Salute for Palmer planned at the Ryder Cup

CHASKA, Minnesota - A video tribute, a moment of silence and a tangible salute to Arnold Palmer will be part of a celebration of the late golfer's life at this week's Ryder Cup matches between U.S. and European golfers.

A tribute to Palmer, who died on Sunday at age 87, will be held on the first tee on Friday's opening of the competition, PGA of America president Derek Sprague said on Monday.

U.S. team captain Davis Love III and European captain Darren Clarke said the teams would both honor 'The King' during the 41st edition of the biennial match play competition.

"We're still working on the details," Love told reporters.

"The PGA Tour and the Palmer family created a logo and an Arnie's Army mention, and I think there's going to be buttons for the fans and pins for the players.

"As soon as we get those, Darren and I have agreed, whatever we do, we are going to do together. Both teams are going to do the same thing and honor the Palmer family wishes for whatever they would like to see us wearing."

Clarke said his players were stunned and saddened by the news of Palmer's death.

"He will be sadly missed," the Northern Irishman said.

"He was a global superstar, in not just our sport. He transcended our sport. Arnie's Army was known worldwide, and we are as shocked and saddened over Arnold's passing as everybody.

"Our sport wouldn't be where it is without Mr. Palmer."

Love said the passing of Palmer was emotional for some members of the team, but reckoned his legacy as a champion would inspire his players.

"Arnold is going to want us to put this behind us and go play. It's going to be tough to do, but we are definitely going to draw inspiration from his spirits," said Love.

"We already had pictures of him in our locker room and team room, and we'll add a few more. He'll be with us forever." (Editing by Frank Pingue)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LOOK: Alligator wanders in golf course

An American alligator estimated to be 12 to 13 feet long was found walking onto the edge of the putting green on the seventh hole of Myakka Pines Golf Club in Englewood, Florida in this handout photo courtesy of Bill Susie and distributed by Reuters.

Golfers at the course were careful, days after the animal was seen and the photo went viral on Facebook.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sherwood signals a worthy season for elite field

THOUSAND OAKS, California - For the 18 players vying for supremacy at this week's Northwestern Mutual World Challenge in glorious early winter weather, merely qualifying for the field is confirmation of a successful year.

Though the four-round tournament hosted by five-times champion Tiger Woods is not a PGA Tour event, it offers official world ranking points and every player competing at Sherwood Country Club this week is ranked in the top 30.

"Sherwood is a lovely place to come to, and California this time of the year is a great place to play," England's Lee Westwood told Reuters on Tuesday after an extended practice session in bright sunshine with his swing coach Sean Foley.

"There only being 18 players, you know you have to be at the top of the world rankings to play in the event."

Asked what he felt was the single best thing about qualifying for the elite 18-man field, Westwood replied: "I think the exclusivity really, that and Sherwood."

Jordan Spieth, who won the John Deere Classic in July before capping a sensational debut season by being voted the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year for 2013, was especially delighted to be making his maiden appearance at the event.

The 20-year-old, ranked 22nd in the world, was a late addition to the field after fellow American Brandt Snedeker pulled out as he continues to recover from a leg injury.

"I'm very excited," Spieth told reporters while preparing for Thursday's opening round. "I got in by an unfortunate way, I guess.

"Obviously, we're wishing the best to Brandt to be healthy. This is actually the second time he's let me into an event. He let me into the (2012) U.S. Open back at Olympic Club, so I owe him a Christmas present.

"I was very, very excited to get the call that I was in (the field) here and I needed to get my game ready quickly, because I was a little rusty getting some of it off."

Spieth, who recorded nine top-10s starts in 23 starts on the 2013 PGA Tour, has not competed since finishing 17th at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China a month ago.

Woods, who beat compatriot Zach Johnson by one shot to win the most recent of his World Challenge titles in 2011, is delighted with the quality of the players assembled at Sherwood this week.

"It's the deepest and strongest field that we've had possibly ever," the world number one said. "It's going to be a great week, one that everyone is going to enjoy. I'm really looking forward to it."

Woods heads the elite field but will face a strong challenge from players such as Northern Irish world number six Rory McIlroy, seventh-ranked American Matt Kuchar and 10th-ranked Austtralian Jason Day.

Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, who won last year's title by three shots, will be bidding to triumph at Sherwood for a third successive year.

The full 18-man field: Woods, McIlroy, Kuchar, Steve Stricker, Day, Jason Dufner, McDowell, Ian Poulter, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Jim Furyk, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Spieth, Lee Westwood, Bubba Watson, Bill Haas and Hunter Mahan.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Frank Pingue)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

In 2010, Who Will Be The New Leading Golfer?

Author: Tinny

We allwant to know who will be the new leading man in 2010. After tiger announced his leave, we have so many questions about the future of tiger, about the future about golf sports. But golf is not one man; it’s all about sport itself. So no matter Tiger Woods bothers to play or not, golf might have a new leading man in 2010.
Phil Mickelson is one of golfers on the list. He is a four-times winner worldwide last year, can now be bracketed alongside top-ranked Tiger Woods in all departments of the game, according to Ernie Els, Former world No. 1 and a huge man with arms like a blacksmith's. Yet he has a beautiful, graceful rhythm and never looks as if he is trying to hit the ball hard.

Mickelson, the World No 2, finished his 2009 campaign in imperious form, winning the PGA Tour's season-ending Tour Championship in September and the WGC-HSBC Champions in China in November.

"The way Phil Mickelson played at the end of last year, he carried his golf equipment to Shanghai and played with Tiger, won the tournament there on the final day," Els said at the Sony Open in Hawaii. "The Tour Championship, he won coming from behind, you know.

In each of those coveted big-money tournaments, left-hander Mickelson overshadowed Woods, his rival-in-chief from as wayback as their college years when both won the US Amateur. "Phil is probably the man to beat now," Els told the media at this week's Sony Open in the Hawaiian. "Even when Tiger stopped playing, even if you ask Tiger, I think Phil got right to his level, throughout his game," Els said. "I think there is a new guy we got to chase."
"The way Phil played at the end of last year ... he played with Tiger in Shanghai and won the tournament there on the final hole. The Tour Championship he won coming from behind."

Mickelson, who turns 40 on June 16, has never been No. 1 in the world rankings or topped the tour money list.For Ernie, Lefty and the other guys in the top tier in the world ranking, there's a major opening if they can manage to sneak through the window of opportunity while Woods is MIA."Obviously, with Tiger not on the scene it becomes a free-for-all again," Els said. "You try to position yourself, and you try to be 'the man.' So, yes, it's a different landscape with Tiger not here." It might be different when he returns, too, Els said.

Nobody knows how fans will react when Woods, never the warmest player with galleries to begin with, returns. Given the sense of betrayal felt by many of his fans, some believe Woods will have to greatly overhaul his icy demeanor and no longer can afford to blow off autograph seekers without hearing about it. Or can he?"Yes, he will," Els said. "I think he will have the blinkers on and do his thing. I don't know, it's just a situation it's tough to talk about. I've known him all of my life, most of my life. I don't know, we'll see when that happens. That's all good stuff."

Els has not found any winning form as yet this year, but he will go into the final round of the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club seven shots behind leaders Robert Allenby of Australia and American Ryan Palmer after carding a 3-under-par 67. Let’s looking forward to that.

2010--Will Tiger be at St Andrews?

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/in-2010-who-will-be-the-new-leading-golfer-1797093.html

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