Sunday, December 16, 2012

CHARL SCHWARTZEL WINS BY 12 SHOTS AT LEOPARD CREEK


FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Charl Schwartzel won by a huge margin for the second week running as the South African coasted to a comprehensive 12 shot victory in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek today.
Glasgow's Scott Jamieson, a week after his maiden European Tour win, finished a creditable joint third here on 11-under-par 277.
A winner by 11 shots in Thailand last Sunday, the talk at the start of the day was not whether the 28 year old Schwartzel would win an eighth European Tour title, but if he could better Tiger Woods’ 15-shot winning margin at the 2000 US Open Championship in doing so. That remains the largest in European Tour history.
A third straight 64 would have seen last year’s Masters Tournament champion equal Ernie Els’ record 29 under par total, but as it was Schwartzel settled for a three under par 69 and 24 under total on a final day disrupted by thunderstorms.
It completed a fantastic finish to 2012 for Schwartzel, who birdied the last to register the third biggest winning margin in European Tour history.
He finished the Thailand Golf Championship 25 under, and for the past five weeks - they started with finishes of fifth, third and second - he is a staggering 84 under.
France's Grégory Bourdy, his closest challenger for virtually the entire weekend, took a double-bogey seven on the final hole and that elevated Swede Kristoffer Broberg, four times a winner on the Challenge Tour last season, into second place.

 “It’s amazing to get off to such a good start in The Race to Dubai in my first season as a European Tour Member and it sets me up pretty good for the new season," he said.
Bourdy shared third with Scotland's Scott Jamieson, who last Sunday captured The Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa in Durban, defending champion Garth Mulroy and England's Andy Sullivan a month after he came through The European Tour Qualifying School.
Schwartzel also continued a remarkable record at the course on the border of the Kruger National Park. He won his first European Tour title there in 2004 and has had four runner-up finishes.
"It's always been a special place for me," he said. "This is where I can almost say my career started and it's always stayed close to my heart.
"It's nice to have continued my form from last week. I was saying a month and a half ago it's been a pretty disappointing year.
"Slowly and surely I started to swing the club a lot better, back to how I did when I won The Masters, and I actually got excited to play again.
"It started at the SA Open and from there got better and better. It's been a pretty good year now!"
Schwartzel's lead was down to seven when he three-putted the eighth, but he spun his approach to three feet on the next and after the weather hold-up he collected more birdies on the 12th, 13th and par five last.
Fellow countryman George Coetzee's best-of-the-day 65 lifted him into joint tenth place and came after results elsewhere had guaranteed he stayed in the Official World Golf Ranking's top 50 and earned himself a Masters Tournament debut next April.

Also qualifying by the same route for a first trip to Augusta National are Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Belgian Ryder Cup star Nicolas Colsaerts, South African Branden Grace and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen.
Geoff Ogilvy would have denied Olesen if he had had one less shot at the Australian PGA Championship, where he finished in a tie for fourth place.
Others to book their Masters places through the end-of-year top 50 are Scot Paul Lawrie, Italians Francesco Molinari and Matteo Manassero, Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño, Denmark's Thomas Björn, American Bill Haas, Australian Jason Day and Japanese player Hiroyuki Fujita.

South African Keith Horne could not manage a third successive hole-in-one on the 12th - the second won him a car - but Swede Magnus A Carlsson did ace the same hole on the final day.

Tournament Leaderboard

Pos Player nameNatHolePar
264SCHWARTZEL, CharlRSA18-24

276BROBERG, KristofferSWE18-12

277 JAMIESON, ScottSCO18-11
277
MULROY, GarthRSA18-11
277
SULLIVAN, AndyENG18-11
277BOURDY, GrégoryFRA18-11

HOW THE OTHER SCOTS FINISHED

Par 288 (4x72)

284 David Drysdale 69 72 68 75 (T25)

285 Marc Warren 73 71 75 66 (T30)

288 Peter Whiteford 76 68 75 70 (T47) 

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SEVEN SCOTS AT ALPS TOUR SCHOOL


Seven Scots will be in action today on the first day of the Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage over 54 holes at La Cala Golf Resort, Marbella on the Costa del Sol.
Ross Cameron, amateur Christopher Dougill and John Henry came through last week's Stage 1 and are joined by exempt players Neil Fenwick, Philip McLean, Paul Shields, playing as an amateur, and Michael Stewart.
In all there will be 144 players from 17 different countries competing for 65 places on next year's Alps Tour.
There will be a cut to the leading 65 and ties after two rounds. The third and final round will decide the player's category of playing membership. The higher the placing the more tournaments the player will be able to enter.
Ross Kellett won the Alps Tour this year and earned promotion to the Challenge Tour through finishing in the top three of the Order of Merit.



