History Tiger Woods

Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golferWorld No. 1, he was the highest-paid professional athlete in 2008, having earned an estimated $110 million from winnings and endorsements. whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the World No. 1,

Woods has won fourteen professional major golf championships, the second highest of any male player, and 66 PGA Tour events, third all time. He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour.

Woods has held the number one position in the world rankings for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks. He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record nine times, the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times, and has tied Jack Nicklaus' record of leading the money list in eight different seasons. He has been named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year a record-tying four times, and is the only person to be named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year more than once.

Since his record-breaking win at the 1997 Masters Tournament, golf's increased popularity is attributed to Woods' presence. He is credited for dramatically increasing prize money in golf, generating interest in new audiences as the first person of African American descent to win the Masters, and for drawing the largest TV audiences in golf history.

The Image of Success

2008 was a great year for the golfing world. Trevor Immelman won the US Masters becoming the first South African since Gary Player to win the Green Jacket. TigerWoods came through with an emphatic win at the US Open before retiring for the rest of the year due to his problematic knee and Padraig Harrington announced himself as one of the golfing greats in the modern (shall we say postmodern) age by winning the Open Championship and the PGA Championship respectfully.

In this post I present you with the images of their success:

Immelman putting on the Green Jacket

Woods on his way to Victory at the US Open

Harrington enroute to one of his two Major triumphs in 08.

Keep these guys in mind when you are next on the practice range or the course. They represent the pinnacle of golfing greatness, achievable only through hard work, dedication, hunger and the sheer courage necessary to win a major. Immelman, Woods and Harrington are the men who beat the world in 2008. Well done to them.

Tiger and Barack, Kings of contemporary America

How is it that two African American men have come to be the most successful people in two of the most traditionally caucasian domains in history? Barack Obama is, dare I say it, the First ‘Black man’ to enter the ‘White House’ as President and Tiger Woods has demolished the assumption that golf is a game only for White dudes. Maybe the question is too broad to answer adequately, but that doesn’t really matter. What matters is that these two men have become heroes, consummate professionals who inspire millions of people everyday, in every corner of the world.

Barack Obama infront and inside the 'White House'

Has there every been a President so loved and so ridiculously cool. Forget the Beatles, Obama really is more popular than Jesus.

Tiger the Great

Watching Tiger Woods play golf is like witnessing the evolution of man. His level of excellence is simply astounding. Let us all be thankful for the privelage of seeing him play and wish that his knee recovers to full health.

Smoking Hot Golfer Ladies

One of the saddest things about golf is that there aren’t enough female golfers. Some guys will literally force their wives to play in an attempt to infect them with the golfing bug, but how seldom it is that they actually catch this bug. I’m sure most golfers can relate to this, which is why this post is here to show you that golfer ladies do exist, and every now and then they are smoking hot.

Anna Rawson showing us how she gets her tee in

Kim Hall and Anna Grzebien: How nice would it be to play in that pairing?

Blair O'neal demonstrating remarkably good posture

Just bare in mind that unless you are a professional golfer these ladies can probably out-drive you and almost certainly outplay you. It just goes to show that sometimes you can actually have your cake and eat it.

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Anders Hansen leads with opening 65

Twice European PGA champion Anders Hansen came up on the rails with a late eagle to take the lead with a seven-under-par 65 in the European Open first round on Thursday.

The 38-year-old Dane, who started at the 10th hole, picked up five birdies in a faultless effort before vaulting to the top of the leaderboard by chipping in for a three at the par-five eighth in warm, still conditions at the London Club in Kent.

Sweden’s Peter Hanson, brimming with confidence after a hole-in-one in U.S. Open qualifying this week, was in joint second place on 66 alongside South African Thomas Aiken, Jyoti Randhawa of India and Briton Sam Little.

World number four Sergio Garcia fought back from a first-hole double bogey to post a 69 but fifth-ranked Henrik Stenson slid to a four-over 76.

Hansen, teeing off late in the day, made the perfect start when he holed out from 25 feet for a birdie at the 10th.

The 2007 and 2002 PGA champion also rolled in a 40-footer at the 17th but the highlight was his eagle.

“I hit a pretty good drive down the right, then hit it just short of the green,” Hansen told reporters.

“It was quite a tricky chip because we were on the left side and the pin was short left so we were unsure if we could get enough check on the ball to stop it. But I hit it beautifully from about 15 yards.”

Swede Hanson said he was high on self-belief after claiming the 11th and final international qualifying spot at Walton Heath when his six-iron went straight into the cup from 202 yards to book his ticket for next month’s U.S. Open.

“That ace on Monday was an enormous boost,” he said. “You get a confidence boost, not only from that but because everybody is congratulating you and saying well done.

“It was one of those surreal moments … like knocking in that last penalty in a World Cup match.”

Aiken, like fellow early starter Hanson, began his round at the 10th and made rapid progress when he crammed six birdies in an inward half of 30.

