PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Matt Kuchar has won the Players Championship, holding on for a two-shot win over four others on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. It's Kuchar's fourth win on the PGA Tour, butu the biggest in terms of money ($1.7 million) and prestige.

Kuchar shot a 2-under-par 70, and finished at 13 under. Martin Laird (67), Zach Johnson (68), Ben Curtis (68), and Rickie Fowler (70) tied for second.

5:30: Matt Kuchar has a one-shot lead with seven holes to play in the final round of the Players Championship, but five pursuers are within two shots of his lead.

Kuchar is 12 under, one better than when he started. He bogeyed No. 1 -- falling three shots behind 54-hole leader Kevin Na -- but has two birdies and eight pars since, taking the lead when Na dropped four shots with front-nine bogeys.

Martin Laird is playing the 16th hole and trails Kuchar by one. He's 5 under on the day, alone in second. He held the lead on Friday until he put two balls in the water: one on the 16th, and another on the 17th.

Four players are tied for third at 10 under: Na, who shot 39 on the front but just two-putted for birdie on No. 11; Zach Johnson, who's 3 under on the day; Rickie Fowler, who has made two birdies in a row on Nos. 11-12; and Ben Curtis, who had four straight birdies, beginning on the ninth.

1:30 p.m.: The final twosome of Kevin Na and Matt Kuchar are a little more than an hour away from starting their final round, as the skies are getting more and more overcast and the wind is kicking up a notch, making the scoring conditions more challenging. As if the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on the final day of the Players Championship with $9.5 million on the line isn't tough enough to deal with.

There are a few low scores today. George McNeill shot 68, the best score so far. Bob Estes is 7 under par through 17 holes, and David Toms 5 under through 13. That's the exception, though.

Keegan Bradley had it to 4 under for his round after 12 holes, but has made consecutive bogeys on the 13th and 14th. He's 2 under for the day, and the tournament.

Tiger Woods has just made the turn, and will sign for 40 on his front nine. Woods made double on the par-4 fourth after putting his approach into the water, and will need an under-par back nine to avoid his worst competitive round ever in the Players; he's had 75 on seven occasions.

Which brings us to the leaders. A few questions: Can Na overcome his pre-shot demons and close out what would be his second career win on the PGA Tour? If he falters, will Kuchar (one shot back) or Rickie Fowler (three back) play well enough to get it done? If any of those three don't win, does someone lurking a few more shots back have a low final round in them?

Lots of good stories to follow, as always. Enjoy the golf today.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Matt Kuchar and Kevin Na caught Zach Johnson at 8 under par, setting up a three-way tie for the lead after two rounds at the Players Championship.

Kuchar shot a second-round 68, while Na had 69. The trio leads Harris English by one stroke, with five others at 6 under.

Tiger Woods (68) broke 70 on tour for the first time in two months, and is at 2 under. He'll be paired in the third round with Vermont native Keegan Bradley (70), who birdied his last two holes and shot 32 on the back nine.

3 p.m.: Zach Johnson continues to lead the Players Championship, shooting a 66 in the second round at TPC Sawgrass. He's up one on Harris English (67) as wind and a challenging course are making scoring conditions difficult, threatening to claim many big names.

Rory McIlroy, Steve Stricker, Ernie Els, Davis Love, and Lucas Glover will all miss the cut. Tiger Woods, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, and Hunter Mahan are all currently on the wrong side of the cut line as they continue with their second rounds. If all get sent home, it will take a large chunk of the firepower out of the PGA Tour's marquee event.

Luke Donald (69), Lee Westwood (70), and Phil Mickelson (71) are among those who will make the cut, with Donald and Westwood at 3 under, Mickelson at 2 under.

Johnson's best finish in the Players is a tie for eighth, but he'll likely be sleeping on the second-round lead and in the final twosome tomorrow. His 66 pushed him to 8 under.

Ian Poulter, who shared the first-round lead with Martin Laird, is 4 over on his round through eight holes to fall back to 3 under. Laird, who led for most of the morning, finished bogey/double bogey/bogey to shoot 73. He's part of a large group at 6 under, currently tied for third.

1 p.m.: It's looking more and more likely that Rory McIlroy will miss the cut at the Players Championship. He's 3 over for the day and the tournament, which puts him three shots behind the projected cutline. He has only two holes left in his round.

McIlroy, who reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the world rankings on Monday, has missed the cut in both previous Players, and hasn't been particularly fond of TPC Sawgrass. Another missed cut won't help those feelings.

