Tiger Wins Notah Begahs Tournie

NB3 press release

VERONA, N.Y. -- Top-ranked Tiger Woods was the big winner Monday in the second-annual Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge at Turning Stone Resort and Casino's Atunyote Golf Club on Oneida Indian Nation lands. Competing against Camilo Villegas, Mike Weir and host Begay in an 18-hole skins format, Woods collected nine skins and $230,000.

"Today the whole thing was about bringing awareness to what Notah is trying to do," Woods said. "It's great to see what he is doing. He's put his heart, soul and passion into it."

Cheered on by a crowd of 3,000, Woods birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th holes to take command. Villegas finished second with six skins and $180,000, followed by Begay with one skin and $70,000. Weir was shut out for the second straight year.

The event, which raised $750,000, is a collaboration between the Oneida Indian Nation of New York and San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians of California to aid the health of Native American youth and their communities.

"It's time we do more to stop the obesity and diabetes epidemic among Native American youth," said Begay, a former teammate of Woods at Stanford University. "Through the Challenge, we have a unique opportunity to shine a national spotlight on this issue. Our goal is to create a national youth health-awareness and wellness movement among the tribal nations, and I am excited about the momentum for change I have seen today."

Tiger Woods commits to The Barclays

By Associated Press

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Tiger Woods entered The Barlcays on Friday, an indication that the world’s No. 1 player plans to compete in all four FedEx Cup playoff events for the first time.

In a tough economic year in which PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has asked the players to do more for the sponsors, Woods came through in a big way by agreeing to compete in The Barclays. He has not played the tournament since 2003, when it was held in June, and he has not played since Barclays took over as title sponsor in 2005.

Barclays’ contract with the PGA Tour is up for renewal next year.

Woods is assured of being the No. 1 seed when the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedEx Cup begins Thursday with The Barclays. A new points system means players are more likely to lose ground if they take a week off.

Even so, that likely didn’t have a bearing on Woods’ decision. He skipped the opening playoff event in 2007 during the first year of the FedEx Cup, then tied for second and won the last two events to easily claim the $10 million bonus.

He did not play last year because of knee surgery.

“The Barclays has been an exciting kickoff to the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedEx Cup each of the first two years. Having Tiger in the field this year will, no doubt, bring even more excitement to the tournament,” tournament director Pete Mele said.

A change in the schedule also helps.

The Barclays will be followed by the Deutsche Bank Championship outside Boston, then the BMW Championship in the Chicago suburb. The tour will take a week off before the final event – with the points reset – at the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Woods has not played a regular PGA Tour event in the New York area since the Buick Classic at Westchester in 2003. He played Westchester three times without winning.

The Barclays will be played this year at Liberty National. The 125-man field will not be set until the conclusion of the Wyndham Championship this week in Greenboro, N.C.

Should he play all four playoff events, as expected, Woods will have played seven times in a nine-week stretch dating to the Buick Open.

www.tigergivesmewod.com

PGA Championship: Yang Captures First Major PGA: Golfdigest.com

PGA Championship: Yang Captures First Major PGA: Golfdigest.com

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Y.E Takes Down Tiger

CHASKA, Minn. -- In a year of spoilers at the majors, Y.E. Yang was the biggest of all.

He toppled the mighty Tiger Woods.

Yang became the first Asian-born player to win a major Sunday with a stunning performance in the PGA Championship, memorable as much for his clutch shots as the player he beat.

Woods was 14-0 when he went into the final round of a major atop the leaderboard. He had not lost any tournament around the world in nine years when leading by two shots.

None of that mattered to Yang, a 37-year-old South Korean who hit the shots everyone expected from Woods. Leading by one on the final hole, Yang slayed golf's giant with a hybrid 3-iron that cleared the bunker and settled 12 feet from the cup.

Yang made the birdie putt and shouted with joy as he pumped his fist. That gave him a 2-under 70, and a three-shot victory when Woods missed yet another short par putt and shot 75.

"I tried to master the art of controlling my emotions throughout the small wins I had in my career," Yang said through his agent, Michael Yim. "I think it turned out quite well today."

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Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
Y.E. Yang became the first Asian golfer to win a major championship title, besting Tiger Woods by three strokes at Hazeltine on Sunday.
It was the second time Woods has finished runner-up in the PGA Championship at Hazeltine, both times to a surprise winner. Seven years ago, he birdied the last four holes and came up one short of Rich Beem.

