E-mail Todd.
- All
- 2015 U.S. Open (18)
- General (80)
- Local golfers (198)
- Michael Putnam (135)
- Ryan Moore (198)
- NW courses (72)
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| << < | Current | > >> | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | ||||
- November 2009 (5)
- October 2009 (9)
- September 2009 (8)
- August 2009 (23)
- July 2009 (53)
- June 2009 (50)
- May 2009 (32)
- April 2009 (37)
- March 2009 (29)
- February 2009 (28)
- January 2009 (23)
- November 2008 (10)
- More...
XML Feeds- CustomScoop
- MrSinister
- Dirtdawg
- Guest Users: 359
The information that is gathered hosting high-profile golf tournaments, with the best amateurs in the world, is astounding.
And clearly beneficial.
The Husky Invitational finishes up Tuesday on the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain Golf Complex in Gorst. Here is a few of the alterations since the NCAA West Regionals last spring:
• The par-4 second hole will be drivable at 291 yards.
• The par-5 11th will be shortened to 521 yards for at least one of the rounds.
• The tee box for the par-3 16th – which coincides with the tee area for the 11th hole – has been pushed back, and can play as long as 209 yards.
The three changes were suggested by University of Washington coach Matt Thurmond, and endorsed by Gold Mountain director of golf Scott Alexander.
Puyallup's Ryan Moore certainly enjoys keeping up with the latest in technology, and has recently signed a sponsorship deal with a local start-up company called Jobvana.
Jobvana, an online social/professional marketability network, was founded by Nathan Casey. The company's marketing director is Peter Olson. Moore, Casey and Olson all attended Cascade Christian together.
• A profile of Moore, including a regular player's blog for the rest of his schedule on the PGA Tour, can be found at www.jobvana.com/RyanMoore/.
This week: Nationwide Tour's Oregon Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Shadow Hills Country Club, Junction City, Ore.
Fourth-round score: 1-over-par 73.
Position: Putnam's 2-under 286 was tied for 52nd, 17 strokes behind winner Matt Bettencourt (269).
Recap: Not even playing with fellow Washington golfer Brock Mackenzie (Yakima), in the event closest to his hometown, Tacoma, could spark the Life Christian Academy product to do something spectacular. Putnam bogeyed the first hole, made back-to-back birdies at Nos. 5 and 6 and made a final bogey on the water-lined 17th hole – the site of his triple bogey Saturday.
Next: WNB Golf Classic, Oct. 9-12 at Midland CC in Midland, Texas.
This week: Nationwide Tour's Oregon Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Shadow Hills Country Club, Junction City, Ore.
Third-round score: 1-over-par 73.
Position: Putnam (3-under 213) is tied for 48th, 13 strokes behind leader Matt Bettencourt (200).
Recap: The Tacoma native was 3-under on his round through 15 holes, and lurked near the top 20. Then, the round unraveled on the par-4 17th with water all down the left side. Putnam found it, and ended up making triple bogey to shoot one of the 17 over-par rounds Saturday.
Tee time Sunday: 9:27 a.m. PDT off the first tee with Yakima's Brock Mackenzie.
This week: Nationwide Tour's Oregon Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Shadow Hills Country Club, Junction City, Ore.
Second-round score: 1-under-par 71.
Position: Putnam (4-under 140) is tied for 33rd, seven strokes behind leader Bubba Dickerson (133).
Recap: Sometimes the gambles are worth it. Other times, they're not. The Tacoma native finally got something going Friday with a birdie on the par-4 sixth to move to 2-under on his round, and near the top 20. He was licking his chops taking the tee on the par-5 ninth – a hole he made birdie on in the first round. But Putnam's second shot found a right-side water hazard, and he ended up making a bogey. The Life Christian Academy graduate was a little off his ball-striking pace of Thursday, hitting just 11 of 18 greens in regulation.
Tee time Saturday: 9:54 a.m. PDT with Matt Every.
PGA teaching professional Rob Clark, of Wenatchee Golf and Country Club, won the Northwest Open Invitational in an exciting two-hole playoff Wednesday at Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland.