The South African only has a conditional tour card this season and did not know he was competing here until Monday.

Unusually for a top golfer, Aiken was sponsor-less on his cap and sweater. “I am, and have been for a while, logo-free. Economic crisis,” he joked.

Britain’s John Bickerton produced the shot of the day, using a five-iron for a hole-in-one at the 194-yard, par-three third as he registered a 72.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry and former world amateur number one Scott Arnold of Australia, making their professional debuts, started with rounds of 78 and 79 respectively.

Tiger Woods still looking for answers off the tee

Not long after a calamitous week of driving at the Masters, eight new driver shafts arrived at Tiger Woods's home in Windermere, Fla. Each could be attached to a head built to his usual specifications — 8.5 degrees of loft, 1.5 degrees open club face, swoosh on the bottom. The shafts varied by weight and maker, and although they were sent by Nike as part of Woods's annual

equipment review, the timing highlighted a nagging truth: Woods's return after left-knee reconstruction and nearly nine months off shows a golfer at a crossroads on the tee box.

"My short irons are actually pretty good," Woods said on Sunday, following his fourth-place finish at the Quail Hollow Championship, won by Sean O'Hair with an 11-under-par 277. "It's just the longer stuff is not where I want it at all."

This was in marked contrast to O'Hair, who redeemed himself after coughing up a five-shot lead to Woods at Bay Hill five weeks earlier. At Quail Hollow, O'Hair was seventh in driving distance (312.6 yards) and 19th in accuracy. His final-round 69 allowed him to prevail by a shot over Lucas Glover and Bubba Watson and gave the 26-year-old his third Tour victory, making him, Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott the only Tour players under 30 with at least three victories.

The heart of major championship season is not the ideal time to tinker, but Woods did not have a typical off-season. Forced to rehabilitate his leg during the fall and winter, Woods was relegated mostly to short-game work. "That's all I did for months," Woods said on Sunday, "chip and putt." Even his victory at Bay Hill was more about phenomenal scrambling than pure ball striking.

After receiving the shafts, Woods settled on three models to test. The lightest was a 76-gram prototype True Temper Project X graphite; the heaviest, an 89-gram Aldila Voodoo XPP8 prototype. He also liked an 85-gram Oban Tour prototype. "There were several shafts out there that Tiger had not had an opportunity to test," says Rick Nichols, Nike's field manager. "We said, 'Let's test them and confirm what you're playing, or see if there is something better for you.'"

Woods used the Aldila shaft in Wednesday's pro-am, but on Thursday he switched to the Oban and shot a bogey-free 65 that featured only a few loose tee shots to the right. After shooting a 72 in the second round (also with the Oban), for the weekend Woods went back to the 83-gram Mitsubishi Diamana White Board shaft that he has been using for several years. On Sunday, Woods pushed his opening drive deep into the trees and made bogey. On the 10th hole, also with driver, he pulled his tee shot and dropped the club behind him. "I didn't hit the ball well at all today," he said afterward.

"I've had plenty of time to come back," Woods said, squashing excuses. "It's a matter of getting out there and trusting what you've been doing."

With the tight fairways at the Players Championship this week and the U.S. Open at muscular Bethpage Black on the horizon, Woods will need trust on the tee box — no matter which shaft he ends up using.

Tiger's coach seeks to fix Barkley's golf swing

Strangers stop Charles Barkley on the street seemingly every day. Not too surprising - except they don't want to talk about his Hall of Fame basketball career or his gig as a popular NBA television analyst.

Ordinary folks are offering athletic advice, on how to improve his golf swing.

``It's kind of funny, but it's kind of like, 'Wow, I must really suck,''' Barkley said of what might be the world's most infamous golf swing.

So Barkley is pursuing a very modern solution: a reality TV series.

None other than Tiger Woods' coach, Hank Haney, is confronting the challenge on the ``The Haney Project,'' which premieres Monday on the Golf Channel.

``Other than Tiger, I've never had a student who's worked this hard,'' Haney said.

Barkley's swing begins to unravel soon after he brings his club back. He starts to take it forward then jerks to a stop, throwing his body off balance, before wildly striking at the ball.

His determination to fix the swing is only partly about pride. After all, the gregarious former NBA star will still display it in public at charity events.

Mostly, the 46-year-old Barkley misses the peace and quiet of heading to the course with three buddies - the one venue where strangers aren't always coming up to him. He used to play daily during the summer.

``Now it's twice a year,'' he said. ``It just happens to be on television.''

Barkley once was a 10-handicap golfer and could break 80. Now he can't break 100. He finished last at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in July.

``My goal is to go out and have fun because I haven't been having fun on the golf course in maybe 10 years,'' Barkley said.

Haney theorized that Barkley's famous hitch would go away if he improved his entire swing.

``I saw a bad swing that had reason to hitch,'' Haney said. ``I never saw a good swing with a hitch in it.''

