Koepka"s master plan takes path around globe

Koepka"s master plan takes path around globe

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PGA.COM July 17, 2013 12:22 AM

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Ex-Florida State star Brooks Koepka envisions himself playing regularly on both major tours.(Getty …


By Jim Litke, Associated Press

GULLANE, Scotland -- There's a reason Brooks Koepka is the best young American golfer you've never heard of.

It has less to do with his game than his passport. TheFlorida native has collected four wins, but also 48 pages of government stamps and almost as many adventures in the last 10 months while playing in 11 different countries. His 2013 season-opening itinerary included India, South Africa and Kenya.

And don't even ask about the horsemeat dinner in Kazakhstan. Or cobbling together connecting flights between Tenerife and Prague.

"The road's not for everyone," Koepka said with a laugh. "You have to get used to being away, and being alone. It can be tough. Pretty much all you have is golf.

"But getting to see the world at 23," he added, "that's pretty cool."

The extended road trip became part of a master plan Koepka hatched after missing the cut at last year's U.S. Open, then turning pro and failing to get through qualifying school for the PGA Tour. Like his friend and sometimes roommate Peter Uihlein, he pounced on the opportunity for four guaranteed starts on the European Challenge Tour, the European Tour's minor-league circuit. So much so that he and Uihlein have a running bet -- whoever wins a tournament has to buy a jet ski for the house they share in Florida.

Koepka won for the first time last September in Spain, and instead of being flustered by language and culture, he decided to sample them and started ordering off the menu. He earned his European Tour card after winning three Challenge Tour events already this year, and the mad dash that was necessary for Koepka to make it into this Open Championship pretty much encapsulates his brief pro career.

After capturing the Scottish Hydro Challenge near Inverness in late June, Koepka decided to try Open qualifying in London. The original plan was to drive all the way, but the car blew a tire late at night near Edinburgh. Koepka caught a few hours sleep in a hotel, then a 6:30 a.m. flight to Heathrow Airport, arriving atSunningdale Golf Club with just enough time to stretch. Even so, he shot 69-65 to take medalist's honors and book his place in the field here.

"The kid is impressive in lots of ways," said teaching pro Butch Harmon, whose son, Claude, works with Koepka when he's back home in Florida. "He's consistent. He's a fast learner, but he's smart enough not to try to do things on the golf course that he doesn't know how to do. Claude's been raving about his ball-striking for months.

"More impressive is the route he's taking. Lots of guys come out of college and if they don't get through Q-School, they take the most familiar path -- the mini-tours back home. Over here," Harmon continued, "nearly every tournament is in a different country, with a different language. Just lining up visas can be a challenge. It shows a lot of maturity in a very short time."


You could say the same about the group Koepka joined for his practice round Tuesday. He and Dustin Johnson played Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler in what's generally acknowledged as the tour's most competitive -- and expensive -- pre-tournament round.

"That's another thing about him," said Harmon, who counts Johnson among his clients, has worked with Mickelson and tagged along with the group. "When they told Brooks the number (the ante for the match), he didn't flinch."

Whatever the number, it's in Mickelson's pocket now. The left-hander, who won last week at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, made a birdie putt at No. 14 to pull his side with one in the match-play game, then ham-and-egged his way in with Fowler to close the match out at the 17th.

"The chance to pick these guys' brains on how to get around courses like this -- where to leave it, different ways to play the wind -- is going to make me a better player down the road.

"So it was worth it," Koepka said. "Almost."

Either way, he made sure to get his money's worth. Koepka played his college golf at Florida State, but unlike Mickelson, he didn't set the golf world on fire as an amateur. On a family trip to the Masters some 15 years ago, the then-8-year-old chased Mickelson out to the parking lot hoping to get an autograph.

"He was in a hurry to get to his car," Koepka recalled. "He said, `Catch me tomorrow.' I never got the autograph. Reminded him about that a couple of times since."

"We laughed about that today," Mickelson said sheepishly, then ticked off a handful of Koepka's shots from the round that stood out.

"His ball-striking is extremely solid," Mickelson summed up. "He's a wonderful putter. I can see why he earned his right to get on the European Tour so quickly."

Yet Koepka's ambitions hardly end there. He envisions himself playing regularly on both major tours, eventually earning the luxury of picking his spots the way Mickelson, Tiger Woods and a handful of golf's other big stars do.

