2011 AT&T National TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

THE 2011 AT&T National is underway at Aronimink Golf Club in Newton Square, Pennsylvania. Four players are on the board with 3-under 67s. The first round is still in progress.


Purse: $6.2 million
Winner’s share: $1.116 million
Defending champion: Justin Rose

2011 AT&T National Leaderboard

Field
Course
Tee times
Tournament overview
Tournament news
Tour report
Official program
AT&T National website


(Photo: Tiger Woods is hosting, but not playing.)



TV SCHEDULE

TV coverage of the 2011 AT&T National is on Golf Channel and CBS.

Thu, 6/30:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Fri, 7/1:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Sat, 7/2:
CBS 3p - 6p ET

Sun, 7/3:
CBS 3p - 6:30p ET

SIRIUS-XM broadcast times


−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: Keith Allison, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

2011 Memorial Tournament TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

THE 2011 MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT is underway at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Chris Riley is the early leader after shooting a 6-under 66. The first round is still in progress.



Purse: $6.2 million
Winner’s share: $1.116 million
Defending champion: Justin Rose



2011 Memorial Tournament Leaderboard

Field
Course
Tee times
Interviews
Tournament overview
Tournament news
Tour report
Memorial Tournament website


TV SCHEDULE

TV coverage of the 2011 Memorial Tournament is on Golf Channel and CBS.

Thu, 6/2:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Fri, 6/3:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Sat, 6/4:
CBS 3p - 6p ET

Sun, 6/5:
CBS 2:30p - 6p ET

SIRIUS-XM broadcast times


−The Armchair Golfer

Will Padraig Produce the Goods?

Editor’s note: Brian Keogh is a golf correspondent for The Irish Sun and a regular contributor to The Irish Times, Golf Digest Ireland and other golf publications. The following piece is excerpted from his blog, Irish Golf Desk. 

By Brian Keogh
Special to ARMCHAIR GOLF

DESPITE HIS ERRATIC FORM over the past two years and his less than stellar recent record, it was no great surprise to see Pádraig Harrington named as one of Colin Montgomerie’s three Ryder Cup wildcards. The Scot is impressed by many things but major winners come top of the list for a man who never managed to get over the line in a grand slam event in an otherwise impressive career.

“No American wants to play Padraig Harrington. I can assure you,” Montgomerie said at Gleneagles on Sunday.

Edoardo Molinari’s brilliant victory in the final qualifying event, the Johnnie Walker Championship, made him an automatic choice for the captain, who also named foursomes specialist Luke Donald as one of his picks to the detriment of Paul Casey and Justin Rose.

(Photo: Padraig in step with Bradley Dredge / Ciarán Bohane, Flickr)

Experience is key in the Ryder Cup. So is putting. And Harrington fits the bill on both counts as far as Montgomerie is concerned. The skipper warned us in May that he might need to add experience to the nine automatic qualifiers:

“It will be very interesting to see who actually comes through and makes the team on merit and that allows me, as Corey said, for the makeup of my team to see who can fit in with that; whether I have a very experienced team and I can go with some rookies, or I have a very inexperienced team and have to some experience. All depends how the qualifying system works.”

The ball is now in Harrington’s court following his jaded performances at The K Club and Valhalla, where he managed just two halved matches from nine starts. Like Ian Poulter, who was a controversial wildcard in 2008, he will be under pressure to produce the goods.

His back is against the wall, but as Montgomerie said on Friday last: “Pádraig, when his back’s to the wall, has done awfully well in the past.”

Brian Keogh covers golf for The Irish Sun and contributes to a variety of golf publications. Pay him a visit at Irish Golf Desk.

Whistling or Dire Straits for Harrington’s Ryder Cup Hopes

Editor’s note: Brian Keogh, a golf correspondent for The Irish Sun and a regular contributor to The Irish Times and Golf Digest Ireland, writes about the dilemma of five-time Ryder Cupper Padraig Harrington.

