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News:  Golf

Dougherty holds on for BMW title
FINAL LEADERBOARD: (GB amp; Ire unless stated)-22 N Dougherty -21 R Echenique (Arg) -18 R Goosen (SA) -17 F Aguilar (Chi), D Drysdale, MA Jimenez (Spa), G Storm -16 S Kapur (Ind) Selected others: -15 D Willett -14 R McIlroy -12 B Dredge +1 C Montgomeriebr /br /Dougherty carded an eight-under round to secure his winbr /England's Nick Dougherty resisted a late charge from Argentina's Rafa Echenique to claim the BMW International Open by one shot.br /Dougherty began with four birdies in the opening five holes to pull level with overnight leader Retief Goosen.br /Birdies on 13, 14 and 15 established a comfortable lead, but an albatross at the last helped Echenique to a European Tour record 27 on the back nine.br /Goosen finished in third while home favourite Bernhard Langer ended ninth.br /The third and most high-profile European Tour win of Dougherty's career had seemed in danger when Echenique sank his approach shot at the par-five last.br /The three strokes picked up by the 243-yard three-iron cut Dougherty's advantage to just one heading onto the 18th tee.br /But, after a bogey on the same hole on Saturday, the world number 120 kept his nerve to clinch an emotional win.br /606: DEBATEbr /a class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A53790140" __eventidglow500382788="103"Brilliant win for a very popular player/abr /Golfbugbr /The Liverpool-born player paid tribute to those who helped him after the sudden death of his mother in April 2008.br /"The strength that my Mum had lives on in me," he said.br /"I want to say thank you to all the people who have helped me through some tough times.br /"I have a great team around me and it's great to be back where I feel I belong."br /South Africa's Goosen, who had led over the first three rounds, could not maintain his pace under pressure from the chasing pack.br /Dropped shots on the 10th and 12th saw him lose touch just as Dougherty accelerated.br /Langer's hopes of becoming the oldest winner in Tour history in front of his home fans were fuelled by an opening birdie that put him within one shot of the lead.br /But he finished level-par for the day as he struggled to reproduce the form that saw him go seven-under on Saturday.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-6199550361768982347?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
McIlroy makes European Open move
McIlroy is chasing his second title as a professionalbr /Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy surged up the European Open leaderboard with a third-round 68 in strong winds at the London Golf Club in Kent.br /McIlroy, 20, is six under par overall, three shots behind Frenchman Christian Cevaer (70) and India's Jeev Milkha Singh (71).br /Alongside McIlroy on six under are England's Chris Wood (68) and Spain's Alvaro Quiros (69).br /Scotland's Gary Orr (68) and England's Steve Webster (70) are five under.br /England's Anthony Wall, who was one off the lead after rounds of 68 and 69, slumped to a 76 and six off the pace on a day of high-scoring.br /Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell (74) is one over, Ryder Cup skipper Colin Montgomerie of Scotland (74) is two over and England's Lee Westwood (74) is three over.br /br /There were nine different leaders on day three, and like most players Singh struggled with his consistency in testing conditions, mixing six birdies with five bogeys, while Cevaer had three birdies and a bogey.br /World number 449 Cevaer made one of only two birdies all day on the 471-yard last. The 69-strong field were a cumulative 76 over par there.br /Meanwhile Singh, joint halfway leader with Cevaer's compatriot Michael Lorenzo-Vera, covered the last six in four under.br /Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal had a sextuple-bogey nine on the short 17th, including two penalty drops and a left-handed air shot in the bushes left of the green. World number four Sergio Garcia was one of several stars to finish with a triple-bogey seven.br /McIlroy, who had three birdies and an eagle, demonstrated the strength of the wind by reducing the 541-yard 5th to a drive and 118-yard sand wedge, while on the 16th his 153-yard seven-iron came up 30 yards short.br /Wood, the 21-year-old from Bristol who as an amateur finished fifth in the Open last July, said: "I'm not thinking about winning yet. I've just got to keep doing the same that I've been doing mentally this week.br /"It's taken me a while to get going this season. Coming through Tour school I didn't get into that many events and those I did I was practising in snow and ice at home and then going out to Indonesia or wherever."br /Stephen Dodd of Wales mixed eight birdies with six bogeys 24 hours after driving all the way from Kent to Wales thinking he had missed the halfway cut.br /And Westwood was between Cambridge and Peterborough when he was contacted and told he was back in the tournament.br /"I increased my carbon footprint," said the Ryder Cup star after his disappointing round 74. "I got a call - but I wish I hadn't!"br /All those who finished on one over par at lunchtime yesterday looked like missing out on the final two rounds, but a strong afternoon wind sent scores soaring.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-540466151759847912?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Woods urged to make Ryder recce
