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Aug 5 (Reuters) - PGA Tour veteran Jim Furyk knows better than most how cruel professional golf can be, and he was on the receiving end of a bitter reversal of fortune at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday.

Having led the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event from the opening round at Firestone Country Club, Furyk stayed in control until the 72nd hole where he wound up with a double-bogey to lose the title by one shot.

While his playing partner Keegan Bradley savoured unexpected ecstasy after sinking a 15-foot par putt at the last to win the tournament, Furyk had to deal with the agony of a squandered chance at landing a 17th PGA Tour title.
"Right now I'm just a little bit in shock with the way I finished up," Furyk told reporters after his one-stroke lead coming down the par-four last had been wiped out with an ugly six, having missed a five-foot putt for bogey.

"I turned a five into a six and lost the golf tournament on the last hole. There's no way I should have made double bogey.

"I've lost some tournaments in some pretty poor fashions, but I don't think I've let one ever slip nearly as bad as this one. This was my worst effort to finish off an event."
Furyk, who had tumbled out of a tie for the lead with three holes to play at the U.S. Open in June, played good golf for virtually the entire final round on a Firestone layout softened by overnight and early morning rain.
He birdied the first three holes and initially resisted a stirring Bradley charge after the turn with rock-solid pars and an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-five 16th.

FINAL-HOLE NIGHTMARE

His final-hole nightmare began when his second shot ended up in the rough on the edge of a greenside bunker from where he had an awkward stance.

From there, he chunked his chip to just short of the fringe, then chipped from a poor lie to five feet short of the hole before missing a five-foot bogey putt to gift the title to Bradley.

"If I wanted one shot over, I guess it would be the third especially as I had the ball sitting high in the rough," 2003 U.S. Open champion Furyk said. "I got too steep. I got the ball real high in the face.
"That's why it came out kind of dead, didn't have any power to it, and I kind of dumped it short there. The third shot was the one that probably is the thorn in my side.

"I've known it's a cruel game for a long time. I go back to the U.S. Open and the chances I had there, coming in tied with three holes to play, and I played poorly the last three holes."

At Firestone, however, Furyk had been in complete control since firing a dazzling 63 in the opening round and his failure to finish the job was a bitter pill for him to swallow.

"I led the golf tournament the entire way and lost it on the very last hole," said the 42-year-old, who is renowned for his rock-steady play and unorthodox looping swing.

"To get that close and to know that I played more than good enough to win the golf tournament and not close the door is disappointing." (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Daniel Magnowski)

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Nicolas Colsaerts ... Belgian, single, 29, loves long walks in the fairway. Leads the European Tour in distance off the tee, and finds the short grass a respectable 61.4 percent of the time. Favorite pastime: Climbing. Currently fifth in the Race to Dubai standings and 33rd in the Official World Golf Ranking. Collects trophies, the most recent of which for outlasting Graeme McDowell at the Volvo World Match Play Championship in May. Fears scooters: A fall on one resulted in a cracked radius in his right arm a year ago. In addition to early withdrawals at the British Open, Irish Open and PGA Championship, he had to forego his debut at Firestone where he hopes to forge a long relationship. He certainly has the competitive charisma.
Francesco Molinari ... It's unfair to label anyone in this field as a Sleeper given the exclusive nature of qualifying. Furthermore, the Italian is already a winner of a World Golf Championship, taking the HSBC Champions in 2010. However, he's a non-member on the PGA TOUR. He arrives in Akron with plenty of recent positive reinforcement thanks to a pair of runner-up finishes in France and Scotland. Also a winner in Spain in early May. By no means long off the tee, he continues to fuel his reputation as a world-class ball-striker, ranking second on the European Tour in greens in regulation; also sixth in scoring average. Shared 15th place here last year, playing a stretch of 31 holes in bogey-free 11-under spanning the second through fourth rounds.
Kyle Stanley ... The first-timer at Firestone South banked nearly 80 percent of his season's earnings in his incredible fortnight at the start of the year, losing in the playoff at the Farmers Insurance Open and then rebounding immediately to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open. After a 12-tournament stretch during which he failed to record a top 45, he reemerged with a pair of top 25s. While he ranks 192nd (of 195) on the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained-Putting, he's 15th in total driving and 20th in greens in regulation.
Simon Dyson ... At 34, the six-time European Tour winner is in his competitive prime. After sitting out four weeks between THE PLAYERS and U.S. Open due to a pelvis injury, he's survived five of six cuts and posted three top 25s, including a T23 at the British Open. Sits 19th on his circuit in fairways and 27th in greens in regulation. In his second appearance at Firestone last year, the Englishman scratched out a T33 by chasing an opening 77 with three straight rounds in the 60s.
Fredrik Jacobson ... Injuries forced a late start to his season in 2012, but they didn't dent the blistering form with which he closed out 2011. In 14 starts worldwide this year, he's logged seven top-20s and missed only one cut. En route to a share of 11th place at Firestone South a year ago, he co-led the field with 22 birdies and ranked T5 in putting.


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Group Stage Russia Vs Czech Match Preview


Russia will come into the go with as powerful favorites in many experts sight after their amazing displaying during determining. Dick Advocatt's men lead Team B with seven benefits from their ten trips.

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Reigning Masters champion Charl Schwartzel leads a line-up of eight South Africans, including Major winners Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen and Retief Goosen, and  European Tour winners Thomas Aiken, Hennie Otto, Garth Mulroy and local favourite Branden Grace, who qualified by winning the Joburg Open at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington last weekend.

Among the winners of last season – and 10-time champions on the European Tour – the international field includes Open Champion Darren Clarke, Thomas Björn, Simon Dyson, Tom Lewis, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jose María Olazábal and Colin Montgomerie, as well as the youngest qualifier, 18-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero.

The brooding Outeniqua Mountains which held Fancourt captive in a sun-drenched bowl yesterday, were starkly outlined against the faded denim sky above on a near-breathless day.

But, if the weather predictions have got it right, that is due to change as the week wears on with wind forecast for Saturday and Sunday.

But that holds few fears for Els.  “This is my first tournament of the New Year and there is always a buzz that goes with that, even for a seasoned pro like me,” he said.

Els, who is talking about handing over the baton as a South African flag bearer  for the past 20 years – “But not just yet” – is also delighted by the size of the local contingent and pleased that Grace, a one-time member of the Els Academy at Fancourt, has made the field.-http://www.citizen.co.za/

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