Source: USA TODAY

Golf’s gatekeepers — the U.S. Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club — announced Tuesday they have outlawed the practice of anchoring a golf club to the body when a player makes a stroke.

The decision, however, could open the door to possible litigation and potential resistance from golf organizations the world over, including the PGA Tour and the PGA of America, who protested the ban during the 90-day comment period because it is not “in the best interests of the game.”

The new rule (14-1b) — which takes effect in 2016 — prohibits strokes made with the club or hand gripping the club held directly against the player’s body or with a forearm held against the body to establish an anchor point.

Anchoring is predominantly used in the act of putting. Four of the last six major champions used the stroke.

“This is about protecting the fundamentals of what the game has always been about, and we do believe this has been a divisive issue that needed to be cleared up,” USGA executive director Mike Davis said. “I think it’s really important that the PGA Tour — and all the professional tours — continue to follow one set of rules. We have gotten very positive feedback from the tours around the world saying that they like one set of rules, they like the R&A and USGA governing those. So if there was some type of schism, we don’t think that would be good for golf.

“And we are doing what we think is right for the long-term benefit of the game for all golfers, and we just can’t write them for one group of elite players.”

The rule, announced by the USGA from its offices in Far Hills, N.J., will be implemented Jan. 1, 2016, when the Rules of Golf are updated.

The rule change does not alter current equipment rules and allows the continued use of belly-length and long putters, provided such clubs are not anchored during a stroke. If there is a violation of the rule, the resulting penalty is loss of hole in match play competition. In stroke play, each occurrence is a two-stroke penalty.

The USGA, which governs the rules of golf in the U.S. and Mexico, and the R&A, which oversees the rest of the world, worked in concert concerning the new rule. The governing bodies announced their proposal in November.

Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A, said the recent upsurge in the use of anchored putting strokes — whether to the belly, chest or under the chin — in the junior ranks and on the professional tours brought the subject into “renewed focus.” This included major championship victories by anchoring players Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA Championship), Webb Simpson (2012 U.S. Open) Ernie Els (2012 British Open) and Adam Scott (2013 Masters).

During the comment period, the governing bodies heard from both sides of the argument. On one side are those who think securing the butt end of the putter handle against the body or affixing a portion of the putter handle against the left or right arm by using the other hand as a clasp provides an unfair advantage because it reduces pressure, nerves and twitches a player can feel while putting. On the other side are those who think other issues in golf should be dealt with, including the golf ball and the size of clubs.

“The new rule addresses the concerns that have been raised,” Dawson said. “We recognize this has been a divisive issue but after thorough consideration we remain convinced that this is the right decision for golf.”

The governing bodies said the rule change is not based on performance — Dawson has said there is no “compelling data” to prove anchoring helps — but instead deals with the fundamentals and traditions of the game and defines what a golf stroke is.

“The traditional stroke involves swinging the club with both the club and the gripping hands held away from the body, requiring the player to direct and control the movement of the entire club. Anchoring is different,” USGA President Glen Nager said. “Intentionally securing one end of the club against the body and creating a point of physical attachment around which the club is swung is a substantial departure from the traditional free swing.

“Rule 14-1b eliminates the potential advantages that anchoring creates, potential advantages such as making the stroke simpler and more repeatable, restricting the movement and the rotation of the hands, the arms and the club face, creating a fixed pivot point, and creating extra support and stability that may diminish the effects of nerves and pressure, that anchoring provides these potential advantages is confirmed by those who play, teach and observe the game.”

What the decision holds for the future is yet to be seen. The ban could create chaos if the PGA Tour or any professional tour decides to disregard the change, as is its right. It is possible that the PGA Tour could allow anchoring, while it would be prohibited in tournaments such as the U.S. Open and British Open. The PGA of America, which conducts the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup in the U.S., could also refuse to adhere to the ban.

“We will now begin our process to ascertain whether the various provisions of Rule 14-1b will be implemented in our competitions and, if so, examine the process for implementation,” the PGA Tour said in a statement. “In this regard, over the next month we will engage in discussions with our Player Advisory Council and Policy Board members. We will announce our position regarding the application of Rule 14-1b to our competitions upon conclusion of our process and we will have no further comment on the matter until that time.”

The PGA Tour, however, always has followed the rules of golf as established by the USGA and R&A.

