Jon Rahm will be hard-pressed to enjoy a 72nd-hole moment better than the one he had on Sunday to clinch his first PGA Tour win.

The 22-year-old Spaniard sank a 60-foot eagle bid on the final hole at Torrey Pines’ South Course, capping off a final-nine 30 and a closing 65 to notch a three-shot win at the Farmers Insurance Open.

“I never thought it was going to be for eagle from 60 feet, especially at Torrey Pines, but the fact that it went in is just incredible,” Rahm said after the win. “The emotion just overwhelmed me. But man, that was a satisfying feeling.”

Rahm, enveloped by the cheers, had to wait to clinch the title, however, with the final four threesomes in front of him still to finish. However, as many of those players struggled on the tough Torrey South layout, it became clear that their final few holes were played in futility of chasing down the Arizona State product.

“I thought if I could get two more (birdies) coming in, I probably would have the trophy outright,” said Patrick Rodgers, recalling his thinking on the 13th tee. “And by the time I stepped up on 16 tee, I was four behind. I was out of the tournament by then.”

In the end, Charles Howell III and rookie Cheng-Tsung Pan were Rahm’s closest challengers at 10-under 278.

For Rahm, he’s a PGA Tour winner in his 12th start, a win anticipated since he finished tied for second in his pro debut at last year’s Quicken Loans National. Within four starts, Rahm had secured his PGA Tour status, making his just the eighth player in PGA Tour history to do that right out of college. Now, after becoming the first maiden PGA Tour winner at Torrey Pines since 1991, Rahm is in the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking and heading to the Masters.

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

The post appeared first on Lake Ridge Golf Course.

Lake Ridge Weekly Newsletter Jan 30, 2017

Would like to thank all who came out Saturday night for our annual Beach Party. It was a huge success. Look forward to doing this again next January. 

You can now  book tee times online a week in advance with our NEW and IMPROVED website , https://golflakeridge.com. Take a look at all the upcoming events for the 2017 season in the events Club Calendar. You can even view our menu, order gift certificate’s from our online shop and keep up-to-date with the latest golfing news with our online news blog. It even links you to our Facebook and Twitter pages.  So please take a few minutes to check it out and add to your favorites list.

Yoga with Allison Welch continues tonight from 7:00 to 8:00 and runs every Monday until Feb 20.  So start the new year off right by getting back in shape both mentally  and physically.  Please contact Allison Welch for more information or sign-up in the pro shop. 

League sign-up sheets have been posted in the pro shop for this year’s upcoming golf season. Leagues fill up fast and with room for a limited amount of teams per league please sign-up early to ensure your spot. Having said that if you played on a league last year your spot is  reserved. New teams will be placed on a waiting list if the league is full. Please sign-up early to better assist us in planning the upcoming 2017 league season. Thanks.         

Valentine’s Day is Tuesday Feb 14 so it’s time to start making plans  for that special  person  in your life. Why not spend that special evening with us. In addition to our normal menu  we  also will be offering a 10oz prime rib dinner that includes choice of potato, veggie and soup or salad for $14.95. There will also be music provided by DJ Tim Dunlap. Please contact us for more information regarding  the menu and to RSVP.

All right poker fans,  we have Texas HoldEm every Tuesday starting promptly at 7:30. Poker players enjoy Happy Hour rates when playing and also have a chance at winning prizes. So if you like playing poker, Tuesday is your night.

Thursday night is Ladies Night. Ladies get Happy Hour rates all night long. Whether it’s Karaoke, Texas HoldEm, left right or center dice game or you just want to have a few drinks with your friends Lake Ridge is the place to be on Thursday nights. 

We have already begun scheduling events for the upcoming 2017 golf season so it’s time to start thinking about planning your event with us to ensure you get the day of your choice. Whether it’s a golf outing, retirement party, birthday party, class reunion or any social event, we look forward to working with you to plan and host your event and make it an enjoyable and memorable experience for all. An up-to-date schedule has been posted on our NEW website, https://golflakeridge.com and has also been posted to our Facebook Page.

And speaking of Facebook, feel free to “like” and follow us on the  Lake Ridge Country Club’s Facebook Page. Keep up-to-date with all the events and daily specials Lake Ridge has to offer.  Please click on the link fb.me/BeaverLakeRidgeGolf. If the link does not work, simply cut and paste the link into your address bar on your web browser. Please feel free to rate us and give us any feedback that would allow us to better serve you.  

We have now entered our winter schedule. Although the golf course remains open, please call in advance to book a tee time. We will open to accommodate any golfers, weather permitting, but no golfers will be allowed to play with frost on the greens. As usual Caddies  Lounge opens every day at 4:00 and Fairways Restaurant is open from 5:00 to 9:00 seven days a week.

FAIRWAYS RESTAURANT 

Open for dinner from 5 – 9 seven days a week…….  Whether you want to dine in the restaurant, Caddies Lounge or out on the deck, we are committed to providing quality food at a great price in a very comfortable setting. In a hurry or don’t feel like cooking, call us in advance for takeout orders.

Like breakfast? The Dormant Club meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:30 for breakfast in Fairways Restaurant. This is open to the public so why not treat yourself to a nice breakfast and get your day started off right. What a great way to start your day, sitting on the deck and enjoying the view of the golf course. 

HAPPY HOUR MONDAY – FRIDAY FROM 4 TO 6

MONDAY – .50 CENT ELEPHANT WINGS (JUMBO DRUMSTICKS)

TUESDAY – TACOS TACOS TACOS  

WEDNESDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE 

THURSDAY –  CHICKEN QUESADILLAS  

FRIDAY – STEAK AND SHRIMP 

SATURDAY –  RACKS OF BBQ RIBS 

SUNDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE

Sundays are Members Appreciation night. All members get 20% off their food order. So come on out and take advantage of your membership for some great food at a great price. 

Darts anyone? Come on up and enjoy a few beers, play some darts in Caddy’s Shack and listen to some of your favorite songs on the Jukebox. And for all you music fans, download  the AMI Jukebox app to your phone and play the jukebox from your phone. Just do a search for AMI Jukebox under your APPS store and download the app. Once you have downloaded the app, select Caddy’s Lounge as your location. It’s quick and easy to setup.

We have Karaoke every Friday and Saturday starting at 9:00. However, if you ever want to practice your skills, once the kitchen closes, we can fire up the Karaoke and let the singing begin.

 

Todd Berry

Director of Golf

Lake Ridge Golf Course

Phone: 402-235-4653

lakeridgegolf@spiralfiber.com

The post Lake Ridge Weekly Newsletter Jan 30, 2017 appeared first on Lake Ridge Golf Course.

Tiger Woods misses cut at Farmers Insurance Open

GolfTEC Training Center in Omaha, NE 402-905-2990

With the golf season just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about improving your golf game.  So why not give GolfTEC a try.

GolfTEC, has a  state-of-the-art Improvement Center, and you’ll find all the tools you need to help you improve your golf game.

Their Certified Personal Coaches have years of instructional experience and they all use the latest golf technology to help players of any age or skill level reach their goals. Whether you’re looking to win your club championship, or you’re just getting started with the game, golf lessons with GolfTEC are the perfect solution for you.

Talk to one of their Certified Personal Coaches by calling the phone number  402-905-2990.

• 

  James Kinney

  Center Manager, Franchise Owner, Director of Instruction

  jkinney@golftec.comPGA Status: PGA MemberHometown: Omaha, NE2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 NEBRASKA PGA TEACHER of THE YEAR

  
• 

  Jamie Stogdill

  Certified Personal Coach

  jstogdill@golftec.comHometown: Omaha, NETop 100 Club Fitter- Golf Digest. Certified Personal Coach at GolfTEC Omaha for 7 years. Taught over 13,000 lessons. Outstanding Achievement Award in Coaching – 2010,11,12,13 and 15.

