Sunday’s golf roundup: Louis Oosthuizen soars to Deutsche Bank lead with 63 – The Detroit News

News Sources wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt

Sunday's golf roundup: Louis Oosthuizen soars to Deutsche Bank lead with 63The Detroit NewsLouis Oosthuizen combined one of the sweetest swings in golf with a putting stroke that was just as pure. That's all it took for him to race by Rory McIlroy, leave Tiger Woods behind and seize control Sunday in the Deutsche Bank Championship …

Read the rest of this great post here

Share and Enjoy:

Sunday’s golf roundup: Louis Oosthuizen soars to Deutsche Bank lead with 63 – The Detroit News

Golfers can take lessons from a pro at PGA Championship

Golfers looking for a little extra oomph can take quick – and free – lessons at the 2012 PGA Championship. The PGA Performance tent sponsored by Mercedes Benz is more than just a showcase of cars, it also hosts golf pros.

Noah Vinyard is an independent PGA pro, and one of many pros running a golf simulator in the PGA Performance tent. Whether you are an avid golfer, or a beginner, Noah, the other pros, and the simulator can teach you a trick or two – for free.

”Pros like myself charge about a hundred dollars for these kind of lessons so being complimentary to the public, it’s a huge advantage.”

 The golf simulator films the golfer putting on a green, and then compares the golfers stance to the stance of a real pro, like Tiger Woods. The side-by-side analysis really driving home the little things, and showing problem areas. Vinyard says for many, “it is the first time many golfers are seeing their stance on video, so it’s really eye-opening.”

 being compared to a pro also has its advantages, ”It’s really cool at a PGA Championship or any major tour event, because they see them out there playing and then they come in here and I compare them to them,” says Vinyard.

Golfers can take lessons from a pro at PGA Championship

Quotes of the Week July 29, 2012

“I fully expect they’ll ban them at some point. It’s going to be interesting, but I would be in the camp where I would like to see them go.” – Graeme McDowell, on the future of long putters.

“The long putter and the belly putter, I really think they are okay. I just don’t see anyone out there winning every tournament and doing things that have never been done before with a belly (or long) putter.” – Fred Couples, who has been using a belly putter since 2003 because of his long-ailing back.

“He’s not on the comeback. He’s back. He’s won three times. nobody else has won three times. but he’s not going to dominate majors like he did in the past.” – Charles Barkley, on the state of Tiger Woods’ game.

“The minute he put his hand on that 3‑wood, I said, ‘It’s lost.’ He’s gone with an iron all week, you either lay it up, or you go. the 3‑wood is in the bunker zone, and that’s a certain hazard. I said, under this pressure, he’s going in that bunker.” – Gary Player, on Adam Scott hitting a 3-wood off the tee on the final hole of the British Open. Scott bogeyed the 72nd hole and lost to Ernie Els by one shot.

“I was never great, but it’s funny, the late Chuck Daly told me when I took the Boston job that my handicap would go up two strokes a year. I asked him, ‘What’s with that?’ and he said, ‘Because you won’t be practicing anymore.’ he was about right with the handicap.” – Glenn “Doc” Rivers, head coach of the Boston Celtics, on his golf game.

“One of the biggest areas … is that mentally I haven’t been focusing as fine as I need to. I’ve been letting where I don’t want the ball to go kind of creep in, in my head, as opposed to where I want it to go.” – Phil Mickelson, on his recent struggles on “CBS this Morning.”

“No disrespect to Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, but this new generation, they’re like Tiger Woods clones.” – Barkley, again, on the numerous talented young players that Woods is competing against.

“During the off season, my dad was on the range with me, and he was like, ‘Oh, I think the swing here is wrong, there it is wrong, something is wrong.’ I told him, ‘Dad, you don’t know what my coach is coaching me. I’ll give you two options. one is that you can go to my coach’s academy, and you can learn what he’s teaching me, and then you can teach me. or, second, if you don’t want to go, you can just be a dad, a happy dad.’” – LPGA player Shanshan Feng of China, on the choice she gave her father two years ago. he chose the second.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’m going to Kiawah Island on Tuesday on the way to Akron [for the WGC-Bridgestone]. I’m hoping it’s better than Whistling Straits. That wasn’t my favorite course. It looked very linksy. I loved the way it looked, but I just didn’t like the way it played. It was too soft.” – McDowell, again, on his excitement for the upcoming PGA Championship.

