Florida Golf Communities
Lottery Now Open For 2014 Masters
Less than a month ago, Adam Scott stood over his putt on the rain soaked second playoff hole at Augusta National. Scott’s caddie, Stevie Williams, had just told Scott how the putt was going to break. Scott made the putt, winning the green jacket as excitement swept the grounds. If you weren’t there and wished you were, now you have a chance.
The lottery for the 2014 Masters opens today with applications being made available on the Masters website. Just like in previous years, tickets will be awarded by random selection after the designated deadlines and one application per person and per address.
The deadline for tournament tickets (Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday) is May 31, while the deadline for practice round tickets (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) is June 30. Applicants will be notified in mid-June for tournament tickets and mid-July for practice round tickets.
Practice round tickets are $50 per ticket per day and Tournament tickets are $75 per ticket per day. For more information and to register for tickets, visit http://www.masters.com/en_US/tickets/index.html.
Wells Fargo Championship Produces Another First Time Winner
Derek Ernst wasn’t even planning on competing at Quail Hollow. The 22 year old PGA Tour rookie was on his way to Athens, Georgia for a Web.com Tour event when he got a phone call. Due to several players pulling out of the Wells Fargo Championship, Ernst, the fourth alternate, was told to change his plans and head to Charlotte, North Carolina.
It ended up being a smart phone call to take. Ernst battled with some of the top names in the world and now joins the list of Rory Mcllroy (Palm Beach Gardens) and Rickie Fowler (Loxahatchee River), both of whom got their first tour wins at Quail Hollow as well.
Ernst hung around for the first three days, and while the golfers at the top of the leader board were shooting high scores on Sunday, Derek shot a two under 70 that got him into a playoff. It was the third consecutive year that the Wells Fargo Championship came down to a playoff finish. Ernst beat David Lynn on the first playoff hole to win his first PGA Tour event. With the win, Ernst locked in his tour card for the next two years and is now eligible to play in the Players Championship this week, as well as the next two World Golf Championships, the PGA Championship, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions next year and the Masters next April.
Lynn, the runner up also played impressively all week. He matched Ernst with a final round 70 as well to get into the playoff. His only bad hole of the whole week came in the playoff. He tee shot just barely missed the creek on the 18th hole. After Ernst made it safely on the green in two, Lynn tried to make-up for his bad tee shot by going for the hole. After he ended up in the bunker, Ernst tapped in his birdie putt to secure the victory.
The two were in the playoff thanks to the big names on the top of the leader board struggling on Sunday. Phil Mickelson lead for most of the tournament, but bogeys on 16 and 17 on Sunday knocked him off the top spot on the leader board and out of the playoff. He had to settle for a third place finish.
Old Palm resident Lee Westwood entered Sunday just two shots back to the leader Mickelson. He couldn’t get anything going on Sunday on his way to a final round of even par and a fourth place finish. Mcllroy was another one that was in contention come Sunday. The 2010 Wells Fargo champion sat one shot behind Westwood at the beginning of the day Sunday. Just like Mickelson and Westwood, Mcllroy had trouble on the weekend, shooting 73 the final two days to finish 10th. It was Mcllroy’s third top 10 finish of the year.
For the complete final results from the Wells Fargo Championship, visit www.pgatour.com.
Tee Times for the Wells Fargo Championship
The PGA Tour has hit the halfway point, and with the U.S. Open a little more than a month away the attention is now turning to preparation for the season’s second major. The first half of the season got off to a little bit of a slow start. Starting this week, the tour starts to heat up as there is a big event with big names every week leading up to the U.S. Open on June 13th. This week the tour makes its yearly stop at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina for the Wells Fargo Championship. Here are some tee times and pairings to keep an eye on for Thursday and Friday.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Nick Watney (7:40am Thursday and 1:05pm Friday)- All three have had a lot of success at this course over the years. Fowler is your defending champion at the event. The Loxahatchee River resident got his first PGA Tour win here last year, defeating Rory Mcllroy in a playoff. In his other two starts at Quail Hollow he has finished 16th or better. Mickelson has six top-10 finishes in his nine starts at Quail Hollow, including a second place finish in 2010. Watney has finished in the top 25 in three of his last four appearances here including an eighth place finish last year.
Rory Mcllroy, Bubba Watson, Angel Cabrera (12:55pm Thursday and 7:30am Friday)- Mcllroy is the only player in the top 10 in the world rankings. Just like Fowler, the Wells Fargo Championship was the site of Mcllroy’s first win on tour in 2010. The Palm Beach Gardens resident followed that up with a second place finish last year when he lost to Fowler on the first playoff hole.
