Tiger's TV interviews steal some of limelight
as Jim Furyk ends long no-victory spell
FROM THE PGATOUR.COM WEBSITE
PALM HARBOR, Florida (AP): Jim Furyk finally won after 32 months and 58 tournaments, and it became a footnote Sunday.
==================================================
Related link
PGATOUR.COM: Complete coverage of the Transitions Championship
==================================================
When he finally reached the 18th green after a wild detour through the trees at Innisbrook, two television networks broadcast the first interview with the Tiger Woods since revelations he had been cheating on his wife.
Furyk wasn't aware of this until after he won the Transitions Championship. One of Woods' closest friends on the US PGA Tour, he walked into the interview room holding a three-page transcript of Woods' interviews with ESPN and the Golf Channel.
"You know what? Tomorrow, the paper is going to read that I won the golf tournament, and I don't really care if it's a three-page spread or a little blurb in the corner of the paper because the article is about him.
"I won the damn thing, and it really doesn't matter to me."
All he cared about was winning for the first time since the 2007 Canadian Open, his longest stretch without a victory since he first joined the US PGA Tour. He almost cared too much.
Furyk closed with a two-under 69 for a one-shot victory over K.J. Choi, and he made it way too hard on himself.
He missed the last three greens in regulation, making a remarkable par save from a bunker washed out by earlier rains, then hitting what he called a half-shank from the trees, a shot that nearly took out NBC Sports reporter Roger Maltbie.
"It all worked out in the end," Furyk said.
The road getting there was more of a roller-coaster than Furyk wanted -- the birdie on No. 10 to build a three-shot lead, failing to make birdie on the par-5 11th, a 35ft birdie on the 12th, a pair of three-putt bogeys on par-3s sandwiched around a knockdown 8-iron into 3ft for birdie on the 14th.
"I have a habit of making it tough on myself," Furyk said. "Just nerves got me, to be honest with you."
Furyk finished at 13-under 271 and won for the 14th time in his career, moving to No. 6 in the world.
Choi, who started three shots out of the lead, was tied with Furyk through seven holes until a two-shot swing on the par-3 eighth. Choi never got any closer until the final hole. He closed with a 4-under 67, but his runner-up finish should be enough to move him to No. 47 in the world and give him a good chance to get into the Masters.
Choi raised both arms in a strongman pose when he heard about the world ranking, a good consolation prize, provided he stays in the top 50 after Bay Hill next week.
"It's actually better than what I thought I would be at this point," Choi said. "So definitely I've exceeded my expectations. All I can say is I will try my best next week to maintain or better that position."
Bubba Watson, who has never won on the US PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour, also gave Furyk a good run and was within two shots throughout the back nine during a final round that had nearly six hours of weather delays.
Watson played without a bogey until the par-3 15th, when he came up short of the green, chipped over the green and dropped a crucial shot. He made pars the rest of the way for a 68, finishing alone in third.
Nick Watney had a 67 and was fourth, while defending champion Retief Goosen was another shot back after a 71.
Furyk did capture the unofficial Chevron World Challenge in December at Sherwood Country Club against a world-class field of 18 players, which counted toward the world ranking. Even so, going so long without winning on the US PGA Tour was starting to grate on him.
He finally has an answer.
As he walked into a ballroom for the trophy presentation and someone mentioned how long it had been since he won, Furyk was quick to correct him. It had not been more than 2 years, rather 20 minutes since his tap-in for par, even as Woods was answering questions.
"I think it's good for him to get his face out there and have people see him," Furyk said. "They are going to make their judgments, but I think it allows him to kind of move on and get focused for the next thing."
The starting times on Sunday were moved up to avoid an afternoon forecast of thunderstorms, which arrived earlier than expected. After a delay of just over an hour, Furyk was on the first tee waiting for the fairway to clear when the siren sounded to suspend play, and the rumble of thunder soon followed.
When players returned to the course nearly four hours later, Furyk opened strong with two birdies in three holes, with his biggest challenge coming from Choi.
A two-time winner at Innisbrook, Choi had four birdies in six holes, including a 60-foot putt across the green at No. 3 and a 10-footer at No. 6 for a share of the lead. Furyk restored his cushion with a two-shot swing on the par-3 eighth by making a 25-foot birdie putt as Choi missed the green and failed to save par.
