WEDNESDAY. MARCH 1. 2006
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 11B
PGA
I wish golf were here,the weather is beautiful
BY DOUG FERGUSON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MIAMI — Say this much about the first two months of the PGA Tour season: At least the weather was nice.
The West Coast swing usually sets the tone for the rest of the season, or at least builds excitement as golf heads toward The Players Championship and the Masters. This one had about as much buzz as the United States against Britain for the bronze medal in curling.
Four of eight tournaments were decided by three shots or more, and the Match Play Championship in effect ended with six holes remaining. Nine players won nine tournaments, which is not unusual and certainly not a bad thing, but there were no back-nine duels among the top players.
Then again, the top five players competed against each other only once.
Tiger Woods has played only nine rounds on the PGA Tour this year. Ernie Els did not show up until Riviera, and didn't stick around more than one day at La Costa. Seven of the nine winners were ranked outside the top 25 when the season began,
the exceptions being Woods and David Toms.
Maybe the Florida swing couldn't get here fast enough.
Woods is the defending champion in the Ford Championship at Doral, where a year ago he rallied in a scintillating Sunday showdown against Phil Mickelson. Nine of the top 10 players in the world ranking are at the Blue Monster, and Ford didn't even have to pay them this year.
Woods already has won, in a playoff at the Buick Invitational. But even that conjures memories of a West Coast swing that fell flat. He won in somber fashion, after Jose Maria Olazabal missed a 4-foot par put. Woods last four wins worldwide have been in playoff, a trend that might age him.
Before moving forward here are a few trends that emerged from two months on the West Coast:
Best player: The guy atop the money list is Rory Sabbatini, with a victory and two second-place finishes. He also has made the most significant climb in the world ranking, starting the year at No. 71 and moving up to No. 18.
But the best player was Chad Campbell.
Lehman hasn't seriously threatened to win, but he had backdoor top 10s at Pebble Beach and Riviera, and advanced to the semifinals of the Accenture Match Play Championship. He is 10th in the Ryder Cup standings heading into the Florida Swing.
One reason Lehman as a playing-captain might be forgotten by the end of March is the new system that awards quadruple points this year, plus a 75-point bonus for winning. And those are just regular PGA Tour events.
Sabbatini had a chance to win only one tournament, which he did at Riviera. Campbell was tied for the lead going into the final round of the Sony Open before Toms beat him by five, he won the Bob Hope Classic, and he advanced to the quarterfinals of Match Play by beating Woods.
J. B. Holmes, the 23-yearold rookie, won in Phoenix and was 10th in the standings. Arron Oberholser won his
Biggest surprise: Jack Nicklaus was the last player to win a PGA Tour event during his tenure as Ryder Cup captain. Tom Lehman played as if he wants to be the next.
Biggest swing: Any week in the Ryder Cup standings.
first PGA Tour event at Pebble Beach and moved up to sixth. Chris DiMarco was third at the start of the year, and could be out of the top 10 by the end of the week.
Slow start: It seems ludicrous to raise questions about Phil Mickelson when he has finished in the top 10 at four of his first five tournaments. But Mickelson usually makes his mark on the West Coast swing, and this was only fourth time in his 14 full seasons on the PGA Tour that he didn't have a trophy upon arriving in Florida.
It might not be until after the British Open that Lehman has any idea how his team is shaping up, and whether he needs to worry about his putting or shirt sizes.
Vijay Singh now has gone 13 consecutive starts on the PGA Tour, his longest drought since 2002.
Big promise: After winning Q-school straight out of college, J.B. Holmes pounded the TPC of Scottsdale into submission to win the FBR Open by seven shots. The kid is long, no doubt, but his age (23) and pedigree (played on the Walker Cup team last year) make his potential tantalizing.
Tiger Woods acknowledges the applause after his birdie on the third hole in his second round match against Robert Allenby at the Accenture World Golf Championship in Carlsbad, Calif. Say this much about the first two months of the PGA Tour season: At least the weather was nice.
Chris Carlson/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ash Wednesday Services at Trinity Episcopal Church 1011 Vermont St.843-6166
Noon-Liturgy with imposition of ashes 6:00 PM- Holy Eucharist with imposition of ashes There will be a light supper served in the parish hall following this service.
7:00 AM- Liturgy with imposition of ashes with imposition of ashes
The Rev. Canon Jonathon W. Jensen, Rector.