2013 PGA Annual Meeting will focus on strategic plan for growing

 

SAN DIEGO - More than 350 PGA Professionals are expected to gather this week (Nov. 21-23) at the San Diego Hotel & Marina for the 97th PGA Annual Meeting. Delegates, comprised of PGA Board members, Past Presidents and representatives of all 41 PGA Sections, will bring into focus the plans that The PGA is developing to further advance golf and empower PGA Professionals to grow the game.
 

Following the theme of "Charting Our Course," delegates will experience a highly interactive and engaging Annual Meeting, through such new elements such as a PGA Annual Meeting App (which delegates can download in advance), and a live Twitter feed. PGA leaders also will hear from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who will focus his keynote address on leadership, and PGA member Lee Trevino, the recipient of the 2013 PGA Distinguished Service Award.
 

"To be able to glean insight from such notable figures as Mayor Giuliani and Lee Trevino is a rare opportunity for our delegates," said PGA of America President Ted Bishop. "It's exciting to hear from high-profile figures and I also want our delegates to be heard and know that their input is part of the collaborative effort to better serve our members and the game."
 

WEDNESDAY PHOTO GALLERY: The PGA at the San Diego Golf Festival

 

Joining Bishop and Chief Executive Officer Pete Bevacqua are Vice President Derek Sprague and Secretary Paul Levy. In San Diego, they will call upon the delegates, representing the 27,000 men and women PGA Professionals, to produce greater dialogue and conversation at the Association's largest governance event.
 

In addition to the remarks from Giuliani on Saturday, Nov. 23, seven new members of the PGA Board of Directors will be sworn in, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Lynn Swann, who will become one of two Independent Directors on the Board. The others to be sworn in (all serve three-year terms):
 

" District 1 Director: Donnie Lyons, PGA general manager and director of golf, Town of Lynnfield (Mass.) - Reedy Meadow Golf Course & King Rail Golf Course. (Connecticut, New England, Northeastern New York)

" District 2 Director: Dan Pasternak, PGA general manager, Panther Valley Golf and Country Club, Allamuchy, N.J. (Metropolitan, New Jersey, Philadelphia)

" District 5 Director: Chad Seymour, PGA head professional, Westfield Group Country Club, Westfield Center, Ohio (Michigan, Northern Ohio, Southern Ohio)

" District 10 Director: Rick Murphy, Rick Murphy Golf & Practice Center, Greensboro, N.C. (Carolinas, Kentucky, Middle Atlantic)

" District 13 Director: Jack Binswanger, owner/manager, Village Green Golf Club, Sarasota, Fla. (Georgia, North Florida, South Florida)

" District 14 Director: Dan Hill, PGA Master Professional, Broadmoor Golf Club, Seattle, Wash. (Pacific Northwest, Southwest)
 

Bob Beach, PGA head professional at Braintree (Mass.) Municipal Golf Course, will receive the fifth annual Patriot Award, honoring a PGA Professional who personifies patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrates unwavering commitment and dedication to the industry.

The Tennessee PGA Section will be honored with the Herb Graffis Award for extraordinary and exemplary contributions in Player Development whether by conducting or supporting Play Golf America initiatives.
 

About The PGA of America

Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.

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Miguel Angel Jimenez attracting a new breed of fans to golf

VETERAN American journalist Dan Jenkins once described Miguel Angel Jimenez as having a warm-up routine that would get a stripper arrested. 

              

His belly stands proudly, almost as if to laugh at golf's modern athletes walking by and his curly red pony-tail makes him one of golf's most recognised faces.

He adores fashion, particularly the 50-plus pairs of custom-made golf shoes by Gigi Nebuloni in Milan.

He loves and works on cars - his 1999 Ferrari 550 Maranello his pride and joy.

And then there are the cigars. Plural. "Two or three" a day, he says with more than hint of understatement.

In short, he brings plenty to attract a new audience to the game.

So much so that a hardy bunch of fans have generated a "Bring Miguel Angel Jimenez to Melbourne" Facebook page.

Many of those admirers flocked to "The Mechanic" on Wednesday as he brought his game back to Royal Melbourne for the first time since 1992 to a constant wave of autograph and picture hunters - a fame he takes in his stride.

"I just give to the people something back, no? Do sign, do photos, we're happy, we're smiling - that's part of the deal," the Spaniard said as he prepared for the World Cup with partner Rafael Cabrera Bello.

"I like it here. People here are very nice here. It's nice to be back."

He understands the mingling and even with his 50th birthday little more than a month away, he still loves his golf.

But his passion for cigars knows no bounds, including being a trading partner with golf fanatic and basketball legend Michael Jordan.

"He's a good guy. Every time we see each other we exchange cigars … always Cuban," he said.

