Oosthuizen Birdies His Way Into the Lead at Deutsche Bank

South Aftican golfer Louis Oosthuizen made seven straight birdies Sunday to help build a three-shot lead. (Michael Dwyer)

Most people expected PGA Champion Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods to set the pace Sunday at TPC Boston. However, as the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship got under way, it was clear that someone else was set to emerge as the pacesetter. That someone turned out to be South African golfer Louis Oosthuizen.

Oosthuizen found his groove and didn't look back. On the front nine, he made seven birdies for a tournament record 29. From holes four through ten, Oosthuizen made seven consecutive birdies. He didn't even miss a green until the 17th hole. The same hole where Oosthuizen had his only bogey of the round, but he made amends for it on the 18th with yet another birdie.

Oosthuizen finished his round Sunday with an 8-under 63. Through three rounds, he has shot a tournament-record 19-under 194. Oosthuizen leads McIlroy by three shots and Woods and Dustin Johnson by six shots each. He is right where he wants to be going into the final round on Labor Day.

There's no guarantee that Oosthuizen will just stroll away with this win Monday. However, he has dominated like this before. After all, Oosthizen is the same golfer who won the 2010 Open Championship by seven shots. Though he is also the same golfer who dramatically lost the Masters last April in a playoff to Bubba Watson.

The question becomes which Oosthuizen will we see Monday as he tries to hold his lead in the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship. He will have the added pressure of having Johnson and Woods directly ahead of him and being placed in the final pairing with McIlroy. Oosthuizen has told reporters that he is ready to prove that the Open Championship win wasn't a fluke. That he can win another major. Well this appears to be just the opportunity he was looking for.

Oosthuizen has the three-shot lead in a significant tour tournament. If he is going to win this thing, he is going to have directly beat a pair of former major champions. As they say, to be the best, you have to beat the best. Oosthuizen isn't the best golfer in the world right now, but if he wants to be in that conversation, this is the type of tournament he must win. All eyes on Labor Day will be directly on Oosthuizen to see what he does.

McIlroy Dominates Field to Win PGA Championship

Rory McIlroy smiles as he holds the trophy declaring him the winner of the 2012 PGA Championship. (Andrew Redington)

When Rory McIlroy cruised to a record-setting U.S. Open win, many thought the youngster’s career would take off from there. A year full of ups, downs, triumphs, and struggles left many wondering if McIlroy was ready to be golf’s best in the world. Many began to question whether or not his dominance in his first major win was merely a fluke chance of luck. After a poor finish to the British Open, McIlroy came into the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island somewhat under the radar.

McIlroy played well the first two rounds, but something seemed to click Sunday morning. Due to a storm-delayed third round, he finished off that round with back-to-back birdies to finish the round with a 67 and a three-shot lead. From that point on, no one got closer to McIlroy than two shots. He played bogey-free gold over the final 23 holes dominating the course from start to finish. McIlroy sunk a 25-foot birdie on the 18th hole to complete his 6-under round of 66. He ended up winning by an incredible eight shots, which broke the PGA Championship record for margin of victory set by Jack Nicklaus in 1980.

McIlroy isn’t the only one who had a great tournament. David Lynn came into the PGA Championship as a relative unknown. The 38-year-old from England was playing in his first major and in the United States for the very first time. Lynn finished the tournament shooting a 68 in the last two rounds to finish as runner-up to McIlroy. Not bad for a guy playing in his first major. The finish also earned Lynn a place in the Masters next year.

Another player who deserves his due is Seung-Yul Noh. The 21-year-old had the lowest round of the day Sunday with a seven-under 65. Noh’s impressive final round moved him up 37 spots on the leaderboard to earn him a Top 25 finish in the PGA Championship. It was an excellent showing by the youngster, who is two years younger than McIlroy.

When it is all said and done though, Rory McIlroy was the star of the PGA Championship. His performance was dominating in every way. McIlroy had 13 birdies compared to only two bogeys over the weekend en-route to his eight-shot win. He became the youngest player since Steve Ballesteros to win two majors. The win also returns McIlroy to #1 in the worrld. The question becomes whether or not he will be able to use this performance as a launching pad for future success. Rory McIlroy  undoubtedly has the talent to be the best in the world. Now we just have to see if he can find the consistency to perform at that top level all of the time.

Ernie Els Wins British Open Following Adam Scott Collapse

Ernie Els remarkably won his second Open Championship for his fourth career major victory. (Stuart Franklin)

Ernie Els wasn't sure if he would ever return to top form. Things started to go down hill in 2004 when Els had a chance to win all four majors, but came up empty. He then had knee surgery. Next, came his son Ben's diagnosis with autism. Admittedly distracted with his son's ailment, Els struggled with his putting and largely his game as a whole. Things got so bad that he didn't even receive an invitation to this year's Masters.

