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Sitting in front of a group of reporters on Tuesday afternoon, Tiger Woods confirmed to the sports world that there was no timetable for his return, something many people had already predicted when Woods decided to forego the U.S. Open, deciding instead to rest his injured leg. While decisions like the one Woods made normally only affect the player in question, the choice to sit out, at the very least, the next couple of weeks and then reevaluate things had an impact on his caddie Stevie Williams as well. Just days prior to the U.S. Open, Williams showed at Congressional with another player, Adam Scott, in a move that had the golf world talking prior to the start of the second major of the year. The rumors started immediately, as media outlets across the globe started to wonder if the two were parting ways. Williams immediately confirmed that Woods had given him the OK to take a new bag in his absence. Even though Scott and Williams had a rocky start at the U.S. Open, missing the cut with round of 73 and 74, the Aussie has been gushing over his new loop. "I've learned some things off Steve, and he obviously knows how to manage his way around the golf course with all the people that he's caddied for over the years," Scott said. "He's got a wealth of knowledge, and I'm trying to tap as much of that as I can while he's on the bag certainly." On Thursday at AT&T National, you could see why Scott was enjoying the perks of having Williams on the bag, as he fired his best round of the year, a 4-under 66, that saw him take a share of the first round lead. Watching the two converse during the round, you could tell Scott was comfortable with his new loop leading the show, a sign that chemistry and trust is being built up between player and caddie. It's only one round of golf, but you can clearly tell from Scott's comments how important Williams has been not only to Scott, but Woods as well over the years. Sure, it's Tiger out there swinging the club, but if you've ever seen the two in the heat of the moment, you know there's only one person in the world Woods trusts more than himself, and that's Williams. Lucky for Adam Scott, he's getting a first-hand look at the New Zealander's knack for getting the best out of his player. With Woods on the mend, the pair could be together for the foreseeable future. That's something Adam Scott has to be smiling about, especially with Woods' chances of returning for the British Open getting slimmer by the day. Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Adam-Scott-s-loving-every-minute-of-his-time-wit?urn=golf-wp3220 online golf store san diego golf edwin watts golf superstore bridgestone golf diamond tour golf  It's time for our own golf ranking system for the top players on the planet. Why? That's easy. The one used now isn't good enough. For one thing, it evaluates golfers over a two-year period. Two years! A lot can happen in two years. (Ask Tiger Woods.) For another, the current system gives too much credit to players who prevail against less competitive fields halfway across the globe.
Therefore, every week between May 31 and September 27, two days after The Tour Championship, Yahoo! Sports will unveil the new rankings of players Nos. 1 to 10, using lists submitted by many of the game's most knowledgeable observers. We will use a simple statistical formula for the lists we receive ? the top player getting 10 points, the second, nine points, and so forth. We will then add up all the points to produce our list of the top 10. We've asked voters to tell us who they believe are the top 10 players right now. Over time, we expect to add more voters to the list. We hope you enjoy it, and please offer your own views. The Yahoo! Sports World Top 10 for the week of July 4, 2011: 1. Rory McIlroy (21), 285 points [1]
2. Luke Donald (3), 247 points [3]
3. Lee Westwood (6), 242 points [2]
4. Martin Kaymer, 156 points [4]
5. Steve Stricker, 122 points [5]
6. Jason Day, 109 points [8]
7. Nick Watney, 106 points [NR]
8. Charl Schwartzel, 101 points [6]
9. Matt Kuchar, 98 points [7]
