Trip from China Not Fazing McGladrey Players' Score

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The commute from Shanghai to Sea Island is a leisurely 7,867 miles. It’s a trip that will take you almost exactly halfway around the world, spanning 11 time zones. It’s the type of journey that could take several days to shake as biological clocks attempt to re-acclimate to new surroundings. If you’re a professional golfer, though, it’s no big deal. Only three players made the cross-continental trip from last week’s WGC-HSBC Champions in China to The McGladrey Classic: Boo Weekley, Scott Piercy and Brian Gay. With strong opening rounds on the Seaside Course, all three found effective ways to deal with jet lag, including Gay, who shares the clubhouse lead after a 7-under 63. George McNeill was 8 under through 16 holes when play was halted because of darkness. “I wasn’t feeling very good at all this morning,” explained Gay, who carded eight birdies Thursday against just one bogey. “I’ve struggled the last few days sleeping and been really tired.” After a tie for 46th in Shanghai, Gay left China late Sunday. He didn’t arrive to Sea Island until late Tuesday evening, driving up from Orlando after an earlier flight stop in Chicago.

  

“I’m really tired all day, but then I’m not sleeping good,” he said. “Should be all right in a day or two, I hope.” With his body still adjusting to life along the Georgia coastline, Gay received an additional setback Thursday because of an early-morning fog delay that lasted more than 90 minutes. “I was on the tee when they stopped for the fog,” he said. “I went back to the locker room and kind of rolled the dice a little bit … I just sat in a chair and not really went to sleep, but just relaxed and tried to take a little bit of a nap.” Once he awoke from his pseudo-slumber, Gay started his round slowly, but caught fire with five birdies across a seven-hole stretch from Nos. 7-13. “Everything was good,” explained the 41-year-old, who needed just 24 putts. “I made three long putts, which was a bit of a bonus. Did everything pretty well.” Gay was not the only player battling fatigue, nor was he the only one to do so successfully. Both Weekley and Piercy opened at 3-under 67 to remain within striking distance of the lead. “Just seemed like I was in a coma out there because I’m so tired,” explained Weekley, who tied for 11th in China. “Just haven’t quite got my bearings on where I want to go or what I want to do.” Weekley’s trek from Asia was more direct than Gay’s, as the 40-year-old left China Monday and arrived to Sea Island by 5 p.m. ET that same day. He explained that normally he would have skipped this week’s event, but wanted to return to a tournament that gave him a sponsor exemption a year ago. “After a while, everything started settling in,” Weekley said of a round that closed with birdies on Nos. 7-9. “Once it settled in, we just played.” Like Weekley, Piercy was able to effectively fight off his body’s sluggish start. “I was really tired,” explained Piercy, who arrived to Sea Island Tuesday night after a T-21 in Shanghai. “I took like a 30-minute cat nap yesterday and then I couldn’t get to sleep (last night).” After an arm injury slowed the second half of his 2013 season, Piercy is eager to capitalize on his strong form now that his health is nearing 100 percent. “Went over to China and felt pretty good, played a couple days and then decided to keep playing because I felt good,” Piercy said. “I’m starting to get a rhythm going a little bit.” No stranger to keeping odd hours as a native and resident of Las Vegas, Piercy admitted he may look for assistance to rest up before the second round. “I think there will be some sleeping pills tonight,” he added. “At least I get to sleep in tomorrow, so I figure I’ll be all right.” While the trio’s globetrotting efforts are already impressive, they’re also far from complete: all three are planning to head to Mexico next week for the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. “I like that golf course, too, and I’ve won there,” Gay said of his 2008 victory. “I just figure I’m going to grind it out for four weeks and then I’ll have six weeks off before Hawaii.” Approaching the closest thing to an off-season in golf, Piercy echoed the same sentiments. “There’s not a whole lot to play the rest of the year,” said Piercy, who unlike Weekley and Gay did not tee it up in the CIMB Classic in Malaysia before his stop in Shanghai. Their bodies may be out of sync, their expressions fatigued from strange hours and inconsistent sleep. Should their play continue at its current pace this week, though, all three men may be willing to cross a continent (or two) before each subsequent PGA Tour start.

Home-Field Advantage for Several at Sea Island

SEA ISLAND, Ga. – Over the past two weeks,PGA Tour players haven’t had much familiarity or routine.

Hours of layovers in airport terminals, jet lag from cross-continental time changes, foreign hotel beds in foreign countries with, you guessed it, foreign languages have all been the name of the game.

While the PGA Tour’s decision to include the CIMB Classic in Malaysia and last week’s WGC-HSBC Champions in China as official events on the 2013-14 schedule may have helped increase golf's global footprint, it also took many players out of their proverbial comfort zone.

For several participants this week, The McGladrey Classic offers the exact opposite: a well-received dose of home cooking.

While a large percentage of players call Florida home – for reasons ranging from weather to taxes – a growing number of Tour players boast ties to Sea Island, a sleepy golf sanctuary off the coast of Southeast Georgia. When this week’s event comes around each year, it brings the added benefits of friendly confines.

