Ian Poulter denied Luke Donald the top spot in the world ranking

Ian Poulter denied Luke Donald the top spot in the world ranking

Ian Poulter denied Luke Donald the top spot in the world ranking, beating the fellow Englishman 2 and 1 in the final of the World Match Play Championship.The second-ranked Donald could have risen to No. 1 for the first time, supplanting compatriot Lee Westwood if he’d won the tournament, but failed to find the consistent form that swept him to the final.Poulter, who ousted Westwood in the last 16, was 1-down to his Ryder Cup teammate three times in the error-strewn Fila Korea Buys Titleist For Global Expansion match at Finca Cortesin, but won the 12th with a 45-foot putt and took Nos. 14 and 16 with birdies.In the semifinals, Poulter beat Nicolas Colsaerts in 19 holes, and Donald topped Martin Kaymer 5 and 3.David Toms threw both arms up in the air and a smile took over his face when he finally regained the lead at Colonial. This time, he didn’t let it get away.A day after blowing a seven-stroke advantage to go into the final round trailing Charlie Wi by one, Toms made an eagle with a wedge shot from 83 yards at the par-5 11th hole to take the lead for good and went on to his first PGA Tour victory since January 2006.The 44-year-old Toms closed with a 3-under 67 at Hogan’s Alley to get to 15 under. His long-elusive 13th career victory came a week after a playoff loss to K.J. Choi at The Players Championship, his sixth runner-up finish since last winning.Wi ended up a stroke back for his fourth career runner-up finish without a win.Michael Hoey won the Madeira Islands Open for his second European Tour title, closing with a 1-under 71 for a TaylorMade R9 Fairway Wood adopt Latest technology two-stroke victory. Hoey, also the 2009 Estoril Open winner, had a 10-under 278 total at Porto Santo Golf, the Seve Ballesteros-designed course that features 500-foot seaside cliffs. ... Garth Mulroy won the BMW Charity Pro-Am in Greer, S.C., for his second career Nationwide Tour title, beating Sunghoon Kang on the first hole of a playoff when the South Korean missed a 3-foot par putt.

The Wells Fargo Championship will have a new winner

The Wells Fargo Championship will have a new winner

The defending champion shot an even-par 72 on Friday at Quail Hollow and missed the even-par cut by three strokes.“Disappointed that after all that happened last year, not to be here for the weekend. But that’s golf,” said McIlroy, who shot a course-record 62 in the final round a year ago to win by four shots. “I’ll go home and do some hard practice over the next few days and try to get ready for the next event.”McIlroy, who turned 22 Wednesday, shot an 80 on the last day at Augusta to lose a four-shot lead. He struggled with his ball striking on Thursday, and a day later his putter let him down.“I gave myself a lot of opportunities,” McIlroy said, “I just wasn’t able to take them.”There were moments late in the round when it appeared McIlroy The golfing R11 Driver You Can Afford Easily might pull off a similar feat as a year ago, when he was two shots over the cut line with three holes to go. An eagle on No. 7 allowed him to make the cut on the number. Then came weekend rounds of 66 and 62.“I know better than most people that you just have to be around on the weekend and be able to make something happen,” he said. “I was just trying to get in there, trying to get to the weekend.”McIlroy got within one of the cut line with a birdie on 15 and then lipped out a 40-foot birdie putt on 16. After three-putting the 17th for bogey, he knew he had to make eagle on the final hole.“I basically needed to hole by second shot on the last to have any chance,” McIlroy said. “I went for the pin and just came up a bit short and in the creek. Obviously, not what I wanted.”“I love the way the course is set up,” Mickelson said. “I love the way there’s a first cut. There’s a lot of opportunity for recovery. When you do miss the fairway, even though you’re in trees and you have a tough shot, you still have an opportunity with a decent lie.”In seven previous appearances, Mickelson has five top-10 finishes. He finished second behind Rory McIlroy last year and is again in contention for his first win in Charlotte.

Tiger wishes he could have played with Seve

Tiger wishes he could have played with Seve

Ballesteros, who died Saturday of a cancerous brain tumor, is to be buried Wednesday in his hometown of Pedrena, Spain. Seve Ballesteros was considered a genius for inventing shots, usually after he found himself in trouble off the fairway. On the eve of the great Spaniard's funeral, he was remembered by two players who could at times relate. "You've never seen a person compete from the places he played from," Tiger Woods said Tuesday. Phil Mickelson, who also has a remarkable ability to escape from anywhere, recalled the time he played a practice round with Golf Difficulties Send Romo To Regular Job Ballesteros at Torrey Pines when Lefty was still an amateur. "I enjoyed that time with him because I saw his artistry," Mickelson said. Woods, who was born seven months before Ballesteros was the 54-hole leader at the 1976 British Open as a 19-year-old, never competed against the Spaniard during his prime. "He would have been so much fun to watch and compete against that," Woods said. He did recall a few practice rounds, none more memorable than one year at the Masters with Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal.

"Just to hear him explain how to hit shots around the Augusta ... it was just artful," Woods said. "Just the spin, and how much spin you need to put it here and where you need to land it, where it needs to kick, and the way he explained it, and Golf Star - Seve Ballesteros Died At 54 Years Old what he needs to do with the body to do that with the hands. "He looked like he didn't try and do anything mechanical, but he had a few thoughts about what he needed to do. He just understood it." Mickelson specifically remembers the way Ballesteros played the par-3 11th on the South Course at Torrey Pines, when the pin was cut back and to the right. That's typically a 5-iron or a 6-iron. "He would take a 3-iron ... a big 30- to 50-yard rounded slice that would land in the middle of the green and then side spin over to the hole," Mickelson said. "It just opened my eyes how many different ways you can get to the some of these pins. And I loved watching that because it showed me that it's possible, that it doesn't have to be this robotic way of fairways, middle of the green and so forth."

Cure for Tiger's ills is just going out and playing

Cure for Tiger's ills is just going out and playing

Tiger Woods, who seems forever to be jumping hurdles at this stage of his career rather than just playing golf. He's always hurting, despite being known as a workout nut with a body built to last. Always working on his swing, too, as if it ever really needed a major overhaul. Silly to predict great results for Woods on the TPC Stadium Phil Mickelson VS Bubba Watson Course later this week. It's been a month since he last played on the PGA Tour, and even then there was an air of mystery in his results. Left knee and Achilles' tendon injuries were given as the reason he withdrew from the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina, and that damage reportedly resulted from a shot hit awkwardly off a bed of pine straw near the end of Woods' third round at the Masters.

