Lin Wen-tang wins Hong Kong Open

Taiwan's Lin Wen-tang won a nail-biting UBS Hong Kong Open on the second play-off hole on Sunday, becoming the first Asian champion here in 10 years.

Lin drilled an astonishing pitch to within a foot for a tap-in birdie as Northern Irish teenager Rory McIlroy found trees and missed a long putt to end a day of high drama.

Lin, from Taipei, seals the biggest victory of his career after three previous triumphs on the regional tour and becomes the first Asian Hong Kong Open winner since Kang Wook Soon in 1998.

The 34-year-old had missed a six-foot birdie on the last hole of regulation play to go into the play-off with McIlroy, 19, and Italy's Francesco Molinari, with all three locked at 15-under 265.

Lin then looked to have lost his chance when he drove into thick trees on the first play-off hole, the par-four 18th. But he made a miraculous escape to within four feet for birdie.

Molinari missed his 15-foot birdie putt to drop out of the play-off but there were no such problems for McIlroy, who lasered his pitch to within two feet to take them back to the 18th tee.

The teenager then found trees but kept his hopes alive with another breathtaking shot to the edge of the green. But he could not hole the putt, making Lin's victory a formality.

"Lin probably should have won it in regulation, and he made two threes in the play-offs. You can't beat that, to be honest," said McIlroy.

"I had an incredible shot for my second shot, but it just wasn't meant to be," he added.

The thrilling finish marked the first play-off here since 1994 and continues a tradition of excitement at the Hong Kong Open, which had been decided by a single stroke in each of the past five editions.

My Thoughts

Another great finish to the Hong Kong Open. If you are only going to watch one Asian tour event make sure it is this one!

HSBC Champions

Sergio Garcia won the five-million-dollar HSBC Champions tournament in a play-off here on Monday over England's Oliver Wilson, a victory that will see him rise to number two in the world rankings.

Garcia sank a seven-foot birdie putt from the fringe of the 18th green on the second play-off hole, after the pair finished regulation play in the rain-delayed tournament at 14 under.

The win means Garcia will overtake American Phil Mickelson as the world number two. Mickelson, the defending champion in Shanghai, fired a disappointing 73 in the fourth round to finish five shots back tied for eighth.

"I feel great.... I'm just so proud to win and (reach) number two in the world, so very happy. Great week," said the 28-year-old shortly after his dramatic victory that gave him his second European Tour title in three weeks.

In the final round that began on Sunday afternoon and was completed on Monday due to heavy rain earlier in the tournament, Garcia carded a 68 while Wilson, leader after three rounds, fired a 70.

Garcia lifted himself to 14 under on the par-five 18th thanks to a brilliant approach to about eight feet followed by a nerveless putt.

Wilson, who was playing in the final group behind Garcia, was already at 14 under and made an equally brilliant put for par on the 18th from about 10 feet to force the play-off.

The players then returned to the 18th tee for the play-off.

On the first play-off hole, Garcia missed a 15-foot birdie putt but Wilson left his birdie effort from half that distance short and to the right.

On the second play-off hole, again the 18th, Wilson's approach shot almost hit the pin, before spinning back to rest 10 feet short of the hole.

Wilson's birdie effort just slipped past the hole and he slumped to his knees and rested his head on the end of his putter in frustration.

Garcia then stepped up to knock in his birdie putt and collect the winner's prize cheque of 833,000 dollars, giving him his 19th professional title and the perfect start in the European Tour's lucrative "Race to Dubai."

Chinese golf becomes a major force

By Nick Mulvenney

SHANGHAI, Nov 8 (Reuters) - China's golf chief Zhang Xiaoning said extending the rain-disrupted HSBC Champions to Monday signified the world's most populous country had arrived as a major force in international golf.

Wet weather washed out play on Friday and delayed the start of the second round by three hours on Saturday, forcing organisers of the $5 million tournament to schedule a fifth day.

"Monday play is an honour reserved for only the most important tournaments," said Zhang, secretary-general of the China Golf Association (CGA).

