Scott, Tiger and company serve up tasty 2013

LOS ANGELES - Like an enticing chocolate box offering an exquisite array of pralines, truffles, fudge and liqueurs, global golf gave its fans just about everything they might have wanted during a riveting and unpredictable 2013. The quality and variety of golfing 'confectionary' was exceptional and, with Tiger Woods's remarkable dominance in the late 1990s and early 2000s now a fading memory, confirmed that the sport's strength in depth has never been better.

Adam Scott ended decades of Australian heartache with his country's first U.S. Masters victory and left-hander Phil Mickelson pulled off a sensational triumph at the British Open, the one major that had always seemed the unlikeliest for him to win. England's Justin Rose finally lived up to the lofty expectations long heaped upon his shoulders by clinching the U.S. Open and 'ordinary looking' Jason Dufner, known for his ultra-laidback demeanour and pre-shot waggle, struck a chord with club players everywhere by winning the U.S. PGA Championship.

American Jim Furyk became only the sixth player to shoot a 59 on the PGA Tour (at the BMW Championship) and Swede Henrik Stenson ended a brilliant year as the first man to land both the European Tour's Race To Dubai title and FedExCup playoff honours in the United States. World number one Woods failed to add to his major tally of 14, despite being in the mix at both the Masters and British Open, but he triumphed a season-high five times on the PGA Tour before being voted Player of the Year for a record 11th time.

Rory McIlroy, his heir apparent as the game's leading player, ended a turbulent 2013 campaign on and off the course with victory at the Australian Open and will now aim to build on that as he attempts to regain his brilliant 2012 form. McIlroy, who had won two majors by the age of 24 but then struggled after changing his equipment manufacturer in January and having to cope with legal distractions, knows as well as anyone how strong competition has become at the highest level.

"You've got to play really well to win now," the Northern Irishman said. "That's why you see so many first-time winners because the fields are so deep. It is tough to win out here." Underlining the strength in depth is the fact that 19 different players have combined to win the last 21 major championships.

Scott put his name on that list in April with a high-quality playoff victory over Argentina's Angel Cabrera at the Masters, sealing his win in rain-soaked conditions with a 15-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole. "Australia is a proud sporting nation and this is one notch in the belt that we never got," said Scott who ended the year as world number two after narrowly missing out on a rare Australian 'triple crown' following wins in November at his national PGA and Masters. "It's amazing that it came down to me," he added, referring to his Masters victory.

In June, Rose produced remarkable poise and a Ben Hogan-like finish to claim his first major title by two shots at the U.S. Open after overhauling 54-hole leader Mickelson in the final round. Rose closed with a level-par 70 in difficult scoring conditions at Merion Golf Club, posting a one-over total of 281 to become the first Englishman to win the year's second major since Tony Jacklin at Hazeltine in 1970. "I established a game plan that really held true for me," said Rose. "It's been a perfect week, start to finish."

One month later 43-year-old Mickelson produced one of the greatest ever closing rounds at a major, firing a five-under-par 66 in cool and breezy conditions to win the British Open at Muirfield by three shots. "To play probably the best round of my career is probably the most fulfilling moment of my career because it is something I thought I would never do here (at a British Open)," an emotional Mickelson said after landing his fifth major title.

The following month Dufner added his name to the growing number of first-time major winners, clinching a two-shot victory in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club after closing with a two-under 68. "I can't believe this is happening to me," Dufner said after being presented with the coveted Wanamaker Trophy. "It's a big step for my career."

Woods described his 2013 campaign as "fantastic", even though he has come up empty-handed in the four majors since his remarkable playoff victory in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. "I feel like I've improved this year more than I did over the previous year," the 14-times major champion told Reuters. "I think it was a fantastic year, unfortunately I didn't win a major championship.

"I was close at the Masters (tied for fourth) and the British (Open where he shared sixth place). A couple of little swings here and there and it might have been a different story. But I won the Players (Championship) at a venue (Sawgrass) where I have struggled over the years ... to win five times and get Player of the Year again, that feels pretty good."

Though Woods ended the year winless in the majors, perhaps the most surprising aspect of his season was that he was three times given two-shot penalties for rules violations (at the Abu Dhabi Championship, Masters and BMW Championship in Chicago). Stenson capped a magnificent year with a six-shot victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai to top the European Tour order of merit and 21-year-old Hideki Matsuyama became the first rookie to claim the Japanese Tour's money title after winning five times in 2013.

