Ryan Palmer has been thinking about redemption at the Byron Nelson Championship, and a chance at home to hold up that trophy. The 2011 Nelson runner-up is off to a good start. Palmer, who lives in Colleyville, Texas, not far from the TPC Four Seasons in Irving, opened with a 6-under 64 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over Marc Leishman and Alex Cejka. Last year, Palmer birdied the 72nd hole to force a playoff against Keegan Bradley. Palmer then hit his approach into the greenside water to hand Bradley his first tour title. "I didn't lose it last year by any means," Palmer said. "But to get back in the same setting with the same people watching, here where I live, and just to have that feeling again, this time be the guy standing with the trophy, that's been my focus."

Palmer's bogey-free start came on a relatively calm day. With only a light breeze, 85 players were at par or better in the first round on the 7,166-yard course where Palmer and Bradley finished 72 holes last year at 3-under 277.

Coming off his victory at The Players Championship last weekend, Matt Kuchar overcome an opening bogey and was in a group of seven players at 66. Bradley, who won the PGA Championship three months after the Nelson, was among 13 players who shot 67. His up-and-down round included four bogeys, five birdies and an eagle. The only other top 10 player this week is 10th-ranked Phil Mickelson. Back at the Nelson for the first time in five years, he had a 70 with two birdies and two bogeys. LPGA Tour: Defending champion Suzann Pettersen didn't last long at the Sybase Match Play Championship in Gladstone, N.J., and neither did three well-known Americans. The third-ranked Pettersen was eliminated 3 and 1 by relative unknown Jodi Ewart of England in the first round while Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome and Michelle Wie lost to fellow Americans. Creamer, the No. 8 seed, was beaten 2 and 1 by Jennifer Johnson, the No. 57 seed. No. 9 seed Lincicome was ousted 2 and 1 by No. 56 Ryann O'Toole. The 20th-seeded Wie was knocked out by No. 45 Mina Harigae of Monterey, 3 and 2.

Yani Tseng, Na Yeon Choi and Cristie Kerr, the world's Nos. 1, 2 and 5 players, barely advanced to the second round, while the day ended with No. 4 ranked Ai Miyazato of Japan being surprised 2-up by Mariajo Uribe of Colombia in the final match at Hamilton Farm Golf Club. "It's not an easy course to play," said Tseng, who escaped with a 1-up win after Jeong Jang missed a 6-foot birdie attempt to force a playoff. "This is the top 64, that's why we play here. So I mean, you cannot expect the first one is going to be easy to win."

European Tour: Three days after his flight to Spain needed an emergency landing because a passenger suffered a heart attack, Brandt Snedeker used borrowed irons and a putter from the pro shop to win his opener at the World Match Play Championship in Casares, Spain. Starting out with just 10 clubs in a replacement bag, Snedeker managed to beat Danish Ryder Cup veteran Thomas Bjorn 5 and 4. "So, a kind of weird day to say the least," said Snedeker. Ian Poulter of England started his title defense by beating Senden 3 and 2. Justin Rose battered Robert Rock 7 and 6 in an all-English contest. Martin Kaymer, at No 9 the highest-ranked player in the field, lost 3 and 2 to Rafael Cabrero-Bello.

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NAPLES — What some have called the best kept secret golf course in Naples revealed a lot of excitement in a U.S. Open local qualifier Tuesday.

Fort Myers’ Tommy Stankowski fired a 5-under-par 67 to earn medalist honors at the U.S. Open local qualifier at Country Club of Naples. An unplanned practice round helped Stankowski get accustomed.

“I was just going to take a cart around it just to look at it,” he said. “Since it was slow and there was nobody out here, I said heck, I can play a quick practice round. It helped; it really did, especially there’s some holes on that backside, you’ve got to know how far you can cut off.”

It was a coming out party for the 50-year-old Naples course, designed by Bill Diddel in 1962, and tucked away behind Royal Poinciana Country Club off Goodlette-Frank Road. The course underwent a massive renovation, headed by architect Gordon Lewis, in 2009.

