Golf-Woods in ‘competitive shape’ after Masters practice round (Reuters)
March 31, 2011
MIAMI, March 31 (Reuters) – Tiger Woods described himselfas in “competitive shape” for next week’s U.S. Masters afterplaying a practice round at a rain-sodden Augusta National GolfClub earlier this week.
The American world number five, a four-times champion atAugusta National, was surprised by how long the par-72 layoutplayed and noticed subtle changes on the greens at the 11th and17th.
“It was 40 degrees (4.44 degrees Celsius) and the coursewas soaked after three inches of rain the night before,” Woodssaid on his official website (http://web.tigerwoods.com).
“It’s the most grass I’ve ever seen on the golf course. Ifthey use the back tees, they could make it play really long.”
Woods, a 14-times major champion, has not triumphedanywhere since the 2009 Australian Masters but has beenencouraged by his improving form since the start of this year.
“I’m in much more competitive shape, no doubt,” said the35-year-old, who played his Masters practice round this weekwith his good friend Arjun Atwal of India. “I’ve got a goodfeel for what I’m doing and have more rounds under my belt.”
Woods’s game suffered as he tried unsuccessfully to repairhis deteriorating marriage last year while spending less timeat practice than usual.
His divorce from his Swedish wife, Elin Nordegren, wasfinalised in August, and that same month he embarked on thefourth swing change of his professional career, with Canadiancoach Sean Foley.
“Early in the year was disappointing because the conditionsshowed some signs of weakness that I had to work on,” Woodssaid after tying for 24th at last week’s Arnold PalmerInvitational. “Now, it’s feeling very, very good.”
Woods, who won the most recent of his four Masters titlesin 2005, said he noticed several changes to Augusta National,most notably a re-contouring of the 11th and 17th greens.
For the rest of this week, he will complete his Masterspreparations in Albany in the Bahamas because of rainyconditions forecast in Orlando where he lives.
The 75th Masters will be played from April 7-10. (Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Rancho Mirage, California;Editing by Frank Pingue; To query or comment on this storyemail sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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Hunter, Mathis help Angels top Royals
March 31, 2011
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Torii Hunter(notes) and Jeff Mathis(notes) homered, helping JeredWeaver(notes) and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 Thursday in achilly season opener.
Weaver allowed two harmless singles to Melky Cabrera(notes) over 6 1-3 innings,improving to 3-0 in his last four starts against Kansas City. The 2010 majorleague strikeout leader fanned six and walked two as the Angels won their openerfor the seventh time in the last eight years.
KANSAS CITY, MO – MARCH 31: P… Getty Images – Mar 31, 7:36 pm EDT Los Angeles Angels ' Jeff … AP – Mar 31, 7:17 pm EDT
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}}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init(); Series at a Glance LA Angels 4 Kansas City 2 Thu, Mar 31 – Final LA Angels at Kansas City Fri, Apr 1 – 8:10 pm ET LA Angels at Kansas City Sat, Apr 2 – 1:10 pm ET
Hunter and Mathis, on his 28th birthday, hit solo shots off Luke Hochevar(notes),who pitched 5 2-3 innings and gave up four runs in his first opening-day start.
Kansas City had a chance to go in front in the eighth and ninth, but theAngels got out of it both times.
Mike Aviles’(notes) leadoff drive off Kevin Jepsen(notes) trimmed Los Angeles’ lead to 4-2in the eighth. The Royals went on to load the bases on three walks, but MichaelKohn(notes), the Angels’ fifth pitcher, struck out Jeff Francoeur(notes) and retired AlcidesEscobar(notes) on a fly ball to end the inning.
With runners at the corners and two out in the ninth, Alex Gordon(notes) barelymissed a home run before Fernando Rodney(notes) struck him out for the save. Gordon was0 for 5 with three strikeouts and left five runners.
Weaver (1-0) had faced the minimum until Cabrera flared a single into leftwith one out in the fourth. The right-hander, the Angels’ pitcher of the yearthe past two seasons, then retired six of the next seven, allowing only onewalk, before Cabrera singled up the middle with two out in the sixth.
Hunter, on a 3-2 pitch, cranked a 446-foot shot over the center-field fenceleading off the fourth. It was his 27th homer against the Royals, the most he’shit off any club. Vernon Wells(notes) and Erick Aybar(notes) followed with back-to-backdoubles.
