Golf Articles

1/21/2013

Abu Dhabi ends amid different script

Updated: January 20, 2013, 12:05 PM ET

By Bob Harig | ESPN.com

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- The week began with the famous Sean Foley client as well as the newest Nike endorser grabbing all the headlines, creating the buzz and towering over the rest of the field at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

[+] Enlarge Olesen

Scott Halleran/Getty ImagesThorbjorn Olesen might not have been the highest paid, most well known new Nike endorser to play this week, but he was the highest finisher of the company's stable of golfers with his T-2 finish in Abu Dhabi.

But in the end, unheralded Jamie Donaldson earned the victory at the $2.7 million tournament, the Welshman taking home far less than either of the tournament headliners who bowed out on Friday with their appearance fees still intact.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy were long gone when Donaldson, a journeyman on the European Tour, 3-putted the final green to give both Justin RoseThorbjorn Olesen (who also just made the change over to Nike clubs like McIlroy) a chance to force a playoff. Neither Rose nor Olesen could get birdie putts to drop on the 18th green, however, leaving Donaldson a winner for the second time in his career.

For the second straight year, an under-the-radar player whom nobody was talking about amid all the pretournament hype walked off with the Falcon trophy.

Last year it was Englishman Robert Rock, who outplayed Woods in the final round to secure his second European Tour title, with McIlroy finishing second and Woods tied for third.

This year it was Donaldson, who managed a final-round 68 to surge past 54-hole leader Rose. Donaldson's lone previous victory was at last year's Irish Open.

"Obviously the lads, some of the top names, didn't make the cut," said Donaldson, 37, who earned $450,000 for the victory -- or less than half of what McIlroy received just to show up and some $2.5 million less than Woods.

Rose, who like Woods works with Foley and has been playing well for months, led after each of the first three rounds and appeared poised to capture his season-opening event after a strong end to 2012 in which he starred for the European Ryder Cup team, won a lucrative exhibition in Turkey and finished outside of the top 11 just once in his last six starts, including a runner-up to McIlroy eight weeks ago in Dubai.

"You want to close out with a chance to win when you have it and didn't do that today, but I didn't do a lot wrong, either," said Rose, 32, a five-time winner on the European Tour as well as a four-time winner on the PGA Tour; he won the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral last year, a victory that counts on both circuits.

Abu Dhabi Golf Championship Leaderboard

1. Jamie Donaldson (-14)
T-2. Justin Rose (-13)
T-2. Thorbjorn Olesen (-13)
4. Ricardo Santos (-11)
5. Branden Grace (-10)
• Complete scores

"It's hard to beat yourself up about it. Jamie played a good round of golf today and Thorbjorn did as well. I did some things on the back nine that really, really counted, to be honest. I made some good putts and I hit a good putt at 18. I really was enjoying that last hole to try to make birdie, force the [playoff]. And made four-and-a-half."

Rose has been working with Foley for several years and has often credited his instructor's help to get his game turned around. It was hard to find much fault with Rose's performance here, other than coming up 1 shot short. Rose heads to the Qatar Masters this week before returning to the United States and his PGA Tour schedule.

Olesen, like McIlroy, is 23. Earlier this year, like McIlroy, who is also 23, he signed with Nike. Both are from Europe.

Of course, the similarities end there, as there are likely a few extra zeroes on McIlroy's endorsement checks and a far meatier résumé. Nonetheless, Olesen, who is from Denmark, has proved himself to be a solid up-and-coming player.

He contended in Abu Dhabi last year and was paired with Woods during the third round of the Open Championship at Royal Lytham, where he shot 1 stroke higher that day but came away feeling good about himself and went on to tie for ninth.

"It was a dream for me to play with him, especially in a major, in the second-to-last group," said Olesen, who went on to capture the Italian Open later in the year. "And I got a lot of confidence from it. I started a bit shaky but played well and got more belief in myself. It was nice."

Olesen later won the Italian Open for his first tour title and finished among the top 50 in the world at the end of the year, meaning a Masters invitation to play this April. Olesen is also expected to play the WGC-Accenture Match Play and WGC-Cadillac Championship in the coming months.

Like McIlroy, Olesen showed up in Nike gear this year and a bag full of new clubs, but he got his first taste of it in competition last week at the Volvo Champions in South Africa, where he tied for 31st. Few outside of Denmark new of his new affiliation, one that became a source of irony given McIlroy's struggles this week.