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ASIA BEAT EUROPE IN SHOOT-OUT FOR ROYAL TROPHY

José María Olazábal's Europe were beaten in the Royal Trophy by Asia after a sudden death play-off in Brunei.
South Korean K T Kim sank an eight foot birdie putt on the first extra hole and then saw Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts miss from five after the teams had tied 8-8.
Under Ryder Cup rules Europe would have retained the trophy as holders, but in this competition four players go out on the course again in a fourball and it was Kim and Y E Yang against Colsaerts and Francesco Molinari.
The victory looked unlikely when Asia lost the four opening foursomes by three points, but they were only one behind going into the final day singles.
Colsaerts and Henrik Stenson both won on the final green and Molinari's brother Edoardo came back from three down with five to play to halve with Wu Ashun.
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño birdied the last to share the spoils with Kim, but wins for Yoshinori Fujimoto over Marcel Siem, Jeev Milkha Singh over Miguel Angel Jiménez and then in the final game Yang over Molinari set up the shoot-out.


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SERGIO GARCIA HITS HIGH SPOTS TO WIN JOHOR OPEN


NEWS RELEASE FROM THE ASIAN TOUR
 
Nusajaya, Johor, Malaysia: Spain’s Sergio Garcia produced a master class performance by closing with a spectacular 11-under-par 61 to win the weather-shortened US$2 million Iskandar Johor Open on Sunday.
The tropical thunderstorms may have created havoc by reducing the tournament into a 54-hole contest but it was Garcia who showed he was still the one in control after winning his 24th professional victory with a winning total of 18-under-par 198.
American Jonathan Moore matched Garcia’s superlative efforts by also closing with a 61 to secure his second runner-up finish this season while Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee signed for his week’s best score of 65 to take third place at the Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club.
Overnight leader Daniel Chopra of Sweden had to settle for fourth place after a final 69.
Although Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant signed off with a 65 to take a share of fifth place, the 45-year-old also ended up a winner as he lifted the Asian Tour Order of Merit title for the second time since 2005.
Garcia came into the week as the highest ranked player and will leave his mark by writing a slice of history at the Asian Tour season-ending event.
The Spaniard’s closing 61 is the lowest final round by a winner in the Asian Tour history after he blitzed the course with seven birdies in his front-nine and a further four in his inward-nine. 
However it will not be counted as an official record as the preferred lies rule was in play.
“It has been a long week obviously because of the weather and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the week. It has been a great experience as this is my first time in Malaysia and to be able to win is a treat,” said Garcia.
“The most important thing about playing under these kinds of conditions is to keep the momentum going especially with so much disruption. 
"It’s hard to keep up mentally and I sort of did that yesterday morning where I finished poorly. But today, I came back strongly.I played very solid in my front-nine and made four in a row in the back-nine to give myself a nice solid lead going into the last two holes,” said Garcia.
It was also a day to remember for Moore who could not have scripted a better story with his 61 to end his season on a high.
Moore, who came through the Asian Development Tour as the number one player last year, started his spectacular run when he birdied two of his opening three holes.
He then parred his fourth hole before going on to reach the turn in 29 after carding further birdies on holes five, six, eight as well as an eagle-three on the ninth hole.
The American set the stage for an amazing finish when he stormed home with four more birdies on holes 12, 13, 15 and 16.
“It was a really special day. I had a clear focus today and felt good on the greens. It was probably the best I have ever done because I didn’t have any fear over any shots. It is probably one of those things in my career that you don’t doubt and worry where the ball might end up,” said Moore.
“It has been a good season. I’m just so thankful. It is hard to put it into words but it is such a huge blossom. This is my best score. I’ve shot two 62s before and won! But this time, there’s a guy named Sergio Garcia who also shot a 61. It was a lot of fun to do that today,” added the American.
Widely regarded as the Asian Tour’s most successful player with his unprecedented three Merit crowns, Thongchai kept pace with Garcia throughout the day with his flurry of birdies until the par-five 15th.
The Thai was let down by his putting  after he failed to make more birdies to pile the pressure on Garcia.
“I hit most of the greens but it was only my putting which let me down. If I putted well, I would have a good chance of winning. I missed a lot of birdie putts on at least seven or eight holes,” said Thongchai who marked his card with eight birdies against one bogey.
While Thongchai could not end the year with another victory following his first victory in Europe in June, he believes he will be back to contend again after taking a well-deserved break.
“My confidence is up. I just need to practise my putter. This is my eighth tournament and I’m looking forward to a good holiday,” said Thongchai who leads the Career Earnings list with over US$4.5 million in winnings thanks largely to 13 Asian Tour victories.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
198 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 68 69 61
201 Jonathan Moore (United States) 69 71 61 
202 Thongchai Jaidee (Thairland) 66 71 65
203 Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 68 66 69

