Thursday, July 15, 2010

“Golf-Open-McIlroy's 'pleasant' round sees records tumble” plus 3 more

“Golf-Open-McIlroy's 'pleasant' round sees records tumble” plus 3 more

Golf-Open-McIlroy's 'pleasant' round sees records tumble

Posted: 15 Jul 2010 07:07 AM PDT

By Miles Evans

ST ANDREWS, Scotland, July 15 (Reuters) - 'A very pleasant round of golf' clearly means something a bit different to Rory McIlroy than the rest of us, for his 18-hole links masterclass put him in a league of his own at the British Open.

That is how the young Northern Irishman described his 63 at the Old Course on Thursday, a nine-under record at the home of golf and a score which has never been bettered at any of the game's majors over generations. A few pundits scoffed when McIlroy was placed second in the list of odds before the tournament but it should be remembered that you rarely see a poor bookie and the sight of a 21-year-old mercilessly carving up St Andrews is even rarer.

"You're just trying to go lower and lower, no sort of negative thoughts come into your head at all," the man from Holywood told a packed news conference after his landmark round.

"That's the only way I can describe it, just trying to make birdies, I suppose, and nothing else really comes into your mind."

Simple really, just like his explanation for the eagle at the 352-yard par-four ninth where his round exploded into life.

"I hit a driver off the tee to 15 feet and just holed a putt straight up the hill."

Five birdies in the next six holes followed and he was kicking himself after the thought of a major record of 62 entered his mind as he fluffed a short putt at the 17th for another birdie.

From the moment McIlroy had the members at Royal Portrush choking on their Guinness in disbelief after a course record 61 at the age of 16, he has had to carry the burden of being European golf's next big thing.

BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP

He turned pro in 2007 and what could be a beautiful friendship with St Andrews started that year when he finished third in the Dunhill Links aged just 18.

McIlroy climbed the rankings after his Dubai Desert Classic win last year but it was at Quail Hollow, North Carolina in May that he truly surged into the limelight.

After scraping through to make the cut on the Friday, he fired a 66 on the Saturday and then a course record 62 to leave the likes of world number two Phil Mickelson trailing in his wake.

"It was a fantastic score," he said of his bogey-free 63.

"I didn't get off to a flying start. I was one under through eight holes and then the eagle on nine really sort of turned things around for me."

The only black mark was that putt on 17. A 63 has been carded many times in the majors but just for a moment McIlroy let the thought of an elusive 62 disrupt his concentration.

"I started thinking to myself, if I can birdie this hole I've got a chance of birdie at the last. It sort of went through my mind on 17 that 62 would have been the lowest round in a major. That's probably why I missed the putt."

(Editing by Tony Jimenez; To query or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Golf club wins $350K verdict against thief

Posted: 15 Jul 2010 07:36 AM PDT

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Golf course, charity at odds over fundraising tournament

Posted: 15 Jul 2010 02:15 AM PDT

By Steve Green (contact)

Thursday, July 15, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

Map of Dragon Ridge Golf Course

Dragon Ridge Golf Course

552 S. Stephanie St., Henderson

Has a Nevada golf course been trying to intimidate the charitable foundation of 6-foot 9-inch, 345-pound football player Jonathan Ogden?

As unlikely as it may seem, that's an issue emerging in a lawsuit pitting the Dragon Ridge Golf Club Inc. of Henderson against the foundation of Ogden, the retired Baltimore Ravens 11-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle.

Dragon Ridge filed suit against the Jonathan Ogden Foundation on June 4 in

Clark County District Court in Las Vegas claiming the foundation has failed to pay $13,226 in expenses from a June 2006 fundraising tournament.

Ogden's foundation fired back last week, saying in a court response that all expenses for the tournament were paid the day of the event with cash and asserting numerous counterclaims.

The counterclaims include abuse of process, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, conversion, defamation, intentional misrepresentation, negligence, invasion of privacy and casting the foundation in a false light.

Eric Dobberstein, attorney for the foundation, charged in the answer and counterclaim that after settling the tournament account on the day of the event, no one from Dragon Ridge ever advised the foundation that money was still due.

"Despite Mr. Ogden and several of the foundation's staff having several conversations with Dragon Ridge's staff and playing several rounds of golf at the facility, no subsequent invoice was ever presented to Mr. Ogden or the foundation staff nor was the allegedly unpaid invoice ever mentioned or discussed," the answer says. "The foundation was never made aware of an alleged unpaid invoice until years later when contacted by a debt collector retained by Dragon Ridge to collect on the already-paid debt."

"Dragon Ridge filed its complaint in an effort to bring public ridicule on Mr. Ogden and the foundation so that the foundation, in an effort to avoid bad publicity, would be forced to settle Dragon Ridge's frivolous claim," the response says. "Dragon Ridge has publicly disseminated knowingly false statements regarding the foundation in an effort to embarrass and/or intimidate the foundation into paying an invoice for which it already paid."

