Park leads Kraft Nabisco by three shots

Park leads Kraft Nabisco by three shots










John Reger, The Sports Xchange April 6, 2013 8:50 PMThe SportsXchange



RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Inbee Park shot a 5-under 67 to increase her lead to three shots over Lizette Salas on Saturday going into the final round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Park, who is from South Korea, is at 12-under par, while Salas, who shot a third round 3-under 69 is at 9-under par. Six players, including two-time Kraft Nabisco Champion,Karrie Webb are tied for third at 6 under.

Salas was one stroke behind at the beginning of the third round and immediately put pressure on Park. Salas matched Park's birdie on the first hole and then added another to tie Park on the second.

Park, who had no bogeys in the third round, regained the lead on the fifth hole when she drained a 30-foot birdie.

Salas, who had one bogey in her first two rounds, made her second of the tournament on No. 8 to slip two shots behind Park.

The lead went back to one when Salas made a 3-foot birdie on the following hole. Both golfers shot 34 on the front nine.

Park took advantage of her accuracy off the tee and her approach shots. Park hit 11 of 14 fairways, her best in three rounds and also was 15-18 in greens in regulation.

Putting was also another advantage Park had over Salas. Park made a 40-footer on the 10th hole for birdie and got the lead to three when she birdied No. 12.

Salas cut the lead to two on the following hole with a birdie, but Park increased it again to three when she made a 3-footer on the par-3 17th.

Salas had a chance to cut the lead to two on the final hole when Park made par and Salas had a 4-foot birdie putt. The downhill putt just slid past the right side of the cup.

NOTES: Karrie Webb, who won this event in 2000 and 2006, moved into the top 10 in the third round. Webb, who is from Australia, shot a 67 to get to 6-under par and a tie for third. It was her first round in the 60s. ... Jessica Korda has made 10 birdies in her last 26 holes. She has also made three double bogeys. ... Angela Stanford shot the best round of the day, a 6-under 66, and moved from 28th to a tie for third.

Park leads Nabisco, on verge of 2nd LPGA major title

Park leads Nabisco, on verge of 2nd LPGA major title










John Reger, The Sports Xchange April 6, 2013 9:40 PMThe SportsXchange


RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Inbee Park shot a 5-under 67 to increase her lead to three shots over Lizette Salas on Saturday going into the final round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship.


Park, who is from South Korea, is at 12-under par 204, while Salas, who shot a third round 3-under 69 is at 9-under par. Six players, including two-time Kraft Nabisco Champion, Karrie Webb are tied for third at 6 under.

If Park wins it would be the second major championship. She was 19 when she won the U.S. Women's Open and there are a lot of expectations that Park would like to fulfill on Sunday.

"I only won one major in my 7-year career," Park said. "After the U.S. Open I hadn't won for a while. I need to show a little bit more good pIay and maybe a couple more majors would be very nice."

Park is in great position to win, but only has won once in five times when holding the final-round lead on the LPGA Tour.

"I definitely feel the pressure like everybody else," Park said. "I feel pressure, but my emotions just don't show that much in my face."

It seemed like Park was in a zone during the third round, especially with her putter. She made three putts that were longer than 20 feet and had two approach shots that were 2-feet or less.

One of them was by accident. After Salas put her approach shot in the bunker on the par-3 17th, Park hit a shot that barely cleared the front bunker and came to rest 3 feet from the hole.

"I wasn't going for the pin on that shot," Park said. "I was going right of the flag and pulled it a little bit. That wasn't planned, it just ended up perfect."

Salas was one stroke behind at the beginning of the third round and immediately put pressure on Park. Salas matched Park's birdie on the first hole and then added another to tie Park on the second.

"That was my goal," Salas said. "I wanted to start out strong and I was able to do that."

Park, who had no bogeys in the third round, regained the lead on the fifth hole when she drained a 30-foot birdie.

"My putting was really good," Park said. "I don't think I'm the best putter in the world, though."

Salas, who had one bogey in her first two rounds, made her second of the tournament on No. 8 to slip two shots behind Park, though she said Park's play wasn't affecting her.