Watson was lurking all along, but Furyk didn't budge from his spot atop the leaderboard.
Watson finally cracked on the par-5 14th, when he chipped too strong and ran through the green, having to settle for par. On the next hole, Watson hit short of the 15th green, chipped over the back and took his lone bogey of the day.
EUROWATCH: Luke Donald finished the highest-placed European player with a closing 71 for 277 - six shots behind Furyk. Donald earned $187,650, compared with the winner's $972,000.
Padraig Harrington, the first round leader, required 144 shots for the last 36 holes compared with 144 for the first two rounds. He finished joint eighth on 278 and earned $145,800.
Justin Rose was one behind Harrington in joint 13th place. Rose had two good middle rounds of 68 and 67. It was his "outer" rounds of 73 and 71 that kept him out of the top 10 or higher.
Martin Laird made the top 30, joint 28th to be precise with rounds of 70, 70, 73 and 70. Even one sub-70 score would have made a difference to his final placing. The man from Glasgow earned $30,946, which is more than Ian Poulter and the others who missed the cut did.
FINAL TOTALS
Innisbrook, A Salamander Golf & Spa Resort, Tampa Bay, Florida
Par 284 (4x71)
271 Jim Furyk 67 68 67 69 ($972,000).
272 K J Choi (SKor) 69 69 67 67 ($583,200).
273 Bubba Watson 70 65 70 68 ($367,200).
275 Nick Watney 73 70 65 67 ($259,299).
276 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 67 68 70 71 ($216,000).
277 Luke Donald (Eng) 71 68 67 71, Stephen Ames (Can) 69 71 70 67 ($187,.650 each)
278 Steve Stricker 70 66 71 71, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 67 68 70 73, Jonathan Byrd 67 70 70 71, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 72 68 67 71, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 69 65 72 72 ($145,800 each).
279 Jerry Kelly 70 70 68 71, Justin Rose (Eng) 73 68 67 71, Webb Simpson 73 69 65 72
280 Jeff Maggert 67 69 70 74, Bill Haas 70 71 71 68, Greg Chalmers (Aus) 72 71 67 70, Jimmy Walker 70 71 68 71
281 Charlie Wi (SKor) 70 72 70 69, Justin Leonard 71 68 72 70, David Toms 74 63 73 71, James Nitties (Aus) 71 73 68 69, Jason Bohn 75 69 68 69
282 Spencer Levin 69 70 72 71, Lucas Glover 69 75 69 69, Steve Elkington (Aus) 68 68 76 70
283 Jason Dufner 70 74 70 69, Adam Scott (Aus) 73 66 74 70, Jeff Quinney 68 70 74 71, John Senden (Aus) 69 72 66 76, Chris DiMarco 71 71 68 73, Ted Purdy 72 69 71 71, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 73 71 65 74, Charles Howell III 72 70 70 71, Jeff Klauk 73 71 67 72, D.A. Points 70 72 70 71, Brett Quigley 70 73 66 74, Corey Pavin 72 68 74 69, Martin Laird (Sco) 70 70 73 70 ($30,946 each).
284 Kris Blanks 72 70 73 69, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 73 71 71 69, David Duval 72 69 69 74, Bob Heintz 73 67 70 74, Nicholas Thompson 70 68 76 70
285 Brian Davis (Eng) 71 73 71 70, Brendon De Jonge 72 72 71 70, Kevin Sutherland 73 71 70 71, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl) 73 68 73 71, Derek Lamely 73 68 72 72, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 72 69 71 73, Nathan Green (Aus) 73 71 70 71, Brandt Snedeker 69 69 73 74, Rickie Fowler 67 71 70 77
286 John Daly 70 71 72 73, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 73 71 70 72, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 70 69 72 75, Bo Van Pelt 72 71 70 73, Fred Funk 70 73 72 71, Alex Cejka (Ger) 69 69 74 74
287 J.B. Holmes 68 74 73 72, Jason Day (Aus) 72 72 71 72
288 Kenny Perry 71 72 68 77, Ross Fisher (Eng) 68 70 75 75, Tim Petrovic 72 72 71 73, Brian Gay 71 70 71 76, Steve Flesch 70 72 70 76
289 Ricky Barnes 70 72 71 76, Scott McCarron 71 72 72 74
291 Josh Teater 69 73 73 76
295 Roland Thatcher 70 71 73 81
as Jim Furyk ends long no-victory spell
FROM THE PGATOUR.COM WEBSITE
PALM HARBOR, Florida (AP): Jim Furyk finally won after 32 months and 58 tournaments, and it became a footnote Sunday.