"That's a long way off," Koepka said, "but it's been an interesting ride so far. I've seen more crazy weather in a few months than I'd seen before in my entire life. Some of the adventures have been good, some not so good. I miss my family and friends sometimes, and once or twice, I've been sick of playing golf.

"But if you're looking for a little bit of flavor to go with your game," he said, motioning over his shoulder at the scudding gray clouds rolling across Muirfield, "this is awfully tough to beat."

Course Source: Nicklaus North, Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello

Course Source: Nicklaus North, Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello

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Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange July 22, 2013 12:31 AMThe SportsXchange


IN THE PUBLIC EYE: Nicklaus North Golf Course in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.



Now, there also is world-class golf in the area, and the best golfer in the history of the game came to Canada to create a masterpiece that opened for play in 1996 below the glacial peaks.



To help get the word out, he brought the Telus Skins Game to the course in 1997, when Greg Norman took the bulk of the money from Nicklaus, Fred Couples and Nick Faldo.



In 1998, Nicklaus North was host to an episode of Shell's Wonderful World of Golf, in which Couples shot a brilliant 5-under-par 66 to defeat Ernie Els.



And it does not take as long to reach Whistler these days because of a construction project that widened the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway to handle the traffic from Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics.



Canadians were disappointed their country did not claim a single skiing medal at Whistler during the 2010 Games, but they still celebrate the gold that Nancy Greene of British Columbia claimed in the giant slalom at Grenoble, France, in 1968.



DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Andrew Smart.



The project was environmentally sensitive from the beginning in keeping with the spectacular natural habitat, and the course is impeccably manicured.



The most challenging of the par-3s probably is No. 12, which is rated by several sources as one of the most memorable holes in Canada. It plays 225 yards from the back tees across another pond to a two-tiered green that is protected by bunkers on all four sides, with a steep slope in front sending many shots that are barely short back into the water.



Most challenging of the par-5s probably is No. 11, 555 yards from the tips with a prevailing headwind making it unlikely to get home in two, even for big hitters. Bunkers and a conservation area border the fairway on both sides off the tee, and water comes into play on the left when laying up. Bunkers right, left and rear protect the green.



The tee shot on the par-4, 437-yard 15th, again over water for longer hitters and often affected by a crosswind, must be threaded between two fairway bunkers to provide for a reasonable approach to a large and undulating green.



No. 17 is the last of the par-3s, and although the 226-yard tee shot is not over water, Green Lake awaits tee shots that wander left. A bunker that wraps around the green saves many a ball from a watery grave.



Don't be surprised to see bear, moose, coyote, deer and other critters wander out from the tall fir trees during your round, but what makes this course special is that it has the Golden Bear's paw prints all over it.



Whistler Golf Club, located barely inside the town limits, was the first course in the area and the initial Arnold Palmer-designed layout in Canada. It opened in 1982 and underwent a $1.8 million renovation in 2000.



If you have a chance on the way up from Vancouver, stop and play Mayfair Lakes Golf and Country Club below the towering Coast Mountains in Richmond, or picturesque Furry Creek Golf and Country Club, about 30 minutes south of Whistler on the Sea-to-Ski Highway.



Also included are the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club and Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course in Alberta, Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello Golf Club and Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Golf Club in Quebec, andAlgonquin Golf Course and Academy in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick.



Conde Naste Traveler magazine has selected the Fairmont Chateau Whistler as the No. 1 ski resort and No. 1golf resort in Canada. Whistler receives 46 feet of snow a year, and the Wizard chairlift right outside the back door of the resort whisks skiers up the slopes of Blackcomb Mountain to 8,100 acres of skiing terrain.




Other winter activities include cross-country skiing, horse-drawn sleigh rides, snowshoeing, dog-sledding, ice skating, four-wheel driving, indoor rock climbing and snowmobile riding.



Other top hotels in Whistler include the Four Seasons Whistler Resort, the Westin Resort and Spa Whistler, theAlpine Chalet Whistler, the Delta Whistler Village Suites, the Crystal Lodge Hotel, the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside and the Chalet Luise Bed & Breakfast Inn.







THE LAYOUT: The Montebello Golf Club has been renowned in its nearly 80 years for two mounds in the first fairway that are a reminder of golf in the Scottish Highlands.



