Golf – North Platte Post Archive

Jordan Spieth Wins Masters at 21 with Record-Tying Score

Posted on April 13, 2015

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Jordan Spieth romped to his first major championship with a record-tying performance at the Masters on Sunday, shooting an 18-under 270 to become the first wire-to-wire winner of the green jacket since 1976.

No one got closer than three shots of the lead all day. Spieth shot a 2-under 70 to hold off Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson.

Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open champion playing in the final group of the major for the first time, and Mickelson were four shots back.

No one else was closer than six.

Spieth became the first Masters champion to lead after every round since Raymond Floyd 39 years ago, and only the fifth in the history of the tournament. And it was a bit of redemption after he played in the final group a year ago making his Augusta debut, building a two-shot lead but fading to a runner-up finish behind Bubba Watson.

Spieth Sets Another Scoring Record, leads Big at the Masters

Posted on April 11, 2015

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Jordan Spieth set another Masters scoring record Saturday, shooting a 2-under 70 that gave him the lowest 54-hole score in tournament history and sends him to the final round with a four-stroke lead.

Spieth’s total over three mostly brilliant days at Augusta National was 16-under 200, breaking the mark of 201 set by Raymond Floyd in 1976 and matched by Tiger Woods in 1997.

The 21-year-old Texan set the record even with a double-bogey at the 17th, giving a glimmer of hope to those who’ll be chasing him Sunday.

Justin Rose birdied five of the last six holes for a 67 that got him into the final group with Spieth on Sunday. Rose was at 204 overall, and three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson was another stroke behind after shooting 67.

Spieth Shoots 64 for 2-Stroke lead on Day 1 of Masters

Posted on April 9, 2015

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Jordan Spieth kept up his hot play on the PGA Tour with a brilliant opening round at the Masters, shooting an 8-under 64 Thursday for a two-stroke lead.

Spieth birdied eight of the first 14 holes, his shots so precise that he often had nothing more than tap-ins with the putter. He rolled in a 6-footer at the 12th, a 2-footer at the 13th, then nearly holed out from behind a tree along the 14th fairway, the ball striking the flagstick before settling about 2 feet away for another easy birdie.

The 21-year-old Texas went to the par-5 15th with a shot at the major championship scoring record, which is 63. But he muscled his second shot through the green, leading to his only bogey.

He finished up with a 20-foot birdie putt at the 18th.

Jason Day was 6 under with two holes to play. Charley Hoffman, Justin Rose and Ernie Els shot 67.

Tiger Woods to Return at the Masters

Posted on April 3, 2015

Tiger Woods has made up his mind — he will play the Masters.

After two trips to Augusta National this week, Woods announced his return to competition on his website Friday. He wrote: “I’m playing the Masters. It’s obviously very important to me, and I want to be there.”

Woods hasn’t played since Feb. 5, when he walked off the golf course at Torrey Pines with what he described as tightness in his lower back. He said a week later he would not play again until his game was acceptable for tournament standards.

North Platte Finishes 2nd at Own Golf Invite

Posted on March 30, 2015March 30, 2015

	TEAM SCORES
1	McCook	323
2	North Platte	333
3	Sidney	356
4	Cozad	357
5	Hastings	378
6	North Platte JV	378
7	Gothenburg	379
8	Lexington	403
9	Ogallala	409

	TOP TEN INDIVIDUALS	SCHOOL	SCORE
1	Noah Hofman	McCook	74
2	Kort Steele	N. Platte	76
3	Masen Sis	McCook	80
4	Kade Wroot	N. Platte	81
5	Sam Cole	Cozad	82
6	Zack Presall	McCook	82
7	Patrick Messersmith	Goth.	85
8	Kyle Zimbelman	N. Platte	86
9	Ryan Birner	Sidney	86
10	Riley Loop	McCook	87

Woods Out of Top 50 for 1st Time in More than 3 Years

Posted on January 31, 2015

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Tiger Woods is out of the top 50 in the world ranking for the first time in three years.

And if he doesn’t turn his game around quickly, he will be ineligible for a World Golf Championship for only the second time.

Woods was No. 1 in the world last May. After missing most of last year recovering from back surgery, he came to the Phoenix Open at No. 47 and missed the cut by 12 shots. He was last out of the top 50 on Nov. 27, 2011.

He is to play Torrey Pines next week and the Honda Classic two weeks later. He must be in the top 50 after the Honda Classic to be eligible for the WGC event at Doral.

NCA Girls’ Golf Super State & All-State Selections

Posted on October 21, 2014

The Nebraska Coaches Association (NCA) announces the 2014 Nebraska High School Super-State Girls Golf Team & All-State Selection. Super-State is an all class honor determined annually by the by the NCA Golf Sports Advisory Committee.

The presenting sponsor of the NCA All-State programs is WeBacks apparel.

Classification comparisons are based solely on the athletes’ performance at the NSAA State Championships. Considerations included course par, total yardage, rating, slope and weather conditions each day.

If the top five or more finishers within a classification are selected to the Super State team, there are no All-State selections for the classification. (Class A & B)

Based on Super State selections, one athlete in Class C received All-State honors.

Super State:

Ashton Boldt, Minden

Krirsten Baete, Beatrice

Makenzie Fuss, Omaha Marian

Callie Hawkins, Gretna

Katie Irvin, Papillion-La Vista

Lidia Jons, Lincoln Southwest

Melissa Kyncl, Boone Central

Sara Larsson, Plattsmouth

Brandi Lemek, Doniphan-Trumbull

Maaika Mestl, Ogallala

Raluca Maiefski, Omaha Roncalli Catholic

Samantha Rahmig, Gering

Spencer Roach, Papillion-La Vista

Nia Station, Omaha Burke

Morgan Thiele, Kearney Catholic

Megan Whittaker, Elkhorn South

Jordan York, Scottsbluff

Class C All-State State:

Paige Mestl, Heartland

Time to Look Ahead, Not Behind for American Golf

Posted on October 7, 2014

NAPA, Calif. (AP) — A new PGA Tour season starts Thursday, and it’s about time.