After working with his new pupil, Haney still believes that, but he is also spending more time trying to eliminate any mental blocks that are causing the hitch.

The two have shot five of the projected seven episodes. Whether the series will have a happy ending is still a mystery - to Barkley and Haney.

``It's been very difficult, to be honest with you,'' Barkley said. ``I thought I'd be better now.''

He seemed to be making great progress on the practice range. Then he tried to carry over his new-and-improved swing to the course. ``Deflating,'' is how Barkley described the experience.

The series premieres as Barkley has been drawing some unwanted publicity. He pleaded guilty Monday to two misdemeanor charges stemming from his drunken-driving arrest in late December.

``I made a mistake and just have to take the beatdown,'' he said. ``It is what it is. It's 100 percent my fault.''

Barkley has been hitting at least 1,000 balls a day as he seeks to revamp his swing. He's found Haney to be a demanding instructor.

``I never thought that golf coaches screamed,'' Barkley said.

Part of Barkley's appeal as a player was that he wasn't the tallest or most athletically gifted guy on the court. Fans could relate to an undersized power forward whose girth earned him the nickname ``Round Mound of Rebound.''

The new series shows Barkley in a predicament many recreational golfers can relate to.

``There's this sort of idea people enjoy watching the misery of others,'' said executive producer Steve Rotfeld. ``Charles' golf game is very entertaining. It's sort of just one big blooper.''

And there's something fascinating about watching a sports star struggle so mightily at an athletic endeavor.

``The most perplexing thing about it is here we have a guy who's one of the greatest athletes in history who absolutely cannot take a golf club, take it back and swing it through and not have spasmodic hitches in his swing,'' Rotfeld said.

It's humbling for Barkley, because, as he put it, ``I've never sucked at anything in my life.''

``I've never choked before,'' he said. ``That's what's been very difficult for me from an ego standpoint.''

Haney believes Barkley can lower his handicap to around 5. His short game is strong, the coach said, and his putting is even stronger.

``He's powerful and hits it forever when he doesn't have the hitch,'' Haney said.

Haney is confident Barkley will accomplish his goals: ``He won't be denied.''

Tiger Woods Testing New Driver Shafts

Posted at 11:49 AM by David Dusek | Categories: Aldila , Drivers , Nike , Oban , Shafts , Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods had been using an 83-gram Mitsubishi Diamana White Board shaft in his drivers for several seasons. But on Thursday morning his Nike SQ Dymo 380 driver was outfitted with an 85-gram Oban Mach 4 prototype shaft.

On Wednesday, during his practice round with Payton Manning at the Quail Hallow Championship in Charlotte, the world's No. 1 player had an 89-gram Aldila Voodoo XPP8 prototype shaft.

According to Rick Nichols, Nike's Tour Field Manager, Woods recently tested eight new shafts at his home in Windermere, Fla., as part of an annual equipment review process with Nike.

"Tiger had been off for nine months," Nichols said. "So there were several shafts out there that he had not had an opportunity to test. We said to him, 'Let's test them and confirm that what you're playing, or if there is something better for you, let's look and see.'"

Using Nike's STR8-Fit system and a TrackMan launch monitor to expedite the process and confirm what Tiger felt in his hands, Woods narrowed the field down to three potential successors — the Oban, the Aldila, and a 76-gram prototype True Temper Project X graphite shaft.

The Nike STR8-Fit system allows golfers to unscrew the head from the driver's shaft, then re-attach it in one of eight different positions to change the loft and lie angle of the club. According to Nichols, Tiger's specs were not changed during the testing. His driver has 8.5° of loft and with a face that is 1.5° open. He also tested all the drivers with the same ball, his Nike One Tour.

The 13-gram weight difference between Tiger's heaviest and lightest test shafts translates to distance. "Tiger probably has another 20 yards in him if we gave him a harder golf ball and a longer, lighter shaft," Nichols said. However, that added distance could sacrifice short-game and iron control, so Tiger, like every other golfer, has to weigh his options and priorities.

Woods, far from dominant, scrambles to get himself in position again

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Tiger Woods has hit some of the weirdest golf shots you've ever seen this week — half-blind punch shots from under hanging branches, off-target tee shots barreling into bermuda rough and, the kicker, a pitching wedge left-handed.

The best player in the world is not playing his best golf, and yet there he sits through 54 holes of the Players Championship, within shouting distance of the leader, Alex Cejka.

In fact, it might as well be whispering distance. Woods will be playing with Cejka in Sunday's final group.

"Just grinding it out," said Woods, whose third-round 70 left him five shots behind Cejka, who shot 72. "This is basically our fifth major, and that's how it's playing, just like a major championship. It's fast, it's hard, it's dry, and you just have to keep plodding along."

