Golf: Weekend Results

Mike Weir wins Fry's Electronics Open
Former Masters champion Mike Weir ended a victory drought of more than three years on Sunday with a one-stroke triumph over Australian Mark Hensby in the PGA Fry's Electronics Open.

Weir drained a six-foot par putt at 18 to seal the victory and collect the 900,000-dollar first prize in the five million-dollar tournament. Read full article...

Webster Wins Portugal Masters

Britain's Steve Webster clinched an emotional second career win when he eclipsed the Portugal Masters field on Sunday with a closing round eight-under-par 64 at the Victoria course.

He finished two strokes ahead of final-round playing partner Robert Karlsson of Sweden, who shot a 65. Read full article...

Fall Series Explained - what's it all about?

The fall series basically gives a holiday to the worlds top players, but for many on the tour it provides a chance to redeem themselves and make sure they regain their tour card.

In this series of seven events the players are fighting to secure a spot in the top 125 on the money list to regain their card. They can also regain their card with a win at any of the seven events. Otherwise they will have to return to qualifying school or play on the nationwide tour.

The following are the benefits a golfer can gain by playing the fall series (taken from pgatour.com):

• Tournament winners receive a two-year exemption on the PGA TOUR and an invitation to the season-opening, limited field Mercedes-Benz Championship
• Mercedes-Benz Championship guarantees a head start on the following year's FedExCup points race and minimum prize money of $65,000
• Potential to finish in the top 30 on the money list, which would earn a spot in the following year's World Golf Championships-CA Championship, Masters and U.S. Open. The British Open invites the top 20.
• Opportunity to accrue valuable Official World Golf Ranking points and entry into the exclusive World Golf Championships events (the Accenture Match Play
• Championship invites the top 64 in the world the two weeks previous; the Bridgestone Invitational invites winners of tournaments with world ranking strength of field ratings of 115 points or higher).
• Coveted spots in the TOUR's invitational events like Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, The Memorial Tournament (both of which are the top 70 on the prior year's money list) and The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (top 80).
• Top 125 finishers will earn PGA TOUR cards for the next season, making them eligible for the FedExCup events, including invitationals such as Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Verizon Heritage, THE PLAYERS, and AT&T National.
• Head start on qualifying for 2009 Presidents Cup.
• Players also earn retirement plan credits

Overall the fall series was just a way for the big names to have a shorter season because playing golf every weekend was such a hard thing for them. Sarcasm aside, hopefully the fall series will offer up some great golf and launch the careers of a few unknowns.

I am not particularly excited by it and don't give it much chance, but in this case I hope I am wrong.

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Turning Stone Resort Championship

The first event of the fall series has come to a close and while none of the really big names are playing there is still a lot at stake in these seven events. Players will be hoping for a top 125 money list finish as this will mean that they retain their tour card.

Forty-year-old lefty Steve Flesch started the day with a four shot lead and needed most of it as he shot a final round 73 to beat fellow American Michael Allen by two strokes and claim his second tour victory in two months.

Flesch bogeyed the first two holes on Sunday but steadied and earned $US1.08 million for his win to boost his earnings for 2007 to $US2.2 million, catapulting him from 70th on the money list into the top 30.