Golf glance

Golf glance










The Sports Xchange June 10, 2013 2:00 AMThe SportsXchange



COMING UP

PGA TOUR: The 133rd United States Open on the East Course at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., Thursday through Sunday.

TV: Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. EDT on ESPN, 3-5 p.m. EDT on NBC and 5-7 p.m. EDT on ESPN; Saturday and Sunday, 1-7:30 p.m. EDT on NBC.

LAST YEAR: Webb Simpson shot 68-68 on the weekend, making a clutch up-and-down from the fringe on the 72nd hole, to claim his first major championship by one stroke over 2010 champion Graeme McDowell and Michael Thompson at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. McDowell, who closed with a 73 after sharing the 54-hole lead with Jim Furyk, had his chances to force a playoff but missed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole and 25-foot birdie putt on the last. Furyk held the lead on the 16th tee but hooked his drive into the trees en route to the first of his two bogeys on the last three holes to close with a 74. He tied for fourth. Thompson posted a 3-under-par 67, best score of the final day, and waited two hours to find out that it was not quite enough. Simpson carded four birdies in a span of five holes through No. 10 and was steady down the stretch with eight consecutive pars as Furyk and McDowell fell back.



CHAMPIONS TOUR: Encompass Championship at North Shore Country Club in Glenview, Ill., June 21-23.

TV: Friday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. EDT; Saturday, and Sunday, 3-5 p.m. EDT, on the Golf Channel each day.

LAST YEAR: Inaugural event, with the Champions Tour returning to the Chicago area for the first time since 2002, when Bob Gilder captured the SBC Championship at Harborside International Golf Club.



LPGA TOUR: The 68th United States Women's Open at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., June 27-30.

TV: Thursday and Friday, 3-7 p.m. EDT on ESPN2; Saturday and Sunday, 3-6 p.m. EDT on NBC.

LAST YEAR: Na Yeon Choi of South Korea built a six-stroke lead by shooting 7-under-par 65 in the third round and held on for a four-stroke victory over Amy Yang, also from South Korea, despite closing with a 73 at Blackwolf Run Golf Course in Kohler, Wis. The 24-year-old Choi claimed her sixth victory on the LPGA Tour, but her first major title. She was coasting along with a five-stroke lead after nine holes in the final round, but she lost her ball after hooking a drive into the trees en route to a triple-bogey 8, reducing the lead to two shots. However, Choi righted the ship with a birdie on the next hole, and after par saves on the 12th and 13th holes, she locked up the title with birdies on the 15th and 16th. Choi became the fourth South Korean to claim the title in a five-year span, joining Inbee Park (2008), Eun-Hee Ji (2009) and So Yeon Ryu (2011).

Atricles Course: http://golfatn.blogspot.com/

Course Source: Chambers Bay GC, Wawona Hotel GC

Course Source: Chambers Bay GC, Wawona Hotel GC










Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange June 10, 2013 2:00 AMThe SportsXchange


IN THE PUBLIC EYE: Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Wash., five miles south of Tacoma and 45 minutes south of Seattle.

THE LAYOUT: Boasting a traditional links layout along the picturesque shores of Puget Sound, Chambers Bay received national acclaim well before its highly anticipated opening late in June 2007.

Already it is making history.

Chambers Bay is the first course opened since 1962 that will hold a U.S. Open, having been selected to host the national championship in 2015, when it will become the first course in the Pacific Northwest to be the site of the event.

Bandon Dunes in Oregon, another unique layout sometimes compared to Pebble Beach, was expected to be the first Pacific Northwest course to play host to the Open, so the selection of Chambers Bay was considered something of an upset.

Chambers Bay, which will join Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y., and Torrey Pines near San Diego as the only municipal courses to host the U.S. Open, received something of a dress rehearsal by hosting the 2010 U.S. Amateur.

Architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. was hired because of his unique vision for the 930-acre park, a sand and gravel quarry bought by Pierce County for $33 million in 1992.

Jones' firm didn't seek to simply copy the successful blueprint laid out by Bandon Dunes (both courses are managed by Kemper Sports). The goal was far loftier -- to provide a unique opportunity to play true Scottish links golf courtesy of the natural elements of the land and maritime weather.

Course developers removed all but one tree, a Douglas fir that stands behind the 15th green and near the 16th tee above the waters of Puget Sound. "The Lone Fir," as the tree has become known, was damaged a few years ago by vandals, but work by agronomists apparently has saved it.