Woods's play at Sawgrass this week has been far from the dominant stretches of his career (1999-2001, 2005-07), when his ball-striking suffocated all comers. Instead, in his comeback from reconstructive knee surgery, Woods's short game has been his trump card.

It saved him at Bay Hill, where he made up five shots to beat Sean O'Hair. It kept him competitive at the Masters, where he battled a two-way miss off the tee box. It has rescued him at steamy TPC Sawgrass, where he missed half his fairways Saturday and still motored up the leader board.

"That's the whole idea, just making par after par," he said. "If you happen to sprinkle in a birdie, that would be fine."

Woods mixed in five of them, along with three bogeys, in a round that had everything. The most unexpected moment happened beneath a stand of trees to the left of the par-5 11th fairway. With his ball nestled in pine needles inches from a tree, Woods had little choice but to hit the ball left handed. He addressed the ball with the toe of his pitching wedge pointing down and slashed at the ball.

He hit it flush.

"I actually hit it too good," said Woods, who occasionally practices left-handed shots around putting greens.

The ball shot across the fairway behind another tree. From there, he made bogey after trying to cut his third shot onto the green. Instead, he missed the putting surface and then failed to get up and down from behind the green.

"I made 6 on a hole that I should have been making 4," he said.

One week after testing various driver shafts at Quail Hollow, Woods mostly kept the driver in the bag Saturday, a concession both to the firm conditions and to his lack of comfort with his long game.

"I'm not that far off," Woods said. "Look at my rounds since I've come back and played again. I really haven't been that far off. I just haven't been as consistent as I was before my injury."

Throughout his career, Woods has often explained that he was close when coming back from an injury or going through a swing change. He might have a point. His rounds of 71, 69 and 70 at TPC represent the first time he's carded three consecutive under-par rounds here since the last three rounds of the 2001 Players Championship.

He closed his round with birdies on 16 and 17 and a par on 18 after punching a 6-iron from below the trees on the right side of the fairway and getting up and down from the fringe that hugs the water.

Many questions surround Woods in his sixth tournament back from his layoff. How will he hit the ball off the tee? How will his knee react to playing in back-to-back events? But he continues to find ways to plant himself on leader boards.

In late March at Bay Hill, Woods clawed his way up the board, finally passing O'Hair on the 72nd hole with a birdie putt in the dark.

Once more, he trails a leader by five. Once more, his swing is not where he wants it to be.

Sounds like he has Cejka right where he wants him.

Build Your Swing Like Tiger

Save 5 strokes with the fundamentals used by the world's best player.

If a late-night infomercial promises to make you swing like Tiger Woods, fuhggedaboudit! It's like one of those e-mails that says you can lose 50 pounds, make a million dollars and marry a Brazilian supermodel. Simply put, you can't swing like Tiger Woods because no one can — not even the other guys on Tour. His physical gifts are beyond almost all of us. What you can copy from Tiger are his solid fundamentals.

Like almost everything else in his career, Tiger's swing changes have become the stuff of legend. But these changes are never fads or overnight fixes. Instead, his swing changes are grounded in the fundamentals of the game. When Tiger makes an adjustment, it's to fix a tendency he has that strays from those basics. This consistency has made Tiger the most dominant player of his generation, and it can help make you the most dominant player in your foursome. As for that Brazilian supermodel, you're on your own.

1. How to set up for power
The 2008 version of Tiger's swing is probably his most powerful and fundamentally sound one yet, which is bad news for the rest of the Tour. He starts it all from a solid foundation of correct posture and balance.

Before...
Since his junior golf days, Tiger's tendency has been to stand too far away from the ball, which forces him to bend over too much to reach the ball, as seen in this photo from 1995.

Now...
Tiger has moved closer to the ball. This makes his spine angle a bit more upright at address. It's a small change that dramatically improves his balance. Also, notice how he bends from his hips, not his shoulder blades. Make sure you make this same hip bend to keep your shoulders from becoming hunched over at address.

How this can help you

D2 Productions Figure out you ideal distance, and then measure where the ball is using your club. Now you'll always know where you need to stand. Here's how to find the correct distance from the ball at address. First, check your balance. You want to stand so that if someone pushed you in the middle of your back or the front of your chest, you wouldn't fall over. Then let your arms hang down naturally and grip the club. This is your ideal distance from the ball with that club. Once you get the right distance for all your clubs, try this trick: Lay a club down across your toes and use the club in your hand as a ruler. Place the butt end of your "ruler" club against the club on the ground, and use a Sharpie to mark the shaft on each side of the ball. Do this with all your clubs, and you'll know exactly how far away to stand for each one.