SELECTED TOTALS
208 John Daly (United States) 74 69 65 (T15)
211 Michael Campbell (NZ) 71 70 70 (T32)
213 Ernie Els (South Africa) 69 72 72 (T48)
216 Chris Rodgers (England) 72 71 73 (T61)
220 Stephen Lewton (England) 71 72 77 (T72)   

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

CLICK HERE

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THAWORN WINS ASIAN TOUR MERIT TITLE AT AGE OF ALMOST 46

 NEWS RELEASE FROM ASIAN TOUR
Nusajaya, Malaysia: Thaworn Wiratchant sealed his place in the Asian Tour’s history books by winning the Order of Merit title for a second time in his chequered career following a closing seven-under-par 65 at the season-ending US$2 million Iskandar Johor Open.
The Thai veteran star saved his best for last with eight birdies against a lone bogey at the Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club which saw him finish five-shots ahead of closest Merit challenger Marcus Fraser of Australia, who closed with a 72.
Thaworn became Asia’s oldest number one at the age of 45 years and 351 days after a glorious year which saw him win three times and take his career tally to an all-time high 15 titles in 2012.

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LIGHTNING DELAYS START AT LEOPARD CREEK, SOUTH AFRICA

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
A spell of lightning in the area forced a delay to the start of the fourth and final day of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, South Africa.
With the electrical storms quickly passing by the Mpumalanga venue, play began at 06.50 local time with a 45-minute delay to all previously published round four tee times.
Therefore, the final group of South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel, who romped into a ten-shot lead on Saturday thanks to a second consecutive eight under par 64, and France’s Gregory Bourdy are due to tee off at 12.20 local time.

TO VIEW THE LIVE SCORING FROM THE COURSE LATER IN THE DAY

CLICK HERE 

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POPOVIC WINS AUSSIE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP BY FOUR STROKES

Victorian Daniel Popovic has overcome a mid-round stumble to complete a fairy-tale four-shot victory at the Australian PGA Championship on a dramatic final day at the Palmer Coolum Resort.
After beginning the final round with a two-shot advantage, the 26-year-old made a fast start to lead by three before a disastrous double-bogey at the par-three 8th gifted Rod Pampling (69) the lead.
He bounced back with a birdie on the par-five 12th to close within a shot of Pampling, who started his final round with six straight birdies.
The veteran Queenslander looked in control of the tournament with three holes to play but consecutive Pampling bogeys and a superb Popovic birdie at the par-four 17th saw the rookie take a two-shot lead onto the 18th tee.
His advantage swelled to four shots when Pampling found the water with his second shot en route to a disastrous double bogey.
Popovic kept his emotions in check to par the last for a closing 69 to finish at 16-under par and claim his first professional victory.
Victorian Anthony Brown carded a closing 71 to share second spot with Pampling at 12-under, a shot clear of Geoff Ogilvy (69) and Brad Kennedy (70).
Richard Green and Nathan Green both signed for three-under 69's to finish at 10-under for the championship, a shot clear of nine players including Northern Irishman Darren Clarke.
Clarke, playing in the third group of the day, produced three birdies and an eagle in his first five holes on the way to a closing 68 to finish in a share of eighth.
Defending champion Greg Chalmers carded a closing 72 to finish at seven-under while Australian Open winner Peter Senior struggled to a 77 to finish at minus-five.
Four-time winner Robert Allenby endured a horror finish with consecutive double bogeys to sign for a 76 and finish at four-under overall.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
272 Daniel Popovic 64 70 69 69
276 Anthony Brown 73 68 68 71, Rod Pampling 71 67 69 69
277 Brad Kennedy 6 9 6 8 70 70, Geoff Ogilvy 67  69 72  69