South Korea's Inbee Park set pulses racing as she won the first three women's majors of the year, cruising to a four-shot victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, pipping Scotland's Catriona Matthew in a playoff for the LPGA Championship and clinching the U.S. Women's Open by four strokes. However her stirring run of consecutive major victories ended at the Women's British Open in August when American Stacy Lewis came from behind to triumph by two shots. Park, never in contention, tied for 42nd place.

Westwood reflects on year of change; Stenson honored

This has been a season of big change for Lee Westwood, and his debut last week in the Shark Shootout was an example.

He typically is on the other side of the world this time of the year, having won the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa in 2011 and 2012, and the Thailand Golf Championship two years ago. But this marks one year since Westwood moved his family from England to Florida to take it easy on the jet lag and allow for more practice in warm weather.

He ended the year without a win anywhere in the world.

Westwood, a two-time Order of Merit winner on the European Tour, attributed his results to change, though that entails more than location. He also began working with Sean Foley. He had a new caddie for most of the year until reuniting this month with Billy Foster.

Asked what held him back this year, Westwood chalked it up to the "lack of continuity."

"So many changes, really," he said as he headed into the final month of his season. "It's impossible to quantify the effect that has. Starting with a new coach, changing tours, changing caddies the end of last year, all of it has an effect."

He also said there were struggles with consistency in his swing. Westwood had a close call at Quail Hollow, and he had the lead going into the final round of the British Open, which was won by Phil Mickelson more than anyone lost it.

"I haven't been settled in a swing all year," Westwood said. "When you're a professional, you can have good results without hitting it well. I haven't had a week where I hit it properly. I didn't even hit it well in the Open. I just know how to get around and I putted well."

Westwood turned 40 this year, and while he dropped to No. 25 in the world after starting at No. 7, he believes that will turn. More changes are planned for 2014, but only as it relates to his travel schedule. Instead of starting in Middle East, he doesn't expect to play regular European Tour events until May.

He is thinking of playing Torrey Pines, the Phoenix Open and Riviera on the West Coast swing.

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HONORED: Henrik Stenson has been selected European golfer of the year after winning the money title and the U.S. PGA Tour's FedEx Cup.

The 37-year-old Stenson, who succeeded Rory McIlroy, is the first player from Sweden to win the award.

In addition to his six-shot victory in the season-ending World Tour Championship to clinch the Race to Dubai, Stenson also won the Deutsche Bank Championship and the Tour Championship in Atlanta to seal the FedEx Cup.

Another highlight was his third in the U.S. PGA Championship.

Stenson's most consistent year started at the end of last season, when he won the South African championship.

He says the latest honor reflected "the stellar year I have had. You can call it a dream season, year of my life, whatever you want."

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FATHER & SON: Except for having the 54-hole lead and contending at the British Open, one of the best moments for Lee Westwood this year was playing with his father in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Graeme McDowell will experience that in February.

McDowell and his father, Kenny, will be partners at Pebble Beach. It's the first time they have been there since 2010, when McDowell won the U.S. Open and his father said to him on the 18th green that Sunday, "You're something, kid."

Asked for his favorite memory of his father, McDowell went back to his roots in Northern Ireland when he was too young to play the Dunluce course at Royal Portrush.

"Until you're 15 years old or have a 15-handicap, you play the Valley Course," he said. "I remember sneaking out with my dad on a summer's evening on the Dunluce course when I was not eligible to be out there, sneaking out there for a few holes one summer evening and feeling like I was literally at Augusta National. Those are special times."

THE GULBIS PRANK: In the January issue of Golf Digest, Michelle Wie writes a series of tales that includes her first Kraft Nabisco Championship at age 13. And it shows why there's always more to Natalie Gulbis than might appear.

Wie said that on the fifth hole she put a new golf ball into play. She mentioned this to Gulbis on the sixth fairway.

"She stops me and gives me a look of shock," Wie wrote. "'You can't do that out here,' she says. 'That's a two-stroke penalty. You need to go back to the tee.' I was speechless, on the verge of tears. Just as I turned to start walking back to the tee, Natalie said, 'Just kidding.'"

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OH, BROTHER: Dustin Johnson took his younger brother, Austin, to Scotland twice as his partner in the Dunhill Links Championship. He brought him to China last month for the HSBC Champions as his caddie, and Johnson won his first World Golf Championship.

Now they'll be spending a lot more time together.

