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[OnePiece]

Perry teams with O'Hair to win Franklin Templeton Shootout

Published: Sunday, December 09, 2012 | 06:19:23 PM











NAPLES, Fla. (AP) -- Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair birdied five of the last six holes to win the Franklin Templeton Shootout on Sunday.
The 52-year-old Perry became the oldest player to win the Shootout, and also won for the third time with a different partner. He won with John Huston in 2005 and Scott Hoch in 2008. Perry joins Steve Elkington, Fred Couples, Brad Faxon and Scott McCarron with three Shootout wins; Elkington and Couples also won with three different partners.

"All three have been different," Perry said of his Shootout victories. "John and I were pretty even partners, and then the year Scott and I won, I played fantastic that week. ... This year, my roles have been reversed, and I was complementing Sean."
"I think that was kind of the best thing about this was just we had a ton of fun, just like being a kid enjoying what you're doing," O'Hair said.
Rory Sabbatini and Charles Howell III made a charge on the back nine that included an eagle on a par-4 but finished one stroke back at 30-under 186. They had a 15-under 57 in the scramble format in the final round on the Gold Course at Tiburon Golf Club.
"We played really well and gave ourselves a lot of opportunities," Sabbatini said. "We put a good number up there and that's all we can really do. We had a lot of fun and Charles hit the ball fantastically."
Jason Dufner and Vijay Singh finished third at 28 under.
Perry and O'Hair became the seventh second-round leaders to go on to win the tournament in the last 12 years. While other teams were making charges at them, and sometimes briefly catching them, they had fewer holes left to play than Perry and O'Hair.
"I knew they were going to probably catch up to us at some point, but I knew we had holes to catch back up to them," Perry said. "You can't really get too far ahead of yourself out there in that field. You just kind of play each hole."
Stewart Cink and Carl Pettersson, first-round leaders Davis Love III and Brandt Snedeker, and 2009 champions Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker were another shot back in a tie for fourth.
Love and Snedeker could never get going.
"We put the ball in the fairway all day, but never really got close into the greens," Love said. "We were 15 to 30 feet all day today, and we weren't as sharp this weekend as we were Friday."
Perry and O'Hair led by two shots going into the final round. They will split $750,000 of the $3 million purse.

[OnePiece]

Peter Senior wins wind-delayed Australian Open

Published: Sunday, December 09, 2012 | 12:26:03 PM












Rick Rycroft / AP
Peter Senior shot an even-par 72 in windy conditions to win the Australian Open.



SYDNEY (AP) -- Peter Senior won the Australian Open by one stroke Sunday, overcoming severe weather conditions that forced a three-hour suspension because of gale-force winds.
The 53-year-old regular on the U.S. Champions Tour shot an even-par 72 in the final round at The Lakes to become the oldest Australian Open champion. Senor finished with a total of 4-under 284, keeping his composure while several other contenders struggled with the winds to drop down the field.
Fellow Australian Brendan Jones was second after a 71, while countryman Cameron Percy finished third after a 73, two strokes behind.
England's Justin Rose finished in a tie for fourth after a 76, three strokes behind Senior.
"Winning the PGA a couple of years ago up at Coolum was great, but I tell you what, nothing beats winning right here,'' Senior said.
Senior had 10 top-10 finishes on the Champions Tour this year, but no wins. That made the victory Sunday - with his son Mitch caddying - all the more special.
"It doesn't get any better than this,'' Senior said. "We've had three years on the Champions Tour where Mitch has caddied for me for the last two years, and we've lost three playoffs, so it feels unbelievable to win with him on the bag.''
The previous oldest Australian Open champion was five-time British Open champion Peter Thomson at the age of 43 in 1972. Senior won the Australian Open for the first time as a 30-year-old in 1989.
On Sunday morning, gusts of up to 50 mph during a southerly wind change caused one television tower to topple, balls to move on the fairways and greens and sand to be blown from bunkers and into the galleries and fairways.
The gusty winds remained after play resumed, and third-round leader John Senden shot 82, second-round leader Marcus Fraser had an 81 and Adam Scott carded 76 to finish well of the pace.
Joining them, defending champion Greg Chalmers and Geoff Ogilvy each shot 77s. But 1984 champion Tom Watson was lucky to have started early Sunday morning, shooting a 69 before the storm hit to climb into a tie for 28th.
Tournament chief Trevor Herden said officials had no alternative but to suspend play when the fierce winds hit the course just before midday in Sydney.
"Obviously there's nothing we can do to protect anybody other than to get them out of danger,'' Herden said. "We have an obligation to the public and the players and then there's the golf course, which at that point became unplayable.''

