May 6 2011

4:24 PM

Play has resumed at Quail Hollow

After a near-90 minute delay due to rain and lightning, the second round has resumed at the Wells Fargo Championship, where Bill Haas is still in the lead but now has company in the form of Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson isn’t the only one moving up the leaderboard, however. Brian Davis, J.B. Holmes and Matt Jones are all 4 under on their rounds and within three of Haas.


April 13 2011

7:36 PM

Kodak Challenge preview: par-4 17th

This week’s Kodak Challenge hole is the 347-yard, par-4 17th at TPC San Antonio. This is the second year that the course has hosted the Valero Texas Open, so there’s not much data on which players you should expect to do well at the 17th.

But here’s a look at the players in this week’s field who fared the best last year at the 17th.

For more Kodak Challenge, click here | Tour of holes

17TH AT TPC SAN ANTONIO – 2010 LEADERS

Player Relation to Par Rounds Eagles Birdies Pars Bogeys
J.B. Holmes 3 under 4 - 3 1 -
Garth Mulroy 3 under 4 - 3 1 -
Tim Petrovic 3 under 4 - 3 1 -

 

A LOOK AT THE 17TH

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March 14 2011

2:12 PM

2011 Tavistock Cup preview

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Tavistock Cup, which since 2004 has been an interclub match between Isleworth’s and Lake Nona’s golf professional members, will have a different look this week.

For the first time, four clubs will compete for the Tavistock Cup, with 24 players involved in the competition. The first round of the two-day tournament at Isleworth Golf & Country Club begins in less than an hour (10:50 a.m. ET).

Monday’s format will consist of six matches of four-ball ( see schedule below). Tuesday’s competition will be singles matches.

Isleworth and Lake Nona will be two of the clubs in the competition, along with Albany and Queenwood. Albany is a new luxury resort community in The Bahamas and Queenwood is an exclusive private members’ club in the Surrey countryside near London.

Tiger Woods, fresh off his final-round 66 that bumped him up to 10th place at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship on Sunday, will compete for Team Albany. Reigning U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell leads Team Lake Nona ( team rosters below).

Tavistock Cup contestants play for prize money, team hole-in-one prizes and the title of World Golf And Country Club Champion.

The two-tournament will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel starting at Noon ET.


TAVISTOCK TEAMS

 

TEAM ALBANY TEAM ISLEWORTH TEAM LAKE NONA TEAM QUEENWOOD
Arjun Atwal Robert Allenby Ross Fisher Thomas Bjorn
Ernie Els Stuart Appleby Retief Goosen Darren Clarke
Trevor Immelman Brian Davis Peter Hanson David Howell
Ian Poulter J.B. Holmes Graeme McDowell Soren Kjeldsen
Justin Rose Sean O’Hair Henrik Stenson Paul McGinley
Tiger Woods Lee Janzen Oliver Wilson Adam Scott

 

MONDAY’S FOUR-BALL MATCHES

 

1 Arjun Atwal-Tiger Woods (Albany)   Thomas Bjorn-Adam Scott (Queenwood)
2 Robert Allenby-Stuart Appleby (Isleworth)   Peter Hanson-Henrik Stenson (Lake Nona)
3 Ian Poulter-Justin Rose (Albany)   Retief Goosen-Graeme McDowell (Lake Nona)
4 Brian Davis-J.B. Holmes (Isleworth)   Soren Kjeldsen-Paul McGinley (Queenwood)
5 Lee Janzen-Sean O’Hair (Isleworth)   Ross Fisher-Oliver Wilson (Lake Nona)
6 Ernie Els-Trevor Immelman (Albany)   Darren Clarke-David Howell (Queenwood)

February 26 2011

2:54 AM

Despite loss, Watson not unhappy

MARANA, Ariz. -- Sure, Bubba Watson was disappointed to have lost his semifinal match with Martin Kaymer. Overall, though, he couldn't be too unhappy with his performance on Saturday at Dove Mountain.

First of all, there was that stirring comeback win over J.B. Holmes as Watson rallied from 5 down with seven holes remaining to win on the 19th. And he went down swinging against Kaymer, too, taking the soon-to-be world No. 1 to the 18th hole before losing 1 up.

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Watson

"It's sad because I lost," Watson said. "But I played good. I didn't really mess up too much. He just beat me. He made some putts that I didn't make."

Watson has one more match to play on Sunday, facing Matt Kuchar in the consolation at 12:05 p.m. MT (2:05 p.m. ET). Regardless of whether he wins or loses, the recent Farmers Insurance Open champ will have his second top-10 finish of the year.

Not bad for someone who was playing in his first World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

"I hit that good," Watson said, reminded of the clutch birdie at the 17th hole that extended his semifinal match. "That's the thing, it showed a lot. It showed that I can play golf.

"The first match this morning, I was down 5 with 8 to play and somehow I won it.  It shows that I can do it, I can bear down and fight to the end."