OK, but how do you explain Tiger's fourth round at Augusta National, a brilliant 67 that showed few signs of weakness? If there had been a green-jacket ceremony for Tiger that evening, he surely didn't look like a guy who would have limped to it.

The Players Championship doesn't play favorites quite so much. There's nowhere to put a bad drive, and no hope of scrambling to save par for those who miss the island green at No. 17. For all the amazing things he has accomplished, Tiger has taken home the Players trophy just once, and that was a decade ago. He withdrew from last year's tournament with a neck injury six holes into the final round and was something like 10 shots off Tim Clark's winning pace at the time. Altogether, there's been just one top-10 finish for Tiger in this event over the last 10 years. Fair to say, then, that it would be a surprise if he took a run at winning it now.

When, if ever, do we get to the point where it would rank as a surprise to see Tiger rack up the five additional major titles it will take him to pass Nicklaus' all-time record of 18? For me, that tipping point will come at the conclusion of the 2011 season, unless Tiger does one of two things in the meantime. The first is obvious enough. Win a major this summer and everything's back on track. The best chance might be Royal St. George's, where Tiger finished tied for fourth in the 2003 British Open, two shots behind Ben Curtis.

The second is much simpler but it counts for a lot. Get through the rest of the season without another injury . Do that and all the obsessive swing tweaking may finally give way to all the old aggressive moves. That would be the sign of a Tiger no longer wounded, no longer in need of a physical coach or a mental crutch.

Memories of Seve Ballesteros

Memories of Seve Ballesteros

Seve Ballesteros, the charismatic Spanish golfer who won the Masters twice and the British Open three times and helped propel Europe’s rise in the Ryder Cup competition with the United States, died early Saturday at his home in northern Spain, where his struggle with brain cancer had gained wide attention in the sports world. He was 54.

Everybody who cares a little about the great game of golf should have a first memory of Seve's arrival. For this writer, who was a 15 year-old sports mad fan in 1976, 'the brick through the window moment' was a single shot during the final round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, that is still burned How Can You Perfect Your Golf Swing indelibly in the memory.After Seve had given memorable chase to the eventual winner Johnny Miller, he faced a chip over bone-hard turf along a narrow ridge between two bunkers on the 72nd hole.The difficulty quotient was extreme but nevertheless he bumped and ran the ball along a razor edge to near tap-in range for a closing birdie and thereby secured a tie with Jack Nicklaus for second place which effectively launched his star into orbit. The following week he won the Dutch Open, the first of his 87 tournament victories worldwide. The rest, as they say, is history.

But for all his short game wizardry, for much of the fillet of his career, especially in the 1980's, Seve was unfairly labelled as a wayward-striking escape artist. Three years after his runner-up finish at Birkdale, he was already well established as Europe's top player when he won the Open at Royal Lytham.

Seve's extraordinary capacity to conjure up birdies and pars from positions on the course best reserved for wildlife, masked an equal and probably over-riding ability to play 'straight-down-the-middle' seamless golf when his all-round game came together which was more frequent than not during his best years in the 1980's. As he matured as a player, the dashing, slashing swing of his teens became quieter, more classic and certainly more controlled. That made him a consistent performer on the greatest stage of all, the majors, which provided the five most defining achievements of his career.In the course of his first Masters victory less than a year after his Lytham triumph, Seve's marshalling of the destiny of his golf ball was extraordinary as he built up a lead that stretched to ten strokes in the course of the final round at Augusta.In the space of a year, he had become the youngest winner of the Open in the 20th century and the youngest man to don the green jacket up to that point.Three years later he came from one shot off the lead after three rounds to win the Masters, again by four strokes, dominating the last 18 holes from tee to green and on them as well.

NCAA Regional Golf Championships Entering Final Round

NCAA Regional Golf Championships Entering Final Round

Big Ten Women's Golf Still in Hunt for NCAA Regional Championships Entering Final Round. Round 2 of the NCAA Women's Golf Regionals concluded on Friday with four Big Ten teams holding places in the top eight of their respective regionals. Three conference teams enter Saturday's final round in the top eight of the Central Regional, Rory McIlroy Said Masters Is In Past led by Minnesota in a tie for second place. Purdue leads the Big Ten contingent at the East Regional, sitting in third place through 36 holes.

The Gophers shot a 9-over 297 to jump into a tie for second place, moving their 36-hole total to a 22-over 598. Ohio State holds fifth place at 31-over, while Northwestern is tied for sixth at 32-over. Wisconsin ranks 15th after Round 2 at 43-over, followed by Illinois in 16th (+46) and Michigan in 17th (+47). Minnesota's Samantha Sommers is tied for third individually to lead all conference golfers in the regional, sitting at 2-over through the first two rounds. The Boilermakers fired a 3-under 285 in the second round to push their total to a 4-over 580 entering Round 3. Michigan State is tied for ninth at 20-over. Individually, the Spartans' Caroline Powers posted a 3-under 69 in the second round, helping her take second place entering Saturday's final round. The third and final round of the NCAA Women's Golf Regionals begins at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday, with the top eight teams and top two individuals advancing to the NCAA Championships.

Manassero eager for U.S. Open

Manassero eager for U.S. Open

The 18-year-old Italian is 33rd in the world rankings and needs to remain in the top 50 by the end of May in order to make certain of his place in the second major of the year. "I'm really looking forward to playing one of the world's most famous courses," twice European Tour winner Manassero told Reuters on the eve of the Spanish Open. "I don't know anything about the Congressional, except I know the rough will be long, Woods Will Be Ready For US Open but tough courses suit my game and I'm excited about making my debut." The June 16-19 U.S. Open will be held for the third time on the Blue course at Congressional where South African Ernie Els won the most recent edition in 1997.