Zach Johnson is the new leader, getting to 9 under par and jumping in front by two shots thanks to two water balls from Martin Laird. Johnson is playing the 17th hole, and is 7 under on his round after opening with 70.

Laird, the first-round co-leader after a 65, got it to 10 under through 15 holes, but then ran into trouble. He pushed his second shot to the par-5 16th into the water, then hit his tee shot on the 17th short and right, also finding the lake. He had to hole a 12-footer from the fringe just to save double bogey, but it dropped him into a tie for second with Ian Poulter, who has an afternoon tee time.

Phil Mickelson, paired with McIlroy, is even for the day and 1 under overall, playing the eighth hole, his 17th of the day. He won't be able to make any more mistakes if he wants to play the weekend.

10 a.m.: Martin Laird has played eight holes and is 1 under par, good enough for a one-shot lead during the early stages of the second round at the Players Championship.

Laird, tied with Ian Poulter after both opened with 65, birdied the par-5 second, bogeyed the short fourth, then birdied No. 5. He's 8 under, one clear of Poulter, who won't start his second round until 1:39 p.m.

Charlie Wi has the best round going. He's 5 under through 10, and coupled with his first-round 71, sits joint third at 6 under. Jonathan Byrd (eight holes) and Bill Haas (seven) are both 2 under on the day and also 6 under. Blake Adams has an afternoon tee time.

Of the big names off early in the second round, Luke Donald eagled the par-5 16th to reach 3 under for the day and overall. He's paired with Luke Westwood, who is also 3 under overall after two birdies this morning.

Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy are also paired together, and both are even par through six holes.

Tiger Woods, Keegan Bradley, and James Driscoll all have afternoon tee times. Woods is trying to avoid missing back-to-back cuts for the first time in his career.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Martin Laird birdied his final hole and had the only bogey-free round of the day, catching Ian Poulter with a 7-under-par 65 at the Players Championship.

Laird, a Scot who has two PGA Tour wins, caught Poulter with a birdie on No. 9.

3 p.m.: Ian Poulter, who finished second at the Players Championship three years ago, is in first place right now, shooting a 7-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Blake Adams.

Poulter, whose runner-up in 2009 (the year Henrik Stenson won) is his only top-20 finish at TPC Sawgrass in eight previous starts, made four straight birdies, starting at No. 9. He added birdies on the par-5 16th and par-3 17th, then saved par on the 18th to improve his previous low score at the Stadium Course by two shots. He opened with 67 three years ago.

Of those in the afternoon wave, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy, paired together, are 2 under through four, while Lee Westwood is 1 under.

Keegan Bradley birdied his final two holes to shoot 72. James Driscoll had 73.

Tiger Woods extended an ominous personal streak. He opened with 74, the 15th consecutive time he's failed to break 70 in the first round at the Players. He's currently tied for 116th, and will need a decent number in the second round to avoid missing consecutive cuts for the first time in his PGA Tour career.

Noon: Blake Adams is the early leader of the Players Championship, using five consecutive front-nine birdies as a springboard to a 6-under-par 66 at TPC Sawgrass. He leads Kevin Na (through 14 holes) and Ian Poulter (13) by one stroke.

Tiger Woods has had an up-and-down first round. Through 12 holes (he started on No. 10), Woods has five bogeys, four pars, and three birdies. He's pulled shots left, pushed shots right, and hit some fat. Not a good ball-striking round so far.

Keegan Bradley, playing in the group ahead of Woods, is even-par through 13 holes. James Driscoll double bogeyed No. 18 (his ninth hole) and shot 73.

Brian Harman will be a happy single today. Harman, the first alternate, is in the field after a unique situation this morning that head rules official Mark Russell said he's never seen in his 31 years on the PGA Tour. D.A. Points, who had an 8:39 a.m. tee time, withdrew right before he was about to begin his round, opening a spot for Harman, who was at the practice range getting ready, just in case anyone withdrew. But Points withdrew after he was announced on the first tee, and Harman didn't have any time to be informed and get to No. 1 (in the first and second rounds, groups begin their rounds in two waves off Nos. 1 and 10).

The PGA Tour decided to allow Harman to go out as a single today, and created a new 12:20 p.m. tee time for him. He's just started his round.

CineSport's Noah Coslov and PGATour.com's John Swantek preview this week's PGA Tour event at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Tickets for this year's PGA Tour stop in Massachusetts go on sale Wednesday.

The Deutsche Bank Championship will be played Aug. 29 to Sept. 3 at TPC Boston in Norton. It is one of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoff events.