“Keegan Bradley won the PGA. he uses a belly putter, I don’t know, I’ve been told, but he’s used the belly putter most of his life. That’s a tough one to swallow. For me, I played 22 years using a regular putter, and then I changed, but for someone who has never ever used a shorter putter, that’s a little different story.” – Couples, again, on the difficulty for players who have used long putters since childhood.

Quotes of the Week July 29, 2012

McIlroy wins PGA Championship by record margin

KIAWAH ISLAND, SC (AP) — Right down to his red shirt, Rory McIlroy looked every bit the part of golf’s next star in another command performance at the PGA Championship.

McIlroy validated his record-setting U.S. Open win last year by blowing away the field Sunday at Kiawah Island. one last birdie from 25 feet on the 18th hole gave him a 6-under 66 for an eight-shot victory, breaking the PGA Championship record for margin of victory that Jack Nicklaus set in 1980.

The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland returned to No. 1 in the world, and he became the youngest player since Seve Ballesteros to win two majors. Tiger Woods was about four months older than McIlroy when he won his second major.

Just like the U.S. Open, this one was never seriously in doubt.

McIlroy seized control with back-to-back birdies Sunday morning to complete the storm-delayed third round with a 67 and build a three-shot lead. No one got closer than two shots the rest of the way, and McIlroy closed out a remarkable week by playing bogey-free over the final 23 holes of a demanding Ocean course.

David Lynn, a 38-year-old from England who was playing in America for the first time, won the B-flight. he closed with a 68 and was the runner-up.

Woods, who shared the 36-hole lead for the second time this year in a major, was never a serious factor. he tossed away his chances Saturday before the storm blew in and never could get closer than four shots. he closed with a 72.

If there was a signature shot for McIlroy at Kiawah Island, it might have been on Saturday when his tee shot lodged into a tree on the third hole. he only found it with help from the TV crew, took his penalty shot and fired a wedge into 6 feet to save par. he was on his way, and he never let up.

McIlroy also won the U.S. Open by eight shots, the kind of dominance that Woods has displayed over so many years.

“It was a great round of golf. I’m speechless,” said McIlroy after hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy, the heaviest of the four majors. “It’s just been incredible. I had a good feeling about it at the start. I never imagined to do this.”

Winning the final major the year ends what had been a tumultuous season for McIlroy. despite winning the Honda Classic in early March, he went into a tail spin by missing four cuts over five tournaments, as questions swirled that his romance with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki was hurting his game.

Instead, McIlroy put a big hurt on the strongest field of the year.

“He’s very good. We all know the talent he has,” Woods said. “he went through a little spell this year, and I think that was good for him. We all go through those spells in our careers. He’s got all the talent in the world to do what he’s doing. and this is the way that Rory can play. When he gets it going, it’s pretty impressive to watch.”

McIlroy finished on 13-under 275.

Ian Poulter put up the stiffest challenge, though not for long. Poulter, who started the final round six shots behind, made six birdies through seven holes to get within two shots. he made three straight bogeys on the back nine and had to settle for a 69. he tied for third at 4-under 284, along with Justin Rose (66) and defending champion Keegan Bradley (68).

In the final qualifying event for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, nothing changed.

Phil Mickelson was holding down the eighth and final spot, and he stayed there when neither Bo Van Pelt nor Steve Stricker could make a move on the back nine. Davis Love III will announce four captains’ picks in three weeks.

McIlroy was tied for the lead with Vijay Singh when he returned on Sunday. Twenty-seven holes later, he had no peer in the final major of the year.

When he won the U.S. Open last year, Padraig Harrington suggested that perhaps McIlroy — not Woods — might be the one to challenge the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus. That looked like nothing more than one Irishman boosting another when McIlroy didn’t come close in the next five majors.

“I think winning his second major is going to make things a lot easier for him,” Harrington said. “I think last year he proved it, but there’s been ups and downs since his last major win because of the pressure and the expectations and the hype. Now he’s delivered again. It’s going to be a lot easier for him going forward. and he’ll get better.”

