Tiger Woods denies using human growth

hormone at first Masters Press Conference

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Tiger Woods insisted he has never used human growth hormone (HGH) while recovering from injury during a press conference ahead of the US Masters today.
Woods admitted he had been treated by controversial physician Dr Anthony Galea, who is under federal investigation in a drugs case.
Galea visited Woods at his home during the latter's recovery from knee surgery and Woods acknowledged he had received a treatment known as "blood spinning", saying: "He (Galea) did come to my house, he never gave me HGH. I had PRP (platelet rich plasma) treatment."
Asked if federal agents had contacted him in relation to Galea's case, Woods added: "They contacted my agent and will get full cooperation whenever they need me, but right now they haven't asked for my time."
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Tiger Woods' official website
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Woods spoke about a wide range of topics in his first full press conference since revelations about his private life.
"I'd like to tell all the players after today hopefully they can be left alone to focus on the Masters and their game for this week and going forward," Woods said.
"I apologise to all of them for having to endure what they've had to endure over the last few months.
"A lot has happened in the past five months, I'm here to play and compete and really excited about doing that. I missed the competition."
Asked about the injuries he suffered in a car accident in November last year which led to the revelations, and why he did not speak to police, Woods added: "I had a busted up lip and pretty sore neck and that was it.
"I did everything to the letter of the law, my lawyer gave me advice and I followed that."

+COLIN FARQUHARSON IS STILL ON HOLIDAY ... NORMAL UPDATING SERVICE WILL RESUME ON TUESDAY, APRIL 13

First day of Scottish boys' championship at West Kilbride

Jack Scott rallies to win after letting five-hole

lead slip against Callum Gorrie

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
By ROSS DUNCAN
Jack Scott (Deeside), winner of the opening SGU Junior Tour event of the season, scraped into round two of the Scottish boys' championship at West Kilbride with a narrow one-hole win after letting a five-hole lead slip against Barassie’s Callum Gorrie today.
Scott played some impressive golf on the outward stretch having reached the ninth tee in one-under par, but stuttered coming home to eventually clinch his match on the final green.
“I was in control of the game early on and playing some great golf but the wheels came off a bit. I suppose it’s good to get a tough match under my belt early on which might stand me in good stead as the week progresses.”
Scott, who in his final year at Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen and hoping to study at Edinburgh or St Andrews next year, admitted to seeking advice from last year’s winner David Law:
“David is a good friend of mine and we practise a lot together so I’ve been tapping him up recently for advice. He told me just to take one game at a time and keep believing in myself. We share the same coach in Neil Marr and he’s been working us hard on our short games, which is starting to pay off.”
Meanwhile, the lowest handicapped player in the field, Pollok’s Conor O’Neil who plays off plus 1.9, survived an early scare in his match against Cameron Cunningham (Royal Musselburgh) to progress to round two. The 18-year-old was two down after four holes, but fought back to win 4&2 to set up a tie against Mount Ellen’s Eamon Bradley.
Asked if being the back marker in the 256-strong line-up added any pressure, O’Neil said:
“I put a lot of pressure on myself anyway so I don’t think it makes a huge difference. There are a lot of good young players around just now of a similar standard so I just have to go out there and prove myself. My best effort in this event was the fourth round two years ago so hopefully I can improve on that.”
“I’m going out to Michigan State University in August which I’m really looking forward too. They’ve got some great golfers there just now, including Jack Newman who played in last year’s Masters after winning the US Public Links Championship, so it should be a fantastic experience for me.”
Angus Carrick, son of former Walker Cup player and Scotland international David, booked his place in the second round with a 2&1 win over Deeside’s Steven Smith. The 16-year-old, who has recently stopped playing rugby after suffering his second dislocated shoulder, is playing in the event for the first time and still faces some stiff competition from his dad:
“He’s still pretty handy and playing off one,” Angus said of the 1985 Scottish Amateur Champion. “His advice was to go out and enjoy myself which I did today. I’m looking forward to the rest of the week, although my next game’s at 6.45am on Wednesday so I’ll have a very early start!”
Lyle McAlpine (Invergordon) racked up the biggest win of the day win a 9&8 defeat of David Wright (Cathcart Castle), while 13-year-old George Burns from Williamwood – the youngest player in the field – took Scotland Boys international Callum Stewart (Brora) all the way in a titanic match before losing at the first extra hole.
Click here for first round results from day one of the Scottish Boys Championship at West Kilbride.

http://www.golfbox.dk/livescoring/leaderboardmatchplay.asp?tour={416E0EA5-1EC8-463B-A837-E4CE41DD00B7}&grp=1&clubOnly=1&color=1&lang=1033