"I expect that from her," Salas said. "I just try not to pay attention and worry about what I'm doing."

The lead went back to one when Salas made a 3-foot birdie on the following hole. Both golfers shot 34 on the front nine.

Park took advantage of her accuracy off the tee and her approach shots. Park hit 11-of-14 fairways, her best in three rounds and also was 15 of 18 in greens in regulation.

Putting was also another advantage Park had over Salas. Park made a 40-footer on the 10th hole for birdie and got the lead to three shots when she birdied No. 12.

Salas cut the lead to two on the following hole with a birdie, but Park increased it again to three when she made a 3-footer on the par-3 17th.

Salas had a chance to cut the lead to two on the final hole when Park made par and Salas had a 4-foot birdie putt. The downhill putt just slid past the right side of the cup.

"It's going to be in the back of my mind," Salas said about missing the putt. "I put a good stroke on it, it just didn't fall in."

NOTES: Karrie Webb, who won this event in 2000 and 2006, moved into the top 10 in the third round. Webb, who is from Australia, shot a 67 to get to 6-under par and a tie for third. It was her first round in the 60s. ... Jessica Korda has made 10 birdies in her last 26 holes. She has also made three double bogeys. ... Angela Stanford shot the best round of the day, a 6-under 66, and moved from 28th to a tie for third.

Mickelson plays Masters practice round with Condoleezza Rice

Mickelson plays Masters practice round with Condoleezza Rice










The Sports Xchange April 7, 2013 5:50 PMThe SportsXchange



Sunday was only a practice round at the Masters, but three-time champion Phil Mickelson got plenty of attention as he played his round at the Augusta National Golf Club with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Rice made history when she and South Carolina financier Darla Moore were the first women invited to join Augusta last August.

Rice was one of the members who teed it up with this year's Masters participants on Sunday. She slipped away afterward without talking to reporters, saying only that she had a good time, according to ESPN.com. Members typically do not give interviews, according to the Miami Herald.

But Mickelson had plenty to say.

"She's one of my favorite people. She's got the greatest personality and attitude, and she's so much fun to be around," Mickelson told reporters after the round. "She's so knowledgeable about world affairs. It's just incredible. It's a great experience.

" ... As soon as I saw she was a member, I called her to work up a game, just like I did Arnold (Palmer) back in the day as an amateur. She's just one of my favorite people to be around."

Rice and Mickelson warmed up next to each other on the range, according to multiple reports, and walked to the first tee together.

"She kept asking about the course, and I kept asking her about countries," Mickelson said. "It was really fun. And she really can putt. She's a phenomenal putter."

Rice's final putt of the day was a 40-footer on the 18th hole for a par. With her 17 handicap, it was a net birdie.

Afterward, Rice donned a green jacket and mingled with players. She hugged Tiger Woods.

Snedeker falls short, sheds no tears this time

Snedeker falls short, sheds no tears this time











PGA.COM April 14, 2013 9:31 PM

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Brandt Snedeker said his Masters finish Sunday hurt, but he handled this one better than in 2008.(Getty …


By Nancy Armour, Associated Press


AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The last time Brandt Snedeker came this close to winning the Masters, he wept uncontrollably, distraught that the tournament he's dreamed of winning since he was a child slipped through his fingers.

On Sunday, the only tears after the final round were from his 2-year-old daughter.

"I'm not as crushed as I was in 2008 because I know I'm going to be there again," Snedeker said. "I know this golf course so well and I putted about as poorly as I could today, and I still had a chance on the back nine. I'm very disappointed that I didn't win, but I realize that I'm not that far off from winning this thing.

"I'm going to do it soon."

The co-leader after the third round, Snedeker couldn't make a putt Sunday on his way to a 3-over 75. After scratching his way through the front, he opened the back nine with two straight bogeys, including a miss from 3 feet on 10, to fall three strokes off the lead. With the two par-5s still to play, however, he wasn't out of it.

Then he put his approach shot on 13 in Rae's Creek.

As the ball splashed into the water, Snedeker grimaced and bent both ends of his hybrid club, looking as if he wanted to snap it.