McIlroy went out in 33, saving par with a 10-foot putt on the ninth hole. That’s what Woods used to do in the majors.

Poulter’s birdie on the par-5 11th hole closed the gap to two shots, but not for long. From the sandy area short of the 10th green, McIlroy blasted out and closed his eyes when the wind blew sand into his face. he never saw the ball check a foot from the cup. and with a 10-foot birdie on the 12th, there was no stopping him.

The win ends a streak of the last 16 majors going to 16 different winners. McIlroy joined Woods, Harrington and Mickelson as the only players to win majors in consecutive years over the last two decades.

“It means an awful lot to look at the names on that trophy, and to put my name alongside them is very special,” McIlroy said.

Pettersson tried to put up a good fight, though he suffered a setback on the first hole without even realizing it.

The Swede drove just inside a red hazard line. he checked to make sure his club could touch the grass without grounding the club. That part was fine. However, PGA rules officials determined after scrutinizing a video replay that a small leaf that moved as Pettersson took back the club. That violates Rule 13-4c — moving a loose impediment while in a hazard — and three holes later he was informed it was a two-shot penalty. the par became a double bogey.

Pettersson responded with back-to-back birdies. by then, it was too late for Pettersson, really too late for anybody.

McIlroy might have won this major before breakfast.

He was among 26 players who had to return Sunday morning, playing the back nine to finish the storm-delayed third round. Tied with Vijay Singh at 6-under par, McIlroy missed two short birdie chances, and then made bogey on the 13th. he rebounded with birdies on the 15th and 16th, a tough bunker save on the 17th and a closing par for a 67 that gave him a three-shot lead.

Not once during the final round did the kid look like he was going to lose this one.

After going back to his island home for breakfast, a quick nap and a change of clothes — a bright red shirt, no less — McIlroy looked solid as ever. after pulling his approach on the par-5 second hole under a tree, he hit wedge off the wood chips to 6 feet for birdie. he came up just short of the green at No. 3, where the tees were moved up to play 293 yards, and hit an even better flip wedge to a tiny target on an elevated green. McIlroyholed a 15-foot birdie putt, and he was on his way.

Woods stepped into a cactus while hitting out of the dunes on the 15th hole in the morning, and his day got even more painful from there. he has gone 14 majors since winning his last one, No. 14, at the 2008 U.S. Open. he looks to be closer, with three PGA Tour wins this year and two 36-hole leads in the majors.

His regret when it was over — he tied for 11th — was all about attitude.

“I came out with the probably the wrong attitude yesterday,” he said. “and I was too relaxed, and tried to enjoy it, and that’s now how I play. I play intense and full systems go. That cost me.”

Cedar Rapids native Zach Johnson shot a final round 79 to finish +12 for the tournament – 11-over-par for the weekend. Johnson shot 42 on the back nine on Sunday and finished 70th.

McIlroy wins PGA Championship by record margin

McIlroy wins PGA Championship by eight shots

Published: Sunday, August 12, 2012 | 7:17 p.m.

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) – Right down to his red shirt, Rory McIlroy looked every bit the part of golf’s next star in another command performance at the PGA Championship.

McIlroy validated his record-setting U.S. Open win last year by blowing away the field Sunday at Kiawah Island. One last birdie from 25 feet on the 18th hole gave him a 6-under 66 for an eight-shot victory, breaking the PGA Championship record for margin of victory that Jack Nicklaus set in 1980.

The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland returned to No. 1 in the world, and he became the youngest player since Seve Ballesteros to win two majors. Tiger Woods was about four months older than McIlroy when he won his second major.

Just like the U.S. Open, this one was never seriously in doubt.

McIlroy seized control with back-to-back birdies Sunday morning to complete the storm-delayed third round with a 67 and build a three-shot lead. No one got closer than two shots the rest of the way, and McIlroy closed out a remarkable week by playing bogey-free over the final 23 holes of a demanding Ocean Course.

David Lynn, a 38-year-old from England who was playing in America for the first time, won the B-flight. he closed with a 68 and was the runner-up.

Woods, who shared the 36-hole lead for the second time this year in a major, was never a serious factor. he tossed away his chances Saturday before the storm blew in and never could get closer than four shots. he closed with a 72, failing to break par on the weekend in any of the four majors for the first time in his career.

