Fog ruins Day Three at Torrey

Fog made for a farcical third day of the Farmers Insurance Open in La Jolla, California, which is now set to finish on Monday.

Tiger Woods held a two-shot lead after the second round but never got out on to the Torrey Pines course as only half a dozen players started their third rounds.

Former Ryder Cup player Hunter Mahan had time to par the 10th hole, as did playing partners Robert Garrigus and John Mallinger.

Boo Weekley was in the rough to the right of the first fairway after his tee shot, with Mike Weir and Chez Reavie in the short grass to his left, but that was the extent of the day's play.

Former world number one Woods will resume on Sunday on 11 under par, with Billy Horschel his nearest challenger on nine under.

There are six players a further shot behind while the seven-strong group at seven under includes England's Ross Fisher, Korean Charlie Wi, Nick Watney and Tag Ridings, who hit a hole in one in the first round.

Play will resume at 10am ET (3pm GMT) and continue as long as there is daylight, with tournament organisers expecting to have to return on Monday to complete between nine and 12 holes. The 87 players who made the cut will play in the same threesomes for both remaining rounds.

Defending champion Brandt Snedeker, who shared the lead after an opening 65 but fell to four under yesterday, reflected on a frustrating day.

"We have these days from time to time," he told pgatour.com. "You realize it's a different week, and could be a Monday finish now and be ready for that.

"You catch up with some guys you haven't seen in a while, you do a lot of storytelling.

"Tomorrow [Sunday] you'll have to go low. It's going to be a weird day. You'll play a lot of golf tomorrow, and probably play more than 18 holes.

"We need to get out here with the mindset that we need to make a lot of birdies, try to get back in contention and do as well as you can."

The aborted day's play had been designated "University Day", with players urged to wear their school colours and with the opportunity to win cash prizes for their university.

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Wood: Qatar Masters win a dream

Darren Clarke was right after all - Bristol's Chris Wood does have what it takes to be a European Tour winner.

A closing 12-foot eagle putt gave Wood a thrilling first victory on the circuit at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in Doha.

It came two years after he was four strokes clear with a round to play in Majorca, but shot 76 and handed the title to stablemate Clarke.

"We don't have to worry about him - he will win and it will be sooner rather than later," said Clarke, who two months later became Open champion.

Wood, who a year earlier closed with a 76 when leading the BMW PGA Championship, had taken his total of top-10 finishes to 19, including three second places, when he stood on the final tee in Doha on Saturday one behind Sergio Garcia and George Coetzee.

Having led by three at the start of the day, he was in grave danger of suffering more bitter disappointment.

Instead, however, he hit a 300-yard drive into perfect position, a towering six-iron over water to 12 feet and, after looking at the leaderboard for the first time all day, sank the putt.

"It feels amazing - a dream come true," said the 25-year-old who came fifth in the 2008 Open as an amateur and then a year later missed out on the play-off between Tom Watson and Stewart Cink at Turnberry only by bogeying the final hole.

"I've been knocking on the door a few times and it's not happened.

"Winning on the European Tour is not easy. Now there's an enormous weight off my shoulders and I feel I can go on and win more."

"You don't get many chances in a play-off, so I knew that was my chance - and I took it."

Although he had won the Thailand Open in August last year, this was on an entirely different level with two of the world's top five - Justin Rose and Louis Oosthuizen - and a host of Ryder Cup stars and major winners in the field.

"I probably went to sleep about midnight and woke up probably three, four, five, six (times). I knew I was having a lot of support from all of the text messages - a couple of them woke me up at one o'clock in the morning!" he said.

He and Garcia now move on to Dubai for the last leg of the Tour's three-week Desert Swing. Lee Westwood plays his first tournament of the year there.

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Woods takes lead at Torrey Pines

Tiger Woods made a blistering start to his second round at the Farmers Insurance Open on Friday to race into a three-shot lead in La Jolla, California.

Woods, who missed the cut at last week's Abu Dhabi Championship and started Friday three shots behind overnight leaders Brandt Snedeker and KJ Choi, recorded four birdies and an eagle three in his opening 11 holes after starting on the back nine on the north course of the Torrey Pines golf course.

That left the six-time tournament champion on 10 under heading into his final seven holes, three shots clear of a group of four players in second place - Charles Howell III, Choi, Luke Guthrie and Luke List.

Guthrie was the biggest mover of that quartet, finishing his front nine on three under for the day, while Howell and List were one under after 12 and five, respectively, on the north course.

Choi, meanwhile, was level par after 11 having seen his two birdies wiped out by two bogeys.

Defending champion Snedeker, who started with a 65 on Thursday to share the lead with Choi, had slipped back to six under on Friday after a dropped shot at the first left him one over after five.

England's Ross Fisher, the leading European on the leaderboard, was in joint sixth on six under for the tournament after playing his opening four holes to par on Friday.

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McIlroy, McDowell help maintain parity

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The opening session of the Ryder Cup was shared 2-2 for the first time since 1997 after an action-packed - and for a moment contentious - morning's golf at Medinah in Chicago.