10. Phil Mickelson, 53 points [9] First-place votes in parentheses; position last week in brackets. Some notes: Nick Watney's big win vaults him into the sixth spot from beyond, knocking Graeme McDowell out of the rankings. Fifth through ninth is a huge cluster with anyone able to make a good jump with a good week. And Westwood falls to third despite getting more first-place votes than Donald, which means people either really like or really don't like Lee, no in-between. Voters: Michael Arkush, Yahoo! Sports
Shane Bacon, Yahoo! Sports
Al Barkow, golf historian, journalist
Jay Busbee, Yahoo! Sports
Jay Coffin, Golfchannel.com
Tom Cunneff, Links magazine
Martin Davis, Editor, American Golfer
Steve Elling, CBSSports.com
John Feinstein, Golf World/Golf Channel contributor
Bill Fields, Golf World
David Graham, two-time major champion
Melanie Hauser, contributor, PGATOUR.com
John Huggan, Golf Digest
Sal Johnson, GolfObserver.com
Rees Jones, golf course architect
Peter Kessler, radio talk-show host
Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle
Mark Lamport-Stokes, Reuters
David MacKintosh, Buenos Aires Herald
Andrew Magee , PGA Tour veteran
Scott Michaux, Augusta Chronicle
Brian Murphy, Yahoo! Sports
Jerry Pate , former U.S. Open winner
Geoff Russell, Golf World editor
Stina Sternberg, Golf Digest
John Strege, Golf Digest
Jerry Tarde, Golf Digest editor
Kris Tschetter, LPGA Tour veteran, author
Jonathan Wall, Yahoo! Sports
Sam Weinman, Golf Digest.com Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Presenting-the-Yahoo-Sports-World-Golf-Rankings?urn=golf-wp3347 mesquite golf nyc golf golf sets ladies golf sets bobby jones golf 
Steve Stricker may have a home in Wisconsin, but for one week each year during the PGA Tour season, he changes his address to the TPC at Deere Run, a course Stricker has absolutely owned over the last couple of years. Like Tiger Woods during his torrid run at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone, Stricker is turning the John Deere Classic into his home away from home. With so many guys in the mix each week, it's become even more difficult to win on the PGA Tour, let alone repeat at the same event. That's why Stricker's run at the Deere is so noteworthy. With a third round 8-under 63, he now sits just 18 holes away from an unheard-of feat: winning the same tour event three times in a row. The last guy to do such a thing was Tiger Woods at the Bridgestone event, and in the history of the tour, only 20 players have ever been able to do the unthinkable. Some guys just feel comfortable playing certain courses, and it's clear Stricker has a thing for the TPC at Deere Run track. If you want an idea of how much he loves the course, take a look at his last 10 rounds played at the tournament. He's 66 under during that span, with a stroke average of 64.4, meaning he's averaging 7-under each time he tees it up at the event. I know the Deere doesn't claim to have U.S. Open-like conditions, but to have that kind of run at any tournament over a three-year span is mind-blowing. Stricker is in the zone almost every time he steps on the tee, and the rest of the field is just trying to find a way to keep up. It's be silly to give Stricker the trophy before the final round of the event -- especially with three players within four shots of the lead -- but the way he's playing at the moment, I'd say it's a safe bet to think the three-peat winners list will be increasing by one on Sunday evening. Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Steve-Stricker-continues-his-dominant-play-at-th?urn=golf-wp3413 discount golf bennington golf bags golf in las vegas golf las vegas palm springs golf  It's time for our own golf ranking system for the top players on the planet. Why? That's easy. The one used now isn't good enough. For one thing, it evaluates golfers over a two-year period. Two years! A lot can happen in two years. (Ask Tiger Woods.) For another, the current system gives too much credit to players who prevail against less competitive fields halfway across the globe.
Therefore, every week between May 31 and September 27, two days after The Tour Championship, Yahoo! Sports will unveil the new rankings of players Nos. 1 to 10, using lists submitted by many of the game's most knowledgeable observers. We will use a simple statistical formula for the lists we receive ? the top player getting 10 points, the second, nine points, and so forth. We will then add up all the points to produce our list of the top 10. 1. Luke Donald (17), 266 points [2]
