Ben Martin maintains edge through fourth of six rounds at PGA Tour Q-School

Getty Images

Bren Martin was tied for second after the opening round, solo second after Round 2, and alone in the lead after the most recent two rounds.

0

0

0

0

• PRINT
• TEXT

By 

PGA.com 

Series:

Ben Martin, runner-up at the 2009 U.S. Amateur, carded a 3-under 69 on the Crooked Cat course at Orange County National on Saturday to move to 16 under par and maintain his lead through four rounds of the PGA Tour Q-School finals. He enters the fifth of six rounds with a one-shot lead over James Driscoll (66/Crooked Cat). Zack Miller (68/Crooked Cat) is three back, while Scott Stallings (66/Crooked Cat), Bio Kim (68/Crooked Cat), Billy Mayfair (68/Crooked Cat) and Cameron Tringale (69/Crooked Cat) tied for fourth, four back. 

The top 25 players and ties at the end of Monday’s sixth round will receive PGA Tour cards for 2011. The next nearest-number-to-50 will earn fully exempt Nationwide Tour cards for the first 10 events on the schedule and the remainder of the field will receive conditional Nationwide Tour status. After 10 Nationwide Tour events next year, the fully exempt members will be subjected to the re-order/conditional category.

Martin was tied for second after the opening round and second after Round 2, and has been in solo first after the most recent two rounds.

Driscoll, in second place at 15 under par, made 13 of 26 cuts on the PGA Tour this year and finished No. 157 on the money list. His lone top-10 was a tie for ninth at the Valero Texas Open.

Duke’s Nate Smith, winner of the 2010 WNB Golf Classic on the Nationwide Tour, has steadily moved up the leaderboard and is currently tied for eighth. Smith, who finished No. 27 on the Nationwide Tour money list and barely missed earning his Tour card, was tied for 65th after the first round, tied for 40th after the second and tied for 16th after the third. Smith has posted scores of 73-69-66-67.

Veteran Mayfair is in solid position to regain his Tour card and stands tied for fourth after 72 holes at 12 under. Mayfair, a five-time Tour winner, turned pro in 1988 and made it through the Q-School on his first try that fall. He has not been back since then.

Martin completed his degree at Clemson in December of 2009 but did post-graduate work in order to compete for the Tigers last spring. He is a three-time Atlantic Coast Conference selection. He is joined in the field by five additional former Tigers: Charles Warren (tied for 14th), Kyle Stanley (tied for 27th), Tommy Biershenk (tied for 32nd), Brent Delahoussaye (tied for 100th) and Eliot Gealy (tied for 121st).

History is certainly on Martin’s side at this point. Every fourth-round leader/co-leader has gone on to earn his PGA Tour card for the past 18 years (Q-School records are incomplete prior to 1992). The closest anyone has come to not gaining a Tour card came in 2006, when 72-hole co-leader Michael Boyd posted scores of 71-78 over the final two days in California and finished tied for 25th. (Back in 1996 when more cards were handed out, Paul Claxton led by one after four days and shot a 78 in the fifth round and dropped into a tie for 37th place. Officials tried for two days to play the sixth round but heavy rains forced them to revert back to the standings after 90 holes. Claxton was the 49th, and last, player to earn a card that year.)

Four players who earned their PGA Tour card for 2011 by graduating (top 25) from the Nationwide Tour are seeking to improve their position this week at Q-School Finals: Jim Herman (No. 19), Joe Affrunti (No. 22), Michael Putnam (No. 24) and Justin Hicks (No. 25). These players will not count toward the top 25 and ties who will earn their PGA Tour card through Q-School, nor will they count against the next number nearest 50 to determine fully-exempt Nationwide Tour membership. Here is how they stand heading into Round 5: Affrunti is tied for 31st, Herman is tied for 40th, Hicks is tied for 21st and Putnam is tied for 27th.

Scott Stallings moved up the leaderboard with a 7-under 65 at Crooked Cat and moved from a tie for 27th to a tie for fourth heading into the final two rounds. Stallings ran off a string of seven birdies in an eight-hole stretch to put him closer to a Tour card for next year. The 25-year-old from Tennessee Tech just completed his rookie season on the Nationwide Tour, making the cut in 19 of 28 starts and finishing No. 53 on the money list. Stallings had three top-10 finishes but none in his final 11 starts.

