There was much hype surrounding the Presidnets Cup when U.S. Captain Fred Couples made the announcement well in advance that Tiger Woods would be one of his two captain's picks for the 2011 team.
Now, there seems to be more drama once again directed toward the U.S. Team involving another player -- Steve Stricker.
Stricker, who you may remember was forced to withdraw from a FedEx Cup event a few months back due to a herniated disk in his neck.
This nagging injury has left him with a feeling of weakness in his left arm and hand.
Many thought that the injury would or possibly could keep the Madison, Wisconsin native from being a productive member of the U.S. Team.
The 2011 Nationwide Tour Championship is in the books as Ken Duke will look to re-join the PGA Tour in 2012 after besting the field in Daniels Island, South Carolina by two strokes over Scott Brown.
The top-25 players on the Nationwide Tour money list at season's end are promoted to the PGA Tour. Today dreams were fulfilled for some and broken for others.
Double heart transplant survivor Erik Compton will be one of the 25 to receive his PGA Tour card from commissioner Tim Finchem in a ceremony today in South Carolina.
J.J. Killeen won the overall money title earning $414,273, which also guarantees him another bonus after he receives his PGA Tour card.
Bo Van Pelt carded a final round score of seven-under par (64), en route to his impressive six shot victory at the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic in Malaysia.
The Richmond, Indiana native has not posted a win since his first PGA Tour victory in 2009 at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee in a playoff over John Mallinger.
Van Pelt would birdie five out of his last eight holes to cruise to victory and really enjoy a moment he had always wondered how it would feel.
Sergio Garcia, who had not won an event any where in the world in almost three years has now won back-to-back tournaments in his native Spain.
The 31-year old won last week at the Castello Masters by a staggering 11 strokes, to show signs of life once again out of his game and put the spark back in his love of golf.
This week at the Andalucia Masters in Sotogrande, Spain, Garcia held off fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez by one stroke to claim his second victory in as many weeks on the European Tour.
Jimenez, who grabbed an early lead in the final round, surrendered shots on the back nine on 13 and 15 allowing Garcia to come back and capture the title.
The Nationwide Tour Championship is the final event for players to earn their spot inside the illusive top-25, to secure their PGA Tour cards for 2012.
With only 60 players competing this week in the no-cut event, pardon the expression, but every shot really does count for all of these players this week.
Daniel Chopra is one of those players that is looking to secure his PGA Tour card, to get back to the big stage full time, after losing his card last season.
The 37-year old Sweden native, started out the event with an Even par round of 72 in round one.
Sitting 24th on the Nationwide Tour money list, Chopra needed a low round to get himself in a better position heading into the weekend.
After an opening round of 67, Jeff Overton came out firing in round two of the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic in Malaysia at The Mines Country Club - Kuala Lumpur.
The Evansville, Indiana native went out and set the course record after carding a nine-under par 62 to vault into a share of the lead with Fredrik Jacobson after 36 holes.
Overton fired seven birdies and an eagle with no bogeys on his way to his 62.
"This golf course is so much fun to play," Overton said after his round. "It's really challenging. If you're hitting it great, you can have scoring opportunities. I'm just having a blast."
Lexi Thompson, who made headlines by becoming the youngest player to ever win on the LPGA Tour claiming victory at the Navistar LPGA Classic has set her eyes on Australia to make her debut as a full member of the LPGA Tour.
Thompson also made history by becoming the youngest player in the Tour's history to be given a waiver on the age requirement of 18.
She will be teeing it up at the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open on February 9 - 12 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
An interesting choice of events as the now 16-year old Thompson, will actually end the event as a 17-year old with her birthday falling during the second round of play.
Not a bad birthday present for the young lady. First event as an LPGA Memeber, trip to Australia. That's what most 17-year olds get for a birthday present -- right?
Rory McIlroy, who has made headlines recently off the course after dropping his manager Andrew "Chubby" Chandler and International Sports Management (ISM) to go with Dublin based group Horizon, fired an opening round 8-under par 64 to lead the Shanghai Masters.
The reigning U.S. Open champion kept a clean card on his way to the top of the leader board carding eight birdies on the day, including five on the back nine of the Jack Nicklaus designed Lake Malaren's Masters course.
