Money, sponsor woes plagued earlier events DAYTONA BEACH — Aside from a homegrown auto-racing empire and a successful minor-league baseball franchise about to enter its 15th season, the Daytona Beach area has had a spotty history with professional sporting endeavors. Minor-league efforts in a variety of activities — hockey, indoor soccer, basketball, arena football, even women’s football — have had, at best, mixed results.  Read More →

If this game was geology, then the 1997 Masters at Augusta might rank in order of significance alongside, say, the end of the Cretaceous period, when the dinosaurs shuffled off to who-knows-where. Tiger Woods won his first major and the planet, or at least Planet Golf, was never the same again. The game got richer and got to bask in the glory of having the most recognisable athlete in the world as one of its own. As the sport’s monthly bible, Golf Digest, declared in its just published Masters edition: Ten Years Ago Golf Changed. The tag-line launches... 

Roger Federer took on a rare sideshow role as he followed a practice round with golfing buddy Tiger Woods prior to resuming preparation for the Miami Masters which began on Wednesday. The Swiss world number 1 has been in Florida for days after a shock opening-round loss ten days ago at Indian Wells. But amid an intense workout at the second major event in succession during the month, he has come good of a plan to catch up with Woods as the golf great plays the WGC-CA Championship, co- incidentally being played Thursday through Sunday. The pair, both stars... 

MIAMI - If you’re still trying to figure out the impact of the FedExCup on the PGA Tour, here’s a pertinent fun fact: It’s only March - not even golf season yet in Philadelphia - and we’re already one-third of the way through the 36-tournament FedExCup season that culminates the second week of September at the Tour Championship. So far, it’s hard to know what to make of the FedExCup. The PGA Tour is promoting the heck out of it, as you’ve probably noticed by the relentless TV commercials. The tour pushes it to the media,... 

It’s never a good sign when Nyquil and Dayquil are better options than water to make it through an illness. But that was the case for Tom Kite last week, as he fought the flu and laryngitis. Even under the weather, though, Kite managed a top-30 finish at the Toshiba Classic. He’s back this week and ready to defend his 2006 title at the AT&T Champions Classic, a tournament he won by five strokes over Gil Morgan. Just over an hour down the road from Newport Beach Country Club, where the Toshiba Classic was held, is this week’s venue, Valencia...