This time, Woods made one mistake after another over the last four holes, mostly with his putter.

"I did everything I needed to do, except for getting the ball in the hole," Woods said. "Just didn't make the putts when I needed to make them."

Yang was No. 110 in the world, his only victory on the PGA Tour coming in March at the Honda Classic, on a course across the street from headquarters of the PGA of America. He was best known for holding off Woods at the HSBC Champions in China three years ago.

This stage was far bigger. Yang was even better.

He took the lead for the first time all week by chipping in for eagle from about 20 yards short of the 14th green. And when it looked as though nerves were getting the best of him on a three-putt bogey at the 17th, he delivered his two most important shots.

Yang still had enough strength left to hoist his golf bag over his head, and later the 44-pound Wanamaker Trophy. After a long and tearful embrace with his wife, Young Ju Park, he walked across a bridge saluting thousands of fans who couldn't believe what they saw.

What a capper to this year in the majors.

Kenny Perry was poised to become the oldest Masters champion at 48 until Angel Cabrera beat him in a playoff. Phil Mickelson, reeling from his wife being diagnosed with breast cancer, was on the verge of finally winning the U.S. Open until Lucas Glover outplayed him over the final few holes. And just last month, 59-year-old Tom Watson was an 8-foot par putt away from winning the British Open, then lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink.

Woods losing a two-shot lead in the final round of a major? That was unthinkable -- until a breezy afternoon at Hazeltine.

"I played well enough the entire week to win the championship," Woods said. "You have to make putts. I didn't do that. Today was a day that didn't happen."


Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

Yang Stuns Woods For PGA Championship Win - ESPN VIDEO

Tiger Woods PGA Tour By The Numbers

Read the original article here:

http://www.pga.com/pgachampionship/2x009/news/woods_081109.cfm

For Woods, the numbers keep adding up and up

Tiger Woods owns 14 majors and 70 career PGA TOUR wins, so Melanie Hauser has a question. Will Tiger reach Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors or Sam Snead's mark of 82 wins first? Tiger won't make a guess, but Hauser thinks she knows.

By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

CHASKA, Minn. -- He swears he doesn’t think about the numbers.

Unless, of course, we bring them up.

So what if he’s 0-for-the-big-ones so far in 2009? We’re still talking 18 as if Tiger Woods was on his way to a replay of 2000. He’s a mere four majors short of the mark that’s driven him since he was a kid -- Jack Nicklaus’ 18 professional majors -- and that’s way too close to ignore.

But we thought it was about time to shake this debate up. Throw something a bit more interesting at you; something that might spice up this latest run at history.

Which mark will Tiger reach first: Nicklaus’ 18 majors or Sam Snead’s 82 PGA TOUR wins? Good question, isn’t it?

“Those are numbers that are pretty mind-boggling to get up that high,’’ he said Tuesday morning. “Those records and those numbers don't happen in the course of a few years; it's the course of an entire career.

“I feel like I've had a pretty good start to my career and I still have a lot more years ahead of me, and you just keep playing. Where the number falls, the number falls when I'm all said and done.

“It's just one of those things where you just can't make that happen overnight.’’

It took Snead nearly three decades to get to 82. He won his last TOUR event when he was nearly 53 and made the cut in the PGA Championship when he was 67. It took Nicklaus most of his career to get to 18 and 73, both coming in 1986 at the age of 46.

And Tiger? He’s redefining the way we look at everything, so why not career, too? He’s a baker’s dozen years into his and staring down 34. Yes, 34. Don’t let the receding hairline fool you.

We’ve already handed him the next magic number: 73. He’s three back of Jack’s career win record, which is second only to Snead, and on a tear. He’s won his last two starts and appears primed for a run into the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup which means 73 could be history in a little more than a month.

Yes, even that’s debatable. But even that’s kind of like saying it’s possible. And given what’s in his bag right now and what we see, we’re going with probable.


We’ve watched him go from crutches a year ago to some major frustrations to a five-win season and counting. Yes, he’s still hitting it off the planet at times, but he’s reeling it back in, too. And if he wins this week, we feel one of those mini season-closing runs coming on.

One that makes you realize one more time just how good this guy really is.

The current question making the rounds is whether or not this will go down as a great season if he doesn’t win this week. If not, will it be best season with his B-game? Or best season after a rebuilt knee?

