Los Altos Golf Company

AUSTRALIAN golfers Rod Pampling and Nick O’Hern are part of a three-way tie for the lead after the opening round at the Memorial tournament at Muirfield Village.

White hot … Pampling found form on the greens. Associated Press

Pampling found his long-lost putting touch while O’Hern stormed home with five birdies in six holes to join American Sean O’Hair at seven-under-par 65 in ideal if humid conditions at Muirfield Village.

They lead by one stroke from a group including yet another Australian,
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WORLD No.2 Phil Mickelson withdrew from the US PGA Tour Memorial Tournament after 11 holes of his first round today, citing an injury to his left wrist.

“I’ve never really had an injury so I’m not sure (if it’s serious),” the left hander said.

Mickelson did not know whether the problem would jeopardise his appearance at the US Open in two weeks time.

Mickelson, who was two over par when he pulled out, said he sustained the injury during a practice round at the Open venue on Tuesday (AEST).

“I was hitting a lot of chips out of the rough at Oakmont and I think that aggravated it,” he said.

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AUSRALIAN golfer Brett Rumford squeezed himself into a record nine-way tie for the first-round lead in the Wales Open.

Rumford joined 1999 British Open champion Paul Lawrie, Paul Broadhurst, Steven O’Hara, Gary Orr, Ricardo Gonzalez, Steve Alker, Soren Kjeldsen on top of the leaderboard with a four-under-par

Rumford’s compatriot Mattew Zions was among another 13 players who were just one shot off the lead.

Reuters

Lawrie won at Celtic Manor in 2002
GB & Ire unless stated
P Lawrie, B Rumford (Aus),R Gonzalez (Arg), JM Lara (Spa),G Orr, S O’Hara, P Broadhurst, S Kjeldsen (Den),S Alker (NZ)

Scotman Lawrie, who took the title at the same venue in 2002, finished on 65.Also atop the leaderboard was England’s Paul Broadhurst, four days after slumping to an 80 when sharing the lead in the PGA Championship.But favourite Retief Goosen, Colin Montgomerie and Anders Hansen were not even in the top 75 after rounds
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MICHELL Wie has withdrawn from the LPGA Tour Ginn Tribute in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, after aggravating the wrist injury that had sidelined her since January.

Wie, 17, bogeyed the par-4 7th hole to slump to a horrific 14 over par in 16 holes, before telling a tour official: “We’re not going to play anymore.”

Wie, who wore bandages on her wrists during the round, rejected the assertion that he had quit because of an LPGA rule that bans non-tour members for the year if they record a round of 88 or higher.

Wie, who was just two bogeys from that scenario when she stopped, said she had “tweaked” her wrist injury.

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Mickelson gets treatment from physiotherapist Jim Weathers The left-handed American withdrew after 11 holes of his opening round because of problems with his left wrist.He was playing the Jack Nicklaus-hosted tournament for the first time since 2002, as was Tiger Woods.”I don’t think it’s anything serious - it just got worse. I couldn’t grab the club and I couldn’t swing,” he said.Mickelson was two over par at the time after a double bogey at the par-three eighth hole and a bogey at the par-five 11th.

Mt. Pleasant, SC - Michelle Wie struggled mightily Thursday in her first competitive round in four months and withdrew after 16 holes of the Ginn Tribute because of a nagging wrist injury.

Wie was 14-over par after just making bogey at RiverTowne’s par-four seventh when she withdrew from the newest tournament hosted by Annika Sorenstam. Her round included a quintuple-bogey and a triple-bogey.

The 17-year-old Hawaiian was playing this week on a sponsor’s exemption. She had been sidelined since February after suffering a left wrist injury while running.

‘It felt good
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Dublin, OH - An injury to his left wrist forced Phil Mickelson to withdraw 11 holes into the first round of the Memorial on Thursday.

Mickelson was two-over par through 11 holes at Muirfield when he withdrew. After going birdie-bogey-birdie from No. 3, he made a double-bogey at No. 8 and a bogey at the 11th.

