WGT Golf News : dustin johnson

Another Playoff Payoff For Rory

WGTwildcat — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:46:00 GMT

There can be no doubt, no question, no dispute. Rory McIlroy is the No. 1 player in the world, and given the kind of golf he has displayed in the last month, he will hold that spot for some time.

McIlroy won the BMW Championship on Sunday for his second consecutive PGA Tour FedEx Cup playoff event and his third victory in his last four starts, which includes the PGA Championship in August at Kiawah Island.

He is by far No. 1 in points in the three playoff events going into The Tour Championship next week at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The playoffs take a week off following the BMW Championship.

McIlroy has now won four events on the PGA Tour this year and is a certainty for Player of the Year honors. And he can win the $10 million bonus for winning the FedEx Cup playoffs at East Lake.

“I knew I could win big tournaments but I didn’t think it would come this quickly,” said the 23-year-old McIlroy. “I’m on quite a little run right now and I’m trying to keep that going as long as possible.”

McIlroy shot a final-round, 5-under 67 to post 20-under-par 268 at Crooked Stick Golf Club – site of the 1991 PGA Championship – good enough for a two-shot victory over playing companion Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson.

This playoff event created the most buzz because of the quality of the field that was on the leaderboard most of the last two days. Joining the top three players in the fray were Dustin Johnson, Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods and Adam Scott all pushing toward the lead at some point during the weekend.

But McIlroy put his nose in front with four birdies in his first 10 holes to move ahead of 54-hole co-leaders Singh and Mickelson and took the lead for good with birdies at the par-5 15th, which he reached in two, and a birdie at the par-4 16th. He had a three-shot lead going into the final hole and made his first bogey in 27 holes for the final winning margin.

Woods shot 68 on Sunday to tie with Robert Garrigus (69) for fourth at 17 under. Johnson and Scott were next at 16 under. Singh shot 73 and went from safely inside the top 30 to outside the list with three bogeys in his last five holes.

Bill Haas, last year’s FedEx Cup champion, fell outside the top 30 and failed to advance to The Tour Championship with a 78 on Sunday. Garrigus and Ryan Moore were the only players outside the top 30 to play their way in, replacing Haas and Kyle Stanley, who fell out.

Photo: Getty Images

Ryder Cup Team USA Finalized

WGTwildcat — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:39:00 GMT

Ryder Cup captain of Team USA, Davis Love III, announced his 4 captain’s picks today, including Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker and Steve Stricker, to finalize the American golfers playing in the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Left off the American Ryder Cup team were top players Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and Nick Watney.

Below are the final 12 golfers on Team USA competing in the Ryder Cup 9/28 to 9/30 at Medinah Country Club in Chicago.

Ryder Cup Team USA

Keegan Bradley
Jason Dufner
Jim Furyk
Dustin Johnson
Zach Johnson
Matt Kuchar
Phil Mickelson
Webb Simpson
Brandt Snedeker
Steve Stricker
Bubba Watson
Tiger Woods

Team USA official site

Read more at WGT

Check out Team Europe’s Ryder Cup Picks

Rory’s Labor Day Body Of Work

WGTwildcat — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:11:00 GMT

Contributed by GlobalGolfPost

It was a Labor Day finish and the way the top two combatants played down the stretch, it was more labor than either had planned.

Rory McIlroy managed to keep Louis Oosthuizen at arm’s length for the last few holes to win the Deutsche Bank Championship and take the points lead in the playoffs for the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour.

McIlroy, who won the PGA Championship in August, captured his third PGA Tour victory with the win on Monday, beating Oosthuizen by one at TPC Boston. McIlroy started the day three shots behind Oosthuizen, who was the 54-hole leader, and shot a 4-under 67 in the final round to post 72 holes at 20-under 264.

“That was more survival on those last few holes,” McIlroy said afterward. “I didn’t finish the way I wanted to but it was a win in the end. I’m delighted at the minute and looking forward to the next few weeks.”

McIlroy, the No. 1-ranked player in the world, was at one point eight shots back of Oosthuizen early in Sunday’s third round. He caught and passed Oosthuizen early in the final round, with five birdies in his first eight holes, while Oosthuizen made double-bogey at the par-4 fifth.

“I played a very solid front nine and a solid first 13 holes,” McIlroy said. “I had a couple of wobbles coming in but I got the win.”

McIlroy held a three-shot lead around the turn and Oosthuizen made birdies at the par-4 13th and the par-4 15th to close to within one. Both players made a mess of the par-4 17th, each making bogey to take the pair to the 18th with one shot between them.