The Royals committed three errors. After Mathis homered in the sixth, PeterBourjos(notes) bunted and wound up at third on throwing errors by Hochevar and secondbaseman Chris Getz(notes). Maicer Izturis(notes) ended up driving him in with a single.
Hisanori Takahashi(notes) replaced Weaver and allowed Francoeur’s two-out drive inthe seventh.
Third baseman Aviles was booed when he ran toward the left-field dugoutchasing a high pop off the bat of Bobby Abreu(notes) but let it fall in. It was calleda no-play, but boos echoed again when Abreu then singled with two out in thefifth. But Aviles made a nice play on Wells’ grounder to end the inning.
Hochevar (0-1) also allowed nine hits, struck out five and walked none. Oneof the runs on his line was unearned.
NOTES: Royals relievers have switched sides. Since Kauffman Stadium openedin 1973, the home team bullpen had always been behind right field, the visitors’behind left. But now they’ve switched, giving KC dugout a better view of what’shappening in their pen. … Mike Sweeney(notes), who signed a one-day contract thismonth and retired as a Royal, threw out the first pitch. … The Royals calledit a sellout but there were quite a few unoccupied seats scattered aroundKauffman Stadium. … The Angels improved to 1-3 in March games.
Wall suspended, 2 Heat players fined
March 31, 2011
NEW YORK (AP)—Wizards rookie John Wall(notes) has been suspended one game withoutpay and two Miami Heat players were fined for their actions in Wednesday night’sgame at Washington.
NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Stu Jackson announcedthe penalties Thursday in a statement.
In addition to Wall’s suspension, Heat forward Juwan Howard(notes) was handed a$35,000 fine and teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) was fined $25,000 following ascuffle in the second quarter of the Heat’s 123-107 win over the Wizards.
Wall was playing tight defense on Ilgauskas, who while protecting the ballappeared to elbow Wall in the face at least once. Wall then swung his right handat Ilgauskas.
“Got hit by the elbow and reacted to it. Disappointed in the way I reacted.I let my teammates down, let the organization down,” Wall said. “It was twoelbows. I got hit with the first one; I stopped and waited. And the second one,I got hit, and I just reacted.”
Wizards center JaVale McGee(notes) tried to separate the two and was pushed byHoward. Wall and Ilgauskas each received a flagrant foul-2 and were ejected.Howard was called for a technical and ejected for escalation.
“Ilgauskas tried to punk (Wall), hit him in the face with his elbow,”McGee said. “Obviously, (Wall) wasn’t going for it. … I went over there tobreak it up, and Juwan Howard tried to come over and blind-side, push me, orwhatever.”
Wall high-fived fans as he walked from the court to the home locker room,ejected for the second time from an NBA game. It also happened Feb. 4, when hewas called for two technicals in a loss to the Orlando Magic. He will serve hissuspension Friday at home against Cleveland.
Howard, who used to play for Washington, also was involved in a flare-upbetween the Wizards and Heat in November. In that game, Washington’s HiltonArmstrong(notes) flagrantly fouled Miami’s Joel Anthony(notes). Howard then pushed Armstrongin the back, and they both were ejected.
Wall suspended, Howard, Ilgauskas fined
March 31, 2011
NEW YORK (AP)—Wizards rookie John Wall(notes) has been suspended one game withoutpay and two Miami Heat players were fined for their actions in Wednesday night’sgame at Washington.
NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Stu Jackson announcedthe penalties Thursday in a statement.
In addition to Wall’s suspension, Heat forward Juwan Howard(notes) was handed a$35,000 fine and teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) was fined $25,000 following ascuffle in the second quarter of the Heat’s 123-107 win over the Wizards.
Wall was playing tight defense on Ilgauskas, who while protecting the ballappeared to elbow Wall in the face at least once. Wall then swung his right handat Ilgauskas.
“Got hit by the elbow and reacted to it. Disappointed in the way I reacted.I let my teammates down, let the organization down,” Wall said. “It was twoelbows. I got hit with the first one; I stopped and waited. And the second one,I got hit, and I just reacted.”
Wizards center JaVale McGee(notes) tried to separate the two and was pushed byHoward. Wall and Ilgauskas each received a flagrant foul-2 and were ejected.Howard was called for a technical and ejected for escalation.
“Ilgauskas tried to punk (Wall), hit him in the face with his elbow,”McGee said. “Obviously, (Wall) wasn’t going for it. … I went over there tobreak it up, and Juwan Howard tried to come over and blind-side, push me, orwhatever.”