If there was a signature shot for McIlroy at Kiawah Island, it might have been Saturday when his tee shot lodged into a tree on the third hole. he only found it with help from the TV crew, took his penalty shot and fired a wedge into 6 feet to save par. he was on his way, and he never let up.

McIlroy also won the U.S. Open by eight shots, the kind of dominance that Woods has displayed over so many years.

“It was a great round of golf. I’m speechless,” said McIlroy after hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy, the heaviest of the four majors. “It’s just been incredible. I had a good feeling about it at the start. I never imagined to do this.”

Winning the final major the year ends what had been a tumultuous season for McIlroy. Despite winning the Honda Classic in early March, he went into a tail spin by missing four cuts over five tournaments, as questions swirled that his romance with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki was hurting his game.

Instead, McIlroy put a big hurt on the strongest field of the year.

“He’s very good. We all know the talent he has,” Woods said. “he went through a little spell this year, and I think that was good for him. We all go through those spells in our careers. He’s got all the talent in the world to do what he’s doing. and this is the way that Rory can play. When he gets it going, it’s pretty impressive to watch.”

McIlroy finished on 13-under 275.

Ian Poulter put up the stiffest challenge, though not for long. Poulter, who started the final round six shots behind, made six birdies through seven holes to get within two shots. he made three straight bogeys on the back nine and had to settle for a 69. he tied for third at 4-under 284, along with Justin Rose (66) and defending champion Keegan Bradley (68).

In the final qualifying event for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, nothing changed.

Phil Mickelson was holding down the eighth and final spot, and he stayed there when neither Bo Van Pelt nor Steve Stricker could make a move on the back nine. Davis Love III will announce four captain’s picks in three weeks.

McIlroy was tied for the lead with Vijay Singh when he returned Sunday. Twenty-seven holes later, he had no peer in the final major of the year.

When he won the U.S. Open last year, Padraig Harrington suggested that perhaps McIlroy — not Woods — might be the one to challenge the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus. that looked like nothing more than one Irishman boosting another when McIlroy didn’t come close in the next five majors.

But now?

“I think winning his second major is going to make things a lot easier for him,” Harrington said. “I think last year he proved it, but there’s been ups and downs since his last major win because of the pressure and the expectations and the hype. now he’s delivered again. It’s going to be a lot easier for him going forward. and he’ll get better.”

McIlroy went out in 33, saving par with a 10-foot putt on the ninth hole. That’s what Woods used to do in the majors.

Poulter’s birdie on the par-5 11th hole closed the gap to two shots, but not for long. From the sandy area short of the 10th green, McIlroy blasted out and closed his eyes when the wind blew sand into his face. he never saw the ball check a foot from the cup. and with a 10-foot birdie on the 12th, there was no stopping him.

The win ends a streak of the last 16 majors going to 16 different winners. McIlroy joined Woods, Harrington and Mickelson as the only players to win majors in consecutive years over the last two decades.

“It means an awful lot to look at the names on that trophy, and to put my name alongside them is very special,” McIlroy said.

Pettersson tried to put up a good fight, though he suffered a setback on the first hole without even realizing it.

The Swede drove just inside a red hazard line. he checked to make sure his club could touch the grass without grounding the club. that part was fine. however, PGA rules officials determined after scrutinizing a video replay that a small leaf that moved as Pettersson took back the club. that violates Rule 13-4c — moving a loose impediment while in a hazard — and three holes later he was informed it was a two-shot penalty. the par became a double bogey.

Pettersson responded with back-to-back birdies. by then, it was too late for Pettersson, really too late for anybody.

McIlroy might have won this major before breakfast.

He was among 26 players who had to return Sunday morning, playing the back nine to finish the storm-delayed third round. Tied with Vijay Singh at 6-under par, McIlroy missed two short birdie chances, and then made bogey on the 13th. he rebounded with birdies on the 15th and 16th, a tough bunker save on the 17th and a closing par for a 67 that gave him a three-shot lead.

Not once during the final round did the kid look like he was going to lose this one.