Nearly 1.5 million cubic yards of dirt and sand were removed to create the course, which is located below the snow-capped Olympic Mountains. The end result is a fabulously designed layout that features miles of sandy wastelands, dunes and rolling hills that force golfers to understand the nuances of the course to avoid serious trouble on any given hole.

The wind and rain the Northwest is known for has transformed the property into a links paradise. But there's no question there is plenty of length and difficulty to satisfy USGA standards for the U.S. Open -- 7,585 yards from the back tees with a 76.9 rating and 135 slope.

GENERAL MANAGER: Matt Allen.

HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Nicholas "Nyk" Pike.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: It only takes stepping out of the car to know a serious challenge awaits. The pro shop sits atop a cliff overlooking the 930-acre park, with a shuttle transporting golfers down to the course.

No golf carts. This is designed to be natural Scottish links golf, after all.

But there are plenty of caddies who, for $35, will carry your clubs and offer insight as you walk the approximately 7.5-mile course (one caddy said the standard tip is around 100 percent).

Whether a caddy is worth $70 in addition to the $155 to $205 weekend greens fee for non-residents depends on your pocketbook and patience quota for quality shots that end up in impossible places.

And there is ample opportunity to pull out the wrong club on nearly every hole as the course winds its way up and down the hillside. One of the few holes without a major elevation change is the par-4 opener -- a 465-yard tester for the average golfer and a 498-yard monster for the pros.

A new course with plenty to prove to justify its $20.7 million price tag, the friendly caddies will offer token pre-round advice if you opt to lug your own sticks.

Tip No. 1: Don't mess around in the sandy wastelands. Take your medicine and fight your way back into the fairway at all costs. It only takes one attempt to be a hero out of the heavy, coarse sand to realize you should have heeded the advice.

Tip No. 2: The fescue grass tends to grow toward the sun, and can slightly change direction during the day, so putts don't necessarily roll toward the water.


Tip No. 3: Over-club on No. 7, named "Humpback." No, not after the whale. At 449 yards from the medium "Sand" tees and 508 from the back "Teal" setup, it's a sharp dogleg right uphill around a vast wasteland. A well-struck drive leaves the average golfer 180 yards straight uphill over a massive dune smack in the middle of the fairway. Club up two, because the false front on the green sends shots that come up short straight back down the fairway a good 50 yards.

Should make great television for the U.S. Open.

Signature hole? The shuttle driver claims to have "narrowed it to 12."

For the sake of debate, we'll go with the par-3 15th. It's a rather innocent-looking 127-yard short iron tee shot, but there's nothing innocent about the elevated tee box that looks directly out at the lone tree and dramatic views of the surrounding area.

Three holes later is the excellent par-5 18th, the No. 2 handicap hole, featuring the massive relics of concrete sorting bins from the property's mining days lining the right side. At 514 yards from the Sand tees and 604 from the Teal with an elevated, multiple-tiered green, it's a trying conclusion to a round likely to push the six-hour mark.

OTHERS COURSES IN THE AREA: While the hefty greens fees of Chambers Bay are due to the county's need to log approximately 35,000 annual rounds averaging around $100 per golfer, there are several more outstanding golf courses within a short drive that won't tax the wallet quite so heavily.

A half-hour drive takes you to Trophy Lake in Port Orchard, a favorite among local golfers for its challenging layout and beautiful topography. Another 15 minutes up Highway 16 you reach Bremerton and the doorstep of Gold Mountain, which boasts two 18-hole championship courses. The Olympic course played host to the 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

WHERE TO STAY: If it's an overnight stay for the purpose of playing Chambers Bay, there are numerous hotels and motels in University Place and Tacoma. For those interested in wagering a few dollars and watching live entertainment, the Emerald Queen Hotel & Casino is one mid-level option.

If you're planning to stay for a few days, cross the Narrows Bridge to the quaint town of Gig Harbor. Located along the shores of Puget Sound, Gig Harbor offers good food, great scenery and plenty of lodging options. The Maritime Inn is a boutique hotel downtown, and there are several bed & breakfast options to choose from.

ON THE WEB: www.chambersbaygolf.com

--Chambers Bay course review by Derek Harper, The Sports Xchange



THE LAST RESORT: Wawona Hotel Golf Course in Yosemite National Park, Calif.

THE LAYOUT: Alister MacKenzie, primarily known as the architect Bobby Jones hired to design Augusta National, left quite a legacy in California as well.

Among the masterworks he created are Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz and the Valley Club of Montecito near Santa Barbara.

MacKenzie has been is credited in several places, including California Golf Guide, as the designer of the Wawona Golf Course, the only golf course within the boundaries of a national park in the United States.