"It has proved we have one of the world's most important tournaments and it has proved Chinese golf has truly arrived on the world stage."

The 2005 Asian Open in Shanghai was also rain-disrupted and extended to Monday but China's golfing trailblazer Zhang Liangwei said the decision to extend this week's event was a "significant moment".

"I'm very proud for Chinese golf," said the 43-year-old, who was the first man from his country to play at one of golf's four majors, the 2004 U.S. Masters.

"At the start of my career there were almost no tournaments in China. Now we have an event that is treated with the respect normally given to the majors."

My thoughts

I keep hearing China is the future and this step shows that they are serious about their golf. What will the golfing world look like in 50 years? I am not sure, but I am convinced China will be involved!

This week in golf

CHINA GOLF ASSOCIATION

HSBC Champions

Site: Shanghai, China.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: Sheshan International Golf Club (7,199 yards, par 72).

Purse: US$5 million. Winner's share: $833,300.

PGA TOUR

Children's Miracle Network Classic

Site: Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

NATIONWIDE TOUR

Nationwide Tour Championship

Site: McKinney, Texas.

Volvo Masters comes to a close

Soren Kjeldsen only needed an even-par 71 in Sunday's final round to win the season-ending Volvo Masters.

Kjeldsen finished the tournament at eight-under 276 and won the championship by two strokes over Martin Kaymer (68) and Anthony Wall (69) at a soggy Valderrama.

The third round was completed Sunday morning and then the players went back out for the final round. There was some rain on Sunday, but the final round was contested under mostly sunny skies.

It was certainly a sunny day on Sunday for Robert Karlsson.

The Swede, who only tied for 32nd place, won the Order of Merit title.

Padraig Harrington, winner of two majors this year, had the best chance to catch Karlsson before the tournament, but it was Lee Westwood who had the opportunity on Sunday.

If Westwood would have won the event, he would have gone past Karlsson for the money title, but it didn't happen.

My thoughts
Karlsson is a great golfer with a great future and one to watch out for in the majors next year. Also congratulations to Soren Kjeldsen who played very solidly to win the last Volvo masters.

Strange golf news of the week

The Morgan County Sheriff's Office says a golf cart had more under the hood than it needed to putter across the fairway.
It had enough horsepower to elude deputies during a chase.
Sheriff's Sgt. Scott Peay says the driver took the cart into an alfalfa field, where it jumped irrigation ditches during the chase. Peay says the cart wasn't faster than sheriff's cruisers, but deputies couldn't get through the ditches that the cart cleared.
Peay says the chase started when the cart was spotted spinning out in a city park on Aug. 16. The driver got away, but officers recognized him and arrested him the next day at his grandmother's house.
Peay suspects the cart was fitted with a car engine instead of the original electric motor. He says the hot-rod golf cart's whereabouts are still unknown.

Woods to return even better?

Tiger Quotes

"It's getting better; there's a little discomfort there, more than any real pain," Woods said.

"The doctors are pleased with my progress, though - I'm moving fairly freely, so the plan is to hit a few balls in January and see how it feels," he added.

"As far as coming back and playing goes, though, your guess is as good as mine. I have no idea how it's going to respond or heal. If I tried to hit a golf shot now, it would be one of the worst shots you'd ever seen. Hopefully in time, though, it'll be fine. It's my job, it's what I do, and I love doing it. If you love doing the job you do, then you have the greatest job in the world, whatever it is - and I'm lucky that I do.

"I'm addicted to golf, always have been, and I can't wait to go to work every day. Right now I can't do my work, which is hard to accept, but I'll be back and, I hope, better than ever. Would I have won more majors had I not had that injury? Who knows? I could speculate all day, but the fact is that we'll never know.

"I hope I'll come back stronger than ever, but until I get back hitting golf balls, who knows?"

My Thoughts
If he can win in that much pain on a buggy knee, imagine what he is going to be able to do after surgery to repair the problem! He is going to be hungry for a victory after so much time away from the game and will have a year of complete mental focus. He might be rusty at first, but expect the Tiger we all know to come back fighting!