Brendan Steele, who turned professional in 2005 and won the 2011 Valero Texas Open, has been anchoring since 2006. But in the last three weeks, with his putting in disarray, he went to the method employed by Matt Kuchar, which is legal, where the putter handle is fixated to the left arm but is not anchored to a fixed point and both hands move during the swing.

“I looked for a new way, a better way to putt,” Steele told USA TODAY Sports.

Steele said he wasn’t surprised by the decision by the governing bodies. He didn’t want to talk about possible litigation, saying he hopes to take himself out of that “equation” by finding a successful way to putt without anchoring.

Steele said it would be “tough” for the PGA Tour to go against the rule, but said there is widespread support among the players against the ban.

“I’m not really sure what we will do,” Steele said. “We will discuss the issue in our meetings and go forward. … The (Tour players) all expected this. We knew they weren’t serious about listening to anyone. If they didn’t listen to the PGA Tour and the PGA of America, what kind of bodies in golf do you need to listen to? … They came up with the rule because they didn’t like seeing people win majors with anchored putters.”

The LPGA will not resist the new rule.

“We recognize the need for an independent governing body to maintain the rules of the game. We trust in the ability and expertise of both the USGA and R&A to make the decisions that are in the best interests of the game,” the LPGA said in a statement. “The USGA provided ample time and opportunity for us to not only educate our players, but also to solicit input, concerns and feedback. While we know that not every one of our members is in favor of the rule change, the LPGA will continue to respect and follow the Rules of Golf which includes the implementation of Rule 14-1b in January of 2016.”

David Feherty, who covers golf for CBS and Golf Channel, had this to say in a Tweet: “Horrible decision. Professional golfers need to make the rules for professional golf. Not rocket science.”

Orlando’s Cindy Feng, 17, is one of the top junior golfers in the USA, a two-time Rolex Junior All-American who qualified for the 2009 and 2010 U.S. Women’s Open. A of couple years ago, she saw others anchoring the putter and tried it. She’s been anchoring the end of the putter to her stomach ever since.

But Feng wasn’t heartbroken when she got news of the anchoring ban. She isn’t about to quit the game or find a lawyer to file a potential lawsuit. Nor does she think other juniors will quit the game, either.

“I have three more years to use it,” she told USA TODAY Sports. “And I’ll start practicing with the short putter again. It will be a challenge for me. There is no point in being angry with anyone. They make the rules and I will follow them.

“It’s not that I hate the short putter. I’ll just play my way through this.”

PGA of America President Ted Bishop, an outspoken opponent of the ban from when it was first proposed, said the announcement was “a disappointment” but an expected one. He did not say whether or not the PGA of America would adopt the rule. The PGA of America jointly administers the Ryder Cup with the European Tour. The European Tour has said it will adopt the ban. If the PGA of America goes against it, the Ryder Cup could allow anchoring on U.S. soil and not on European soil.

“We knew where this was headed,” Bishop told USA TODAY Sports before playing in the pro-am at the Senior PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Mo. “We will contact our PGA professionals and for 30 days get feedback from them before going forward.

“The biggest ramification for us is with our club officials and how this new rule is to be implemented. We have to make sure our members know that if this rule is implemented, they know what to do as far as a local rule and the rule for competition. There is a lot of confusion out there. Some think there is a provision for a local rule to allow anchoring. If we follow the rules of the USGA and the R&A, we can’t allow that to happen.”

As well, Bishop said the PGA of America will be proactive in establishing ways to teach alternative putting methods.

“We’re problem solvers,” Bishop said. “We’re teachers, counselors, psychologists. We will figure this out. We will adopt as this plays out.”

In April, Dawson slammed the PGA of America for its opposition.

“I’m disappointed at the way that campaign was conducted,” Dawson said. “It put rule-making onto the negotiating table. People have taken position that they will now have to back off from or maintain. The negotiating table is no place for rule-making to take place. Obviously, the feelings are strong.

“We shall have to see where it goes.”

It could go to the court. Scott, Bradley, Tim Clark, Carl Pettersson and others have indicated they could take legal action against the ban.

Pettersson declined to comment Tuesday at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

“We’re going to do whatever we have to do for the good of the game because that’s our mission. Our mission is not to avoid legal challenges,” Nager said. “Our mission is to determine the appropriate rules for the game that make the game strong for the long-term.