The world No. 2 was playing for the first time since winning the Players Championship three weeks ago.

His withdrawal comes just two weeks before the start of the U.S. Open at Oakmont. Mickelson gave up the lead at the 72nd hole of last year’s U.S. Open.

©
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MACKINZIE Kline’s weakened heart probably won’t let her make it to her 30th birthday - but the promising teenage golfer is determined to live her dreams all the same.

Born with a congenital heart defect, the 15-year-old star of the fairways is cramming as much activity into her days as possible, and she teed off in her first LGPA tournament today.

Personally invited by leading women’s golfer Annika Sorenstam to play in the Ginn Tribute, which Sorenstam will host, Kline rode the 10km course in South Carolina in a motorised buggy.

The teenager was granted an exception
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ANNIKA Sorenstam, the former world No. 1 and one of the top players in the history of the LPGA Tour, headlines the field at the Ginn Tribute which starts Thursday.

Sorenstam is making her return at the $A3.1 million event after missing almost two months with a ruptured disc and a bulging disc in her back.

“I’m happy to be back on tour. It’s been a little weird to be away for a while in the middle of the season,” Sorenstam said.

“You know, obviously I’m extremely excited to be able to come back to this tournament.”

Sorenstam’s
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Wie was only 13 when she made her debut on the men’s tour “I don’t think my coach is the person who could talk about what events I’m going to play in,” said Wie.”He got misquoted. I learn so much from playing with the men. I’m going to do it as long as I enjoy it.”World number 10 Retief Goosen, however, said Wie should not receive any more invitations to men’s events.The 17-year-old American has struggled in the men’s events she has played and Leadbetter feels she needs to establish herself on the women’s
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Bradley Dredge will not attempt to qualify for this year’s US Open Dredge will this week attempt to become the first home winner of the Wales Open at the Celtic Manor, near Newport.But he is refusing to play the 36-hole qualifier at Walton Heath next Monday, meaning the 33-year-old Welshman will not play in the US Open.”I just don’t want to do it and luckily I don’t have to answer to anybody,” said Dredge.”I don’t do the Open qualifying or the US Open qualifying. I’m not prepared to sacrifice the other
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MICHELLE Wie is downplaying her return to the US LPGA Tour, saying she spent the time rehabilitating her injured wrist by enjoying the final semester of high school instead of worrying about golf.

“I really got to enjoy and really got to hang out with my friends,” Wie said yesterday. “I was actually the one who was calling my friends and telling them to get me out of this house.”

Wie will play in the Ginn Tribute in South Carolina this weekend - her first tournament since missing the cut at the men’s Sony Open in January.

She played that tournament with an injured right wrist, then hurt her left wrist a short time later after she fell while running.

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TIGER Woods, a master of time management, accepts he may have to sacrifice playing in his own tournament because of the impending arrival of his first child.

The world No.1’s Swedish wife Elin is expected to give birth in early July, while the inaugural AT&T National takes place in Bethesda, Maryland from July 5 to 8.

“I’m going to try and play,” Woods said today at Washington’s Congressional Country Club during a media day for the PGA Tour event run by his charitable Tiger Woods Foundation.

“My intent is to play, although my wife might have something to say about that. I want to play here. I love this golf course, and especially an inaugural event.

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AUSTRALIA’S Aaron Baddeley and Robert Allenby have joined Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal among 14 golfers gaining spots in the US Open based on world rankings, the US Golf Association announced today (AEST).

Also joining the list of 72 in the field were Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal, England’s Justin Rose and Lee Westwood, Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, South Africans Tim Clark and Charl Schwartzel, Denmark’s Anders Hansen and Americans Chris DiMarco, Charles Howell, Vaughn Taylor, Scott Verplank and John Rollins.

All 14 were ranked in the world’s top 50 in yesterday’s listing. The other 36 members of that group had already qualified for exempt status in other methods.