2009 PGA Tour Schedule

Date	Event
Jan. 5-11	Mercedes-Benz Championship
Jan. 12-18	Sony Open in Hawaii
Jan. 19-25	Bob Hope Chrysler Classic
Jan. 26 - Feb. 1	FBR Open
Feb. 2-8	Buick Invitational
Feb. 9-15	AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Feb. 16-22	Northern Trust Open
Feb. 23 - March 1	WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship
Feb. 23 - March 1	Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya
March 2-8	The Honda Classic
March 9-15	WGC-CA Championship
March 9-15	Puerto Rico Open
March 16-22	Transitions Championship
March 23-29	Arnold Palmer Invitational
March 30- April 5	Shell Houston Open
April 6-12	The Masters
April 13-19	Verizon Heritage
April 20-26	Zurich Classic of New Orleans
April 27- May 3	Quail Hollow Championship
May 4-10	THE PLAYERS Championship
May 11-17	Valero Texas Open
May 18-24	HP Byron Nelson Championship
May 25-31	Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
June 1-7	The Memorial
June 8-14	Stanford St. Jude Championship
June 15-21	U.S. Open
June 22-28	Travelers Championship
June 29 - July 5	AT&T National
July 6-12	John Deere Classic
July 13-19	The Open Championship
July 13-19	U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee
July 20-26	RBC Canadian Open
July 27 - Aug. 2	Buick Open
Aug. 3-9	WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
Aug. 3-9	Legends Reno Tahoe Open
Aug. 10-16	PGA Championship
Aug. 17-23	Wyndham Championship
Aug. 24-30	The Barclays
Aug. 31 - Sept. 7	Deutsche Bank Championship
Sept. 7-13	BMW Championship
Sept. 21-27	THE TOUR Championship pres. by Coca-Cola
Sept. 28-Oct. 4	Turning Stone Resort Championship
Oct. 5-11	The Presidents Cup
Oct. 12-18	Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
Oct. 19-25	Frys.com Open
Oct. 26-Nov. 1	Viking Classic
Nov. 2-8	TBD
Nov. 9-15	Children's Miracle Network Classic

Golf Tournaments

DATES: Thursday, May 28th through Sunday, May 31st

SITE: Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas

COURSE ARCHITECT: John Bredemus, Ralph Plummer (1936), Perry Maxwell (redesigned 3 holes, 1941), Keith Foster (1999, 2008)

PAR: 70

YARDAGE: 7,204

Hole-By-Hole:	1 - Par 5 565 yds	10 - Par 4 408 yds
	2 - Par 4 389 yds	11 - Par 5 635 yds
	3 - Par 4 483 yds	12 - Par 4 445 yds
	4 - Par 3 247 yds	13 - Par 3 190 yds
	5 - Par 4 481 yds	14 - Par 4 464 yds
	6 - Par 4 406 yds	15 - Par 4 430 yds
	7 - Par 4 440 yds	16 - Par 3 192 yds
	8 - Par 3 194 yds	17 - Par 4 387 yds
	9 - Par 4 407 yds	18 - Par 4 441 yds
	-------------	-------------
	35 3,612 yds	35 3,592 yds

Annual:	62nd
Defending Champion:	Phil Mickelson (Not defending)
Runner-Up:	Tim Clark, Rod Pampling
Tournament Record:	261 (Kenny Perry, 2003, 2005)
54-Hole Record:	192 (Kenny Perry, 2005)
36-Hole Record:	128 (Kenny Perry, 2005)
Course Record:	61 (Lee Janzen, Keith Clearwater, 1993; Greg Kraft, 1999;
	Kenny Perry, Justin Leonard, 2003; Chad Campbell, 2004)
Total Purse:	$6,200,000
Shares:	1st Place - $1,116,000; 2nd Place - $669,600; 3rd Place - $421,600

2008 Finish
Player	Score	Player	Score
Phil Mickelson	266	Pat Perez	272
Tim Clark	267	Geoff Ogilvy	273
Rod Pampling	267	Jeff Quinney	273
Stephen Ames	269	Matt Kuchar	274
Ben Crane	270	Five players at	275