"I didn't, I needed that club on 15," he said. "I was in-between clubs and I took the longer club and tried to cut a ball off that fairway, which is really difficult to do. But it was the only way I had a chance of getting it close. My 4-iron wouldn't have made it and the hybrid, if I hit it normal is too much. So I tried to cut it and came out of it and hit it where you can't hit it."

Snedeker managed to save par, only to make bogey on the 14th. The closest he would come to the green jacket this year was watching playing partner Angel Cabrera force a playoff with eventual winner Adam Scott.

"Any time you have a chance to win the Masters and you don't come through -- my lifelong dream -- you're going to be upset, you're going to cry, you know, but I'll get through it," Snedeker said. "I'm playing great, I look forward to what the next weeks are going to hold. And I'm going to come back here next year and I'm going to do my best to get in that last group again."

Five years ago, Snedeker was thrilled to find himself in the final group on Sunday in his first Masters as a professional. He was 27, just two years removed from the Nationwide Tour.

The moment proved to be too much, and he managed only six pars in the entire round as he blew up with a 77. Afterward, his voice shook as he tried to control his emotions. He finally gave up, burying his face in his towel as he sobbed.

But Snedeker, despite his youthful looks, is no longer that wide-eyed kid.

He won the Tour Championship last year, beating Rory McIlroy. There was a three-week stretch earlier this season when he was the hottest player in golf, finishing second to Tiger Woods at the Farmers, second to Phil Mickelson in Phoenix and capping the run with a win at Pebble Beach.

Snedeker was unflappable as he climbed into a share of the lead Saturday, opening with 12 pars and making three birdies over his final six holes to take a one-stroke lead with Cabrera. Being in the final group was no longer enough, he said Saturday night, he wanted to win it and was ready to do so.

"I'm not here to get a good finish," he said. "I'm not here to finish top five. I'm here to win, and that's all I'm going to be focused on tomorrow. I realize what I have to do to do that, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that happens."

Nerves weren't an issue, Snedeker said. His putter was.

"I did not putt the way you're supposed to putt around Augusta, I just never had the speed," Snedeker said. "If I putt the way I normally putt and don't make those two loose swings, I'm right there with a chance to win the golf tournament.

"But I'm pretty excited with the way I played," he said. "I know that if I do that again, play the exact same way again and I putt the way I normally do, I got a chance."

That's why there were no tears.

Make no mistake, though, this finish was every bit as gutting as that one in 2008, even if it didn't look it.

"It's going to be more difficult tonight because I had a really good chance at the end of the day if I do what I normally do," he said. "It will be tough to sit there and watch the playoff and actually hear what happens. It's going to be a tough night. A tough couple days."

Adam Scott, Angel Cabrera save the Masters

Adam Scott, Angel Cabrera save the Masters











Dan Wetzel April 14, 2013 9:57 PMYahoo Sports






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Adam Scott (L) hugs Angel Cabrera after winning 77th Masters. (Getty Images)AUGUSTA, Ga. – Drenched by rain, drained of emotion, Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera found themselves in a prolonged bear hug on the 10th green of Augusta National, the two golfers patting each other on the back, shouting into each other's ear over the roaring crowd.



Scott had just bested Cabrera on the second playoff hole of these Masters, draining a clutch 12-footer in fast approaching darkness just moments after Cabrera's 15-footer somehow stayed out.

This was more than who won or who lost, however, because someone was going to win and someone was always going to lose. This was the culmination of an epic finale to an otherwise ho-hum (by its high standards) and controversy-filled Masters; two great golfers draining long putts, making daring chips and restoring not just the roar to the Georgia Pines here, but reminding everyone of the camaraderie of competition.[Related video: Controversial putter a game-changer for Adam Scott]

When their mesmerizing duel ended Sunday, there was no storming off in over-competitive anger, no woe-is-me heartbreak and no exaggerated celebration. The winner was gracious, the loser classy and for that they just kept patting each other on the back, side by side walking off the green.

"[I told him] I was happy for him," Cabrera said of their conversation. "That I know he deserved it."

Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera saved the 77th Masters.





View gallery.Scott became the first Australian to win a green jacket by overcoming what seemed like a national plague of nerves that have doomed generations of his countrymen, most notably Greg Norman.



Rather than wilt with the steady-driving Cabrera coming on strong, Scott stood up and fought back. He drilled a 30-foot putt on 18 to move to 9-under, a shot that will be replayed for years. Scott stood and screamed, "Come on Aussie," as the gallery burst into pandemonium.

It was the kind of putt, Scott said, that he'd seen so many champions hit here that when it happened to him, he just assumed it was over.

"For a split second there, I thought I'd won," he admitted.

[Related: Tiger Woods may not have deserved penalty]

The wave of noise washed down the hill to the middle of the fairway, where Cabrera understood the stakes, and Scott wanted him to feel the magnitude of the moment.

"The chance to put all the pressure on the guy back down the fairway," Scott said.

El Pato cares little for pressure, though. He knew he needed to get up and down from 163 yards out. So he did just that, hitting a brilliant 7-iron to within about 6 feet.

By that point Scott was in the scorer's room, his joy of believing he was on the verge of winning the Masters replaced by the realization he had more work to do.

They replayed 18 and up by the green, same place that moments before Scott thought his dream victory was sealed with a historic shot, he watched Cabrera nearly chip in from the fringe, a shot that would have been even more historic. It buzzed the cup, only to stay out.

"My heart was about to stop there standing on the side of the green thinking, 'Is this is it, really?' " Scott said.

[Related video: Cabrera, Scott talk about dramatic Masters playoff]

Then it was onto a second playoff hole on 10, where Cabrera's potential tournament winning putt again just stayed out. "I think it almost hit the edge of the hole," Cabrera said. Then Scott, squinting through the darkness brought on by dusk and clouds, had to trust the read of his caddie and promise himself to be bold, to try to win this.

His putt hit the bottom of the cup.

"Amazing feeling," Scott said.







View gallery.

Adam Scott poses with his green jacket after winning the Masters. (AP)



The final hour of this tournament, with the stakes at their highest, was amazing golf. Not just the stunning shots, but the feel-good moments, such as Cabrera giving Scott a thumbs up after a strong approach on the second playoff hole.

"Angel is a great man," Scott said.

The entire thing stood in contrast to nearly four full days of fitful play, scoring controversies, sportsmanship debates, penalty strokes, brutal Saturday conditions that rendered moving day moot and even a rain-soaked, mistake-prone final day, at least until the bitter end came along.

There is never such a thing as a bad Masters – this remains golf's best weekend each year. There are varying degrees of great, however, and this tradition like no other was headed toward the more forgettable part of the scale.

Then the golf took off, the sportsmanship shined through and two very different players – a tall, muscular, 32-year-old Aussie and a rumpled, 43-year-old Argentine – reminded everyone what makes this such a great stage for drama.

"It's an incredible camaraderie," Scott said. "He's a great guy."

Not long after their repeated hugs on the 10th green, Scott retired to Butler Cabin for a television interview, then a quick jacket ceremony on a wet, dark practice green. Australian fans were shouting and screaming and making a proud racket for their guy, turning this proper country club into a rowdy mess.

About the same time Cabrera was walked out of the Augusta National clubhouse and toward his car. He had a drink in one hand, a cigarette in the other. His quest for a second green jacket fell short, his role in saving the week did not.

"Golf gives and takes," Cabrera said.

Especially here, especially at the Masters.

Woods unable to recover from ricochet shot

Woods unable to recover from ricochet shot











PGA.COM April 14, 2013 10:08 PM

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Tiger Woods, at the Masters, said "Well, we could do a what-if on every tournament we lose," about whether …


By Jim Litke, Associated Press


AUGUSTA, Ga. -- A Masters that began with such promise for Tiger Woods effectively ended late in the second round, when his near-perfect wedge struck the flagstick at No. 15 and ricocheted into the water.

He left the grounds late Sunday afternoon in a steady drizzle, empty-handed once again.