Johnson has decided to keep his little brother on the bag for next year, replacing Bobby Brown. Austin Johnson played basketball at Charleston Southern before transferring to the College of Charleston to finish his degree.

"I was getting my resume together," Austin said.

Big brother jokingly said he never bothered to look at the resume and "probably wouldn't have believed it, anyway."

"Having my brother on the bag has been cool. I love it," Johnson said. "He's my brother. I like having him out here. And we do good."

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SNEAD AUCTION: The second part of the Sam Snead Collection at Heritage Auctions brought in more than $750,000 this month in Dallas, with the biggest item his 1949 Masters Trophy that went for $143,400.

Snead's captain's trophy from the 1969 Ryder Cup sold for $131,450, while his Wanamaker Trophy from winning the 1949 PGA Championship and his championship medal from winning the 1946 British Open at St. Andrews went for $101,575 each.

Among the more intriguing items was a collection of 3,545 signed personal checks. That drew $34,058. The first auction in July was held in Chicago by Heritage Auctions and brought in $1.1 million. Those lots included his 1954 Masters trophy and the claret jug from St. Andrews.

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DIVOTS: More than a year after Europe's stunning comeback to win the Ryder Cup at Medinah, Graeme McDowell still has not watched video of the final day. "That might be on my to-do list," he said. "I need to sit down and watch that in real time." … This year wasn't the first time a qualifying tournament was held exclusively for the Web.com Tour. According to the PGA Tour, four weeks before the launch of the Ben Hogan Tour, 132 players competed in Florida over 72 holes with the low 35 players and ties getting cards. The medalist that week? John Daly. … Kevin Tway received a sponsor's exemption to play in the Phoenix Open. … Vijay Singh is shopping for a new equipment deal after nearly 15 years with Cleveland Golf. … Ernie Els has signed an endorsement deal with Ecco. He was wearing the shoes for most of the year without a deal. … Anthony Kim, who last played in the 2012 the Wells Fargo Championship, ended last year at No. 300 in the world. He ends this year at No. 1,488.

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STAT OF THE WEEK: Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy were the only players who stayed in the top 10 in the world ranking the entire year.

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FINAL WORD: "The beauty about golf is it takes all shapes and sizes. But it's a hell of a lot more of an athletic game than it used to be 10 years ago." — Graeme McDowell.

The four shots that defined golf's majors in 2013

The putt that Adam Scott thinks about most wasn’t the one that won him the Masters. The best shot Justin Rose hit at the U.S. Open didn’t even stay on the green.

The majors were filled with great shots, even if they didn’t produce the obvious outcome.

Scott’s putt on the 18th at Augusta National ultimately got him into a playoff when Angel Cabrera answered with a great birdie of his own. Rose’s 4-iron into the 18th at Merion ran off the back of the green into a collar. It was a relatively simple up-and-down from there, though such a great shot deserved better.

Every major has a signature shot. Some are easier to define than others.

And with every major champion, there is another shot that is just as pleasing to them, even if it doesn’t get as much attention:

The Masters

The putt that made Scott the first Australian in a green jacket was a 12-footer for birdie on the second playoff hole at No. 10. Scott, however, believes the defining moment of this Masters was the 20-foot birdie putt he made on the 18th in regulation.

Adding to the significance of the putt was his reaction. Scott, the image of GQ, transformed into WWF as he screamed with all his might, “C’mon, Aussie!”

“No matter what I do in my career from now on, I think it’s going to be the one I’m remembered for,” Scott said. “Even if I do happen to win other big tournaments or majors, it might not quite be everything that Augusta was.

“There’s no doubt, as I look back in my career, that’s going to be the one moment I’ll think of first as a far as a signature moment.”

He won’t forget the 6-iron, either, as good as any shot he struck all week.

On the second playoff hole, Scott had 191 yards from a hook lie in the 10th fairway. Cabrera already was on the green with a reasonable look at birdie.

“I didn’t want to sling a 7-iron in there,” Scott said. “It wasn’t the right shot. The atmosphere was heavy and I was jacked up, but I had to hold a 6-iron. Somehow, I managed to hit such a beautiful shot. If you asked me to do it right now, I couldn’t. But I had it at that moment. Absolutely, it’s the best shot of my life right now.”

U.S. Open

Rose had a one-shot lead on the 18th hole at Merion. He was 229 yards from the pin, and just 15 feet behind the plaque that commemorates Hogan’s 1-iron into the 18th during his 1950 U.S. Open victory. While it was not as historic as Hogan’s moment, it was the signature shot of his first major.