World number one Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell hit back from an early, but lengthy rules debate to win on the last green against Jim Furyk and last weekend's £7million man Brandt Snedeker.
But after Europe had led in all four games two hours into the eagerly-awaited clash, their victory followed the first-ever foursomes defeat for both Luke Donald - playing in the city that has been his home for the last 15 years - and Sergio Garcia.
After six successive wins in the format for Donald and eight wins and a half for Garcia since he made his debut in 1999, they went down 4&3 to Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley.
Mickelson became his country's most capped player by appearing for the ninth time, but it was the cup newcomer who finished things off with a 30-foot putt on the 15th.
Holders Europe then trailed 2-1 when Lee Westwood and Francesco Molinari were beaten 3&2 by Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner - another of American captain Davis Love's rookies.
It was all eyes then on the bottom game featuring Tiger Woods, but - from the moment he badly hooked his opening drive - he was involved in a battle with his own game as much as Justin Rose and Ian Poulter.
The English pair downed Woods and Steve Stricker 2&1, Poulter producing a key putt on the 16th that was greeted by his now trademark "Come On" roar - and a long, cold stare from Woods.
By then Love had resisted what must have been a temptation to drop Woods for the first time in his cup career, but that surely had to follow if he could not deliver in the afternoon.
All four 24 players were used on the first day - Paul Lawrie, Peter Hanson, Martin Kaymer and first-timer Nicolas Colsaerts coming in for the fourballs in place of Donald, Garcia, Poulter and Molinari and the Americans introducing Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Masters champion Bubba Watson and US Open champion Webb Simpson.
The dispute in the top game was over whether McDowell could take relief from a sprinkler head by the second green.
It would have meant McIlroy putting rather than chipping, but with Furyk stepping in and believing it should not be given a second opinion for called for.
"We've been friends a long time," Furyk said at one point to McDowell, but the American also then called for calm when a few boos rang out.
McIlroy was eventually told to chip, the Northern Irish pair lost the hole, but they then had four birdies in a row, the first of them the result of a genius chip by the 23-year-old from over the fourth green.
From three down with six to go - Furyk had incurred a penalty on the long 10th when his ball move as he prepared to chip - the Americans fought back to level, only for Snedeker to hit a simply dreadful drive down the last.
There was still work to be done when McDowell hit into the bunker short of the green, but his partner splashed out to five feet and the 2010 match-winner made no mistake.
McDowell told his American girlfriend Kristin, attending her first match: "Welcome to the Ryder Cup - hope you enjoyed yourself.
"That match to me just personifies it. You're playing against two very gutsy players who clawed their way back.
"But we had stacked our team with this finish in mind. I wanted Rory hitting the tee shots on 16 and 18 and our strategy paid off."
McIlroy added: "Fortunately for us, Brandt didn't hit the best tee shot on the last."
McDowell may have shown nerves of steel to win the cup back at Celtic Manor, but they had affected him when he was called on to hit the first tee.
It clipped a tree barely 100 yards off the tee, but Furyk also went badly left to emphasise what stage-fright can do to even the most experienced players.
Poulter took his cup record to nine wins in 12 games, but two of the three defeats had come against Woods and he said: "I never wanted wanted to have another one."
Woods hit a spectator on the head for the second day running and he and Stricker were three over par when they lost - easily the worst scoring of the session.
They have now lost their last three games together 6&5 (to Westwood and Donald in Wales), 7&6 (to Adam Scott and KJ Choi at last year's Presidents Cup) and now 2&1, but they had a chance to make amends against Westwood and big-hitting Belgian Colsaerts.
Westwood had not played well alongside Molinari, though, and his tee shot into the water on the driveable 15th - McDowell had done the same - contributed to their downfall.
Johnson and Dufner won when their opponents three-putted the next.
Donald said of the defeat for him and Garcia, who were looking to make it five out of five together: "We played solid. They just played a little better."

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Bland fires his way to the top in Turin

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Richard Bland birdied the last three holes of his second round to take the halfway lead at the Italian Open in Turin.

The Englishman carded a second successive 66, with birdies at the first, the 11th and four of the last six holes to eventually move ahead of a developing logjam at the top of the leaderboard.
France's Gregory Bourdy shot 64 to leap to 11 under alongside Scot Marc Warren and Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who both went round in 65, and Garth Mulroy of South Africa (67).
Bourdy said: "This morning [Friday] it was perfect conditions to play on this course.
"It was a lovely round and I enjoyed it a lot. I was very solid and I'm very proud. Almost everything went right today [Friday].
"Last week my driving was wonderful and so were my irons, and that continued today [Friday]. I'll try to do the same at the weekend."
Richard McEvoy was at 10 under after following his opening 66 with a four-under-par 68.
First-round leader Joel Sjoholm fell into a seven-way tie for seventh on nine under after failing to go with the trend of improved scoring on Friday.
He could only follow Thursday's eight-under-par 64 with a 71 and was level with fellow Swedes Mikael Lundberg and Joakim Lagergren, Spain's Pablo Larrazabal, South African Richard Sterne, England's Sam Little and Victor Dubuisson of France.
English pair Lee Slattery and David Howell were hot on Sjoholm's tail overnight and that was where they remained, shooting 71 and 70 respectively to join compatriot Robert Coles and a host of others on eight under.
Ryder Cup-bound Martin Kaymer, Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Welshman Bradley Dredge, Darren Fichardt of South Africa and India's Shiv Kapur completed the group.
A second Ryder Cup player, Italian Francesco Molinari, was in the group at seven under as was Graeme Storm, who was fifth in Holland last week having led for two rounds and started well again here with rounds of 69 and 68.
Molinari's brother Eduardo, the big-hitting Alvaro Quiros and Frenchman Thomas Levet were among the higher-profile players to miss the cut.

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Fraser goes top of Order of Merit

Asian Tour

Marcus Fraser has jumped into the top spot on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit after finishing tied second in the Omega European Masters in Switzerland on Sunday.

