St. Paul’s Jamie Sadlowski partners with Cleveland Golf
Cleveland Golf is pleased to announce the addition of Canadian Jamie Sadlowski to their professional tour staff. Sadlowski, a two-time World Long Drive Champion, agreed to terms on a multi-year contract to serve as a global brand ambassador for Cleveland Golf.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Cleveland Golf as a global brand ambassador,” Sadlowski said. “As I begin my second year of professional golf around the world, I know the Cleveland Launcher HB Driver, along with the compliment of irons and wedges, will deliver the performance I am looking for.”
Sadlowski, 29, hails from St. Paul, Alta., where he actually started out as a junior hockey player. Sadlowski began his golfing career on the World Long Drive circuit where he won back-to-back championships in 2008 and 2009, and never finished lower than fifth in the world while competing. In 2016, Sadlowski made the transition to competitive professional golf where he competed in different events around the world. Last year, Sadlowski made his PGA Tour debut at the Dean & Deluca Invitational at Colonial Country Club and the Safeway Open, while playing in 10 events on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada.
Sadlowski will play the Cleveland Launcher HB Driver, Srixon Z-U65 Utility 2i and 3i, Srixon Z Series irons, Cleveland’s RTX-3 wedges (52°, 56°, 60°), and Srixon’s Z-Star XV golf ball. In addition, Sadlowski will wear a Cleveland Launcher HB hat, Srixon glove, and carry a Cleveland Golf bag.
“As one of the longest tour players on the planet, we know Jamie had many options when selecting his driver,” said Rodney McDonald, Vice President of Tour Operations. “We designed our Launcher HB driver to help all golfers bomb it long and straight – and we’re glad Jamie agrees. I’ve seen many tour players hit drivers, but watching Jamie hit it 370 yards down the fairway in competitive rounds is almost unbelievable. His validation of our technology is really exciting for us.”
With a refined swing geared towards competitive rounds, Sadlowski put together some impressive launch conditions with Cleveland’s Launcher HB Driver in his hands: ball speed of 190.3 mph, launch angle of 9.7°, spin of 2,454 rpm, carry distance of 343 yards and total distance of 372 yards.
“With the Launcher HB driver, I know I will be able to drive the ball longer and straighter which is the key to my game,” Sadlowski said. “I’ve never been more confident in my golf clubs.”
On Jan. 23, 2018, Sadlowski will be giving a demonstration and clinic in the Cleveland Golf area at the 2018 PGA Show Demo Day in Orlando, FL. He will be available to meet with the media during that timeframe. If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Noelle Zavaleta to set up a time to speak with him.
In 2018, Sadlowski will play in events on the PGA Tour, Web.com Tour and the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada.
2017 in review: Professional golf
The year 2017 is drawing to a close and what a year it was for Canadian golf. Our pros won literally around the world and on just about every tour imaginable. Our amateurs of all ages made Canada proud at home and abroad. And, off the course, there were significant moments that are well worth memorializing as 2018 looms on the horizon. This is the first of a three-part series remembering most, if not all, of those memorable moments.
(If we’ve unintentionally overlooked any—there were so many, after all!—please let us know on Twitter or Facebook.
March:
Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C, had a year to remember. In March, he wins his first PGA TOUR title at the Valspar Championship in Florida. In January, he shoots a 13-under-par 59 in the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge in California. His outstanding season-long performance earns him a spot in the Presidents Cup in late September.
Lock it in! @ahadwingolf collects his first #PGATOUR victory with a 1-stroke win @ValsparChamp
RT to send a BIG ?? congratulations! pic.twitter.com/J5bjNazUdn
— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) March 12, 2017
April:
Calgary’s Stephen Ames wins his first PGA TOUR Champions title, holding off Bernhard Langer at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Georgia.
June:
Nineteen-year-old Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., wins the Meijer LPGA Classic, her fourth LPGA Tour title.
Jean-Philip Cornellier of Club de golf Knowlton in Quebec wins the PGA Championship of Canada at Deer Ridge GC in Kitchener, Ont.
Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand wins the Manulife LPGA Classic at Whistle Bear GC in Waterloo, Ont.
July:
Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas defends his RBC Canadian Open title at Glen Abbey GC in Oakville, Ont., winning a one-hole playoff over Charley Hoffman.
This edition of our national men’s Open garners even more attention than usual, due to innovations such as “The Rink,” which transforms the par-3 seventh hole into a hockey-themed fan experience complete with hockey boards, a Zamboni, bleachers, and volunteers in black-and-white referee jerseys. Even course designer Jack Nicklaus relishes the experience, taking what he says was his first shot with a hockey stick.
