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Notebook Hoch gets second career ace at PGA Championship
DULUTH, Ga. (AP) -- Scott Hoch says he never gets bored with an ace -- even though he now has 26 after getting a hole-in-one in the final round of the PGA Championship on Sunday. Hoch hit a 4-iron into the cup on the 207-yard 17th. It was his second hole-in-one in the PGA, also getting one in 1989. “You hit one lucky shot and everybody wants an interview,” Hoch said as reporters crowded around him after his 67 pushed him into a tie for seventh place. “I didn't even see it go in. It landed, it looked good and it kind of went into the shadows. I just relied on the gallery to know it was in.” Hoch's ace was the third in this tournament at Atlanta Athletic Club. All three occurred on different holes. “It's always something special. A hole-in-one is perfection,” said Hoch, who joined winner David Toms and Nick Faldo with aces this week. “Sometimes it's not the perfect shot, but it's the perfect result. This time it was good to hit a really good shot and it paid off.”
Dressing upDavid Toms' good-luck charm just might be his wife's dress.Sonya Toms wore the same black-and-white flowered dress when her husband won earlier in the year at New Orleans. She surprised Toms by putting on the same outfit Sunday. “She said she hadn't put that dress on since,” Toms said. “Maybe I ought to go buy a bunch of those.” Toms got another surprise after his first major. His father, next-door neighbor, head pro and two other friends drove from Louisiana to see him play. “I had no idea where they came from or knew they were coming,” he said. “I'm just glad it worked out for them because I know they would have felt bad if it didn't work out for me and they drove all that way.”
No guaranteeShooting four sub-70 rounds used to all but guarantee players a major championship. No longer -- and especially not in the PGA Championship.Two players -- Phil Mickelson and Steve Lowery -- had four rounds in the 60s and neither won. Four players -- Colin Montgomerie, Jeff Maggert, Bob Estes and Lowery -- had four rounds in the 60s and lost to Steve Elkington in the 1995 PGA Championship at Riviera Country Club. Lowery was a victim again Sunday. “I really feel good about doing that,” Lowery said of his rounds in the 60s. “I really gave it all I had. I took what the course gave me. I just couldn't get any momentum as far as winning.”
Select companyOnly Sam Snead and Jimmy Wright have shot better in the PGA Championship than club pro than Rick Schuller.Schuller's 1-over 71 Sunday left him at 1-over 281 for the four-day event -- and at a loss for words. “This whole week has been a dream come true for me,” said Schuller, who works at Willow Oaks Country Club in Richmond, Va. “I wish I could keep playing.” Schuller was more than happy with his play, but the highlight of his final round was meeting Tiger Woods, who wished the club pro luck. “I will treasure that for the rest of my life,” Schuller said. Schuller will return to Virginia with no dreams of heading out to the PGA Tour. “I am content being a club pro. I know where my place is,” he said. Schuller could have finished under par and broken the 72-hole mark of 279 for club pros, but registered had a double-bogey in each of his last two rounds after hitting a perfect drive in the fairway. “But I proved to myself that at least I can be somewhat competitive,” Schuller said. “I have matured and I am a little more secure of who I am as a golfer. I didn't get wrapped up too much in how everyone else was hitting it.”
Going, going, goneGrant Waite's course-record 64 was erased on the second day of the PGA Championship by Mark O'Meara, and Waite was all but forgotten on the final day of the tournament.He birdied the difficult 18th hole Thursday, but finished the tournament with a double-bogey there Sunday for a 2-over 72. Waite slammed his drink into a garbage can prior to signing his scorecard and then waved off the media who asked to talk to him after his round. Meanwhile, Steve Pate started the day at 1-over, but shot a 13-over 83. At least Pate could laugh about one of the worst rounds of his career. “I got to a stretch of holes I couldn't finish,” said Pate, who shot a 44 on the back nine. “I hit some mediocre shots and made double, I hit a couple of terrible shots and made double, I hit a good shot and made triple and didn't make a putt.” Pate said he did have something to shoot for on his final hole, though. “I was thinking I was going to try to hit it close, but I decided to take more club and get it over the water because my career high score is 85 and I really didn't want to shoot that,” he said.
European groundThree European players on the bubble couldn't finish high enough in the PGA Championship this weekend to qualify for next weekend's lucrative NEC World Series of Golf.Andrew Coltart, Andrew Oldcorn and Ian Woosnam were among those who didn't finish in the top 12 in the European Ryder Cup points standings to date and will miss the $5 million event at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Coltart finished at even-par over four days to tie for 37th and remained at 13th in the standings, while Oldcorn tied for 44th and was 14th and Woosnam was 51st in the PGA and stands 16th in the points race.
Watson hangs in thereThree rounds of par or better on a golf course called a monster earlier in the week. Not bad for 51-year-old Tom Watson.The Senior PGA Tour player finished his 29th PGA Championship with an even-par round of 70 for a four-day total of 5-over. “This really gets my juices going,” Watson said. “I enjoy playing against the best competition. With the exception of Saturday's round, I made a pretty good showing here.” Watson carded a 76 in the third round, and he struggled with his putter at Atlanta Athletic Club, three-putting eight times. But he still plans on playing in majors for the foreseeable future. Watson missed the cut earlier this season in The Masters and British Open. “I would like to get as many cracks as I can,” he said. Watson said recent reports about him heading to the TV booth are untrue. “I have a hard time talking with somebody talking in my ear and I stutter too much,” Watson said.
DivotsColin Montgomerie wasn't having a good PGA Championship, but it got worse Sunday. He was disqualified after he signed a '3' on his card after getting a '4' on No. 7. He left with just $2,000. ... Shingo Katayama could have cost himself an automatic berth in next year's Masters when he hit his approach shot in the water on No. 18. But he made his 10-foot bogey putt to tie for fourth place and he'll return to Augusta in 2002. ... PGA officials announced that the tournament will return to the Atlanta Athletic Club in 2011.
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