Lateral Hazard: Rory McIlroy looking better, but don't expect him to contend at Masters

Lateral Hazard: Rory McIlroy looking better, but don't expect him to contend at Masters











Brian Murphy April 7, 2013 9:58 PMYahoo Sports






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Rory McIlroy had reason to be pleased with his performance at the Texas Open. (AP)



We open Masters week by offering a huge congratulations to Rory McIlroy, winner of the Valero Texas Open, non-Martin Laird division.

If changing his schedule to change his mojo was Rory's goal after an awful start to 2013, consider McIlroy's silver medal in San Antonio a qualified success.

"Success," because it's the first time in a half-dozen starts this year he's even come close enough to the winner's circle to take a picture of it with his smart phone.

And "qualified," because he still hasn't won since switching to the Nike clubs for big money and news conference fireworks.

I know, Laird blistered the field with his Sunday 63, racing from five shots back, and there was nothing McIlroy could do to stop him. I know Laird, the Scotsman who was tied for seventh to start Sunday, used only 22 putts to record his second PGA Tour win, crazy good, unbeatable golf.

But you think Tiger Woods would stand idly by and let someone else blow past him with a Sunday 63? I think not. I submit that if Tiger were playing the Texas Open, Tiger's renewed Aura of Invincibility would have forced Laird to chunk a couple of chips, leave a few putts short, hit some indifferent bunker shots and shoot something around a 71.

[Watch: Rory comes up just short at Texas Open]

Such is Rory's lot. He added the Texas Open to his schedule to find something in the dirt, and sort of did. Except, he didn't win. Now, he will drive down Magnolia Lane this week and into the players' parking lot, where one imagines the first thing he'll see will be Tiger's luxury sedan in Spot 1A. It'll be easy to notice. It'll be the car with gold rims, fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror and the words "I'M BACK, BABY" painted on the back window, like a newlywed couple's script announcing nuptials.

I'm joshing, of course. But only partially. The conventional wisdom is that Rory will be energized by his runner-up finish in Texas, that he finally got some Sunday adrenaline going and felt the rush of competition and will be a factor at the Masters.





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McIlroy finished second to Martin Laird at the Texas Open in San Antonio. (Getty Images)And, sure, McIlroy played his best golf of 2013. A Sunday 66, combined with a 72-67-71 start means he has strung together seven consecutive rounds at par or better.



He says he's "really pleased" with his game, and called it a "great week." He sent out a tweet Sunday night that he thought 66 would be "enough," but called Laird's 63 "special."

"No complaints and Augusta bound!" he tweeted.

He remains unfailingly polite, and uses exclamation points like any new millennium tweeter. And he's made progress since walking off the course at the Honda Classic a month ago – so much progress that he hasn't walked off any courses since.

But even with all those positives, don't look for McIlroy to be a factor at Augusta National, a place where he should, by all rights, start collecting green jackets one day.

He's not ready yet, this fragile, dented 2013 Rory, for the cauldron of a weekend in the cathedral of pines. He's not ready for a bloodthirsty Tiger. He's not ready for swing after swing of pressure-packed golf with those Nike irons he still doesn't fully know or trust on the highest level.

[Related: Tiger Woods still thinks he can win 20 majors]

One runner-up at a Texas Open does not a Masters contender make.

Rory remains a golfer who is healing from significant wounds to his game and psyche from the first three months of this season. It's important and good that he played well at Texas, and he deserves full credit for squeezing in the week to accelerate the process.

But Augusta National comes too soon for Rory's 2013 game. Just ask Martin Laird, who was having an awful 2013 and now has something this year that Rory does not – a win.

It'll stay that way by Sunday night in Butler Cabin.

SCORECARD OF THE WEEK

70-67-67-69 – 15-under 273, Inbee Park, winner, LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship, Mission Hills CC, Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Sometimes, you can get so caught up in Rory and Tiger, you forget there are other fine practitioners of the game's art. Inbee Park would be one of those practitioners.