McIlroy leads Hunter Mahan by one, as well as Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and fellow Northern Irishmen Padraig Harrington by three strokes.
15-year old Min Jee Lee will join an elite list of female golfers when she tees it up on the PGA Tour of Australia against the men this week, in the John Hughes Geely/Nexus Risk Services WA Open event at Royal Fremantle.
She will join the Michelle Wie, Laura Davies and Annika Sorenstam as some of the only female golfers to play in a professional men's tournament.
Lee, of course made headlines last year when she became the youngest winner ever of the WA State Women's Amateur Championship at the age of 14.
Shattering the previous mark by almost three years.
She beat out Whitney Harvey in the final match to claim her record breaking victory.
A member of the Golf Australia National Squad, Lee also attends school at the Methodist Ladies' College and is currently ranked No. 2 in the Australian Women's Amateur rankings.
Just when you thought the 2011 PGA Tour Player of the Year race was all wrapped up, the PGA Tour announced on Monday they would be delaying the ballots until after the HSBC event in two weeks.
World's No. 1 Luke Donald, to many the odds on favorite to win this award, was on the Golf Channel's Morning Drive [audio here] this morning and took a few issues with the Tour's decision.
During his interview, Donald said, "I think the decision to add the HSBC is a little bit sketchy at best."
"Why suddenly change the rule the day after Disney? It doesn’t make much sense to me."
Now just to clarify as I did in my article on the Tour's decision to do this. Last season, the HSBC was before the final event of the Fall Series, not after like it is this year.
So, you thought since Luke Donald won the final event of the season, the Children's Miracle Network Hospital Classic at Walt Disney World he may have wrapped up the 2011 PGA Tour Player of the Year award?
Not so fast.
The PGA Tour announced Monday that they would delay sending out the player ballots until after the completion of the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, that is played in two weeks.
If this seems strange, and it does to some, their reasoning for this delay is due to the scheduling of the event being different than in 2010.
Last season, the WGC HSBC Champions event was played the week before the final event of the PGA Tour Fall Series.
So all of you conspiracy theorists out there, saying their could be a U.S. bias for POY, can put that to rest now.
"It's important because it's an official win for a member, and that should hold the ballot open." Andy Pazder, the tour's chief of operations said in his statement after the announcement.
Yani Tseng not only won her 10th World wide title of 2011, she also did it in front of the star's most loyal fans in her native land of Taiwan at the inaugural LPGA Taiwan Championship.
The World's No. 1 ranked female golfer closed out the event with a clean card, six-under 66 to take the victory by five strokes over Amy Yang and Azahara Munoz.
“I play really, really good today, I was bogey free,” said Tseng after her victory. “I wish this year would go on forever so I could win more. But I can always get better.”
Tseng, who was named the LPGA Tour Player of the Year for the second consecutive year earlier this month, added to her overall winnings with the $300,000 purse taking her to $2,873,629 for the year.
Coming into the final Fall Series event, Luke Donald knew he would probably have to win the tournament to have a shot at winning the 2011 PGA Tour money title.
Trailing by two at the turn behind Webb Simpson, the Englishman proceeded to go on a birdie barrage to pass the field and take home not only the tournament victory, but the money title as well.
Donald, who did not play the par-fives particular well this week, bogeyed the par-five eighth hole and many thought that would be it for him and his shot at the win and the money title.
What he did next was a performance that showed everyone why he is the world's No. 1 player.
Azahara Munoz is looking to steal some of the headlines for herself in Taiwan this week, as the country and hometown favorite Yani Tseng host the Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship.
Munoz the 2010 LPGA Tour's rookie of the year is still looking for her first win on Tour.
After carding rounds of 71 and 66, the 23-year old Spaniard finds herself tied for the lead with Anna Nordqvist at seven-under par.
Her second round score of 66 is so far the best round of the tournament.
Munoz's round was a clean one with four birdies and an eagle to vault her to the top of the leader board through 36 holes.
After turning professional in 2009, Munoz does have one win as a pro, coming at the Madrid Ladies Masters in 2009 on the Ladies European Tour.