“In the event that any litigation is brought, we’ll respond to whatever the claims are, but I can assure you this … we have looked at this from the legal perspective, as well, as we feel confident of our position.”

What effect the ban will have on the game, from the amateur ranks on up, is unknown. Golf Datatech, a leading independent research firm for consumer, trade and retail golf trends, announced earlier this year a study developed to evaluate the reaction to the proposed rule will not have a major impact.

The results of the study were based on responses from 1,766 randomly selected golfers drawn from a Golf Datatech’s database who play an average of 68 rounds per year with an average handicap of 14.3.

“On a practical level, the proposed ruling on anchoring putters has minimal impact on most amateur golfers, as only 5% use a long putter, and the majority of serious golfers don’t believe long putters aid in the putting process,” said Golf Datatech’s John Krzynowek in the study. “Overall, however, the debate over long putters has far more to do with a few elite professional players and less to do with the game as played by the average golfer.” According to the report, 62% of respondents do not believe the anchoring ban will cause some amateur golfers to enjoy the game less. Also, 31% of current long putter users will continue to anchor their putter, 31% will not anchor against their body and 38% will switch to a conventional putter.

And Jack Nicklaus said the ban won’t ruin the game.

“No, I don’t think so,” Nicklaus told Golf Channel when asked if a ban would drive people away from the game. “It’s like anything else; they’ll get used to it and get over it. … I think the game of golf is going to be all right, guys. We don’t have to worry about it.”

Especially on the pro level, Nicklaus added.

“If the rules of the game change, then the rules change. We’ve had changes to the ball, changes to the size of clubs and to grooves. We’ve had all kinds of changes and players adjusted,” he said. “And they will adjust to this, too.”

The rule change

The proposed change would re-label current Rule 14-1 as Rule 14-1a and establish Rule 14-1b as described below:

14-1b Anchoring the Club

In making a stroke, the player must not anchor the club, either “directly” or by use of an “anchor point.”

Note 1: The club is anchored “directly” when the player intentionally holds the club or a gripping hand in contact with any part of his body, except that the player may hold the club or a gripping hand against a hand or forearm.

Note 2: An “anchor point” exists when the player intentionally holds a forearm in contact with any part of his body to establish a gripping hand as a stable point around which the other hand may swing the club.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

BETHESDA, Md. — No.

That was the response Tiger Woods gave Monday when asked if he ever thought of calling Sergio Garcia to bury the hatchet, so to speak, after an incident involving the two at The Players Championship led to a public spat and a prolonged he said/he said that extended to marshals.

The one-word answer came during a press conference at Congressional Country Club to promote the upcoming AT&T National, which benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. Woods will defend his title the June 27-30. Following the news conference, Woods expanded.

“Obviously, the matter has been put behind me. The truth came out,” Woods told USA TODAY Sports about the incident with Garcia. “As I was saying the entire time, I told people what I had heard and what had happened.”

Garcia, speaking Monday in Wentworth, England, ahead of this week’s BMW PGA Championship, said much the same.

“He called me a whiner. He’s probably right,” Garcia told reporters. “But that’s also probably the first thing he’s told you guys that’s true in 15 years. I know what he’s like. You guys are finding out.

“First of all, I don’t have his number. And secondly, I did nothing wrong and don’t have anything to say to him. And he wouldn’t pick up the phone anyway. But that’s OK; I don’t need him as a friend. I don’t need him in my life to be happy and that’s fine. It’s as simple as that. Like I have always said, I try to be as truthful as possible.”

It all started on May 11, on the second fairway of the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass during the third round. Woods, the world No. 1 who would go on to win the title for his fourth win of the season, was in the woods left of the fairway, surrounded by the masses, trying to figure out a shot off pine needles and dirt. His playing partner, Sergio Garcia, was with his caddie in the fairway 50 yards to the right of Woods, in a perfect position for his second shot. As Garcia took his stance to hit his shot, Woods took a metal wood out of his bag. The resulting noise from the excited fans surrounding Woods reached Garcia at the top of his backswing and his shot went way right of the intended target, crashing into woods to the right of the green.

Garcia was clearly agitated as he looked toward Woods’ way and later said Woods — unintentionally or not — caused a distraction that triggered the poor shot. Woods said Garcia didn’t know all the facts and that he was told by marshals that Garcia had hit and that’s when Woods pulled the club.