At age 24, the South Korean native, turned-Las Vegas high schooler, turned-UNLV student, turned-Southern California resident now has two major championships and five career wins – not to mention four wins in her past 16 starts, a Tiger-esque run after her comfortable four-shot win at the LPGA's first major of the year earned her a dive into "Poppie's Pond."

[Related: Watch Greg Chalmers make hole-in-one at Texas Open]

A year ago, the women's game was all Yani Tseng. But Tseng had trouble handling the top spot, and her game has gone sideways. Now, the top player in the game is American Stacy Lewis, and she's got herself a rival in Park, a stoic who seems to have the even temperament to handle the game and its attendant, crushing pressures.

Park closed out her win with the reaction of a young woman finishing up a bucket of balls on the range. No histrionics, no tears; just a player who has major game, and major wins, to boot.

BROADCAST MOMENT OF THE WEEK

"I'll tell you, his confidence has to be coming back, big time. I'll bet Tiger is enjoying this, too. His buddy." – Johnny Miller, NBC, assessing Rory's final-round 66.





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Tiger Woods, right, has enjoyed a competitive rivalry with McIlroy. (AP)Miller has, along with Nick Faldo, been one of the primary critics of McIlroy's switch to Nike this year, frankly saying all year that Rory might need at least a year to adjust.



So what do we make of him acknowledging a surge of confidence for the young Ulsterman?

Mostly, I make of it that he said Tiger is "enjoying" Rory's good play. That's notable for a couple of reasons.

One, it appears Tiger is a different competitor at age 37 than he was at age 27. His friendly rivalry with McIlroy continues to gain traction as legitimate. Tiger is a different dude now. Two, what's also true is: Any positive momentum from Rory will serve to only sharpen Tiger's focus, make him that much more lasered for a fifth green jacket.

[Also: Bubba Watson hopes Tiger Woods gets sick]

In that sense, Miller was spot on. Tiger, playing a practice round Sunday at Augusta National, no doubt saw that Rory is playing better, and that can only fire The Big Cat up.

MULLIGAN OF THE WEEK

Seeing Park win her second major reminds you only how invisible Michelle Wie – only one year younger than Park – has been on the international scene.

As we've noted before in this column, Wie's desire and decision to become a full-time student and graduate from Stanford with a communications degree is hardly fodder for criticism. In many ways, it's a reminder that the full human experience is better than the narrow human experience.

But still, couldn't this prodigiously talented young woman mix in a few more wins than her career total of two, and rank higher in the world than 86th?





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Michelle Wie has two career victories on the LPGA Tour. (AP)Even Annika Sorenstam, about as mild-mannered a star the game has ever seen, told Golf Magazine in a Q-and-A that "the talent we all thought would be there [in Wie] is not there." She added that Wie "jumped in too deep" by playing men's events as a teenager, and we're all seeing the negative effects.



There's not a soul in the golf world who would argue with what Sorenstam said, but predictably, in today's uber-sensitive world, Annika issued an apology to Wie last week. Just, because, you know, that's what people do these days.

In fact, I'm sorry to all you readers. For what, I'm not sure. But I am sorry.

Meanwhile, there was Wie at the LPGA Kraft Nabisco, entering the event with precious little momentum. In five LPGA starts this year, Wie had three missed cuts, a tie for 45th and a 45th. She'd earned a little more than $6,000 this year. And then, more uninspired golf: 72-70-73-73 and a tie for 41st at Rancho Mirage.

Maybe most frustrating is Wie's continued putting woes. Always a poor putter, she's taken to desperate measures.

[Also: European Tour golfer hits shot — without any pants]

If you watched the Kraft Nabisco, you saw that Wie has unveiled a new putting stance. She addresses the ball and then bends at the waist to a 90-degree angle, as if she's lost a contact lens and is scouring the bentgrass for it, or as if she threw out her back and is dire need of a on-green chiropractor, stat.

Even Ian Poulter tweeted that he couldn't bear to watch Wie's putting stance, calling for her instructor to have his or head "tested."

On Saturday, using that Mr. Magoo-just-lost-a-coin stance, The Big Wiesy had a 12-inch putt for bogey on the 11th hole. She ran it past the hole. Yikes.

