Ovechkin: 'Frustrating, especially after last year'

AVONDALE, La. – Normally, sequels are never better than the originals. But J.B. Holmes and Bubba Watson are looking to buck that trend this week at the Zurich Classic.

Holmes and Watson are reuniting at TPC Louisiana, where they tied for fifth two years ago. Last year, neither player cracked the top 25 at Zurich, with Holmes failing to make the weekend alongside Brandt Snedeker. 

Don't break up a good thing, right?

"It's really comfortable playing with Bubba," said Holmes, who also went 2-1-1 with Watson at the 2015 Presidents Cup. "We have similar games. We're hitting to the same spots. We're not really changing clubs. So it's not as big an adjustment for us compared to some other teams."

Added Watson: "When you think about our games, we're not scared of hitting it in weird places, tough places. If he hits one offline, I'm good out of trouble. He's good out of trouble. We're used to it."

The only thing Holmes isn't used to is playing a yellow golf ball, something he'll have to do in foursomes this week as Watson doesn't play a traditional white ball.

The last time Holmes has done that?

"It's been a while," Holmes said. "I was probably 6."

Brooke Henderson escalated her climb to a mountaintop that looks reachable to more players than ever before in the women’s game.

With her victory at the Lotte Championship last weekend, Henderson moved up to No. 7 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings, reinvigorating her climb toward No. 1, a destination she has yet to reach but seems destined to complete as a 21-year-old who has already won eight LPGA titles, including a major.

She’s chasing the current No. 1, Jin Young Ko, who seems equipped to hold on to the top ranking for a while, though that promises to be a challenge with the women’s game appearing as difficult to dominate as it ever has.

“It’s really an honor to get the Rolex Ranking No. 1,” Ko said Wednesday as she prepared for the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open. “But anyone can climb to No. 1.”

Maybe not anyone, but it looks as wide open as ever with so many different players winning week to week.

The No. 1 ranking has switched hands six times in the last 12 months, 10 times in less than two years, with Ko ascending after her victory at the ANA Inspiration three weeks ago. 

Her victory at the ANA made her the ninth different winner in the last nine majors.

“It’s really hard to win,” Jessica Korda said after a birdie putt that would have forced a playoff with Ko at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup stopped just short at the 72^nd hole in Phoenix.

Maybe harder than ever.

It doesn’t get any easier this week.

Nine of the top 10 players in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings are in the field, 18 of the top 20. Only No. 5 Nasa Hataoka and No. 18 Jeongeun Lee6 are taking the week off.

Henderson arrives hot off her successful title defense at the Lotte Championship, a course that set up for her aggressive style of play, with the big hitter launching drivers at every opportunity, including twice from the middle of fairways.

She’s looking to show her versatility with a victory at Wilshire Country Club this week, a completely different test that won’t allow her to play as aggressively.

“It's not as much of an attacking course,” Henderson said. “Going to have to lay up a couple times and just play smart and patient. Patience is definitely a huge key around this golf course.

“There are a lot of different slopes and undulations on the greens and things. Not as attacking as maybe I would like, but hopefully I can just have my ball striking working and get myself some good looks . . . You just kind of have to go with what the course gives you. This week will be a little more difficult to do that.”

Henderson has won twice in each of the previous three seasons.

“I would love to keep the streak going since 2016, two wins a season,” she said. “I think it's definitely reachable. A lot of tournaments left this year, a lot of tournaments that I really love going to and look forward to.”

Henderson and Ariya Jutanugarn are the only players to have multiple wins in each of the last three seasons. That makes some folks scratch their heads over Henderson’s ranking and why she isn’t even higher than she is. She has three LPGA victories in the last 53 weeks. Sung Hyun Park is the only player who has won more in that span, with four victories. Henderson’s ranking is partially a function of how much she plays and the divisor that creates. She plays a lot more than most players.

Back in 2016, Henderson found herself on the cusp of No. 1, ranking second behind Lydia Ko for seven consecutive weeks.

For Henderson, though, the focus today is on other numbers.

“Definitely trying to get that second win, if not more,” she said. “I think to do that, scoring average is really my main focus. Last year, it was under 70. It was (69.99). I think if I can get it under 70 again this year, I'll be putting myself in good positions and hopefully in a lot of final groups.”

And in the hunt for world No. 1.

AVONDALE, La. – International Presidents Cup captain Ernie Els and assistant captain Trevor Immelman had dinner with nearly 20 prospective team members Tuesday evening at Arnaud’s, an upscale restaurant in New Orleans’ French Quarter, just steps from iconic Bourbon Street. The night was filled with authentic Creole food, fine wine and stories from an eclectic group that ranged from veteran Adam Scott to 20-year-old Joaquin Niemann of Chile.

“We were sitting around with people from Latin America and Asia,” Els said, “and you talk about what's going on in everybody's lives. That’s how you learn.”

Els is looking to acquire valuable information this week at the Zurich Classic. He’ll tee it up with Immelman in the team event at TPC Louisiana, but his more important task will be watching how his potential Cuppers perform together.

Five of the top eight players on the International points list are in the Zurich field, including Jason Day, who will team with Scott. There are 11 total parings that feature two Cup-eligible players, some of whom have little experience playing team events together – or team events in general.

