Tour Report: Wilson on the TOUR’s youngsters (PGATOUR.com)
Tour Report: Wilson on the TOUR’s youngsters (PGATOUR.com)
By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM HONOLULU – Mark Wilson enters this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii as the defending champ. Of the 26 rookies on the PGA TOUR this year, 24 are playing at Waialae, including nine who are making their TOUR debuts. You might think one of them would want to pick the brain of, oh, a guy who’s had success here before. Wilson So far, not yet. “I haven’t really had any of that,” Wilson said with a smile. “These young kids coming up, they just sweat confidence. I can understand why they would not ask me, a grizzled veteran, what I think about something because they think they can do better, which is fine.” Or perhaps they’re just reluctant to ask. Wilson acknowledged that he didn’t approach any veterans when he was a rookie pro. “I wasn’t that comfortable with it,” he said. Obviously, that didn’t prevent him from figuring out Waialae on his own. Webb: Caddie switch made difference By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM HONOLULU – Webb Simpson and William Kane grew up playing golf together during their teens. When Simpson became a pro golfer, he asked Kane to be his caddie. Outside of being Simpson’s caddie in a couple of amateur tournaments, Kane had no caddie experience. When Kane decided to pursue a career in the ministry late in 2010, Simpson needed a new man on his bag. Through the recommendation of friend and fellow pro Nick Watney, Simpson signed on veteran Paul Tesori, who had worked for Vijay Singh and Sean O’Hair. Simpson The move worked out. Simpson won two tournaments in 2011 and finished second in the FedExCup race to Bill Haas, and he continued his strong play at the 2012 season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions, where he finished tied for third. On Wednesday on the eve of the Sony Open in Hawaii, Simpson acknowledged that he wouldn’t have had as much success as he did in 2011 had Tesori not been on his bag. “I don’t think I could have,” Simpson said. “And I think William would sit up here and tell you the same thing. “Paul was so helpful with my golf swing but also with course management. There’s so many intangibles that he has that I feel like so many caddies don’t.” Simpson relayed an example of the difference: If he can hit an 8-iron 163 yards, but faces a 173-yard shot, “most people, including William, would say it’s a 7-iron, all day,” But if Simpson has adrenaline flowing, “well, Paul understands that wen you’re pumped, it’s just for some reason, you know you can hit an 8-iron that far. He’ll give me the confidence I need to be able to pull it off.” He said it’s a by-product of Tesori having played 21 TOUR events in the late ‘90s. “There’s so many great caddies out here,” Simpson said, “and I don’t mean that in a negative way, but he’s played the game and he played out here for a year and he understands what I’m feeling when I’m on the second to last hole in contention.” Fantasy mailbag: What about Lee? By Rob Bolton, PGATOUR.COM Fantasy columnist For 24 of the 26 PGA TOUR rookies, this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii is their first Opening Day in the big leagues. While they’ll try to go about their business following the old credo that it’s just another golf tournament, it’s anything but. By the same token, while fantasy gamers are itching to ride the likes of Bud Cauley, Harris English, J.J. Killeen, Jason Kokrak, Seung-yul Noh, Sang-moon Bae and Ted Potter Jr., my advice is to sit on your hands for at least one week. Consider these numbers taking into account the last three editions of the Sony: > 27 of 53 rookies have made the cut at Waialae since 2009 for a cuts-made split of only 50.9 percent. > Of the 27 who have made the cut, 12 settled for an MDF finish (meaning they completed only 54 holes). > Of the 27 who have made the cut, the average finish is just outside the top 50. > The only top 10 by a rookie since 2009 was Matt Weibring’s T8 in 2009. Danny Lee One rookie I didn’t include above is 21-year-old Danny Lee. He was the youngest champion at the time he won both the U.S. Amateur in 2008 and Johnnie Walker Classic on the European Tour in 2009. He also competed for New Zealand in the World Cup in 2010. And in 2011, he led the Nationwide Tour in birdie average, scoring average, birdies or better on par 4s and the bounce-back stat. Yet, as my stance was for all rookies, I opted not to put