So let's go back out to that green at Rancho Mirage, remind Wie that none of the great golfers in history have ever assumed such a putting stance, stand her up a little bit and … give that young woman a mulligan!

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Cue the tinkling piano and strumming guitar, golf fans. No, you have not been put on hold after phoning a mortuary. You are hearing the CBS theme for the Masters, and you will love every note of it.

I'd even say "Hello, friends" to each of you, but I don't want my pal Jim Nantz to sue me for breach of intellectual property.

You will be deluged with delicious Masters hype on this web site all week, so let me just get out of your way and leave you with my five most likely winners, in ascending order: 5. Brandt Snedeker; 4. Matt Kuchar; 3. Phil Mickelson; 2. Justin Rose and …No. 1 …

What, like you've got to ask? He's back, baby.

A Lesson Learned: Relaxed Rhythm the Key to Park Win

A Lesson Learned: Relaxed Rhythm the Key to Park Win











Suzy Whaley April 8, 2013 12:12 AM


If you were looking for model golf swings to teach to a new player, Inbee Park's would not immediately jump to the top of your list. Not that the new Kraft Nabisco Champion has swing flaws; it's just with her slightly closed clubface and steep plane, it is a swing that requires good timing and a steady base -- perfect for Inbee, but not for everyone.


Her putting stroke is a different matter.

Inbee won her second major by being No. 1 in putting for the week, which didn't surprise anyone who follows women's golf. She has averaged 28 putts per round for two years, so when he hits a lot of greens in regulation, as she did at Mission Hills, she is hard to beat.

Her putting stroke is a thing of beauty, as rhythmic as rushing water and consistent in every circumstance. As a result, she drained one putt after another in the desert, capturing her second major with what appeared to be relative ease.

The key to Inbee's stroke is the total lack of tension in her arms and shoulders. If you were to walk up and grab her putter at address you could pull it out of her hands because of how loosely she holds it.

Grip pressure is a tricky subject, because you need enough to control the putter face. But too much pressure leads to tension, which impedes your ability to make a free, rhythmic stroke. Being in a tense situation exacerbates the problem. Whether it's a woman playing in her first nine-hole ladies' day event, or a leader teeing off in the final round of a major championship, the heart races, the breath quickens and tension increases, starting in your hands and running throughout your body.

That tension shows up in all parts of your game, but especially in putting. It's why you often see tournament leaders struggle to hit putts the right speed. Inbee didn't have that problem. Even the putts that didn't go in looked good. She had command of the speed, and most cases the line. When she missed, she left herself tap-ins.

You can achieve that same consistency, but only if you rid yourself of tension in your arms and shoulders. One trick to get you there is to take long, deep breaths as you line up your putts. You should count slowly to five as you inhale and then again to five as you exhale. You will feel the tension melt. As a result, you will make better putts and become more consistent on the greens.

Suzy Whaley is the PGA teaching professional at the TPC of River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn

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Course Souce: Grayhawk Golf Club, Wailea Golf Resort

Course Souce: Grayhawk Golf Club, Wailea Golf Resort










Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange April 8, 2013 2:20 AMThe SportsXchange


IN THE PUBLIC EYE: Grayhawk Golf Club -- The Talon Course, in North Scottsdale, Ariz.


THE LAYOUT: Phil Mickelson has enjoyed a long relationship with Grayhawk dating to the opening of the facility in 1988, and Mickelson still carries a Grayhawk logo on his bag.

Lefty is friends developer Gregg Tryhus and there are pictures of Mickelson's career highlights throughout the clubhouse and "Phil's Grill," the restaurant looking out at the Raptor course, is named in his honor.

It stands to reason Mickelson would only associate himself with a top-tier golfing experience, and Grayhawk offers two of the best tracks in the Phoenix area.

And Tiger Woods chose the Raptor Course for the inaugural version of his World Challenge won by Tom Lehman in 1999, before moving it to Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

We had the opportunity to play Talon, designed by former U.S. Open and PGA champion David Graham, which is and regularly ranked among the top 100 public courses in the country.