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

CLICK HERE    

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ROSS FISHER LOOKS AT A FUTURE ON THE US PGA TOUR


A RECAP ON WHO MADE IT THROUGH AT THE VERY LAST US PGA TOUR FINAL Q SCHOOL
 
LA QUINTA, California (AP) -- Dong-hwan Lee of South Korea wiped away a single tear when he realized he had earned a ticket to the on the PGA TOUR. Moments later, Edward Loar stood tall as he spoke about two shots into the water on the last two holes at Q-school that sent him back to the Web.com Tour.
Amid this familiar contrast of emotions, a sense of nostalgia swept across the California desert late Monday afternoon.
"To get this one is extra special, knowing that next year guys won't have this opportunity," said Scott Langley, one of 26 players who graduated in the final edition of this six-round tournament that offers a ticket to the richest tour in golf.
There were 25 cards earned in Monday's finale while Brad Fritsch, the 26th graduate, simply improved upon his status after graduating from the Web.com Tour earlier this year.
The US PGA Tour next year will end a half-century of tradition when Q-school will only provide cards to the Web.com Tour.
The US PGA Tour is changing its structure to make it more competitive than ever. The players who failed to reach the FedExCup play-offs will meet in a series of four tournaments called "The Finals," and the 25 players who earn the most money from those events will get their cards
That was on the mind of so many players who sweated out six days over two golf courses at PGA West.
Lee birdied his last three holes for a 5-under 67 on the Stadium Course to win Q-school, which gives him the highest priority of the 25 players who earned cards, along with a $50,000 first-place cheque.


Ross Fisher of England, who won two matches at the Ryder Cup two years ago in Wales, was among those who finished one shot behind.
Fisher has played plenty in America, mostly the majors and World Golf Championships because of his world ranking. But when he heard about the PGA TOUR's change, he skipped the season-ending European Tour event in Dubai to get ready for Q-school.
"This game can go high and it can go low," Fisher said. "Last year for me was not great. This year has been a work in progress. But it was the last year of Q-school, and it was nice to create a bit of history to be one of the guys at the last one."
Camilo Villegas, who won back-to-back FedExCup Playoff events in 2008, had to return to Q-school and missed his card by two shots. Villegas said he would hope for sponsor exemptions to try to get back his full status.
Heath Slocum, only three years removed from a FedExCup Playoff win in which he beat Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Steve Stricker and Padraig Harrington with a birdie on the last hole at The Barclays, also failed to get through. Slocum needed a birdie on his last hole, but a bad swing came at the wrong time. 
He pulled his tee shot into the water and made bogey. A day earlier, Slocum's ball moved a fraction of an inch before a putt and he called a one-shot penalty on himself.
"They say crazy stuff happens in Q-school, and it does," Slocum said. "That's never happened before. That's one shot. You never know when one shot can help."
Among those earning their cards was Erik Compton, who only four years ago nearly died of a heart attack while driving himself to the hospital. He made it in time to survive and get a second heart transplant.
"This is hell week," said Compton, who said he slept only two hours each of the last two nights. "There was a sense of urgency for me. I don't know if my health is going to hold up. If I could only go to the Web.com Tour, I probably would beat myself up."
Robert Karlsson, another former Ryder Cup player whose game was in such disrepair that he withdrew from the British Open this year because he didn't know where the ball was going, made it with three strokes to spare.
The list also includes Donald Constable, who had to go through a pre-qualifier and then three more stages of Q-school to reach the PGA TOUR.
The status was more confusing for Si Woo Kim, the 17-year-old South Korean with a flawless swing who already is known by PGA TOUR players who have competed against him, a list that includes Rickie Fowler. "This guy can play," said Fowler, who faced him in the Korea Open last year.
Yes, but he might not be playing that much.
Kim, even though he earned his card, cannot become a PGA TOUR member until he turns 18 on June 28. The only way he can get into US PGA Tour events until he turns 18 is through sponsor exemptions (no more than seven) or through Monday qualifying. Whatever FedExCup points he earns until his birthday will not show up on the list until he officially becomes a US PGA Tour member.
But he's in, and as most players believe, talent comes through under any circumstances.
Loar can only hope that's the case.
It took the former Oklahoma State University star 13 years just to reach the US PGA Tour, and he was in good shape to return going into the final day of Q-school, just three shots out of the lead. But he showed some nerves early, began dropping shots and found himself only one shot inside the cutoff when he stood on the tee at the par-3 17th, an island green. His 9-iron came up short and went into the water, leading to double bogey. Needing a birdie on the last hole to get his card, his approach drifted left and into the water.
He missed by two.
"It's obviously a hard day for everyone. What else can I say?" Loar said. "I tried hard. We all know how cruel the game is. I can learn from it. I persevered for 13 years, so hopefully, this won't set me back too much."