Manassero became the youngest winner on the European Tour when he lifted the Castello Masters title in Spain last year, at the age of 17. Europe's 2010 Rookie of the Year then proved his maiden victory was no fluke by landing the Malaysian Open crown in Kuala Lumpur last month. While Manassero is delighted to have won twice already in his fledgling career, the teenager is also concerned about a possible backlash."There will be bad times but I'm sure I'll be able to handle it especially as I have a good team around me." Manassero, competing this week for the first time since his Malaysian triumph, is juggling the demands of the tour with trying to complete his formal education. "It's not easy to combine the two but I try," he said. "I want to finish my studies so I travel with my books and do my exams." Manassero said that qualifying for next year's Ryder Cup near Chicago was in his thoughts.

Lee Westwood aims for glory at BMW PGA Championship

Lee Westwood aims for glory at BMW PGA Championship

Westwood is enjoying great form this season. He has already shown his skills and ability as he recently won the Ballantine’s Championship. The 38-year-old will highlight the tournament with his participation. It will be a four-day championship which will be played at the exquisite par-71, Wentworth Club. The event will begin from May 26, 2011.It was another back-to-back win for Westwood who has won two consecutive tournaments. Rory McIlroy Said Masters Is In Past He will be amongst the field in Surrey along with his European Tour members Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald. Kaymer is ranked at number two and Donald at number three on the Official World Golf Rankings. 

Westwood said, “The BMW PGA Championship is the biggest title that I play for outside of the Majors. It’s bigger than the World Golf Championships because of what the tournament represents for us as The European Tour. It’s the Tour’s showcase event and obviously I’d love to win  – it is always a great event to play in and it would be nice to win a BMW tournament for the first time and it is certainly a high priority for me in any season.”

This can be a great victory for Westwood ahead of The Open Championship. It will certainly boost the confidence of the world number one who is yet to prove the critics wrong by winning a major tournament in his career.On the other hand, world number two Kaymer has targeted this tournament. He is looking forward to add another victory to his escalating career. The German has already won this championship in 2008.The 26-year-old Kaymer won his first major in 2010 at the US PGA Championship. It was a great victory for the youngster who has gained more confidence after his win.  Kaymer was deposed from his number one ranking by Westwood recently. Now the 26-year-old major winner is once again hoping to reclaim his number one spot.  The Englishman Luke Donald is also enjoying his current form. 2011 has proved out to be a great one for him as he moved to his career best ranking. He occupied the number three spot after he won the 2011 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championships by beating Kaymer.

Rory McIlroy back in the U.S

Rory McIlroy back in the U.S

Rory McIlroy is back in the U.S. for his first tournament since his back-nine collapse at the Masters led golf fans around the world to join him in a collective cringe.McIlroy’s substantial talent was no match for his overwhelming uncertainty and anxiety as putts didn’t fall early on and his swing fell apart as he made the turn, still in McIlroy Was Unsure To Win Masters  contention.But McIlroy, just 21, chalks it up to a learning experience as he gears up for this week’s Wells Fargo Championship, where he is the defending champion at Quail Hollow Golf Club.

“First thing, I don’t think I was ready,” he said Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C. “That was the most important thing. I displayed a few weaknesses in my game that I need to work on.”McIlroy has begun to address the biggest hole in his game, and the game of many players - missing short putts under pressure.This week, McIlroy reportedly has worked with putting guru Dave Stockton Jr. to find some answers before he defends his title, and then embarks on a big stretch of events that will include the BMW PGA Championship on May 26-29 in England, the Memorial and the U.S. Open. (McIlroy is skipping next week’s Players Championship.)A year ago at Quail Hollow, McIlroy manhandled a difficult golf course on the weekend, going 66-62 to win by four shots against one of the strongest fields on the season.On Sunday, he finished with six consecutive 3s, closing birdie-par-birdie on the course’s “Green Mile” - the toughest three-hole stretch on Tour in 2010, based on season-ending hole rankings.It capped McIlroy’s first PGA Tour victory and place him among the game’s elite, at just 20. McIlroy played his second shot on the par-4 10th so far left of the fairway he was between a couple of cabins on his way to a triple bogey. He followed with a three-putt and a four-putt, and then yanked another drive that left him resting his forehead in his arm on the end of his driver.But McIlroy said he’s recovered from his disappointment - and there’s little reason to doubt one of the most talented and refreshingly honest players in the game.

Different Tours about Golf This Week

Different Tours about Golf This Week

EUROPEAN TOUR:OPEN DE ESPANA, Real Club de Golf El Prat, Barcelona, Spain - The European Tour heads to Spain for the second time this year for the Open de Espana.Spain's own Alvaro Quiros was the winner last year as he parred the first playoff hole to defeat James Morrison, who did himself in by finding water with his approach shot to the 18th green in the playoff.Quiros has had a solid season already as he followed a second-place finish in Qatar with a win in Dubai. He took the Dubai title with three straight 68s The Golf Tips To Pitch Closer to close the tournament. It was the fifth straight year Quiros earned a European Tour title.This week, he could become the first player to repeat as the winner at this tournament since it joined the European Tour's international schedule in 1972.Pablo Martin, another Spaniard, was one of the 54-hole leaders in 2003 as a 17-year-old amateur. Four years later, he won the Open de Portugal as an amateur.Elliot Saltman will make his first start since being suspended for three months in January after being found guilty of a "serious breach" of rules.he incidents in question occurred at a Challenge Tour event in Russia last September, where Saltman was accused of incorrectly marking his ball on the putting green, according to reports of the situation.Golf Channel will have three hours of coverage of all four rounds.The European Tour remains in Spain next week for the Iberdola Open, where Peter Hanson was a playoff winner of Alejandro Canizares last year.

NATIONWIDE TOUR:STADION CLASSIC AT UGA, University of Georgia Golf Club, Athens, Georgia - The Nationwide Tour remains in Georgia this week for the Stadion Classic.Last year's winner Martin Piller managed an even-par 71 in the final round and it was enough for a one-stroke win over Daniel Summerhays, who tripped to a two-over 73 in the final round.Piller has moved on to the PGA Tour and will not defend his title. He has made the cut in four of his 10 starts this year.Nationwide Tour money-leader Mathew Goggin is playing on the PGA Tour this week so No. 2 Daniel Chopra can take over the top spot if he can earn his second title of the season.Two University of Georgia legends -- Chip Beck and Bubba Watson, who won the PGA Tour's Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday -- are serving as honorary chairs this week. Watson won't be around all week as he will join Goggin in the field at Quail Hollow.There is no television coverage of this event.After a week off, the Nationwide Tour will return to action at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, where Justin Hicks won by two strokes over four players.

