PGA Tour Season Gets Off To An All-American Start

With the first third of the PGA tour season in the books, the American pros have asserted their dominance. All 13 tournaments have been won by American golfers heading into this weekend’s Shell Houston Open, where the streak is expected to continue.

Out of the 13 tournaments played to this point, Jupiter Island resident Tiger Woods leads everyone with three victories (Torrey Pines, Doral, and Bay Hill). The streak started in Hawaii when Dustin Johnson won the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. The Loxahatchee River resident has been joined by several other seasoned tour pros including Woods, Phil Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker, and Matt Kuchar. Even tour rookie Russell Henley has got into the win column when he won his first ever PGA tour tournament at the Sony Open in Hawaii in they year’s second event.

american golf ballIncluding Henley, there have been five first time tour winners to come out of the group of Americans this year. Michael Thompson won the Honda Classic at PGA National, Kevin Streelman won the Tampa Bay Championship, John Merrick won the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club, and Scott Brown won the Puerto Rico Open.

American’s winning on the PGA tour is nothing new. In the past five years, U.S. golfers have won 70% of all tournaments played, however the only other time we have seen a run this dominant is in 2010 when European golfers won 7-of-8 tournaments that included Rory Mcllroy’s (Palm Beach Gardens) first tour win at Quail Hollow, Grame McDowell’s U.S. Open win at Pebble Beach, and Old Palm resident Lee Westwood’s win at the St. Jude Classic.

The ultimate question is, will the American’s be able to continue their success in this years major tournament events. The last time U.S. players swept all four majors was in 1982 and the closest they have been since then was in 2006, when they won three of the four majors.

Make the Climb! See Jupiter from a New Pair of Eyes!

Ocean_Harbour_3

One of the most famous, iconic symbols of our seaside town, Jupiter, is the Jupiter Lighthouse. If you have yet to climb the steps of the Lighthouse add it to your list!

The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse has been a standing landmark since 1860. There is a waterfront museum that is features several buildings showcasing stories of old Florida. These stories focus on over 5,000 years of human habitation in and around the Jupiter Inlet and the Loxahatchee River. Your tour will begin in the newly built (2012) Museum Gifts and Sweet Shop. You will walk along a brick-lined path to the several exhibits including a restored WWII Navy Building, an 1892 Tindall Pioneer Homestead Exhibit and a 100 year old Pennock Plantation Bell. Then you will get to climb the 105 steps leading to the top of the 108-foot tall lighthouse.

Take it from me, I have done this tour several times, it is a must do! Once you arrive at the top you will see Jupiter from a birds eye. You can see for miles, the beautiful twists and turns of the Loxahatchee River, up the beach to Jupiter Island and down it to Palm Beach.

There is a bevy of information to be given and a number of different tours. You can climb the “Moon Rise Tour” in the evening to watch the moon rise into the night sky or even take a “Blue Moon Tour” at night to witness some of summer’s most magnificent full moons. The “Chickee Chats Tours’ are for the kids, where they can enjoy story time and craft underneath the Banyan trees. A “Sunset Tour” is always a romantic and unique way to surprise your loved one. The grounds are also available for reservation to host a party or a wedding. The beach is open to those who would like to picnic and enjoy the water. For more information about the tours and events held at the Jupiter Lighthouse and Museum, please visit www.jupiterlighthouse.org.

Tee Times For This Weekend’s Shell Houston Open

The Florida swing has come to an end and the PGA tour moves to Texas for the next two weeks before the Masters. This weekend’s Shell Houston Open will be held at Redstone Golf Club in Humble, Texas and will feature some of the top local golfers on the tour. Here is a look at the local golfers competing and their tee times for Thursday and Friday.

Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuzien (8am on tee 1 Thursday and 1pm on tee 10 Friday)- The two are neighbors in Old Palm and will look to continue to improve as they prepare for the Masters in a few weeks. Westwood’s best at this event was a tie for eighth in 2010 while Oosthuzien has been climbing up the World Rankings in recent weeks and is ranked sixth in the world going into the weekend.

Golf2-1Rory Mcllroy, Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley (12:50pm on tee 1 Thursday and 7:50am on tee 10 Friday)- This start studded threesome features not only some of the best golfers in our area but some of the top golfers in the world. Keegan Bradley (Tequesta) is coming off a third place finish last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and has three top five finishes in his last nine events. He finished fourth in this event last year and will look to get his first win of the season. Rory Mcllroy dropped to number two in the World Golf Ranking with Tiger’s win on Monday, but that is not phasing the Palm Beach Gardens resident. He took last week off but got plenty of practice at a local municipal course in Miami and is coming off a final round 65 at Doral. Dustin Johnson last played this event in 2009 and missed the cut. The Loxahatchee River resident took last week off just like Mcllroy and is coming off a 12th place finish at Doral.

Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Geoff Ogilvy (7:50am on tee 10 Thursday and 12:50 on tee 1 on Friday)- While none of the three are local residents, this threesome puts the last two winners of the this tournament together. Mahan is the defending champion and Mickelson won in 2011. Both will try and improve off their finishes at The Arnold Palmer Invitational. Mahan finished in a tie for 21st while Mickelson missed the cut.

For more information on tee times or to follow the tournament visit www.pgatour.com.

 

Breaking Down Tiger Woods’ Win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational

Tiger Woods Tiger Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill on Monday for the eighth time. The win moved the Jupiter Island resident into first in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time since October 24, 2010. Here are some facts and statistics from his victory.

The win was the 77th of Woods’ career. He is now only five tour wins behind Sam Snead for the most tour wins in PGA History.

The win was Tiger’s eighth at Bay Hill which ties him with Snead for the most PGA Tour wins at one venue. He also has won eight times at Torrey Pines. He was won seven times at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, the Farmers Insurance Open, and the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

Tiger’s win also moved him into the top spot in the Fed Ex Cup standings. This week marks a record 61st week that tiger held the top spot on the Fed Ex Cup list. Bear’s Club resident Ernie Els is second on that list with 22 weeks atop the list, 39 weeks less than Woods.

Woods is now 41-2 when having the lead after 54 holes and wins 27% of the time he steps foot on a golf course.

Woods will take the next two weeks off as he prepares for the Masters April 11-14.

Rory Mcllroy to Visit Haiti on Humanitarian Misson

Rory Mcllroy after his win at The Honda Classic in 2012 at PGA National

Rory Mcllroy after his win at The Honda Classic in 2012 at PGA National

Some golfers take the week before the Masters off to relax and recuperate before the season’s first major, while others feel the best way to get ready is for one final tune-up. Not Rory Mcllroy, he will be doing something very different in the days leading up to the tournament at Augusta.

Mcllroy will visit Haiti for two days as part of a humanitarian mission. The Palm Beach Gardens resident will return to the island for the second time in three years as Ireland’s ambassador to UNICEF. He last visited in 2011, months after the island was hit was a cataclysmic earthquake that wrecked the country. He plans to return to see how the people of Haiti’s lives have changed in the past two years and continue to raise awareness for the country still devastated by the damage.

After his return from Haiti in 2011, Mcllroy won his first major at the U.S. Open with a record setting score of 16-under par. For more information on all that UNICEF does in the United States and around the world visit www.unicefusa.org.