Tiger Confident Through the Wind

In case you didn’t hear, let me be the first to tell you Tiger Woods won The Chevron World Challenge Sunday, his first tournament victory in more than two years.

This has been big news today for those sportscasters who still gush over Tiger.

I think I heard one sports radio host today say Tiger, in the process of winning a golf tournament, can make TV viewers switch off the NFL and to the links.

Come on, fellas!

As sick as I sometimes get over the Tiger love fests that often occur in sports media, I couldn’t help be a little fascinated – maybe “fascinated” is too strong a word here, but I’ll go with it – with one Woods weather-related item from last week when the golfer explained to ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd that playing in the wind at the Australia Open, where he finished third, helped him gain confidence his game was on par with his pre-Thanksgiving 2009 level of play.
“I am fully healthy and the way I played in Australia was very exciting for me because when the wind blows like that and it’s howling consistently like when it did in Sydney and down in Melbourne and I ended up playing nine rounds, nine competitive rounds during that stretch, Woods told Cowherd.

“I felt like I had control of the golf ball for all those days and as a player you get exposed from the wind if you have any kind of weakness and I didn’t have any glaring weakness and as the more I played I got better. That was the fun part that when the wind blew my swing tightened up and actually got better.”

Woods’ shot, but not his confidence, did suffer a bit from the gusty winds Saturday at the Thousands Oaks, Calif., course, where the 35-year-old golfer entered the third round with a three-shot lead, but fell to second place behind Zach Johnson.

"Most of the time today it wasn't me,” Woods said following the third round. “I hit a lot of good shots. The wind was all over the place. It was tough out there.''

Weather bureaus reported the winds to be at 30 to 40 miles per hour.

According to Sunday’s reports, winds slowed during the final round, and Woods shot a three-under-par 69 to finish 10 under and a shot ahead of that pesky Johnson.

Photo: Reuters

Tracking Tiger

The weather is playing a factor as the U.S. Open begins this morning. Jim Baumbach of Newsday is following Tigers woods throughout the day on the newspaper’s On The Green blog. The photo above is from Newsday’s J. Conrad Williams.

And what's better than reading live updates about the U.S. Open on a blog? Well, watching the tournament on your computer -- if you're not near a large scree TV. You can watch live -- the rain is pouring now -- on the U.S. Open Web site.

Rain Washes Out Bristol Qualifying

I'm getting so lazy. Actually, I've been super busy lately. So, here's another copy and paste from an AP story. This one about NASCAR qualifying at Bristol Friday:

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Rain washed out qualifying Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway, giving Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon front-row spots when the field was set by last season's points.

As you know, Rainout Blog headquarters is not far from Bristol Motor Speedway, and I had planned to go to qualifying, but as Marcia Brady once said, "Something suddenly came up."

In other sports weather news...

Rain hit the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at the Bay Hill Club in Orlando Friday.

Fans suffered through a spring training rain delay Friday during a game between the Braves and Phillies in Clearwater, Fla. I love those Phillies ponchos.

Here's a cool pick from Rueters photographer Eddie Keoogh showing a race fan using a newspaper to shelter himself from rain on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival horse racing meet in Gloucestershire, western England, on Tuesday.

Would You Wear This On the Course?

Have you seen the new helmet umbrella? Nope? Well, that's it in the photo at right. It's designed for the busy street commuter who has too many thinks to juggle – cell phone, coffee, keys, whatever – to hold an umbrella on a rainy day. I know this isn't sports related, but you may see these things popping up at ballparks or golf course or wherever. Can you imagine Tiger Woods putting at Augusta wearing that thing? Oh, the helmet umbrella was invented by a former tennis player. That fact makes this post sports related, right?

Rain And Chill Invade British Open First Round

I’m really too busy today with my real job to make any significant contribution to this blog. That’s a shame, too, because the British Open began this morning at Carnoustie, Scotland, and if you follow golf, you how nasty the weather can be at the course, particularly the wind. That said, I will, however, blog deliver to you (via this link) an article from AP writer Doug Ferguson about just how difficult Carnoustie can be when the wind and rain settle in. I can tell you this weather-related item from today’s British Open first round: Tiger Woods sank a 90-foot putt for birdie during this morning’s damp, chilly conditions and finished his round with a 2-under, 69. Play began with a steady drizzle and wind with temperatures in the low 50s. Sounds like a great day!

