Appleby's stellar 59 overtakes Overton

Jeff Overton's worst fear came true yesterday in the final round of the inaugural Greenbrier Classic. Despite starting the round with a three-shot lead over the rest of field, he knew conditions were ripe for someone to go low and that he needed to remain aggressive in order to record his first PGA Tour victory and avoid another runner-up finish.

When Stuart Appleby decided to be that someone with a magnificent 59 that included nine birdies and an eagle, Overton could only blame himself for not managing something better than his final-round 67. Appleby managed to make up a seven-shot deficit in just 12 holes and then finished his hard-charging round by birdieing the last three holes in earning a one-shot victory at 22 under.

Jim Nantz and the rest of the CBS broadcast team began to point out how demonstrative Overton was becoming over missed opportunities and noted that his body language was changing (moving quickly and appearing fidgety) as the final stretch of holes began to unfold. Overton, who hit a woefully short iron shot into the final green after missing a short birdie putt on the 17th hole that could have forced a playoff, has said in the past he needs to get out of his own way in order to win but was unable to manage the feat.

Meanwhile, it was obvious watching Appleby that he had entered into the much coveted and often talked about "Zone." He appeared perfectly calm and matter of fact as he marched his way to just the fifth 59 in PGA Tour history, joining Al Geiberger (1977 Memphis Classic), Chip Beck (1991 Las Vegas Invitational), David Duval (1999 Bob Hope Desert Classic) and Paul Goydos (2010 John Deere Classic).

"I was quite comfortable," Appleby said. "It's not a nerve-racking thing to be involved in. I had a lot of opportunities and I made them. It was great to do that to win the tournament."

Overton, a former Big Ten player of the year while attending Indiana, had 34 putts in the final round, three-putting three times.

"I got beat by a 59," said Overton, who had his third runner-up finish of the year and remains winless in five years on the PGA Tour. "What can you say? I played great, hit a lot of great shots. You can't win golf tournaments when you putt it that bad."

Appleby, whose previous career low was a 62 in the 2003 Las Vegas Invitational, won for the first time since the 2006 Shell Houston Open. The victory earned him a spot in next week's Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, where the world's top 50 players will compete.

It should be noted that Appleby's achievement was the first 59 on a par-70 course and that he didn't have the advantage of lift, clean and place that Goydos and Geiberger enjoyed. Goydos' came on a par 71 and the others on par 72s. Appleby has no problem with some debating whether his achievement is right up there with the others.

"I agree," he said. "I can see both sides of the fence. It is a number. I shot that number. But who says par is supposed to be 72? There's a lot of great courses that aren't 72."

Information from PGATOUR.com, ESPN.com contributed to this post.

Revisiting the bargain bin

As of noon today, here are some of the bargains available to central Ohio golfers for the coming week at Golfnow.com:

Monday (Aug. 1)
1 player only -- New Albany Links at 8:40: $15.58 (60% savings)
1 to 2 players -- The Players Club at 12:12: $18.53 (59% savings)
1 to 2 players -- Apple Valley at 2:16: $13.70 (62% savings)

Tuesday (Aug. 2)
2 to 4 players -- Glenross at 12:20: $19.56 (60% savings)
1 to 4 players -- Westchester at 12:30: $15.30 (60% savings)
1 to 4 players -- New Albany Links at 2:20: $14.00 (64% savings)
1 to 4 players -- Apple Valley at 2:16: $14.25 (60% savings)

Wednesday (Aug. 4)
1 to 4 players -- Cumberland Trail at 11:50: $17.19 (65% savings)
1 to 4 players -- New Albany Links at 2:20: $14.00 (64% savings)

Thursday (Aug. 5)
1 to 4 players -- New Albany Links at 2:10: $14.00 (64% savings)

Friday (Aug. 6)
1 to 4 players -- Cumberland Trail at 11:50: $17.19 (65% savings)

Sahalee cuts big hitters down to size

The trend of lengthening golf courses to deal with the greater distances today's players hit the ball hasn't worked. But the solution to the problem can be seen this weekend if you watch the U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash.

It was fun watching the not-so-flat bellies struggle to tame the narrow, tree-lined beast during yesterday's first round. Some did manage to do so. Bruce Vaughan, who won a senior major with his 2008 Senior Open at Troon, shot a 66 even with a bogey on his final hole and has a two-shot lead over Loren Roberts and amateur Tim Jackson. Five players -- Bernhard Langer, Mark Calcavecchia, Joe Ozaki, Michael Allen and Tom Lehman -- are three shots off the lead. Tournament favorites Fred Couples and Tom Watson shot 70 along with Jay Haas and Scott Simpson.

