaced it and I added a shot to my score.

You tamed the Bear Trap (the 15th-17th holes) when you won that first year here at PGA National. You made birdie at the 17th in the playoff to win. Theres a lot of water through those three holes. How tough are they?

You really need to have a lot of confidence on those tee shots, to pick a good line. Its all about the wind on those holes. You hit some crazy clubs there. That 15th hole last year played into the wind every day, and Im hitting 4-iron. Same on the 17th, I was hitting 3- and 4-irons. In wind, it accentuates any spin you put on the ball. It may balloon or slice into the water. But you can also make birdies through there. If you hit quality shots, you are going to have makeable putts. Thats what is neat about those holes. No lead is safe. You can make 5 and 6 so easy through there.

The 15th and 17th are both tough par 3s. Which is tougher and how do you rank them among the toughest par 3s you play on the PGA Tour?

I think the 17ths a little tougher. Its got a little more length. And I think the elevated tee has something to do with it, too, with the wind there. The ball is in the air just a little bit longer. At 15, at least you are level with the green. It seems like a bigger green at the 15th.

I would put both of those par 3s ahead of the 17th at Sawgrass because of the wind. I would put the 12th at Muirfield Village first, that hour-glass green there makes it tough to get the ball in the right quadrant.

You and your wife, Amy, are expecting your first child right around the Masters. If you win an event here before the Masters and qualify to play at Augusta National, what will you do?

My wife and I talked about what would happen if I did get into the Masters. Our baby is due five days after the Masters concludes. I have to qualify first, but with that being said, if I got in the tournament and my wife went into labor, I am leaving the moment I hear. The birth of your child is so important. I have enough confidence in myself that I will get back to the Masters. My goals for the year, really starting the year, have been more spiritual goals than golf goals. I think if Im in the right frame of mind and my perspective is in the right spot, my golf is going to prosper. Im focusing more on that.

What kind of spiritual goals?

Im just trying to get closer to God, Jesus Christ. Ive just kind of figured that out the last year, my role in the world and the game. I think hes put me here to draw more people to him. I feel like the stage I have gives me that opportunity, and I dont want to waste that opportunity sulking about a round. Thats a day you can witness.

You came excruciatingly close to making the Tour Championship last year and all the rewards that come with it. Did that depress you or motivate you?

I took it as encouragement. I had that great week at Cog Hill (before the Tour Championship). I got paired with Tiger on Saturday. I was tied for the lead, on my home course. It was a magical week. I came out flat on Sunday but played well down the stretch. I took an aggressive line on the 18th with a 6-iron. I probably should have hit 5-iron to the fat of the green and taken my chances at making par, but I knew the birdie would have gotten me into the Tour Championship. I made a really solid swing and pulled it slightly in the water. I made a good bogey and walked away with no regrets. I woke up the next morning happy I had my best FedEx Cup showing ever and wasnt thinking, `Now Im not in the Masters or the U.S. Open. It would have been a lot easier scheduling this year, but it is what it is, and Ive done things in small steps in my career. It was motivation.

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Quick Round with Mark Wilson

No Guts, No Glory, No Trophy

The West Coast Swing is complete, and not an unforgettable moment too soon, it might be added, as three of the years first eight events were defined largely by players taking the conservative route to a second-place finish. Tim Clark began the layup drill when he knocked a 7-iron into Wedgeville instead of firing at the 18th green from 230 yards on the par-5 closer at the Bob Hope Classic.

Needing a birdie to force a playoff, Clark walked away with a par and a very nice payoff. A week later, Michael Sim submerged to the same strategy under strikingly similar circumstances at Torrey Pines: another par-5 18th with a green guarded by water, another one-stroke deficit, a 240-ish second from the fairway and another runner-up check.

No guts, no glory. Definitely no trophy.

Rickie Fowler, the stylish young hotshot who bears more than a passing resemblance to Lanny Wadkins, left mouths agape when he backed off a mere 210-yard carry into TPC Scottsdales 15th last Sunday. So much for that pedal-to-the-metal mentality, or just plain mettle. Little Rickie may become a big winner someday, but for right now, he looks like any other Tour pro minding his own bank account.

Thats the whole point here. Sim and Fowler own two of the games brightest futures but must also deal with the expectations that come with such promise. Clark, meanwhile, has piled up more earnings without a victory than any player in PGA Tour history, so none of the three needed help understanding the importance of a win while mulling the ramifications of risk vs. reward.