Maria Hjorth Win By 2 Strokes

Maria Hjorth Win By 2 Strokes

Maria Hjorth, using a fast start, bettered the field with a solid round of 5-under-par 67 Sunday to overcome a two-shot deficit and claim a two-stroke victory at Magnolia Grove's Crossings Course. Hjorth produced four birdies in her first seven holes of play, taking the lead and refusing to relinquish that position the rest of the way.

The effort earned Hjorth her second victory on a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail course -- she won the 2007 Navistar LPGA Classic at Review of TaylorMade Burner SuperFast 2.0 Series Prattville's Capitol Hill Golf Course -- and the winner's check of $195,000. The 37-year-old golfer from Sweden had won four previous times on tour, most recently the LPGA Championship in December."Obviously, it's always great to be a winner," said Hjorth, who plans to donate $20,000 of her winnings to the Red Cross for Alabama tornado relief efforts. "You work very hard for it. When it happens, especially with a field like this where we have the best players in the world playing, teeing it up on Thursday, it's even a better feeling to know you can be out there and play and play against the best." Sixteen-year-old Alexis Thompson, who started the day tied for the lead with Song-Hee Kim, didn't have the finish she had hoped to produce. A pair of double-bogeys on the back nine, both the result of hitting shots in the water, ended any chance she had of picking up her first victory as a professional. She shot a 6-over-par 78 and finished at 1 under, tied for 19th place. Hjorth made her first birdie at the third hole and followed with birdies at 4, 6 and 7 to get to 9 under for the tournament. She added another birdie at the par-4 10th hole to reach 10 under, but gave it back with a bogey at 11. She finished with a birdie at 15, a bogey at the par-5 16th hole and another birdie at the par-3 17th hole. Disappointment was evident on Thompson's face as she completed her round. Playing in the day's final pair and with a chance to get an LPGA victory even though she isn't a LPGA member -- she doesn't meet the minimum age requirement of 18 -- was an opportunity she had hoped to use to her advantage. She started with a bogey on the first hole and added another bogey at 3 to drop to 5 under. A birdie at 6 was followed by eight straight pars before trouble arrived. She dropped her tee shot at the par-3 14th hole in the water, leading to a double bogey. On the next hole, an approach shot from an awkward lie led to another double bogey. She finished with a three-putt bogey on the final hole for a 6-over round of 78.

MSU Women's Golf Wins OVC Title

MSU Women's Golf Wins OVC Title

MSU earned the OVC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. The Eagles on Monday were placed in the NCAA Central Regional, joining 23 other teams that will compete at the Warren Golf Course in Notre Dame, Ind., May 5-7. The top 10 teams at the Central Regional will advance to battle the 10 best teams from the East and West Golf No.1 Lee Westood Annoyed By Discussing Not Enough Titles Regionals in the NCAA Finals May 18-21 in Bryan, Texas.“I think the selection committee does a nice job in trying to spread out the talent in this country to where the top 25 teams are equally spread out,” Barker said. “We’re just going to continue to do what we’ve been doing and work on our short game. It’ll be a longer course for us.”No matter how the Eagles fare in the NCAAs, they have already put an exclamation mark on one of the best years in the rich history of MSU athletics.

The MSU women’s golf squad captured the first OVC title in school history this past weekend at the GreyStone Golf Club in Dickson, Tenn. The Eagles sat atop the leader board from start to finish of the three-day event.“We’ve been talking about this since we started the program,” MSU head coach Stephanie Barker said. We want to be in contention every year for a championship.”The Eagles did not just contend – they dominated.MSU shot an 890 (292-307-291) for the tournament, 14 strokes ahead of second-place Murray State. The Eagles’ final-round score of 291 Saturday broke the conference record of 292 they established two days earlier."We’ve been playing so well the whole year and we worked really hard for this,” said junior Emma Jonsson, who finished in first place after carding rounds of 70, 73 and 75 (+2) to win by a single stroke over teammate Paige Lausier.Jonsson was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player while Lausier and Marisa Kamelgarn were selected to the All-Tournament Team.Lausier’s third-round 69 tied the all-time OVC Championship lowest round mark.

Brittany Kelly Were Selected to Competed In NCAA Regionals

Brittany Kelly Were Selected to Competed In NCAA Regionals

Kelly, who has set the Ball State career scoring average record, becomes the first female golfer in school history to advance to the NCAA Regional.  She is one of six individuals chosen for the Central Regional, and one of 18 individuals selected overall.

Kelly is scheduled to tee off the first round May 5 at 8:55 a.m., and May 6 at 1:15 p.m.   She is scheduled for an 8:55 a.m. tee time May 7 for the Luke Donald Loses Playoff In PGA Tour final round.A 2010 and 2011 All-Mid-American Conference First Team selection, Kelly was also named to the 2010 MAC All-Tournament Team and was a 2009 All-MAC Second-Team selection.She played in all 11 events for the Cardinals this season and led the team with a 75.30 average.  Kelly managed a season low 71 twice in 2010-11, while her 69 at the 2007 MAC Tournament Preview is a career best and ties for the lowest round in Ball State history.  She managed eight top-20 and seven top-10 finishes as a senior, including two second-place showings and a ninth place finish at the MAC Championships.

Senior Brittany Kelly has been selected to compete at the NCAA Central Regional May 5-7 at Warren Golf Course in Notre Dame, Ind. She is the first female golfer in school history to advance to the NCAA Regional."It feels pretty good to know that my season isn't over and I have another opportunity to play collegiate ball," Kelly said.Eighteen individuals were selected to compete at the NCAA Regional.Kelly has been outstanding this season, placing in the top 10 seven times and in the top

Brittany Kelly Were Selected to Competed In NCAA Regionals

Kelly, who has set the Ball State career scoring average record, becomes the first female golfer in school history to advance to the NCAA Regional.  She is one of six individuals chosen for the Central Regional, and one of 18 individuals selected overall.