  

  Ryan Norman

  Certified Personal Coach

  rnorman@golftec.comPGA Status: PGA MemberHometown: Council Bluffs, IANominated for Nebraska PGA Teacher of the Year 2011, 2012, and 2013. Coach of the Nebraska Class A Girls State Champion 2014, 2015. Numerous High School Students gone on to play in College/University. Member of the Nebraska PGA Cup Team 2013, 2015. PGA Professional National Championship Qualifier 2015.

  
• 

  Brett Hahn

  Certified Personal Coach

  bhahn@golftec.comHometown: Nebraska City, NEGolf Professional for 11 years with 4 years experience as Head Women’s Golf Coach at Peru State College. Nominated for GolfTEC Rookie Coach of the Year in 2016.

  

  Jack Kaupa

  Certified Personal Coach

  jkaupa@golftec.comPGA Status: PGA MemberHometown: Eagan, MNGraduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln PGA Golf Management program. Previous work experience includes Muirfield Village Golf Club, the Sea Island Golf Performance Center and Pinehurst Resort and Country Club.

  
• 

  Graham Willer

  Certified Personal Coach

  gwiller@golftec.comPGA Status: ApprenticeHometown: Omaha, Nebraska

They are located at 362 North 114th Street Ste 362 Omaha, NE 68154

Center Hours:

M 7:00 – 8:00 | T 7:00 – 8:00 | W 7:00 – 8:00 | T 7:00 – 8:00 | F 8:00 – 6:00 | Sa 8:00 – 4:00 | Su 8:00 – 4:00

The post GolfTEC Training Center in Omaha, NE 402-905-2990 appeared first on Lake Ridge Golf Course.

Rory McIlroy targeting March return from rib injury

Rory McIlroy isn’t playing in next week’s Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour, missing the second leg of what is typically an early season United Arab Emirates double for the Ulsterman.

He’s sidelined with a rib injury that almost forced him out of the South African Open and led to him withdrawing from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Dubai. When he first announced the true nature of the injury, he left the timetable for his return undefined. However, McIlroy now has a target date to return.

Speaking to Fox Sports’ Shane Bacon on the Clubhouse podcast, McIlroy said he’s looking to come back in March at the WGC-Mexico Championship.

“I’m trying to get back for Mexico,” said McIlroy. “That’s my timetable for return. I could probably get back before that. For example, if I were to play Honda [the Honda Classic at the end of February] and then go straight to Mexico, I would be playing two weeks in a row.

“I’d like to ease my way back in gently. Mexico is the perfect time to return because it’s four rounds, there’s no cut. I can see how everything feels. I have a week off after that. All signs pointed towards Mexico being the one I could come back to and be 100 percent comfortable at. Hopefully it works out that way, and that’s when I’m back.”

The WGC-Mexico Championship, which essentially replaces the WGC-Cadillac Championship formerly held at Trump Doral near Miami, starts March 2 and is a no-cut event.

From there, McIlroy could look at another start before the Masters in the Florida Swing or in Texas. Were McIlroy to win a fifth major at Augusta National, he would complete the career Grand Slam.

 Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

The post Rory McIlroy targeting March return from rib injury appeared first on Lake Ridge Golf Course.

Tiger Woods tries to stick around at Torrey Pines

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Tiger Woods is trying to avoid something he has never done in all his years playing at Torrey Pines.

He has never left the tournament on a Friday.

Woods bailed out on Thursday the last time he played the Farmers Insurance Open in 2015 when he stopped after 11 holes because of tightness in his back. The year before that, he was forced out on a Saturday when he missed the 54-hole cut.

He has won six times on a Sunday, twice on a Monday.

In his return to the PGA Tour after a 17-month layoff to heal from two back surgeries, the objective now is simply to make the cut. Woods didn’t make it easy on himself when he played a six-hole stretch in 6-over par on the back nine of the opening round Thursday and shot a 4-over 76.

He goes into the second round five shots outside the cut line.

If he’s sent packing on Friday, it will be the eighth time in his last 15 starts against a full field that Woods failed to make the cut. This from a guy who once went seven years without missing a cut.

Was it a surprise?

Not really, because not even Woods knew what to expect after having been gone from the tour for so long. More than his fighting his swing — it took him nine holes before he hit what could be considered a good short iron into the green — it was getting used to tournament golf.

That could be expected.

“So much is different,” he said. “Playing in slower conditions. It’s much softer than what we have at home. It’s much cooler than what we have at home. It’s just different. I’m trying to get used to a little bit of this, and I was fighting throughout the day, and I just didn’t quite get it done after the middle part of that back nine.”

And that’s where it all fell apart.

He made his first birdie in 523 days — a number skewed by the fact it had been 523 days since his last PGA Tour appearance — on the 10th hole when he hit a wedge from the first cut of rough into 10 feet. He followed that with a tee shot into 10 feet for another birdie. That put him at 1 under.

“And it went the other way,” he said.

It was a little bit of everything, and it all happened so fast, even in the midst of what Woods referred to as a lot of waiting around.

No. 12: A bad tee shot to the right landed in rough so wet and thick that he used a fairway metal to chop down and gouge out the shot. He advanced it only 120 yards, still in the rough, hacked the next one out to 15 feet and missed the par putt.

No. 13: A tee shot into the rough, and an iron that stayed in the rough, so deep that Woods had to lift the ball to identify it. He did extremely well to hammer that out with a wedge onto the green some 50 feet away. Instead of getting out of there with par, he left his first putt 10 feet short and three-putted for bogey.

No. 14: A 3-wood off the tee that found the left rough and kept him from reaching the green. His pitch from short grass in front of the green came up 18 feet short, and the par putt spun out of the lip.

No. 15: A snap-hook over the gallery and down into a ravine. Woods started to go down to look for it until he realized even if he found it, he would have no shot. So he took a penalty drop, hooked an iron through the trees into more rough, hit wedge to 25 feet and two-putted for double bogey.

No. 17: His 3-wood drifted just enough to the right to find more deep rough. He gouged another fairway metal out into the front bunker, blasted out nicely to 6 feet and missed the par putt.

At least he made a birdie on the 18th which brought out a smile, perhaps because a long, tough day was finally over.

“I was fighting out there all day,” Woods said. “Didn’t really hit it that good. Greens were a little tough out there with some of the putts and I had a round which I let slip away in the middle part of the back nine and unfortunately didn’t hit very good shots.”

It might have been worse had he not made four tough par saves on the front nine, and if Jason Day and Dustin Johnson played better. Johnson birdied the 18th for a 72. Day missed four putts from the 4-foot range and shot 73.

Day pleaded to be patient with Woods.

“Having 17 months off is a very, very long time,” Day said. “I think everyone was kind of anticipating what the comeback would look like. But once again, I said it over the last couple days, we can’t just break down everything he did today because it’s been 17 months. Let him go a year, let him play and go from there. … We can’t panic too much at the start of the year.”

The post Tiger Woods tries to stick around at Torrey Pines appeared first on Lake Ridge Golf Course.

Tiger Woods says he’s looking forward to playing the Masters

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — After missing all four major tournaments in 2016, on Monday Tiger Woods kind of, sort of committed to playing the 2017 Masters.

“Yes, I’m hoping I get everything right,” he said. “So, yes, I’m looking forward to it.”

So far, Woods has formally announced a four-tournament schedule in his return from a back injury that kept him out of tournament play for some 16 months.

When asked Monday at Riviera Country Club, where next month he’ll host the Genesis Open, at what point he’ll start thinking about Augusta, Woods didn’t mince any words.

“Now,” he responded without hesitation. “I’ve been thinking about it.

“Once the season ends, typically, in the fall I start thinking about what I need to do for Augusta. I’ve done that for 20 years.”

Of course, this is all contingent on his back holding up after two surgeries and a year-plus-long layoff from tournament golf. Woods will tee it up this weekend in San Diego, then three times in February – in Dubai, Los Angeles and Palm Beach, Fla.

It will be the most tournament golf he’s played since August 2015.

“That is a concern, no doubt about it, but I’m also looking forward to it,” he acknowledged. “I’ve sat out long enough here. Got my body in a pretty good state where I feel I can handle that workload. But I still gotta go out there and do it.