“It has to be the 4-iron into 18, given the poignancy of the hole, the iconic photograph we’ve all grown up with and the 18th hole of a major,” Rose said. “That was the one that put it away.”

Adding to the pressure was the wait. Luke Donald was taking a penalty drop, leaving more time for Rose to contemplate the consequences of the shot.

“I appreciated the situation I was in and relished it,” Rose said. “And luckily, the shot came off. I drilled it. It came off perfectly.”

He believes the 18th hole played a big role earlier in the week. Rain kept the second round from being completed on Friday, and Rose was in the last group that managed to finish without having to return Saturday morning. He watched Phil Mickelson ahead of him make birdie to share the 36-hole lead. Rose missed the fairway, hacked it out of rough and had 115 yards to a pin that was just over the false front, a shot that required close to perfection.

He delivered, hitting wedge to 7 feet.

“It was pretty dark by this time,” he said. “But I wanted to hit the putt. Even if I missed, the advantage was there to sleep in. It was a slippery, downhill, left-to-righter for a 69 to stay even par. From a momentum point of view, just finishing and giving myself time in bed for the rhythm of the week … that was big.”

British Open

Mickelson didn’t hesitate when asked for the signature shot of his British Open victory — the 3-wood on the par-5 17th that set up a two-putt birdie.

“Very simply put, there was no margin for error,” he said. “If I miss it a little bit to the right, it goes in a bunker and I have a very difficult par. I have to go out sideways and try to get up-and-down for par. If I miss it left, it’s the worst rough on the golf course and I could lose my ball or have an unplayable lie. But if I hit it perfectly, there’s a good chance I could have a two-putt birdie. And that’s what happened.

“I hit it dead perfect at the time I needed it most,” he said. “If I made birdie, I felt like I would win.”

Mickelson’s closing 66 at Muirfield is considered the best round of the year, and one of the best final rounds in any major. He made birdie on four of the last six holes. As much attention as that 3-wood receives, Lefty was equally pleased with a 5-iron into 8 feet for birdie that started his big run.

It was on the 13th hole, 190 yards and dead into a strong wind to a narrow green.

“If you miss it at all, the ball gets blown off sideways, and you saw it with just about every player behind me,” Mickelson said. “I hit it so solid and perfect through the wind the ball just soared. It was the prettiest shot.”

PGA Championship

Jason Dufner had a two-shot lead with three holes to play. Leads like that can disappear quickly at a major, especially with the tough, two closing holes at Oak Hill.

Jim Furyk hit his approach to 10 feet on the 16th, easily birdie range. Dufner followed with a sand wedge from 105 yards that spun back to a foot, which stands out as his signature moment at the PGA Championship (though a case could be made for the love tap he gave his wife when it was over).

“I was trying to take it a little bit past the pin on the right,” Dufner said. “Obviously, with a wedge in hand, I was thinking it could be a makeable birdie effort. Inside a foot is great for me because I struggle with the putter.”

Not so obvious — except to Dufner — was how he played the par-3 11th hole for the week. At 226 yards, it was the sixth-toughest hole at Oak Hill. Dufner never had a birdie putt outside 20 feet in all four rounds, and he played the hole in 1-under par for the week.

“It was one of the tougher holes, and I made it easy for me,” he said. “The 16th is the shot people are going to remember. The one people will forget about is to play that hole (No. 11) in 1 under and never sweat a bogey. That’s a pretty good deal.”

After controversy, missed cuts and course walk-offs... it's time for the real Rory to please stand up

After teeing off the year in front of sheikhs, all ready to rattle and roll in Abu Dhabi, Rory McIlroy signed his last card to the sound of silence in an exclusive California suburb.

Soon after the final putt dropped on the ninth hole in Sherwood Country Club for a bogey, McIlroy fluffed up his curly locks for the umpteenth time, puffed his cheeks, and looked for someone to blame.

‘I don’t care what people say about my golf, it’s the other stuff,’ he said with a sigh.

The other ‘stuff’ is any number of things. Take your pick: equipment problems, legal wrangles, on-course behaviour, emotional issues, private life gossip.

They are the lines of interrogation a two-time major winner and a world’s number one golfer, with a former tennis world number one as his squeeze, can expect when his golf game has gone further south than Tom Crean.

As he returned to his Florida pad to relax for a few weeks, McIlroy should reflect that what people really want to talk about, more than any other ‘stuff’, is his golf.