Rider Cup 2008 Predictions

This years rider cup is shaping up as a great battle and hopefully the actual event matches my enthusiasm.

The US Team
Although Tiger Woods has not quite been as dominant in team tournaments the US team will miss him. However, they still have a very strong team and should take a fair effort to beat.

The Euro Team
European golf is getting stronger all the time and with pride on the line I can see them mounting a good challenge, which on its day might just be enough to take out the title.

What do you think? Please leave a comment.

Woods won't even swing a club until next year

Tiger Woods said he's begun riding a stationary exercise bike, can't move fast enough to catch his 13-month-old daughter, and won't start swinging his golf clubs until next year.

Woods said things are getting a ``lot better,'' seven weeks after surgery on his left knee. He's also regained some weight after dropping 10 pounds since his June 24 surgery to reconstruct his torn anterior cruciate ligament.

My thoughts
With Tiger out of the action it gives others a chance, but there is always something hanging over players who win when Tiger is injured - "would they have won with Tiger playing?". We will never know.

The shark declines PGA Championship exemption

Greg Norman turned down an invitation Monday to play in the PGA Championship, deciding to stick to a previous commitment instead of competing for the fourth straight week.

The PGA of America offered Norman an exemption after he had the 54-hole lead in the British Open and finished third. Norman tied for fifth last week at the Senior British Open, and will play this week in the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado.

"While I truly appreciate the PGA extending me an exemption for this year's PGA Championship, I have elected to decline in favour of adhering to the professional and personal commitments I made prior to The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale," Norman said on his website. "I wish the PGA and Oakland Hills all the very best for what I'm sure will be a great week for golf."

The PGA Championship will be played Aug. 7-10 at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Township, Mich.

Norman, who played the British Open while on his honeymoon with former tennis great Chris Evert, said he would return to work next week as CEO of Great White Shark Enterprises.

Still to be determined is whether he will accept his invitation to the Masters for finishing among the top four in the British Open.

My Thoughts
Greg Norman was my favorite golfer as a kid growing up in Australia. The Shark is a man of his word and it is good of him to keep his commitments. He, like the rest of us, probably realized he didn't have much of a chance anyway. I do hope that he does take up the masters invitation though - I would love to see him play there again!

Leonard wins St. Jude Classic

Justin Leonard gave himself a second chance, then made the most of it as he won the six million-dollar St. Jude Classic with a birdie at the second playoff hole.

Leonard needed two holes of the playoff to dispatch Masters Champion Trevor Immelman of South Africa and Australian Robert Allenby, who like Leonard finished regulation tied at 4-under 276.

"It has been a great week," Leonard said. "When I won here in 2005, I led every day and almost let it slip away at the end. This week I've kind of been back in the pack a little bit and was able to shoot a really solid round today."

Leonard started the day three shots off the pace.

He took a one-stroke lead with a birdie on 15, but gave it right back when a wayward drive led to a bogey on 17.

At the final hole of regulation, he slid a 15-foot birdie putt just over the lip.

"Gave myself a really good putt at 18 in regulation and hit a really good putt," Leonard said. "I thought I made the putt and the ball was halfway there, and unfortunately it didn't go in but, you know, was able to hit some good shots in the playoff and make a nice putt there at 11."

Given a reprieve in the playoff, Leonard dropped a 19-foot birdie into the cup and then watched as Immelman missed his chance to extend the playoff.

All three had parred the first playoff hole.

My Thoughts
Justin is a great golfer to watch and is completely comfortable on the big stage. There has been much talk about his chance of a major within the next few years, but like many others I find it hard to look past Tiger! However, you never know! Congratulations on the great win and good luck for the future.

LPGA Championship - Round 1 Wrap

Seconds after striking her fourth tee shot Thursday in Havre de Grace, Md., Lorena Ochoa yelled "Fore left!" as her ball hooked ominously toward the gallery at the 415-yard 13th hole, took a big bounce and ultimately was buried in thick, waist-high grass 25 yards from the fairway.

