Miguel Angel Jimenez favourite to claim fourth Hong Kong Open title in nine years

Miguel Angel Jimenez starts a warm favourite this week to claim a fourth Hong Kong Open title in nine years.

The veteran Spaniard returns to Fanling as defending champion having edged out Sweden's Fredrik Andersson Hed by one shot last year to become the oldest-ever winner in European Tour history.

His defence appears to be aided by the fact many big names - including the likes of 2011 champion Rory McIlroy - will not be in the field given their commitments elsewhere, with the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the Tiger Woods' World Challenge event also taking place this week.

It means that, at 48th in the world, the ageless Andalusian enters the event as the highest-ranked player in the field.

However, Jimenez insists that a lack of star names does not necessarily mean it will prove any easier for him to notch another title.

"It's a pity we don't have more weeks in the year," stated the 49-year-old, before adding that the global schedule nowadays is "very, very tight". 

Important 

"It is very important for the tournament to have all the big names, but it's very tough when you have different tournaments in the same week.

"But does it make it easier... to win if the big players don't come? No. You need to always give 100 percent. It doesn't matter who's in the field."

Played over an old-fashioned, short par-70 track at Hong Kong GC renowned for its tight, tree-lined fairways, it is perhaps little surprise that Jimenez has enjoyed so much success there.

A man with a stellar track record at similar tests such as Valderrama and Wentworth, the 49-year-old has been in good form since returning from a skiing-induced injury in late April.

The likes of consistent Australian Marcus Fraser and Danish talent Thorbjorn Olesen are expected to prove the main threats to Jimenez this week, while past champions Padraig Harrington and Jose Maria Olazabal are also present.

Jimenez, though, looked towards the other end of the age spectrum when identifying possible contenders, picking out teenage Chinese prodigy Guan Tianlang as one to keep an eye on.

The 15-year-old became the youngest player in history to make the cut at The Masters earlier in the year and told reporters he was "very much looking forward" to the challenge this week.

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Charl Schwartzel returns to world's top 20 on back of Alfred Dunhill Championship win

Charl Schwartzel has returned to the world's top 20 on the back of his four-shot victory at the Alfred Dunhill Championship over the weekend.

The 29-year-old secured the title for a third time as he emerged triumphant at Leopard Creek, defending the crown he won by 12 strokes last year.

The win came on the back of a top-four finish at the South Africa Open the week previously and sees Schwartzel rise three places to 18 in the latest round of world rankings.

Another climber is rising Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama who became the first rookie to clinch the Japanese Tour's money-list title after his fourth win of a stellar season at the Casio World Open.

The 21-year-old, who claimed top-10 finishes at both the US Open and Open Championship this season, defeated Yuta Ikeda by one shot to cap a memorable first campaign in the paid ranks.

Matsuyama started the year at 128 in the rankings, but has now moved up to 23rd in the latest world list.

World Rankings: 

1	Tiger Woods (USA)	11.89pts
2	Adam Scott (Aus)	10.13
3	Henrik Stenson (Swe)	8.85
4	Phil Mickelson (USA)	7.57
5	Justin Rose (Eng)	7.50
6	Rory McIlroy (NIrl)	6.86
7	Matt Kuchar (USA)	6.27
8	Steve Stricker (USA)	6.03
9	Brandt Snedeker (USA)	5.63
10	Jason Day (Aus)	5.41
11	Jason Dufner (USA)	5.28
12	Graeme McDowell (NIrl)	5.20
13	Ian Poulter (Eng)	5.18
14	Dustin Johnson (USA)	5.14
15	Luke Donald (Eng)	4.91
16	Zach Johnson (USA)	4.90
17	Jim Furyk (USA)	4.74
18	Charl Schwartzel (Rsa)	4.73
19	Keegan Bradley (USA)	4.60
20	Sergio Garcia (Spa)	4.39

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Rory McIlroy talks to Sky Sports and says patience is key lesson from 2013

Rory McIlroy says being patient is the big lesson he has learned from a tough 2013, but one which has had a happy ending with his first victory coming in the Australian Open.

McIlroy has had his well-publicised problems on and off the course this year, but when he talked to Sky Sports at the launch of the new range of Nike clubs he was using he cut an upbeat figure.

The 24-year-old admitted to getting down on himself at times during the year, but was now taking a much more long-term view, as he put it: "If my career was an 18-hole golf course I'd say I'm only on the second or third hole right now, and I've not done too badly so far!"

