Golf-Strong Firestone finish lifts Kaymer for Oak Hill

Golf-Strong Firestone finish lifts Kaymer for Oak Hill

August 6, 2013








By Mark Lamport-Stokes

ROCHESTER, New York, Aug 6 (Reuters) - A storming finish to last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone has given Germany's Martin Kaymer a huge boost ahead of this week's PGA Championship, where he will bid to claim a second major title.

By his own lofty standards, the former world number one has not played particularly well this year but a superb four-under-par 66 on Sunday in tricky scoring conditions confirmed the hard work he has put into his game in recent months is paying off.

"I was very pleased at Firestone, especially with my short game," Kaymer told Reuters.

"It paid off in the final round especially. I had one bunker shot that I holed and one chip-in and that really kept my round going. And it was nice to finish off with a birdie as well."

Kaymer tied for ninth at Firestone, where he recovered from a poor opening round of four-over 74 with scores of 67, 69 and 66.

"It was a great fightback," said the German, a 10-times winner on the European Tour who felt that many of the requirements on the heavily tree-lined Firestone layout had given him an ideal buildup to leafy Oak Hill.

"You had to hit a lot of fairways at Firestone. There were a lot of tee shots where you just have to stand on the tee box and 100 percent commit to it. I really enjoy those types of golf courses and this week is very similar."

Kaymer enjoyed golden seasons in 2010 and 2011, the highlights being his first major win at the PGA Championship, in 2010, his rise to the top of the world rankings and a maiden crown in one of the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) events.


MIXED BAG

Though he shone for Europe at last year's Ryder Cup when he secured the vital point to retain the trophy, beating Steve Stricker in singles, his overall form dipped in 2012 and this season has been a mixed bag.

"Very average, I would think," Kaymer, 28, said of a winless 2013 campaign that includes three top-10s in 13 starts on the PGA Tour and a best finish of a tie for fifth at the Byron Nelson Championship in May.

"But I have worked a lot on certain things, on my short game and my swing, and I am certainly aiming for much more success over the next year, year-and-a-half than this season.

"My form has been a bit like a big puzzle that has to find its own way to get together, but it's getting there."

Tiger Woods has been installed as a heavy favourite for the PGA Championship after coasting to a seven-shot victory at Firestone, but Kaymer rejects the notion of a one-horse event.

"To be honest, I don't really care," he said. "I try to do my own game.

"Obviously Tiger seems very confident at the moment and if you have won an event eight times, like he has at Firestone, you know exactly where to hit it and the experience you have gives you a lot of confidence.

"But for me, this week is all about playing as good as I possibly can. There are many other good players out here too."

Kaymer has been grouped with defending champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and 2004 winner Vijay Singh of Fiji for the first two rounds at Oak Hill. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)

Strong Firestone finish lifts Kaymer for Oak Hill

Strong Firestone finish lifts Kaymer for Oak Hill

Mark Lamport-Stokes August 6, 2013







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Martin Kaymer of Germany waits to putt on the first green during the first round of the British Open …


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

ROCHESTER, New York (Reuters) - A storming finish to last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone has given Germany's Martin Kaymer a huge boost ahead of this week's PGA Championship, where he will bid to claim a second major title.

By his own lofty standards, the former world number one has not played particularly well this year but a superb four-under-par 66 on Sunday in tricky scoring conditions confirmed the hard work he has put into his game in recent months is paying off.

"I was very pleased at Firestone, especially with my short game," Kaymer told Reuters.

"It paid off in the final round especially. I had one bunker shot that I holed and one chip-in and that really kept my round going. And it was nice to finish off with a birdie as well."

Kaymer tied for ninth at Firestone, where he recovered from a poor opening round of four-over 74 with scores of 67, 69 and 66.

"It was a great fightback," said the German, a 10-times winner on the European Tour who felt that many of the requirements on the heavily tree-lined Firestone layout had given him an ideal buildup to leafy Oak Hill.

"You had to hit a lot of fairways at Firestone. There were a lot of tee shots where you just have to stand on the tee box and 100 percent commit to it. I really enjoy those types of golf courses and this week is very similar."

Kaymer enjoyed golden seasons in 2010 and 2011, the highlights being his first major win at the PGA Championship, in 2010, his rise to the top of the world rankings and a maiden crown in one of the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) events.

MIXED BAG


Though he shone for Europe at last year's Ryder Cup when he secured the vital point to retain the trophy, beating Steve Stricker in singles, his overall form dipped in 2012 and this season has been a mixed bag.

"Very average, I would think," Kaymer, 28, said of a winless 2013 campaign that includes three top-10s in 13 starts on the PGA Tour and a best finish of a tie for fifth at the Byron Nelson Championship in May.