As a rule, Jimenez doesn't smoke during tournaments, but in practice rounds and on the range, he totes with him a unique holder that keeps his precious Riojas off the ground so that a quick puff is never far from his reach.

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SHSU Men’s Golf Announces Two Signings

HUNTSVILLE, Texas Sam Houston State men’s golf head coach Brandt Kieschnick announced the signing of two talented junior golfers who will join the program in 2014.

The class includes highly-ranked juniors, Jake McCrory (Pasadena, TX) and William Martinez (Austin, TX).

“This is my second recruiting class and I am very excited and humbled to be able to coach these accomplished players and add them to our talented team,” Kieschnick said. “Last year we signed a great class, including Klein Klotz who was the No. 14 player in the nation in the AJGA Polo Golf Rankings Class of 2013. This is our second year to be able to add top juniors in the nation with Jake being ranked top-60 nationally in AJGA Rankings and No. 74 nationally in Junior Golf Scoreboard. Jake and William have had some incredible success at the national and state level and these players are not afraid to win at the elite level and compete every week with winning as a goal.”

The two players have combined for three AJGA top-three finishes, including McCrory winning the 2013 AJGA Billiard’s Factory Championship. Martinez has had success at the AJGA level with a second and third place finish.

“Both of them want to win at the highest level and have proven they can compete with anybody,” added Kieschnick. “Jake and William will bring their incredible experience to our program and help us win championships. I think they will come in next year and make an immediate impact to an already talented team.”

This group will come to a Bearkat Golf program that has already made a statement this fall winning back-to-back tournaments in only their second year under Kieschnick. This fall, the Bearkat men won the Jim Colbert Intercollegiate hosted by Kansas State – the first time in SHSU Golf history to win a Big 12 hosted event – and the SHSU Harold Funston Invitational.

“I am so excited about our future because both Jake and William committed before we started winning this fall and knew how strong and talented our program was. We have shown this year that we can be explosive with Zach, Klein, and Albert and win multiple tournaments. To be able to add the talent level of Jake and William to this line-up shows that we can achieve whatever we want and, truly, the sky is the limit for SHSU Bearkat Golf,” Kieshnick added.

Jake McCrory
5-6, 130
Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park High School

Notes:
Won 2013 AJGA Billiards Factory Championship at Tournament Course at The Woodlands … on 2013 Starburst Junior Golf Classic … won 2013 Greater Houston City Junior firing a 64 in final round at Redstone Golf Club … won 2013 TJGT Augusta Pines Major … finished second at 2013 LJT-HP Byron Nelson Junior Championship … finished second at 2013 LJT-Texas State Junior Championship … finished second at 2013 HGA Junior Match Play … finished second at 2013 HGA Eddie Burke Sr. Young Houstonian ... finished t-27th at 2013 5A Texas State High School Championship … member of 2013 Jackie Burke Cup Team … ranked No. 8 in Texas by Junior Golf Scoreboard and No. 74 in Nation by Junior Golf Scoreboard … ranked No. 59 in nation for 2014 Class by AJGA Polo Golf Rankings … son of Darren and Vicky McCrory

Coach Kieschnick on Jake McCrory:
“Jake is one of the best junior golfers in Texas and one of the top in the nation in my opinion. He was heavily recruited by Division-1 schools and went on a run this summer where in 10 events he finished first five times and second four times including big wins at AJGA Billiards Factory Championship, Starburst Junior, Greater Houston City Junior with a 64 and then almost won the HP Byron Nelson and Texas State Junior finishing second in both. Jake has a very mature approach to the game that I love and he has a very repeatable golf swing that is proven under pressure. Also Jake knows how to win and he will come in and make an immediate impact.”

William Martinez
5-10, 150
Austin, Texas/Vandergrift High School

Notes:
AJGA Career includes five top-25 finishes, highlighted by two top-three AJGA finishes … finished second at 2012 AJGA Aaron’s/Bob Estes Abilene Junior at Abilene CC which included a second round score of 66 and Finished 3rd at 2012 AJGA Harvey Penick Junior at Austin CC … finished t-8th 2012 Trusted Choice Big “I” National Championship … finished ninth at 2013 LJT-HP Byron Nelson Junior Championship … finished ninth at 2013 LJT-Texas Cup Invitational … finished t-10th at 2013 4A Texas State High School Championship … member of 2012 Jackie Burke Cup Team … coached by renowned instructor Chuck Cook … high school coach is Matt Wernecke, SHSU Bearkat Golf Alum … son of David and Sofia Martinezs

Coach Kieschnick on William:
“William is an extremely talented junior golfer with the capability of making a lot of birdies and excelling at the highest level. He has performed at an elite level and has had the chance to win multiple AJGA, Legends Tour, and State events. I like that he is not afraid to win and get himself in the hunt. William physically has all the shots and mentally he has come into his own on the golf course and with his preparation. I look forward to him getting in the lineup and helping us win championships.”

