Shortened in Slim Lead at Barclays‎

What may or may not have been the last shot anyone had to catch Matt Kuchar at the Barclays fizzled when Vijay Singh’s approach shot from the right rough plopped onto the soft green at his final hole on Friday, some 40 feet from the cup.

Hurricane Irene, which already has forced tournament organizers to shorten the event to 54 holes, could shorten it to 36 holes if the heavy rains forecast for Saturday afternoon soak the already saturated golf course at Plainfield Country Club. “If we don’t get 18 in tomorrow, we will resort back to 36 holes,” said Slugger White, the vice president for rules and competition for the PGA Tour.

Kuchar, who leads Singh and Dustin Johnson by a stroke, set the pace in the early going Friday, with six birdies on the soft greens with the aplomb of a master chef ladling a nice Mornay sauce on crepes.

“I just tried to birdie every hole I could,” said Johnson, who eventually was tied for second by Singh’s 64. Singh is looking for his first victory on tour since he won his third Barclays title and first Deutsche Bank title back to back in 2008.

Matt Kuchar lead with birdie on 18th

The PGA Tour on Friday reduced its first playoff event to 54 holes because of the rain and potential damage expected from Hurricane Irene.

Slugger White, the tour's vice president of competition, said the plan was finish 36 holes Friday and start the third round first thing Saturday morning, with hopes of getting in a 54-hole event before the rain arrives.

If they can't finish Saturday, he said it would revert to a 36-hole tournament. Left unclear was whether a 36-hole tournament - if that were the case - would count as an official win. Six years ago, Adam Scott won the Nissan Open at Riviera in a playoff after rain reduced the tournament to 36 holes. What mattered more at this FedEx Cup playoff event was advancing to Boston. The Barclays was a sellout at Plainfield.
Confused? Kuchar.

Last year's winner at Ridgewood Country Club finished his first round this morning and walked off with the leader at 8-under par. His 63 puts him one shot ahead of Harrison Frazar, Robert Allenby and William McGirt.

Played really well today and the conditions were there. Right now, no one's is lower than Kuchar.

McGirt — the last man to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs field here at Plainfield Country Club — began his completion round staring at a 10-footer for birdie on the 12th hole. The North Carolinian parred his next four holes, before carding his only bogey of the round at the 17th hole.

PGA Tour in 2011 and for $10 Million,Review

Defending champion Matt Kuchar is also without a win this season, but he still managed to finish higher on the points list (12) than any winless player on the PGA Tour in 2011. No player has successfully defended his title at this event since Ernie Els, who won in 1996-97 and will go for another win this week.
Singh has won it more times than anyone with four victories dating from 1993 to 2008.

Next week, the top 100 points leaders will take part in the second postseason event, the Deutsche Bank Championship, which Charley Hoffman won by five strokes in 2010.

EUROPEAN TOUR
JOHNNIE WALKER CHAMPIONSHIP AT GLENEAGLES, The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland - The European Tour heads to Scotland this week for the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, which Edoardo Molinari won in 2010.

The win catapulted Molinari onto the European Ryder Cup team last year, becoming the first player to play in The Ryder Cup the year following graduation from the Challenge Tour.
Golf Channel will carry coverage of all four rounds.

CHAMPIONS TOUR
Fred Couples is also participating after winning his first senior major last week at the Senior Players.
After two weeks off, the Champions Tour heads to Asia for the Songdo Championship Korea, which Russ Cochran won last year.

LPGA TOUR
Wie has struggled of late, however, without a top-10 finish in a stroke play event since finishing sixth at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. NATIONWIDE TOUR
Next week the Nationwide Tour heads to Canonsburg, Pennsylvania for the Mylan Classic, where Kevin Kisner won in 2010.

CANADIAN TOUR
CANADIAN TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, Ambassador Golf Club, Windsor, Ontario, Canada - The Canadian Tour is in Ontario this week for the Canadian Tour Championship, which Aaron Goldberg won in 2010.