"But I have worked a lot on certain things, on my short game and my swing, and I am certainly aiming for much more success over the next year, year-and-a-half than this season.

"My form has been a bit like a big puzzle that has to find its own way to get together, but it's getting there."

Tiger Woods has been installed as a heavy favorite for the PGA Championship after coasting to a seven-shot victory at Firestone, but Kaymer rejects the notion of a one-horse event.

"To be honest, I don't really care," he said. "I try to do my own game.

"Obviously Tiger seems very confident at the moment and if you have won an event eight times, like he has at Firestone, you know exactly where to hit it and the experience you have gives you a lot of confidence.

"But for me, this week is all about playing as good as I possibly can. There are many other good players out here too."

Kaymer has been grouped with defending champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and 2004 winner Vijay Singh of Fiji for the first two rounds at Oak Hill.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)

New dad Hunter Mahan ready to resume major chase

New dad Hunter Mahan ready to resume major chase

PGA.COM August 6, 2013







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(Getty Images)


By Stan Awtrey, PGA.com Contributor

Rochester, N.Y. -- Hunter Mahan may not win the PGA Championship this week, but he's the leader in the clubhouse in the race for Father of the Year.

Mahan was all smiles and sounded like a typically excited first-time father on Tuesday when he talked about his decision to walk away from the 36-hole lead at the Canadian Open so he could be present at the birth of his first child.

"Usually Twitter, they tell me how much I suck all the time and how dumb I am, so I figured somebody would say, 'You're an idiot, you didn't know what you're doing, you can't throw it away,'" Mahan said Tuesday during his news conference at Oak Hill. "But I didn't see that. It's been pretty much a consensus of people saying I did the right thing."

All the excitement happened two weeks ago. Mahan had opened with rounds of 67 and 64 and led the Canadian Open by two shots. He was warming up on the range at Glen Abbey when his agent, Chris Armstrong, approached him with the long-awaited news. Kandi Mahan had called several times to say her water had broken and the baby was on the way.

That's when Mahan turned into his own travel agent. He began looking for the fastest way to get back home to Dallas, finally hitching a ride on a buddy's corporate jet that got him home around 6:30 PM. By 7:15 he was by Kandi's bedside, where he remained until Zoe Olivia Mahan was born at 3:25 PM.

"If felt like 30 minutes when it was said and done," he said. "It was a wild day. But you know, I wouldn't change it for the world, so it was a great experience."

Mahan withdrew from last week's WGC Bridgestone Invitational to stay home with the family. He had more important things to do. There was a baby to hold, clean and feed.


"Staying home last week, really just cherishing that time and being with Kandi and Zoe and my parents were there ... It was a great time," Mahan said. "I really soaked it in and appreciated it and used it wisely."

Mahan must now learn how to juggle family and career. He's spoken to Justin Leonard, Brandt Snedeker and Matt Kuchar, to get some ideas about mixing fatherhood and professional golf. The process that once seemed intimidating, now seems quite natural -- even the part about leaving home to continue his career.

"I felt like I got that out of my system to where I can come back and be focused and play," Mahan said. "I knew if I tried to maybe force it and play last week, I would have wanted to be in two places at once and just wouldn't have worked out. But I felt prepared to leave them and I felt prepared to be here."

This week any separation anxiety will be eased by the videos and photos that he receives electronically from Kandi.

So now he's at Oak Hill for the PGA Championship, trying to win his first major title. Mahan has had opportunities this year. He was in the final pairing at the U.S. Open and the British Open, but couldn't close the deal. (He did get an earful on Twitter both times that happened.) He wound up tied for fourth at Merion and tied for ninth at Muirfield. At age 31, he's in the same demographic as recent first-time major winners Adam Scott and Justin Rose, who were both 32.

Mahan said he's excited about his chances at Oak Hill. He referred to it as a "ball-striker's place" with small greens that are receptive to good shots.

"There are a lot of ways to play this golf course, but good iron play is going to be huge, because you've got to know how far you're hitting it," he said. "You can make a lot of good swings out here and just make bogeys and doubles pretty easily. So if I can do that, which I feel good about, I think I'll have a chance on Sunday."

And a Wanamaker Trophy might look pretty good sitting next to Zoe's crib.

Scott and Furyk share first-round lead at 65

Scott and Furyk share first-round lead at 65

PGA.COM August 8, 2013







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Adam Scott shot a 5-under 30 on the front nine en route to his first-round 65. (Getty Images)


By Doug Frguson, Associated Press

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- With every major, Adam Scott is making a convincing case that he isn't satisfied with just a green jacket.

Scott ran off five straight birdies early in his round at soft and vulnerable Oak Hill, and finished with a 15-foot par for a 5-under 65 that gave him a share of the lead Thursday with Jim Furyk in the PGA Championship.

