Golf - Latest: US PGA Championship, Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, New York (8-11 August)

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Paul Casey and Louis Oosthuizen matching each other, only a few holes to go!

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9th: Eagle for Oosthuizen, birdie for Casey

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2010 Open: Oosthuizen cruises to victory at St Andrews

 

South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen turned the Open Championship into a procession as he romped to a seven-stroke victory over Lee Westwood at St Andrews.

 

The 27-year-old clinched his maiden major title with a composed display of front-running after taking the lead on Friday.

 

Oosthuizen began the final day four strokes clear of Paul Casey and carded a 71 to finish 16 under around the Old Course.

 

Westwood picked up two shots in a round of 70 to edge into second on nine under, with Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (68), Sweden's Henrik Stenson (71) and England's Casey (75) in a tie for third on eight under.

 

World number one Tiger Woods, who was aiming to win a third successive St Andrews Open, was unable to make up any ground and ended well adrift on three under after a level-par 72 that included double bogeys on the fourth and seventh.

 

Oosthuizen had missed the cut in his previous three Open appearances, but he rarely looked troubled as he cruised to an unexpected victory.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/8832469.stm

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didn't realise until today he lives just down the road from me!

[mc_squared]

didn't realise until today he lives just down the road from me!

 

You live in Sith Ifrica now?:rolleyes:

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He lives in the NW of England!

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Tiger Woods slumps as Retief Goosen leads in Ohio

 

Tiger Woods continued to struggle at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational with a round of 72 to end day two on six over, 13 shots behind leader Retief Goosen.

 

South African Goosen fired a four-under 66 to lead American duo Justin Leonard and Phil Mickelson by a single shot. Mickelson will replace Woods as world number one with a win or top-four spot or if Woods finishes out of the top 37. England's Lee Westwood was also in the hunt for the top of the rankings, but withdrew on Friday with a calf injury.

 

Westwood, runner-up in two majors in 2010, would have secured top status with victory in Ohio and Woods finishing outside the top two. However, after the current number one followed up his opening round of 74 - his worst ever round at Firestone Country Club - by matching his second-worst round, a 72, Mickelson will now be favourite for the world's top ranking.

 

Woods, a 14-time major winner and seeking a record eighth win in Ohio, hit only three of 14 fairways in his second round and sits tied in 72nd position having carded five bogeys and three birdies. With just over a week remaining until the eight automatic qualifiers are finalised for the US Ryder Cup side, these are testing times for the man who has been ranked number one for 249 weeks. "Of late I've been driving the ball so much better," was all he said before leaving the course quickly on Friday evening.

 

Two-time US Open champion Goosen followed up his opening 67 with a 66 that included six birdies and two bogeys which puts him in a strong position to push for his first PGA Tour victory of the year. "I'm happy with the round," the 41-year-old Goosen said after missing only three fairways off the tee. "I've not done so well around this course in the past, so it's nice to play well for two rounds and see how I can do on the weekend."

 

Mickelson overcame a double-bogey at the 14th to bag a pair of birdies in the last four holes, while first-round leader Bubba Watson carded a 71 to sit two strokes off the pace at five under, level with compatriot Bo Van Pelt (68) and Swede Peter Hanson (66).

 

Australian Adam Scott (70), Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez (67) and Britain's Paul Casey (68) were all close behind at four under. The field in the event, which has no halfway cut, includes the top 50 players in the world.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/8894194.stm

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Woods is battling hard to avoid losing his world number one status

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/8890816.stm

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Tiger Woods slumps to worst finish of career in Ohio

 

Tiger Woods suffered the worst result of his career as he ended the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational 18 over par.

 

His final round on Sunday included three birdies, six bogeys and two double-bogeys, leaving him 27 shots off leaders Ryan Palmer and Sean O'Hair. Woods' five-year reign as world number one will come to an end if Phil Mickelson places fourth or better.

 

Mickelson begins his final round on five under par - four shots behind the leaders, and two behind fourth spot. Woods' final round slump ends a dismal week which saw him card 74, 72, 75 and finally 77.