Several new ticket packages have been introduced, including rope side seating, signature skyboxes and champions club. Ticket sales begin at 10 a.m. through the tournament web site, by calling 877-849-4322 or at Golf Town stores in Avon, Bellingham, Natick, Northborough, Reading, Seekonk, and Watertown.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Two of the greatest shots in Masters history from the same pairing happened roughly five hours apart. The first gave Louis Oosthuizen the lead in the Masters. The second let Bubba Watson win it.

From some 40 yards right of the 10th fairway, Watson wrapped a wedge around some of the towering pines at Augusta National Golf Club, his second shot reaching the green and setting up a two-putt par, which was good enough to beat Oosthuizen on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. It's the first major of Watson's career.

Both had short birdie putts on No. 18, the first playoff hole. Both missed, sending the playoff to No. 10.

7 p.m.: There will be a sudden-death playoff at the 76th Masters between Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson. It'll start on the 18th hole.

Watson and Oosthuizen completed 18 holes at 10-under 278, two shots better than anybody else. Watson had a final-round 68, Oosthuizen a 69.

Oosthuizen has one major championship, winning the 2010 British Open at St. Andrews. Watson has never captured a major; a loss to Martin Kaymer in the 2010 PGA is his best finish.

Oosthuizen grabbed the lead with a double eagle at No. 2, a stroke that pushed him from 7 under to 10 under. He gave shots back with bogeys at Nos. 4 and 10, but birdied both back-nine par-5s.

Watson caught him with four straight birdies beginning on the 13th, and had a birdie putt to win the Masters after Oosthuizen missed a long birdie at the last. But Watson missed, Oosthuizen holed a 5-footer for par, and they'll participate in the 16th playoff in Masters history.

3 p.m.: Sunday at the Masters usually provides enough drama to fill a two-hour Hallmark Channel special. But this is getting a little ridiculous.

In the last hour, Louis Oosthuizen has made a double eagle on the par-5 second hole to jump into the lead, and Phil Mickelson just made a triple bogey on No. 4. That's a six-shot swing, folks.

It's the first time in tournament history that someone has made a 2 on the 575-yard hole, and the fourth albatross in the 76 playings of the Masters.

The way the day has gone, maybe there will be another one. Bo Van Pelt and Adam Scott have both made aces on the 16th hole, and Patrick Cantlay eagled the par-4 seventh.

Oh yeah, and Phil Mickelson, chasing his fourth green jacket, just made a triple-bogey 7 on the par-3 fourth hole. Mickelson drove way left, took two swipes at the ball right-handed, put his fourth shot into the bunker, then got up-and-down. The unbelievable meltdown dropped him from 8 under (when he began the hole he trailed Oosthuizen by one) to 5 under, and into a tie for sixth.

Oosthuizen just saved par on No. 6 with a lengthy putt from the fringe. It's looking like it might be his day. He's two shots clear of 54-hole leader Peter Hanson (2 over through four) and Bubba Watson (1 under through six). Matt Kuchar and Padraig Harrington are another shot behind at 6 under.

2 p.m.: We're 40 minutes from the final twosome of Phil Mickelson and Peter Hanson from starting their final round (2:40 tee time), but there's already been plenty of excitement, with signs emerging that it could be quite a volatile day.

Bo Van Pelt established a low score for the week, shooting an 8-under-par 64, which included a hole-in-one on No. 16, the 22d ace in Masters history. Van Pelt also eagled the 13th hole, giving him two straight years where he's made two eagles on the back nine in the final round. Last year he eagled both back-nine par-5s, shot 70, and finished 1 under, which currently has him tied for 17th.

Patrick Cantlay, a 20-year-old sophomore at UCLA, shot 72, which wouldn't seem very newsworthy. But a closer look at Cantlay's card shows otherwise. He made two eagles, five birdies, three bogeys, one double bogey, and a quadruple-bogey 9 on the 13th. The eagles came on No. 7, when he holed out from the fairway, and No. 15.

Keegan Bradley is 3 under on his round through 14 holes, and Tiger Woods is 2 over on his through 11.

But it's obvious that there are opportunities to shoot low scores, or make high numbers. Sunday at Augusta. Just like it should be.

Enjoy the golf today.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Another ideal day to play, similar to yesterday, but the breeze, at least so far, hasn't been as strong as yesterday.

Plenty of possibilities in the final round today. Let's blitz through five quick questions.

1) Will Phil Mickelson win his fourth green jacket? He's a shot behind, but many assume he's the man to beat. He's had solid final rounds in the three years that he's won, shooting 67 in 2010, and 69 in 2004 and 2006.

2) Can Peter Hanson win? The Masters champion has come from the final pairing in 19 of the past 21 years, so he's got a decent chance. He's also got a one-stroke lead, but aren't you wondering how well he slept last night?