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World Cup of Golf: Adam Scott's winning streak in danger after horror hole at Royal Melbourne

One horror hole has severely endangered Adam Scott's winning streak but fellow Australian Jason Day is within two shots of the lead after round one of the World Cup.

 

Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and American Kevin Streelman lead the tournament at Royal Melbourne after each shot 5-under-par rounds of 66 on Thursday.

Their two nations also lead the team event, after their respective partners, Dane Thorbjorn Olesen and American Matt Kuchar, each shot even-par to make team totals of 5-under.

Scott, coming off wins in the Australian PGA and Masters, carded a 4-over 75, including a quintuple-bogey when he used three balls off the tee thanks to a mental lapse on the par-4 12th.

Day, dealing with the grief of losing eight relatives in Typhoon Haiyan, shot 68.

While that left the 26-year-old well-poised in the individual event, he and Scott's 1-over total leaves them six shots adrift as they try to win the World Cup for Australia for the first time since 1989.

World number two Scott admitted his mind wandered on the 12th.

His initial tee shot went way right and he lost the ball.

His second went deep into a thick grove of trees and he was unable to play that either.

That meant his third attempt off the tee counted as his fifth shot.

Even that found the rough, his sixth went over the green and he needed a chip and two more putts to complete the horror hole.

"Just a couple of lazy swings today on 12 and I paid the price," Scott told reporters.

"I was just away with the fairies on that hole."

He said a lapse had been inevitable at some point.

"You just can't play good all the time," Scott said.

But he hasn't ruled out a comeback victory, saying with Royal Melbourne's greens getting faster it might not take any spectacular low rounds to rein in the leaders.

"If I can plug away at it I'll maybe claw my way back into it," Scott said.

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McDowell and Lowry struggle at World Cup

Irish players fall off the pace after tough first round at Royal Melbourne  

Graeme McDowell chips out of a greenside bunker on the 18th hole at Royal Melbourne, where he made a double bogey to finish with a one-over par 72 in the opening round of the World Cup.

 

Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry made inauspicious starts to their World Cup campaigns this morning at the American Kevin Streelman and Thomas Bjorn of Denmark set the pace on five-under par 66, while the the headline acts toiled at Royal Melbourne.

As Streelman and Bjorn shared the lead, former major winner McDowell was among the pre-tournament favourites to struggle and came to grief at the par-four sixth with bunker trouble. McDowell blasted his drive into a cavernous sand-trap, then pushed his recovery into another greenside bunker where he was unable to take a full swing.

McDowell could not extricate himself with his third shot and ended up with a double-bogey six. He did enjoy one of the shots of the day, holing a long-range chip for an eagle on the par-four ninth, but stumbled with another double-bogey at the last to finish the day on one-over.

That was three shots better than his team-mate Lowry, who found himself in all sorts of trouble on the demanding layout.

Ireland’s combined score of five over leaves them well down the pecking orderd, in 16th place overall.

Five birdies in six holesStreelman, a late choice to represent the defending champion United States team, had torn up Royal Melbourne’s back nine with five birdies in six holes but dropped shots on the tricky 16th and 18th to card a 66 and join Bjorn on five-under. The pair finished a stroke ahead of Welshman Stuart Manley, South Korea’s KJ Choi and Scotland’s Martin Laird.

“I was very pleased with that start,” Streelman said after upstaging world number seven compatriot Matt Kuchar (71), who won the last World Cup for the US with Gary Woodland in 2011 when it was purely a team event.

“It’s just an incredible golf course, I love it . . . I just had a lot of fun there to be honest.”

The tournament’s format has been changed from being solely a team event to primarily an individual one with a team component. Sixty players are competing for individual honours while 26 two-player teams are competing for the team prize. Having given themselves every chance of winning the individual trophy, Streelman and European Tour journeyman Bjorn also put their nations in the box seat for team honours.

Combined scoreStreelman and Kuchar’s combined score of five-under left the United States level with Denmark’s Bjorn and Thorbjorn Olesen (71), three strokes ahead of Portugal’s Jose-Filipa Lima (71) and Ricardo Santos (69).

Along with fluky gusts of wind, the flint-hard greens at the famed sandbelt course conspired to leave most of the favourites grinding through bogey-strewn back nines, but only one disastrous hole was needed to leave local hero Adam Scott all but out of contention. The world number two had grafted patiently to one-under at the turn but racked up a quintuple-bogey nine at the par-four 12th after putting two tee-shots into a tangle of scrub and losing his first ball.