Rory McIlroy admits he's had a disappointing year on the golf course but is looking at the positives following a difficult season.

A spring was certainly in McIlroy's step as he talked the world's media through the new array of golfing weapons he would have in his armoury - with a new driver and ball combination giving him the most confidence along with finally settling on a putter.

McIlroy admitted that he maybe should have played a few more times at the start of 2013 to get used to his new Nike clubs, the attention the big move and being World No 1 would bring and just to settle in the season, but that and his new-found patience has all been part of the learning curve.

Patience

"Just to stay patient is probably the biggest lesson I've learnt," McIlroy told Sky Sports. "Golf is always going to have its ups and downs and it's been a learning curve this year for sure. 

"I feel like I probably should have played more at the start of the season just to play my way into the season a little bit more and get used to all this sort of stuff - it was a pretty busy start to the year for me. 

"But just really patience has been a big thing because there's probably times when I've got a bit down on myself and a bit frustrated, but when I sit down and think about it there was always going to be periods like this when you're not going to play so well.

Rory McIlroy swinging during a media session in Las Vegas

"So you just have to ride it out and if you work on the right things in practice then things will turn around for you."

Things did finally turn around for McIlroy - and he says having such an involvement in the new Nike equipment also gave him confidence going forward - and that certainly showed as he came out on top with the in-form Adam Scott during their final round duel in Australia.

Equipment

"I'm really lucky that I've been working really closely with the guys at Nike and they really take notice to the feedback I give them," he added. 

"They obviously know a lot more about club design and things like that than I do, but they come back with prototypes and new things that have my thoughts in them so that's nice to see."

In a sign of what was to come, McIlroy also said he was close to being right back at the top of his game, as he looks to get back among the shake-up for the majors next year.

"It's very close, it's really close," he said of his game. "It's the best it's felt all year for sure and it's only getting better - after the Dubai tournament I spent a few more days there and practised with my coach there and I feel like my game's in real good shape. 

"So I'm excited for the end of this season and excited for 2014."

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Bogey-free Schwartzel defends Dunhill title in South Africa

MALELANE, South Africa -- Charl Schwartzel successfully defended his title at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, shooting a 4-under 68 on Sunday for a four-shot victory and his first European Tour victory in a year.

Schwartzel finished with a 17-under total of 271 at Leopard Creek to secure his third Alfred Dunhill title. Richard Finch was second, while Simon Dyson, Ross Fisher and Romain Watteltied for third.

Schwartzel held the overnight lead and made four birdies in a bogey-free final round on a course where he has a history of stellar results.

"This tournament has been very good to me," Schwartzel said. "I've had lots of seconds here as well. Probably for the rest of my golfing career this will always be a special one."

The South African has four second-place finishes here to go with his three titles. It was his second title on the European Tour since winning the Masters in 2011.

Schwartzel's ninth career victory on the European Tour returned him to the top 20 in the world rankings.

The 29-year-old Schwartzel went the last 62 holes of the Alfred Dunhill without dropping a shot after a double bogey on No. 10 in his first round.

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Rory McIlroy juggles a soccer ball with Wayne Rooney

I think this behind-the-scenes look at the Rory McIlroy-Wayne Rooney commercial might be even better than the commercial itself.

I love it when elite athletes talk about what they admire in other elite athletes and there's not shortage of that here.

Plus we get McIlroy juggling and Rooney kicking soccer balls off the crossbar. Then a treat from McIlroy at the very end.

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Ranking the top 50 golfers: Nos. 50-41

A new season is just around the corner and with it new surprises and new faces and probably a new crop of great players whose names aren't quite household yet.

But for now, we have at least a little bit of silence and the kind-of-sort-of break golf provides in December.

Which is why it's the best time of year to rank the best 50 players in the world.

My criteria: If you took every golfer alive and played them in a simulation where they played a random tournament 1,000,000 times, this is the order they would finish most often.

That is, if every golfer in the world played a massive tournament 1,000,000 times Tiger Woods would likely finish first most often (I guess I'm giving some of my list away now).

You could say "well, just take the top 50 in the world golf rankings" and that would work, I guess. But that's kind of boring and I think we can all agree it's a little broken (unless you believe Rory McIlroy was a top five player for much of 2013).

This is a list for right now, not a rolling list for the last two years.

You can be on it, I suppose, if you're not in the top 100 but nobody is because you're going to have a hard time convincing me you're not a top 100 golfer right now but you are one of the 50 best.