Fraser earned US$174,354 at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club to increase his season's tally to US$448,710, some US$8,500 ahead of previous leader Jbe Kruger of South Africa who missed the halfway cut last week.
This is the first time that Kruger has slipped out of the number one slot after winning the Avantha Masters in India earlier in the season.
Thailand's Thaworn Wiratchant continued to hold third place with US$215,113 despite missing the weekend rounds in Switzerland but will have a chance to make up ground in this week's RM1.2 million (approximately US$395,000) Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters in Malaysia where he is the highest ranked player in the field.
Fraser is now aiming to become the first Australian to win the prestigious Order of Merit crown. Two years ago, he also challenged for top honours before settling for second place behind Korea's Noh Seung-yul.
"This event (Omega European Masters), being a co-sanctioned event with the Asian Tour means a lot," said Fraser, who signed off the week with a 66 to finish four shots behind winner Richie Ramsay of Scotland.
"I look forward to the next few weeks playing in Japan and the big events in Asia. I want to play my minimum in Asia this year like what I've done the last couple of years. I love playing in Asia as well and the reason why this event is so nice to me is because it counts on both money list and so it's a pretty cool week," he added.
He credited a hot putter for his good run in Switzerland. "It was great. I played really poorly the first couple of days and putted great. Then as the week went on, I got better and better and I couldn't be happier. I finally found some form and it has been a good," he said.
"It was nice to gradually gain some momentum through the week and find some form as the week went on. It could have been better for sure. Yesterday (Saturday) was a bit disappointing. I finished pretty poorly as I think I was like three-over the last seven holes. That probably cost me the chance of winning the tournament."
Fraser will next feature on the Asian Tour in the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open in Japan later this month and he hopes to reinforce his position at the summit of the Merit list.
The Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters, which is being hosted at the Kota Permai Golf and Country Club in Shah Alam, starts on Wednesday with no fewer than 10 players from the current top-20 of the rankings in the elite field.
Asian Tour's Order of Merit - Top-20
Pos Player Earnings (US$)
1. Marcus FRASER (AUS) 448,710
2. Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 440,253
3. Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 215,113
4. David LIPSKY (USA) 210,428
5. Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 178,858
6. Felipe AGUILAR (CHI) 174,911
7. Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 159,741
8. Scott HEND (AUS) 147,075
9. SIDDIKUR (BAN) 146,880
10. Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 117,102
11. Scott BARR (AUS) 103,945
12. Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 101,724
13. Ben FOX (USA) 95,760
14. Jeev Milkha SINGH (IND) 91,135
15. Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 88,107
16. Berry HENSON (USA) 86,778
17. MO Joong-kyung (KOR) 73,892
18. Kieran PRATT (AUS) 71,504
19. Shiv KAPUR (IND) 69,655
20. Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 68,752

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Ko on the brink of LPGA tour history

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Lydia Ko will become the youngest winner in LPGA tour history if she converts her overnight one-stroke lead into victory at the CN Canadian Women's Open.

The South Korea-born teenager, now competing under the New Zealand flag, had her worst round of the week, a level-par 72 to remain on eight under, but it was enough to edge her ahead of four players who stand a shot back.
Frustration for Ko came at the 18th hole where she recorded a bogey five to give up the chance of a two-shot cushion.
"I don't think I was more nervous than other days," she said. "I tried to have more fun, but my score wasn't as good. I mean, 72 is better than 73 or any other score, so I'm pretty happy.
"It's good to stay at the top of the leaderboard, but my first goal was to make the cut and hopefully top 15 or something. To be up there is just an honour, especially playing against the world's best."
She has a high pedigree cast of pursuers, with world number two Stacy Lewis and the South Korean trio of Jiyai Shin, Chella Choi and Inbee Park all on seven under. Choi had shared the lead at the start of the day but carded a one-over 73.
Lewis cracked 70 for the first time this week as a 66 lifted her into contention, and Ko accepts she is likely to feel a little pressure as she goes after what would be a historic title.
"A little bit, because I know they're all great players. Stacy Lewis is second in the world just trailing behind Yani (Tseng). I played with Stacy and I know she's a great player," Ko said.
"It's quite nerve-racking, but I'm really here for experience and fun, and I'm having fun at the moment. If I don't win tomorrow [Monday], I don't think I'll be disappointed. If I do win, I'll take it like an honour.
"It's kind of a thrill to see lots of people and especially them trailing behind.
"Fifteen-year-olds don't lead at an LPGA event all the time. I'm very surprised. But I've been playing really good golf and I've been really confident with my game.
"I'm just going to try my best. I've got to play my own game. I can't concentrate on what the other players are doing. If they shoot 66 and I shoot 68 and I lose, I can't control what they do. So I'm just going to play my game and have one shot at a time."
The youngest winner in the history of the LPGA is Lexi Thompson who was 16 when she captured the Navistar Classic last September.
Ko will be 15 years, four months and three days old tomorrow [Monday].
Americans Sydnee Michaels and Moira Dunn share sixth place on five under, with Scotland's Catriona Matthew the leading British player on three under after a fine five-under round of 67, quite comfortably her best of the week.
Tseng had led after the first round but continued the struggle that began with Friday's 75 as she went round in 74 to slide back to one under.

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Impressive run puts Walker in the lead

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America's Jimmy Walker fired an impressive round of 62 to take the lead in the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro.

The 33-year-old, who opened with a 66 on Thursday, enjoyed a bogey-free round of eight under par as he moved to 12 under, a shot clear of Webb Simpson.
US Open winner Simpson produced seven birdies in his round of 63, including four in the final five holes at Sedgefield Country Club.
Sergio Garcia also made real progress up the leaderboard with a 63 of his own, joining Harris English, Tim Clark and first round leader Carl Pettersson on 10 under.
America's English followed up Thursday's 66 with a 64, while South Africa's Clark was left rueing two bogeys in his second round 67.
First round leader Carl Pettersson, who started with a 62 of his own, hit two bogeys in his first eight holes on Friday but repaired the damage on the next two holes and an eagle at the par five 15th kept the Swede - a member at the club - in contention.
American duo Matt Every and Bud Cauley were nine under at the midway mark of the tournament, with fellow American Troy Matteson and Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts a further shot back.
Elsewhere, in the final PGA event before the FedEx Cup play-offs, Tim Herron recovered from a dismal opening 76 by setting a new course record with a stunning nine-under-par 61.
The American began the second day lying 155th in the 156-man field, but surged up the leaderboard and into a tie for 41st place on three under.
Herron turned in 32 after four birdies and a bogey, before a birdie at 10 was followed by five in a row from the 13th as he posted 29 on the back nine.
Jamie Donaldson was the best placed of the British and Irish contingent in this event in North Carolina.
The 36-year-old Welshman added a 66 to his opening round 68 to join seven other players on six under - six shots off the pace.
Scotland's Russell Knox was two shots behind him, one clear of Gary Christian and two ahead of fellow Englishman Paul Casey.
Early contender David Mathias slipped off the pace, adding a 71 to his first round 63 - a triple bogey seven at the 11th doing much of the damage.
However, things improved slightly for South Korea's Sung Kang, who followed his opening round 80 with a more respectable 69.

