Woods to be fined for criticism of rules official

Tiger Woods will be fined by the PGA Tour for his public criticism of a rules official after winning the Bridgestone Invitational, a tour official said Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the tour does not publicize fines.

Woods was bothered after his four-shot victory Sunday because he and Padraig Harrington were put on the clock at the par-5 16th. He said that caused Harrington to rush three difficult shots, leading to triple bogey. European Tour chief referee John Paramor told Woods and Harrington they were being timed.

Woods said he told Harrington after it was over, “I’m sorry that John got in the way of a great battle.” Paramor said the final pairing was well behind most of the back nine, but officials gave them time to catch up. They were still 17 minutes out of position on the 16th tee, when they were put on the clock.

Woods hooked his tee shot, punched out to 178 yards and hit an 8-iron that stopped a foot from the hole for birdie. From the right trees, Harrington hit a 5-iron to the edge of a bunker, went over the green, then hit a flop shot too hard and into the water. The four-shot swing took the drama from one of the most compelling final rounds of the year.

“I don’t think that Paddy would have hit the pitch shot that way if he was able to take his time, look at it, analyze it,” Woods said. “But he was on the clock, had to get up there quickly and hit it.” Harrington conceded he was rushed, although he said it would be unfair to give the final group preferential treatment.

Section VI-D in the PGA Tour’s player handbook says, “It is an obligation of membership to refrain from comments to the news media that unreasonably attack or disparage tournaments, sponsors, fellow members, players, or PGA Tour.”

Tiger pounces past Hunter to capture PGA National title

Tiger Woods turned a Hunter into the hunted on Sunday, stalking his prey for several holes before pouncing on a rare birdie chance to win the PGA National by one stroke over Hunter Mahan. World number one Woods sank a tension-packed 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 16th hole to seize the lead, then added two routine pars to capture his 68th career title and third of the season in his final British Open tuneup.

"This golf course is not easy and we only have basically one real birdie chance coming in, which was 16," Woods said. "At the very end it started going left and it was like, 'Oh God just don't lip out now.' It went in." The 14-time major champion who doubled as tournament host shot a three-under par 67 final round to finish on 13-under par 267 at Congressional Country Club and claim the $1 million top prize at the $6 million event.

"It was kind of in Tiger's court there," Mahan said. "I'm proud of how I played." Mahan matched the 18-hole course record of eight-under 62 set in Thursday's opening round by fellow American Anthony Kim to seize the clubhouse lead on 268 with Tiger still on the prowl and stalking Hunter across the back nine.

"I don't know what golf course he was playing. I didn't see a 62 out there," Woods said. "He put so much pressure on us. We had to play really well. There was a lot of heat back there." Woods sent his tee shot at the 16th into the left rough, put his approach into the right greenside rough and left his chip 20 feet short of the cup.

The 14-time major champion backed away from his putt after being disturbed by a noise, then rammed the ball into the bottom of the cup to reclaim the lead for good. Woods, a winner for the 46th time in 49 US PGA events when leading after 54 holes, also won this year at Bay Hill and Memorial, each victory coming two weeks before a major championship. Woods shared sixth at the Masters and US Open but hopes to better that position two weeks at Turnberry, Scotland.

Mahan made three birdies on the front nine and had runs of three birdies in four holes to begin and end the back nine, taking his lone bogey at 14 and dropped a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th to intensify the pressure on Woods. "At that time I wasn't exactly hitting the ball where I wanted," Woods said.

Woods was on his nemesis hole, the par-4 11th. He found weeds and a ditch off the tee and sank a clutch five-foot putt to salvage a bogey, falling into a tie for the lead with Mahan where he stayed until the critical birdie at 16. Woods had three bogeys and a double bogey at the 11th.

"Great playing. Takes a lot of talent to make 5 or worse four different ways," Woods said sarcastically. "Funny thing is I didn't feel bad over any tee shot. For some reason, just one of those holes that just got me for the week."

The week's five-over par showing by Woods at the 489-yard 11th matched the worst hole for Woods in any non-major tournament in his career, a dubious mark set at Kapalua's first hole in the 2002 Mercedes Championship.