Abbie Valentine, a New Yorker who is a part-time Naples resident, grabbed the second of the five qualifying spots with a 68. Six golfers shot 70s and played off for the final three spots and two alternates. And that’s where the excitement came in.

For Andres Pumariega, it occurred a little before that. The 22-year-old had a pair of conversations with tournament rules officials after his group was given a one-stroke penalty for slow play following the round. That moved Pumariega’s on-course score of 69 to a 70, and into the playoff.

Pumariega, a senior on the George Washington golf team, shook it off, however, sinking a 12-footer for birdie on the first hole, then drove to Miami to catch a flight to play in an NCAA regional.

“I wasn’t happy about it — but once it was decided, it was decided, and I could focus on the task at hand,” said Pumariega, who had a similar instance three years ago and let it affect him in the playoff. Joe Monte of Lakewood Ranch missed the green and bogeyed the first hole, so that left four golfers going for two qualifying spots.

Kristian Caparros, a 16-year-old who has verbally committed to Florida, and John Koskinen, an assistant women’s golf coach at the University of Miami, won the final two spots in the playoff. They each parred the fourth hole to beat out Brian Levi, the son of Champions Tour player Wayne Levi.

“It’s awesome,” Caparros said. “It’s a great feeling to have. Last time, I was a shot short.”Levi, who has turned pro and will head to his native New York for the summer, had a 6-foot par putt he left just short. Levi missed his putt just after Koskinen left a greenside bunker shot in the fringe, then rammed in a 30-footer for par.

“It’s funny, the first time I actually qualified for the Open (in 2006), my last hole I hit my tee shot in a hazard, took a drop, and got up and down from 175 yards to make it into the Open,” said the 32-year-old, who missed the cut by three shots that year at Winged Foot, and also qualified for the Open in 2007 at Oakmont.

Caparros, on the back fringe, put his 20-footer within tap-in distance to secure the spot for the Miami Lakes resident. Michael Perez of Weston missed an 8-foot par putt on the third playoff hole to drop to second alternate.

The playoff featured some great putting, particularly on No. 2, a par 3. Koskinen and Perez hit the green, but Caparros and Levi missed. Perez overcame an inadvertent air horn going off in the middle of his downhill 30-footer to make a 10-footer coming back uphill. Caparros’ shot went across the green, and left him 15 feet for par, but he made it.

On the third playoff hole, the long par-4 No. 3, Perez, Levi and Caparros all missed the green. Levi and Caparros got up and down, but Perez missed his. Koskinen two-putted easily from 25 feet.

Stankowski, a 46-year-old who has been caddieing at Old Collier Golf Club in Naples, was just 1 over after five holes. But having been in countless qualifiers before helped ease him.

“All of the experience I’ve got over the years is it’s just never over,” he said. “You’re 1 over, a lot of guys would’ve said aw (forget it). There’s so many birdie holes out here, so I just put my nose to the grindstone and tried to stay positive.”

Stankowski went 6 under on his final 13 holes, keyed by a hole-out with a 9-iron from 135 yards for an eagle on No. 14. “All of a sudden, I’m 3 under. That was huge,” said the older brother of PGA Tour player Paul Stankowski, who then birdied Nos. 17 and 18.

Stankowski and Caparros will go to sectional qualifying at Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto. Pumariega will head to Germantown Country Club in Memphis, and Koskinen will go to Columbus, Ohio. The 36-hole sectional qualifiers are Monday, June 4. The Open is June 14-17 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Valentine, 30, turned pro in 2007 after finishing his collegiate career at Bucknell in 2004. He won the West Florida Golf Tour’s Nickel Putter Q-School Match Play on May 76 in Sarasota. He’ll go to sectional qualifying at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J.

Florida Gulf Coast University golfer Alexander Medinis of Fort Myers missed the playoff by a shot. He was 3 under on his first nine, but stumbled coming in. A birdie on No. 9, his last hole, wasn’t quite enough.