3) Can someone not in the final twosome win? Sure, and here's a good stat for everyone besides Mickelson and Hanson: A player has shot 30 or 31 on the back nine in the third round (like Mickelson and Hanson did) in 17 previous Masters. Only two went on to win: Gary Player in 1978, and Craig Stadler in 1982.

4) Who wins low amateur? Hideki Matsuyama looks like the clear choice, with a six-stroke advantage before the final round. That would be two straight silver cups for the 20-year-old from Japan.

5) Who wins? Based on his record here -- and the record of the current leader -- it's hard not to go with Mickelson. The feeling here is he shoots 70, finishes at 10 under, and wins by one over Louis Oosthuizen. But keep an eye on Bubba Watson, and even Hunter Mahan.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- A day after international players hogged the top of the leaderboard, Americans Fred Couples and Jason Dufner share the second-round lead in the 76th Masters, each completing 36 holes at 5-under-par.

Couples started the day even and shot 67, the low score of the second round. Dufner followed his opening 69 with a 70.

Lee Westwood held the lead at 6-under until he bogeyed the 18th hole. Dufner also bogeyed the 18th.

Phil Mickelson had 68, which has him just three shots off the pace and he tries to win his fourth Masters in a nine-year span. Tiger Woods is going in the opposite direction. Woods, who had a first-round 72, is 2-over through 14 holes. While not in danger of missing the cut (5-over and better seems safe) he'll be well off the lead, with a whole bunch of players ahead of him.

Keegan Bradley has had an interesting day, with five bogeys and three birdies on his front nine. He's 4-over with two holes left, and 3-over for the tournament.

3 p.m.: Lee Westwood continues to hold the lead in the 76th Masters, but 52-year-old Fred Couples is turning the clock back and making a huge push, just a shot off the pace.

Couples is 5-under for his round and just birdied No. 16, his second straight and seventh of the day. He's 20 years removed from his only victory in the Masters, but he's played well here the past two years: sixth in 2010, tie for 15th last year.

Westwood is playing the 18th, and has had a very steady round. He opened with 10 pars, bogeyed No. 11, birdied 12, and birdied 15. He's at 6-under, looking to win his first major.

Jason Dufner and Sergio Garcia are tied with Couples at 5-under. Dufner briefly took the lead from Westwood when a birdie on the 16th got him to 6-under, but he bogeyed No. 18 to fall a shot back. Garcia, like Couples, is 5-under on his round, and is playing the 16th hole.

Keegan Bradley has played four holes and has yet to make a par: bogey-birdie-birdie-bogey. He's 1-under for the tournament. Tiger Woods opened with birdies on Nos. 1 and 3, but just bogeyed the fourth. He's also 1-under for the day and the tournament.

Noon: Lee Westwood has been a par-making machine so far in the second round, making seven straight to remain in the Masters lead. He's been joined at 5-under by Peter Hanson, who has yet to make a par through four holes: double bogey-birdie-birdie-birdie.

Rory McIlroy is making a move. He closed with two straight birdies in his first round, and has opened with two birdies in his first four holes today to push to 3-under, two shots behind the leaders.

Ben Crane (10 holes) and Jason Dufner (eight) both started the day at 3-under, and are both 1-under for the round, tied for third.

Phil Mickelson has made two early birdies; because he opened with 74, he'll need a few more to work his way onto the first page oif the leaderboard.

10 a.m.: The weather for the second round is much different, with cooler temperatures, stronger wind, and another chance for rain.

Roughly one-third of the field is on the golf course, and there's been some movement on the leaderboard. Louis Oosthuizen, who shot a first-round 68 to trail leader Lee Westwood by one, double bogeyed the par-5 second hole, and after a birdie on No. 3, has bogeys on Nos. 4-5 to fall back to 1-under. Westwood has just started his round, making a par on No. 1.

Ben Crane is 1-under for his round through three holes and is a shot behind Westwood at 4-under. Jason Dufner has also reached 4-under after a birdie on No. 2.

Phil Mickelson (2-over) has a 10:46 a.m. tee time, while Tiger Woods (even-par) is in the second-last group of the day, off at 1:42 p.m. Keegan Bradley (71) also has an afternoon tee time, at 1:31.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The first round of the 76th Masters is in the books, with Lee Westwood shooting a 67 and taking a one-shot lead on Louis Oosthuizen and Peter Hanson.

Six more players were two shots back after shooting 3-under 69: Paul Lawrie, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Francesco Molinari, Ben Crane, Jason Dufner, and Bubba Watson.