His 2-under 70 left him at 283, four strokes behind the number that sent Adam Scott and Miguel Cabrera to a playoff. Scott, whose caddie, Stevie Williams, formerly worked for Woods, won it on the second extra hole.

After slipping into a share of fourth place, Woods put much of the blame on a familiar nemesis -- his putting.

"It's one of those things where this golf course was playing a little bit tricky," he said. "We had four different green speeds out there and I couldn't believe how slow they were the first two days. Yesterday, I couldn't believe how fast they were. And then today, it was another different speed again."

But his driving wasn't all that strong, either.

While Woods ranked comfortably among the top one-third in both greens in regulation and putting, he finished near the bottom in hitting fairways. What might have been the biggest obstacle, however, was the odd turn of events at No. 15 on Friday.

Woods was tied for the lead at 5-under and had a wedge in his hands with 87 yards left to the pin at the 530-year, par-5 hole. His first attempt hit the stick and caromed about 45 degrees left, rolling into the pond. He took a penalty drop and recovered with another beautiful wedge for a tap-in bogey 6.

But a viewer called into the club and advised Masters officials that he believed Woods had taken an illegal drop. Officials reviewed a videotape of the shot and initially decided no penalty was warranted. But after Woods said in a post-match interview that he'd dropped the ball 2 yards from the original spot, club officials conducted another review, met with him Saturday morning, and added the two-stroke penalty. That made his score at the hole an 8 and bumped his round to 73.

But it was considerably better than the second option -- disqualification.

Asked Sunday whether that blunted his momentum, Woods replied, "Well, we could do a what-if on every tournament we lose.

"We lose more tournaments than we win. But I certainly had my opportunities to post some good rounds this week," he added. "I thought I really played well. ... So overall it was a pretty good week."

Yet it began even better than that.

Woods arrived at Augusta National early last week off consecutive PGA Tour wins and with a new girlfriend, Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn. Soon after, he picked up another endorsement from Jack Nicklaus, who repeated that he still expected Woods would one day eclipse his record 18 career majors.

And when Woods opened Thursday with a 70 -- the same score he posted in the opening round of three of his four Masters wins -- the stars appeared to be aligning for yet another green jacket.

"I thought 65 would win it outright" Sunday, Woods said. "I thought that was going to be the number ... maybe 8- or 9-under.

"If I would have shot my number," he added, "it might have been a different story."

Just before he left the clubhouse, Woods was asked whether hitting the flag was as bad a break as he's had in his career. He reflected for a moment.

"I've had a few," he said finally, "but that's certainly up there."

Golf notebook: Singh escapes PED controversy without sanction

Golf notebook: Singh escapes PED controversy without sanction










Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange May 6, 2013 2:20 AMThe SportsXchange


--We might never know exactly what went down behind the scenes in the Deer Antler Spray Incident, in which Vijay Singh admitted using the product, which included the banned substance IGF-1, a growth hormone.

Singh escaped punishment because the PGA Tour said the World Anti-Doping Agency has ruled that the substance no longer is banned, although it was at the time.

The Big Fijian hasn't said a word publicly since a Sports Illustrated article in January disclosed that he was taking the stuff, and the PGA Tour always is secretive about such matters.

Singh did release a statement: "While I have used deer antler spray, at no time was I aware that it may contain a substance that is banned under the PGA Tour Anti-Doping Policy. In fact, when I first received the product, I reviewed the list of ingredients and did not see any prohibited substances. I am absolutely shocked that deer antler spray may contain a banned substance and am angry that I have put myself in this position. I have been in contact with the PGA Tour and am cooperating fully with their review of this matter. I will not be commenting further at this time."

After being cleared, Singh withdrew last week from the Wells Fargo Championship, citing a back injury, and he did the same thing when he pulled out of the Waste Management Phoenix Open after the Sports Illustrated article came out.

About all that is known is that Singh was not sanctioned by the tour in any way.

"We're going to say that it's not on the list for purposes of consumption," said commissioner Tim Finchem of the PGA Tour, a former lawyer. "But just know that we're not liable here if for some reason or another you managed to trigger a positive test even though there is no test out there.