Former NBA player Bill Laimbeer, who turns 55 on Saturday and lives on Marco Island, shot an 82. “Once you lose it, and you know you’re not going to make it, it’s tough to get it back,” said Laimbeer, who plays at Fiddler’s Creek and mentioned trying to qualify for the U.S. Senior Open, which is near Detroit, his NBA home with the Pistons for 12 seasons. “It was fun, I enjoyed it. It was my first time in competition in many, many years.”

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH: American Matt Kuchar won the Players Championship on Sunday by two shots to secure the biggest win of his career and a $1.71 million pay check. To the delight of his watching family, Kuchar shot a final round two-under 70 to finish 13-under for the tournament, two clear of Briton Martin Laird (67) and Americans Zach Johnson (68), Rickie Fowler (70) and Ben Curtis (68). Overnight leader Kevin Na had a disappointing finish, making six bogeys in a 76 that saw him slip back into a tie for seventh, a day after being heckled by spectators for his slow play and constant practice shots. Tiger Woods ended well down the field at joint 40th after shooting a 73 to finish one-under.

England’s Luke Donald finished strongly with a 66 that elevated him to sixth, four strokes behind Kuchar, but not enough for him to regain top place in the world rankings from Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, who missed the cut. Kuchar, who tied for third at the Masters, consistently avoided trouble on the final day on a course that severely punishes inaccuracy. While his challengers stumbled at various hurdles, the American kept out of water and greenside sand throughout a confident 18 holes. “You think of this as one of the strongest fields in golf and to come out as champion is an amazing feeling,” the 33-year-old told reporters. Kuchar, who found 10 of 14 fairways and struck 15 greens in regulation, wrapped up the tournament when he coolly sunk a 15-foot birdie putt on the 16th to surge three strokes clear. Although bogeying the ‘island green’ 17th, the fixed grin never left his face as he went to the final tee with a two-shot cushion.

Fowler’s second place finish was the fifth of his career and followed his maiden PGA Tour win at Quail Hollow last week. The 23-year-old made a late charge with birdies on the 16th and 17th holes but missed a nine-foot birdie putt on the 18th that would have put more pressure on Kuchar. Kuchar safely parred the last to claim his first PGA title win since the 2010 Barclays at the Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey. “I saw Rickie’s putt on 17 and I knew it got him to within two shots and he could birdie 18 to reduce it to one. That could have changed the whole scenerio of how I would play the last hole,” he said. “So I was really excited to drop that birdie on 16. That was big,” he added. For Fowler, despite falling short, it was another reminder of his emergence in the game. “It was a lot of fun to be in contention and I tried to give it a run at the end. Kuch played very well, very solid and I just fell a couple of shots short,” he said.

“I’ve had a lot of confidence in my game which has given me the calm you need coming down the stretch when the nerves are supposed to be on.” Scotsman Laird, who started the day six back, made an early challenge with six birdies through 13 holes, including a trio on 11, 12 and 13, but his push faded with bogeys at 14 and 18. “I found my confidence this week for some reason. This is my best finish in a big, big marquee event,” said the United States-based Glaswegian. For the third tournament in a row, Woods failed to mount a challenge. He also finished tied for 40th at the Masters before missing the cut at Quail Hollow. “I’ve just got to keep working, keep working. I felt that I did it well in spurts again,” Woods said. “I just need to be a little bit more consistent.” reuters

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida — Luke Donald has a chance to wrestle the world No. 1 ranking back as he and Rory McIlroy go head-to-head for one of the few times this season at this week's Players Championship. The 23-year-old McIlroy returned to world number one with his playoff loss to Rickie Fowler last week at the Wells Fargo Championship. In the last 10 weeks, either Donald or McIlroy have been at the top six times. "I think the last couple of months have not been as exciting because Rory and I really haven't been playing in the same events," Donald said.

"I think that will change a little bit, and hopefully there will be some situations coming up in the next few months where we'll be playing in the same tournament and both having a chance to win the tournament."
McIlroy and Donald have competed in the same tournament just four times this year, including the Masters. It was at the Masters where US Open champion McIlroy finished outside the top five for the only time this season. He easily made the cut but then shot rounds of 77-76 on the weekend to finish in a tie for 40th. McIlroy reached number one for the first time by capturing the Honda Classic in March.

