Fred Couples raises 12th Man flag at Seahawks game

Fred Couples is now two for two in ceremonial roles this year. First, Couples captained the U.S. Presidents Cup team to victory in October, then on Monday night the Seattle native raised the "12th Man" flag prior to the Seahawks demolishing the Saints 34-7 at Seattle's CenturyLink Field.

A Seahawks season ticket holder and sports nut who is often seen at NBA games, Couples was thrilled to get the chance to raise the flag, the symbol of the NFL's most maniacal fan base, and even compared the honor to his Masters victory in 1992.

"I've got to be honest, this is more fun than golf ever is," Couples said prior to raising the flag. He also promised to "act like a nut here for about 30 seconds." After watching the Seahawks' video of Couples raising the flag and then breaking a driver on his knee, we can only say, "Mission accomplished."

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No time for forward looking Spieth to reflect on past glory

Jordan Spieth has a great deal of success to reflect upon after delivering a sensational debut season on the 2013 PGA Tour but he would far rather look ahead as he bids to become an even better player.

The remarkably composed, 20-year-old American was taught by his father to improve himself at something on a month-by-month basis and he is using that lesson as a template in his rapidly burgeoning golf career.

"Each year, I think going back to when I was 12 years old, I've improved as a golfer," Spieth told reporters on a sun-drenched Tuesday at Sherwood Country Club while preparing for this week's Northwestern Mutual World Challenge.

"A big thing for my dad was to say, 'Just try to look back at each month and see if you got a little better each month at something.' This year a big focus of mine is on the majors.

"Now I'm able to be in all four of them and pick my schedule leading up to them to have the best success I can there versus not even knowing I was going to be in a couple of them." 

Spieth, who won the John Deere Classic in July before ending a golden 2013 campaign by being voted the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year, says his main aim is to go into the majors well rested with a better game plan. 

"That is going to be a big focus of mine, trying to play all four weekends, really getting competitive in them and just try to see what it feels like," he said.

"I know what it feels like right now down the stretch at a Tour event, what it feels like to win having done it once, but I have a feeling it will be a little different kind of pressure in a major championship." 

LONG WAY 

Spieth has come a very long way since January when he had to play in a Thursday qualifier just to get into a Monday qualifier for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines where he missed the cut in his first tournament as a professional. 

However, after recording successive top-10s on the Web.com Tour, he returned to the PGA Tour in early March for the Puerto Rico Open where he tied for second and has not looked back. 

"It's been an incredible year," smiled Spieth, who recorded nine top-10s in 23 starts on the 2013 PGA Tour. "It's great to look back at what happened to be in this scenario and learn from the positives.

"But all-in-all, I think the way to have success this year (in 2014) is to not dwell too much on the past and focus on the best players in the world that I'm playing against now week-in and week-out." 

Spieth, who three months ago became the youngest player ever to qualify for the PGA Tour's season-ending Tour Championship, has identified two areas of his game he specifically wants to improve. 

"I really need to focus on my long-iron play, and I need to hit some more pitches around the greens," he said. "That 20- to 40-yard range, pitching the ball, it just wasn't getting it close enough.

"Luckily that's something that is based on how many reps you hit and just getting the feel of the grass each week. If I had the same kind of routine and put a little extra time into those two departments, I'd just improve from last year (2013)."

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Charl Schwartzel seals Alfred Dunhill Championship hat-trick

Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel won the Alfred Dunhill Championship for a third time on Sunday, successfully defending his title at Leopard Creek.

Schwartzel, who won by 12 shots last year, carded a closing 68 to finish 17-under-par, four shots clear of England's Richard Finch, who returned a 70.

Simon Dyson, who faces a European Tour disciplinary panel on Thursday following his disqualification from the BMW Masters in October, shot a final round of 67 to finish joint third on 10 under alongside compatriot Ross Fisher and France's Romain Wattel.

Waterford's Kevin Phelan finished on two-under-par after a final round of 74 which was still good enough for a tie for 24th place.

Gareth Maybin finished on two-over-par after a 75 while Damien McGrane shot a 74 to end on four-over-par.

The win will take Schwartzel back into the world's top 20 and makes up for letting a three-shot lead slip in the final round of the South African Open seven days ago.

The 29-year-old began the final round with a two-shot lead over playing partner Finch but saw that wiped out in the space of three holes as the Englishman birdied the first and third.

Schwartzel responded with a superb tee shot to within a few feet of the hole on the fifth to edge back in front, but a birdie on the sixth was matched by Finch, playing here on a sponsor's invite after losing his card at the end of the 2013 season.

It looked as though Finch, who won twice on the European Tour in 2008, would get back on level terms after a brilliant second shot to the eighth, but Schwartzel holed from 20ft and Finch did well to follow him in.