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are the top two players in the worldbr /United States skipper Corey Pavin has urged Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to play the Wales Open before the course hosts next year's Ryder Cup.br /Pavin will embark on a Ryder Cup reconnaissance mission to check out the Celtic Manor's Twenty Ten course when he plays in the Wales Open in June.br /And Pavin told the BBC: "I'd certainly encourage guys who maybe on the US team to come over and play the Wales Open."br /European captain Colin Montgomerie will go head-to-head with Pavin in Newport.br /Pavin, the 1995 US Open champion, will be the first US PGA Tour star to play at the Celtic Manor event when the four-day Wales Open begins on 4 June.br /Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Anthony Kim and world number six Kenny Perry are also in line to be in Pavin's United States team when they defend their Ryder Cup crown in September 2010.br /The 38th Ryder Cup is the first to be played on a course specifically designed for golf's showpiece matchplay event.br /And Pavin wants world number one Woods and the rest of his team to follow him to the Celtic Manor.br /br /I expect both Phil and Tiger will be in the team so I'd be more than happy to see them at the Celtic Manor beforehandbr /US Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavinbr /"Anybody who is going to be on the team, I would love them to get over to Wales to check out the Celtic Manor course," he added.br /"I expect both Phil and Tiger will be in the team so I'd be more than happy to see them at the Celtic Manor beforehand.br /"If not in a tournament then for a practice, although to play in Wales Open would be even better because they would be able to play the Ryder Cup gold course in a tournament mode.br /"It's always good to see and get accustomed to the golf course before, in whatever form it takes.br /"If they don't it's not the end of the world, it would certainly be better if they did play the Wales Open before the Ryder Cup."br /Woods, a 14-time major winner, is golf's biggest box office name and such is his X factor draw, Wales Open chiefs could expect a sell-out if the iconic American did announce his desire to make his Celtic Manor debut before next year's Ryder Cup.br /The Wales Open has attracted big-name Europeans such as Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Miguel Angel Jiminez and Ian Poulter as well as major winners like Retief Goosen Michael Campbell.br /But Pavin is the first big-name American.br /The 49-year-old is the 26th US captain and will lead an American team which won the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1999 at Valhalla last year.br /He will also attempt to become the first US captain since Tom Watson at The Belfry in 1993 to lead a team to victory on European soil.br /Pavin, the 1991 US PGA Tour leading money winner who was in the world top ten between 1986 and 1997, will make his Celtic Manor bow on his first trip to Wales.br /"I'm excited about playing in Wales as I was want to check out the golf course and the facilities," he added.br /"It is a reconnaissance trip to go over things at hotel to ensure everything is done nicely for my team.br /"I've seen pictures on the course; there's plenty of water and it seems the final holes will be interesting for matchplay but I want to see the course for real.br /"I want to work out the likely matchplay pin-placements for the Ryder Cup and get some insight on how the rough will be cut and at what height so I can work out what type of players will work out best on that golf course.br /"I won't need to tell my guys how to play the Celtic Manor course, but I can't advise if I don't know myself."div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-5841126021912977187?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Mickelson set for Augusta warm-up