However, research has turned up no evidence that MacKenzie ever walked the property in the High Sierra, where the golf course blends seamlessly with the towering pines near the famed Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, the largest and oldest living things on earth, and Glacier Point.

However, it seems likely that designer Walter Favarque of San Francisco consulted on plans for the layout, which opened in 1918, with MacKenzie and Peter Hay -- whose family was instrumental in the development of Pebble Beach.

The nine-hole Wawona course was intended to expand to a full 18 when it opened in 1918, but the federal bureaucracy, which holds jurisdiction, has made it impossible.

The sporty 3,017-yard layout, which plays to a par of 35, meanders through forest and meadows bisected by several streams, and includes two par-5s, three par-3s and four par-4s.

Two sets of tees allow the golfer to play 18 holes at a length of 6,015 yards and a par of 70, with a USGA rating of 69.1 and a slope of 117.

Wawona is one of the few organic golf courses in the United States, with no pesticides used on the grass, and it is watered strictly with recycled grey water. Also, the course is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.




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GENERAL MANAGER: Alice Harton.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: The strength of Favarque's course is at the start, with a sweeping, uphill dogleg left 464-yard par-5, followed by a challenging 229-yard par-3 from an elevated tee, and a 470-yard par-5 through a chute of trees.

Don't be deceived by the relatively short par-5s because No. 1 plays dramatically uphill on the second and third shots to an elevated green, while No. 3 is extremely narrow off the tee and on the approach.

Best hole on the course and the signature at Wawona is the 420-yard seventh, which plays up and over a ridge on the blind tee shot and then straight downhill to the green through a corridor of sequoia and ponderosa pine trees that have given the hole the name "Cathedral."

A plaque near the green commemorates the first community in Yosemite established by Galen Clark in 1856. The exact spot of the settlement is located about 50 yards into the woods behind the green.

Another unique feature of Wawona is a periscope on the 349-yard fifth tee, required because of another blind tee shot. Be sure to check the periscope to see that the group ahead is out of range before hitting your tee ball.

The 185-yard sixth hole is called "Nursery," with the green located in a peaceful clearing where deer and bear often come out of the woods with their young to seemingly watch the golfers.

After you finish the 371-yard, par-4 ninth hole, check the position of the practice putting green across the road in front of the clubhouse, because that was the original green for No. 9 before two-lane Highway 41 was cut through the property.

The rest of the greens are not original, either, because when the par-3 course at the venerable Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley was shut down in the late 1970s, course superintendent Kim Porter had the classic bent grass greens dug up and moved to Wawona.

OTHER COURSES IN THE AREA: If you are driving from Fresno and looking for a place to play on the way to Yosemite, stop at Brighton Crest Country Club in Friant, which features a course designed by Johnny Millerlocated across the road from Table Mountain Casino.

In the town of Ahwahnee, about 22 miles from the Yosemite, are the 27-hole, semi-private Sierra Meadows Country Club and the well-maintained River Creek Golf Course.

Also on the road to Yosemite is the nine-hole Yosemite Lakes Park Golf Course, designed by noted golf course architect Bob Baldock and opened in 1965.

WHERE TO STAY: Wawona Golf Course is located along the South Fork of the Merced River in a tranquil, pastoral setting across Highway 41 from the rustic Wawona Hotel, a national historical monument that was built in 1856.

The Wawona Hotel is a cluster of eight white wooden New England-style buildings set on a huge lawn of what was the site of Clark's Station. Galen Clark, Yosemite's original superintendent and guardian, chose a spot that the local Miwok Indians called "Pallachun," or "a good place to stop," to build a lodge.

Henry Washburn renamed the site Wawona, which is Miwok for "Big Trees." In 1876, Washburn built Clark Cottage, the oldest structure in the complex, followed by the main hotel building in 1879.

Most of the 104 guestrooms open onto the Wawona's signature verandas and are reminiscent of European-style hotel rooms. The rooms are furnished in period pieces and antiques. There are no telephones or televisions.

Among the other summer activities for hotel guests are tennis, swimming, hiking and fishing. Winter sports include cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing and alpine skiing at nearby Badger Pass Ski Resort.

President Teddy Roosevelt had lunch with at Wawona in 1903 while visiting Yosemite with naturalist John Muir. Other presidents who visited Wawona include Ulysses S. Grant, William Henry Harrison, Rutherford B. Hayesand William Howard Taft. Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson also passed this way.

Famous contemporary guests include Robert Redford and Brad Pitt.

