INCAgolf All you ever wanted to know about golf (well almost)

CROMWELL, Conn. — Another week, another first-time winner on the PGA TOUR.

I don’t know that this is the end of the Tiger Woods era — his future prowess is still unknown as he recovers from knee and Achilles injuries — but it sure seems like it’s the beginning of some sort of era.

There was a time when the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers ruled the NFL, much the same way Woods cast a large shadow of dominance over golf for more than a decade.

Now? That shadow is from a painter’s cap — at least this week after Fredrik Jacobson, a veteran player from Sweden who’d won three times in Europe got his first career victory on this side of the Atlantic.

Next week? It might be a flat-billed hat that casts the shadow. Jacobson is the eighth first-time winner and 25th different winner on TOUR this year.

Just two weeks ago, it was Harrison Frazar who turned the trick. Between Frazar and Jacobson they have 544 career starts — 355 of which belong to the former — and two wins.

“Obviously it means a great deal,” said Jacobson, who moves to 18th in the FedExCup standings with the win. “I came over in ‘03 after having won in Europe, and I had my eyes on the U.S. TOUR.

“I felt pretty good about winning, and I didn’t know it was going to take this long before I won one.”

Blame Tiger Woods. From 2003 to 2009, he won 37 times.

“The last 15 years have been weird,” Geoff Ogilvy said. “I think it’s getting back to normal now.”

Ogilvy was talking more about the American dominance in golf than he was about first-time winners, but the same theory applies.

But for Jacobson it got to the point where even his own daughter, 5-year-old Emmie, wondered when her daddy was going to bring a trophy home.

At the end of last year, Jacobson was at his home in Hobe Sound, Fla., watching a highlight package on TV that featured all the winners from 2010 hoisting their hardware when Emmie asked, “Daddy, why don’t you have any trophies at home?”

Jacobson told her he had a couple back in Sweden, but he also promised her he’d win one this year.

“It’s been haunting me,” said Jacobson, who has two other children as well. “They’re all probably going to want one each now, too.”

TPC River Highlands has also proved to be a pretty good place for those looking for their first win.

http://www.pgatour.com/2011/tournaments/r034/06/26/travelers-column-wacker/

BETHESDA, Md. – Rory McIlroy buried the memory of his Masters meltdown the same way he buried the competition at the U.S. Open, with a breathtaking performance filled with the promise of more majors to come.

Four days of flawless golf at Congressional ended Sunday afternoon when McIlroy polished off a 2-under 69 to shatter U.S. Open records that simply defy logic at the major known as the toughest test in golf.

He finished at 16 under par.

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/associated-press/mcilroy-looks-to-seal-the-deal-at-congressional/?hj=xfs

The last 10 U.S. Open champions combined were 14 under.

The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland walked off the 18th green and into the arms of his father, Gerry, who worked three jobs so his only son could pursue his passion. Not even he could have imagined a day like this.

“Happy Father’s Day,” McIlroy told him.

Dad had a Northern Ireland flag draped over his green shirt.

“Unbelievable,” he said. “With what’s happened over the last couple of months, and to come back and do this, it’s fantastic. After The Masters, he worked so hard. I really can’t put it into words. And on Father’s Day, it’s fantastic. You couldn’t beat it.”

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Lee Westwood has played golf long enough to be philosophical despite all the times he’s come up short when so very close to victory.

The Englishman who finished second at the Masters, lost a playoff in Dubai and finished tied for fourth at The Players Championship this year won the St. Jude Classic for his second career PGA Tour victory and first since 1998, beating Swede Robert Karlsson on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff Sunday.

“You try to do the right thing all the time,” Westwood said. “It doesn’t always work for you. I’ve been in contention a lot, especially this year, and I suppose I got a break today with other people’s misfortune but made the most of it and took a chance.”

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AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
Lee Westwood admires the second PGA Tour victory of his career and first since the 1998 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
He became the first European to win the tour’s third-longest event only after Robert Garrigus blew a three-stroke lead on the final hole of regulation with a triple bogey. He bogeyed the first playoff hole.

Garrigus said he thought he had a two-stroke lead on the 72nd hole instead of three and called it just stupidity.

“It’s little things to win. I’ve got to learn that, and next time I’m in that position I’m going to do it,” Garrigus said.

Westwood and Karlsson went par-par-bogey until they returned to No. 18 once again. Westwood stuck his approach 6 feet from the pin on No. 18. Karlsson left his birdie putt from 43 feet away to extend the playoff about a foot short.

Then Westwood, who went 17 straight holes between birdies, rolled in the 6-footer for his first PGA win since New Orleans to go with 20 career European Tour victories. He dropped his putter and celebrated with a fist bump.

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=5282791

(Reuters) – Steve Stricker clinched his 10th PGA Tour title by one shot at the Memorial tournament on Sunday after holding off a birdie barrage from his closest pursuers with an ice-cool display.

Three strokes clear going into the final round at Muirfield Village Golf Club, the 44-year-old Stricker birdied six of the first nine holes and then survived a few anxious moments after the turn on the way to a four-under-par 68.

Following a lengthy weather delay, Stricker bogeyed the 15th after his drive sailed left into trees but did well to save par from the back bunker at the short 16th before dropping another shot at the last for a 16-under total of 272.

American world number seven Matt Kuchar emerged as the main challenger early on but ran out of holes as he closed with a 65 to share second place with compatriot Brandt Jobe (65).

Long-hitting American Dustin Johnson also carded 65 for fourth at 12 under, one ahead of Britain’s Rory McIlroy (68).

“It was a little bit of a struggle after we came out from the rain delay and at that point I’m just trying not to make a mistake,” a smiling Stricker said greenside after being hugged by tournament host Jack Nicklaus.

“But I hung tough and holed a couple of crucial putts when I had to. It was pretty special walking off (18). He (Nicklaus) is a friend and it’s truly an honor.”

Stricker, who will climb four places to fourth when the world rankings are issued Monday, ranked his Memorial victory among the most meaningful of his career.

“It’s right up there at the top, if it isn’t (at the very top),” he said. “It’s a great field, it’s a great course and when you have Mr. Nicklaus’s name attached to it, it adds another element of importance.”

With greens receptive to attacking approach play after being softened by overnight rain, Stricker stretched his lead to four by coolly sinking 10-foot birdie putts at the first two holes.

ADVANTAGE TRIMMED

Kuchar briefly cut that advantage to three after hitting a superb approach to within two feet of the cup at the sixth but Stricker responded with a birdie at the par-five fifth.

Kuchar, playing one group in front of Stricker, picked up further shots at the seventh and eighth to close to within two strokes of the lead.

Undaunted, Stricker appeared to tighten his grip on the tournament with three consecutive birdies from the seventh to reach the turn in five-under 30, four strokes clear.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/06/us-golf-pga-idUSTRE75501J20110606