Scott finally became a major champion at Augusta National in April when he won a playoff at the Masters. Just three weeks ago, he had the lead on the back nine at Muirfield in the British Open until he made four bogeys to fall back. In the last major of the year, Scott at times looked unstoppable.

His five straight birdies quickly put him atop the leaderboard with Furyk, and after a 71-minute delay when storms moved into the area, Scott added a sixth birdie on the par-3 15th to reach 6 under. He was on pace to tie the major championship record at Oak Hill until a three-putt bogey on the 16th.

"Just got on a bit of a roll and hit a few shots close," Scott said. "I didn't have too much putting to do. You've got to take advantage when it happens, because it doesn't happen too much in the majors. Nothing to complain about in 65."

There were hardly any complaints on Oak Hill, a course that has yielded only 10 72-hole scores under par in five previous majors. It's only Thursday, and the players felt as if they got off easy. Rain overnight and humid conditions kept the course soft, and birdies were dropping at an alarming pace.

Except for Tiger Woods.

The world's No. 1 player made only two birdies despite playing in the still of the morning, and he watched his round fall apart with a bogey on par-5 fourth and a double bogey on his final hole when his flop shot out of a deep rough floated into a bunker. Woods had a 71, not a bad start at Oak Hill, except on this day.

There were 35 rounds under par, compared with only a dozen rounds in the 60s when the PGA Championship was here 10 years ago.

"The round realistically could have been under par easily," Woods said.


Furyk, who won his lone major at the U.S. Open in 2003 at Olympia Fields, has gone nearly three years since his last win at the Tour Championship to capture the FedExCup and win PGA Tour player of the year. Still fresh are the four close calls from a year ago, including the U.S. Open.

He was as steady as Scott, rarely putting himself in trouble until the end of the round. Furyk missed the fairway to the right and had to pitch out because of thick rough and trees blocking his way to the green. That led to his only bogey, but still his lowest first-round score in 19 appearances at the PGA Championship.

"Usually disappointed with ending the day on a bogey," Furyk said. "But you know, 65, PGA, is not so bad."

David Hearn of Canada, an alternate until a week ago, had a 66 in the morning. Also at 66 was Lee Westwood, who had his best score ever in the PGA Championship and offered evidence that there was no hangover from losing a 54-hole lead in the British Open last month.

There were no record scores at Oak Hill despite the soft conditions, just a lot of low rounds.

"If you don't hit it in the fairways, then you won't score well," Westwood said. "These guys are good. There are a lot of good players playing in the tournament. Somebody is going to hit it straight, and somebody is going to shoot a good score."

Even Rory McIlroy got in on the act. The defending champion, at the end of a major season that has been a major disappointment, came out firing with three birdies on the opening four holes and made the turn in 32 until back-to-back bogeys. He wound up with a 69.

A resurgent Paul Casey was in the group at 67, while U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, British Open runner-up Henrik Stenson and the ageless Miguel Angel Jimenez were among 11 players at 68.

British Open champion Phil Mickelson wound up with the same score as Woods, only they arrived at 71 on vastly different roads. Woods had only two birdies. Mickelson shot 71 despite two double bogeys. On the par-5 fourth hole, he hooked his tee shot out-of-bounds and nearly lost the next tee shot in the same place. And on the closing hole, Mickelson looked as if he was back at Winged Foot -- wild left off the tees, a reckless attempt into the trees and another double bogey.

He headed straight to the practice range, even summoning coach Butch Harmon down from the Sky Sports television booth.

Scott hasn't won since the Masters, though he has shown full control of his swing. He looks at these next 10 years as a chance to win more majors and establish himself as a major force in his generation.

"I put a lot into my game the last two years with a focus on the big tournaments," Scott said. "Everyone around me has had the same focus, as well. We come here to do business."

Scott, Furyk tied for lead at Oak Hill

Scott, Furyk tied for lead at Oak Hill


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DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer) August 8, 2013AP - Sports








PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- Adam Scott began the final major of the year with a tee shot deep into the trees. He ended the opening round of the PGA Championship by having to gouge out of deep rough. It was the golf in between that was some of the best he has ever played, even for an Australian with a green jacket.

Showing that he's not satisfied as only being a Masters champion, Scott ran off five straight birdies early in his round Thursday on soft and vulnerable Oak Hill, and a 15-foot par putt at the end gave him a 5-under 65 and a share of the lead with Jim Furyk.

''Probably the best run I've ever had,'' Scott said of his five straight birdies. ''I just hit really nice shots and didn't leave myself too much work. You have to take advantage of that if you're feeling that. It was a dream start after kind of a nervous first couple of holes.''

It felt like an easy start to so many others.

