Golf: Tiger Woods, despited limited schedule, racks up world ranking points

Along with wins, money and scoring average, another way to measure the strength of a golf season is total world ranking points. Tiger Woods won that category, too, but just barely over Henrik Stenson. A closer look reveals it wasn't really that close.

 

Woods earned 488.75 points this year, only 3.65 ahead of Stenson. Masters champion Adam Scott was third, more than 100 points behind.

 

The difference, though, is Woods played only 19 tournaments that awarded ranking points. Stenson played 31. Woods averaged 25.7 points for every event he played, compared with 15.6 for Stenson.

 

This is nothing new for Woods. He tends to play the toughest courses against the strongest fields. He also helps to make the field strong as the No. 1 player in the world. And while he doesn't play often, he plays well when he does tee it up.

 

"Most of my events I play have been on the more difficult venues and against the better fields," Woods said this month. "And now that we have not just the majors and The Players, but we also have the World Golf Championships ... and also the playoffs at the end of the year, you're getting the top players to play together more often. And I'm very proud of my overall record, especially in the bigger events."

• The PGA Tour already alters the pairings to create marquee groups for the opening two rounds. Now it's letting the fans get involved. In voting that will end Monday, fans can go to the tour's website (pgatour.com) to vote who should be paired with defending champion Dustin Johnson at Kapalua for the Tournament of Champions that starts Jan. 3 in Hawaii. The choices are Scott, Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker.
• Darren Clarke has a three-year deal to be the pro and global ambassador at The Astbury in Shropshire, England. It's the first course designed by KK Downing, founding member of the heavy metal band Judas Priest. 
•  LPGA Tour regular Cristie Kerr became a mother Dec. 8. Kerr and husband Erik Stevens had Mason Kerr Stevens through surrogacy because of what she said were "personal medical complications precluding us from traditional pregnancy. We'd like to send out a special thanks to all the people who helped make this miracle happen."

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Golf in December: Definitely not par for course

Two weeks ago, you were knee deep in snow and planning for a white Christmas.

 

Today, you can crack open that box of Titleists you found under the tree and play 18.

 

The year of the wild weather has taken another unpredictable twist, bringing Friday temperatures in the high-40s across the area and the possibility of a balmy 50 today. That means — for at least one day — it's game on at the local links.

 

"They come out like crazy," said Justin Burrell, assistant manager at the UI Golf Course, "because they have that itch."

 

Of the 10 18-hole public courses in the area, eight confirmed Friday that they'll open their fairways and greens for business this morning. Three of the eight will even let you drive a cart. "As hard as the grounds are, carts can't do any damage," said Harrison Park superintendent Brock Burton.

 

Even Rantoul's Willow Pond will welcome golfers today, weeks into a major renovation. Just be sure to avoid the clubhouse — or what used to be the clubhouse.

"It's a cloud of dust," general manager Kipp Bates said.

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Maiden Golf Awards Held In Accra

Dr Frimpong president of Ghana Golf Association has disclose to news men that come the next Olympic games , Ghana will participate and battle for medals in golf games , as golf now has officially been included in the Olympics games . The maiden golf awards ceremony was also attended by the the Okyehene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori who noted that Golf is a fair, transparent and honest sport with massive potential to inspire integrity and good leadership, therefore it’s ideal for African leaders to take up and play because it can help promote and inspire good leadership on the continent,

“A game of integrity and of truth, golf is a gentleman’s game without a doubt. A game in which one player goes unto the field all alone, plays and comes back to report that I played seven on that hole and eight on another,” the King of the Akyem people said in his closing remarks as Chairman of the first ever Ghana Golf Awards.

Okyehene added at the lavish ceremony staged at the Events Haven of the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre at La in Accra on Sunday night, December 22, 2013: “Golf speaks to the inner core of integrity. African leaders should play golf and I can assure you if they pick it up, our continent will be a better place.”

Organised by Primeval Ghana, the maiden Gold Awards in this country rewarded the best performers in the year under review and promises to make it a norm for the foreseeable future, all in the bid to entrench golf as a sport worth patronizing by Ghanaians.

Present as guest of honour to witness the recognition of top golfers nationwide was the Minister of Sports, Hon. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah who graced the occasion with his wife and pledged to soon begin playing the sport he envisages as one that can help sustain long life and prosperity.

“There is a misconception about golf and I must admit I was one of them but ever since I’ve been interacting with the Ghana Golf Association and even tonight, I’ve learnt a lot. I can boldly tell you that I am a new convert who will be going to any of the golf courses one of these days and I will come with my wife because I think golf is the key to everlasting strength and youth,” Hon. Afriyie Ankrah stated.

In the event, Nana Bonsu of the Royal Golf Club, Kumasi was adjudged the golfer of the year whilst business tycoon, Sir Sam Jonah won the award for the of personality of the year award.

Other award winners included Elizabeth Captan (most promising golfer – female), Emmanuel Quarshie (most promising golfer – male), Herbertina Amezado (Junior golfer of the year – female), Enock Nyarko (Junior golfer of the year – male), Constance Awuni (most improved golfer – female) and Vincent Atila (most improved golfer – male).

Other winners were good old Ama Morgan (senior golfer of the year – female), Seidu Konate (senior golfer of the year – male), International golfer of the year – Daniel List, professional golfer of the year – Brave Mensah, Mona Captan (amateur golfer of the year – female) as well as Peter Amenyo (amateur golfer of the year – male).

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TOC Field at Kapalua Announced

Masters champion Adam Scott headlines the field for next week's Hyundai Tournament of Champions, the first PGA Tour event of 2014 -- although no longer the first event of the season.

 

The PGA Tour went to a wraparound schedule in October, which means the Tournament of Champions at the Kapalua Resort on Maui will be the seventh event of the 2013-14 season.

The format for the 72-hole tournament that begins on Jan. 3 remains the same -- only winners of official PGA Tour events during 2013 are eligible. There were 35 such winners, and 30 of them have signed up for the $5.7 million tournament.

 

As expected, both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will skip the event. Neither has played it in years, with Woods last competing in 2005 and Mickelson in '01.

 

Woods is expected to make his season debut next month at the Farmers Insurance Open. Mickelson already has committed to that event, as well as the week prior at a European Tour stop in Abu Dhabi.

 

FedEx Cup and Tour Championship winner Henrik Stenson is also taking a pass at Kapalua, as is U.S. Open champion Justin Rose and RBC Heritage winner Graeme McDowell. The latter three all had hectic schedules on the European Tour at the end of 2013.

 

The tournament boasts 13 first-time winners, including 2013 rookie of the year Jordan Spieth. Others competing are PGA champion Jason Dufner, Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar, defending champion Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson and Brandt Snedeker.

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