Tweet inShare2 Golf: Luke Donald wins Transitions in four-player playoff, regains No. 1 world ranking

One great round. One solid swing out of the rough. One clutch birdie putt.

That's what Luke Donald needed to win the Transitions Championship in a playoff in Palm Harbor, Fla., and get back to No. 1 in the world.

Donald was starting to feel overlooked in the two weeks since Rory McIlroy replaced him atop the world ranking. That changed on a steamy Sunday at Innisbrook, where Donald closed with a 5-under 66 and won a four-man playoff on the first extra hole with a 7-iron out of the rough to 6 feet below the cup for birdie to beat Jim Furyk, Robert Garrigus and Bae Sang-Moon.

"I think people ... thought that my last year was maybe a little bit more of a -- not a fluke, but I don't think many people thought I could do that all over again this year," Donald said. "Hopefully, I can prove them wrong."

With his fifth win in his last 31 starts around the world, Donald went back to No. 1 and will stay there until he gets to Augusta National for the Masters and tries to win his first major title.

McIlroy wasted no time sending his congratulations through Twitter: "Well I enjoyed it while it lasted! Congrats (at)LukeDonald! Impressive performance!"

"I'm sure he got a taste of the view and I'm sure he'll want more of it. He's a great player," Donald said. "I think golf is in a good spot right now. There's a lot of excitement going on."

Donald returned to No. 1 by winning a playoff, just as he did at Wentworth last May when he first rose to the top of the ranking.

Garrigus birdied the last two holes for a 64 and was the first to finish at 13-under 271. Bae made a 6-foot par putt on the final hole for a 68. Furyk had a 69 and was the last one to join the playoff.

Missing from the group was Ernie Els, who was leading at 14 under when he missed a 4-foot birdie putt on 16. He also missed the green badly on the par-3 17th for a bogey, then pulled a 4-foot par putt on 18 for a 67 to finish a shot out of the playoff.

"I'm pretty hot now, and it's difficult to talk with a straight head," Els said.

Scott Piercy, who finished off a 62 before the leaders teed off, joined Els, Ken Duke (68) and Jeff Overton (66) in a tie for fifth.

Retief Goosen showed on the first hole that it was a minor miracle he was even tied for the lead. His back was in such pain that he could barely finish his swing. He drove into the trees, took five shots to reach the green and made double bogey.

Goosen closed with a 75 for a 277 total. He now goes to Virginia for a protein injection for his back.

Meanwhile, Charlie Wi hit three straight shots that caromed off a tree, leading to an octuple-bogey 13 on the par-5 fifth hole.

His tee shot went into the right rough. There was a wood chip next to the ball, which caused his 6-iron to come out to the right into the trees. From there, the former Cal star had a tree in front of him with a trunk 3 feet high until it split into two limbs. He tried to hit 5-iron through the 4-foot gap, but it struck the tree and went onto the practice range. He tried it again and got the same result.

"I said, 'OK, that's not getting up. Give me a 6-iron,' " Wi said. He hit the tree and saw a third ball go back onto the range.

He finished with a 78 and 292 total.

LPGA Tour: Yani Tseng two-putted for par from 40 feet in fading light to hold off Ai Miyazato and Na Yeon Choi by a stroke in the Founders Cup in Phoenix.

The top-ranked Taiwanese star won her 14th tour title and second in four events this year. She closed with a 4-under 68 to finish at 18-under 270. The second-ranked Choi also shot 68, and Miyazato had a 69.

Three shots behind Miyazato at the turn, Tseng birdied five of the first six holes on the back nine and closed with three pars.

Because of lightning near the Wildfire Golf Club, play was delayed three times for a total of three hours. Tseng holed her winning 2-foot putt at 6:45 p.m., seven minutes after sunset.

Champions Tour: Loren Roberts shot a 2-under 69 to win the Toshiba Classic by two strokes over Mark Calcavecchia (73), Tom Kite (69) and Bernhard Langer (70) at Newport Beach Country Club. Roberts made a 5-foot birdie putt on 18 after bogeys on three of the previous four holes. He finished at 8-under 205.