Donald's game has come together after he got off to a slow start to the season. He placed out of the top 30 in five of eight tournaments but won the Transitions Championship. Four players have held the No. 1 spot in the 18 months since Tiger Woods fell off the lofty perch. But Woods is looking for good vibes at the Stadium Course this week to turn his fortunes around. The 36-year-old American is coming off his eighth missed cut of his career at the Wells Fargo event. He has put together two disappointing back-to-back performances since winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.

"I've done really well or I haven't," Woods said. "Either I've been right there in contention with a chance or I haven't." Woods won in 2001 and placed second in 2000 but he also struggled mightily at this event. "Guys, I've done this before," Woods said to reporters. "I've been through this. Actually, a lot of you guys lived it with me, went through those periods where I wasn't quite where I wanted to be. "I had some pretty good runs after that, and this is no different. It takes a little bit of a time, and I keep building and things eventually come around to where they feel natural and efficient." Masters champion Bubba Watson is taking the week off to recuperate from his major championship win and Dustin Johnson is also skipping the event while he recovers from back surgery. Former winner Phil Mickelson will be playing just days after being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rickie Fowler has never been afraid to put it all on the line. The thrill-seeking passion for motocross as a teenager. The head-turning clothing he brought to the PGA Tour as a rookie, such as the bright orange ensemble from head-to-toe on Sundays. With a chance to finally break through for his first PGA Tour win, the kid showed his true colors. In a three-way playoff that featured U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy, the 23-year-old Fowler gambled with a 51-degree wedge that had to be perfect on an 18th hole at Quail Hollow that had yielded only four birdies all day. And it was.

Fowler stuffed his shot into 4 feet for a birdie on the first extra hole to beat McIlroy and D.A. Points and win the Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday. It was the Murrieta Valley High grad’s first PGA Tour win in his 67th start as a pro, bringing him a small measure of relief and a big dose of credibility. “I didn’t want to play it safe,” Fowler said. “I had a good number (133 yards), and I was aiming right of the hole with the wind coming out of the right, and if I hit a perfect shot, it comes down right on the stick. … I hit a perfect shot at the right time, and I was going for it.”

McIlroy, who returned to No. 1 in the world, used Quail Hollow as a launching pad toward stardom when he won here two years ago. Perhaps this is the start of a rivalry for years between a pair of 23-year-olds who bring power, flair and exuberance to the game. “I’m looking forward to playing with Rory for a long time,” said Flower, who closed with a 3-under 69. “It’s awesome. It’s a long wait, but well worth it.”

McIlroy established himself on the same green two years ago, a 20-year-old who closed out a record 62 by making a 40-foot putt for his first PGA Tour win, and the biggest of his career until adding a record-breaking U.S. Open title last summer at Congressional. This time, it was Fowler’s turn. “You wouldn’t call the 18th today a birdie hole with that pin,” McIlroy said. “For Rickie to go out and play that hole the way he did, he deserved to win.”

Along for the ride was Points, a 35-year-old who had the tournament in his grasp until ending 40 straight holes without a bogey by making one at the worst time. He had a one-shot lead going to the 18th in regulation, hit his approach in a bunker and never came close to a par. He shot 71.

McIlroy had a shot at winning in regulation and missed a 15-foot birdie putt, giving him a 70.
In the playoff, all three hit the fairway, with McIlroy hitting a 3-wood that traveled nearly 340 yards. Points and McIlroy were well off the mark and had to work hard to get their two-putt pars. Fowler came up with the best shot of his career. “The shot he hit was spectacular,” Points said.

Even though they’re the same age, McIlroy has a two-year head start on Fowler. They were in the Walker Cup together in 2007, and McIlroy turned pro that fall. Fowler didn’t turn pro until two years ago. The only other time Fowler won as a pro was last year at the Korea Open, where he also beat McIlroy. The difference was winning, and McIlroy still has a big edge. As he entered the press conference, Fowler put his hat on backward, smiled and said, “Told you it was coming.”

