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Info
- SummarySimon Evans covers sport for Reuters out of Miami, Florida. He covers primarily soccer, NFL, NBA, PGA Tour golf, tennis, Caribbean cricket and motor sports.
Before moving to the USA in February 2007, Simon was sports correspondent for Reuters in Italy for eight years, covering Serie A and Champions League soccer as well as other top class sports events and a series of major sports news stories.
Simon began his journalistic career in Central Europe where he worked as a freelance reporter based in Budapest but covering the post-communist countries of the region.
As well as reporting for Reuters at a range of top sporting competitions, Simon has also been a regular broadcaster on BBC radio and was the co-author of the best-selling book The Rough Guide to European Football. He has also written for The Observer, When Saturday Comes, The Guardian and TIME magazine.
Simon has covered many major international sports events including:
2008 Olympic Games Beijing- swimming and athletics including Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt record-breaking performances.
Four FIFA World Cups - France ‘98, South Korea and Japan 2002, Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010.
Four Super Bowls
Football European Championships – Euro 2000 (Belgium and Netherlands), Euro 2004 (Portugal).
Champions League football – primarily covering AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus. Reported on the finals in 2003 (Juve v Milan) and 2005 (Liverpool v Milan in Istanbul).
Winter Olympics – Turin, Italy in 2006 and Vancouver in 2010. Reporting primarily on Alpine Ski.
Formula One - Grand Prix races in Italy, San Marino and Canada and regular coverage of the Ferrari team while in Italy,
Cricket World Cup 2007 and Cricket World Twenty20. Also several tours of the Caribbean.
PGA Tour golf - cover the Florida swing and PGA Championship.
ATP and WTA Tennis, Ski World Cup, NASCAR motor racing.
Usain Bolt and Tiger Woods are among the leading global athletes Simon has interviewed exclusively for Reuters.Specialties: Soccer, Football, Cricket, Tennis, Golf, NBA, NFL, Motor RacingExperience- Feb 2007 - PresentSports correspondent, Miami / ReutersSports reporter for Reuters news agency based out of Miami. Covering NBA, NFL, Major League Soccer, United States national team, West Indies cricket, Caribbean sport. PGA Golf, ATP and WTA tennis.
- 1999 - 2007Sports Correspondent, Italy / Reuters ItaliaCovered sport across Italy - Serie A, Champions League, Azzurri, Ferrari Formula One World Cup ski.
- 1993 - 1999Freelance journalist / Self-employedFreelance journalist covering politics, general news, entertainment and sport. Worked for TIME magazine, BBC radio, the Observer, When Saturday Comes, Budapest Week and the Times Educational Supplement. Co-author Rough Guide to European Football.
Education-
1988 - 1991University of Newcastle-upon-TynePolitical Science
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1986 - 1988Nelson and Colne CollegeGovernment, Language & Literature, Sociology
Additional Information-
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- May 16, 12
MIAMI (Reuters) – With All-Star Chris Bosh out indefinitely with an abdominal strain the question facing Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was how his team would handle the loss of one-third of the “Big Three.”
The swift answer from Game Two of their best-of-seven second round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers was clear as Miami lost 78-75 and the Heat’s third-leading scorer, after LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, had just five points.
Bosh averaged 18 points and shared the team lead with 7.9 rebounds per game during the regular season and the Heat went 4-5 in the nine games he missed.
In the playoffs, Bosh averaged 14.7 points and 6.8 rebounds from six games and Miami simply failed to replace his production on Tuesday as the Pacers tied the series 1-1 with the next two games being played in Indianapolis.
“Chris is missed,” Wade said after Tuesday’s game. “No doubt about it. Our team is set up for him to be in there. It’s his presence, his scoring ability. Anytime he’s on the court, you have to be aware of where he is.”
There is no individual replacement for Bosh so Miami have had to hope that there is a collective solution, with lesser known players all giving that little bit extra.
That did not happen on Tuesday.
Wade and James, who combined for 52 of Miami’s 75 points in Tuesday’s game, scored 21 of the Heat’s 23 points in the fourth quarter and took all but six of the 23 shots in the last period.
