Norman calls golf's drug policy 'disgraceful'

Norman calls golf's drug policy 'disgraceful'










The Sports Xchange April 29, 2013 4:00 PMThe SportsXchange



Greg Norman told The Australian newspaper on Monday that golf's anti-drugs policies are "disgraceful" and that blood testing needs to be included.

"You only have to look at what happened to Vijay Singh just recently to know the drugs issue is there," Norman said.

Singh said in January that he had used deer antler spray, which is banned by the PGA Tour because it has a muscle-building hormone and can only be detected by blood tests.

Norman said he does not know how widespread the problem is.

"I have no idea because we only do urine analysis instead of blood testing," he said. "If you really want to be serious about it and find about what's really going on, we need to do blood testing. I think it's disgraceful, to tell you the truth. The golf associations have to get together and step it up."

Norman believes all sports should prioritize drug testing.

"Any sportsman or sportswoman who uses an outside agency to improve their skills is cheating," he said. "It sickens me. They're putting a black eye on their sport. If a sport gets itself clean, the corporate dollars will always be there because people will know it's a sport they can trust. The rest will take care of itself."

Will the Players Ever Become the Official Fifth Major?

Will the Players Ever Become the Official Fifth Major?











Travis Mewhirter April 30, 2013 5:25 PM




COMMENTARY | Adam Scott bellowed. Aussies drank. Long putter supporters rejoiced. The Masters happened. Now what?

After Augusta delivered another outstanding spectacle, as is the norm with the Masters, the large majority of the golfing world went back into hibernation, sleeping out the two month drag between majors. The U.S. Open doesn't tee off until June 13; the British not till mi
d-July; and the PGA Championship closes out the grand slam in early August.



So, what to feed the golfing fans with the most voracious appetites? The Players Championship, the unofficial fifth major, of course.

That tag has long been the moniker of the Players, a tournament segueing the gap between the recognized majors, and one that the PGA Tour has long been pushing to become an official major. It's an event that's big enough and loud enough to excite the casual golfing fan who generally only flicks over to the Golf Channel on Sundays and major weeks, and attracts the most attention of any non-major tournament from the players.

It typically hosts the most elite field (the top 50 in the World Golf Rankings are exempt), playing for the biggest purse ($9.5 million since 2008), at one of golf's most prestigious and well-known venues (TPC Sawgrass), with one of the most signature holes on Earth (the island green 17th), and is the biggest event put on by the PGA Tour.

This is the Tour's baby. It has been since 1974 when Jack Nicklaus won the inaugural title. So what's the problem? What exactly does it take for the Players -- or any other tournament -- to become the official fifth major?

Of all of golf's governing bodies, you would think that the PGA Tour would have its own major. The United States Golf Association has the U.S. Open, the R&A hosts the British, PGA of America puts on the PGA Championship and the Masters is Augusta's pride and joy. But the Tour, while it does have the FedEx Cup and a staggeringly lucrative playoff system in order, doesn't have a major.

Golf, as even any 36-handicap will tell you, is a tradition-driven sport. It takes a whole heck of a lot to change anything, aside from the courses themselves, about the game. And the majors, golf's four shining pillars, are apparently not to be messed with. Ernie Els has long decried the addition of the Players to golf's Big Four, even going as far to give another tournament the nod over the Players.

"[The BMW] is definitely taking the place of the Players," he told Sports Illustrated. "I also feel we have a stronger field here and a classic course."

Els isn't the first to point to a different tournament. Nicklaus used to say the same about the Australian Open and, as SI noted, wrote in his 1969 autobiography, The Greatest Game of All: My Life in Golf, with Herbert Warren Wind: "In conversations with friends I referred to the Australian Open as a major championship, but they knew and I knew I was kidding myself. Being the national championship of a golf-minded country, the ­Australian Open was a most estimable tournament to be won but simply wasn't a major championship except in the eyes of Australians. Of course, the men who won it prized it highly."

SI would also note that Lee Trevino sided with the Canadian Open as one of the top four tournaments in the world.