Martin and Bramlett lead the field with 24 birdies thus far. Martin is at 16 under and leading while Bramlett, a 2010 Stanford graduate, is at 8 under thanks to 14 bogeys and one double bogey. Another Stanford grad, Zack Miller (2007) remained near the top of the leaderboard with a 4 under at Crooked Cat. Miller, a 2010 Nationwide Tour rookie, is at 13 under and solo third. Miller made the cut in 13 of 25 starts this year and had two top-10 finishes, including a tie for third at the Fort Smith Classic.

Brett Waldman, best known as the caddie for Camilo Villegas, carded a 72 at Crooked Cat and is tied for 59th. Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton is tied for 113th place after a 72 at Crooked Cat.

Two past Q-School medalists teed it up this week at Orange County National: 2006 medalist George McNeill (withdrew after third round) and 1992 co-medalist Skip Kendall (tied for 113th after a 70 at Panther Lake). Saturday’s best rounds were 65s at Crooked Cat from Justin Hicks and Scott Stallings and a 64 at Panther Lake from Camilo Benedetti.

Tiger Woods in control at Chevon World Challenge, one round away from win

Getty Images

Tiger Woods carded three straight birdies early Saturday, then added a final one on the 18th hole.

0

0

0

0

• PRINT
• TEXT

By 

Doug Ferguson

Associated Press

Series:

Tiger Woods was in the middle of the fairway, posing over an 8-iron from 170 yards away. Luke Donald was on the top of the hill next to the clubhouse when he turned his head upon hearing another big cheer from the gallery that surrounded the 18th green.

The large video screen in the distance showed the ball next to the hole.

"Looks like he's finding his form," Donald said.

It's looked like that all week.

With three straight birdies early to turn back a brief challenge, a key par save on the back nine and one last birdie on the 18th, Woods had a 4-under 68 in the Chevron World Challenge to maintain his four-shot lead over U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell.

Following the worst year of Woods' career, he is one round away from a familiar finish.

"I'm excited about tomorrow because of the way I'm playing," Woods said.

It was the first time all year that Woods has posted four straight rounds in the 60s, dating to his final-round 65 in the Australian Masters two weeks ago. What mattered was keeping his four-shot margin over McDowell. Woods has never lost a tournament when leading by at least three shots going into the final round.

No one else was within eight shots of the lead.

After eight months of looking like an ordinary player, Woods is starting to resemble the guy with 82 wins and 14 majors. It was his lowest score and largest lead after three rounds since the BMW Championship last year, which he won by eight.

Woods was careful not to get ahead of himself.

"To be honest with you, I don't look at it that way when I'm out there playing," he said. "I'm just in the moment, trying to put the golf ball on different sides of the fairway, where I need to put it on the green. I just play. You would think that my mind might go there, but it's good discipline. Feels good."

McDowell, trailing by four going into the second round, quickly closed within a shot with a two-putt birdie on the second and daring tee shot to the top-right hole location on the par-3 third.

Woods quickly pulled away. He hit a blast-and-run from a plugged lie in the bunker on the par-5 fifth to 2 feet, rolled in a fast 20-foot birdie on the sixth and then covered the flag on the seventh to about 3 feet.

Just like that, his lead was back to five.

The back nine could have gone either way. Woods was in trouble off the tee at the 11th, put picked it clean off the dirt to about 12 feet for a two-putt birdie to keep his lead at four shots. He looked to expand that lead when McDowell hit out-of-bounds on the par-5 13th, but he somehow managed a par.

On the next hole, McDowell had 6 feet for birdie and Woods was 20 feet away for par. Woods made, McDowell missed.

That's why Woods is taking nothing for granted going into the final round. Sherwood is the kind of course where low scores are available because of the five par 5s, but it's easy to post a big number if a player gets out of position.

Dustin Johnson found that out the hard way, playing the final four holes in 7 over for an 80 that left him at the bottom of the pack.

Woods appears to be making big strides toward getting his game back. He still sees it as baby steps.

"Since the PGA (Championship), there has been incremental progress, little stepping stones along the way," he said.