The other members of the team were 9-of-34 from the field for 23 points with the disappointments particular acute from those who were expected to step up with some three-pointers.
The Heat missed all but one of their 16 attempts from beyond the three-point line, including one from Mario Chalmers that would have tied the game with three seconds to play.
‘MORE INTENSE’
Mike Miller is struggling for fitness and was held scoreless in 17 minutes on court, while Joel Anthony and Shane Battier’s defensive assets do not transfer to the other end of the court.
Three pointers would be one way of bridging the gap but Indiana are well set up to limit such chances and it is clear that head coach Frank Vogel has done his homework on Miami.
James missed two free throws in the final two minutes and Wade failed on a layup but it is hard not to wonder if those two opportunities may have been taken if the pair had not had to shoulder so much of the scoring responsibility previously.
James had to play every second of the second half without the break he normally takes so as to be at full-effectiveness in the final stages and he was on court for over 42 minutes.
“Forty minutes in the playoffs is different than 40 minutes in the regular season,” James told the Miami Herald. “Intensity is raised. The grind is much more intense. Hopefully, I can get a few minutes here and there.”
For Wade, he and James just need to keep on finding their team mates and hope that they can make their baskets when the series resumes on Thursday.
“We have to just find a way. I thought we got some good looks but we just missed them,” said Wade.
Point guard Mario Chalmers, who got into foul trouble early on Tuesday, is the most likely source of scoring for Miami and Wade has called for him to get his act together.
After two fouls inside the opening five minutes Chalmers was restricted to 22 minutes on court and he managed just 2 from 10 from the field.
“We need (Mario) on the court,” Wade said. “We need him in a sense to learn from his mistakes and learn now. He understands it affects our team when he’s only playing 22 minutes. We’d like Rio to play at least 30 minutes a game.”
(Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Frank Pingue)
- May 13, 12
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) – American Matt Kuchar won the Players Championship on Sunday by two shots to secure the biggest win of his career and a $1.71 million pay check.
To the delight of his watching family, Kuchar shot a final round two-under 70 to finish 13-under for the tournament, two clear of Briton Martin Laird (67) and Americans Zach Johnson (68), Rickie Fowler (70) and Ben Curtis (68).
Overnight leader Kevin Na had a disappointing finish, making six bogeys in a 76 that saw him slip back into a tie for seventh, a day after being heckled by spectators for his slow play and constant practice shots.
Tiger Woods ended well down the field at joint 40th after shooting a 73 to finish one-under.
England’s Luke Donald finished strongly with a 66 that elevated him to sixth, four strokes behind Kuchar, but not enough for him to regain top place in the world rankings from Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, who missed the cut.
Kuchar, who tied for third at the Masters, consistently avoided trouble on the final day on a course that severely punishes inaccuracy.
While his challengers stumbled at various hurdles, the American kept out of water and greenside sand throughout a confident 18 holes.
“You think of this as one of the strongest fields in golf and to come out as champion is an amazing feeling,” the 33-year-old told reporters.
Kuchar, who found 10 of 14 fairways and struck 15 greens in regulation, wrapped up the tournament when he coolly sunk a 15-foot birdie putt on the 16th to surge three strokes clear.
Although bogeying the ‘island green’ 17th, the fixed grin never left his face as he went to the final tee with a two-shot cushion.
Fowler’s second place finish was the fifth of his career and followed his maiden PGA Tour win at Quail Hollow last week.
The 23-year-old made a late charge with birdies on the 16th and 17th holes but missed a nine-foot birdie putt on the 18th that would have put more pressure on Kuchar.
Kuchar safely parred the last to claim his first PGA title win since the 2010 Barclays at the Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey.
“I saw Rickie’s putt on 17 and I knew it got him to within two shots and he could birdie 18 to reduce it to one. That could have changed the whole scenario of how I would play the last hole,” he said.
“So I was really excited to drop that birdie on 16. That was big,” he added.
For Fowler, despite falling short, it was another reminder of his emergence in the game.
“It was a lot of fun to be in contention and I tried to give it a run at the end. Kuch played very well, very solid and I just fell a couple of shots short,” he said.
“I’ve had a lot of confidence in my game which has given me the calm you need coming down the stretch when the nerves are supposed to be on.”