Like the star-spangled play which won the US Open in 2011 and US PGA in 2012; which inspired two Ryder Cup wins for Europe; and propelled the kid with the jaunty step into every nook and cranny where the Royal and Ancient game is played.

Not the golf which saw him walk off the course midway through a tournament he was defending in March; angrily bend a club out of shape at the US Open in June; and admit to being ‘brain dead’ at The Open in July where he missed the cut, and several fairways, by miles.

Reach for the skies: Rory McIlroy won his first Major at the 111th U.S. Open in Maryland

And not the golf in California last week where McIlroy trailed in 13 shots off the pace in an 18-man end-of-term jamboree run by Tiger Woods

For all that McIlroy may protest, his golf in 2013 was a good walk spoiled, right from the moment he was unveiled as Nike’s new poster boy in a reputed $200million 10-year sponsorship deal only to promptly miss the cut.

Rolled out alongside Woods in the Arabian Gulf to a backdrop of lasers, lights and rock anthems, McIlroy endured a forgettable year in which he changed clubs, balls, management teams, lost his world number one ranking but clung defiantly to his girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki.

That he finally won a tournament, the Australian Open — thanks to Adam Scott’s icy putter in the stretch — failed to apply a tourniquet to the bleeding for the County Down phenomenon. 

From being the A-list movie star in January, the guy first on the red carpet, he finished with a California cameo, virtually lost in the trees at Thousand Oaks.

As he fought lawsuits, and his new Nike driver, McIlroy lost his sparkle and the game of golf, his theatre of dreams, became a drag.

As the off-course spats dragged on, McIlroy popped up at various tennis tournaments in support of Wozniaki, and stuck to a relatively light playing schedule.

His critics, Nick Faldo and Johnny Miller among them, were outraged that McIlroy wasn’t in the gym at dawn, wasn’t out on the range until dusk; wasn’t seen to be working hard enough to get his game back on track.

But they missed a key point. Even when at his flashy best at Congressional in the US Open in 2011, and Kiawah Island in 2012, where he set records in majors each time, McIlroy has always found time to chill.

Because McIlroy is not obsessed, truly, madly, deeply, with golf the way Faldo was, or Woods and Pádraig Harrington are.

It ain’t easy, as the likes of Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter, and Dustin Johnson can confirm. Majoring in majors has become a specialist subject that few can crack. Consider this. Since Harrington won his third major, the US PGA in 2008, there have been 16 first-time winners of major championships.

Only two golfers have won more than one major out of the last 20 played — Mickelson and McIlroy.

Woods, arguably the greatest golfer the game has ever known, has had nine top 10 major finishes since 2008 but hasn’t been able to close the deal. 

Just like Tiger, McIlroy’s career will be judged on the majors, not by rank and file tournament wins, by Order of Merit success, Fed Ex Cups, career earnings or by product endorsements.

McIlroy is due to return to competitive golf in Dubai at the tail-end of January before the World Match Play Championship tees off on February 19 in Arizona.

He has much to look forward to. The Masters, where he was in the mix for 36 holes last April, a US Open return to the iconic Pinehurst, where the run off greens are tailor-made for his imagination and touch, The Open at Hoylake.

Then there is the Ryder Cup in Gleneagles in September, a sporting duel he once famously labelled an exhibition. 

In Medinah in 2012, McIlroy brilliantly lit the blue touch paper of a stunning final-day revival by leading from the front, and Paul McGinley, the European captain, will be desperate to see his talisman — the new Monty — qualify for the team on merit, and in the mood.

Golf needs The Kid to recapture his verve in 2014. When he does, all the other ‘stuff’ will take care of itself. In one fell swoosh.

Fischer wins Q-School medalist honors; Homa T-6

Zack Fischer closed strong at the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School to earn full exempt status for the upcoming season on the PGA Tour's secondary circuit.

Fischer followed an 8-under 64 in Monday's fifth round with another 64 to take medalist honors Tuesday at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. He made just three bogeys in his final five rounds combined, including none in his fifth and sixth rounds.

Fischer hadn't made a Web.com Tour start before playing Q-School. He did made four starts on the PGA Tour in 2013, though. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open, Valero Texas Open and Zurich Classic, and tied for 68th at the HP Byron Nelson Championship.

At 31 under, he finished two shots ahead of Scott Pickney, who held the lead entering the final round before shooting 68 on Tuesday.