It was an uncharacteristic blunder by the No. 1 player in the world, and over the next 10 minutes, she pondered all manner of unsatisfying options before taking a penalty shot for an unplayable lie. She then moved back 50 yards to the parallel 11th hole and somehow managed to salvage a double bogey that might have caused less poised players to lose focus.

But Ochoa never faltered.

Instead, she birdied two of the last four holes on that side, including a 40-foot birdie putt at the 422-yard No. 18, to get back to even par. With three more birdies on her bogey-free back nine, she posted a 3-under-par 69 in the opening round of the LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock, three shots off the 18-hole lead of 6-under 66 posted by veteran Lorie Kane and Futures Tour graduate Emily Bastel earlier on a hot, muggy afternoon in northeast Maryland.

After her near-calamity at No. 13, Ochoa was soon back on a seemingly relentless path toward her publicly stated goal of becoming the first woman to win all four major championships in a season. She is already halfway to a "Lorena Slam" of four straight majors, winning the British Open at St. Andrews in July and the Kraft Nabisco in April in the first major of 2008.

"I knew I had a lot of holes left, and I still had three par 5s and I'm feeling good," Ochoa said about her thought process after the debilitating early double. "I didn't get too stressed. I just thought it would be fine to make a couple of birdies on the front and finish even, and then three more on the back. So I did that.

"Today was important just not to get away too far from the leaders, and that's why I'm so happy that I did. Three under for the first day of a major is good, even though I had the double bogey. And hopefully, tomorrow I'll have a great round."

Neither of the leaders has had a top 10 finish all year, and Kane has struggled to make cuts. But they found their way across a long and soggy golf course, which took on so much rain overnight that fairways felt like carpet in a home that had been flooded.

Bastel finished her bogey-free 66 with a birdie on the 18th hole, one of two holes where the tees were moved up some 30 yards to accommodate the wet conditions.

Lindsey Wright had a 67 and was one shot behind, followed by a group at 68 that included Nicole Castrale.

Annika Sorenstam, who shot a 70, certainly had her chances, but couldn't convert several birdie putts inside 12 feet.

"Hit the ball beautifully today," said Sorenstam, a three-time LPGA champion in her final year on tour. "Just didn't make some putts today, unfortunately. But I'm very, very happy with my game..."

Read the complete article

St. Jude Championship Round 1 Wrap

Boo Weekley grabbed a one-shot lead Thursday after the opening round of the six million-dollar St. Jude Championship, last tuneup event before the US Open.

Weekley fired a five-under-par 65 at TPC Southwind, nabbing six birdies with just one bogey.

"I drove the ball well today for a change and my irons were superb," Weekley said. "I hit my irons real good, and then my putting, my putting was excellent today."

Tommy Armour was alone in second on 66, with Fiji's Vijay Singh a further shot back on 67.

A group of seven players were tied for fourth on two-under, including Davis Love, Spain's Sergio Garcia, Justin Leonard and Aussie Stuart Appleby.

Defending champion Woody Austin stumbled out of the gate with a one-over 71. He had two birdies and a double-bogey on the par-three 14th, the dropped another shot at 17.

The tournament is the last US PGA Tour stop before the US Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

Many of the top Open contenders are taking the week off, but for some in Memphis it's a chance to hone their games prior to the second major championship of the year.

Armour started at the 10th tee and picked up two birdies in his first nine holes.

He added three more coming in, but a bogey at the par-three eighth dropped him a shot off the lead.

"I was happy," Armour said. "The rough isn't real deep. So, I mean, if you get blown off in the rough, it's not penal like next week would be. You've got to hit the shots because the greens are firm, and the greens are perfect. The course is in great shape."

Weekley opened with back-to-back birdies but a bogey at the fourth saw him one-under at the turn.

He birdied 10 and 12, then added two more birdies in his last three holes.

"I picked a good line there and made it," Weekley said of his closing birdie. "Pretty good putting today."

