Golf-Journeyman Stroud sets early pace with 64 in Greensboro

 

August 15, 2013

By Andrew Both

 GREENSBORO, North Carolina, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Chris Stroud's late decision to play in the $5.3 million Wyndham Championship looked like a very good one after he grabbed an early one-shot lead in Thursday's opening round.

The American journeyman's long game was poor, by his own admission, but he putted brilliantly to post eight birdies in a six-under-par 64 on an unusually mild summer's morning at Sedgefield Country Club.

 The 31-year-old Stroud led by one stroke from fellow Americans Andrew Svoboda and Robert Garrigus, and Australian Matt Jones, with half the field back in the clubhouse.

 "I didn't play that great today (but) I'm in the lead. It's a weird deal," said Stroud, who is ranked 48th in thePGA Tour's FedExCup points list heading into the playoffs, which start next week.

"It's a crazy game. I only had one or two really good drives and four or five iron shots (but) kept myself in position and made a lot of good putts - not a bunch of 30-footers, just a lot from eight-to-20 feet."

 Stroud made his first start as a tour pro in Greensboro, on a sponsor's invitation in 2004, and has been a regular visitor ever since, though he was planning to skip the event this year.

However, he missed the cut by one stroke at last week's PGA Championship and then decided to enter Greensboro, where he has never finished better than 57th.

 "I played pretty well in the PGA and I told my caddie I'm playing too well to go home and just sit and get rusty," said Stroud, whose best PGA Tour finish was a playoff loss at the Travelers Championship in June.

"This is the nicest weather I've seen here, I'm happy to be here and it's a great golf course that's even better with new greens."

Stroud acknowledged he would have to improve his overall game to have a chance of winning on Sunday, so he headed off to the practice range to work on his flaws.

 Some of the bigger names in the field also had plenty to work on after struggling to go low in the opening round. Fijian Vijay Singh shot a 70, South African Ernie Els carded a 71 and Irishman Padraig Harringtonreturned 73.

 American world number seven Brandt Snedeker, the highest-ranked player in the field and a double winner on the 2013 PGA Tour, was along the late starters. (Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

Journeyman Stroud sets early pace with 64 in Greensboro

 

Andrew Both August 15, 2013

By Andrew Both

 GREENSBORO, North Carolina (Reuters) - Chris Stroud's late decision to play in the $5.3 million Wyndham Championship looked like a very good one after he grabbed an early one-shot lead in Thursday's opening round.

The American journeyman's long game was poor, by his own admission, but he putted brilliantly to post eight birdies in a six-under-par 64 on an unusually mild summer's morning at Sedgefield Country Club.

 The 31-year-old Stroud led by one stroke from fellow Americans Andrew Svoboda and Robert Garrigus, and Australian Matt Jones, with half the field back in the clubhouse.

 "I didn't play that great today (but) I'm in the lead. It's a weird deal," said Stroud, who is ranked 48th in thePGA Tour's FedExCup points list heading into the playoffs, which start next week.

"It's a crazy game. I only had one or two really good drives and four or five iron shots (but) kept myself in position and made a lot of good putts - not a bunch of 30-footers, just a lot from eight-to-20 feet."

 Stroud made his first start as a tour pro in Greensboro, on a sponsor's invitation in 2004, and has been a regular visitor ever since, though he was planning to skip the event this year.

However, he missed the cut by one stroke at last week's PGA Championship and then decided to enter Greensboro, where he has never finished better than 57th.

 "I played pretty well in the PGA and I told my caddie I'm playing too well to go home and just sit and get rusty," said Stroud, whose best PGA Tour finish was a playoff loss at the Travelers Championship in June.

"This is the nicest weather I've seen here, I'm happy to be here and it's a great golf course that's even better with new greens."

Stroud acknowledged he would have to improve his overall game to have a chance of winning on Sunday, so he headed off to the practice range to work on his flaws.