Els' saving grace appeared to be that he was returning to Royal Lytham, the very place he had won his previous Open Championship ten years prior. He had a solid first round, but coming into Sunday's final round, he and everyone else was looking up at leader Adam Scott. Els stood six shots behind Scott to start the day and remained that far back after the front nine. Following a birdie by Scott on the 14th hole, Els fell to four shots back once again. Els concluded his round with a nice 15-foot birdie on the 18th hole, but it really felt like too little, too late.

After all, Scott looked to have the Open Championship all but sealed up with a four shot lead with four holes to play. But that is when Scott's nerves got the best of him. Poor tee shots and putting led to his large lead vanishing before everyone's eyes. His puts for par, no matter how easy, went begging wide of the hole. With his lead completely gone, Scott still had one chance left at the 18th hole. However, a bunker shot put him trouble. Scott responded well though and had a put to force a playoff with Els. But it wasn't meant to be as he unbelievably missed another straight forward put.

The victory earned Ernie Els his second Open Championship and fourth career major victory overall. Amazingly enough, the four major victories have occurred over three decades. But for the man they call Big Easy, the road to this victory was anything but that. If one considers what Els did both to get to this point again and how he won it on Sunday, it is an incredible accomplishment to consider.

For Adam Scott, it is sheer disappointment. A man who has been so close so many times, he came up just short once again. This will be very difficult for Scott to get over. The remarkable thing is that one of the best people that can relate to him and this feeling is the man that beat him, Ernie Els. Els has overcome a difficult stretch, now maybe he can help Scott do the same.

Adam Scott's 6-Under 64 Leads 2012 British Open

Australian Adam Scott converted eight birdies as part of his 6-under 64 in the first round of the British Open Thursday. (Getty Images)

Royal Lytham & St. Annes in northwest England has set itself apart as the type of golf course that tends to bring the creme of the crop to the top. If the first round of this year's British Open is any indicator of how the rest of the tournament will play out, we could expect to see some of golf's best battling it out for the coveted major championship. While there were many great first round scores, one man's round was exceptionally better than the rest. That man was Adam Scott of Australia.

After an early bogey, Scott quickly bounced back and found his groove. His drives were precise, irons were steady, and putting game was confidently consistent. Scott came to the 17th hole on par to tie the record score (63) for the lowest round of any major ever. With a chance to make history, he settled for a par on the 17th and a bogey on the 18th to finish with a 6-under 64. Scott's score tied the course record set by Tom Lehman in 1996.

While Scott has never previously won a major, many of the players atop the leaderboard are former major winners. Paul Lawrie and Zach Johnson are one shot off the lead. Ernie Els, Bubba Watson, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, and Tiger Woods are all three shots back. That makes 7 of the top 13 in the leaderboard former major winners, who have won a combined 22 majors (14 by Woods). The other non-major winners near the top of the leaderboard are Nicolas Colsaerts (one shot back); Brandt Snedeker (two shots back); and Toshinori Muto, Steve Stricker, and Peter Hanson (all three shots back).

Royal Lytham has really distinguished itself as one of the greatest venues in the world. While it is only 6,973 yards in length, it more than compensates for it with its 205 bunkers and rough that swallows any balls that venture near it. In fact, since the Official World Golf Ranking debuted in 1986, every winner at Royal Lytham has been ranked #1 at one at some point in their career. No other course can boast of such an accomplishment.

Looking at our current leaderboard, the three former #1 ranked players are Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, and Rory McIlroy. If the aforementioned trend continues, these could be three of the top contenders to win the Open. Woods had a very good first round, hitting 13 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens. His putting may need to improve if he is going to win. Els is a savvy veteran who is a former Open Championship winner. McIlroy won his first career major last year. He could be in prime position for a run at his second.

While that is all merely speculation, there are some things we can seem to bank on for the rest of the tournament. If first round scores are any indicators, we could be in for some excellent golf. Royal Lytham has provided a beautiful venue for the golfers and spectators. We appear to be in for some very exciting and well played golf. I look forward to seeing what takes place the rest of the way.

Woods Earns 74th Career PGA Win Passing Nicklaus

Tiger Woods holds his trophy after winning the 2012 AT&T National at Congressional in Bethesda, Maryland (Pete Marovich)

Tiger Woods is beginning to leave his critics with little left to say. Being among the leaders, Woods came into the final round of the AT&T National in the final pairing. He and Bo Van Pelt were one shot behind surprising Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe. Unfortunately for the Zimbabwean, his success didn't carry over to Sunday.