While most of Grayhawk's bigger events are now held on the Raptor course, Talon is steep with its own tradition. It once played host to the semifinals and finals of the Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf, now known as the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Talon can be stretched out to 6,973 yards (73.3/146) from the tips, and is still a very challenging test from the green "Palo Verde" tees (6,391/70.8/134). There are five sets of tee boxes in all, down to the "Heather" (5,143/70.1/126). You'll notice from the rankings that Talon is challenging, but it's a fun test and very playable for most anyone.

Graham and course architect Gary Panks designed the course to place a premium on driving the ball accurately. Most fairways are lined with swaths of bush-ridden desert on both sides, and while water rarely comes into play, almost every green is protected by multiple bunkers and features a tiered putting surface.

Talon weaves its way through the property with beautiful views of the McDowell Mountains while blending into its natural surroundings. Nothing about Grayhawk feels forced; it's extremely well maintained, but it's not a resort-style course, which many golfers will appreciate.

Miss left or right off the tee and you'll find trouble. The areas surrounding the large putting surfaces are generous, but bunkers come into play around 15 of 18 greens.

GENERAL MANAGER: Joe Shershenovich.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Two pre-round thoughts to keep in mind: the fairways are wider than they appear, and don't be fooled by the massive greens.

Talon is certainly a course you'll score better on the first time around if you play with someone familiar with the layout. From the opening tee shot, fairways often look significantly smaller than they are, and local knowledge keys you into which side they open up on.

The 385-yard Par-4 first hole isn't long from the green tees, but it gives a good feel for the experience at Talon. There's more landing area to the right than it appears off the tee box, but an accurate drive leaves a short iron in to a big green. It's a common theme, with six par-4s under 400 yards but featuring tight landing views from the box.

Sixteen of 18 greens are at least 34 feet deep, and nearly all feature multiple tiers. So while the landing surfaces are very large, they're also deceptive because three-putts are commonplace without solid approach shots. Pay attention to the pin locations and avoid the mindset of simply attempting to hit the putting surface.

One of the highlights of the front nine is the 465-yard, par-5 third hole. It features a strong dogleg left and is reachable in two with a well-placed drive down the left-hand side. The green is 34-feet deep, but is also elevated and protected by deep bunkers on the front right that you want no part of.

The par-3 eighth hole is a ball-striking test. There are no bunkers to contend with and plenty of room to miss the green, but at 189 yards it requires a well-hit long iron or hybrid club to avoid a testy up-and-down for par.

The front nine closes with another excellent par-5 that runs 507 yards. The green is protected by a deep bunker stretching from the front right all the way around behind the back right side.

Talon's back nine was built around several deep box canyons that provide some unique layouts and a bit of a different flair from the front nine.

The par-4 13th hole is appropriately named "Heaven or Hell." At 277 yards it is drivable, although the wind often is in your face off the tee. It requires a 235-yard carry over a canyon and is 250 to the front edge of the green. Miss short right and you're in the hazard. Miss left and there are five bunkers protecting the three-tiered green. The landing area is small, but the potential reward is an eagle putt.

Take in the Mesquite, Palo Verde and Ironwood trees that line the course as you traverse through the inward nine.

Water only comes into real play on one hole, but there is 360 degrees of it.

The par-3 17th is a pretty island green. At 114 yards from the green tees it's a short iron to a green that is 32-feet deep, so the danger is minimal as long as you don't let the vision of carrying the water -- and stopping your ball before it rolls in on the back side -- paralyze your brain.

The par-5 18th is an excellent closing hole. Playing 552 from the green tees with a dogleg right protected by a string of reachable bunkers, it's not a two-shot hole for most. The fairway is undulating, creating many uneven stances for your approach shot. But the green is 36 feet deep and inviting for a closing birdie.

After the round, grab a pint at Phil's Grill, or the new Italian restaurant, Isabella's Kitchen, which has a big patio facing out to the 10th tee box and the 18th green.

OTHER COURSES IN THE AREA: It's hard to go wrong in the Phoenix area, and there are more courses than even the locals have time to get tired of.