“It’s a good feeling right now,” Fowler said. “Definitely some relief, satisfaction. I’m definitely happy. It’s not a bad thing, winning. It’s kind of fun.”Fowler and McIlroy both recovered from late bogeys to get in the playoff. Fowler had the outright lead until he went bunker-to-bunker on the 16th hole, the second time drawing a plugged lie, and missed a 10-foot par putt. He had a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole, though it never had a chance. He was the first one in at 14-under 274. McIlroy went long of the green on the par-3 17th and missed an 8-foot par putt, but when Points struggled on the 18th, McIlroy had a putt for the win.

Webb Simpson, the 54-hole leader who lives a mile from Quail Hollow, made a mess of the eighth hole for a bogey and three-putted the 11th to fall back. Back-to-back birdies late in his round kept his hopes alive, and he had a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th to join the playoff. It missed and he had a 73 to finish alone in fourth.

Ryan Moore, who played in the final group with Simpson, didn’t make a birdie until the 15th hole and shot 74. He tied for fifth with Lee Westwood (66) and Ben Curtis (67), who finished before the leaders got to the back nine.

For all his endorsements and marketing prowess, Fowler was starting to hear whispers about when he was going to win. What carried him along was patience and impeccable manners, which have made him a favorite among his peers. Making this win even sweeter was having his mother, Lynn, and girlfriend Alexandra Brown (daughter of PGA Tour winner Olin Browne) in the gallery. “I’m over the top,” his mother said, fighting back tears. “I’m relieved for him because this is an expectation from the people, the fans, the tournament staff directors. And now he can hopefully carry on and do the work that he likes to do.”

On the back nine, it was clear this was a three-man race, and all had their shots at winning. “I think it was just a matter of time before he won,” McIlroy said. “It seems like this tournament produces first-time winners — Anthony Kim, myself, now Rickie. It’s great to see. He probably has went through a little bit of scrutiny and a lot of pressure trying to get that first win. But now that win is out of the way. Hopefully, that will ease the pressure a little bit.”

Fowler said he never felt the pressure of waiting 2½ years for his first win. The longest wait might have been for his shot in the playoff to descend from the cloudy sky, so he could make sure it had enough to take the stream out of play. “It was a little bit of a gamble,” he said.

Fowler earned $1.17 million and best of all, achieved his primary goal of winning on the PGA Tour. That should help him reach his other marks this year, getting to the Tour Championship for the first time and perhaps getting another spot on the Ryder Cup team.

He was picked in 2010 — the first PGA Tour rookie ever selected by a captain — and showed his promise by winning the last four holes to earn a halve in his singles match. McIlroy is far more accomplished, with a major championship and a return to No. 1 in the world. But as a generational shift in golf continues, this could be a rivalry worth watching.

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While Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson made uneven starts, Stewart Cink birdied his last three holes to surge into a three-way tie for the lead in Thursday's opening round of the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.

American Cink, seeking his first PGA Tour victory since his playoff win at the 2009 British Open, fired a seven-under-par 65 to end a humid day at Quail Hollow Club level with compatriots Ryan Moore and Webb Simpson.

Australian John Senden, Britain's Brian Davis and American Rickie Fowler, D.A. Points and Patrick Reed had matching 66s as golfing heavyweights Woods and Mickelson had to settle for 71s.

U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy three-putted to bogey his final hole for a 70, British world number three Lee Westwood carded a 71 and 2009 U.S. Open winner Lucas Glover launched his title defence with a 72.

Cink, who has mainly struggled for form since pulling off his first major victory at Turnberry in Scotland three years ago, was delighted to remain bogey-free despite not playing his best.

"It was a good round," the 38-year-old told reporters after sinking a 20-footer on his final hole, the par-four ninth. "It wasn't a great round, far from perfect, but I had a few putts go in the hole and managed my misses pretty well.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm back ... but it's still good to see something like this and give yourself a little bit of confidence," added Cink, who has recorded only one top-25 finish in 10 starts on the 2012 PGA Tour.