2. Rory McIlroy (11), 253 points [1]
3. Lee Westwood, 212 points [3]
4. Steve Stricker, 189 points [5]
5. Martin Kaymer, 122 points [4]
6. Nick Watney, 101 points [7]
7. Jason Day, 96 points [6]
8. Charl Schwartzel, 84 points [8]
9. Matt Kuchar, 82 points [9]
10. Phil Mickelson, 45 points [10] First-place votes in parentheses; position last week in brackets.
| Voters | | Michael Arkush | Yahoo! Sports | | Shane Bacon | Yahoo! Sports | | Al Barkow | golf historian, journalist | | Jay Busbee | Yahoo! Sports | | Tom Cunneff | Links magazine | | Martin Davis | Editor, American Golfer | | John Feinstein | Golf World/Golf Channel contributor | | Bill Fields | Golf World | | David Graham | two-time major champion | | Melanie Hauser | contributor, PGATOUR.com | | John Huggan | Golf Digest | | Sal Johnson | GolfObserver.com | | Rees Jones | golf course architect | | Peter Kessler | radio talk-show host | | Ron Kroichick | San Francisco Chronicle | | Mark Lamport-Stokes | Reuters | | David MacKintosh | Buenos Aires Herald | | Andrew Magee | PGA Tour veteran | | Scott Michaux | Augusta Chronicle | | Brian Murphy | Yahoo! Sports | | Jerry Pate | former U.S. Open winner | | Geoff Russell | Golf World editor | | Stina Sternberg | Golf Digest | | John Strege | Golf Digest | | Jerry Tarde | Golf Digest editor | | Kris Tschetter | LPGA Tour veteran, author | | Jonathan Wall | Yahoo! Sports | | Sam Weinman | Golf Digest.com | British Open coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
? Rory McIlroy could make history at the British Open
? Showdown: Rory McIlroy vs. Luke Donald
? Can Steve Stricker break the U.S. drought? [Connect with your friends over the British Open with the into_now app] Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Presenting-the-Yahoo-Sports-World-Golf-Rankings?urn=golf-wp3575 golf instruction golf outlets of america golf driver reviews Golf Golf news  We might not see Tiger on the course anytime soon, but that doesn't mean one Woods isn't doing to a USGA event what her uncle used to do. Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger and a senior at Wake Forest, took medalist honors at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship on Tuesday, being the only golfer to break par over two rounds (hum, I wonder if Tiger was ever the only person to break par at a USGA event), and has already rolled through her first opponent in match play.
The most interesting part? As Golfweek's Beth Ann Baldry reports, Cheyenne arrived at Bandon Dunes and texted a friend saying she didn't know if she was ready for the event. No worries, as Woods posted stroke-play rounds of 72-69 to land the top seed in match play, and then roll over Ashley Edwards of Oakley, Calif., 4-and-3 on Wednesday. It probably isn't a genetic thing to be great at USGA events, but if it is, Cheyenne is doing her uncle proud. Tiger was medalist in three USGA events (1991 and '92 U.S. Junior Amateur, and 1996 U.S. Amateur) and won six consecutive USGA events from '91-96 before turning pro and winning three U.S. Opens, with the last coming in 2008. Cheyenne is no slouch herself, winning more than 30 amateur events already in her young career, and she was the ACC individual title winner this year at the conference tournament. Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Tiger-Woods-niece-Cheyenne-is-rolling-at-Amat?urn=golf-wp3194 golf callaway golf pga golf las vegas golf golf usa 
Sizing up the TV coverage from the Barclays Scottish Open ... and away we go. Luke Donald still doesn't have a major championship in his trophy case, but his win on Sunday at the Scottish Open certainly solidified his spot atop the world golf ranking for the foreseeable future. "Luke Donald will have his critics in certain corners, I supposed, that will still say he hasn't won a major, like Lee Westwood," Dougie Donnelly said. "Do you think this will silence any of the doubters?" A Scottish Open victory silence the doubters? Surely, Donnelly, a Scot, said that in jest, since the main reason people continue to knock the world rankings is because the top two players in the world are currently major-less. But as Jay Townsend pointed out, maybe that's not the point of the world rankings. "Dougie, you're Scottish. Don't you think this is a major?" Townsend joked. "That argument has been going on for awhile, with Westwood when he was number one, and now with Donald. I think the world ranking are all about awarding good, consistent play over a long period of time, and that's exactly what you got out of Westwood, and what you're getting out of Luke." It's hard to disagree with Townsend's assessment. The system is all about awarding the most consistent players in the game, and if those players just so happen to not have a major championship victory, so be it. "You can't fault the world number one," he continued, "because he's excelling in the system that's there. You have to say hats off because he's played so well so often over the last year." More follows ... Washed away It's never a good thing when the weather is the most talked-about item during a marquee tournament, but like the U.S. Women's Open, the Scottish Open had to deal with being second fiddle to weather that ran roughshod on Castle Stuart Golf Links. Three inches of rain during Saturday's third round washed out the entire day down the drain, cutting the tournament to only 54 holes, and turning Saturday's coverage on the Golf Channel into a replay of the rain-delayed second round. Luckily, the cameras had some incredible opening shots that kept eyeballs on the opening 10 minutes of the coverage, as the network showed a couple of massive landslides, as well as parts of the course that were underwater. "I'm not sure I've ever seen this much damage to a golf course in such a short period of time," Warren Humphreys said. "It really has been awful ... it's a depressing picture at the moment." It was a depressing picture for almost the entire week. Luckily, the Golf Channel was able to show an entire final round broadcast without a single delay. Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come, after tournament officials moved the event from Loch Lomond to Castle Stuart. Dougie Donnelly and Warren Humphreys, like a couple of over-protective parents, tried their best to paint a happy picture of Castle Stuart, despite the weather that rocked the the tournament. "This is the most stunning place. It's an absolute heartbreak for so many people that worked so hard on this great golf course to see the weather give us such an awful day yesterday," Humphreys said. "It's a shame players couldn't see the tournament for four rounds at its absolute peak." Scotland Tourism Board With the John Deere Classic going on this week on the PGA Tour, the Scottish Open missed out on a number of American players that decided to stay on the other side of the pond, instead of heading over the week prior to the British Open. While the weather at Castle Stuart probably won't draw players to the course next year, that didn't stop the Golf Channel's Dougie Donnelly from putting on his tourism cap and giving his best pitch for PGA Tour players currently sitting on the fence. "I think a lot of the American players, particularly, who played here have throughly enjoyed it," Donnelly said. "They'll go back to the PGA Tour and tell other players this is where you should be the week before the Open." We'll see about that, Dougie. No Monty at the Open Championship Despite his best efforts, Colin Montgomerie won't be in the British Open field next week at Royal St. George's. It will end a streak of 21 consecutive appearance for the Scot. Like most golf fans, Dennis Hutchinson noted that the Open Championship will be a different place without Monty. "It's strange to think he won't be there," Dennis Hutchinson said. "He's been part of it for so many years, you just expect to see him in field at the Open Championship. But as you mentioned, he just didn't do enough to earn a spot." Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/GolfTube-The-Luke-Donald-argument-landslides-?urn=golf-wp3443 golf sets ladies golf sets bobby jones golf online golf store san diego golf  Earlier this week, Phil Mickelson opened up about his lack of success across the Atlantic Ocean. Lefty has 31 top-10s in major championships over his career, but only one of those came at the British Open, which kicks off next week. Phil has struggled with links golf his entire career, and he told the Associated Press this week, "... You need to putt with less break and more aggression is what I've come to find. I'm going to try to do that this week and next week and see if that doesn't combat some of the issues that I've had putting here." After one round at the Scottish Open, it seems Phil needs to find another strategy. Mickelson had 33 putts on Thursday at Castle Stuart Golf Links, finished with a 1-over 73, and is eight shots back of leaders Lee Westwood and Mark Tullo. You know the thing about Phil? As smart as he is, and trust me, he's a brilliant dude, it's times like this that totally baffle me. He thinks his problems have been with a lack of aggressiveness on the greens? No. No no no no no. The problems with Phil on the European Tour can best be summarized by his play on the 14th hole on Thursday. Phil, who was 2-under at the time and well on his way to a solid opening round, found himself just off the fairway in the tall, but light, hay. The idea here is to find the fattest part of the massive green, land it there, let the ball release as it does on those greens, and hope that your 30-foot birdie putt can somehow wiggle in. If it doesn't, you take your par, tip your cap, flash that goofy smile that makes you eight figures, and head onto the next hole. But Phil has never understood this. He can't play to the safe side. Phil hit his wedge right at the tucked pin, short-sided himself, tried to hit some punch-shot chip with a club too lofted for what the shot called for, tried it again, failed a second time, two-putted and walked away with a double-bogey. His round was doomed from that point, but it's exactly what Phil has never understood on the continent that started this pesky game. Sometimes, and especially on golf courses with hard greens and nasty mounds, playing it safe isn't just the smart play, it's the only play. That's the deal, Phil. It's really hard to blame your aggressive nature on the greens when you're putting for pars and bogeys all day. Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Phil-Mickelson-s-new-approach-to-putting-not-exa?urn=golf-wp3385 golf deals golf supplies beginner golf set golf gadgets golf jobs |