European Tour: Julien Quesne shot an 8-under 64 and won the Andalucian Open in Marbella, Spain. He birdied four of his final five holes to finish at 17-under 271, two shots ahead of Matteo Manassero (68).

Source http://www.mercurynews.com/golf/ci_20203721/golf-luke-donald-wins-transitions-four-player-playoff

Pregnancy tips for would-be parents

Couples wanting to conceive a child often get plenty of pregnancy tips. Not all of them can be taken seriously and some are utter nonsense. But maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise are pieces of advice that certainly cannot hurt.

'There are no evidence-based studies showing that eating certain foods can increase a woman's fertility,' said Werner Harlfinger, head of the Rhineland-Palatinate branch of the Munich-based Professional Association of Gynaecologists. Nevertheless, he said, it is important that women wanting to become pregnant be mindful of their diet.

According to Harlfinger, women who are extremely overweight generally find it much harder to get pregnant. Would-be mothers ought not start a weight-loss programme, though, because the body could be deprived of necessary nutrients.

'Being too thin isn't good either,' Harlfinger said. 'The body of a woman with this kind of figure knows she shouldn't get pregnant.' Deficiency symptoms from being underweight can affect metabolism and prevent ovulation.

As soon as a woman has decided to conceive, he said, she would do well to begin taking folic acid. If an expectant mother's body has too little of it, the nervous system of the foetus cannot develop properly.

A woman's folic acid requirements rise so much during pregnancy that simply eating a healthy diet can hardly supply enough of the B vitamin, said Harlfinger, who recommends that would-be mothers start taking folic acid supplements before conception. This, he said, may make their bodies feel better prepared for pregnancy.

As for men, 'they should mainly make sure to get a balanced diet and physical exercise,' said Frank Sommer, a professor in the Department of Men's Health at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany.

Sommer's special dietary tip is the amino acid arginine. 'It's very important for many processes in the testicles and penis and can positively affect the dynamism and fitness of sperm,' he said. Arginine is found in high quantities in grain products, soya beans and nuts.

Zinc also has a positive effect, Sommer pointed out. The trace mineral makes sperm hardier, he said. Legumes as well as apples and bananas are high in zinc.

Exercise is very advisable, Sommer said, so long as it is not excessive. 'Ruthlessly engaging in aerobic exercises has the opposite effect and tends to impair fertility' because an intense workout regimen can upset hormone levels, he warned.

'It goes without saying that smoking and drinking are harmful,' Sommer added. He noted that it took a man three months to produce new sperm, so even men who fully heeded their doctor's lifestyle advice should not expect immediate results.

Along with the physical prerequisites for conception, the mental preparedness of would-be parents is very important.

'A couple wanting to start a family must be prepared for the matter playing a dominant role' in their lives, particularly if pregnancy is difficult to achieve, said Tewes Wischmann, director of walk-in services at Heidelberg University Hospital's Institute of Medical Psychology. 'Give space to the desire to have children, but limit that space,' Wischmann advised.

Some couples are turned off by having to time sexual intercourse to the midpoint of the woman's ovulation cycle. But dampened ardour is usually temporary - and worth it - said Wischmann, who believes that 'coitus doesn't always have to be super romantic.' He recommends making a clear distinction between sex for propagation and sex out of mutual desire, for which time should be found, too.

Source http://news.monstersandcritics.com/health/news/article_1689176.php/Pregnancy-tips-for-would-be-parents

Fighter jet getting tougher to defend

Even Stephen Harper's detractors will acknowledge - after a few libations and with no microphones in view - that the prime minister has generally shown a deft hand in foreign affairs. Indeed, along with economic management, this has become one of Harper's greatest strengths.

So why, some in and around Ottawa wonder, is the Harper government so dead-set on championing the much-delayed, expensive and controversial F-35 fighter purchase, even as the project takes on ever more ballast?

Day after day in the House of Commons, opposition MPs pose pointed, scathing questions about why the government has "sole-sourced" this estimated $16-billion (including maintenance costs) purchase from U.S. aircraft maker Lockheed Martin, with no competitive tender. Day after day a trio of ministers - up to and including the prime minister himself - deliver wan responses, looking unhappy as they do so.