Kelly is scheduled to tee off the first round May 5 at 8:55 a.m., and May 6 at 1:15 p.m.   She is scheduled for an 8:55 a.m. tee time May 7 for the Luke Donald Loses Playoff In PGA Tour final round.A 2010 and 2011 All-Mid-American Conference First Team selection, Kelly was also named to the 2010 MAC All-Tournament Team and was a 2009 All-MAC Second-Team selection.She played in all 11 events for the Cardinals this season and led the team with a 75.30 average.  Kelly managed a season low 71 twice in 2010-11, while her 69 at the 2007 MAC Tournament Preview is a career best and ties for the lowest round in Ball State history.  She managed eight top-20 and seven top-10 finishes as a senior, including two second-place showings and a ninth place finish at the MAC Championships.

Senior Brittany Kelly has been selected to compete at the NCAA Central Regional May 5-7 at Warren Golf Course in Notre Dame, Ind. She is the first female golfer in school history to advance to the NCAA Regional."It feels pretty good to know that my season isn't over and I have another opportunity to play collegiate ball," Kelly said.Eighteen individuals were selected to compete at the NCAA Regional.Kelly has been outstanding this season, placing in the top 10 seven times and in the top 20 eight times. She was honored with the Mid-American Conference Golfer of the Week Award three times and led the team with a 75.30 average.Kelly said she doesn't feel nervous to play at the NCAA Regional.

 20 eight times. She was honored with the Mid-American Conference Golfer of the Week Award three times and led the team with a 75.30 average.Kelly said she doesn't feel nervous to play at the NCAA Regional.

A Diverse Golf Team For West Lafayette

A Diverse Golf Team For West Lafayette

West Lafayette's golf team is a really mutily-talent and diverse one.Junior Jake Weiss may miss some practice time this week because of his involvement in the school musical.Sophomore Chris Park practices as often as possible, even though his symphony orchestra commitment has included a trip to McIlroy Revives From The Awful Masters Carnegie Hall, where he got to play the piano.Junior Sean Busch, the team's best player and the medalist during early season invitationals at Harrison and Twin Lakes, finds time to practice football -- he is the starting quarterback -- and basketball -- he's a starting forward.unior Rett Berry couldn't crack the lineup as a freshman and was the team's student manager. Now, he is the No. 2 player.Lone senior Tyler Heister, who is headed to Purdue to major in mechanical engineering technology, barely broke 100 as a freshman. Now, he consistently shoots in the low-to-mid 80s.The Red Devils, who won the Harrison Invitational and were third in the Twin Lakes Invitational, also have one of the state's deepest teams.

West Lafayette's current starting lineup includes Heister, two juniors and two sophomores. That could change by the weekend."Each player has their own strength," Heister said. "Sean is an all-around good player. Jay Chapman gets good scores."Gaurav Mittal has a good short game. Each player has one thing at which he is really good. That helps everyone."Like many high school golfers, Heister played youth baseball but realized his skills were better suited for another sport.

SCSU Women's Golf Team in Second Round

SCSU Women's Golf Team in Second Round

The Lady Bulldogs, who shaved 24 strokes off their Saturday opening round of 351, were seven strokes back of Alabama State, who fired a 36-hole total of 671 to earn the title. Two-time defending champion Hampton was third with a 690. Two strokes back and in fourth was Bethune-Cookman, which carded a 692. Rounding out the top five was Prairie View, who was at 729.

Senior Honesty Biggers (84-82) and sophomore Marina Terry (87-79) each carded a 36-hole total of 166 to pace Coach Sandy Burris' Suggestions To Increase Your Ball Striking Lady Bulldogs. They were followed by freshman Tiana Jones with a (82-87) 169 and sophomore Cabriel Duren with a (93-89) 182.

Burris said she was heartened by the play of her team for the final round, which catapulted SC State from third after the first 18 holes on Saturday to its runner-up finish on Sunday.

"We made up a lot of strokes in the second round," said Burris. "I'm pleased at the way we fought back, making up almost 30 strokes and finishing just seven strokes out of the lead. We played much better golf on Sunday."In St. Cloud State’s new multiple look offense, Dorsett is lining up in the slot on occasion and taking option handoffs from the quarterback.With five-time All-American wide receiver Fred Williams as the main target last year, Dorsett was used mostly on short slant routes. He caught 24 passes for 174 yards, but had no touchdowns.Even with Williams gone, more than a few people expect the Huskies to be a national contender next season.

Martin Laird and Tiger Woods Final Round

Martin Laird and Tiger Woods Final Round

Martin Laird, the winner was much delighted to end an excellent US Masters appearance with a dream blend along Tiger Woods. However, the world number five was in fabulous form at the start of his final round on the final day of the first major of the year but going out in 31.Tiger Woods was disappointed with his score on the back nine Masters Career Of Schwartzel at Augusta on Sunday as he missed out a fifth US Masters 2011 title.Martin Laird insisted the opportunity of playing with Tiger Woods for the first time and seeing first hand how he made a breathless last-round charge for the title with a blistering 67 made his week.Woods got off to a nice start there and posted 31 and then on the back nine, he could have scored a few more. Tiger face nine included four birdies and an eagle, but on his way back he was powerless to keep the run going. He has finished with a final round 67 to end the tournament on 10-under-par – four shots behind the eventual winner, Charl Schwartzel.His entire weekend hits were excellent, so that was a great feeling. He had to be committed to his spots and did that all week.According to the sources – Martin Laird stated that, it was a lot of fun playing with Tiger on Sunday at Augusta, when he is making a charge up the leader board.

What Make Golf So Popular on Television?

What Mmake Golf So Popular on Television?

What is driving the increase in television ratings for the game this year? It's not Tiger Woods will win again.Golf Channel reported the first quarter of 2011 was the most-watched quarter in the 24-hour cable channel's history. It reported 25.2 million unique viewers from January through March, better even than the 2009 first quarter that featured Golf Will Be The Game Of Young GuysTiger Woods returning to the game after knee surgery. Much of the increase can be attributed to a new partnership with NBC, Golf Channel says.So why the big changes this year? Much of the decline last year, at least on the PGA Tour, was laid at the feet of Tiger. Woods has driven golf ratings for the last two decades, but he didn't play much golf last year and didn't win a tournament. The thinking was that allowed casual fans to drift away. Sure, Woods is back this year, but other than a strong run on the front nine Sunday at the Masters, Woods really hasn't been part of the conversation for his play. And Woods wouldn't have anything to do with better ratings for tournaments that he doesn't play in, or for ratings in LPGA events.In fact, there doesn't really seem to be one single answer to why ratings are up. Yes, Golf Channel and NBC are feeding off of each other. Yes, the Masters is always a rating giant. Yes, even with 20 percent gains, the LPGA is not penetrating into a huge number of households.It might be puzzling, but the higher ratings for golf this year are the kind of puzzle the tours are happy to try to figure out.