Wall high-fived fans as he walked from the court to the home locker room,ejected for the second time from an NBA game. It also happened Feb. 4, when hewas called for two technicals in a loss to the Orlando Magic. He will serve hissuspension Friday at home against Cleveland.
Howard, who used to play for Washington, also was involved in a flare-upbetween the Wizards and Heat in November. In that game, Washington’s HiltonArmstrong(notes) flagrantly fouled Miami’s Joel Anthony(notes). Howard then pushed Armstrongin the back, and they both were ejected.
Okla. St. Williams may face new charge
March 31, 2011
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP)—A judge is deciding whether Oklahoma Statebasketball player Darrell (duh-RELL’) Williams should stand trial on felonycharges that allege he inappropriately touched two women without their consent.
During a full day of testimony Thursday, the two female students saidWilliams reached into their pants against their will at a December party.
The 21-year-old Williams is charged with one count of sexual battery andthree counts of rape by instrumentation. He’s pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors are asking the judge to add another count of rape byinstrumentation, along with sexual battery and kidnapping.
Judge Michael Stano says a ruling won’t come until Monday, because he needsto review whether to allow the defense to call witnesses.
Plaintiff Miller to attend NFL draft
March 31, 2011
NEW YORK (AP)—All-American linebacker Von Miller will attend the NFL drafteven though he’s a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the league to stop thelockout.
The Texas A&M player says Thursday he will be at Radio City Music Hall andis looking forward to being a part of the festivities. He also is part of the10-player antitrust suit filed against the NFL on March 11 in a Minnesota court.Miller is the only collegian among the plaintiffs, who also include Tom Brady(notes),Peyton Manning(notes) and Drew Brees(notes).
Miller’s agent, Joby Branion, works for Athletes First, a representationcompany in Irvine, Calif., where one of the agents is Andrew Kessler, the son ofJeffrey Kessler. The elder Kessler has been an outside counsel for the NFLPlayers Association for years.
Kentucky gets shot at revenge vs. UConn
March 31, 2011
HOUSTON (AP)—Brandon Knight can run through the list of Kentucky’s issuesover the winter as easily as the straight-A student can rip through an exam.
Missed shots, inexperience and untimely defensive lapses—all valid reasonswhy the Wildcats found themselves wobbling through the regular season collectingnearly as many losses (eight) as coach John Calipari’s previous three teamscombined (nine).
True enough. Yet the candid point guard says Kentucky’s biggest problem—beyond a freshman-laden squad trying to live up to expectations—was ego.
As in, too much of it.
“At the beginning we weren’t as good as we thought we were,” he said.
The defeats piled up, yet Calipari didn’t panic even as he threw aroundphrases such as “crisis mode.” He remained convinced Kentucky would grow up,even if it took longer than he anticipated.
Calipari insisted that all that mattered was the postseason. If the Wildcatsdumped the selfishness and focused on something other than the numbers next totheir name in the box score, he promised them they’d get another shot at theteams that handled them earlier in the year.
Calipari was right.
Now the once dysfunctional group has been dubbed “The Redeem Team” for itsability to exact revenge.
Kentucky has avenged six of its eight defeats this season and will get achance at a seventh on Saturday when the Wildcats (29-8) play Connecticut (30-9)in the Final Four.
The Huskies whipped Kentucky 84-67 in the finals of the Maui Invitational aday before Thanksgiving.
Back then, UConn was considered a middle-of-the-pack Big East team andWalker a role player not expected to become one of the country’s top scorers.The Huskies dispatched both assumptions in 40 dominating minutes.
“I think we underestimated them and didn’t play hard,” Kentucky centerJosh Harrellson said.
It certainly looked at way as the Huskies thrashed Kentucky while handingCalipari his worst loss in four years. Playing their fourth game in six days,the Wildcats shot just 37 percent and looked helpless as Walker went off for 29points.
“He killed us,” said Kentucky guard DeAndre Liggins, who served as theprimary defender on Walker.
It was a jarring reality check for a team that expected the incomingfreshman trio of Knight, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb to pick up where JohnWall, DeMarcus Cousins and company left off last spring.
Calipari had no illusions. He spent last summer telling anyone withinearshot the Wildcats would lose early.
He never said anything about losing late.
And the Wildcats haven’t.
Kentucky has won 10 straight entering the 14th Final Four in school history,with five of those wins coming against teams that beat the Wildcats earlier inthe year.