McIlroy drove through the fairway into the rough and Oosthuizen left his second to the par-5 20 yards short and right. McIlroy narrowly missed a birdie putt of about 20 feet at the last, while Oosthuizen pitched up to 12 feet and missed his chance to tie.

Oosthuizen took the third-round lead with a Sunday 63 that included a front nine 29 and seven consecutive birdies beginning at the third hole. He could only manage an even-par 71 on Monday and finished at 19-under par.

Although Tiger Woods never threatened the lead, he was in the conversation all weekend, with a 5-under 66 on Monday to finish third at 18-under 266. Phil Mickelson, with a new clawlike putting grip, matched Woods on Monday with 66 and tied for fourth with Dustin Johnson, who birdied the final hole for a 70 and 14-under 270.

Brandt Snedeker, who along with Johnson was playing for a captain’s pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, shot 67 in the final round and was fifth at 271. Captain Davis Love III made his four picks this morning in New York.

The Deutsche Bank Championship was the second leg in the PGA Tour playoffs and the field of 125 was cut to 70 for this week’s BMW Championship, which begins Thursday at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind. From there, the field will be cut to the top 30, which will advance to the finale at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. There will be a week off in the schedule between the BMW and The Tour Championship.

Dicky Pride came from seemingly nowhere to finish in the top 70 in points. Pride birdied his last two holes to shoot 68 on Monday and finish right on No. 70, edging out Jonas Blixt, who bounced back and forth on Monday, in and out of the top 70, before finishing one place outside the number.

Chris Kirk, Matt Every, Troy Matteson, D.A. Points, Jeff Overton, Charley Hoffman and Bryce Molder all played their way into the top 70. Molder made the biggest jump, 45 spots from 93rd to 47th by finishing ninth. Hoffman needed a nervous 10-footer for par on the last to edge Blixt.

Charl Schwartzel, a Masters champion, slipped inside the top 70 despite a four-putt from three feet on the 18th hole on Sunday. Schwartzel came back with birdies on his final two holes on Monday to improve three spots and finish 68th.

Josh Teater, Scott Stallings, Harris English and Jonathan Byrd all started the week inside the top 70 and all played their way out with poor finishes.

John Rollins, Ken Duke, Charles Howell III and Brian Davis all fell out of the top 70 by missing the cut. Davis was on the bubble entering the tournament, in the 70th position. Spencer Levin did not play the Deutsche Bank and fell from 66th to outside the top 70.

Photo: Getty Images

Ryder Cup 2012 Team USA Golf Players

WGTwildcat — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:28:00 GMT

The 2012 Ryder Cup features the world's best PGA and European Tour players in a head-to-head battle at Medinah Country Club in September.

The following professional golfers from America qualified on 8/12/12 to represent Team USA in the 2012 Ryder Cup...

POS	PLAYER	POINTS
1	Tiger Woods	6,014.184
2	Bubba Watson	5,815.054
3	Jason Dufner	5,697.302
4	Keegan Bradley	5,551.206
5	Webb Simpson	4,635.500
6	Zach Johnson	4,491.544
7	Matt Kuchar	4,448.942
8	Phil Mickelson	4,233.108

American golfers on the bubble who could be selected as the four potential coach's picks by Davis Love III include...

POS	PLAYER	POINTS
9	Hunter Mahan	4,082.228
10	Steve Stricker	4,015.069
11	Jim Furyk	3,369.616
12	Rickie Fowler	3,313.338
13	Brandt Snedeker	3,176.787
14	Bo Van Pelt	3,152.315
15	Dustin Johnson	3,040.020
16	Robert Garrigus	2,604.580
17	Bill Haas	2,546.017
18	Ben Curtis	2,457.284
19	Scott Piercy	2,416.346
20	Kyle Stanley	2,341.219

Other past Team USA Ryder Cup players include: David Toms, Nick Watney, Sean O'Hair, JB Holmes, Boo Weekley.

See more at official Team USA Ryder Cup website

Team Europe

Glory’s Toughest Test - PGA Championship Review

WGTwildcat — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:19:00 GMT

by DAVE SHEDLOSKI of GolfDigestCanada

This week’s PGA Championship at Kiawah’s Ocean Course combines a very demanding layout with several name players out to make a major statement.

Pete Dye has been visiting the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, S.C., every two weeks, on average, he says for the last two years to help prepare it for this week’s PGA Championship.

“I don’t know if there’s a foot of ground that we haven’t looked at,” the alacritous octogenarian said with a knowing chuckle. “I think it’s as good as we can make it.”

By “good” Dye means difficult. When he first designed the Ocean Course in preparation for the 1991 Ryder Cup, Dye said he put a great deal of thought into “figuring out ways to challenge the greatest players in the world.”

