Pound lighter: The Open may pay in U.S. dollarsPound lighter: The Open may pay in U.S. dollars
Pound lighter: The Open may pay in U.S. dollars
Day: February 22, 2017
Trip home ignites Immelman's hopes (Sports Betting News)Trip home ignites Immelman's hopes (Sports Betting News)
Former Masters champion Trevor Immelman is hoping a trip home to South Africa will help reignite a career that has slumped dramatically over recent years. The 37-year-old, who won at Augusta in 2008, plays on the European Tour at the Joburg Open this week as he seeks to rekindle a career that held much promise but has been blighted by injury and a loss of form. As soon as those aeroplane wheels touch the ground, there’s something inside you that knows that you’re home,” said Immelman, who is based in Florida and last played in South Africa one year ago.
Golf-Trip home ignites Immelman's hopes (Sports Betting News)Golf-Trip home ignites Immelman's hopes (Sports Betting News)
Former Masters champion Trevor Immelman is hoping a trip home to South Africa will help reignite a career that has slumped dramatically over recent years. The 37-year-old, who won at Augusta in 2008, plays on the European Tour at the Joburg Open this week as he seeks to rekindle a career that held much promise but has been blighted by injury and a loss of form. As soon as those aeroplane wheels touch the ground, there’s something inside you that knows that you’re home,” said Immelman, who is based in Florida and last played in South Africa one year ago.
Quick look at The Honda ClassicQuick look at The Honda Classic
THE OVERVIEW Justin Thomas figures he has a 20-minute commute this week from his home in Jupiter, Florida to PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens. “25 minutes if there’s traffic,” he noted. Thomas is one of several players at this week’s The Honda Classic who’ll be able to return home each night instead of heading for their hotel rooms or rental houses. The area has become a hotbed for TOUR pros looking for first-rate facilities, consistently good weather, and a chance to practice against each other in order to fine-tune their games. Thomas was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, but after turning pro, he felt the urge to move to a warmer climate for more practice days. Texas was too far away. After his first visit to South Florida to check out the area, he made the decision to move. “I wanted to go where a lot of people were, just in terms of having a lot of people to play with, a lot of people to practice with and travel with,” Thomas said. “… Feels like about everyone and their brother is down here.” Another player “down here” is Daniel Berger, who two years ago lost in a playoff at PGA National to Padraig Harrington. Berger is a local, having grown up in South Florida (Brooks Koepka is also from the area). While he played the Champion course at PGA National quite a bit during his amateur days, Berger doesn’t get a chance to play it much now outside of this week. While he thinks he has a small advantage over the rest of the field, Berger thinks form – not course knowledge — is the most important factor to success “I think most guys would take current play over if they like the course or not,” Berger said. “I think if you’re playing good, you’re going to play well on any course.” Even so, there’s a certain comfort level in being able to play a tournament near your home. Perhaps too comfortable at times. “I got in my car in shorts today and got halfway to the course, and I forgot that it was The Honda Classic week,” Berger said. “I mean, I remembered it was The Honda Classic week, but I was home for two weeks and I never wear pants. So I was just thinking it was like a regular day at the golf course.” THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER Adam Scott Won here last year despite a quadruple bogey in the third round. Will try to avoid pressing his luck this year. Rickie Fowler Making just his fourth TOUR start of the season, Fowler – another Jupiter resident — was the 36-hole leader at PGA National last year. Danny Willett The reigning Masters champ is making his first start in the U.S. since last season’s PGA Championship. THE FLYOVER A closer look at one of golf’s most famous – and toughest — three-hole stretches, the Bear Trap. The 179-yard par-3 15th played to a stroke average of 3.200 last year; the 434-yard par-4 16th was at 4.182 and the 190-yard par-3 17th was at 3.096. Cumulatively, that’s nearly a half-stroke over par. THE LANDING ZONE The Bear Trap gets the notoriety, but the most difficult hole at PGA National last season was the hole right in front, the 465-yard par-4 14th. It played to a stroke average of 0.490, with more double bogeys (31) and birdies (25) recorded at the hole. Here is where all tee shots landed last year. WEATHER CHECK After two weeks of battling weather conditions in California, the forecast for this week’s Honda Classic should give players a break – and should prevent the kind of wide variance between the morning and afternoon draws that existed last week at the Genesis Open. TEMPS: Should be in the low 70s each day. RAIN: Just a 20 percent chance in the first two rounds. Sunday’s final round looks to be the clearest day. WINDS: Might be felt on Sunday when the winds pick up to 15 mph, but should have little impact in the first three rounds. For the latest weather news from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK “I think I start thinking about it the night before for sure. You’re never quite comfortable on this golf course until you’re through the Bear Trap” – Padraig Harrington ODDS AND ENDS 1. POULTER’S STATUS. This week, Englishman Ian Poulter is making his fourth start of the season – and first in the 2017 calendar year. Poulter, playing on a major medical exemption, has 10 events this year to earn 218 FedExCup points or $347,634 to keep him exempt for the rest of the season. Right now, he has 64 points and $127,333. “Obviously I need to make a push and lock things up and then continue the back half of this year as we have done in the past,” Poulter said. 2. HARRINGTON’S INJURY. A trapped nerve in his neck has slowed down Padraig Harrington’s clubhead speed by roughly 5 mph, and that’s impacting his distance off the tee. At last week’s Genesis Open, he averaged 265.8 yards, while winner Dustin Johnson averaged 315.3 to lead the field in that category. “40 or 30 might be acceptable, but 50 is a lot to give up,” said Harrington, the two-time Honda Classic champ who is contemplating surgery that may keep him out 12 weeks. 3. PIETERS’ ILLNESS. Belgian Thomas Pieters is making his second consecutive TOUR start, having finished tied for second last week at Riviera despite battling a flu. He said this week he’s only at about 60 percent, and is still working through ear and throat infections. “You don’t want to shake my hand,” he said. 4. QUAD WINNERS. Just four players since 1983 have won a TOUR event despite suffering a quadruple bogey: Adam Scott at last year’s Honda Classic; Phil Mickelson at the 2009 TOUR Championship; David Toms at the 2003 Wells Fargo Championship and David Graham at the 1983 Shell Houston Open. WATCH THE PREVIEW:
Joel Berry II keeps the fire burning for Tar HeelsJoel Berry II keeps the fire burning for Tar Heels
Joel Berry II keeps the fire burning for Tar Heels
Joel Berry keeps the fire burning for Tar HeelsJoel Berry keeps the fire burning for Tar Heels
Joel Berry keeps the fire burning for Tar Heels
In nearly 3 years on job, Phil Jackson hasn’t fixed Knicks (Sports Betting News)In nearly 3 years on job, Phil Jackson hasn’t fixed Knicks (Sports Betting News)
Carmelo Anthony had a half-season of clues about what Phil Jackson thought of him, and now it was his turn to evaluate his boss. Anthony had trumpeted his trust in Jackson when he re-signed in 2014 and reaffirmed it months later, even as Jackson continued trading away key players from the best team Anthony ever played on in New York. The Knicks are 23-34, 12th in the Eastern Conference and on pace to miss the playoffs for the third time in Jackson’s three full seasons as president of basketball operations.
The Latest: Hendrick ‘can’t sit still’ despite Turn 4 issues (Sports Betting News)The Latest: Hendrick ‘can’t sit still’ despite Turn 4 issues (Sports Betting News)
Seven-time and defensive NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson says Hendrick Motorsports is hard at work trying to figure out why he spun twice in Turn 4 during last weekend’s exhibition race at Daytona International Speedway. Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott also had in an issue during practice in the same turn, and Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had similar incidents in last year’s Daytona 500 that led to crashes. Johnson says Hendrick has been ”very aggressive” in trying to find additional speed in the car.
Waltrip hoping for top-10 finish in final NASCAR race (Sports Betting News)Waltrip hoping for top-10 finish in final NASCAR race (Sports Betting News)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip has a lofty goal for his final NASCAR race.
Philip Rivers regrets ‘not winning it all’ in San DiegoPhilip Rivers regrets ‘not winning it all’ in San Diego
Speaking at an awards dinner on Tuesday night, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback says the "only regret I have is not winning it all while we were here" in San Diego.