The 33-year-old put his third tee-shot into light rough before over-cooking his approach and ended up missing a 12-foot putt for eight to post his worst single-hole score in a PGA Tour event for six years. Scott never recovered, finishing four-over, but there was some cheer for local fans as his compatriot Jason Day shot a solid 68 to be two off the pace, alone on three-under.

Day, grieving the loss of eight relatives in the Philippines who were killed in Typhoon Haiyan, rolled in five birdies and two bogeys in his first round in five weeks.

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Masson struggles in Rd. 1 with ROY award looming

NAPLES, Fla. – Caroline Masson was in tears after struggling in the first round of the CME Group Titleholders Thursday at Tiburon.

Playing with her fractured right thumb in a splint, Masson opened with a 5-over-par 77. There’s much at stake for the German this week. She leads a tight points race for the Rolex Rookie of the Year award going into the LPGA’s season finale.

“It’s not the same playing with this splint on,” Masson said through tears.

Masson leads the Rookie of the Year points list with 474. Moriya Jutanugarn is right behind her with 463 and Ayaki Uehara is third with 384. With 150 points up for grabs to the winner, all three have a chance to win the award. They were all paired together Thursday at Tiburon.

Uehara shot 69, Jutanugarn 70.

Masson’s 77 included a quadruple-bogey 8 on the 15^th hole.

Masson broke her thumb playing table tennis a couple days before the Mizuno Classic in Japan two weeks ago.

“What’s hardest is knowing you can’t compete at your best with so much on the line,” Masson said.

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Eight countries named for LPGA's International Crown

NAPLES, Fla. – The oddsmaker may not have set a line on the inaugural International Crown yet, but you can bet the South Koreans will be favored.

The LPGA on Thursday announced the top eight nations that will compete for the International Crown when it makes its debut July 24-27 at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owing Mills, Md.

The eight countries were determined by the Rolex world rankings based on the cumulative rankings of the top four players from each country.

South Korea temporarily holds the top seed with all four of their players among the top 10 in the world. The Americans are the only other nation with more than one player among the top 10. They have two.

While the eight countries are set, the rosters of each won’t be decided until the Monday before the Kraft Nabisco Championship begins next April. The top four players in the Rolex rankings from each qualifying country will make the team.

Here are the eight nations and what the rosters would look like if the International Crown was played today:

1 South Korea: Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu, Na Yeon Choi and I.K. Kim.

2 United States: Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson, Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr.

3 Japan: Ai Miyazato, Mika Miyazato, Sakura Yokomine and Miki Saiki.

4 Spain: Beatriz Recari, Azahara Munoz, Carlota Ciganda and Belen Mozo.

5 Sweden: Caroline Hedwall, Anna Nordqvist, Pernilla Lindberg and Mikeala Parmlid.

6 Thailand: Ariya Jutanugarn, Pornonong Phatlum, Moriya Jutanugarn and Onnarin Sattayabanphot.

7 Taiwan: Yani Tseng, Teresa Lu, Candie Kung and Hsuan-Yu Yao.

8 Australia: Karrie Webb, Katherine Hull-Kirk, Stacey Keating and Lindsey Wright.

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The LPGA's 'Big Three' struggle in Rd. 1 at Tiburon

NAPLES, Fla. – Inbee Park took honors again in the Big Three pairing Thursday at the CME Group Titleholders.

Rolex world No. 1 Park, No. 2 Suzann Pettersen and No. 3 Stacy Lewis played together in the first round at Tiburon.

Park shot 4-under-par 68, Lewis 71 and Pettersen 72.

It was the first time they have all been paired together since the first two rounds of the U.S. Women’s Open at Sebonack, where Park beat Pettersen by a cumulative 19 shots and Lewis by 12.

That beating sparked bold answers from Lewis and Pettersen. Lewis won the very next major, the Ricoh Women’s British Open, and Pettersen won the final major of the year, the Evian Championship.

The trio didn’t exactly light it up early on Thursday at Tiburon.

“It was definitely some boring golf,” Lewis said.

Lewis birdied the final two holes to get under par. She holed a 6-footer at the 17^th and a 15-footer at the 18^th.

“It was a bit frustrating, but definitely ended on a good note,” Lewis said. “Making those last two birdies was huge.”

The Big Three have combined to win 13 of 27 LPGA events this year and all of the majors. They won’t be paired together again Friday with the LPGA re-pairing after every round.

There’s a lot at stake still for the trio. Pettersen can overtake Park as Rolex No. 1 with a win or second-place finish, depending on how Park finishes. All three are still in the running for the money-winning title and the Vare Trophy for low scoring average.

 

Lewis will be paired with Lydia Ko and Chella Choi (9 a.m.).

 

Park goes off with Sun Young Yoo and Brittany Lang (10:28 a.m.).

 

Pettersen goes off with Michelle Wie and I.K. Kim (9:33 a.m.).

