Showing posts with label buick invitational. Show all posts
Showing posts with label buick invitational. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Has Tiger already won the 2008 US Open?

Well according to some reports today everyone else might as well not turn up this year. There is no doubt that he plays the course well and is in a very rich vein of form, but golf can be a funny game at times.

Here is one of the news stories I am talking about:

Tiger Woods's comfort factor at Torrey Pines, where he won a record sixth Buick Invitational on Sunday, will have sent a collective shudder down the spines of his rivals for this year's US Open.

The second major of the season will be staged from June 12-15 on the scenic South Course at Torrey Pines, a coastal layout Woods has played countless times since his youth.

As if that was not enough to inspire fear into any would-be Tiger hunter, the American world number one says he is now playing the best golf of his life.

His eight-stroke victory romp at the weekend earned him his 62nd PGA Tour title, and his 16th in just 32 starts since the beginning of 2006.

The benchmark for Woods was previously his golden run of form in 2000 when he clinched the last three majors of the year, ending that season with 11 victories worldwide.

"I'm starting to get better," he told reporters after spread-eagling the field at Torrey Pines in his first tournament of 2008.

"I'm hitting shots that I never could hit before, even in 2000.

"People think: 'Yeah, you played great' but I made everything (with the putter). I'm actually hitting the ball better now than I did during that (2000) stretch."

US Ryder Cup player Stewart Cink, a four-times winner on the PGA Tour, was awe struck after partnering Woods for the last two rounds at Torrey Pines.

"I'd say this is the best I've seen him play," Cink said after tying for third at the Buick Invitational.

"The last couple days, off the tee, the control he had was just really very impressive.

"The Tiger that we saw a year and two years ago, hitting it sort of all over the place, I think that's a thing of the past. He's got it geared down and he came out and played really well."

Six-times major champion Nick Faldo, while working as a golf analyst for CBS television for the last two rounds at Torrey Pines, said: "The message Tiger sends to his fellow competitors is a bit of a bolt."

The last time a venue on the PGA Tour staged a regular event and the US Open in the same year was Pebble Beach in 2000.

Again, the omens are bleak for Woods's rivals.

The remarkable American won the 2000 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am by two shots before returning four months later to post a record-breaking 15-stroke victory at the US Open.

Already a winner of 13 major titles, Woods triggered shock waves in the game earlier this year when he suggested on his Web site that a sweep of all four in 2008 was "within reason".

At Torrey Pines, he added: "The question is: 'Do I see it as a possibility?' and I say yes.

"A lot of different factors go into it and hopefully all those factors line up for me. The venues this year, I like all of them but I've liked all the venues before in the past.

"It's just a matter of getting your game coming together at the right time and getting all the right breaks. Hopefully you get lucky at the right times."

Although the course set-up at Torrey Pines will be different in June when the US Open features its traditional tight fairways, thick rough and lightning-fast greens, Woods's comfort factor will still apply.

"I've always felt comfortable coming down here and playing, ever since my junior golf days, even though the golf course has been redesigned," he said, referring to changes made to the South Course in 2001.

"I still feel comfortable even after the redesign. I still felt good with the lines. I picked up on the greens pretty quickly and I've had success ever since then."

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Tiger wins Buick Invitational and 62nd Tournament

I love this photo - congratulations again Tiger (what a start to the year!)


Tiger Woods shrugged off three consecutive bogeys while cruising to an eight-shot victory at the Buick Invitational on Sunday for his 62nd PGA Tour title.

Eight shots in front overnight, the world No.1 holed two monster birdie putts on his way to a one-under-par 71 in increasingly windy conditions on the South Course at Torrey Pines.

Woods piled up five birdies and four bogeys for a 19-under total of 269 to record a fourth successive triumph at the coastal venue and his sixth overall.

Japan's Ryuji Imada closed with a 67 to finish a distant second at 11 under, two ahead of South Africa's Rory Sabbatini (67) and American Stewart Cink (73).

John Senden (72) and Stuart Appleby (73) were the leading Australians, finishing in a tie for eighth on five-under, a massive 14 shots behind Woods.

Aaron Baddeley, who started the day tied for fourth, shot a disappointing 76 on Sunday to finish in equal 13th on three-under.