Were they playing for second? Of course not. Its their inability to think clearly that scares me. Clark, Sim and Fowler all were victimized by the convenient mentality, tricked into letting their fear overrule their sense of better judgment. Safety comes first when youre in first, not when you trail. Please consult the mirror before arguing otherwise.

Laying up, particularly from distances you wouldnt think twice about Friday afternoon, does not mean youre not trying to win, nor does an oversized portion of aggression guarantee anything but trouble. David Toms claimed the 2001 PGA Championship with a huge assist from caution. Hows my man Jean Van de Velde doing? Phil Mickelson got beat up for years because he consistently confused green-light opportunities with the yellows and reds.

What Clark, Sim and Fowler did succumb to is the failure to recognize good from great. Great players take chances. Great players understand that you do whatever it takes. Great players know the safe option isnt always the smart option. Most of all, great players arent afraid to fail.

John Hawkins appears on Golf Central every Tuesday at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET and on theGrey Goose 19th Hole every Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.

Leading Grant Waite by a stroke on the 72nd hole of the 2000 Canadian Open, Tiger Woods hopped into a fairway bunker and rocketed a 6-iron from 218 yards to a back-right pin leaning hard against a lake. This was before the atomic golf ball, right after Woods outlasted Bob May in one of the greatest PGAs ever played. He could have played an ordinary second shot and everyone would have marveled over Tigers level of self-control, but only in recent months has Woods become an expert on the difference between good risks and bad ones.

Fowler carries two hybrid clubs and a 3-wood but apparently, the holster is empty. If I was a couple [of shots] back and thinking I needed to make a few birdies coming in, I would have gone for it, he rationalized. Being one back at the time and putting a wedge in my hand from 80 yards, a lot of times Ill make birdie there.

Hey dude, did it ever cross your mind that you could make an eagle? Youre Rickie Freakin Fowler, the New Kid in Town, the second coming of Lanny. You wear orange pants, for crying out loud youve gotta have guts. Youre supposed to go down swinging, not while hedging your bets. The idea is to send a message loud and clear: You play to win and expect nothing less than clutch, heroic performances from yourself.

You believe, Rickie, because thats what champions do. Better safe than sorry? Sometimes, they mean the same thing.

The rest is here:
No Guts, No Glory, No Trophy

Bunker Shots: Bear Trap

Blasting into the week ahead, from the Bear Trap, as both stage and star, to something special on the Champions Tour …

The Honda Classic

Jack Nicklaus may be 70, but hes still handing out beatings.

Nicklaus wont be playing when the Honda Classic begins Thursday at PGA Nationals Champion Course, but his intimidating presence will be felt in the start to the Florida Swing.

Nicklaus redesigned the Champion Course in 1981, remaking the original George and Tom Fazio design. Nicklaus fingerprints are all over the 15th, 16th and 17th holes, famously known as The Bear Trap. When Nicklaus returned to toughen up the course before the Honda Classic moved there three years ago, he decided the Bear Trap needed no sprucing.

It will stand the test, Nicklaus said at the time. I dont care if they make golf balls go a thousand yards. The Bear Trap will stand the test no matter what the equipment is.

The Honda Classic will feature one of its strongest fields in recent years with four of the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking in the field, but local fans have learned they can count on a triumvirate of stars every year, no matter which PGA Tour pros show up.

The Bear Traps 15th, 16th and 17th holes are as much stars as stage.

The 15th hole is a 179-yard par 3 that wouldn’t be much more daunting if prison guards stood watch in towers there. A par under final-round pressure will feel like golf’s version of a stay of execution, birdies like a governor’s pardon. The only protection this hole lacks is a barbed-wire perimeter. The narrow green is guarded right by water and to the left by a large pot bunker. The prevailing wind is dead into the player’s face with club selection ranging from a 6- to 8-iron, depending on the strength of the wind.

The 16th hole is a 434-yard par 4 that doglegs right over water to a two-tiered green. This hole is an ageless, square-jawed sentinel that won’t be overpowered, even in this era of long-hitting titans. Only a fool will hit driver here. The approach is dead into the prevailing winds, requiring a mid-iron.