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Philadelphia, PA - Young Kim’s win Sunday at the LPGA Corning Classic helped her move up six places to No. 38 in the latest Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

There was minimal change at the top of the rankings. Lorena Ochoa remained atop the rankings and was followed by Annika Sorenstam, who is scheduled to return this week from neck and back injuries.

That duo was again trailed by Karrie Webb, Morgan Pressel, Juli Inkster, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Ai Miyazato and Se-Ri Pak.

Mi Hyun Kim, who shared second place with Creamer at the Corning, inched up one spot to 10th this week. Her moved bumped Jeong Jang down to 11th.

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Philadelphia, PA - Rory Sabbatini needed a playoff Sunday to win the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and that win helped him moved up to No. 14 in the latest Official World Golf Ranking.

Tiger Woods, who returns to action this weekend at the Memorial, held steady atop the rankings and he was trailed by Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson and Geoff Ogilvy.

Luke Donald and two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen exchanged places with Donald up to No. 9 this week. Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia and Masters winner Zach Johnson remained 11th through 13th.

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‘Jack always does a wonderful job hosting the tournament and it’s a great course,’ Woods said on his Web site. ‘Unfortunately, I couldn’t play last year and I’m looking forward to returning.’

Woods, who hasn’t played since he tied for 37th place at the Players Championship, has won three of his seven PGA Tour starts this season.

He is the all-time money leader in the tournament’s 30-year history with more than $2.67 million in earnings, boosted by his three consecutive wins from 1999-2001.

Including the top-ranked Woods, 15 of the top 20 players in the world will
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Dredge has three top-10 finishes at the Wales Open The Tredegar man, 33, has had three top 10 finishes at the £1.5m event, with a best of tied seventh last year.”It would be very special to be the first Welshman to lift this title,” said Wales’ highest-ranked player.”I’ve always enjoyed playing there, it’s a definite advantage playing so close to home, with friends and family supporting you and knowing the course.” 606: DEBATE Have
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Kim recorded four consecutive sub-70 rounds
Young Kim (Kor)
Mi Hyun Kim (Kor),Paula Creamer (USA)
In-Kyung Kim (Kor), B Bader (USA)

Laura Davies (Eng), Becky Morgan
Janice Moodie (Sco)

Going into the final round tied with Americans Beth Bader and Paula Creamer at 16 under par, Kim shot a four-under 68 to win by three strokes on 20 under.Creamer, who was looking for her second win of the season, settled for a 71 to end on 17 under with Mi Hyun Kim (70).England’s Laura
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Langer (left) congratulates Sabbatini for his play-off win
US unless stated
Rory Sabbatini (SA)*, Jim Furyk, Bernhard Langer
Pat Perez
Nathan Green (Aus)
* won on first play-off hole

The 49-year-old German, whose last win came at the Volvo Masters in 2002, was attempting to become the oldest winner in the history of the Colonial Club.But along with American Jim Furyk, he lost out to Rory Sabbatini, who sealed victory on the first play-off hole.The trio had earlier tied on
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Rose is taking a break after Werntworth But the 26-year-old Englishman insists he has not suffered a recurrence of the back trouble which has limited him to just two tournaments since February.Rose, the runner-up at the PGA Championship at Wentworth on Sunday, said: “I’m just being cautious.”I’m taking advice from my trainer and just trying to get myself stronger.”Rose did not play during the whole of March, but returned for the Masters at Augusta and was one off the lead until he double-bogeyed the penultimate hole.
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AUSTRALIAN golfer Nick Flanagan continued his hot form on the US Nationwide Tour when he shot the day’s equal low round of six-under 66 to finish in a tie for fifth in the George’s County Open.

Coming off wins in his previous two starts, the 22-year-old Novocastrian recovered from a bogey on the opening hole to card seven birdies and close within four shots of American winner Paul Claxton (67) in Maryland.