The spat, the latest in a long-running feud between the two, extended late into the night with dueling verbal barbs and then into the next day when Garcia said Woods “isn’t the nicest guy on Tour.”

And then the story didn’t die. Sports Illustrated reported two marshals said Woods didn’t ask about Garcia and words were never spoken between the marshals and Woods. One, the chief marshal of the hole, said Woods’ explanation of the incident “lacked character.” Two days later the Florida Times-Union reported that two player escorts said there was communication between them and Woods and that Woods was just guilty of getting the sequence of events mixed up.

Woods’ integrity was brought into question, not only involving the Garcia incident but a drop he took in the fourth round. It was the third drop controversy Woods has been involved in this year, the first in Abu Dhabi and the second in the Masters. Woods said he isn’t bothered by people questioning his integrity.

“I think that’s the nature of the new world we live in — bloggers and the Internet becoming so big,” Woods told USA TODAY Sports. “Everyone is trying to be an eye’s-on-witness and give their opinion. It is what it is.”

Woods said he asked playing partners about the drops in Abu Dhabi and The Players Championship. In the Masters, he was docked two strokes — but not disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard — the day after taking an illegal drop. Woods said he did what he was supposed to do in each case.

Woods has won seven times on the PGA Tour in the since March 2012 — but no majors. He remains stuck on 14, with his last coming in the 2008 U.S. Open. His next chance comes in the U.S. Open at Merion outside of Philadelphia. Woods has never been to Merion.

“I will play it before tournament week,” Woods said. “I’ll go take a look at it. Generally that’s when I do a lot of my scouting on the greens and do all my charting, take care of that, so I have very little to do as far as charting the greens during the tournament week.

” … I don’t know if it’s hilly or it’s flat, is it predominantly right to left, left to right, whether it’s going to be the driver or is it going to be the 3-wood that week or 5-wood, I don’t know. These are all things that I’ll get an understanding for when I first go play it.”

Woods also talked about the proposed anchoring ban. The U.S. Golf Association will announce its decision concerning anchoring on Tuesday. If the ban becomes a rule of golf, it won’t go into effect until Jan. 1, 2016. The PGA Tour and the PGA of America opposed the ban during the comment period.

“I hope they go with the ban,” he said. “That’s something that I’ve said, that anchoring should not be a part of the game. It should be mandatory to have to swing all 14 clubs. There are different ways of making the butt end of the club move. You’ve seen it with Bernhard Langer when he won the Masters putting against his forearm, what (Matt Kuchar) does putting against his forearm, as well. But it’s not a fixed point; the butt end does travel.

” … And as far as the PGA Tour, I hope they do it as soon as possible to be honest with you. I’ve always said that. I’ve always felt that golf you should have to swing the club, control your nerves and swing all 14 clubs, not just 13.”

And Woods said his swing change — and a slight alteration to his training — has helped keep him healthy for an extended period of time.

“That’s one of the reasons why I changed my swing, to make it a little bit easier on my body. The strength training is still there. I don’t go out there and run the 30 miles a week like I used to,” Woods said. “I’m just too old to do that now. But I still will do the explosive training and I’ll still do all that, all the strength training. I’m stronger now than I ever have been, but I just obviously can’t log the miles like I used to.”

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — After winning The Players Championship on Sunday on the treacherous Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass for his 78th career PGA Tour victory, Tiger Woods was asked about the state of his game.

“It’s getting better,” Woods said.

Food for thought for the rest of the PGA Tour, and it might be hard to digest.

“He’s playing unbelievable golf right now,” said Brandt Snedeker, who played the first two rounds of The Players with Woods. “You can tell as players when a guy is flushing it or not. He has an innate ability to flush it all the time. Even when he is hitting it left or right he’s still hitting it in the center of the clubface whenever he wants to. You never count out guys like that.

“From what I saw the last couple of days he’s been putting great. That’s scary. The way he hits it and with his short game, that’s hard to beat.”

Here are some of the numbers the world’s No. 1 has compiled to now:

4: Victories in 2013. This is the earliest Woods has ever reached four wins in a season.

7: Victories in his last 21 PGA Tour stroke-play events.

52 of 56: Conversion rate when Woods has at least a share of the 54-hole lead.