Past Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Winners
Year	Winner (Score) -- Runners-Up
2008	Phil Mickelson (266) -- Tim Clark, Rod Pampling
2007	*Rory Sabbatini (266) -- Jim Furyk, Bernhard Langer
2006	*Tim Herron (268) -- Richard S. Johnson
2005	Kenny Perry (261) -- Billy Mayfair
2004	Steve Flesch (269) -- Chad Campbell
2003	Kenny Perry (261) -- Justin Leonard
2002	Nick Price (267) -- Kenny Perry, David Toms
2001	Sergio Garcia (267) -- Brian Gay, Phil Mickelson
2000	Phil Mickelson (268) -- Stewart Cink, Davis Love III
1999	Olin Browne (272) -- Fred Funk, Paul Goydos, Tim Herron, Greg Kraft,
	Jeff Sluman
1998	Tom Watson (265) -- Jim Furyk
1997	David Frost (265) -- Brad Faxon, David Ogrin
1996	Corey Pavin (272) -- Jeff Sluman
1995	Tom Lehman (271) -- Craig Parry
1994	*Nick Price (266) -- Scott Simpson
1993	Fulton Allem (264) -- Greg Norman
1992	*Bruce Lietzke (267) -- Corey Pavin
1991	Tom Purtzer (267) -- David Edwards, Scott Hoch, Bob Lohr
1990	Ben Crenshaw (272) -- John Mahaffey, Corey Pavin, Nick Price
1989	Ian Baker-Finch (270) -- David Edwards
1988	Lanny Wadkins (270) -- Mark Calcavecchia, Ben Crenshaw, Joey Sindelar
1987	Keith Clearwater (266) -- Davis Love III
1986	*#Dan Pohl (205) -- Payne Stewart
1985	Corey Pavin (266) -- Bob Murphy
1984	*Peter Jacobsen (270) -- Payne Stewart
1983	*Jim Colbert (278) -- Fuzzy Zoeller
1982	Jack Nicklaus (273) -- Andy North
1981	Fuzzy Zoeller (274) -- Hale Irwin
1980	Bruce Lietzke (271) -- Ben Crenshaw
1979	Al Geiberger (274) -- Don January, Gene Littler
1978	Lee Trevino (268) -- Jerry Heard, Jerry Pate
1977	Ben Crenshaw (272) -- John Schroeder
1976	Lee Trevino (273) -- Mike Morley
1975	Hosted Tournament Players Championship won by Al Geiberger
1974	Rod Curl (276) -- Jack Nicklaus
1973	Tom Weiskopf (276) -- Bruce Crampton, Jerry Heard
1972	Jerry Heard (275) -- Fred Marti
1971	Gene Littler (283) -- Bert Yancey
1970	Homero Blancas (273) -- Gene Littler, Lee Trevino
1969	Gardner Dickinson (278) -- Gary Player
1968	Billy Casper (275) -- Bert Yancey
1967	Dave Stockton (278) -- Charles Coody
1966	Bruce Devlin (280) -- R.H. Sikes
1965	Bruce Crampton (276) -- George Knudson
1964	Billy Casper (279) -- Tommy Jacobs
1963	Julius Boros (279) -- Gary Player
1962	*Arnold Palmer (281) -- Johnny Pott
1961	Doug Sanders (281) -- Kel Nagle
1960	Julius Boros (280) -- Gene Littler, Kel Nagle
1959	*Ben Hogan (285) -- Fred Hawkins
1958	Tommy Bolt (282) -- Ken Venturi
1957	Roberto de Vicenzo (284) -- Dick Mayer
1956	Mike Souchak (280) -- Tommy Bolt
1955	Chandler Harper (276) -- Dow Finsterwald
1954	Johnny Palmer (280) -- Fred Haas
1953	Ben Hogan (282) -- Doug Ford, Cary Middlecoff
1952	Ben Hogan (279) -- Lloyd Mangrum
1951	Cary Middlecoff (282) -- Jack Burke Jr
1950	Sam Snead (277) -- Skip Alexander
1949	Not held due to bad weather
1948	Clayton Heafner (272) -- Skip Alexander, Ben Hogan
1947	Ben Hogan (279) -- Toney Penna
1946	Ben Hogan (279) -- Harry Todd

* - Won in Playoff

# - Rain Shortened

Note: Formerly called Bank of America Colonial (2003-06),

MasterCard Colonial (1995-2002), Southwestern Bell Colonial (1989-94), Colonial National Invitation Tournament (1946-88).

Paul Casey favourite at Colonial

Paul Casey arrived at the Crowne Plaza Invitational a bit overwhelmed.

His body was worn out from flying to England last week, winning the prestigious BMW PGA Championship with birdies on the final two holes, hoisting a few glasses in celebration and then getting on a plane and flying back to the United States.

There also was the head-spinning part.

With that victory, Casey—who started the year ranked No. 41—vaulted to No. 3 in the world rankings, behind only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. That’s keeping some pretty good company. So is this: He joined Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam and Colin Montgomerie as the only British players to climb that high since the world rankings began.

“I’m not sure it’s sunk in yet,” he said.

Adding to the commotion this week is the fact Casey will be playing a tournament at the Colonial Country Club for the first time.

He arrived Tuesday at the historic venue known as Hogan’s Alley, but opted not to play a morning round (“I figured my bed was more inviting.”) He was back Wednesday for the pro-am and, on Thursday, will be eager to try building on a breakout season that also includes a runner-up finish at the Accenture Match Play Championship and a victory at the Abu Dhabi Championship.

Casey has a list of reasons for this kick start to his career. There are swing improvements, like better approach shots and more touch with his putter, to being in better shape. All told, it’s left him with a better attitude, “sort of a little bit of belief in my own game that I could, you know, win more frequently, certainly win on the PGA Tour.”

“The win in Abu Dhabi help fuel all of that,” he said. “Without the win in Abu Dhabi, I doubt I would have finished second at the Match Play. And the second at the Match Play really helped with the win at Houston. And the win at Houston sort of helped for last week, so it sort of snowballed.”