Munoz talked a little about her second round in her post round press conference.
"I shot much better than yesterday, but I actually didn't play that much better. I just had a really slow start yesterday. I was 3-over through 5 and then I played pretty good after that."
Bio Kim is the youngest player on the PGA Tour at 21-years of age.
But don't let that fool you, he went out and fired a five-under par, 65, on the tougher of the two courses here at Disney this week the Magnolia Course, to take a share of the lead.
Entering the season's final event, Kim was on the outside looking in at the top-125 on the money list, securing players full exemption for the 2012 season.
Though he is sitting well after round two of the Children's Miracle Network Hospital Classic, Kim keeps a level head about the possibility about returning to Q-school.
"Obviously if I don't get like first or second this week I have to go back to Q-school. But I'm not afraid of Q-school, because I'm only 21 and I've got a lot of things to do and a lot of tournaments to do."
"So if I have to go back to Q-school again, then I'll just play as hard as I can in Q-school and try to come back again."
"If I'm lucky enough to keep my card this week, it will be great. Hopefully I can play better next week -- no next year. Not next week. Yeah."
Rory McIlroy, the reigning U.S. Open Champion and World's No. 3 golfer, has announced that he will split from International Sports Management (ISM) and sign with the Irish-based firm, Horizon Sports Management.
McIlroy will also be leaving his only manager in his pro career to this point in Andrew Chandler.
Better known in the golfing world is 'Chubby'.
A statement issued by ISM read, "Rory McIlroy has announced today, Friday October 21st, 2011, his decision to end his association with International Sports Management (ISM)."
"He has also announced he has joined Horizon Sports Management."
McIlroy himself added, "I would like to sincerely thank Chubby Chandler and his team for their guidance, representation and management over the past four years, since turning pro."
Making the top-125 on the PGA Tour money list assures you a full time job for the next season. Giving all 125 players fully exempt status for the following year.
Going into the last event on the 2011 PGA Tour schedule, James Driscoll is this season's labelled 'bubble boy', as he sat in the No. 125 position heading into the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic.
While most of the media attention is going to the two players battling out for the top spot on the money list, it may be easy to forget about Driscoll fighting it out for his PGA Tour life for the 2012 season.
Driscoll, knowing what he has to do this week, opened the event with a six-under 66 to grab a share of the lead in the opening round.
On Thursday, the PGA Tour announced plans to launch a professional tour that will begin with 11 events spreading across seven countries in Latin American beginning in September, 2012.
The tour will be a collaboration between the U.S. based PGA Tour, the Tour de Las Americas and National Golf Federations along with host golf clubs in the regions as the Tour is expected to run from September through December in it's first year.
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem had this to say on the announcement of the Latinamerica Tour.
"We are delighted to announced the launch of PGA Tour Latinamerica. This expansion into Latin America, when combined with that the Nationwide Tour has been able to accomplish in this region in recent years, is part of the natural progression for golf which continues to grow globally."
"We see this as an opportunity to help in the further development of elite players across the region. The timing is right, with South America hosting it's first ever Olympic Games, which includes golf's return to competition for the first time in more than 100 years."
The World's No. 1 player Luke Donald thought perhaps he would have a quiet off-season with the birth of his and wife Diane's second child due anytime now.
Then, Webb Simpson decided to go after his third win of the season during the Fall Series, and try to end Donald's reign atop the PGA Tour money list as well.
Donald trailed Simpson by $363,029 coming into this event for the overall money title and the five year exemption that goes along with that honor.
The Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic at Walt Disney World even went as far as pairing the two together for the first two rounds of play this week as well.
LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan announced today that 22-year old Yani Tseng has won the LPGA Tour Rolex Player of the Year honor for a second consecutive season.
This announcement coming only a few days prior to the LPGA playing an inaugural event in Tseng's home country of Taiwan, the Sunrise LPGA Championship.
In winning this award for the second time in back-to-back seasons Tseng became only the eighth player in LPGA Tour history to win multiple awards.
"It feels very special for me to have the award announced in Tawain," Tseng said after receiving the news. "I feel like especially this week I can be sure to honor all of the fans in Taiwan and I really appreciate the LPGA Tour for giving me the opportunity."
