1.20.2013

All eyes are on Rory McIlroy


All eyes are on Rory McIlroy

By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer) | The Associated Press – Tue, Jan 15, 2013 4:04 PM EST
HONOLULU (AP) -- This much could always be said about Tiger Woods. The richest man in golf played like he didn't have two nickels to rub together.
Rory McIlroy appears to be cut from the same cloth.
Even a cloth that now has a swoosh.
McIlroy's big year got under way Monday in Abu Dhabi with the kind of glitzy production that would make even Ryder Cup organizers envious, with music blaring and lasers lighting up the room. There were video messages from Phil Knight, Wayne Rooney and Woods, for so long the most prominent face of Nike Golf.
Adding to the buildup was a commercial that debuts Wednesday and shows McIlroy and Woods trying to one-up each other on the range with shots that find the ''cup'' in faraway places. It's reminiscent of that McDonald's commercial from a generation ago, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird matching shots (nothing but net) that go through windows and bounce off scoreboards.
There was a time when Woods never shared the stage with any Nike athlete in a commercial.
What must follow now for McIlroy is the most important part of any marketing campaign - performance.
Nike endorsement contracts are among the best-guarded secrets in golf. Two industry leaders independently estimated the value at $20 million a year, including one who was aware of a bidding war for McIlroy that didn't last very long.
At some point, this becomes like Monopoly money, anyway.
Will it change McIlroy? Don't bet on it.
''I don't play golf for the money. I'm well past that,'' McIlroy said. ''I'm a major champion, which I've always dreamed of being. I'm world No. 1, which I've always dreamed of being. I think this is a company that can help me sustain that and win ever more majors.''
McIlroy's talent is such that he probably could win with anything, much like Woods and Phil Mickelson winning majors with two brands of clubs, and Ernie Els winning majors under three equipment contracts.
From Nike's standpoint, the upside might not be easy to measure.
McIlroy already has shown to be less predictable than Woods. Even during such a remarkable season when he won five times, a major and money titles on both sides of the Atlantic, the 23-year-old from Northern Ireland missed five cuts. It took Woods 13 years before he missed his fifth cut.
If the kid goes through another bad patch this year, the cynics will be quick to blame the equipment. If he wins early and often, and maybe even slips on a green jacket the second weekend in April, then all credit to the immense talent that is Rory McIlroy.
Nike is all about the athlete, however, and it has Nos. 1 and 2 in the world at the moment, the two biggest names in golf regardless of their ranking.
Predictions are a dangerous business in any sport, particularly when the cup - on the golf course, not the new Nike commercial - is only 4 1/4 inches around, the game is played outdoors and the talent pool is getting so deep that it looks like it's about to drop off a shelf in the ocean.
For years, the standard was Woods, and that hasn't changed.
McIlroy, however, might have a tough time living up to his own standard. More than just five wins around the world was the quality of competition McIlroy beat last year - a major, two FedEx Cup playoff events, Europe's version of the Tour Championship. The weakest field McIlroy beat all year was the Honda Classic, where the top five included Woods, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and Charl Schwartzel.
''I want to win golf tournaments. I made that clear from the get go,'' McIlroy said. ''I am very focused on trying to win as many majors as I can. Obviously, winning two majors the last two seasons, I want to try and keep that going and play them well again this year.
''I guess if I go this year and I don't, then it will be a bad year,'' he added. ''If I'm sitting end of 2013 and haven't won a major, I would be disappointed.''
Not since Woods won the last three majors and 10 times around the world in 2000 has there been so much curiosity about an encore. Just as intriguing is how his relationship with Woods will unfold. McIlroy was taught by his father, Gerry, at an early age that it costs nothing to be nice to people. His Ulster roots keep from getting too full of himself. He is hard not to like. Woods rarely spoke about McIlroy last year without mentioning at some point that ''he's a great kid.''
A dozen years ago, Woods became friends with another player that Nike eventually signed - David Duval, who in 2001 became the first major champion with the swoosh stamped on his golf clubs at the British Open. They flew home together from St. Andrews, the claret jug in Woods' possession. They were partners in two World Cups. They flew to Maui together on Woods' jet for the season opener.
About a year later, they no longer were that close. Duval is a more complicated personality than McIlroy, and it was about that time when Duval went into a deep slump through a combination of injuries, confidence and life changes.
Woods moved on to levels not seen in his generation. The longer he was around, the more approachable he was to the other players. And while he has had his share of rivals over the years, McIlroy is the first real threat from the next generation. He is the first player that makes you wonder if Woods getting back to No. 1 depends solely on him.
Are they rivals?
McIlroy doesn't think so because they haven't gone head-to-head in the final hour of a major, or any tournament for that matter.
''Hopefully, at some point, that can happen this year and it would be great to be part of that,'' McIlroy said.
What makes them rivals, however the term is defined, is that they're the two players everyone talks about. They have the same expectations. They wear the same logo. And now they're in the same commercial.
Still to be determined this year is who plays the supporting role.


