Wow, what a weekend it was. There are so many stories that need covered, I'm almost afraid I'm not going to cover it all. Let's try the best I can.
- Everyone is going to be speculating about Tiger Woods' withdrawal from the Honda Classic after going +5 through 9 holes on Sunday. Is it a legitimate injury? Only Tiger himself knows. What I DO know is that it doesn't sound good on either end - either Tiger faked an injury to get out of a tournament he was struggling in, or his back is actually injured, the same injury he had before, and his health is an actual problem. Honestly, I'd rather he be dishonest.
- Rory, Rory, Rory. After Rory McIlroy took the third round lead, I thought the tournament was over. There was no way Rory would have blown a lead like that at a golf course he's won before. Well, this is why no one hires me to make predictions. Rory's back 9 on Sunday was the most hideous in a sea of horrible back 9's. Several times Rory had this event won, and he made mistake after mistake to choke away the tournament. Not good.
- At the end of the day, it was Russell Henley who survived after Ryan Palmer and Rory McIlroy missed putts to win the tournament on the 72nd hole. Henley is a golfer we're going to be talking about for years to come, and is now one of only four golfers under the age of 25 to have multiple wins on the PGA Tour. Henley hit a few shots down the stretch that made me worried, but he executed when he needed to and didn't allow the tournament to get away from him. He has the talent and the mental toughness to be a major contender.
- Will MacKenzie's career year continues after another top 10 finish. MacKenzie now sits 21st in the FedEx Cup standings after losing his status on Tour last year. Talk about a turn around.
- I always like seeing nice guys perform well, especially when those nice guys have gotten some bad breaks in their life. Stuart Appleby having a big rebound season so far is heartwarming to me. Stuart has always been one of my favorite golfers, and to see him back in contention is great, not only for me, but for golf in general.
- Hey, did you know Paula Creamer made a 75 foot putt to win the HSBC Women's Championship? If not, you can see it on LPGA.com, Golf Channel, Twitter, and probably the Washington Post. The media around it is pretty intense, but it doesn't take away from the accomplishment. Paula has been waiting for that next win since 2010. In fact, the entire golf world has been waiting for that next win since 2010. No one had been more consistent, yet winless, in that stretch. Incredible win with an incredible putt. Let's see now if this will lead to more victories for Paula, whose status as the top American on tour was passed over by Stacy Lewis, and was on track to being passed by Lexi Thompson.
- It was hard finding someone to root for in the playoff, because while it's great to see Paula win again, I do really like Azahara Munoz. Aza has had an interesting past couple of years, where she would go from being on the verge of being a break out star to struggling to make cuts and back again. She would put up a performance like she did at the Solheim Cup where she seemed like a world class player, and then turn around and not be in the conversation at the Canadian Open. I really hope this is the beginning of a big year for Aza, and that her next win comes incredibly soon.
- I'm sure Karrie Webb isn't in the mood to take any positives out of this week, but I will say that winning in Australia, then turning around and almost winning in Singapore, after being asked repeatedly last season whether or not she was considering retiring is a great sign. Yes, she choked away this tournament on the final few holes, but it's Karrie Webb. I'm pretty sure she has the mentality and the talent to not let that prevent her from challenging again.
- While we're on the topic of Hall Of Famers, it's good to see Se Ri Pak back in the conversation. Se Ri has battled a shoulder injury that seems to just keep nagging her, but it seems as if she has turned a corner on the injury, as she's played in three of the first four events of the season, made the cut in all three, and finished in the top 25 the last two weeks. With JiYai Shin now golfing in Japan, I.K. Kim being nowhere to be seen, and Hee Young Park struggling with consistency issues, Se Ri may be a victory away from putting herself on the Korean team for the International Crown.
- It's officially over - Stacy Lewis' streak of consecutive top 10's ends at 13, as she finished in a disappointing 40th place this week.
- On the other side of the "Big Three", Suzann Pettersen found her groove again, finishing three shots back of the playoff. So, too, did World Number One Inbee Park. Also finishing in the top 5 was So Yeon Ryu, who may be the new Paula Creamer with how talented she is and how overdue she is for a victory. The leaderboard all week was stacked from top to bottom with well known, high quality players. I'm sure HSBC and the people of Singapore are happy with the show they've gotten.
- She can make whatever decision she's comfortable with, but I'm really sad Teresa Lu didn't accept her invitation to join the LPGA Tour. Her win in Japan was a turning point for her, and I would not be surprised if she won the JLPGA Player Of The Year award this season. She has tremendous talent, and it's glad to see her succeeding after struggling on the Tour several years ago.
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