Friday, March 7, 2014

Luiten leads Irish Open by one shot over Larrazabal after third round

Joost Luiten at the Irish Open
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Joost Luiten leads the Irish Open only weeks after winning the Lyoness Open in Austria.
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By 
Bernie McGuire
Associated Press

Series: European Tour
MAYNOOTH, Ireland -- Joost Luiten of the Netherlands will take a one-shot lead into the final round at the Irish Open and hope on Sunday for a second victory this month. 
Luiten moved to 13 under par and one clear of Pablo Larrazabal of Spain after both players carded bogey-free 6-under 66s at Carton House on Saturday. 
Luiten won the Lyoness Open in Austria this month for the second European Tour title of his seven-year pro career. 
"I have been playing very well the last two tournaments as I was also 10th in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth after my win in Austria," he said. "So tomorrow I will try to do the same, and if so, hopefully it may be good enough to win the trophy. It's all a matter of staying patient." 
Even though major winners Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke failed to make the halfway cut, Luiten said there will be no less pressure on Sunday.
"You really can't worry about who is behind you on the leaderboard, I am not bothered about who is behind me," Luiten said. "The key for me will be trying to get some early birdies to help set up a good score." 
Larrazabal is also a two-time European Tour winner, though his last success was two years ago in Munich. 
"I had a lovely day in the office today with the Irish crowds truly awesome," he said. "I hope tomorrow I can hit the ball as good as these three days and hole as many putts." 
England's Robert Rock (71) was in third place on 10 under and still within sight of making amends for losing a playoff for the 2009 Irish Open. 
England's Paul Casey (67) and Scottish newcomer Scott Henry (69) were tied in fourth place on 9 under. 
Six players shared sixth, including former Irish Open winner Jose Maria Olazabal (71), who is looking to end an eight-year tour victory drought. However, last year's victorious Ryder Cup captain again struggled with the driver. 
"Well, it's just a shame as the leaders are running away, they are just too far ahead," he said. "The driver cost me big again. I only made three fairways today, and it's very, very difficult to score when you do that." 
Olazabal is looking to become the oldest winner of the event at 43. He won the 1990 Irish Open. 
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Friday, December 27, 2013

Three teams share golf Shootout lead

Three teams share golf Shootout lead

AFP 
December 13, 2013 5:01 PM
Kenny Perry tees off on November 3, 2013 in San Francisco, California
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Kenny Perry tees off on November 3, 2013 in San Francisco, California (AFP Photo/Ezra Shaw)
Naples (United States) (AFP) - Defending champions Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair combined for an eight-under 64 on Friday to share the first-round lead at the Franklin Templeton Shootout with two other teams.
The duo were joined by the teams of Harris English and Matt Kuchar, and Charles Howell and Justin Leonard atop the leaderboard after the alternate-shot format opening round at Tiburon Golf Club.
Perry and O'Hair are trying to become the first back-to-back winners in unofficial event founded by Australian Greg Norman since Hank Kuehne and Jeff Sluman won in 2003 and 2004.
Perry is trying to win this event for the fourth time overall, but for the first time with the same partner.
South Africa's Retief Goosen and Sweden's Freddie Jacobson were in fourth place on five-under 67, while Chris DiMarco and Billy Horschel, and Jason Dufner and Dustin Johnson shared fifth on 68.
The tournament features 24 players competing in a team format. Saturday's second round will be a better ball format, and competition concludes on Sunday with a scramble.
Last year, O'Hair and Perry combined to shoot a 31-under-par 185 and beat the team of Howell and South Africa's Rory Sabbatini by one stroke.
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New Quebec venue for Champions Tour event

New Quebec venue for Champions Tour event

December 13, 2013 5:28 PMAP - Sports
New Quebec venue for Champions Tour event
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Esteban Toledo, of Mexico, waves after making a birdie on the 13th hole during third round play in the …
LEVIS, Quebec (AP) -- The Champions Tour event that was played in Montreal the past four years will be moving to the Quebec City area next summer.
Promoter Synchro Sports announced Friday the $1.6 million tournament will be held Sept. 5-7 at the La Tempete Golf Club. It is the first PGA Tour-sanctioned event in the area since Billy Casper won the 1956 Labatt Open.
The tournament will be called the Quebec City Championship. The event was called The Montreal Championship the last four years and was won by Larry Mize in 2010, John Cook in 2011, Mark Calcavecchia in 2012 and Esteban Toledo in 2013.
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Defending champions Perry, O'Hair share lead