After going back to his island home for breakfast, a quick nap and a change of clothes — a bright red shirt, no less — McIlroy looked solid as ever. after pulling his approach on the par-5 second hole under a tree, he hit wedge off the wood chips to 6 feet for birdie. he came up just short of the green at No. 3, where the tees were moved up to play 293 yards, and hit an even better flip wedge to a tiny target on an elevated green. McIlroy holed a 15-foot birdie putt, and he was on his way.

Woods stepped into a cactus while hitting out of the dunes on the 15th hole in the morning, and his day got even more painful from there. he has gone 14 majors since winning his last one, No. 14, at the 2008 U.S. Open. he looks to be closer, with three PGA Tour wins this year and two 36-hole leads in the majors.

His regret when it was over — he tied for 11th — was all about attitude.

“I came out with the probably the wrong attitude yesterday,” he said. “and I was too relaxed, and tried to enjoy it, and that’s now how I play. I play intense and full systems go. that cost me.”

It might not have mattered.

McIlroy said earlier in the week that he only wanted to give himself a chance, to feel that buzz of being in contention in the final round. he wound up putting the buzz back into golf, a sport in which all the talk has been about parity. McIlroy’s name on the leaderboard means something.

“Rory is showing that his `A’ game, everybody else is going to struggle to compete with him,” Harrington said. “and Tiger needs his `A’ game to come up against Rory. … If Rory is playing as well as he is, Tiger is not going to pick a major off unless he’s got his `A’ game out there.”

McIlroy wins PGA Championship by eight shots

Golf: Johnson aims to be 'boring' in company of Tiger and Rory

Zach Johnson plans to focus on his "boring" fairways-and-greens style of play when he tees off with golfing heavyweights Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in Thursday's opening round of the Barclays tournament in Farmingdale, new York.Johnson has been paired with fellow American Woods and Northern Irishman McIlroy for the opening two rounds at Bethpage State Park, based on their respective points totals going into the first of the PGA Tour's four FedExCup playoff events.While Johnson has previously played with both players in competition, he has never done so in the same group and says he is excited about the opportunity on the challenging Bethpage Black course."I guess if I wasn't playing with them and I was working out in my hotel, I'd probably be watching them on TV, so now I've got a first-hand watch," a smiling Johnson, 36, told reporters on Tuesday."I know the crowd will be pushing them quite heavily, and it'll be fun. I'm going to relish the opportunity because … they're certainly two of the better players that are playing right now in the world."Former world number one Woods, a triple champion on the PGA Tour this year, and current number one McIlroy are the two biggest drawcards in the game and Johnson is wary of being distracted by their spectacular shot-making and crowd appeal."Two guys that you certainly can get caught up watching just because of the shots they can hit, shots they can hit that I can't hit," said Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion."I'm just hoping my boring golf kind of gets in the way, and that's really what it boils down to. I like boring golf. That's kind of what butters my bread, so to speak."Johnson, a double winner on the 2012 PGA Tour, lies fourth in the FedExCup standings going into this week with Woods first and McIlroy, who clinched his second major title at this month's PGA Championship, third.American Jason Dufner occupies second place but he opted to miss this week's event, thus handing Johnson a spot with Woods and McIlroy in the marquee grouping at Bethpage Black."Knowing what I've read and seen and experienced with Tiger and Rory, their fans are probably a bit more abundant and probably a little louder than mine," grinned Johnson."I don't know how many Zach Johnson fans will be out there, but I'll be hopefully embracing them and hopefully hitting some quality shots. anyway, it doesn't matter. It's fantastic for our sport."new York fans are sports fans … and it's always nice coming back here because they're not afraid to speak loud, they're not afraid to cheer, they're not afraid to applaud a good shot and encourage you when you're down." - Reuters

Golf: Johnson aims to be 'boring' in company of Tiger and Rory

The various thoughts of Woods at the PGA

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2012 US PGA Championship | General | 09 Aug 2012

The Tuesday press conference of Tiger Woods ahead of the PGA Championship revealed a genuine respect by Tiger Woods of Pete Dye’s design work.

Dye’s work has often proved polarising but for arguably the game’s greatest player he leaves little doubt which side he is on.

“I do like Pete’s courses,” said Woods. " He makes you think, which I like, instead of just going out there and hitting a golf ball. He makes you make a decision off the tees, he makes you make a decision into the greens and makes you leave the ball in the correct spot.

