Furyk douses cold water on Tiger-Phil pairing

Earlier this year, a set of irons purported to be used by Tiger Woods during his famous ‘Tiger Slam’ sold for more than $5 million. Now a Scotty Cameron putter signed by Woods is on the auction block. Golden Age Auctions, the same company that sold the ‘Tiger Slam’ irons, is auctioning the putter as part of a lot that includes clubs from Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan, as well as a 58-degree wedge that is said to have once belonged to Woods. The signed Scotty Cameron ‘Red Dot’ Newport 2 is the same model as the putter Woods used to win 14 of his 15 majors. This putter is said to have been made as a backup for Woods’ gamer around 2005. Woods usually tested the backups to ensure they were to his liking, but confirming that he used them is difficult because he did so in private. This putter, which comes with a certificate of authenticity from Scotty Cameron confirming the putter is an authentic Cameron, is said to have been signed by Woods during a 2005 auction for the Tiger Woods Learning Center. “When it comes to Tiger Woods backup putters, the dream is to somehow put that putter into Tiger Woods’ hands – almost always an impossible feat,” reads the putter’s description on the Golden Age Auctions website. “Well, we know that the offered putter was handled by Tiger Woods himself – as Tiger beautifully autographed the face. “Then, on October 1, 2005, Tiger auctioned this putter at a fundraiser called The Tiger Woods Learning Center Block Party, which was held at The Grove in Anaheim. The event raised money for the foundation’s first TGR Learning Lab campus. Our consignor’s parents were early supporters of Tiger’s charities. They attended that 2005 event at The Grove in Anaheim, CA, and being transfixed by Tiger Woods up on stage and in the giving spirit, our consignor’s father kept outbidding anyone who bid against him for this legendary putter when Tiger Woods put it up for auction. The putter was then put into a shadowbox, where it has lived for the past 17 years until it finally surfaces again in this auction.” The putter started with an opening bid of $5,000 and was nearing $50,000 as of midday Thursday. Bidding concludes Sunday, Sept. 18 on GoldenAgeAuctions.com. Ryan Carey, owner and founder of Golden Age Auctions, estimates the putter will sell for “well into the six figures.” Another Scotty Cameron made for Woods is also among the items Golden Age is currently auctioning, as is a Nike wedge that once belonged to Woods. Other items in this lot include Arnold Palmer’s putter, clubs belonging to President Dwight Eisenhower (along with his Augusta National Golf Club headcovers) and personally-used clubs from players like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson.

Click here to read the full article…

Graeme McDowell celebrated in different stages at the par-3 17th hole at TPC Louisiana on Friday. It’s a fairly brutal hole, all 216 yards of it, and water guards its entire left side. A par was the score he was chasing in the second round of the Zurich Classic. So when McDowell saw that the beautiful 4-iron he struck safely on land, pitching at the front of the green, that was cause for joy in itself. He didn’t bother to even watch the rest once it bounced. RELATED: Leaderboard | Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson combine to make move in ‘tricky format’ And then his ball released, and rolled, and rolled some more … 40 feet or so … right into the jar for McDowell’s very first ace in a PGA TOUR event. McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, figures he has “around 14” or so holes-in-one around the world, as many as five as a pro on other tours, but he had never had one on the PGA TOUR. When the ball disappeared, McDowell’s partner, Matt Wallace, was more thrilled than McDowell, giving him a double-armed jolt to the shoulders as everybody else on the tee swarmed him. “It’s a sweet one, obviously,” said McDowell, 41, a four-time winner on the PGA TOUR. “It means I can share the bar bill with Matty, as well, which is great. I think we sent a few beers over to the caddie tent, and we sent a few beers over to the media center, as well, just in case you guys are thirsty.” McDowell’s ace, which came on the eighth hole of the round, provided a nice spark for the McDowell-Wallace tandem, which moved from the cutline into the fringes of contention. A second-round 70 left them at 8-under 136, just five shots out of the lead. Because the hole-in-one arrived at the PGA TOUR’s two-man team event it was not deemed as being “official” by the PGA TOUR. As far as McDowell and his partner were concerned, you can keep the asterisk. “Nah, that counts,” Wallace said. Added McDowell, “Official? I don’t care if it’s official, unofficial … I’m pretty sure it says ‘1’ on the scorecard.” With a big weekend ahead, his own celebration would have to wait. Maybe a little red wine with dinner, McDowell said. “It was a nice little shot in the arm for us, and we birdied the next, and we put ourselves in a nice little slot going into the weekend,” McDowell said. “… We may have a glass of wine, but we’ll save the celebrations, hopefully, for Sunday night.” Rest easy. If McDowell and Wallace were to win, it would be counted as official. And they’ll both know the shot that got them going.

Click here to read the full article…

Click here to read the full article…