Several years ago, an architect was brought in to do some renovation on the course and suggested blowing up the right mogul. That was the last piece of advice he was allowed to give.



First Thompson created classic courses in the Canadian Rockies at Jasper Park Lodge in 1925 and the Banff Springs Hotel in 1927. Then he came east and sculpted two more beauties, Montebello in 1931 and Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia in 1935.



Thompson carved into the granite landscape a course on which every hole is unique, with no parallel fairways, leaving the golfer with the feeling at every turn that his or her group is the only one on the course.



The golf season at Montebello opens on the last week of April and runs through October, weather permitting.



LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: The mounds in the first fairway, which block the view of the green on the uphill hole, were meant to be a target. Hit your tee shot over them and the 320-yard hole is yours for the taking, but stay out of the trees to the right.



The highlight of the front nine is the fourth hole, a dogleg left, 522-yard par 5 from an elevated tee that gives the golfer a spectacular view of the Ottawa River Valley and the surrounding Outaouais region. With help from the elevated tee, big hitters can reach the green in two, but don't be short on the approach or your ball will wind up in the creek that guards the front.



Chi Chi Rodriguez came to Montebello in 1993 and set the course record of 6-under-par 64, but he got lucky on No. 9 when his tee shot flew the green and stayed in the long grass behind rather than running into the canyon. He chipped all the way across the green for an improbable birdie, but complained all day that he could not make a putt.



The final hole always has been another of those strong par-4s for which Scottish architects are known, but time and technology caught up with it until it was lengthened several years ago by 35 yards to 420. Instead of 220 yards to carry the bunker on the left and shorten the hole, it is now nearly 250, and the fairway is only 40 yards wide. Another bunker awaits to guard the green of a terrific finishing hole.



OTHER COURSES IN THE AREA: Located about 10 miles away in Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix is L'Heritage Golf Course, a parkland course that measures 6,712 yards from the back tees.



In addition to resorts at Banff Springs and Jasper Park, Fairmont's other golf properties in Canada include the Chateau Whistler Golf Club in British Columbia and the Algonquin Golf Club in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick.



WHERE TO STAY: Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello, a few minutes from the course, is a relic from the past -- a lodge built in 1930 with 10,000 giant red-cedar logs, all cut and set by hand, over a stone foundation.



For its first 40 years, the chateau was the private retreat of the Seigniory Club, whose membership included former Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson and Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco.



More recently, Montebello hosted the 2007 North American Leaders Summit, welcoming President George W. Bush, President Felipe Calderon of Mexico and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada.



In the winter, there are cross-country skiing, broomball, skating, sleigh rides, dogsledding, snowmobiling, tobogganing, ice fishing and more. Or simply enjoy a hot toddy around the six-sided fireplace in the largest log cabin in the world.

Golf-Mickelson climbs rankings after British Open victory

Golf-Mickelson climbs rankings after British Open victory

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July 22, 2013 6:08 AM


By Martyn Herman

GULLANE, Scotland, July 22 (Reuters) - Phil Mickelson suddenly has the world No.1 ranking in his sight after what he said was the best round of his career took him to a superb British Open victory at Muirfield on Sunday.

The American, who burst from the pack to win by three shots after a sizzling last round of 66, climbed above Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy into second place in the rankings behind Tiger Woods who is still comfortably ahead.

Mickelson has never topped the official world rankings which were brought in 24 years ago.

The 43-year-old's charge to his first British Open title proved a popular one amongst his fellow professionals with the left-hander receiving widespread praise.


His swing coach Butch Harmon said his performance on Sunday in the wind and with difficult pin positions was the best he had ever seen.

"I said when Greg (Norman) won in 1993 that was the best round of golf I'd seen, but I think this one tops it," Harmon told the BBC. "He just embraced how to play on a links course."

Justin Rose, who beat Mickelson to the U.S. Open title this year, said on Twitter: "Really pleased for Phil. I feel good for him especially after all the courtesy and sportsmanship he showed me at the Ryder Cup and U.S. Open."

Mickelson's long-time caddie Jim "Bones" Mackay, who was tearful afterwards, said winning the British Open ranked alongside the American's three Masters triumphs.