“I’m extremely excited about it. I’m sleeping in my own bed, playing a course that I’m very familiar with,” said Zach Johnson, who estimated a walk from the Seaside Course to his home in nearby St. Simons Island would last 15 minutes. “I just love being at home, and when I can work at home, that’s a nice treat.”

Johnson, ranked No. 13 in the world rankings, is the second highest-ranked player in this week’s field. That distinction still leaves him looking up at another local resident, as No. 8 Matt Kuchar, is also set to tee it up Thursday.

The list of upper-echelon players that have settled in and around the area is impressive, with many opting to play this week in what is as close to a home game as they will find.

“There’s 12 guys that live here that are on Tour, and then there’s 15 more guys that are associated with this island in some degree,” Johnson added. “That’s a fifth of the field that has a connection here.”

While the ranks of PGA Tour winners and major champions comprising the “Sea Island Mafia” continue to grow, the player to whom the transplants attribute their various transitions is clear.

Davis Love III moved to Sea Island more than 30 years ago, and over the years has become the de facto spokesperson for golf in the area. This week, he again shares dual roles as both event participant and tournament host.

“It’s a nice group. You know, they tend to call me Uncle Davis when they need something,” joked Love, referencing the younger crop of Sea Island players that includes the likes of PGA Tour winner Harris English. “We’ve got great guys around to play golf with, to challenge, to push you.”

Like many this week, Love is looking forward to playing on a familiar venue where he nearly won a year ago. At age 48, and months removed from his Ryder Cup captaincy, the former PGA champion played his way into the final group on Sunday, ultimately tying for fourth behindTommy Gainey after a final-round 71.

In reflecting on his near-miss, Love admitted that the home-field factor of this event can be a mixed blessing.

“You’re comfortable with the golf course, but you’ve also got the pressures of playing at home and expectations,” he said. “You try a little too hard, and I know Jim Furyk and I certainly, the last group last year were trying too hard to win because it would have been neat for either one of us to win this event.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Johnson, whose tie for 12th in 2010 remains his best result in three McGladrey appearances.

“Some people would say pressure, but I would just say there’s just added weight,” explained Johnson, who tied for 49th here a year ago. “I want to perform well here because it’s where I live.”

Johnson, an Iowa native, also circles the John Deere Classic as an annual must-play event. While the former Masters champion isn’t ready to “equate” this week’s event with the Deere, which he won in 2012, he does see certain parallels between both the tournaments and the surroundings.

“You know, it’s everything I grew up accustomed to in Iowa,” Johnson said of Sea Island, “except for we’ve got an ocean instead of a cornfield.”

While a Sea Island resident has yet to hoist the trophy on the Seaside Course, sheer numbers seem to indicate that trend will come to an end sooner rather than later. In the interim, several players will be able to recharge their batteries this week at a familiar venue, all while Love continues his campaign to coax many of the world’s best players to his secluded strip of paradise.

“They see the practice facilities, they see how nice it is. They might come over to my house for a barbecue and then kind of say, ‘Hey, I could live here, too,’” he added. “So we’re sucking them in.”

One thing remains certain: after two weeks of PGA Tour events staged halfway around the world, many players are eager to feel at home.



Thunderstorms Delay Round 1 at Turkish Airlines Open



ANTALAYA, Turkey – Playing only 10 holes because of rain and flooding, Tiger Woods struggled with his driver and was well off the lead Thursday in the first round of the Turkish Airlines Open that was cut short due to fading light.

Woods and most of the field were unable to complete their round after the start was delayed three hours. He was at 1 under after 10 holes following a bogey on No. 9 in the next-to-last event of the European Tour season.

Paul Casey was at 7 under through 14 holes at the Colin Montgomerie-designed Maxx Royal course. Ricardo Gonzalez and Thorbjorn Olesen were the clubhouse leaders after 6-under 66s. Fifteen players finished their round before darkness halted play.

Organizers plan an early start Friday, with Woods facing a 20-yard chip shot over a greenside bunker for his third shot on the 11th when play resumes.

''It just gets dark so quickly and it's like someone just turned off the light switch,'' said Woods, who didn't hit a fairway until the 10th hole. ''The air now also is heavy with moisture so the ball is not going very far compared to when we were warming up on the range and early in the round.

''But towards the end we were hitting about a half a club short. I'm still working on getting a bit of the rust out of my game, but then tomorrow is going to be a long day for all of us.''

Woods started by making a 4-foot birdie putt on the first hole and then made another birdie at the par-3 eighth. His driver, however, was another matter.

His playing partner and Race to Dubai leader, Henrik Stenson, was at 4 under. Montgomerie was at par after 16 holes on the course he designed.

''It's a tricky golf course and it helps to have played it numerous times as it is one of those courses where you get a better feel for it the more you play it,'' Woods said. ''However, looking back on my 10 1/2 holes, I probably left a little out there and I see that 7 under par is leading at this stage, so the goal in the holes I have left in the morning is to pick up a few quick birdies.''

Gonzalez had six birdies and an eagle mixed with two bogeys while Olesen had eight birdies with two bogeys. Three players, including Pablo Larrazabal of Spain, were two shots back in the clubhouse.

