Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Fred Funk wins Insperity Championship, edging Tom Lehman on final hole

Fred Funk
Getty Images
Tied with Tom Lehman with one hole left, Fred Funk hit his approach on No. 18 to two feet, then tapped in for his seventh victory on the Champions Tour.
0
By 
Chris Duncan
Associated Press

Series: Champions Tour
THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Fred Funk can attach one more good memory to the Woodlands Country Club.
Funk birdied the final hole Sunday to beat Tom Lehman by a stroke in the Champions Tour's Insperity Championship.
With 16-year-old son Taylor carrying the bag, Funk birdied four of the last five holes to win on the same course where he won the Houston Open in 1992 for the first of his eight victories on the regular tour. He met his second wife, Sharon, at a post-tournament event that year and Sharon was the first person to run onto the green and hug him Sunday.
"It was a storybook-type week," Funk said.
Tied with one hole left, Funk hit his approach on No. 18 to 2 feet. Lehman missed his birdie putt, and Funk tapped in for a 5-under 67 and his seventh victory on the 50-and-over tour and first since the 2010 Tradition. He finished at 14 under.
The 55-year-old Funk became the first player in five years to win a PGA Tour and Champions Tour event on the same course. Tom Watson won the 1980 British Open and 2007 Senior British Open at Muirfield.
More importantly, Funk feels is if he has finally returned to form after three years of health issues. He developed a staph infection and had knee replacement surgery in 2009 and had two surgeries on his left thumb late last year.
"I wasn't sure whether I was going to have a career," Funk said. "I've been really blessed with this opportunity to play again, and play at a high level. I didn't want to give up yet. I love it too much."
Lehman closed with a 68. He made three straight birdies on the back nine to build a two-shot lead, but then hit his approach to the par-5 15th over the green and settled for a par. Funk birdied the 15th and made a short birdie putt on the par-3 16th to tie for the lead.
"The whole tournament kind of turned on 15," Lehman said. "I haven't been this disappointed after a tournament in a long time."
Mike Goodes (70) finished third at 10 under, and Michael Allen (71) was in a group at 8 under. Allen, the season points leader, was seeking his third straight senior victory.
Lehman had a one-shot lead at the turn, but bogeyed No. 10 to fall back into a tie with Funk. Lehman knocked wedges close on Nos. 12 and 13 to start his birdie run, and hit a 4-iron to 5 feet on No. 14 to reach 13 under.
"I hit good shot after good shot after good shot," Lehman said.
Both found the fairway with their drives on No. 18. Funk played first and hit his 174-yard approach to 2 feet with a 5-iron. He turned to Taylor and flashed a confident smile when the ball stopped.
"I think that's one of the best shots I've ever hit," Funk said. "I was really proud with my son, and we were really enjoying that moment."
Lehman, a three-time winner last season, hit a 7-iron from 157 yards that landed about 12 feet away.
"I thought it was going to be a lot closer, actually," Lehman said.
He also thought he hit a perfect putt, but he said the ball hit a damaged spot near the cup and veered offline. It just missed the right edge, and Lehman flipped his putter in the air in disbelief.
"The cup had a bunch of junk on the right edge," he said. "Maybe I should've had an official actually look at it before I putted, because I think it kept it out of the hole."
Funk then calmly tapped in and thrust his arms in the air, earning his seventh title on the Champions Tour. It was also Funk's first victory with his son serving as his caddie.
The winner of the last 18 Champions Tour events has played in the final group in the last round.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Key Matchups: Ravens at Patriots



Posted Aug 7, 2008

By Mike Duffy



Three key matchups to focus on in Thursday's preseason opener in New England.


The Ravens are set to kick off their preseason against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. BR.com breaks down three key matchups to watch heading into the game:



Ravens CBs Fabian Washington and Frank Walker vs. Patriots WRs Chad Jackson and Jabar Gaffney

Considering this is the first preseason contest, don’t expect a host of starters to be in the lineup at Gillette Stadium. For New England, Wes Welker is still on the physically unable to perform list, and All-World performer Randy Moss is, well, Randy Moss. The Ravens are going to keep Samari Rolle on hold until he’s back in football shape after rejoining the team this week, while Chris McAlister’s knee needs some rest.

Thus, Baltimore is going to get a good look at their two additions on the corners: Washington and Walker. Washington, acquired in a draft day trade from the Oakland Raiders, has excelled playing with the starters in Rolle’s absence. The Ravens like his speed and athleticism. Walker, formerly of Green Bay, is a feisty defender that likes to get physical.

In Gaffney and Jackson, the Patriots have two former high draft picks that are looking for breakout years to prove they’re not disappointments. They possess the speed to exploit the secondary with the long ball. Jackson, especially, has received recent praise from Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

Ravens T Chad Slaughter vs. Patriots DE Le Kevin Smith



The Ravens also get to see what they have in Slaughter, the recent free agent acquisition. With Jared Gaither’s and Adam Terry’s ankles sidelining Baltimore’s two starting bookends, Slaughter gets the nod at left tackle. At 6-foot-8, 340 pounds, and incredibly long arms, Slaughter has the size to fend off rushers. And, he’s shown surprising flashes of mobility in his short time with the Ravens.

Slaughter will probably face Smith often, considering Richard Seymour could get the night off and backup defensive ends Mike Wright and Jarvis Green are on the PUP list. Smith, a sixth-round draft pick in 2006, is a powerful end that matches up well with Slaughter at 6-foot-3, 308 pounds. He also has impressive speed, considering he was routinely sprinting downfield on New England’s kick coverage teams last year.

Ravens RB Ray Rice vs. Patriots ILB Jerod Mayo



Thursday night will be a battle of two talented rookies, between the hard-running Rice and hard-hitting Mayo. Rice moves to the first string as Willis McGahee nurses a sore knee. The second-round draft pick has been one of the more impressive performers in Ravens training camp, displaying an ability to break tackles for big gains.

But, Mayo is a tackling machine. Regular starter Mike Vrabel just recently came off the PUP list, paving the way for the first-rounder and former Tennessee star. During his senior season, he posted a whopping 140 stops patrolling the middle of the defense, and he’ll look to do the same for New England’s playmaking unit.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

<速報>遼、25位タイフィニッシュ P・リードが逃げ切り優勝


ゴルフ情報ALBA.Net 1月20日(月)8時52分配信




(Photo by Stephen DunnGetty Images)

<ヒューマナ・チャレンジ 最終日◇19日◇PGAウエスト・パーマーコース>

 カリフォルニア州にあるPGAウエストで開催された「ヒューマナ・チャレンジ」の最終日。3日間プロアマ形式の予選ラウンドを終えての日はプロのみで決勝ラウンドが行われ、トータル28アンダーのパトリック・リード(米国)が逃げ切り優勝を果たした。

池田、堀らが出場!ALBAプロアマニコニコ生放送中!

 2打差の2位にはライアン・パーマー(米国)、トータル25アンダーで3位タイには、この日“62”を叩きだした前週チャンピオンのザック・ジョンソン(米国)、ジャスティン・レナード(米国)が入っている。

 石川遼はこの日5バーディ・ノーボギーの“67”で回り、トータル17アンダーで25位タイで4日間を終えた。

【最終結果】
優勝:パトリック・リード(-28)
2位:ライアン・パーマー(-26)
3位T:ザック・ジョンソン(-25)
3位T:ジャスティン・レナード(-25)
5位:ブライアン・スチュアード(-24)
6位T:ビル・ハース(-23)
6位T:ブレンドン・トッド(-23)
8位:チャド・コリンズ(-22)

25位T:石川遼(-17)他

<ゴルフ情報ALBA.Net>

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