"It means a lot to me especially because I won it two years in a row and I never even thought last year I would win."
"I set out a goal in the beginning of the year to hopefully win it again and I do my best every tournament. It feels really different because last year it came down to the very last tournament but this time it is five weeks earlier and it keeps me really relaxed."
Third time was the charm for 20-year old Englishman Tom Lewis as he won the Portugal Masters in only his third event after turning professional last month.
Lewis, turned heads in the golfing world earlier in the year by coming the first amateur to lead the British Open after firing a first round score of 65.
Spanish golfer Rafael Cabrera-Bello had the lead heading into the final round by four strokes over Lewis. However his double bogey on the 12th hole saw his chances at victory slip away.
Lewis on the other hand played lights out on the back-nine, carding five birdies over his last seven holes to win his first event as a professional by two strokes.
In doing so, it assures himself of not having to go to the Tour's qualifying school and he now has full playing privileges for two years on the European Tour.
After his round, the young Englishman had this to say on his performance. "I was just happy shooting in the sixties no matter where I finished."
Ben Crane, who at any day will be welcoming his third child into the world, charged back from seven strokes behind with 11 holes to play to force a playoff with Webb Simpson to decide the 2011 McGladrey Classic.
The three-time winner on Tour had not won since the Farmers Insurance Open in January of 2010.
Crane ran off six birdies on the back-nine at Sea Island including four in a row from holes 14 to 17 to get his score to 15-under par and force a playoff with Simpson.
54-hole leader Michael Thompson was in contention most of the afternoon. However he had two costly bogeys on No. 12 and No. 18 that saw his chance for his first PGA Tour victory slip out of reach.
With the tournament needing extra holes to determine the winner, it set a PGA Tour record for most playoffs in a single season at 18.
Simpson was looking to become the only three-time winner on Tour this season, which could have had major implications on the 2011 PGA Tour Player of the Year race.
Michael Thompson is no stranger to the course in Sea Island, Georgia. He even tweeted that fact earlier in the week.
Now, can the 26-year old Tour rookie, follow up on his comment?
Thompson, a PGA Tour rookie out of the University of Alabama tweeted on Monday, "Food for thought: the last time I was in Sea Island, GA I won the SEC Championship. I like that place."
The former Crimson Tide golfer has gone 65, 65, 67 to take a one stroke lead over Billy Horschel and a two stroke lead over Webb Simpson and Trevoer Immelman into the final round of the McGladrey Classic on Sunday.
Thompson capped off his three-under 67 with a clean card including birdies on No. 2, 6 and 9 to finish three-under on the round and 13-under for the tournament.
With all the media attention set on the race for the PGA Tour Money Title between Luke Donald and Webb Simpson, Billy Horschel decided he needed to step it up to get noticed this week at the McGladrey Classic.
He went out and fired back-to-back rounds of six-under 64's to grab the out right lead and headlines, heading into the weekend.
The 24-year old from Melbourne, Florida is sitting two strokes ahead of Simpson and Michael Thompson.
Horschel carded only one bogey today en route to his second consecutive round of 64. He tacked on five birdies and an eagle on the par-five, 15th hole which began an eagle, birdie, par, birdie finish in round two.
With the quick and impressive start at the McGladrey Classic by Webb Simpson, it seems that is all it took for Luke Donald to decide to add the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic at Disney next week to his schedule.
Heading into this week's event, Simpson trailed Donald by only $68,971 to take over the money title lead for 2011.
The two-time winner and FedEx Cup Playoff runner-up has started out hot at Sea Island this week and is all but certain to overtake Donald's reign atop the PGA Tour Money List with either a win or a high finish.
Simpson, with a win at Sea Island, stands to go up some $700,000 over Donald for the title.
If Donald is to win the money title with that scenario, he will need to not only play well at Disney, but most likely win the event out right to win the 2011 Money Title.
$68,971 is all that separates Webb Simpson from catching Luke Donald to win the 2011 PGA Tour money title.
Going off of last years results and payouts at this event, Simpson would need a T12 finish or better to accomplish that feat.