August:
Sung Hyun Park wins the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club but, to Canadian fans, Brooke Henderson of nearby Smiths Falls, Ont., is the real star. Finishing T12 at her home course, she shows incredible talent and determination, firing a course-record 63 in the third round after almost missing the 36-hole cut on Friday. Tournament sponsor CP makes a $2-million donation to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., wins the DATA PGA Women’s Championship of Canada at Scarboro G&CC in Toronto.
Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., wins the Web.com Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship in Missouri.
Jim Rutledge of Victoria, B.C., wins his fifth PGA Seniors Championship of Canada at the Burlington (Ont.) G&CC.
Brittany Marchand wins the Symetra Tour’s PHC Classic in Wisconsin.
September:
Richard T. Lee of Toronto wins the Asian Tour’s Shinahan Donghae Open.
Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City wins the Symetra Tour’s Garden City Charity Classic in Kansas.
October:
Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City finishes eighth on the Symetra Tour money list to earn a spot on the 2018 LPGA Tour.
Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., earns his PGA TOUR status by finishing in the top 25 on the Web.com Tour finals money list. He joins Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., who qualified for the PGA TOUR by virtue of his 10th-place finish during the Web.com Tour’s regular season.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., wins the New Zealand Women’s Open for her second LPGA Tour victory of the season and fifth overall.
Congrats to @CanadianPacific ambassador @BrookeHenderson on winning the @NZWomensOpen, finishing with a 3-under 69 for a five-stroke victory pic.twitter.com/JfQO3YHivL
— CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) October 2, 2017
December:
Ryan Yip of Calgary, Albin Choi of Toronto, and Stuart Macdonald and Seann Harlingten of Vancouver finish inside the top 45 in the final stage of the Web.com Tour qualifying school to earn guaranteed starts in 2018.
Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., earn conditional status on the 2018 LPGA Tour at the final stage of qualifying school.
Brooke Henderson was named Canadian Press Female Athlete of the Year.
Brooke Henderson named CP female athlete of the year
TORONTO – Canadian golfer Brooke Henderson is barely out of her teens and her list of accomplishments on the LPGA Tour is already a long one.
She won her first LPGA Tour event in 2015, added her first major championship last year and picked up two more tournament titles in 2017. Henderson capped her latest impressive season Wednesday by winning the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada’s female athlete of the year.
“I’ve always kind of felt like I belonged out there, which I think is a big part of why I’ve had so much success so early,” said Henderson, who turned 20 in September.
Henderson picked up 35 of 63 votes (56 per cent) in a poll of broadcasters and sports editors from across the country.
“Not only is the young golfer an international champion, but she’s also playing a monumental role in helping young children get into the game,” said Mitch Bach of CHAT TV news in Medicine Hat, Alta.
Swimmer Kylie Masse was a distant second with seven votes. Gymnast Ellie Black and soccer player Christine Sinclair were tied for third with four votes apiece.
Henderson, who also won the Rosenfeld award in 2015, is the first golfer to win the award on two occasions since Lorie Kane (1997, 2000). Swimmer Penny Oleksiak took the honour last year.
“(Henderson) captured the attention of Canadian golf fans in a way not seen since the adoration given previously to Mike Weir,” said Winnipeg Free Press sports editor Steve Lyons.
Henderson had a slow start to the season with just two top-10 finishes in her first 10 events. She found her form in June by winning the Meijer LPGA Classic and just missed out on a playoff at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship later that month.
Her second title came in September at the New Zealand Women’s Open.
“Patience I think is a key word that basically describes my whole season,” she said.
Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., finished sixth on the money list at just over US$1.5 million and was 13th in the world rankings. She did it by relying on her impressive long game and consistent accuracy from the fairways.
She finished 20th on Tour in driving distance this season (263.58 yards) and was 10th in greens in regulation (75.10 per cent). That helped her average just under 70 strokes a round (10th at 69.88).
Another big moment for Henderson came in August at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in Ottawa. She nearly missed the cut before giving her army of fans something to cheer about on the weekend.
Henderson surged up the leaderboard before finishing in a tie for 12th place.
“I can’t even really put into words what it meant to me to see all that support and those people cheering me on,” Henderson said from Naples, Fla. “To get that 63 course record on Saturday in front of all those people in my hometown was truly amazing and one of the highlights of my year for sure.”
Henderson’s five career LPGA Tour victories leaves her only three behind Sandra Post for most wins by a Canadian.