“… Feeling good about it and doing it is two totally different things.”

While he dusted off the cobwebs in his “official” return to tournament play in December, when he tied for 15th in a 17-player field at the Hero World Challenge, that event is more a high-stakes exhibition then an actual tournament.

Thursday the real test begins when he tees off at Torrey Pines, a course where he’s won eight times, including the last of his 14 major title victories.

In the run-up to his return, Woods said he has played about four to five times a week. That preparation, while not exactly tournament play, has been crucial.

“If my back feels good, I know I can prepare, I know I can play. I know how to shoot scores,” he said. “But I need to have my health in a state where I can prepare to get my game ready to play at an elite level.”

If all goes well – if that back holds up – he’ll be at Augusta in April.

“I’d love to play [the Masters],” he said. “I’d love to win. I’ve won it four times. Hopefully I can add a fifth.”

Jay Hart

Yahoo Sports

Yahoo Sports US January 23, 2017

The post Tiger Woods says he’s looking forward to playing the Masters appeared first on Lake Ridge Golf Course.

Lake Ridge Weekly Newsletter Jan 23, 2017

Would like to thank Jody Hellbusch for choosing Lake Ridge to host her mothers surprise birthday bash on Saturday night. It was a great fun filled evening and her mother, Pam Harris, was very surprised. Would also like to thank all who came out to celebrate Pam’s birthday.

You can now  book tee times online a week in advance with our NEW and IMPROVED website , https://golflakeridge.com. Take a look at all the upcoming events for the 2017 season in the events Club Calendar. You can even view our menu, order gift certificate’s from our online shop and keep up-to-date with the latest golfing news with our online news blog. It even links you to our Facebook and Twitter pages.  So please take a few minutes to check it out and add to your favorites list.

Yoga with Allison Welch continues tonight from 7:00 to 8:00 and runs every Monday until Feb 20.  So start the new year off right by getting back in shape both mentally  and physically.  Please contact Allison Welch for more information or sign-up in the pro shop.

League sign-up sheets have been posted in the pro shop for this year’s upcoming golf season. Leagues fill up fast and with room for a limited amount of teams per league please sign-up early to ensure your spot. Having said that if you played on a league last year your spot is  reserved. New teams will be placed on a waiting list if the league is full. Please sign-up early to better assist us in planning the upcoming 2017 league season. Thanks.

Tired of winter and wish you were at the beach?? Come join us Saturday Jan 28 in Caddies Lounge for our annual Beach Surf Party. Anyone who wears surfing or beach attire will get drink discounts all night long. So screw winter, get out those flip flops and let’s party like it’s summer time. Party starts at 8:00.

Valentine’s Day is Tuesday Feb 14 so it’s time to start making plans  for that special  person  in your life. Why not spend that special evening with us. In addition to our normal menu  we  also will be offering a 10oz prime rib dinner that includes choice of potato, veggie and soup or salad for $14.95. There will also be music provided by DJ Tim Dunlap. Please contact us for more information regarding  the menu and to RSVP.

All right poker fans,  we have Texas HoldEm every Tuesday starting promptly at 7:30. Poker players enjoy Happy Hour rates when playing and also have a chance at winning prizes. So if you like playing poker, Tuesday is your night.

Thursday night is Ladies Night. Ladies get Happy Hour rates all night long. Whether it’s Karaoke, Texas HoldEm, left right or center dice game or you just want to have a few drinks with your friends Lake Ridge is the place to be on Thursday nights.

We have already begun scheduling events for the upcoming 2017 golf season so it’s time to start thinking about planning your event with us to ensure you get the day of your choice. Whether it’s a golf outing, retirement party, birthday party, class reunion or any social event, we look forward to working with you to plan and host your event and make

it an enjoyable and memorable experience for all. An up-to-date schedule has been posted on our NEW website, https://golflakeridge.com and has also been posted to our Facebook Page.

And speaking of Facebook, feel free to “like” and follow us on the  Lake Ridge Country Club’s Facebook Page. Keep up-to-date with all the events and daily specials Lake Ridge has to offer.   Please click on the link fb.me/BeaverLakeRidgeGolf. If the link does not work, simply cut and paste the link into your address bar on your web browser. Please feel free to rate us and give us any feedback that would allow us to better serve you.

We have now entered our winter schedule. Although the golf course remains open, please call in advance to book a tee time. We will open to accommodate any golfers, weather permitting, but no golfers will be allowed to play with frost on the greens. As usual Caddies  Lounge opens every day at 4:00 and Fairways Restaurant is open from 5:00 to 9:00 seven days a week.

                                                FAIRWAYS RESTAURANT 

Open for dinner from 5 – 9 seven days a week…….  Whether you want to dine in the restaurant, Caddies Lounge or out on the deck, we are committed to providing quality food at a great price in a very comfortable setting. In a hurry or don’t feel like cooking, call us in advance for takeout orders.

Like breakfast? The Dormant Club meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:30 for breakfast in Fairways Restaurant. This is open to the public so why not treat yourself to a nice breakfast and get your day started off right. What a great way to start your day, sitting on the deck and enjoying the view of the golf course.

HAPPY HOUR MONDAY – FRIDAY FROM 4 TO 6

MONDAY – .50 CENT ELEPHANT WINGS (JUMBO DRUMSTICKS) 

TUESDAY – TACOS TACOS TACOS  

WEDNESDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE 

THURSDAY –  CHICKEN QUESADILLAS  

FRIDAY – STEAK AND SHRIMP 

SATURDAY –  RACKS OF BBQ RIBS 

SUNDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE

Sundays are Members Appreciation night. All members get 20% off their food order. So come on out and take advantage of your membership for some great food at a great price.

Darts anyone? Come on up and enjoy a few beers, play some darts in Caddy’s Shack and listen to some of your favorite songs on the Jukebox. And for all you music fans, download  the AMI Jukebox app to your phone and play the jukebox from your phone. Just do a search for AMI Jukebox under your APPS store and download the app. Once you have downloaded the app, select Caddy’s Lounge as your location. It’s quick and easy to setup.

We have Karaoke every Friday and Saturday starting at 9:00. However, if you ever want to practice your skills, once the kitchen closes, we can fire up the Karaoke and let the singing begin.

  

Todd Berry

Director of Golf

Lake Ridge Golf Course

Phone: 402-235-4653

lakeridgegolf@spiralfiber.com

The post Lake Ridge Weekly Newsletter Jan 23, 2017 appeared first on Lake Ridge Golf Course.

Phil Mickelson returns with scrambling 68 at La Quinta

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Phil Mickelson hit his opening tee shot so poorly in morning rain and cold that he hit a provisional ball just to get in another swing.

He scrambled to par the hole and went on to shoot a 4-under 68 on Thursday in the CareerBuilder Challenge, leaving him four strokes back in his return from two sports hernia surgeries.

”I struck it horrible, but I scored out of my mind,” Mickelson said. ”So, I’m very happy with it. My first round of golf was Saturday and I’ve been able to work out just the last two weeks.”

Lefty hooked his first tee shot into the trees at La Quinta Country Club, then reloaded and hit the provisional into the fairway.

”That next hole, the second hole’s an extremely difficult drive and I wanted to just get another swing,” Mickelson said.

He found the first ball and hammered a shot under the trees to just off the front of the green.

”It was really a great day for me because I scored so much better than I played,” Mickelson said. ”And when I finally did hit some really good shots I ended up close and made a few birdies. And when I hit some really bad shots – and I hit some really bad shots – I was still able to salvage some up-and-downs for pars.”

Tour rookie Dominic Bozzelli shot a 64 on the Stadium Course at PGA West – the most difficult of the three courses – to top the leaderboard. He holed out from 115 yards for eagle on the par-4 14th.

”Been working hard back home, doing all right things on and off the course, and it’s nice to come out and have that hard work pay off,” Bozzelli said.

Jhonattan Vegas, the 2011 champion, was a stroke back at 65 along with Harold Varner III, Hudson Swafford and Patton Kizzire. Vegas and Kizzire played PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course, and Varner and Swafford opened at La Quinta.