He has left himself with a fighting chance, at least after round one.
The two-time winner on tour this year, Simpson opened the McGladrey Classic with a seven-under 63 to take the early clubhouse lead at Sea Island, Georgia.
With a very solid opening round including eight birdies to only one bogey, he has set himself up nicely to make a serious run at not only the PGA Tour money title, but to many, perhaps Player of the Year honor as well.
Only 100 more cuts to go now to tie Tiger Woods' consecutive cut streak of 142 events for Steve Stricker, after the PGA Tour gave him credit for what was considered a missed cut at the BMW Championship in August.
Stricker, who withdrew from the event after completing his second round stating a neck injury would force him to not be able to continue, will now get credit for making the cut after all.
His consecutive cut streak will now resume at 42 cuts made in a row, which is the longest active streak on the PGA Tour.
It was initially determined that sense he withdrew after his second round at the BMW Championship and did not earn any official money, Stricker would be given a missed cut for that event.
However, after going through it's own records, the PGA Tour determined that in an event that has no cut, such as the 70 man BMW Championship field. A made cut is determined to have been successful if the player completes his first round in such an event.
Standing over putts for hundreds of thousands of dollars seemingly each and every tournament is what most 22-year old professional women golfers are doing every Sunday right?
Well, maybe not "most" professional women golfers. However, for Yani Tseng it's becoming common place in 2011.
The young lady from Guishan Taoyuan Co., Taiwan, Republic of China has taken the LPGA Tour by storm the past two years and has not looked back since.
Tseng turned pro in 2007 and in a short four year stretch has managed 19 professional wins on tours ranging from the Ladies Asian Tour to her more recent dominance on the LPGA Tour.
Mini Tours are a way of life for many professional golfers around the United States. Bouncing from one town to the next, teeing it up in events that many have never heard of or even knew existed.
Still, the wonderful world that is mini tour golf is there to answer the call to thousands of professional golfers chasing their dreams of making it to the PGA Tour.
Savannah, Georgia native Mark Silvers is one of those players that is chasing that dream, and chasing it down very well.
The former South Carolina Gamecock has played on a variety of mini tours the past two years, including the eGolf Professional Tour, the Hooters Tours and the Peach State Pro Tour.
Luke Donald is trying to become the first player to win the money title on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour in the same year.
He currently leads the European money list by €1,312,823 over Rory McIlroy, pretty much assuring himself of that title in 2011.
However, on the PGA Tour money list, the world's No. 1 player has a much slimmer lead over Webb Simpson.
Donald has just a $68,971 margin over Simpson, who plans to tee it up this week at the McGladrey Classic in Sea Island, Georgia. An event Donald is not playing in.
Thomas Parker, Simpson's agent said recently his client intended to play in the Sea Island event. Then decide after that tournament if he will go to Orlando to play in the season's last event at Disney.
In the new age of professional golf where it seems players are winning around the the world at a younger and younger age. Many kept asking the question, when will 22-year old Rickie Fowler get his first professional win.
That question has now been answered.
Fowler and many other of golf's global stars was teeing it up in Korea this week in the OneAsia event at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.
The former Oklahoma State standout carded a final round 68 taking his overall score to 16-under par to best everyone in the field, including current US Open champion Rory McIlroy to earn his first professional victory.After his round, Fowler spoke about his play this week in South Korea.
Michael Jancey Baird, better known as Briny Baird has teed it up in 347 PGA Tour events, none of which have produced a victory.
Through three rounds at the 2011 Frys.com Open in San Jose, California, the 39-year old Miami Beach native will sleep on the 54 hole lead.
Baird carded a third round score 64 taking him to 13-under par and a two stroke advantage over Paul Casey and Ernie Els.
His round of 64 included an eagle, seven birdies to only two bogeys.
Baird, a pro since 1995 does have one victory as a professional. That came in 2000 at the Buy.com Monterey Open on the Nationwide Tour (then the Buy.com Tour).
In 2011, he is ranked inside the top-25 on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy, greens in regulation as well as total driving.
For a rookie on the PGA Tour, you are just hoping to be able to play enough tournaments and well enough in those events to secure your playing privileges for the following year.