Clark and Pat Howard, of Overlake G&CC, tied at 10-under-par 206. Clark, a former Asian Tour player, won the playoff with a par on the 10th hole.
"I think they say it's the oldest tournament in (the PGA) section," Clark told the Tri-City Herald. "It's great having my name on the trophy. There are a lot of big names on it."
Defending champion Jeff Coston (Semiahmoo), Ryan Malby (Village Greens) and Jason Aichele (Meadow Springs) finished tied for third, and one stroke out of the playoff.
Here are other results:
This week: Nationwide Tour's Oregon Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Shadow Hills Country Club, Junction City, Ore.
First-round score: 3-under-par 69.
Position: Putnam is tied for 10th, four strokes behind leader Ryan Hietala (65).
Recap: Someone else gets to be the early pace setter, and for Putnam, that might not be a bad thing. He's still getting off to good starts – it was the 12th time in his past 13 tournaments he's posted a first round of par or better – and Thursday was no exception. He birdied all the par-5s by getting up and down from around the green (once out of a bunker), sinking a 7-foot putt on the 18th hole for his 69. "They weren't all easy birdies," Putnam said. And for a tight course – it's a par-72 at 7,007 yards – the Tacoma native went at it aggressively. "It's a really tight course, so you have to position your tee shots. You can still hit driver on a lot of holes, and I hit driver more (Thursday) than I did last week," he said.
Tee time Friday: 1 p.m. PDT off the 10th tee.
This week: Nationwide Tour's Oregon Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Shadow Hills Country Club, Junction City, Ore.
World ranking: 541st.
2008 earnings: $117,610 (42nd on the Nationwide Tour).
Last tournament: The Tacoma native notched his first top-10 (tied for sixth at last week's Albertsons Boise Open) in nearly two months, and moved up 12 spots on the money list with five tournaments remaining. Things won't get any easier this week as the 45 of top 50 on the money list are in the field. In 2006, Putnam placed tied for 52nd at this event
Tee time Thursday: 8:10 a.m. PDT off the first tee with Andrew Bonhomme and Paul Gow.
Olympia's Cameron Peck, and Tacoma's Andrew Yun each won their boys' singles match, and Silverdale's Erynne Lee was also successful as the United States stomped Europe, 22-2, for a victory at the 2008 Junior Ryder Cup.
The American team won 11 of 12 singles matches at The Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green, Ky.
Peck, the top-ranked junior in the world, stopped Stanislas Gautier, 5-and-4. Yun, who recently committed to Stanford, beat Julien Brun, 3-and-2. Lee, a junior at Central Kitsap High School, defeated Daisy Nielsen, 3-and-1.
It was the United States' first Junior Ryder Cup triumph.
"We knew we had a wonderful team to play in Europe but our United States players came here to win and they proved they were the quality players we knew they could be when we announced the team," said Ken Lindsay, the president of the PGA of America.
At Chambers Bay Golf Course, University Place
7,174 yards, par 72
RESULTS
Aaron Baddeley, 14 skins ($31,000)
Bubba Watson, three skins ($7,500)
Ben Crane, one skin ($1,500)
Ryan Moore, no skins ($0)
SKINS WINS
• 3rd hole (3 skins): On the par-3, Baddeley's chip stopped inches from the hole, and his tap-in par won out as Moore and Crane missed par putts shorter than 10 feet.
• 5th (2 skins): Only Watson had a realistic chance for birdie on this downhill par-4, and he made a 4-footer to win after a wonderful approach from the left fairway.
• 6th (1 skin): Crane's approach landed pin-high on the par-4. He watched Watson missed a 14-foot birdie putt, then calmly sank a 7-footer to nab the skin.
• 17th (11 skins): Baddeley was the only golfer to hit the par-3 green. In fact, the other three missed par putts before Baddeley attempted his 15-foot birdie putt. A tap-in par won the hole.
• 18th (1 skin): On the finishing par-5, Watson was the only one who went for the green in two shots. His chip from the right apron set up his 6-foot birdie putt, and skin clincher.