Rain fell off and on in the morning and more was expected Friday, with the PGA Tour moving the tee times up an hour.

”Ain’t nobody never comfortable when you’re having to play golf when it’s raining and a little cool like it was,” Boo Weekley said after a 66 on the Stadium Course.

Play started with the temperature in lows 50s and it barely climbed into the 60s in the afternoon. The forecast high Friday was 61.

”The ball didn’t go as far, but you don’t have to hit it that far out here,” Varner said.

The 46-year-old Mickelson had surgery Oct. 19 – three days after tying for eighth in the season-opening Safeway Open – and again Dec. 12.

”I feel fine,” Mickelson said. ”I’ve been able to work out the last two weeks. And again, you start out real slow, but you get back to it, you get it back pretty quick.”

His caddie, Jim ”Bones” Mackay also made a comeback after having both knees replaced.

Mickelson won the 2002 and 2004 events and tied for third last year. The first-year tournament ambassador won the last of his 42 PGA Tour titles in the 2013 British Open.

”There’s no better place to learn and to get better than to come out here on these great golf courses and put it to the test,” Mickelson said. ”You can get away with some mistakes, and I was able to salvage a few pars with up-and-downs, so it doesn’t beat you up too bad. It’s a perfect place to start the year.”

Wearing a jacket with a logo of his leaping celebration in the 2004 Masters, Lefty hit a wedge to 2 feet for birdie on the par-4 fourth and also birdied the par-5 sixth and par-4 eighth. On the par-4 ninth, he made a 45-foot birdie putt after driving left onto the adjacent first hole.

Mickelson had his best par save on the par-4 16th after losing another drive to the left. He hit under the trees into the front left bunker, blasted short into the fringe and holed an 18-foot chip. He bogeyed the par-4 17th after driving into the left bunker, and made an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th.

DIVOTS: The players averaged 71.423 on Stadium Course, 70.327 on the Nicklaus layout, and 70.154 at La Quinta. … Bill Haas, the 2010 and 2015 winner, played alongside Mickelson, and matched him at 68. … Patrick Reed, the top-ranked player in the field at No. 9, had a 69 at La Quinta. He won in 2014, shooting 63-63-63-71 to break the PGA Tour record for relation to par for the first 54 holes at 27 under and become the first player in tour history to open with three rounds of 63 or better. … Defending champion Jason Dufner shot a 70 at La Quinta.

The post Phil Mickelson returns with scrambling 68 at La Quinta appeared first on Lake Ridge Golf Course.

Striking balance to test top players in golf difficult: Adam Scott

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Golf has come a long way since Tiger Woods changed the nature of the sport following his maiden major triumph 20 years ago – courses are longer, players are fitter and equipment is advancing as quickly as technology will allow.

Fans, however, are divided on what they want to see at the big events with the ones that love nothing more than an endless stream of birdies opposed by those who delight when the top players struggle to break par in semi-hurricane conditions.

When Woods won the 1997 U.S. Masters with a staggering 18-under total it appeared no course could withstand the best in the game. Yet 10 years later, Zach Johnson claimed the same event at Augusta in freezing conditions with a one-over tally.

Players admit that while the weather is one of the major factors in determining the outcome of a tournament, courses do not have to be outrageously long to offer up any sort of resistance to the current crop of top professionals.

“What’s interesting is that if a course is short and firm, it will play tougher than a long and wet one,” Australian world number seven Adam Scott told reporters ahead of the Singapore Open on Wednesday.

“So it seems the golf clubs, tournaments and the set-up committees are struggling to find a balance for us because the separation between a professional and a regular golfer is greater than ever and we play completely different games now.

“To have a course long enough for us is almost impossible yet everyone wants a course that can challenge a pro. But if they are short and firm, like Hilton Head for example, shooting under par is a good score.”

BEAT THE PRO

Scott admitted that while scores on links courses exposed to the elements were as fickle as the winds that blew across them, conditions at some of the major tournaments in the United States had become a little too extreme.

“For them to be set up where five-over is a winning score is almost so unplayable that if you are not playing five-over and winning, I think its getting away from golf in my opinion,” the 36-year-old 2013 Masters champion added.

“We are losing balls at U.S. Opens five yards away from the green in some of the grass but I guess its a testament to how good the players are now, how good you have to be and how difficult they have to set a course up to ‘beat the pro’.

Fellow major winner Ernie Els said he preferred a tougher course set-up while adding that leading professionals had become so skilful that the kind of dominance Woods enjoyed for more than decade would be almost impossible to emulate.

“When I was in my prime, I always wanted to play at venues where it was really quite difficult as I felt I had a better chance,” the South African said.

“Nowadays, to separate yourself from the rest you have to really do something special and that will become more difficult to do. But if the weather plays along at this year’s major championships, you could see scores of around par again.”

By John O’Brien (Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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Els backs Woods for more major success

It may be over eight years since Tiger Woods won his 14th major but Ernie Els believes the 41-year-old can still add to his tally.

Woods has not triumphed in a major since the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, a tournament he won following a play-off with Rocco Mediate.

Since that success Woods has regularly struggled with injury, leading many to question whether he can compete at the highest level again.

Els is not one of those doubters, however, and the South African believes Woods’ appearance at the Farmers Insurance Open later this month, set to be his first in 2017, could be the start of a revival for the former world number one.

“I am in my late 40s and he is just getting into them. There have been a few cases where we have won majors in our 40s, it doesn’t happen that often but it does happen,” Els was quoted as telling reporters ahead of the Singapore Open.

“If players like myself, Darren Clarke and Mark O’Meara won [majors] in our 40s, surely Tiger thinks he can do it too. I am sure it’s on his agenda.

“Mentally, he is as strong as anybody but he needs to find some momentum at his favorite events and, if he gets that, he can start believing again. I would love to see him play like he did back in the 90s, but I am not sure that is going to happen.

“There’s a lot of excellent players out there, some of them playing great golf, so it will be great to see if Tiger can get back in the mix at some of the big events and create even more of a buzz.”

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Rory McIlroy withdraws from Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with rib injury

A day after finishing runner-up at the BMW SA Open in South Africa, world No. 2 Rory McIlroy withdrew from this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in the United Arab Emirates, citing a rib injury.

“It’s bitterly disappointing to have to withdraw from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship,” McIlroy said in a statement released by the European Tour. “I think everyone knows how much I love playing this tournament, which is one of the best on the European Tour.

“To be forced to miss this week through injury is really quite annoying to be perfectly honest, but I am sure the tournament will be a huge success and I hope everyone involved has a great week. In situations like this you simply have to listen to the experts, and the team I have consulted have all advised me to rest until my rib has fully recovered.”

McIlroy first experienced a tweaking pain on Friday in Johannesburg, suggesting that there was a modest chance he would have withdrawn ahead of his second round. Instead, he played through the issue, losing to champion Graeme Storm on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff. Afterward, McIlroy said he would seek out an MRI on Monday to find out more about his injury. As it turns out, it was not the back that was the source of the issue, rather a rib problem.

The four-time major winner suggested that the source of his injury may have been extensive off-season practice to identify the equipment he would use to start 2017 for the beginning of his first full season without Nike Golf in the equipment business since signing on with the Swoosh. Other critics will point to McIlroy’s extensive gym and fitness work as a hindrance, but that’s unclear. What is clear is that McIlroy’s schedule may change by more than one start, and that could mean messing up a pace McIlroy hoped would lead him to Augusta National in proper form to win his first Masters title and complete the career Grand Slam.

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Justin Thomas completes the Hawaiian swing at Sony Open

HONOLULU — Challenged only by the record book, Justin Thomas won the Sony Open on Sunday with the lowest 72-hole score in PGA TOUR history.

Thomas capped off his wonderful week at Waialae that began with a 59 with his second straight victory. He two-putted birdie from 60 feet on the par-5 18th and closed with a 5-under 65 to set the record at 253.

Tommy Armour III shot 254 at the 2003 Texas Open.