The Canadian Tour is off for over two months following this event until November 3-6 for the Desert Dunes Classic, where Adam Hadwin won in 2010.

Tiger Woods.Falls further behind Scott at WGC-Bridgestone

Adam Scott was losing ground Saturday at Firestone when he decided to stick with what was working. Scott was at 12-under 198, the lost 54-hole score at Firestone in 10 years.

Scott atop the leaderboard should be compelling enough, especially with Woods back to golf. Ishikawa might be the only other player in golf to appreciate what it's like to get attention like Woods. He has been a star in Japan since he won his first tournament as a 15-year-old amateur, and his 10 wins on the Japan Golf Tour include shooting a 58 in the final round to win The Crowns.

A win would make him the youngest winner of a PGA Tour-sponsored even since John McDermott won the 1911 U.S. Open at 19. PGA Tour rookie Keegan Bradley had a 68 and was two shots behind, along with Martin Laird (67). The group another shot behind included world No. 1 Luke Donald, who had a 64 despite a bogey on the last hole, and Rickie Fowler, who holed out from the fairway for eagle for the second straight day. Woods opened with a bogey that started with shots to the right and left of the fairway, and he didn't hit a single fairway on the front nine.

Canadian national open Golf

It may be a truism in golf that half the players on any given day of a PGA Tour event hate the way the course is set up - usually the half that aren't playing worth a damn.
But give Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club credit: this week at the RBC Canadian Open, you can't find anyone who likes the rough. In fact, if you conducted a mass interview of all those players who caught the Golf Canada national open Golf charter flight back to Vancouver from the Open Championship at Royal St. George's on Sunday night, this might be the average comment: "Define easier," Goydos said, sounding a lot like the substitute school teacher he once was. "Worrying about what Paul Goydos thinks of the rough is just silliness.

"I don't know if it should be a one-shot penalty for a guy who lands his tee shot in the fairway and two-bounces into the rough. It's one of those courses that every shot - tee shot, approach shot, first putt - if you don't hit a good shot, you're going to struggle to make par. Tommy (Two Gloves) Gainey hit just five fairways and shot 65. If I hit it in the rough on a par-4, I immediately start thinking par-5. If you miss it, then whatever.
The golf course, at 36 holes, is starting to identify the best players in the field. Richard Zokol knows all about that pressure having played the country’s national golf tournament 26 times. Weir once called the chance of a Canadian winning the Canadian Open the equivalent of “lightning in a bottle. Zokol agrees.
“It is tough to play well on that one week you need to play well. Weir is one of five regulars playing on the PGA Tour this year, all posting very mixed results. Others in the field include Canadian national open Golf Mid-Am champ Dave Bunker, a high school gym teacher when he’s not playing golf. Former amateur standouts Matt Hill, from Bright’s Grove, Ont., and B.C.’s Nick Taylor, both currently playing Canadian Tour, are also back this year.
Among those late qualifiers to the field are former Canadian national open Golf Amateur champion Darren Wallace, a native of Langley, B.C., who know plays on the Canadian Tour, along with veteran Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont. and Mitch Evanecz, a member of Canada’s men’s amateur national team from Red Deer, Alta.
Top amateur golfers Albin Choi of Toronto, and Eugene Wong of Vancouver, who missed the cut at last year’s Canadian national open Golf, are also teeing it up at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club this week, while Canadian PGA Club Pro champ, Brian Hutton of Burlington, Ont., rounds out the list of Canadians. Truthfully Canadian professional golf, at least on the PGA Tour level, seems to be in a state of transition.
Matt McQuillan might very well be the hottest Canadian golfer right now. SCOREGolf: You’ve had two big weeks in a row.

2011 British Open‎

(Reuters) Ignoring 35-mph gusts, the strongest winds of the week at Royal St George's, and squally showers, Mickelson picked up an early birdie at the second.