“the thing about Pete is if you miss your spots, you’re going to get penalized severely, and I think that’s more so than any other course designer. but he gives you a lot of room.

“Probably the only place that isn’t like that is probably Sawgrass. but it originally wasn’t like how it is now. it was tight but there was no rough, so everyone ran into the palmetto bushes; that was your rough.

“but as an overall, the golf courses that I have played that are Pete’s, I do like them, just because of the fact that you have to think. you can’t just go up there and just swing away and hit it and go find it. You’ve got to really think about what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it.

Q is there any other major championship venue that can be compared to this one?

“Well, I think it’s you know, of anything that’s close would be Whistling Straits; same architect being Pete.

“but again, played totally differently. a lot of mounding and a lot of movement in its designs. One of the things you learn about Pete’s golf courses, a lot of it is visual. There’s a lot more room out there, whether it’s on the fairways or on the greens, than you think. He just makes you look the other way.

“And he’s a masterful designer in that way.

“And he always likes to present a lot of the targets at angles and make you if you’re aggressive, it can play very short, and if you’re hitting it well off the tees the golf courses that he designs are not very long if you’re able to be aggressive off the tees.

“but if you play conservative, he gives you a lot more room, but also you’re far away from the green all the time.

“He’s a wonderful designer. And this week is it’ll be interesting how they set up the golf course because it could play really long or they could move it up and have us have a go at it.

Q – What makes this layout unique form other ocean-side courses?

“Well, I think this (Kiawah Island) being so close to the ocean, the dunes and the marshes that they have here, it just drains unbelievably well.

“I think that playing through the dunes like we do here; one, it’s pretty, you’re right along the ocean; and two, no matter how much rain we get (thunder claps overheard) we are getting dumped on right now; it’s going to drain pretty quickly. And it being paspalum, we’re not going to get a lot of mud balls. you may get a few here and there, but this grass just doesn’t stick that way.

I like what this golf course has, and it’s just a wonderful piece of property."

Q – you seemed resigned to the fact the this course is going to play soft this week. is that disappointing to you?

“I just like the test that a firm golf course brings. it just brings more shot making into the equation. you have to throw the ball up, but you throw the ball up with the right spin.

“You’ve got to land the ball in the correct spots. with it a little bit softer like this, the greens will be holding. but then again, with it being like this, there’s no bump and run. It’s just too soft. so now you’re going to have to throw the ball up or play some kind of one hop and stop spinner in there.

“there will be very few hybrids or I’m sure long iron, mid iron bump and run shots. you just won’t see it that often just because now it’s going to be too soft for that play to work. This paspalum is very sticky, and obviously if it runs off, you’re going to have pitching into the grain, and it’s just not going to skip.

Q- How important is this week in terms of your evaluation of the year?

“Well, I think I’ve progressed this year over my last couple years, and I’m very pleased with what I’ve done, being healthy and being able to play and practice properly and implement the things that Sean wants me to do. This is the way I can hit the golf ball. This is the way I can play. It’s nice to be able to do the things that I know I can do.”

Q – have you been more encouraged by your play in the last two majors or discouraged by the results?

“I think it’s both. I’m pleased at the way I was able to play at certain parts of it and at certain times, and obviously disappointed that I did not win. I’ve played in three major championships this year, and I didn’t win any of them.

“so that’s the goal. I was there at the U.S. Open after two days and I was right there with a chance at the British Open. Things have progressed, but still, not winning a major championship doesn’t feel very good.”

Q – Guys have struggled to hold on to leads in majors this year. I wondered if you had a view on why that’s happened so much this year and how you coped when you were always in that position mentally with the different pressure of a major championship?

“Well, I don’t know why it’s happened particularly this year. It’s not just in majors, but it’s happened in our regular Tour stops for some reason. Guys have lost leads for some reason this year more so than in the past, in past years.

“For me in major championships, I loved it. I just loved being there. to me it was a chance to be able to make history, to go out the next day and win a tournament. You’re part of history. so that to me is exciting.

“so pressure, absolutely, and that’s the fun of it. It’s fun feeling those nerves, it’s fun feeling that adrenaline. that to me is a joy and one of the reasons why I bust my tail and practice, to put myself there, because I just love it.”

Q – What specifically did you learn about your game at Olympic Club and the U.S. Open and maybe learn about the course? What did you take away from that week?

