Woods ready to ‘clear air’ with Watson

World Number one Tiger Woods will welcome any move to sit down with USA Ryder Cup captain, Tom Watson and “clear the air” before next year’s Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, Scotland.

Watson was extremely critical of Woods in the months following revelations in late 2009 of Woods’ many extra-marital affairs. 

And at the recent ‘One Year to Go’ celebrations in Scotland ahead of the 2014 Ryder Cup, Watson again indicated: “I have not talked with Tiger privately and I will have to sit down and have a conversation with him.” 

Woods was questioned on the subject on Wednesday as guest of honour at a packed press conference ahead of Thursday’s start of the $7 million Turkish Airlines Open. 

The event is the third in the European Tour’s Final Series and with Woods being the only non-European Tour member competing. 

“No, we haven’t spoken yet but I am sure as we have another year plus or about a year ahead of us, so there will be a lot of time between now and then to talk,” said Woods. 

Woods also defended his decision not to contest last week’s $8.5million WGC-HSBC Champions event. 

The 14-time winner instead spent the week after his Match at Mission Hills against Rory McIlroy attending to corporate engagements as well as hosting junior clinics in Macau and Singapore. 

Giles Morgan, Head of Global Sponsorship with banking giant, HSBC last week indicated that Woods’ absence at Sheshan Golf Club is ‘something, from the tour’s point of view, that needs to be looked at. The prolific WGC winning Woods had a simple response saying: “I am an independent contractor.” And then when asked: “But what is your thinking then as an independent contractor.” 

Woods appeared on the front cover of most Turkish newspapers on Wednesday morning following yesterday’s historic occasion when the visiting American became the first ever golfer to hit a golf ball from the Bosphorus River bridge that links the European continent with Asia. 

Traffic was stopped for 30 minutes as Woods hit golf balls down three lanes of the six-lane suspension bridge. 

‘I can win more majors’ 

World number two Adam Scott said on Wednesday he was eyeing a career Grand Slam after bagging the US Masters as he prepared to tee off at the Australian PGA Championship. 

Back on home soil after a stellar breakthrough year, the 33-year-old Australian said he wants to join the five men to have won all four current majors — the Masters, US Open, British Open and US PGA Championship. 

“As long as I keep the intensity in practice and preparation I think I can win more majors, win another Masters, win (British) Opens, hopefully US Opens and PGAs,” Scott told reporters at the Royal Pines. 

“I’d love to win the career slam, the four majors, and put myself in that really small group of players who have won all four majors.” 

Agence France-Presse

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Darren Clarke returning to PGA Tour as full-time player

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The way Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke figures it, he isn't too old to give it another go.

The European Ryder Cup hero and former British Open champion, now 45 and his best days allegedly behind him, is again taking up membership on the PGA Tour.

Last a full-time member in 2006, Clarke hasn't won anywhere in the world since lifting the Claret Jug in 2011, an 0-for-47 stretch that has called into question his desire to play.

But exempt this season because of his victory in the British Open, and coming off ties for 12th and second in his last two starts in Europe and China, Clarke looked and sounded rejuvenated after he banged balls on the range for more than two hours at the Sea Island Golf Club's Seaside Course on a windy, biting Tuesday to get ready for Thursday's start in the McGladrey Classic.

"It's almost like starting over," Clarke said. "It's good to have the opportunity to take it up again. At 45, I've almost had enough of the long hauls all over Asia and all that sort of stuff. Not that it's bad, but coming over here is certainly a lot easier for me from a scheduling point of view. The PGA Tour is the biggest investor in the world, Europe is my home turf, but it's a great opportunity to come over here and play.

"I just want to go out and enjoy myself. I've traveled all over the world for a long time and I've had a great time doing it."

With a home in the Bahamas and another base in West Palm Beach, Fla., Clarke said his travel will be easier on this side of the Atlantic instead of going to and from his other home in Northern Ireland, where his wife and two sons, ages 15 and 13, are residing. Clarke said he will play next week in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Mexico, then a tournament in Turkey.

Next year – after taking off the entire month of December – Clarke will try and play both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. On the PGA Tour, he said he'll start the year off in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, play the following week in the Northern Trust Open, then play the entire Florida swing.

"It will be difficult," Clarke said of playing both tours. "But it is something I will try to do. I will see how I get on with it. But my first commitment is to the PGA Tour, and I have to get my tournaments in on the Tour since I became a member again."

Chip-ins: Brandt Snedeker is hurt again. The 2012 FedExCup champion and two-time winner in 2013 injured his left knee in China last weekend and was forced to pull out of this week's Australian PGA. Snedeker flew to the United States and confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that he got an MRI on Tuesday. Snedeker said he felt fine and was able to get around without crutches. He is scheduled to play in the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge Dec. 5-8. Snedeker missed five weeks earlier this year when he injured his ribs while winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. …World No. 1 Tiger Woods is playing in the Turkish Airlines Open on the European Tour this week … World No. 2 Adam Scott is playing in the Australian PGA, his first tournament in his homeland since winning the Masters in April. It is also Scott's first visit to Down Under since winning in Augusta. …

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McGladrey Classic is a home game for many golfers

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Home is where the heart is – and where this week's McGladrey Classic is for nearly a dozen players in the field who live here or have ties to the area.

Zach Johnson's commute to Sea Island Golf Club's Seaside Course is 3 minutes by bicycle if he were to so choose, for instance, while tournament host Davis Love III's needs 10 minutes to get from front door to the range.

Also among the local delegation in the field are former Players champion Matt Kuchar, former U.S. Open champ Lucas Glover, Jonathan Byrd, Harris English, Charles Howell III, Brian Harman, Chris Kirk and Hudson Swafford.