Mickelson, a four-times major winner, picked up another stroke at the sixth before joining Clarke on five-under by coaxing in a 20-foot putt for an eagle three at the seventh.

Mickelson tied his personal-record for a nine-hole score at a major by scoring an even 30 through the first nine holes. For more 2011 British Open news and results, stay with this StoryStream, visit SB Nation's golf hub, and check out our golf blog, Waggle Room. For full 2011 British Open scores, visitthe official Open Championship leaderboard.

36: Johnson has short putt to remain -4. Really a disappointment for Mickelson as Clarke hits his par putt. 11:33: Mickelson hits a poor approach to 13 and goes not hit the green. Clarke's bunker shot does not appear to a tough one. 11:31: Johnson safely on No. 11, a 253-yard, par 3. Clarke takes 4-iron and hits short and watches is shot roll into the bunker. 11:26: On No. 13, Mickelson's splits the fairway. 11:25: Clarke rims out his birdie putt to remain at -7 and two stroke lead on Mickelson. Johnson's birdie attempt at No. 10 is perfect. 11:24: We should not forget Dustin Johnson who is playing with Clarke. He has a makeable birdie putt to get to -4. 11:20: Clarke's approach at No. 10 is excellent. He's about 12 feet from another birdie. Just a great golf shot. 11:14: Clarke's tee shot on No. 10 hops into the left-hand rough. 11:07: Clarke's long birdie putt comes about 3-4 feet short. Mickelson on No. 11 comes up wide on his birdie putt and then blows his par putt. 11:03: Clarke's approach on No. 9 hops over the bunker and onto the green. 11:01: Clarke's tee shot on 9 puts him a little in trouble but the hole is only 412 yards.

10:59: Mickelson's birdie try on No. 10 from 19-feet drops and he's at -6 and off by a stroke.

10:55: Mickelson on No. 10 throws his approach to within 20 feet. 10:51: Clarke from 180 yards out on No. 8 hits another beauty onto the green. 10:50: Clarke (-7) and Mickelson (-5) are battling but lurking are Dustin Johnson (-30, Thomas Bjorn (-2) and Rickie Fowler (-2).

Leader Darren Clarke (-7) is heading there now.

10:43: Mickelson's settles for par on No. 9 and shoots a -5, 30 for the front nine. He now trails Clarke by 2.

Rory McIlroy is a winner

Rory McIlroy is a winner. Tiger used to have that kind of aura. Will McIlroy become omnipresent in our lives? If he keeps on winning big tournaments and maintaining a squeaky clean image, the answer is surely a resounding yes.

Make no mistake, McIlroy, 22, can become the newest star in the sports and endorsement world. We’ll find that his biggest asset, putting it bluntly, is that he isn’t Tiger Woods. Remember Tiger Woods? McIlroy projects a joyousness that the intense, robotic Woods seldom could. The more Woods won the big tournaments and racked up all of that money, the more aloof he became. The business of sports can be a cold world sometimes. Woods was the darling of Madison Avenue for well over a decade. I’ve always figured that if Woods had continued to win the Grand Slam tournaments of golf, people would be more inclined to accept him, flaws and all.

It is impossible not to enjoy the "Rory McIlroy story". McIlroy clearly is not a "one hit wonder." Now come the comparisons to a young Tiger Woods. Tiger never looked relaxed even in victory and he always seem to attacking the golf course. McIlroy seems to actually enjoy the stroll.

So with all of this, will McIlroy's fame possibly surpass Tiger with the fans and corporations in corporate America? McIlroy is not an American.

Golfing legends, to fans in this country, are names such as Jones, Hogan, Palmer, Nicklaus, Watson, and now Mickelson and Woods. In the 1960's one of the nicest, classiest and most succesful players on the tour was South Africa's Gary Player. History will remember him as a better player than Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Americans like Americans. Coroporate America likes American athletes.