Accommodations in Yosemite Valley, 30 miles to the north, include the historic Ahwahnee Hotel, which opened in 1927, and Yosemite Lodge, which is located at the foot of majestic Yosemite Falls.

Just outside the entrance to Yosemite are the Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite in Fish Camp, the Evergreen Lodge in Groveland and the Best Western Yosemite Gateway Inn in Oakhurst.




Atricles Course: http://golfatn.blogspot.com/

A Lesson Learned: English Lessons

A Lesson Learned: English Lessons











Brian Stubbs, PGA June 10, 2013 9:52 AM



As President of the Georgia PGA, I'm always going to feel a great sense of pride when a local product does well on the world stage. So it's a real thrill to see Harris English, who's just a good a young man as he is a great golfer get his first win at the FedEx St. Jude this past week.

English is a product of Coach Chris Haack and the University of Georgia. As a die-hard fan of Georgia Tech, it's not easy to heap praise on my friends on the other side of the state - but give credit where credit is due. Bulldogs such as Bubba Watson, Russell Henley, Erik Compton, Chris Kirk and now Harris English are all making their mark out on Tour. Between them and the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech (Kuchar, Cink, Troy Matteson, Roberto Castro, Matt Weibring, Nicholas Thompson, David Duval, Cameron Tringale, Larry Mize, etc.), our great state will be represented at the highest levels of golf for a long time to come.

There were obviously many pivotal moments for Harris as he tried to capture his first PGA Tour win this past week. But most observers would agree that his performance, specifically, his 2nd shot on the 17th hole on Sunday, was the key moment when he knew it was his tournament to win.

English's tee shot went a little left and he had a tough angle, thick rough and a tree to deal with on his second shot. It's a shot you probably see every round in some form. Many people would consider it one of the most difficult shots of their day. But it doesn't have to be.

Follow these quick tips when faced with a similar shot - you'll find you'll save yourself a number of strokes.

1.) Get out of the rough:That sounds so basic but if you happened to watch the end of the LPGA's Championship, you'd have seen that both Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel, on the same hole, tried to punch shots out of the rough and weren't able to. Take a club that gives you enough loft and carry to get out of the thick grass regardless of whether you're able to get it to the green or not. Even if you need to keep the ball low due to a tree limb (such as English), you're better off short of the green in the fairway than back in the rough, a few yards from where you started.
2.) Visualize what you're trying to do:When you're hitting a shot you don't practice much, with trajectory and carry more of an unknown, take a moment to see and feel the shot prior to hitting it. Your body will take cues from your mental picture.
3.) Grip down on the club:I suggest getting your hands down near the steel. This will help keep the clubface stable as it moves through the grass.
4.) Widen your stance a bit:This is a shot to hit with your arms while your body remains still. Strength and balance are key here. A wider stance will help in both.
5.) Abbreviate the follow through: When keeping the shot trajectory lower. Your hands and arms want to finish more waist high rather than the more traditional shoulder heighth.
6.) Practice the swing:Take a couple of practice swings - away from the ball - in similar grass conditions, to get a feel for how your club will react in the rough. A low punch may mean you need a flatter swing or a lower finish. Practice it.

I was so impressed with the way Harris English conducted himself and controlled his golf game down the stretch. His use of 3-wood or 5-wood off the tee, strategically putting himself where he needed to be to not only stay safe but to give himself scoring opportunities, is more the play of a veteran - not a younger player. But anytime you combine smart play, good shots and clutch putting - you're going to like your results.English did that all week and especially on the 17th hole Sunday. I hope these tips reap benefits for your play as well.


Brian Stubbs is a proud Georgian (born and bred), the Head Professional at the Country Club of Columbus and currently the President of the Georgia PGA Section.

Atricles Course: http://golfatn.blogspot.com/

Rose wins US Open, edging Mickelson and Day

Rose wins US Open, edging Mickelson and Day












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View gallery


Justin Rose is the first Englishman to win the U.S. Open in 43 years.(Getty Images)

PGA.COM June 16, 2013 8:05 PM


ARDMORE, Pa. -- Fly the Cross of St. George next to those red wicker baskets. The U.S. Open has an English champion for the first time in 43 years.

Justin Rose shot a closing 70 Sunday at Merion Golf Clubfor a 1-over 281 total and his first major championship. He finished two shots ahead of Phil Mickelson and Jason Day.

The 32-year-old Rose overcame his share of misadventures on a course that challenged all comers despite being the shortest at a major in nine years. He took the solo lead for good because of others' mistakes at No. 15: Mickelson and Hunter Mahan, playing in the final group, both lost shots on the hole to fall out of a tie for first.