By Brian Keogh
Special to ARMCHAIR GOLF

PADRAIG HARRINGTON ADMITS THAT this week’s US PGA is his last chance to avoid the need for a Ryder Cup pick. The Dubliner plans to skip the final qualifying event at Gleneagles to play in the clashing FedExCup play-off tournament in New Jersey in two weeks’ time. And that means he must grab a top-four finish at Whistling Straits to ensure that he is not relying on one of skipper Colin Montgomerie’s three wild cards on August 29.

Confessing he could be in dire straits instead of Whistling Straits on Sunday night, Harrington said: “It’s very precarious. No one who doesn’t qualify automatically deserves to be in the team. If you don’t make it on merit, you are asking for a little bit of a favour.”

Ian Poulter sparked a massive controversy two years ago when he decided not to travel to Gleneagles despite the fact that he could still qualify for the team. It was alleged that Poulter had been given “the nod” by skipper Nick Faldo, who later handed him a captain’s pick.

But Harrington will have safety in numbers this time as Paul Casey and Justin Rose, who are also outside the qualifying places, also intend to skip the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in favour of The Barclays.

Harrington said: “It is a very awkward situation, there’s no doubt about it. I saw the last time round that one of the players [Poulter] didn’t come to play the last event and I thought he should have. Now I am in the same situation because I have a Special Olympics clinic at The Barclays and I don’t want to let them down.

“I have talked to some of the other guys who will be looking for a pick and they are all saying they will be playing The Barclays. So at the moment I am committing to the Special Olympics and I’m going to try and qualify this week and have nothing to worry about.”

Seventh in the race for four places from the World Points List and just over €13,245 behind Miguel Angel Jimenez in the battle for the other five places from the European Points List, Harrington knows he needs a massive week in Wisconsin.

“The goal is to get in on the world ranking points because that ends in a week’s time. Even if I pass Jimenez in the money, he can jump by me in the last event in Gleneagles so the goal is to play well this week and sort it out.”

Brian Keogh covers golf for The Irish Sun and contributes to a variety of golf publications. Pay him a visit at Irish Golf Desk.

(Image: Mike Davis/Flickr)

Justin Rose Can Win Jack

2010 Memorial Tournament Recap
Winner: Justin Rose
Score: 18 under, 270 (65, 69, 70, 66)
Quote: “Until you win over here, you don’t feel like you’ve really achieved all you want to in the game.”
Fact: Played with plastic club at 11 months old. Now plays TaylorMade.
Thought: Brits are on a serious roll.

SCRATCH JUSTIN ROSE OFF the list of Brits who haven’t won on the PGA Tour. Who’s next? I would say Lee Westwood, but I keep saying Lee will win in America (he won at New Orleans early in his career, as a commenter reminded me), or win a major, and it hasn’t happened. Close at the Masters and the Players, but no victory cigar. But the Brits (and South Africans, as my friend Mike says) are definitely trending on the PGA Tour. First, Ian Poulter, then Rory McIlroy, and now Justin Rose.

Rose just went out to Muirfield Village on Sunday and took it away from Rickie Fowler. Sure, Fowler helped him a lot by dunking one at the par-3 12th, but Justin charged home with birdies at 14 and 16 to post a 66 and have his “Jack” moment beside the 18th green. Even his 1-year-old boy broke out in applause.

Apparently, Mr. Nicklaus, as Rickie Fowler addressed the legend, is fond of the 29-year-old Englishman. “I just always liked his golf game,” Jack said in a joint press conference with Rose.

About Phil Mickelson’s 3-metal or whatever it was off the asphalt at the 15th, I was not surprised. Entertained, yes. Surprised, no. There is no shot that Phil won’t try. We know that. Besides, I’ll bet half of you have hit one off the pavement or cart path somewhere down the line. I have. You don’t want to catch it fat. Phil caught it perfect, but still made a double. And he would do it all over again.

Tiger Woods made the cut and finished in a tie for 19th. When you consider everything, that’s not bad. I have no idea what to expect from Tiger at Pebble in the U.S. Open. Not a win. But stranger things have happened, haven’t they?

Tour Notes

• European Tour: Graeme McDowell won the Wales Open.
• PGA Tour: Brian Gay defends this week at the St. Jude Classic in Memphis.
• LPGA Tour: The ladies tee it up at the LPGA State Farm Classic in Springfield, Illinois.

−The Armchair Golfer