“She knows how to score and she’s not afraid to go low,” Post said. “Some people, they get to 5 under, and they quit. She keeps going.”
Henderson, who had eight top-10 finishes, plans to focus on improving her short game as she prepares for the season opener next month at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic.
Her putting average of 29.77 per round was 58th overall and she sat 100th in sand saves at 42.67 per cent.
“I have big goals and hopefully in 2018 I’ll have my best year yet,” Henderson said. “But to have a year like 2017 to back up what I did in 2016 – which was really a miracle season for me, everything went perfect – so to grind it out in 2017 and to have the finishes that I did, I’m really proud of that.”
Tennis player Denis Shapovalov won the Lionel Conacher Award as Canada’s male athlete of the year on Tuesday. The CP team of the year will be announced Thursday.
Bobbie Rosenfeld, an Olympic medallist in track and field and a multi-sport athlete, was named Canada’s best female athlete of the half-century in 1950.
The first winner of the Rosenfeld award was golfer Ada Mackenzie in 1933. Marlene Stewart Streit leads all golfers by taking the honour on five occasions (1952, ’53, ’56, ’57, ’63).
“I’m extremely proud to be named Canada’s female athlete of the year,” Henderson said. “I was just looking at some of the names … Marlene Streit, Lorie Kane, Sandra Post, all golfers that have won this award. Even the last few years, I just saw Christine Sinclair, Hayley Wickenheiser, Eugenie Bouchard.
“Those names are huge names in all of sport and all of Canada. So to be amongst them is a great honour for me.”
Mackenzie Tour holds on to win Aruba Cup
With T.J. Vogel providing the exclamation point for the third straight day, Team Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR prevailed in a thrilling finish to win the second annual Aruba Cup on Saturday at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf in Aruba.
Vogel’s half point in the final match to finish gave his team a 10.5 to 9.5 tally over Team PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, allowing the Mackenzie Tour team to survive a furious charge by their opponents and giving the Canadian side their first win in the two-year history of the annual team competition.
“It feels amazing,” said Mackenzie Tour Team Captain Ben Silverman, who saw his team begin the day with a 6.5 to 3.5 lead but quickly found his side trying to hold off a late rally. “The Latinoamérica Team really pushed hard at the end, and you’ve got to give them a lot of credit for the way they fought back today.”
Needing just four points to secure the cup, Team Mackenzie Tour secured an early point as Kramer Hickok defeated José de Jesús Rodríguez 3 and 1 in a battle of each Tour’s Player of the Year. Max Rottluff and Robby Shelton also notched decisive victories, winning their matches 6 and 4 and 6 and 5, respectively, putting the Mackenzie Tour just one point from victory.
???
Let the #ArubaCup celebration party begin! pic.twitter.com/fQEWAhRnDn
— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) December 16, 2017
Every time it seemed victory was at hand, however, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica clawed closer to a remarkable comeback. Oscar Fraustro drained a 30-foot birdie putt at 18 to halve his match with Johnny Ruiz and keep hope alive, while Jared Wolfe turned a 1 down deficit into a 1 up win over Lee McCoy, putting the pressure squarely on the shoulders of Vogel.
After securing points thanks to clutch closing birdies in both Four-Ball and Foursomes play on Thursday and Friday, Vogel was once again put in position to decide the outcome, and he delivered yet again, making birdie at the 17th to square his match before halving the 18th to set off a celebration for the Mackenzie Tour squad.
“I’m just so happy for the team. It was a lot closer than we anticipated, but a win’s a win and I’m just happy for the guys,” said Vogel, who added that his experience early in the week helped him come through in the clutch again. “I think the first match really helped, coming down the stretch and winning the last two holes with Rico (Hoey). That really helped. I felt like as long as I was within reach, I was going to be able to close strong.”
The win caps a thrilling week and a memorable season for all 10 players on the team, especially those who earned promotions to the Web.com Tour.
“It was a great way to celebrate our success throughout the year,” said Hickok. “The year is such a grind, and the Aruba Cup a great way to reward the players who played well. It was great to get to know these guys better and spend a week with them, and I’m glad it ended the way it did.”
Alberta pro’s among PGA of Canada national award winners
Congratulations to national award winners from Alberta – Sean Murray, Sean Thompson, Mike Matuch and Paul Horton!
Murray Tucker Golf Professional of the Year Award winner Andrew Steep headlines an impressive contingent of PGA of Canada National Award recipients.