Watson said the quick turnaround between matches contributed to a lackluster, double-bogey start in the semifinals. Not to mention, he never got a feel for the greens on Saturday. He used 28 putts each in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

"They slowed the greens down a little bit just because we were expecting these winds," Watson said. "Slow greens always get me. They look like they're going to be fast, but they roll a foot or so slower. Just hard."


9:33 PM

Holmes’ drops explained

MARANA, Ariz. -- An irrigation line and an adventure in the ravine produced two unusual rules situations on the final two holes as Bubba Watson beat J.B. Holmes in the quarterfinals of the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Both involved Holmes, who went to the 18th hole leading 1 up. He hit his drive into the rough and his second shot came up short of the green, rolling down into the native area and stopping near the root of a bush. A drip irrigation line sitting up about 6 inches lurked nearby.

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Greenwood/Getty Images
J.B. Holmes takes a drop at the 18th hole in Saturday's quarterfinals.

Dean Ryan, chairman of the Rules Committee for the RCGA, was walking with the match, which was the final one of the day. Holmes told him he wanted to play his next shot left-handed and punch it toward the green. Once that decision had been made, though, they determined the irrigation line would interfere with his swing.

"So it's an unmovable instruction so he's entitled to relief," Ryan said. "So we found the nearest point, measured the club length and he took his drop. I believe he dropped it twice and had to place it, once he placed it, he started looking at his options."

There was an overhanging bush behind the ball, and Ryan said Holmes thought all he could do was punch the ball into the rough on the upslope to the green. So Holmes and his caddy decided a better option would be to play it into the greenside bunker and try to get it up and down.

"Once he looked at that, he changed his stance and there's another one of these irrigation drip lines on his line into the bunker," Ryan said. "...So he was entitled to relief. It's a completely new condition so we started all over again."

Holmes went on to bogey the hole, chipping long and missing a 36-footer for par, and the match went to the 19th hole, which was the 484-yard, par-4 10th. He and Watson both hit their drives right into the native area but Holmes' went into the ravine and settled under a very large bush. 

"There was absolutely no shot," Ryan said. "He couldn't get a club on it so his only option was to take an unplayable. There's so much scrub down there that two clubs would have left him absolutely nothing."

Holmes and his caddy decided to go back and drop in the 18th fairway. "The difficulty we had was from the 18th you can't see any of the 10th green," Ryan said. "All we could see was three pavilions, the tops of the pavilions and a crane."

So they called in the observer with the group to help with because no one in the 18th fairway could see the hole location. Then Watson came over and waded into the desert between Holmes and the green. He found the angle and -- signalingwith his arms -- helped Holmes align his shot.

"We spoke with him after and we were grateful for his assistance," Ryan said.

Holmes' third shot landed short of the green. He chipped on and made the 7-footer for bogey, but Watson punctuated his comeback victory with a 4-footer for par. – Helen Ross


9:28 PM

Holmes discusses his tough loss

Watch: Holmes after his loss

J.B. Holmes spoke to the PGA TOUR Network after losing his match to Bubba Watson despite being 5 up through 10 holes.


7:54 PM

Semifinal preview: Kaymer vs. Watson

MARANA, Ariz. – Turns out, this is a rematch of the playoff at the PGA Championship, won by Martin Kaymer. But that was then, and this is now.

Kaymer's world No. 1 aspirations are still alive. Bubba Watson still has a chance to win the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in his first appearance, too. 

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Kaymer

All Kaymer needs to do is reach Sunday's championship match. If he does, win or lose, Kaymer will end Lee Westwood's reign at 17 weeks. First, though, he'll need to collect himself after a stumbling finish that saw a 4-up lead evaporate and Miguel Angel Jimenez take him to the 18th hole.

“Jimenez was "very difficult," Kaymer said. "But the way I played golf, at least the first 14, 15 holes was very good. I made a couple of really big mistakes, especially on 16. I had an 8-iron and I was lucky."

Kaymer got some extra time to steady himself, though, as Watson -- who had not trailed in his first three matches -- rallied from a 5-down deficit with eight holes remaining and beat J.B. Holmes on the first extra hole.

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Watson

The momentum in the final quarterfinal match changed dramatically on the back nine as Holmes had to concede two holes and Watson made two  birdies to close to 1 down at the 15th hole. Watson went on to win the match with clutch pars on Nos. 18 and 19 as Holmes had two costly adventures in the desert.

In stark contrast to the front nine, Watson was extremely loose over the last few holes, chatting with the crowd and cracking jokes. He plays better when he’s loose like that, and Watson needs to carry that feeling into the semifinal bout with the world No. 2.

Accenture Match Play Championship records: Kaymer is 6-3. Watson is 4-0.


7:52 PM

Watson defeats Holmes, 19 holes

Highlight: Watson birdies the 13th

Bubba Watson birdied the 13th hole during his comeback from 5 down in beating J.B. Holmes during Saturday's quarterfinal match.

 

CLICK FOR SCORECARD: Bubba Watson J.B. Holmes

MARANA, Ariz. -- If you wanted to see two of the PGA TOUR's biggest bombers crush one long drive after another, then you got your wish in Saturday's quarterfinal between J.B. Holmes and Bubba Watson.

