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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 10, 2022 7:19:16 GMT -5
Event 12 - 2000 THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP at TPC Sawgrass - Round 1
The first of 11 events that comprise the 'Spring Swing' is the unofficial '5th Major'. With all the top players from Europe and the rest of the world here to prepare for the forthcoming Masters tournament in two weeks' time, we had a star-studded field at Sawgrass this week. With a windy time forecast it should be interesting to see who prevails. Charlie Roberts had all kinds of technical problems and his 81 removed any optimism he may have had for this tourney. After carding a poor 75, mainly due to varying swing tempos and putting issues, Les Souter was understandably far from happy with his game, although he did almost ace the 13th. Randy Grant also found the slow greens difficult to manage, but he was still able to post an encouraging 69 that would see him tied 3rd at close of play. Bob Fletcher had an inconsistent round but he would not be displeased with his final 68, leaving him one stroke off the leader. And that was Ian McKinley, whose 67 included just one bogey, on the 5th, and a run of 7 consecutive pars to conclude his round...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 10, 2022 20:06:09 GMT -5
Event 12 - 2000 THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP at TPC Sawgrass - Round 2
Strong winds, rain, and sluggish greens were the order of the day for this round. There were two main stories today. The first was Charlie Roberts' extraordinary 60, which even included a bogey on #13, meaning he scored an incredible 21 strokes better than his opening round!! And that saw him shoot up the leaderboard into 7th place! The second main item of interest was Ian McKinley's superb 63 which included two eagles and no dropped shots! Consequently, at the end of the day Ian found himself 8 shots clear of his nearest rivals, and surely about to add another title to the Tucson Open he won in January. Les Souter moved into a share of 11th courtesy of a much improved round of 68, while Randy Grant's 70 would have been lower but for three late bogeys when his putter failed him, but he is still right up there tied for 4th spot. Coincidentally, Bob Fletcher also carded three late bogeys and also shot a 70 but, with the professionals all struggling, he is one of Ian's closest challengers along with tour pro Hal Sutton. Even Tiger Woods isn't finding it easy and he could only manage another 71, but he shouldn't be written off just yet...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 12, 2022 20:52:33 GMT -5
Event 12 - 2000 THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP at TPC Sawgrass - Round 3
The wind lessened slightly but the greens had dried out and were quick. Although Les Souter was far from happy with his current form, his level par 72 today was still good enough to keep him in the top half of the leaderboard, and that was a good indication of how most of the professionals struggled. Charlie Roberts' 69 was quite an achievement considering he started and ended his round with a triple-bogey, but he is still right up there in the top 10 - as is Randy Grant after he, too, carded a 69, despite carding 4 bogeys. Bob Fletcher produced the best score of the round, a fine 65, but just when he thought it would be a bogey-free day he dropped a shot on the last hole. Bob is 7 strokes behind tournament leader Ian McKinley with one round to play. Ian's 66 made him the hot favourite, but with some wild weather forecast for the final round nothing is certain just yet...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 14, 2022 7:43:48 GMT -5
Event 12 - 2000 THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP at TPC Sawgrass - Round 4
Arguably we had the worst conditions possible today. Very high winds, very firm ground, and very fast greens would leave the players with just one aim - survival. Les Souter will want to wipe this tournament from his memory after signing off with a capitulating 80, and he now has some work to do to be ready for the Masters. Randy Grant was battered into submission but his 81 still saw him finish tied 23rd. After his nightmare opening round Charlie Roberts knuckled down and a very respectable closing 71 rewarded him with his best finish for quite a while, helped along the way by the best round of the event, an amazing 60 in Round 2. Bob Fletcher's 2 birdies were outnumbered by his bogeys and worse, and his disappointing 77 saw him drop down to 4th spot - still good but not what he'd hoped for. Our winner this week was IAN McKINLEY who put on a sublime display all week. His excellent 69 today merely emphasised his superb form and completed a well-deserved victory by the incredible margin of 13 strokes!! This is Ian's second title win of 2000 and if he can maintain this standard of play there will be more to follow...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 16, 2022 19:57:41 GMT -5
Event 13 - 2000 BELLSOUTH CLASSIC at Sea Island Plantation - Round 1
High winds and fast greens were the order of the opening day, but all four guests seemed to relish the seemingly not-so-easy conditions to occupy the top four leaderboard positions at the day's end. Ian McKinley made a good start to the week with a 66 but he will remember the round for the ALBATROSS he had on the 8th hole. He followed that with 6 pars but finished with a flourish, grabbing birdies on the last four holes. Although unhappy with the general standard of his play, Bob Fletcher somehow put together a fine 65, while Les Souter achieved a 'clean' round of 64 and his A-game seems to be returning just in time for Augusta next week. However, Randy Grant was the Day 1 leader after shooting a stunning 62 which also included no dropped shots, something that Randy put down to "better concentration".