Scott Strange Wins Manor Wales Open

IF the 2008 Celtic Manor Wales Open is looked back upon as the “Strange Open”, it will be because of one man’s complete dominance rather than any odd golfing goings-on.

Scott Strange left the rest of the field trailing in his wake from the very first day to claim his maiden European Tour victory, repelling a spirited challenge by former winner Robert Karlsson with a superb bogey-free round of 64.

At 22-under-par, Strange broke Ian Poulter’s record total for the tournament on the Wentwood Hills course by four strokes, and joined Poulter and Paul McGinley in becoming a wire-to-wire winner at Newport.

He had felt so unwell on the 15th tee during the third round that he almost collapsed.

But if the chasing pack, which included Nick Dougherty and Ryder Cup star Darren Clarke, were banking on the Australian producing a final-round wobble, they were soon sorely disappointed.

The first of seven birdies came on the par-five second, and having produced four more by the ninth hole, he reached the turn in just 31 shots.

Strange had one hand on the trophy, but Karlsson was doing his best to wrestle it from his grasp.

The statuesque Swede emerged as the Aussie’s nearest challenger, a string of birdies closing the gap to just two shots at one point.

But when Karlsson eventually slipped up, Strange marched relentlessly on, only an understandably anxious tee shot on 18 betraying any sign of nerves.

“I had no idea Robert was chasing me until I asked my caddie what sort of lead I had on 15,” said the 31-year-old, who picks up a winner’s cheque for £300,000.

“I was seven-under for the day, so I knew someone would have had to produce something exceptional to catch me.

“I think people were expecting me to slip up a little bit, but I had nothing to prove or lose and everything to gain.

“All you can do when you’re leading a tournament is go out there and play.

“If you start thinking about other players and what they’re doing, then you’re in trouble.”

Strange confessed that the ill-effects he suffered on Saturday had not completely disappeared by the time he teed off for his final round on the brand new Ryder Cup course.

“I was still a bit dodgy this morning and wasn’t 100 per cent,” he said.

“As the day progressed, though, I got better and better.

“It was almost the perfect round of golf.

“There was a fair bit going on in my head on the final tee and I was a bit numb.

“I should have taken a few deep breaths, but pushed it into the rough.

“I calmed myself down, got it back in play and managed to finish it off.”

BMW PGA Championship - Round 1 Wrap

Paul McGinley has never made any secret of his love affair with the West Course and here yesterday he did everything but fall to his knees and start kissing Surrey's most famous piece of turf. An opening 65, that gave him the first round lead of the BMW PGA Championship, no doubt helped intensify this affection, although the Dubliner had a point to make amid all that salivating.

"When it's playing hard and like this, this is a real test of golf, a proper test," he declared. "We're not tested enough on course management anymore. A lot of the courses we play are soft and one-dimensional." McGinley did not go so far as to say that the modern golfer is thus soft and one-dimensional. Yet he would not be alone in believing it.

In fact, the demise of the shot-maker is lamented throughout the game. True, there is Tiger Woods, but how many chances does he get to parade these skills? Indeed, how many chances do any of the professionals get, including McGinley, who plotted his way around yesterday by chasing two-irons off the tee up the bone-dry fairways and, on the sixth, purposefully aimed a wedge 20 feet left of the pin? "It is the substantial majority," he confirmed when asked how many of the Tour's venues fall into the "long and one-dimensional" category. "Everyone just thinks 7,500 yards is the future of golf. But firm and fast is what makes courses tough for us.

Spanish Open - Day 1 Wrap

A stunning putting round earned Swede Martin Erlandsson a course-record 65 and the first-round lead in the Spanish Open on Thursday.

Erlandsson, seeking his maiden win in his fifth full year on the European Tour, needed only 23 putts in a flawless seven-under-par round to beat the previous Real Club record by a stroke.

The 34-year-old sank putts of 40-feet, 25-feet and two from about 18 feet as he carded seven birdies, three to finish, to lead by a stroke from Spaniards Ignacio Garrido and Jordi Garcia.