The run started with a 76-68 win over Florida on February 26. Get even winsover Vanderbilt, Mississippi and Alabama followed.
The Wildcats were just getting started. They ripped the Gators again in theSEC title game and evened another score by knocking off West Virginia in thethird round of the NCAAs to send the team that ended Kentucky’s run last springhome early.
Then came graduation, a 76-69 win over North Carolina in the regional finallast Sunday, a victory that showcased how far the Wildcats had come in themonths since the Tar Heels edged them by a bucket in Chapel Hill on Dec. 4.
Kentucky took control early then dug in when North Carolina tied at 67 with3:18 to go. Knight drilled a 3-pointer, and Liggins added one for good measureas the Wildcats pulled away in the final minute.
It’s a game the Wildcats admit they would have lost in the regular season,when seven of their eight defeats were by an average of 3.1 points.
The rematches have been blowouts by comparison. Only Vanderbilt came withina possession of pulling off the sweep. No other team came within six points ofbeating the Kentucky a second time.
A victory over the Huskies would bring the Wildcats full circle, and UConnisn’t reading to much into what happened in the tiny gym tucked among the palmtrees in Maui.
“They are an extremely different team now,” Walker said. “They’re playingtheir best basketball of the year.”
The secret, the players say, is that there is no secret.
Calipari, never one to pore over hours of tape, didn’t change the way heprepared the Wildcats to play, and the stats don’t point to any one area whereKentucky has greatly improved.
Though the players insist they are a better defensive team than they were inJanuary, Jones points to a trust level between teammates that didn’t exist whenUConn steamrolled them in paradise as the difference.
Back then, Jones could sense a lack of confidence on the floor in criticalsituations. It led to some players taking on too much responsibility, withsometimes disastrous results.
“Now there’s a lot more balance,” he said.
And one more shot at payback.
Wyoming brings back Shyatt as coach
March 31, 2011
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP)—Wyoming dipped into the past Thursday and hired backLarry Shyatt, an associate head coach at Florida, as the Cowboys’ headbasketball coach.
Shyatt, 59, has agreed to a five-year contract and replaces Heath Schroyer,who was fired in February. Shyatt previously coached Wyoming during the 1997-98season, when he led the team to a 19-9 record.
He spent seven years at Florida and helped the Gators win the 2006 and 2007NCAA championships plus three Southeastern Conference tournaments.
“We are thrilled to bring Larry back,” Wyoming athletic director TomBurman said. “One of the things that impressed our committee in our interviewwith Larry was how bad he wanted to be back at Wyoming.”
Shyatt said Wyoming was one of the few schools he would have consideredleaving Florida to coach.
“I’m excited about the commitment of the administration and the passionatefan base I remember at Wyoming,” he said. “I can’t wait to meet, work with anddevelop a great relationship with the current team.”
Shyatt has spent 35 years as a college coach. He was associate head coach atClemson before Wyoming hired him the first time. After his year at Wyoming,Shyatt returned to Clemson to be head coach there for five seasons.
He also has coached at Providence College, Utah and New Mexico.
Shyatt heads back to Laramie to try to revive a program in the dumps.Wyoming finished 10-21 and just 3-13 in the Mountain West Conference thisseason.
Over three and a half years under Schroyer, the Pokes were 49-68 with theironly winning season coming in 2008-09. Burman said he fired Schroyer before theseason was up rather than continue to “walk around on eggshells” on thesubject.
Shyatt gave Wyoming a boost during his last stint in Cowboy country. Wyominghad finished 12-16 the year before he arrived.
“The experience my wife Pam and I had in Laramie, and the many people wemet in the state, has always been among our fondest memories in over 30 years ofcoaching,” Shyatt said.
Shyatt will be in Laramie next week but hasn’t visited Wyoming lately.
His base pay will be $190,000 a year, up from $160,000 for Schroyer. He canearn as much as $645,000 a year with incentives.
A-Rod nearly earns more than Royals
March 31, 2011
The Kansas City Royals are barely making more than Alex Rodriguez(notes) this year.
The salaries for Kansas City’s 27 players on its opening-day roster anddisabled lists total $36.1 million, according to an analysis of major leaguecontracts by The Associated Press.
A-Rod alone makes $32 million atop the New York Yankees’ $201.7 millionpayroll. He is baseball’s highest-paid player for the 11th straight year.