Mickelson won the WGC-CA Championship in Marchbr /Phil Mickelson insists he is delighted with his form in the build up to the Masters at Augusta.br /The world number two will attempt to win his third PGA Tour title in 2009 at the Houston Open this week, the last event before the Masters on 9 April.br /Mickelson, a two-time Masters winner, has already won the WGC-CA Championship and Northern Trust Open this season.br /"It feels great to have won because I knew that I was playing some good golf heading in," said the 38-year-old.br /"It feels great because I'm starting my Masters run to Augusta. This is all part of the process."br /The left-handed American goes into the Houston Open alongside 14 of the world's top 20 golfers and the Redstone Golf Club has again been set up to provide similar conditions to Augusta National.br /606: DEBATEbr /a class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A49228644" __eventidglow22220844="85"Will Mickelson, Harrington, Ogilvy, Garcia, Poulter, etc be able to step up to the plate and overhaul the Tiger? /abr /PositiveStevebr /"I enjoy this process of competing, being in the final group, being tied for the lead, feeling that pressure, feeling that intensity and how important each shot is throughout the entire round," added Mickelson, who worked hard on his game during the off-season with swing coach Butch Harmon.br /"All of that adds to helping me, or whoever, play better in the majors, as well as being able to come out on top in a World Golf Championships where we have the best players in the world competing."br /Spaniard Sergio Garcia (ranked third), Australian Geoff Ogilvy (fourth), Irishman Padraig Harrington (fifth), Fijian Vijay Singh (sixth), Swede Robert Karlsson (seventh), Colombian Camilo Villegas (eighth) and Swede Henrik Stenson (10th) will all be in action.br /Although Singh is still recovering from the effects of knee surgery earlier this year, he has a strong affinity with this tournament having won at Woodlands in 2002 and at Redstone in 2004 and 2005.br /American Johnson Wagner defends the title he won by a shot last year to book his place in his first Masters.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-4685035464038776403?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Ogilvy cruises to win over Casey
Ogilvy went ahead at the first and never let Casey back inbr /Geoff Ogilvy beat Englishman Paul Casey 4amp;3 to win the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tuscon, Arizona.br /Casey made a shaky start and was unable to get close enough to his Australian opponent to put any pressure on him.br /Three up after 18 holes, Ogilvy, the 2006 champion and 2007 runner-up, forced home his advantage to take the $1.4m first prize.br /In the third-place match, Englishman Ross Fisher was edged out by American Stewart Cink at the 18th to win 1up.br /Despite having led for 79 of the 80 holes he had played in the tournament prior to Sunday, Casey made a nervous start to the 36-hole final at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.br /He immediately went one behind when he missed from four feet for birdie at the first after Ogilvy had already holed from six feet.br /Casey, chasing a first PGA Tour win of his career, missed another short putt on the severely undulating greens, this time at the sixth to go two down.br /606: DEBATEbr /a class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A48086616" __eventidglow839818755="62"I personally think Ogilvy is one of the very best players in the world, but does anyone think he can compete for more majors? /abr /2 Slams Lleyton 09br /Ogilvy increased the pressure by winning the eighth and ninth to go four up before Casey halted the Australian's momentum in spectacular fashion, holing out at the par-four 10th hole with his second shot from 204 yards for an eagle.br /The par-five 11th should have gone to Casey after Ogilvy found trouble after pulling his second shot into the jaws of a cactus.br /But after a penalty drop, the Australian hit his fourth shot just short of the green before chipping in for an unlikely par.br /Ogilvy had his lead cut at the par-five 13th when Casey holed his first birdie putt of the match, but the former got the upper hand at the par-three 16th.br /Three-time Ryder Cup player Casey gave himself a boost heading into the lunch break when he won the 18th with a birdie three from 11 feet.br /But Ogilvy would not give him an inch when play resumed.br /The Englishman rolled in a birdie putt from 40 feet at the 22nd, but Ogilvy simply rolled in his own birdie putt from close range for a half.br /At the 25th, Casey again laid down the gauntlet, firing in an iron to around 15 feet from the green only for Ogilvy to match it and cash in when his rival missed his birdie putt.br /br /Casey's highlight was an incredible eagle at the 10thbr /Looking to become the first Englishman to win this event, Casey bogeyed the par-four ninth to lose the 27th hole and go six down, but an eagle at the 29th gave him a glimmer of hope.br /When the 30th was halved, Ogilvy stepped up on the 31st knowing the win was in sight, but Casey birdied to push the match to another hole.br /Ogilvy finally had a putt for victory on the 33rd hole - and the Australian's nerve did not let him down as he stroked home.br /"I was out of the blocks fast this afternoon and made three birdies over the first eight holes and still lost two holes, so he played great golf," said Casey.br /"I threw a lot at him but he didn't flinch. It was very impressive.br /"I didn't have enough, simple as that. I have no excuses, he just played excellent golf all day."br /Ogilvy, who had beaten Northern Irish sensation Rory McIlroy in the quarter-finals, said he was delighted with how he had