Mahan, whose only US PGA title came at the 2007 Travelers Championship, shared fourth at last week's Travelers and sixth two weeks ago at the US Open. Kim was third on the all-American leaderboard, four strokes off the pace. Bryce Molder was fourth on 272 with US Open champion Lucas Glover and Brandt Snedeker fifth on 273.

Molder and countryman Paul Goydos claimed British Open berths with their results in a select series of events over the past few weeks while Snedeker also booked a trip to Turnberry in two weeks by virtue of a top-five showing.

Accurate O'Hair wins in Quail Hollow by one stroke

Sean O'Hair used a rock-solid long game to win the $6.4 million Quail Hollow Championship by one stroke on Sunday. Despite failing to hole a putt from outside 10 feet during the entire tournament, the 26-year-old edged fellow Americans Lucas Glover (71) and Bubba Watson (70) in a battle of attrition.

World number one Tiger Woods finished two shots behind O'Hair alone in fourth place, after parring the final 10 holes. O'Hair carded 69 to finish at 11-under-par 277, just holding on after bogeying the final two holes in a testing breeze.

"I struck the ball phenomenal this week," said O'Hair, who collected $1,152,000 for his third PGA Tour victory. "Yesterday was probably the best I've struck it ever and today was pretty solid, especially coming down the stretch. "This is one of those courses you have to have the whole package."

O'Hair's victory came barely a month after he frittered away a big lead before finishing second to Tiger Woods at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida. "Losing sucked at Bay Hill," O'Hair said.

"Even though it's tough to lose a five-shot lead against Tiger, you still learn a lot from it. I think it's just experience. "I talked to my coach and my caddie and we all said that all I have to do is keep putting myself in those situations and at some point I'll learn how to win."

O'Hair seized the advantage on Sunday with birdies at the 15th and 16th holes, but promptly gave them back by bogeying the final two holes, including a three-putt at the last.

That gave Glover a chance to possibly force a playoff but his approach went over the green at the par-four 18th and he missed his chip back for birdie, ending his chances.

Earlier, third rounder leader Zach Johnson triple-bogeyed the par-three second, and he faded to finish tied for 11th on seven-under 281, while New Zealand teenager Danny Lee tied for 38th at two-under in his second start as a professional.

Woods, who nearly won the tournament despite clearly being nowhere near his best, was perplexed at his performance.

Woods completes thrilling comeback victory

Tiger Woods came from five strokes behind to overhaul fellow American Sean O'Hair and win his 66th PGA Tour title by a shot at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando on Sunday.

Playing only his third tournament since returning from reconstructive knee surgery, Woods completed a record sixth victory at Bay Hill Club by dramatically sinking a 16-foot birdie putt on the final hole in fading light.

The American world number one, who had been sidelined for eight months following his previous Tour win at the US Open in June, matched his biggest final-round comeback on the circuit.

In 2000, he overhauled a five-shot deficit after 54 holes to win the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Woods finally caught the pacesetting O'Hair with a birdie at the par-four 15th and claimed the outright lead for the first time when his playing partner bogeyed 16 after hitting his approach into water.

Although Woods stumbled on 17, where his tee shot
ended up under the lip of a greenside bunker, he calmly rolled in the 16-footer on the 18th green for a five-under total of 275.

"It feels really good," the 33-year-old said in a greenside interview after celebrating his victory by backing away with a sweeping fist pump before embracing his caddie Steve Williams.

"It feels good to be back in contention again and to feel the rush and to have to deal with everything coming down the stretch. It's been a while but it kind of felt good."

O'Hair, who had been bidding for a third PGA Tour title, had to settle for second place after closing with a 73 with 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson (69) a further two strokes back at two under.

The start of the final round was delayed by an hour and 45 minutes due to the threat of lightning after storms rolled into the area earlier than expected.

Lahiri on top in suspended third round of BILT Open

Anirban Lahiri continued his rampaging form and was four-under at the 17th hole while Jeev Milkha Singh was three-under when play was suspended with 15 golfers still to complete the third round of the BILT Open on Saturday.

Overnight leader Rahil Gangjee completed 17 holes in the third round, three-under with a total of 12-under to stay on course for the title.

Out of the 38 golfers who completed the third round, Gaganjeet Bhullar carded a flawless four-under 68 for the third successive time to emerge as the club house leader with a total of 12-under 204, while one shot behind was Jyoti Randhawa (68,69,68).