Rose's last shot was a tap-in for par at the 18th, after his caddie removed the pin with the wicker basket on top, the symbol of Merion that replaces the familiar flag. He had chipped it there from the rough just behind the green, nearly becoming the only player to birdie the finishing hole over the final two rounds of the championship.

It's been a long wait for England since Tony Jacklin won the trophy in 1970. Rose has been in contention before, tying for fifth at Olympia Fields in 2003 and tying for 10th at Oakmont in 2007.

The day appeared to set up well for Mickelson to finally win his first U.S. Open. It was his 43rd birthday, it was Father's Day, and it was the first time he had held a solo 54-hole lead at the event. He made eagle from the rough at the 10th hole to retake the solo lead.

Instead, he's a runner-up for the sixth time, extending a record he already held. He was in a three-way tie with Rose and Mahan when his approach rolled back down the fairway at 15. He chipped well past the hole and 2-putted for bogey.

Mahan was the steadiest player on the course, with 13 pars in his first 14 holes, until his tee shot found the rough at 15. He hit into more rough before 3-putting for double bogey.

Rose joins Olin Dutra, Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino and David Graham as U.S. Open champions who conquered the tough little course in the Philadelphia suburbs. His day consisted of five birdies and five bogeys. He missed a 5-footer for par at No. 3, but he sank long birdies on the 6th and 7th, then moved ahead of Mickelson with a 20-footer at No. 13.

It was hard to count out anyone who had a place near the top on the board. Merion turned out to be a place where golfers could post big numbers and live to tell the tale -- or at least tread water with everyone else.

But some fell out of contention quickly. Steve Stricker was just one stroke off the lead at the beginning of the day, but his hopes for a first major took a hit when he put two shots out of bounds at No. 2 and settled for an 8. He shot a 76.


Luke Donald also started the round just one shot to make up, but he hit a volunteer with a tee shot on No. 3 and on No. 4, took off his left shoe and sock to play his ball next to Cobbs Creek. He shot a 75.

Charl Schwartzel went briefly under par, then went the other way with a streak of bogeys that led to a 78.

Mickelson was the overnight leader at 1-under, but Lefty was scrambling from the start. His tee shot at the first landed in the rough, but he nearly birdied the hole when his 30-footer lipped out. He was in the sand at No. 2 yet missed a short putt for birdie. He finally paid the price for his waywardness when he put one in a bunker at the par-3 No. 3 and then 3-putted for a 5 that left no one under par for the tournament.

While the leaders were waiting to tee off, Tiger Woods went through the motions of extending his majors drought into a sixth year. It was an unfamiliar sight to see the world's No. 1 golfer teeing off on a Sunday more than three hours before the top pairing, but he was 10 strokes off the lead after a third-round 76 that matched his worst U.S. Open round as a pro.

Woods wore his usual Sunday red shirt, but it didn't keep him from quickly achieving a dubious double -- out of bounds and a 3-putt on the same hole. That made for a triple-bogey 8 at No. 2. He shot a 74 to finish 13 over par.

Sunday was five years to the day since Woods won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. His running tally of majors wins is stuck on 14, four shy of Jack Nicklaus' record.

"I did a lot of things right," Woods said. "Unfortunately, I did a few things wrong as well."

Hopes for a Grand Slam were also officially dashed. Masters champion Adam Scott shot a 75 to finish 15 over for the tournament.

Meanwhile, Shawn Stefani found a unique way to solve Merion: Hit the ball in the rough and get a hole-in-one. His 4-iron at the 229-yard, par-3 17th landed left of the green, bounced down the slope and meandered its way some 50 feet across the green and into the hole.

Stefani nearly jumped out of his skin. Then he kissed the spot where the ball landed.

"We're in Philly," he said. "There's some great fans up here, and I know they can be tough on you and they can love you forever. So I'm sure they appreciated me going to the ground and kissing it."

Atricles Course: http://golfatn.blogspot.com/

Phil Mickelson Finishes Second in U.S. Open for Disappointing Sixth Time

Phil Mickelson Finishes Second in U.S. Open for Disappointing Sixth Time











Ryan Ballengee June 16, 2013 9:37 PM




COMMENTARY -- Phil Mi


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9;s Day. A tie for second place in the U.S. Open.





The world's No. 1 Dad was No. 2 on the leaderboard at Merion.



The one-liners are easy. Putting a positive spin on a record sixth runner-up finish in the national Open? Almost impossible.