This week: Nationwide Tour's Albertsons Boise Open, Thursday through Sunday, Hillcrest Country Club, Boise, Idaho.
Third-round score: 5-under-par 66.
Position: Putnam (11-under 202) is tied for third, two strokes behind co-leaders Bill Lunde and Chris Tidland (200).
Recap: Can this be the week the Tacoma native pushes through for his first professional victory? He responded to a lackluster second round by making six birdies in his first 10 holes Saturday, and immediately climbing into contention. Three of his seven birdies came on the par-5s, and for the week, he's birdied the par-5 holes eight times in nine chances. The Pepperdine All-American recorded his best third round since his 65 at the Price Cutter Charity Championship in late July.
Tee time Sunday: 11:50 a.m. PDT with Hunter Haas.
This week: Nationwide Tour's Albertsons Boise Open, Thursday through Sunday, Hillcrest Country Club, Boise, Idaho.
Second-round score: Even-par 71.
Position: Putnam (5-under 136) is tied for 15th, five strokes behind leader Bill Lunde (131).
Recap: The bogey-free ride from Thursday ended abruptly Friday, on the first hole (on the par-4 10th). After that, Putnam made little happen (three birdies, three bogeys), making birdies on all three par-5s. He had 34 putts Friday.
Tee time Saturday: 10:50 a.m. PDT off the first tee with Skip Kendall.
This week: Nationwide Tour's Albertsons Boise Open, Thursday through Sunday, Hillcrest Country Club, Boise, Idaho.
First-round score: 6-under-par 65.
Position: Putnam is in sole possession of the lead for the first time this season.
Recap: Last week, little-known Brendon Todd was 53rd on the money list. He captured the title at the Utah Championship, won $99,000 and moved up to 15th in earnings. If Putnam could follow that, he likely would secure his PGA Tour card for 2009. The Tacoma native had one of his best rounds of the season (six birdies, no bogeys), finishing with a flurry with birdies on Nos. 15-17. His pitching wedge to the par-3 17th stopped close, and he sank a 5-foot putt for birdie. "The ball-striking has come around since last week," Putnam said. "Today, I made six of seven putts (under 12 feet)." His last bogey-free round came at the Fort Wayne Gretzky Classic in late June (third-round 65 at The Georgian Bay Club).
Tee time Friday: 11:55 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee.
Puyallup's Ryan Moore will host his second BMW Northwest Challenge starting Friday (shotmaking clinic at The Classic) and Saturday (18-hole skins game at Chambers Bay). Here are the other three participants – Aaron Baddeley, Ben Crane and Bubba Watson:
AARON BADDELEY
Age: 27.
Hometown: Scottsdale, Ariz.
PGA Tour wins (2): 2006 Verizon Heritage, 2007 FBR Open.
2008 FedEx Cup playoffs: 43rd, finished at BMW Championship.
World ranking: 26th.
This season: It's been a good season, but not a great one for the Australian, whose best finish was a tie for second at the Heritage in late April. He has eight top-25 finishes, but like Moore, he's endured a few speed bumps. Fitness has been a real priority in the past season.
Baddeley comments: "I always practice. I'm always trying to improve. That's the great thing about this game."
Moore's comments: "His swing is in a great place … and he's in the best shape of his life, but it still takes something else for it to clock, and work. He's battling through some little frustrations."
This week: Nationwide Tour's Albertsons Boise Open, Thursday through Sunday, Hillcrest Country Club, Boise, Idaho.
World ranking: 582nd.
2008 earnings: $96,430 (54th on the Nationwide Tour).
Last tournament: The Tacoma native finished tied for 28th at last weeks's Utah Championship – a mild disappointment considering he was in the top 10 at the midway point after a second-round 63. Statistically, he continues to play like a top-20 player – his 270 birdies this season rank No. 3 on tour. Putnam has now made cuts in the four Northwest stops for his career, including a tied-for-38th at this event as a rookie in 2006.
Tee time Thursday: 6 a.m. PDT off the first tee with Bubba Dickerson and Fran Quinn.