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Ko stays calm, cards 71 in pro debut

NAPLES, Fla. – Lydia Ko’s hands weren’t shaking.

Her knees weren’t wobbly.

The 16-year-old from New Zealand didn’t seemed fazed standing over her first tee shot as a pro Thursday in the start of the CME Group Titleholders at Tiburon.

That impressed Michelle Wie.

Playing alongside Ko, Wie’s mind raced back to her own debut as a pro at the Samsung World Championship eight years ago. Wie was 15.

“I remember my first shot,” Wie said. “I was actually telling Lydia about it as we were walking. I remember at Big Horn at the first hole, it was uphill. I hit my 3-wood, and I remember hitting it just a little bit thin, and I was just shaking. I was so nervous. I remember hitting the first fairway and just throwing my hands up in the air, I was so happy.

“Lydia looked calm, a lot calmer than I looked.”

Pro debuts are unpredictable experiences. Wie left hers with a sour taste in her mouth. She was disqualified in the Sunday finish at Big Horn after it was deemed she took an illegal drop during the third round.

Ko striped her first tee shot at Tiburon into the fairway, but she didn’t look comfortable early in her debut, even though she said she felt surprisingly at ease grinding out a 1-under-par 71.

She’s tied for 30th.

“It didn’t feel too odd or special,” Ko said. “That actually surprised me. I thought I was going to be nervous.”

Ko missed good birdie chances at the first and second holes, missing putts from 5 and 10 feet.

And then she uncharacteristically made a mess of the third hole, making her first double bogey as a pro before making her first birdie. She hooked her tee shot into the trees and onto pine straw. From there, she hooked her second shot, a 7-iron, through some more trees, her ball squirting out onto coquina into a sandy waste area.

“I was trying to hook it [around the trees], but I think I was too ambitious,” Ko said.

Ko chunked her third shot, unable to get it out of the waste area. Then she clumsily knocked her fourth well past the hole. She two putted for six.

Ko made another bogey at the seventh, missing a 2-foot putt for par.

“It was a silly mistake,” Ko said. “I have a tendency to kind of jam the putt in with the short ones. I think I tried to do that, but on a slight downhill slope it was too much.”

Ko didn’t betray any frustration going 3-over through seven holes. She was her typically unaffected self. In fact, she bounced back at the eighth hole to make her first birdie as a pro, knocking in a 12-footer. She made four birdies to get under par over the final 11 holes.

“Getting angry obviously doesn’t help my game,” Ko said. “So, I just tried to stay calm.”

Ko is making her 12th LPGA start this year, but the first where she can take home a check. She left $934,000 on the table playing as an amateur in LPGA tournaments this year. Notably, her pro debut is coming with the largest first-place check in women’s golf up for grabs. There’s $700,000 waiting for the winner.

“One of the good things was I actually wasn’t thinking about any money or related stuff,” Ko said. “I just tried to play my game, which was obviously very helpful.”

Ko’s game has already been good enough to win two LPGA events before her 17th birthday. She will be looking to step up and make it three this weekend.

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USGA acquires Peskin golf photo collection

The USGA has reached an agreement to acquire the archives of noted golf photographer Hy Peskin, the governing body announced in a release Thursday.

The collection now available to the USGA museum includes 1,700 images, though none is more notable than Peskin's shot of Ben Hogan's 1-iron approach to the 72nd green at the 1950 U.S. Open at Merion.

"Hy Peskin was a pioneer in sports photography who documented some of the greatest in the history of golf," said Robert Williams, director of the USGA museum, as part of the release. "We are excited to have the opportunity to be the caretakers of his collection."

Peskin, who was the first staff photographer hired at Sports Illustrated, died in 2005 at age 89.

"It has always been important to our family that Hy's work find a place to be revered," said Preston Reynolds, Peskin's son.

Peskin's image of Hogan after his approach to the 18th green in 1950 remains one of the most famous golf images of all time. Hogan went on to par the hole to force an 18-hole playoff with Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio, which Hogan won to claim the second of his four career U.S. Open titles just 16 months after a near-fatal car crash. This June, the USGA hosted the U.S. Open at Merion for the fourth time, with Justin Rose winning his first major title by two shots over Phil Mickelson and Jason Day.

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Gal leads; Ko shoots 71 in pro debut

NAPLES, Fla. – Lydia Ko didn't feel any differently on the first tee Thursday than she has at any other LPGA Tour events she has played, even the two that she won. It just took her a few hours before she started producing the kind of golf that brought so much attention to her professional debut.

The 16-year-old from New Zealand overcame a double bogey on her third hole with three birdies on the back nine at Tiburon Golf Club for a 1-under 71.