Mickelson was finally supposed to win the Open. This was his. How could it not be? Who was going to beat him? A 46-year-old part-time golfer? The guy who flubbed away the 2010 Ryder Cup? A guy wearing octopus-print pants? The guy who, not too long ago, resorted to putting with his eyes closed?



As it turns out, it was the last guy. It was Justin Rose's time, capturing the U.S. Open at 1-over-par 281. A steely resolve and brimming confidence combined to give Rose just enough fortitude to make a closing par at the 18th hole and force Mickelson to be the player to break an 0-for-145 birdie-less streak at the East Course's daunting finish.



Instead, Mickelson made it 0-for-146 at No. 18 and 0-for-23 in the U.S. Open.



Snakebitten? That was Snead. Maybe for Mickelson the proper term is phrankenfished.



Mickelson's losses in the U.S. Open have come in myriad ways, kind of like the mutant fish combines gnarly aspects of snake and fish. To complete the beast that haunts Mickelson, add in a little the human aspect. Stitched together, it explains the story of the left-hander in this championship.



It began in '99, with Payne Stewart nipping Mickelson with a 20-footer on the final hole at Pinehurst No. 2. Snake.



Three years later, Mickelson was serenaded on his birthday by the Long Island crowd at Bethpage Black...all the way to a solo second-place finish to Tiger Woods, then the greatest hunter in golf. Fish.



A couple of years after that, Retief Goosen putted like God on back nine at Shinnecock Hills to deny Mickelson the U.S. Open yet again. Snake.



In 2006, Mickelson had the U.S. Open in his hands on the 72nd tee at Winged Foot, but with one wild swing of the driver, he dropped it and instead choked himself. Human.



Once again at Bethpage in 2009, Mickelson had his chances in a Monday finish, but was too far behind to catch Lucas Glover, who 6-ironed his way through the last hole to capture his only major. The consolation prize? He owned the record most runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open. Fish, since he ran out of water in which to swim.



So what's this Open?



Snake? No. Asps don't bite players who make eagles.



Fish? Maybe. Phil burnt so many edges on Sunday that it's hard to argue his ball was swimming in a different pond.



Human? Seems so. Phil's big mistakes -- the two double bogeys on Nos. 3 and 5 -- were partially undone by the magic he created at No. 10. But it was a pair of shots from inside 125 yards that did Mickelson in, first at the 13th, then at the 15th. Both brought about bogeys, which was the difference between a playoff and a six-pack of runner-up finishes.



Now, Mickelson is left to wait another year for the Open, only to have to return to where this heartbreaking decade-and-a-half began, at Pinehurst No. 2.



Pinehurst No. 2 has been reborn, redesigned by architects Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore. Maybe that's where Mickelson is to finally exorcise all of those shoulder-slumping, head-grabbing moments. Maybe that's where Mickelson will no longer have to be gracious in defeat as someone else celebrates winning a championship they don't desire in nearly the same way he does.



Maybe Mickelson's torment in the U.S. Open doesn't run back to Pinehurst, however. Maybe it goes all the way back to the beginning.



Phil Mickelson was born on this day 43 years ago in 1970. Englishman Tony Jacklin won this championship five days later. How fitting, perhaps then, that an Englishman denied Mickelson.



Father's Day? Birthday? No. It's Groundhog Day.



Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Follow him on Twitter @RyanBallengee.

Atricles Course: http://golfatn.blogspot.com/

Phil Mickelson a champion despite finishing second, again, at the U.S. Open

Phil Mickelson a champion despite finishing second, again, at the U.S. Open











Eric Adelson June 16, 2013 10:12 PMYahoo Sports




ARDMORE, Pa. – Suddenly, everyone started running.



Hundreds of fans jogged, then sprinted toward the 18th green. They clambered over ropes and trampled manicured fairways. Course officials, there to watch and monitor a normally serene golf crowd, flashed looks of panic in their eyes when they saw the mob.

"MARSHALS!" one yelled. "We need HELP!"

There would not be enough help. There were too many fans, too many people wanting to run at Phil Mickelson, wanting to see him make the chip that would go down in golf history as the shot that forced a playoff and saved his dream of winning the U.S. Open.

Fans slid into bunkers, climbed trees, lost shoes. "This is not a good idea!" said one. "I'll never find my boyfriend!" wailed another.

They ran anyway, kicking up mud and mire behind them like colts in spring. All for a 43-year-old lumbering rock star with a lopsided grin and a history of arthritis.

All those unruly fans, rimming the final hole, finally held perfectly still when Mickelson bent over his shot. So few of them could see the ball around all the heads and shoulders, and nobody cared. They could hear. They could sense. They were there.