News Rory McIlroy‎ Tiger woods

nuws

Tiger Woods will never match Jack Nicklaus’ record for victories in major championships.

That’s one of the lessons to be learned from Rory McIlroy’s dominating U.S. Open victory last weekend.

At one time, Woods seemed destined to pass Nicklaus’ mark of 18 major victories. Even if Woods can somehow return to his former greatness, he now has a worthy competitor in McIlroy. At just 22, McIlroy is drawing comparisons to Woods, and McIlroy’s future seems limitless.

“If you are going to talk about someone challenging Jack’s record there’s your man,” three-time major champion Padraig Harrington told reporters.

GOLF legend Jack Nicklaus has taken a fatherly interest in Rory McIlroy's career ever since first meeting him as a teenager.

We all make mistakes. The pair discussed Tom Watson overcoming early miscues and learning how to win consistently. New Zealand's Charles went on to win his only major over Rodgers, destined to never win one.

"I have kicked myself for almost 50 years for blowing that tournament," admitted Nicklaus. You've got to go out there and expect to play well and put pressure on yourself to play well."

Nicklaus went on: "Pressure is what you live for. The pair also met last year during the Honda Classic when Nicklaus predicted an imminent win on the US tour for McIlroy.

Two months and five events later, McIlroy won the Wells Fargo tournament - closing with a 62 at Quail Hollow.

When Nicklaus won the 1963 Masters, Jones famously remarked: "He plays a game with which I'm not familiar."

Rory McIlroy was last night aiming to become the youngest player to win the US Open since Jones in 1923.

Nicklaus enjoys meeting young players like McIlroy and Schwartzel, who said the advice he got from the Golden Bear about how to play Augusta National was important in his Masters victory this year.

"They evidently think there is value in advice from an old man," Nicklaus said.

Nicklaus marvelled at McIlroy's eight-stroke win at Congressional Country Club, where he set a U.S. Open record-low total of 16-under 268 in a wire-to-wire romp.

McIlroy is four months younger than Nicklaus when Nicklaus won his first major. "He's ahead of my pace," Nicklaus said. Ireland's Padraig Harrington likes the Northern Irish boy wonder's chances of passing Nicklaus in major wins: "When you are winning majors at 22, with his talent, and he's got 20-something more years to play majors, and another 100 majors in him, I would give him a great chance to catch Jack."

Schwartzel won.

McIlroy said Nicklaus made it clear that wallowing in misery over a missed Masters was unacceptable

U.S. Open record

On a record day for scoring at the U.S. Open, 12 players posted better scores than Rory McIlroy's Sunday 69, including two 66s and four 67s. On the second hole, he holed a nervy six-foot par putt, adding more of the same.

McIlroy broke or tied 12 U.S. Open records. His total of 268 breaks by four strokes the 72-hole scoring record held by four players. Player after player, in their post-round interviews, confessed their amazement at his perfect play—honestly, since Friday, there hasn't been any other real story. "The way he plays golf, it's a different golf. It's close to perfect," said Martin Kaymer, world No. 3 and the reigning PGA champion.

Until McIlroy wins more majors, it's too early to anoint him as golf's next breakout superstar. But none of the other young contenders have the same rare combination of enormous talent, calm temperament and balance in life that McIlroy has.

McIlroy's father, Gerry, made the trip from Northern Ireland to be here for Father's Day, and the look they exchanged across the 18th fairway, before McIlroy made his final (superb) lag putt, spoke eloquently about the depth of their relationship.

It was Tiger Woods of 11 years ago," Ian Poulter said.

McIlroy, the sympathetic figure at the Masters, was as close to perfect as golf allows Friday during a stunning assault on the record book. McIlroy went 17 holes without missing a green. He went 35 holes without making a bogey.

Not since Woods destroyed his competition at Pebble Beach in 2000 for a record 15-shot victory has anyone made golf look this easy, at least for two rounds.

us open golf News

Bethesda, Md. • Golf’s next great player is every mother’s son, a self-effacing and unaffected 22-year-old from Northern Ireland, who bounced down the fairways to win his first major championship Sunday with a smile, a shrug and an incomparable swing.