Now comes a new heat to try melting that snowball—the expectations that come with being the world’s best player not named Tiger or Phil.

“It’s kind of fun,” said Casey, who in his days at Arizona State erased Pac-10 records set by Woods and Mickelson. “I think it’s a little bit of responsibility that goes with (being No. 3) and pressure. I have had that before, but not in the U.S. I’ve had that in Europe quite a bit. I think it assists me in some respects because I do take that very seriously. I feel like I need to perform. … I will be quickly overtaken if I take my focus off the ball.”

Mickelson is the defending champion in Fort Worth and a two-time recipient of the plaid jacket that goes to this tournament’s winner, but he’s taken an indefinite leave to be with his wife after announcing last week that she has breast cancer. A “pink out” will be held Saturday, with golfers, caddies and others wearing pink to support Amy Mickelson and to help raise money to fight the disease.

Instead of Mickelson, the most recent Colonial winner teeing off Thursday will be 2007 champ Rory Sabbatini, who also comes in fresh off winning the Byron Nelson Championship last weekend.

Sabbatini already has joined Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Mickelson and Sergio Garcia among the 14 golfers to win both events in their careers. Only Hogan won both the same year, doing so in 1946.

Sabbatini has a lot going for him. There’s the momentum of last week, memories of his third-round 62 in 2007 and, perhaps most of all, his familiarity with the changes made to the course since last year. Geoff Ogilvy described them as subtle but tricky, like a lowered tee box on No. 3 and a bunker on No. 14 that’s gone from outside the dogleg to the inside, bringing it much more into play.

“I don’t live too far from here so I’ve played it quite a numerous times since the redesign,” said Sabbatini, who moved to Fort Worth from another nearby suburb less than two years ago and considers Colonial one of his two home clubs. “They’ve done a wonderful job. They kept a lot of the succinct intricacies about the golf course out here so that makes it challenging and just toughened it up a bit.

May 28, 2009

Casey brings new world No. 3 ranking to Colonial

Published: May 27, 2009

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Paul Casey arrived at the Crowne Plaza Invitational a bit overwhelmed.

His body was worn out from flying to England last week, winning the prestigious BMW PGA Championship with birdies on the final two holes, hoisting a few glasses in celebration and then getting on a plane and flying back to the United States.

There also was the head-spinning part.

With that victory, Casey - who started the year ranked No. 41 - vaulted to No. 3 in the world rankings, behind only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. That's keeping some pretty good company. So is this: He joined Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam and Colin Montgomerie as the only British players to climb that high since the world rankings began.

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"I'm not sure it's sunk in yet," he said.

Adding to the commotion this week is the fact Casey will be playing a tournament at the Colonial Country Club for the first time.

He arrived Tuesday at the historic venue known as Hogan's Alley, but opted not to play a morning round ("I figured my bed was more inviting.") He was back Wednesday for the pro-am and, on Thursday, will be eager to try building on a breakout season that also includes a runner-up finish at the Accenture Match Play Championship and a victory at the Abu Dhabi Championship.

Casey has a list of reasons for this kick start to his career. There are swing improvements, like better approach shots and more touch with his putter, to being in better shape. All told, it's left him with a better attitude, "sort of a little bit of belief in my own game that I could, you know, win more frequently, certainly win on the PGA Tour."

"The win in Abu Dhabi help fuel all of that," he said. "Without the win in Abu Dhabi, I doubt I would have finished second at the Match Play. And the second at the Match Play really helped with the win at Houston. And the win at Houston sort of helped for last week, so it sort of snowballed."

Now comes a new heat to try melting that snowball - the expectations that come with being the world's best player not named Tiger or Phil.

"It's kind of fun," said Casey, who in his days at Arizona State erased Pac-10 records set by Woods and Mickelson. "I think it's a little bit of responsibility that goes with (being No. 3) and pressure. I have had that before, but not in the U.S. I've had that in Europe quite a bit. I think it assists me in some respects because I do take that very seriously. I feel like I need to perform. ... I will be quickly overtaken if I take my focus off the ball."

Mickelson is the defending champion in Fort Worth and a two-time recipient of the plaid jacket that goes to this tournament's winner, but he's taken an indefinite leave to be with his wife after announcing last week that she has breast cancer. A "pink out" will be held Saturday, with golfers, caddies and others wearing pink to support Amy Mickelson and to help raise money to fight the disease.

Instead of Mickelson, the most recent Colonial winner teeing off Thursday will be 2007 champ Rory Sabbatini, who also comes in fresh off winning the Byron Nelson Championship last weekend.

Sabbatini already has joined Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Mickelson and Sergio Garcia among the 14 golfers to win both events in their careers. Only Hogan won both the same year, doing so in 1946.