Mickelson's chip went up in the air and he ran up the swale after it.





View gallery.

Phil Mickelson stares at his chip on the 18th hole as a crowd behind him looks on. (USA Today)Then the moment was gone. Mickelson had missed his last chance at a tie for first with Justin Rose, finishing second in America's championship for a record sixth time. The fans turned and slouched away.



Heartbreak. That's the word Mickelson used over and over again to describe what he called "very possibly" his most difficult loss. In U.S. Open history, he's the symbol of the near miss, right down to the way his putts rimmed the cup again and again on Sunday in a final-round 74 to finish two shots back. Mickelson, always in second place.

Yet in golf lore, he's something else completely.

There's no rhyme or reason to how Mickelson lost the U.S. Open – again. It felt all day like greater forces were propelling him to win. On 14, after a drenching rain, the sun came out only moments before Mickelson dropped a beautiful chip within par distance. He made it. On 15, Mickelson heard the whoops and shouts of the gallery on his left as he walked, and a rainbow emerged on his right pointing down toward the 17th green where he hit the shot of his life only a day before.

Destiny seemed to await there. Up on the green, USGA commissioner Mike Davis quickly tiptoed to the edge of the putting surface to remind Mickelson's caddie to pull the flagstick (or standard in this case) to avoid a penalty. He was doing his job as a rules official, making sure the player didn't err.

"Bones!" Davis whispered, hand cupping his mouth, gesturing in the direction of the wicker basket. All this came after the shot of the tournament, on 10, when Mickelson pulled a wedge and lofted his approach onto the green and directly into the cup for an eagle and first place at the time. The distance of the shot was wonderfully perfect for Philadelphia: 76 yards.

All that lined up for Mickelson, and all those fans lined up, and still somehow fate didn't line up. The putts he so beautifully traced all week danced by holes, around holes, and ultimately away from holes. The dagger was on 16, when Mickelson stood up on a plateau where he could see the championship green at 18, and he pushed a par putt ever so slightly out to his left.

"That's it," one official said quietly.

How could he say that? This was supposed to be Mickelson's day, Father's Day, his 43rd birthday. Fans serenaded him on every single hole.

"I think I heard 'Happy Birthday' 18 times today," said playing partner Hunter Mahan. "Hopefully I don't wake up tonight screaming Happy Birthday."

There was still hope, though, even after all those missed putts. Mickelson needed a birdie to tie Rose at either 17 or 18, and damned if those fans weren't ready to burst out from the ropeline, grab Lefty's golf ball and slam it into the hole. Mahan's a popular guy on Tour and with fans, but it was as if he wasn't even there. Tiger Woods has huge crowds and din wherever he goes, but this was a different noise. This was urgent, pleading noise. This was almost alarming.

But Mickelson had no more magic. He missed a long putt on 17, pulled his drive on 18, and couldn't hit the green with his Bubba-Watson-at-the-Masters shot from the trees. All he had left was that impossible chip, made to seem so possible by thousands of friends who had never before been within 100 feet of him.

It wasn't to be.

Moments later, after the mob had thinned and the remaining sunlight had ebbed, Mahan spoke about his friend.

"He's a great leader," he said, "and being in golf you don't hear that word very often as a leader. But he's really a leader in the game and he takes his time out to talk to the young guys … He really relishes that role and enjoys it. He's a great guy to admire."

That, in a way, allows what happened to Mickelson Sunday to make a little bit more cosmic sense. Anyone can show people how to win, but how can someone lead in losing?

After Mahan was finished answering questions, Mickelson approached the microphone with his usual Phil gait and his usual Phil smile. If any golfer ever had an excuse to clam up, it was Mickelson. How many athletes simply vanish without a word?

Yet all the answers spilled forth.





View gallery.

Phil Mickelson (left) hugs his father after the final round of theU.S. Open. (USA Today)"I should have made bogeys on those holes and I let them become doubles …"



"Thirteen and 15 were the two bad shots of the day that I'll look back on where I let it go …"

"I think this was my best chance …"

"This one's probably the toughest for me, because at 43 and coming so close five times, it would have changed the way I look at this tournament altogether, and the way I would have looked at my record. Except I just keep feeling heartbreak …"

"If I had won today or if I ultimately win, I'll look back at the other Opens and think that it was a positive. If I never get The Open, then I'll look back and I think that, every time I think of the U.S. Open, I'll just think of heartbreak."

So many people around the country wanted Father's Day to be Phil's Day. Yet fatherhood really isn't about winning anything. It's about guiding younger people to be better. It's about acting in a way you would want the next generation to act.