Scotsman Laird, who started the day six back, made an early challenge with six birdies through 13 holes, including a trio on 11, 12 and 13, but his push faded with bogeys at 14 and 18.
“I found my confidence this week for some reason. This is my best finish in a big, big marquee event,” said the United States-based Glaswegian.
For the third tournament in a row, Woods failed to mount a challenge. He also finished tied for 40th at the Masters before missing the cut at Quail Hollow.
“I’ve just got to keep working, keep working. I felt that I did it well in spurts again,” Woods said. “I just need to be a little bit more consistent.”
(Editing by Julian Linden/Ian Ransom)
- May 13, 12
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) – Tiger Woods has called on the PGA Tour to punish slow play with penalty strokes rather than the current practice of handing out undisclosed fines.
The pace of rounds has become a growing issue on the tour and came to the fore at the Players Championship this week where Kevin Na’s constant practice strokes and ‘waggles’ annoyed the crowd.
Former world number one Woods believes a shot penalty for a ‘bad time’ when a player is on the clock would be a far bigger deterrent than cash punishments which are believed to be around $5,000 (3,110.42 pounds) to $10,000.
“Very simple. If you get a warning, you get a penalty. I think that would speed it up,” Woods told reporters after carding a final round 73 to finish 12 strokes behind winner Matt Kuchar.
“Strokes is money. One shot can be the difference between first and second. How much is the difference between first and second? $800,000?
“I would take the five grand over the 800k. That one shot, that’s the difference, that’s what people don’t realise, that one shot is so valuable,” added the 14-times major winner.
Woods expressed some sympathy for Na who on Saturday owned up to his difficulty in being able to release his stroke due to a lack of balance, among other problems.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that but I’ve seen it before. I played with Sergio (Garcia) in 2002 and I think one of the holes, he re-gripped it 20-plus times.
“I haven’t seen Kevin do it in person but sometimes it is tough pulling the trigger. Some guys have an easier time committing and going and other guys don’t,” he said.
Na had asked for patience when talking to media after Saturday’s round where he shot a bogey-free 68.
“Trust me, I get ripped, a lot. I know television, twitterers and fans are tired of me backing off,” he said.
“I understand people being frustrated with me backing off, but all I can tell you guys is honestly, I’m trying, and it’s hard for me, too,” he said.
The concern over slow play goes well beyond Na and includes play on the minor tours and college golf tournaments in the United States.
(Editing by Ian Ransom)
- May 13, 12
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida, May 13 (Reuters) – Matt Kuchar
had already achieved his goal of becoming one of the most
consistent players on the PGA Tour. On Sunday he achieved
another goal when he won one of the toughest tournaments of the
season, the Players Championship.Kuchar enjoyed a stellar amateur career before he burst on
to the professional scene with an early win, in 2002, at the
Honda Classic, but then inconsistency started to creep into his
game.Four years later, he lost his place on the PGA Tour and was
demoted to the second-tier Nationwide Tour. He set about
remodeling his game to make sure his natural ball-striking
talent was allied to a solid game without the huge fluctuations
in form.With 25 top ten finishes since the start of the 2010 season,
a record equalled only by world number two Luke Donald, there is
no doubt the Floridian has achieved that goal.What was missing though, since the 2010 Barclays, was a
tournament victory to seal his status among the tour elite.“I never wanted to be the guy that won once a year and
missed ten cuts a year,” Kuchar told reporters.“Back when I was thinking about this, Tiger Woods was either
winning or finishing second or third every week and I wanted to
figure out how do I get to be like that?“Lately Steve Stricker was that guy and it seemed that
Stricker was a guy I could be more like than I could be like
Tiger.“I can’t hit the shots he can but Steve and I play a similar
game, a consistent game and I said I’d like to play like him,”
added Kuchar.“I wanted to show up, be playing good and have a chance to
win tournaments and it has gone that way. It makes life a whole
lot more enjoyable than packing up Friday afternoon – that’s one
of the worst things,” he said.Stricker’s run of 49 cuts made came to an end at TPC
Sawgrass this week and fittingly it is Kuchar that takes over as