The 190-yard, par 3 17th hole is a twin menace to the 15th. There’s water around more than half the green with the prevailing wind quartering left-to-right and into the player’s face.

The 18th hole offers some drama with realistic shots at birdie, though its an ornery par 5 that yields lots of bogeys and worse.

Stance: PGA National Resort & Spa should feel like home away from home for Europes top players. The continents biggest stars are taking over the resort. Four of the top 10 players in the world will play the Honda this week, and they have something considerable in common: Theyre all European. Englands Lee Westwood (No. 4) and Paul Casey (No. 6), Northern Irelands Rory McIlroy (No. 9) and Irelands Padraig Harrington (No. 10) lead the field.

Takeway: Camilo Villegas makes his home in Jupiter, Fla., just a few miles up the road from PGA National, but hell be making an especially long commute to this weeks event. Hes flying home to his native Colombia early in the week to help host pre-tournament functions for the Nationwide Tour event that will be played there this week. He received an excused absence to skip the Honda Classic Wednesday pro-am to help his country as host but plans to fly back in time to tee it up in the first round at PGA National. Villegas has a good history at the Honda, tying for second in a four-way playoff that Mark Wilson won in 2007, the first year the event was played at PGA National.

Bunker shot: Ernie Els bears watching this week. He won the Honda Classic two years ago and calls the area home now. Els moved his family to the Bears Club in Jupiter after winning there. Hes off to a promising start this season. He hasnt shot a round higher than 70 in three stroke-play events. He tied for 12th at the Sony Open, tied for fifth at the Farmers Insurance Open and tied for 10th at the Northern Trust Open. Something large may be imminent for the Big Easy.

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The Toshiba Classic

The Champions Tour is off to a special start.

You only need look at the money list to see how special.

Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer and Tom Watson are 1-2-3 respectively.

Theyre all in the Toshiba Classic field this week at Newport Beach (Calif.) Country Club, where play begins Friday.

Stance: If you were going to design a start to the new Champions Tour season, you couldnt do much better than what weve seen. Watson beat Couples in a dramatic duel in the season opener in Hawaii, Couples bounced back to win in the years second event in Naples and Langer holed out from a bunker at the final hole to win in week No. 3 in Boca Raton. All three events came down to final shots at the final hole.

Takeaway: Couples vs. Watson. Who could tire of that? Another showdown is possible again this week with both players in good form.

Bunker shot: Did you see how high Langer leaped into the air after holing out from the greenside bunker to beat John Cook at the end of the Allianz Championship last week? If you wondered how hard these guys still grind to win, you got your answer. Langer didnt show that much joy when he won his two Masters titles.

Excerpt from:
Bunker Shots: Bear Trap

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Quick Round with Rosie Jones

Rosie Jones was there the first time the Solheim Cup matches were staged in 1990.

She was part of a Whos Who roster in American womens golf, playing alongside Hall of Famers Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley, Beth Daniel, Betsy King and Patty Sheehan with Kathy Whitworth as their captain.

Jones helped the Americans rout Europe 11 to 4 at Lake Nona Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., setting the tone for American dominance in the biennial event.

While Jones, 50, said this week that she was surprised to hear she was named the next U.S. captain and will lead the Americans next year in Ireland, she believes shes a worthy choice. Confidence has never been a problem for the former Ohio State standout. Shes always believed in herself. The 13-time LPGA winner made her name as a gritty battler, the kind of player perfectly suited to match play. A lot of that is due to the fact that she was a never a long hitter. She could wear opponents out getting the ball in the hole first with her deft short game and clutch putting.

Shes the kind of player who could will the ball in the hole, Daniel said.

Though Jones sank the putt that clinched the Solheim Cup matches in 2002, shes most remembered for her work in her last appearance. Shes remembered in 2005 for a knocking down a 30-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole at Crooked Stick to help her and Meg Mallon halve their four-ball match with Sophie Gustafson and Suzann Pettersen. It was an important putt because it prevented the Europeans from taking a lead into Sundays singles.

Jones has made seven Solheim Cup appearances, accumulating 12 points with an 11-9-2 record. Daniel, Juli Inkster and Meg Mallon are the only Americans who have made more Solheim Cup teams (8) as players. The only Americans to score more points than Jones in the matches are Inkster (18), Mallon (16) and Dottie Pepper (14).