 Some of the bigger names in the field also had plenty to work on after struggling to go low in the opening round. Fijian Vijay Singh shot a 70, South African Ernie Els carded a 71 and Irishman Padraig Harringtonreturned 73.

 American world number seven Brandt Snedeker, the highest-ranked player in the field and a double winner on the 2013 PGA Tour, was along the late starters.

(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

Wood back to defend at Dick's Sporting Goods Open

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Willie Wood tees off on the seventh hole during the first round of the Champions Tour golf on Friday August 3, 2012 in Blaine, Minn..(AP Photo/Andy King)

JOHN KEKIS (AP Sports Writer) August 15, 2013AP - Sports

ENDICOTT, N.Y. (AP) -- Willie Wood struggled for so long that when he finally notched that breakthrough victory he knew exactly where to celebrate. No need for anything lavish.

''I went to a Wendy's drive-thru for dinner,'' Wood said, recalling the aftermath of his triumph a year ago at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open after making the field as an open qualifier. ''That was exciting.''

And career changing. The Champions Tour win at En-Joie Golf Club ended a victory drought of more than 16 years.

''It boosted my confidence level,'' said Wood, who beat Michael Allen on the first hole of a playoff. ''It's fun to feel good about your game. Probably the worst thing is expectations change. Not just expectations for me, expectations from other people. I used to get texts from other people when I'd finish 25th in a tournament saying, 'well done.'''

''Now, if I finish 25th it's, 'Hang in there. It'll be OK next week.'''

Wood followed his first victory on the senior tour with a third-place finish at the Boeing Classic in Seattle, missing a playoff there by one shot, then came from five strokes back to win the inaugural Pacific Links Hawaii Championship.

Two wins in three starts. The reward: Wood was selected player of the month in August and September.

''Those three weeks were kind of life-changing for me,'' Wood said. ''It definitely was a career-changing month and a half. Having to Monday qualify and not know what your schedule is going to be for the week is stressful. It changed my schedule immensely. It's nice to be able to set a schedule. There's no cut, so you know you're leaving on Sunday. That's nice, and I'm hoping it lasts a long time.''

Whoever wins the Dick's Sporting Goods Open most certainly will cherish the moment. He will be the 1,000th tournament champion in the history of the Champions Tour, which began in 1980 at the Atlantic City Country Club in Atlantic City, N.J. Don January, who won that first tournament, will be on hand for the trophy presentation.

In that inaugural year, the schedule consisted of four events. The other three played that year were at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y., Suntree in Melbourne, Fla. and Turnberry Isle North Miami Beach, Fla. The purse at the Atlantic City Senior International was $125,000 and the total prize money for the four-event season was $475,000. January took home $20,000.

Since that first season, the Champions Tour, the brainchild of former commissioner Deane Beman, has hosted tournaments in 38 states and visited eight countries.

''I know when we started all of this we just kind of felt like we still wanted to compete and play, but there really wasn't a place for us,'' January said. ''We thought we had a product to sell, but we didn't know how the market would react. Not any of us ever dreamed what it is today.''

One guy will relish just playing no matter where he finishes - Joey Sindelar, who grew up nearby and still lives in Horseheads, N.Y. A two-time winner at En-Joie in the 1980s when it hosted the old B.C. Open on thePGA Tour, Sindelar has a new look - he's dropped at least 50 pounds - and a new swing after undergoing back surgery in November to correct spinal stinosis.

Dealing with an arthritic back has been a stiff challenge for the affable 55-year-old Sindelar.

''It's been really almost more scary than frustrating because I honestly thought I was never going to stick a tee in the ground again,'' said Sindelar, who's made just five starts this year and has a scoring average of 73.27. ''It just wasn't getting better. Four months ago, I really still thought I wasn't ever going to play again, it was that bad.

''I'm not a golfer yet, but I have finished three tournaments in a row, which thrills me to death,'' he said. ''I'm not sure what kind of competitive ability I'll have this week. I'm certainly not at the top of my game.''

But he's here, and that's really all that matters.