the owner of the longest streak without a missed cut with his
17th straight four round performance.He credits his time in the doldrums, on the Nationwide tour
in 2006, and the work he did with coach Chris O’Connell for
turning around his career.“From the fifth golf ball I hit with Chris watching, I
started hitting it better,” Kuchar said.“It has been such a big help and has helped me to make the
last 17 straight cuts, to have a chance to win a lot of big
tournaments,” he said.Another element that surely helped Kuchar have the
confidence to finish on top at the Players was his performance
at last month’s Masters where he finished tied for third.His best finish at a major came after a strong challenge on
the back nine but he is not a player that obsesses over rankings
and statistics as the permanent grin on his face through the
final holes on Sunday illustrated.“I love playing the game of golf. I have fun doing it. I am
a golf junkie. I have to force myself to take vacations where I
cannot play golf because the challenge is so addictive to me,”
he said.(Editing by Julian Linden)
- May 13, 12
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida, May 13 (Reuters) – American Matt
Kuchar won the Players Championship on Sunday by two shots to
secure the biggest win of his career and a $1.71 million pay
check.To the delight of his watching family, Kuchar shot a final
round of two-under-par 70 to finish the tournament at 13-under,
two clear of Scotland’s Martin Laird (67) and Americans Zach
Johnson (68), Rickie Fowler (70) and Ben Curtis (68).Overnight leader Kevin Na had a disappointing final day,
making six bogeys in a 76 that saw him slip back onto a tie for
seventh.Tiger Woods finished in equal 40th place after shooting a
one-over par 73 to end the tournament at one-under.England’s Luke Donald finished strongly with a 66 that
elevated him to sixth place, four strokes behind Kuchar, but
not enough for him to regain top place in the world rankings
from Rory McIlroy, who missed the cut.The key to Kuchar’s victory, which comes after he finished
tied for third at the Masters, was the way he consistently
avoided trouble on a course that severly punishes inaccuracy.While his challengers stumbled at various hurdles, Kuchar
kept out of sand and water throughout a confident 18 holes.The 33-year-old found 10 of 14 fairways and struck 15 greens
in regulation and the tournament was effectively wrapped up when
he cooly sunk a 15-foot birdie putt on the 16th to three strokes
clear.Although he bogeyed the ‘island green’ 17th hole, the fixed
grin never left his face as he went to the final tee with a two
shot cushion.Fowler, who followed his maiden PGA Tour win at Quail Hollow
last week with a fifth second place in his career, missed a
chance to apply more pressure on Kuchar when he was unable to
convert a nine foot putt for birdie on the 18th.Kuchar safely parred the last to claim his first PGA title
win since the 2010 Barclays at the Ridgewood Country Club in New
Jersey.“Its such an amazing feeling, it really is magical,” said
Kuchar.For the third tournament in a row, Woods failed to mount a
challenge. He also finished tied for 40th at the Masters before
missing the cut at Quail Hollow.(Editing by Julian Linden)
- May 12, 12
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida, May 12 (Reuters) – Kevin Na
managed to secure the third round at the Players Championship
despite labouring with an infuriating inability to pull the
trigger on his shots, annoying spectators, television
commentators and even himself.Na shot a bogey-free 68 to lead by a stroke from Matt Kuchar
at TPC Sawgrass but despite his pinpoint shots he was heckled at
times by the crowd due to his lengthy practice strokes and
multiple ‘waggles’.Course officials spoke to him several times during his round
as he was put on the clock and had a bad time on the 16th.Na said his troubles began at Augusta last year but he has
yet to fully work out why he finds it so difficult to take his
shots and needs to go through a lengthy routine on each shot.“I changed my setup starting at the Masters last year. I
was trying to get more forward, trying to get the backswing more
up. And because my balance at the setup is totally different, I
don’t feel comfortable,” he said.“I’m trying to get comfortable with my waggles. It’s
usually a little waggle, half waggle, little waggle, half
waggle, and boom, supposed to pull the trigger. But if it
doesn’t work, I’ve got to go in pairs.“So it’ll go four; and if it doesn’t work, it’ll go six; and
after that, just there’s a lot going on in my head.“I’m not being nice to myself, trust me. I’m ripping
myself.“But you know, there’s so much on the line that I just have