McDowell has reason to see it differently. He played with Woods the first two rounds in the HSBC Champions at Shanghai, when Woods fell out of the hunt quickly with errant shots and suspect putting.

This was a different Woods he saw Saturday under a cloudy sky.

"I thought the 'wide' was still there," McDowell said of Woods' tee shots in Shanghai. "I thought he controlled it very well today. He really only had one bad drive, and he's so impressive around the green. He's the best there ever was around the greens."

Paul Casey got off to a fast start, 5 under through seven holes, until he four-putted the eighth for double bogey. He had to settle for par on the next seven holes and wound up with a 69. He was in third place, eight shots behind.

Asked the last time he felt so good about his game, Woods said, "Probably Monday of the Ryder Cup."

That would be the final day, when he played the final seven holes at 7 under in beating Francesco Molinari. Woods showed more flashes in Australia when he played his last six holes at 6 under.

This has been different. Woods has had a few loose swings, a few bad patches, but only two bogeys for the week. As he has done so often, he has built a lead and stayed in control.

Woods says the difference between this tournament and his last few events has been grasping what Sean Foley is teaching.

"I still view this as incremental. I don't see any leaps and bounds because it's been an understandings of the swing, the technique, and becoming more efficient," he said. "I think that's what you're seeing. I'm just more efficient at it."

Martin Laird leads by one at Bay Hill, Tiger Woods still in picture after second-round rebound

Getty Images

Tiger Woods followed up his opening 73 with a much-improved 68 Friday at Bay Hill.

0

0

0

0

• PRINT
• TEXT

By 

Doug Ferguson

Associated Press

Series:

Martin Laird loves when he can smash a driver, and that carried him a long way Friday at Bay Hill.

Laird reached three of the par 5s in two shots, converted one of them into an eagle and wound up with a 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead over K.J. Choi and Spencer Levin in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

It wasn't just the par 5s. Even without any wind in the afternoon, Laird hit driver on the 384-yard fifth hole to set up a simple pitch and another birdie. He closed his round with a 321-yard tee shot on the ninth and a 12-foot birdie.

Choi put in three hybrids to go with his driver and two fairway metals, all to get ready for the Masters. It paid dividends at Bay Hill with a tournament-best 64. Levin didn't play his best in the morning, but his putting carried him to a 70. Levin made all four of his birdie putts outside 15 feet to stay atop the leaderboard until Laird's late surge.

Tiger Woods is still in the game, too.

Woods raised his arm on the ninth green as his 20-foot birdie putt rolled in for a 4-under 68, leaving him six shots behind going into the weekend. Considering how so much of his year has gone, this would be considered progress for the six-time winner at Bay Hill.

Laird was at 9-under 135.

"I'm driving the ball really well and putting really well," Laird said. "Ask any pro -- that's a pretty good combination to have, especially on a golf course this long where you have to drive the ball in the fairway."

Temperatures are expected to soar on the weekend, and Saturday figures to sort out several players still in the mix.

Charles Howell III, who needs a win to play his hometown tournament in two weeks at Augusta National, had a 65 and was three shots behind with Hunter Mahan and Steve Marino.

Mahan turned his fortunes around quickly. He went out in 38 to fall seven shots behind, then ran off four straight birdies to start the back nine, and finished with a shot that hit the pin on the 18th for his seventh birdie in a round of 69. He was

"My game didn't go anywhere ... it just didn't feel good," Mahan said. "But it can change that quickly. So I knew that and I just had to trust that it was going to happen."

Choi has never shot better than 67 at Bay Hill, and he wasn't expecting a low one Friday. Along with changing his bag to include the three hybrids -- his irons begin with the 7-iron -- he saw Pat O'Brien last month to help with his putting and realized his posture was off. Choi then went back to his old putter, and it was a happy reunion.

"I would never have thought that I would score 8 under today on a course like this," Choi said. "I'm just happy that I've done that, and I just want to keep this rhythm going on for the last two days."

For a short time, it didn't seem as though so many players would be in the mix.

Levin walked off the sixth green during his morning round and noticed that he already had a six-shot lead. He didn't make his first bogey of the tournament until the 14th hole of the second round, then dropped another shot on the 17th.

He wound up with a 70 and had a two-shot lead when he finished, then fell one behind to Laird.