==================================================
Related link
PGATOUR.COM: Complete coverage of the Transitions Championship
==================================================
When he finally reached the 18th green after a wild detour through the trees at Innisbrook, two television networks broadcast the first interview with the Tiger Woods since revelations he had been cheating on his wife.
Furyk wasn't aware of this until after he won the Transitions Championship. One of Woods' closest friends on the US PGA Tour, he walked into the interview room holding a three-page transcript of Woods' interviews with ESPN and the Golf Channel.
"You know what? Tomorrow, the paper is going to read that I won the golf tournament, and I don't really care if it's a three-page spread or a little blurb in the corner of the paper because the article is about him.
"I won the damn thing, and it really doesn't matter to me."
All he cared about was winning for the first time since the 2007 Canadian Open, his longest stretch without a victory since he first joined the US PGA Tour. He almost cared too much.
Furyk closed with a two-under 69 for a one-shot victory over K.J. Choi, and he made it way too hard on himself.
He missed the last three greens in regulation, making a remarkable par save from a bunker washed out by earlier rains, then hitting what he called a half-shank from the trees, a shot that nearly took out NBC Sports reporter Roger Maltbie.
"It all worked out in the end," Furyk said.
The road getting there was more of a roller-coaster than Furyk wanted -- the birdie on No. 10 to build a three-shot lead, failing to make birdie on the par-5 11th, a 35ft birdie on the 12th, a pair of three-putt bogeys on par-3s sandwiched around a knockdown 8-iron into 3ft for birdie on the 14th.
"I have a habit of making it tough on myself," Furyk said. "Just nerves got me, to be honest with you."
Furyk finished at 13-under 271 and won for the 14th time in his career, moving to No. 6 in the world.
Choi, who started three shots out of the lead, was tied with Furyk through seven holes until a two-shot swing on the par-3 eighth. Choi never got any closer until the final hole. He closed with a 4-under 67, but his runner-up finish should be enough to move him to No. 47 in the world and give him a good chance to get into the Masters.
Choi raised both arms in a strongman pose when he heard about the world ranking, a good consolation prize, provided he stays in the top 50 after Bay Hill next week.
"It's actually better than what I thought I would be at this point," Choi said. "So definitely I've exceeded my expectations. All I can say is I will try my best next week to maintain or better that position."
Bubba Watson, who has never won on the US PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour, also gave Furyk a good run and was within two shots throughout the back nine during a final round that had nearly six hours of weather delays.
Watson played without a bogey until the par-3 15th, when he came up short of the green, chipped over the green and dropped a crucial shot. He made pars the rest of the way for a 68, finishing alone in third.
Nick Watney had a 67 and was fourth, while defending champion Retief Goosen was another shot back after a 71.
Furyk did capture the unofficial Chevron World Challenge in December at Sherwood Country Club against a world-class field of 18 players, which counted toward the world ranking. Even so, going so long without winning on the US PGA Tour was starting to grate on him.
He finally has an answer.
As he walked into a ballroom for the trophy presentation and someone mentioned how long it had been since he won, Furyk was quick to correct him. It had not been more than 2 years, rather 20 minutes since his tap-in for par, even as Woods was answering questions.
"I think it's good for him to get his face out there and have people see him," Furyk said. "They are going to make their judgments, but I think it allows him to kind of move on and get focused for the next thing."
The starting times on Sunday were moved up to avoid an afternoon forecast of thunderstorms, which arrived earlier than expected. After a delay of just over an hour, Furyk was on the first tee waiting for the fairway to clear when the siren sounded to suspend play, and the rumble of thunder soon followed.
When players returned to the course nearly four hours later, Furyk opened strong with two birdies in three holes, with his biggest challenge coming from Choi.
A two-time winner at Innisbrook, Choi had four birdies in six holes, including a 60-foot putt across the green at No. 3 and a 10-footer at No. 6 for a share of the lead. Furyk restored his cushion with a two-shot swing on the par-3 eighth by making a 25-foot birdie putt as Choi missed the green and failed to save par.
Watson was lurking all along, but Furyk didn't budge from his spot atop the leaderboard.