Steep, along with his fellow national award winners and two new PGA of Canada Hall of Fame inductees, will be honoured at the association’s annual PGA of Canada Night on Thursday, Jan. 25 at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.
This year’s winners are:
Murray Tucker Golf Professional of the Year
Andrew Steep, Southwood Golf & Country Club, Manitoba
Moe Norman Candidate for Membership of the Year
Sean Murray, Bearspaw Country Club, Alberta
Stan Leonard Class “A” Professional of the Year
Sean Thompson, Calgary Golf & Country Club, Alberta
Pat Fletcher Retailer of the Year
Mike Matuch, Bearspaw Country Club, Alberta
George Knudson Teacher of the Year
Matthew Robinson, Rideau View Golf & Country Club, Ontario
Tex Noble Professional Development Award
Jason Schneider, Wildwood Golf Course, Saskatchewan
Ben Kern Coach of the Year
Paul Horton, Heritage Pointe Golf Academy, Alberta
Jack McLaughin Junior Leader of the Year
Kevin Haime, Kevin Haime Golf Centre, Ontario
Mike Weir Player of the Year
Pierre-Alexandre Bedard, Club de Golf Cap Rouge, Québec
“This year’s PGA of Canada national award winners are wonderful golf professionals and on behalf of the national board of directors’ and the association’s 3,700 members, I’m proud to congratulate them today on their achievements,” said PGA of Canada president Steve Wood.
Steep, the head golf professional at Southwood Golf & Country Club in Winnipeg is the 42nd recipient of the golf professional of the year award. This award is the highest honour paid to a golf professional and is designed to recognize the contribution to developing and improving the game of golf, education, instruction, playing ability and dedication to the PGA of Canada.
“It’s truly an honour to be recognized as the Murray Tucker Golf Professional of the Year award winner,” Steep said. “I can’t thank the PGA of Canada enough for the honour.”
The 31-year-old is a former winner of the Moe Norman Candidate of the Year Award winner and son of PGA of Canada Life Member James Steep.
Additionally, Sam Young and James (Jim) Collins will be inducted into the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame during PGA of Canada Night.
“We will proudly induct two more great PGA of Canada professionals into the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame at PGA of Canada Night,” said Warren Crosbie, PGA of Canada Hall of Fame Chair. “I would greatly encourage those interested in learning more about the members of the Hall of Fame, as well as the history of the association to visit the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame website.”
The PGA of Canada Hall of Fame nomination process is available here and members of the association, industry partners and the general public are encouraged to submit the names of individuals they feel are worthy of induction.
PGA of Canada Night takes place in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, at the PGA Merchandise Show (Orange County Convention Centre) at 5 p.m. in room W109A.
Calgary’s Ryan Yip tops group of four Canadians earning Web.com status
CHANDLER, Ariz. – Four Canadians finished inside the top 45 in the final stage of Qualifying School at the Whirlwind Golf Club on Sunday to earn guaranteed Web.com Tour starts next season.
Leading the Canadian contingent was Calgary’s Ryan Yip, who played his way into a six-way tie for 10th at 18 under (73-65-67-65), earning guaranteed starts for the first 12 events.
Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Albin Choi (Toronto) and graduate Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver) closed the 72-hole stroke play event at 16 under par, tied for 23rd. Rounding out the quartet was Vancouver’s Seann Harlingten, who finished tied for 30th at 15 under par.
Choi, Macdonald and Harlingten earned exempt status for the first eight events by finishing between places 11-45 (plus ties).
Champion Lee McCoy of Dunedin, Fla., will be fully-exempt next season.
Click here for full scoring.
Video review protocols introduced for broadcasted golf events
FAR HILLS, N.J. USA and ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND – A working group led by the USGA and The R&A has unanimously agreed to adopt a new set of protocols for video review when applying the Rules of Golf.
The group, consisting of the PGA TOUR, LPGA, PGA European Tour, Ladies European Tour and The PGA of America, as well as the governing bodies, will implement the following measures from January 1, 2018:
- Assign one or more officials to monitor the video broadcast of a competition to help identify and resolve Rules issues as they arise
- Discontinue any steps to facilitate or consider viewer call-ins as part of the Rules decision process
In addition, the USGA and The R&A have approved the adoption of a Local Rule, available from January 1, to eliminate the additional two-stroke penalty for failing to include a penalty on the score card when the player was unaware of the penalty. All of the organizations represented on the working group will introduce the Local Rule for 2018, and this score card penalty will be permanently removed when the modernized Rules of Golf take effect on January 1, 2019.