Pickney, along with the rest of the top 10 and ties, earns full status until the third re-ordering period next season on the Web.com Tour. The other players finishing in the top 10 are Tony Finau, Sung Joon Park and Steve Saunders (T-3); Max Homa, Bronson Burgoon and Jimmy Gunn (T-6); Chris Epperson (ninth); and Carlos Sainz Jr. (10th).

Both Epperson and Sainz Jr. carded final-round 63s.

Sam Saunders, who is the grandson of Arnold Palmer, tied for 11th along with Nick Taylor and Andy Pope. They are exempt until the second re-ordering period, as is the rest of the top 45 and ties, which includes former Central Florida player Brad Schneider (14th); former N.C. State player Albin Choi and North Texas product Carlos Ortiz (T-15); former Auburn standout Blayne Barber (T-22); East Carolina product Harold Varner III, former Florida State player Daniel Berger and former Alabama standout Justin Thomas (T-32).

Thomas closed with rounds of 69-66-65 after shooting a 78 in the third round.

Notables who earn conditional status include former Florida players Andres Echavarria (T-50), T.J. Vogel (T-73) and Tyler McCumber (T-129); amateurs Michael Kim (T-56), Zac Blair (T-85) and Anthony Paolucci (T-95); first-round leader Justin Shin (T-56).

Henrik Stenson is European top-dog

HENRIK STENSON has seen off the challenge of US Open winner Justin Rose to complete a remarkable clean sweep of the European golf awards scene.

Stenson was rewarded for his incredible consistency in winning the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic yesterday when he added the European Tour golfer of the year trophy to his Association of Golf Writers’ award at a ceremony in London.

“It’s a big honour to be voted the European Tour golfer of the year. It just reflects the stellar year I’ve had,” said Stenson.

“You can call it a dream season, year of my life, whatever you want. It has been an unbelievable year and I’m delighted to win this award, especially as I am the first Swede to do so.

“The Majors are the biggest goal for me now and if I can continue to play at the level I have been then I feel I can have a pretty good shot at them.”

European Tour chief executive George O’Grady said: “There is absolutely no doubt Henrik is a fully deserving winner. His unprecedented success was the result of the most tremendous consistency and hard work, and to finish it all off in such style at the DP World Tour Championship to secure the Race to Dubai was quite remarkable.”

Emirates strengthens Tour links

Golf’s European Tour received a financial boost yesterday when Emirates signed up as its airline partner and agreed to double the number of tournaments in which it invests.

In a four-year deal, the Dubai-based airline said it would support a further 10 events, in addition to the nine it was already involved with. Financial terms were not disclosed. 

“Golf is one of the most popular sports in the world, and as a global sponsorship platform, it has been immensely successful for us,” Nigel Hopkins, Emirates executive vice-president. 

European Tour chief executive George O’Grady said: “We have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with Dubai for the past 25 years and today’s announcement is the perfect way for us to launch the beginning of the next phase of our partnership.” 

Meanwhile Henrik Stenson today capped a stunning season by being named 2013 Race to Dubai European Tour golfer of the year. 

Stenson, 37, is the first player from Sweden to win the coveted award, after creating history by winning the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai in the same year, sealing the latter with a commanding victory in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Lee Westwood finishes a year driven by change

This has been a season of big change for Lee Westwood, and his debut last week in the Shark Shootout was an example.

He typically is on the other side of the world this time of the year, having won the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa in 2011 and 2012, and the Thailand Golf Championship two years ago. But this marks one year since Westwood moved his family from England to Florida to take it easy on the jet lag and allow for more practice in warm weather.

He ended the year without a win anywhere in the world.

Westwood, a two-time Order of Merit winner on the European Tour, attributed his results to change, though that entails more than location. He also began working with Sean Foley. He had a new caddie for most of the year until reuniting this month with Billy Foster.

Asked what held him back this year, Westwood chalked it up to the “lack of continuity.”

“So many changes, really,” he said as he headed into the final month of his season. “It’s impossible to quantify the effect that has. Starting with a new coach, changing tours, changing caddies the end of last year, all of it has an effect.”

He also said there were struggles with consistency in his swing. Westwood had a close call at Quail Hollow, and he had the lead going into the final round of the British Open, which was won by Phil Mickelson more than anyone lost it.

“I haven’t been settled in a swing all year,” Westwood said. “When you’re a professional, you can have good results without hitting it well. I haven’t had a week where I hit it properly. I didn’t even hit it well in the Open. I just know how to get around and I putted well.”

