Golf: McIlroy wins Players Championship by one stroke in Florida

Rory McIlroy celebrated St Patrick's Day in style by becoming the first player from Northern Ireland to win the Players Championship, emerging as the last man standing to beat Jim Furyk by one stroke in Ponte Vedra, Florida on Sunday.

On a day when 15 players at one stage were within two shots of the lead, McIlroy eventually emerged from the pack, overcoming an early double-bogey by displaying enough maturity to hang tough before moving in for the proverbial kill.

McIlroy carded two-under-par 70 at the famous TPC Sawgrass course in Ponte Vedra Beach to win a championship that was first held in 1974, when it was won by Jack Nicklaus.

McIlroy finished at 16-under 272 to edge American Furyk, who with a gimme birdie at the final hole threatened to become the event's oldest winner at the age of 48.

"Sawgrass and I didn't have the greatest relationship starting off," McIlroy told reporters, referring to missed cuts in his first three appearances from 2009-11.

"It's a massive win on a course (where) I've had mixed results. I had to show a lot of character out there. Any time I looked at the leaderboard I was pleasantly surprised I hadn't fallen two or three shots behind.

"That gave me a little bit of encouragement to keep going and play a great back nine. I am just thankful that it was my turn this week."

With Furyk already in the clubhouse, the 29-year-old McIlroy knew what he had to do as he played the final three holes.

After a birdie at the par-four 15th, he used his power to reach the par-five 16th in two shots and a two-putt birdie gave him the lead.

McIlroy then safely negotiated the water-lined final two holes with tap-in pars to clinch the most prestigious tournament outside the four majors.

Furyk shot 67 to finish alone on 15-under.

FURYK DISAPPOINTED

"There's a little disappointment, thinking maybe I played well enough to win," said the American. "Rory obviously felt differently."

It was Furyk's 31st runner-up finish on the PGA Tour, the same number as Tiger Woods who has also won 80 times compared to his compatriot's 17.

Englishman Eddie Pepperell (66) and Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas (66) finished two strokes behind McIlroy in a tie for third.

Pepperrell and Vegas sank monster birdies at the par-three 17th, Pepperell sinking a rollercoaster 50-footer before Vegas one-upped him with a 70-footer.

Overnight leader Jon Rahm floundered, the Spaniard making three bogeys in the first four holes and compounding his misery by dunking his tee shot into the water at the par-three 17th.

He shot 76 and finished equal 12th on 11-under.

McIlroy's win came after close calls at all five of his previous starts this year.

He will head to the Masters next month brimming with confidence, needing a victory at Augusta National to complete the grand slam of all four modern majors.

"I'm just really proud of myself the way I played the last few holes," he said.

"(I was thinking) why not me? This is my tournament and I've got to finish it off.

"I kept telling myself on the way to the 17th tee, just make three more good swings, that's all you need to do and this thing is yours.

"To step up and make those three good swings, it's very satisfying knowing that it's in there when it needs to be."

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Ken Ferris)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Golf: US powers into early Ryder Cup lead despite Woods defeat

The United States made a strong start to the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National on Friday as Jim Furyk's men claimed a 3-1 lead after the opening session despite a defeat for Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed.

The away team are bidding to win the trophy for the first time on European soil since 1993, and made an excellent start.

Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau stunned Jon Rahm and Justin Rose 1-up in the opening match, taking the lead for the first time at the final hole.

Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler then raised hopes of a repeat of the 2016 first-morning whitewash for the holders by swatting aside Rory McIlroy and Thorbjorn Olesen 4 and 2.

But after Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas edged out Tyrrell Hatton and Paul Casey in a thrilling match 1-up, British Open champion Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood produced a late surge to down a misfiring Woods and Reed 3 and 1.

The former world number one, playing in his first Ryder Cup since 2012, and the Masters champion were then left out by Furyk for the afternoon foursomes.

It is the Americans' largest first-session lead in Europe since 1989.

Johnson and Fowler won the first point, easing past an out-of-sorts McIlroy and European rookie Olesen.

Dane Olesen struck his first Ryder Cup tee shot into the water, but spent much of the match carrying four-time major winner McIlroy, who was out of form, failing to make a single birdie or win a hole.

McIlroy and Olesen both missed lengthy birdie tries on the 16th hole to end a one-sided match with a whimper.

- Beginner's luck -

Europe led for the majority of the opening match, but collapsed late on as the US edged in front for the first time at the final hole.

Rose and Rahm took a 2-up lead after some sparkling play around the turn, but lost the momentum as Koepka and Finau drew level with two holes to play.

Rookie Finau, a captain's pick by Furyk, saw his tee shot at the par-three 16th hit the wooden boards separating the green from the water, before spinning into the air and coming to rest three feet from the hole for a simple birdie.

"I like pulling those out when it really matters," he smiled. "Sometimes you get a good kick. Sometimes you don't."

Spaniard Rahm bogeyed the 18th and FedEx Cup winner Rose found water to gift the Americans victory.

The visitors secured a third point as Spieth and Thomas held off a thrilling comeback from Casey and Hatton in a high-quality clash.

Spieth and Thomas, good friends off the course, raced into a 3-up advantage as the former poured in five birdies in the opening seven holes.

The 25-year-old Thomas maintained that lead with birdies at the ninth and 10th holes, but Casey made four straight birdies before a pin-point Hatton approach made it all-square with five to play.

The Americans edged back ahead, though, and Hatton missed a 15-foot attempt to salvage half a point on the last green.

"It was great. We had a great start, too. Playing Ryder Cups over here are extremely fun," said three-time major winner Spieth. "We were able to feed off each other."

The home side started a possible fightback, though, with the heroics of Fleetwood sending the crowd into delirium with magnificent birdie putts on the 15th and 16th to grab a 2-up lead on Woods and Reed, having been 2-down after 10.