Lee Westwood, Lucas Glover, Zach Johnson (1:50pm Thursday and 7:40am Friday)- Westwood tied for fifth at the event last year and has had a pretty impressive start to his 2013 season. The Old Palm resident has not teed it up since the Masters when he finished in a tie for eighth. He has made the cut in all eight of his starts this year, including three top-10 finishes. Glover won at Quail Hollow in 2011 and was a runner up in 2009. Johnson tied for sixth in 2011 and his still looking for his first top-10 finish of 2013.
For a list of complete tee times for Thursday and Friday as well as up to the minute scores, visit www.pgatour.com.
First Time Winner Takes Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Billy Horschel has not had the best start to his PGA Tour Career. Since getting on tour in 2009, Horschel struggled to keep his tour card. He bounced around in Q-School, the Web.com Tour, and the PGA Tour. He was sidelined for most of 2010 with a wrist injury that required surgery. He played his first full season on tour in 2011, missing more cuts than he made and failed to qualify in Q-School for the 2012 season, causing him to only be able to play a limited schedule. 2012 was better, failing to make the cut only twice and earning his tour card for the 2013 season.
Horschel’s 2013 season has been a complete 180. Instead of looking like someone trying to stay on tour, he has looked like one of the top golfers in the world. In the 12 events he has played, he has yet to miss a cut and has five top ten finishes. The only thing missing was the elusive win that would lock up his tour card for the next two years. He had gotten as close as one can in the past few weeks, with a second and third place finish in back-to-back weeks, but could not quite get over the hump. Then came New Orleans.
Horschel finally played well on a Sunday, making six consecutive birdies at one point in the final round, on his way to a course record 64 and his first career PGA Tour win. His four day total of 20-under par is a new tournament record at the TPC Louisiana. With the win, Horschel extended his consecutive cuts made streak to a tour best 22 dating back to last year. He also secured his tour card for the next two years, meaning that for the first time since turning pro, the 26 year old will not have to go through Q-School this year.
Another Good Weekend for the Areas Top Pros
While most of the top pros in the area took the week off, the ones who made the trip to New Orleans made the most of it. Ernie Els missed the cut last week in South Carolina but turned things around this week. The Jupiter resident shot 67-69-72-68 to finish at 12-under and get his third top 15 finish of the year.
Ricky Fowler took some time off after the Masers before heading to the TPC Louisiana. The Loxahatchee River resident shot under par in three of the four rounds on his way to a finishing score of 9-under and his sixth consecutive made cut of the year.
Guan Tianlang Makes the Cut, Fizzles over the Weekend
14 year old phenom Guan Tianlang took the golf world by storm two weeks ago when he became the youngest player ever to make a cut at the Masters. Apparently though, he wasn’t quite done with his 15 minutes of fame. Playing this week on a sponsor’s exemption, the 14 year old eighth grader from China not only made the cut but, unlike two weeks ago, made it convincingly.
After shooting an even par 70 on Thursday, Tianlang knew he was going to have to do better than that on Friday if he wanted to be around for the weekend. He did just that too. Guan fired a three-under 69, easily getting in under the projected cut line of -2.
Over the weekend, we were reminded that he was still just a 14 year old kid. He shot 77-74 over the weekend to finish last out of the players that made the cut. That still doesn’t take away from how Tianlang has played. Most 14 year olds would struggle just to shoot 80 on these PGA Tour courses, and he is making the cut in both of his events. He will now prepare to try and qualify for the U.S. Open in a few weeks.
For a complete recap of this weekend’s event, visit www.pgatour.com.
PGA and USGA to Start Tee It Forward Initiative
The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association have partnered up to help golfers have a more enjoyable experience on the golf course.
The “Tee it Forward” initiative has been set up to enhance the golfing experience by encouraging golfers to play a golf course at a length that is aligned with the average driving distance of the golfer. By playing at a set of tees best suited for a golfers abilities, golfers will have more fun and want to play more often. It will also speed up the pace of play because golfers will be taking less shots and will get onto the green quicker.
The program will be promoted at several different PGA and LPGA tour events over the next few months, including the Senior PGA Championship, the U.S. Open in June, and the U.S. Women’s Open in July.
Photo courtesy of The PGA of America and the USGA
Barney Adams is the founder of Adams Golf and was the one who came up with the idea. He figured that not only would it give golfers the ability to play from distances that is best suited for their abilities, but it also gives them the chance to see what it would feel like if a professional played the course they are on.