Will golf ever actually add a fifth major? Who knows? I sure don't. It's getting to the point where nearly a dozen tournaments could make a case as the next logical major addition. The Accenture Match Play Championship would provide a non-stroke play major, something we haven't seen since the PGA Championship did away with match play in 1958. I know I'd like to see a match play major somewhere down the road.

But for now, renowned golf writer John Feinstein seems to have it right when he said that the Players isn't the fifth major.

There is no fifth major.



Travis Mewhirter has been working in the golf industry since 2007, when he was a bag room manager at Piney Branch Golf Club in Carroll County, Maryland, and has been involved, as a player, since 2004. Since then, he has worked at Hayfields Country Club, where the Constellation Energy Classic was formerly held, and has covered golf at the high school, college, and professional levels.

Singh avoids suspension for deer-antler spray

Singh avoids suspension for deer-antler spray










The Sports Xchange April 30, 2013 6:20 PMThe SportsXchange



Vijay Singh acknowledged earlier this year that he had used a banned substance, but he will not be penalized by the PGA Tour as a result.

Singh, 50, was told Tuesday by commissioner Tim Finchem before a practice round for the Wells Fargo Championship that he would not face sanctions for taking a deer-antler spray after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) determined its use was no longer considered prohibitive.

The three-time major champion's case was subsequently dropped, Finchem said at a news conference, because WADA no longer considers the substance to be prohibited unless a positive test for 1GF-1, a growth factor, results from taking it. Singh did not test positive for the banned substance found in the spray.

"Based on this new information, and given WADA's lead role in interpreting the prohibited list, the tour deemed it only fair to no longer treat Mr. Singh's use of deer-antler spray as a violation of the Tour's anti-doping program," Finchem said.

Singh contended that he didn't know the spray contained a growth hormone. He was sanctioned by the tour on Feb. 19 for admitting its use, but the tour does not administer blood tests -- the only way to detect growth hormones -- as part of its routine regimen.

Singh appealed the sanctions and continued to play.

Earlier this week, former Tour player Greg Norman called for blood testing in the sport.

Korda leads Mobile Bay, but Michaels sets course record

Korda leads Mobile Bay, but Michaels sets course record










The Sports Xchange May 17, 2013 9:40 PMThe SportsXchange


MOBILE, Ala. -- Karrie Webb was just trying to keep up during the second round of the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic on Friday.

Not necessarily with Sydnee Michaels, who broke the course record by two shots at Magnolia Grove, but with long-hitting playing partner Jessica Korda.

Webb managed to stay with them. She trails Korda, the 36-hole leader, in the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic by one shot after 36 holes. Korda, a 20-year-old from Bradenton, Fla., shot a 7-under 65 in the afternoon and was at 13-under 131.

Webb fired a 9-under 63 -- a score that would have broken the course record had not Michaels beat her to it in the morning.

"When you're playing with Jess and Brittany (Lincicome)," Webb said, "if I hit a really good one, I'm 20 yards behind them. In certain parts of the golf course where they can carry parts that I can't, I'm 40 yards behind them. So I'm the little short one out there trying to keep up with the big girls."

Michaels carded eight birdies and an eagle to eclipse the course record by two strokes with a 10-under 62. She is at 10 under for the tournament.

Michaels had missed four straight cuts. Her best previous LPGA round was 7 under.

"It feels so good to finally have a good round because I've been struggling the last few weeks and going through some swing changes," Michaels said. "And the week off last week, I just said, 'You know what? I'm just going to go back to what feels good.' So I hit a lot of balls and just kind of got back to where I was feeling good over the ball again. So it feels good to finally have a good round."

Korda got a shock on the first hole.


"We give Webby a hard time," Korda said. "She did outdrive me on the first hole today, and she's like, 'What's going on?' And I'm like, 'Did you work out last night?'"

Korda's seven-birdie round came without a missed fairway. She played the four par-5 holes in 3 under. All of her birdies have come on par-4 and par-5 holes the first two days.

Korda was playing in her first tournament since injuring her wrist in the LPGA Lotte Championship on April 20.

"Honestly, right now it's Friday," Korda said, "so I think the tournament starts on the back nine on Sunday. So right now, it's great to have the lead, and I feel good. I'm healthy, somewhat, so I'm happy just to be here and playing right now."