If you wanted to see a wacky, incredible turn of events ... well, you got that too.

Watson rallied from 5 down on the back nine to win in 19 holes in a match that had as many ups and downs as it did huge drives.

“It happens,” Holmes said about losing in such a tough fashion. “It happens every year to somebody. It hurts a little bit, but I'll get over it.”

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Watson

Watson advanced to face Martin Kaymer in the Saturday afternoon semifinal.

Holmes, a late addition to the Accenture Match Play Championship field, was cruising and in control of the match after a birdie at the 10th hole put him 5 up.

But things began to unravel at the next hole when he couldn’t contain himself off the tee and drilled a 378-yard drive that found the desert. Then at the par-5 13th, his second shot also found the desert, giving Watson the chance to win with a birdie.

Watson, whose body language seemed to be so defeated just a few holes earlier, now had new life. Asked after his match if he had ever experienced a match like that, Watson just shook his head.

“No, nothing like that,” he said. “You're really close to being out of the game. I was 5 down with 8 to go. So you're not looking too good. And then I got lucky -- he hit a 3‑wood that went almost 400 yards into the desert. I won 11.

“Then I birdied a couple of holes coming down and just caught him.”

He maintained the momentum by winning the next two holes with a conceded birdie at the 14th when his approach shot landed inside four feet, then a birdie at the 15th when his wedge on his second shot landed inside five feet.

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Holmes

Watson then squared the match at the 18th when Holmes again found the desert with his approach that resulted in bogey.

Holmes then completed his downward spiral at the extra hole, the 10th, when he was forced to take a penalty stroke after a poor tee shot, eventually resulting in bogey, with Watson winning the hole and the match with par.

It was only the third hole all week in which Holmes -- who was only in this event because Tim Clark had to pull out with an injury on Tuesday -- found himself trailing.

Holmes said if he could have one shot back, it would be that tee shot on the extra hole.

"I hit it in the bunker there, and the wind was not enough to carry it,” he said. “I hadn't hit a knockdown driver all day. And my knockdown went left, and it put me in a difficult spot.”

The match certainly lived up to its billing as the battle of the big bombers, with Watson leading the PGA TOUR in driving distance and Holmes ranking third.

On Saturday morning, Holmes hit drives of 413 yards (second hole), 400 yards (fifth hole), 396 yards (10th hole) and 378 yards (11th hole). Watson, meanwhile, produced drives of 375 yards (fifth hole), 368 yards (10th hole) and 350 yards (11th hole).

Holmes took the early advantage with an eagle at the par-5 second. That 413-yard drive set up a 129-yard second shot, which he nailed to within three feet.

For Watson, it was the first time all week that he had trailed in a match. In fact, he had led after every hole in his first three matches.

Two holes later, Holmes moved to 2 up. He found the greenside bunker at the par-4 fourth with his drive, then blasted out to inside three feet for birdie.

Watson then gave away the fifth when he bogeyed after finding the rough with his first two shots and missing his par putt from four feet.

At the par-4 seventh, Holmes hit his approach shot to four feet for birdie. Then at the 10th, Holmes' approach shot landed within five feet for another birdie. All of the sudden, he was 5 up.

“My caddie kept saying you're playing great, you're playing great all week,” Watson said. “Just keep doing your thing. If he beats you, he beats you. If you make birdie and he beats you, what can you do?”

It was at that point that the nightmarish finish for Holmes was about to begin.


7:36 PM

Watson beats Holmes on 19th

MARANA, Ariz. – Both players hit their drives right into the native area on the first playoff hole.

Bubba Watson was able to play his ball, which had settled at the base of a bush. “Eat your heart out Phil Mickelson,” Watson said just before he hit the ball that landed just right of the green.

J.B. Holmes, though, had to take a penalty drop, going all the way over into the 18th fairway. After Watson waded  through the desert to help his opponent see the line to the 18th green, Holmes hit his third short short of the putting surface.

Holmes chipped first to 8 feet while Watson pitched to 3 feet. Holmes holed the bogey putt to put the pressure on Watson’s par effort – but the Accenture Match Play Championship rookie was equal to the task

Watson, who rallied from 5 down with 8 holes remaining, will now have 30 minutes before he tees it up in the semifinals with Martin Kaymer.


7:19 PM

Update: Watson forces extra innings

MARANA, Ariz. – Who would have thought this match would go to extra holes?

After all, J.B. Holmes was seemingly in control at 5 up through 10 holes but Bubba Watson has just won the 18th – his fourth win in the last six holes – to square the match.

J.B. Holmes was his own worst enemy at the 18th, though. He drove into the left rough, then watched as his approach hit short of the green and bounced back into the native area at the base of a bush.

Holmes got two drops, though – one for a rubber drip line and the second for the line of his shot. He chipped long and missed the 36-foot putt for par.

Watson, meanwhile, had a 26-footer that he two-putted for the par that sent the match to the 19th hole. Extra holes in the quarterfinals and semifinals begin on the 10th hole.