Editor's Weekly Word

We had some good golf to report on this week but we've got some great golf in store on the west coast of Scotland starting on Thursday as the season's third major gets under way.

While the world #2 ,Els, and #3, Singh, both finished third in their attempted title defences the week before the 133rd Open Championship, Phil Mickelson cheerfully missed only his second cut of the season and headed off to practice at Royal Troon. Woods and Goosen settled for off course preparation as did a couple of other players who I shall be watching out for later this week.

Clearly, the players I've mentioned above are justifiably the bookies' favorites but it would be no great surprise if none of them lifted the claret jug next Sunday. Who could steal it out from under their noses? Well, Luke Donald or Colin Montgomerie would be popular if either of them could pull it off and both have their merits but Brits have not fared too well in their own major in recent years. Of the Americans, Mickelson looks the obvious candidate but I have a feeling that, despite his Masters victory earlier in the year, he would still be more comfortable in the runner-up spot. I would like to see Stewart Cink figure in the outcome but I think that this year's winner will not come from the UK or USA.

If I were to have a small wager on the outcome, my money would be split between Sergio Garcia of Spain and Shigeki Maruyama of Japan. Garcia has shown twice already this year that he is back to winning form and has a history of performing well in the big tournaments. Maruyama is a class player who is also more than capable of winning and I can picture his beaming smile as he walks onto the 18th green on Sunday. Whoever takes the honours in the end, I'm looking forward to some great golf on a great course. And, bearing in mind the location, I don't anticipate a "water shortage" similar to that which detracted from the pleasure of watching the world's best golfers in action at Shinnecock Hills a few weeks ago.

Whoever you are rooting for, have a good week.

Regards

Andy Smith
Founder/Editor
www.golfing-weekly.com

John Deere Classic Report

Aussie Mark Hensby scored his debut PGA Tour victory on Sunday at the John Deere Classic and moved up to 13th place in the Money list. The win should come as no surprise, this being his fourth top-three finish of the season. In only the seventh come-from-behind victory of the 27 tournaments held so far this season, Hensby made up a four shot deficit to finish with a 16 under par total of 268 and earn himself a place in a playoff for the title with Englishman, John Morgan. Morgan, with a bogey-free round of 65, had also come from behind, having started the day 5 shots behind Jose Coceres of Argentina. Coceres, who had looked like becoming the first wire-to-wire winner on the 2004 PGA Tour schedule, needed to hole a bunker shot on the 18th to join them in the playoff but his valiant effort slid past the hole leaving him in third place.

Suspense was added to the drama of sudden death when the threat of storms forced tournament officials to suspend play with both players facing long birdie putts on the first playoff hole. When play resumed just over an hour later they both two-putted for par and headed to the par 3, 16th tee for what turned out to be the deciding hole. Morgan said farewell to his ball as it headed into the rough, far left of the green. His approach crossed the green leaving him to play his third shot from a greenside bunker. After pulling off some spectacular putts in regulation play, it was just too much to ask of Morgan to hole out from the sand and Hensby sank his par putt to claim the title.

Defending Champion, Vijay Singh carded a 4 under par 67, his fourth round in the sixties, to claim a share of fourth place with Joel Kribel (65), Steve Stricker (68) and Greg chalmers (70). Singh's $149,625 payday returned him to the top of the Money List ahead of Phil Mickelson, who made an early exit from the Scottish Open and headed off to Royal Troon to get in some practice for the big one this week.

Hensby's win earned him an invitation to join Mickelson & co. at the 133rd Open Championship but he declined and thought that his place would pass to runner-up, Morgan. The delighted Englishman was soon to be disappointed when it was discovered that, under the R&A's rules, the invitation does not pass to the next in line. If Morgan continues to play as well as he did at Deere Run, he'll have no trouble earning an exemption for next year's event.

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John Deere Classic Results

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PGA Tour Money List

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Barclays Scottish Open Report

After several near misses already this year, including a playoff defeat in the Italian Open, Thomas Levet of France finally broke through at Loch Lomond on Sunday to record his third victory on the European Tour after a three year drought. The win earned him an invitation to the Open Championship, an event he came so close to winning just a couple of years ago when he was edged out in a playoff by Ernie Els.

Levet started the day seven shots off the lead but three birdies in the first five holes got him off to a good start before dropping a shot on the 7th to reach the turn on minus 9. Then, in the space of four holes starting at number 11, he picked up the five strokes he needed to take a share of the lead. As the others faltered, he parred the next three holes and birdied the last to take the clubhouse lead with a 15 under par total of 269 which turned out to be good enough to take the Scottish Open title.

New Zealander Michael Campbell came closest to catching him. After dropping shots on 14 and 15 he birdied 16 to put himself within one stroke with two holes to play. After making par on 17 he had a chance to force a playoff with a ten foot putt on the last which he read as being dead straight. The balled curled agonizingly a few inches to the left and he had to settle for the runner up spot on 270.

A shot further back, tied in third place, were David Howell (70) and defending champion, Ernie Els (68). Els threatened to challenge for the lead with birdies either side of the turn but a bogey on 12 followed by a par on the easy par-5 13th, which Levet eagled, put paid to his chances of winning a third Scottish Open title.

Spain's Miguel Angel Jiménez, who already has three wins on the European Tour this year, carded ever improving rounds of 71-70-67-65 to take another top ten placing and head off to Royal Troon full of confidence.

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Barclays Scottish Open Results

Par 71 - 7,088 yards

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Volvo Order Of Merit

Earnings on the European Tour are paid in Euros. The equivalent value in US$ is for information purposes only and was calculated at the rate which was current at time of publishing. Earnings from the majors are included in both the European & PGA Tour Money Lists.

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BMO Financial Group Canadian Women's Open

Meg Mallon followed up on her victory at last week's U.S. Women's Open by storming to a four shot, wire-to-wire victory in the Canadian Women's Open and became the first player in LPGA history to take both titles in the same year.

Mallon carried a four shot lead into the final day and her nearest rival, runner-up Beth Daniel, never looked liked posing a threat as both players carded rounds of 70. The win takes Mallon over the $1 million mark for the season and moves her up into second place on the ADT Money List.

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Canadian Women's Open Results

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ADT Money List

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Ford Senior Players Championship Report

Champions Tour Rookie, Mark James, is making his mark already by becoming the first European to win one of the major tournaments on the senior circuit, the Ford Senior Players Championship. The former European Ryder Cup mainstay, seven times as a player and once as captain, edged out Jose Maria Canizares by one stroke to claim his debut victory on the Champions Tour and pick up the biggest paycheck of his career.

The TPC of Michigan had played relatively easy for the first three days with 52 rounds in the sixties but only Andy Bean managed a sub-70 round (68) on Sunday. James started the day with a three stroke lead and managed to hold on for victory despite carding a one over par final round of 73 for a 13 under par total of 275. Canizares, who held the lead briefly, found the water on 17 and recorded his second double-bogey on the back nine, handing victory to James. Bruce Fleischer finished with a 71 to take third place on 11 under par.

Defending Champion, Craig Stadler finished T18 while his son, Kevin, entered the Nationwide Tour record books by winning his second tournament in just four starts. They play together this week in the B.C. Open.

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Ford Senior Players Championship Results

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Champions Tour Money List

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"Off the Cart Path" - weekly cartoon strip by Roy Doty

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Ryder Cup Points

Current standings based on latest information available.

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Official World Golf Rankings

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