This story was filed by the USGA on Tuesday morning as Duvall's Derek Berg was defeated in the round of 32:
One Michigan State golfer has already earned a likely invitation to the 2009 Masters Tournament.
How about a second?
Jimmy Chestnut of Grand Blanc, Mich., is three victories away from joining fellow Spartan Jack Newman, the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion, at Augusta National next April.
The 26-year-old law student, who spent one year playing professionally in 2005 before applying to the USGA for reinstatement to amateur status, defeated Matthew Williams of Albuquerque, N.M., 5 and 3, to reach the quarterfinals.
In the round of 32, Chestnut beat No. 4 seed Derek Berg, of Duvall, 4-and-3.
The decision was looming, and Gig Harbor's Kyle Stanley wanted to get it out of the way months in advance.
Stanley will turn professional after his junior golf season at Clemson concludes in June.
From a golf standpoint, the decision isn't shocking. He is coming off a consistent summer in which he captured the Southern Amateur for a second time, and was one stroke out of making the cut at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines South Course in San Diego.
"The biggest factor, I needed to see if I was ready, and I feel like I am," Stanley said.
Duvall's Derek Berg was one of the few golfers who contended with Milwaukee Country Club and Brown Deer Park Golf Course just fine, placing tied for third at the 28th U.S. Mid-Amateur on Sunday, easily advancing into the start of match play.
Berg, the former University of Washington standout, fired a pair of even-par rounds of 70 to finish two strokes behind medalist Skip Berkmeyer (138), of St. Louis.
Reigning Puget Sound Amateur champion Kyle Wesolowski, a Bethel High product, missed the cut after shooting 77 on Sunday, placing 104th at 150.
Defending U.S. Mid-Amateur finalist Dan Whitaker, of Cle Elum, also missed the cut at 148.
This week: Nationwide Tour's Utah Classic, Thursday through Saturday, Willow Creek Country Club, Sandy, Utah.
Fourth-round score: 1-under-par 70.
Position: Putnam (11-under 273) finished tied for 28th, 11 strokes behind winner Brendon Todd (262).
Recap: By far, the final round Sunday was the biggest struggle for the Tacoma native. He hit seven of the 13 fairways, and needed 34 putts to complete his round. For each of the two bogeys he made on the back nine, he responded by making a birdie on the next hole, and finished under-par with his 13th birdie on a par-5 hole, this time at the 17th hole. Putnam just missed registering his seventh top-25 finish of the season.
Next: Albertsons Boise Open starting Thursday at Hillcrest Country Club in Boise, Idaho.
This week: Nationwide Tour's Utah Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Willow Creek Country Club, Sandy, Utah.
Third-round score: 2-under-par 69.
Position: Putnam (10-under 203) is tied for 15th, and trails leader Brendon Todd (195) by eight strokes.
Recap: The Tacoma native never really had anything going all day, but put a jolt in his round late by making back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to still stay in position for his best finish of the season. He is only three strokes out of fourth place.
Tee time Sunday: 12:17 p.m. PDT with Mark Brooks.
Tacoma's Michael Putnam shows a little more fire and disappointment than the average professional golfer.
He'll tell you when he feels unbeatable.
He'll tell you when he sucks.
On Friday at the Nationwide Tour's Utah Classic, Putnam made the tournament's biggest move – 93 spots – after firing an 8-under-par 63 at Willow Creek Country Club in Sandy, Utah, tying his career-best score.
In 2005, just days after turning pro from Pepperdine, Putnam shot a 63 in the final round of the PGA Tour's Buick Championship, helping him earn his largest to-date paycheck – $177,733.
On the Nationwide Tour, Putnam has shot 64 twice, including the 2006 Utah Energy Solutions on this same course in north central Utah.
This week: Nationwide Tour's Utah Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Willow Creek Country Club, Sandy, Utah.
Second-round score: 8-under-par 63.
Position: Putnam (8-under 134) is tied for seventh, six strokes behind leader Marc Leishman (128).
