2012年3月31日星期六

golf tips on how to putt fast greens

I certainly didn't remember them while i took part in an invitational at Oceanside Country Club in Ormond Beach yesterday. The greens were the quickest I've played this season and I three putt (along one four putt) many.

It had been a gorgeous day, the course was at magnificent condition contributing to 96 women from 12 area clubs were there to relish a team best ball tournament as well as a great breakfast and luncheon.

It absolutely was an exciting day's competition, not serious stroke play, therefore i couldn't get too upset Titleist 712 MB irons with my putting ability, regardless if I hit a great shot out of a hazard with a par 5, strait into the midst of the green, then four putted.

And i also was on or near three of the four par 3s, and three putt them. I am not sure the complete speed in the greens as measured with a stimpmeter, on the other hand would guess that they to be between 10 and 11, much faster than I will be used to playing at Palm Harbor.

Precisely what should we do once we face these extra fast greens, other than run for cover? Of course, as you golfer stressed, do not be over the hole. But for folks that do not always conform to that edict, what is the 6 ways to putt these greens?

After i lived in The big apple and home course was very hilly, easily was unfortunate enough being across the hole, I tried to putt the ball using the front with the putter, which slows the roll.

Most significantly, the main element to putting fast greens is pace control, which, as instructional articles tell us, will be the results of energy transfer in the body into the club.

Don't grip the club too tightly -- if you possibly could start to see the whites of the knuckles, you have trouble. Excessive pressure in your hands cuts down on the feel in the forearms and Callaway Razr X Tour irons shoulders: as outlined by one article, you could then turn out with muscle gridlock.

To be sure from all of these instructional books and articles, golf is extremely technical and involves lots of practice. Because i read a lot of the books and taken lessons through the years, putting these pointers into practice is definitely a different story. And also to do it correctly takes a great deal of practice, something I do not do all too often.

The size of the backswing should discount golf clubs equal the duration of the through swing. This, says a little gem from Planet Golf, will make sure that you have equal effort in using putter return and thru.

Eric Gonzales, assistant pro at Cypress Knoll, recommends a little practice strokes purchasing at the hole. This helps gauge the length of the stroke required to have the ball close. Gonzales also recommends picturing a three-foot circle throughout the hole in lieu of attempting to make the putt; that could result in the next putt a tap in. Do not hinge the wrist inside putting stroke, he stresses, adding how the shoulders should help overcome your distance.

2012年3月28日星期三

Holt took home the RBS Junior Club and Volunteer Awards

Under his leadership, and ten hours plus a week commitment all year round, the club's programme has flourished with 72 children attending six coaching sessions a week.

The larger programme was only granted with the 16 strong coach-base which Holt has recruited and retained, many from the beginning, in reference to his own enthusiasm and commitment, in excess of 10 hours weekly.

Holt said: I'm absolutely delighted to win this award the industry wee appreciate the efforts that I've devote, all Titleist 712 CB Irons done voluntarily but thoroughly enjoyed.

I like to see the kids entering the overall game and luxuriate in seeing them improve. I merely simply enjoy coaching, it's as fundamental as that product I'll keep working providing I'm able to.

At Turnhouse we've got an excellent initial programme, a good summary of the overall game so we want to get more kids coming through to the playing stages inside club. The 500 awarded tonight will surely go to get affordable use to the juniors.

South Queensferry club Dundas Parks is completely to the scene, but demonstrated exactly what do be performed in the short space of time. , which started its junior programme really, has showed so what can be exercised in the short time while using right people plus a great plan.

After joining really, the club started with less than 50 juniors, no girl members and dwindling funds.

It now boasts six qualified volunteer coaches, is making an effort in local primary and secondary schools, and contains 30 children on its Stage 1 and two ClubGolf programmes, a lot of whom have become callaway diablo edge irons.

To make sure youngsters can continue golf all year round, it's got introducing winter coaching for Stage 2 and three juniors on the Heriot Watt University Indoor Golfing Facility.

The club's ClubGolf Coordinator, Jim Cowper, who collected the ?¨º1,000 prize, said: To be shortlisted for this award was brilliant but to win oahu is the icing for the cake for a small club like us  this is absolutely fantastic.

It's a tremendous accolade for Dundas Parks and i believe each of the people in the club will be very happy with just what the members have achieved.