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Proud McGinley named first Irish Ryder Cup captain


Proud McGinley named first Irish Ryder Cup captain

By Tony Jimenez | Reuters – Tue, Jan 15, 2013 2:24 PM EST
ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Paul McGinley was beaming with pride on Tuesday after being appointed captain of Europe's Ryder Cup team for the biennial match against the United States next year.
The 46-year-old Irishman, who holed the winning putt in the 2002 match at The Belfry, was the unanimous choice of the Players Committee at a meeting in Abu Dhabi and becomes Ireland's first skipper in the history of the event launched in 1927.
Committee chairman Thomas Bjorn said five names were discussed, McGinley, 2010 captain Colin Montgomerie, Paul Lawrie, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Sandy Lyle.
"This is a position I'm really thrilled to be in. It's also a very humbling experience and I can't wait to get into the role of captain and to working with the players," a misty-eyed McGinley told a news conference.
"I'm just delighted it's happened and that the cards fell right for me. I think it's very important to have a captain that is still involved regularly as a player on the tour and that's what I plan on doing for the next 18 months until the match."
McGinley replaced Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal, the inspiration behind Europe's remarkable comeback victory in Illinois in September.
He thanked players like world number one Rory McIlroy, third-ranked Luke Donald and last year's Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter for their public support in the leadup to the captaincy vote for the 2014 match at Gleneagles, Scotland.
"Paul McGinley 2014 European Ryder Cup captain!!!," McIlroy said on his Twitter account. "Couldn't be happier for him... roll on Gleneagles."
McIlroy was standing up at the back of the room as McGinley made his acceptance speech.
"I'm very fortunate Rory, Ian and Graeme McDowell played under me as a Seve Trophy captain," said the Irishman. "If there is a good structure on the tour, it is with the Seve Trophy and with the legacy of that tournament.
"Seve was a guy I knew very well. I played under Monty, Jose Maria and Seve in team events so I've been fortunate with the experience I've gained under those captains.
"I have a real passion for team golf and I love it. I love everything that goes with team golf."
McGinley has twice been a Ryder Cup vice-captain, to Montgomerie in Wales in 2010 and to Olazabal two years later.
He served his apprenticeship as a skipper when he led Britain and Ireland to victory over Continental Europe in the Seve Trophy team event in 2009 and 2011.
McGinley played in three Ryder Cups, from 2002-06, and was triumphant each time.
A winner of four European Tour titles, his best campaign was in 2005 when he finished runner-up three times before lifting the season-ending Volvo Masters crown.
In recent times, Europe have taken the view that the Ryder Cup captain should serve for one match only, an approach that was always likely to give McGinley an advantage over chief rival Montgomerie.
"We discussed all the candidates thoroughly but the committee was 100 percent behind this captain," Bjorn said. "It was clear in the meeting room very early which way we wanted to go.
"We listened to the players and we made the right decision. As a captain I think he will bring this tour even more closely together - he's one of us."
McGinley will be up against eight-times major winner Tom Watson who skippers the U.S. in 2014.
"I congratulate Paul McGinley upon his selection as the next European Ryder Cup captain and anticipate his passion and love of the event will transfer to being an outstanding leader of his team," Watson said in a statement.
"Paul is an outstanding representative of European golf. I look forward to sharing the stage with him as we make our journey to Scotland."
(Editing by Ed Osmond)


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5 Athletes Who Competed After a Transplant


5 Athletes Who Competed After a Transplant

By Carol Bengle Gilbert | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Tue, Jan 15, 2013 1:57 PM EST


In virtually any sport, there's an athlete who tested boundaries, competing despite overwhelming physical odds. Here are the stories of five athletes who played professional or Olympic sports after receiving organ transplants:
Snowboarding
In Olympic snowboarding, it's Chris Klug who amazed fans. Klug took to the slopes only two months after aliver transplant. By the four month mark, Klug had returned to the World Cup Circuit. He won a place in the Olympic games where he earned a bronze medal. All told, Klug has represented the United States in the Olympics three times, two of them after the liver transplant.
Golf
Erik Compton plays professional golf despite not one, but two, heart transplants. He underwent his first transplant at age 12, the same year he learned to play golf. It was the heart surgery that propelled the budding athlete toward golf, after his doctors advised against contact sports, Golf magazine said. Compton excelled and started touring. But donated hearts have a shelf life, the Washington Times explained, and in 2007 Compton's needed replacement after he suffered a heart attack. He received a donor heart in 2008, and within five months made the cut for another PGA tour. Compton is still going strong, having earned his 2013 PGA Tour Card last month.
Basketball
Basketball has boasted two kidney transplant recipients on its rosters. First there was Sean Elliott who was instrumental in helping the Spurs claim a national title in 1999 with a play called the "Memorial Day Miracle," according to Hoopedia. After the championship win, he disclosed he'd been playing with kidney disease and faced a transplant. Although his recovery caused him to miss the next 63 games, he was back on the court seven months later.
Two years after Miami Heat player Alonzo Mourning underwent a 2003 kidney transplant, he led the league in shooting and blocked shots, Sports Illustrated noted. His court dominance helped the team claim the 2006 NBA title. Mourning continued playing professional ball until 2009 when he suffered a leg injury.
Baseball
Carson Cainer was the Cincinnati Reds 2006 fourteenth-round draft pick. Before signing, he headed for the hospital for a kidney transplant. Cainer never made it to the majors; he was released by the Reds in 2010 after several seasons in the minors. But another door opened, this one in the World Transplant Games where he took a bronze for bowling in 2011.


