Golf: 2007 Year in Review (Part 4)

By Jim Brighters, Sports Network, The Sports Network

GOOD YEARS (other than the obvious)

Suzann Pettersen - If Lorena Ochoa never existed, Pettersen would have won the LPGA Tour Player of the Year by miles. She had a great chance for win No. 1 and major No. 1 at the Nabisco, but fell apart. Pettersen then rattled off five wins, including that elusive first major at the LPGA Championship.

Steve Stricker - Actually won the Comeback Player of the Year award for second straight year on the PGA Tour. Last year, he returned to golf's spotlight. In 2007, he shined in it. Stricker won the first FedEx Cup playoff event, the Barclays, and finished the year second in FedEx Cup Playoff points and fourth in the world rankings.

American golfers - In years past, the U.S. teams in international match-play competition have looked poor. They did not in 2008. The American Presidents Cup and Solheim Cup teams looked very strong in relatively easy wins against the Internationals and Europeans. Could bode well for Paul Azinger's Ryder Cup team, which has won once in the last six competitions.

Woody Austin - He provided the single best moment of the year when he went face first into the water trying to hit a ridiculous shot from the soup at the Presidents Cup. Formerly known for smashing a putter against his head (something he hated seeing over and over again), but won at the St. Jude Championship and took second behind Woods at the PGA. Lost some points for idiotic statements that he played better than Woods on Friday when Woods matched the best round in major history with a 63 and Austin shot a 70.

Nick Flanagan - The young Aussie's name is not on the tip of anyone's tongue, but it will be soon. He played the Nationwide Tour and earned an automatic promotion to the PGA Tour with three wins. Flanagan's promotion came at a tough time since the PGA Tour was headed to the Playoffs, but Flanagan will be tough on the big tour.

Loren Roberts - Last year, Roberts, one of the best putters in the world, missed a shortish putt that would have given him the $1 million annuity for the yearlong Charles Schwab Cup title. This year, Roberts won it and the Senior Players Championship. Jay Haas, however, was voted Player of the Year by his peers.

Check back tomorrow for the list of players who had bad years

Woody Austin Interview - Golf

If you remember my golf quotes of 2007 post you will have seen poor old Woody Austin falling in the water at the presidents cup tournament. Woody has become something of a cult hero so I thought I would post the great little interview with Woody regarding his new found fame.

Did you ever think that the secret to finding real fame was simply, "Just add water"?
No, obviously I didn't. I always knew I had it in me, I just didn't know the ingredient to get it out.

What exactly were you doing in that water? Couldn't you just have said to your partner, David Toms, "I'm ball in pocket. Carry me"?
Well, see, he was ball in pocket. He hit it in the water way back and then his third shot didn't even hit the green. Rory was on the (par-4 14th) green in one.

I was thinking if I could just get the ball out of the water and around the green, I could chip in for 3.

Everyone laughs at the silliness of it. Did you learn anything from the day?
I don't know if finishing birdie, birdie, birdie is silly. I was pretty serious. What it shows is that people see me react to something and think I'm lost (in anger), but I'm not. I'm quick to get my head back into it.

You've said Phil Mickelson "ripped the crap out of me" for 24 hours after you took your dive.
(Laughs) He was on me nonstop from Tuesday all the way through Sunday. What happened on Friday only made it easier for him.

Was he giving you grief before the dive?
I don't know if it was initiation, or the fact that we get along so good that he knew I could take it. The first thing that happened is he took a game off me in Ping-Pong. Well, this was my first time. I didn't realize how serious the Ping-Pong was. He kept on about it: "No competition, you aren't worth my time, blah, blah, blah." And then on Friday, he was the one who called me Aquaman.

Did you get him back at Ping-Pong?
Oh, yeah. I beat him three straight.

You've said that most of the team were serious Pongers. Who else did you beat?
Tiger never played me. He only played Phil. They have like a running tab. I think Tiger beat him. I know it was best three out of five, and it went all five. I kept wanting to play him and he said, 'No, I can't beat you so I won't play you.' We (Woods and Austin) were good partners, though. We called ourselves the Woodys.

What's the best line you heard?
Barbara Nicklaus the next morning (Saturday). She was sitting at the breakfast table and on the front of the sports page was my face in the water, and she looked up and said, "Everybody wants to know: Did you catch the salmon or not?"

You can read the rest of this golf interview here

Golf Quotes 2007

"I was using a five-iron - it should have been a six because I would have missed it."
Marc Warren, who shattered a chandelier while practicing his swing in his hotel room and suffered cuts to his head, arms and stomach.

"From what I understand, he would be the first in line to volunteer for testing. If Tiger Woods' test comes back negative, what does it matter what the rest of them are on?
European Tour chief George O'Grady comments on golf's new drug testing policy.

"He knows he is going to win. The scary thing is that maybe he knows that you know he's going to win."
Aaron Oberholser on Tiger Woods holding a 12-0 record when having at least a share of the lead in the final round of a major.