"I wanted to go out there and make no bogeys and shoot something under par, so I got half of that right," Woods said in a greenside television interview.

"I think we are all pleased to get this thing in," he added, as the rain and wind intensified at Torrey Pines.

His winning margin shattered the previous tournament best of five set by fellow American Tom Watson in 1977 and equalled by Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.

Woods joined Arnold Palmer in fourth place in the all-time standings for PGA Tour career victories. Only Sam Snead (82), Jack Nicklaus (73) and Ben Hogan (64) have won more.

With the bad weather forecast for Sunday not materialising until late in the final round, the only question on the lips of fans crammed around the South Course was the ultimate margin of Woods' victory.

The game's leading player has never lost a tournament when leading by more than one shot after 54 holes.

Eight times he has gone into the final round of a PGA Tour event with a cushion of more than six strokes and he has won by at least five shots on all eight occasions.

AAP

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Golf News: Buick invitational Round 3 Wrap

Five-times champion Tiger Woods tightened his grip on a 62nd PGA Tour title, surging eight strokes clear after the Buick Invitational third round.

Four ahead overnight, the world No.1 doubled his lead with a flawless six-under-par 66 on the South Course at Torrey Pines.

That left him 18-under, well ahead of playing partner and fellow American Stewart Cink, who rolled in a 35-foot eagle putt at the last for a 69.

Joe Durant was a further stroke back in third at nine under after a 67.

Australia's Aaron Baddeley (71) was in a group of players in a tie for fourth on seven under, 11 shots behind Woods.

Woods, bidding for his fourth successful title at Torrey Pines, produced a six-birdie display that could have been even better but for a missed four-foot birdie putt at the second.

His 54-hole lead shattered the previous tournament best of five set by Gene Littler in 1954 and equalled by Bob Goalby in 1967 and JC Snead in 1976...

Read the complete golf news story

Friday, January 25, 2008

Golf News: Buick invitational Round 2 Wrap

Tiger Woods, back in action after a five-week break, overcame a second successive day of wayward driving to take control of the Buick Invitational.

Two off the pace overnight, the world number one forged four strokes clear with a sparkling seven-under-par 65 in the second round at a sun-drenched Torrey Pines.

Woods piled up seven birdies in a bogey-free display on the North Course, the easier of the two par-72 layouts hosting the fourth event on the PGA Tour.

That left him at 12-under 132, ahead of American rookie Kevin Streelman who birdied the last for a 69 on the longer South Course to secure second place.

Australian Aaron Baddeley was a further two strokes back at six under after a 67 on the North Course.

"It was the same thing as yesterday, low left and high right," Woods told reporters of his tee shots after finding only six fairways out of 14.

"I've got to get that organised. When I tried to steer it out there today it wasn't very good."

Despite his struggles off the tee, Woods covered his back nine in four-under 32...

Read the complete golf news story

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Golf News: Buick invitational Round 1 Wrap

American Troy Matteson fired a seven-under 65 to grab a one-shot lead after Thursday's opening round of the 5.2 million dollar PGA Buick Invitational.

Tiger Woods, who is making his season-opening appearance, was one of four golfers at five-under 67 and is two shots back.

Matteson was one shot ahead of fellow American Brad Adamonis, who shot a 66 on the north course.

Matteson played Thursday on Torrey Pines' south course which will be showcased later in June when it plays host to the 2008 US Open. He posted eight birdies and one bogey.

"I played the south course earlier this week and didn't break par either day I played it," said Matteson, who hit 11 of 14 fairways. "For the Open it's going to be tough. I know I missed a few fairways."

The only other score in the top 12 from the demanding south course was by Woods, the three-time defending champion.

Woods was tied with South African Rory Sabbatini, Australian Stuart Appleby and American Kevin Streelman at 67.

A half dozen golfers, including Charles Howell, were three shots behind Matteson.

This was the first tournament of 2008 for Woods, who at one point was tied for the lead before a bogey on 16 dropped him back a stroke.

This is also the season opener for Phil Mickelson. The lefthanded American shot a two-under 70 on the north course to lie five shots adrift of Matteson...

Read the complete golf news story