“It’s been an unbelievable week. Unforgettable,” Thomas said before going to sign his historic card.

Make that two weeks.

The 23-year-old from Kentucky won the SBS Tournament of Champions at Kapalua last week by three shots, then destroyed the full field at the Sony Open to win by seven shots. Thomas is the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 (Buick Open and Bridgestone Invitational) to win back-to-back weeks by three shots or more.

“I felt like I was trying to win a tournament for second place,” Jordan Spieth said, summing up the helpless feeling of everyone.

That honor went to Justin Rose, who closed with a 64 to finish alone in second. Spieth shot a 63 to finish alone in third.

The first full-field event of the year on the PGA TOUR was a one-man show.

Thomas began the final round with a seven-shot lead and no one got closer than five shots all day. His only nervous moment was an 8-foot par putt on the sixth hole when he was five shots ahead. He made that, and the rest of the day was a Pacific breeze.

Thomas joined Ernie Els in 2003 as the only players to sweep Hawaii, and this performance might have been even better. Thomas was 49-under par for his two weeks, compared with Els at 47 under.

Thomas joined Johnny Miller (1974 and 1975) and Tiger Woods (2003, 2008, 2013) as the only players since 1970 to win three of the their first five starts in a PGA TOUR season. It started last fall with the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.

He moved to No. 8 in the world.

“He’s got full control of his game, full confidence, and he’s executing under pressure,” Spieth said. “It’s a lot of fun to see. Certainly stuff that myself and a lot of our peers have seen going back almost 10 years now. He’s certainly showing the world what he’s capable of.”

No one ever lost a seven-shot lead in the final round of a PGA TOUR event, a fact that never entered the conversation on a balmy afternoon at Waialae.

Thomas, thinking more about the trophy and another record when he started the final round, took no chances early on. He was 1 over through seven holes, making a soft bogey with a three-putt from 45 feet on No. 4 and a tough par save on No. 6, and still no one got closer than five shots.

But when he poured in a 20-foot birdie putt on the eighth, Thomas shifted into another gear. That was the start of four birdies in five holes — the exception was a birdie putt he missed from just inside 10 feet — and he stretched his lead to as many as nine shots.

Waialae was vulnerable all week with not much wind, fast fairways and greens that were softer than usual. Thomas produced the eighth sub-60 round in PGA TOUR history on Thursday. Kevin Kisner had a shot at 59 on Saturday until missing a 9-foot eagle putt on his final hole. And on Sunday, Chez Reavie made a hole-in-one with a 6-iron on the 17th hole that gave him a shot at a sub-60 round. Only a bogey on the sixth hole (he start on No. 10) stopping him, and he had to settle for a 61. That matched the third-best score of the week.

Even in easier conditions, no one played like Thomas.

He felt the nerves early, perhaps knowing that he could only lose with such a big lead. But when he made the turn with a six-shot lead, it was a chase for the record, and there was no stopping him. He hit a lob wedge over a bunker to 3 feet for birdie on the 14th, made a 12-foot par save on the 15th and picked up the last birdie he needed on the par-5 18th by easily reaching the middle of the green.

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Lake Ridge Weekly Newsletter Jan 16, 2017

Due to the icy road conditions, Lake Ridge will be closed tonight Monday 16 Jan. Sorry for

any inconvenience this may cause.

 

You can now  book tee times online a week in advance with our NEW and IMPROVED

website , https://golflakeridge.com. Take a look at all the upcoming events for the 2017

season in the events Club Calendar. You can even view our menu, order gift certificate’s

from our online shop and keep up-to-date with the latest golfing news with our online news

blog. It even links you to our Facebook and Twitter pages.  So please take a few minutes

to check it out and add to your favorites list.

 

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga… We are pleased to announce  that Allison Welch will once again offer

yoga classes in the coming new year. Start the new year off right by getting back in shape

both mentally  and physically. Class starts tonight Monday Jan 9 from 7:00 to 8:00 and runs

until Feb 13. Please contact Allison Welch for more information or sign-up in the pro shop.

 

League sign-up sheets have been posted in the pro shop for this year’s upcoming golf

season. Leagues fill up fast and with room for a limited amount of teams per league please

sign-up early to ensure your spot. Having said that if you played on a league last year your

spot is  reserved. New teams will be placed on a waiting list if the league is full. Please sign-up

early to better assist us in planning the upcoming 2017 league season. Thanks.

 

Tired of winter and wish you were at the beach?? Come join us Saturday Jan 28 in Caddies

Lounge for our annual Beach Surf Party. Anyone who wears surfing or beach attire will get

drink discounts all night long. So screw winter, get out those flip flops and let’s party

like it’s summer time. Party starts at 8:00.

 

Valentine’s Day is Tuesday Feb 14 so it’s time to start making plans  for that special 

person  in your life. Why not spend that special evening with us. As usual we will

have a special menu  planned for this special day. Please contact us for more information

regarding  the menu and to RSVP.

 

All right poker fans,  we have Texas HoldEm every Tuesday starting promptly at 7:30.

Poker players enjoy Happy Hour rates when playing and also have a chance at winning

prizes. So if you like playing poker, Tuesday is your night.

 

Thursday night is Ladies Night. Ladies get Happy Hour rates all night long. Whether it’s

Karaoke, Texas HoldEm, left right or center dice game or you just want to have a few

drinks with your friends Lake Ridge is the place to be on Thursday nights.

 

We have already begun scheduling events for the upcoming 2017 golf season so it’s time

to start thinking about planning your event with us to ensure you get the day of your choice.

Whether it’s a golf outing, retirement party, birthday party, class reunion or any

social event, we look forward to working with you to plan and host your event and make

it an enjoyable and memorable experience for all. An up-to-date schedule has been

posted on our NEW website, https://golflakeridge.com and has also been posted to our

Facebook Page.

 

And speaking of Facebook, feel free to “like” and follow us on the  Lake Ridge Country Club’s

Facebook Page. Keep up-to-date with all the events and daily specials Lake Ridge has to offer.

Please click on the link fb.me/BeaverLakeRidgeGolf. If the link does not work, simply cut and

paste the link into your address bar on your web browser. Please feel free to rate us and

give us any feedback that would allow us to better serve you.

 

We have now entered our winter schedule. Although the golf course remains open, please

call in advance to book a tee time. We will open to accommodate any golfers, weather

permitting, but no golfers will be allowed to play with frost on the greens. As usual

Caddies  Lounge opens every day at 4:00 and Fairways Restaurant is open from

5:00 to 9:00 seven days a week.

FAIRWAYS RESTAURANT 

Open for dinner from 5 – 9 seven days a week…….  Whether you want to dine in the restaurant,

Caddies Lounge or out on the deck, we are committed to providing quality

food at a great price in a very comfortable setting. In a hurry or don’t feel like cooking,

call us in advance for takeout orders.

 

Like breakfast? The Dormant Club meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:30

for breakfast in Fairways Restaurant. This is open to the public so why not treat yourself

to a nice breakfast and get your day started off right. What a great way to start your day,

sitting on the deck and enjoying the view of the golf course.

HAPPY HOUR MONDAY – FRIDAY FROM 4 TO 6

THIS WEEKS DAILY SPECIALS

MONDAY – .50 CENT ELEPHANT WINGS (JUMBO DRUMSTICKS)

TUESDAY – TACOS TACOS TACOS

WEDNESDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE

THURSDAY –  CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

FRIDAY – STEAK AND SHRIMP

SATURDAY –  RACKS OF BBQ RIBS

SUNDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE

 

Sundays are Members Appreciation night. All members get 20% off their food order. So

come on out and take advantage of your membership for some great food at a great price.

 

Dart’s anyone? Come on up and enjoy a few beers, play some darts in Caddy’s Shack

and listen to some of your favorite songs on the Jukebox. And for all you music fans,

download  the AMI Jukebox app to your phone and play the jukebox from your phone.

Just do a search for AMI Jukebox under your APPS store and download the app.

Once you have downloaded the app, select Caddy’s Lounge as your location. 

It’s quick and easy to setup.