ESPN GOLFCENTER

From golf instruction that will help you play the game better to all sorts of equipment that can help you lower your scores, our new ESPN GolfCenter page brings it all together.
Check out ESPN GolfCenter

"He was under a lot of pressure," Olesen said of McIlroy. "It was probably good for me that nobody concentrated on me and I could do my own thing."

That wasn't the case for Rose, who led nearly the entire tournament, a surprise to no one as he is the fifth-ranked player in the world. If he were to consult with Foley, there wouldn't be much to say other than to keep on doing what you're doing -- and maybe get some good fortune, with a putt on the last green that lipped out.

"It reminded me exactly of the putt at 18 against Phil [Mickelson] at Medinah," Rose said of the birdie he dropped to pull out a huge singles match on the final day of the Ryder Cup, one that helped fuel Europe's comeback. "Just outside right edge and that's exactly where I hit it, and unfortunately this time the putt didn't go in for me.

"Would I swap it? No, I wouldn't."

amie Donaldson wins in Abu Dhabi

Updated: January 20, 2013, 11:51 AM ET

Associated Press

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Jamie Donaldson won the Abu Dhabi Championship by one shot Sunday, with Justin Rose narrowly missing a birdie putt on the 18th that would have forced a playoff.

Harig: Best Laid Plans ...

The finish to the Abu Dhabi Championship didn't go as planned, but a Sean Foley pupil and new Nike endorser made it interesting to the end, Bob Harig writes. Column

Rose's 8-foot putt rimmed out of the hole, giving the Welshman his second European Tour victory. He shot a 68 to finish at 14-under 274.

Rose (71) threw his club up in the air in frustration while Donaldson flashed a relieved smile. Rose tied for second with Thorbjorn Olesen (69) of Denmark, who also failed to force a playoff on the 18th when his 15-foot birdie putt rolled past the hole. Olesen, playing with Rose, had putted first.

"It was a tough field, brutal golf course," said Donaldson, whose win will move him in into the world's top 30.

It was fifth-ranked Rose's tournament to lose. The Englishman had a two-shot lead over Donaldson and Olesen and led all week, hitting greens and making timely putts. But he was shaky from the start Sunday, scrambling early to save pars and then hitting errant drives on Nos. 5, 11 and 16 that led to bogeys, while finding it difficult to read the greens.

Abu Dhabi Golf Championship Leaderboard

1. Jamie Donaldson (-14)
T-2. Justin Rose (-13)
T-2. Thorbjorn Olesen (-13)
4. Ricardo Santos (-11)
5. Branden Grace (-10)
• Complete scores

"It was definitely hard work today," Rose said. "You want to close out with a chance to win when you have it and didn't do that today. But I didn't do a lot wrong, either."

The 47th-ranked Donaldson won his first tournament last year in his 266th European Tour event.

After Rose hit a drive into the trees for a bogey on No. 16 then missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th, Donaldson appeared in control. But the Welshman didn't make it easy for himself. He missed a long birdie putt on the final hole and then a 5-foot putt for par. He settled for a bogey and figured there would be a playoff.

"It was annoying to finish like that," Donaldson said. "But you need a little luck sometimes in golf to win."

Weaver: Men in blue 'were tremendous'

January, 20, 2013

JAN 20

4:34

PM ET

By Gordon Edes | ESPNBoston.com

On the March day in 1996 when Earl Weaver was elected to the Hall of Fame, his wife, Marianna, rushed out of their home, borrowed a ride on a golf cart and rushed to the ninth hole to give him the news.

For a moment, Earl said, his knees grew weak and his hands shook, and he bogeyed the hole. But he rallied, he said, to win the round against the rest of his foursome.

"I'm 65, I got my Medicare card, and I shot 80 today," Weaver told me later that day.

I was working for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel at the time, and Weaver was a long-time resident of nearby Pembroke Pines -- coincidentally, the same town in which new Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli went to high school.

I thought back on my conversation with Weaver that day upon hearing Saturday that he had died at the age of 82. Weaver, of course, was famous for battling umpires, earning 91 ejections over the course of his 17-year career.

"The last thing my mother used to say to me before I'd go to the ballpark was 'Please, don't get thrown out,'" Weaver said that day. "Every time I did, I called and said I was sorry."

And for that day, at least, he was willing to pay tribute to the men in blue.

"While I was manager, they made about 20,000 calls, including balls and strikes," he said. "And I only thought they got about 90 of 'em wrong.

"And the greatest thing is, when I walked up to home plate [the game after an ejection], their minds were clear, like yesterday never happened. That's my tribute to them. They were tremendous."