Watson finally cracked on the par-5 14th, when he chipped too strong and ran through the green, having to settle for par. On the next hole, Watson hit short of the 15th green, chipped over the back and took his lone bogey of the day.
EUROWATCH: Luke Donald finished the highest-placed European player with a closing 71 for 277 - six shots behind Furyk. Donald earned $187,650, compared with the winner's $972,000.
Padraig Harrington, the first round leader, required 144 shots for the last 36 holes compared with 144 for the first two rounds. He finished joint eighth on 278 and earned $145,800.
Justin Rose was one behind Harrington in joint 13th place. Rose had two good middle rounds of 68 and 67. It was his "outer" rounds of 73 and 71 that kept him out of the top 10 or higher.
Martin Laird made the top 30, joint 28th to be precise with rounds of 70, 70, 73 and 70. Even one sub-70 score would have made a difference to his final placing. The man from Glasgow earned $30,946, which is more than Ian Poulter and the others who missed the cut did.
FINAL TOTALS
Innisbrook, A Salamander Golf & Spa Resort, Tampa Bay, Florida
Par 284 (4x71)
271 Jim Furyk 67 68 67 69 ($972,000).
272 K J Choi (SKor) 69 69 67 67 ($583,200).
273 Bubba Watson 70 65 70 68 ($367,200).
275 Nick Watney 73 70 65 67 ($259,299).
276 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 67 68 70 71 ($216,000).
277 Luke Donald (Eng) 71 68 67 71, Stephen Ames (Can) 69 71 70 67 ($187,.650 each)
278 Steve Stricker 70 66 71 71, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 67 68 70 73, Jonathan Byrd 67 70 70 71, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 72 68 67 71, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 69 65 72 72 ($145,800 each).
279 Jerry Kelly 70 70 68 71, Justin Rose (Eng) 73 68 67 71, Webb Simpson 73 69 65 72
280 Jeff Maggert 67 69 70 74, Bill Haas 70 71 71 68, Greg Chalmers (Aus) 72 71 67 70, Jimmy Walker 70 71 68 71
281 Charlie Wi (SKor) 70 72 70 69, Justin Leonard 71 68 72 70, David Toms 74 63 73 71, James Nitties (Aus) 71 73 68 69, Jason Bohn 75 69 68 69
282 Spencer Levin 69 70 72 71, Lucas Glover 69 75 69 69, Steve Elkington (Aus) 68 68 76 70
283 Jason Dufner 70 74 70 69, Adam Scott (Aus) 73 66 74 70, Jeff Quinney 68 70 74 71, John Senden (Aus) 69 72 66 76, Chris DiMarco 71 71 68 73, Ted Purdy 72 69 71 71, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 73 71 65 74, Charles Howell III 72 70 70 71, Jeff Klauk 73 71 67 72, D.A. Points 70 72 70 71, Brett Quigley 70 73 66 74, Corey Pavin 72 68 74 69, Martin Laird (Sco) 70 70 73 70 ($30,946 each).
284 Kris Blanks 72 70 73 69, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 73 71 71 69, David Duval 72 69 69 74, Bob Heintz 73 67 70 74, Nicholas Thompson 70 68 76 70
285 Brian Davis (Eng) 71 73 71 70, Brendon De Jonge 72 72 71 70, Kevin Sutherland 73 71 70 71, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl) 73 68 73 71, Derek Lamely 73 68 72 72, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 72 69 71 73, Nathan Green (Aus) 73 71 70 71, Brandt Snedeker 69 69 73 74, Rickie Fowler 67 71 70 77
286 John Daly 70 71 72 73, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 73 71 70 72, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 70 69 72 75, Bo Van Pelt 72 71 70 73, Fred Funk 70 73 72 71, Alex Cejka (Ger) 69 69 74 74
287 J.B. Holmes 68 74 73 72, Jason Day (Aus) 72 72 71 72
288 Kenny Perry 71 72 68 77, Ross Fisher (Eng) 68 70 75 75, Tim Petrovic 72 72 71 73, Brian Gay 71 70 71 76, Steve Flesch 70 72 70 76
289 Ricky Barnes 70 72 71 76, Scott McCarron 71 72 72 74
291 Josh Teater 69 73 73 76
295 Roland Thatcher 70 71 73 81
Labels: US PGA TOUR, US PRO TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, March 22, 2010
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