The big-name American pairing were off the pace throughout despite a strong start by Woods.

But the 14-time major champion lost his way on the back nine, with him and Reed both finding water and missing several fairways, leaving Molinari with a simple two-putt to get Europe on the board.

The Italian did even better than that, draining his birdie try to secure his first-ever full Ryder Cup point on his third appearance in style.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Furyk named U.S. captain for 2018 Ryder Cup

Former U.S. Open winner Jim Furyk will captain the defending champion United States in the 2018 Ryder Cup against Europe at Le Golf National in Paris, the PGA of America said on Wednesday.

Furyk, nine times a player in the biennial competition, served as a vice-captain under Davis Love III at Hazeltine last October for the U.S. team that won golf's top team event for the first time since 2008.

"This is such an honor, I'm actually feeling a little overwhelmed," Furyk told a news conference at PGA headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

"It's been my favorite event in my entire career. In my opinion, the Ryder Cup embodies everything special about golf."

   
The 46-year-old Furyk was hailed as a "natural leader and great communicator" by PGA of America President Paul Levy in introducing him as the 28th U.S. Ryder Cup captain.

Furyk, a 17-times winner on the PGA Tour who last August recorded the lowest ever PGA Tour round when he shot a 12-under-par 58, was widely considered the frontrunner for the job.

According to multiple reports the selection committee, which included Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Love, whittled down their list for captain to either Furyk or Fred Couples.

Furyk, who is ranked 34th in the world and missed a large chunk of last season after wrist surgery, was part of the Ryder Cup task force created after the U.S. team he played on suffered a humbling defeat at Gleneagles in 2014.

Among the changes that came from that task force, whose aim was to help improve U.S. fortunes in an event they dominated until the mid 1980s, came a plan to groom future captains that would ascend from vice-captaincy roles.

Furyk, who will by trying to register the first U.S. Ryder victory on foreign soil in 25 years, said Love would serve as a vice-captain.

Denmark's Thomas Bjorn was named as Europe's captain for 2018 last month.

Furyk has had his share of Ryder Cup disappointments, compiling a 10-20-4 record as a player with his teams losing seven of nine competitions. Yet his love for the event burns strong.

"It has the teamwork, the camaraderie, the competition, the passion. It brings fans together from worldwide," said Furyk, whose nine Ryder Cup appearances as a player are second behind only Phil Mickelson's 11.

"I get chills thinking about all the events I have been able to participate in and how fortunate I've been."

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Golf: Furyk and McDowell share lead at US Open

SAN FRANCISCO - Former champions Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell charged into a share of the lead in the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time), while Tiger Woods slipped down a congested leaderboard but still has a chance to end his major championship drought.

Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open winner, put himself in contention for a second major title after shooting an even-par 70 to remain at one-under heading into the final day, which has all the makings of a grandstand finish with more than a dozen players within five strokes of the leading pair.

McDowell, who won the 2010 U.S. Open at nearby Pebble Beach, joined the American at the top after capping his impressive round of 68 with a birdie at the 18th at the Olympic Club.

Sweden's Fredrik Jacobsen also shot a 68 to finish alone in third, two shots behind the leaders, with England's Lee Westwood (67), Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts (71), American Blake Adams (70) and South Africa's Ernie Els (68) a shot further back.

John Peterson (72) had a hole-in-one at the 180-yard 13th to join Webb Simpson (68), Jason Dufner (70), Kevin Chappell (68), Australia's John Senden (68) and teenage amateur Beau Hossler (70) at three-over.

Woods was tied for 14th at four-over following his 75. He had started the day tied for the lead at one-under with Furyk and David Toms, who fell to five-over after a 76.

"I'm definitely still in the ball game," said Woods. "I'm only five back and that's certainly doable on this golf course for sure."

Seven different players had a share of the lead at some stage but it was Furyk and McDowell on top at the end of a riveting day's golf in northern California.

Furyk rebounded from two early bogeys to birdie the 268-yard seventh hole when he got up and down from a greenside bunker and then birdied the par-4 11th when he drained a 12-foot putt.

He dropped another shot on the 16th but two-putted the par-5 17th to get back in red numbers.

"Graeme and I are tied for the lead, but there's a bunch of people piled up and close to it," said Furyk.

"But how we play tomorrow at the top of the leaderboard tremendously affects who is still in the tournament and what score needs to be shot to win."

Woods, bidding to win his first major in four years, made a terrible start when he bogeyed four of the first eight holes then finished poorly with bogeys in two of his last three holes.

"I'm just going to have to shoot a good round tomorrow, and post early and see what happens," said Woods. "There's going to be a bunch of guys there with a chance."

Dream shot

McDowell navigated his way through the treacherous first six holes with a string of pars but dropped a shot on the ninth when he hit his approach into the trees.

The Northern Irishman made amends with birdies on the 10th and 13th holes then picked up another shot at the last when he struck his approach to within five feet of the pin.

"There's something about this sea air coming off the Pacific that feels a little bit like home to me," said McDowell. "If this continues, I may have to be getting a little real estate out here or something."

Westwood drained a monster putt on the final hole for his fifth birdie of the round to give himself a real chance of winning his first major after seven top-three finishes during his career.

"Every time you get yourself in contention you learn something new," said Westwood. "I've picked little bits out of all of those, but the main thing is just to go out there and believe that I'm good enough."

Els, who won the U.S. Open twice in the mid 1990s, had the huge galleries roaring with excitement when he chipped in for eagle at the 17th after a terrible start to his round with three bogeys in the first five holes.

"The shot on 17 is what dreams are made of," he said. "I guess it was about a probably almost a 50 yard shot almost into the hole so it's one of those one-in-a-thousand shots." - Reuters

article source: gmanetwork.com