Lee in my Power Rankings this week. That drew this e-mail: Quite surprised that Danny Lee was not amongst your picks for Sony. Given his versatility of playing in the wide geographical and seasonal climates of the European tour last season combined with the Nationwide Tour, I would have thought he is one of the few that would adapt easily to the Pacific island location [Hawaii]. Furthermore, he qualified for both the PGA and the European Tours this year. Given his strong scrambling record in 2011 (seventh on the Nationwide Tour) and not forgetting his 9 top 10s (in 18 starts), I would have thought he would be in your top 10 pick. Must not forget that he also took time off for a wrist injury in the middle of the season. Am I being unreasonable in my estimation of his ability and ranking? — ARK Not at all, ARK. (And nice research!) It’s because of his success — never mind his age — that he checked in at 75th in my full-membership fantasy projections. Only Bae (35th) and English (59th) were slotted higher. Lee will most certainly emerge in the Power Rankings, but in due time. The data on rookies at Waialae over the last three years is simply too significant to dismiss. NOTE: My first version of the Rookie Rankings will publish on Monday. It will be updated weekly and serve as a subjective peek at how all 26 are performing relative to their peers. MORE BOLTON: Power Rankings | Sleepers | Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton is the PGATOUR.COM’s fantasy columnist. If you have a question for Rob, just fill out the form below or click here. You can also follow Rob on his Twitter account by clicking here Cauley, Bohn cheer on Tide By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM HONOLULU – Bud Cauley and Jason Bohn, former University of Alabama golfers, were in a restaurant at their hotel in Honolulu on Monday to watch their Crimson Tide play LSU in the BCS championship game. Yes, they could be heard — loud and clear — as Alabama won 21-0. “I think everyone knew we were Alabama fans,” said Cauley, a PGA TOUR rookie this year. Was anybody else cheering for the Tide? “No,” Cauley replied, then added, “We converted a couple people by the end of the game.” Bohn played at Alabama in the early 1990s, but Cauley was at the school last year before turning pro in the summer and making enough money in eight starts to earn his PGA TOUR card. He was a student three years ago when Alabama previous won the national title, but was in Australia at the time and did not attend the game. “I have a knack for being far away when they play these games,” Cauley said. “Maybe that’s a good thing. If we get in the (BCS title) game another time, I might go to India or something, just get as far away as I can. “I think I might be bad luck.” Glover WDs from second straight A paddleboard accident nearly two weeks ago has prompted Lucas Glover to withdraw from the Sony Open in Hawaii. Glover fell off the board prior to last week’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions and sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. He withdrew from the season-opener on Friday but was hoping to be able to play at Waialae this week in the PGA TOUR’s first full-field event. Glover was replaced in the field by Roland Thatcher. According to the Associated Press, Glover hopes to be able to compete at the Farmers Insurance Open in two weeks. Fujikawa, McLachlin in Sony field Local favorites Tadd Fujikawa and Parker McLachlin will be playing in the Sony Open in Hawaii after receiving two of the tournament’s sponsor’s exemptions. Fujikawa, the Honolulu native, who weighed just 31 ounces at birth and was given a 50-50 chance of survival, finished one shot out of a playoff for the final Monday qualifying spot in the Sony Open after shooting a 69. He received the sponsor’s exemption afterwards, joining Parker McLachlin in the field. Fujikawa, who tees off No. 1 at 1:20 p.m. (6:20 p.m. ET) with PGA TOUR rookies Tommy Biershenk and Richard Lee, will be playing in the Sony Open for the fifth time. He tied for 20th in his 2007 debut at the age of 17 – shooting consecutive rounds of 66 on Friday and Saturday — and shared 32nd two years later. McLachlin, who won the 2008 Reno-Tahoe Open, went to the Punahou School in Honolulu, which also happens to be the alma mater of President Barack Obama and LPGA star Michelle Wie. His father, Chris, was President Obama’s high school basketball coach. McLachlin will tee off No. 10 at 1 p.m. (6 p.m. ET) with Steve Wheatcroft and Miguel Tabuena.