Recap: The Tacoma native called the last couple weeks "the more frustrating" time as a professional. His ball-striking sagged, so much, he admitted he's gone through 40 different swing thoughts. So what changed Friday when Putnam matched his lowest round as a professional? "I walked to the tee with a 41st swing thought," he quipped. Whatever it was, it worked – he hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation, and made seven birdies and an eagle, which he converted by making a 20-foot putt. Putnam's only other 63 came in his first event as a professional – the 2005 Buick Championship – where he received a sponsor's exemption.
Tee time Saturday: 1:25 p.m. PDT with Spencer Levin.
This week: Nationwide Tour's Utah Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Willow Creek Country Club, Sandy, Utah.
World ranking: 576th.
2008 earnings: $92,624 (58th on the Nationwide Tour).
Last tournament: The Tacoma native placed tied for 36th at the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic on Aug. 24. The tour took last week off before swinging westward, and closer to Putnam's home. The Life Christian Academy graduate is making enough birdies – his 252 are fifth-most on the circuit. Yet he's ranked 48th in scoring average (71.05). The only other time Putnam played in Utah, he finished tied for second at the 2006 Nationwide Tour stop.
Tee time Thursday: 121:30 p.m. PDT with Scott Gardiner and Tee McCabe.
PGA TOUR's BMW Championship
Third leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs
Site: St. Louis.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Bellerive Country Club (7,456 yards, par 71).
Purse: $7 million. Winner’s share: $1.26 million.
Winner’s FedEx Cup share: 11,000.
Television (all times PDT): Golf Channel (Thursday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5:30-9:30 p.m.; Friday, 12:30-3:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5:30-9:30 p.m.; Saturday, 12:30-3:30 a.m.) and NBC (Saturday, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.).
Last year: Tiger Woods won for the fourth time at Cog Hill in LeMont, Ill., matching the lowest final round of his career with an 8-under 63 and shattering the course record at 22-under 262. Aaron Baddeley was second, two strokes back.
Last week: Vijay Singh shot an 8-under 63 on Monday to win the Deutsche Bank Championship, his second straight in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoff system and third in five weeks. The 45-year-old Singh, also the 2004 winner at TPC Boston, had a tournament-record 22-under 262 total. He has 34 PGA Tour victories, a record 22 after turning 40. Mike Weir was second, five strokes back.
Notes: Woods hasn’t played since season-ending surgery after the U.S. Open, but announced a second child is on the way. … The top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings qualified for the event. The field will be cut to 30 for the Tour Championship on Sept. 25-28 at East Lake in Atlanta. Puyallup's Ryan Moore was eliminated last weeks (after PGA Tour media officials told The News Tribune he had advanced to the St. Louis event). … Singh has a 12,225-point lead over Sergio Garcia. The Fijian, a playoff winner two weeks ago in the FedEx Cup opener at Ridgewood, is assured of taking the lead into the Tour Championship and another top finish might be enough to wrap up the title at Bellerive. … Singh earned $2.52 million the last two weeks to replace Woods atop the money list at over $6.4 million. … Tim Herron tied for fifth last week to jump from 99th to 48 in the standings. He closed with a 65. Angel Cabrera shot a 71 to take the 70th spot by 121 points over Pat Perez. … The players are grouped by the standings for the first two days. … Paul Azinger completed the U.S. Ryder Cup team Tuesday, selecting Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan, J.B. Holmes and Chad Campbell as captain’s picks. Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard, Ben Curtis and Boo Weekley earned automatic spots for the Sept. 19-21 matches against Europe at Valhalla. … The tournament, previously the Western Open, will return to Cog Hill in 2009 and 2011. The 2010 event will be played at Crooked Stick outside Indianapolis. … Robert Trent Jones designed the course. His son, Rees Jones, recently renovated the layout. … Nick Price won the 1992 PGA Championship at Bellerive. … The 2001 American Express Championship at Bellerive was canceled because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. … The tour is off next week. The Viking Classic is Sept. 18-21 at Madison, Miss., opposite the Ryder Cup.
On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
1950 South State Street, Tacoma, Washington 98405 253-597-8742
© Copyright Tacoma News, Inc. A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company
