Furyk back on high after a season of some lows

Furyk back on high after a season of some lows

Mark Lamport-Stokes August 8, 2013







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Jim Furyk of the U.S. points after his errant tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the …


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

ROCHESTER, New York (Reuters) - Jim Furyk has seen it all during a long PGA Tour career, giddy highs and painful lows, and he was delighted to build on a recent uptick in form by charging into contention for the PGA Championship on Thursday.

With his usually sharp short game once again clicking after he had surprisingly struggled for much of this season, Furyk putted superbly on the way to a five-under-par 65 in rain-softened conditions at Oak Hill Country Club.

Though the American veteran with the unique loopy swing signed off with a bogey at the par-four ninth, his final hole of the day, he was in an upbeat mood after setting the early pace in the year's final major.

"Usually disappointed with ending the day on a bogey, but you know, 65 at the PGA is not so bad, so I'm feeling pretty good about today," 2003 U.S. Open champion Furyk told reporters after piling up six birdies in his first 16 holes.

"I'm happy that I played a good round. Trust me, I'll be in a good mood the rest of today. But I'm wise enough and been there enough that, it is only Thursday. Right now we are jockeying for position.

"I hit a bunch of fairways today, controlled my iron shots very well. Felt good with the putter, so a fun day when stuff like that happens. Today was probably one of the best putting rounds, if not the best putting round I've had this year."

Furyk, a 16-times winner on the PGA Tour, had been more than frustrated after missing the cut in the last two majors, the U.S. Open in mid-June and the British Open at Muirfield which followed five weeks later.


"Those are probably the thorns in my side," said the 43-year-old American, who has posted just four top-10s in 17 starts on the U.S. circuit this season with his best finish a tie for third at the Texas Open in April.

"I did not feel confident with my putter and that was putting a lot of pressure on the rest of my game and quite honestly, I wasn't particularly driving the ball that well.

"Basically two of the three most important components of playing well, and usually two strengths of my game. So I worked real hard at Canada and last week on kind of fixing those problems, and feel very comfortable with what I'm doing."

Furyk, who has not won on the PGA Tour since his stellar 2010 campaign when he triumphed three times, felt his game turning around with top-10s at the Canadian Open and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in his last two starts.

"I felt great today," he said of his putting. "Doesn't mean it's going to feel great tomorrow, and whatever, but I feel like I'm moving in the right direction.

"I've always had a lot of confidence in my game and my short game has always been a strength, but putting is streaky. I've had some really good moments in my career, and I think great years with the putter, and I've also had my struggles, as well.

"This sport beats you up. If I played 25 events a year and I win one event a year for my entire career, you would be a hell of a player, you won over 20 times on the PGA Tour and you're going to lose 24 times a year. You've got to take your lumps."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Frank Pingue)

Column: In game of misses, Furyk misses least

Column: In game of misses, Furyk misses least


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JIM LITKE (AP Sports Columnist) August 8, 2013AP - Sports








PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- If golf really is a game of misses, Jim Furyk was having one of those days where he didn't miss much.

Despite making his only bogey of the opening round at the last hole, he'd just wrung a 65 from notoriously tough Oak Hill. Furyk deftly navigated his way around an even dozen questions in the interview room afterward.

Then came No. 13.

It was about failure in general, Furyk's meltdown at last year's U.S. Open in particular, and whether golfers ever shake off memories of the most painful ones. Never mind that he'd just vaulted to the top of the leaderboard at the PGA Championship.

''I'm on a nice little high, but y'all are trying to bring me down,'' Furyk began. ''Damn. No wonder you guys are on that side (of the room). You have bad thoughts too often.''


Yet once the nervous laughter ended, Furyk dutifully listed the major disappointments off the top of his head, in the same matter-of-fact way pro golfers can recount every shot of every round they've ever played.

''The '98 Masters; I bogeyed 15, hit it in the water and lost by two. '98 Birkdale ... U.S. Open at Winged Foot (2006), the U.S. Open at Oakmont (2007), the U.S. Open at Olympic (2012).

''There's always,'' he said, wincing at the memories, ''there were opportunities there.''

Furyk's short list included only majors, one of which he won: the 2003 U.S. Open. If he'd expanded it to include losses in PGA Tour events, and Ryder and Presidents Cup matches, he could have gone on for another half-hour.

''Yeah, it's disappointing,'' Furyk summed up, ''but this sport beats you up. If I played 25 events a year and I win one event a year for my entire career, you would be a hell of a player.''
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Jim Furyk reacts after missing a putt on the ninth hole during the first round of the PGA Championsh …

Furyk is that - he's won 16 times on the PGA Tour and another handful of tournaments overseas. Those accomplishments, along with the 2010 Player of the Year award, have him at the door to the Hall of Fame, and a second major would probably carry him across the threshold.

But Furyk is also 43 and a short hitter holding on in an era of long drivers, still relying on a loopy, self-taught swing against rivals with picture-book moves and more coaches - covering every facet of their game - than some NFL staffs.