Woods, champion here in 2007, put himself under early pressure after bogeying two of his first six holes on his return to the PGA Tour for the first time since last month's Masters.

FRONT-NINE ERRORS
"I made too many mistakes on the front nine," the 14-times major champion said after mixing four birdies with three bogeys. "I didn't get up and down a couple times and made a couple bad shots on the wrong side of the hole.

"I didn't take care of the par-fives and I had an easy up and in at eight, which I messed up there. I've got to obviously not make those little mistakes like that tomorrow."

McIlroy, who closed with a course record 62 to blow away a top-quality field by four shots at the 2010 Wells Fargo Championship, was let down by his usually accurate driving.

"I didn't hit many fairways and if you do that around here, it makes it a lot more difficult to score," the 22-year-old said after carding four birdies and two bogeys.

"Conditions out there were pretty much perfect. Seventy probably wasn't enough out there but it's okay. I'll go out tomorrow and see if I can do a little better."

Four-times major champion Mickelson was briefly derailed by a triple-bogey at the par-four fourth where he hit his tee shot out of bounds.

"I played pretty well today and hit a lot of greens but made one mistake with the triple there," left-hander Mickelson said after a five-birdie display. "That was a really poor tee shot.

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U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy has taken a leaf out of Tiger Woods' book by limiting his playing schedule this year in a bid to prolong his career. The popular 22-year-old Northern Irishman, the world number two and well established as one of the most exciting players in the game, plans to compete in roughly 23 events in 2012, seven fewer than last season.

"I don't want to be burned out by the time I'm 30," McIlroy told reporters on Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time) ahead of Thursday's (Friday, PHL time) opening round of the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. "I want to try and prolong my career as much as I can. I sometimes take a little bit too much out of myself, especially at the end of the season.

"The most important time for me in the golf season is from the start of April until the end of August. That's when all the big tournaments are and that's when you want to play your best golf."Woods, a 14-time major champion, has made an art form of peaking for golf's biggest events and, when fit, has generally played in no more than 22 tournaments worldwide each year.

McIlroy, who clinched his first major title in last year's U.S. Open at Congressional, is eager to return to the major winner's circle and knows he needs to stay as fresh as he can, both mentally and physically.

"All the stuff either side of that [April through August] is more preparation work and making sure that your game is getting ready and your body is physically ready for that time of the year," he said.

"I've got a busy stretch coming up now ... here, Players [Championship], back at Wentworth [England], Memorial [tournament], U.S. Open. I want to play good here and try and build up to the U.S. Open. That's the next big target for me.

"I know I've been criticized a little bit for not playing as much as some other guys leading into these few weeks, but I know I've got a big stretch coming up, and I want to be as fresh as possible for this."

McIlroy, who won his first PGA Tour title at the 2010 Wells Fargo Championship, returns to Quail Hollow Club this week for only his second tournament in the last two months.

In his most recent start, he tied for 40th at the Masters, fading over the weekend after lying joint third following the second round. Since then, McIlroy has barely touched a club. He spent time with his girlfriend, Danish tennis professional Caroline Wozniacki, in Europe and only returned to golfing practice in Florida last week. "I'm trying to find the perfect balance between golf and having a normal life and everything else," said McIlroy.

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North Shore professional Mike Hendry tees off at 8am today chasing a second win in the $40,000 Muriwai Open. But he has far greater prizes in his sights. Next week he heads for South Korea to play in two OneAsia Tour events with purses of more than $1 million.

He'll be hoping history repeats. When he won at Muriwai in 2010, he felt much bigger things were on the horizon and sure enough he won in Indonesia on the OneAsia Tour, earning a substantial pay packet and gaining exemptions for events on the tour.

He missed last year's Muriwai event because of a clash of dates but this time it will be preparation for the Maekyung and SK Telecom Opens in Korea. He has already got winning form this year with victory in the inaugural NZPGA Pro-am at The Hills.