to sometimes back off. As ugly as it is and as painful as it is,
believe me, it’s really tough for me, and I’m trying,” he said.Na says he understands the frustrations of crowds and
viewers and said it takes a toll on him.“It’s pretty high stress. I mean, after I get done, I’m
pretty tired because not only am I grinding for the golf
tournament but I’m fighting within myself in my mind and trying
to play a round of golf without backing off, without all this
extra thing going on.“Trust me, I get ripped, a lot. I know television,
twitterers and fans are tired of me backing off.“I understand people being frustrated with me backing off,
but all I can tell you guys is honestly, I’m trying, and it’s
hard for me, too.“Just bear with me and hopefully we get that tomorrow round
in.”(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
- May 12, 12
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida, May 12 (Reuters) – Kevin Na
drained a 15-foot birdie putt on the last hole to snatch the
outright lead from Matt Kuchar after the third round of the
Players Championship on Saturday as Rickie Fowler made his move
with a six-under par 66, the best round of the day.Na, frequently taking excessive practice strokes and often
backing away from his shot, otherwise struck the ball sweetly in
carding a bogey free 68 to reach 12-under for the tournament.The South Korean-born American met with rules official Mark
Russell after his round to discuss his slow play but said there
were no problems.“We were talking about the pace of play. We were on the
clock quite a bit. Everything’s okay,” said Na who blamed his
problems due to a lack of comfort with his balance.“As ugly as it is and as painful as it is, believe me, it is
really tough for me and I am trying,” he said.Fellow American Kuchar had a mixed day, combining seven
birdies with four bogeys, including one on the notoriously
difficult ‘island green’ 17th, for a round of 69 to finish a
shot behind Na.“I knew it was going to be a tricky day, there were going to
be a lot of bogeys and dangers around every corner,” said
Kuchar, who tied for third at last month’s Masters.“It was a great day in terms of not letting the bad holes
bother me. I think that is one of my strong suits and today it
came in really helpful.”Kuchar and Na began the day in a three-way tie for the lead
with Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion. Johnson shot a
one-over 73 to slip back into equal fourth with Ben Curtis
(70)at seven-under.It was a sign of the difficulty of the course that Na and
Kuchar were the only players to post three rounds in the 60s and
Na was one of only three players, along with Curtis and Carl
Pettersson, that were bogey free on Saturday.While Kuchar and Na jostled for the outright lead, most of
the buzz around a sun-drenched TPC Sawgrass layout surrounded
Fowler.The 23-year-old Californian, who claimed his first PGA Tour
win at Quail Hollow last week, racked up seven birdies before
spoiling his otherwise flawless round with a bogey at the last,
missing a putt from less than four feet.He ended the day perfectly poised, two shots behind Fowler
and one behind Kuchar.For most of the round, Fowler, who would become the
tournament’s youngest winner, was right on target, and even when
he got in trouble, he remained unflustered.On the fifth hole, he drove into a bunker, 200 yards from
the pin, but blasted out of the sand to just four feet and made
birdie.“I drove it well, put myself in position off the tee, which
is the key here, no matter what, especially with the wind
blowing today. I was able to play out of the short grass as much
as possible,” said Fowler.“Other than bogeying the last, I’d have to say it was a
fairly perfect round.”Tiger Woods made an even-par 72 and was two-under for the
tournament, tied for 34th place. Phil Mickelson signed for a 69
to climb 16 places to be equal 14th.Spain’s Sergio Garcia made a double bogey on the par-five
second hole to tumble back to a tie for last place but
receovered to finish with a four-under 68 leaving him level with
Mickelson.(Editing by Julian Linden)
- May 12, 12
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida, May 12 (Reuters) – Rickie
Fowler, brimming with confidence, will be back in his Sunday
orange outfit for the final round of the Players Championship
aiming for his second successive win on tour.Fowler enjoyed his maiden tour victory in a playoff at Quail
Hollow last week and the good vibe from that win has carried
over to TPC Sawgrass where he has attacked a brutally tough
course with little sign of tension.On Saturday Fowler carded a six-under round of 66, the best
of the day, marred only by a bogey on the 18th where he missed a
