Magic’s defense collapses again
Kings put up stellar first-half shooting
PALM BEACH GARDENS — Tiger Woods has always let his actions speak louder than words, both on and off the golf course.
Soit’s rare whenhesaysanything remotely controversial to the mediathat gangs uponhim at post-round interviews. Unless you ask him about belly putters. After completing his early morning Kenny GGold Pro AmroundWednesday — he and his foursome were first to tee off at 6:45 — Woods had several unremarkable things to say about PGANational’s Champion Course, the site of this week’s Honda Classic, which begins today.
“Well, the golf course has certainly got a lot of grass on it this year,” Woods said, referring to the rough. “The fairways are a bit watery [from recent rains]. Greens are running perfectly smooth.”
Inside
Nelson sits out for 4th consecutive game. Notebook,
Just before the start of the third quarter Wednesday night, public-address announcer Paul Porter called fans’ attention to Amway Center’s video board for a series of Orlando Magic highlights from the first half. The montage lasted about 30 seconds. How on earth did anyone locate that many positive plays by the Magic?
What had transpired already was that ugly, and the rest of the night didn’t get any better. The Sacramento Kings dominated the Magic 125-101 in one of the Magic’s worst performances this season.
“They gave us their first punch real early, and it was hard for us to regroup from that,” forward Tobias Harris said.
The Kings’ 125 points were the most by a Magic opponent in regulation this season. Magic defenders didn’t keep the ball in
Woods, who tees off today on No. 10 at 7:25 a.m. with Dustin Johnson and Martin Kaymer, didn’t have all that much to say about the two friendly 18-hole matches he and defending Honda champion Rory McIlroy played this past Sunday at the Medalist Club in Hobe Sound.
McIlroy, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens and is the world’s No. 1-ranked player, and No. 2 Woods, who lives in Jupiter Island, both lost their openinground matches last week at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.
“He moved down here and we figured, ‘let’s get a game sometime,’ ” Woods said. “Wewere kind of hoping that it wouldn’t be that Sunday, but we were both free and went out and played.”
McIlroy had talked Tuesday about how he “jumped at the chance to play with him” and how Woods won the first match and he won the second match.
Woods’ take on the matches: “We played a quick 36 and he headed off to do whatever he needed to do, andIwentbackhome and did some more training.”
Then someone asked Woods for his view on the belly-putter situation. The U.S. Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club are considering a ban on the anchoring of belly putters. The PGA Tour and the PGA of America have come out against such a ban.
Some Tour pros who initially agreed with the ban whenit first cameup in November have flip-flopped after talking to their peers, such as 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley and 2012 U.S. Open champ Webb Simpson, who anchor their long putters.
“My position hasn’t changed,” Woods said. “I still think that it should be swung, it shouldn’t be anchored. But obviously nothing is set in stone, nothing’s firm.
“TheUSGAandR&Aare the governing bodies of our rules and we’ll see what happens. Hopefully we don’t have to bifurcate or adapt a local rule like we sometimes do out here on Tour with the stones and bunkers and things of that nature.”
Asked about PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem coming out publicly against the ban this past Sunday, Woods said, “I understand his position, but I still feel that all 14 clubs should be swung.”
Golf fans can only hope that Woods and the fiery Bradley, who’s won more majors the past two years than Woods has won in the past four, are in the final group on Sunday.
Major attraction
Woods was lavish in his praise for the redesign work on the course that Jack Nicklaus did a few years ago and said that’s why so many top players are here this week.
“I think it had to do with the redo, with Jack coming in here and making the golf course more difficult and better,” Woodssaid. “I think in general when Jack made this golf course … better for a championship venue, a lot of guys really took notice of that.
“It brought a lot of guys into the field, and it’s a nice home match for a lot of guys.”
Among the pros who have moved to the area are world No. 9 Lee Westwood, of England, who now lives across the street from PGA National at Old Palm Golf Club.
“I played this tournament last year and said, ‘I could live here,’ ” said Westwood, noting that having a home in South Florida allows him to practice all winter. “I wanted to live in the sunshine.”