Keegan Bradley doubled the first, bogeyed the 18th, and shot 71. Tiger Woods bogeyed his last two holes to shoot 72. Phil Mickelson birdied the 18th to shoot 74, which was marred by a triple bogey at the 10th.

A triple bogey on No. 10 derailed Rory McIlroy's chances at winning last year. He made par there today, and birdied his last two holes to also shoot 71.

Noon: Henrik Stenson is 6-under-par through 10 holes -- thanks to two eagles -- and has built a three-stroke lead in the first round of the Masters.

Stenson has missed the cut in his last two appearances at Augusta National, and got off to rough starts both times: 83 last year, and 80 in 2010. No bad start this time. Stenson eagled both par-5s on the front nine, Nos. 2 and 8, and added birdies on the fifth and 10th.

Paul Lawrie had a 69, despite making a bogey on No. 18. Ross Fisher (through 17 holes) and Scott Verplank (seven) are both 2-under.

Tiger Woods is on the ninth hole, and is 1-under. He overcame hooked drives on the first two holes, saving par both times, and has birdies at the third and eighth.

Keegan Bradley fought off a first-hole double bogey and is even-par through 10 holes. He birdied No. 2, then holed a bunker shot for a birdie on the par-3 fourth.

10:45 a.m.: The first round of the Masters has begun on a gorgeous morning, although the threat of an afternoon storm and more rain is ever-present.

Four players are currently tied for the early lead at 1-under: Martin Kaymer (who has played seven holes), Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink (six; they're paired together), and Aaron Baddeley (five).

Tiger Woods just hit his opening tee shot well left of the first fairway, a ghastly pull-hook that would have gone through the ninth fairway had it not ping-ponged off multiple trees. Not a good drive; we'll see if it's an omen or aberration.

Keegan Bradley, playing in the group ahead of Woods, double bogeyed No. 1 despite a drive that split the fairway. Not sure how he made 6; the pin is cut back left.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Three of the greatest Masters champions officially opened this year's tournament, with Gary Player joining Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus as honorary starters.

Watched by a large, respectful gallery -- and Phil Mickelson, wearing his green jacket -- golf's Big 3 each struck ceremonial tee shots, with all finding the fairway. Player's drive appeared to travel the greatest distance.

Palmer, a four-time Masters champion, has been an honorary starter since 2007. He was joined in 2010 by Nicklaus, who won a record six Masters. Player, who played in 52 Masters from 1957-2009 (more than anybody) and won three times, made his debut as an honorary starter. They'll be together in the press building soon, waxing poetic on any and all topics.

Following Nicklaus's drive, Augusta National chairman Billy Payne spoke the words that all golf fans look forward to hearing: "Ladies and gentlemen, the 2012 Masters has officially begun. Have fun."

Hopefully the weather will cooperate today. It's just about perfect now, but rain is forecast for later in the afternoon. The final threesome -- which includes Mickelson, so having him on the first tee six hours before his tee time was quite surprising, and quite classy -- starts at 1:53. No rain until about 7 p.m. would be ideal.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Despite multiple attempts by the media during his annual Masters eve press conference, Augusta National Golf Club chairman Billy Payne didn't offer much regarding the recent focus on the club's all-male membership.

It's been nine years since Martha Burk led a protest during Masters week because Augusta National has no female members. The issue has returned, mainly because the new CEO of IBM, Virginia Rometty, is female. The last four people who have held that position -- all men -- have become members at Augusta National. IBM has been a longtime corporate sponsor of the Masters.

Three questions in, Payne was asked if he ever foresees a day when the club will have a female member.

"Well, as has been the case, whenever that question is asked, all issues of membership are now and have been historically subject to the private deliberations of the members, and that statement remains accurate and remains my statement," Payne said.

When asked a few minutes later about why the club wouldn't consider membership for Rometty, Payne stood his ground.

"I guess two reasons: One, we don't talk about our private deliberations. No. 2, we especially don't talk about it when a named candidate is a part of the question," he said.

Payne, who was named chairman in 2006, received numerous other questions on the issue: If Augusta National wants to help with growing the game, why does it exclude women from joining? As a grandfather, what discussions does he have with his granddaughters about the issue?

It grew slightly contentious when the questions persisted.

Q: Mr. Chairman, I note your concerns about the growth of golf around the world, and I also note that Augusta National is a very famous golf club. Don't you think it would send a wonderful message to young girls around the world if they knew that one day they could join this very famous golf club?
Payne: Once again, that deals with a membership issue, and I'm not going to answer it.