But whether any of them are still in contention come Sunday is difficult to say. Because putting together four rounds of low scores at Sahalee is no small feat. One has to negotiate their way past thousands of trees framing famously narrow fairways that give even the straightest hitters a bad case of claustrophobia. And they have to do it four days in a row.

Most in the field came into the U.S. Senior Open having played in the Senior British Open last week at Carnoustie, one of the world's most difficult golf courses. Those who played last week in Scotland will feel like they are facing another monster, only this time the small shrubs and fescue grass have been replaced by 4-inch deep rough and a seemingly never-ending collection of cedar and fir trees.

If more golf course designers followed the lead of Ted Robinson, who designed Sahalee into a truly confounding course, talk of placing limits on golf club and ball technology wouldn't be necessary. But then most golf course designers don't have a mountain range forest to work with like Robinson had with his Seattle-area masterpiece.

Even so, it's worth thinking about for future golf course design. Instead of trying to Tiger-proof courses as Augusta National Golf Club tried to do by lengthening many of its holes after Woods brought the course to its knees with his 12-shot victory there in 1999, perhaps designers should make accuracy off the tee and from the fairway more crucial to success on the PGA Tour. Sahalee does so naturally because its built on a great piece of property. But new courses can do the same thing using different techniques -- more traps, water hazards or doglegs -- to reach the same desired effect.

A course shouldn't have to have 14 par 4s that are at least 440 yards long in order to stifle scoring. There are other ways of keeping the long bombers at bay. And this week's U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee is proof.

Information from Cybergolf and GolfObserver.com contributed to this post.

Greenbrier Classic starts in difficult position

The deck is stacked against this week's Greenbrier Classic becoming a favorite stop for big names on the PGA Tour even though the first-year tournament will draw a colorful field that could produce some exciting golf.

The reason is the FedEx Cup schedule. No top player will skip next week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, with its no-cut, big-money format. The following week is the year's fourth major, the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis. Just two weeks after that is the first of four FedEx Cup playoff events in five weeks.

A player who participates in all of those tournaments is looking at six tournaments in eight weeks -- and seven in nine weeks if he is participating in the Ryder Cup. That makes this week's event in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., an easy one to pass up. It isn't a reflection on the sponsor or organizers. It's just the reality of the PGA Tour schedule at this time. Regardless, the event will showcase a historic golf resort that was rescued from demise and will make it as well known as Pebble Beach was during the U.S. Open.

Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar are the only top-30 players in the world entered for the Greenbrier. Even so, fans should be treated to some low scoring on a historic golf course by a field that will include Kenny Perry, Sergio Garcia, Davis Love III, John Daly, Justin Leonard and Ricky Barnes.

With seven of the 12 par 4s on the Old White Course, which is acting as host for the event, being 440 yards or shorter, scores could go real low and it wouldn't be all that surprising with par being 70 that a round in the 50s is possible. The greens, with lots of undulations and bumps, will be the biggest hurdle for the players because the fairways are generous and well-suited for resort golf.

Information from GolfObserver.com and ESPN.com contributed to this post.

Hot stretch puts Pettersson in winner's circle

It wasn't too surprising to see Carl Pettersson rally from six shots behind with 11 holes to play to beat Dean Wilson yesterday in the Canadian Open at St. George's.

Wilson, a 40-year-old journeyman playing on a sponsor's exemption, appeared to be running out of steam as the final round progressed even though he entered it with a four-shot lead. You had the sneaking suspicion that things might unravel before he could earn what would have been only his second PGA Tour victory. It was just a matter of time.

Pettersson, a 32-year-old Swede coming off a stellar 60 on Saturday, admitted being worried by the common belief among pro golfers that it's hard to follow a low score with another solid round. But that wasn't the case the last three times a player shot a 60 on the PGA Tour before Pettersson. In fact, two out of the three times it led to a victory. Steve Stricker followed a 60 with a 66 in winning the John Deere Classic this year. Zach Johnson followed a 60 with a 70 on his way to winning the Valero Texas Open in 2009 and he also followed a 60 with a 68 on his way to finishing second in the 2007 Tour Championship.