That meant it came down to Woods and Van Pelt. Early on during the final round, Woods took the lead, but each time Van Pelt answered with a birdie of his own. The two went to 16th hole all level. Van Pelt had a 345-yard tee shot, which meant he needed only a 6-iron from there. Woods looked to be in trouble when his tee shot struck a spectator in the left rough. However, a few poor errors by Van Pelt left him to settle for a bogey. Woods managed to recover enough to earn the same fate.

More unforced mistakes by Van Pelt led to his demise. On the 17th, he went through the rough, then over the green to near the grandstand, before finally managing to salvage bogey. Woods stayed calm and confident while making par, without any real difficulty. He took his one shot lead to the 18th hole. With Van Pelt in trouble again, Woods knew all he needed was to tap in for par to seal the win. He did just that.

The win was Woods' 74th of his PGA Career, passing Jack Nicklaus for 2nd all-time. He is now just eight wins behind Sam Snead's record. The win was also Woods' third this year, the most of any golfer on the PGA Tour. While he remains #4 in the world, he did take the lead in the PGA Tour money list and in the FedEx Cup standings for the first time since September 2009.

When asked about Woods' play, Van Pelt stated, "I think he's the only player to guy to win three tournaments on tour this year, is that correct? On three different golf courses. And he was leading the U.S. Open after two days. So I'd say that he is playing the best golf in the world right now." I happen to agree with Van Pelt's assessment. During one stretch here at Congressional, Woods went 41 holes without a bogey. That's vintage Tiger. While he isn't going to be perfect, he is going to be very, very good. This win is just another display to showcase that Tiger Woods is indeed back in form.

Webb Simpson Shocks Everyone by Winning the U.S. Open

Webb Simpson holds up his trophy after winning
the 112th U.S. Open. (Stuart Franklin)

Just when you thought the players must be figuring out Olympic Club by now, the final round Sunday destroyed the remaining golfers even more. The one guy who seemed unfazed by all that was going on was Webb Simpson. Simpson had burst on the PGA Tour scene last year, but came into this year's U.S. Open having missed the cut at his last two tournaments. None of that mattered to Simpson on Sunday. He simply focused on the task set before him. With an early tee time, Simpson worked quickly through the course. His two early bogeys were erased by three straight birdies on holes six through eight. Simpson also added a birdie on the tenth hole and finished off the back nine with pars all the way. His final round ended in a 2-under 68. Simpson topped the leaderboard with his 1-over 281. He had nothing to do, but sit and watch in the clubhouse to see if his lead would hold up.

As possible contender after contender came up short, the only threats to win were two former champions Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell. McDowell's six bogeys proved to be too much to overcome. He had a 25-foot birdie attempt to force a playoff with Simpson, but it never had a chance. Furyk looked ready to win, until he somehow became rattled and bogeyed three holes down the stretch.

Webb Simpson could hardly believe it when he realized he had won the 112th U.S. Open. He stated, "Amazed. I've got no words." How did we get to this point? Well, we probably have Mike Davis to thank for that. USGA's Davis was the man responsible for designing this year's course. Last year, Rory McIlroy won with a 16-under par and a grand total of twenty golfers finished in the red. Undoubtably, Davis was told to make this year's course more difficult. He definitely took that to heart. Sunday's final round this year saw only seven out of 72 players shoot a sub-par round. From a U.S. Open that seemed to intimidate seasoned pros, Webb Simpson arose victorious. The result was his first ever major championship. It might not have been pretty, but that doesn't matter when you win $1,440,000 and a place in golf history.

Furyk, Toms, and Woods Tied for 2012 U.S. Open Lead

Tiger Woods acknowledges the crowd during Day 2 of the 2012 U.S. Open (Ben Margot)

No one said winning the U.S. Open would be easy. Olympic Club in San Francisco has been giving the PGA's top golfers all they can handle and than some. Round 2 saw the world's #1 Luke Donald and #2 Rory McIlroy miss the cut. So did Masters champion Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson, who was coming off a PGA Tour win last week.

You might me be wondering well who is in the lead. There are three wily, old veterans tied for the lead and who are looking to prove they've still got what it takes to win a major.

After winning the U.S. Open in 2003, Jim Furyk is looking to become the tournament's first multiple winner since Tiger Woods won his third in 2008. Furyk finished Friday's second round early with his 1-under 69. He gained the lead when first round leader Michael Thompson lost his stroke.

