CBS Sports reports that Jim Thorpe won the Charles Schwab Championship for the second straight year thanks to four straight birdies at the finish.
Thorpe successfully defended his title in the Charles Schwab Championship, birdieing the final four holes Sunday to win the Champion Tour's season-ending event for the third time in five years.
Thorpe, who edged Tom Jenkins by $4,079 for the 30th and last spot in the field, shot a 6-under 66 to finish at 20-under 268, three strokes ahead of Denis Watson and Fred Funk. It was Thorpe's 13th tour victory and first since the 2006 event.
"Coming in this week I knew my game was showing sparks," Thorpe said. "Normally at the end of the year my game starts to peak a little bit. I really didn't putt well until the last five or six holes this week but this is probably my best ball-striking week ever. I hit my irons unbelievably good."
Roberts, meanwhile, held on to win the season-long Charles Schwab Cup competition for a $1 million annuity, shooting a 66 to tie for 13th at 11 under.
Roberts, who lost the points title to Jay Haas in 2006 after missing a short putt on the final hole of the season-ending tournament, was in jeopardy of losing to Haas again after three sub-par rounds, but did just enough Sunday to win.
Thorpe's winning share was $442,000. Fred Funk and Denis Watson tied for second. The final standings can be found here.
Canadian Mike Weir held on to beat Australia's Mark Hensby by one-stroke to claim the Fry's Electronics Open victory. The Fry's Electronics Open is part of the PGA Tour for the first time this year. Yahoo Sports says Weir earned $900,000.
"Definitely been tough not winning," said Weir, who earned $900,000 to jump from 84th to 33rd on the money list at $1,986,053. "You know, that's what we're all out here to do, and 3 1/2 years has been quite a long time."
Weir secured his long-awaited victory with a 6-foot par putt after hitting his approach on the par-4 18th into a greenside bunker.
"It was gusting across there," he said. "It's pretty open on that green, and my pant legs were whipping pretty good there when I hit that putt. I just told myself to keep my head nice and steady and just try to hit it nice and solid."
Fans serenaded a grinning Weir with a rendition of "O Canada" after he spoke to reporters.
The 2003 Masters champion took the lead with a birdie on the par-4 15th, rolling a chip shot to a foot, then held off Hensby over the final three holes.
"I think the turning point probably in the tourney was 15," Hensby said.
The full leaderboard can be found here. Billy Mayfair finished third and Sean O'Hair and Carl Pettersson were tied for fourth.
Golfweek Magazine has relealsed its annual list of the best new courses for 2007. Bandon Trails won for the second straight year. That's the #3 at Bandon Trails pictured on the right - it's a 554 yard par five.
"Golfweek's list of the best new courses is a fascinating cross-section of what it takes today to have an impact in a tough market," said Golfweek's Best Courses program director and architecture editor, Bradley S. Klein. "Tradition seems to be a major element, with many of our top new designs, including No. 1 Bandon Trails, No. 2 Chambers Bay, and No. 3 Sebonack, emphasizing walkability, caddies, and links-style golf."
The No. 1 spot on the list was awarded for the second year in a row to Bandon Trails, a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design that opened in 2005 in Bandon, Ore. Coming in a close second is Chambers Bay Golf Club, designed by Bruce Charlton & Robert Trent Jones Jr. The Rees Jones-designed Daniel Island - Ralston Creek in Charleston, S.C., rounds out the Top 50.
The list is derived from the efforts of Golfweek's course raters. This nationwide team of more than 450 evaluators regularly surveys over 1,800 golf courses and renders their judgment on the basis of 10 standards of evaluation.
You can see the top twenty courses below. The reason there are 2005 and 2006 courses on the list is because Golfweek defines new courses as those having opened in the past three calendar years.
Bandon Trails, Bandon, OR, Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw, 2005
Chambers Bay GC, University Place, WA, Bruce Charlton, Robert Trent Jones, Jr., 2007
Sebonak GC, Southampton, NY, Tom Doak, Jack Nicklaus, 2006
Ballyneal, Holyoke, CO, Tom Doak, 2006
Bright's Creek GC, Mill Spring, NC, Tom Fazio, 2006
Bayonne GC, Bayonne, NJ, Eric Bergstol, 2006
Concession GC, Sarasota, FL, Jack Nicklaus, 2006
Colorado GC, Parker, CO, Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw, 2007
Pronghorn - Fazio Course, Bend, OR, Tom Fazio, 2006
Boston GG, Hingham, MA, Gil Hanse, 2005
Fallen Oak, Saucier, MS, Tom Fazio, 2006
The Territory, Duncan, OK, Randy Heckenkemper, 2005
Whisper Rock - Upper Course, Scottsdale, AZ, Tom Fazio, 2005
Olde Stone, Bowling Green, KY, Arthur Hills, 2006
We-Ko-Pa GC - Saguaro, Fountain Hills, AZ, Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw, 2006
Forest Creek GC - North Course, Southern Pines, NC, Tom Fazio, 2005
Three Creek Ranch, Jackson, WY, Rees Jones, 2005
Creek Club, Oconee, GA, Jim Engh, 2007
Liberty National, Jersey City, NJ, Bob Cupp, Tom Kite, 2006
Lakota Canyon, New Castle, CO, Jim Engh, 2005
You can see the complete list here on GolfWeek.com
Every wonder about the history of the rules of golf. One website called Historical Rules of Golf should answer all your questions. You can pull up the rules for different time periods and see how the rules have changed along the way. The website says the earliest record golf rules were ompiled by the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith, later the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, drafted on March 7, 1744. You can see the rules here. They are pretty similar to today's rules. It included rules for avoiding water and "water filth."
5. If your Ball comes among watter, or any wattery filth, you are at liberty to take out your Ball & bringing it behind the hazard and Teeing it, you may play it with any Club and allow your Adversary a Stroke for so getting out your Ball.
Lose your ball and lose a stoke.
8. If you should lose your Ball, by it's being taken up, or any other way, you are to go back to the Spot, where you struck last, & drop another Ball, And allow your adversary a Stroke for the misfortune.
If your ball hits a horse and stops that's where you play it.
If a Ball be stopp'd by any Person, Horse, Dog or anything else, The Ball so stop'd must be play'd where it lyes.
(Via golf.about.com)
This clever commercial for Electronic Arts video game Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 shows a young girl keeping pace with Tiger Woods on a golf course. In the video game that might be possibly. You can read more about the game on the official website at TigerWoods08.com.
You've probably seen the Will it Blend series that the Blendtec blender manufacturers have been running. Here's a look at what happens when golf balls are put into a Blendtec blender.