Archive for April, 2010

Some expected a circus. Instead, golf fans were treated to a great tournament, highlighted by remarkable shots from all over the course.

In the end, Phil Mickelson donned the green jacket for a third time. He fired a 5-under, 67 on Sunday to pull away from a star-studded logjam atop the leaderboard.

As for the circus’ main attraction, Tiger Woods finished in fourth, thanks to a misbehaving driver and putter. When asked if his standards of success were different in his return to golf after 144 days away, Woods replied, “I entered this event and I enter events to win,” he said.  “I didn’t get that done.”

He did, however, earn a cool $330,000 for tying with K.J. Choi at 11-under. Mickelson snatched up $1,350,000.

Who said that?

By all accounts, the heckling of Woods that was expected was kept to a minimum, although security guards were quick to pounce any wayward comment from patrons. And, of course, there was infamous airplane banners, which flew above Augusta on Thursday. That …

Continue reading 2010 Masters: That’s a wrap »

Just what we needed: Jim Carrey weighing in on Tiger Woods’ infidelity.

As first reported by Entertainment Weekly, the actor chimed in via Twitter Friday, saying “Tiger Woods owes nothing 2 anyone but himself. 2 please his father he gave up his childhood and his freedom in the world. That’s enough!”

He then added: “No wife is blind enough to miss that much infidelity. Elin had 2 b a willing participant on the ride 4 whatever reason” and “No woman just stays at home with the kids anymore. Tiger was wrong and Elin was ignoring the obvious.”

Carrey also criticized the public reaction to Woods’ story

“Whenever we form a consensus about some1 we envy, who’s stumbling, our collective ego LOVES to flex its unified muscle! S’ugly!”

Those remarks obviously caused a stir and a little backlash. Carrey has since tried to clarify his controversial opinion by tweeting: “I want 2 make it clear that I do not condone infidelity at all, but 2 some degree the responsibility 4 it is shared by …

Continue reading Jim Carrey tweets ‘Elin was ignoring the obvious’ »

Augusta – Tiger Woods strode to the No. 1 tee at Augusta National in his Sunday red. But his rusty golf game couldn’t match his championship look in the 74th Masters.

It’s never a good sign when you begin your day here walking up the No. 9 fairway. But that’s what Woods did after he yanked his opening tee shot so far left the pine trees up that side on No. 1 could not contain it.

Woods made bogey there, carded his third bogey in a row on No. 4 and added another plus-one on No. 5. In fact, he didn’t hit a green in regulation until he reached the par-3 sixth hole and then he couldn’t do anything with it.

So much for the “Tiger Intimidation Factor.” A third of the way into his final round Woods had essentially shot his way out of the tournament.

“As the week went on I hit the ball worse,” said Woods, who was playing his first competitive round in a 144 days. “I wasn’t very good. I had another terrible warm-up. I didn’t have it and it was pretty evident. I hit a hook on 1, a …

Continue reading Tiger Woods: ‘I enter events to win and I didn’t’ »

Phil Mickelson won his third Masters Sunday.

Mickelson, who entered the final round one back of Lee Westwood, scrambled his way out of trouble throughout the day, including a remarkable shot from behind a tree.

He managed to hold off a slew of challengers, including Tiger Woods, whose putter let him down in is return to golf. Woods finished at -11 for the tournament.

Here’s the final leaderboard, with a complete tournament summary to follow.

Continue reading Phil Mickelson wins the Masters »

Matt Kuchar may have finished well out of the discussion in the 74th Masters here at Augusta National. But he’s in the conversation when it comes to the Ryder Cup.

The Georgia Tech graduate and one-time Atlanta resident shot 71 on Sunday to finish at even-par 288 in his fourth Masters appearance and first since 2002. But the top-25 finish continues his solid work for the season and brought forth for the first time questions about his chances of making the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

“It’s one of those things I’m really not all that concerned with,” said Kuchar, who came into the week sixth in PGA Tour money and sixth in FedEx points. “I know that if I play well good things happen. The Tour Championship’s the one that’s always on my radar. That’s one of those things if you play well it takes care of itself.”

Kuchar was eighth in the latest Ryder Cup standings for the U.S. team. The team is chosen on the basis of points compiled by The PGA of America and the top eight automatically …

Continue reading Matt Kuchar fields Ryder Cup queries after even-par Masters »

Don’t look now but a new Masters challenger is coming seemingly out of nowhere.

Anthony Kim, who won the Shell Houston Open last week, just went birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie on Holes 13 through 16 at Augusta National to pull within a stroke of Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson took sole possession of the lead at 13-under with an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 12.

The back nine on Sunday at the Masters. You gotta love it.

Continue reading Kim shoots his way into contention on back nine »

AUGUSTA – Nick Watney and Anthony Kim posted this Masters’ lowest round with a pair of  65s on Sunday.

Watney and Kim each had seven birdies and one bogey on the day. Kim finished at 12-under, while Watney finished at 8-under.

“It was a magical day,” Watney said. “I was having so much fun coming down the stretch and I didn’t really want it to end.”

Watney needed just 28 putts on the day. Because he finished in the top 16 he secured a return to next year’s tournament.

Kim, who finished in third,  said he was just trying to fire at flags all day in in an attempt to move up the leaderboard.

“I’m proud of the way I stuck it out,” Kim said.

Continue reading Watney, Kim posts this Masters’ lowest round »

AUGUSTA — As Matteo Manassero stood against the ropes talking, Tom Watson tapped him on the  shoulder as he was walking from the ninth green to the 10th tee.

Manassero turned around and Watson, 44 years his senior,  gave him a thumb’s up and smile.

While it’s not quite the passing of the torch, it was a nice way to end a nice week for the  Italian teenager.

The youngest competitor to ever play the Masters,  the 16-year-old Manassero finished the tournament 4-over par,  including a 4-foot birdie on the final hole. The only amateur to make the cut, Manassero will take home the Silver Cup given to the low amateur. He said he will likely put it in his bedroom back home in Verona.

Manassero will turn pro in May in time for the Italian Open. He said this week’s experience, which included lots of young ladies following him around the course, will help him as he tries to to earn enough money in seven European Tour events to get full-time status for 2011.

“Playing a course like this …

Continue reading Manassero pleased with his finish »

AUGUSTA — After shooting a 4-under par 68 on Sunday, Ernie Els joked that he thinks he’ll return to the Masters.

“I needed something to bring me back and that may bring me back next year,” Els said.

He wasn’t so sure after going 3-over on Saturday, a day when he said he wasn’t in the mood to play.

Already a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year, Els was the pick to win by many. And he’s made no secret of adding a Masters trophy to his two U.S. Open’s and British Open.

But after a solid 3-under start on Thursday he  double-bogeyed No. 18 and it cracked his confidence.

He came back and got his score to 4-under on Friday but doubled No. 15 and it wiped him out mentally.

Overall, he played the last six holes a combined 6-over par in the first three rounds.

But on Sunday, he finished better and stuck with his game plan. Even though he missed three short putts on the back nine, he said he was much more satisfied with his performance.

“That’s the way I need to play,” Els said. “I …

Continue reading Els happier with his finish than his start »

For the second time Sunday No. 16 yeilded a hole-in-one at the Masters.

This time it was Ryan Moore. The 27-year-old from Tacoma, Wash., backed in his tee shot on the par-hole from 176 yards.

It was the second ace of the day on that hole. Nathan Green, playing in the first group of the day, made a 1 there a couple of hours earlier.

Moore’s hole-in-one was the 13th in Masters history on No. 16, the most of any hole at Augusta National.

Continue reading No. 16 yields another ace, this time to Ryan Moore »