Oak Hill has such a strong reputation that it has yielded only 10 scores under par over 72 holes in five previous major championships. The last time the PGA Championship was held on this Donald Ross design in 2003, there were only 12 rounds under par on the first day.


But with overnight rain, humid conditions and a 71-minute delay for storms in the afternoon, Thursday might be as easy as it gets. Scott and Furyk had plenty of company, two of 35 players who broke par.

Tiger Woods was not among them.

The world's No. 1 player made only two birdies despite playing in the still of the morning, and he watched his round fall apart with a bogey on par-5 fourth and a double bogey on his final hole when his flop shot out of a deep rough floated into a bunker. Woods had a 71, not a bad start at Oak Hill, except on this day.

''The round realistically could have been under par easily,'' Woods said.

Furyk, who won his lone major at the U.S. Open in 2003 at Olympia Fields, has gone nearly three years since his last win at the Tour Championship to capture the FedEx Cup and win PGA Tour player of the year. Still fresh are the four close calls from a year ago, including the U.S. Open.
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Tiger Woods waves after a par on the 17th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf t …

He was as steady as Scott, rarely putting himself in trouble until the end of the round. Furyk missed the fairway to the right and had to pitch out because of thick rough and trees blocking his way to the green. That led to his only bogey, but still his lowest first-round score in 19 appearances at the PGA Championship.

''Usually disappointed with ending the day on a bogey,'' Furyk said. ''But you know, 65, PGA, is not so bad.''

David Hearn of Canada, an alternate until a week ago, had a 66 in the morning. Also at 66 was Lee Westwood, who had his best score ever in the PGA and offered evidence that there was no hangover from losing a 54-hole lead in theBritish Open last month.

There were no record scores at Oak Hill despite the soft conditions, just a lot of low rounds.

''If you don't hit it in the fairways, then you won't score well,'' Westwood said. ''These guys are good. There are a lot of good players playing in the tournament. Somebody is going to hit it straight, and somebody is going to shoot a good score.''
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Tiger Woods reacts to his tee shot on the 17th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship g …

Scott certainly didn't start out that way. He had to pitch out from the trees on No. 1, but managed to get up-and-down from about 85 yards in front of the green, and after two more pars, he began his big run of birdies.

''Just got on a bit of a roll and hit a few shots close,'' Scottsaid. ''I didn't have too much putting to do. You've got to take advantage when it happens, because it doesn't happen too much in the majors. Nothing to complain about in 65.''

He felt similar to the opening round at Royal Lytham & St. Annes last year in the British Open, when he flirted with a 63 and had to settle for a course record-tying 64. Scott was on pace to tie the Oak Hill record for majors when he birdied the 14th, but he three-putted two holes later for bogey and was pleased to walk away with par on the 18th.

''I felt good out there today,'' he said. ''I felt like I could swing freely and I was hitting all the shots that I wanted to hit. When you get something going for you in a major, sometimes you have got to be not afraid to get out of your own way and let go. I did that at Lytham, and I did that here for 10 or 11 holes.''

Just last month at Muirfield, the 31-year-old Australian had the outright lead on the back nine in the British Open until he made four straight bogeys and couldn't keep up with Phil Mickelson and his great finish. Even so, it was evident that Scott was serious about adding more majors to that green jacket he won at Augusta National in April.
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Tiger Woods watches his tee shot on the 16th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship gol …

''I put a lot into my game the last two years with a focus on the big tournaments,'' Scott said. ''Everyone around me has had the same focus, as well. We come here to do business.''

Even Rory McIlroy got in on the act. The defending champion, at the end of a major season that has been a major disappointment, came out firing with three birdies on the opening four holes and made the turn in 32 until back-to-back bogeys. He wound up with a 69.

A resurgent Paul Casey was in the group at 67, while U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, British Open runner-up Henrik Stenson and the ageless Miguel Angel Jimenez were among 11 players at 68.

Mickelson wound up with the same score as Woods, only they arrived at 71 much differently. Woods had only two birdies. Mickelson shot 71 despite two double bogeys, including one on the 18th hole. On the par-5 fourth hole, he hooked his tee shot out-of-bounds and nearly lost the next tee shot in the same place.

''The first four holes was like a shock to my system,'' Mickelson said. ''Hitting it out-of-bounds on 4 ... out-of-bounds is not even in play. So I got off to a terrible start. I was actually under par for a little while, but that took a lot of fight. And unfortunately, I'm in a position where if I hit a low round tomorrow, I can get back in it.''
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Robert Garrigus watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the first round of the PGA Championsh …

He headed straight to the practice range, even summoning coach Butch Harmon down from the Sky Sports television booth.

Asked when he finished his work if he was worried about his game, Mickelson replied, ''Not now. I was.''