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McIlroy starts well; Pettersson sets pace

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Rory McIlroy kicked off golf's final major of the year with a superb five under par 67 to be only one off the lead at Kiawah Island.

In last month's Open at Royal Lytham McIlroy's hopes of a second major title nosedived after he rebounded off a teenager's head out of bounds late on the first day.
On this occasion he hit a woman on the hip after badly pulling his tee shot to the dangerous short 17th - his eighth - but it came back into a nice lie in the sand only 25 feet from the flag.
From there the 23-year-old Northern Irishman, already three under for the day, splashed out to six feet, saved his par and brought a cheer from the gallery by running back to give the fan the ball.
"It's becoming a habit hitting people at majors, so I will try not to do that again," he said after picking up more shots on the second and sixth.
"I think that's my first bogey-free round in a while and it was a great way to start.
"I'm pretty comfortable on the course and only played nine holes on Monday and nine on Tuesday - I didn't feel I needed to play more.
"I'm expecting this to be the best day of the week (weather-wise), but it's hot and you just try to stay hydrated."
McIlroy's round put him on the heels of Carl Pettersson, the Swede who became an American citizen earlier this year, but is not eligible for either side in next month's Ryder Cup.
Pettersson, yet another member of the long putter brigade following the major victories by Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson and Ernie Els in the past year, was also bogey-free as the thunderstorms of earlier in the week gave way to near perfect conditions - apart from the energy-sapping heat, that is.
He is not a member of the European Tour and therefore has not collected points since the race started last August and to play for America he had to become a citizen by the time he was 18.
"I don't think I could fake that one," joked the chubby 34-year-old, who as part of the citizenship process had to answer: "What is the ocean to the east of America?" This week's championship is being played on the shores of the Atlantic.
Dutchman Joost Luiten, who after an eagle and six birdies was clear of the field in his first major in the United States, bogeyed his last four holes - echoes of Adam Scott at The Open last month - and had to settle for a 68.
Tiger Woods was another early starter and kept himself in the hunt with a 69, while Ian Poulter - keen to boost his chances of qualifying automatically for the Ryder Cup as well as landing a first major - returned a 70.
Woods said: "Anything in the 60s is going to be a good start in a major championship. I'm right there.
"The wind kicked up a little bit and it changed things quite a bit and it's actually changed direction too.
"I probably lost a little bit of weight today [Thursday] - water weight - so just have to hydrate and recover.
Two late birdies helped Martin Laird to a one under 71, but Lee Westwood finished poorly and signed for a 75 - another disappointing display following his 81 during the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last week.
Last year's Open champion Darren Clarke had a 73 that included just about everything from an eagle at the seventh to double bogey seven on the 11th.
Paul Casey, with only one cut made since dislocating his shoulder snowboarding last Christmas, struggled again and handed in a 79.
Padraig Harrington, winner in 2008 and needing something really special to get back into the Ryder Cup reckoning, eagled the second but bogeyed the next.
After eight holes he remained one under and was alongside Luke Donald, Paul Lawrie, Graeme McDowell and Justin Rose, but the European going best of the later starters was Welshman Jamie Donaldson.
Last month's Irish Open champion was four under and joint fourth with six holes remaining.
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, still in with a chance of making Europe's cup side, joined McIlroy and American Gary Woodland on 67, but things were not going so well for fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia.
He is in danger of falling out of an automatic qualifying place and, at three over with three to play, incurred a one-stroke penalty when his ball moved a fraction as he addressed it on the 16th fairway.
The hole cost him a bogey six, but he was still doing better than German star Martin Kaymer, currently one place ahead of Garcia on the table. The 2010 winner crashed to a 79.
Despite the wind gathering strength McDowell came home in a fine 33 for a 68, while Alex Noren had a chance to catch his compatriot Pettersson when he birdied the short eighth to reach five under.

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Woods eases ahead in Maryland

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Tiger Woods eased into contention on day three of the AT&T National at Congressional - but there was nobody there to see it.

The storms that have battered the mid-Atlantic left the Maryland course unsafe for spectators, so Woods was not accompanied by his usual whoops and cheers as he carded a four-under 67 to sit six under overall, one behind leader Brendon de Jonge.
Woods' round was matched by playing partner Bo Van Pelt who also finished on six under for a share of second, as did South Korea's Noh Seung-yul after a two-under 69.
Overnight leader Hunter Mahan could only manage a two-over 73 to finish the day five under in joint fifth, alongside Billy Hurley III who carded a best-of-the-day 66.
Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela was on his own on four under.
Woods was bogey-free for his round, which included birdies at the first, third, sixth and 10th, and he used only five putts over the first six holes.
The unusual conditions did not seem to adversely affect Woods, but Van Pelt joked: "I told Tiger that was a Bo Van Pelt crowd, so I was used to that. I was very comfortable with 10 or 15 people watching me play golf."
Van Pelt also did not drop a shot, carding four birdies all on the front nine.
"It was nice to just get it in," Van Pelt said on www.pgatour.com. "I think we're all fortunate that nobody got hurt out here last night [Friday].
"It's a credit to the ground staff that they got this golf course ready. I'm sure if you saw pictures of what it looked like at midnight the fact that we played golf today [Saturday] is a minor miracle."
Zimbabwean De Jonge, who birdied the second, sixth and 12th, could have had a two-stroke lead but for a bogey on 14.
Defending champion Nick Watney was two under to sit five off the pace, one ahead of England's Greg Owen who went round in 67 today [Saturday].
Scotland's Martin Laird finished the day one over, one stroke ahead of Englishman Brian Davis.

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McIlroy making big pitch in America

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Rory McIlroy had more than just his US Open title defence to prepare for on Tuesday - there was also a trip to the baseball.