“It's been a great year either way,’’ he said. “For me to come back and play and play as well as I've done and actually win golf events; to say at the very beginning of the year, when I was feeling the way I was, to be honest with you, I don't think any of us would have thought I could have won this many events this year.’’

Indeed. Which makes us wonder about those suggesting it was time to put a fork in his season when he missed the cut at Turnberry. Maybe, just maybe, that snapped his mind back into focus and reminded him that he might have been pressing a little too hard on his way to 18.

The point is, we have a sneaking suspicion he’ll be at 15 -- and 71 -- by Sunday afternoon. Which brings us back to that question at hand.

18 or 82?

If you run the numbers, he’s averaged more than five PGA TOUR wins a year during his career and had five seasons where he’s won six times or more. His personal best? Nine wins in 2000. And he’s had four seasons where he’s won multiple majors, including that trio of them in ’00.

Now, factor in those other milestones of his -- he’s won seven times at Firestone Country Club and Torrey Pines (counting last year’s iconic U.S. Open), six times each on Doral’s Blue Monster and Bay Hill and four times each at Augusta National and Murifield Village -- and the equation gets stronger.

Then there’s Tiger. He’s happy with what he’s done, this year, no question. But he knows the stars are falling into alignment -- well, his game and his focus -- and this is no time for a major blip.

And finally? We’re getting a definite 2000 vibe from what’s unfolding. And when asked if Tiger 2000 or Tiger 2009 would win in an 18-hole match?

No question, he said. Tiger ’09.

“I know how to manage my game a hell of a lot better than I did back then,’’ he said. “Just understanding how to get the ball around; I have so many more golf shots now to get me around the golf course. And that's just experience. That's nine more years of learning how to play and how to manage my game around a golf course.

“And I'll probably say the same thing nine more years, because I have that much more understanding mentally. Physically, I don't know if I'll be able to hit the ball quite as far, but understanding how to play, that's just years of experience.’’


And you wonder why he just keeps redefining what we consider the best. If you take the conservative route and think he’ll win half of what he has won in the last nine years in the next nine? We’re sitting at 93 wins and 21 majors. Yikes.

But as for 82 or 18? Add this one up and we’re coming to one simple conclusion -- 18 will come first.

Like we said, we’re thinking 15 comes Sunday and he could close the deal at St. Andrews 11 months from now. Worst case? Early 2012.

If the latter is right, we could make a case for it being close. Five wins a season -- at least one a major -- would stretch both records to 2012. By then he’ll be looking at Kathy Whitworth’s all-time win mark of 88.

But c’mon. You’ve seen him. You’ve heard him.

Yes, the numbers are mind-boggling. But since when has mind-boggling ever stopped him?

Tiger, Phil Ready For PGA Championship - ESPN VIDEO

Woods (-5) Leads PGA Championship - ESPN VIDEO

Tiger Woods Groupies Still Under Attack

As Tiger Groupies drove off into the sunset after Tiger won the Buick, emails were still coming in from the perfect people still upset about Tigers shocking behavior at the Open, and even more upset about our post calling out the likeable Rick Reilly.
Being Tiger Woods groupies, we have a lot of love, and we love Rick Reilly, just not in a Tiger Woods-love kinda way. Lets's break down Rickies article and let the matter rest:

"Tiger Woods has outgrown those Urkel glasses he had as a kid. Outgrown the crazy hair..." - True, although this is partly due to the fact Tiger has no hair that he can get "crazy" with nowadays

"And yet he spent most of his two days at Turnberry last week doing the Turn and Bury" - Nice line, this is why we will always love you Ricky, even if you've been temporarily possessed by demons who forced you to turn to the dark side

"A whole lot of that worldwide audience is kids...Do you think for two seconds they don't think it's cool to throw their clubs like Tiger, too?" - While thinking isn't something we do very often, let alone for two seconds, we thinks that any kid with half a brain (no disrespect to those kids with half a brain) that has been taught right from wrong can make up their own mind as to whether or not doing the Turn and Bury on the first tee in front of the clubhouse cronies is the cool thing to do

"Ever remember Jack Nicklaus doing it" - Good point, but Jack threw his putter rather high in the air at one rather famous Open, presumingly causing untold damage to the green. At least Tiger has the decency to keep his outbursts off the superintendents most holy grail

"Woods has been this way for years: swearing like a Hooters' bouncer" - You've been hanging out with JD again haven't you Ricky

"If it were my son, I'd tell him the same thing: "Either behave or get off the course." - and that's all any parent needs to do if they see their kids trying to emulate Tigers outbursts. Just because a role model does something, doesn't mean every kid is going to copy it.

