Holmes finishes his day in a free-fall
Associated Press
Monday, August 11, 2008

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - J.B. Holmes flopped in the final round of the PGA Championship, collapsing from second to 29th.

It all started under a tree.

Holmes first tee shot Sunday afternoon went near the base of a fir tree. He attempted to punch the ball back to the fairway with his 3-wood, but it barely moved and stayed within the boughs of the low-hanging evergreen.

After taking a one-shot penalty, he chipped out to the fairway and ended up two-putting for a triple-bogey 7.

Holmes didn't regret not taking the penalty right away.

"It wouldn't have gotten me out of the tree," the long-hitting 26-year-old said. "I could have taken the line of the shot, but that would have put me in the stands. Or, I could have gone back to the tee. I had to go in there and try to hit something. I tried to hit a

3-wood and I didn't get it out."

LEFTY'S DAY: Phil Mickelson said he had an OK year that would have become a great one if he won the PGA Championship. Put an OK year in the books for one of the best players on the planet.

Mickelson made a minor climb early in Sunday's final round, but he never really scared the leaders, shooting an even-par 70 that left him at 4-over 284 and tied for seventh at Oakland Hills.

"I would have liked to obviously play better, but I had a good week," Mickelson said.

Rather than bemoan the fact that he didn't really come close to winning a major in 2008 - he was tied for fifth at the Masters Tournament, tied for 18th at the U.S. Open and tied for 19th at the British Open - he preferred to look ahead to the Ryder Cup matches in September.

"I don't think anybody expects us to do that well," he said. "However, I'm optimistic that our team is going to play well."

HOW SWEDE IT IS: Fredrik Jacobson didn't make much of an impact on the tournament, finishing 12 shots behind Padraig Harrington in a tie for 24th.

But the Swede did earn his way onto Sunday's highlight reel, acing the 193-yard 13th by dropping a tee shot just short of the hole and watching it roll into the cup.

Jacobson said it was his fifth ace in competitive play. It was the first in a PGA Championship since Olin Browne in 2006.

From the Monday, August 11, 2008 edition of the Augusta Chronicle
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