Not just to watch the San Francisco Giants, but to throw the ceremonial first pitch before their game against the Houston Astros.
The 23-year-old Northern Irishman, an eight-stroke winner in Washington last year with a record 16-under-par total, is now trying to become the first player to retain the championship since Curtis Strange in 1989.
Tiger Woods has tried three times without success, finishing 12th in 2001, 20th in 2003 and sixth in 2009.
"It's not easy to do - this is probably the hardest test that we play all year," said Woods on Tuesday.
"We're playing different venues each and every year. It's not like Augusta National where we're playing the same golf course, so what Curtis did - and then contended again in '90 - is awfully impressive.
"It's such a big test and such a grind. Some venues fit your eye, some don't."
McIlroy had missed three halfway cuts in a row prior to last week's event in Memphis, where he was joint leader with a hole to play, but went in the water and double-bogeyed to drop to seventh.
"Last week was good for his confidence," added Woods.
"He did some work at home from what I hear and went into Memphis and played great. It's going to serve him well this week."
McIlroy said his big decision for the baseball was "whether to lob it or go for a fast one. I've thrown a few golf balls and a medicine ball, but I think I might get a bit of a lesson from a pitcher when I get there."
As for the possibility of the crowd giving him some stick for his effort he added: "I would definitely rather be booed at a baseball game than at a golf course."
Come Thursday the world number two is planning on a more attacking policy than he initially thought he would be employing.
After practising with Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell he said: "I reckon I'm going to use any driver eight or nine times.
"I'm coming in with the mindset that I'm going to attack the golf course and play aggressively when I can. Obviously you have to be smart, but you've got to take your chances around here.
"This golf course gives you a few opportunities where you can make birdies. The rough is not as bad as maybe in previous years where you can get away with some tee shots.so really you just need to know your way around the golf course and know where you can miss it."

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Monty issues warning to Ryder Cup stars

Every European star basing himself in the United States - and that includes Rory McIlroy again next season - runs the risk of not making the Ryder Cup.

That was the warning from Colin Montgomerie on Wednesday, a week before the qualifying race starts in Switzerland.
Montgomerie found leaving out world number nine Paul Casey last year the hardest thing he had to do as captain - and he hopes his successor Jose Maria Olazabal does not face the same dilemma next August.
The pair play together in the first two rounds of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles on Thursday and Friday and Montgomerie said: "No doubt we'll have a chat on the way round."
Olazabal has opted for only two wild cards instead of Montgomerie's three - and three did not prove enough to get either Casey or Justin Rose, twice a winner in the States during the qualifying period, into his side.
"I think it surprised us all that a world top-10 player didn't make it and I do hope that Olazabal doesn't have that same issue," Montgomerie said.
"I hope it's more cut and dried for him that it was for me and that the two picks are obvious."
However, Montgomerie adds: "If you base yourself in America you are taking a risk to make the Ryder Cup team, quite simple."
Casey lost out to the uncapped Edoardo Molinari, choosing to play in the (non-counting) first leg of the FedEx Cup play-offs in New Jersey, whereas the Italian birdied the final three holes to win at Gleneagles.
Rose, Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald were also in the States despite Montgomerie asking them all to fly to Scotland instead.
"I feel that Olazabal will have a stronger representation of Ryder Cup players next year than I did," he said.
"It's quite straightforward. If you don't make the top 10 you might not make the team and you can't rely on a pick."
The first five of the team for Chicago next year will be based on their European Tour earnings and the next five from their world ranking points during the 12-month race.
Another of the PGA Tour members hoping to make Olazabal's side is leading Scot Martin Laird, currently ranked 25th in the world - but he will not start earning points until January.
That is because he did not want to commit to 13 European Tour events this season.
"That's unfortunate for him and for Scottish golf," added Montgomerie.
"At the same time Molinari managed to make the team starting from the Challenge Tour. He proved to the captain - me - that he was capable of playing the Ryder Cup and it's up to Martin Laird now to do what Edoardo Molinari did.
"Win three times, get as close as he possibly can to qualification and be one of those two picks of Olazabal's if he doesn't qualify.
"I wish him well, of course. It's been 2006 since a Scot has represented the team and that's too long."
Montgomerie was that player himself and although he is currently down at 285th in the world the 48-year-old has not given up all hope of earning a ninth cap.
He is glad just to be back playing this week. His last event was the Scottish Open at the start of last month and after briefly leading it early in the final round he fell back to 31st and so still has not had a top five finish for over three years.
Molinari is back to defend his title against a field that also includes his brother Francesco, leader after 54 holes last year, Dane Anders Hansen, third in the USPGA Championship, and Irish Open winner Simon Dyson.

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Martin Laird remains in Akron mix

Seven players were separated by just one shot going into Saturday's third round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron - and they included Scot Martin Laird.

Seven days after putting on his kilt and getting married in Colorado, Laird was seven under par at halfway and only one behind Australian Adam Scott and Americans Rickie Fowler, Ryan Moore and Keegan Bradley.
"I came into this week feeling fresh and on a high," said the 28-year-old from Glasgow, who has been based in the States since his college days.
"Sometimes it's amazing when you have no expectations how well you play."
Laird birdied the last three holes to add a 67 to his opening 66 - and how Lee Westwood was left wishing he had finished like that.
Six under with six to play, England's world number two bogeyed four of them to drop into a tie for 27th in the 76-man field.
Westwood, whose frustration showed as he was slinging clubs back to his bag by the end, is still closer to the lead than Tiger Woods, however.
The seven-time winner of the title, returning to action after 12 weeks out with knee and Achilles tendon injuries, had a 71 to be only one under and joint 36th.
"I didn't putt as well as I did yesterday [Thursday] - actually I putted awful - and consequently I just never got the round going," said Woods.
He is also still struggling to control the extra distance he finds himself hitting the ball on his return to competitive action.
"It's just as hot at home, if not hotter. The ball should be flying about the same, but it's not - I'm swinging better, so I've got to get used to new numbers.
"I'm so close to putting the ball on a string, so it's coming."
Scott, with Woods's ex-caddie Steve Williams on the bag, had the chance to go away from the field after his opening 62.
But the 31-year-old had to be content with a 70, as did compatriot Jason Day as he stayed one behind.
Fowler shot 64, Bradley 65 and Moore a second successive 66 to go joint top, while Laird and Day were joined by Swede Robert Karlsson - now based in America as well - with a 65.
Rory McIlroy is still in the hunt at four under after coming home in 33 for a second 68 in a row, with world number one Luke Donald one further back.
Ian Poulter resumed level par, Padraig Harrington and Justin Rose one over, Graeme McDowell and Simon Dyson three over - Dyson improved 11 strokes on his first day 77 - and Paul Casey four over.
As for Open champion Darren Clarke, two days of playing with Woods left him in last place on 11 over.
Harrington will hope it does not have the same effect on him at this coming week's USPGA Championship, the final major of the season.
He and Woods have been grouped with another former winner, Ryder Cup captain Davis Love, for the opening two rounds in Atlanta.