Finch made his first mistake of the day on the 11th, a wild drive leading to a penalty drop and a bogey five, although Schwartzel almost let him off the hook.

From the middle of the fairway the South African span a simple wedge shot back into a greenside bunker and eventually had to hole from four feet for par to extend his lead to two shots.

Schwartzel moved three ahead with a birdie from 10 feet on the 13th and the tournament suddenly looked over as a contest when Finch ran up a double bogey on the next, his approach from a fairway bunker hitting rocks on the edge of a water hazard and bouncing into some bushes.

Schwartzel's birdie putt from six feet lipped out, but he still had a five-shot lead with four holes to play. Finch reduced the gap with a birdie on the 15th, but Schwartzel was able to cruise home with a safety-first approach to seal his ninth European Tour title.

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Rory McIlroy returns to winning ways with victory at Australian Open

Rory McIlroy was doubly satisfied after he claimed his first title in over a year with a dramatic one-shot victory at the Australian Open in Sydney.

The Northern Irishman birdied the 18th as Adam Scott bogeyed to bring to an end a miserable run of form.

His struggles this year are in sharp contrast to his successes in 2012 when he won five times around the world, including a second major title when he won the US PGA Championship by eight shots.

The former world number one began the day four shots behind Australian Scott but a round of 66 - highlighted by an eagle on the par-five seventh - powered him to victory as the reigning Masters champion faltered.

The overnight leader started and finished with bogeys as he carded a 71, letting slip what would have been his second Australian Open title and the triple crown of Australian golf - the Australian Masters, PGA and Open in the same season - achieved only once before by Robert Allenby in 2005.

Instead, McIlroy can celebrate a first tournament win since the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last November.

John Senden, the 2006 champion, equalled McIlroy's six-under 66 to finish third at 11 under, thereby qualifying for the 2014 Open at Royal Liverpool.

Rhein Gibson and Bryden Macpherson both carded three-under 69s to finish in a share of fourth at nine under the card and also book their places at next year's British Open.

Jason Day posted a two-under 70 to finish at minus eight alongside New Zealander Mark Brown (69) and Matt Jones (72).

McIlroy, addressing a press conference after his win, said: "Since the end of September I have felt better with how my swing was, I felt that everything was coming together the way I wanted it to.

"It's been a frustrating year - I've worked hard and it's been a process, trying to get back to winning golf tournaments again. 

"It was nice to be able to do it today." 

He added on Channel Seven: "I wanted to get a win by the end of the season and finally I have been able to get one. 

"But more satisfying than that is being able to take one of the best players in the world down the stretch and come out on top. 

"Adam is a phenomenal golfer and a great competitor and probably even a better guy. 

"I feel a bit sorry I was the one to ruin the triple crown for him and I am very happy and Adam should be very proud of himself - he is a credit to the game and a credit to this country. 

"It is a very prestigious tournament - Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, it seems like most of the greats of the game have won this tournament and I am honoured to put my name on that trophy." 

"Since the end of September I have felt better with how my swing was, I felt that everything was coming together the way I wanted it to" - A victorious Rory McIlroy elaborates on his return to form 

After the third-round tussle between the two failed to ignite, Sunday proved a much better encounter. 

McIlroy followed up his eagle with a birdie from close range at the eighth to take a share of the lead. 

Scott replied with a birdie on the ninth after an outstanding iron shot to regain the advantage, and after matching birdies on the 13th they headed to the final hole with Scott still up by one. 

But the Australian put himself in trouble when he missed the green and then overhit a chip to leave himself with a long putt. 

He could only bogey and that left McIlroy with the opportunity of rolling it in from five metres for the win. 

Scott did not attempt to hide his devastation, saying: "I felt I did everything right. 

"I was concerned how I was going to hit it today because I haven't been swinging the club very well for the last two weeks and I played really nicely, but the putter didn't behave itself. But that's the way golf is. 

"I'm gutted, I felt I'd never have a better chance to win the Aussie Open. 

"I just slightly misjudged a few putts, overplayed the break, missed a lot of putts on the high side and didn't quite have the eye in - and it always gets a lot trickier on the Sunday. 

"But I just misjudged on the last and a player as good as Rory is going to take that opportunity."

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Wayne Rooney plays football golf against Rory McIlroy in new Nike ad

To launch the new Nike Ordem ball, the company produced one of their signature commercial films, pitting Wayne Rooney against U.S. Open and PGA Championship winner Rory McIlroy in a modified game of golf. Rooney uses the Ordem while McIlory uses normal golfing instruments in the showdown, which features a cameo from Ronaldo (the original one). Rooney somehow reaches 9-under par along with McIlory even though he's using a ball that can't fit in the hole because this is a football ad and the rules of golf don't matter.

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