Westwood turned 40 this year, and while he dropped to No. 25 in the world after starting at No. 7, he believes that will turn. More changes are planned for 2014, but only as it relates to his travel schedule. Instead of starting in Middle East, he doesn’t expect to play regular European Tour events until May.

He is thinking of playing Torrey Pines, the Phoenix Open and Riviera on the West Coast swing.

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FATHER & SON: Except for having the 54-hole lead and contending at the British Open, one of the best moments for Lee Westwood this year was playing with his father in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Graeme McDowell will experience that in February.

McDowell and his father, Kenny, will be partners at Pebble Beach. It’s the first time they have been there since 2010, when McDowell won the U.S. Open and his father said to him on the 18th green that Sunday, “You’re something, kid.”

Asked for his favorite memory of his father, McDowell went back to his roots in Northern Ireland when he was too young to play the Dunluce course at Royal Portrush.

“Until you’re 15 years old or have a 15-handicap, you play the Valley Course,” he said. “I remember sneaking out with my dad on a summer’s evening on the Dunluce course when I was not eligible to be out there, sneaking out there for a few holes one summer evening and feeling like I was literally at Augusta National. Those are special times.”

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THE GULBIS PRANK: In the January issue of “Golf Digest,” Michelle Wie writes a series of tales that includes her first Kraft Nabisco Championship at age 13. And it shows why there’s always more to Natalie Gulbis than might appear.

Wie said that on the fifth hole she put a new golf ball into play. She mentioned this to Gulbis on the sixth fairway.

“She stops me and gives me a look of shock,” Wie wrote. “’You can’t do that out here,’ she says. ‘That’s a two-stroke penalty. You need to go back to the tee.’ I was speechless, on the verge of tears. Just as I turned to start walking back to the tee, Natalie said, ‘Just kidding.’”

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OH, BROTHER: Dustin Johnson took his younger brother, Austin, to Scotland twice as his partner in the Dunhill Links Championship. He brought him to China last month for the HSBC Champions as his caddie, and Johnson won his first World Golf Championship.

Now they’ll be spending a lot more time together.

Johnson has decided to keep his little brother on the bag for next year, replacing Bobby Brown. Austin Johnson played basketball at Charleston Southern before transferring to the College of Charleston to finish his degree.

“I was getting my resume together,” Austin said.

Big brother jokingly said he never bothered to look at the resume and “probably wouldn’t have believed it, anyway.”

“Having my brother on the bag has been cool. I love it,” Johnson said. “He’s my brother. I like having him out here. And we do good.”

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SNEAD AUCTION: The second part of the Sam Snead Collection at Heritage Auctions brought in more than $750,000 this month in Dallas, with the biggest item his 1949 Masters Trophy that went for $143,400.

Snead’s captain’s trophy from the 1969 Ryder Cup sold for $131,450, while his Wanamaker Trophy from winning the 1949 PGA Championship and his championship medal from winning the 1946 British Open at St. Andrews went for $101,575 each.

Among the more intriguing items was a collection of 3,545 signed personal checks. That drew $34,058. The first auction in July was held in Chicago by Heritage Auctions and brought in $1.1 million. Those lots included his 1954 Masters trophy and the claret jug from St. Andrews.

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DIVOTS: More than a year after Europe’s stunning comeback to win the Ryder Cup at Medinah, Graeme McDowell still has not watched video of the final day. “That might be on my to-do list,” he said. “I need to sit down and watch that in real time.” ... This year wasn’t the first time a qualifying tournament was held exclusively for the Web.com Tour. According to the PGA Tour, four weeks before the launch of the Ben Hogan Tour, 132 players competed in Florida over 72 holes with the low 35 players and ties getting cards. The medalist that week? John Daly. ... Kevin Tway received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the Phoenix Open. ... Vijay Singh is shopping for a new equipment deal after nearly 15 years with Cleveland Golf. ... Ernie Els has signed an endorsement deal with Ecco. He was wearing the shoes for most of the year without a deal. ... Anthony Kim, who last played in the 2012 the Wells Fargo Championship, ended last year at No. 300 in the world. He ends this year at No. 1,488.

Four Canadians 'graduate' from Q school

Four Canadians, including a pair of British Columbians, earned exempt status Tuesday as the grueling 108-hole final stage of the Web.com Tour qualifying school ended at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.

Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor led the way, finishing in a tie for 11th spot. The University of Washington graduate closed with a five-under 67 to finish at 19-under par.