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Singapore qualify for golf World Cup

Lam Chih Bing and Mardan Mamat will represent Singapore in the World Cup after finishing second at the Omega Mission Hills World Cup Asian Qualifying on Saturday.

First-placed New Zealand, powered by Michael Hendry and Gareth Paddison, closed on four-under-par 67 highlighted by a chip-in birdie from the greenside bunker on the last hole at the Seri Selangor Golf Club.
Their four-day total of 13-under-par 271 was matched by Lam and Mardan, who conceded in the play-off after shooting a final round 72.
Koreans Kim Hyung-sung and Park Sung-joon claimed the last and final ticket to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China in November after closest rivals Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri of India shot an eight on the par four 18th hole for a final round 80.
"We worked really hard on our games to improve in our careers. It is great to represent our country in the world cup and hopefully go on to make the country proud," said Hendry, who has won 16 professional titles.
Paddison, a left-hander, who sank the bunker shot on the last, was delighted to win the qualifying after a final round of five birdies, one eagle and three bogeys.
"We combined very well. It has been a great week and we came here with the goal to qualify and it is a fantastic feeling. Somehow being left handed with a right handed partner worked for us on this course," said Paddison, who together with his partner were dressed in black, New Zealand's national colours.
Lam and Mardan, who previously partnered in the 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2009 World Cups, were delighted to represent their country again in the two-man team showpiece staged from November 24 to 27.
"We came here with the goal of finishing in the top three and we did just that. It didn't matter if we finished in first, second or third, just as long as we qualified for the World Cup. That's why we conceded in the play-off," said Lam, who also played in the British Open this year.
Mardan, a two-time Asian Tour champion, lauded the sentiments of his playing partner.
"It is a great honour to represent Singapore. We always play well on this golf course and we will definitely be looking forward to playing against the best teams in the World Cup," said Mardan, who qualified for the World Cup at Seri Selangor in 2006 and 2009.
Koreans Park and Kim, a three-time winner in Korea, said they were lucky to qualify for the World Cup after finishing with a bogey on the last for a 69 and a 275 total.
India needed to birdie the last hole to force a play-off but their dreams of qualifying for the World Cup were dashed when Bhullar's tee shot landed in thick rough on the 18th hole and Lahiri struggled to chip the ball out to safety.
"It was quite nervy on the last hole because I hit my tee shot into the hazard but Hyung-sung made a long putt (25 foot) from the edge of the green for a good bogey. India had a chance but they dropped a few shots coming in so we feel lucky to win," said Park, who grew up in New Zealand.
The home team of Shaaban Hussin and Iain Steel closed with a 74 to share sixth place with Filipinos Mars Pucay and Antonio Lascuna on a 278 total.
Fourth round scores
271 - New Zealand (Michael HENDRY, Gareth PADDISON) 65-75-64-67, Singapore (LAM Chih-Bing, Mardan MAMAT) 63-70-66-72
New Zealand won after Singapore conceded in a play-off
275 - Korea (KIM Hyung-Sung, PARK Sung-Joon) 70-69-67-69
278 - Philippines (Mars PUCAY, Antonio LASCUNA) 70-73-63-72, Malaysia (Iain STEEL, Shaaban HUSSIN) 64-77-63-74
280 - India (Gaganjeet BHULLAR, Anirban LAHIRI) 67-69-64-80
283 - Myanmar (Zaw Moe, NAY Bala Win Myint) 66-84-65-68, Pakistan (Muhammad MUNIR, Mohd Shabbir IQBAL) 68-76-66-73
284 - Sri Lanka (Anura ROHANA, Mithun PERERA) 70-70-70-74
292 - Chinese Taipei (TSENG Hua Yen, LIN Kuan Po) 68-79-69-76
298 - Indonesia (Burhan BORA, HARDJITO) 73-75-68-82
299 - Hong Kong (WONG Woon-Man, William FUNG) 73-78-69-79
301 - Ghana (Stephen Kwame KLAH, Godwin SAI ) 77-76-69-79
302 - Vietnam (Michael TRAN, NGUYEN Thai Duong) 76-78-68-80
317 - Senegal (Gueye DIADJI, Niang SAMBA) 74-83-69-91
DSQ - Brunei (Pengiran Hassanal, Moksin JINAIDI) 78-83-DSQ-DSQ

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Woods paired with Harrington in Atlanta

Tiger Woods will play the first two rounds with Ireland's Padraig Harrington and American Ryder Cup captain Davis Love at next week's US PGA Championship in Atlanta.

All three are former winners of the title - Harrington three years ago in what remains his last victory in America or Europe, Love in 1997 and Woods four times between 1999 and 2007.
The trio will tee off at 8.35am from the 10th tee next Thursday, Woods' participation coming a week after his return from the knee and Achilles tendon injuries that kept him out of the US Open and The Open.
In accordance with tradition, the winners of the first three majors this season are paired. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke and South African Charl Schwartzel will start their bids at 1.45pm in the first round.
David Toms, who held off Phil Mickelson to win the title at the course a decade ago, is grouped with the left-hander and twice winner Vijay Singh, while Luke Donald plays with Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and American Nick Watney.