Avs extend home streak to team-record 8 (AP)
Avs extend home streak to team-record 8 (AP)
DENVER (AP)—Overtime and home cooking added up to an early Christmas present for the Colorado Avalanche. Matt Duchene scored late in overtime and Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped 29 shots to lead the Avalanche over the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Friday night. Ryan O’Reilly also scored for Colorado, which has won a team-record eight straight home games. The Avalanche are 9-1 in games that go beyond regulation, including 3-1 in overtime. “I don’t think anybody would have thought that this would happen,” Giguere said of the home winning streak. “This is a building that should be hard for opposing teams to play in and we have done it as of late.” Mathieu Garon had 27 saves and Pavel Kubina scored for Tampa Bay. The Lightning are 9-1-3 in overtime and shootouts this season. “We battled hard. We got a point but we wanted two,” Garon said. Duchene got the winner when he sent a shot off Garon’s left pad from the left side with 1:22 left in the extra session for his team-leading 12th goal of the season. “I tried to fire one quick five-hole,” Duchene said. “I think he thought that I was past the net when I fired it. I don’t think it was on the right angle but I just threw it and it found its way in. A bit of luck there.” TJ Galiardi nearly won it late in regulation when he had a short-handed breakaway chance with 1:51 left, but Garon made the save. O’Reilly had a goal waved off with 48 seconds left because he knocked it in with his glove. Paul Stastny hit the right post with 3:02 left in overtime. Kubina gave Tampa Bay the lead when he scored his second goal of the season with 1:51 left in the first. Kubina picked up a pass from Lecavalier, used Colorado’s David Van Der Gulik as a screen and wristed a shot through Giguere to make it 1-0. “We got tons of scoring opportunities and we only got one in,” Lightning coach Guy Boucher said. “Sometimes it has a tendency to come back and haunt you.” It did when Colorado tied it midway through the second period. O’Brien took a shot from the point that Garon saved but O’Reilly snagged the rebound and flipped it into the net for his eighth goal of the season. “That goal was the turning point,” Colorado coach Joe Sacco said. Garon was back in net after being pulled when he allowed three goals in 6:21 against San Jose on Wednesday. He wasn’t tested much early with Tampa Bay dominating play at the start. The Lightning outshot Colorado 14-5 in the first and Garon’s only test came when he made two saves on the Avalanche’s first power play. The Lightning have struggled on the power play on the road this season and were 0 for 3 Friday. In their last 10 road games, they are 3 for 33 with the man advantage. “We’re losing our games because we can’t get that power-play goal,” Boucher said. “The power play on the road has been horrendous.” Notes: The Avalanche are 13-5-1 in one-goal games. Their 13 wins ties New Jersey for the league lead. … Colorado rookie Brad Malone is cousins with Lightning LW Ryan Malone. … The Avalanche/Nordiques franchise has won eight straight home games twice previously, in the 1983-84 and `94-95 seasons when the franchise was in Quebec. … Lightning RW James Wyman played in his first NHL game since Nov. 28, 2009, when he was with Montreal.
Tour Report: Players No. 11-15 unveiled (PGATOUR.com)
Tour Report: Players No. 11-15 unveiled (PGATOUR.com)
As we continue our countdown towards No. 1 at the end of this month, players 36-40 feature a range of winners, from first-timers in 2011 to major champions. Scott Stallings won as a rookie last season at The Greenbrier Classic, and Fredrik Jacobson also notched his first win – after eight seasons on the PGA TOUR – at the Travelers Championship. Ben Crane picked up career win No. 4 at The McGladrey Classic. Vijay Singh, of course, is among the winningest active players on TOUR, though he hasn’t won since 2008, when he won three tournaments and the FedExCup. Ian Poulter also went winless on TOUR last year, though you can bet both are looking to get back on top in 2012. Below is a link to each of the 5 players who were revealed on Thursday. PGATOUR.COM will countdown the players for the rest of December, with No. 1 unveiled on Dec. 30. Be sure to check out this year’s new addition of the Three Wise Men – Chris DiMarco, Arron Oberholser and Craig Perks, who offer their takes on each of the players on the list. Let’s us know how you think these players will perform in 2012 and whether we ranked ‘em too high, too low or just right. No. 36: Scott Stallings No. 37: Ian Poulter No. 38: Ben Crane No. 39: Vijay Singh No. 40: Fredrik Jacobson CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE ARCHIVE PAGE/SCHEDULE FOR THE TOP 100 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2012 Players No. 41-45 unveiled As we continue our countdown towards No. 1 at the end of this month, players 41-45 feature five past PGA TOUR winners. One of those – Davis Love III – not only will strive in 2012 to add to his career win total of 20, he also has the added responsibility of being the U.S. captain at the Ryder Cup. Below is a link to each of the 5 players who were revealed on Tuesday. PGATOUR.COM will countdown the players for the rest of December, with No. 1 unveiled on Dec. 30. Be sure to check out this year’s new addition of the Three Wise Men – Chris DiMarco, Arron Oberholser and Craig Perks, who offer their takes on each of the players on the list. Let’s us know how you think these players will perform in 2012 and whether we ranked ‘em too high, too low or just right. No. 41: Davis Love III No. 42: Louis Oosthuizen No. 43: Charley Hoffman No. 44: Bo Van Pelt No. 45: Camilo Villegas CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE ARCHIVE PAGE/SCHEDULE FOR THE TOP 100 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2012