[OnePiece]

Scott Jamieson wins first European title at season-opener in South Africa

Published: Sunday, December 09, 2012 | 12:25:06 PM











DURBAN, South Africa (AP) -- Scotland's Scott Jamieson won his first European Tour title on Sunday, beating England's Steve Webster and Spain's Eduardo de la Riva in a playoff after the season-opening Nelson Mandela Championship was reduced to a 36-hole shootout because of rain.
Jamieson won with a par on the second playoff hole after Webster made a bogey. De la Riva was eliminated on the first extra hole as the three returned to play the par-4 No. 18 until the first tournament on the 2013 Race to Dubai was decided.
Jamieson had carded an 8 under 57 in his second round at the shortened Royal Durban Golf Club course, which was adjusted to a par-65 and reduced by about 1,600 yards after being deluged on Thursday and Friday because of thunderstorms.
Jamieson's score - the second 57 of the day after South Africa's Jaco van Zyl - gave him a 7 under total of 123 to tie with Webster and De la Riva.
Germany's Maximilian Kieffer, England's Matthew Nixon, Denmark's Morten Orum Madsen and South Africa's Tim Clark tied for fourth behind the playoff trio on 6 under 124.
The 29-year-old Jamieson birdied his last regular hole to snatch a place alongside Webster and De la Riva in the playoff. The 57s carded by him and Van Zyl were the first ever recorded on the European Tour but won't count as records after the par score for the course was reduced by five shots because of the troublesome weather over the past week in Durban.
"At the start of the day I probably didn't think I would be standing here holding the trophy but I knew I needed a fast start and I was lucky enough to get that," Jamieson said.
He birdied five of his opening nine and had eight birdies and no dropped shots in all, making use of the many more short holes on the layout after the readjustment to avoid some of the waterlogged fairways.
Webster, who was the only one of the three playoff contenders to have won a Tour title, posted five birdies for a 5 under 60. De la Riva had six birdies and two bogeys to finish with a 61.
Late finisher Clark was on course for a place in the playoff, and maybe even outright victory, until the former Players champion double-bogeyed No. 17. Even a birdie on the last saw him finish one stroke off the three leaders.
Van Zyl was tied for eighth after he earlier became the first man to return a 57 on the European Tour - but he knew it wouldn't count as the low-round record.
"This week was very different to any other," he said. "I think if the tournament went to more rounds the record wouldn't have stood too long because the guys are getting the hang of the course now."

[OnePiece]

Schwartzel wins Thailand Golf Championship by 11 shots

Published: Sunday, December 09, 2012 | 10:05:02 AM












Sakchai Lalit / AP
Charl Schwartzel shot a 65 in the final round in Thailand.



CHON BURI, Thailand (AP) -- Charl Schwartzel shot a 7-under 65 for the third time at the Thailand Golf Championship, wrapping up a dominating victory by 11 shots.
Schwartzel led from the first round and never slowed down, finishing with a 25-under total of 263 at the Amata Spring Country Club for the South African's first victory since last year's Masters. This year's Masters winner Bubba Watson also shot a 65 to finish in a tie for distant second with Thai golfer Thitiphun Chuayprakong, who finished with a 70.
Sergio Garcia of Spain shot a 70 and was fourth in the Asian Tour event, 12 shots back.
Schwartzel finished second here last year, when Lee Westwood won it by seven.

[OnePiece]

Tom Watson open to being captain of 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup team

Published: Saturday, December 08, 2012 | 09:35:04 PM












Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
Tom Watson played on the 1977, 1981, 1983 and 1989 U.S. Ryder Cup teams, and he captained the U.S. to victory in 1993.