He has never stopped trying, and when the 156 players in the 94th PGA converge on the barrier island 15 miles south of Charleston for the first major championship in South Carolina, they’ll discover a layout that will give them as much comfort as sand in their pants. And don’t be surprised if a few of them get exactly that as they tack along the coast on a par-72 course measuring 7,676 yards, the longest in tournament history, and replete with ever-present threats of sand and water. The Ocean Course was ready but rough in 1991. Now it’s refined and maybe not quite as rough as a shot making test—though that’s only if the wind doesn’t blow. If, however, breezes begin to strafe the landscape, there won’t be anything except the good graces of Kerry Haigh, the PGA’s setup man, to save them from dune and gloom.

“The golf course is unbelievable. I think it’s going to be very difficult, especially if the wind picks up,” said defending champion Keegan Bradley, who joined Francis Ouimet and Ben Curtis as winners in their first major start. “I’m interested to see how the PGA sets up the golf course because they can set it up a million different ways.”

“It was interesting … it’s two different nine holes. The front nine is a really nice, playable golf course, and then the back nine is not. It’s very severe,” said Adam Scott, who will be looking to bounce back from his disappointing finish in the British Open, where he bogeyed the final four holes at Royal Lytham & St. Annes and allowed Ernie Els to sneak by him. “There are good scores out there in good weather, but if the wind blows, it’s just going to be very difficult, even if they move tees forward and stuff like that. It’s an extreme penalty for a miss. It’s certainly going to need some ball striking.”

More to the point, drivers could be more integral to success at Kiawah than in the year’s three previous major championships.

“I don’t think there’s any question that you’re going to have to drive it great,” Dustin Johnson said. “Length is going to be a huge advantage—if you can keep it in play.”

“It’s going to be long,” said Tiger Woods, a four-time PGA winner. “It’s going to be close to 7,700 yards, and that’s a big ballpark. It’s going to take a little bit of getting used to. Being seaside, the wind can change. The wind comes out of different directions. There’s so much room out there, but as soon as the wind starts blowing 20,30 miles an hour, there’s not much room.”

Beating the course is only half the battle. Beating the field is another matter.

The roster includes the top 108 on the World Ranking. All four reigning major champions will be in attendance, the first time since the Masters. Thirteen past PGA champions and 32 major winners are entered. This means very little nowadays, however, given that the last 16 majors have produced a different winner. Twelve have been first-timers, including the last three in the PGA: Bradley, Martin Kaymerand Y.E. Yang.

Glory’s Last Shot represents the last chance for Woods and Rory Mcllroy to engage in a head-to-head ‘ major battle this season. A rivalry was anticipated— and given commensurate media hype—after each captured a victory in Florida, Mcllroy at the Honda Classic and Woods at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

What has happened? Woods, 36, had his chances at the U.S. Open and British Open, though he fizzled down the stretch in each. Mcllroy, 23, billed as Tiger’s success or, wasted less time being in consequential, his T-40 at the Masters being his best finish. He missed the cut in his U.S. Open title defense. At the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Woods, who has risen to No. 2 in the world, might have found a solution to his sketchy putting after the second round. “Found some alignment, some posture things and got my feel back,” Woods said after a third-round 68 at Firestone CC. “My blade was releasing properly again, and it felt really comfortable.”

Mcllroy also looked more comfortable at Firestone, getting in the mix after bogeying three of the first four holes of the tournament. “It’s getting there, it definitely is. I’ve worked hard to get it back,” the Ulsterman said. “Obviously, my expectations every time I tee it up are pretty high and not to live up to my own expectations is not nice, but I feel like I’m definitely moving in the right direction.”

Of course, they are not alone in seeking to salvage the season and apply salve to some scar tissue.

Graeme McDowell played in Sunday’s final pairing in the last two majors and came up empty. Jim Furyk had a second U.S. Open title in his hands until a late stumble at Olympic Club, his disappointment every bit as deep as Scott’s. The only difference is the freshness of the wounds.

Unfortunately for them, Dye’s salty Ocean Course awaits.

Photo: Golf Digest/Steven Szurlej

Johnson Walking Tall In Memphis

WGTwildcat — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 17:36:00 GMT

Contributed Content from GlobalGolfPost

While Dustin Johnson was gone, he certainly was not forgotten and he clearly remembered how to win. Johnson broke away from a tightly bunched pack with birdies late in the final round to win the FedEx St. Jude Classic on Sunday.