Lahiri had a roller-coaster front nine. The Bangalorean was off the blocks with a birdie and followed it up with a birdie hat-trick from the fourth to sixth hole.

But a double-bogey at the tricky par-three seventh hole spoilt his broth after his tee shot slided down the hilltop before his small putts went haywire.

However, the 21-year-old made a dramatic comeback, firing two birdies on the eighth and ninth hole to take the turn at four-under.

Lahiri's back-nine was equally topsy-turvy as he dropped a shot at the 12th but picked up a birdie on the 15th to end the day on a positive note at 17th.

In contrast, Jeev had a see-saw front nine. He sank a birdie at the fourth but stumbled on the seventh, picked up a shot at the ninth but again dropped a bogey at the 13th before finding an eagle at the 15th. He was on the greens at the 17th hole at the end of day's play.

Gangjee started with a bogey in the first but followed it up with birdies at the fourth, sixth, 12th and 15th.

Jyoti, who won the four PGTI event he participated, sank birdies on the second, fourth, 10th, 12th, 14th and 15th against two bogeys on the 13th and last hole 18th.

Earlier in the day, resuming at three-under, Lahiri ended the second round with a total of 13-under 131 to emerge as the leader, while Jeev brought home an identical six-under 66 to grab the second spot with a total of 11-under 133.

Harrington creates history

Padraig Harrington became the first European in over a century to retain the British Open title with a courageous final round that was restricted by a grand eagle on the 17th hole at Royal Birkdale on Sunday.

The Irishman, who came from six shots back to win at Carnoustie last year, upturned Greg Norman's two-shot overnight lead and left the rest of the field straggling with a one-under-par 69 that left him with a total of 283 for four rounds played in some of the toughest conditions in Open history.

Ian Poulter matched Harrington's final round score but had to stay for second place, four shots back, while Norman's dream of becoming the oldest winner of a major had died long before Harrington drilled his five-wood second on the 572-yard 17th to within six feet of the pin.

By the time he had reached the 18th top, the Dubliner's name had already been imprinted for a second time on the Old Claret Jug, and a secure parity on the final hole allowed him to finish in style.

Norman going to be the oldest man to win The Open

Rewired Greg Norman emerged from a day of high winds and high drama at Royal Birkdale on Saturday to lead the British Open after three rounds.

At 53, he stands just 18 holes away from removing Old Tom Morris from the record books after 141 years as the oldest man to win The Open.

If he can hold on to his lead, he will also be, by a distance of five years, the oldest man to win a major.

The Australian shot a 72 to take a two strokes lead into the final day over defending champion Padraig Harrington, who also had a 72 and halfway leader KJ Choi of South Korea, who came in with a 75.

Also remaining firmly in the hunt a further stroke back on a day when some of the world's best golfers were blown clean off the leaderboard was little-known Englishman Simon Wakefield, one of only four players to match par.

Four players are on seven over - 2003 Open champion Ben Curtis, England's Ross Fisher, rising US star Anthony Kim and Swedish newcomer Alexander Noren.

Terrible move cost India's Anand to seventh spot

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

India's Viswanathan Anand losses to Ukraine's Vasily Ivanchuk in the ninth round of the 17th Amber Melody Amber Blindfold and Rapid chess tournament. Anand, however, drew with Ivanchuk in the blindfold section on Tuesday. With this trounce, Anand - with nine points - slide to seventh spot from a fixed fourth place.

In the rapid game, a gaffe from Anand made it a petite event. As Ivanchuk put it, 17...Bg4 was a 'terrible move', completely missing White's reply 18.Nb7, which won a place as collateral. Anand didn't pull through from this material shortfall and Ivanchuk in actual fact converted his advantage to state the point after 33 moves.

Woods's winning streak came to an end

Monday, March 24, 2008


Tiger Woods's winning streak came to an end on Monday as Australian Geoff Ogilvy kept his nerve to win the WGC-CA Championship. Woods, who had won his last seven tournaments worldwide and had not been defeated since September, finished fifth, two shots off winner Ogilvy.

Ogilvy finished on 17 under-par, a shot ahead of South African Retief Goosen, American Jim Furyk and Fiji's Vijay Singh who were all tied for second place.