"So it is kind of silly, but it is what it is."

This is not the first time deer antler spray has been an issue in golf, the first time coming when Mark Calcavecchia of the Champions Tour, which is overseen by the PGA Tour, was told in 2011 to stop using and promoting the substance.

Calcavecchia was not punished, only warned, and all players under the PGA Tour umbrella were told that deer antler spray was on the listed of banned substances.

Even though Singh apparently missed the memo, it's possible his lawyers threatened legal action if he were suspended, because a precedent was set when no action was taken against Calcavecchia for taking the same substance.

Again, we might never know, because nobody involved is saying much.

--Move over Guan Tianlang, here comes Ye Wocheng.

Ye, a 12-year-old from China, became the youngest player to compete in a European Tour event last week when he played in the Volvo China Open at Binhai Lake Golf Club in Tianjin, China.

At 12 years and 242 days, Ye was about 10 months younger than Guan was when Guan played in the same event last year.

Ye said he made it a goal of his to break the record when he watched Guan play in the tournament a year ago. Guan shot 77-79--156 and failed to make the cut in 2012.

Even though his appearance was historic, Ye had a predictable outcome, shooting 79-79--158 and missing the cut by 14 strokes.

"I was a bit less nervous (in round two), which is why I played well at the start," Ye said. "But then on the back nine I struggled a little bit, which was a bit disappointing. Overall I'm still pretty happy with how I played.

"Golf is a hard game to play at this level of competition and on these courses, but I feel I will soon be ready for it. I'm looking forward to the next time I can play out here."

Guan went on to win the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship last year to earn a spot in the Masters, where last month he became the youngest player to make the cut at 14 years, 169 days. He also made the cut in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Jason Hak of Hong Kong, who is a freshman at Georgia Tech, became the youngest player to make the cut in a regular European Tour event at 14 years, 304 days in the Hong Kong Open in November 2008.

Ye qualified for the Volvo event through an open qualifier in March, when he shot 2-under-par 142 to earn one of the three available spots.

"I've been dreaming about this since I was a boy," Ye said.

The youngest golfer to play a PGA Tour event was Don Dunkelberger, who was 11 at the 1937 Chicago Open.

--Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland, who captured the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St. George's, returned to the European Tour last week in the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters after missing five weeks because of a hamstring injury.

Clarke, who was forced to miss the Masters last month because of the injury, opened with a 2-under-par 70, but he showed his rust by shooting 75-72-74 the rest of the way to tie for 56th.

The 44-year-old was injured while playing tennis on a family vacation in the Bahamas.

"It has been a frustrating period," said Clarke, who also missed the Valero Texas Open because of the injury. "I'm not good at sitting and not doing anything. I've had intensive treatment on my hamstring, and it is fine now.

"I was playing tennis with my kids, and I thought I was 24 and not 44. Unfortunately I had to pull out from Augusta and (the Ballantine's Championship in South Korea two weeks ago). I couldn't do anything. I could hardly walk, hit golf balls or putt.


"I had to sit at home and watch the Masters. I only watched the last round on television because if I watched every day, then I would have been frustrated."

Clarke had not played in the Indonesian Open before, so he sought advice from his friend Lee Westwood, a two-time winner of the Indonesian Masters.

--The legendary course at Muirfield in Edinburgh, Scotland, has been lengthened by 158 yards and more rough will be grown for the Open Championship in July, it was announced by Peter Dawson, chief executive of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.

Dawson said that new tees have been added on seven holes, taking the distance of the par-71 course from 7,034 yards when Ernie Els won the Open in 2002 to 7,192 yards.

Els will be making something of a double title defense, since he also won the Open last year at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

"The R&A and the (host) club strategize about the course's strengths and weaknesses, based on history and viewing previous championships," Dawson said. "We used (golf course architect) Martin Hawtree to come up with plans, discussed them with the R&A and the club, and then presented to the members at a meeting in Edinburgh I attended with Martin and club officials.

"Members sanctioned the changes, and we've gone along on that method at all the other courses where we've made alterations. The changes we have made here have sharpened up the strategy of the golf course. This course has produced some fantastic quality of champions in the past, and we envisage that continuing."

