Capelle On Golf

The top nine players in the world took the week off, opening the door for a slew of potential feel good winners. Each has been facing the demons, suffering through heartbreak, or overcoming injuries. Winning is always special, but at this point in their careers, a victory for any of these players would be all the sweeter.

For all of the hoopla surrounding Adam Scott, Butch Harmon’s prize pupil, he remains on the verge of greatness. He did manage to win on the European Tour in January on the strength of a closing 61.On the PGA Tour his best in ‘08 is a 9t in five starts, and he continued his career long poor play in the majors, recording a 25t at the Masters. At 27 and counting, it is time this former prodigy to ascend to the next level. He’s got a three shot lead over four players going into the final round of the EDS Byron Nelson. At this point a win in America would be a start towards building his confidence for a serious run at the US Open, an event in which he missed the cut last year.

Bart Bryant, a 45 year old journeyman grinder, is a tee to green artist with as many career titles as Tiger Woods has won on the PGA Tour this year. Six weeks ago Woods denied him a spot in the Masters when he holed that twisting 24 footer on the final hole. Bryant, who trails Scott by three shots, has a chance if he plays as well as he did when golf’s leading player broke his heart.

Ryan Moore enjoyed a huge year in 2004, which included wins at the US Amateur and four other big amateur events. Then, at age 22, he recorded a 13t at the Masters while still an amateur. Shortly thereafter his fortunes turned south. Throughout his nearly three year long pro career, he’s been plagued by assorted injuries. Now, however, he says he’s feeling good and his game is showing it. He’s in the pack three back of Scott, he’s got a winner’s pedigree, and he’s anxious to win his first PGA Tour event. If he prevails on Sunday, the doors could swing open to the kind of career people have been expecting from this can’t miss prospect of a few summers ago.

He’s been down, he’s been all but out, but Sergio Garcia’s not about ready to quit. Yes, it’s taken a while for him to reclaim his mojo following last year’s crushing loss at British Open. If only — the putt on 18 had lipped in instead of lipping out, but that’s the hand the golf gods dealt him, and maybe he’s starting to live with it.

Garcia has played is way into contention with the most curious pair of stats imaginable. After three rounds on a difficult course he’s 74th in driving accuracy among the 76 players who made the cut – and yet he’s tied for third in GIR. Sergio hasn’t won for three years on the PGA or European Tours, so a victory would provide some much needed tonic for his battered psyche. He owns eight top fives in the majors and is just too good to continue in his self-imposed funk forever.

Darren Clarke Wins in Shanghai
In 2000, the year Tiger Woods was at the peak of his powers, Darren Clarke beat him 4&3 in a scheduled 36 hole finals at the WGC Match Play. Three years later he won the WGC-NEC championship. That was his last win on the PGA or European Tours. Since then his wife Heather tragically died of breast cancer on August 13 2006, the day before Darren’s 37th birthday. Today Darren took a one stroke lead into the final round of the BMW Open in Shanghai.
Update: Darren holed a 40-foot putt on the final hole to win by a stroke. Here’s what he had to say on the European Tour’s web site:

“It was always going to be a difficult hurdle for me to get back into the winners’ circle after Heather had passed away,” he continued. “My mind started going forward from the 14th onwards, I lost my concentration and started thinking about Heather and the boys and in this game unless you keep your concentration for the whole way you make mistakes. That’s what I did. But on the last green I gathered myself and said hit a good putt. Luckily I did and it went in.”