PGA Tour notebook: With Wachovia on tap, Ryan Moore still waiting for break-through win

From WorldGolf.com News Services

Ryan Moore owns arguably the most impressive amateur resume since Tiger Woods. In 2004, he won the NCAA, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links titles.

However, things haven't been so easy for Moore on the PGA Tour. No thanks to various injuries, the UNLV graduate has made 75 starts on tour without a victory, including last Sunday, when Adam Scott's 48-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole left Moore settling for second in the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

Despite the frustration of not being able to break into the winner's circle on the PGA Tour, Moore refuses to get down on himself.

"It's one of those things where I am where I am and I'm happy with it," Moore told reporters. "I'm just trying to keep moving forward. Obviously, some injuries and whatnot have held me back and it's been a little frustrating at times, but at the same time, maybe that's given me the time I need to work on things I need to work on to win more tournaments in the long run."

Moore, who was able to earn his PGA Tour card without going through Q-school, has made a steady climb in the world rankings. After finishing 2005 ranked No. 142 in the world, he's currently up to No. 72 and is 36th in the FedEx Cup Standings.

In eight events this year, Moore has made four cuts and has a pair of top-10 finishes. His scoring average is 70.54, and he's totaled $905,696 in earnings.

While Moore has four runner-up finishes in PGA Tour events, he said he considered Sunday's second-place performance his best outing. At least this time, he was able to force a playoff.

"A loss is a loss, but I tied for first at the end of the day. That's better than I've ever done," Moore said. "I was just proud of myself for battling around on a tough day in tough conditions.

"Obviously, this is a new experience: a playoff and being in that position. Now I know what to expect in the future."

Life in the fast lane

Boo Weekley was among a contingent of PGA Tour players who tried their hand at another sport Tuesday, taking part in the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C.

Along with Stuart Appleby, Woody Austin and Rory Sabbatini, Weekley took a break from preparations for this week's Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow Club to take in the NASCAR experience. Weekley, who said he got his car up to around 150 mph in his second session, said he'd highly recommend the experience to everyone.

"It is very exciting and very tense," Weekley told reporters. "I've got a new perspective of how those guys go about the driving."

While some might be concerned for their own safety, it seems Weekley's biggest worry was wrecking one of the cars.

"You get a vehicle that's probably more expensive than what I own at the house ... [and] if you pile that thing up in the wall, you can't just say, 'Hey, I'm sorry,'" said Weekley, who drove a replica of the car driven by his favorite NASCAR driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. "It was kind of nerve wracking."

Longtime Masters starter dies

Phil Harison, who served as a starter at the Masters for six decades, died Sunday of natural causes, according to the Associated Press. Harison was 82.

Harison was one of two people who attended every Masters since the event began at Augusta National Golf Club in 1934. He last served as a starter for the Masters in 2007.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Phil Harison," Masters Chairman Billy Payne told the AP Monday. "Phil was a cherished member who made significant contributions to the Masters. As the starter on the first tee, he was the face of the Masters to many patrons. He did a wonderful job in that role."

U.S. Open headed for prime time?

With this year's U.S. Open being played on the West Coast at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Calif., Reuters reported that NBC Sports will try to take advantage of the extra hours of daylight to air the final round in prime time.

The year's second major is now scheduled to be televised from 4-10 p.m. EDT on June 14. NBC Sports President Ken Schanzer told Reuters that in 2002, when the U.S. Open lasted until 8:40 p.m. EDT and coverage carried over into prime time, the network received a huge ratings boost, producing the best Sunday U.S. Open TV rating in history.

"We have a lot of confidence that the U.S. Open is a special event that is going to garner an audience in primetime," Schanzer told Reuters.

Worth noting

• Experience is apparently a major factor in the Wachovia Championship, as the five previous winners had at least 11 years experience on the PGA Tour. That list includes David Toms in 2003 (11th year), Joey Sidebar in 2004 (21st year), Vijay Singh in 2005 (13th year), Jim Fury in 2006 (13th year) and Tiger Woods in 2007 (11th year).

• Woods, who is still recovering from knee surgery, will become the first player not to defend his title since, well, Woods at the 2007 Buick Open. The last player other than Woods not to defend a title was Ernie Els, who missed the 2005 World Golf Championships-CA Championship after undergoing knee surgery.

• Organizers for the British Open said Tuesday that drug testing for July's major tournament has been put on hold, saying that they needed to wait until the anti-doping procedures planned by the U.S. PGA Tour and European Tour were in place and working efficiently.

April 30, 2008