"I think it ranks right up there among his previous wins, Mackay said. "I love the Masters but I love the British Open, especially in Scotland. It means the world for me as his caddie at least, to win - it's very special." (Editing by Toby Davis)

Golf-Thai protege swaps irons for textbooks after record win

Golf-Thai protege swaps irons for textbooks after record win

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July 22, 2013 6:15 AM



July 22 (Reuters) - Phachara Khongwatmai has little time to celebrate his record-breaking triumph on the ASEAN PGA Tour as the 14-year-old Thai amateur golfer needs to catch up on his homework after taking a week off from school to compete in the event.

Phachara, born on May 3, 1999, stunned an experienced field that included a number of the country's leading golfers, to win the $65,000 Singha Hua Hin Open by four shots on Sunday and etch his name in golf's record books.

With the victory, Phachara replaces New Zealand sensation Lydia Ko, who won the 2012 New South Wales Open three months prior to her 15th birthday, as the youngest winner of a professional golf event.

"I am really, really happy to win against so many top players," Phachara, who had to qualify for the tournament, said in a statement from the organisers.

"My putting was the key and I also worked very hard with my caddie. We planned everything carefully."

However, Phachara's joy will be short-lived as the daily grind of school life looms large on his horizon.

"Tomorrow (Monday) is a public holiday and the first thing I need to do is call my friends and catch up on homework," he added after his four-under-par final round 67 took him to 13-under for the tournament.

Fellow Thai Prom Meesawat, who finished tied for second with Sutijet Kooratanapisan, was simply stunned by the teenager's performance.

"It is amazing to see a kid play like that. I had a bogey-free round but look at what he did!" Prom said. (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by John O'Brien)

Golf-Yang and Olazabal named Royal Trophy captains

Golf-Yang and Olazabal named Royal Trophy captains

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July 30, 2013



July 30 (Reuters) - Asia's first male winner of a golf major,Yang Yong-eun, will captain the continent at the Royal Trophy against a European team led by Jose Maria Olazabal, organisers said on Tuesday.

South Korean Yang, who beat world number one Tiger Woods to claim the 2009 U.S. PGA Championship, takes over from Japan's Joe Ozaki for the defence of the annual team title at the Dragon Lake Golf Club in Guangzhou, China from Dec. 20-22.

Ozaki had led Asia in five of the six previous editions of the eight-man event.

"I am truly honoured to undertake the leadership role of Asian team captain for the next edition of the Royal Trophy,"Yang said in a statement on Tuesday.

"I am committed to building a very strong team for our continent's defence of the Royal Trophy. I will do my utmost to retain stewardship of the trophy in Asia and look forward to the matches with great excitement and anticipation."

Asia won the team event, based loosely on the Ryder Cup format, by the slightest of margins last year in Brunei, with Yang and compatriot Kim Kyung-tae prevailing in a sudden death playoff after three days of competition had finished 8-8.

Despite the loss, Olazabal has been retained as captain of Europe as they seek a fifth win in the event. (Reporting by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Hal Sutton: 'Tiger and Phil Expected to Do Too Much at Ryder Cup'

Hal Sutton: 'Tiger and Phil Expected to Do Too Much at Ryder Cup'

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Adam Fonseca July 30, 2013


COMMENTARY | In 2004, the American Ryder Cup team captained by Hal Sutton suffered one of the worst defeats in the history of the event when it lost to Europe 18.5 to 9.5 at Oakland Hills.



In fact, it remains the biggest loss by the American team to date. Unfortunately, for Sutton, it will forever be a blemish on an otherwise respectable career that includes 14 PGA Tour victories and a major victory at the 1983 PGA Championship.





During a recent interview with Golf Magazine, Suttonrecalled his highly controversial decision to pair Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson -- two players who have a lukewarm working relationship, at best -- in two matches. It was an attempt to create some type of "Super Pairing" that Sutton believed would be unbeatable.

Woods and Mickelson went on to lose both matches before being split up by Sutton. Oops.

Sutton received a monumental level of criticism from armchair Ryder Cup captains across the globe (as should be expected when your team losses by such a wide margin). The naysayers got to be so bad, in fact, that Sutton literally quit the game of golf.

"I quit. It drove me right out of the game," Sutton told the magazine. "You needed to blame a body, so I caught the blame. So I said, 'I'm going to go over here. I don't need you all.' That's the only way I could get grounded again, and get focused again on what I know."