Brian Gay wins 4th tour title

Updated: January 20, 2013, 11:10 PM ET

Associated Press

LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Brian Gay found the extra distance he was looking for without sacrificing control.

That was clear late Sunday afternoon in the Humana Challenge when Gay cracked a 300-yard drive down the center of the fairway to set up a birdie on the first playoff hole.

A few minutes later, he split the fairway with a 297-yarder and made another birdie to hold off Charles Howell III for his fourth PGA Tour title.

More from ESPN.com

Brian Gay knows a lot about beating the odds, which makes his come-from-behind win Sunday at the Humana Challenge not all that surprising, writes Farrell Evans.Story

"I'm still in a little bit of shock," Gay said. "It kind of happened so fast there at the end the way things went down. Last year was a struggle. It was a long year, a lot of work. I just wanted to come out this year kind of refocused, recharged, and believing in myself."

Gay won on the par-4 10th, putting his 9-iron second shot 5½ feet below the hole. Howell drove into the right rough, hit into the back bunker, blasted out to 15 feet and two-putted for bogey.

The 41-year-old Gay, hardly an imposing figure at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, worked hard last year with Grant Waite and Joe Mayo to increase his driving distance.

"My whole game's been about accuracy and short game," Gay said. "I've always been a short hitter on the tour and I felt like as I was getting older I'm only going to get shorter and shorter. ... It was tough last year trying to play making those changes."

Gay closed with a 9-under 63 on PGA West's Arnold Palmer Private Course to match Howell and Swedish rookie David Lingmerth at 25-under 263. Howell shot a 64, and Lingmerth had a 62.

Lingmerth dropped out with a bogey on the first extra hole -- the par-5 18th -- after hitting his approach into the left-side water.

Scott Stallings, five strokes ahead entering the round, bogeyed the final hole for a 70 to miss the playoff by a stroke. Gay began the round six strokes behind Stallings.

"The thoughts were, 'Just be aggressive, shoot as low as you can,' " Gay said.

Howell tied for second a week after opening the season with a third-place tie in Hawaii in the Sony Open. He won the last of his two tour titles in 2007.

"Anybody that says that that golf is fun or whatever, has really not done it for a living," Howell said. "I would never characterize this as fun. It's different than that. It's awfully challenging mentally."

After birdieing nine of the first 13 holes, Gay finished regulation with five straight pars. On the 18th, he hit into the right greenside rough, chipped past the hole and missed an 8-foot birdie try.

"I felt like I gave one back with a par on 18," Gay said. "I was happy to be in the playoff."

Given a second chance, he outlasted Howell for his first victory since the 2009 St. Jude Classic. He also won the 2008 Mayakoba Golf Classic and 2009 Verizon Heritage.

Humana Challenge Leaderboard

1. Gay (-25)*
T-2. Howell III (-25)
T-2. Lingmerth (-25)
T-4. Hahn (-24)
T-4. Stallings (-24)
T-6. Thompson (-23)
T-6. Palmer (-23)
* Won in playoff

• Complete scores

Playing in the second-to-last group, Howell had a chance to pull ahead on the final hole of regulation, but left his approach about 85 feet short and three-putted for par. His 5-foot birdie try made a sharp left turn inches from hole.

"Quite honestly, going into the day, I didn't really think that anybody had a chance apart from Scott," Howell said. "He's won before, he hits it long enough to take advantage of the par 5s. At 22 under, I figured if he shoots 6, 7 under, he's really not catchable. So, then to have a chance there in regulation, that's where I really would like that one back, that three-putt there."

Needing a birdie to win and a par to get into a playoff, Stallings hit a 315-yard drive on the 18th to set up a 6-iron approach from 220 yards. His ball landed in the left rough, bounced into the rocks and trickled into the water. He took a penalty drop, chipped to 10 feet and missed his par try.

"I felt great. There wasn't any nerves or anything like that going into it," Stallings said. "Just hit a bad shot. Same thing that happened on 14. ... Coming down the stretch on the 72nd hole, you can't make mistakes like that. It stinks, but it's something that I'll definitely learn from."

The two-time tour winner saved par on the par-5 14th after driving into the All-American Canal on the right side, but dropped a stroke on the par-4 16th after his 4-iron tee shot went farther than he expected and ended up in the lip of a fairway bunker.

"You're going to have your good days and your bad days, but if you live and die with every shot out there, your career is not going to last very long out there," Stallings said.