Ko was seven shots behind Sandra Gal of Germany, who opened with six straight birdies on her way to a 64.

Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Canada had six birdies on the back nine for a 65. Another shot behind was a group that included Lexi Thompson, coming off a win last week in Mexico, and Anna Nordqvist, who can make more money by winning the CME LPGA Titleholders than she has all year.

First place is worth $700,000, the biggest payoff in women's golf.

Ko wasn't thinking about money, even though this is the first event where she can take home a paycheck – and there is no cut in the 69-player field.

The starter introduced her by asking the gallery of about 100 people to ''welcome to the LPGA Tour, Lydia Ko.'' She calmly hit driver down the left side of the fairway on the par-5 opening hole.

''Just normal,'' Ko said. ''I didn't feel too odd or special or slow or whatever today. That actually surprised me. I thought I would be much more nervous. And actually, one of the good things was I wasn't thinking about any money or related stuff. I just tried to play my game, which was obviously very helpful.''

She missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the first hole, and then really ran into problems on the third. Ko pulled her tee shot through a waste area of coquina pebbles and just into the pine straw. She tried to play a draw toward the right side of the green, but was distracted when her club clipped a branch at the top of her swing, and her foot slipped. She didn't get out of the waste area, and then took two more shots to reach the green and made a 4-footer for double bogey.

''I think I was a bit too ambitious,'' she said. ''A 7-iron down the right side would have given me more than an opportunity to make up-and-down for par.''

It probably wasn't a coincidence that Michelle Wie played in the same group. Wie also was 16 when she made her pro debut in the 2005 Samsung World Championship at Bighorn, a small field with no cut. She opened with a 70.

''On the first tee, watching her hit, I remembered my first shot,'' Wie said. ''I remember shaking on the first tee. I hit the fairway and my hands went up in the air. There were definitely flashbacks to when I hit. She played great today. She looked calm – a lot calmer than I looked.''

Ko can only hope for a better outcome.

Wie tied for fourth in her pro debut, but she didn't get the $53,126 because LPGA Tour officials determined she had taken a penalty drop in the wrong spot. She was disqualified for signing for the wrong score.

Ko did well not to let the round get away from her. She turned a birdie chance into a shocking bogey on No. 7 with a three-putt from just inside 15 feet, missing a 2-footer for par when she tried to jam it into the back of the hole. That put her at 3-over through seven holes, as Gal was making birdie on the other side of the course on every hole.

''My birdie on 8 definitely helped,'' she said. ''It kind of came in from the back of the hole, which was quite interesting. I thought I had missed it. I gave myself opportunities, and par is sometimes good. All I can do is just set up birdie putts, and then some will go in and some won't.''

They were dropping for Gal. She shot to the top of the leaderboard, settled into a string of pars, and then had a big finish. Unlike the teenager, Gal was thinking about money, or at least the breakdown. The prize distribution from the $2 million purse is heavy at the top – $700,000 for first place, while second place pays just over $139,000 and third place is about $100,000.

''I thought this tournament was a little different than the other ones, so I thought, 'I'm just going to be really aggressive and just go for everything,' because really all you want to do is win here,'' Gal said. ''Any other place it doesn't really matter that much. So that's kind of the mindset I had and I think that really helped me, and I just kept rolling in putts. So that was kind of fun.''

The ''Big 3'' didn't have that much fun – Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen and Stacy Lewis. They are the top three in the world and the LPGA Tour money list. Park, who already clinched player of the year, had a 68. Lewis made late birdies for a 71, while Pettersen opened with a 72. Pettersen and Lewis have to win to have any chance of claiming the money title.

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Bjorn, Streelman share World Cup of Golf lead

Melbourne, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) - Thomas Bjorn and Kevin Streelman carded matching 5-under 66s on Thursday to share the lead following the opening round of the World Cup of Golf.

K.J. Choi, Martin Laird and Stuart Manley shared third place at 4-under 67, while Jason Day sat alone in sixth place at Royal Melbourne Golf Club after shooting a 3-under 68 during his first round.

Danny Willett and Ricardo Santos each shot a 69 to tie for seventh.

The tournament consists of 60 players representing 34 different countries based on the Official World Golf Ranking and includes both an individual and team competition. The top two players from each country will be teamed up and their scores will combine to account for their team score.

Bjorn quickly got on the board with a birdie at the second, but then dropped to 1-over with a 4-putt double-bogey 6 at the fourth.

He would not drop another shot for the rest of the day, however, and later got those two strokes back with a pair of gains at the sixth and ninth.

After opening his inward nine with a par at the 10th, he moved to 2-under with a birdie at the 11th.

The Dane later closed his round with three birdies in a four-hole span from the 15th to jump ahead of early clubhouse leaders Choi and Manley, and grab sole possession of first place at 5-under.