Here are Nos. 50-41:

Rank	Player	Analysis
41		Bubba Watson -- Watson only had three top 10s and didn't make the Tour Championship, either. His most memorable moment was a meltdown at the Travelers Championship.
42		Rickie Fowler -- This year was so fun it went unnoticed but Fowler and the guy ahead of him were not themselves. Fowler started off strong but didn't make the Tour Championship and dropped a little a bit in the world rankings.
43		Thorbjorn Olesen -- As much talent as anyone outside the top 10 on this list. He's going to win a major at some point.
44		Roberto Castro -- Introduced himself in a big way with that Players Championship course record in May and never really let up all year. Finished 21st in FedEx Cup and could be even higher on this list.
45		Richard Sterne -- Finished eighth in the Race to Dubai and had two top 25s at majors. Poised for a monstrous 2014.
46		Louis Oosthuizen -- I wasn't really sure what to do with Oosthuizen. I'm not sure there are 10 golfers better when he's on but to say he's been injury-prone of late is putting it kindly. He's top 50 but the margin is slim.
47		Peter Uihlein -- Finished 14th in the Race to Dubai and got his first professional win. Future star on either tour.
48		Kiradech Aphibarnrat -- 25th at the PGA Championship and nearly just won the CIMB. One of my favorite guys to follow.
49		Russell Henley -- Tough to put a guy who won in 2013 this far down but he was far from good the rest of the season. The talent is there, he just has to recapture what he had going on in Hawaii.
50		Gary Woodland -- Won Reno, the finished second at The Barclays and the CIMB Championship. Went through a pretty tough patch at the end of last year but I believe in him right now.

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Fred Couples raises flag at Seattle Seahawks game

Fred Couples was the honorary 12th man at the Seattle Seahawks game last night and as such got to raise Seattle's 12th man flag before the game.

I'm pretty sure they could have gotten somebody a little, um, less chill to get 67,000 fans fired up but they couldn't have picked anybody cooler.

According to Golf Channel Couples is a season ticket holder and thinks football is is more fun than golf.

"I've gotta be honest," he said, "this is more fun than golf ever is. This is a blast for me to be a part of it."

Past flag raisers include:

Trent Dilfer

Detlef Schrempf 

Ken Griffey Jr.

Kenny Mayne

Jamie Moyer

Shawn Kemp

h/t SB Nation

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Verne Lundquist compares Iron Bowl to 1986 Masters

Verne Lundquist has become a staple at the Masters every spring. You can almost hear him calling the action on No. 16 even as you read this post.

There he is calling Tiger Woods' chip-in at the 2005 Masters. There he is calling Adam Scott's near hole-out at the 2011 Masters.

And there he is calling Jack Nicklaus' birdie on No. 16 in the final round of the 1986 Masters.

Lundquist has always said that Masters was the greatest event he's ever called but he told Newsday after the Auburn-Alabama game on Saturday, it now has competition.

"For 27 years, having experienced [Jack] Nicklaus winning at Augusta in '86, I have been consistent and I've always said that that was the single greatest sporting event I've ever seen. 

"This one is right up there equal to it. And that takes into consideration a lot of different events that I've been lucky enough to be a part of. From start to finish, especially the finish, this was an extraordinary afternoon and evening."

Lundquist also called the 1992 East Regional between Duke and Kentucky. Yes, that one, the famous one.

He initially said after the game that both the Iron Bowl and basketball game still trailed the '86 Masters before calling the football game "equal" to the Masters.

"I'm a stubborn old goat, so I said, '[the 2013 Iron Bowl] ties for No. 2 with [Christian] Laettner's shot [for Duke over Kentucky in the 1992 NCAA Tournament], but behind Jack,' " he said.

He later reconsidered. 

"Then the more I thought about it, from start to finish, this one was really something else," he said.

That's where the "this one is right up there equal to it" quote came in.

Golf fans will likely disagree but it's tough to argue with the man who's been at all of them. And what a career it's been for Lundquist.

"I've been at CBS now since '82, so 31 years," he said, "and to have something extraordinary like this happen so late in my career is unbelievable to me."

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Sherwood signals a worthy season for elite field

THOUSAND OAKS, California, - For the 18 players vying for supremacy at this week's Northwestern Mutual World Challenge in glorious early winter weather, merely qualifying for the field is confirmation of a successful year.

Though the four-round tournament hosted by five-times champion Tiger Woods is not a PGA Tour event, it offers official world ranking points and every player competing at Sherwood Country Club this week is ranked in the top 30.