2010 Nationwide Tour graduate Brendan Steele did that this year in his rookie season, and then some.
The 28-year old has teed it up in 27 tournaments in 2011 and has made the cut in 16 of those events.
Steele won the Valero Texas Open and racked up another two top-10 and seven top-25 finishes, easily securing his PGA Tour card for a few more years.
The Idyllwild California native has banked an impressive $1,845,997 in 2011, good enough for 45th on the PGA Tour money list this season.
Most players would be a little intimidated by teeing it up in a PGA Tour event and having their partners be Tiger Woods and Louis Oosthuizen.
Together they have 15 majors between them. Of course, Woods having 14 of those majors.
Nonetheless, 19-year old Patrick Cantlay will be doing that very thing tomorrow when he tees it up at the Frys.com Open.
During his press conference today, young Cantlay did not seem at all nervous when asked about his playing partners. In fact, he joked a little about himself more than his fellow competitors.
"It'll be a great time out there. You know, I'm really looking forward to it. I'm not sure what hat I'm going to wear yet. I haven't decided, but yeah, it's going to be a cool day out there, and I'll really enjoy it."
Famous last words from many before have said that as well.
Cantlay is no stranger to the spotlight though. The Long Beach, California native has teed it up on the PGA Tour before.
When the Frys.com Open begins tomorrow it will not be just another Fall Series event on the PGA Tour. It will mark the return (yet again) of Tiger Woods to the world of golf since missing the cut in August at the PGA Championship.
This will also mark the first time the former No. 1 player in the world will tee it up in a Fall Series event in his career.
He will be paired with the top-ranked amateur player in the world, Patrick Cantlay, as well as 2010 British Open Champion, Louis Oosthuizen.
Many who cover the sport as well as fans of Woods and golf itself are all asking the same question, "What do we expect to see out of Tiger Woods?"The answer to that question is seemingly impossible to know, especially if you go off of his recent play on the PGA Tour and where he ranks in certain statistical categories in 2011.
The Fall Series on the PGA Tour is more than just a way for Tour players to swoop in and pick up a victory securing their two exemption on the PGA Tour.
For some, it is their last and only chance of making it into the illusive top-125 of the PGA Tour money list, securing their spot on the big tour for the following year.
So what is actually at stake for the players earning a spot in the top-125?
The top-125 finishers on the money list will earn their PGA Tour cards for the next season, making them eligible for the FedEx Cup events. Including invitationals such as the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Verizon Heritage, The Players and AT&T National.
Players also get a head start on qualifying for the PGA Championship and the Presidents Cup as well as earning retirement plan credits.There also Official Word Golf Rankings points available in the Fall Series that will go towards the players entries into exclusive World Golf Championship events.
A very interesting occurrence happened during the third round of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open involving Kevin Na and a "whiffed" tee shot.
Addressing the ball on the 15th tee, Na began his back swing as normal, coiling to launch his drive. The controversy that has sparked a lot of social media debate happens during his downswing towards the ball.
As he starts his downswing towards the ball, Na then swings the club head well over the top of the ball, appearing as though a PGA Tour pro just whiffed on a tee shot.
In real speed it looked as though that is exactly what just occurred.
PGA Tour Officials were called in of course to review this odd incident and it was determined that Na made no attempt to actually strike the ball. Therefore, no penalty stroke would be assessed to him.
In his post-round press conference, Na of course was asked about the incident on the 15th tee.
The former world's No. 1 player Tiger Woods dropped out of the top-50 in the Official Word Golf Rankings this week for the first time since 1996 when he was 61st.
He is now 51st in the world and will be teeing it up this week at the Frys.com Open for the first time since missing the cut at the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club in August.
Woods lack of playing this season has been mostly due to lingering injuries to his left knee and left achilles, forcing him to participate in only eight events so far in 2011.
However, though he has not played a lot this season, that did not keep U.S. Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples from selecting Woods as one of his two Captain's picks to the 2011 squad to play in Australia, November 17 - 20.
There was much hype surrounding the Presidnets Cup when U.S. Captain Fred Couples made the announcement well in advance that Tiger Woods would be one of his two captain's picks for the 2011 team.