In recent years, the R&A has made alterations to all nine courses in the Open Championship rotation, trying to keep them up to date with all the changes in the modern game.

The biggest change at Muirfield is on the par-5 ninth hole, where the championship tee has been moved back almost 50 yards, making it play to 554 yards.

Also, a new bunker was added on the right side of the fairway, and other bunkers were moved closer to the green.

To make the changes on that hole possible, Muirfield swapped some land with its neighbor, The Renaissance Club.

"The players love it," Dawson said of Muirfield. "It's immensely popular, and it's always in fantastic condition. I always say we could hold an Open here any year at three weeks' notice.

"We will be setting the course up to challenge the golfers. The rough has been cut down over the winter, but it will regenerate depending on the weather we get. You will see the rough up, and you're unlikely to win an Open at Muirfield from the rough."

Other new tees have been added at the second, fourth, 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th holes. There also has been some reworking of bunkers, and the 10th fairway has been moved to accommodate a bigger practice range.

Muirfield is hosting the Open for the 16th time since 1892, and the East Lothian area is gearing up for the event, which is expected to bring an economic impact of 70 million pounds (approximately $109 million) to the region.

--PGA Tour Canada announced that Freedom 55 Financial has been confirmed as the presenting sponsor of the Tour Championship of Canada, the tour's marquee event, which will be conducted by Golf Canada.

The tournament, which will be played Sept. 12-15 at Sunningdale Golf and Country Club in London, Ontario, will culminate the season-long Order of Merit race, with the top finishers earning Web.com Tour cards.

"We're delighted to solidify the Tour Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial as the season finale for 2013," PGA Tour Canada president Jeff Monday said.

"With a quality organization like Freedom 55 Financial, an experienced host in Golf Canada and a tremendous golf course at Sunningdale, we have all the right pieces in place for an outstanding finish to our inaugural season."

Headquartered in London, Ontario, Freedom 55 Financial, a division of London Life Insurance Company, entered into a multi-year agreement that ensures the Tour Championship of Canada will remain in the London area for years to come.

The event will feature a unique partnership between PGA Tour Canada and Golf Canada.

"Golf Canada is very proud to be evolving our longstanding partnership with the PGA Tour and becoming the host organization for the Tour Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial," Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons said.

"Some of Canada's best and brightest PGA Tour prospects will be competing at this event, and we are honored to be a part of the excitement surrounding the PGA Tour's continued support of the game in Canada. We are also pleased to bring professional golf to Sunningdale and the tremendous golf community in the London area."

Golf Canada has more than a century of expertise running national golf championships that include the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour, the CN Canadian Women's Open on the LPGA Tour and Canada's national amateur championships.

--Padraig Harrington is known for tinkering with his game more than perhaps any player on the major tours.

In fact, there are those who believe that Harrington has tinkered himself into the massive slump he has been mired in since 2008. He won the 2007 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, repeated the following year at Carnoustie and claimed the PGA Championship a month later at Oakland Hills.

Last week, he took his penchant for change to a new level when he showed up at Quail Hollow for the Wells Fargo Championship with a belly putter, even though he agrees with the R&A and the USGA that anchored putters should be banned.

"I took it out last week," said Harrington, who came into the tournament with three missed cuts in seven outings on the PGA Tour this season. "Mechanically, everything I do with my putting stroke is better with the belly putter than without it. ...

"I had picked up the belly putter in the past and have always hated it, but when I put it on the analysis, everything came out better. So that encouraged me to get over the, 'I don't like the feel of this,' because I accelerate better, and I do so many things better with it."

Not last week.

It didn't help that the greens at Quail Hollow were not up to PGA Tour standards, but Harrington took 32 putts on Thursday and 35 on Friday, including a total of seven missed putts from 10 feet and in.

Harrington, who has not won anywhere since the 2010 Iskandar Johor Open on the Asian Tour, shot 80-75--155 and missed the cut by nine strokes, tying for last in the field of 156 players through 36 holes.