"Sherwood is a lovely place to come to, and California this time of the year is a great place to play," England's Lee Westwood told Reuters on Tuesday after an extended practice session in bright sunshine with his swing coach Sean Foley.

"There only being 18 players, you know you have to be at the top of the world rankings to play in the event."

Asked what he felt was the single best thing about qualifying for the elite 18-man field, Westwood replied: "I think the exclusivity really, that and Sherwood."

Jordan Spieth, who won the John Deere Classic in July before capping a sensational debut season by being voted the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year for 2013, was especially delighted to be making his maiden appearance at the event.

The 20-year-old, ranked 22nd in the world, was a late addition to the field after fellow American Brandt Snedeker pulled out as he continues to recover from a leg injury.

"I'm very excited," Spieth told reporters while preparing for Thursday's opening round. "I got in by an unfortunate way, I guess.

"Obviously, we're wishing the best to Brandt to be healthy. This is actually the second time he's let me into an event. He let me into the (2012) U.S. Open back at Olympic Club, so I owe him a Christmas present.

"I was very, very excited to get the call that I was in (the field) here and I needed to get my game ready quickly, because I was a little rusty getting some of it off."

Spieth, who recorded nine top-10s starts in 23 starts on the 2013 PGA Tour, has not competed since finishing 17th at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China a month ago.

Woods, who beat compatriot Zach Johnson by one shot to win the most recent of his World Challenge titles in 2011, is delighted with the quality of the players assembled at Sherwood this week.

"It's the deepest and strongest field that we've had possibly ever," the world number one said. "It's going to be a great week, one that everyone is going to enjoy. I'm really looking forward to it."

Woods heads the elite field but will face a strong challenge from players such as Northern Irish world number six Rory McIlroy, seventh-ranked American Matt Kuchar and 10th-ranked Austtralian Jason Day.

Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, who won last year's title by three shots, will be bidding to triumph at Sherwood for a third successive year.

The full 18-man field: Woods, McIlroy, Kuchar, Steve Stricker, Day, Jason Dufner, McDowell, Ian Poulter, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Jim Furyk, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Spieth, Lee Westwood, Bubba Watson, Bill Haas and Hunter Mahan.

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A big week of golf on 3 continents

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Joost Luiten better hope his decision to hit one shot at the BMW Masters doesn't keep him out of that other ''Masters.''

This is the last big week of tournaments around the world as players try to finish inside the top 50 to earn an invitation to Augusta National in April. Luiten is at No. 52 going into the Nedbank Challenge, but here's where it gets interesting.

Luiten had a sore shoulder in Shanghai. He had to play two of three ''Final Series'' events on the European Tour to be eligible for the finale in Dubai. So he chose to hit one shot off the first tee at Lake Malaren in the BMW Masters and withdraw. He rested his shoulder for two weeks, played Turkey and then tied for fourth in Dubai.

However, that added one tournament to his total in the world ranking formula. If he had not been required to play the BMW Masters, Luiten would be at No. 49.

Ultimately, however, his performance will dictate whether he gets into the Masters. Even though it's late in the year, the fields on three continents are packed with good players at the World Challenge in California, the Hong Kong Open and the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.

The strongest field is in California, though it will have no bearing on the Masters because all 18 players at Sherwood are already eligible (and all of them are in the top 30).

Miguel Angel Jimenez (No. 48) is playing in Hong Kong, by far the weakest of the three fields. If he doesn't play well, the Spaniard risks being passed in the ranking by Richard Sterne (No. 51) or Luiten in South Africa. Also playing in South Africa are Gary Woodland (No. 57 but already in the Masters), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (No. 60) and Peter Uihlein (No. 67).

The final tournament of the year is the Nelson Mandela Invitational, though the field is expected to be weak. Among those expected to play are Branden Grace, currently at No. 50.

For the players who don't quite crack the top 50, Augusta National takes the top 50 one week before the Masters. Then again, Geoff Ogilvy missed the top 50 by one shot in Australia at the end of last year and went backward at the start of a new season.

WHEN GOLF GETS IN THE WAY OF FOOTBALL: Jason Dufner took to Twitter to ask tournament host Tiger Woods if the World Challenge could change to 36 holes on Thursday and Friday ''so I can watch my beloved Auburn'' play for the SEC Championship.

If nothing else, it got Woods to tweet something for the first time in a month: ''Petition denied.''

