Durzblog

The PGA Tour will make its 57 consecutive appearance in Connecticut when play begins in Cromwell this Thursday. The rebuilt course (1991), brand new practice range (2008), solid sponsorship and place in the FedEx Cup Series have led to stronger fields in the event -- pretty impressive seeing as this tournament did not even have a place anywhere on the tour schedule two years ago until the Lumber 84 Classic ended its relationship with the PGA.

Even with smaller crowds of late, the former GHO, remains the second biggest draw on tour. If the weather cooperates, the strong field will likely lead to roughly 200,000 spectators this week.

The past 10 champions:
2008 Stewart Cink
2007 Hunter Mahan
2006 J. J. Henry
2005 Brad Faxon
2004 Woody Austin
2003 Peter Jacobsen
2002 Phil Mickelson
2001 Phil Mickelson
2000 Notah Begay III
1999 Brent Geiberger

Big Draws/Favorites for 2009
Sergio Garcia, Kenny Perry, Vijay Singh, Brian Gay, Lucas Glover, Zach Johnson, Anthony Kim, Stuart Appleby, J.J. Henry, Hunter Mahan, Justin Leonard, David Toms, Anthony Kim and defending champion Stewart Cink are among the 156 players competing.

Coverage is Thursday-Sunday from 3-6 on the Golf Channel for 1st and 2nd rounds and CBS over the weekend.

Durz Pick: Justin Rose secures first tour win

The sternest test in golf has arrived, and the Open gets no tougher than this year at the Black Course in Bethpage State Park on Long Island...Its the tournament where the fans can watch the players, who generally consider even a bad score, hack it around a bit and cherish their pars. The rough will be up, the fairways tight and the greens at lightening speed. On Sunday (or Monday) their will be one lone survivor. That man will have won the most important golf tournament of the year.

Quick Facts about the Course
-- 2nd longest in US Open History at 7,426
-- 3 par 4's over 500 yards, including #7 -- the longest par 4 in any major ever, at 525 yards
-- as anyone in the Northeast will tell ya, its been raining for three weeks, that ought to help the players out and slow the greens down

Here are the past 10 champions:

• 2008 Tiger Woods 
  
• 2007 Ángel Cabrera
  
• 2006 Geoff Ogilvy 
  
• 2005 Michael Campbell 
  
• 2004 Retief Goosen
  
• 2003 Jim Furyk 
  
• 2002 Tiger Woods 
  
• 2001 Retief Goosen 
  
• 2000 Tiger Woods 
  
• 1999 Payne Stewart 
  

Fun Facts:
How it all started, The first championship was played on October 4, 1895, on a nine-hole course in Newport, Rhode Island. It was a 36-hole single day tournament with 11 competitors. The winner was a 21-year-old Englishman Horace Rawlins, who had arrived in the U.S. in January that year to take a job at the host course. He received $150 cash and a $50 gold medal.

Durzpix
Winner: Garcia
Dark Horse: Poulter
Long Shot: J.J. Henry

WGC World Match Play Preview (prediction by groups of four/two rounds)

JONES BRACKET
(1) Tiger Woods
(16) Brendan Jones
(8) Tim Clark
(9) Retief Goosen
--Woods over Clark

(4) Rory McIlroy
(13) Louis Oosthuizen
(5) Mike Weir
(12) Hunter Mahan
--Weir over McIlroy

(2) Geoff Ogilvy
(15) Kevin Sutherland
(7) Trevor Immelman
(10) Shingo Katayama
--Immelman over Ogilvy

(3) Camilo Villegas
(14) Rod Pampling
(6) Miguel A. Jimenez
(11) Rory Sabbatini
--Villegas over Sabbatini

--Woods over Weir
--Villegas over Immelman

Quarterfinal, Villegas over Woods

HOGAN BRACKET
(1) Vijay Singh
(16) Soren Kjeldsen
(8) Ben Curtis
(9) Luke Donald
--Donald over Singh

(4) Ernie Els
(13) Soren Hansen
(5) Steve Stricker
(12) Dustin Johnson
--Els over Stricker

(2) Phil Mickelson
(15) Angel Cabrera
(7) Zach Johnson
(10) Graeme McDowell
--Mcdowell over Mickelson