Many of the top facilities feature two courses worthy of lining up a 36-hole day for, including Troon (Pinnacle, Monument) and TPC (Stadium, Champions) in Scottsdale, We-Ko-Pa (Cholla and Saguaro) in Fort McDowell and the Boulders (North, South) in Carefree.

Talking Stick, owned by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, is another Troon establishment with a pair of consistently top-ranked tracks.

WHERE TO STAY: There are a number of rentals available in the Grayhawk community and www.vrbo.com is an excellent resource to see what is available during your stay.

For those seeking a quality hotel or resort, the Four Seasons in the Pinnacle Peak area is only a few miles north and around more excellent golf courses. Ten minutes to the south, the Fairmont Scottsdale Princes and the Sheraton Desert Oasis are walking distance to TPC Scottsdale, along with the Hilton Garden Inn and Zona Resort Suites.

There is also a wealth of more budget-friendly options centrally located for avid golfers, including two Residence Inns and a Marriott Courtyard in the North Scottsdale area.

On the web: http://grayhawkgolf.com.

--Grayhawk Golf Club report By Derek Harper, The Sports Xchange



THE LAST RESORT: Wailea Golf Resort, Wailea, Maui, Hawaii.

THE LAYOUT: With three distinctly different championship courses, Wailea offers the vacationing golfer all he or she could ask for.

The Gold Course (par 72, 7,078 yards), was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 1993; the Emerald Course (par 72, 6,825) also was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 1994; the Old Blue Course (par 72, 6,758 yards), was designed by Arthur Jack Snyder and opened in 1972.

Located on the lower slopes of 10,023-foot Mt. Haleakala, a dormant volcano known as "The House of the Sun," Wailea offers panoramic vistas of the Pacific Ocean and the neighbor islands of Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe.

The courses wander through stark lava rock outcroppings, indigenous Hawaiian grasses, kiawe (mesquite) trees and remnants of papohaku, prehistoric lava rock walls built by early Hawaiians and preserved for their historic value.

It is important to choose the correct club because of the elevation changes on some holes.

HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Rusty Hathaway.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Test your game on the Gold Course, where the Champions Skins Game was from 2001 through 2007.

Most intriguing hole on the Gold is the par-4 sixth, which is only 297 yards from the back tee, but the green is guarded by a massive bunker complex that contains almost as much sand as nearby Wailea Beach.

Signature hole is No. 8, a 218-yard downhill par 3 which offers breathtaking views of Molokini, an ancient volcano crater that is partly submerged in the ocean, and the island of Lanai across the water.

The Blue Course, which features a number of fountains and lakes, once hosted the LPGA Tour's Kemper Open. Best hole on the course might be the 562-yard, par-5 fourth, which plays uphill from the tee and then downhill to the green.

The second hole on the Blue is a 207-yard par 3, on which the shot from an elevated tee is all carry across a lake to a green that also is guarded by several bunkers.

The Emerald Course is annually listed as one of Golf for Women magazine's most women-friendly courses. The Emerald contains a reminder of golf in the United Kingdom with a large double green that is shared by the 10th and 17th holes. The green borders a 2.7 million gallon brackish water lake and is one of the most picturesque spots on the course.

The finishing hole on the Emerald is a 553-yard par 5, with wide landing areas for the first two shots, which should leave a short iron to the green. Be sure to say below the hole for the best chance to finish with a birdie.

OTHER COURSES IN THE AREA: Makena Golf Club is only a few minutes drive from Wailea. Silversword Golf Course in Kihei, Sandalwood Golf Course in Waipaku, Pukalani Golf Course in Pukalani, Maui Country Club in Sprecklesville, the Dunes at Mani Lani in Kahului are not far away on the South end of Maui.

In West Maui are the Kapaula Resort, with the famed Plantation Course in addition to the Bay Course, and the Kaanapali Resort, which features the North and South courses.

WHERE TO STAY: The Grand Wailea Resort is a favorite of Michael Jordan and other celebrities. Also in the Wailea Resort area are the Four Seasons Resort, the Wailea Marriott, the Fairmont Kea Lani Maui Resort and Renaissance Wailea Beach. Nearby is the Maui Prince Hotel, where the Makena Golf Club is on the property.