Taylor, formerly the world’s top-ranked amateur player, missed the top 10 by a single shot. A top-10 finish would have made him exempt through the first three reshuffles on the 2014 Web.com Tour.

The tour reshuffles its exempt list based on money-winnings after every four events. Taylor and everyone else finishing 11th through 45th and ties earn exempt status through the first two reshuffles. That guarantees them entry into the first eight events.

Merritt’s Roger Sloan made a huge move Tuesday, shooting a bogey-free nine-under 63 to move into a tie for 15th spot. Sloan began the day outside the top 45.

Two other Canadians, Ontario residents Cam Burke and Albin Choi, also finished inside the top 45. Choi finished tied for 15th after shooting a 70 on Tuesday. Burke tied for 22nd after closing with a 72.

Maple Ridge resident Justin Shin, who led after opening the tournament with an eight-under 64, narrolwy missed finishing inside the top 45. Shin shot a 70 Tuesday and finished tied for 56th at 10-under and two shots out of the top 45. Surrey’s Devin Carrey matched Shin’s score with a three-under 69 Tuesday. Both earned conditional status that may be good enough to get them into some early events.

Eugene Wong of North Vancouver closed strong with a four-under 68 but finished tied for 117th place at even-par and his conditional status probably won’t be good enough to allow him to draw into any events. Wong will likely have to try and Monday qualify his way into tournaments.

Riley Wheeldon of Comox finished 140th after closing with a 76 on Tuesday, but Wheeldon is exempt through the first four events of the Web.com Tour season by virtue of finishing second on the PGA Tour Canada money list in 2013.

Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin is fully exempt for 2014 after finishing inside the top 75 on the 2013 Web.com Tour money list. So is Ontario resident Mackenzie Hughes, who earned his exemption by winning the PGA Tour Canada Order of Merit this year.

CHIP SHOTS: Surrey’s Phil Jonas finished the year 39th on the European Senior Tour money list. And while that was outside the top 30 who remained fully exempt for 2014, Jonas should be able to draw into most events next year as there is a separate category for those finishing 31st to 40th on the money list. The European Senior Tour wrapped up its season this past weekend with its Tour Championship on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Jonas finished tied for 43rd. Victoria native Rick Gibson, who tied for 23rd in Mauritius, finished 34th on the money list.

Alex Salmond’s silence on £54,000 spending spree at Ryder Cup

ALEX SALMOND came under renewed pressure yesterday to account for £54,000 of taxpayers’ money he spent on a trip with his wife to the Ryder Cup in Chicago.

The First Minister and Sports Minister Shona Robison led a 35-strong delegation of civil servants and Scottish tourism officials that spent almost £470,000, including £80,000 on food and drink, on the visit in September last year.

The Scottish Government has issued details of most of the expenditure, but has refused to say where Mr Salmond’s £54,000 went.

Their breakdown shows that more than £80,000 was spent on accommodation, but that covered a hotel used by officials, and not the five-star Peninsula Hotel where it is understood the First Minister and Mrs Salmond stayed. 

The refusal to reveal the details was condemned yesterday as “frankly repulsive” by Scottish Labour’s business manager, Paul Martin, who said: “When families are struggling to pay heating bills, put food on the table and try to have as good a Christmas as they can, the idea that the First Minister can spend tens of thousands of pounds on himself and refuse to account for it is frankly repulsive.

“He spent our cash. The people of Scotland have a right to know what he spent it on.”

The figures released by the Scottish Government show that Mr Salmond’s delegation spent £5,695 on a dinner with guests at a top steak restaurant, nearly £60,000 on food and drink at two receptions and nearly £9,000 for another dinner at a racecourse.

They also spent nearly £1,000 on a pianist for a dinner, £1,755 on ties and £1,100 flying over two chefs from Gleneagles Hotel. 

The breakdown came after two Freedom of Information (FoI) requests were lodged with VisitScotland and the Scottish Government. 

While VisitScotland provided the figures, Scottish Ministers have refused to follow suit. 

The Scottish Government and VisitScotland said the delegation and week-long stay in Chicago was part of a plan to “maximise the economic benefits” of hosting the tournament at Gleneagles next summer. 

A VisitScotland spokesman said it had a duty to “make the most” of being hosts next year. 

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “All costs were part of a successful effort to promote Scotland and develop relationships ahead of next year’s tournament, which will benefit the Scottish economy by £100million. 

“Our response to the FoI request has not yet been issued. FoI requests frequently require collation of detailed information and may require time and significant public expense to complete.”