(3) Lee Westwood
(14) Prayad Marksaeng
(6) Stewart Cink
(11) Richard Sterne
--Westwood over Cink

--Els over Donald
--Westwood over Mcdowell

Quarterfinal, Westwood over Els

PLAYER BRACKET
(1) Sergio Garcia
(16) Charl Schwartzel
(8) Ian Poulter
(9) Jeev Milkha Singh
--Garcia over Poulter

(4) Justin Rose
(13) Boo Weekly
(5) Adam Scott
(12) Sean O'Hair
--Rose over Scott

(2) Robert Karlsson
(15) Peter Hanson
(7) Alvaro Quiros
(10) Stephen Ames
--Karlsson over Ames

(3) Kenny Perry
(14) Mathew Goggin
(6) Paul Casey
(11) Aaron Baddeley
--Baddeley over Perry

--Garcia over Rose
--Karlsson over Baddeley

Quarterfinal, Garcia over Karlsson

SNEAD BRACKET
(1) Padraig Harrington
(16) Pat Perez
(8) Robert Allenby
(9) Ross Fisher
--Harrington over Allenby

(4) Jim Furyk
(13) Anders Hansen
(5) Martin Kaymer
(12) Stuart Appleby
--Appleby over Furyk

(2) Henrik Stenson
(15) Davis Love III
(7) Justin Leonard
(10) Andres Romero
--Leonard over Stenson

(3) Anthony Kim
(14) Lin Wen-Tang
(6) K.J. Choi
(11) Oliver Wilson
--Kim over Wilson

--Appleby over Harrington
--Kim over Leonard

Quarterfinal, Appleby over KIm

_____________________________

Semis,
Villegas over Els
Garcia over Appleby

3rd Place,
Appleby over Els

Final,
Garcia over Villegas

Outside of the majors, perhaps the most entertaining tournament of the year. Obviously some added excitement this week with the return of Tiger. Enjoy the action!

USA-USA-USA!!!!
The Americans claim the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1999, with a convincing 16½-11½ victory over the Europeans in front of raucous crowds at Valhalla in Louisville.

Zinger would praise the crowds and Lee Westwood was upset by them, but that is the Ryder Cup it seems..

Leading 9-7 going into Sunday's singles, Azinger's crew reached the magical 14½ points they needed for victory when Jim Furyk beat Miguel Angel Jimenez on a conceded tap in on the 17th hole. Four matches were left out on the course, but the Cup was finally back in the hands of the United State and never has victory been sweeter for the Americans.

In Sunday singles, Anthony Kim pounded Sergio Garcia in match number one, setting the tone for the home side -- who ended up winning seven of the 12 singles matches.

Kenny Perry, Boo Weekley, JB Holmes, Ben Curtis and Chad Campbell were the other Americans to secure a point, while Hunter Mahan halved with Paul Casey.

The defeat was Europe's worst performance since 1981, when they were taken 18½-9½.

"It was amazing - the golf was spectacular on both sides and our guys came out on top," said Paul Azinger. "I'm just emotional. We had a plan and stuck to it."
______________
Emotions run high as Yanks say goodbye to the Stadium

Derek Jeter, addressing the crowd of 54,610 at after last night's final Yankee Stadium game, "Every member of this organization, past and present, has been calling this place home for 85 years. It's a lot of tradition, a lot of history, a lot of memories. The great thing about memories is you're able to pass it along from generation to generation. Although things are going to change next year - we're going to move across the street - there's a few things about the New York Yankees that never change: that's pride, that's tradition and, most of all, we have the greatest fans in the world."Even as a non Yankee fan -- it was a very sad night last night. Yankee Stadium is the greatest ballpark (or sporting venue for that matter) I will ever go to.

__________
Uconn 31-28....4-0
Maybe a very good team wins the game by more points -- we have heard that knock before. One thing you can say about Edsall's teams for sure, however, is that they know how to win close ball games. The latest thriller came on Friday against the upstart Baylor Bears, this affair would feature six lead changes and some very nervous moments. In the end, the Huskies won 31-28 before nearly 39,000 at Rentschler Field.

Uconn's workhorse, Donald Brown, ran for 150 yards and is now the NCAA's leading rusher. Tyler Lorenzen was able to move the ball effectively for most of the night, but has got to stop throwing picks -- his two against Baylor were absolute killers as the Huskies were poised to score both times.