We need to keep going and reach the alternative, a part of which would be to arrange a ClubGolf event with the club. We have never had a junior open on the club before and now we hope to do that in July.

We are extremely fortunate to have the 1000 which we'll used in several different ways; to help you us devote extra practice facilities as well as use for professional tuition.

Suzanne Williamson, Sponsorship discount golf clubs Manager for RBS said: This was a great night and it was very positive for your game of golf in Scotland to determine the youth coming through as well as the progression being made at the different levels of the game.

2012年3月25日星期日

Hanse's already got a plan in place

The announcement on March 7 thrust Hanse, 48, of Malvern, into the international golf spotlight, especially because his company was chosen over seven other finalists that included companies led by World Golf Hall of Fame members Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Greg Norman, and Peter Thomson.

He's already got a strategy in position if pretty much everything would go to his head.

"I told our little ones, 'Listen, easily start acting differently, you should supply a difficult time, call me about it,' " Hanse said Thursday in a interview at his home.

Named Golf Magazine's architect of the year last year, he's got two courses for the international stage - TPC-Boston, a yearly stop for the PGA Tour playoffs, and Castle Stuart, home in the Barclays TaylorMade R11S Driver Scottish Open at Inverness - as well as local courses Inniscrone, Applebrook, and French Creek.

The Olympic assignment implies that he has to design a course that will accommodate the women's and men's competition while addressing a practice area, clubhouse, and access issues like security. But another matter arises as soon as the Olympic flame is extinguished - an anticipated golf boom in Brazil along with other countries in which the sport gets little notice.

Hanse recalled that Antony Scanlan, president with the International Golf Federation, told him, "I wouldn't like to scare you, but there's a lot of responsibility here."

"This will be the face of golf," Hanse said. "I said during my presentation, 'I never watch figure skating, but in the Olympics, I'll watch figure skating.' You'll find likely to be a bunch of people that never watch golf, maybe not have seen golf. But as it's the Olympics and also, since it casts a really wide net to all or any corners worldwide, this will be a chance for individuals to see what golf seems like.

"From our perspective, we're just presenting takes place. We're not going to be the ones out there competing. Players will be the most important part of this. But men and women will be watching them play our Taylormade Rocketballz Irons course as there are a tremendous amount of responsibility in regards to what seems like."

The committee said Hanse's presentation, manufactured in addition to design partner Jim Wagner, "addressed the environmental sustainability directives for that Games and efficiently conformed towards the building restrictions around the land."

And fans of Hanse's work, for example PGA Tour star Phil Mickelson, were happy in the selection.

"I think he's one of the best architects in the commercial," Mickelson told reporters the afternoon the announcement was developed. "He learns how to create a the game playable for your average player but challenging to the good player.

"I provide the Olympic committee a lot of credit given it would have been much easier to go with a major name. And instead, they chose the most effective. I believed that's pretty cool."

The 230-acre site is made up of sand that will be an easy task to move around, Hanse said, and has lower-growing discount golf clubs trees on the property with larger trees bordering the land. The mark date to finish from the course is January or February 2014.

Hanse said he can look at the designs of another finalists and contact them if they have something he likes "because ultimately this can be larger than us. We're trying to find it to be the most effective the game it is usually."

2012年3月20日星期二

No Achilles problems with Tiger woods

What a difference eight days made. When last we had Woods over a golf course, on March 11 at Doral, he needed a cart to make it on the car park, he slipped in a black Mercedes, he cracked open the window anf the husband gave a PGA Tour official a two-word answer: left leg. Later, in a statement released by his camp, he clarified: left Achilles.

Oh, that left Achilles. Exactly the same left Achilles that Tiger injured through the third round from the 2011 Masters. Exactly the same left Achilles that forced him to miss two majors last season.

Predictably, the response two  Mizuno JPX-800 Irons Sundays ago ranged in the absurd (He or she is out for the season!) for the understated (It's just a precaution!). A day after the WD, Tiger tweeted that they received good news through the doctor, who's was only a mild strain, and said although have the ability to hit balls later inside the week. He did on Friday, and pronounced himself fit to carry on his 2012 season. Rarely it is possible to dull week with Tiger.

Woods keeled over and had a fantastic laugh, as did the few hundred fans huddled across the first tee. 10 minutes later, after having a perfect drive and a razor-sharp iron shot, he tapped in from 2 feet on an opening birdie. Cancel the career obituary.