played in Arizona.br /"The whole weekend I played fantastic. I played two unbelievable players yesterday, Rory is going to be one of the best players in the world," said Ogilvy.br /"Stewart Cink is very hard to beat in this tournament, always up there, and then Paul today, one of the best players in the world, a really great competitor head to head.br /"I've been on the wrong end in this final, it's not a very nice feeling, but it's a very satisfying week to play well, I'm really happy with this."br /In the consolation match, Cink took the $600,000 third-place prize in dramatic fashion when he holed with a stunning chip from the bunker on the 18th.br /Fisher led the opening exchanges, leading until the ninth when a bogey let his American rival back in to level things up.br /A birdie from Cink at the par-three 16th pulled the match level and ensured a tense run-in.br /And he hit his third birdie in a row on the 18th to take the match, leaving Fisher in fourth and a cheque for $490,000.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-4573950157500540809?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Majors in 2009
Tiger Woods won his 14th major title at last year's US Openbr /Mark your card with the dates and venues of golf's four major championships in 2009.br /The season will be dominated by the return of Tiger Woods from injury.br /The 14-time major champion is expected back in time for the Masters as he pursues Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 major titles.br /But he faces fierce rivalry from Ireland's Padraig Harrington, who has won two straight Open Championships and the last two major titles.br /The Masters, Augusta, 9-12 Aprilbr /Defending champion: Trevor Immelman, South Africabr /a class="bodl" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/7345695.stm" __eventidglow744581837="50"Immelman wins Masters/abr /The US Open, Bethpage, New York, 18-21 Junebr /Defending champion: Tiger Woods, USbr /a class="bodl" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/7456559.stm" __eventidglow744581837="49"Woods seals dramatic US Open win/abr /The Open, Turnberry, Scotland, 16-19 Julybr /Defending champion: Padraig Harrington, Irebr /a class="bodl" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/7516327.stm" __eventidglow744581837="48"Brilliant Harrington retains Open/abr /The USPGA, Hazeltine, Minnesota, 13-16 Augustbr /Defending champion: Padraig Harrington, Irebr /a class="bodl" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/7553039.stm" __eventidglow744581837="47"Superb Harrington clinches USPGA/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-4066340275946684255?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Woods faces 'arduous' route back
Tournament host Woods (left) presents Singh with the World Challenge trophybr /Tiger Woods admits he faces a struggle to rebuild his game and says he is still unsure when he will be able to play again following knee surgery.br /Woods, 32, is recovering from anterior cruciate ligament surgery and has not played since his dramatic US Open victory at Torrey Pines in June.br /"I've got to do a lot of work, and it'll be an arduous task," he said.br /"I think I can handle a full swing now, but I'm not there yet. It's going to take a little bit of time."br /The 14-time major champion, whose recovery is reportedly ahead of schedule, began hitting shots two weeks ago.br /But asked how soon he would be able to make a full swing with his driver, Woods replied: "I don't know, it's just the recovery day-to-day.br /"I don't know how my legs are going to start recovering, then swinging more full, progressing through the ball, and the ball count."br /He is targeting the Masters in April as his first priority but he is likely to want to play competitively before then.br /The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson in late February is a possibility for his much-anticipated comeback, although the WGC-CA Championship in Miami (12-15 March) is more likely.br /In Woods's absence, Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington have narrowed the gap at the top of the world rankings.br /Woods's lead has now shrunk from 11.3 to 3.8 points over world number two Garcia, who was nearly 15 points behind when he entered 2008 in 12th place.br /br /But Open and USPGA champion Harrington, who has improved from eighth to fourth this year, could also have the American in his sights if he begins the 2009 season strongly.br /Woods has been at the head of the rankings for a total of 529 weeks in his career. The last player to take the top spot from him was Vijay Singh in June 2005.br /World number three Phil Mickelson, who was the subject of derogatory comments from Woods's caddie Steve Williams two weeks ago, has never been number one, but he may also have an opportunity to pass his long-time rival in the coming months.br /Despite Harrington's heroics in the year's final two majors, Woods has been sorely missed in the game, not least by television viewers whose numbers have