CHIPS OFF THE OLD BLOCKS ... GREAT STUFF IN US FATHER/SON CHALLENGE


 Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus at the Father/Son Challenge (image from the GolfWeek website)
 
FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By BRENTLEY ROMINE
ORLANDO, Florida– After a three-year hiatus, the Father/Son Challenge made its return Saturday at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.
And what a return it was.
Davis Love III and his son Dru took the first-round lead with a 12-under 60. They lead two other groups – Fred and Taylor Funk, and Mark and Shaun O’Meara – by a shot, and five other pairs by two shots.
Two father-daughter groups – Bernhard and Christina Langer and Fuzzy and Gretchen Zoeller – shot 62 and 65, respectively.
And of course Nicklaus and Palmer were paired together again. Nicklaus teed off with his son Gary, and Palmer was paired with his grandson Will Wears in a group that was filled with friendly banter, plenty of laughs, and some good golf shots, too.
Here are 5 Things from the first of two rounds at the Father/Son Challenge in Orlando:
• • •
1. THE POWER OF LOVE: Davis Love III and his son, Dru, entered their fourth Father/Son Challenge with high expectations – both from others and from themselves, as well.
“Yeah, everybody kept saying, ‘You guys are the favorites,’ ” Love III said.
And there was plenty to love about the duo’s performance on Saturday. The Loves combined to shoot 12-under 60 to take a one-shot lead over Fred and Taylor Funk, and Mark and Shaun O’Meara.
“I think this is completely different than when we played in it the other three times,” Love III said. “There’s a lot of teams that can shoot a low score any day and the course is just sitting there for you.”
The Loves got off to a good start at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, which played favourably with eight teams shooting 10-under or better thanks to calm conditions and soft greens. They birdied the first three holes, seven of their first nine and finished off with five in their last six.
“I felt like we had to birdie every hole,” Love III said.
The Loves benefited from the luxury of having two long hitters off the tee – Love III was No. 39 in driving distance on the PGA Tour this past season (296.3). 
They actually used a lot of the elder Love’s drives while the younger Love came through with some close approach shots, including one on No. 2 where he stuck it to a few feet. That more than made up for the rare par, but the Loves still feel like they left some birdies out on the course.
“We had a lot of wedges in our hands and missed the greens,” Dru Love said. “It's hard to ask more of 12 under, but definitely could have been better.”
Love III said on Thursday a goal of his is to the make Tom Watson’s Ryder Cup team. Too bad there aren’t any Ryder Cup points to be handed out after Sunday’s final round.
Said Love III, jokingly: “Well, if I keep doing well in team events, he’ll keep his eye on me.”
• • •
2. HIS OWN BRAND: Normally it’s the fathers and grandfathers who enter this event a little rusty. But Shaun O’Meara hasn’t played a lot of golf, either, over the past year and a half.
Since graduating college at UC Irvine, the younger O’Meara has spent most of his time promoting his new clothing line, Duvin, which he started with three friends. They have their clothing in about 10 stores in Florida and one in Puerto Rico, as well as online at duvindesign.com.
“It’s like a surf-lifestyle brand,” Shaun O’Meara said. “So just been pushing that, which is a dream to me because it's been what I've wanted to do since I was real young. I'm having a great time with it.”
For someone who hasn’t had a lot of time to play golf – he estimates he’s played about 20 rounds since graduating in the spring of 2011 – Shaun O’Meara didn’t look off his game on Saturday. The pair closed especially strong with birdies on five of their last six holes to finish at 11-under 61.
“Fortunately Shaun is a good driver of the ball,” Mark O’Meara said. “I thought today he hit some nice wedge shots, too, which has not been sometimes his forte.”
Said Shaun O’Meara of his dad: “The way that he putted today was unreal.”
The O’Mearas entered the day with a goal of shooting 10 under. They surpassed that, but there’s still some work to do if you ask the eldest of the duo.
“[Shaun] made some putts early and probably didn't putt as well as he would like to, but he's going to go to the putting green now and work until dark tonight and work on his putting and forget about selling Duvin shirts right now, or hats,” Mark O’Meara said. “He needs to roll the rock a little bit better tomorrow and take some more pressure off the old man.”