78: Career PGA Tour victories. Sam Snead, with 82, is No. 1 on the list.

300: PGA Tour starts (including as an amateur). Woods also won in his 100th and 200th PGA Tour starts.

Here are a few more numbers over the course of Woods’ 300 PGA Tour starts, including as an amateur:

78 wins (26%), and 28 seconds in his career.

123 top-3s, which is 41% of his starts, and 182 top-10s, 61% of his starts.

And he says he’s getting better?

“The way I was playing at Augusta, I was shaping the golf ball both ways and controlling my trajectory, and I thought that was important coming into this week,” Woods said. “And it ended up being one of the key factors because I missed the golf ball in all the right spots.”

Woods’ next two appearances are expected to be Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, May 30-June 2, and the U.S. Open at Merion, June 13-16.

Muirfiled Village is a Woods favorite — like Torrey Pines, Doral and Bay Hill, on which he has won multiple times, including this year — and he will be going for his sixth victory in the Memorial.

Merion will be new territory — “I’ve never played Merion,” Woods says — but he showed a potential winning strategy with his victory at TPC Sawgrass: Rarely using the driver; playing 3-woods, 5-woods and irons off the tee; keeping the ball in play; shaping the ball; controlling distance and trajectory with his irons; making putts.

“I almost feel like he is playing Merion right now with all of the layups and the conservative shots and positioning,” NBC’s Johnny Miller said during The Players broadcast. “It looks like he is getting ready for it right now.”

Merion will be a short — under 7,000 yards — tight layout that will require the kind of precision Woods showed this week. Perhaps the same game plan?

“It sounds good in theory. But I don’t know,” Woods said, with a laugh.

As for whether he really is getting better, many won’t accept it until he finds the winner’s circle again in a major.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — With a history of bruises on a golf course that can dish out pain on every hole, in a tournament he’s won only once, and on a weekend he took verbal jabs from Sergio Garcia and jabbed back, Tiger Woods had to call on all his powers to win The Players Championship.

Digging deep after dunking his tee shot into the water on the 14th hole and squandering a 2-shot lead, Woods collected his thoughts before his next shot and controlled his emotions down the stretch to win his second Players, a dozen years after claiming his first.

Woods left TPC Sawgrass late on Mother’s Day night with his fourth win of the season and the 78th Tour title of his career, just four shy of Sam Snead’s all-time record of 82. He has won seven of his last 21 stroke-play Tour events and is now 52-4 when holding at least a share of the lead entering the final round. Woods also became the sixth player to win multiple Players titles in the tournament’s 40 years, joining Hal Sutton, Fred Couples, Steve Elkington, Davis Love III and Jack Nicklaus, the only three-time winner.

“It was a tough battle,” Woods said. “This golf course has been a little bit tricky over the years, and I’m not the only one who’s struggled with it. It’s a tough course. Fortunately, I’ve been playing really well, and the last tournament I played in, I played really well. So coming here I was pretty confident in what I was doing.

” … I hit it so good today, it was fun. I hit it high, low, left to right, right to left, whatever I wanted, except for that tee shot at 14.”

After his water miscue, the world’s No. 1 golfer said a key par save on the next hole — with a clutch 8-foot putt — “turned the tide” for him.

He temporarily grabbed the outright lead with a birdie on the par-5 16th, and closed with two pars to post a 2-under-par 70 for the day and 13 under for the tournament, two shots in front of David Lingmerth, Kevin Streelman and Jeff Maggert, who at 49 was trying to become the oldest Players champion.

“I was in control of the tournament, got to the 14th tee and hit the worst shot I could possibly hit,” said Woods, whose girlfriend, skier Lindsey Vonn, was in the gallery. “But it was the only bad swing I had all day and I was still tied for the lead.”

Garcia, playing behind Woods in the final group with the little-known Lingmerth, pulled even with Woods with a birdie on 16.

Then, disaster. The Spaniard dunked two balls into the water on the fan-favorite island par-3 at 17 for a quadruple-bogey 7, followed by another ball into the water on 18 and a double-bogey that dropped him to eighth place. Five years ago, when he won The Players, it was his opponent in the playoff, Paul Goydos, who found the water at 17.

“That hole has been good to me for the most part,” Garcia said. “Today, it wasn’t. … That’s the kind of hole it is. You’ve got to love it for what it is.”

