Rod Pampling News

MELBOURNE, Australia - Tiger Woods had a stiff breeze at his back as he stood on the 13th tee, his hand resting on the cover of his driver as he contemplated how to navigate the 354 yards to the green.

Warrnambool golfer Marc Leishman is the early leader on the opening day of the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath.

Mr Popular you didn't have to be at the course to see Tiger Woods in action - the adoring TV telecast didn't stray from him.

Tiger Woods, best known for taming some of the longest courses on the U.S. PGA Tour, is enjoying the intricacies of the relatively short Kingston Heath lay out at this week's Australian Open.

Course: Kingston Heath Golf Club . Purse: $1.39 million. Winner's share: $250,580. Television: Golf Channel .

TIGER Woods fans who hit Kingston Heath for a first glimpse of the world's greatest golfer are in for a gruelling day as the Australian Masters begins.

TIGER Woods will have completed his first round at the Australian Masters on Thursday before the TV broadcasters have started their coverage.

In Parting Shots, the GolfChannel.com Team offers up the best quotes from the week.

GOLF remains in denial about the threat of performance enhancing drugs in the sport even though somebody has now been caught and suspended for a year.

Danny Lee has hit the skids only seven months after turning pro and one of his colleagues on tour thinks he has some idea why.

Melbourne-bound Tiger Woods began his two-week Pacific tour with a most respectable five-under-par 67 opening round at the $US7 million HSBC Champions tournament on Thursday.

Mathematically, Paul Casey is very much in the hunt for the Race to Dubai on the European Tour, at No.

Australian Masters champion Rod Pampling hopes that Tiger Woods's appearance in Melbourne next week leads to a long-term revival of the Australian tournament golf scene.

Doug Barron, a 40-year-old journeyman who lost his tour card three years ago, became the first player to be suspended by the PGA Tour for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

Tournament organisers aren't expecting a flood of European players to join Tiger Woods at next month's Australian Masters despite the event's tour co-sanctioning. It was announced on Friday the tournament, to be played at Melbourne's Kingston Heath course from November 12-15, had retained its European and Australasian PGA tour co-sanctioned status ...

SOUTH African Tim Clark has confirmed he'll defend his Australian Open golf title.

NEW YORK: Americans Matt Kuchar and rookie Scott Piercy shared a one-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the Turning Stone Championship in Verona, New York, the opening event of the PGA Tour Fall Series.

American pair Matt Kuchar and Scott Piercy share the lead after Saturday's third round in the Turning Stone Resort Championship.

Mathias Gronberg, a native of Sweden who has spent most of this season on the Nationwide Tour, tied the Atunyote course record with an 8-under par 64 in the third round of the Turning Stone Resort Championship here Saturday.

3 player in the world is returning to the Shark Shootout. Steve Stricker confirmed in an interview earlier this month that he and Jerry Kelly would return as partners for the unofficial PGA Tour event from Dec.