Auburn and Missouri play at 1 p.m. PST, so Dufner's best hope is to play so poorly in the opening two rounds that he's off the course by then.

Woods, who went to Stanford, has no such problem. The Cardinal and Arizona State play for the Pac-12 title at 4:45 p.m. PST, well after the third round is over. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State (Hunter Mahan) goes after a Big 12 title when it plays Oklahoma at 9 a.m. PST.

ROOKIE STARS: One of the best rivalries in golf this year was not a rivalry except when measuring achievements on two tours.

Jordan Spieth started the PGA Tour season with no status and earned temporary membership, won the John Deere Classic, qualified for the Tour Championship, was picked for the Presidents Cup team and finished No. 7 in the FedEx Cup standings. It was the best rookie season on the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods started with no status and won twice in his first seven tournaments in 1996.

Across the ocean, Hideki Matsuyama was equally impressive on the Japan Golf Tour.

The 21-year-old Japanese star didn't turn pro until April. He won four times this year, and his win last week in the Casio World Open made him the first rookie to win the Japanese money title with just more than $2 million. Matsuyama had a pair of top 10s in the majors (he tied for 19th in the PGA Championship), and he earned his PGA Tour card for the 2013-14 season. In his first tour event as a member, he tied for third in the Frys.com Open.

Spieth earned 184.432 ranking points this year and is No. 22 in the world. Matsuyama earned 157.47 points and is No. 23 in the world.

SEMINOLE JACK: Jack Nicklaus grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and won an NCAA title at Ohio State. He even dotted the ''i'' at a Buckeyes football game.

But as Nicklaus told the Palm Beach Post this week, ''blood is thicker than anything else.''

His grandson, Nick O'Leary, is the starting tight end for Florida State, and the top-ranked Seminoles could very well meet Ohio State if both teams win their conference championships on Saturday. Nicklaus said his allegiance would be with Florida State.

Maybe Nicklaus saw this coming.

He was at his alma mater at the start of the football season and told Ohio State coach Urban Meyer that he had already secured tickets to the title game in the Rose Bowl. Meyer cautioned Nicklaus not to jinx the Buckeyes, only for Nicklaus to tell him, ''Urban, I bought the tickets for Florida State. I hope you get there.''

THE CUPS RUNNETH OVER: Add a couple of more cups to the calendar.

Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand have been selected as playing captains for the inaugural EurAsia Cup. The team matches will be played March 27-29 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Among those expected to compete are Graeme McDowell, Jamie Donaldson and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

It gives Europe team match competition in a Ryder Cup year.

Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin have been named honorary captains of the ''Concession Cup,'' to be played May 1-3 at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla. The matches are for leading mid-amateurs, senior amateurs and super senior amateurs from the United States against Britain & Ireland.

The club was named after the moment of sportsmanship at the 1969 Ryder Cup, when Nicklaus conceded Jacklin a short par putt for the event to end in a tie. The Americans retained the cup.

DIVOTS: Brandt Snedeker is being replaced in the Franklin Templeton Shootout field by Harris English. Snedeker hurt his left knee after losing his balance on a Segway in China, and is taking the rest of the year off as a precaution. He is expected to return at the Tournament of Championship at Kapalua the first week of January. ... The European Tour has appointed David Williams chairman of the board, replacing Neil Coles, who retired this year. ... The winners in golf over the last few weeks include Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Charl Schwartzel and Luke Donald. ... Steve Stricker is the only player from the top 10 in the world who has not won this year.

STAT OF THE WEEK: Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson and Brandt Snedeker are the only players from the top 25 in the world who are not playing this week.

FINAL WORD: ''I have spent more time in the ice bucket than a bottle of Moet & Chandon over the last month.'' - Henrik Stenson, who has been coping with a wrist injury.

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Woods closes chapter on California childhood

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Of all the memories from Tiger Woods' roots in Southern California, it's easy to overlook the time he made an appearance in the Tournament of Roses parade.

OK, so he wasn't the grand marshal. And he had just turned 18.

Woods, coming off his first U.S. Amateur title, rode on the Chiropractic Centennial Foundation float that required seven tons of flowers to build. He wasn't the only celebrity on the float on Jan. 2, 1995. Also riding were singer Lee Greenwood, Hall of Fame baseball player Joe Morgan and Olympic champion speedskater Cathy Turner.

The majestic float was toward the end of the order, trailed only by the Icelandic Horse Adventure Society and the International House of Pancakes.