Dad also has a little advice for his son’s business.
“I told him, in life you get out of it what you put into it,” Mark O’Meara said. “Even then sometimes it's not fair and you may not make it. But you'll look back, no matter what happens, and if you get out there and work really, really hard and get a couple good breaks, you can make it.
“Nobody can stop you. Only yourself.”
Shaun O’Meara hopes Duvin can break into the golfing apparel business soon. His dad is just hoping to get some free stuff.
“Maybe Christmas I'll get a free hat,” Mark O’Meara said.
“Maybe,” Shaun O’Meara responded. “I’ll give it to you at wholesale price.”
• • •
3. LATE ADDITION: Fred Funk has always wanted to play with his son, Taylor, in the Father/Son Challenge.
And after Dave Stockton and Dave Stockton Jr. withdrew due to a death in the family, Funk, who is eligible because he’s a former Players Championship winner, received an invitation.
“It's sad that's the way we got in,” said Funk, who found out Wednesday morning that he and Taylor were going to play in the event. “And after we got in it, it was just a dream come true for me to play with my son in this thing.”
Funk was originally scheduled to shoot some commercials for his sponsor, Mitsubishi, on Thursday and Friday in Orlando. But he made some arrangements, including having Dave Stockton Jr. play in Friday’s pro-am instead of him so that he could honor his sponsor commitment.
“We had to juggle a lot of balls to get this thing to work,” Funk said.
Funk, who lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, said he didn’t see the course until Thursday while his son saw it on Thursday and Friday. But even with the unfamiliarity – the pair had never played in a competitive round together, either – the Funks managed to do pretty well, shooting 11-under 61.
“I was just trying to let him freewheel it,” Funk said. “If he hits a bad one, then I should be able to suck it up with all my years of experience and hit some good shots.”
• • •
4. ANOTHER TEST: Daniel Trevino, who is a freshman at USC, had to make some changes to his final exam schedule in order to play with his dad, Lee, this weekend.
After moving around some of his tests – he ended up taking three on Tuesday and another Wednesday morning – Daniel was able to catch a flight to Orlando on Wednesday.
“I had to cram really hard, so I’m exhausted,” Daniel Trevino said. “But I love this event. Especially after what happened yesterday [with the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut], you realise how important doing these types of things with your parents is.”
Daniel Trevino has one more test on Monday and then he’ll fly back home for winter break. He’s not competing with the Trojans golf team this year, but plans to try out for the team in the fall – “I wanted to have the best time I possibly can,” Daniel said. “Next year we’re going to buckle down.”
Daniel Trevino, who grew up playing mainly lacrosse, didn’t start really picking up the game until his senior year of high school when Lee starting teaching him the tools of the trade. 
His dad said he still struggles with his short game – “Because he never grew up with it,” Lee Trevino said – but his play tee-to-green on Saturday helped the pair post a 3-under 69.
“I could never be more proud of the kid than I was today,” Lee Trevino said. “He absolutely carried me the whole way. . . . I let him down today.”
Lee Trevino hopes things will turn around on Sunday.
“You can play good and score very poorly, and then you’ll come back and play very poorly and score very well,” he said. “Hopefully that’s the case tomorrow.”
And that’s another good lesson he can teach his son.
• • •
5. SHORT SHOTS: The competitors wore black ribbons on Saturday to honor the victims of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticu. . . The tournament includes two father-daughter duos, and both fared well in the first round. Bernhard Langer and his daughter, Christina, shot 10-under 62, while Fuzzy Zoeller and his daughter, Gretchen, finished with a 65. . . . Sam Elkington, the youngest competitor in the tournament at 15 years old, teamed up with dad Steve to shoot 6-under 66.
EDITOR:  WOULDN'T IT BE NICE IF BRITAIN/EUROPE HAD AN EVENT ALONG THE SAME LINES FOR PROFESSIONALS ... ALTHOUGH WE DON'T HAVE FLORIDA'S TEMPERATURES AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR?

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