"I still can't believe I won the tournament," Pettersson said two days after making the cut by a stroke after opening rounds of 71 and 68. "I know it's difficult to shoot another low one after a round like that, so I was just trying to downplay it. I just tried to stay calm and (said), `Whatever happens today, happens.'"

What happened is Pettersson played a stretch of eight holes starting on the eighth in 6 under to take the lead as Wilson played them in 2 over. On that same stretch of eight holes on Saturday, Pettersson was 8 under on his way to a 60 that catapulted him into contention.

Pettersson, a former North Carolina State player, earned $918,000 for his first victory since the 2008 Wyndham Championship. He also won the 2005 Chrysler Championship and 2006 Memorial.

Wilson, who closed with a 72 after three consecutive 65s, turned in his second career runner-up PGA Tour performance. His first came in 2006, at the Valero Texas Open, the same year he won his lone PGA Tour title, The International, outside Denver.

"If you would have told me before the week that I could be second alone, I would have been tickled," Wilson said. "Being in the position that I was, I'm a little disappointed. But still, lots of positives."

* * * * *

Didn't watch much of the Evian Masters but it would have been fun to see Morgan Pressel (70) or 15-year-old Alexis Thompson (67) win. The way it worked out they had to share second place with Na Yeon Choi (66).

The winner by a shot was Jiyai Shin, who after finishing third four times and fifth three times this year scored her first victory by birdieing the par-5 18th hole and closing with a 67.

Pressel, the third-round leader, eagled the par-4 fifth hole, but let her advantage slip away by going 1 over on the back nine. Even so, it is good to see another American making strides on a big stage, following the recent examples of Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr.

Pressel's improved play would seem to a by-product of her increased length off the tee. While still among the LPGA's top 10 most accurate drivers, she has jumped from 154th in driving distance in 2008 to 96th this season by adding about 13 yards to her drives.

Pressel credits most of the improvement to her swing coach, Adam Schriber. It just so happens that Schriber is also the swing coach of Anthony Kim.

In just her third professional start, Thompson was looking to become the youngest player to win an LPGA event. The teenager from Coral Springs, Fla., missed the cut in her professional debut at the ShopRite LPGA Classic and finished tied for 10th at the U.S. Women's Open two weeks ago. Thompson will next see action on the LPGA as a sponsor's invite at the CN Canadian Women's Open.

Thompson’s chances seemed to end when she bogeyed the 16th hole to drop to 11 under, but she made back-to-back birdies and was the clubhouse leader at 13 under before Shin sank her birdie on the final hole to move to 14 under.

Information from PGATOUR.com, GolfObserver.com, GolfChannel.com and the Associated Press contributed to this post.

It's a great time to be an avid golfer

Bagging a bargain greens fee has never been easier in central Ohio thanks to Golfnow.com. If you are eager to chase the pea this week now that the recent heat wave has subsided slightly, you owe it to yourself to check out Golfnow.com.

As of noon today, here are some of the bargains that were available:

Monday (July 26)
1 player only -- Cumberland Trail at 11:50: $13.35 (66% savings)
2 to 4 players -- Eaglesticks at 12:19: $18.24 (60% savings)
1 to 4 players -- Apple Valley at 2:16: $14.46 (60% savings)

Tuesday (July 27)
2 to 4 players -- Glenross at 12:20: $16.88 (57% savings)
1 to 4 players -- Westchester at 12:30: $13.40 (65% savings)
1 to 4 players -- New Albany Links at 2:20: $14.00 (64% savings)

Wednesday (July 28)
1 to 4 players -- Westchester at 12:30: $15.55 (59% savings)
1 to 4 players -- New Albany Links at 2:20: $14.00 (64% savings)

Thursday (July 29)
1 to 4 players -- New Albany Links at 2:10: $14.00 (64% savings)

Friday (July 30)
1 to 4 players -- Cumberland Trail at 11:50: $17.19 (56% savings)

Oldgolfdawg doesn't know if these bargains are a reflection of the overall economy or just the golf industry in particular. But either way, I doubt if the pricing ever gets much better than this. Hit 'em straight!

Weir nursing injury entering Canadian Open

Mike Weir will attempt to become the first Canadian to win his country's national championship since 1954 today when the Canadian Open returns to Royal George's Golf and Country Club for the first time in 42 years.