 Fellow Aussie Matthew Jones fired a closing 67 to join Flanagan in a five-way tie, while Michael Sim (66) matched the day’s best round to finish in a tie for 14th.

Flanagan,
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SOUTH African Rory Sabbatini dropped a five-metre birdie putt on the first play-off hole to win the US PGA Crowne Plaza Invitational today (AEST).

Sabbatini fittingly made his winning stroke to beat veterans Bernhard Langer and Jim Furyk in a downpour at an event that was halted the first three days by showers, forcing the entire field to finish the third round in the morning before fighting to an early evening conclusion.

World No.3 star Furyk, the only top-12 player contesting the event, missed a long birdie effort in the play-off, the third trip to the 18th hole for each man on the day.

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ANDERS Hansen claimed an unexpected victory in the BMW PGA Championship on Wentworth’s West Course outside London overnight (AEST).

The Dane, who also won the title five years ago, sealed his second victory on the European PGA Tour with a five-metre putt on the first play-off hole after he and Justin Rose had tied on 280, eight under par, after 72 holes.

“I’ve not been quite able to get it all together, but yesterday the greens got a little moist and that helped,'’ Hansen, whose final-round 69 lifted him into contention, said.

“I felt pretty calm before the play-off.

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YOUNG Kim fired a four-under-par 68 in the final round of the LPGA Corning Classic to capture the $US1.3 million ($1.59 million) tournament by three strokes today.

Kim posted a 72-hole score of 20-under 268 to win from Kim Mi-hyun and American Paula Creamer on 271. American Beth Bader and Korean Kim In-kyung were equal fourth a further shot behind.

“I feel really great and actually I can’t believe it,” Kim said.

“Unbelievable.

“I’m feeling like I cannot say anything because I feel too good.”

Kim birdied four of the first seven holes to take command, but she then slipped back with two bogeys to finish the front nine.

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Hansen also won the PGA Championship in 2002
GB & Ire unless stated
A Hansen (Dan), J Rose
V Singh (Fij), R Sterne (SA)
A Cabrera (Arg), M-A Jimenez (Spa)
L DonaldHansen wins sudden-death play-off

The Dane sank a tricky 12-foot putt to seal victory on the first sudden-death play-off hole, the 18th.The pair had finished on eight under par on a day when heavy rain made conditions extremely difficult.South Africa’s Richard Sterne finished tied for third on seven under with Vijay
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Verplank made three birdies in the first seven holes
US unless stated
Scott Verplank, Rory Sabbatini (SA), Pat Perez, Kevin Na, Arron Oberholser, Ben Curtis
Lucas Glover, Peter Lonard (Aus), Jeff Maggert, Jim Furyk, Tim Clark (SA)

Verplank fired five birdies in 13 holes to move alongside Americans Pat Perez, Kevin Na, Arron Oberholser, Ben Curtis and South African Rory Sabbatini.They are all on nine under par, a shot ahead of five players including Jim Furyk and overnight leader Tim
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SCOTT Verplank fired five birdies through his first 13 holes today (AEST) and climbed into a six-way tie atop the leaderboard before rain and darkness suspended the third round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational.

A veteran of 20-plus years, Verplank captured his fifth career PGA Tour victory four weeks ago at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

The 42-year-old golfer is attempting to become the first player to win the Byron Nelson and the Colonial in the same year since Ben Hogan in 1946.

Verplank began his round at Colonial with a birdie on the par-five first hole and
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SOUTH Koreans dominated the leaderboard at the Corning Classic today (AEST), led by Young Kim who fired a four-under 68 to grab a share of top spot with two Americans.

Kim and Beth Bader and Paula Creamer are all at 16-under 200 after three rounds of the tournament.

Kim had eight birdies on Friday and she added another five in the third round.

The only thing between Kim and the outright lead was a bogey at the par-four 13th, her first bogey of the tournament.

Kim’s South Korean compatriot Kim Mi-hyun, who won the SemGroup Championship at the beginning of May, is a shot off the pace at 15-under 201.

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