Polls have shown that a majority of Canadians doubt whether ultrahigh-tech new fighters should be a priority. The government's three stock arguments in their defence - it was the Liberals who launched the program in the late 1990s, our pilots deserve the best, and the industrial spinoffs will be huge - look weak in an era of looming budget cuts.

International support for the joint strike fighter has gone wobbly. The Turks are out, because of a disagreement over rights to the F-35's critically important software source code. Australia is buying Boeing's Super Hornets. Norway has delayed its pur-

chase. The British are reviewing their purchase of more than 100 F-35B models - the Joint Strike Fighter's vertical-landing variant. And there are rumblings the Italians may soon do the same, if they can order any planes at all, given their debt woes.

As if all that weren't bad enough, the U.S. military - on the hook for 2,443 F-35s, at an estimated cost of $380 billion US - is under siege because of America's own debt crisis. There is rampant speculation the Pentagon itself will soon be forced to curtail its order. Because pricing is based on economies of scale, that would change the game for every other member of the consortium, including Canada. As orders get reduced, the price per plane goes up.

Therefore, why so dogged? Here's a partial answer. The growing turmoil, itself, is one reason why the Harper government remains grimly at the table. In a global system increasingly reliant on multilateral co-operation, and in which Ottawa is now deemed by its friends to be a reliable ally, the prime minister doesn't want to be seen to welch on a big deal. The Prime Minister's Office is keenly aware that a review by Canada could have a domino effect on other F-35 consortium members.

"When we've given our word (internationally) you can count on it," said a source familiar with the government's thinking. "A number of good deeds would quickly be forgotten if you took out a significant (commitment) like this."

Fair enough, as far as that goes. We remember the "soft-power" years, when Canada finger-pointed shrilly from the sidelines, while gutting the military. Few Canadians would take us back there.

But here's what the PMO clearly did not bargain for: In addition to being very costly - independent estimates put the price at between $110 million and $150 million per plane, in contrast with Ottawa's $75 million figure - even the basic version of the F-35 has technical problems that will be expensive to remedy.

The slightest scratch to the stealth coating, for example, makes the plane much more visible to radar; maintenance requires the coating be removed, then later replaced; and the F-35 can't communicate in the Far North without the addition of an external pod, which would again make it un-stealthy. There are issues with takeoff and landing speeds and therefore runway length; glitches with the high-tech helmet worn by pilots; and oceans of as-yet unwritten software, years behind schedule.

And there's this: Why does Canada need what is essentially a first-strike weapon, when this country is not in the business of first strikes? Would it not make more sense for the RCAF to fly greater numbers of less advanced, cheaper, more workmanlike planes? These questions are not going away. They have yet to be satisfactorily answered by the government.

Those who say the entire F-35 project is doomed are probably off the mark: The U.S. military has bet the farm on this aircraft and now has no option but to slog ahead. This doesn't mean, however, that Canada can't and won't scrap its own buy if the Americans and Europeans recast the rules by slashing their orders.

Economic slumps worldwide make that a growing possibility now, whatever the ministers may say in the House.

Source http://www.edmontonjournal.com/technology/Fighter+getting+tougher+defend/5730819/story.html

Obama blasts GOP candidates for failing to defend gay soldier

Speaking at an event hosted by a prominent gay advocacy group, President Obama on Saturday night chastised the his GOP presidential rivals for failing to speak up when some members of the audience at a debate last month booed a gay soldier.

“We don’t believe in the kind of smallness that says it’s okay for a stage full of political leaders -- one of whom could end up being the President of the United States -- being silent when an American soldier is booed,” Obama said at the Human Rights Campaign’s annual dinner in Washington. “We don’t believe in that. We don’t believe in standing silent when that happens. We don’t believe in them being silent since. You want to be Commander-in-Chief? You can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States, even when it’s not politically convenient.”

Obama was referring to an incident that took place at a Sept. 22 Republican debate in Tampa, Fla., hosted by Fox News Channel and Google.

Just days after the official end of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that banned gays from serving openly, a gay soldier who had been deployed to Iraq drew boos from some in the audience when he asked the GOP candidates if they intend to “circumvent the progress that’s been made for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military.”