"I thought, 'Well, this could be a long day,' but I just kind of kept my composure and made some good birdies and kept playing solid," Bjorn said about his early double bogey. "It is, in my eyes, probably the finest golf course you can ever play."

Streelman, meanwhile, recorded back-to-back birdies at the second and third to go along with seven pars to make the turn at 2-under.

He then reeled off three straight birdies from the 10th to grab a share of the lead before adding another pair of gains at the 14th and 15th to take the outright lead at 7-under.

But he would struggle from there, tripping to bogeys at the 16th and 18th to fall back to 5-under and into a tie with Bjorn.

"I made some good birdie putts today and some par saves as well, so pretty happy," said Streelman.

Laird and Manley each countered a lone bogey with five birdies to claim their share of third place, while Choi recorded six birdies and two bogeys during his opening round.

NOTES: Streelman's and Bjorn's scores also allowed the United States and Denmark to share the team lead. Streelman is teamed with Matt Kuchar for the Americans, while Bjorn is teamed with Thorbjorn Olesen for the Danes. Kuchar and Olesen both shot 71 on Thursday ... Kuchar won the team event with Gary Woodland the last time this tournament was contested in 2011 ... Streelman is holding at least a share of the first-round lead for the second time in his career.

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Tseng withdraws from CME Group Titleholders

NAPLES, Fla. – Yani Tseng has withdrawn from the CME Group Titleholders while she continues to heal from hernia surgery, but she’s hopeful she will be ready to return in two weeks at the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters in her Taiwanese homeland.

Tseng underwent hernia surgery on Oct. 30. Her management team reports she started back chipping and putting last week and is making light swings this week.

The Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters is an official event for both the Taiwan Ladies Professional Golf Association and Korean LPGA.

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Park, Pettersen, Lewis grouped at CME Titleholders

NAPLES, Fla. – Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen and Stacy Lewis get one more chance to make an impression on each other before the 2013 season ends.

The Rolex No. 1-2-3 players in the world are all paired together in Thursday’s start of the season-ending CME Group Titleholders at Tiburon. They are scheduled to tee off the first hole at 10:41 a.m.

The trio has combined to win 13 of 27 LPGA events this year and all the majors.

“I think it's always nice to have a rival, especially this year,” said Park, who has already clinched Rolex Player of the Year. “Stacy and Suzann have been very good competitors for me, and they really pushed me to play better. I think if it wasn't for them, I don't think I'd be able to achieve what I achieved so far, because they made me realize how much I really wanted to stand here.

“But, honestly, I don't really want to think about Suzann or Stacy anymore, because I've been thinking about them so much this year.”

Lewis won the Rolex Player of the Year award last year and believes this year was equally good for her. Lewis won three times this season with a tour-best 18 top-10 finishes. She won four times last year with fewer top 10s.

“I've played pretty similar to last year,” Lewis said. “It's just Inbee and Suzann are also playing really good, too. But it's been fun this year, kind of having the three of us going back and forth. I almost feel like this year's been better than last year, but I ended up third in the Player of the Year standings. So, it just shows how good they've played.”

Though Park has wrapped up POY, there are still some big prizes left to be taken this week. The No. 1 world ranking is in play for Pettersen. The LPGA money-winning title and the Vare Trophy for low scoring average are still in play for all three players.

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Stenson's caddie buys Ferrari after dream season

Henrik Stenson earned just shy of $20 million (including bonus money) during the 2013 season, a figure so staggering that now even those around him can live lavishly.

Take his caddie, Gareth Lord, for instance. 

The 2008 Caddie of the Year (when he was on the bag for one of Stenson’s friends, Robert Karlsson) pocketed so much dough this year that he recently treated himself to a Ferrari,according to the Daily Mail.

The report didn’t indicate which model Lord chose, but this much is clear: Stenson’s caddie’s ride is now one of the best that will pull into the golf course valet. Even Ferrari connoisseur Ian Poulter has to be impressed.

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Stenson eyes major title after 2013 double

Fresh off winning the Race to Dubai title, his second season-long crown of 2013, Henrik Stenson is now after the title that has eluded him the most: a major.

"A major championship would obviously be the one thing missing missing on my resume," the Swede explained during a conference call Wednesday. "It's one of the tougher things to achieve; that's why they call it a major."

Stenson has had no shortage of chances in the majors, specifically in 2013. The second-half surge that helped net the 37-year-old the FedEx Cup title in advance of his Race to Dubai win was sparked by his runner-up finish to Phil Mickelson at the British Open and his third-place showing at the PGA Championship three weeks later.

"I am also very excited because I felt at the Open Championship and the U.S. PGA I probably didn't play the best out of all these weeks. And I still came close," noted Stenson, who remained No. 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings after his win in Dubai. "If things would have fallen my way, I would have potentially won both those majors this summer."