It's dangerous to overanalyze an exhibit round. The score he and partner Justin Rose shot in the best-ball format (9-under 63, with Woods making six birdies by himself ball) is insignificant. The very best players in the world should make birdies if the pressure is minimal, the stakes low.

But don't underestimate might know about saw from Woods on Monday. He wore the identical natural-motion Nike shoes which he had pre-Achilles scare. He walked with no limp. He never flinched Taylormade R11 fairway wood at impact, never grimaced after having a tee shot. He looked, well, normal -- that's regarding the best thing you can say in this, his final week of competition before the Masters.

I did the smart thing and the prudent thing this time, not performing through it, Woods said afterward. Hence, I'm back here as fast as I am.

It's important to remember this became only Day 1 of seven consecutive events of competition. Starting Thursday, he will play the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, a celebration he's won six times. Woods looked fine on Monday, but exactly how will his brittle body discount golf clubs be supporting on Saturday, or on Sunday? Could he feel his Achilles then?

The belief that he's even trying to play this week answers that question, resoundingly. You don't risk injury using the Masters now a couple weeks away.

2012年3月18日星期日

Bae was the biggest surprise to emerge out of the clutter

"So we don't possess a lots of daylight from then on last group finishes. We're pretty close to the maximum."

So Els, among the best players of his generation, doesn't get in the biggest tournament on the globe for the reason that organizers don't want to start use on both 1st and 10th tee, that's common at most PGA Tour events to the first two rounds.

Over time, the Masters has tinkered with many of its time-honored rituals. In the early 1980s, it lifted the ban on non-Augusta National caddies. Before the boom in golf interests with all the emergence of Padraig harrington within the late '90s, there was little or no TV discount golf clubs coverage with the course's front nine. Heck, getting the club 1975 no African-American had have you been invited to learn inside tournament.

The tournament's mystique doesn't rest on its exclusivity or several of its antiquated rules. None of the changes which have been made in recent times have lessened interests in the tournament.

Changes in recent times inside mlb playoff system and the NCAA basketball tournament have only increased interests in those sports.

The Masters deserves a full field of the top 140 players on earth. Ninety-nine or 100 players will not be enough to fully serve this grand of an stage. Els might win over the following two weeks or get within the top 50 on the planet ahead of the deadline of March 25. That might be beneficial to the tournament.

In the end it's just another useful reminder of just how hard it is to get into the Masters and why a big change is required.

Before his quarterfinal match against Rory McIlory with the WGC-Accenture Match Play, many people didn't know much about Sang-Moon Bae, a 25-year-old South Korean with 11 international wins. McIlroy knew who he was because Bae had beaten him to win the 2009 Korea Open.

Bae had only recently gotten his PGA Tour card in December at Q-school, and after this he was facing down McIlroy as the Northern Irishman attemptedto reach No. One inch the entire world. Bae would lose Taylormade R11 irons and two to McIlroy, nevertheless it gave most of us our first real look at his game.

On Sunday with the Transitions Championship, Bae caused it to be to the playoff with Luke Donald, Robert Garrigus and Jim Furyk. Bae had started a final round one shot back of the overnight leader, Furyk, and on a day once the leaders couldn't run off with all the tournament, a 3-under par 69 was good enough to get him into playoff.

Donald may have won the tournament, but Bae might have been the biggest surprise to emerge from the clutter on top of the leaderboard. He earned key par reduces the inward nine to stay in the chase. He is not simply destined to join K.J. Choi and Y.E. Yang because best players from The philipines. His star may also shine alongside the most notable twenty-something people.

With his long red hair in a ponytail, cigar as well as a swing all his or her own, the 48-year-old 18-time European Tour winner has always walked for the beat of his very own drum. If his English were better, Americans might learn more of his wit and charm and delicate tastes in wine and food. Yet what we do know for sure is always that his elegant game continues to produce results uncommon males of his advanced years. In 2010, he won 3 times in playoffs about the European Tour.

Now we learn that Jimenez is a savior to get a tournament as part of his native Spain. Because the tournament promoter of the Andalu Open, the four-time Ryder Cupper has reportedly contributed $560,000 of their own money during the last several years to keep alive the struggling European Tour event in southern Spain. To the man nicknamed "The Mechanic" for his passion of fast cars, pouring money into a celebration beaten Taylormade R11 driver by the bad economy hasn't been good business, nevertheless it makes sense to him on a broader level.



