While many golf fans were enjoying a gorgeous New England summer weekend on the links, basking in the sun at the beach, and savoring burgers and dogs at their Happy Birthday America BBQs, the professional golf world was exceptionally busy. Nick Watney won his fourth PGA Tour title, Rickie Fowler suffered another Sunday implosion, Tiger Woods’ niece Cheyenne did not run the table in U.S. amateur play, and French Open winner Thomas Levet broke his leg after a celebratory jump into a lake following his win on Bubba Watson’s favorite golf course.
Watney, who crashed into the top 10 of the world golf rankings with his two-stroke victory over K.J. Choi at the AT&T National, notched his second victory of the season. The 30-year-old Californian, a cousin of NESN’s Red Sox reporter Heidi Watney, fired a flawless 4-under 66 to earn the title after entering the final round tied with Fowler for the lead.
For those who care about such things, Watney, with his eighth top-10 finish of the year, took over top spot in FedEx Cup points with his convincing victory at Tiger’s tourney at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia. Watney put himself into position for the win with a 27 over his final nine holes during the third round, in which he carded a course-record 62.
The hole just got bigger. “With 27 holes to go in the tournament, I was really just trying to play my way back in and then for some reason the hole just got bigger for me,” Watney told reporters following his win.
Fan fave Fowler, on the other hand, continued his saga of Sunday slides. The kid’s only 22 and, no doubt, has a huge future ahead of him. But ever since his controversial decision to lay up on the 15th hole in the final round of the 2010 Phoenix Open, Fowler has not been a factor on a Sunday. As Shane Bacon pointed out, the guy in the neon orange and flat-billed Puma cap has broken 70 only twice in 11 final rounds this year.
After limping in with a closing 74 on Sunday at Aronimink, Fowler hoped he could take something positive from his playing partner’s success.
“Just a tough day, but I learned a lot,” Fowler said after watching Watney’s bogey-free final round. “It was great to be in that position. You know, it’s good to see what other guys do in the same situation and how they handle themselves.”
Meanwhile, in USGA play and with Uncle Tiger on the sidelines, Woods, who won medalist honors in the stroke-play qualifier, looked to be on her way to hoisting the hardware at last week’s U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links (WAPL) Championship. After taking matches by the lopsided scores of 4 and 3 and 8 and 7, however, the 20-year-old Wake Forest senior lost to Annie Park, 3 and 2, in the quarterfinals.
Two-up after three holes, Woods quickly lost the momentum she had built up in her previous starts. A Woods bogey at the par-5 sixth evened the match and Park never looked back. Park eventually lost to tourney champ Brianna Do, who defeated Marissa Dodd, 1-up, to close out the week.
Rhode Island exemption. By reaching the finals, Do and Dodd earned full exemption into the 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, which will take place at Rhode Island Country Club in August. Former WAPL champs include Michelle Wie and current world No. 1, Yani Tseng.
Then, there was Levet’s adventure in Paris. For sure, it was a painful conclusion to the Frenchman’s win in his country’s national championship.
Taking a page from the LPGA’s Kraft Nabisco handbook, Levet celebrated his W with a leap into a lake at Le Golf National. Perhaps he should have consulted the mother of 2011 Kraft Nabisco winner Stacy Lewis before making the jump. Carol Lewis required hospitalization after joining her daughter and husband for the traditional hop into Poppy’s Pond at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Indeed, it was a bittersweet moment for Levet, who was exhilarated to win on home turf but broke his shin with his dive into the water. The 42-year old may have to join Tiger Woods on the sideline for next week’s British Open. Levet’s injury reportedly required a cast and a withdrawal from this week’s Barclays Scottish Open, while Woods announced Tuesday he would be a definite no-show for the The British.
(Photo of Nick Watney: Redington/Getty Images)
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. Check her out on the Waggle Room, Boston Golf Examiner, National Golf Examiner, and GottaGoGolf websites. You may also follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer.)
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