TPC Four Seasons 18th Green
PGA Tour
Quicken Loans National
Congressional Country Club
Bethesda, Maryland
Seems odd, but the biggest news of the week (perhaps even the month) on the PGA Tour was about a player who missed the cut at the Quicken Loans Invitational in Bethesda, Maryland. After back surgery and months of rehabilitation, Tiger Woods entered the field to compete at the event he hosts.
Not surprisingly Tiger was rusty, firing rounds of 74-75 to miss the cut. Tiger was not expected to be back this soon, but decided to make the one month early comeback in support of his event. Woods claims that for the first time in several years he is “pain free.” If true, that could mean the rest of the tour could be feeling some pain soon.
Justin Rose claimed a solid victory at the Quicken Loans National, dispatching Shan Stefani in a playoff. Rose should have own the tournament in regulation, but an errant 4-iron into the water on the 18th forced him to have to make a clutch bogey putt from 15 feet to force the playoff. When you are a U.S. Open champion, you know how to make clutch putts and that’s just what Rose did.
Patrick Reed had the tournament in hand Sunday, having made the turn with a two-shot lead. Nothing is secure on the Tour though, and his final nine 41 moved him from first to a tie for 11th.
LPGA Tour
NW Arkansas Championship
Rogers Arkansas
Big names were in the mix this week at the NW Arkansas Championship. Michelle Wie, coming off here first major victory at last week’s Women’s U.S. Open, was looking for a second victory in as many weeks. Wie had a two shot lead coming into the final round after back to back five-under 66’s. A final round 73 would end her chances at that second consecutive win.
World #1 Stacy Lewis rallied from behind with a final round 6-under 65 to claim her 3rd win of the season and a cool $300,000 check. The win went over big as she was playing in front of a bit of a home crowd, having earned All-American status at Arkansas University.
Champions Tour
Senior Players Championship
Fox Chapel Golf Club
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
In the final round of the Senior Players Championship several players had the chance to coast to victory, but none could take advantage. Kenny Perry, Bernhard Langer and Jeff Sluman all had opportunities to win.
The key shot of the tournament was a putt on the 17th hole made by Bernhard Langer, known to struggle with his putting for decades. The long 35 foot putt was so difficult Kenny Perry said he could put 100 balls down on that spot and never make one. Langer must have putted the 101st, as he made the crucial birdie which led to his victory at the Senior Players.