For sure, there were far greater moments with a golf club in his hand.

Woods was only a toddler when he first went head-to-head with Sam Snead. It was only two holes, and Woods made bogey on both of them. Now, he is only four victories from breaking Snead's record for career PGA Tour victories.

Woods made his PGA Tour debut at Riviera in the 1992 Nissan Open when he was a 16-year-old junior in high school. He might have made the cut if not for a growth spurt during the week that made the shaft in his driver too short. More on that later.

He never won what he often referred to as his ''hometown event'' at Riviera. He made up for it by winning five times at Sherwood Country Club, and that doesn't include his win over David Duval at the illustrious ''Showdown at Sherwood'' in what amounted to Monday Night Golf.

Woods returns to Sherwood this week, in effect closing a chapter on golf in the area he always called home.

The Tiger Woods Learning Center, a superb complex that recently received a Golden Bell Award for excellence in education, remains his tie to Southern California. And the Tiger Woods Foundation headquarters will stay in Irvine.

But he stopped playing Riviera in 2006 after he narrowly made the cut. The only regular event in California that Woods still plays is in Torrey Pines, a two-hour drive from his hometown of Cypress in Orange County. The only time Los Angeles area golf fans could see him play was the World Challenge, a holiday event that attracts an 18-man field of players from the top 50 in the world.

This is the last year at Sherwood. Woods is moving the event to Isleworth, his old home in central Florida. Then, it could be headed to the Bahamas.

When he won the Canadian Open in 2000 with that 6-iron out of a bunker and over the water, his late father, Earl, said that day, ''In every tournament, he'll hit shots that people will be talking about for 30 years.''

One thing is certain - Woods leaves a trail of stories behind. Here are five from his time in Southern California.

TIGER VS. SLAMMIN' SAMMY

Woods was just starting kindergarten when he was invited to join Snead at Calabasas Country Club just north of LA. They played two holes, starting with a par 3. Woods hit into a creek fronting the green, and Snead suggested he just pick it up and drop it.

''That kind of ticked me off, so I decided to play it out of the water,'' Woods once recalled. ''I knocked it on the green and two-putted for my 4.''

THE DEBUT

Woods missed his first seven cuts on the PGA Tour, starting with the 1992 Nissan Open in his debut at age 16. He opened with a 72 and was in reasonable shape to make the cut until what his father said was a growth spurt. Woods shot 75 the next day and headed back to high school.

''I was hitting the ball good the first few days of the week, but then I suddenly outgrew my club shaft,'' Woods said a year later.

His father said they didn't figure out what happened until the tournament was over.

''He was in a growth cycle, and those teenage muscles just grew overnight,'' Earl Woods said.

THE END OF RIVIERA

A beautiful afternoon off Sunset Boulevard turned nasty without warning, and Woods was on his back nine at Riviera without rain gear in 2006. He bogeyed two of his last three holes for a 74 to presumably miss the cut - until three more players dropped shots coming in and Woods made the cut on the number.

He was to be paired Saturday with J.B. Holmes, a big-hitting rookie who had just smashed his way to victory in Phoenix. The next morning, Woods was a no-show. He withdrew because of the flu, and he has not been back to Riviera since.

THE POWER MOVE

It was baking hot in August for the ''Showdown at Sherwood'' in 1999, a nationally televised exhibition against David Duval, who had returned to No. 1 in the world. Because it was not an official PGA Tour event, the caddies wore shorts.

A PGA Tour rules official ordered them to change into pants. Duval's caddie complied. Woods' caddie, Steve Williams, did not. The rules officials made it clear to Williams that if he did not change into trousers, it would be the last time he caddied on the PGA Tour.

Woods, listening to this conversation, interrupted by saying, ''Guess I'll be playing in Europe next year.''

Williams wore shorts. Woods won the match. And it wasn't long before shorts were approved for caddies on the PGA Tour.

THE WIN

Of the five wins at his World Challenge, none was more meaningful than in 2011. One shot behind with two to play, Woods birdied his last two holes to beat Zach Johnson. It was his first win since his personal life came crashing down, a span of 26 official tournaments over 749 days.

''If he steadily progresses, keeps getting confidence and moving forward,'' Jim Furyk said that day, ''he's going to return and be one of the best players in the game again.''

Woods won three times the following year, five times this year. For his swan song at Sherwood, he is No. 1 in the world.