No one needs to remind him the window of opportunity is closing. Less than one hour after Furyk duck-hooked a tee shot at No. 16 and let last year's U.S. Open slip from his grasp, he reacted angrily to what was essentially the same question he was asked at the end of Thursday's session here - namely, whether he would be able to put the disappointment behind him.

''Two years ago I was the player of the year. I played poorly last year, and all of a sudden I'm middle-aged. I got to be honest with you with you, that pisses me off,'' he said. ''So, yeah, I think I have a few more good years.''

But his record in the five majors since says otherwise: tied for 34th at the British Open and 42nd at the PGA in 2012; T25 at the Masters and missed cuts at the U.S. and British Opens this year. Those memories, in part, explained Furyk's wry assessment of his fast start at Oak Hill, particularly since he was putting better than he had in a while.
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Jim Furyk watches his tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf …

''Felt great today. Doesn't mean it's going to feel great tomorrow or whatever. But I feel like I'm moving in the right direction,'' he said, a nod to consecutive Top-10 finishes in his last two tournaments. ''I've always had a lot of confidence and my short game has always been a strength.''

Furyk hardly needed reminding, either, of how razor-thin a margin he carved out with a hot putter. To cope with the brawny 7,163-yard, par-70 layout, he had to hit driver off seven tees. Tiger Woods, far from the longest hitter in the game anymore, used his only once; Phil Mickelson opted to leave the big stick out of his bag this week altogether.

Furyk conceded that without putting well, it was getting tougher to handle the pressure it put on the rest of the game. But for one day at least, the bad memories were behind him and the pressures of holding onto the lead were still 24 hours away.

''Did you have any idea that 64 was the course record here?'' someone asked.

Judging by his answer, that might have been the one miss all day Furyk minded least.

''No,'' he said, brightening. ''No idea.''

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Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke(at)ap.org and follow him at Twitter.com/JimLitke.

Patient David Hearn shoots 66 at PGA Championship

Patient David Hearn shoots 66 at PGA Championship


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RACHEL COHEN (AP Sports Writer) August 8, 2013AP - Sports








PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- David Hearn huddled with Mike Weir at the Canadian Open about learning from near-misses.

Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, is now 43 and settling in as a mentor to his younger countrymen. Hearn might be just coming into his own as a pro golfer at age 34.

Less than a month after losing in a playoff at the John Deere Classic for his best finish on the PGA Tour, Hearn shot a 4-under 66 on Thursday in the first round of the PGA Championship. That put him a stroke off the lead, tied with Lee Westwood behind Jim Furyk and Adam Scott.

The last time the PGA was played at Oak Hill 10 years ago, Weir was coming off his Masters title and was in contention heading into Sunday. The course is about 2 1/2 hours east of Hearn's hometown of Brantford, Ontario - best known as the hometown of Wayne Gretzky, who has also imparted athletic advice to Hearn.

Hearn lost in a three-man playoff July 14 to 19-year-old Jordan Spieth, the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in more than eight decades. Hearn was not that sort of prodigy. He played on the Web.com Tour from 2006-10.


Hearn describes himself as a patient golfer, a trait that has served him well in the bigger picture.

''My career has always had a certain progression, and I've always found a way to get competitive at the next level that I've been to,'' he said. ''For me right now, it's just a matter of trying to continue that on, and as I've been on the PGA Tour for a few years now, I've gotten better at playing well in the bigger events.''

Hearn bogeyed the first and last holes Thursday but otherwise successfully attacked the course with his driver, taking advantage of softer greens in the morning after overnight rain.

Hearn shot 69 in the final round of the John Deere to reach the playoff with Spieth and defending champion Zach Johnson. The Canadian missed a makeable putt on the fourth playoff hole that would've won it.

Spieth went on to win on the fifth extra hole.
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David Hearn, of Canada, reacts after making a birdie putt on the 16th hole during the first round of …

''Proud of the way I played,'' Hearn said. ''Disappointed that it didn't quite go my way at the finish, but overall, played a really solid tournament. So it feels good for me to be in contention, and I feel like I've been playing some really good golf the last few months.''

At the Canadian Open two weeks ago, Hearn shot 73 on Sunday to tie for 44th. But that earned him just enough money to move up one spot on the PGA Championshippoints list to first alternate, all but assuring him of a spot at Oak Hill.

Hearn also got in a good chat with Weir.

''Mike is at a point in his career now where he's definitely wanting to give back more, and he's definitely doing a good job of that,'' Hearn said. ''He's definitely trying to take on that mentorship role a little bit more with some of the players.''

Woods 'still right there' after first-round 71

Woods 'still right there' after first-round 71

PGA.COM August 8, 2013







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Tiger Woods said he "played well" and "made some nice key putts on Thursday.(Getty Images)


By Stan Awtrey, PGA.com Contributor

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The mojo from last week's lopsided victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational didn't carry over to the first round of the PGA Championship for Tiger Woods.