China's Golfer Will Bloom in the Near Future

China's Golfer Will Bloom in the Near Future

China opened its first modern golf course only 26 years ago and its leading player is a modest 92nd in the world. But when Tiger Woods and Sir Nick Faldo say the future is bright for the country’s aspiring golfers, it is time to take notice.

China now has nearly 500 courses, including the Mission Hills complex, which has 12 championship courses and will host the World Cup in November. Building the infrastructure has been the easy part but Woods believes a generation of contenders will soon eBig Review Of TaylorMade R9 merge. “It’s incredible the talent that these guys have,” Woods said after running a training clinic with five of China’s potential future stars, including a 12 year-old who shot 67. “They don’t usually play in front of this many people so it’s great to see them still going through their routines and hitting these shots. Their future is very bright. It’s going to be fun watching them develop.”  “There are many young players at my age,” he adds, “and one day one of them will be China’s star.” His mother is more explicit. “We will face difficulties, the twists and turns on our way, but the goal is clear,” she says. “It is the green jacket.

Why Is the Grip So Important for golfers?

Why Is the Grip So Important for golfers?

Your putting grip can make or break your golf game. Putting is one of the most important swings that you need to master and is key to how many strokes you will have. About half of a golfer's score is attributed to putting. It is the most essential of all golfing techniques. And Golfers Think On Rudolph although this is true, most golfers spend most of their time on their drive strokes. EVERY good golfer is a good putter, so practicing your short game is incredibly importantIf you want to have a powerful, accurate golf swing it pays to understand how to maximize the effectiveness of your grip

The grip is often known as the steering wheel of the golf swing, in the sense that a good grasp of the golf club will get your shots to their destination. Making sure your hands are appropriately placed to guide your swing is the first obstacle to overcome, if you want a perfect golf swing.

Remember, as you read this, that a golfer’s grip is a powerfully individual component of their golf swing. Every golfer’s ideal grip is as different as their choice of clubs or golf shirt. Now, this does mean you’re going to have to hit some balls to perfect your own individual approach, but there are some key secrets to a good grip, for every golfer

The way to become a good long putter

The way to become a good long putter

First of all, becoming a good long putter is a combination of good feel and good mechanics. To be a good long putter, you must have good pace and rhythm to your stroke. There should be no "hit" in your stroke. The backswing and the follow-through should be the Masters Career Of Schwartzel same distance.Count to yourself when practicing long putts. Say "One and two" for good tempo. Some of the things I see in poor long putters is off-center hits. For example, if you hit the ball toward the toe of the putter, you will lose compression of the face to the ball, and you will most likely come up short of the hole.Most long putts come up short. I think a good rule of thumb is to try to keep the ball on the high side of the hole, and try to hit the putt a foot past the hole. Most three-putt greens take place because you come up short of the hole and the ball finishes on the low side of the hole.

To be a good long putter, light grip pressure is a must along with keeping that pressure constant throughout the stroke. Poor putters are always tightening their hands on the club as they go through the stroking process. Of course, this causes the dreaded "yips.''The right hand and arm only drill. To do this drill, just putt several balls with your right hand and arm only. This will give you the feel of the distance.Putting at different distances with clubs on the ground. Do these drills and then practice trying to put that 40-footer inside an imaginary, two-foot circle.

Way to pick an instructor or trainer

Way to pick an instructor or trainer

what should we do about this problem? It’s very simple: just realize that more is not better for golf instruction and to continue to read and listen to golf tips with a very discriminating eye. Over the years, I have now come to the realization that Tiger Woods Will Appears In Video Game most published golf instruction is designed for the better player and that a tip that works for the 5-handicapper could be a waste of time for a 20-handicapper. Not that it isn’t good advice, but the 20-hdcp should stop looking for more advice and start to work on something that will give him the greatest reduction in score for the time spent.

The other way to go is to pick an instructor or trainer and stick with them with a full set of lessons. You will need to actively ignore any other golf instruction that has the slightest hint of conflict with your lessons. If you run into something your instructor hasn’t taught you about, check with him/her. That is why golf lessons are spaced at least a week apart. Spaced repetition has long been known to be how we humans best learn things. It’s also why you can’t remember a darn thing about a subject 2 weeks after cramming for test on it.

What makes Yani Tseng so excellent

What makes Yani Tseng so excellent

Vision54's Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott, who famously coached Annika Sorenstam and have worked with Tseng, agree. "One thing that makes Yani great and it's useful for the average golfer," says Nilsson, "is she keeps things simple and uncomplicated. She knows she doesn't want to be in the Play Box more than five seconds. Annika Does Cherry Hills Deserve PGA Tour always kept things simple and it helped her save energy to play well more often. Yani is the same way in that respect."Says Marriott: "Another thing is that she knows how much down time there is in golf between shots, and she is aware and good at making sure she enjoys herself between shots. Two reasons--to relax and save the focus for hitting shots and not having destructive self-talk but to create happy/fun energy."

  Tseng also works periodically with putting and short-game guru Dave Stockton. It's clear when you see her on the greens that Stockton's philosophy is prevalent. There is a no-nonsense style: her mechanics are solid. She takes one look at her target and makes a decisive stroke before doubt can set in, her left wrist staying square to her line. Vision54's Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott, who famously coached Annika Sorenstam and have worked with Tseng, agree. "One thing that makes Yani great and it's useful for the average golfer," says Nilsson, "is she keeps things simple and uncomplicated. She knows she doesn't want to be in the Play Box more than five seconds. Annika always kept things simple and it helped her save energy to play well more often. Yani is the same way in that respect."

