Golf: Scott wins Genesis Invitational, Woods stumbles

LOS ANGELES -- Adam Scott fired a one-under-par 70 on Sunday to win the Genesis Invitational, and this time the Australian's victory at Riviera Country Club is official.

On a day when world number one Rory McIlroy fired a two-over-par 73 and tournament host Tiger Woods stumbled to a six-over 77 to finish last, Scott countered two bogeys and a double-bogey with five birdies to build an 11-under total of 273.

He finished two strokes in front of South Korea's Kang Sung and Americans Scott Brown and Matt Kuchar.

Kuchar, who started the day tied for the lead with Scott and McIlroy, carded a one-over-par 72 while Kang closed with a 69 and Brown fired a 68.

Scott hoisted the trophy at Riviera in 2005, but since the rain-soaked event was shortened to 36 holes he wasn't credited with a US PGA Tour victory.


But this "W" goes in the books as the 2013 Masters champion's 14th US tour title.

That goes along with 14 international victories -- most recently at the Australian PGA Championship in December, where Scott ended a near four-year title drought.

McIlroy's hopes of celebrating his return to world number one with a win were dashed when he surrendered four shots in the space of two holes with a triple-bogey at the par-four fifth, followed by a bogey at the sixth.

The Northern Ireland star headlined a group of five players sharing fifth place on eight-under 276, where he was joined by Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and Americans Bryson DeChambeau, Max Homa and Joel Dahmen.

Woods's day could hardly have gone worse. Already 15 off the pace to start the day, the 15-time major champion dropped five shots in his last six holes as he stumbled home with a six-over-par 77.

Overall Woods had seven bogeys and a double-bogey with one birdie and an eagle on the way to an 11-over par total of 295 -- 68th and last of the 68 players to make the cut.

"I did not do much well today," said Woods, whose lone birdie of the day at 17 came when he holed out from a bunker -- after failing to get out of the same bunker on his first attempt.

"Good news, I hit every ball forward, not backwards -- a couple sideways."

Woods went into the week gunning for a record-setting 83rd US PGA Tour title, having matched Sam Snead's record of 82 at the Zozo Championship in October.

But Woods came up empty for the 13th time on the course where he played his first PGA Tour event as a 16-year-old.

There's no other course Woods has played so many times without gaining a victory.

"I was just off, it happens," Woods said. "I'm off and I've got a chance to have the week off this week and do a little prep, a little practicing, some training, be at home -- all positive things."

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Roars return as Tiger takes the Masters spotlight

Major winners Francesco Molinari, Louis Oosthuizen, Brooks Koepka, Jason Day and Adam Scott shared top spot at the Masters on Friday at the end of the second round, but it was Tiger Woods who commanded the spotlight once again at Augusta National.

Woods brought the roars back to the famed venue with a brilliant four-under-par 68, putting himself on track for a fifth Green Jacket. At six-under-par 138, the American is just one shot off the leaders heading into 'moving day.'

After an ordinary outward nine featuring three birdies offset by a pair of bogeys, Woods embarked on one of his trademark charges, carding three birdies after the turn to shoot up the leaderboard.

"I feel like I played my own way back into the tournament," said Woods. "I was just very patient today, felt very good to be out there doing what I was doing.

"This is now three straight majors that I've been in the mix and so it's good stuff."

The stage is now set for an extraordinary weekend as Woods attempts to slip into his first Green Jacket since 2005 and claim his first major since 2008.

Woods has made huge strides since returning from back fusion surgery nearly two years ago, collecting his 80th career PGA Tour title at last season's ending Tour Championships.

However, nothing less than a 15th major victory will quell talk of an unfulfilled comeback.

It would also reignite his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus's record haul of 18 majors.

On Friday, it was like old times as the 43-year-old turned up the buzz with each shot, the roars echoing across Augusta National when Woods rolled in a long birdie putt at 15 and continued until he walked off the 18th where his birdie putt clung to the lip leaving him a tap-in par.

The Woods show overshadowed everything else.

Any other time, a hobbled Day might have been the story after getting up off the deck to shoot five-under 67.

Barely able to walk after throwing out his back bending over to kiss his daughter on the practice range on Thursday, the battling Australian somehow turned in a near flawless scorecard, with six birdies and a single bogey.

"Pain is a funny thing, it goes up and down, and everybody's pain threshold is different," said Day, the 2015 PGA Championship winner.

"Someone that is in a lot of pain might feel something totally different compared to me, so it's hard.

"Every day I feel like I wake up with some sort of aches, you know, and I think you just kind of learn to live with it and you just go along the way."

Italian Molinari carded an error-free 67 for his best round in eight Masters that put the British Open champion in contention for a Green Jacket to go along with the Claret Jug he hoisted last year.

Koepka, who had shared a one-shot overnight lead, also deserved applause, staging a back nine recovery after a stumbling start to the second round. 