diminished.br /"Tiger brings viewers in droves to the telecast so his absence had a negative impact," said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.br /"You can also see some softness in tournaments where he typically plays in the galleries, but not significant.br /"But I could write a script that, from the interest of competition, we are going to have a great year (in 2009). You guys (the media) are all going to participate in the coming back of Tiger, (speculating) can he play and can he have stamina."br /Woods, though, is looking forward to spending the rest of the year at home in Florida with his wife Elin and their 18-month-old daughter Sam Alexis. Their second child is due in February.br /"I'm just going to go home and celebrate Christmas with Sam and just kind of hang out at home," Woods told reporters after presenting Vijay Singh with the winner's trophy at his charity Chevron World Challenge event on Sunday.br /"Then I will just gradually start building back into the game, but I'm really looking forward to it."div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-7540675041519389198?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Montgomerie eyes World Cup glory
After Scotland lost the 2006 play-off, Montgomerie tasted victory last yearbr /Colin Montgomerie and Alastair Forsyth launch Scotland's bid to defend their World Cup crown in China on Thursday.br /Montgomerie, who won last year with Marc Warren, hopes to become the first player since Tiger Woods in 2000 to retain the trophy for his country.br /"I am looking forward immensely to defending the title with Alastair this time around," said Montgomerie.br /A total of 28 nations are competing in Shenzhen, with Sweden's Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson the favourites.br /Ian Poulter teams up with Ross Fisher as England look to repeat their success of four years ago.br /Both players head into the tournament on the back of impressive performances over the last year.br /Poulter finished as Europe's leading points scorer at the Ryder Cup in September while Fisher won The European Open in July on the way to a career-best sixth place on the European Tour's Order of Merit.br /"I'm happy with my golf game right now and Ross has been playing exceptionally well," said Poulter.br /606: DEBATEbr /a class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A43811093"Can Monty win a major? Give us your thoughts on the World Cup/abr /xxkristofxxbr /"I like the way Ross plays. He hits the ball a long way off the tee, which I think is great in foursomes.br /"The holes that I've looked at right now, certainly with some of the par fives, will be an advantage with Ross teeing off on those holes. I'm happy with hitting three-wood, five-wood into some of those holes.br /"He is also an aggressive player and that's great in four balls. I think how straight he hits it is a big bonus in foursomes, as well.br /"That's why when it come down to me to pick, I looked at Ross as a guy that's been very, very steady, and someone that hits the ball a long way; that's a great mix. That's why I'm excited to be out there."br /Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley represent Ireland while Bradley Dredge and Richard Johnson join forces for Wales.br /Swedes Karlsson and Stenson are the strongest pairing on paper, ranked sixth and 12th in the world respectively.br /"We have only had one chance to play together before in the Ryder Cup and that worked well," said Karlsson, the 2008 European Order of Merit winner.br /The United States, who have won the tournament 23 times, are represented by Ben Curtis and Brandt Snedeker.br /"In our sport you do not get the opportunity too many times to compete for your country and this is going to be a thrill for me," said Snedeker.br /The opening round of the World Cup will be played in a fourball format while Friday is foursomes before it goes back to fourballs on Saturday with the final round on Sunday a foursomes.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-4684319326459700270?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Garcia clinches home town victory
FINAL LEADERBOARD: (GB amp; Ire unless stated) -20 S Garcia (Spa) -17 P Hedblom (Swe) -15 A Noren (Swe) -14 S Dyson, S Kjeldsen (Den), D Lynn -13 R Finch, P Hanson (Swe)Selected others: -12 P Casey, R McIlroy, S Gallacher -10 JM Olazabal (Sp)-7 N Dougherty, C Wood -6 J Rosebr /br /Garcia collects one of world sport's more unusual trophiesbr /Sergio Garcia captured his first European Tour title since 2005 with a three-stroke victory on his home course at the Castello Masters.br /The Spaniard, 28, sank five birdies in a four-under-par 67 to see off the challenge of Swede Peter Hedblom (66).br /After starting the final round four shots adrift, Hedblom only needed six holes to draw level.br /But Garcia held his nerve and finished on 20 under par after a bogey five at the 17th ended Hedblom's hopes.br /"Just getting the tournament here was extremely special for me - and my family - and to come