Tiger Woods finally looked like himself again

Tiger Woods finally looked like himself again

Rory McIlroy goes to the weekend at the Masters with a two-stroke lead, a worthy reward for two superb days of golf by the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland. But all eyes will be on the guy who's three shots back, in a position that used to be more familiar. Woods shot a 6-under 66 today, his best round at the Masters since he captured the last of Masters Masters Competition About The Tradition May Need To Beware Flying Ball his Wilson And His Golf Performance four green jackets in 2005. "I've played myself back in the championship,'' he said.  Woods hasn't shot this low at the Masters since his 65 in the third round of the '05 tournament when he went on to beat Chris DiMarco in a playoff. A lot has changed since then. Woods is mired in the longest winless streak of his career - 20 tournaments over 17 months - and he's still dogged by a sex scandal that ended his marriage and tarnished his image. After a sluggish start to the second round, Woods got going with three straight birdies around the turn, a perilous par save at the 11th, then strung together three more birdies through the middle of the back nine.

Woods just missed making it four in a row, pushing a slick putt at No 16 wide of the hole. But he ended with a flourish, knocking his approach from under the trees to within 10 feet of the pin. He rolled that one in and pumped his fist one last time.  "Anytime you shoot 66 in a major, it's going to be good,'' Woods said. "I'm very pleased about that. Very pleased.'' Rory McIlroy fretted about an errant chip that nearly slid into the water, a few putts that didn't fall in the cup on the back nine. That's about it. Phil Mickelson scrambled for a 70 in the first round despite hitting fewer fairways than anyone in the 99-player field. His erratic play continued Friday, forcing him to spend more time saving pars than chasing birdies, as he shot a 72. 

The members of Augusta National are powerful and elite

The members of Augusta National are powerful and elite

The members of Augusta National are, by and large, obscenely rich, powerful and elite. Sexist, too, if you believe that it’s unacceptable to not have a female member, as Augusta is said to operate. (The club does not disclose its membership policies.)But the view of them as a sort of aging band of confederate freemasons stuck in the past ignores Does Cherry Hills Deserve PGA Tour the Woods Is Associated With Nicklaus In Masters evolving nature of one of the world’s most exclusive clubs.Since Billy Payne took over as chairman in 2006, and members like the affable, laid-back Kiwi Craig Heatley have assumed senior roles, the place has become far more welcoming as it shifts into the 21st century. For instance, next year fans will be able to apply for tickets online for the first time.But the greatest legacy of the Payne era is that without being obviously disrespectful to those who came before — principally past chairman Hootie Johnson — the Masters itself has again become Youth Golf Movement In Masters the most exciting major.After Tiger Woods hit 3 wood and had 87 yards into the last hole a decade ago, the old guard decided that Augusta National needed to be “Tiger-proofed.”

They went overboard. The tournament lost its identity as the course was stretched almost 500 yards longer and made much more difficult to play.There’s nothing wrong with the US Open being a torturous grind; there’s room for that, just as the British Open demands the winner to negotiate not just the course but also the elements.But polite applause for a well-earned par never has been in the lexicon of the Masters, where only three times in 75 tournaments has an over-par score won.

PGA golf is headed back to Colorado

PGA golf is headed back to Colorado

The 2014 BMW Championship will mark the first time since the 1985 PGA Championship that the world’s top male professional golfers have tested Cherry Hills’ challenging layout.“Cherry Hills welcomes the opportunity to once again showcase our course and to put Denver at the center of the golf world in September 2014,” said John Elway, Cherry Hills president. “An important component of our club’s rich heritage has been to offer a worthy venue  Masters Competition About The Tradition for the world’s finest professional and amateur golfers. Hosting the 2014 BMW Championship reaffirms our commitment to opening our course for competition at the highest level.Past champions at Cherry Hills have included some of golf’s finest players – Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Hubert Green, Andy North and Ralph Guldahl – reflecting the quality of the challenge the William Flynn-designed course presents.Cherry Hills’ tradition of supporting championships and scholarships makes it a worthy host for the 2014 BMW Championship. The club has been a leading partner with the WGA in developing Evans Scholars candidates among its caddie ranks. The WGA has sponsored the Evans Scholars program since 1930, providing full-tuition Does Cherry Hills Deserve PGA Tour and housing scholarships for caddies at 19 colleges and universities nationwide. Six caddies from Cherry Hills are current Evans Scholars at the University of Colorado, and 32 Evans Scholars Alumni caddied at Cherry Hills.

“Since the inception of the BMW Championship, one of our goals has been to help raise more money for the Evans Scholars Foundation,” said Dan Creed, Vice President of Marketing, BMW of North America. “We are pleased to bring the BMW Championship experience to the Denver area and, in turn, increase the support of the Evans Scholars Foundation in this community.”

Johnson bought out the owners of River Oaks Golf Course

Johnson bought out the owners of River Oaks Golf Course

Johnson bought out the owners of River Oaks Golf Course and changed the name of the course to the Golf Club of Bucyrus. He hopes the changes he plans will keep some of that money in Bucyrus -- and stave off failure.Johnson was 10 percent The Hot News Of Augusta National owner of the course with the last group of owners. He didn't want to see his work over the past seven years go to waste. With the only other option being foreclosure, he decided to buy the course and change its image from the inside out."I live on it now. I grew up living on it," Johnson said. "I felt like, with the right management, we can make a profit. We are really going to try to get some revenue out of the restaurant."To do that, Johnson hired a hometown product to operate the golf facility and a chef to oversee the kitchen.

Randy Blankenship, a 2000 Bucyrus High school graduate, spent five years as an assistant pro at Westbrook Country Club in Mansfield after graduating from the Professional Golfers Career College in Florida.The chef, Cartell Raysor, worked previously at the Warehouse in Marion as a sous chef."It will be mostly comfort food in the restaurant," Johnson said. "We will have steaks, chicken, seafood -- he makes great chicken wings. It will be a lot of American fare. And we are still going to have a golfer's menu for a quick turn.

Rory McIlroy is certainly disappointed in his latest performance

Rory McIlroy is certainly disappointed in his latest performance

As in seven major championship titles for McIlroy. That is correct, after watching McIlroy fade down the Magnolia Lane backstretch, I've never been so confident.Columnists from around the globe are quickly comparing McIlroy's disappearing act to Woods Hit A Nice Shot In Masters the famed Greg Norman collapse way back in 1996.Norman, as it was written then and now, choked away a six-stroke lead by shooting a final-round 78.The bogey binge allowed Nick Faldo, not yet knighted, to pocket the green jacket after a sterling 67.Norman, however, already was a seasoned veteran at that stage of his career, coupled with a reputation of fast starts and shoddy finishes.My guess is that McIlroy's final-round 80, while obviously frustrating to the professional and dramatic to the golf masses, will only catapult the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland to bigger and better things.Think about it.Only the embattled Woods had similar command over the lurching fairways and slate-top greens at Augusta National at such a young age. And we all know what kind of feeding frenzy Tiger went on after blistering the '97 field by 12 strokes.You can talk about the mental trauma all you want, how losing a four-stroke lead in any tournament, let alone a major, can make you question your overall toughness.