“A team environment is very difficult for guys who play an individual sport, and to be able to do that in a two-year span and getting new blood in every two years is very difficult to gel those guys together,” Day said. “But this is a good opportunity this week to be able to get that and gel those guys together and see what potential options we have in regard to teams.”

***

Els has been part of every Presidents Cup since 1996. He was a key contributor in the International victory in 1998. He went toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods in a playoff before the Cup was shared in 2003. 

Mostly, though, he’s been on the losing end of what has quickly become a lopsided affair, one that the U.S. leads 10-1-1. The Internationals’ lone victory came more than 20 years ago, in 1998 at Royal Melbourne (site of the 2019 matches), and the past five Cups have been decided by a combined 20 points. In 2017, the U.S. team was a single point away from ending things a day early at Liberty National before winning 19-11.

If Els has noticed anything over the years, it’s that the American teams always seemed to be more comfortable with each other coming into the biennial matches. Surely the U.S. benefits from being able to play a team event every year and the Internationals are faced with blending together a more diverse group, but Els still sees room for the Internationals to improve their team camaraderie.

“Normally what we used to do in the past is try and get together the Sunday or the Monday of the Presidents Cup, and by Friday, Saturday, Sunday, we've really bonded. Every single time I've played a Presidents Cup we were like really a team by the weekend,” Els said. “We want to try and be a team come Sunday night before the event starts.”

With this year’s International squad potentially including as many as nine or 10 different countries, that goal becomes tougher. There’s no scientific formula for bringing different cultures, religions and personalities together.

“But I think we've got to find a way to make that diversity our strength,” Immelman said. “As Ernie touched on, the more time we can get to know each other…”

Which makes weeks like Zurich so important. Scott had never played TPC Louisiana in previous seasons, but the eight-time Presidents Cup player understands the value of this Big Easy bonding opportunity. (The players are also staying in the same hotel this week.)

“I've sat through a lot of Presidents Cup beatdowns over the years, and I've kind of had enough of it, so I'm prepared to do whatever it takes – whatever Ernie thinks it takes – to kind of change the culture in our team,” Scott said. “But it's not just about coming here at Zurich this week and seeing some pairings and getting the team to spend a little bit of extra [time together]. I think it's about starting to grow a culture amongst the international players and showing everyone who's coming up the importance of this tournament … and how much we can all care about this.”

***

Els has invested loads of time and energy into closing the Presidents Cup floodgates for his side. He’s working tirelessly trying to build and prepare his team, but he’s also influenced several important changes to the Cup format that could prove beneficial to the Internationals.

Two Cups after the point total was reduced from 34 to 30, the 2019 Presidents Cup will feature a change in the required number of matches that a player must play before singles from two to just one.

The selection process has also been tweaked, as the points cycle shrinks from two years to one and the number of captain’s picks grows from two to four.

“It's a huge, huge difference for us,” Els said. “Much more beneficial for us as a team.”

With the Presidents Cup more than seven months away, those picks are far from clear. But Els has already started to see some new faces grab his attention. South African Justin Harding, who has played with Els a couple of times, tied for 12^th at the Masters. Mexico’s Abraham Ancer has also contended on the biggest stages. And Taiwan’s C.T. Pan picked up his first PGA Tour victory just last week at Harbour Town. 

And there’s a chance someone else steps up this week at TPC Louisiana.

“He’s got some tough decision to make,” Harding said. “It’s probably tougher than trying to figure out a Ryder Cup side. I wouldn’t want to be him because naturally there are going to be some guys who are disappointed.”

Few, if any, will likely be dissatisfied with Els’ effort as captain.

“He’s already taken on a lot in trying to right the ship for the Internationals,” Scott said, “and I think we’re all fully embracing it.”

Added Els, with a smile: “There is something different going on. Let me put it that way.”

Whether that produces a different result come December, though, remains to be seen. If it does, you can bet there will be more team dinners in the future, only with a few more stories to tell and a cup to drink out of.

It's been 10 days since Tiger Woods sank the winning putt on the 18th green at Augusta National, cementing the greatest comeback in golf and one of the greatest in sports history. It was a putt for bogey, but it sent the patrons in a frenzy watching Woods claim his 15th major and fifth green jacket.

Well ... all but one patron, apparently.

The reaction time for Stadler is getting slower and slower, so just give him a minute. He's either as joyful and ecstatic as can be on the inside without showing it on the outside, or the 1982 Masters champion is plotting his unlikely return to the pinnacle of the golf world just as Woods did this year at the Masters.

Either way, it makes for a good laugh.

Tiger Woods announced Wednesday evening that he’s returning to Japan for the first time since 2006 to play in the inaugural ZOZO Championship just outside of Tokyo.

The event will be played Oct. 24-27 at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, and marks the first official PGA Tour event in Japan.

“I’m excited to play in the inaugural ZOZO Championship in October, and return to Japan, one of my favorite countries," Woods said via Twitter. "It’s going to be a fun fall.”

His last appearance in Japan came at the Japan Tour’s Dunlop Phoenix, where Woods fell to Padraig Harrington in a playoff. Woods’ last start in Asia was at the 2012 CIMB Classic in Malaysia, where he finished T-4, three shots behind winner Nick Watney.

Woods is coming off a win at the Masters, his 15^th major title and fifth green jacket. The win also moved Woods to 81 career PGA Tour wins, just one shy of Sam Snead’s record of 82.