Upon her selection as captain, I had a chance to catch up with Jones for a quick round:

So what was it like when LPGA commissioner Michael Whan called to inform you of your selection as the U.S. Solheim Cup captain for the matches at Killeen Castle in Ireland next year?

I was very surprised. I had been waiting for the announcement the last two or three months and actually stopped thinking about it for awhile. When I got the call from the commissioner, I didnt really know why he was calling me. I was pretty shocked and excited when he told me I was going to be the next captain. I had to ask him to repeat himself because I wasnt sure I understood him correctly.

The speculation among media was that Meg Mallon and Juli Inkster were the frontrunners. What did you think?

There was a lot of speculation, especially for Meg, because she was the assistant captain last year, but I think both Juli and I were great candidates and frontrunners along with Meg. With my having been retired for three years already, being off the tour a little bit, being older, and with Meg still being competitive out on the tour and getting ready to go back and play, I think it made sense. I felt in my heart of hearts it was my turn to captain. But you go through the committee, and you never know what will happen.

How do you rank this honor among your accomplishments?

Right up there with anything Ive done. I havent won a major, so this is a major accomplishment for me. Being on seven Solheim Cup teams and being a member of all those teams were huge. This was a huge honor for me. This is something you dont get because you played well one time. You get it because of lifelong achievement. Its an honor that exemplifies the spirit of the game and the spirit of the Solheim Cup competition and thats proven over time.

Whats your favorite Solheim Cup memory?

The one that sticks out is the big putt at the 2005 Solheim Cup, at the 18th green (on Saturday) that ended up tying the match because Sophie Gustafson made the putt on top of me. I was playing with Meg Mallon against Sophie and Suzann Pettersen. It was a huge feeling to make the putt in front of that crowd, on TV and in front of the captains of both teams sitting on 18th green. It was a huge moment for me.

You were a fiery player. What kind of captain will you be?

My plan is to be myself, depending on the same core fundamentals I used as a player: hard work, dedication, confidence, balance and honesty as I go forward as a leader. Those are the things I expect out of my players going into the competition.

The United States has dominated the event 8-3, but the Americans are just 2-3 on European soil. Whats the great challenge as captain going on the road?

There is a slight disadvantage going overseas. I felt that as a player. The captains tried to prepare us for that and we will do that for our players when we go over there. Well get less opportunity to play that course to get a feel for it. You have the time change, different food, but for the most part our teams done very well over there.

Do you have any Irish blood in you?

No, but Im fully American and thats what it takes.

Have you seen Killeen Castle to know what it will take to win there?

No, I havent been there, but Ive been looking it up online. I plan to visit later this summer. Im sure the LPGA will be wanting me to go over and check it out, but it just so happens Im taking a group of women over to Ireland as part of my Rosie Jones Getaways business. Its one of our destinations this summer. Ill make a side trip to Killeen Castle to check out the course.

What is it about your career that you are most proud of?

Having played in seven Solheim Cups. They were great honors to be on those teams. You have to play hard for two years to make that team. My 13 wins, all of those are huge highlights. I think the consistency to my game. When I look at my career as a whole, how many cuts I made, how many top 10s, how much money, I was a well-rounded player. I wasnt the kind of player who was up and down a lot. I was usually right in there, in the hunt. Im really proud of that.

Thirteen victories is impressive, but you mentioned that you never won a major. You had four second-place finishes in them. Did it bug you retiring without a major?

Thats one thing that bugs me more now than when I was playing. I felt like I had a great career, and Im very proud of it. I had a lot of chances to win majors but it just didnt happen. I didnt have that great back nine, or somebody else did. Ive had to live with that. Its been a disappointment in my career, but I wouldnt say it defined my career.

What are U.S. Solheim Cup players going to learn about their new captain? What do you most like about yourself and what do you most dislike about yourself?

The thing I like most about myself is I pretty much wear my feelings on my sleeve. You pretty much know me after the first meeting. Thats probably the thing I also dont like about myself.

Read the original here:
Quick Round with Rosie Jones

Tiger and Team Isleworth ready to take on Lake Nona

Tavistock Cup, the crosstown rivalry between Isleworth and Lake Nonas professional golf members, has finalized its field and set its pairings for the team competition, which takes place March 16 and 17.

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Tiger and Team Isleworth ready to take on Lake Nona

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