 

We have Karaoke every Friday and Saturday starting at 9:00. However, if you ever

want to practice your skills, once the kitchen closes, we can fire up the Karaoke and

let the singing begin.

  

 

Todd Berry

Director of Golf

Lake Ridge Golf Course

Phone: 402-235-4653

lakeridgegolf@spiralfiber.com

The post Lake Ridge Weekly Newsletter Jan 16, 2017 appeared first on Lake Ridge Golf Course.

Justin Thomas opens Sony Open in Hawaii with 59

Justin Thomas shot the eighth round of sub-60 in PGA Tour history on Thursday, shooting 11-under 59 in the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii.

For anyone who thought last week’s winner of the SBS Tournament of Champions was due for a post-victory letdown, they were wrong.

Thomas came to his final hole of the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at 9 under on the day. With a birdie on the second of the two par 5s he’d see on the round, he could top the course record he already had a share of from two years ago. After finding the fairway bunker with his tee shot, Thomas smashed his 207-yard second shot to 15 feet from the hole for an eagle that would give him a 59.

“I was so bummed when that tee shot went in the bunker,” he said. “I thought it was going to be good. I got up there and had a perfect lie, and I’m like, you know what am I going to do, lay up? And if it comes off, great, and if not, whatever.”

Then, Thomas, who already has two PGA Tour wins on this young season, finished the job to make the 3 that sent the crowd — and playing partner Jordan Spieth — into a frenzy.

“I wasn’t thinking a lot. I was just really more focused on trying to make the putt,” Thomas said afterward. “Obviously I knew what it meant if I made it, and that was the first time I had a putt at 359. I was like, well, who knows when this is going to happen again, I may as well try and knock it in. I hit a great putt.”

Even had he needed two putts for a closing birdie, Thomas still would’ve taken sole possession of the Waialae Country Club course record, of which he’s had a share with a 61 in this event in 2015.

The 23-year-old Alabama product finished the morning session five clear of five players with the next-best score of 64. For his part, Spieth shot 65.

Jim Furyk still holds the PGA Tour record for lowest single round with the 12-under 58 he shot in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship in Connecticut. The first sub-60 round in PGA Tour history was shot 40 years ago when Al Geiberger first shot 59 at the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic.

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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Rory McIlroy gets strong start to 2017 with opening 67 at SA Open

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Rory McIlroy made an impressive start to 2017 with a new set of clubs, shooting a 5-under 67 in the first round at the SA Open on Thursday.

Making his first appearance at the tournament since 2008, McIlroy rolled in seven birdies – including four straight from Nos. 14-17 after starting at the 10th – to put himself a shot off the lead held by Trevor Fisher Jr. after the morning starters.

With Nike announcing last year it would no longer be making golf clubs and balls, the second-ranked McIlroy has been testing out new woods, irons and a putter from other manufacturers and said his new bag ”is working pretty well.”

”I’m sure as I get accustomed to them – I mean, it’s nice to play my first competitive round and play like this – I’ll get even more dialed in, and chop and change a little bit,” McIlroy said.

The Northern Irishman is the standout player in Johannesburg this week, making an earlier-than-usual start to his golfing year as a favor to Ernie Els, the South African great and the host of the SA Open. The galleries were drawn to McIlroy despite his early tee time of 7:10 a.m. local time, and he responded with an adventurous round that included a 392-yard drive on the first hole, drawing gasps from spectators.

A 20-foot putt on No. 17 completed his four-hole run of birdies before McIlroy rolled in an 8-footer on No. 2 to move to 5 under. Poor approach shots led to bogeys on the fourth and fifth, but he replied with a tee shot on the par-3 sixth that stopped on the slope in the middle of the green and rolled back down to two feet, for a tap-in birdie.

He was in the rough on his final three holes but scrambled to par Nos. 7 and 9 and made a birdie on No. 8.

”I gave myself chances, felt I missed a few but I played well,” McIlroy said. ”It was a bit adventurous on the back nine, scrambled a bit and did my bit to salvage a few holes.”

South African players have won 13 of the last 19 editions of the SA Open, and three of the top four among the early starters were home players.

Fisher Jr., also starting at No. 10, made seven birdies in eight holes from the 12th to the first and parred his way home for a 66.

Thomas Aiken and Dean Burmester were alongside McIlroy after 67s. Els and defending champion Brandon Stone started with 74s.

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Jordan Spieth wants 2017 to be more fun, avoid having a ‘short fuse’

Jordan Spieth wants to flash the pearly whites a little more in 2017, and, aside from perhaps getting revenge at Augusta National, enjoy his professional life a little more.

“Honestly, I want to have a lot more fun,” Spieth said Tuesday at the Sony Open in Hawaii, in Honolulu. “I want to smile more on the golf course. I want to just feel like I’m really enjoying the process of playing and living out my dream.”

Spieth said he wants more in 2017 than the two PGA Tour and three total worldwide wins last year, but he also said he needs to acknowledge that it’s not going to come as easy as it did in 2015, something he admitted he failed to do at times post-Masters.

“I think there were certainly times where my fuse was a little too short,” he said. “I mean, people go through those kind of stretches. I don’t know, just here and there, complained a bit where it was unnecessary. Just when I’m talking to [caddie] Michael [Greller] and stuff. It doesn’t do any good.”

A slightly more Zen approach for Spieth doesn’t imply that he would be alright posting rounds in the 80s, or that he’ll sudden become Pedro Cerrano through most of “Major League 2.” That’s not the case. Rather, Spieth just wants to know when to start the fire and have a better handle on how quickly to turn up the heat.

“It doesn’t mean not be angry at bad rounds or bad holes, because that’s natural and that’s how you bounce back. If you were okay with bogeys, then it would be harder to go on a birdie string right after,” he said. “But it just means not taking it to that extra level and just, you know, recognizing what happened and then fix it.”

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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Jim Furyk Named 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain

The U.S. Ryder Cup team found a winning formula last fall at Hazeltine. It’s no surprise who will lead the team’s 2018 title defense in Paris.

As expected, Jim Furyk was announced as the 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup captain during a Wednesday press conference. It was widely rumored that Furyk would be the pick, and the Telegraph reported Sunday that Furyk was chosen over Fred Couples by committee members Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and 2016 captain Davis Love III.

Furyk was an assistant at Hazeltine last fall and played on nine consecutive Ryder Cup teams through 2014. He owns a 10-20-4 individual record and the U.S. went 2-7 with Furyk on the team.

The 2018 Ryder Cup is Sept. 28-30, 2018, at Le Golf National in Paris, France. Furyk will be 48 years old then.

The U.S. thumped Europe 17-11 last year at Hazeltine, ending a run that saw Europe win six of the previous seven events. The Americans last won back-to-back Cups in 1991 and 1993. Tom Watson captained that ’93 squad at the Belfry, the last time the U.S. won on European soil.

Thomas Bjorn was named European captain last month.

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Golf Power Rankings: Breaking Down the Sony Open in Hawaii

Fabian Gomez was last year’s big winner at the Sony Open. Who will close out the PGA Tour’s Hawaiian swing with a victory this time around?

With the Tournament of Champions in the rearview mirror, the PGA Tour now moves on to the second half of its annual swing through the Aloha State: the Sony Open in Hawaii. Held yearly at Wailele Country Club, the list of past champions includes such notable names as Lee Trevino, Ben Crenshaw, Ernie Els and Zach Johnson.

Hawaii is always a popular destination for PGA Tour players and their families this time of year, but thanks to the stringent qualifying criteria for last week’s event, the Sony will be the only local event for many of them. For golf fanatics, this is an exciting opportunity to see some favorite players back in action — Kapalua is great in its own ways, but showing us a wide variety of different players and swings isn’t one of them.