After a flawless opening round, Koepka had two bogeys and a double in his first six holes on Friday but the twice U.S. Open champion was able to regain his composure, steadying himself with six straight pars from the ninth.

He followed that with birdies at 15 and 18 to salvage a 71 and join the leaders at seven-under 137.

It also looked like old times for Australian Scott, the 2013 champion, who moved up the leaderboard with a four-under 68.

British Open winner Oosthuizen also joined the party with a 68, while world number two Dustin Johnson returned a two-under 70 to join Woods at six-under.

There was drama up and down the leaderboard.

Patrick Reed kept his Green Jacket defense alive, making the cut with a two-under 70, but Spain's Sergio Garcia, the 2017 champion, made an early exit for the second straight year after returning a 73.

World number one Justin Rose also headed for the exit after he bogeyed the final two holes to miss the cut by one shot. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Koepka holds off Woods to win 100th PGA Championship

ST. LOUIS -- Brooks Koepka, holding his nerve to fight off dramatic challenges from Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, won a thrilling back-nine battle Sunday to capture the 100th PGA Championship.

The 28-year-old two-time US Open champion sealed his third major title by firing a four-under-par 66 to finish 72 holes on 16-under 264, edging Woods by two strokes at Bellerive Country Club with Australia's Scott another shot adrift.

"To do this is truly incredible," Koepka said.

As Woods electrified spectators by displaying the form that made him a 14-time major champion, American rival Koepka stayed calm and persevered under intense pressure to claim the Wanamaker Trophy and a top prize of $1.98 million (1.73 million euros).

"I heard all the roars when Tiger made his run," Koepka said. "It was the first time Tiger has been in contention and I've been in contention at the same time, so the fans definitely let you know what he was doing.

"Scotty played unbelievably well and so did Tiger. They definitely made me question it there for a bit, for sure."

Koepka fired the lowest 72-hole score in tournament history, one shot under the old mark set by American David Toms in 2001 at Atlanta Athletic Club.

Deadlocked for the lead with Scott -- who began the back nine with three birdies in four holes -- and only one stroke ahead of Woods, Koepka sank a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-4 15th and a six-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th then parred the last two holes to secure the victory.

"I missed putts on 14 and 15 and Brooks didn't and my momentum was gone," Scott said. "I'm definitely playing better and in the right direction and that's a positive."

Woods, who hasn't won a major title since the 2008 US Open and hasn't won any title in five years, proved he is a legitimate major title contender once again at age 42 with an epic 64, his low final round in a major, which he concluded with a 20-foot birdie putt at 18, the crowd roaring as he walked off.

"These fans were so positive all week," Woods said. "I can't thank them enough for what they were saying out there and what it meant to me coming back trying to win a major championship again."

- 'Mind-blowing' -

Koepka, who defended his US Open crown in June at Shinnecock, became only the fifth player to win the US Open and PGA Championship in the same year, joining Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan.

And it came in a season where he missed the Masters with a left wrist injury.

"Going from that to even being able to play this year to this, it's absolutely mind blowing," Koepka said.

In his eighth month of a comeback season after spinal fusion surgery, Woods ground out four birdies against a lone bogey on both the front and back nines but could never draw level with Koepka, settling for his seventh career major runner-up finish.

"I played hard," Woods said. "Bit of a struggle with my game. I was hanging in there, grinding it out trying to make as many birdies as possible."

Crowds cheered the veteran through a thrilling round that saw him miss every front-nine fairway but take only 10 putts, scrambling from dirt, trees and bunkers to stay in the hunt.

Woods, who said he wants to be chosen as a captain's pick for the US Ryder Cup team, was pleased he was able to contend at the PGA and lead in the last round of last month's British Open.

"I would never have forseen that a year ago," Woods said.

The impact was dramatic for rivals as well.

"The roars were pretty unbelievable," second-ranked 2017 PGA winner Justin Thomas said. "Any birdie he made everyone went nuts. This was the first real Tiger effect I've experienced with that many people."

Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, missed a short birdie putt at the par-5 17th and made bogey 18 to finish third but was pleased with his overall effort.

"I was feeling really good out there, especially as he back nine got going," Scott said. "I didn't play the last two holes very well."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Jones holds off Spieth, Scott to win Australian Open

SYDNEY - Matt Jones held off world number one Jordan Spieth and a charging Adam Scott on his home course to win the 100th edition of the Australian Open by a stroke after a dramatic final round on Sunday.

Leading by three shots overnight, Jones gave his pursuers every chance with a double and triple bogey on the front nine, but four birdies in a two-over-par 73 proved enough for victory on eight-under-par at the Australian Golf Club.

"That was very stressful, it wasn't comfortable out there for me," an emotional Jones said after receiving the Stonehaven Cup for the first time.

"I've watched the Australian Open for many years and just to have my name on that trophy is something I'll never forget."