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McIlroy in PGA Tour U-turn

Rory McIlroy revealed that he has had a change of heart about America and is likely to take up his PGA Tour membership again.

The 22-year-old US Open champion played the American circuit last season but then gave it up because he was missing Europe.
But on the eve of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio, his first event in the States since his first major title came by a massive eight shots in June, McIlroy revealed that he is going to look at making a base in Florida.
McIlroy believes his game is more suited to American courses, something that was never clearer than when he finished 25th in The Open three weeks ago and moaned about the weather.
Two of McIlroy's three professional victories so far have come in the States and the other was in Dubai.
"I spoke to a couple of the guys from the PGA Tour today about it," he said. "I am leaning towards taking my card up again, definitely.
"I feel as if I play my best golf over here. I am very comfortable in this country and I am going to look at a few houses in Florida after (next week's) PGA.
"I'm definitely looking at coming back and playing a full schedule here. I've thought about it and feel my game really suits playing courses over here.
"I love Quail Hollow, Memorial, Akron. You play Match Play, Honda, Doral, Masters - you have your favourite events and most of my favourite events seem to be on this side of the pond.
"I'd like to give it a go again and last more than one year and see how it goes."
There is also his personal life to bear in mind, of course.
He broke up with Belfast student Holly Sweeney just before The Open and has been linked with Denmark's tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki.
Asked about the media scrutiny he has been under on and off the course since winning in Washington he commented: "The person I am holding hands with, we are both in a position where there's a high level of scrutiny.
"It's just something you have to deal with. It's not something that is ever going to go away, or I hope it doesn't go away because it would mean I wasn't playing good golf.
"It's part of my career now."
When McIlroy decided to return to Europe last year he stated: "I thought it was going to be easy, but it sort of took its toll.
"By the end of the PGA Tour season I was a bit jaded and just had to sit back and look at it and came to the conclusion that it just wasn't for me.
"But that's not to say that it won't be for me in the future."

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Singapore Classic to aid relief efforts

the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic will return for its second edition committing towards relief efforts following the tragedies in Japan earlier this year.

Dr Haruhisa Handa, Chairman of International Sport Promotion Society (ISPS), the event's title sponsor, said the organisers and the Asian Tour have agreed to donate US$100,000 from the tournament's prize fund of US$400,000 towards the Japanese plight following massive earthquakes and tsunamis which hit the northeast coast of the country.
The ISPS Handa Singapore Classic, won by South African Peter Karmis last year, will be staged once again at the Orchid Country Club where the stars from the region's established circuit will now shoot for a prize pot of US$300,000 and a priceless two-year winner's exemption on the Asian Tour.
"Following the disasters which struck Japan in March, we feel it is necessary to channel our efforts towards the rebuilding of the many communities who were severely affected," said Dr Handa, who is a Japanese philanthropist and businessman.
"Together with the Asian Tour, we believe we can contribute towards this worthy cause and we will seek other ways to raise financial aid for the people of Japan through the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic."
The ISPS Handa Singapore Classic, which is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Singapore PGA, enjoyed strong support from players and fans in its inaugural edition in 2010. But what made the event stand out from the rest was the fact that it placed equal importance to highlight and support worthy causes.
Last year, the event helped raise awareness for one of ISPS's main charitable recipients, the International Blind Golf Association, where blind golfers took part in a special event with Asian Tour players before the start of the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic.
Kyi Hla Han, Executive Chairman, Asian Tour, welcomed the return the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic.
He believes the tournament will also drive the growth of Singapore golf as a minimum of 20 spots will be allocated to the top Singapore professionals with a further four spots for leading Singapore amateur players.
Singapore's best, led by Mardan Mamat and Lam Chih Bing, will tee up alongside the top players from the rest of Asia.
"The ISPS Handa Singapore Classic was well received by the local communities here last year through the strong support from Corporate Singapore and golf fans. We are indebted to ISPS and Dr Handa for their outstanding support towards professional golf and the Asian Tour," said Han.
"But while the game continues to grow immensely through the Asian Tour's presence across the region, it is extremely important for us to extend our support for those in need. The tragedies which struck Japan moved the entire world and we will support the rebuilding efforts through the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic."
Singapore PGA President M. Murugiah said: "The Singaporean players are relishing the opportunity of teeing off against Asia's best and doing our part in the charity drive. The ISPS Handa Singapore Classic will provide a strong challenge to a minimum of 20 local players and I'm confident they will shine among the best from the Asian Tour."
Peter Goh, General Manager of Orchid Country Club, said: "On behalf of the Orchid Country Club, we are delighted to be the host venue of the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic for the second year. It is an honour to welcome the Asian Tour players on our championship course and we are looking forward to another successful tournament."
As part of the organiser's efforts to bring the golfing experience closer to the community, the Asian Tour is currently staging a week-long road show at Suntec Convention Centre. The public can participate in various games and activities where there are attractive prizes and season passes to the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic to be won.
The ISPS Handa Singapore Classic was brokered by WSM Sponsorship, a full service sports marketing agency from the United Kingdom, and the leading independent promoter on the European Senior Tour.
Andrew White, the CEO, said of the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic: "We are thrilled to be working with Asian Tour once again and are looking forward to this event being as successful as last year's event. The work the Asian Tour is doing to support the ISPS Handa Japan Relief Fund is admirable and will go a long way in supporting ISPS's efforts."

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Firestone focus switched on Woods

Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke play their first events in America since winning their first majors this week.