2001 PGA champion David Toms is also striving for another major win. Toms remained steady as can be during a straightforward even-par 70 for Friday's second round. His two bogeys on the front nine where remedied for by two birdies on the back nine.

Then, there is Tiger Woods, who is seeking to win his 15th major and to return to the level of greatness he achieved earlier in his career. During Friday's second round, Woods overcame three straight bogeys on the front nine for an even-par 70.

With Furyk, Toms, and Woods tied for the tournament lead at 1-under 139, the rest of the field sits over par. Of course, all of the attention will be on Woods. He is a media magnet and will likely have the support of the crowd on his side. Furyk and Toms have shown calm, veteran demeanors. They have positioned themselves well for making a run to win it all. Another player I would keep an eye on is Graeme McDowell, who remains just two shots off the lead. Two years ago, McDowell won a similarly difficult U.S. Open. I guess you could say he knows how to win ugly in a sense. It will be interesting to keep an eye on these golfers as we watch to see who will win the 2012 U.S. Open.

Dufner's Honeymoon Success Continues at Byron Nelson

Photo Credit: Tim Sharp/AP Photo

Jason Dufner's life has changed significantly over the course of the last month. On April 29th, Dufner finally got the monkey off his back when he defeated Ernie Els on the second playoff hole of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The win was the first of his PGA Tour career and earned him a nice wedding present of $1,152,000. The timing was fitting because Dufner's wedding took place the next week. With his new bride by his side and a win under his belt, Dufner entered the HP Byron Nelson Championship brimming with confidence.

Beginning at the 17th hole of the Final Round, it was a three-man race to the finish. J.J. Henry entered the hole with the lead, but some misreads cost him as he had to settle for a double bogey. Dicky Pride, who was seeking his first PGA Tour win since 1994, made a 13-foot birdie. Dufner was left with a simple tap in for par, which he made.

On the 18th hole, Pride looked to be in trouble after his tee shot, which ended up in the water. However, he recovered nicely to save par. Knowing what he was up against, Dufner decided to crush his tee shot right down the center of the fairway (314 yards). Following his second shot, Dufner found himself with a 25-foot birdie shot. He confidently stepped up to the shot for the win. His ball looked good for the moment he it and rolled right into the hole.

The back-to-back wins have propelled Dufner into the lead of the 2012 FedExCup standings. In the span of just 22 days, Jason Dufner has got his first two PGA Tour wins, earned $2,269,000 in winnings, become a married man, and has thrust himself into the spotlight of golf. When asked about it all, Dufner simply said, "You probably couldn't dream it any better than what's been going on here."

Video highlights of the Final Round, including Dufner's winning birdie shot can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-x62mqBQu0

Bubba Bubbling With Emotion After Master's Win

Photo Credit: Don Emmert/Getty Images

Bubba Watson is a character to say the least. He has been seen in a music video in overalls, uses a pink driver, and got distracted at the award ceremony wondering what type of helicopter was flying overhead. Following his miraculous win in the playoff on the 12 hole, Watson could be seen crying uncontrollably. How he got to this point might explain why.

Louis Oosthuizen seemed to be in complete control of the tournament following his incredible shot early in the final round. Oosthuizen made an albatross (double eagle), which is commonly considered to be the rarest shot in golf. He used his 4-iron from 253 yards out on the par-5 2nd hole. The ball landed on the green and rolled approximately 90 feet into the hole. The shot propelled him into sole possession of the lead.

Watson didn't shutter in his pursuit of the lead. He made four straight birdies (13th-16th) on the back nine to force the playoff. On the second playoff hole, Watson's tee shot went badly into the woods nestled in the pine needles. Watson just tried do the best he could. What he ended up doing was use his wedge to hit the ball just under the tree branches above, hook 40 yards while gaining altitude, travel the 135 yard distance to the elevated green, and roll to withing 15 feet of the hole. One of the most miraculous shots in the history of golf, but Watson later referred to it as "pretty easy." Watson tapped in a short put for par to win this year's green jacket.

Watson let his emotions show once he won. He has always been a very emotional person, but didn't always know how to handle. It had got so bad a few years ago that his longtime caddie and friend, Ted Scott, threatened to leave him. Watson got the wakeup call and began to turn around his golf game and life. With his wife unable to have children, the couple had actively pursued in the adoption process. Many failures and disappoints came to an end when they finally were able to adopt a little boy named Caleb. Watson became a new man with a renewed sense of joy. This was just three weeks ago.