2012 candidate and former senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) answered that if elected, he would reinstate DADT.

Source http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/44/post/obama-blasts-gop-candidates-for-failing-to-defend-gay-soldier/2011/10/02/gIQAK74QFL_blog.html

Top-ranked Donald fond of Canadian Open

The last time the world's top-ranked golfer showed up at the Canadian Open, he left with the trophy in tow.

No pressure, Luke Donald.

"(The top ranking) always brings a little more expectation, a little bit more media, a little bit more time commitment, but I'm excited for the challenge," Donald said after Wednesday's pro-am event at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club.

"Since being No. 1, I've been able to hold on to it for a number of weeks now. I'm trying to draw on all the good things that got me to No. 1. I draw from all of those positives and bring that to each week."

This week's showdown at Shaughnessy marks Donald's fifth appearance at what's now known as the RBC Canadian Open, but it's his first since he reached the summit of the world golf rankings earlier this year.

Vijay Singh had just finished his ascent to the top of the point-based standings when he arrived at Glen Abbey in 2004, continuing his roll in what turned out to be a dream season and spoiling what would have been a national celebration when he clipped Canada's beloved lefty, Mike Weir, in a playoff.

Ironically, Donald is paired with Weir and world-No. 8 Matt Kuchar for Thursday's opening round at Shaughnessy.

That threesome would create a stir at any PGA Tour stop, but they're certainly not the only big names in the field for the latest instalment of 'our' national open championship.

Golf fans can thank RBC for that.

Not only is the financial institution entitled to splash its logo across Shaughnessy as the title sponsor of this week's Canadian Open, it also provides backing for a handful of golf's big names, including Donald, Kuchar, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim, plus Weir, Stephen Ames and a slew of up-and-coming Canucks.

Appearance fees are outlawed on the PGA Tour, but you bet can the guys with the RBC logo on their hats and bags were "¦ um "¦ encouraged to attend this event, and it's no surprise they're all at Shaughnessy this week. Kinda like Tiger Woods always showed up at the Buick Invitational during his partnership with the automotive company.

This week's event has also attracted darn good golfers that don't belong to Team RBC, with Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, Puma posterboy Rickie Fowler and 'Long' John Daly among the headliners.

Names like Paul Casey, Justin Leonard, Hunter Mahan, Louis Oosthuizen, Geoff Ogilvy, Camilo Villegas and defending champion Carl Pettersson should also ring a bell for most golf fans.

All told, seven of the current top 25 players in the world will tee it up at the latest instalment of 'our' open championship. That might seem like a watered-down field for an event that counts Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman and Woods among its past champions and Jack Nicklaus as a seven-time runner-up, but the truth is it's not a bad turnout for the week after a major that's contested on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

After missing the cut at the British Open, Donald jetted to Chicago for the weekend and then continued on to Vancouver.

With US$5.6-million in earnings around the world so far this season, he could have afforded a vacation.

And with most of his contenders taking a week off, he likely doesn't have to worry about losing his top billing this week, either.

But the 33-year-old has always had a soft spot for the Canadian Open, where he survived his first cut as a professional at Royal Montreal in 2001. The archived world rankings for the following week don't even show his name, meaning he wasn't yet among the top 200.

"The focus really isn't on the world rankings," Donald added. "It's nice to be world-ranked No. 1, but the focus for me is always the same -- that is to continually try to improve every aspect of my game a little bit each day and continue to get better and continue to put myself in position to win tournaments."

Source http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/20/top-ranked-donald-fond-of-canadian-open

EP 6-year-old wins Little People World Golf Championship

Eden Prairie’s Pranay Singh faces a dilemma. When asked to name his favorite golf memory, he has a hard time deciding. Is it last year’s hole-in-one he carded on the No. 7 hole at Waters Edge in Shakopee, or the up-and-down that iced last week’s Pepsi Little People World Golf Championship Tournament in Quincy, Ill.?

When pressed, the soon-to-be first-grader wearing the Snoopy belt picks the up-and-down.

“The kid he was playing against hit his tee shot a couple feet from the hole,” said Vivek Kumar, Pranay’s father. “Pranay chunked his. It was the last hole and Pranay was leading by three. If the other kid birdies and Pranay gets a five, it’s a tie.”