Q: No, it doesn't.
Q: Seems like a mixed message, Billy, is what he's saying. You're throwing a lot of money into growing the game, and yet there's still a perception that certain people are excluded.
Payne: That is a membership issue that I'm not going to ... thank you for your --
Q: It sends --
Payne: Thank you.

Q: It sends a wonderful message to girls around the world that they could join this emblematic golf club; it's not a membership question.
Payne: Thank you for your question, sir.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson will be in the final group of the day on Thursday, out with Hunter Mahan and Peter Hanson, as the pairings for the first two rounds have just been released. Mickelson, Mahan, and Hanson begin at 1:53 p.m.

Tiger Woods will play at 10:35 a.m. on Thursday with Miguel Angel Jimenez and Sang-Moon Bae. Rory McIlroy is in the group right before Mickelson, off at 1:42 p.m. with Angel Cabrera and Bubba Watson. McIlroy and Cabrera were in the final pairing in the final round last year, when McIlroy shot 80.

The first group of Craig Stadler, Breendan Steele, and Tim Clark will start at 7:50 a.m., following the honorary starters officially open the competition. This year, Gary Player will join Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Hello everyone, and apologies for neglecting the golf blog. We're at the Masters this week, and if it's possible to over-hype an event, this might be the one. The year's first major is bursting with possibilities, since many of the best players in the world (Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald) have won on the PGA Tour recently.

McIlroy took a four-shot lead into the final round last year, but struggled on the back nine and shot 80, leaving with questions about his ability to close and wondering how long it would take to get over such a crushing loss. Turns out not long at all, since he won the US Open two months later by eight shots.

Still, he'll be returning to the site of his most painful professional moment. Addressing it this morning in his pretournament press conference, McIlroy chose humor, especially when asked about the triple bogey 7 he made on No. 10, when his drive ricocheted off a tree and ended up near the club cabins well left of the fairway.

"I can't believe how close the cabins are, they are only 50 yards off the [10th] tee," McIlroy said, breaking the room up in laughter. "You know, look, it's great to be able to laugh about it now. ... Obviously the first time I played the back nine last week, there's memories that come back and memories that you probably don't want."

Much has changed since then. McIlroy won his first major, and he was recently ranked No. 1 in the world (he's currently No. 2). How he handled himself -- immediately after last year's final round, throughout the year, even today, never dodging the collapse -- has endeared himself to many golf fans. He said he comes to the Masters this year ready to win. Looking back, he can't say he was a year ago.

"I really needed to think about what I needed to do to improve mentally and in different aspects of my game to get better," McIlroy said. "I felt like I did that. I'm in a great place. I feel like my golf game is in great shape. As I said, I'm coming back here a much more experienced player and feel like a much better player than the player that came here last year. I'm very excited about the week."

ByJim Hoban, Globe Staff

Herbie Aikens of Pembroke shot an unofficial course-record 61 at Pinehill’s Nicklaus Course in Plymouth yesterday. Aikens had nine birdies, two eagles and two bogeys.

Sun Life Financial's Mike Shunney, Hunter Mahan, and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino (from left) at the Drive to End Alzheimer's on Boston Common. (Photo courtesy Elevate Communications)

By Hunter Mahan, Special to Boston.com

Hey Boston, I’m Hunter Mahan, and I’ve just come off a busy weekend with the PGA Tour playoffs at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton. Such a great energy out there at the TPC. I'm glad I was able to stay competitive in all the rounds and get myself in a position to make a run yesterday. Though I'm always aiming to win, I was proud of my performance and to finish in the top 10.

I’m excited to be a guest blogger, so thanks, boston.com – this is pretty cool. I’m definitely enjoying my time in the Northeast – Boston’s a great place to be this time of year and I love the city’s passion for sports, though I’m originally from So Cal, so I have to admit I’m a Lakers fan, but I can definitely respect the clubs here in New England.

I’ve been on the PGA Tour since ‘07 and have always loved the game of golf since I can remember - a lot of that is because of the support I’ve received from my amazing family. I was particularly close with my grandmother, who passed away from Alzheimer’s disease – and that’s part of why I’m here writing to you guys today.

Alzheimer’s affects more than 5.4 million victims and their families across the US and is the sixth leading cause of death in our country. It’s incredible that a disease that might seem like minor memory loss at first, can develop into a life-threatening condition. It’s just devastating.

I teamed up with Sun Life Financial, one of my great corporate partners, to host a really cool event on Boston Common earlier today called the “Drive to End Alzheimer’s” The Alzheimer’s Association was also there, and the whole event was dedicated to raising money for Alzheimer’s through another cause that’s close to my heart: golf.

