Newsday (N.Y.): Final four set for match play title

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

MARANA, Ariz. -- The glamour is one side of the draw, where Rory McIlroy will face Lee Westwood, with a place at the top of golf's world rankings a possibility for the winner. The national interest is on the other side, the American side.

The marathon called the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship has reached today's final two rounds at the Ritz-Carlton Club on Dove Mountain north of Tucson, semifinals in the morning,McIlroy against Westwood, and Hunter Mahan against Mark Wilson.

The final between the winners...

Read the full story here.

Copyright © 2012 Newsday. All rights reserved.

Newsday (N.Y.): Westwood beats Watney to reach quarterfinals

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

MARANA, Ariz. -- It's strange territory for Lee Westwood. He's played this tournament before, played the desert course at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. What he hadn't done in the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in his 11 attempts was get past the second round.

Westwood, a 3-and-2 third-round winner Friday over Nick Watney, the man who bounced Tiger Woods, said he "had a little chuckle'' a couple of days ago about pre-tournament predictions on The Golf Channel.

Read the full story here.

Copyright © 2012 Newsday. All rights reserved.

RealClearSports: Tiger Shows Up Late While Others Talk

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. -- He showed up, if late. Took his bag, his caddy and his suspicions into the blast furnace they call summer in Georgia. Tiger Woods was on site, practicing his swing and, maybe the way things have been going, his counter attack.

Tiger talks Wednesday, his official media interview in this prelude to the 93rd PGA Championship, which starts Thursday at Atlanta Athletic Club. Don't expect revelations. The question is what we should expect from his golf.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2011

SF Examiner: It's all about survival at the US Open

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

In the mind’s eye, there’s Payne Stewart standing in disbelief on the severely sloped 18th green at San Francisco’s Olympic Club, his 8-foot birdie putt attempt rolling 25 feet below the hole. Ah yes, the U.S. Open, agony and very little ecstasy.

That was then — and might be again next year when the Open returns to Olympic — but this is now, the 2011 Open at Congressional Country Club in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. The bewilderment and suffering are much the same.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2011 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Match Play Is Golf for the Moment

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

MARANA, Ariz. -- Match play is when golf becomes the NCAA basketball tournament. Match play is when two men compete head to head, as Ali and Frazier or Nadal and Federer. Match play is "get the ball in the cup or get out of here.''

And, as Tiger Woods a day earlier, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy are out of here. Done.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2011