When asked what he believed was the biggest issue with that 2004 American squad, Sutton suggested that there was nothing wrong with the team's talent level. Instead, he believes that the team's superstars at the time -- namely Woods and Mickelson -- were asked to do too much.

"We've created some real superstars in the U.S. who have failed us when it comes to [the Ryder Cup]," he explained. "They don't fail because they don't have enough talent; they fail because there's too much for them to do."

Hold on a second. Are we really supposed to accept the notion that the two biggest names in American golf shouldn'tbe expected to win more often? Sutton explained further in his interview.

"I mean Tiger's Ryder Cup record [13-14-2] is not very good at all, but everyone expects him to carry the team," the former captain surmised. "He can't get but five points. That ain't gonna win it. So everyone else has got to perform."

To be fair to Sutton, his obvious declaration that neither Tiger nor Phil could win the Ryder Cup single-handedly is correct. Other golfers on the team are going to have to pull their own weight. But surely American golf fans are in the right to expect the highest-ranked players on the planet to at least card a winning record, no? For the sake of comparison, Mickelson's Ryder Cup record is equally terrible as he has the most losses in Ryder Cup history (18).

True, it does take a certain type of player to be successful in match-play. Ian Poulter is the modern-day king of Ryder Cup matches, boasting an impressive 12-3 career record. However, the Englishman still searches for his first major championship in singles play. His is but one example of the playing style differences needed to be successful in match play.



Adam Fonseca has been covering professional golf since 2005. His work can also be found on the Back9Network. Follow Adam on Twitter at @chicagoduffer.

Mickelson back to earth at Firestone with work to do

Mickelson back to earth at Firestone with work to do

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Mark Lamport-Stokes July 30, 2013

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Phil Mickelson of the U.S. (L) holds the Claret Jug as he celebrates with his wife Amy after winning …


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - Having been on cloud nine since winning his fifth major crown at the British Open nine days ago, Phil Mickelson is ready to resume his challenge for more golf titles at this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

By his own admission, the American world number two is playing some of the best golf of his life and is eager to take full advantage with several high-profile tournaments on his schedule over the next two months.

"We've got the big event here, a World Golf Championships (WGC) event, we've got the PGA (Championship) next week, and our FedExCup (playoffs)," Mickelson said atFirestone Country Club on Tuesday while preparing for Thursday's opening round of the Bridgestone Invitational.

"So it's a lot of golf left. Right now I'm playing as well as I ever have and want to make sure I stay focused this week and next week because there's an opportunity to add to this year and make this year every bit as special as it can be.

Mickelson won his second PGA Tour title of the year by a commanding three shots in the British Open at Muirfield, separating himself from the field with a stunning final round of five-under-par 66 despite difficult scoring conditions.

FIRST SUCCESS

It was his first success in the year's third major, having recorded only two top-10s in his previous 19 appearances at the event, and he has since barely kept his hands off the coveted Claret Jug.

"It's been really a fun time," the American left-hander told reporters. "I'm just excited every day that I've got the Claret Jug and I get to look at it every day. It's here with me. It's not like I'm going to leave it.


"I'll have some of my friends throughout these next couple of weeks be able to drink out it. To give friends of mine an opportunity to drink out of the Claret Jug and have a picture of it, that's a cool experience that not many people get to do."

Mickelson was delighted to be back in golf mode, his previous nine days having been a whirlwind of victory celebrations, media commitments, travel and a visit to Oak Hill Country Club, venue for next week's PGA Championship.

"Last week I had a lot of other things going on that didn't allow me to practice until Saturday," he said.

"I went up to Oak Hill and wasn't really able to work on my game yesterday as much as I was developing strategy and getting ready and prepared for next week's major, next week's PGA.

"Starting today was the first day that I was able to really work on my game and work on my touch, work on shot-making and so forth. It was not far off. I hit a lot of good shots today. I'm playing really well."

A 42-time winner on the PGA Tour, Mickelson was impressed with the condition of Oak Hill for the August 8-11 PGA Championship though he was surprised by the severity of the rough.

"It's in immaculate shape, it's really pristine," he said. "It's difficult, as you can imagine, like any major championship.

"It's as thick a rough as I've seen in a long time - long, dense, thick, heavy rough - it's very much like a U.S. Open. It will have a premium on getting the ball in play off the tee."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Gene Cherry)