"I scored a lot better than I played today," Levin said.

Marino played with Levin and was far more crisp, especially a series of iron shots around the turn that left him easy birdie putts. Marino had a 67, giving him yet another chance of that first PGA Tour victory. Already this year he had a chance in the Sony Open and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

"Every time I put myself in a position like that, it gives me more confidence," Marino said. "If I have the game to do what it takes to get to that point, it's just a matter of time for me until I just keep doing the same things and finish one off."

Rickie Fowler also is looking for his first win. He was making his way up the leaderboard until bogeys on his last two holes for a 71. He was at 4-under 140, along with Jason Dufner.

Woods was five shots back in his season debut at Torrey Pines, only to fall apart on the weekend. This round was relatively clean, with his only bogey coming on the third hole when good contact out of the rough turned too much, bounced twice off the rocks framing the green and stayed in the hazard.

He got what he deserved, for while he missed a few putts inside 12 feet, he holed a 55-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the 18th with a putt that looked as though it would go some 5 feet by if the cup didn't get in the way.

That was a rarity. So many other times, his putt was on line and came up short.

"I had a hard time getting the ball to the hole today," Woods said. "That was probably the main thing. I left five putts that were dead center short, and this could have been a pretty special round if I had hit it a little harder."

Even so, he was still in the picture. That wasn't the case at Doral or the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, where he was beaten in the first round. Bay Hill takes on more significance because it's his last tournament before the Masters.

"We're trying to build toward the first major, and that's kind of how my game is," he said. "It's building and it's coming."

DIVOTS: The cut was at 4-over 148, the highest in six years at Bay Hill. Among those making the cut were Sam Saunders, the grandson of tournament host Arnold Palmer. ... Woods was the only one to survive the "power pairing" as Dustin Johnson (74) and Gary Woodland (76) missed the cut. Johnson broke his driver on a tee shot at the par-5 sixth that went into the water. He still managed to make par on the hole. ... U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell missed the cut after rounds of 80-73.

Ravens Officially Hire WRs Coach Bobby Engram

Posted 15 hours ago

Ryan MinkBaltimoreRavens.com Staff Writer@Ravens All Ryan Mink Articles



The Ravens' staff is now complete with the addition of Wide Receivers Coach Bobby Engram.



The Ravens’ 2014 coaching staff is now filled.

Head Coach John Harbaugh announced the hiring of Wide Receivers Coach Bobby Engram Tuesday afternoon. Engram replaces Jim Hostler, who departed for Buffalo after being passed over for the offensive coordinator vacancy.

Engram is another young, highly-regarded coach for Harbaugh’s staff. He brings a blend of 14 years playing in the NFL and four years coaching.

“When you combine Bobby’s NFL pedigree as a player and his coaching experience, you see why we’re excited to add him to our staff,” Harbaugh said. “He comes highly recommended, he did an outstanding job at San Francisco and Pitt, and he’s an impressive person. He’ll help our receivers and our offense become better.”

Engram played wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs. His career was just three years shorter than that of Ray Lewis.

Engram finished his pro career with 650 receptions for 7,751 yards and 35 touchdowns, including six catches for 70 yards in Super Bowl XL for the Seahawks in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Before that, Engram was arguably the greatest receiver in Penn State history. He won the first-ever Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver, and is still the Nittany Lions’ all-time leader in yards (3,026) and touchdowns (31).

After retiring in 2009, Engram quickly began coaching. He was an offensive assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, then the wide receivers coach at the University of Pittsburgh in 2012 and 2013.

In 2013, Engram guided a Pittsburgh’s receiving corps that was led by Tyler Boyd, who set school marks for receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,174) by a freshman. Both records were formerly held by current Arizona Cardinals standout Larry Fitzgerald.

In his first season with Pittsburgh (2012), Engram guided wide receivers Mike Shanahan (62 receptions for 983 yards) and Devin Street (73-975), who each garnered All-Big East honors in the same season, marking the first such occurrence in school history.

As an offensive assistant with the 49ers in 2011, Engram was part of a team that earned its first NFC West title in nine seasons and reached the NFC championship game.

Engram will work with a young cast of receivers in Baltimore.