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 18, 2022 7:03:30 GMT -5
Event 13 - 2000 BELLSOUTH CLASSIC at Sea Island Plantation - Round 2
There were still high winds to combat but the greens had dried out to become ultra-quick. Ian McKinley lost his way a little and could only card a 73, falling away from the leading group in the process. Things looked promising for Randy Grant when he birdied #3 and eagled #4, but mixed fortunes on the rest of the course resulted in a level par 72 round. Randy was still tied 2nd though, along with tour pro Joey Sindelar and Les Souter, whose fighting 70 included a 3-putt bogey on #13 and a water-bogey on #18. Bob Fletcher had an eventful round of 68 to become the new tournament leader. He began the round with a 3-putt from 10 feet on the 1st, birdied the 4th after his drive found water by draining a 44-foot putt, almost aced the 15th, and fell foul of the tricky pin on #18. It's very close at the top with Bob holding a slender 1-stroke advantage, so anything could happen over the weekend...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 18, 2022 21:00:26 GMT -5
Event 13 - 2000 BELLSOUTH CLASSIC at Sea Island Plantation - Round 3
Strong winds and rain rendered the greens very sluggish, but low scoring was still a possibility. Ian McKinley remained in mid-leaderboard after a 72 today, and I think he's got his eye on next week's Masters tournament and could be saving his best for then. Late starter Charlie Roberts' 65 today, after earlier rounds of 61 and 71, placed him just 2 strokes off the lead and in a share of 3rd spot with first round leader Randy Grant who produced a very good 63. That was also second round leader Bob Fletcher's score, and he now sits in 2nd place just one shot behind our new leader. And that is Les Souter whose brilliant 61 was due to everything dropping and an absence of any kind of bogey. The weather for the final round is forecast to be the worst of the week and, because the top 4 guests are so close together, whoever handles it the best will probably taste victory...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 21, 2022 8:20:07 GMT -5
Event 13 - 2000 BELLSOUTH CLASSIC at Sea Island Plantation - Round 4
Conditions were brutal for the final round, very strong winds and fast, bone-dry greens made for a testing challenge to say the least. Falling foul of the weather were Ian McKinley (80), who still finished the event in spite of health problems, Randy Grant (81) who finished tied 7th, and Bob Fletcher (81) who ended the tourney in a share of 4th place, mainly thanks to his first three rounds. On the opening day Charlie Roberts had shot a 61, the best score of the week, but in the following two rounds he'd failed to maintain that high standard and been sucked back into the leading group. Today he again produced a stunning round, an amazing 64 considering the conditions, to win the event by the incredible margin of 14 strokes from tour pros Phil Mickelson and Gary Nicklaus. This is Charlie's second victory of the season, adding to the Mercedes Championships he won in Hawaii. And he's found his best form just in time for The Masters next week...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 22, 2022 13:43:46 GMT -5
Event 14 - 2000 MASTERS at Augusta - Round 1
The opening day had an innocuous breeze and quick greens facing the players, so nothing too daunting. Despite his health issues, Ian McKinley was pleased with his form as he battled his way to a level par 72. That was also the score posted by Les Souter, Randy Grant and Bob Fletcher. Les actually carded 2 eagles but dropped shots denied him an under par round. A triple-bogey on #7 looked to have ruined Randy's start to the tourney but he rallied well on the back nine to keep his interest alive. Bob Fletcher was far from happy about his performance, but birdies on all four par 5's and sinking a 36-foot birdie putt on #17 helped to keep him in the picture. Last week's winner of the BellSouth Classic, Charlie Roberts, carried over that form to shoot a fine 68, in spite of a double-bogey on #4 and a triple-bogey on #16, and he ended the day as joint tournament leader with the unfancied pro Dennis Paulsen. So far, so good for all five participating guests...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 23, 2022 19:47:53 GMT -5
Event 14 - 2000 MASTERS at Augusta - Round 2
High winds appeared on the morning of the second day, threatening to make the course even more difficult than it already was. The speed of the greens was still fast, but not as quick as some feared. Joint overnight leader Dennis Paulson fell away when he shot a 76, while one of the pre-event favourites, Tiger Woods, continued to make little impact, carding a 72 to add to his opening 75. As for the guests, they mostly held their own, with only Randy Grant scoring over par, putting his less than satisfactory 73 down to inaccurate approaches and a few putts shaving the cup rather than dropping. Les Souter improved on his opening effort by posting a 71, and is still a threat being only 5 strokes behind the leaders. Ian McKinley recorded a 70 that included only one bogey, and he was very pleased to be well-positioned in a tie for 9th, one shot ahead of Les. Despite a double-bogey on #10, Bob Fletcher was rightfully delighted with his 69 which lifted him into a share of 6th place, just 3 off the pace. Overnight joint leader Charlie Roberts maintained that status after firing a 70, which included an eagle on #2 but also a disastrous 10 on #13 when he found the creek no less than three times!! How much will he regret that hole come Sunday night?!