“Well, Olympic, it doesn’t take much. you can land the ball in the fairway there and end up in the rough, and then you have you can’t control it going into those greens. And that’s what happened on that Saturday.

“And then Sunday having to go out there and force the issue and get off to a slow start, I went the other way.

“At the British Open, everything was going how I had planned it. I was playing my game plan, executing my game plan; I was right there. And I just thought if I could I was 6 under par for the tournament, turned at 1 under par, maybe 2 at the turn, head home and shoot 1 under par, something like that, on the back nine, I would post 9, and I thought that would be the winning score.

“so I was just right there. just one shot that was a yard away, turned that whole tournament around for me.

Q – How much would it mean to you to become an Olympian in 2016?

“Well, since we haven’t done it in a very long time, it’ll be something else to be able to represent our country like that in the Olympic Games. I hopefully will be able to have qualified at that point in time, and I’ll be 40 years old at the time.

“It’ll be exciting to be able to represent our country like that and go down to Brazil and do something that is basically I won’t say it’s inaugural, but in essence it hasn’t been there in a long time.

So I think we’d probably look at it as that, having golf be represented in the Olympic Games, and I think we would want to represent our countries, whatever country we’re from, represent it well."

The various thoughts of Woods at the PGA

Tiger Woods practices on The Ocean Course

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Tiger Woods has played The Ocean Course as he gets ready for next week's PGA Championship.

Course officials said Woods, Adam Scott and Graeme McDowell got in some practice this week before the year's final major. the PGA Championship starts Aug. 9.

Woods and Scott are playing in the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone event in Akron, Ohio, starting Thursday. Woods has won the event seven times, while Scott is the defending champion.

Woods will be seeking his first major tournament victory since the 2008 U.S. Open when he comes to Kiawah Island. Scott led much of the way in last month's British Open before bogeys on his last four holes gave that title to Ernie Els.

McDowell was the U.S. Open winner in 2010. (Related Photos: The Ocean course at Kiawah Island)

Tiger Woods practices on The Ocean Course

Paul Jannace: McIlroy doing what Tiger used to do

A dominant, young golfer made it look easy in his red shirt on championship Sunday.

anyone wishing to catch this man was left helpless because he was simply too good. instead of a bogey here and there to keep hope alive for the rest of the field, this man kept increasing his lead and left the golf world in the dust.

That man is not Tiger Woods … It’s Rory McIlroy.

The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland not only won his second major championship, but he again did it in more convincing fashion than anyone has done before.

Woods always wears red during the final round of tournaments, and it became a symbol of his dominance. McIlroy just happened to be wearing red on Sunday at the PGA Championship and turned in a performance worthy of Tiger’s best days.

what McIlroy did this weekend is what Woods used to do — remove all drama and hope at a major tournament. For the second time in a little more than a year, McIlroy won a major tournament by eight strokes.

Woods played well on Friday and Saturday and spent much of those 48 hours in the lead with his 15th major title in sight. unfortunately for Woods, he is simply an ordinarily good golfer now.

Tiger leads the money list with nearly $5 million in earnings this year, and also had the most Ryder Cup and FedEx Cup points with three wins and six top-10 finishes in 2012. That would be a great year for most people, but not Tiger.

Woods never aspired to be ordinary; he always said he measured his success by the number of majors he won. For nearly an entire decade, Tiger did that better than anyone and figured one day he’d do it better than anyone ever did it.

what Tiger used to have is a killer instinct. if he had a lead at a major, he would not relinquish it, and usually kept adding to that lead on Sunday. Woods has mysteriously struggled on Saturday and Sunday at majors, this year especially, after posting rounds in the 60s on Thursday and Friday.

McIlroy, meanwhile, is doing what Tiger used to do. Erasing the memory of his 2011 Augusta meltdown with two historic performances in majors and leaving little doubt who the best player in the world is right now. Golf has needed Tiger to be Tiger, but if McIlroy has more days like those, and golf will need Rory to be Rory.

A dominant, young golfer made it look easy in his red shirt on championship Sunday.

anyone wishing to catch this man was left helpless because he was simply too good. instead of a bogey here and there to keep hope alive for the rest of the field, this man kept increasing his lead and left the golf world in the dust.