Though Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam brought 10 LPGA majors back to her native Sweden, a Swede has yet to claim a major title in the men's game. It's a distinction that remains at the forefront of Stenson's agenda heading into 2014 as he looks to add to his trophy case, one that now includes a Tour Championship in addition to his Players Championship from 2009. 

"I would love to be the first male golfer from Sweden to win a major championship. That would be great, but if one of my colleagues from Sweden do it, that would be great, too," he added. "Whether I am first or second is of less relevance as long as I can win one."

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McDowell sheds light on 2016 Olympics decision

Teaming with Shane Lowry under the Irish flag at this week's World Cup of Golf, Graeme McDowell is fully aware of what his participation at Royal Melbourne could mean for another international competition still three years down the road.

A native of Northern Ireland, McDowell has previously represented Ireland in multiple international competitions like the World Cup. When golf returns to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, though, athletes from Northern Ireland will join with those from England,Scotland and Wales to represent Great Britain. The entire situation has put Ulstermen like McDowell and former world No. 1 Rory McIlroy in the unenviable position of choosing which side to represent in Brazil.

"It is a very touchy political and religious subject, one that myself and Rory have not really enjoyed answering questions about the last few years," said McDowell, according to a Reuters report. "It is very difficult to pick a side because you are going to end up upsetting someone from either side, really."

McDowell and McIlroy have both previously asked the International Olympic Committee to decide which country they should represent rather than having to choose themselves, though McDowell may have sealed his fate by teeing it up this week - a conclusion that the former U.S. Open champion appears ready to embrace.

"I believe that me being here and representing Ireland will, you know, with the Olympic regulations, will mean that ... I will have to play for Ireland when it comes to the Olympics in 2016," added McDowell, who will represent Ireland for the fourth time in the World Cup this week. "Part of me feels relieved to not have to make that decision."

The 34-year-old added that the potential resolution to his Olympic quandary was not a motivating factor for making the trip to Australia.

"It certainly did not enter into my reasons for wanting to be here this week," said McDowell. "I wanted to be here and play with Shane, around Royal Melbourne, in a golf tournament which I have always loved."

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Dyson returns to action with hearing looming

Simon Dyson will tee it up in this week’s European Tour season opener in South Africa, even with his disciplinary hearing looming next month.

Dyson was disqualified from the BMW Masters after illegally tapping down a spike mark in his line. The violation apparently was so egregious, the 35-year-old will now face a three-man panel in London on Dec. 5. According to an AAP report, which cited unnamed sources, Dyson will hear more than one cheating allegation against him.

It’s possible that Dyson could be banned from the tour for up to three months.

Dyson hasn’t played since the BMW Masters, and he was reportedly advised not to play in the Turkish Airlines Open because he could influence the Race to Dubai standings. He will return to action this week at the season-opening South African Open, and he is also expected to play at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.   

“It is disappointing given that Simon is such a solid member of the European Tour for some time now, but I am confident the panel will look at all the evidence and deal with the issue correctly,” said George O’Grady, the chief executive of the European Tour, according to the report.

“A mistake has been made and the panel now have to look at that. Of course, Simon remains innocent at this point in time, so he is quite entitled to compete this week in South Africa.”

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Bishop: Royal Portrush 'open game' as major venue

It was not just bluster. He wasn’t taking a veiled shot at R&A chief Peter Dawson.

When Ted Bishop said last week on Golf Channel that he would like to see an international PGA at Royal Portrush, he was simply offering a “personal opinion” and not one necessarily as president of the PGA of America. 

At least that’s what he told the SiriusXM Radio on Tuesday, when asked about the comment that (understandably) caught the attention of Northern Irishmen Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell.

“The answer that I gave was Royal Portrush – a personal opinion,” Bishop said on the radio show. “It wasn’t me as president of the PGA of America saying Royal Portrush is No. 1 on our radar for a site.

“I do think that Ireland and Royal Portrush would be a great venue,” he continued. “I will say that. But as we have said in the last few weeks, we honestly are just into the beginning stages of doing our research on where would be a potential international PGA site.” 

Bishop said having Royal Portrush host the year’s fourth major is going to be a “decade away, probably, at best,” and added that they’re still very much in the “exploratory process.”

There were also suggestions that this was just another attempt by Bishop to get under the skin of Dawson, who for years has sidestepped questions about when the seaside gem was going to host another Open (first since 1951). Earlier this year, the two leaders clashed publicly over the anchored-putting debate. 

“That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Bishop said the radio show. “I respect those guys … tremendously. If, at the same time, they have decided for whatever reason for 62 years not to take the Open Championship to Ireland, that kind of makes it open game, I guess, to a certain degree.”

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