``For years he was known as the guy who banged his head against his putter. And now he's the guy who banged his head against the water.''
Retief Goosen on Woody Austin

"I'm dying to laugh, but I'm scared the cameras will be on me that I'm laughing while the guy is drowning. I thought, 'Damn, that water must be cold.' But I was pleased to see his head come up.''
International captain Gary Player.

"If that was the case my face would already be on the bottle of every antipsychotic drug there is."
Woody Austin when asked, if his agent had been able to take advantage of his newfound notoriety.

Golf Photo of the year

"You couldn't see who it was because his head was underwater," said Steve Stricker. "But you figured it had to be Woody."

Golf News: Merill Lynch Shootout - Woody snaches win from Norman

Greg Norman went close but remains with just one win from 19 editions of his annual post-season tournament after first-timer Woody Austin drained a 35-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

Host Norman and young teammate Bubba Watson had pulled level with leaders Austin and Mark Calcavecchia on the 17th hole in the scramble format final round of the 12-team, $A3.21 million Merill Lynch Shootout.

But they were unable to make their birdie putts from 25 feet on the 18th after Austin nailed his longer effort to heap the pressure on and they finished a shot behind in second place.

The birdie gave Austin and Calcavecchia a final-round 9-under 63 and a 29-under 187 total and they shared $US700,000 ($A801,400) in prize money.

Norman's final putt ended up centimetres right of the hole while Watson, who has yet to win on the PGA Tour, saw his putt from the same spot run out of gas and break left in front of the hole.

"Am I disappointed for myself? Yeah. But more for Bubba," Norman said. "I would love for him to get a victory. To get a taste of it."

Two-time major winner Norman, 52, was trying to win for the first time since the 2001 Skins Game - another post-season exhibition event.

"Of course I'm disappointed," Norman said. "We all play to win the championship, no matter what the championship is. We put ourselves in position..."

Read the complete golf news story

Greg Norman was my favorite golfer as a kid and I am obviously disappointed that he, once again, came so close with no cigar. However that putt on the final hole was worthy of a win!

FedEx Cup - Can anyone stop Tiger?

The Tour Championship
Today Tiger moved one step closer to winning the inaugural FedEx Cup as he had one of the best front nines we have ever seen in a major tournament. Starting at the fourth hole he reeled off 5 birdies in a row and then shot an eagle at the 9th going out with a 28! The gloss came off slightly with 2 bogeys on the back nine, but still holds a 3 shot lead over Woody Austin. Woods now moves into prime position for the FedEx Cup and his closest challengers to the title seem to be too far away to stop him now. In the end Tiger would be a worthy winner after a fantastic regular season. It's just a shame it probably won't go down to the wire.

Leader board after 2nd round: (Players theoretically still in the running for the cup in bold)

1	Tiger Woods	USA	-13	127	64	63			F
2	Woody Austin	USA	-10	130	65	65			F
3	Mark Calcavecchia	USA	-9	131	65	66			F
3	Adam Scott	AUS	-9	131	65	66			F
3	Tim Clark	SAF	-9	131	62	69			F
6	Sergio Garcia	ESP	-8	132	68	64			F
6	K.J. Choi	KOR	-8	132	67	65			F
8	Stewart Cink	USA	-7	133	67	66			F
8	Padraig Harrington	IRL	-7	133	63	70			F
8	John Rollins	USA	-7	133	64	69			F
8	Hunter Mahan	USA	-7	133	65	68			F
12	Phil Mickelson	USA	-6	134	68	66			F
12	Scott Verplank	USA	-6	134	66	68			F
14	Heath Slocum	USA	-5	135	71	64			F
14	Camilo Villegas	COL	-5	135	67	68			F
16	Rory Sabbatini	SAF	-4	136	68	68			F
16	Vijay Singh	FIJ	-4	136	68	68			F
16	Steve Stricker	USA	-4	136	69	67			F
19	Zach Johnson	USA	-3	137	71	66			F
19	Brett Wetterich	USA	-3	137	68	69			F
19	Boo Weekley	USA	-3	137	70	67			F
22	Ernie Els	SAF	-2	138	69	69			F
22	Geoff Ogilvy	AUS	-2	138	68	70			F
24	Robert Allenby	AUS	-1	139	68	71			F
24	Aaron Baddeley	AUS	-1	139	69	70			F
24	Charles Howell III	USA	-1	139	68	71			F
27	Jim Furyk	USA	0	140	71	69			F
27	Justin Rose	ENG	0	140	69	71			F
29	Jonathan Byrd	USA	1	141	71	70			F
30	Brandt Snedeker	USA	3	143	71	72			F

Golf News: Tiger does it again - PGA Championship

Tiger has never lost a major after leading before the final round and he didn't disappoint today as he wrapped up his 13th Major title. It was Tiger's first major this year and he certainly put the disappointment of the British Open behind him to win the PGA championship for the fourth time.

Tiger finished 8 under and won with a 1 under final round to beat Woody Austin by 2 shots with Ernie Els a further shot behind at 4 under.

There was also good news for the Aussies out there as John Senden finished tied for 4th at -1.