out on top playing like I did was awesome," Garcia said afterwards.br /He dedicated his victory, however, to Seve Ballesteros, who has undergone three operations after being diagnosed with a brain tumour and remains seriously ill.br /"I couldn't help but think about Seve. I'm sending all my love to him and his family and hope he recovers soon," Garcia commented.br /br /Hedblom's compatriot Alexander Noren took third place with a best-of-the-day 65 which featured five successive birdies on the back nine before he dropped a shot at 18.br /England's Simon Dyson and David Lynn, who carded 69s, were a stroke further back on 14 under, sharing fourth with first round leader Soren Kjeldsen.br /Most eyes, however, were on Garcia whose father Victor is still the the professional at the Club de Campo.br /And he did not let the crowd down despite the best efforts of Hedblom, who birdied the first four holes.br /After bogeying the short 6th where he missed the green with his tee-shot, Garcia responded by immediately holing an eight-footer for birdie at the next.br /br /Garcia is congratulated by his father, the Club de Campo professionalbr /Both players picked up shots at the long 13th and again had matching birdies three holes later.br /Garcia was in trouble at 17 where his approach finished in sand, but he almost holed his bunker shot before securing his par, while Hedblom missed his putt from short range.br /A noisy ovation greeted Garcia at the 18th where he avoided any last-minute alarms before tapping in to seal a win which ended a run of seven second-place finishes in Europe since his 2005 European Masters success.br /"On the back nine I felt I had it under control and had a lot of chances and putts, but didn't make that many. It just feels very special and means so much," he added.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-3963240226466131249?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Fernandez-Castano wins at Belfry
FINAL ROUND LEADERBOARD: (GB amp; Ire unless stated) -12 G Fdez-Castano (Spa)*, L Westwood -10 M Campbell (NZ) -8 M Lundberg (Swe) -6 C Schwartzel (SA), JM Singh (Ind) Selected others: -5 R Fisher, -3 T Bjorn (Den), -2 D Howell, P Lawrie *wins after play-offbr /br /Watch the best moments from the British Mastersbr /Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano needed a play-off to beat Lee Westwood and deny the Englishman his defence of the British Masters at the Belfry.br /The pair played the 18th three times before they could be split after Westwood hit a final round 70 and the Spaniard a 67 to finish 12 under.br /Trading 10-foot putts on the first two play-off holes for par, Fernandez-Castano produced another to win.br /New Zealand's Michael Campbell was third on 10 under par.br /Fernandez-Castano, 27, played some fine shots in a sparkling final round, not least a chip in on the 12th and a save from the rough on the 72nd hole which left him a four-foot putt to take the contest to sudden-death.br /br /Fernandez-Castano thrilled with titlebr /Although he was shorter off the tee than Westwood he made up for it with an assured short game which eventually paid dividends for his fourth career title and a winner's cheque of over pound;300,000.br /It also gave him a perfect play-off record having won two of his previous four titles by that method.br /"I think it's probably the best of my four wins," Fernandez-Castano said. "My season was not going very well and I was starting to get worried."br /Westwood, who played in last weekend's Ryder Cup, was always in contention over the weekend but admitted his form was lacking on Sunday.br /br /Tano24br /A win would have put him right in the mix in the European Order of Merit but second place means he is over pound;160,000 behind leader Padraig Harrington with only six events left in the calendar.br /"I just struggled with my swing all day," he told BBC Sport afterwards "I didn't feel under control at any point.br /"I was pleased to be in a play-off as I felt I really hung in there. When 'Gonzo' chipped in at the 12th I think the writing was on the wall. I felt I am at the end of my tether and running on empty."br /It was a long day for the players who had to complete their third rounds on Sunday morning following a fog delay on Saturday.br /br /Westwood not looking for excusesbr /But Westwood, 35, made a great start completing his final eight holes in four under par, taking him to 10 under overall at the start of the final round.br /Indeed it was Campbell who looked to be his main challenger after finishing his third round for a 65, but the pair tied up over the back nine as Fernandez-Castano produced a flawless final round.br /Five birdies gave the Spaniard the momentum going into the play-off and he sealed it with a delicate putt from off the green that almost rolled in for a birdie.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-1378027930077340130?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Sweden's Peter Hanson edged England's Nick Dougherty by one shot to clinch th...
