www.globalgolfpost.com
MAY 7, 2012
Quail Hollow’s Tour Future Unclear
Bubba Passes
On The Players
The Road to the
Ryder Cup
Presented by:
September 25-30 | Medinah Country Club
Medinah, Ill., USA
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA | The Wells
Fargo Championship celebrated its 10th anniversary this year with an uncertain future.
One of the best-loved events by the players
on the PGA Tour, it began its life as the Wachovia
Championship and when the financial crisis of
2008 hit full force, Wachovia was bought by Wells
Fargo. Banks hosting golf tournaments was not in
vogue at that time, so the tournament was called
the Quail Hollow Championship in 2009 and 2010,
even though Wells Fargo honored its contract and
picked up its share of the tab.
The current contract runs through 2014 and
although Wells Fargo officials are not publicly
committed, reports say that an extension through
2019 is on the table. In the meantime, Quail Hollow will host the PGA Championship in 2017 and
PGA of America officials would like for the Wells
Fargo to be hosted elsewhere in 2016 and 2017.
“The reason the PGA is coming here is because
nobody was talking to me (two years ago),” Quail
Hollow president Johnny Harris told The
Charlotte Observer. “No matter what
anyone says, no one was talking to
me. The only thing we had to go on
was Wells Fargo said (at the time)
it didn’t want to be in golf.”
To prepare for the PGA, a new
fourth hole, a new eighth hole and
a new 12th green will be built.
In addition, the greens will be
changed from bentgrass to some
form of Bermuda grass, perhaps
mini-verde or Champions.
Charlotte Country Club has been mentioned as a
substitute venue as has Aronimink Country Club
near Philadelphia.
Lee Westwood made a run up the leaderboard
on Sunday and he believes it puts him in good
stead for this week’s Players Championship.
Westwood went out in 6-under 30 and birdied
the par- 5 10th to get within two shots of the lead
just as the leaders were beginning their final
rounds. But he played the final eight holes in 1
over and finished with a 66 to post 11 under.
Westwood also went through the week without
his regular caddie, Billy Foster, who injured himself at a caddies’ soccer match. Cayce Kerr, who
caddied for years for Fuzzy Zoeller and has caddied lately for Fred Couples, was on Westwood’s
bag and will continue this week at The Players.
Westwood is looking forward to this week. “I’m
playing soldily, aren’t I,” he said Sunday. “I won
last week and third at The Masters before that. I
played well this week aside from some putts
and (The Players) is a golf course
I love playing. It suits my game.
I’ve been in with a chance two or
three times around there.”
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA | The news
came as a surprise. Not only did Masters
champion Bubba Watson skip the Wells Fargo Championship, he is also taking a pass
on The Players Championship this week.
He made the announcement on his
Twitter account. “I’ve decided to pull out
of The Players. I need to spend more time
with Caleb and Angie, plan to take at least
a month off. The Players is one of the best
weeks of the year but bonding with my son
and wife is what it’s all about right now.”
Watson did not say when he would return
to the PGA Tour, but the Memorial Tourna-
ment is May 31-June 3, four weeks from now.
Two weeks after the Memorial is the U.S.
Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
Nick Faldo on CBS called the move “a
poor decision.” l;M.P.
Team USA
Team Qualification Process
Rank Name Points
1 Bubba Watson 4,798.395
2 Phil Mickelson 3,793.749
3 Hunter Mahan 3,347.102
4 Keegan Bradley 3,111.492
5 Jason Dufner 2,855.087
6 Steve Stricker 2,291.245
7 Rickie Fowler 2,238.459
8 Tiger Woods 2,173.667
9 Brandt Snedeker 2,145.857
10 Bill Haas 2,106.071
11 Kyle Stanley 2,037.457
12 Johnson Wagner 2,027.401
Like many players who have won a
single major championship, Stewart
Cink has wandered in the wilder-
ness since he captured the 2009 Open
hasn’t won since then and the last year-and-a-
half has been dismal.
Team Europe
1 Rory McIlroy 2,584,843.51
2 Peter Hanson 1,633,004.93
3 Martin Kaymer 1,587,688.41
4 Justin Rose 1,483,613.23
5 Paul Lawrie 1,387,723.6
6 Gonzalo Fdez-Castaño 1,268,297.96
7 Sergio Garcia 1,219,822.68
8 Lee Westwood 1,203,446.04
9 Alvaro Quiros 1,155,967.13
10 FrancescoMolinari 1,075,357.77
11 Michael Hoey 1,035,043.28
12 Graeme McDowell 1,019,645.84