Excellent choice for golf lessons in Austin

Excellent choice for golf lessons in Austin

Austin is the country's number one golf destination, and as such, there are a variety of places to take lessons. Most any area golf course or Woods Hit A Nice Shot In Masters club will be able to point you to instruction and classes. To find the best place to take golf lessons for you in Austin, you need an idea of what type of lessons you are looking for.Tina Bradley Mayers provides golf lessons for women in the Austin area. Tina's tips appeared in Texas Golfer Magazine and she has affordable lesson options for you. You can get a private lesson, a group lesson, or an on-the-course lesson to meet your needs.

Another excellent choice for golf lessons in Austin is from O. Henry Golf. Here you can get private lessons, golf instruction, group golf lessons and other golf clinics. O. Henry golf will help you become the best golfer you can be by identifying the type of golfer you are, including strengths and limitations and creating an individualized game plan for you. The instruction here is much more personalized than your typical golf lessons and for someone looking for more than "just the basics", then this is a top choice.

The Masters is Golf Heaven

The Masters is Golf Heaven

I am a little scared here. I enjoy good-natured hell-raising at a sporting event—if this was the New York Jets against the New England Patriots at New Meadowlands Stadium, I would not live in fear of embarrassing myself. I know I would not be the most outrageous or uncivil person in attendance. Those freaks are my freaks. I prefer baseball at night, when the crowd always gets weird. I like the Preakness from the infield, among the passed-out, sunburned bodies. I enjoyed every agitated second of LeBron's first trip back to Cleveland. I have Find Golf Courses In New York City been to WWE pro wrestling, and liked it waaaay more than I should admit.The Masters, now in its 75th year, is a different endeavor. There's a genteel way of doing things here, and it demands respect. I will confess I spent a pathetic amount of time before this trip trying to decide what to wear. I figured Augusta National was no place for my Johnny Damon JOHNNY IS MY HOMEBOY T-shirt and that vulgar Billy Ripken T-shirt I really shouldn't ever wear in public but do. I ruled out my jeans, my flip-flops, my hooded sweatshirts and anything that would make me look like I was at, you know, a Dolphins game. Instead, collared shirts were folded in my luggage. I found a pair of khakis I have worn exactly once, to a wedding. I thought shorts would be too casual, but that proved to a mistake—there are plenty of people here in shorts. (Khaki shorts. Not UFC shorts.)

But I don't mean to make it sound stuffy; Augusta is a place of contrasts. You get a whiff of it when you're driving up to the course down Washington Road. Across the street from the Blast To The Past Dollar Store, there's an elegant billboard of Phil Mickelson hawking Rolexes. People can spend thousands of dollars to walk through the gate—a Masters badge is one of the all-time Bucket List tickets—but the parking is free.

Lewis knows life as a pro is different than life in college

Lewis knows life as a pro is different than life in college

Lewis, 26, earned her can't-miss tag through a great career at the University of Arkansas. She won 12 college events, including the 2007 NCAA Division I individual championship. That same year she finished tied for fifth as an amateur at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. The next year she turned pro and immediately tied for third in the U.S. Women's Open. Lewis was medalist in the LPGA qualifying tournament that year.“I thought Tiger May Still Deny His Private Life coming off that (2008) Open it would be kind of instant success and I'd be rolling right along, but I kind of hit a rut a little bit at the end of my rookie year, and I was kind of lost,” said Lewis, who finally hit the winner's circle Sunday at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. “I was like, ‘What am I doing out here,' and didn't really know what to do.

”Lewis knows life as a pro is different than life in college, where she could rely on coaches and teammates.“It didn't help I was halfway across the world by myself playing in Japan and Korea and all that for the first time, and I wasn't playing good golf,” Lewis said. “And I didn't really have a coach at the time, so I didn't know what I was doing with my swing.”Lewis' parents encouraged her to surround herself with a good coach and a support team. Lewis found swing coach Joe Hallett and began making other changes to her approach.“I had missed three greens in 36 holes and missed the cut. So I knew I needed to do something else,” Lewis said. “My college coach, Shauna Estes-Taylor, she kind of told me about this aim point, which is a greens reading method, and she's like, ‘Let me just show you a little bit and just kind of get a general understanding.' So I learned the basics and I finished top 10 at Arkansas. And I was kind of like, maybe there's something to it.”

The closest the PGA Tour comes to the Grand Strand

The closest the PGA Tour comes to the Grand Strand

Both The Heritage tournament in Hilton Head Island and Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, N.C., have been amassing player commitments, even though their player registration deadlines are at least 10 days away.The two events are the closest the PGA Tour comes to the Grand Strand - each about a four-hour drive away.It could conceivably be the final opportunity for golfers to play a PGA Tour event at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, which has hosted an event since 1969, because the tournament is without a title sponsor both this year Woods Is More Relaxed Now and moving forward. Tournament organizers have been in dire search of a new title sponsor for more than a year, since longtime title sponsor Verizon announced it was diminishing its role with the event. It's possible that the tour would take the tournament away and move it to another location if a title sponsor isn't found by the fall.Both Sergio Garcia and Mike Weir played The Heritage last year for the first time since at least 2002, and said their decision was at least in part to help show support for the tournament and its importance to the tour.Prior commitments to the 2011 Heritage include defending champion and reigning FedEx Cup champion Jim Furyk, reigning U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, world No. 10 Matt Kuchar, five-time Heritage winner Davis Love III, fellow former Heritage winners Stewart Cink, Boo Weekley and 1997 British Open champion Justin Leonard, two-time major winner John Daly, Clemson alum Jonathan Byrd, 2010 U.S. Open winner Lucas Glover, former Masters winners Trevor Immelman and Zach Johnson, and 2011 tournament winners Johnson Wagner and Mark Wilson.