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'Tiger Dads' in search of China's Tiger Woods

Guangzhou - China is mobilising the state behind golf, but 13-year-old Ye Wocheng, the youngest player to compete on the European Tour, says officials should turn instead to the country's "tiger" parents to find the next Tiger Woods.

Golf was once banned in Communist China as a bourgeois indulgence, but its return to the Olympics has seen Beijing build a high-tech $80 million training complex and enlist its rigid education system in a search for new stars.

While officials are looking to satisfy the national urge for medals, a wave of child prodigies is already emerging, tutored by foreign coaches and ingrained with an insatiable desire to succeed by their wealthy, highly-disciplined parents.

Ye made history earlier this year when he played at the Volvo China Open aged just 12 years and 242 days.

The schoolboy smashed the record set by compatriot Guan Tianlang, who astonished the world in April when he made the Masters cut at the age of 14.

The rise of golfers like Ye and Guan outside China's sporting infrastructure throws up potential challenges for Beijing, which presents individual talents as state-moulded patriotic champions, rather than self-motivated sports stars.

China has now introduced golf into its Soviet-like sports school system for the first time, and its ultra-modern training centre in Shandong province is expected to be a production line for future champions, with an eye on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

But Ye -- who still wears braces -- believes China's future as a golfing superpower will be down to individual hard work, along with a dose of firm parenting.

"There will be lots of great (Chinese) players in the future," he told AFP, predicting half the world's top 100 will come from China in 20 years, a huge improvement for a country which currently has only six in the PGA's top 1,000, with its top player Liang Wenchong at 107.

"This is because in China a lot of children play golf and they are all conscientious and hard working. They train hard and also the parents are very strict.

"Sometimes, if the kids don't play golf well, the parents will hurl abuse at them or even hit them," he added, with a serious stare belying his age.

Strict parenting is common in China, particularly with regards to education, and sometimes sport.

The tough approach became a media phenomenon in 2011, when Chinese-American professor Amy Chua's book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" detailed how she insisted on top marks from her kids.

The best golfer of recent years, Tiger Woods, a child prodigy who was on television aged two, has often praised his ex-military father and Thai mother for helping develop his competitive edge, and said in 2007 he would be a "disciplinarian" with his own children.

Ye lives with his parents -- who he says are "not strict" -- in the southern city of Dongguan in Guangdong, China's most affluent province, although the family are considering moving to the US to focus on his golf.

His father, a wealthy interior designer, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Ye's training, and has recruited British former professional David Watson, who coached Lee Westwood and Justin Rose when they were amateurs.

Ye trains at Lion Lake Country Club near Guangzhou, a lavish dual-course complex containing China's largest inland yacht club and a "southern California-style" clubhouse.

Guan also trains there, and his image is everywhere, with his trophies on show in the restaurant.

"We have an exclusive putting green just for Guan," said club president Zheng Jingfen. "And we don't charge him to use the course, as youngsters need an environment to develop their skills."

Club officials say several families have moved into the local area purely to develop their children's golf.

A few hours away is the enormous Mission Hills complex in Dongguan, the world's largest golf club with 12 sprawling courses.

Ye won an under-18 tournament there in June, carding a two round two-under-par total of 142 on its World Cup course, designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

Its Mission Hills Golf Series Junior Tour is open to children as young as nine, and competitor Chen Geyi, 14, was born Beijing, 2,000 kilometres to the north, but said he moved to Shenzhen when he was a toddler because "you cannot play golf in the winter in Beijing".

His father Chen Daxin says the family relocated to warmer climes for "work reasons", but admits he has spent a fortune on developing his son's golf.

"Parents basically don’t bother too much about cost when it comes to children's interests," said the 43-year-old, brushing off suggestions he was a strict parent.

Some "give up their career and life to throw everything into their children's future" Chen added, before taking his son's clubs on his shoulder.

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Golfers Lewis and Feng favourites in Dubai

Dubai - Regulars on the LPGA Tour, American world number three Stacy Lewis and Chinese world number four Feng Shanshan, the defending champion, will start as pre-tournament favourites at the season-ending Dubai Ladies Masters on Wednesday.

With the European Tour Order of Merit crown already secured by world number two Suzann Pettersen of Norway in just three starts, all eyes will be on the two top-ranked stars in the field.

Both have been on form of late.

While Feng has won twice (LPGA Titleholders Cup and Reignwood LPGA Classic) in her last four starts in the past two months, Lewis has not finished outside eighth place in a tournament since the beginning of July.

