Thomas wins Golfs Tournament of Champions by three over Matsuyama

Jan 8 (Reuters) – Justin Thomas recovered from a late double-bogey and held off a last-day challenge by Japan’s in-form Hideki Matsuyama to clinch his third PGA Tour victory, by three shots at the SBS Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Sunday.

The long-hitting American had been a commanding five strokes in front with five holes to play at the Kapalua Resort on the island of Maui before his lead was stunningly cut to just one after 15 holes.

Thomas then benefited from a two-shot swing at the par-four 17th, where he sank a three-footer for birdie after Matsuyama had three-putted for bogey, and also birdied the last to close with a four-under 69 in the PGA Tour’s opening event of the year.

The 23-year-old from Kentucky, whose previous two victories on the circuit had both come at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia, finished with a 22-under total of 270 in the elite 32-man, winners-only field.

Matsuyama, who had triumphed four times in his previous five starts worldwide, placed second after closing with a 70.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in St. Augustine, Florida; Editing by Andrew Both)

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Lake Ridge Weekly Newsletter Jan 9, 2017

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga… We are pleased to announce  that Allison Welch will once again offer

yoga classes in the coming new year. Start the new year off right by getting back in shape

both mentally  and physically. Class starts tonight Monday Jan 9 from 7:00 to 8:00 and runs

until Feb 13. Please contact Allison Welch for more information or sign-up in the pro shop.

 

League sign-up sheets have been posted in the pro shop for this year’s upcoming golf

season. Leagues fill up fast and with room for a limited amount of teams per league please

sign-up early to ensure your spot. Having said that if you played on a league last year your

spot is  reserved. New teams will be placed on a waiting list if the league is full. Please sign-up

early to better assist us in planning the upcoming 2017 league season. Thanks.

 

Tired of winter and wish you were at the beach?? Come join us Saturday Jan 28 in Caddies

Lounge for our annual Beach Surf Party. Anyone who wears surfing or beach attire will get

drink discounts all night long. So screw winter, get out those flip flops and let’s party

like it’s summer time. Party starts at 8:00.

 

Valentine’s Day is Tuesday Feb 14 so it’s time to start making plans  for that special 

person  in your life. Why not spend that special evening with us. As usual we will

have a special menu  planned for this special day. Please contact us for more information

regarding  the menu and to RSVP.

 

All right poker fans,  we have Texas HoldEm every Tuesday starting promptly at 7:30.

Poker players enjoy Happy Hour rates when playing and also have a chance at winning

prizes. So if you like playing poker, Tuesday is your night.

 

Thursday night is Ladies Night. Ladies get Happy Hour rates all night long. Whether it’s

Karaoke, Texas HoldEm, left right or center dice game or you just want to have a few

drinks with your friends Lake Ridge is the place to be on Thursday nights.

 

We have already begun scheduling events for the upcoming 2017 golf season so it’s time

to start thinking about planning your event with us to ensure you get the day of your choice.

Whether it’s a golf outing, retirement party, birthday party, class reunion or any

social event, we look forward to working with you to plan and host your event and make

it an enjoyable and memorable experience for all. An up-to-date schedule has been

posted on our NEW website, https://golflakeridge.com and has also been posted to our

Facebook Page.

 

And speaking of Facebook, feel free to “like” and follow us on the  Lake Ridge Country Club’s

Facebook Page. Keep up-to-date with all the events and daily specials Lake Ridge has to offer.

Please click on the link fb.me/BeaverLakeRidgeGolf. If the link does not work, simply cut and

paste the link into your address bar on your web browser. Please feel free to rate us and

give us any feedback that would allow us to better serve you.

 

We have now entered our winter schedule. Although the golf course remains open, please

call in advance to book a tee time. We will open to accommodate any golfers, weather

permitting, but no golfers will be allowed to play with frost on the greens. As usual

Caddies  Lounge opens every day at 4:00 and Fairways Restaurant is open from

5:00 to 9:00 seven days a week.

 

FAIRWAYS RESTAURANT 

Open for dinner from 5 – 9 seven days a week…….  Whether you want to dine in the restaurant,

Caddies Lounge or out on the deck, we are committed to providing quality

food at a great price in a very comfortable setting. In a hurry or don’t feel like cooking,

call us in advance for takeout orders.