In the photo above: Australia's Stuart Appleby blows rain off his putter on the 1st green during first round play at the 2007 British Open Golf Championship tournament in Carnoustie, Scotland, July 19, 2007. REUTERS/David Moir (BRITAIN)

At The Bronx: I’m barely listening to the Yankees / Blue Jays game, but I think I heard the Bombers broadcast crew of John Sterling and Suzyn “Goodness Gracious” Waldman mention the possibility of rain there at Yankees Stadium. However, the teams are still playing, so I’m not sure what’s going on. At the time I’m writing this, the Yanks lead 2-0. Watch your back BoSox!

B.O. Weather Doesn't Stink -- Yet

It rained today at practice for the upcoming British Open. Of course it did. What would you expect? Today’s practices were the final preps for the major, the 136th in the history of the event, which begins Thursday at Carnoustie, Scotland. Tigers Woods, we here he’s pretty good, is looking to win his third consecutive B.O. title. (That’s an odd way to say it.) Anyway, Tiger, whom my son is not named for, would be only the second golfer in 125 years to accomplish the trifecta.

Forecasters are predicting nice weather for the first two days of the event, but rain could enter into the equation by tourney’s end. Speaking of British Open weather, below is an article from Reuters explaining how the weather over the past few months has set up the course for ideal playing conditions. Enjoy!

By Jon Bramley
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland, July 18 (Reuters) - Organisers say the bad weather rather than any grand planning on their part has left Carnoustie in "great shape" for the 136th British Open which tees off on Thursday.

Open championship committee chairman Martin Kippax said that every player he had encountered had praised the Scottish links course's condition, in sharp contrast to the brickbats it received when the event was last held there in 1999.
But he denied there had been any concerted plan by the Royal and Ancient (R&A) club to help the 156-strong field after so many struggled with high rough and strong winds eight years ago.

"We don't have any grand plan in relation to what width the fairways would be," he told a news conference.

"Very rarely will an Open championship venue vary to its own members, players and so forth. We don't try to cultivate anything.
"The rough isn't as severe as it has been in the past but that's because of the weather we have had. If you have a warm and wet May and June then you'll have heavy links rough.

"If you don't then you don't get the rough. And the rough is nothing like as heavy as it might possibly be.

"We already have seen it's going to be pretty soft so I expect a pretty low-scoring championship."

Forecasters are expecting a wet finish to the tournament over the weekend with clearer weather for the first two days.

Briton Paul Lawrie won the 1999 edition with a six-over-par 290 total.

(AP Photo above by Jon Super)

Yankees, Rangers Complete Stormy Series

A severe storm washed out Wednesday night's game in Arlington, Texas between the Rangers and New York Yankees, forcing the two teams to play a doubleheader Thursday. Another storm swept through the area briefly during the second game, but this time halted the action for only 40 minutes. The AP photo above shows the grounds crew removing the tarp while a rainbow appears above the ballpark. The Yankees went on to win game two, thus sweeping the double dip and the series from the Rangers. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Sprinkles: There still is a 50 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms for Saturday's 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby, according the Louisville, Ky., bureau of the National Weather Service. Friday, USA-Today quoted meteorologist Don Kirkpatrick of the NWS as saying, "Some of those (storms) in the afternoon could get into the strong level, as far as producing small hail and that sort of thing." However, the forecaster went on to say that those storms were not expected to hit Churchill Downs. By the way, Storm in May is a long shot at 30-1. Below you can watch Smarty Jones take the 2004 Derby crown in the Kentucky mud …Rain has suspended play at the Italian Open. Joakim Backstrom of Sweden was leading when the rains began. I don't Tiger is playing this event. He's getting wet in Charlotte, N.C. (above) …Forecasters say rain is likely in Richmond, Va., for Saturday night's NASCAR race there, so expect many delays.

(Tiger Woods photo -- AP Photo/Jason E. Miczek)

Weather Term of the Day:
SQUALL -- A sudden onset of strong winds with speeds increasing to at least 16 knots (18 miles per hour) and sustained at 22 or more knots (25 miles per hour) for at least one minute. The intensity and duration is longer than that of a gust. It is reported as "SQ"s in an observation and on the METAR.