The golf course, represented by attorneys with the Las Vegas law firm of

Kemp, Jones & Coulthard LLP, hasn't yet responded to the counterclaim. The golf course says some 95 people attended the tournament at issue, the Fifth Annual Jonathan Ogden Golf Tournament, each paying $300 to $400 to participate in the fundraiser.

Ogden lives in Henderson. His foundation, launched in 1996, says it has helped hundreds of young people in disadvantaged communities such as inner-city Baltimore through athletic and education programs.

The foundation says it has assisted more than 400 young people with programs promoting education through athletics.

But its response to the lawsuit said it had to retain legal counsel when "Dragon Ridge's retained debt collector made unfounded and spurious allegations regarding the charitable nature of the foundation."

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Golf's best sideshow still entertains at Open

Posted: 15 Jul 2010 07:07 AM PDT

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP)—John Daly's scorecard was the only thing getting more attention than his garish outfit.

Golf's most entertaining sideshow was at it again Thursday, tying his best round at the British Open with a 6-under 66 on the Old Course. It put him atop the leaderboard, a spot that, regardless how brief the stay, would have been unimaginable during the latest chapter in his remarkable life.

"I've never ran from my mistakes. I've always kind of been the man that you're supposed to be when you screw up—and I've screwed up an awful lot, not just on tour, but in other aspects of life," Daly said. "I think it's how you come back and deal with it. I don't know if it's motivation for fans or if it's helping them. Whatever it is, as long as it's a positive, to me that's all that matters.

"When you have so many ups and downs in life, like everybody does, some smaller and bigger, it makes it so much more gratifying when you do something special."

Daly birdied seven of the first 11 holes, and he might have challenged early leader Rory McIlroy if not for four putts that lipped out. One, on 17, led to his only bogey of the day.

Daly may have ditched the mullet he sported back in 1995, but now he's wearing trousers that can only be described as outlandish. Thursday's choice was lavender paisley (his girlfriend wore a matching miniskirt).

"The good thing about them is you get dressed in the dark, any shirt is going to match," said Daly, who also wore a sky-blue sweater, peach shirt and turquoise hat.

That Daly is a spectacular talent has never been in doubt. He went from last alternate to major champion at the 1991 PGA Championship. He won a second major — the British Open here at St. Andrews.

Daly is Everyman. Fans can't help but be charmed, seeing a little bit of themselves in him. Or maybe a little bit of who they would like to be. He hits driver when he should hit irons. He goes for shots that inevitably end badly. He believes "grip it and rip it" is more than just a cute slogan.

Daly's nickname was "Wild Thing," and he more than lived up to it.

Among other things, he trashed a hotel room in 1997 during The Players Championship and once did a TV interview to promote a golf course wearing only blue jeans. No shirt, no shoes. The PGA Tour has suspended him five times (his disciplinary file was a hefty 456 pages as of the fall of 2008), fined him $100,000 and ordered him to attend counseling or alcohol rehab seven times. He's also lost part of a considerable fortune to four ex-wives, gambling and bad loans to friends.

But at 44, even Daly has had enough of his high-wire act.

He's lost almost 100 pounds (45 kgs) since having Lap-Band surgery in February 2009, and said he quit drinking and eating as much junk food. The rib and back injuries that made it painful to get his game back in shape have healed.

"I feel like I'm getting healthier," Daly said. "Being able to work on my game and get some confidence built up, (winning) would be just the most gratifying victory I could ever have."

There's still a long way to go. Daly has three victories worldwide since winning the British Open 15 years ago, and has dropped to 455th in the world rankings. He has just one top-50 finish this year, a tie for 24th at the Puerto Rico Open, and sounded as if he was ready to quit after missing the cut at Torrey Pines earlier this year.

After turning back the clock with a first-round 67 at the 2007 PGA Championship at Southern Hills that left him two strokes off the lead, he followed it up with a 73 and ultimately wound up tied for 32nd.

"I'm not out of it. I'm in it, even if somebody goes out and shoots 7- or 8-under," Daly said. "I feel the game is coming around, and when I'm hitting my driver the way I am right now, it brings confidence."

There were appreciative cheers Thursday and encouraging shouts of "Go get 'em, JD!." As Daly strolled up the 18th fairway—smoking a cigarette—one fan in the crowd held up a sign reading, "John Daly the Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment." Another carried a poster that said, "John Daly Living Legend."

"It's just a great course and I just love it," Daly said. "I don't know why, it just suits my game. It's, to me, my favorite course all over the world that I've ever played. When you've got that going for you, you don't feel disappointed when you don't play so well.

"But you feel even better when you do."

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