GALLERY: TIGER WOOD’ 78 PGA TOUR VICTORIES

The only player left for Woods to dodge was Lingmerth, who had missed his last five cuts heading into The Players and counts just one professional win. Lingmerth missed a 7-foot putt for birdie on the 17th and then he missed a 60-footer for birdie on the last, eventually three-putting to fall out of solo second.

‘Don’t like each other’

Sunday broke early for Woods, Garcia and six others who had to restart the third round at 7:10 a.m. after a storm delayed action Saturday. Woods and Garcia, who played in the marquee final group on Saturday, started from the 15th fairway. Woods made one birdie, Garcia two in the closing holes and shared the 54-hole lead with Lingmerth.

Lingmerth and Garcia were paired in the final group for the final round, with Woods in the penultimate group with Casey Wittenberg. Garcia said it was a good thing he and Woods weren’t paired.

“He’s not my favorite guy to play with. He’s not the nicest guy on Tour. So it will good for both us not to play together again,” Garcia said following completion of the third round. “We don’t like each other. It doesn’t take a rocket engineer to figure that out.”

The two didn’t play nice on Saturday. They extended a long-running feud following an incident on the second fairway in the third round. Garcia told NBC during a storm delay that Woods — unintentionally or not — had caused a distraction that triggered Garcia to hit his worst shot of the day. Garcia said that when Woods pulled a 5-wood out of his bag for his second shot out of the trees, the crowd responded with cheers — during Garcia’s swing. Woods countered after the round that he is accustomed to Garcia complaining.

“Obviously, he doesn’t know all the facts,” Woods said Saturday. “The marshal said he already hit and I pulled the 5-wood and hit.

” … It’s not really surprising he was complaining about something.”

Garcia, when told of Woods’ response, said, “I don’t care. At least I’m true to myself. I know what I’m doing. And he can do whatever he wants.”

The frosty relationship between Woods and Garcia dates to the made-for-TV Battle at Bighorn in 2000, when Garcia beat Woods and celebrated a bit too much, especially with Woods batttling the flu.

Two years later at the U.S. Open, Garcia complained that heavy rains should have forced stoppage in play — saying that if Woods had been playing during the heavy rains, play would have been stopped.

Woods winning 14 majors hasn’t helped the relationship, either, as Garcia remains at zero, though Garcia has played a major role Europe’s success in the Ryder Cup.

Following Sunday’s final round, Garcia didn’t blame the scrap with Woods on his play down the stretch. But he had one parting shot.

“Was it a distraction? Maybe a little bit. But I mean, it really distracted me at that time, then after that you kind of move on and you try to figure things out,” said Garcia, who added he doesn’t regret saying anything about the incident. ” … I don’t know, it sounds like I was the bad guy here. I was the victim.”

Woods implied the same thing, saying he just goes out and tries to win golf tournament. He had nothing to say about Garcia’s Sunday comments, just saying he handled the situation well.

Another drop scrutinized

NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller had plenty to say — about Woods’ drop on the 14th hole. Woods hooked his 3-wood into the water hazard on the left and had to determine where the ball last crossed the hazard line. Woods, who was involved in a drop controversy in the Masters last month, eventually dropped 255 yards from the hole after consulting with playing partner Casey Wittenberg.

Miller said it was “borderline” whether Woods dropped in the proper place. Mark Rolfing, the only analyst near the tee, said he didn’t have a problem with it.

Mark Russell, vice president of competition for the PGA Tour, said there was no problem.

“I saw it perfectly off the tee,” Wittenberg said. “I told him exactly where I thought it crossed, and we all agreed. We talked to each other. He asked me exactly where it crossed. I told him I thought it crossed on the corner of the bunker right where he took his drop, and it’s all good.

“There is no doubt, guys. The ball crossed where he dropped.”

And there’s no doubt Woods is the best player in the game. He likely will play next in The Memorial, one of his three wins last year. Then he will play in the U.S. Open and try and win his first major since the 2008 U.S. Open.

“Am I surprised? No,” Woods said when asked if he’s surprised with his latest stretch of outstanding golf. “I know a lot of people in this room thought I was done. But I’m not. … I’m just trying to get better, and I feel like I’m getting better as the year’s going on, which is nice.”

Numbers piling up for Tiger

4: Victories in 2013. This is the earliest Woods has ever reached four wins in a season.