With a standard 140 players in the field, there’s no telling how this tournament will unfold. Without further ado, let’s get to this week’s projections. Here are some of the best bets for success at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

1. Jordan Spieth

No. 5, four top 10s in last five starts

His title defense at the SBS Tournament of Champions didn’t exactly get off to a sterling start, but Spieth managed to finish strong, circling eight birdies on Sunday en route to a tie for third. That’s exactly the kind of momentum he needs as he heads to the first full-field event of the year. While his lone previous appearance at the Sony Open resulted in a missed cut, he’s had three years since then to mature as a golfer. With four top 10s in his last five worldwide starts, including a pair of podium finishes, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him pick up the ninth win of his PGA Tour career this week.

2. Hideki Matsuyama

No. 6, six consecutive top two finishes

This 24-year-old has been scary good over the past few months. Since the conclusion of last fall’s Tour Championship, Matsuyama has made six starts and found the top two in every one of them, most notably taking home the hardware at the WGC-HSBC Champions in October and finishing second at the SBS Tournament of Champions last week. Much like Spieth, his history at Wailele isn’t particularly inspiring, but his ridiculously good form more than makes up for it. A better track record would be nice, but you’d be foolish to bet against Matsuyama this week — he’s threatening to go on a historic run.

3. Justin Thomas

No. 12, five top 10s in last six starts

It took a whole 16 events for the PGA Tour to see its first repeat winner in the 2015-16 season, but thanks to his outstanding play at Kapalua last week, Thomas was able to halve that number for this year. That victory, along with a few strong finishes from last fall, makes him one of the hottest players in this week’s field. He’s also got the statistical profile to back up those results, ranking seventh on the PGA Tour in total strokes gained and third in birdie average. The only thing standing between him and another great week is a potential winner’s hangover, but judging from recent history, that shouldn’t be much of a problem.

4. Scott Piercy

No. 36, three top 10s in last five starts

There’s a massive gap between Thomas and Piercy in terms of fantasy projection, but make no mistake — this Las Vegas resident has a great chance to contend this week. He seems to always rise to the occasion at Wailele, racking up five top 25s, including a solo second in 2015, in eight career starts. That kind of track record should pair nicely with his relatively recent fall successes, which include a tie for third at the Safeway Open, a tie for fourth at the OHL Classic and a tie for 10th at the CIMB Classic. There’s no reason he can’t keep it going at a track that’s been so kind to him in the past.

5. Paul Casey

No. 15, five top 15 finishes in last six starts

While he’s taken plenty of rest weeks since last September’s Tour Championship, Casey’s good end-of-year form means that he’s worthy of our attention this week. The Englishman made three starts and found the top 25 in every one of them, peaking with a tie for third at the Safeway Open. While he’s sorely lacking in Sony Open experience, he did tie for 30th two years ago. His recent play, combined with his greater exposure to the course, should help him ascend to new heights at Wailele. His always impressive tee-to-green game won’t hurt either.

 6. Pat Perez

No. 84, three consecutive top 10 finishes

This once fiery Arizona State product has certainly cooled down his temper in recent years, but he’s only heating up on the course. His tie for third at last week’s Tournament of Champions was his third consecutive top 10 finish, coming on the heels of a tie for seventh at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and a win at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. He’s risen nearly 250 spots in the world ranking since the beginning of that run, so he should be brimming with confidence. He’s also the owner of a standout track record at Wailele Country Club: 13-for-15 with five top 10s, including two in the last four years.

7. Charles Howell III

No. 104, three consecutive top 15 finishes

This Georgia native always seems to start off his seasons on the right foot, and this one has been no exception — through his first five events, Howell has posted a trio of top 15s, including a tie for seventh at the OHL Classic and a tie for 13th at the RSM Classic. What’s more, the Sony Open has historically been an important element of his strong starts. With four top 15s, including a pair of podium finishes, in the past five years, he should be more comfortable with the course than just about anyone. He’s just so consistent in the month of January — there’s no reason to start doubting him now.

8. Russell Henley

No. 132, three consecutive top 25 finishes

Henley will be hard-pressed to reproduce the trio of 63s that lifted him to a three-stroke victory at the 2013 Sony Open, but he’s shown enough signs to inspire plenty of optimism nevertheless. The Georgia product will ride a wave of three straight top 25s into this week, having ended the year with a solid top 10 at the RSM Classic at Sea Island. Since his victory four years ago, Henley’s record at Wailele has been a sort of mixed bag, but he did tie for 17th in 2015. If he can continue to play as solidly as he has been, then expect to see his name on the first page of the leaderboard.

9. Jimmy Walker

No. 20, two time champion at the Sony Open

Walker hasn’t been at his best since his win at the PGA Championship last August, but as a two-time winner at the Sony Open, he’s earned the benefit of the doubt. He’s also missed out on the top 30 at Wailele just once in the last six years, posting a solo fourth in 2011 and a tie for 13th last year. While a cold putter led to some weekend woes at Kapalua, there was plenty to like about his ball striking. Given his overall performance year in and year out, the gut feeling here is that he impresses this week.

10. Gary Woodland

No. 50, two career top 15 finishes at Wailele

A long bomber with some positive history at the Sony Open, Woodland has everything he needs to make a strong showing this week. He finished his fall season in fine fashion, notching a solo second at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. Perhaps more importantly, he’s compiled a good record at Wailele over the years — he’s notched a pair of top 15s, including a tie for third two years ago. Last season, the Kansas native ranked 23rd on the PGA Tour in greens in regulation and a surprising 16th in total strokes gained, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see some low scores from him this week.

Sam Belden January 10, 2017

The post Golf Power Rankings: Breaking Down the Sony Open in Hawaii appeared first on Lake Ridge Golf Course.

Rory McIlroy says he couldn’t live Tiger Woods’ life

for a guy. But it comes with a price, one McIlroy now realizes he’s not willing to pay for greatness.

In a wide-ranging, must-read interview with the Irish Independent, McIlroy said he “could not live like that.”

McIlroy gave even a simple example of how fame has paralyzed Woods’ social options.

“I’ve seen it first-hand,” McIlroy said. “I’ve seen what his life is like in Florida. I’ve played golf with him and said: ‘What are you doing tonight? Do you want to come and have dinner with us?’ And he can’t. He just can’t. And for me that’s unfathomable.”

The guy can’t go to a social dinner without getting hounded? Can you imagine that? McIlroy doesn’t want to, and he even went so far as to say that he would gladly trade in potential major wins, falling short of Woods’ second-best all-time total, if he could guarantee some sense of normalcy for the rest of his life.

“If someone was to say, ‘You can have 14 majors and 70 wins but have to deal with (what Tiger deals with), or nine majors and 40 wins and stay somewhat the same as you are,’” McIlroy said, “I’d take the second option all day.”

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor.

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Thomas wins Golfs Tournament of Champions by three over Matsuyama

Jan 8 (Reuters) – Justin Thomas recovered from a late double-bogey and held off a last-day challenge by Japan’s in-form Hideki Matsuyama to clinch his third PGA Tour victory, by three shots at the SBS Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Sunday.

The long-hitting American had been a commanding five strokes in front with five holes to play at the Kapalua Resort on the island of Maui before his lead was stunningly cut to just one after 15 holes.

Thomas then benefited from a two-shot swing at the par-four 17th, where he sank a three-footer for birdie after Matsuyama had three-putted for bogey, and also birdied the last to close with a four-under 69 in the PGA Tour’s opening event of the year.

The 23-year-old from Kentucky, whose previous two victories on the circuit had both come at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia, finished with a 22-under total of 270 in the elite 32-man, winners-only field.

Matsuyama, who had triumphed four times in his previous five starts worldwide, placed second after closing with a 70.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in St. Augustine, Florida; Editing by Andrew Both)

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Lake Ridge Weekly Newsletter Jan 9, 2017

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga… We are pleased to announce  that Allison Welch will once again offer

yoga classes in the coming new year. Start the new year off right by getting back in shape

both mentally  and physically. Class starts tonight Monday Jan 9 from 7:00 to 8:00 and runs

until Feb 13. Please contact Allison Welch for more information or sign-up in the pro shop.