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 27, 2022 6:33:30 GMT -5
Event 14 - 2000 MASTERS at Augusta - Round 3
The wind level returned to just a breeze for today's proceedings, but the greens had been left with no moisture at all so were super-quick. Randy Grant suffered in the sunshine, carding several bogeys and a triple on #10, resulting in a 79 and the end of his interest in the tournament. Les Souter also dropped out of contention after a 75, although he is still respectably placed in a share of 19th spot. Bob Fletcher has already surpassed all his expectations for this event and he remained in the hunt by firing a 70 today, and now lies in 4th spot, just a couple of strokes behind the new leader, tour pro Vijay Singh. Sharing 2nd place are Charlie Roberts and Ian McKinley. Ian dropped only one shot today, on the 4th, but seems to be getting better as the tourney progresses, the 68 he shot today being his best round of the week so far. The best moment of Charlie's round was a super eagle on the 13th, but he would have been hoping for something lower than his eventual 72. It's still anyone's green jacket to win or lose - Round 4 should be exciting!
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 28, 2022 13:25:23 GMT -5
Event 14 - 2000 MASTERS at Augusta - Round 4
On the plus side the wind had all but disappeared, but on the minus side the greens were still ultra-fast and the Sunday pins were as tricky as ever. Les Souter completed the tourney with a submissive 76, but he'll be hoping to bounce back at Harbour Town next week. Randy Grant finally found some form, albeit far too late, and fired a very good 68, the equal best round of the day, which lifted him up to a mid-leaderboard position. Bob Fletcher struggled, especially on the back nine, and could only register an even par 72, but that was still good enough to clinch a share of 6th place with Ian McKinley. Ian played consistently well this week, but his 73 was his worst round of the event. Overnight leader Vijay Singh held a slender one-stroke lead going into the final round, and he handled the pressure admirably, posting a solid 69. But that meant that Charlie Roberts' 68 saw him tied with Vijay and so we had a play-off situation!!
In sudden-death playoffs at The Masters prior to 2004, the play-off started on the 10th hole, continued to the 11th, and, had it been necessary, the golfers would have continued playing the back nine in order. Charlie and Vijay both managed to par the monster 10th hole, so they proceeded to the infamous 11th. Charlie again made par, but Vijay could only make a bogey - so our 2000 Masters Champion is CHARLIE ROBERTS!!
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Feb 28, 2022 13:51:24 GMT -5
Charlie Roberts' play-off victory at Augusta, his third tournament win of the 2000 season, means he is now the current Spring Swing money-leader. Ian McKinley remains as the overall top money-winner of 2000 - but there are plenty of tournaments to be played...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Mar 2, 2022 18:38:59 GMT -5
Event 15 - 2000 MCI CLASSIC at Harbour Town - Round 1
We're in South Carolina this week, where strong coastal winds are blowing in from the Atlantic and could cause problems on the tight Harbour Town course. Even though they will be quick, the greens will not be as traumatic as they were last week at Augusta. Ian McKinley started the tourney solidly with a 68 which included only one bogey, that coming on the 8th. Randy Grant was going great guns until he came to the 10th, where his approach finished behind a tv tower and he carded a double-bogey. Even though he never really recovered, only grabbing one more birdie, he still posted a fine 66 to end the day tied 3rd with tour pro Dan Forsman. One stroke ahead and joint leaders after Day 1 were Les Souter, determined to improve on his Masters showing, and Bob Fletcher, who eagled the 2nd but had a fruitless back nine. Charlie Roberts' score is not yet in, but the new Masters champion will almost certainly be in contention again, I'm certain...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Mar 3, 2022 19:00:54 GMT -5
Event 15 - 2000 MCI CLASSIC at Harbour Town - Round 2
Not so windy for this round, but the greens were extremely quick. Inexplicably, Ian McKinley picked up the wrong set of clubs but by the time he realised his error it was too late and he stumbled in with a 73. Randy Grant had an unpredictable time, and a double on the par 5 15th after finding water helped to restrct him to a 71, but he is still tied 6th and not completely out of the running just yet. Charlie Roberts was perplexed by the green speeds in the opening round although he still managed a very decent 65, but he had the same problem today, carding 2 bogeys and 2 doubles which is very uncharacteristic for Charlie. His final score of 70 leaves him joint 4th, four shots off the lead and still in the hunt. Three bogeys in the first four holes was not what Bob Fletcher had in mind, but a near-albatross on the 5th seemed to remove the nerves and his eventual 67 saw him one stroke behind the new leader - Les Souter. Les had a round of two halves - a fantastic front followed by an erratic back which included a double on #11 followed by a bogey on #12, but his 66 gave him the outright lead going into the second half of the tourney...
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