Kim beats Taylor in play-off to win

Shell Houston Open

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
US Ryder Cup star Anthony Kim needed a first play-off hole success over Vaughn Taylor to claim the third PGA Tour victory of his career at the Shell Houston Open in Texas.
Kim, 24, had held a three-shot lead over the field heading into the back nine of his final round at Redstone Golf Club having started the day in a share of the 54-hole lead with fellow American Bryce Molder at 10 under par.
He was still on course for victory at the 72nd hole when he missed a five-foot putt to bogey for a two-under-par 70 and allow the watching Taylor, who shot a 68, to join him in a sudden-death play-off.
Kim's wobbles were over though as he played the tricky par-four 18th to perfection while Taylor emulated his rival's play at the 72nd when he found successive rightside bunkers in his bid to avoid the left-sided lake. Kim two-putted from 30 feet for par as Taylor failed to hole out and victory was secured.
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South African Charl Schwartzel fired a closing 67 to leapfrog into a tie for third place at 11 under with Canada's Graham DeLaet (68), a shot behind Kim and Taylor, while 2003 US PGA champion Shaun Micheel claimed fifth place thanks to a final-round 65.
England's Lee Westwood rallied over his closing holes to engineer a tie for eighth heading into next week's Masters. The European number one and world number four had followed rounds of 69 and 68 with a level-par 72 on Saturday, and he undid a birdie at the first with back-to-back bogeys at the third and fourth holes.
Birdies at the 12th, 14th and 15th got him to nine under and in spite of a bogey at the 16th Westwood hung on for his second Stateside top-10 of the year following a tie for ninth at the Honda Classic.
Justin Rose was the next best European following his third round of 70 this week, leaving the Englishman at six under for the tournament and in a tie for 14th with Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson closing at five under after a 71.
Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen was at three under after a final round of 69 but Ireland's Padraig Harrington could not have enjoyed his Sunday at Redstone.
The three-time major winner shot a five-over 77, a final round that included two double bogeys, four bogeys and three birdies. That left the Dubliner at one under for the week, where Scotland's Martin Laird finished his week thanks to a closing 71.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
276 Anthony Kim 68 69 69 70 (Anthony Kim won at first extra hole), Vaughn Taylor 68 70 70 68
277 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 71 72 67 67, Graham Delaet (Can) 71 67 71 68
278 Shaun Micheel 70 73 70 65
279 Jeff Maggert 70 69 70 70, Kevin Stadler 67 70 74 68
280 Bryce Molder 69 66 71 74, Matt Kuchar 69 72 69 70, Lee Westwood (Eng) 69 68 72 71
281 Joe Ogilvie 70 67 71 73, Jason Bohn 70 72 71 68, D.J. Trahan 78 66 70 67
282 Adam Scott (Aus) 69 70 72 71, Bubba Watson 73 67 71 71, Ben Curtis 73 71 73 65, James Driscoll 68 70 73 71, Blake Adams 73 72 68 69, Steve Marino 70 71 71 70, Justin Rose (Eng) 70 72 70 70, Josh Teater 73 69 69 71
283 Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 73 70 69 71, Roland Thatcher 70 71 70 72, Alex Prugh 70 66 76 71
284 Justin Leonard 69 74 67 74, Chad Campbell 70 72 70 72, John Rollins 73 72 68 71, Ben Crane 75 68 72 69, J J Henry 74 72 69 69, Omar Uresti 69 69 72 74
285 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 71 72 73 69, Kevin Sutherland 68 73 69 75, Y.E. Yang (Kor) 74 71 70 70, Rich Barcelo 75 69 72 69
286 Brendon De Jonge 72 74 68 72, Phil Mickelson 69 76 70 71, Chris Tidland 72 72 70 72, Tag Ridings 73 70 72 71, Cameron Percy (Aus) 67 69 74 76
287 Ricky Barnes 73 71 71 72, David Lutterus (Rsa) 74 71 71 71, Martin Laird (Sco) 70 70 76 71, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 69 69 72 77
288 Spencer Levin 71 72 70 75, Michael Allen 71 72 71 74, Bob Estes 73 70 71 74, Ernie Els (Rsa) 70 74 75 69, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 70 72 74 72, Webb Simpson 75 71 72 70
289 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 73 73 74 69, Tim Petrovic 77 68 75 69, Michael Connell 71 71 73 74, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 71 75 71 72, Alex Cejka (Ger) 72 73 71 73
290 Lucas Glover 73 68 75 74, J.P. Hayes 72 71 76 71, Brett Wetterich 73 70 76 71, Fred Couples 71 73 78 68
291 Chris Riley 71 72 73 75, John Merrick 72 72 74 73, Woody Austin 70 71 75 75
292 D.A. Points 71 71 75 75, Paul Goydos 72 70 72 78, Christopher Baryla (Can) 71 73 75 73
294 Chris Wilson 73 73 69 79, Scott McCarron 73 73 72 76, Jeff Overton 76 67 73 78, Garrett Willis 72 73 75 74, Rickie Fowler 72 71 76 75, Simon Dyson (Eng) 73 71 78 72
296 Johnson Wagner 71 73 74 78
300 Scott Piercy 71 75 76 78

+++COLIN FARQUHARSON IS STILL ON HOLIDAY. NORMAL UPDATING SERVICE WILL BE RESUMED A WEEK TOMORROW (Tuesday, April 13).