However, the one score in Akron everybody will be looking out for on Thursday is, of course, that of Tiger Woods.
Out of golf since May 12 because of knee and Achilles tendon injuries, Woods makes his latest comeback in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on the Firestone course where he has won the title seven times, but also finished joint 78th out of 80 last year - on 18 over par.
"I really hope that he will play well. We need him - we really need him," said world number three Martin Kaymer.
"Obviously what Rory did at the US Open was huge, but Tiger has been so successful over the years and it will be great if he comes back and shows us all or proves that he's the best player who ever played the game."
Open champion Clarke, who partners the former world number one and current world number 28 in the opening round, agreed with the German.
"Tiger has been the best player in the world for a very long time. He has been the guy certainly over my career that has set the benchmark for all the rest of us.
"It is fantastic for all of world golf just to see Tiger Woods back playing again.
"I'm sure he will be trying to get himself back up to where he has been before and personally I don't doubt he'll do that.
"But for us to have a chance to compete against him again can only be good for the game in general."
The 42-year-old Ulsterman, winner in Akron himself in 2003, may have no doubts about Woods is still capable of, but many others are not so sure.
The last of his 14 majors was 38 months ago, his last tournament win anywhere in the world 21 months ago and his last competitive hole 83 days ago.
That was at Sawgrass, where he limped through the outward half in a six over par 42 before deciding to quit and give the injuries - suffered as he came fourth in The Masters a month earlier - the time they needed to heal.
Woods insists now that he feels the best he has "for years" and adds: "I'm excited - excited to compete, to play and hopefully win the golf tournament."
Clarke is as interested as anyone to see what transpires.
"You can practise all you want and get yourself ready, but you don't really know until you put yourself into a competitive situation how good your game is," he commented.
"It'll be very interesting and, knowing Tiger like I do, I don't think he would come back to play unless he was ready to come back and play, both physically and mentally, and ready for the challenge again.
"I think he could be a hard man to beat this week because of his record around this golf course.
"He loves it so much and has played so well here before. I wouldn't be surprised for one to see him have a really, really good week."
As big as the world championship series has become, the events are still dwarfed by the four majors and the last of the year, the US PGA Championship, comes in Atlanta next week.
For that reason the likes of Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington will be happy enough just to see some progress in their games this week.
Both missed the cut at The Open - as did world number one Luke Donald and last year's US Open champion Graeme McDowell - but such was Westwood's disgust with his putting that he is following the lead of McIlroy in seeking the help of American Dave Stockton and also has copied Clarke and Harrington by speaking with famed sports psychologist Bob Rotella.
As for Harrington, he has split with coach Bob Torrance after 15 years together in which the Dubliner won three majors and climbed to world number three.
He is now 66th. Even Woods still has a long way to go to there.

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Irish hopes rest with Mac attack

There will be no Darren Clarke or Padraig Harrington for the expected huge crowds to cheer on in the last two rounds of the Irish Open in Killarney.

However, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell plan to fill the void.
McIlroy, not backing down in the slightest in his Twitter row with former European tour player Jay Townsend, grabbed three late birdies for a second-round 68 on Friday.
Fellow Ulsterman McDowell, the 22-year-old's predecessor as US Open champion, went two better than that to put both of them on four under par at halfway.
But that is six behind German Marcel Siem, who late in the day eagled the long 16th and sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the next to move one ahead of Indian Jeev Milkha Singh and Dane Soren Hansen.
For Clarke and Harrington, the end had come by lunchtime.
In his first start since his dream Open Championship victory at Sandwich, 42-year-old Clarke dropped four shots in the last eight holes for a 74 and a one-over aggregate.
Triple major winner Harrington had little hope after double-bogeying the short sixth and, with a 72, crashed out on three over.
That is now back-to-back missed cuts for the Dubliner before he heads back to America and, already down to 64th in the world, he is likely to fall even further now.
"It's disappointing, but it's only a game," stated Harrington. "There's no doubt that changes are required - for the sake of it rather than anything else.
"I'm doing everything I would have done when I was winning majors, it's just something fresh is needed. You need a bit of spark somewhere.
"Even on my worst days I'm not too bad. It's not like I'm shooting 77-78 sort of thing, but momentum is an important thing and I don't have it at the moment.
"I'm not thinking of changing personnel. I've got to change something in myself, attitude or something along the lines of that.
"I'm not taking time off - I like playing golf."
Clarke admitted his mental energy levels were down after a bout of 'flu followed his post-Open celebrations.
"I just couldn't get anything going," he commented. "A weekend off is not what I wanted. It probably won't do me any harm, albeit I would much prefer to be here to play.
"A couple of things went my way over at Sandwich and here bounces went the other way. Payback time I suppose.
"I didn't have much time off after The Open, but that's no excuse for shooting 74."
Siem has an extra incentive for wanting to win this weekend. Since partnering Bernhard Langer to World Cup success five years ago he has not earned the right to play in the event again, but he has the chance now to be with world number three Martin Kaymer in China later this year.
"There's two rounds to go - it's only half-time," he said after his 66. "I just want to stay calm and see what happens." His one previous victory was in South Africa seven seasons ago.
Singh led by two after an opening 63 that matched the lowest round of his career and, given he hit a wild opening drive into the stones beside Lough Leane, he settled for adding a 70.
But that allowed ex-Ryder Cup man Hansen to catch him with a 66, while defending champion Ross Fisher and fellow Englishmen Simon Dyson and Simon Wakefield are among those on seven under and promising Irish amateur Paul Cutler stands six under after a 67.
For Liverpool's Nick Dougherty the misery just goes on, however. With a 74 for seven over he missed his 19th successive cut going back to last November.

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Miyazato claims Evian Masters title

Japan's Ai Miyazato held off the challenge of American Stacy Lewis to claim her second Evian Masters title in France.

Miyazato took a two-shot lead into the final round and carded a closing 70 for a 15-under-par total of 273.
That was enough to finish two clear of Lewis, who also returned a 70, from Japan's Miki Saiki, Korea's In Kyung Kim and American Angela Stanford.
Miyazato made the perfect start with three birdies in the first eight holes taking the 26-year-old to the turn in 33.
Bogeys at the 12th and 14th gave the chasing pack hope, but Miyazato could afford to close with four straight pars to seal the win.

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