Making his second career PGA Tour start, Lingmerth hit his 4-iron approach way left into the water in the playoff. He had an awkward stance with the ball above his feet.

"I didn't feel that comfortable over it, obviously," Lingmerth said. "I just hit a bad shot."

Phil Mickelson had a 66 to tie for 37th at 17 under in his season debut.

"I was rusty starting the year," Mickelson said. "I had a great four days here where I can work on my game with perfect weather and wonderful golf courses, where I could build some momentum. Heading into San Diego, I feel a lot more confident."

Divots: James Hahn eagled the 18th for a 62 to tie for fourth with Stallings. ... Russell Henley, the Sony Open winner last week in his first start as a PGA Tour member, tied for 56th at 15 under after a 69. ... FedEx Cup champion Brandt Snedeker shot a 67 to tie for 23rd at 19 under. He was the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 8.

amie Donaldson wins in Abu Dhabi

Updated: January 20, 2013, 11:51 AM ET

Associated Press

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Jamie Donaldson won the Abu Dhabi Championship by one shot Sunday, with Justin Rose narrowly missing a birdie putt on the 18th that would have forced a playoff.

Harig: Best Laid Plans ...

The finish to the Abu Dhabi Championship didn't go as planned, but a Sean Foley pupil and new Nike endorser made it interesting to the end, Bob Harig writes. Column

Rose's 8-foot putt rimmed out of the hole, giving the Welshman his second European Tour victory. He shot a 68 to finish at 14-under 274.

"It was a tough field, brutal golf course," said Donaldson, whose win will move him in into the world's top 30.

Abu Dhabi Golf Championship Leaderboard

1. Jamie Donaldson (-14)
T-2. Justin Rose (-13)
T-2. Thorbjorn Olesen (-13)
4. Ricardo Santos (-11)
5. Branden Grace (-10)
• Complete scores

"It was definitely hard work today," Rose said. "You want to close out with a chance to win when you have it and didn't do that today. But I didn't do a lot wrong, either."

The 47th-ranked Donaldson won his first tournament last year in his 266th European Tour event.

"It was annoying to finish like that," Donaldson said. "But you need a little luck sometimes in golf to win."

1/19/2013

Video: This shot pretty much sums up Rory McIlroy’s first round of 2013

There wasn't a lot you could say about Rory McIlroy's first round of 2013 with his new clothes, his new clubs and his new, thicker wallet. The boy wonder was paired once again with Tiger Woods, his buddy and now coworker of sorts, and it was on live television and there was plenty of hype for a tournament that doesn't mean a lot in the big scheme of this season.

But off Rory went with his Nike gear and his Nike clubs and apparently without a golf swing. McIlroy stumbled to an opening round 75 that included two double-bogeys and basically not much positive (Woods finished at even-par, saying afterwards that the windy day at Abu Dhabi was basically a survival day, which seemed about right with the leaders only at 5-under).

The swing you see above is Rory's second shot on the par-5 18th, and well, yikes. The announcer there sums it up nicely when he says, "that's as ugly a shot as I've seen Rory hit in a long, long time, what happened there?!"

Not to get on Rory's back or anything, but I will simply say that this was a pretty big week in the young golfer's life. He announced a change that will be a big part of his career for the next decade and he did it with a pretty big splash. His golf game will show up once more, don't worry about that, and things will be fine before he leaves Abu Dhabi, but for now, there is Rory McIlroy hitting a snap-hook that even your dad would be disappointed with.

Darts in the dark: Humana pick, Robert Garrigus

Robert Garrigus — Getty ImagesThis year I was coerced by a hockey writing friend of mine to do a weekly one-and-done golf pool that allows you to pick one golfer never to use them again in 2013. Since I'm doing it for fun (and DEFINITELY not for money, no way, no how), I figured I'd post my weekly picks here, with who I've already used under it and my record for the year, and against the others in the pool. We're calling this Darts in the Dark.

Humana Challenge pick: Robert Garrigus

He's arguably one of the best ball-strikers in the game, and he ended his 2012 season on fire with two T-2 in his final three starts.

A year ago he started his season at PGA West and nearly won despite an opening round 73 (he still shot 22-under, insane at this tournament with such a poor start).

Garrigus is the type of player that can go SUPER low if he's making a few putts, and you must do that this week if you want to have a chance to win.

Season Stats
Wins - 0
Top-10s - 1
Top-20s - 0
Missed Cuts - 1

Current Pool Standing - T-11 out of 69 players

Already used - Steve Stricker (2nd at Hyundai), Mark Wilson (MC at Sony)