 

League sign-up sheets have been posted in the pro shop for this year’s upcoming golf

season. Leagues fill up fast and with room for a limited amount of teams per league please

sign-up early to ensure your spot. Having said that if you played on a league last year your

spot is  reserved. New teams will be placed on a waiting list if the league is full. Please sign-up

early to better assist us in planning the upcoming 2017 league season. Thanks.

 

Tired of winter and wish you were at the beach?? Come join us Saturday Jan 28 in Caddies

Lounge for our annual Beach Surf Party. Anyone who wears surfing or beach attire will get

drink discounts all night long. So screw winter, get out those flip flops and let’s party

like it’s summer time. Party starts at 8:00.

 

Valentine’s Day is Tuesday Feb 14 so it’s time to start making plans  for that special 

person  in your life. Why not spend that special evening with us. As usual we will

have a special menu  planned for this special day. Please contact us for more information

regarding  the menu and to RSVP.

 

All right poker fans,  we have Texas HoldEm every Tuesday starting promptly at 7:30.

Poker players enjoy Happy Hour rates when playing and also have a chance at winning

prizes. So if you like playing poker, Tuesday is your night.

 

Thursday night is Ladies Night. Ladies get Happy Hour rates all night long. Whether it’s

Karaoke, Texas HoldEm, left right or center dice game or you just want to have a few

drinks with your friends Lake Ridge is the place to be on Thursday nights.

 

We have already begun scheduling events for the upcoming 2017 golf season so it’s time

to start thinking about planning your event with us to ensure you get the day of your choice.

Whether it’s a golf outing, retirement party, birthday party, class reunion or any

social event, we look forward to working with you to plan and host your event and make

it an enjoyable and memorable experience for all. An up-to-date schedule has been

posted on our NEW website, https://golflakeridge.com and has also been posted to our

Facebook Page.

 

And speaking of Facebook, feel free to “like” and follow us on the  Lake Ridge Country Club’s

Facebook Page. Keep up-to-date with all the events and daily specials Lake Ridge has to offer.

Please click on the link fb.me/BeaverLakeRidgeGolf. If the link does not work, simply cut and

paste the link into your address bar on your web browser. Please feel free to rate us and

give us any feedback that would allow us to better serve you.

 

We have now entered our winter schedule. Although the golf course remains open, please

call in advance to book a tee time. We will open to accommodate any golfers, weather

permitting, but no golfers will be allowed to play with frost on the greens. As usual

Caddies  Lounge opens every day at 4:00 and Fairways Restaurant is open from

5:00 to 9:00 seven days a week.

 

FAIRWAYS RESTAURANT 

Open for dinner from 5 – 9 seven days a week…….  Whether you want to dine in the restaurant,

Caddies Lounge or out on the deck, we are committed to providing quality

food at a great price in a very comfortable setting. In a hurry or don’t feel like cooking,

call us in advance for takeout orders.

Like breakfast? The Dormant Club meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:30

for breakfast in Fairways Restaurant. This is open to the public so why not treat yourself

to a nice breakfast and get your day started off right. What a great way to start your day,

sitting on the deck and enjoying the view of the golf course.

 

DAILY SPECIALS

MONDAY – .50 CENT ELEPHANT WINGS (JUMBO DRUMSTICKS)

TUESDAY – TACOS TACOS TACOS  

WEDNESDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE

THURSDAY –  CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

FRIDAY – STEAK AND SHRIMP

SATURDAY –  RACKS OF BBQ RIBS

SUNDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE

 

Sundays are Members Appreciation night. All members get 20% off their food order. So

come on out and take advantage of your membership for some great food at a great price.

   

Darts anyone? Come on up and enjoy a few beers, play some darts in Caddy’s Shack

and listen to some of your favorite songs on the Jukebox. And for all you music fans,

download  the AMI Jukebox app to your phone and play the jukebox from your phone.

Just do a search for AMI Jukebox under your APPS store and download the app.

Once you have downloaded the app, select Caddy’s Lounge as your location. 

It’s quick and easy to setup.

 

We have Karaoke every Friday and Saturday starting at 9:00. However, if you ever

want to practice your skills, once the kitchen closes, we can fire up the Karaoke and

let the singing begin.

 

Todd Berry

Director of Golf

Lake Ridge Golf Course

Phone: 402-235-4653

lakeridgegolf@spiralfiber.com

The post Lake Ridge Weekly Newsletter Jan 9, 2017 appeared first on Lake Ridge Golf Course.

Dustin Johnson puts great year behind him, ready to move on

For all his power and athleticism, Dustin Johnson doesn’t get enough credit for his remarkable ability to quickly forget the past.

That goes for the good times, too.

The day after he lost a chance to win the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits by grounding his club in sand without realizing it was a bunker, Johnson was on a boat in the Atlantic throwing down a few beers with his buddies. “Just kickin’,” he said that day on the phone.

The morning after Johnson three-putted from 12 feet on the final hole at Chambers Bay to lose the 2015 U.S. Open, he sped off in a golf cart to catch up with Wayne Gretzky and his group at Gozzer Ranch in Idaho. They let him sleep in. Johnson wanted to play.

“I know this much,” Gretzky said. “If I ever lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I wouldn’t want to skate with a bunch of amateurs the next day.”

How does that change after winning the U.S. Open for that elusive first major?

And then adding a World Golf Championships title, a FedEx Cup playoff event and winning the money title, the Vardon Trophy and PGA Tour player of the year? Wouldn’t that be enough to soak up the greatest season of your career?

Not if you’re Johnson, who travels through life without a rearview mirror.

“I think I’m pretty good at putting anything behind me,” Johnson said Wednesday on the eve of a new year on the PGA Tour. “It’s already happened. You can’t change it. Obviously, good stuff gives you a lot of confidence, but I mean, none of that matters at this tournament. Who (cares) what I did last year?”

He at least knows what worked.

Johnson started in February to pour extra time into his wedges, and he went on a run last summer that showed — finally — why he is regarded as the biggest talent in golf. Over the last six months, he won three times and finished in the top 10 at all but three of his final 13 events.

He arrived on Maui a week earlier to soak up some beach time and get ready for his 10th year on the PGA Tour. Johnson already has 12 victories on the tour, at least one every year except for 2014.

Johnson is No. 3 in the world, though close enough to Jason Day that he could overtake him by the end of January with a victory or two. That might be a goal, though he’s not consumed enough by the world ranking that he checks it weekly, as the two guys (Day and Rory McIlroy) ahead of him do. Johnson figures it’s about winning, and if keeps doing that, it won’t be long before he has no one left to chase.

There’s no need to do the math in the world ranking, either. Johnson is not big on details.

“I’m just trying to go out and do the same things I did last year,” he said. “I know what recipe works for me to have success.”

He makes it sound simple. His driving is an alarming combination of length and accuracy, the latter helped greatly by introducing a fade. He went from one of the worst to one of the best with his wedges, often referred to as the scoring clubs. He wants to hole more putts. Everyone does.

Not regarded as a deep thinker on the golf course, that’s also one of his greatest assets. A short memory, or even no memory, can be helpful in golf. Johnson showed that at Oakmont last year at the U.S. Open when the USGA said it would wait until after the final round to decide whether he should be penalized one shot for his ball moving on the fifth green. He played the final 11 holes not knowing his score, kept his head down, hit one big shot after another and won by four.

It turned out to be a three-shot victory after he got the penalty, and that’s as close as Johnson gets to being irritated.

“I was a little bit angry,” he said with a smile. “You can ask me a thousand times, I still don’t think I deserved a penalty. I was in there arguing and finally said, ‘Guys, I don’t care anymore. I want the trophy, let’s go.’ It didn’t matter.”

He stayed at Oakmont so late that he finally got home about 3:30 a.m. to Florida, giving him a few hours on the flight home to reflect.

That’s about it. That’s all he ever needs.

Johnson has a reasonable record at Kapalua. Top 10s are not a good measure because the field rarely has more than about 30 players. He won in 2013 in a 54-hole sprint because of high wind, and that really was the closest he came. Johnson is one who typically eases his way into a new year.

There is a part of him that can’t wait to get started, mainly because that means he is moving on, the only direction he knows.

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