Webb stood at 1 over with six holes to go on Thursday. She was 4 under on the final six holes in the first round and 4 under on the final five holes on Friday.

"I'm not sure the last time I had a bogey-free round," Webb said, "so I'm really happy about that. That's sort of been my problem. I have bogeys at the wrong time, and it really kills my momentum.

"That's what happened yesterday. I turned at 2 under and then doubled (No.) 1 and bogeyed 2, and all of a sudden I'm at 1 over. I just was really happy to fight back yesterday to finish at 3 under, and I think that really carried over into today."

Six players are at 10 under or better after two rounds..

Chella Choi stands at 11 under. Two golfers from Thailand -- Pornanong Phatlum and Thidapa Suwannapura -- were tied with Michaels at 10 under.

"My shot is really good and my distance is better than last year," said Choi, a Korean who likes playing in Mobile because she can drive from her home in Jacksonville, Fla. "I tried very hard on my putting because it's 80 percent putting, 20 percent shots. My shots are the same, but my putting is much better than before.

"I don't make a lot of putts (in the previous) couple of tournaments. But today and yesterday, really good -- my putting. My confidence is better."

First-round co-leader Lexi Thompson is at 9 under after a second-round 70 that included an eagle on the par-5 16th. Also at 9 under are Azahara Munoz, Ariya Jutanugarn and Mina Harigae.

Munoz holed out from the 18th fairway for an eagle on her way to an 8-under 64.

Jutanugarn, a 17-year-old playing on a sponsor exemption, has not finished worse than fourth in her four LPGA outings and had a 6-under 66.

Nordqvist sets record, but Choi still leads Mobile Bay

Nordqvist sets record, but Choi still leads Mobile Bay










The Sports Xchange May 18, 2013 8:20 PMThe SportsXchange



MOBILE, Ala. -- For the second straight day, a golfer shot herself into contention at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic with a tournament-record round. And for the second straight day, a record-breaking performance wasn't enough to take the lead on Magnolia Grove's Crossings Course.

On Saturday, Anna Nordqvist fired an 11-under-par 61. ButChella Choi is the third-round leader, coming in at 17-under 199.

Nordqvist is one stroke back, tied for second with second-round leader Jessica Korda.

Sydnee Michaels' 10-under-par 62 of the second round lasted one day as the tournament record. Before this year, the tournament record had been 8-under, accomplished three times.

Choi got to 17 under for the tournament with her second straight 66 Saturday. Last year, Stacy Lewis won the tournament at 17 under. This is the first time that Choi has led entering the final round of an LPGA tournament.

Hall of Famer Karrie Webb is alone in fourth place at 15 under after a 3-under 69. Jennifer Johnson is another stroke back after turning in a 65, making her one of five players to shoot 7 under or better on Saturday.

Lewis gave herself a chance to repeat as the tournament champ with a 9-under 63 on Saturday to get to 13-under, where she's tied with Michaels.

The group at 12 under includes first-round leaders Lexi Thompson and Eun-Hee Ji, Nicole Castrale and Ariya Jutanungarn, a 17-year-old playing on a sponsor exemption.

In the third round, Nordqvist made 10 birdies, including holing out from the greenside bunker on No. 12, an eagle on the par-5 13th and a three-putt bogey on the par-3 14th. She birdied the third through seventh holes.

"It's just one of those days where you just feel like you can't miss," she said. "Today was a lot of fun. I started out with a couple birdies, hit a lot of good shots, and I think I missed one green. And then I made that bunker shot, and it was just like I couldn't stop smiling, couldn't stop laughing."

Korda had a bumpy 3-under 69 in the third round. After shooting 3 under on the front nine, she bogeyed 11, where hitting her ball out of a divot aggravated the wrist injury she suffered in the LPGA LOTTE Championships on April 20.

This is her first outing since that injury.

She followed the bogey with a double-bogey. But she bounced back with a birdie on the 13th and rolled in a 33-foot eagle putt on the 16th hole to get back to 16 under.

Lewis had six birdies in each of the first two rounds of the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic, but the 2012 Rolex Player of the Year was only 4 under for the tournament, thanks to four bogeys and two double-bogeys.