Watson's win continued the unlikely streak of 14 different major champions in the last 14 majors. Additionally, the last eight of those, and eleven of the last twelve, have been first-time major winners. Prior to 2003, no left-handed golfer had won the Masters. Now five of the last ten winners have been southpaws. Watson may be not have won in a prototypical way and might not fit in quite right with the prestige of the Masters, but his win was amazing none the less. The tournament reminded viewers that golf can be exciting, no matter how Tiger Woods is playing. There are many golfers just waiting to show you the talent they've got. And maybe some creativity if you are watching the one and only Bubba Watson.

Tiger is Back on the Prowl

Tiger Woods has been through some pretty dark and dreary days. Woods went through an ugly public scandal, 26 tour events, and 923 days since winning a PGA Tour event. All of that is now history. Today, Woods finished the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill with a 2-under 70 final round. He won easily by five shots of Graeme McDowell. Woods could hardly contain his excitement during his tap in for par on the 18th. After it rolled in, he yelled, "Yeah!" and did the famous fist pump.

Woods would be the first to tell you this just a simple tour win. He said afterwards, "It's not like winning a major championship or anything, but it certainly feels really good." He also described the win as "pure joy." Woods is correct that it is just a tour event win, but it was a dominant win. A win reminiscent of the vintage Tiger we all loved. The question becomes whether or not the new Tiger can regain the some of the convincing success of the old.

The win returns Woods to the top 10 of the PGA rankings at #6. Golfers at Bay Hill were well aware of Woods' outstanding performance. Ian Poulter stated afterwards about Woods that, "He is going to be a force at Augusta." We will just have to see if that is the case. Woods stated his case for it in this tour event. The win not only ended the drought, but reminded viewers of the olden days. Tiger Woods appears to be back. And folks, that is a story worth following.

Hunter Mahan Gets the Chip Off His Shoulder

When the #1 player in world, Luke Donald, got upset in the first round of WGC-Accenture Match Play, all eyes went to the two players who could take over the top spot. Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood were those two players. They immediately became the tournament favorites. As expected, the two met in the semifinals. McIlroy beat his rival to earn the spot in the final. The experts had McIlroy as a lock to win, but Hunter Mahan wanted to have a say about that.

Mahan has been infamously known by his botched chip shot on the 17th hole at the 2010 Ryder Cup. He had won other tournaments, but none of it seemed to matter to him. He could be seen publicly breaking down and crying. Mahan finally came to realize that golf meant too much to him. In regards to this, he said, "I didn't want to have my identity stuck with my golf score. They needed to be separated, and I needed to play golf because I enjoyed it and accept the result and move on and not get attached to it."

Mahan had already become one of the best drivers in the sport, but he had long ignored his weakness, chipping. He and his coach Sean Foley set out to change that. It was not an easy project, and it is still a work in progress, but he has improved greatly and is building confidence. He brought that confidence with him to the WGC-Accenture Match Play. He quickly reminded folks that Rory McIlroy isn't the only young budding star when he beat McIlroy in the final. McIlroy is still considered to be the next Tiger Woods of golf. He moved closer to taking over the #1 world ranking, despite finishing second. However, remember the name Hunter Mahan. He is improving his game daily and gaining confidence with every chip shot he takes.

Lefty and Tiger Head to Head Once Again

The final round at Pebble Beach saw two familiar faces paired once again. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have won a combined 111 PGA Tour events and 18 major championships. On Sunday, they were grouped again for the 30th time. Many viewers hoped for another thrilling finish. They got a thrilling performance, but that does not mean the final scores were close.

In fact, Mickelson pretty much wasted Woods on Sunday. He beat Tiger by 11 strokes with an 8-under 64. Lefty entered the day six strokes off the lead, but ended up winning by three. He had the lowest score of the day by three shots. In his dominating round, Mickelson made two beautiful long putts to save par and didn't have a single bogey. The victory gave Lefty his 40th career PGA Tour title, putting him in ninth-place all time.

Jim "Bones" Mackay has been Mickelson's caddie since his professional debut in 1992 (actually also at Pebble Beach). Following Lefty's incredible final round, Mackay stated, "Phil's a big-stage kind of a guy. I think it's fair to say that he enjoys what you saw out there today. He loves playing with Tiger. He loves having the chance to win tournaments. I think he gets fired up to have everybody watching."

Many viewers were indeed watching, which was good for a sport that has suffered in popularity since Woods' scandal. It was great to see these two old rivals at it once again. It was awesome to see Mickelson play so well once again. It was nice to see the sport matter once again for a day. For one Sunday, two old boys shared the spotlight once again. How many more times will this happen again? It is impossible to know for sure. What is for sure is that this day belonged to Phil Mickelson.