According to Adams, the 6,700 yard course that most amateurs play golf on is equivalent to a PGA player playing on a course with a distance of about 8,100 yards, or 700 yards longer than the longest course on the PGA Tour.
Local golf legend Jack Niclaus is one of the biggest supporters of the new “Tee it Up” initiative. “I love the game of golf but I will be the first to tell you that there are things about our game we need to improve,” the North Palm Beach resident said. “Now The PGA of America and the USGA have come together to develop ways to that can make the game more attractive and more enjoyable. Tee It Forward is the first of many initiatives we have discussed together, and I think families around the country will enjoy alternate formats like this to make the game more fun.”
The USGA and the PGA of America will introduce the new initiative nationwide from July 5-17. For more information on the “Tee it Forward” initiative and to see what distance you should be playing at based on your average tee shot, visit www.pga.com/pga-and-usga-step-new-sets-tees-in-nationwide-tee-it-forward-initiative.
Previewing the Zurich Classic of New Orleans
This week the PGA Tour makes a stop in the Big Easy for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The TPC Louisiana will be the host course for the event. The course, designed by Pete Dye, is a par 72 and plays at a distance of 7,425 yards. With the Players just two weeks away, the Tour’s top golfers will be back on the course this week. Here is a look at the local golfers that are competing in the field this week as well as some of the top stories to keep an eye on.
Rickie Fowler has been enjoying a solid season. The Loxahatchee River resident has three top 10s on the season, including a third place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Fowler has had some recent success in New Orleans, recording a top ten finish at last years event. Joining Fowler in his playing group the first two days will Jupiter resident Ernie Els. Els lost in a playoff at this event last year to Jason Dufner. It was an impressive performance at his TPC Louisiana debut. He comes into the week with a 13th place finish at the Masters and will look to turn his second trip to New Orleans into a victory.
Freddie Jacobson has not played in this event since 2008 when he failed to make the cut. The Hobe Sound resident has had quite an impressive year to this point, making seven cuts in eight appearances on the tour. In the seven events that he has made the cut he has not finished worse than 25th, including a third place finish at the Northern Trust Open and a tie for 25th at Augusta.
Keegan Bradley comes into this week off a disappointing trip to Augusta. The Tequesta resident still leads the tour this year with five top ten finishes and will look to add to that in his third trip to New Orleans. Bradley finished 26th in his debut at the Zurich Classic in 2011 but failed to make the cut last year.
Jason Dufner is the defending champion and all time earnings leader at this event, so it’s no surprise that he is one of the favorites again this week. Dufner made his debut at the TPC New Orleans in 2009 and has yet to finish outside of the top 10.
Just like at Augusta, the biggest story of the week will once again be 14 year old Guan Tianlang. After shocking the golf world by making the cut at the Masters, Tianlang accepted a sponsors exemption to participate in the Zurich Classic, which will be his second PGA Tour event. At Augusta, Tianlang did not three-putt a single hole and carded no worse than a bogey in all four rounds. He will have to do more of the same this week if he looks to make the cut again in New Orleans.
For full coverage of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans visit www.pgatour.com.
Local Golf Legends Team Up in Champions Tour Event
Photo by Stan Badz/US PGA TOUR
Local golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player teamed up this week to play in the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf.
The two hall-of-famers are competing in the Demaret Division at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and Spa. Nicklaus (North Palm Beach) and Player (Jupiter Island) shot a 3-under 69 yesterday and are five shots behind the leaders going into today’s final round.
To follow today’s final round of the 36-hole event visit www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/liberty-mutual-insurance-legends-of-golf.html.
Tee Times For RBC Heritage Golf Tournament
Here is a look at some of the key pairings and tee times for the first two rounds of this weekends RBC Heritage tournament.
Matt Kuchar, Ernie Els, Jason Dufner (12:30pm Thursday and 7:50am Friday)- Kuchar and Els both have had a lot of success over the years at Harbour Town. Els, a Jupiter resident, has finished second, third twice, seventh, and 10th twice. Kuchar has three top 15 finishes at this event in his career. Dufner should not be overlooked either. He is one of the best ball strikers on tour and has a top 15 finish to his name.
Luke Donald, Grahm McDowell, and Tim Clark (12:40pm Thursday and 8:00am Friday)- Donald is coming off a top 25 finish at Augusta and has had success in this event. The Palm Beach Gardens resident has finished in the top three the past three years, including a playoff loss to Brandt Snedeker in 2011. McDowell will look to recover from his missed cut at the Masters last week, while Clark is coming off a top 15 finish at Augusta last week.
Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker, and Carl Pettersson (12:30pm Thursday and 7:50am Friday)- This pairing features the past three winners of the event. Furyk won here in 2010, Snedeker in 2011, and Pettersson is the defending champion. Furyk and Snedeker also arrive coming off of impressive finishes at the Masters. Furyk finished 25th and Snedeker held the lead going into Sunday before finishing sixth.
For a complete list of tee times and pairings visit www.pgatour.com.
Global Firm IMG to Take Over Honda Classic
Global sports, media, and fashion firm IMG acquired the IGP Sports and Entertainment Group on Monday. IGP had been the management company of the Honda Classic at PGA National since 2006.
IMG will now take over the operation of the Honda Classic but have said that all aspects of the tournament, including its name and location in Palm Beach Gardens, will remain the same. The event will also continue to partner with the Jack Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.
Ken Kennerly founded the North Palm Beach based IGP firm and started running the Honda Classic in 2006. It was because of him that the tournament found a long term home at PGA National and brought in some of the biggest names in golf over the past few years, including local golfers Tiger Woods and Rory Mcllroy.
Kennerly will remain on board as the executive director of the Honda Classic and has assured fans and spectators that there will be very little changes when it comes to the spectator viewing experience.
For more information about The Honda Classic and the events that are put on throughout the year visit www.thehondaclassic.com.
Recap of Round 1 at the Masters
Round one of the season’s first major is in the books and did not disappoint. There was plenty of excitement on day one of the masters, here are some of the highlights of the day.
Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player get the day going- Jack, Arnold, and Gary started the day off with the ceremonial first tee shots. It has become just as much of a tradition at Augusta for the three hall-of-famers to hit the first tee shots as the azaleas blooming and the pimento and cheese sandwiches. All three tee shots hit the fairway, each going a little farther then the other.
Sergio Garcia and Marc Leishman shoot 66 to share day 1 lead- With a field that is as start studded as ever it might be a little bit of a surprise to see these two up at the top of the leaderboard. Don’t tell the two of them though. Lesihman came out and set the pace early. After bogeying the par four first hole he shot par or better on the final 17 holes including seven birdies. Garcia came out late in the afternoon and shot a bogey free round.
Rickie Fowler impresses with a 4-under 68- If you didn’t watch yesterday you would think that the Loxahatchee River resident had a good day on the course and is only two back of the leaders. His road to that 68 though was anything but easy. Fowler double 
bogeyed 1 and 10 before firing off six birdies and even had an eagle on the par 5 15th. Fowler is only the fourth golfer in Masters history to record two or more double bogeys and still finish the round under par.
Tiger, Rory, and Phil hanging around the middle of the pack- Neither of the three had overly spectacular days, but they also didn’t do anything to play themselves out of contention. Woods had the best round of the three shooting a two under par 70. The Jupiter Island resident had one bogey and three birdies and with a little better luck on the green, easily could have been four or five under. Mcllroy (Bears Club) seemed to continue to get any consistency going. While he had five birdies, the five bogies hurt him on day one. Currently in a tie for 32nd, Mcllroy is still very much in contention and a good day two will help his weekend chances greatly. Mickelson, the three time Masters winner, said after his round that he played too conservative on his way to shooting one under. He plans on playing more aggressively today and we will see how that plays out as the day goes along.
Tianlang Guan shoots an opening round 73- By far this was the story of the day. Guan is a 14 year old eighth grader from China who won an Amateur event there to even get into the tournament. Averaging only 275 yards off the tee (going in to the week it was said he could only hit 250) many people weren’t even expecting him to break 80. He shocked the golf world yesterday, including playing partner Ben Crenshaw, by making four birdies, including a tough one on 18 from the fringe, on his way to a 1 over par. Not only is Guan in prime position to make the cut (barring a rough Friday), he finished yesterday with a better round than reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson and some of the other top golfers in the world.
Other local pros in contention early after first round- Fowler’s neighbor, on the Loxahatchee River, Dustin Johnson did his part to finish day one at the top of the leader board. He tied Fowler with a 67 and both sit just two shots off the lead going into Friday. Old Palm resident Lee Westwood is sitting in a tie for 12th with woods after his 2-under par 70 on the opening day. Charl Schwartzel (Old Palm), Luke Donald (Bears Club), and Ernie Els (Jupiter) all kept themselves in contention on day one as they sit in a tie for 23rd at 1-under.
For full Masters coverage visit www.masters.com.
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