That man is not Tiger Woods … It’s Rory McIlroy.

The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland not only won his second major championship, but he again did it in more convincing fashion than anyone has done before.

Woods always wears red during the final round of tournaments, and it became a symbol of his dominance. McIlroy just happened to be wearing red on Sunday at the PGA Championship and turned in a performance worthy of Tiger’s best days.

what McIlroy did this weekend is what Woods used to do — remove all drama and hope at a major tournament. For the second time in a little more than a year, McIlroy won a major tournament by eight strokes.

Woods played well on Friday and Saturday and spent much of those 48 hours in the lead with his 15th major title in sight. unfortunately for Woods, he is simply an ordinarily good golfer now.

Tiger leads the money list with nearly $5 million in earnings this year, and also had the most Ryder Cup and FedEx Cup points with three wins and six top-10 finishes in 2012. That would be a great year for most people, but not Tiger.

Woods never aspired to be ordinary; he always said he measured his success by the number of majors he won. For nearly an entire decade, Tiger did that better than anyone and figured one day he’d do it better than anyone ever did it.

what Tiger used to have is a killer instinct. if he had a lead at a major, he would not relinquish it, and usually kept adding to that lead on Sunday. Woods has mysteriously struggled on Saturday and Sunday at majors, this year especially, after posting rounds in the 60s on Thursday and Friday.

McIlroy, meanwhile, is doing what Tiger used to do. Erasing the memory of his 2011 Augusta meltdown with two historic performances in majors and leaving little doubt who the best player in the world is right now. Golf has needed Tiger to be Tiger, but if McIlroy has more days like those, and golf will need Rory to be Rory.

true greatness can be measured in how someone handles failure, and McIlroy has kicked his failure at Augusta in the behind. In his first major following a memorable collapse at The Masters, McIlroy set the scoring record at the U.S. Open at Congressional. on Sunday, McIlroy broke Jack Nicklaus’ record for largest margin of victory at the PGA Championship.

McIlroy is the youngest player since Seve Ballesteros in 1980 to win two majors — four months younger than Tiger Woods when he won his second major.

while McIlroy can’t be placed in Tiger territory just yet, we may finally be seeing someone who is talented enough to put together the type of dominant run Woods did in the early 2000s.

It’ll be interesting and fun to watch McIlroy over these next five years and see if he can capture the consistent dominance Woods used to have when he truly was the odds-on favorite each week.

Golf has sorely missed Tiger and needs McIlroy to take the torch if Tiger can no longer carry it. Several have tried to match Tiger, but he destroyed everything in his path.

It’s McIlroy’s turn to try and become the man everyone else chases. No matter what, McIlroy should keep wearing red on Sundays — it suits him well. Follow Paul Jannace on Twitter @pjscribe

Paul Jannace: McIlroy doing what Tiger used to do

Tiger Woods must be consistent to win major championships

Sometimes you’ll hear that Tiger Woods has won 14 majors because he tries to peak four times a year. Actually, the truth is just the opposite. Tiger was so successful for so long because he prepared for every tournament like it was a major. Whether he was playing Doral, the Memorial or the Masters, Tiger practiced with the same focus and competed with the same intensity. that meant that when it was time to play in a major, Tiger could treat the Masters or the U.S. Open as just another tournament. this approach was a huge advantage for Tiger because all the other guys were trying to peak four times a year. by treating the majors as more special, players put more pressure on themselves to perform. It’s the same thing that happens to you when you take your game from the driving range to the course, or from a friendly round to the club championship. You go from trying to hit good shots to trying not to hit bad shots. the key is to treat the club championship like it’s a regular round of golf. Competitive golf is a tightrope walk without a net, and to be comfortable in that environment you need to put yourself in that position as often as you can. the downside to Tiger’s approach is that it can wear you out. because of injuries and limited practice time, Tiger hasn’t been able to approach every event like a major anymore. Instead, he’s using regular season tournaments, like Bay Hill, to see where his game is. he can still win majors, but he doesn’t have that same advantage because he’s trying to peak for four weeks too. I’ll know Tiger is mentally back when I see him playing every week as if it’s a major. and when that happens, look out world.

Tiger Woods must be consistent to win major championships

Next Page »