Hanson fired a closing 71 to end nine under and hold off Dougherty (70) and Swede Pelle Edberg (70).br /England's Paul Broadhurst and Sam Walker, and Scot Gary Orr ended tied fourth at seven under.br /Bristol's Chris Wood, 20, making his professional debut after finishing fifth at the Open, ended in a tie for 18th on three-under par.br /Hanson's victory in cold, wet and windy conditions ensured he came the first home winner of the SAS Masters for 10 years.br /The 30-year-old, whose only previous European Tour victory in 174 starts came in Spain three years ago, was four clear with eight to go but he double-bogeyed the 11th and bogeyed the 16th and 17th before parring the last to hang on.br /Hanson moves up from 24th to 17th in the European Ryder Cup standings and will play in this week's KLM Open in Holland rather than taking a break because he still has an outside chance to make the team.br /I'd thought my [Ryder Cup] chance was gone but you never know in golf what can happenbr /Peter Hansonbr /"I'd thought my chance was gone but you never know in golf what can happen," said Hanson.br /"It's a long chance and I'll really need another good week, in fact I'll probably need to win again but at least I've given myself a chance now."br /Dougherty, who earned his second straight runner-up spot in the event, remains 14th in the Ryder Cup race but edged closer to the automatic top 10 with just two events to go.br /But the 26-year-old was in danger of not finishing the tournament after injuring his back during the night.br /"What a day. If my chiropractor had been here he might have told me to pull out, so I'm glad he wasn't," said Dougherty. "After all I've been through I was going to finish no matter what."br /TriperWoodsGerman Martin Kaymer finished in joint 14th place after a closing 69 and is now little more than pound;200 behind 10th-placed Soren Hansen in the Cup standings.br /Hansen took the week off, as did ninth-placed Oliver Wilson.br /"It sounds weird, but I don't feel the pressure," said Kaymer. "I just see it as a challenge and it's fun to be in this position trying to make others angry. It's getting really tight, but I'm enjoying it."br /Wood has invites for this week's event in Holland, the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles that follows and next month's British Masters at The Belfry.br /His goal is to earn around pound;150,000 to avoid a trip to the qualifying school at the end of the season.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-6876133261813899439?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Vaughan wins Senior Open play-off
FINAL-ROUND LEADERBOARD (US unless stated)-6 B Vaughan, J Cook - Vaughan won at first play-off hole-5 E Romero (Arg) -4 B Langer (Ger) Selected others: -2 T Watson, G Norman (Aus) +4 I Woosnam (Wal) +5 M James (Eng)br /br /Vaughan has won on the Nationwide Tour but not on the PGAbr /Former fireman Bruce Vaughan calmly holed a 20-foot putt to beat fellow American John Cook in a play-off for the Senior Open at Royal Troon.br /Cook had a one-stroke lead going into the 18th hole of the final round but a bogey five led to Vaughan's reprieve.br /"Money is great but until you win, you're just another player," he said after winning his first senior title.br /Eduardo Romero finished one shot back, Bernhard Langer came fourth and Greg Norman and Tom Watson were joint fifth.br /Romero had a chance to make the play-off but he missed an eight-foot putt at the 18th, leaving Cook and Vaughan in the share of the lead on six under.br /Both players found the green with their tee shots in the sudden death play-off but while Vaughan holed out, Cook missed from 12 foot.br /It proved to be a heartbreaking day for Cook, who looked to be cruising to the title when he took a three-shot lead after 10 holes.br /But a double bogey at the 11th put him in trouble before his nightmare at the 18th.br /The 50-year-old, who missed a short putt at the 1992 Open to lose out on the title to Nick Faldo, defended his decision to putt from at least 10 yards short of the green.br /"I just felt the putter was a better play and I've been doing that all week," he said.br /Cook added: "I tried to convince myself for the last two-and-a-half hours but I couldn't get it done.br /"Bruce played his heart out. He battled yesterday and battled through the first nine today. You know, that's just the way it is."br /Norman, 53, came into the tournament having come close to becoming the oldest winner of the Open at Royal Birkdale last week.br /He finished four shots off the lead at Troon after a final-round 68 saw him finish on two under.br /"I enjoyed (the two weeks) on a scale of 1 to 10, a 10," said the Australian.br /"I enjoyed every step, loved it. From a scoring perspective, I haven't enjoyed that. I've played a lot better than what my scores indicated and just didn't work out."br /Ian Woosnam finished four over and Mark James five over.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-7149637559294573202?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Clarke's Open chances are fading
Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy hope to play at Royal Birkdalebr /Darren Clarke's hopes of getting into the Open at Royal Birkdale look bleak after a four-over-par 74 in the opening round of Monday's 36-hole qualifier.br /"That is my worst-ever score here and it would appear I will be going fishing in three weeks' time," said Clarke.br /The Ryder Cup hero's only remaining chances of making it are to finish in the top five either in the European Open or the Scottish Open.br /Rory McIlroy is still in with a shout after having a one-under first round.br /Paul McGinley was struggling at three over midway through his first round, while earlier Jose Maria Olazabal managed a one-over-par 71.br /England's Simon Wakefield and Scot Alastair Forsyth led the way with five-under-par 65s.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-5896402879451055028?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Birkdale 'will provide Open test'
Ramp;A chief Peter Dawson says Royal Birkdale is a challengebr /Sixteen of Royal Birkdale's 18 holes have been altered for the 2008 Open, say organisers the Royal amp; Ancient.br /Most of the modifications are focused on tightening the course which will be playing at 7,173 yards in July.br /That is only 155 yards longer than when the links at Southport, near Liverpool, last hosted the Championship in 1998, when American Mark O'Meara triumphed.br /The course is short compared to some, but Ramp;A chief executive Peter Dawson said: "Believe me, it is long enough."br /Since O'Meara's victory, 20 bunkers - 16 fairway and four greenside - have been added.br /Significant mounding has also been carried out to seven greens which will demand more varied and imaginative recovery shots.br /br /The ninth fairway has been moved 25 yards to the left while the par-five 17th has a new green 25 yards further back and raised above the fairway.br /The aim of the latter is to create a more challenging approach shot, particularly for those attempting to reach the putting surface in two.br /Dawson said: "I don't think that this is a golf course you could accuse of being short, or one that intends to take the driver out of the player's hands. Far from it."br /The Open, with extensive live coverage on BBC television, radio and online, starts on 17 July.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-6067641467677217294?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div
Beem shares lead after late surge
Beem finished his round strongly to move into contentionSECOND ROUND LEADERBOARD:(US unless stated)-9 A Baddeley (Aus), R Beem, M Weir (Can)-8 P Mickelson, S O'Hair, B Wetterich, R MooreSelected others:-6 T Woods-4 S Garcia (Spa), L Donald (Eng)-3 B Davis (Eng)+3 I Poulter (Eng)+5 J Rose (Eng)br /Mike Weir, Aaron Baddeley and Rich Beem moved into a share of the lead at the halfway mark of the Deutsche Bank Championship in Massachusetts.br /Weir went two strokes clear before bogeying his last two holes for a 68 while Beem birdied his last four holes to move into contention.br /Both Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods moved up the leaderboard with seven-under pars 64s.br /Mickelson is one off the lead with Woods two shots further back.br /Mickelson twice chipped in, for birdie on 15 and then for eagle at the par-five 18th, while defending champion Woods covered his last eight holes in six under.br /Overnight leader Camilo Villegas of Colombia shot a 72 to be among a group of five players on seven under.br /"It was a lot of fun," said Mickelson. "This is what we were kind of hoping for in the first round but you can't get it going all the time.br /"It was actually a little more challenging today with the cooler air and the breeze but the greens were so perfect you felt you could make lots of putts.br /"We just didn't get it going yesterday but I just sensed that everybody was going to come out ready.br /We all needed a good round to get back into the tournament, and that's what we ended up doing."br /Woods added: "It was nice to get the putter rolling and I caught fire on the back nine. The whole idea was for me to get something around three or four under par today. Now I'm back in the tournament."div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441527-4102162954985436893?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fgolf%2Fblog.htm'//div

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