It was awesome to see the Common get a golf makeover! We laid down putting greens and set up target challenges – even a PGA Pro from Golf Galaxy came to host a special putting analysis station using Ping & Apple technology. We even had a couple of lucky folks walk away with some great prizes, including a custom golf club and Sundog Eyewear. And thanks to Polar Beverage, Lincoln Street Coffee, Kickass Cupcakes and Redbones for providing some delicious food and drink.

One of the coolest parts was when I tested my short game against some of New England sports media personalities and Sun Life Financial Distributors President Mike Shunney in a chip-shot contest - ha! I’ve never really done anything like that before, but I’m used to pressure, and of course it’s all for a great cause that I’m really passionate about. And you’ll never believe it, but Shunney aced the shot on his first try!

Thanks for everyone’s support, especially Sun Life and the Alzheimer’s Association. And thanks to boston.com/deals for helping us out too. I’m honored to be part of such a special event for a cause that’s close to my heart.

Watch a recap of the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPB Boston. Webb Simpson defeated Chez Reavie in a playoff for the title in the PGA Tour's second playoff event.

By Michael Whitmer, Globe Staff

NORTON -- Webb Simpson has won the Deutsche Bank Championship, making a birdie on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to beat Chez Reavie at TPC Boston.

Both players birdied the par-5 18th hole, which was the first playoff hole. Simpson holed his putt from 15 feet, and Reavie made a 3-footer.

On No. 17, the second playoff hole, Simpson's second shot to the par-4 finished 9 feet away, while Reavie, hitting second because he was slightly closer after their drives, left his approach 25 feet away. After Reavie narrowly missed his birdie putt, Simpson canned his, giving him two victories in three weeks. He won the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., then tied for 10th at the Barclays last week.

5:50 p.m.: Chez Reavie picked a costly time to make his first bogey of the day, missing an 11-footer for par on the 18th hole that would have won him the Deutsche Bank Championship. Instead, Reavie and Webb Simpson are headed for a sudden-death playoff, the first in tournament history.

Reavie built a two-shot lead by making birdies on the 14th and 16th holes, but Simpson cut it to one with a 27-foot birdie putt on No. 18. Reavie, needing just a par on the 18th to win, hit his drive into the first cut of rough, then laid up in front of the hazard, 117 yards from the hole. But his third shot flew over the green, and after taking a drop from the grandstand, chipped to 11 feet. His left-to-right putt to win slid by the right edge.

4 p.m.: Chez Reavie just made a 15-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole and has taken a one-shot lead on Webb Simpson in what's been a wild, up-and-down day at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Reavie, a 29-year-old who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., has one win in his PGA Tour career, at the 2008 Canadian Open. He began the day one shot back of Bubba Watson's lead, but has made five birdies and no bogeys on his card today to reach 15 under.

Six different players have held at least a share of the lead today, including Simpson, who is also 5 under through 17 holes. Brandt Snedeker, who birdied five of his first seven holes, shot 66 and is the clubhouse leader at 13 under.

Phil Mickelson shot 69 to finish at 9 under, and is currently tied for ninth.

1:15 p.m.: We're 30 minutes away from having everyone on the golf course, with Brandt Snedeker and Hunter Mahan making early moves to geat near the lead.

Bubba Watson is still enjoying a one-shot advantage, even though he won't start his round until 1:45 p.m. Snedeker, with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2, has climbed to 10-under. Mahan birdied his first four holes -- knocking in putts of 56 feet on No. 1 and 32 feet on No. 3 -- then added another birdie on the par-5 seventh to also reach 10-under. He just missed a short par putt on No. 8, however.

Phil Mickelson has worked his way into the top 10, making birdies on the first and fourth. He's at 9 under, trying to win his second Deutsche Bank Championship, and his second tournament this season.

9:45 a.m.: So many story lines, so many possibilities today at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Let's get right to it.

1) On the bubble: For a handful of players here today (and a few who are not), how the final round plays out will determine if they have another playoff event in their immediate future. The top 70 on the points list advance to the BMW Championship, and players like Ernie Els (projected 71st currently), Graeme McDowell (75th), Robert Garrigus (69th), and George McNeill (65th) are in the mix for the final few spots. So is Kevin Na, who missed the cut but is 70th in the latest projections. You can bet he'll be tuned in today, number crunching.