Weir, who will be making his 20th bid to end the dry spell, came close to winning the event in 2004 before losing in a playoff to Vijay Singh. Weir has been struggling of late, however, with tendonitis in his forearm and might have a tough time being the best of 13 Canadians in the field. Last year Australian Nathan Green beat South Africa's Retief Goosen on the second hole of a playoff.

The last Canadian winner of the Canadian Open was Pat Fletcher, who won at age 38 to break a 40-year dry spell for his country. Green became the sixth international player to win the event since 1980 when he won last year at Glen Abbey Golf Club.

Royal George's Golf and Country Club, which affords some great views of the Toronto skyline, is considered one of the great old courses in Canada. It is an old-fashioned layout featuring mature trees lining sloping fairways and is made more difficult by the strategic placement of 103 bunkers. Its contoured greens are undulating and demand precise iron shots.

Top names in the field include Tim Clark, Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Matt Kuchar, Camilo Villegas, Goosen, Bill Haas, Sean O'Hair and Ricky Barnes. Because the course will be a new test for everyone in the field, it wouldn't be surprising to see a relatively unknown player emerge from the pack and win. Such a scenario would fit into the recurring theme of first-time winners this summer on the PGA Tour started by Justin Rose at the Memorial and followed by Graeme McDowell in the U.S. Open and Bubba Watson at the Travelers.

Bob Charles defeated Jack Nicklaus by two shots the last time the Canadian Open was played at Royal George's in 1968. That should offer Weir more hope in as much as he and Charles are left-handers. Interestingly, Nicklaus' loss to Charles was the first of a record seven runner-up finishes in one of the only tournaments the Golden Bear never won.

The tournament can be seen on ESPN2 (today: 12-2 p.m.; Friday: 12-2 p.m.; Saturday: 2-3:30 p.m.; Sunday: 1-3 p.m.), Golf Channel (today: 12:30-2:30 p.m., 3-6 p.m., 8:30-11:30 p.m.; Friday: 2-4 a.m., 12:30-2:30 p.m., 3-6 p.m., 8:30-11:30 p.m.; Saturday: 2-4 a.m., 6:30-9:30 p.m.; Sunday: 2-4 a.m., 7-9:30 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday: 3-6 p.m.; Sunday: 3-6 p.m.)



* * * * *

For those who didn't get enough of true links golf watching Louis Oosthuizen's stunning seven-shot victory in the British Open last week at St. Andrews, there's this week's Senior Open Championship in Carnoustie, Scotland, on one of the toughest courses in the world.

Five-time British Open champion Tom Watson will be a sentimental favorite to win at Carnoustie, where he won on the Championship Course in 1975 to claim the Claret Jug for the first time.

Watson, 60, has already won the Senior Open title three times, with two of those victories coming at the Turnberry and Muirfield courses where he also won the more famous version of the event. He is still more than capable of playing magical golf, as he showed by finishing second at the 2009 Open.

Joining Watson in an all-star field are former European Ryder Cup players Bernhard Langer, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam. American Corey Pavin will become the first presiding Ryder Cup captain to play in the tournament, while former U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman is also competing along with defending champion Loren Roberts.

Lehman, who captured the Claret Jug in 1996, is one of five former Open Champions playing at Carnoustie, along with Watson, Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo, and Mark Calcavecchia.

The tournament can be seen on ESPN (today: 12-2 p.m.; Friday: 12-2 p.m.; Saturday: 2-3:30 p.m.; Sunday: 1-3 p.m.

* * * * *

The LPGA and the Ladies European Tour returns this week to picturesque Evian-Les-Bains, France, and the shores of Lake Geneva as 111 tee it up for one of the richest purses of the season at the Evian Masters.

No. 1-ranked Ai Miyazato headlines a strong field as she attempts to defend a title she won last year in a one-hole playoff against Sophie Gustafson. Also in the field are No. 2-ranked Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer.

Creamer, playing through admitted pain from a lingering thumb injury, gave the LPGA a big boost with her four-shot victory in the U.S. Women's Open two weeks ago at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. Her first major championship was her ninth LPGA Tour victory. The Evian Masters is the site of Creamer's second LPGA victory in 2005, when she cleared the field by eight shots. Last year she shot a final-round 70 to finish in a tie for fifth.

The tournament can be seen on the Golf Channel (today: 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Friday: 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Saturday: 1-4 p.m.; Sunday: 1-4 p.m.).

Information from GolfObserver.com, ESPN.com, PGATOUR.com and LPGA.com contributed to this post.