Overall, baseball salaries were nearly flat for this season, which startedThursday. The average salary for the 844 players on opening-day rosters anddisabled lists was about $3.3 million, up just 0.2 percent from last year. Theincrease was the lowest since a 2.7 percent drop in 2004.
Kansas City’s payroll was cut in half from $72.3 million at the start of2010. The Royals traded Zack Greinke(notes), and Gil Meche(notes) retired.
“I’m not worried that it’s too low,” Royals general manager Dayton Mooresaid. “I look at it as something that gives us tremendous flexibility goingforward as an organization to be competitive as we negotiate for players.”
The Yankees, as usual, had the top payroll but dropped to $201.7 millionfrom $206.3 million at the start of last season.
Philadelphia, once considered a small-market team, was second at $173million following the offseason signing of Cliff Lee(notes). The Phillies began lastyear fourth at $141.9 million but have been given a financial boost by 123consecutive home sellouts during the regular season.
“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have the fans supporting us the way theysupported us,” GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “It’s really plain and simple: Wedon’t sell out games, we don’t give ourselves a chance to be even in thisstratosphere.”
Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira(notes) isn’t bothered by competition at the topof the spending list.
“It’s great for baseball anytime you get teams willing to go out there andimprove their team,” he said. “It’s great for baseball.”
Boston is third on the salary list at $161.4 million, followed by the LosAngeles Angels ($139 million), the Chicago White Sox ($129.3 million), theChicago Cubs ($125.5 million) and the New York Mets ($120 million). The totalsdon’t include salaries owed released players—Carlos Silva(notes) ($11.5 million forthe Cubs) and Oliver Perez(notes) ($12 million) and Luis Castillo(notes) ($6.25 million forthe Mets).
The World Series champion San Francisco Giants are eighth at $118.2 million,up from $97.8 million. The AL champion Texas Rangers rose to 13th at $92.3million from $55.3 million.
“Obviously I don’t make the financial decisions, but as a manager youcertainly appreciate how ownership stepped up and kept the team intact after aspecial year to try to give us a chance to do this again,” Giants manager BruceBochy said. “I’ve been on the other end and seen clubs dismantled. It’sfrustrating.”
Tampa Bay, the 2008 AL champion, dropped from 21st at $71.9 million to 29that $41.9 million, after shedding Carl Crawford(notes), Carlos Pena, Matt Garza(notes) andRafael Soriano(notes). Cleveland fell from $61.2 million to $49.2 million.
Pittsburgh’s payroll went up from a major league-low $35 million to 27th at$46 million. San Diego’s increased from $37.8 million to $45.9 million.
There were 453 players—nearly 54 percent of those in the major leagues onThursday—making $1 million or more. That was up from 433 at the start of lastseason.
Fifty-five players make the $414,000 minimum, up from 41 at the minimum lastyear. The median salary, the point at which at equal numbers are above andbelow, remained at $1.1 million, down from a record $1,125,000 in 2009.
Behind A-Rod on the list of top-earning players was the Los Angeles Angels’Vernon Wells(notes) at $26.6 million, followed by Yankees teammates CC Sabathia(notes) ($24.3million) and Teixeira ($23.1 million), then Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer(notes) ($23million) and injured Mets pitcher Joan Santana ($21.6 million). Figures includesalaries and prorated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income. Forsome players, parts of deferred signing bonuses and salaries are discounted toreflect present-day values.
AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley, and AP Sports Writers Rob Maaddi, HowieRumberg and Doug Tucker contributed to this report.
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Tour Report: Walker first to hit 8 under (PGATOUR.com)
March 31, 2011
Leave it to native Texan Jimmy Walker to clean up around the Redstone Course. The 32-year-old — winless in 119 starts — just birdied the par-4 sixth — his 15th hole of the day — to get to 8 under.
Walker has already had a big year. He was fourth in both the Northern Trust Open and the Sony Open, and he tied for ninth in the T&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am after shooting 63 in the third round.
Featured Group wraps up round
Phil Mickelson didn’t have his A-game on Thursday at Redstone, but he still found a way to score on some of the toughest holes on the course.
Westwood
Mickelson birdied the par-4, 489-yard 17th after a 316-yard drive, followed by a stuck approach to two feet. He then bunkered his approach on the par-4 18th, but ran in an eight-footer for par.