In certain weeks at Augusta, Jimenez will try to become listed on Seve and Jose Maria Olazabal because only Spaniards to win saving money Jacket. Augusta National might easily be too long for him to contend for four days, but he won't retreat coming from a challenge. It's that same resolve which will keep him fighting for the survival from the Andaluc Open no longer carried out any sponsor's recognition of the company's value.

Snake bitten
Transitions Optical ended its four-year sponsorship from the Transitions Championship with Luke Donald's dramatic win on Sunday. The Copperheads, this company that run the tournament on the Innisbrook Resort outside of Tampa, hosted potential title sponsors in the event soon.

At this time the Transitions may be the only tournament about the PGA Tour schedule with out a title sponsor for 2013. If your tournament can't find a sponsor, the PGA Tour could underwrite it sooner or it could go away as a whole.

It could be a shame to get rid of such a popular event with this golf-rich portion of southern Florida. The members will miss the demanding but fair Copperhead course, which includes every single year produced quality winners and powerful, bunched leaderboards.

The Snake Pit -- Copperhead's 16th, 17th and 18th -- are the toughest trio of finishing holes on tour. Bogeys at several of the holes on Sunday kept Ken Duke and Ernie Els out of the playoff


2012年3月14日星期三

A glance at golf in this week

"I still think We've plenty left in the tank," Webb said. "I'll know in the event the day comes that i am done. It will likely be once i don't wish to put in the work. It's not fault the sport I prefer. I love competing and winning tournaments, and I have to make the work to do that, and i also dedicated to the swing changes and started spending so much time.

"I still want to do this. I haven't contended enough before few years however think We've enough good golf within me to get a great year."

Last year she had a reasonably darn good year inside a month. Webb, who had won one time in 77 starts heading to the 2011 season, won the HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore then made it two Mizuno Mp-63 irons wins in as much starts 3 weeks later by suppressing Brittany Lincicome and Paula Creamer to accept inaugural RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup at Wildfire Golf Club in Phoenix. Both the wins were an important jolt of confidence for Webb, who won 25 times from 1996 through 2001, including 13 in 1999 and 2000 when she was going toe-to-toe with Annika Sorenstam.

"The a very important factor I am aware now is which i really didn't appreciate while i was winning six or seven times a year, because I figured that was things i was meant to do. Win and start working on the following week," she said. "I've changed in 15 years. Now I appreciate winning more, and perhaps are interested in a way I've never wanted it before.

"Overcoming the pressures and the expectations I put on myself are very different than after i was at my 20s."

Time for defend her title starting today, Webb is within a fantastic place ?a emotionally, physically and literally. She loves the Mizuno MP 53 Irons tournament that celebrates the 13 founders from the tour whilst through an eye toward the longer term by donating $500,000 on the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program.

"Last year was obviously a very big win personally actually. I hadn't won back-to-back tournaments in the long time, especially about the LPGA tour, also it wasn't a shock, nevertheless it was great to back that first win up," said Webb, who donated her $200,000 first-place check for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and Japan Relief. "And this is a special tournament. I loved the theory right away. And we don't thank the people that came before us enough. To get three from the founders there was beneficial to the younger girls to understand a little more about the people who started everything. They got in order to meet them and listen to a number of great stories."

Webb hadn't heard much in regards to the LPGA history when she joined in 1996.

"But I learned in short order what these women meant to the sport. I loved researching the discount golf clubs founders, listening to them tell stories, especially Louise Suggs, who tells it enjoy it is," Webb said. "I heard everything that they to complete ?a create the gallery ropes, cut the checks, make rules, try to sell tickets, a great deal more. And then they could play golf.

2012年3月9日星期五

Waston played the game of HORSE with Rose

"It's no RocketBallz," Watson, a Ping staffer, playfully told Rose, who uses TaylorMade's RocketBallz 3-wood. "It's slightly girlie driver. It's pretty in pink."

As part of his second round in the WGC-Cadillac Championship, Watson had nine birdies, an eagle and a bogey to get a 10-under par 62 and a 12-under par two-day total, giving him a 1-shot lead over Rose heading into the weekend. Watson's 62, which tied his career low, was one shot over course record set by Stephen Ames in 2000. Adam Scott, who held the first-round lead, is 2 shots back following a second-round 68.