Singh’s second shot settled just off the green, some 20 yards from the hole.

By the time he hit his third shot, the green was ringed with an estimated 100 spectators.

Going for par, he hit a flop shot that bounced once and then rolled in the cup. Game over.

Singh finished with a two-round 61 (30, 31), besting the second-place finisher (Texas’ Rohan Kommineni) by four strokes. The field included 30 golfers.

His all-time favorite golf memory? “Winning,” he said.

Early start

Yes, Singh started golfing at an early age.

“He started walking at 11 months,” said his dad, “and held his first club shortly after that.”

At first, he used plastic clubs and a plastic ball. From there, he progressed from a plastic ball to a real ball. The rest, as they say, is history.

His favorite club? “Driver,” he said, “because it goes far.”

At a hair shy of four feet, the 6-year-old can hit a ball 140 yards.

But that’s not his strength; his strength is his short game, minus the putting.

“He’d rather hit from just off the green than just on the green,” said his dad.

As one might guess, his golfing ability has attracted some attention.

“More experienced golfers watch him swing and get pretty depressed,” said mom.

The true measure of his ability, however, can be seen on the course.

“They see us at the tee box,” said dad, “and right away think they’ll play through.”

“But they never catch us,” adds Singh.

In July, Singh will take his game to San Diego, where he’ll compete in the Junior World Championships, a tournament that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson won in their youth.

Last year, Singh finished 21st. This year’s goal? “Winning,” he said, while adding that he thinks he’ll have to shoot a one-under- par 53 to do so.

When asked if he’s ever finished under par, he smiled before he answered. “Not yet,” he said.

Read more: Eden Prairie News - EP 6 year old wins Little People World Golf Championship

Source http://www.edenprairienews.com/view/full_story/14514017/article-EP-6-year-old-wins-Little-People-World-Golf-Championship-

Johnny Miller: The show will go on without Tiger Woods

The U.S. Open will miss Tiger Woods this week at Congressional Country Club.

But Johnny Miller said golf fans have begun to acclimate to the absence of the game’s marquee attraction.

“I think the U.S. golf fan, the world golf fan is unfortunately getting used to not having Tiger around,” said Miller, the lead analyst during NBC’s coverage of the 111th U.S. Open. “Obviously we’d like to have him here and it was a heartbreak for him and us that isn’t here. But golf is bigger than Tiger.

“For awhile, it was a toss-up.”

Woods, 35, will miss his first U.S. Open since he was an amateur in 1994 as he continues to recover from injuries to his left knee and Achilles tendon.

During his career-long, 19-month winless streak, Woods has been plagued by lingering injuries and personal strife, and has undergone a major swing change.

In the process, he’s played just 22 full-field events worldwide, with six top-10 finishes - nearly a third his 2009 total (17) in 19 events. That year, he won eight times, but underachieved in his mind because he didn’t win a major.

Woods’ Sunday charge on April 10 at the Masters indicated better days were to come, even though he missed some key putts that ultimately led to a tie for fourth place.

The old Tiger - who won 14 major championships - never would have missed two short putts he needed on the back nine of a major championship.

But rather than work on his game, Woods had to rest injuries he re-aggravated during the third round at Augusta National. Woods tried to play a month later at The Players Championship, but withdrew after shooting a 43 for nine holes.

If Woods, a three-time U.S. Open champion, had played this week, he’d have been rusty, lacking confidence and likely out of the mix on Sunday.

Miller, the 1973 winner, would have liked to have seen for himself, but said the U.S. Open will go on without Woods and provide the kind of drama no tournament in the world can match.

“Everyone wants to see who can handle the pressure and play well and be a hero or make mistakes the last day,” Miller said. “There’s nothing like the U.S. Open. There’s more trainwrecks and carwrecks than any other championship.

“I’m sure the ratings would be higher if Tiger is in contention on Sunday, but bottom line it’s going to be great. It’s the U.S. Open, man.”

Source http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/fromthebunker/2011/06/15/johnny-miller-the-show-will-go-on-without-tiger-woods/