Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - PGA TOUR - TAMPA BAY CHAMPIONSHIP,
Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course), Palm Harbor, Florida - Luke Donald
returns to Innisbrook this week to defend his title at the Tampa Bay
Championship.
Donald came out on top after a crazy final round last year. He closed with a
5-under 66 to join Sang-Moon Bae (68), Robert Garrigus (64) and third-round
co-leader Jim Furyk (69) at 13-under 271.
The foursome returned to the 18th tee for the playoff. They all hit the green
with their approach shots, but Donald was closest. After the other three all
missed, including Garrigus from seven feet out, Donald converted his 6-foot
birdie effort for the win.
Donald returned to the top spot in the world rankings with the victory.
Ernie Els, who also returns to Innisbrook this week, had the title in hand
before the playoff last year. He led by one at the 16th, but missed a short
birdie try there. He went on to bogey the final two holes to miss the playoff
and miss a chance at gaining a spot in the field at The Masters.
Donald is one of seven players ranked in the top 20 in the world in the field
this week. He is also one of eight former champions in the field. Included in
that group are two-time winners K.J. Choi (2002, 2006) and Retief Goosen
(2003, 2009).
Two weeks ago at The Honda Classic, there was the Bear Trap. This week at
Innisbrook, it's the Snake Pit. Those final three holes ranked fourth on tour
last year among hardest closing stretches on the PGA Tour.
Golf Channel will have coverage all four days. Their coverage on Saturday and
Sunday will be early, before they hand off to NBC for the rest of the round.
The PGA Tour shifts to Orlando next week for the Arnold Palmer Invitational,
where Tiger Woods cruised to a 5-shot win last year.
EUROPEAN TOUR
AVANTHA MASTERS, Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort, Delhi, India - The European
Tour returns to action this week in India with the fifth playing of the
Avantha Masters.
Jbe Kruger closed with a 3-under 69 last year to pick up a 2-stroke win over
Marcel Siem and Jorge Campillo. The win was the first on the European Tour for
Kruger.
He held a 1-shot lead entering the final round. Peter Whiteford was one of
those that was a shot back, but he was disqualified on Sunday. It was
determined that his ball moved as he played his approach to the 18th green on
Saturday, and he did not take a penalty for his ball moving.
By not taking the penalty, Whiteford therefore signed an incorrect scorecard
and was disqualified.
Many of the top players are taking the week off, but European Tour stalwarts
like Colin Montgomerie, David Howell, Edoardo Molinari and Thomas Levet are in
the field this week.
They will be joined at Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort by Asian Tour stars
Thongchai Jaidee, Jyoti Randhawa, Jeev Milkha Singh and Wen-chong Liang.
Golf Channel will have coverage all four days.
The European Tour heads to Kuala Lumpur next week for the Maybank Malaysian
Open, where Louis Oosthuizen won by three last year, when the event was played
the week after The Masters.
LPGA TOUR
RR DONNELLEY LPGA FOUNDERS CUP, Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix
Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix, Arizona - The LPGA Tour is in Arizona this
week for the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, which is the tour's first event
in the U.S. this season.
World No. 1 Yani Tseng closed with a 4-under 68 last year to beat Ai Miyazato
and Na Yeon Choi by a single stroke.
Those three were among the top-10 players in the world at the time last year,
and they not only battled each other, but also Mother Nature. There were three
weather delays in the final round alone.
The stoppages combined to last over three hours. Through two of those weather
delays, Tseng posted five birdies in a 6-hole span from the 10th to grab a 2-
shot lead. Choi and Miyazato both birdied the 16th to get within one, but
Tseng held on for her second win of 2012.
Golf Channel has coverage of all four rounds.
The LPGA Tour heads to California next week for the Kia Classic, where Tseng
is again the defending champion.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
TOSHIBA CLASSIC, NEWPORT BEACH COUNTRY CLUB, Newport Beach, California - After
a 2-week break, the Champions Tour returns to action this week with the
Toshiba Classic.
Last year, Loren Roberts closed with 2-under 69 to hang on for a 2-stroke win
over Mark Calcavecchia, 2008 champ Bernhard Langer and Tom Kite.
Roberts earned his 13th Champions Tour title despite three late bogeys.
This is just the fourth event all season for the senior circuit. The first
three winners -- John Cook, Rocco Mediate and Bernhard Langer -- are all in
the field.
Golf Channel will broadcast action of all three rounds.
The Champions Tour heads to Mississippi next week for the Mississippi Gulf
Resort Classic, where Fred Couples fended off Michael Allen last year.
The Sports Network