Defending champions Perry, O'Hair share lead

December 13, 2013 6:03 PMAP - Sports
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) -- Defending champions Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair shot an 8-under 64 in modified alternate-shot play Friday for a share of the first-round lead in the Franklin Templeton Shootout.
The teams of Matt Kuchar-Harris English and Charles Howell III-Justin Leonard also shot 64 on the Ritz Carlton Resort's Tiburon course. The 24 teams will play better ball Saturday and finish with a scramble Sunday.
After playing the front nine in 3 under, Perry and O'Hair birdied Nos. 13-16.
''It was a fun day for me,'' said Perry, the Champions Tour player of the year and Charles Schwab Cup points champion. ''When (O'Hair) poured it in from about 15 feet on the first hole I knew it was going to be a good day for us. We were never in any trouble.
''We had a great chance to really go low today and better than 8 under, but that's OK. I mean, alternate shot is a tough format. To me it's my favorite format. I love it more than any format of all the three. So, you know, you can lose it. If we get off to a crummy start it's hard to catch up with best ball and scramble coming up.''
Kuchar and English birdied Nos. 12-14 and eagled No. 17.
''Yeah, it was a lot of fun playing with Harris,'' Kuchar said. ''I knew he was on some pretty good form and knew I had a good horse for a partner.''
English replaced the injured Brandt Snedeker in the field
''This is a tournament that I've always watched on TV growing up and it seemed like such a great format and such a good competition,'' English said.
English hit a 6-iron shot from 192 yards to 6 feet to set up the eagle.
''When you start hitting some good shots and start getting some momentum, you keep rolling and we did a good job of keeping that momentum going on the back nine and making a bunch of birdies and making eagle on 17,'' English said.
Howell and Leonard birdied the final three holes on the front nine and added birdies at Nos. 10, 12, 13, 17 and 18.
''Today we chose Justin to hit first and that was great for me because he drove it in the fairway every time and I could swing away at it.'' Howell said.
Retief Goosen and Fredik Jacobson shot 67, and Jason Dufner and Dustin Johnson matched Chris DiMarco and Billy Horschel at 68. Tournament host Norman and Jonas Blixt had a 72.
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Golf-Perry, O'Hair strong again at Shootout

Golf-Perry, O'Hair strong again at Shootout

Reuters 
December 13, 2013 6:09 PM
Dec 13 (Reuters) - Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair got off to a strong start in defense of their Franklin Templeton Shootout title by combining for a 64 in a modified alternate-shot format to share the lead on Friday in Naples, Florida.
Joining Champions Tour Player of the Year Perry and O'Hair at eight under par in the charity event at Tiburon Golf Club were the teams of Matt Kuchar-Harris English and Charles Howell III-Justin Leonard.
Perry and O'Hair were three under par over the front nine before running off four birdies in a row from the 13th in a format where both players hit drives and then select the best one and alternate shots the rest of the hole.
Howell and Leonard were level par before posting birdies on the last three holes on the outward nine and also went five-under on the back nine.
Kuchar and English combined to eagle the 17th hole as they surged into a share of the lead.
The 12 teams in the event will play better ball on Saturday and finish with a scramble on Sunday.
The leading three teams were three strokes clear of Retief Goosen of South Africa and Swede Fredik Jacobson, who shot a 67.
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York, Editing by Gene Cherry)
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Perry, O'Hair strong again at Shootout

Perry, O'Hair strong again at Shootout

Reuters 
December 13, 2013 6:18 PM
Fred Couples wins Charles Schwab Cup Championship
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(Reuters) - Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair got off to a strong start in defense of their Franklin Templeton Shootout title by combining for a 64 in a modified alternate-shot format to share the lead on Friday in Naples, Florida.
Joining Champions Tour Player of the Year Perry and O'Hair at eight under par in the charity event at Tiburon Golf Club were the teams of Matt Kuchar-Harris English and Charles Howell III-Justin Leonard.
Perry and O'Hair were three under par over the front nine before running off four birdies in a row from the 13th in a format where both players hit drives and then select the best one and alternate shots the rest of the hole.
Howell and Leonard were level par before posting birdies on the last three holes on the outward nine and also went five-under on the back nine.
Kuchar and English combined to eagle the 17th hole as they surged into a share of the lead.
The 12 teams in the event will play better ball on Saturday and finish with a scramble on Sunday.
The leading three teams were three strokes clear of Retief Goosen of South Africa and Swede Fredik Jacobson, who shot a 67.
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York, Editing by Gene Cherry)
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