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LPGA adds 3 more events to growing schedule


LPGA adds 3 more events to growing schedule

By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer) | The Associated Press – Tue, Jan 15, 2013 1:23 PM EST
One month before its season begins, the LPGA Tour announced a 28-tournament schedule Tuesday that includes five majors, three additional tournaments and prize money closing in on $50 million.
LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan delivered a balanced schedule that circles the globe. It starts next month in Australia. More than half the tournaments are in North America. The Asian swing late in the year includes a new tournament in China. And the season ends in November with the LPGA Titleholders and $700,000 to the winner, the biggest payoff in women's golf.
Whan also announced that CME, the title sponsor of the season-ending Titleholders, has extended its deal through 2016.
''Our tournaments are about customers a lot more than they are about the players and television,'' Whan said. ''If you do the right thing with the customer, you'll end up being with the customer a long time.''
Along with a full schedule, the LPGA Tour will get 300 hours of television coverage, the most in its history.
The LPGA Tour took a beating during the economic downturn and a previous administration that alienated sponsors. Two years ago, the tour had only 23 tournaments.
Whan is close to what he considers an ideal schedule of no more than 32 tournaments - enough to give his players ample starts, still small enough that the tournaments can expect to get a majority of the best players.
The LPGA Tour previously announced a new tournament in The Bahamas on May 23-26 and a return to Texas, its first official event in the Lone Star State since Meg Mallon won the U.S. Women's Open at Colonial in 1991. The North Texas LPGA Shootout will be April 25-28, three weeks before the PGA Tour arrives in town for its Texas swing.
The third new tournament is in China toward the end of the year - the Reignwood Pine Valley LPGA Classic the first week in October, which launches an Asian swing that will take players to Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
''The performance, approachability and growing popularity of our players is the No. 1 factor in the LPGA's continued momentum, which has led to expanding coverage on Golf Channel, the growing slate of playing opportunities and our ever-increasing fan base,'' Whan said.
The Evian will become the fifth major, held Sept. 12-15 in France with a $3.25 million purse. That will be the last of a strong lineup of majors that includes the U.S. Women's Open going to Seabonack on Long Island, and the Women's British Open returning to the Old Course at St. Andrews.
The season begins Feb. 14 with the Women's Australian Open at Royal Canberra, followed by stops in Thailand and Singapore before the domestic schedule starts March 14 with the LPGA Founders Cup in Arizona.
Stacy Lewis was the LPGA player of the year in 2012, the first American to win the highest award since Beth Daniel in 1993. Inbee Park captured the money title, and 2012 also saw the emergence of Na Yeon Choi, who won the U.S. Women's Open and the Titleholders. The biggest surprise was Yani Tseng, who won three tournaments before April to cement her status as the best in women's golf, only to fall in a mysterious slump.
Her lead in the ranking was so large that Tseng goes into the season still at No. 1.
The biggest tournament on the schedule is the Solheim Cup, with Mallon as the captain as she tries to keep the Americans' record perfect on home soil. It will be played Aug. 16-18 at Colorado Golf Club.


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FACTBOX-Golf-2014 European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley


ABU DHABI, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Factbox on Paul McGinley, who on Tuesday became the first Irishman to be appointed European Ryder Cup captain for the 2014 edition to be played at Gleneagles in Scotland:
* Born in Dublin on Dec. 16, 1966
* Was a promising Gaelic footballer before a broken knee cap at 19 derailed a possible playing career.
* Announced himself in golf at the 1991 Walker Cup, which pits British and Irish amateurs against Americans, where he beat four-times major champion Phil Mickelson.
* Gained his European Tour card the same year and recorded his first win at the Austrian Open in 1996.
* Has won a total of four times on the European Tour, his last coming in 2005 at the Volvo Masters in Spain.
* Highest world ranking was 18, now at 295.
* Competed in three Ryder Cups in 2002, 2004 and 2006, winning each time.
* Holed the winning putt on the 18th green on debut at the Belfry when he halved his singles match against Jim Furyk, helping Europe regain the trophy after their loss in 1999.
* Has since appeared as vice-captain for Europe's victories in 2010, under 2014 captaincy rival Colin Montgomerie and 2012 when Spanish leader Jose Maria Olazabal inspired a thrilling last-day comeback to pip the Americans 14 1/2 - 13/1/2.
* Led Britain and Ireland to victory over continental Europe in the Seve Trophy team event in 2009 and 2011 where he captained world number one Rory McIlroy, who said on Monday he was the "best captain he had ever played under". (Compiled by Tom Pilcher, Editing by Mark Meadows)


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