Gary Clark was a further stroke back.

"I was putting my head off today and I holed a lot of big ones," Erlandsson told reporters.

"I need to get used to being up there (on the leaderboard), avoid putting pressure on myself and make a few good rounds at weekends to take the (next) step," added the Swede, whose best finish was second at the 2005 Welsh Open.

Resession hurting golf and the sponsors

A visitor to this week's Wachovia Championship in Charlotte might notice the opulence that envelops the Quail Hollow Club, one of the reasons this is among the PGA Tour's most popular stops.

Each and every one of the corporate skyboxes that surround various holes is sold out, giving those companies that purchased them the opportunity to wine and dine clients, employees and friends. The tournament has become so successful in its sixth year that high-end seating was added behind the 16th green and 17th tee. Regular tickets sold out months ago.

A few days spent watching golf in North Carolina would never lead to the conclusion that the country borders on recession, gas prices have hit all-time highs and the American economy is suffering.

But golf is certainly not above such issues, even if everything looks perfect at Quail Hollow...

Read the complete article

Golf drug testing is put on hold

Anti-doping bosses have backed the Open's organisers over the decision to delay introducing drugs tests, but want golf to go further in policing itself.

The R&A had to scrap plans to screen every player this year as some tours have not implemented drugs policies.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) agreed with the R&A's decision but warned the sport against complacency.

"No sport is immune to doping and anti-doping measures protect the game's integrity," a Wada spokesman said.

"It would be helpful for all golfers if each of the tours had the same rules, the same prohibited list and the same education activities.

"We expect the players themselves will see the sense in such harmony and look forward to its development."

The R&A had hoped the 2008 Open would be the first major to implement drugs tests but was forced to postpone them until 2009 when it realised players from tours without adequate doping education programmes had already qualified.

Drug testing on the PGA and European Tours, world golf's two richest circuits, starts in July. But the Asian, Australian and South African tours - who have all already held Open qualification events - have not yet agreed their anti-doping plans...

Read the complete article

Adam Scott Wins the Byron Nelson Championship

Adam Scott felt he needed to make a statement by winning Sunday. He did, though, not quite the way he wanted to do it.

After blowing the three-stroke lead he carried into the final round, Scott made a 9-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to force a playoff, then made a 48-footer playing it again on the third playoff hole to beat Ryan Moore in the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

"In the end, I think (the statement) was to myself, I could actually win it when things weren't going my way," Scott said. "But it wasn't quite the statement I had in mind. I would have liked to have gone out there and have played like Ryan played and won by a few."

Still, Scott made the clutch shots when he needed them for his sixth PGA Tour victory after cutting short his post-Masters trip home to Australia so not to waste his good play there.

Playing the 18th hole for the third time in less than an hour, the second time in the playoff, Scott hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker to the right. But he got his approach to the front of the green, then rolled the putt over two ridges and into the cup.

"I got away with one today," said Scott, at No. 10 in the world the highest-ranked player in the Nelson field. "A bit lucky."

Ochoa wins Corona Championship.

Lorena Ochoa didn't have much trouble with the course or the competition at the Corona Championship.

After entering the final round with a seven-stroke lead Ochoa carded a 4-under-par 69 for a total of 25-under-par 267 and an 11-stroke victory in the $1.3-million LPGA Tour event at Tres Marias Residential Golf Club.

Ochoa, who posted three consecutive 66s to start the tournament, easily her third consecutive victory and fourth in five events this year. Top prize was $195,000 U.S.

With the victory, Ochoa qualified for the LPGA Hall of Fame, though she can't be inducted until she finishes her 10th tour season in 2012.

"It was an amazing week," Ochoa said. "I did enjoy myself a lot.... I guess I can say I'm in the Hall of Fame now."

At 26 years four months 29 days, Ochoa is the second- youngest player to gain Hall of Fame honours.

Australia's Karrie Webb became the youngest, at 25 years seven months two days, when she qualified by winning the U.S. Women's Open in 2000.