Torrey Smith is the elder statesman of the current group, and he’s going into his fourth year after a breakout campaign with 65 catches for 1,128 yards. He’s looking to take the next step in becoming an elite, consistent playmaker.

Marlon Brown is coming off a standout rookie season with 524 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, and the Ravens have other young, malleable talent, such as Deonte Thompson, Aaron Mellette and Tandon Doss.

The Ravens ranked 29th in the NFL in average yards per catch last year (10.8) and 25th in touchdown receptions (19). The receiving corps had 13 of those touchdowns.

“What an opportunity to join a team that has won, knows how to win and does all it can to make sure they continue to win,” Engram said. “I’m ready to be part of that and ready to work.”

佐伯三貴、松山千春のゲキに発奮！首位タイ発進

2011年06月17日19時21分
Tweet



リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 イ・チヒ -4
佐伯　三貴 -4
3 ヤング・キム -3
4 イ・ナリ -2
イ・ボミ -2
大谷　奈千代 -2
キム・ソヒ -2
西山ゆかり -2
福田　裕子 -2
リ・エスド -2


順位の続きを見る


＜ニチレイレディス　初日＞◇17日◇袖ヶ浦カンツリークラブ・新袖コース(6,548ヤード・パー72)

　千葉県にある袖ヶ浦カンツリークラブ・新袖コースを舞台に開幕した、国内女子ツアー「ニチレイレディス」。佐伯三貴が4バーディ・ノーボギーで回り、李知姫(イ・チヒ)(韓国)と並んで4アンダー首位タイスタートを切った。

　佐伯は開幕戦「ダイキンオーキッドレディス」で2位に入ると、優勝を飾った「フンドーキンレディス」まで立て続けに上位フィニッシュ。前半戦を牽引してきたが、ここ4戦は調子が右肩下がり。予選落ちこそないものの思うような成績を残せずにいた。

　しかし所属事務所の社長である松山千春に「勝ったあとがダメだ」と喝を入れられ気分を一新。今大会にいい精神状態で臨めている。これを期に低迷を脱出できるか。

【初日の結果】
1位T：李知姫(イ・チヒ)(-4)
1位T：佐伯三貴(-4)
3位：ヤング・キム(-3)
4位T：西山ゆかり(-2)
4位T：福田裕子(-2)
4位T：イ・ボミ(-2)
4位T：リ・エスド(-2)
4位T：大谷奈千代(-2)
4位T：イ・ナリ(-2)
4位T：キム・ソヒ(-2)

20位T：横峯さくら(E)他18名
39位T：飯島茜(+1)
39位T：馬場ゆかり(+1)
39位T：有村智恵(+1)他9名

77位T：野村敏京(+4)他8名

レジェンドチャリティ、池田勇太が逆転優勝「来週の優勝に向けて仕上がってきた！」

2012年05月06日18時47分






実行委員の日野皓正氏、王貞治氏、青木功と写真に納まる池田勇太







　千葉県の麻倉ゴルフ倶楽部にて開催された「ザ・レジェンド・チャリティプロアマトーナメント」の最終日。6位からスタートした池田勇太がトータル10アンダーまでスコアを伸ばし逆転で優勝した。

【関連リンク】新速報システム「トーナメントスコアリンク」日本プロで稼動！

　池田は「プロゴルファーなので、ゴルフをして、サインをして、ファンの方を喜ばすことくらいしか出来ないですけど、参加することが出来て良かったです」とこのチャリティ大会に参加できたことを喜んだ。そして自身でもチャリティ大会を計画しているそうで、「自分のこの業界にそろそろ恩返しをしてもいい頃かと思うし、自分の名前が入った大会をスポンサーを募って開催出来ればと思っている。早ければ来年くらいで出来ればいいな」と今後も積極的にチャリティに携わっていく意向だ。

　来週は国内男子メジャー初戦、そして池田がホストプロの「日本プロゴルフ選手権大会　日清カップヌードル杯」が開催される。「来週の優勝に向けて仕上がってきた。今季初優勝は来週だと思っているので、そういう意味でいい週末を過ごせた」。この勝利でホスト大会制覇へ弾みをつけた池田。来週は烏山城カントリークラブで大暴れする若大将が見れそうだ。