Lee Westwood had a far more consistent day. The world No. 3 birdied the 18th to polish off a 68 that was easily his best all-around day on the PGA TOUR in 2011. The third member of the group, defending champion Anthony Kim, hit only four fairways but still managed a 72.
Stay tuned for much more later tonight on this group.
SHOT TRACKER: Replay the Featured Group’s day on Thursday
Appleby’s rough adventure
Stuart Appleby has won the Shell Houston Open twice (1999, 2006) but he will be fighting to make the cut after carding a nine on the par-4 fifth.
Appleby smacked his first two tee shots into the water left of the fairway on the 480-yard hole. It’s easy to do — the yardage dares players to cut the corner — but two of Appleby’s drives landed in the lake.
Appleby, hitting five, found the fairway with his fifth shot and eventually holed out for a nine, dropping him to near the bottom of the leaderboard.
Teater catches O’Hern
Second-year PGA TOUR player Josh Teater, who has made only four cuts in 10 tries this year, is on fire at Redstone: He’s birdied two of his last three holes to get to 7 under through 15.
With one more birdie, Teater would break his career low round, set last year at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (Round 4) and Wyndham Championship (Round 4).
Huge weekend looms for VCU’s Rollins
Greenwood/Getty ImagesJohn Rollins screamed himself hoarse when his alma mater beat Kansas last weekend.
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
HUMBLE, Texas — Yes, John Rollins has tickets. He’s going to the semifinals, but, no, he doesn’t know what he’ll do if he makes the Masters field and Virginia Commonwealth makes the NCAA finals.
And finally? He’s as surprised as anyone about the Rams. Didn’t even pick them in his own bracket.
"What does that tell you?" Rollins said. " You know, I mean, like you say, on Selection Sunday, you kind of understand where everybody came from, but, at the same time, you know, they’ve played great basketball. They beat quality teams and beat them easily.
"So, you know, you can argue until you’re blue in the face both sides of the coin. I’m glad they got picked. The guys were excited. They weren’t even watching the show from what I heard. They were all doing their own thing. Now they were getting text messages and phone calls, what’s going on?
"You know, I think they’ve really used I think the negative comments to their advantage. They really used to it inspire them and really get them motivated to play."
They’ve also inspired Rollins, who, like so many other players in this field – 112 of the 144 to be exact – who need to win the Shell Houston Open to get one final invitation to the Masters. He’s off to a good start after an opening 5-under 67 at Redstone.
"I actually said that at the game against Kansas on Sunday, my caddy (Heath Holt) came and met me down there," Rollins said. "We’re watching the game, and I was hoarse for like a day and a half after the game from all the screaming. This could be exactly what I needed for my golf game. I’m sitting here watching my school, they’re beating Kansas, one of the best programs in the country and they beat them pretty easily.
"And I’m like this is — this could be something that I need to kind of get a little bit of spark under me to get me going and, you know, just kind of maybe wake me up or whatever. To be in the same town is pretty ironic, pretty cool to do that for me to be able to play and them to play.
"So, you know, I’d like to be able to double-dip this week."
Rollins’ best finish at the Masters was a T20 in 2007. But even a really solid week here would be a boost for the VCU alum (class of ’97, Communications), who may have some of the Rams basketball fans following him Friday.
He’s made just three cuts in eight events this year, but things could be changing after some hard work with coach Pat O’Brien. Specifically, they’re trying to free up his putting stroke.
"I’ve always been sort of a I guess you would call it a hitter of putts, not really a smooth, like a Steve Stricker style, real smooth and rhythmic stroke like he’s got," Rollins said. "We’ve really been working trying to get more into that mindset, trying to see the ball, you know, maybe rolling on the greens better, rolling in the hole kind of on a dying — dying balls into the hole rather than being so aggressive like I’ve been in the past.
"It’s been a little difficult. You know, we’ve done okay at times, but the consistency hasn’t been there. I’ve devoted more time to it since it’s been killing me over last year or so. So I’ve really devoted more time to it recently and starting to see some signs."
Kind of like VCU and those three-pointers hitting nothing but net.
Rollins teamed up with the school for a charity pro-am years ago and knows athletic director Norwood Teague well enough that he hit him up for Final Four tickets with a minute to go in the Kansas game. And coach Shaka Smart has come to Rollins’ event.
If he keeps up the current pace, it’ll be seriously tight timing to get to Saturday’s VCU-Butler semifinals since the course is thirtysomething miles – in Houston traffic – away from Reliant Stadium, but … he’ll be there.