Woods Struggles on Opening Day of Turkish Airlines Open

With a rain delay of about three hours on Thursday, first-round play at the Turkish Airlines Open was cut short due to darkness. Only 14 players in the 78-man field finished their opening round, but with a favorable forecast for the rest of the week, they should be able to get back on schedule heading into the weekend. Here's where things stand after the first day in Turkey:

Leaderboard: Paul Casey (-7 thru 14), Darren Fichardt (-7 thru 14), Steven Webster (-7 thru 12), Ricardo Gonzalez (-6, F), Thorbjorn Olesen (-6, F), Rafa Cabrera-Bello (-6 thru 16), Ricardo Santos (-6 thru 15), George Coetzee (-6 thru 15), Peter Uihlein (-6 thru 12), Thomas Bjorn (-6 thru 12), Justin Walters (-6 thru 11)

What it means: Overnight rain meant soft greens on Thursday, and plenty of guys went low. The Montgomerie Maxx Royal course features five par 5s and five par 3s, plus they played lift, clean and place, so scoring conditions were ideal. If you didn't go low Thursday, you missed a big opportunity to get into contention.

Round(s) of the day: Casey, Fichardt and Webster all have yet to complete their rounds, but they all ended the day at -7. Webster birdied five of seven holes before darkness halted play.

Best of the rest: Gonzalez and Olesen were among the lucky few who completed their opening round on Thursday. They both share the clubhouse lead at -6. Six other players, including Uihlein and Bjorn, are at -6 with several holes still remaining.

Biggest disappointment: On a day when scoring conditions were ideal, Woods only managed two birdies and a bogey through 10 holes. Woods struggled to find the fairway and will have to get off to a hot start Friday if he wants to have any chance of winning this week.

Main storyline heading into Day 2: Will the big names emerge from the pack? There is still plenty of golf left to be played, and several big names, including Henrik Stenson (-4 thru 10),Lee Westwood (-4 thru 11) and Ian Poulter (-3 thru 11) are lurking on the leaderboard. Woods and U.S. Open champ Justin Rose are at -1 after 10 holes and need to get moving if they want to try and keep up with the leaders.

Scott Talks Grand Slam, 'Bugs' on Masters Menu

Adam Scott is back Down Under for the first time since claiming the green jacket at this week's Australian PGA Championship, and from the sounds of things he's hungry for more majors, and possibly some home cooking.

"As long as I keep the intensity and practice and prepare I think I can win more majors, win another Masters, win the (British) Open, hopefully US Opens and PGAs.

"I'd love to win the career Grand Slam and put myself in that really small group of players who have win all four majors.

While Scott's drive to be one of the game's all-time greats probably doesn't come as a surprise to most, his first comments on the menu for next year's Masters Champions Dinner may shock a few people at first glance.

"Don't be surprised if Moreton Bay bugs are on the menu somewhere. I don't know if I'd get away with serving meat pies," he said.

Now, as much fun as it is picturing a bunch of Masters champs in their green jackets roasting insects over a campfire "Survivor" style, it turns out Moreton Bay bugs is just an unfortunate name the Aussies have given flathead lobsters.

In summary, Moreton Bay bugs ... Australian for lobster.

LPGA Gets New Title Sponsor for Canadian Open

The Canadian Women’s Open has a new title sponsor, the LPGA announced Wednesday.

Canadian Pacific, the transcontinental railway, has signed a three-year agreement as title sponsor with the LPGA and Golf Canada. The event has been renamed the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

The news includes a purse increase and a change of venues. The purse will be bumped to $2.25 million, up from $2 million, making it among the top five purses on tour. The tournament will be played at London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ontario, Aug. 21-24. It was also played there in 2006 and hosted a women's major, the du Maurier Classic, in '93.

Teen phenom Lydia Ko won the last two CN Canadian Women’s Opens, both at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Z. Johnson's Caddie Playing Champions Q-School

  

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – One of the most notable players in this week’s field at The McGladrey Classic, Zach Johnson will be without his right-hand man as he looks to tame the Seaside Course.

Longtime caddie Damon Green, who has been on Johnson’s bag for several PGA Tour wins, including the 2007 Masters, is not at Sea Island this week, instead opting to try his hand at qualifying for the Champions Tour.

“My boy Damon fired me,” Johnson joked of Green, who sits seven shots off the lead at the regional qualifier in Winter Garden, Fla., after an opening 73.

With Green otherwise occupied with his own professional pursuit, Johnson is turning this week to Chad Reynolds, who currently caddies for Nick Watney.

“I know Chad. He’s a good player, and he’s been out here a number of times,” explained Johnson, who lives a short distance from the Seaside Course. “I just wanted to find somebody that I didn’t really have to worry about.”

The veteran admitted he considered having a friend or family member tote the bag this week, but opted to go with Reynolds in an event where he, like many in this week’s field, hope to do especially well because of his ties to the local area.

“This is a big week for me,” he added. “I wanted to get somebody that really is a professional caddie, and I know I’ve got one.”