Like breakfast? The Dormant Club meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:30

for breakfast in Fairways Restaurant. This is open to the public so why not treat yourself

to a nice breakfast and get your day started off right. What a great way to start your day,

sitting on the deck and enjoying the view of the golf course.

 

DAILY SPECIALS

MONDAY – .50 CENT ELEPHANT WINGS (JUMBO DRUMSTICKS)

TUESDAY – TACOS TACOS TACOS  

WEDNESDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE

THURSDAY –  CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

FRIDAY – STEAK AND SHRIMP

SATURDAY –  RACKS OF BBQ RIBS

SUNDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE

 

Sundays are Members Appreciation night. All members get 20% off their food order. So

come on out and take advantage of your membership for some great food at a great price.

   

Darts anyone? Come on up and enjoy a few beers, play some darts in Caddy’s Shack

and listen to some of your favorite songs on the Jukebox. And for all you music fans,

download  the AMI Jukebox app to your phone and play the jukebox from your phone.

Just do a search for AMI Jukebox under your APPS store and download the app.

Once you have downloaded the app, select Caddy’s Lounge as your location. 

It’s quick and easy to setup.

 

We have Karaoke every Friday and Saturday starting at 9:00. However, if you ever

want to practice your skills, once the kitchen closes, we can fire up the Karaoke and

let the singing begin.

 

Todd Berry

Director of Golf

Lake Ridge Golf Course

Phone: 402-235-4653

lakeridgegolf@spiralfiber.com

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Dustin Johnson puts great year behind him, ready to move on

For all his power and athleticism, Dustin Johnson doesn’t get enough credit for his remarkable ability to quickly forget the past.

That goes for the good times, too.

The day after he lost a chance to win the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits by grounding his club in sand without realizing it was a bunker, Johnson was on a boat in the Atlantic throwing down a few beers with his buddies. “Just kickin’,” he said that day on the phone.

The morning after Johnson three-putted from 12 feet on the final hole at Chambers Bay to lose the 2015 U.S. Open, he sped off in a golf cart to catch up with Wayne Gretzky and his group at Gozzer Ranch in Idaho. They let him sleep in. Johnson wanted to play.

“I know this much,” Gretzky said. “If I ever lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I wouldn’t want to skate with a bunch of amateurs the next day.”

How does that change after winning the U.S. Open for that elusive first major?

And then adding a World Golf Championships title, a FedEx Cup playoff event and winning the money title, the Vardon Trophy and PGA Tour player of the year? Wouldn’t that be enough to soak up the greatest season of your career?

Not if you’re Johnson, who travels through life without a rearview mirror.

“I think I’m pretty good at putting anything behind me,” Johnson said Wednesday on the eve of a new year on the PGA Tour. “It’s already happened. You can’t change it. Obviously, good stuff gives you a lot of confidence, but I mean, none of that matters at this tournament. Who (cares) what I did last year?”

He at least knows what worked.

Johnson started in February to pour extra time into his wedges, and he went on a run last summer that showed — finally — why he is regarded as the biggest talent in golf. Over the last six months, he won three times and finished in the top 10 at all but three of his final 13 events.

He arrived on Maui a week earlier to soak up some beach time and get ready for his 10th year on the PGA Tour. Johnson already has 12 victories on the tour, at least one every year except for 2014.

Johnson is No. 3 in the world, though close enough to Jason Day that he could overtake him by the end of January with a victory or two. That might be a goal, though he’s not consumed enough by the world ranking that he checks it weekly, as the two guys (Day and Rory McIlroy) ahead of him do. Johnson figures it’s about winning, and if keeps doing that, it won’t be long before he has no one left to chase.

There’s no need to do the math in the world ranking, either. Johnson is not big on details.

“I’m just trying to go out and do the same things I did last year,” he said. “I know what recipe works for me to have success.”

He makes it sound simple. His driving is an alarming combination of length and accuracy, the latter helped greatly by introducing a fade. He went from one of the worst to one of the best with his wedges, often referred to as the scoring clubs. He wants to hole more putts. Everyone does.