The UConn defense had been beaten all night by the exploits of superstar in the making, Robert Griffin III, especially on third downs -- Baylor (2-2) converted on eight of 14 attempts.

On the final third-down play, as well as fourth down, the Huskies brought the pressure and made the stop -- and now the team is 4-0 for the second straight season.
Big East Conference play begins Friday night at Louisville (8 p.m., ESPN2), a win their will land the Huskies back in the top 25 and perhaps some of the respect that the Husky fans are craving

Rambling...
Big Blue pulls out the OT win, not pretty, but you gotta like how they move the ball when they have to...Bills 3-0, the Bills will make you wanna shout!...Staying in the AFC East, Dolphins trounce the Pats -- OH My, feels as good as a Billy Wagner 9th inning ding dong!!...My fantasy team is 3-0 even though Tomlinson has not done a thing for me -- impressive work outta of me indeed...Mets pen is imploding and the Phitins are winning some more games (Lidge is 40 for 40)...the playoffs are just a week away, some interesting markets should be involved in the post season (NY, LA, Boston, Philly, Chicago et al) should be some fun watching...Man U gets a point on Stamford Bridge...How about the Emmy Awards last night, worst awards show ever? Great time of year in sports, enjoy it...

-- BD

The biennial event starts on Friday in Louisville, Kentucky, with the United States playing the underdog to a somewhat cocky Euro side.

The last two Ryder Cup have been absurdly one-sided in favor of those from across the pond. In 2004 Europe smacked the Americans so bad that losing captain, Hal Sutton, was left shaken by the experience. This event used to be a walk in the park for the Yanks....

American skipper, Azinger, recently told Golf World, "It took America losing for this to become really popular. By the War on the Shore [1991], people started freaking."

The latest installments of the Ryder Cup have not been very interesting or competitive. The US has reached a crossroads and this has to be the time to get the Cup back. With recent showings in the event and not having Tiger Woods, having six rookies....... make no mistake, the Americans are the underdogs (six rookies!). No excuse will be good enough though, the US needs to win this one...what would be sweeter than taking it to Nick Faldo?? For Azinger I suspect, nothing, as evidenced by his comments to a British writer earlier this summer,

"Faldo has tried to redefine himself [referring to his TV work]. Some people have bought it. Some have not. But if you're going to be a prick and everyone hates you [during his playing career], why do you think that just because you're trying to be cute and funny on the air now that the same people are all going to start to like you? The bottom line is that players from his generation and mine really don't want anything to do with him. He did what he did as a player, and there are relational consequences."

This could get very interesting.


Rosters (Age, RC record, Appearances, home)
USA
Chad Campbell*, 34, 1-3-2, 2, Andrews, Tex.
Stewart Cink, 35, 3-5-4, 3, Huntsville, Ala.
Ben Curtis, 31, --, --, Columbus, Ohio
Jim Furyk, 38, 6-12-2, 5, West Chester, Pa.
J.B. Holmes*, 26, --, --, Campbellsville, Ky.
Anthony Kim, 23, --, --, Los Angeles, Calif.
Justin Leonard, 36, 0-3-5, 2, Dallas, Tex.
Hunter Mahan*, 26, --, --, Orange, Calif.
Phil Mickelson, 38, 9-12-4, 6, San Diego, Calif.
Kenny Perry, 48, 0-2-0, 1, Elizabethtown, Ky.
Steve Stricker*,41, -- , --, Edgerton, Wisc.
Boo Weekley, 35, --, --, Milton, Fla.



Europe
Paul Casey*, 31, 3-1-2, 2, England
Sergio Garcia, 28, 14-4-2, 4, Spain
Soren Hansen, 34, --, --, Denmark
Padraig Harrington, 37, 7-8-2, 4, Ireland
Miguel Angel Jimenez, 44, 1-3-0, 2, Spain
Robert Karlsson, 39, 0-1-2, 1, Sweden
Graeme McDowell, 29, --, --, Northern Ireland
Ian Poulter*, 32, 1-1-0, 1, England
Justin Rose, 28, --, --, England
Henrik Stenson, 32, 1-1-1, 1, Sweden
Lee Westwood, 35, 14-8-3, 5, England
Oliver Wilson, 27, --, --, England

*captain's pick