"To be honest, this week will not be so much about winning as getting in shape for the two big OneAsia tournaments," he said. "I was really happy to win the NZPGA. It was reward for all the hard work I'd put in."

Hendry will be joined on the tee this morning by 21-year-old Manawatu amateur Josh Munn, who stunned the pros with a course record nine-under 63 last year and then held on to win the tournament by a shot.

Making up the threesome will be Te Anau professional David Klein, who won the last Charles Tour event at New Plymouth in a playoff with rookie pro Ryan Fox, who is also in the field this week. New to the event is Mark Brown, a winner on the European Tour, who also has a morning start.

Fifteen-year-old Lydia Ko, the world's highest ranked amateur, will tee off at 12.05pm in defence of the women's title she won last year. Her main rivals appear to be the Keh sisters, Wenyung and Mun Chin, who fought out the final of the national strokeplay championship last month.

Fine weather is forecast for the next few days but in the pro-am yesterday players had a taste of the fierce winds that can make Muriwai, clinging to the west coast sandhills, one of the country's toughest golfing tests.

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SEOUL: Bernd Wiesberger, ranked 170 in the world, showed a cool head to score his maiden victory on the European Tour as he ran away with the $2.9 million Ballantine's Championship on Sunday. The 26-year-old from Austria, competing in his 71st event on the Tour, never looked back after firing consecutive 65s on Friday and Saturday on the 7,302-yard, par 72 course at Blackstone Golf Club, Icheon.

His four-under 68 in the final round was his third consecutive bogey-free eighteen and he maintained his overnight five-stroke advantage with little fluster to hold off a charge from Scotland's Richie Ramsay, who carded a superb closing round of seven-under 65 to get to 13-under-par for the tournament. When the Scot birdied the 16th he had pulled to within three of Wiesberger, but the Austrian, cheered on by his Belgian coach Philipp de Busschere who flew in from Jakarta in Indonesia overnight to lend his support, simply birdied the 15th to re-establish a four-shot margin.

Wiesberger said he thought he didn't really feel the tournament was in the bag until he stood on the 18th green with, as he put it, “a million putts to win”. “Yeah so much can happen in golf,” he added. “And I knew these guys were going to keep coming at me, so it was only there I realised I had won.” His superb performance meant that the Austrian who won twice on the second string Challenge Tour in 2010 to win his place on the main tour, had played 59 consecutive holes without a bogey since the 13th hole on Thursday.

It was a remarkable feat for such an inexperienced player when Tour luminaries such as Adam Scott, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey and Y.E. Yang all experienced a difficult time at the tricky course set into steep hills. Reigning British Open champion Darren Clarke failed even to make it to the weekend after rounds of 77 and 72. Wiesberger will now move into the top 100 of the world golf rankings by picking up the winner's cheque for $470,000.

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Masters champion Bubba Watson returned home from a media tour in New York two weeks ago and hung his green jacket in the closet. He hasn't seen it since. Life has been moving at a faster pace than Watson imagined since he hooked that sand wedge off the pine straw, around the trees and onto the 10th green at Augusta National to win a sudden-death playoff over Louis Oosthuizen and capture his first major.

He and his wife, Angie, adopted a month-old boy named Caleb just two weeks before the Masters. His first act as Masters champion was to cradle the boy the next morning and feed him from the bottle, before leaving the next day for his media tour.

So much has changed in one month. A new father. A major champion. And two weeks after trying to let it all soak in, it's time for Watson to get back to work. He is defending his title this week in New Orleans at the Zurich Classic.

If not for the responsibility he feels to defend, Watson would much rather be home. "We figured out we've had him for a month, and I've been home, I think at the most, nine days, maybe eight days," Watson said. "So it's not enough." His clothing company made up a tiny green jacket for his son, which hangs in the closet next to the real one. There have been diagrams that Watson's caddie posted on Twitter illustrating the 40-yard hook of a shot from trees right of the 10th fairway on the second extra hole, setting up a par and the win.

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