2) Presidents Cup: This tournament and the BMW Championship are the last chances for those hoping to automatically play their way onto either the US or International team, and there's players knocking on the door of an automatic spot whose chances could be greatly improved by a high finish today. On the US side, Jim Furyk (11th in the Presidents Cup points list), Brandt Snedeker (12th), Rickie Fowler (13th), Zach Johnson (16th), and Jason Dufner (17th) are among those who could play their on to the US team. Geoff Ogilvy (12th), Aaron Baddeley (14th), Robert Allenby (15th), and Rory Sabbatini (16th) are looking to qualify on the International side.

3) Weather: It was certainly an issue yesterday, as afternoon winds made it difficult for those who had later tee times (that means the leaders) to score well. It's fairly calm now, with winds this morning expected to be mild. But gusts up to 20 miles per hour are in the afternoon forecast, so if someone can throw together a few birdies, it might be enough to push them into the lead.

4) Logjam: With 24 players separated by just four shots, today has all the makings of a free-for-all, which adds excitement. Will someone two, three, even four shots off Bubba Watson's lead shoot 63 or 64 and mount a stirring comeback? History here says that's entirely possible, maybe even expected. So don't count out Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, Rickie Fowler, or Ernie Els, all of whom are at least three shots back.

5) Winner: I backed Gary Woodland in Thursday's Globe, and he's 9 under, two shots behind. In his first Deutsche Bank Championship, he's gone 69-69-66, and with so many players in contention, he'll be able to use his massive length and be aggressive. No reason to abandon him now. I'll guess Woodland shoots 67 to finish 13 under, and beats Adam Scott and Watson in a playoff.

Watch a recap of Round 3 at the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston, where Bubba Watson leads by one heading into today's final round. There are five players one behind Watson and five more two behind.

By Michael Whitmer, Globe Staff

NORTON -- Nobody who started the day near the lead has created some separation, leaving a very bunched-up leaderboard as third-round play continues at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Bubba Watson, one of three who shared the lead at the start of the day, is just 1-under on his round, but holds the outright lead over Adam Scott and Charl Schwartzel, both of whom are even-par today. At 11-under, Watson leads those two by one.

That's when it gets crowded. Jim Furyk (66), Gary Woodland (66), Webb Simpson (67), and four others are at 9-under, with seven more at 8-under.

1 p.m.: When what he termed a lucky shot found the bottom of the cup from 172 yards for an eagle, Phil Mickelson admitted he had thoughts of shooting 59.

"Oh yeah, I did," Mickelson said, after settling for 63 today at TPC Boston, which brought him to 7-under-par, currently three shots off the pace still held by Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, and Bubba Watson. The leaders will tee off in slightly more than an hour.

Mickelson's best score at the Deutsche Bank Championship once again came with him using a belly putter, but he credited good ball-striking as the key. He hit 15 greens, four more than in both of the first two rounds. And while his 27 putts are his best number through three rounds, the longest birdie putt he made was 8 feet.

It was a mid-round birdie-birdie-eagle stretch that put 59 in Lefty's mind. He holed out from thick rough on the 12th hole, using a 7-iron from 172 yards. He missed three makeable putts coming in: a 15-footer for birdie on No. 15, a 17-footer for birdie on the 17th, and a 10-footer for eagle on No. 18.

While he's improved 61 places on the leaderboard -- he was tied for 67th at the start of the day, and his tap-in birdie on No. 18 pulled him into a tie for sixth -- don't expect him to be all that close to the lead at the end of the day. Low numbers are out there, with Camilo Villegas and defending champion Charley Hoffman shooting 65 -- so someone either in the lead or near it will probably reach 14- or 15-under-par. That would leave Mickelson seven or eight shots back, meaning he's probably need another 63, or lower, to make a run at the trophy.

10 a.m.: Cloud cover has hovered over TPC Boston, bringing a threat of an afternoon shower or thunderstorm. But third-round play hasn't been affected at the Deutsche Bank Championship, with Phil Mickelson already sending a buzz through the property.

Mickelson has played 13 holes and is 7-under-par, just completing a birdie-birdie-eagle stretch by holing out from 173 yards on the par-4 12th with a 7-iron. He birdied Nos. 2, 3, and 4 to turn in 33, then birdied the 10th, birdied the 11th, and eagled the 12th.

The 2007 Deutsche Bank winner's best score at TPC Boston is a second-round 64 the year he won. Today's surge has pushed him from a tie for 67th into a tie for 11th at 6-under. Camilo Villegas (5-under through 15), Chris Stroud (3-under through four), and John Rollins (3-under through seven) are also making moves.

Hit play for highlights from the second round at the TPC Boston, including Brandt Snedeker's hole-in-one on No. 16. There's a three-way tie atop the leaderboard, with plenty of top shooters in contention.