Johnson, 27, won his sixth PGA Tour event and has now won at least one tournament in each of the past five years. And he heads into this week’s U.S. Open running on a high in confidence and form. Johnson had missed 11 weeks on Tour because of a back injury and returned just two weeks ago at the Memorial Tournament.

Johnson shot a final-round 66 to finish 72 holes at 9-under 271 on the par-70 TPC Southwind. He wound up winning by one over John Merrick, but it was much closer than that in the early afternoon in Memphis.

Players were started early Sunday morning in threesomes, hoping to avoid a forecast of afternoon thunderstorms so the competitors could easily get out of town to travel to San Francisco today for the U.S. Open.

About midway through the back nine, 11 players were within one shot of the lead that was held at times by Johnson, Merrick, Rory McIlroy, Chad Campbell and Nick O’Hern.

But Johnson made birdies on the par-5 16th and the par-4 17th to take the lead for good. He safely found the fairway on the treacherous par-4 18th and two-putted from 30 feet to capture the win.

McIlroy, Campbell, O’Hern and Merrick all stood on the 18th tee needing a birdie to catch Johnson, and only Merrick was able to make as much as a par. McIlroy drove it in the water off the tee and made double-bogey, O’Hern drove in the water and saved bogey, while Campbell missed the the green with his second and couldn’t get up and down. Merrick drove in the right rough, couldn’t reach the green and saved par from the right of the green.

Merrick, who started the day in a three-way tie for the 54-hole lead with O’Hern and Davis Love III, shot 68 on Sunday to finish second, one behind Johnson at 8-under 272. It was by far Merrick’s best finish of the year. He had missed seven cuts in 15 events and his best finish was a T33 at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Ryan Palmer shot a 4-under 66 on Sunday and tied for third at 7 under with Campbell, O’Hern and Love. Ken Duke tied for low round of the day with a 65 to post a tie for seventh with McIlroy, Seung-Yul Noh and Robert Allenby.

Get your daily dose of golf news at WGTGolf.com.

PHOTO: Associated Press

WGT GOLF UPDATE: Bubba Falters, Rose Wins, Tiger Injured at 2012 WGC-Cadillac Championship

pharrison — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:31:00 GMT

Another lead lost in the final round of the 2012 WGC-Cadillac Championship on the PGA Tour.

This time, it was Bubba Watson, who shot a 62 on Friday, but missed most of the fairways and many putts to finish on Sunday with a 74 at -15 in second place. Watson's weekend performance brought the rest of the field back into the tournament, including Keegan Bradley, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose.

It was Rose who swooped in for the victory at the Blue Monster, shooting 70 and finishing at -16. Rose is now ranked #7 in the world, joining McIlroy (#1), Luke Donald (#2) and Lee Westwood (#3) as other UK players who are currently dominating the world rankings of golf.

McIlroy had an impressive charge on Sunday, shooting 67 and just missing several birdie putts, finishing in third place at -14. McIlroy has now finished in the Top 5 in 9 of his last 10 professional golf events.

Tiger Woods withdrew on the 12th hole, after noticeably limping and stretching his left leg. Reports are that Woods has re-injured his left Achilles tendon, which he initially injured at the 2011 Masters. It doesn’t appear to be the left knee, which has undergone surgeries in recent years. His expected return date is unknown.

Full PGA Tour Leaderboard

WGT GOLF UPDATE: 2012 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral Preview

pharrison — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:01:00 GMT

The 2012 World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship kicks off this week at the famed TPC Blue Monster at Doral in Florida.

The TPC Blue Monster at Doral is one of the most well-known courses on the PGA Tour. Measuring 7,266 yards with generous fairways and undulating greens, as well as a number of water holes, including the iconic par-4 18th hole - nicknamed the Blue Monster - where water runs along the left side of the hole from tee to green, ranked as the 33rd most difficult (+0.311) on tour last season, so should make for some exciting finishes.

All eyes are on Rory McIlroy, defending his new #1 world ranking, as well as Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood, who are coming off low rounds last weekend. The defending champ is Nick Watney, and watch-out for Phil Mickelson, a previous winner here and coming off that playoff loss at the Northern Trust last month.

On a related note, Donald Trump is purchasing the Doral resort for $150 million, and planning to renovate the facilities in 2013, so Mr. Trump is sure to keep Doral in the headlines next year.

TV Schedule: The tournament will be broadcast on the Golf Channel and NBC Sports, check your local listings:

Thurs, March 8 from 1pm - 6pm ET
Fri, March 9 from 1pm - 6pm ET
Sat, March 10 from 11am - 6pm ET
Sun, March 11 from 12pm - 7pm ET

Video: Check out some of the memorable moments from the WGC-Cadillac Championship's history.