In the third round, Lewis didn't have any bogeys. But she did have nine birdies.

Nordqvist seizes opportunity to have chance at Mobile Bay win

Nordqvist seizes opportunity to have chance at Mobile Bay win










The Sports Xchange May 18, 2013 9:20 PMThe SportsXchange


MOBILE, Ala. -- Anna Nordqvist wore a necklace on Saturday that read: Carpe Diem.

Did she ever.

Nordqvist fired a tournament record 11-under-par 61 in the third round of the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic on to launch herself into contention for her first victory since 2010.

The Swedish golfer will enter the final round one shot behind leader Chella Choi, who is at 17-under 199 for the tournament after her second straight 66 on Saturday.

Nordqvist is tied for second with Jessica Korda, the second-round leader who shot a 3-under 69.

Sydnee Michaels' 10-under-par 62 of the second round lasted one day as the tournament record. Before this year, the tournament record had been 8-under, accomplished three times.

In the third round, Nordqvist made 10 birdies, including holing out from the greenside bunker on No. 12, an eagle on the par-5 13th and a three-putt bogey on the par-3 14th.

"It's just one of those days where you just feel like you can't miss," she said. "Today was a lot of fun. I started out with a couple birdies, hit a lot of good shots, and I think I missed one green. And then I made that bunker shot, and it was just like I couldn't stop smiling, couldn't stop laughing."

Nordqvist was 1 over in the first round and shot a 6-under 66 in the second. On Saturday, she hit all 14 fairways, was on all but one green in regulation -- and holed out from the bunker on the one miss -- and used 26 putts to get through the round.


"It's one of those days where you feel like all your hard work, and your patience is paying off," she said. "You look back in the day, you see yourself with a lot of confidence and know you can do it and believe in yourself."

Choi put her second shot on the par-5 16th hole into the greenside bunker, but she got out for a birdie to get to 17 under and will take the lead into the final round for the first time in her LPGA career.

Choi has a different approach this week -- she is scoreboard watching for the first time as she tries to match the top scorers throughout her rounds.

The Korean golfer explained that before this week, watching as scores were posted made her nervous and would erode her confidence.

"So like this week, I start watching the leaderboard. ... Starting Thursday, every hole watching the leading score. So I think much better, mentally better, than before."

Hall of Famer Karrie Webb is alone in fourth place at 15 under after a 3-under 69. Jennifer Johnson is another stroke back after turning in a 65, making her one of five players to shoot 7 under or better on Saturday.

Stacy Lewis won the tournament last year with a record 17-under score. She gave herself a chance to repeat with a 9-under 63 on Saturday to get to 13-under, where she's tied with Michaels.

The group at 12 under includes first-round leaders Lexi Thompson and Eun-Hee Ji, Nicole Castrale and Ariya Jutanungarn, a 17-year-old playing on a sponsor exemption.

Korda had a bumpy third round. After shooting 3 under on the front nine, she bogeyed 11, where hitting her ball out of a divot aggravated the wrist injury she suffered in the LPGA LOTTE Championships on April 20.

This is her first outing since that injury.

She followed the bogey with a double-bogey on No. 12. But she bounced back with a birdie on the 13th, and she set up an eagle on the 16th with a massive tee shot to get back to 16 under.

"I think they said I hit it 325 (yards)," she said. "And then I had a 6-iron in and I was 33 feet past the pin. (The putt) just went straight in the hole. I mean it was a left-to-right putt, and it was pretty."

Lewis had six birdies in each of the first two rounds, but the 2012 Rolex Player of the Year was only 4 under for the tournament because of four bogeys and two double-bogeys.

In the third round, Lewis didn't have any bogeys. But she did have nine birdies.

Fifty-four golfers are at 5 under or better. Korda said they're all in contention.

"What did Anna shoot today -- 11 under?" the 20-year-old from Bradenton, Fla., asked. "Anybody within 12 shots, I think, is still close."

Plan executed, Spittle eyes first major crown

Plan executed, Spittle eyes first major crown











PGA.COM May 25, 2013 10:42 PM

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Rod Spittle has overcome a rough start to his week to put himself in contention to win.(Montana Pritchard/The …


By T.J. Auclair, PGA.com Interactive Producer

ST. LOUIS - Back in 2004, at age 49, Rod Spittle and his wife, Ann, made a life-changing decision.