"Will Tiger let his own two kids carry on in public like that?" - We kinda hope so because golf participation will continue to drop if we keep having winners like, well lets not mention any names...

"Well, it's not fun to watch" - then don't watch if bothers you so much.

Our main defense is that all you do-gooders love it when you see a 2008 US Open, 2008/2009 Bay Hill, 200 PGA Championship Playoff etc reaction, yet expect him to react with grace and calm when he hits a bad shot. These same do-gooders are often the same ones that talk about "growing the game", which I don't think most tour players encourage by their stick reactions to good and bad shots.

Finally Ricky, was that you who let one rip at the Buick?

Tiger Woods and Stevie Impressed by Thunder Buster

Rick Reilly and the rest of his perfect people walking the earth will be a little shocked at this video of Tiger Woods and Steve Williams laughing it up as one of the gallery or TV crew let a thunder buster go during the heat of the moment at the 2009 Buick Open

Tiger Woods Wins 69th Title

Associated Press

GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Tiger Woods has another trophy for his overflowing collection.

Woods shot a 69 Sunday and coasted to a three-shot victory with a 20-under 268 at the Buick Open for the 69th PGA Tour title of his career.

“This one feels good,” he said.

He improved to 36-1 when he has the outright lead after 54 holes. Woods has four wins this season – doubling the total of his nearest competitors – in just 11 starts since returning from knee surgery.

Woods will play at the Bridgestone Invitational next before going to Hazeltine for the PGA Championship, his final chance to win a major this year.

He is set to compete in two straight tournaments going into a major for the first time in his career.

Woods moved into first place in the FedEx Cup standings and padded his lead on the money list with another $918,000 after winning his third Buick Open, tying Vijay Singh’s record total.

His career victory total trails Jack Nicklaus (73) and Sam Snead (82).

Woods reached victory No. 69 at the age of 33 years and seven months – almost 7 years quicker than Nicklas and eight years sooner than Snead.

Dating to the 2006 British Open, he has won 21 of 39 starts on the PGA Tour.

Woods, playing for the first time since missing the cut at the British Open, got off to a brutal start at the Buick Open.

He shot a 71 in the first round and said it was probably the worst putting performance of his career, leading to him skipping his post-round practice session because he was so mad.

It only added to his legacy because he went from a tie for 95th to a victory, the largest jump he’s made from the first round in a tournament he ended up winning.

“I was so far back that I was fortunate enough to put two good rounds together,” he said.

Woods roared back into contention with the best five-hole start of his career – beginning 6 under in the second round – en route to a 9-under 63 for his best score in relation to par in four years.

He hit the ball relatively poor in the third round, but made enough clutch shots to finish with a 65 and a one-shot lead going into Sunday.

Without much of a sweat, he avoided losing an outright lead after 54 holes for the first time since 1996 and improved to 47-3 when he at least shares the lead following three rounds.

Thatcher shot a 9 under Sunday and shared the lead briefly, but he expected Woods to pull away with 15 holes left on the vulnerable Warwick Hills.

He did.

Woods, whose previous three wins this year were each by one shot, spent much of Sunday with a two-shot cushion before he took a three-stroke lead with a birdie at No. 16.

His businesslike final round included three birdies and no bogeys.

“I got fooled a few times by the wind and I hit some bad shots,” Woods said.

Early and often at Warwick Hills, from the pro-am when he played with famed rocker Bob Seger through Sunday, Woods was thanked by fans who appreciated his appearance in an economically ravaged state at a tournament reportedly on its last leg.

“I’ve never played in front of fans like this,” Woods said.

GolfWeek Magazine reported on its Web site General Motors Co. would end the PGA Tour’s longest partnership, and the Associated Press confirmed it with a person briefed on the decision. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement wouldn’t be made until after the tournament. GolfWeek also reported The Greenbrier in West Virginia is waiting for the PGA Tour to confirm it will replace the Buick Open in 2010.

Woods said he thought about his walk up the 18th fairway at Warwick Hills being his last.

“Hopefully, we get to come back to this area,” he said.