SYDNEY (AP) -- Tom Watson says he'd consider captaining the U.S. team at the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland, 21 years after his first successful effort.
The 63-year-old Watson said Sunday at the Australian Open that he hadn't been approached, but that it would be a privilege to take over from Davis Love III.
Watson says "It would be a great honor if I got tapped on the shoulder ... `93 was the last time I've been to a Ryder Cup. I'd like to go back as captain. That would be cool."
Watson played on Ryder Cup teams in 1977, 1981, 1983 and 1989 and successfully captained the Americans to victory over Europe at The Belfry in England in 1993.
Europe won the Ryder Cup this year at Medinah with an improbable last-day comeback.

[OnePiece]

Kenny Perry, Sean O'Hair grab lead at Shark Shootout

Published: Saturday, December 08, 2012 | 06:15:02 PM











NAPLES, Fla. (AP) -- Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair took a two-stroke lead in the Franklin Templeton Shootout on Saturday, birdieing the final six holes in better-ball play for an 11-under 61.
"We got pretty hot," O'Hair said. "Kenny did a great job when I wasn't in the hole ... then I did a pretty good job when Kenny wasn't in the hole."
Perry and O'Hair were 19 under overall, two strokes ahead of first-round leaders Davis Love III and Brandt Snedeker at Tiburon Golf Club. Love and Snedeker had a 65.
The round was delayed by heavy rain and wind for 1 hour, 50 minutes.
O'Hair chipped in for birdie on No. 13 just ahead of the downpour. But the two didn't let the delay affect them. Perry birdied Nos. 14 and 15, O'Hair birdied Nos. 16 and 17, and Perry made one on the last hole.
"It was amazing," said Perry, who won the event in 2005 and 2008. "We come back right out of the hopper and birdie the last five holes."
"You have to keep your momentum," O'Hair said.
Love and Snedeker couldn't. After birdieing three straight holes on the back and making a par, the two made two birdies in the last five holes after play resumed.
"Finally started making some birdies and we had to stop," Love said. "We had a rough par 5 when we came back and didn't make a birdie."
History is on the side of O'Hair and Perry. The second-round leaders have gone on to win six out of the past 11, and four of the last five.

The 12 two-man teams will play a scramble Sunday.
"It we just go out there and do our job, everybody is going to have a hard time catching us," O'Hair said.
"It's a good format for us, but I think we'll have to birdie every hole,
and that's really no secret," said Love, whose team parred seven of the first nine holes.
Jason Dufner and Vijay Singh, Stewart Cink and Carl Pettersson, and Charles Howell III and Rory Sabbatini were tied for third at 15 under.
Defending champions Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele shot a 64 to get to 13 under.
The winners will split $750,000.

[OnePiece]

Clark, Madsen lead; Nelson Mandela Championship reduced to 36 holes

Published: Saturday, December 08, 2012 | 12:15:03 PM











DURBAN, South Africa (AP) -- Morten Orum Madsen made a late charge Saturday to match Tim Clark's 5-under 60 and grab a share of the first-round lead at the European Tour's rain-delayed season-opening Nelson Mandela Championship.
Clark had six birdies and one bogey on the shortened Royal Durban Golf Club course, which was badly affected by heavy rain over the previous few days. The tournament was reduced to a 36-hole event.
Norway's Madsen, a tour newcomer, carded seven birdies and two bogeys to join Clark at the top of the leaderboard as the first event of the 2013 Race to Dubai finally began after the first two days were washed out.
The east coast course was adjusted to a par-65 from a par-70 and reduced by about 1,600 yards after almost all the holes were under water on Friday following heavy thunderstorms. Organizers were forced to reorganize the layout to ensure play could go ahead.
Shortening the event to two rounds also gave early pace-setters Madsen and Clark a strong advantage ahead of the second and decisive round on Sunday. South Africa's Lindani Ndwandwe and England's Chris Lloyd were a shot behind.
Clark played aggressively after an early start in his home city, attacking the eight new short holes. He birdied three par-3s in a row in his opening nine.
"It's really a case of when we did get to play, come out, try and play well and put yourself in a position," he said. "I'm happy to have done that. We obviously can't tell what the future holds, but I do hope we get to play some more golf."
Madsen, who has never won a European Tour event, dealt admirably with the challenging conditions to make four birdies going out. He dropped two coming in before finishing with successive birdies.
He and Clark have a narrow advantage over Durban-based Ndwandwe and Lloyd, who had vastly different 61s.
Ndwandwe double-bogeyed his first and added two bogeys, six birdies and an eagle two on the par-4 No. 2 - his 11th. Lloyd, another European Tour rookie, had four birdies and no dropped shots.
South Africa's Branden Grace, a four-time winner last season who finished No. 6 on the European money list, opened his season with a 1-over 66.