Watson, that is the 23rd-ranked player on the planet, appeared at times on Friday being playing a sport of HORSE with Rose, who had eight birdies of his very own for the 64. For example, in the short second hole, Watson's approach shot hit Rose's ball, resting 6 feet discount golf clubs from the hole. That they birdies on six the exact same holes. The odd man outside in the group, Mark Wilson, shot a 2-under par 70, a great score across the Blue Monster, but he was overshadowed by Watson and Rose.

"This course really doesn't suit me," Watson said. "We were all just feeding off the other person, having a good time, joking around, picking on one another and somehow we made putts, and also at no more the afternoon all of us shot an excellent number."

Following your Blue Monster played almost an attempt over par on Thursday, Watson was convinced that anything in the 60s has to be good score. But on Friday the course played nearly 3 shots easier in comparison to the initial round.

"The wind was a little much easier to handle today," Watson said. "But after i got to 10-under par for the day with all the eagle with the 8th hole, it surprised me."

After seven years on tour, Watson may have finally confronted his shortcomings about the mental side with the game. Unlike modern tour players, Watson does not have a swing coach or even a sports psychologist. Since he was obviously a kid becoming an adult in Bagdad, Fla., learning how to work the ball by hitting plastic balls around his house, Watson continues to be persistent about keeping the action fun. Previously, he's got said he would quit when the game ever got that serious.

"Nobody is going to take enough time to help me," Watson said playfully on Friday when he was asked if he were seeing a mental coach. "It's just me, just stuff that I'm doing, consciously doing, considering, attempting to slow down, trying to focus more mentally and seeking to slow TaylorMade RocketBallZ Driver about the the game slightly."

Over the past few years, Watson has solidified his place as being a top-30 player on the globe. He accompanied his maiden win this season in the Travelers Championship with two victories last year. His runner-up finish with the 2010 PGA Championship was obviously a signal he might make his homemade game just work at the majors.

Still, Watson yearns to become a more consistent player that is a contender weekly. He's made strides in that direction.

As hard as Watson might be working on his game, his interest in shot-making and then for special situations on the the game provide him an advantage of many players. The jagged edges that they draws along with his slices and hooks probably have a lot to do with his left-handed look at the action, but he's a performer just like the game hasn't seen, perhaps, since Chi Chi Rodriguez.

"When you have fun with Bubba, he is doing it a little bit differently to the way I actually do," Rose said. "He takes some lines that we do not have in the locker."

With two rounds left inside WGC-Cadillac Championship, Watson will need to confront both his TaylorMade RocketBallZ fairway wood strengths and weakness if he wants to leave Doral while using $1.4 million first prize. Vacant a large fan of the course and particularly the 18th hole, just about the most famous in championship golf, due primarily for the water that runs along the left side. "It's a real bad hole," he explained. However the tournament will likely get down to that water-packed par-4, where a left-handed Watson will most likely have to navigate certainly one of his patented slices into a stiff breeze within the water to possess any probability of winning Sunday.

2012年3月6日星期二

Woods might have to settle for another standard

"While he's got been gone for two? years, these guys that have all learned the way to play, or all learned the way to win, are usually no more afraid of Tiger," Nicklaus said. "In my, I still think Tiger will regain what he is doing. He can keep coming back and play very, well. Whether he breaks my record is yet another issue. I still think he'll almost certainly. But he continues to have to go do it."

The next step underneath the majors would be the World Golf Championships, and Woods has amassed an incredible record. As he last won a WGC at Firestone in 2009, that gave him 16 world titles out of the 32 he played, a great rate of 50 %.

For one thing, he's got padded his bank account. Woods makes a lot more than $22.2 million in the WGCs alone, which can be discount golf clubs nearly A quarter of his career PGA Tour earnings. His official WGC financial resources are a lot more than basically 25 players make inside their careers.

Over money, and more than trophies that probably are packed away in the box, it implies that Woods won 16 events against the best players in golf. The fields are small, and they also have a tendency to include players from overseas that are just starting out (Louis Oosthuizen) or might never be been told by again (Shiv Kapur). But also for the majority of their 13-year existence, they've included at the very least the most notable 50 in the world.

Along with combining the best players all corners of the globe, it will assist to make tournaments all over the world. And when these are mostly likely to be in the us, it might be easier to move these phones iconic venues rather than merging them former PGA Tour TaylorMade RocketBallZ fairway wood events, which can be what happened at Doral.

They deserve a greater status based on the players they attract and the winners they produce.