"I get to sleep in my own bed. My kids are going through the same routine day in, day out as we do when we're at home. Dad goes to work and they go to school, that sort of thing. We like maintaining routine," said Johnson, lured to the area in 2006 when he made visits to see his sports psychologist here. "I know all the guys here. I know the pros that work here, and my feet have been on that golf course a number of times. Those would be the benefits.

"And there's the food, by the way."

What's not to like here along the idyllic Georgia coast? Mild year-round temperatures, small-town feel with Mom and Pop shops and Football Friday and Soccer Saturday. And world-class golf facilities and some of the best golf teachers in the world.

But playing in your own backyard does come with its challenges as the event still seeks its first hometown winner. Ticket requests spike, as do expectations to win from your friends. The course is sped up to an unfamiliar feel. And then there is the petting zoo.

Love, who has lived in the area for 35 years and is known as Uncle Dave by his colleagues in these parts, turns his home into an epicenter of entertainment during the week. For starters, he has four house guests this week. He throws barbecues for players and their families. And this year he's added a petting zoo that will feature an assortment of creatures.

During last week's buildup to the tournament, Love, who was the 54-hole leader here in 2013 before finishing fourth, said he, his family and his team had a lot of "sleepless nights."

"Home-field advantage is good and bad," Love said. "You're comfortable with the golf course, but you've also got the pressures of playing at home and expectations. You try a little too hard."

The extracurricular activities can be taxing, too.

"There's so much going on with our event that it just grows and grows every year," said Love, who missed Tuesday night's charity Wiffle Ball game that included St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, 20 PGA Tour players and their significant others, and local kids. "But I'm not going to miss the petting zoo at my house because that's kind of more up my alley. I hear there's a pig, so that's going to be pretty exciting."

Johnson and his three kids will be there. He said he's more comfortable this year playing in his hometown in front of people he mingles with year-round.

"This is everything I grew up accustomed to in Iowa, except for we got an ocean instead of a cornfield," Johnson said. "It is my hometown now, so there is a little bit of added – some people would say pressure – but I would just say there's just added weight. I want to perform well here. I want to perform here because it's where I live, and I want to perform here because I love McGladrey and what they do.

"I think I've gotten over the fact that, you know, I don't have to play well here to make it a successful week. That's not the important thing. I mean that's my goal. But this is going to be a great week because of what the foundation here does, what McGladrey does and what this community has opened its arms to."

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Purse to $10 million for PGA Championship, Players

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) -- The PGA Championship and The Players Championship will share the distinction of having golf's richest tournament next year by offering $10 million in prize money.

In a new spirit of cooperation, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and PGA of America President Ted Bishop announced the purse increases Wednesday. That marks a 25 percent increase for the PGA Championship, making its purse the largest of the four majors. It was $8 million this year.

The Players Championship for years had the largest purse - $9.5 million this year.

The announcement at Sea Island was part of a new collaboration between two groups that once were part of the same organization. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were largely responsible in 1968 for tournament players breaking away from the PGA of America because they felt it was more concerned with the club pro business.

Finchem said the idea was for them to work together toward a common goal of growing the game.

He said the PGA Tour would run public service announcements during its televised events to highlight PGA of America programs such as ''Get Golf Ready.'' It also plans to feature PGA professionals in its weekly television shows and use PGA pros at tournaments to give clinics.

Bishop noted that Ryder Cup points are being awarded during the fall to honor the PGA Tour's new wraparound season.

''There's probably never been a better time of collaboration and cooperation between our two organizations since the PGA Tour and PGA of America split back in 1968,'' Bishop said. ''I think that in a lot of ways, we're just beginning to scratch the surface in ways that we can really impact the game positively when we work together.''

It also could give the two organizations a stronger voice over proposed rules changes.

Both of them were opposed to the ban on anchored putters earlier this year. The U.S. Golf Association and Royal & Ancient Golf Club eventually approved a new rule banning the way long putters are anchored starting in 2016.

''I would hope that together we combine for a powerful voice in saying that as changes are implemented in the future, they need to align with what's positive for the growth of the game and the business of the game,'' Bishop said.

Bishop argued that banning the way long putters are used will drive people away from golf.

Finchem said all golf organizations need to work together, understanding there will be disagreements.

''The fact that we didn't agree on an issue this past year-and-a-half should not temper in any way our enthusiasm for collaboration,'' Finchem said. ''So we hadn't really looked at it from that perspective of having a stronger position, because who knows? We may not agree ourselves on something like a rule.''

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PGA Tour player Jason Kokrak makes hole-in-one on 409-yard par-4 during pro-am

Sports writers toss around the cliche, "you don't see this everyday" a lot, but in the case of Jason Kokrak at the McGladrey Classic Pro-Am, we've seen this on the PGA Tour only once ... ever.

Kokrak, a 28-year-old from Ontario, Canada, was playing in the pro-am at a PGA Tour stop on Wednesday when he got to the par-4 No. 5 hole at the Seaside Course in Sea Island, Ga.

The hole measures 409 yards, but distance is king and Kokrak is about 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, so I guess he got a lot out of his tee shot. He not only reached the green, but his shot reached the pin, hit it, and disappeared for the incredible hole-in-one on a par-4.

How rare is such a feat? It has happened only once in the history of the PGA Tour, back at the 2001 Waste Management Open, and it needed assistance from someone in the group ahead to find the cup.

Yes, Kokrak's improbable shot during the pro-am allows us to look back at the Andrew Magee double-eagle on the par-4 17th hole at TPC Scottsdale, when his ball landed on the green, hit the putter of Tom Byrum and went in the hole for the ace.

The video of this shot is below, starting at the 1:13 mark, so take a look back in history and give some props to Kokrak who is in the running for shot of the season on the PGA Tour, and it didn't even happen during an official round.

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