After 25 years selling health insurance, Rod quit his job, Ann quit hers, they sold their house in Columbus, Ohio, and decided to try something new - professional golf.

That's right, at age 49, Spittle - who starred as a collegiate golfer at Ohio State, where he was a teammate of John Cook and Joey Sindelar - decided all those years later to finally take a crack at the pros.

"My dream was always to play again," Spittle said. "I played at Ohio State with John Cook and Joey Sindelar, who are great guys and great gentlemen. I just thought I could always play. I won my two Canadian Amateurs when I was in school. I just chose not to chase the lifestyle of being away from my family. My hat continues to go off to John and Joey because of that. I turned pro at 49. Our kids are grown. We have three kids - our daughter is 34, and we have two boys who are 32 and 29, as well as two granddaughters. That was when we figured it was OK to do this."

It might sound crazy, but the Spittles put together a five-year plan. If it worked out, great. If it didn't, it was back to the drawing board.

Fast forward to this week at Bellerive Country Club, site of the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. With just 18 holes left to play, the 57-year-old, nine-year professional is alone in fourth place, just four shots behind leader Kenny Perry at 6-under-par 207. Spittle shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday to go along with Friday's 71 and Thursday's 69.

The nutty thing about all this is that if it weren't for burning the midnight oil on that five-year plan, Spittle wouldn't even be here this week.

So let's go back to 2010 for a minute. Spittle's five-year plan was coming to an end and it wasn't exactly the end he had in mind. Bluntly, it was getting to "dust off the resume" time.

"Having not played the regular tour, our plan was to work our way on to the Champions Tour," he said. "And I did that for a couple of years playing the Monday qualifiers. I basically learned again how to play at this level."

In the last event on the 2010 Champions Tour schedule - the AT&T Championship in San Antonio - and with perhaps a final trip to qualifying school looming in the fall, Spittle changed everything: He won.


Talk about cashing in on a five-year plan.

Spittle defeated Jeff Sluman in a playoff, earned his full status on the Champions Tour and didn't miss a single start in 2011 or 2012.

"Everybody wants to play as well as they can - no matter what level that might be," Spittle said. "That win at the end of 2010 was huge. It changed everything. Like I've told my buddies and all my kids - I played golf for 40 years and made a 3 1/2-foot putt in 2010 to win a professional golf tournament.

"I still get goose bumps [thinking about it]. That's what's so great about this sport we play. I postponed my stuff a little bit later than John and Joey. They won their tournaments at 25 and I won mine at 55."

Adding to the legend of Rod Spittle is the perseverance he showed early on this week. With a 2:30 p.m. tee time in Thursday's first round starting on the back nine, Spittle began this journey at Bellerive in the worst of the week's conditions - howling wind, sideways rain.

Through his first three holes Spittle was 3 over par - a bogey, par, double bogey start.

Simply put, it was ugly.

"You just simmer down," Spittle said. "And I think I made three birdies on the back nine to get back to even par before the turn. I got back to even par and we've been playing well ever since. I guess I had my bad holes in that first hour instead of stretching them out over the four days. The first day it was just long, wet and cold. And I'm old, so it was just a brutal start.

"That's what the last few years have taught me. You've got to be patient. You just have to ride it out and simmer down. It dried out. The rain and the wind stopped and I was fortunate to make some birdies."

Now, Spittle - sitting where he's always dreamed of eventually being - has an opportunity to do something on Sunday that he's never before even given himself the time to imagine: the chance to win a major championship.

"If it so happened that I won tomorrow night, we'd have to break out the handkerchiefs," he said. "I can't even think about what that would be like. The classic answer is tomorrow is just like any other day. You hit it in the fairway, you hit it on the greens. We'll try not to watch the scoreboard too much. You get yourself in position come tomorrow afternoon about 3-4 o'clock and we'll see what happens. I have a brilliant strategy - just try to make more birdies than bogeys. Either way, we're in a pretty neat spot."

Neat and unbelievable.