"I will be at the game," he said. "I’d like to play well, obviously be leading the golf tournament, but hopefully tee times won’t interfere. Worse case I’ll be coming in sideways for the second half. By the time I get there, maybe the traffic won’t be as bad. I hope I keep playing well tomorrow and put myself in that later tee time for Saturday and just let everybody get there and get in their seats and I can just kind of stroll on in."
As for Monday’s finals?
"I’d like to be heading to Augusta, but, you know, we’re obviously going to have to win here to do that," he said. " But if I don’t and they make it there, you know — it’s the first time ever, so I kind of feel like I should be there.
"I’ve been the last — I’ve been to the Kansas game. If I go to this game and they win, I kind of feel like I got to ride this out now. I don’t want to break anything up, break any streak that they’ve got. I may. It would be fun to stick around and watch a National Championship game. But they got to get through Butler first."
So how does he size up the game?
"I really don’t know much about Butler," he said. " I know they’ve got a great defense. If we can continue to shoot the 3-pointer the way we’ve shot the 3-pointer, I don’t really know that anybody can beat us.
"Our defense is good. They’re playing good. I think our key is still shooting the 3 well to open up the inside game for us. If we can do that, we’re going to be alright."
ROLLINS SCORECARD
Watch: Mickelson birdies
Phil Mickelson got up-and-down for birdie at the par-5 eighth:
Video: Mickelson birdies
Phil Mickelson birdies the par-5 eighth at Redstone on Thursday.
Photos: The best from Round 1
Cohen/Getty ImagesRyder Cup Captains Davis Love III (left) and Jose Olazabal talk during the first round on Thursday.
See the best images from the first round of play on Thursday at the Redstone Course.
Phil’s driver drama on Thursday
An unusual situation developed in the middle of Phil Mickelson’s round: The world’s sixth-ranked player requested changing his driver during the middle of the round, arguing that it was damaged and unfit for use.
Mickelson
Mickelson’s request to use a backup driver was denied. PGA TOUR rules official Stephen Cox explained the ruling during the Golf Channel’s broadcast:
"Although you could see a blemish, it really needs to be some separation in the clubface," Cox said. "If the club was to deteriorate, we’d take another look at it."
Mickelson, who is 1 over after 10 holes, actually went back to the driver for his tee shot on the par-5 13th. His shot landed in the left rough.
Rule 4.3a of the Rules of Golf state (from USGA.COM):
If, during a stipulated round, a player’s club is damaged in the normal course of play, he may:
(i) use the club in its damaged state for the remainder of the stipulated round; or (ii) without unduly delaying play, repair it or have it repaired; or (iii) as an additional option available only if the club is unfit for play, replace the damaged club with any club. The replacement of a club must not unduly delay play and must not be made by borrowing any club selected for play by any other person playing on the course.
O’Hern fixes problems on greens
Greenwood/Getty ImagesNick O’Hern is trying to regain full status on the PGA TOUR.
Every golfer in the world has been there, and it happened to Nick O’Hern last week. In Round 1 of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he hit the ball great — but took 34 putts. He briefly considered filing for divorce from his trademark long putter, whom he’d been married to for 16 years.
O’Hern needed only 25 putts on Thursday. His 65 is likely to remain the lead against the afternoon groups currently out in force at Redstone.
"After last week on the greens, I thought maybe give the short putter a go. But I’m glad I didn’t," O’Hern said. "It’s natural for anyone to start tinkering if things aren’t going according to plan. I didn’t think I was putting badly, but nothing was going in, so that’s when you probably think maybe a change is on the cards. But as I say, it’s worked out pretty well."
O’Hern is trying to earn enough money to shake his Medical Extension status on TOUR, which he was forced to take after undergoing two knee surgeries after the 2010 PLAYERS.
"I had an ACL reconstruction on my right knee last year. I snapped it about 20 years ago," O’Hern said. "Just wear and tear it was time to get it fixed. I actually had my left knee done at the same time. So I have both knees operated on, went for the package deal and had them both done."
A healthy O’Hern is back to hitting fairways, which he knows he must do to compete on TOUR. He missed only two of them on Thursday.
"The big thing for me on this TOUR is driving the ball. I’m one of the shortest hitters, but I’m usually one of the most accurate," O’Hern said. "I haven’t been accurate at all of late. My game revolves round hitting fairways and therefore I can hit greens and hopefully make putts."
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