Defending champion Spieth had a 15-foot eagle putt at the last to force a playoff but sent his ball wide of the hole and had to settle for a 71, giving him a share of second place with Scott.

"I thought that it would all be there today and I just didn't start out strong enough," said the U.S. Open and Masters champion.

"It's frustrating to only shoot even par when I feel like my game was certainly ready to shoot a three, four, five under round."

Former world number one Scott, still seeking his first title of the year, had surged up the leaderboard with a seven-birdie 65 to move to seven-under on another blustery day in Sydney.

His compatriot Rod Pampling had earlier sunk a 60-foot eagle putt on the 18th green for a remarkable course record 10-under 61, which was only good enough for fourth on six-under.

Pampling's stunning score bettered the 63 Spieth carded to win the title last year, a final round that had given the American high hopes he could overhaul Jones's overnight lead.

The 35-year-old Australian dropped three shots by going bogey-double bogey on the first two holes but Spieth also bogeyed them as the final group dropped back towards the pack.

Jones recovered with birdies at the fourth and sixth but a calamitous triple bogey at the ninth after hitting the trees and plunging into the water saw him drop to six-under, level with clubhouse leader Pampling.

Spieth drained an eight-foot downhill putt on the 11th to also move to six-under and Scott, ahead on the 14th, joined him to make it a four-way tie for the lead.

The American's parity was short-lived and another visit to the greenside sand saw him bogey the 12th just before Jones brilliantly chipped in from a bunker to save par.

Jones, who won first U.S. PGA title in Houston last year, inched ahead on seven-under with his third birdie at the par-five 14th, which Spieth matched to rejoin Pampling and Scott in second place.

Another fine approach shot to the 18th, which he eagled on Saturday to keep his title hopes alive, saw Scott birdie the last to move back to the top of the leaderboard with Jones.

Jones picked up another shot on the 16th, however, and managed to hold his nerve despite finding the trees on the 17th to clinch the trophy with a short par putt on the final green.

The Sydneysider's victory also earned him a place at next year's British Open along with Pampling and Nick Cullen (68), who shared fifth with Lincoln Tighe (72) on three-under but clinched the spot at Royal Troon courtesy of his higher ranking. (Editing by Julian Linden)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Day draws major comfort from fellow Australian's win

AUGUSTA, Georgia - Having once again come agonisingly close to landing a first major crown, Jason Day took some solace as he watched fellow Australian Adam Scott seal a maiden win at the highest level on Sunday.

The two compatriots had duelled for the Masters title with Angel Cabrera for most of the final round at a rain-soaked Augusta National but it was Scott who emerged triumphant after he edged out the burly Argentine in a playoff.

Day, joint runner-up with Scott at the 2011 Masters on his debut at the year's opening major, had briefly moved two strokes clear of the field in Sunday's final round but his challenge effectively ended with bogeys at the 16th and 17th.

"It's unfortunate, but I'm very happy with how things are going right now with Adam," Day told reporters before Scott became the first ever Australian to slip into the coveted green jacket.

"I'm really pulling for Scotty, I know that he's come so close so many times in majors and he really does deserve it. He's worked very, very hard and he's had a great career. I'm really praying that he pulls through."

Day's prayers were answered as Scott ended half a century of Australian Masters misery when he sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole to deny Cabrera a third major title.

Yet it was richly talented Day who had initially seemed the most likely player to end Australia's lengthy title drought at Augusta National when he made a sensational birdie-eagle start to the final round.

He holed a slick 20-footer at the par-four first before holing out from a greenside bunker to eagle the par-five second, loud roars from the fans echoing through the Georgian pines as he moved briefly into the outright lead.

REIGNITED DAY

Though Day was overtaken by Cabrera, the Australian reignited after the turn - a run of three consecutive birdies from the par-five 13th putting him two shots ahead at nine under.

As the rain intensified, Day succumbed to the mounting pressure, overhitting the green from the tee to bogey the par-three 16th, then dropping another shot at the 17th where he bunkered his approach.

"On 16, unfortunately I hit it too far left and I had a quick bogey there," said the 25-year-old Queenslander, whose only PGA Tour win came at the 2010 Byron Nelson Championship.

"And then on 17 I only had to go an extra foot to two feet and it would have been over that bunker. I think it would have kicked up to about 15, 20 feet at least.

"It's a little disappointing, but there's a lot of experience that I can take into next year. It was just a few little mental errors here and there, but overall I'm very, very happy about the way I played."

Day, who was greeted by his wife Ellie after he completed his round before cradling his young son Dash in his arms, has long described the Masters as his favourite event.

"I love this tournament," he smiled. "It's obviously an honour to come this week and play against the best players in the world, have a shot at winning my first major and being the first Australian to win the Masters.

"Hopefully I can wear one of those green jackets soon." (Editing by Frank Pingue)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com