Hunter Mahan joined elite company a couple weeks ago as he won the Match Play Championship and have become exactly the sixth player to win multiple WGC events. The rest are familiar names ?a Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy and Darren Clarke.

Martin Kaymer won the HSBC Champions last November and have become the 10th player which has a WGC title as well as a major. He joined Woods, Mickelson, Els, Ogilvy, Clarke, Mike Weir, Stewart Cink, David Toms and Vijay Singh.

The WGC event this week at Doral used to go Europe some other year until 2006. Woods has won it six times on six courses in four countries. That gives it a bit more punch than winning the Bridgestone Invitational seven times, all at Firestone.

"I think Tiger gave them credibility by winning 14 of the first 20, or whatever it turned out. He won almost every one too," Ogilvy said. "If you do glance at the set of guys who've won them, generally, during those times we were holding one of the better on the globe."

Paul Azinger is renowned for saying cash and prestige include the only stuff that made him choke. The WGCs are heavy on cash.

These aren't the most effective 74 players on earth at Doral, rather 74 top players who qualified with the TaylorMade RocketBallZ Driver world ranking from the money lists for the six major tours.

Nonetheless, the majors their very own share of players who can't be considered serious contenders ?a aging champions on the Masters, amateur qualifiers at the Opens, club pros at the PGA Championship.

What might boost the credibility from the WGCs is to expand the field and introduce a cut. To some, the WGCs have the appearance of free money. The courses? It's impossible to argue with Firestone, which once hosted a PGA Championship. And while Doral has produced complete score of at least 16-under par the last four years, a program doesn't need to get high scores becoming a good test.

Asked the real difference between majors and World Golf Championships, Clarke said there was "absolutely no difference whatsoever," except for the title.

"The title is the obvious thing," he said. "As players, we are judged by major championships. Nobody is judged by World Golf Championships. We aren't judged by regular tournaments. We're judged by majors. It is easy for me to say since I have one, but I would have mentioned the identical if I hadn't got one.

"It means more because of tradition and history. There's added pressure because of that."

The idea of how many world titles Woods has won doesn't grab anyone's attention at night fact it reflects the dominance he used to own within this game. Over time, that has to be an ordinary behind the majors.

2012年3月2日星期五

Davis love is more like a player in Honda Classic

Tiger Woods needs a good round just to have a chance going into the weekend. Playing the Honda Classic for the first time as a pro, Woods twice lost momentum with sloppy bogeys and failed to convert a routine up-and-down on the par-5 18th for a 1-over 71. He was seven shots out of the lead, right on the cut line going into Friday.

But he played in tougher conditions, with stronger wind, in the afternoon and still hit the ball well, as he has been doing.

"I didn't get a whole lot out of my round," Woods said. "I hit the ball a lot better than I scored, and I certainly putted well, and I didn't hardly get anything discount golf clubs out of the round. Hopefully, tomorrow it will be better."

Woods missed only three greens, but took 34 putts.

The 47-year-old Love has been around long enough to know that one round is nothing more than a good start, and he was happy to have that after a 5-iron to 18 feet for birdie on the 17th and a bunker shot to tap-in range for birdie on the par-5 18th.

He hasn't won since Disney at the end of 2008, and the last time he was atop the leaderboard after one round was at Bay Hill in 2010.

"If I had not birdied the last  Mizuno JPX-800 Irons two holes, it still would have been a good start," Love said. "It's fun to tie the course record. And it's fun to shoot low scores."

Nine other players have shot 64 at PGA National, the most recent Graeme McDowell a year ago.

McIlroy also got off to a good start, only this held much more promise.

The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland is looking like the world's best player with each tournament he plays. He won an unofficial event in Shanghai in October, the Hong Kong Open a week later and only once has finished outside the top 10 since the PGA Championship.

A week ago, he lost in the final of the Match Play Championship.

As even more attention shifts to the U.S. Open Mizuno MX-1000 irons champion, McIlroy seems to embrace it. He made his opening round at PGA National look easy, rarely putting pressure on any part of his game.

He birdied the last two holes of the back nine, made the turn and picked up another birdie on the par-4 second by smartly playing short of the bunkers and firing his approach into a breeze to about 18 feet from a back pin. His final birdie came on the par-3 seventh, when caddie J.P. Fitzgerald talked him into a hard 6-iron that stopped 12 feet short of the cup.