Not regarded as a deep thinker on the golf course, that’s also one of his greatest assets. A short memory, or even no memory, can be helpful in golf. Johnson showed that at Oakmont last year at the U.S. Open when the USGA said it would wait until after the final round to decide whether he should be penalized one shot for his ball moving on the fifth green. He played the final 11 holes not knowing his score, kept his head down, hit one big shot after another and won by four.

It turned out to be a three-shot victory after he got the penalty, and that’s as close as Johnson gets to being irritated.

“I was a little bit angry,” he said with a smile. “You can ask me a thousand times, I still don’t think I deserved a penalty. I was in there arguing and finally said, ‘Guys, I don’t care anymore. I want the trophy, let’s go.’ It didn’t matter.”

He stayed at Oakmont so late that he finally got home about 3:30 a.m. to Florida, giving him a few hours on the flight home to reflect.

That’s about it. That’s all he ever needs.

Johnson has a reasonable record at Kapalua. Top 10s are not a good measure because the field rarely has more than about 30 players. He won in 2013 in a 54-hole sprint because of high wind, and that really was the closest he came. Johnson is one who typically eases his way into a new year.

There is a part of him that can’t wait to get started, mainly because that means he is moving on, the only direction he knows.

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Tiger Woods commits to Farmers Insurance Open, Honda Classic, Dubai

Tiger Woods is starting to fill out his schedule, now committing to three PGA Tour events in the next three months.

Woods announced Wednesday that he will play in the Farmers Insurance Open, played Jan. 26-29 at Torrey Pines’ two golf courses just outside of San Diego. Woods has won there eight times as a pro, including the 2008 U.S. Open, the last major he has won of the 14 in his career. The 79-time PGA Tour winner last played the event in 2015, withdrawing early in the now-infamous “glute activation” incident.

This will mark Woods’ first official PGA Tour start since finishing tied for 10th in the Wyndham Championship in August 2015.

Then, as previously announced, Woods will play in the Genesis Open, formerly the Northern Trust Open, at Riviera Country Club from Feb. 16-19. His tournament-management company runs the event, and Woods has historically played in those events. Woods made his PGA Tour debut there as an amateur 25 years ago, though he has one of his worst career records on the Pacific Palisades course, just outside of Los Angeles.

In the second commitment of the day, Woods also said he will play in the Honda Classic, which is played the week after the Genesis Open. PGA National hosts again, and the event is a home game for Woods, a short driver from his Jupiter Island, Fla., home.

On Thursday morning, Woods announced he would play in the European Tour’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the week after Torrey Pines. He has won the tournament in the past, and he could score a seven-figure appearance fee by participating. The addition means Woods will play four times in a five-week span, suggesting that the 41-year-old feels his thrice-operated back is up to the task of such a rigorous docket.

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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Love breaks collarbone in three places snowboarding

Three months after captaining the United States to Ryder Cup glory, Davis Love crashed back to earth, literally, breaking his collarbone in three places, Golf Channel reported on Thursday.

Love incurred the injury in a snowboarding accident in Idaho, Golf Channel said, and underwent surgery on Thursday.

It was the third major procedure in four years for Love, who previously had back and hip surgeries.

In October, Love was widely lauded for guiding the U.S. team to Ryder Cup victory over the Europe, after presiding over a losing effort four years before.

The 52-year-old American has won 21 PGA Tour events, including one major — the 1997 PGA Championship.

Love was scheduled to play next week’s Sony Open in Honolulu, but is now expected to be out of action for about three months.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Larry Fine)

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Lake Ridge Weekly Newsletter Jan 3, 2017

Happy New Year everyone. Would like to thank all who came out on New Year’s Eve to

ring in the New Year  at Lake Ridge. The  food was awesome, the drinks where  flowing

and the band Silver Wings put on a great show. So good bye 2016 and hello 2017. We

look forward to providing you with exceptional service  and memorable times in 2017.

Again thanks to everyone for their support over the past year and let’s make 2017

a year to remember…

 

Tired of winter and wish you were at the beach?? Come join us Saturday Jan 28 in Caddies

Lounge for our annual Beach Surf Party. Anyone who wears surfing or beach attire will get

drink discounts all night long. So screw winter, get out those flip flops and let’s party

like it’s summer time. Party starts at 8:00.