7: Victories in his last 21 PGA Tour stroke-play events.

52 of 56: Conversion rate when Woods has at least a share of the 54-hole lead.

78: Career PGA Tour victories. Sam Snead, with 82, is No. 1 on the list.

300: PGA Tour starts (including as an amateur). Woods also won in his 100th and 200th PGA Tour starts.

$5,849,600: Official PGA Tour earnings in 2013.

$106,800,300: Official career PGA Tour earnings.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The final day of The Players Championship broke early as eight players finished their third round due to a storm delay during Saturday’s play.

But there won’t be a sequel to the Tiger Woods-Sergio Garcia pairing.

Garcia said that’s a good thing.

“He’s not my favorite guy to play with. He’s not the nicest guy on Tour. So it will good for both us not to play together again,” Garcia said after finishing his third round with an even-par 72 under sunny skies to stand in a three-way tie with Woods (71) and David Lingmerth (69) at 11 under. “We don’t like each other. It doesn’t take a rocket engineer to figure that out.”

Garcia and Lingmerth will play in the final pairing, Woods with Casey Wittenberg in the penultimate group. The final round was scheduled to begin at 8:35 a.m. ET. The forecast calls for overcast skies with up to a 30% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Woods and Garcia began Sunday from the 15th fairway. Woods lipped out on his birdie putt while a poor chip led to a bogey for Garcia. Both made birdie on the par-5 16th. Garcia notched another birdie on the island green at 17 when his tee shot struck the flagstick and he made a 12-foot birdie putt.

Both made par on 18, with Garcia making a good up-and-down.

“It doesn’t matter,” Woods said when asked if he cared if he was in the final pairing. “I’m tied for the lead. I’m right there and I’m playing well. I’m going to go back to the hotel, get some rest and get back at it in the afternoon.”

Garcia and Woods didn’t play nice on Saturday. The two extended a long running feud with some verbal punches following an incident on the second fairway in the third round. Garcia told NBC during a storm delay that Woods – unintentionally or not – caused a distraction that trigger the Spaniard to hit his worst shot of the day. Woods countered after the round that he wasn’t surprised Garcia was complaining about something.

Garcia’s shot — which ended up 40 yards to the right of his target on pine straw amongst trees — led to a bogey. Woods, hitting his second out of trees, eventually made birdie on the hole.

Garcia said that when Woods pulled a 5-wood out of his bag for his second shot, the crowd broke out in cheers — during Garcia’s swing.

“Obviously, he doesn’t know all the facts,” Woods said after the round. “The marshal said he already hit and I pulled the 5-wood and hit.

” … It’s not really surprising he was complaining about something.”

Garcia, when told of what Woods said, countered.

“I don’t care,” Garcia said. “At least I’m true to myself. I know what I’m doing. And he can do whatever he wants.”

While Woods took the courtesy van back to the 15th fairway to get in position for the restart, Garcia walked from the clubhouse. The two didn’t exchange any words until shaking hands on the 18th green when play was complete. Woods dodged questions when asked about the situation after the completion of his round. Garcia finally had talked enough about it.

“He is who he is. I am who I am. It’s best we’re not playing together again,” Garcia said. “I’m in a good position. It was nice to finish the way I did, with two birdies and a great save on the last hole. Hopefully, I will get a good feeling this afternoon and see how it goes.”

Lingmerth made a bogey on the final hole — the only hole he played in the morning. Playing in his first Players, Lingmerth has shot three rounds in the 60s and is in position to win his first Tour event. The same goes for Wittenberg. Henrik Stenson, who won The Players in 2009, is also at 10 under with Ryan Palmer.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The marquee final pairing of world No. 1 Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia provided few fireworks before a storm delay stopped play at The Players Championship.

But there was one moment.

The two scrambled through their first six holes – no more so than on the par-5 second hole. Garcia had struck a perfect drive while Woods hooked his tee shot into the woods on the left. Garcia’s second shot from 275 yards went 40 yards right of his target, into the woods and pine straw on the right. Garcia was visibly irritated, motioning that a burst of noise in the middle of his backswing led to the extreme mis-hit.