"He plays golf the right way, the right way you want your kids to play," said Mahan, "and that's by having fun and acting right on the golf course."

No one can ever say Phil Mickelson hasn't done that.

After answering all the questions, the second-place finisher walked slowly back to the scorer's trailer. His eldest daughter, Amanda, born the day after his first U.S. Open heartbreak in 1999, wasn't there. She had strep throat. His wife, Amy, who hugged him after his most recent major championship, was home with Amanda and another child who wasn't feeling well.

Mickelson was greeted on his way by Jill McNeil, a woman who lives on the course. Her property was taken over by the USGA starting back in April. McNeil could look out her back window this week and see generators and trucks and enough wires to trip an army.

McNeil walked up to Mickelson, grabbed his hand and said, "I just want to say it's an honor to have you walk on my driveway."

Mickelson looked her straight in the eye and smiled.

"Thanks," he said, "for all you do."

And away went Phil Mickelson – the U.S. Open's all-time runner up, and the sport's truest champion.

Atricles Course: http://golfatn.blogspot.com/

A Lesson Learned: Perspective helps with pressure

A Lesson Learned: Perspective helps with pressure










Jeff Coston, PGA June 30, 2013 11:15 PM


Last week, I competed in one of my favorite events - the PGA Professional National Championship. This past weekend, Inbee Park not only won the Women's U.S. Open but managed to make it her third straight major championship this year. I had a great chance to meet my goal - to finish in the top 20 and become the only grandfather in the field at this year's PGA Championship. I came up a bit short. Inbee had a chance to do something no woman has done in more than half a century - win the season's first three majors. She accomplished her goal convincingly.

This week's "A Lesson Learned" has to do with the pressure that comes with playing in your biggest event of the season or year. We all have them. Whether it's a high school tournament, a club championship or a U.S. Open qualifier, all golfers tend to point towards one or two events as the ones that will make or break their year in golf.

In order to peak at the right time, you have to do three things.
1.) Be mentally tough and able to control your emotions
2.) Be comfortable and confident in your own skin
3.) Have a great awareness of your abilities and potential

All golfers who compete at high levels understand the importance of these three items. But understanding and doing can be different things.

At Sunriver, in the final round, I was doing pretty well - I was five-under through the first six holes of the final round. I was in the top 10 at the time and right in position I had worked so hard to be in. Then I had a wait on the 8th tee and made a mistake with my tee shot which led to a double bogey. I made a couple more doubles and ended up one shot out of the playoff for the PGA Championship spots. I'm proud of my week but certainly, that finish was a bit disappointing.


Inbee Park was in the position she needed to be in. She played smart, didn't press or take unnecessary risks and relied on her strengths - including an outstanding putting stroke - to win at Sebonack. In the three most important championships so far this year, Park has risen to the occasion. That's 12 rounds where she has not let the pressure affect her enough to hurt her chance to win. That's crazy incredible.

For some quick perspective, Tiger Woods won three majors in a row in 2001 and golf fans may talk about that year forever. Park just did that and has a chance to win two more this year. That deserves a wow.

So back to dealing with pressure, how do you play your best when it counts the most?

I tell all my students that pressure is normal, pressure is part of the excitement, but there are always more important things in life than golf. Don't make the game bigger than life. Keep your focus but also keep your perspective. You'll then learn to enjoy the pressure that comes from golf - not suffer from it. Pressure can make you freeze up and lose, or it can help you overcome and conquer.

I've been in situations to win championships and I've come out on top - like earlier this year, I made the cut and tied for the low PGA Club Professional at the Senior PGA Championship. I've also come up short in championships. But I always know I'm going to work hard and put myself in position to compete again. Winning and losing is not the end of the world. And when you understand that - you're going to end up winning more than you know.

And Inbee Park understands that. She knows she won't win every time she tees it up. And what fun would that be - to not have the challenge and pressure to overcome. (If Park wins the next two majors, I rescind that last sentence.)

Golf is the greatest game in the world - you should enjoy every aspect of it, including the pressure. When you know that the next event is going to mean more than most, do all you can to prepare properly. Then remember that there are other things that matter in your life too.

Here's hoping you, your golf game and your week will be great. Have a happy 4th of July.

Jeff Coston is the PGA Teaching Professional at Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, Wash. Coston has played on the PGA Tour, played in 3 PGA Championships, 3 Senior PGA Championships and one U.S. Open. You can learn more about Jeff Coston at his website.

Atricles Course: http://golfatn.blogspot.com/