 

The Firestone Country Club had previously been a happy stomping ground for Woods, who has won seven out of his 10 competitions played here - part of a record total of 17 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational wins.

 

Yet this year his combined total of 298 is a massive 39 shots higher than the record he set for the course 10 years ago. Only Sweden's Henrik Stenson kept Woods from finishing in last place. "Shooting 18 over par is not fun," Woods said. "I don't see how it can be fun shooting 18 over, especially since my handicap is meant to be zero. It's tough. I need to hit the ball better, I need to chip better, I need to putt better. It has been a long year."

 

After the third round, the troubled American admitted that Mickelson will probably leapfrog him in the world rankings. "If Phil plays the way he's supposed to this weekend, then he'll be number one," Woods said.

 

And Woods told reporters that if he did not improve his form he would not play in October's Ryder Cup. "Not playing like this. Definitely not playing like this," he conceded. "I wouldn't help the team if I'm playing like this. No-one would help the team if they're shooting 18 over par. But I think I can turn it around, we have lots of time between now and then."

 

As it stands, Woods sits ninth in the US Ryder Cup List, meaning unless he can perform well enough at the USPGA Championship to rise into the top eight he will miss out on automatic Ryder Cup selection. He would then have to rely on US captain Corey Pavin's additional four selections to be given a place. The USPGA Championship begins on Thursday in Wisconsin.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/8895966.stm

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Hunter Mahan wins Bridgestone Invitational victory

 

Hunter Mahan hit a final-round 64 to earn a two-shot victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio.

 

Mahan ended on 12 under par finishing ahead of Ryan Palmer with Retief Goosen and Bo Van Pelt a shot further back.

 

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Irishman Padraig Harrington were seven shots off the lead on five under par.

 

World number one Tiger Woods had a miserable final round of 77, ending 18 over par, but rival Phil Mickelson could only hit 78 to end on three over.

 

Mickelson's score meant he missed on the chance of surpassing American compatriot Woods as the world number one.

 

But despite Woods and Mickelson's failings, the day belonged to American Mahan who held his nerve to hit six birdies and no bogeys in a faultless round that saw him earn victory.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/8896197.stm

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Woods was edged out by Yang at the 2009 USPGA championship

 

Tiger Woods draws holder YE Yang at USPGA championship

 

Tiger Woods has been drawn alongside defending champion YE Yang and former winner Vijay Singh for his opening two rounds at the USPGA Championship.

 

South Korean Yang became the first Asian-born golfer to win a major last year when he edged out Woods.

 

Woods needs a good performance at the event, which begins on Thursday at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin.

 

The world number one is currently outside the automatic qualification places for the Ryder Cup.

 

Woods is 10th in the standings, with the top eight qualifying automatically for the team to face Europe at Celtic Manor on 1-3 October and the American Ryder Cup ratings to close after the USPGA.

 

He goes into the last of this year's majors having just endured his worst finish as a professional, ending the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at a shocking 18 over par.

 

However, United States captain Corey Pavin will have four wildcard picks available.

 

Elsewhere at the USPGA, the winners of the three previous majors this year will tee off together, with Masters winner Phil Mickelson, US Open champion Graeme McDowell and Open winner Louis Oosthuizen in a group together.

 

Lee Westwood, who withdrew from the tournament with a calf injury after the second round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, will be replaced by Kevin Sutherland, who will tee-off with Ernie Els and Dustin Johnson.

 

European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie will play alongside Koumei Oda and Matt Kuchar, while Pavin will join a group with Ian Poulter and Camilo Villegas.

 

Padraig Harrington, the 2008 champion, lines up alongside Davis Love III and John Daly.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/8899328.stm

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Watson & Molinari set USPGA pace

 

FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD: -4 B Watson (US), F Molinari (Ita), M Kuchar (US)*, E Els (SA)*, N Watney (US)* -3 J Day (Aus), R Moore (US), C Howell III (US), G Fernandez-Castano (Sp)*, D Clarke (NIre)*, S Khan (Eng)*

Selected others:-2 M Laird (Sco), S Lowry (Ire)*, -1 T Woods (US), R McIlroy (NIre)*, P Mickelson (US)*, +3 P Harrington (Ire), +6 S Garcia (Sp)

 

Bubba Watson and Francesco Molinari shared the clubhouse lead after day one of the USPGA Championship. They were joined at four under by Ernie Els, Matt Kuchar and Nick Watney who were left out on the course with holes to play when bad light curtailed play.