Not often does a dominator disarm the way Rory McIlroy did at Congressional Country Club, breaking U.S. Open records that were owned by Tiger Woods. When Padraig Harrington of Ireland said McIlroy would be the first one to break Jack Nicklaus’ major championship record of 18 — a record Woods, with 14, has coveted for years — McIlroy put his head down sheepishly. “Paddy, Paddy, Paddy, I’m trying to win my first,” he said.

McIlroy realizes he will be subject to inevitable comparisons to Woods. McIlroy has won three at age 22.

But golf needs a new young superstar.

U.S. Open golf winner would make more money playing in the PGA tour than in Europe. But even after historic U.S Open golf win, sponsorships and taxes complicate Rory McIlroy's decision.

It's a big money decision for McIlroy. Taxes play a big part. Not only would he have to pay taxes on his winnings in the United States if he played more events here, but he'd also have to pay taxes on his endorsement income.

Thanks to endorsements from Jumeirah, Titleist and Oakley, the Irish resident makes about $10 million in endorsement income. As endorsement cash started to trump winnings and prize money, tax authorities in the US and United Kingdom started to catch on.

The Majors: A history quiz on golf's biggest tournaments

Last week, a US tax court said Goosen, who wasn't delinquent on any taxes at any point, might owe more to the US government.

The argument against McIlroy caring about the tax situation is the fact that he might be worth more in the United States playing against better talent than he is playing in Europe. There's more potential cash in the United States. The average PGA Tour tournament offers roughly $2 million more in purse money as compared to the European Tour.

us open golf tiger woods

Rory McIlroy is having one of the most dominating performances of all time at the US Open golf. Any golf follower out there, should be thinking about all the similarities to Tiger Woods that is in Rory.

One great performance doesn't make you Tiger Woods, it makes you like Tiger Woods, on a single day.

It is just a glimpse of what could come if McIlroy stays on his game and continues to swing as well as he is swinging and scoring as well as he is scoring.

One thing is for sure though, this performance is making Tiger antsy.

James Evens serves as a National Featured Columnist for college football and basketball, as well as the FC for the Purdue Boilermakers.

Crunchsports caught up with Lee Westwood after he shot a six under par at the 2011 US Open golf on Saturday. Westwood appears to be optimistic about his chances of contending as he's not sure how Rory McIlroy will play with such a big lead.

LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I played well today, in general. LEE WESTWOOD: I drove the ball great. If you drive the ball well around this golf course, it's scorable.

LEE WESTWOOD: No, they don't give trophies away on Fridays and Saturdays.

Q. Right now it's an 8-shot difference. LEE WESTWOOD: I've set a target on Friday night. I can't control how Rory is going to play, nor can he control my game. Q. If you take away Rory's score, there's a lot of red numbers for a U.S. Open?

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, nice to see. They set the golf course up great. You play well, you shoot good scores, there's no tricks to this one. LEE WESTWOOD: I don't know, depends what time he gets finished.

Q. (Inaudible.)

So that makes scoring a little bit easier. And the fairways become a little bit wider with the rain we've had, as well.

Q. (Inaudible.)

LEE WESTWOOD: Today 65. Q. (Inaudible.)

LEE WESTWOOD: No, I don't think he saw me.

Q. You thought the golf course was attackable today?

LEE WESTWOOD: I think Mike and the USGA have set the golf course up great all week. LEE WESTWOOD: This would be a lot tougher if it was hard, if the golf course was playing firm. It would play a little shorter. LEE WESTWOOD: My confidence level is always pretty high, it's got to be. LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I've won twice and lost in the playoff in my last four stroke events. LEE WESTWOOD: Well, you know, Rory is a good player. When he plays well, he's capable of shooting low scores.