Later, Garcia said the culprit was Woods. As Woods was figuring out how to extract himself from a thorny issue — his ball was on pine straw in the trees — Garcia said Woods pulled a 5-wood or 3-wood from his bag as Garcia began his swing. At that time, the spectators surrounding Woods let out a cheer, seeing that Woods was going to go for the green. That cheer threw Garcia off.

“Well, obviously Tiger was on the left and it was my shot to hit. He moved all of the crowd that he needed to move, I waited for that. I wouldn’t say that he didn’t see that I was ready, but you do have a feel when the other guy is going to hit and right as I was in the top of the backswing, I think he must have pulled like a 5-wood or a 3-wood and obviously everybody started screaming,” Garcia told NBC during the delay. “So that didn’t help very much. But it was unfortunate because — I mean I might have hit it there if nothing happens, you never know — but if I hit a good shot there and maybe make birdie, it gets my day started in a bit of a different way.”

Woods and Garcia were each at 10 under par, two shots behind David Lingmerth of Sweden, when play was suspended by darkness.

After the round, Woods, who said he heard Garcia’s remarks before going back on the course after the delay was over, said Garcia was lacking info.

“Obviously, he doesn’t know all the facts,” Woods said. “The marshal said he already hit and I pulled the 5-wood and hit.

” … It’s not really surprising he was complaining about something.”

Woods was then asked if he had talked to Garcia about the situation.

“We didn’t do a lot of talking,” Woods said.

Garcia, following the round, was told what Woods had said.

“I don’t care,” Garcia said. “At least I’m true to myself. I know what I’m doing.”

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The marquee final pairing of world No. 1 Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia didn’t live up to its much-hyped billing in Saturday’s third round of The Players Championship.

On the course, that is.

Adding another chapter to an ever-growing saga that at best can be described as a bit frosty, the candid Garcia told NBC during a storm delay that Woods — unintentionally or not — created a distraction that caused Garcia to hit his worst shot of the day. Woods countered after the round that he wasn’t surprised Garcia was complaining about something.

Back on the course, the third round was delayed because of darkness with the remaining players who didn’t finish their round scheduled to return to the course for a 7:10 a.m. restart Sunday. They will do so with little known David Lingmerth of Sweden, whose lone professional win was the Neediest Kids Championship on the Web.com Tour last year, in the lead.

Playing in his first Players, Lingmerth finished his day on the with a birdie on the 17th to move to 12 under, two shots ahead of 2009 Players champion Henrik Stenson, 2001 champion Woods and 2008 champion Garcia. Stenson had completed 16 holes, while both Woods and Garcia were in the 15th fairway.

Three players — 49-year-old Jeff Maggert (66), 2012 Web.com Tour player of the year Casey Wittenberg (through 17) and Ryan Palmer (through 16) were at 9 under.

Hunter Mahan’s tee shot on the 15th hole got stuck high up in a tree, leading to double bogey, but then he rolled in an eagle putt from off the 16th green. He three-putted the 17th green for bogey and wound up with a 71, putting him at 8-under 208 with David Lynn of England, who had a 68. Lynn lost in a playoff last week at Quail Hollow.

The trouble between Woods and Garcia started on the second fairway. Garcia had struck a perfect drive while Woods hooked his tee shot into the woods on the left. Garcia’s second shot from 275 yards went 40 yards right of his target, into the woods and pine straw on the right. Garcia was visibly irritated, motioning that a burst of noise in the middle of his backswing had led to the extreme mis-hit.

Later, Garcia said the culprit was Woods. As Woods was figuring out how to extract himself from a thorny issue — his ball was on pine straw in the trees — Garcia said Woods pulled a 5-wood or 3-wood from his bag as Garcia began his swing. At that time, the spectators surrounding Woods let out a cheer, seeing that Woods was going to go for the green. That cheer threw Garcia off.

“I wouldn’t say that he didn’t see that I was ready, but you do have a feel when the other guy is going to hit and right as I was in the top of the backswing, I think he must have pulled like a five-wood or a three-wood and obviously everybody started screaming,” Garcia told NBC during the delay. “So that didn’t help very much. But it was unfortunate because — I mean I might have hit it there if nothing happens, you never know – but if I hit a good shot there and maybe make birdie, it gets my day started in a bit of a different way.”

Instead, Garcia made bogey. Woods hit his second shot into a bunker but managed to get the ball up-and-down for a birdie. The two-shot swing gave Woods the outright lead at the time.

After the round, Woods, who said