[OnePiece]

Shanshan Feng wins Dubai Ladies Masters by five shots

Published: Saturday, December 08, 2012 | 10:15:04 AM











DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Shanshan Feng of China won the Dubai Ladies Masters by five strokes on Saturday after shooting a 3-under 69 to capture her second Ladies European Tour title.
The sixth-ranked Feng had an eagle, two birdies and a bogey to total 21-under 267 at Emirates Golf Club.
"I didn't look at the leaderboard until 18, so I had no idea how everyone else was doing. But I'm very happy," said Feng, who won the World Ladies Championship in March. "I wanted a top-five finish this week and I did even better than that. I played solid all week and my putting was the key."
Dewi Claire Schreefel of the Netherlands (69) was next. Caroline Masson of Germany (71) and Becky Brewerton of Wales (65) were nine strokes behind the leader. Carlota Ciganda of Spain shot a 68 and earned the Order of Merit.
American Cindy Lacrosse (72) was 10 strokes back, while defending champion Lexi Thompson (70) was 12 behind. Michelle Wie (69) tied for 19th.
Masson needed to finish second to win the Order of Merit, but a double-bogey on No. 12 ended her hopes. Ciganda became the first player since Laura Davies in 1985 to win the Order of Merit and Rookie of the Year in the same season.
"It ends an unbelievable season," Ciganda said. "I'm very proud."

[OnePiece]

Schwartzel takes five-shot lead in Thailand

Published: Saturday, December 08, 2012 | 09:15:02 AM











Sakchai Lalit/AP
Charl Schwartzel is trying to win for the first time since the 2011 Masters.



CHON BURI, Thailand (AP) -- Overnight leader Charl Schwartzel of South Africa had a 4-under 68 Saturday to extend his lead over Daniel Chopra of Sweden to five shots after the third round of the Thailand Golf Championship.
Schwartzel, last year's runner up, shot three birdies and an eagle to go along with a bogey for an overall 18 under 198 at the Amata Spring Country Club, staying on track to end a victory drought that stretches back to his Masters win in 2011.
Thitiphun Chuayprakong had a 71 for third place. Sergio Garcia of Spain was fourth, eight shots back, after a 68. Australian Scott Hend (69) is another shot back, followed by Japan's Masanori Kobayashi (73) at 208.
Masters champion Bubba Watson (71) and defending champion Lee Westwood (70) are 11 shots behind Schwartzel.
"I feel comfortable playing this golf course," Schwartzel said. "That's the biggest key is just feel comfortable whatever you do. If that means being aggressive, then that's being aggressive."
Chopra, who started the round four strokes back, rallied after a double bogey on the fifth for a 69.
"I played fairly well. I had a couple of loose shots but nothing was really too bad," said Chopra, a two-time PGA Tour winner. "I'm five behind. Obviously, my goal is to go out there and try to make it uncomfortable for Charl. Nobody wants to see him run away with it. I want to do my best to make it close down the stretch."
Twenty-five players finished their second rounds Saturday after darkness ended play on Friday.

[OnePiece]

European Tour season-opener delayed again with course under water

Published: Friday, December 07, 2012 | 05:05:06 AM











Warren Little/Getty Images
Much of the course was under water after heavy rains.



DURBAN, South Africa (AP) -- The start of the European Tour's season-opening Nelson Mandela Championship has been delayed for a second straight day after heavy rain left most of the course under water.
Organizers will try again to get the first round of the inaugural event under way on Saturday morning.
European Tour tournament director Mikael Eriksson says "every fairway is almost completely under water and there is no chance we will be able to play at all on Friday."
Thursday was also a washout at Royal Durban, with South Africa's east coast experiencing unusually high rainfall in the past few months.
Eriksson says organizers aimed to start at 6.30 a.m. local time on Saturday.
The Nelson Mandela Championship is the first of three successive tournaments in South Africa to start the 2013 Race to Dubai.