Sabbatini has a lot going for him. There's the momentum of last week, memories of his third-round 62 in 2007 and, perhaps most of all, his familiarity with the changes made to the course since last year. Geoff Ogilvy described them as subtle but tricky, like a lowered tee box on No. 3 and a bunker on No. 14 that's gone from outside the dogleg to the inside, bringing it much more into play.

"I don't live too far from here so I've played it quite a numerous times since the redesign," said Sabbatini, who moved to Fort Worth from another nearby suburb less than two years ago and considers Colonial one of his two home clubs. "They've done a wonderful job. They kept a lot of the succinct intricacies about the golf course out here so that makes it challenging and just toughened it up a bit."

Tiger Woods out for season

Tiger Woods is out for the season because of knee problems, according to a Golf Channel report that has been confirmed by the Associated Press.

The network, citing unidentified sources, says the U.S. Open winner will undergo knee surgery.

Update at 12 p.m. ET: Woods posted a statement on his website.

"While I am obviously disappointed to have to miss the remainder of the season, I have to do the right thing for my long-term health and look forward to returning to competitive golf when my doctors agree that my knee is sufficiently healthy," he says. "My doctors assure me with the proper rehabilitation and training, the knee will be strong and there will be no long-term effects."

(Photo taken Monday by Robyn Beck, AFP/Getty Images.)

LPGA Tour Championship is a go; host site secured

By Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY

Houston, we have a tour championship.

The LPGA announced Tuesday that the Houstonian Golf & Country Club will stage the season-ending 2009 LPGA Tour Championship, returning women's professional golf to Houston after a nearly six-year absence and putting to rest weeks of speculation that the event would not take place.

The tournament, which previously did not have a host site, originally was called the Stanford Financial Tour Championship, but in February a federal judge froze Stanford's assets after the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Stanford founder Allen Stanford and other executive of fraud. Since then, the company defaulted on sponsorship deals for professional events and player endorsements worth millions of dollars annually.

"There was a fair amount of speculation as the year has unfolded and the financial downturn has impacted sports entertainment and sponsors throughout the industry. It feels good to make the announcement," LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens said in the Houstonian clubhouse. "Houston is a premier sports city that will embrace a season finale featuring the game's greatest stars."

IMG, a worldwide sports, entertainment and media company, is responsible for the estimated $3 million annual payment or finding a new title sponsor for the Tour Championship. The tournament is one of three LPGA tour events owned by IMG, which also operates the Ricoh Women's British Open and represents LPGA stars Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, Natalie Gulbis, Morgan Pressel and Yani Tseng.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Houston | Phoenix | Los Angeles | Hawaii | Stanford University | Michelle Wie | Paula Creamer | Morgan Pressel | Natalie Gulbis | United States Securities and Exchange Commission | LPGA | Carolyn Bivens | Samsung Group | Allen Stanford | Ricoh | The Woodlands | Corning Inc.

"When the problems happened with the title sponsor, Carolyn and I got together and talked about how important this tournament was to the LPGA as an anchor to the season," said Mark Steinberg, who oversees golf operations for IMG and was in Houston for the news conference. "With its long-standing relationship with the LPGA, and considering how vested we are in the tour and women's golf, IMG agreed to make the commitment.

"We decided to put a stake in the ground and make it clear to everyone that the LPGA tour is coming back to a great market. It's a huge media market. This is a place where the LPGA should be playing."

The Nov. 19-22 tournament will be the first LPGA event in Houston since the 2003 Samsung World Championship at The Woodlands Country Club. The Tour Championship will feature a field of 120 players, a $1.5 million purse and a unique format that will see a cut after 36 holes to the low 70 professionals and an additional cut after 54 holes to the low 30 pros.

Texas and LPGA star Angela Stanford, who won the LPGA tour's season-opening tournament in Hawaii, said Tuesday's announcement was the latest leg in a season that's been "like a roller coaster," because of the global economic downturn." The LPGA tour has lost five tournaments this year, including last week's Corning Classic won by Tseng. After 31 years, Corning Inc. decided to end its sponsorship due to the economic difficulties.

But financial news hasn't been all bad on the LPGA tour front. This year the tour signed a 10-year agreement with Golf Channel that begins in 2010, the first time the LPGA will have an exclusive cable partner. The tour also signed a multi-year deal worth more than $4 million annually with JoongAng Broadcasting Corp. of Korea. J Golf, a division of JBC, will have exclusive broadcast rights within Korea for nearly all LPGA Tour events through 2014. As well, JBC will underwrite an event in the Los Angeles area for five years, with the location and tournament name to be announced later.

Further, the tour also secured a three-year deal with Mirassou Winery to be the title sponsor of the Phoenix LPGA International.

"Any type of announcement like today's is huge," said Stanford, who was at the Houstonian for the announcement. "It's been a tough year. But you have to take the bad news and keep moving forward. And when something good like this happens, you enjoy it and hope it creates a lot of attention."