The USGA and The R&A established the video review working group in April to initiate a collaborative discussion on the role video footage can play when applying the Rules, including the challenges and benefits of its use and also the issues that arise from viewer call-ins.
“The level of collaboration with our partners has been both vital and gratifying as we look to the future,” said Thomas Pagel, USGA senior director of the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status. “As technology has continued to evolve, it has allowed us to evolve how we operate, as well.” [To watch an interview on usga.org with Pagel on Video Review, plus a copy of the protocols and full Local Rule, click here]
David Rickman, Executive Director – Governance at The R&A, said, “This has clearly become an important issue in the sport that we felt we should address at this stage ahead of the implementation of the updated Rules of Golf in 2019.
No more call-ins ✅
Local Rule eliminates scorecard penalty ✅
Big changes are coming to video review for televised golf events in 2018.https://t.co/RWaKDgdFpw pic.twitter.com/xfXb9D3M66— USGA (@USGA) December 11, 2017
“We have concluded that whilst players should continue to be penalized for all breaches of the Rules during a competition, including any that come to light after the score card is returned, an additional penalty for the score card error is not required.”
The new protocols also recognize the importance of limiting video review to material obtained from the committee’s broadcast partner. Other video, such as from an individual’s smartphone or camera, will not be used under these protocols.
The new protocols and Local Rule are the latest measures announced by the USGA and The R&A to address concerns related to video evidence. In April, Decision 34-3/10 was issued to limit the use of video through the introduction of a “reasonable judgement” standard and a “naked eye” standard.
Shaw Charity Classic wins third President’s Award
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The Shaw Charity Classic, Dominion Energy Charity Classic and DICK’s Sporting Goods Open were among the award winners for the PGA TOUR Champions 2017 season. In all, six awards were presented by PGA TOUR Champions at the TOUR’s Tournament Meetings on Thursday, Dec. 7 in Boca Raton, Fla.
At the annual gathering, six specific tournament categories were recognized:
• President’s Award – Shaw Charity Classic
• Players Award – Dominion Energy Charity Classic
• Sales Award – DICK’s Sporting Goods Open
• Bruno Award – Gene Smith (PGA TOUR Champions Rules Official)
• Outstanding Achievement Award – Tiffany Nelson (Charles Schwab Cup Championship)
• Volunteer of the Year – Maggie Hatcher (Boca Raton Championship)
President’s Award
For the third time in its five-year history, the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta, was named the recipient of the prestigious President’s Award, which captures the criteria of all PGA TOUR Champions awards, as well as the intangibles that make it stand out amidst a plethora of successful tournaments.
“It is remarkable to see a tournament win the President’s Award for the third time,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Greg McLaughlin. “On behalf of PGA TOUR Champions, it is an honor for me to present the President’s Award to the Shaw Charity Classic. This event has achieved great success very quickly and continues to raise the bar every year. Shaw Communications has been a tremendous partner in allowing this event to support the local Calgary community, and the charitable impact throughout Alberta has been extraordinary.”
The 2017 edition of the Shaw Charity Classic carried on the tournament’s tradition of extraordinary charitable giving. The tournament exceeded its fundraising goal by nearly 30 percent, raising more than $8.3 million for children’s charities across Alberta. In all, the tournament secured donations from more than 2,400 donors that ultimately impacted the lives of more than 480,000 children, and in five years, the tournament has raised more than $22 million and donated to more than 150 charities.
Once again, the community came out in droves, as more than 1,200 people volunteered, and the weekly attendance exceeded 45,000 fans. During the tournament, fans were treated to several off-course activities in the Fan Zone, which included a petting zoo, crafting stations, golf simulators, and an interactive Shaw experience where fans had the opportunity to interface with newest home entertainment and communications technology.
“We began our five-year celebrations by encouraging the public to find a small way to make their mark on this powerful event in Alberta. Receiving the President’s Award for a third time is recognition that needs to be celebrated by communities across Alberta who have generously supported our mission,” said Sean Van Kesteren, Executive Director of the Shaw Charity Classic. “We have not wavered in our goals of bringing world-class golf to Calgary, while raising more than $20 million in an effort to provide hundreds of thousands of Alberta kids hope and the opportunity to live a better life.”
Yip among four Canadians ready for final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School
CHANDLER, ARIZ. – The final stage of Web.com Tour qualifying school begins Thursday, December 7th at Whirlwind Golf Club, where the winner will earn full exempt for the 2018 regular season and those finishing second through 10th (including ties) receives exempt status for the first 12 events of 2018. Finishers 11th through 45th, plus ties, will receive exempt status for the first eight events, while the remainder of the field receives conditional status.