The last thing American golf needs right now is another idle week to rehash a Ryder Cup loss that is getting overcooked by the minute. It’s probably good that Phil Mickelson is not expected to play again until we know which two teams are going to the Super Bowl.

To spend a week or more looking back at the pivotal moments is standard fare for a great event like the Ryder Cup.

What if Justin Rose had not made that 45-foot putt in Sunday singles at Medinah, or if Ian Poulter had missed any one of his last five birdie putts Saturday afternoon? If only Stewart Cink had made either one of those short birdie putts over the last four holes at Celtic Manor. And don’t think Europeans haven’t seen enough of Justin Leonard and that putt heard ’round the world at Brookline.

But that hasn’t been the case this year. When it comes to a Ryder Cup review, no one is talking about the golf. For the Americans, it seems as though the Ryder Cup only got started after it was over.

One story says U.S. captain Tom Watson scoffed at his gift from the players — a replica of the Ryder Cup they signed. Another story said Watson wasn’t dismissive of the gift, rather he tried to motivate his players by telling them he wanted the real thing.

Watson was not the Great Communicator. On that point everyone can agree.

But to prattle on about Watson’s stubborn leadership style — did that catch anyone by surprise? — or the pairings he never seemed to get right is to overlook the obvious.

The better team won.

The Europeans were favored to win, were they not? They had Rory McIlroy with his two majors and No. 1 ranking. When the teams were set, they had four of the top five players in the world. And they were playing at home.

They also had captain Paul McGinley, who blended supreme confidence with an extraordinary eye for detail. Most telling about McGinley was when he was asked last week the one thing he feared when he was appointed captain. “Honestly, I didn’t have a fear. I had a real clear idea of what I wanted to achieve.”

Did he win the Ryder Cup for Europe?

McGinley certainly helped. The players took it from there. Rose was unbeaten. McIlroy played his best golf Sunday. Graeme McDowell unselfishly accepted the role of taking on a rookie (Victor Dubuisson) as his partner and sitting two sessions. They combined to go 5-0-1.

That’s what should be remembered about this Ryder Cup.

The U.S. press conference won’t be forgotten, which is why Mickelson said what he did and when he did. Lefty spoke of a “winning formula” from which the Americans have strayed, and he had a point. While his frustration might have been geared toward Watson, the message was for the PGA of America and the unilateral way it goes about the business of picking a captain and running the Ryder Cup.

Thanks to Mickelson, change is inevitable for Team USA, and that’s a good thing.

But does that guarantee a change in the outcome?

No.

To suggest the Americans will look back at Gleneagles as the turning point 10 years from now is dismissive of the opponent. Even if the America has the ideal captain, Europe still has McIlroy, Rose, Poulter, McDowell, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer. It still has the cup. And it’s no accident.

The Europeans once had a heavy-handed captain in Seve Ballesteros, and they managed. It’s still down to the players, and the Americans as a whole didn’t perform as well. Their top three qualifiers — Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and Jim Furyk — combined to go 1-8-3.

More than its players, what makes Europe so formidable is the culture of winning it has cultivated for nearly 30 years. Everyone is involved. That much was clear when McGinley was leaving the press room at St. Andrews, and Ken Brown — a player on four teams, vice captain on another, now a TV analyst — approached to congratulate him.

A handshake quickly turned into a hug.

“You’re a part of this,” McGinley told him.

Europe celebrates. America contemplates. And it’s time to move on.

Does golf even matter this time of the year? It sure did to the six players who won tournaments in the fall start to the wraparound season. All six began the FedEx Cup playoffs in the top 20, and all but one (Harris English) qualified for the Tour Championship.

The Frys.com Open was supposed to have Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods until one asked for time off from a hectic summer of winning back-to-back majors, and the other was forced into time off because of injury.

McIlroy and Woods are expected to be at the Frys.com Open next year. Think anyone will be grousing about the schedule then?

McIlroy wins PGA Tour Player of the Year

Posted on October 1, 2014

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — Rory McIlroy has been voted the PGA Tour player of the year for the second time in three years.

The award was announced on Wednesday and surprised no one.

McIlroy hit his stride in the summer and won the British Open and the PGA Championship, with a World Golf Championship in between. Those three straight wins catapulted him to No. 1 in the world.

McIlroy finished the PGA Tour season with three wins. He also led the tour with 12 finishes in the top 10, and he never finished worse than 25th. McIlroy also won the PGA Tour money title with $8.2 million, and he won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest adjusted scoring average.

Chesson Hadley was voted as the rookie of the year.

Tiger Woods Says He Might Coach Himself

Posted on September 18, 2014

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — The next swing coach for Tiger Woods might be Tiger Woods.

Woods posted a blog on his website Thursday saying there was no “hard-and-set” rule on finding a new swing coach.

He parted way with Sean Foley last month after two years. Woods only completed 25 founds this year because of a back injury that required surgery. He is not playing until the Hero World Challenge in December. He says he needs to get healthy before he figures out where to go with his game.

He says he is keeping his options “very, very open.”

Woods says he has bounced some ideas off Notah Begay, a former teammate at Stanford and a longtime friend. He says they have discussed what direction Woods should go with his game.