Woods, trying to win his first major championship since the 2008 U.S. Open, played under favorable conditions in the morning wave. Playing on greens softened by overnight rainfall, Woods shot a 1-over 71 and trailed early first-round leader Jim Furyk by six shots.

"I'm still right there," Woods said. "We have got a long way to go."

After five competitive rounds at Oak Hill, Woods has yet to post a score in red numbers. Despite a double bogey on his final hole, Woods wasn't ready to beat himself up.

"I played really well today," Woods said. "The round realistically could have been under par. ... As I said, I feel like I played well today and made some nice key putts and the key is I left it in all the good spots, too. Left it right where I wanted to leave them, so I had some free runs at putts."

The day began OK for Woods, who started on the back nine and picked up birdies at No. 13 and No. 15 and made the turn at 2-under 35.

He gave one shot back with a bogey at the par-5 fourth hole. He left his approach shot in the greenside bunker and nearly holed it from the sand. But his six-foot par putt grazed the right edge as it went past.


"I just hit a bad iron shot there at No. 4 and didn't get up and down," Woods said.

He made a nice sand save on the eighth hole to salvage par, but followed it with that double bogey on No. 9, his final hole.

Woods' tee shot on his last hole found the rough, as did his second shot. His approach to the green wound up in the upper portion of a bunker. With the ball only inches from the lip, Woods wasn't able to get the ball close with the explosion. His 12-footer for bogey caught the left edge of the hole and turned aside, leaving him with a double bogey.

"At No. 9 I was completely blocked out and tried to shape one over there and drew no lie at all from my third shot," Woods said. "I was just trying to play 20 feet long and putt back and try to get bogey. I didn't even get over the bunker. Came out of nowhere. Didn't really have much from there, hit a beautiful putt, just lipped out."

The group of Woods, Keegan Bradley and Davis Love was placed on the clock for four holes, starting at No. 1. Woods said they were conscious of the time, but he's has grown used to it because of the large crowds that typically follow him around the course.

Being on the clock might have prevented Woods from taking more time on a birdie putt at No. 2.

"Stuffed it at No. 2, tricky little putt," he said. "Probably should have taken a little longer, but we were on the clock and had to get going, so ended up blocking the putt anyways down the hill."

The 71 marked the seventh time in 16 appearances in the PGA Championship that Woods has been over par in the first round. He came back to win in 2007 after opening with a 1-over 71 at Southern Hills thanks to a second-round 63.

Annie Park reaches US Women's Amateur quarters

Annie Park reaches US Women's Amateur quarters


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August 8, 2013AP - Sports








CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- NCAA champion Annie Park won two matches Thursday in the U.S. Women's Amateur to advance to the quarterfinals.

The 18-year-old Park, the Levittown, N.Y., player coming off her freshman season at Southern California, beat Brittany Fan 2 and 1 in the morning in the second round, and edged Kelly Shon of Port Washington, N.Y., 1 up in the third round at the Country Club of Charleston.

Park was 3 down after 10 holes against Shon, then won Nos. 11-13 to square the match. Park took a 1-up lead with a par on the par-3 17th, and matched Shon with a par on par-4 18th to end the match.

''On the back nine, I started to get my momentum,'' Park said ''(I thought) 'I am just going to hit good shots and get out of there.'''

Park will face Yueer Cindy Feng of Orlando, Fla. Feng beat Casie Cathrea of Livermore, Calif., 1 up.


''The afternoon was really a lot of back and forth,'' Feng said . ''Casie and I really didn't play our best. We kind of left a few out there.''

In the other upper-bracket quarterfinal, Lauren Diaz-Yi of Thousand Oaks, Calif., will play Doris Chen of Taiwan in a rematch of Diaz-Yi's 10-and-9 victory in June in the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links final.

''Knowing Doris, she's going to want revenge,'' said Diaz-Yi, attempting to become only the third player to win the WAPL and Women's Amateur in the same year.

Diaz-Yi beat Kendall Prince of Lake Oswego, Ore., 4 and 3; and Chen topped Australia's Minjee Lee 2 and 1.

''When we made the turn, I felt like I had finally warmed up,'' Diaz-Yi, an incoming freshman at the University of Virginia, said about her third-round victory. ''I feel like I always seem to turn it around on the back nine. ... It was pretty intense. A lot of crucial putts I missed here and there, and I gave up strokes like that on the front nine, but I was able to make them up on the back nine.''
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Yueer Cindy Feng, from Orlando, Fla., sets up her shot on the 12th fairway during her round of 16 ma …

In the lower bracket, Katelyn Sepmoree of Tyler, Texas, will face Alison Lee of Valencia, Calif.; and Emma Talley of Princeton, Ky., will meet Su-Hyun Oh of Australia.

Sepmoree beat Aurora Kan of Boothwyn, Pa., 1 up; Lee topped Alexandra Harkins of Crystal Lake, Ill., 3 and 2; Talley beat Mexico's Maria Fassi 2 up; and Oh routed Cammie Gray of Northport, Ala., 5 and 4.