She also won the Women’s British Open this year, her second Major win, and two other tournaments on the LPGA Tour earlier in the season.

The top prize this week is 75,000 euros, making it one of the biggest events on the Ladies European Tour, but the field wears a slightly depleted look.

That’s because four players in the top-20 of the rankings, including Pace, are trying their luck at the LPGA Tour Qualifying School, which is being played simultaneously this week in the United States.

While the absent Pettersen is sure to be named number one for the season, the battle for the Rookie of the Year honour is still on and strong between two young English girls – teenage phenomenon Charley Hull and the 22-year-old Holly Clyburn.

Hull, who started the season with four consecutive runners-up finish and made her Solheim Cup debut, is ahead by almost 12,000 euros, which would mean Clyburn will have to finish inside the top-eight to have any chance of denying her 17-year-old compatriot.

Lewis, who closed her Twitter account after criticizing Chinese fans when she lost to Feng in the Reignwood Classic in October, said winning in Dubai would cap her season perfectly.

"I feel like I'm playing really well. I took a couple weeks off a couple months ago, didn't play a few tournaments, just because I needed some time to let my body recover. And so at this point this year, I feel like I have a lot more energy, and my game is right where it needs to be," said Lewis.

"I think I finished ten straight top‑10s, so there's not too much to complain about other than one shot or two here or there and I get a couple wins. But that's golf and just kind of the way it works."

Feng, who won last year with a record score of 21-under par, said she was simply aiming for a top-five finish.

"Well, I had a goal early this year. I wanted to win twice on the LPGA. And before China, I had no win, and then I thought I wasn't going to make it because I only had four tournaments left. But I won twice in the last four, so twice in the past two months, which is great," she said. 

"Of course I'm feeling really good. I'm feeling confident and very happy that I'm back here. But just like last year, I don't want to give myself too much pressure, so this year, I will just still go for the top five, just like last year."

The tournament starts at the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club on Wednesday and finishes on Saturday.

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No time for forward looking Spieth to reflect on past glory

THOUSAND OAKS, California, - Jordan Spieth has a great deal of success to reflect upon after delivering a sensational debut season on the 2013 PGA Tour but he would far rather look ahead as he bids to become an even better player.

The remarkably composed, 20-year-old American was taught by his father to improve himself at something on a month-by-month basis and he is using that lesson as a template in his rapidly burgeoning golf career.

"Each year, I think going back to when I was 12 years old, I've improved as a golfer," Spieth told reporters on a sun-drenched Tuesday at Sherwood Country Club while preparing for this week's Northwestern Mutual World Challenge. 

"A big thing for my dad was to say, 'Just try to look back at each month and see if you got a little better each month at something.' This year a big focus of mine is on the majors. 

"Now I'm able to be in all four of them and pick my schedule leading up to them to have the best success I can there versus not even knowing I was going to be in a couple of them."

Spieth, who won the John Deere Classic in July before ending a golden 2013 campaign by being voted the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year, says his main aim is to go into the majors well rested with a better game plan.

"That is going to be a big focus of mine, trying to play all four weekends, really getting competitive in them and just try to see what it feels like," he said. 

"I know what it feels like right now down the stretch at a Tour event, what it feels like to win having done it once, but I have a feeling it will be a little different kind of pressure in a major championship."

LONG WAY

Spieth has come a very long way since January when he had to play in a Thursday qualifier just to get into a Monday qualifier for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines where he missed the cut in his first tournament as a professional.

However, after recording successive top-10s on the Web.com Tour, he returned to the PGA Tour in early March for the Puerto Rico Open where he tied for second and has not looked back.

"It's been an incredible year," smiled Spieth, who recorded nine top-10s in 23 starts on the 2013 PGA Tour. "It's great to look back at what happened to be in this scenario and learn from the positives. 

"But all-in-all, I think the way to have success this year (in 2014) is to not dwell too much on the past and focus on the best players in the world that I'm playing against now week-in and week-out."

Spieth, who three months ago became the youngest player ever to qualify for the PGA Tour's season-ending Tour Championship, has identified two areas of his game he specifically wants to improve.

"I really need to focus on my long-iron play, and I need to hit some more pitches around the greens," he said. "That 20- to 40-yard range, pitching the ball, it just wasn't getting it close enough. 

"Luckily that's something that is based on how many reps you hit and just getting the feel of the grass each week. If I had the same kind of routine and put a little extra time into those two departments, I'd just improve from last year (2013)."

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