 

Play had begun more than three hours late because of early fog. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods was menacingly positioned three shots off the lead after a 71 while Darren Clarke led the UK challenge on three under.

 

Clarke will resume his first round at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, on the 14th after narrowly missing a birdie putt on the 404-yard 13th which would have seen him join the five players at four under.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/8910324.stm

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Tiger Woods off to solid start at USPGA Championship

 

Tiger Woods gave an indication he was ready to resume his quest for major titles with a competitive first round at the USPGA Championship in Wisconsin.

 

The world number one, joint 78th out of 80 at last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, was three under after only four holes at Whistling Straits. He had to settle for a one-under round of 71 but was pleased with his efforts. "I felt like I had control of the ball for most of the day, especially my trajectory," he said afterwards. I got off to a quick start and all of a sudden I felt like I could shoot something in the 60s, but it didn't quite happen."

 

Woods, needing a top-15 finish to have a chance of qualifying automatically for the Ryder Cup, took a share of the lead when a hot putting streak gave him birdies at three of the first four holes.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/8910291.stm

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First round photos from the USPGA at Whistling Straits

 

The start of the final major of the year, the USPGA Championship, is delayed as heavy fog hangs over Whistling Straits, leaving players waiting on the driving range for their rounds to begin

 

American DJ Trahan takes advantage of the fog delay to indulge in a little bit of last-minute visualisation, or maybe enjoy a brief snooze, as the wait continues in Wisconsin

 

Play finally gets under way after a three hour, 10 minute delay but early starter Vaughn Taylor of the United States still has to deal with less than ideal conditions as he tackles the first hole

 

Woods struggles to maintain his fast start but a birdie on the ninth, his last hole played, sees him go into the second round on one under after his first under-par round since The Open at St Andrews

 

Four-time major winner and world number two Phil Mickelson shows miraculous powers of recovery to be one under after day one. The 2005 champion birdies 10 and 11 before the hooter intervenes

 

And one of those players is Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy - seen here with playing partner Adam Scott of Australia. McIlroy fought back from being three over after four to finish one under after 13

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/8909915.stm

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McIlroy pursues Watney in USPGA

 

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy is hoping to mount a serious challenge to leader Nick Watney as the final round of the USPGA gets under way at Whistling Straits.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/default.stm

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Sergio Garcia loses his temper at the USPGA

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAX763MLFsc]YouTube- Sergio Garcia loses his temper[/ame]

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Settled in folks, could be a long night, leaderboard is verrry tight

 

1 Johnson US -11 1

1 Watney US -11 1

3 Day Aus -10 2

3 Kaymer Ger -10 2

3 McIlroy NI -10 1

6 Johnson US -9 3

6 Liang Chn -9 2

8 Kuchar US -8 5

8 Dufner US -8 3

8 Furyk US -8 3

11 Mickelson US -7 16

11 Points US -7 6

11 Villegas Col -7 6

11 Watson US -7 4

11 Elkington Aus -7 3

[Tnspieler1012]

been watching for the last hour and a half, couldn't be more exciting with so many players at the top.

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Watney has just capitulated, after leading by 3 he's dropped those 3 shots and is now also in the water on the 7th after hitting the rocks from the tee :o

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the wind on this course is causing chaos all over!

[Tnspieler1012]

triple for Watney. Mcilroy would be killing if he could make a putt.

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Kaymer looks strong and where's Elkington come from!

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ouch, Bubba Watson got himself into position, and then he hits a tee shot right up against the 80 degree bank!

[Tnspieler1012]

Good save from Bubba, Elkington's gonna drop a stroke, go Mcilroy!

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McIlroy and Dustin J are going to have a job getting a birdie on the last two holes. My bet is a playoff between Watson and Kaymer, but this has been one of the best majors in recent years and it aint over yet!