Four Canadians are in the field, including Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Albin Choi from Toronto, as well as Seann Harlingten and Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver, and Calgary’s Ryan Yip.
Scoring is available here.
Rickie Fowler rallies with 61 to win in Tiger Woods’ return
NASSAU, Bahamas – Rickie Fowler and Tiger Woods each had cause for celebrations large and small Sunday in the Hero World Challenge.
Fowler rallied from a seven-shot deficit by starting his final round with seven straight birdies at Albany Golf Club and closing with an 11-under 61 for a four-shot victory over Charley Hoffman. It was the second victory of the year for Fowler, and the second time he has ended a year with multiple victories worldwide.
“Finally just kind of got everything to piece together,” said Fowler, who moves to No. 7 in the world.
In a week that began with so much curiosity over how Woods would perform, he had his best result in four years. More than his score, he looked just as strong at end, including a vicious recoil on a 2-iron he hit from 265 yards on the third hole that ran through the green.
Playing for the first time in 10 months while recovering from fusion surgery on his lower back – his fourth back surgery in three years – Woods shot another 31 on the front nine, closed with back-to-back bogeys and shot a 68.
He tied for ninth in the 18-man field, his best result since a playoff loss at this holiday event in 2013 at Sherwood Country Club in California.
“I’m excited,” Woods said. “This is the way I’ve been playing at home.”
WHAT. A. DAY.@RickieFowler beats the world’s best to win the Hero World Challenge. pic.twitter.com/iemJ7vIEIc
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 3, 2017
He still finished 10 shots behind Fowler. Then again, Fowler didn’t give anyone much of a chance.
Fowler, whose lone PGA Tour victory this year was in the Honda Classic, was close to flawless on the front nine. He holed birdie putts of about 12 feet on the first two holes, hit a gap wedge to 3 feet on the par-5 third, made his toughest putt into the green from 15 feet on No. 4, and then holed a bunker shot on No. 5. He followed that with another wedge that spun back to a foot on the par-5 sixth, and he hit out of a bunker to about 7 feet on the next hole.
“I knew I needed to get off to a quick start to at least show Charley I was there,” Fowler said.
By then, he was tied for the lead as Hoffman, who birdied his first hole, began to drop shots and work to make par. He never caught up and shot 72. Fowler went out in 28 and then added birdies on the 11th and 13th holes to stretch his lead.
Fowler finished at 14-under 274.
Tommy Fleetwood, the Race to Dubai winner from England who is getting married Tuesday in the Bahamas, closed with a 67 and tied for third with Jordan Spieth (69), who has not finished out of the top 10 since the PGA Championship.
A year ago, Woods returned from a 15-month hiatus from back surgeries and showed flashes of his old self, particularly when he shot 65 in the second round and ended the week with 24 birdies. Woods said nothing about his health that week, though his back couldn’t withstand the rough at Torrey Pines and the 16-hour flight to Dubai. He withdrew after one round at Dubai with back spasm and had the fusion surgery in April.
This return was different from how far he hit the ball with plenty of speed in his swing (his ball speed approached 180 mph), and he made putts from the 8- to 15-foot range than he has in recent years.
Conditions were far tamer for the final round and Woods got off to a start strong, buoyed by driving the par-4 seventh green and curling in a 25-foot eagle putt. His birdie on No. 9 gave him another 31 on the front – his second such score in two days – and never ending interest from the gallery. On Sunday, that included his two children dressed in red shirts, and tennis great Rafa Nadal.
He just couldn’t keep it going. Woods chopped up the 10th hole on his way to double bogey, and while he added three birdies with his power and putting along the back nine, he three-putted the 18th from about 15 feet for his second straight bogey.
“He’s obviously a lot more upbeat, a lot more positive, a lot healthier than he was last year at this time,” said Justin Thomas, the PGA Tour player of the year who was paired with him in the first and final rounds. “He’s got a lot of energy. It’s just so weird to say that you’re excited for somebody else’s year, but it will be a fun year. And I hope we dual it out a lot this upcoming year.”
Woods appears to be back, at least to playing.
He has not said where he will start in 2018, though he made it clear he plans on not being a stranger. The best bet is the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, where he has won eight times and considers a hometown event from his roots in California.
“I don’t know what my schedule is going to be, but my expectations are we’ll be playing next year,” he said. “How many? Where? I don’t know yet, but we’ll figure it out.”