 

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga… We are pleased to announce  that Allison Welch will once again offer

yoga classes in the coming new year. Start the new year off right by getting back in shape

both mentally  and physically. Class starts Monday Jan 9 from 7:00 to 8:00 and runs until

Feb 13. Please contact Allison Welch for more information or sign-up in the pro shop.

 

We have now entered our winter schedule. Although the golf course remains open, please

call in advance to book a tee time. We will open to accommodate any golfers, weather

permitting, but no golfers will be allowed to play with frost on the greens. As usual

Caddies  Lounge opens every day at 4:00 and Fairways Restaurant is open from

5:00 to 9:00 seven days a week.

 

All right poker fans,  we have Texas HoldEm every Tuesday starting promptly at 7:30.

Poker players enjoy Happy Hour rates when playing and also have a chance at winning

prizes. So if you like playing poker, Tuesday is your night.

 

Thursday night is Ladies Night. Ladies get Happy Hour rates all night long. Whether it’s

Karaoke, Texas HoldEm, left right or center dice game or you just want to have a few

drinks with your friends Lake Ridge is the place to be on Thursday nights.

 

Thinking about having an event? Whether it’s a golf outing, retirement party, birthday party,

class reunion or any social event, we look forward to working with you plan and host

your event and make it an enjoyable and memorable experience for all.

 FAIRWAYS RESTAURANT 

Open for dinner from 5 – 9 seven days a week…….  Whether you want to dine in the restaurant,

Caddies Lounge or out on the deck, we are committed to providing quality food at a great price in a very

comfortable setting. In a hurry or don’t feel like cooking, call us in advance for takeout orders.

 

Like breakfast? The Dormant Club meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:30

for breakfast in Fairways Restaurant. This is open to the public so why not treat yourself

to a nice breakfast and get your day started off right. What a great way to start your day,

sitting on the deck and enjoying the view of the golf course.

DAILY SPECIALS

MONDAY – .50 CENT ELEPHANT WINGS (JUMBO DRUMSTICKS) 

TUESDAY – TACOS TACOS TACOS  

WEDNESDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE 

THURSDAY –  CHICKEN QUESADILLAS  

FRIDAY – STEAK AND SHRIMP 

SATURDAY –  RACKS OF BBQ RIBS 

SUNDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE

 

Sundays are Members Appreciation night. All members get 20% off their food order. So

come on out and take advantage of your membership for some great food at a great price.

    

Darts anyone? Come on up and enjoy a few beers, play some darts in Caddy’s Shack

and listen to some of your favorite songs on the Jukebox. And for all you music fans,

download  the AMI Jukebox app to your phone and play the jukebox from your phone.

Just do a search for AMI Jukebox under your APPS store and download the app.

Once you have downloaded the app, select Caddy’s Lounge as your location. 

It’s quick and easy to setup.

 

We have Karaoke every Friday and Saturday starting at 9:00. However, if you ever

want to practice your skills, once the kitchen closes, we can fire up the Karaoke and

let the singing begin.

  

Todd Berry

Director of Golf

Lake Ridge Golf Course

Phone: 402-235-4653

lakeridgegolf@spiralfiber.com

 

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Early money bets on Tiger Woods to win 2017 Masters

The resurgence of Tigermania is real.

Tiger Woods has made just one start thus far in his return to golf, competing at last month’s Hero World Challenge (an unofficial event, too). But that hasn’t stopped people from betting on him for the 2017 Masters.

Not at all, actually.

As Forbes reports, Woods leads both ticket count and money wagered for the Masters at Las Vegas sportsbooks.

In particular, at Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, where Woods’s odds dropped from 40/1 to 20/1 following his 15th-place finish in the 18-man Hero World Challenge, 8 percent of Masters betting tickets are on him, with 11 percent of Masters money wagered going toward Woods bets.

The biggest wager on Woods thus far, according to Forbes, is a $1,000 ticket posted when Woods’s Masters odds were 50/1.

Woods’s 20/1 odds were tied for sixth-best at the time, with Jason Day the favorite at 8/1. Odds posted by sportsbook.ag now have Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy as co-favorites at 15/2, with Woods seventh at 22/1.

Woods has won the Masters four times, but his last green jacket came in 2005. The 41-year-old has finished in the top four at Augusta National six times since that 2005 win.

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