putt from under four feet.“I had some fun out there today. Other than bogeying the
last, I’d have to say it was a fairly perfect round,” said
Fowler who is three strokes behind leader Kevin Na.Fowler’s win has increased his self-belief and that
psychological boost, together with a productive switch to a
cross-handed putting grip is paying dividends, according to his
father Rod.“He seems a little more relaxed, it is fun to see him making
some awesome shots out there, he is playing well, putting a lot
better with his cross-grip and everything is coming together,”
he told reporters.“He has been so close for the last year or so, the putts
just seemed to be burning the edge, now they are finally
starting to drop,” he added.Fowler agrees that there has been no major shift in his
technique rather he is just starting to feel right.“It’s not that I’m swinging it any better or anything like
that. I’m definitely confident that I’ve played really well the
last two weeks prior to this and I’m finally get a few putts to
drop,” he said.“It’s more just things are clicking. Everything is kind of
coming together….I feel like I’m managing my way around the
course very well.“Being aggressive when we can be aggressive, and taking a
chance here or there but nothing that’s too risky.“I’m definitely confident with the way I’m playing. I’m
hitting it well. Some good finishes obviously help with that.
It’s just nice to know where the ball is going and to actually
make a swing and see it go there,” he said.Fowler wears bright orange for his final rounds, to
acknowledge his time at Oklahoma State University and there are
already visible signs of the colour and his headgear style
spreading to the galleries.“I love seeing it, especially the little kids running around
with my hat on that is kind of flopping around, slightly large
for them.“I get a laugh out of it and feel honored when there’s 40 or
50-year-old guys that are cruising around in all orange.“It kind of shows you that they’re having fun. They don’t
care what other people think. They’re just out supporting and
rocking the orange.”(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
- May 12, 12
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida, May 12 (Reuters) – Kevin Na
snatched the outright lead ahead of Matt Kuchar at the third
round of the Players Championship on Saturday as Rickie Fowler
made his move with a six-under par 66, the best round of the
day.Na, frequently taking excessive practice strokes and often
backing away from his shot, otherwise struck the ball sweetly in
carding a bogey free 68 to reach 12-under for the tournament.Na later met with rules official Mark Russell after his
round to discuss his slow play but said there were no problems.“We were talking about the pace of play. We were on the
clock quite a bit. Everything’s okay,” said Na.Fellow American Kuchar had a mixed day, combining seven
birdies with four bogeys, including one on the notoriously
difficult ‘island green’ 17th, for a round of 69 to finish a
shot behind Na.“I knew it was going to be a tricky day, there were going to
be a lot of bogeys and dangers around every corner,” said
Kuchar, who tied for third at last month’s Masters.“It was a great day in terms of not letting the bad holes
bother me. I think that is one of my strong suits and today it
came in really helpful.”Kuchar and Na began the day in a three-way tie for the lead
with Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion. Johnson shot a
one-over 73 to slip back into equal fourth with Ben Curtis
(70)at seven-under.While Kuchar and Na jostled for the outright lead, most of
the buzz around a sun-drenched TPC Sawgrass layout surrounded
Fowler.The 23-year-old Californian, who claimed his first PGA Tour
win at Quail Hollow last week, racked up seven birdies before
spoiling his otherwise flawless round with a bogey at the last,
missing a putt from less than four feet.For most of the day, Fowler was right on target, and even
when he got in trouble, he remained unflustered.On the fifth hole, he drove into a bunker, 200 yards from
the pin, but blasted out of the sand to just four feet and made
birdie.“I drove it well, put myself in position off the tee, which
is the key here, no matter what, especially with the wind
blowing today. I was able to play out of the short grass as much
as possible,” said Fowler.“Other than bogeying the last, I’d have to say it was a
fairly perfect round.”Tiger Woods made an even-par 72 and was two-under for the
tournament, tied for 34th place. Phil Mickelson signed for a 69
to climb 16 places to be equal 14th.(Editing by Julian Linden)
- May 12, 12
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida, May 12 (Reuters) – A confident
Rickie Fowler made his move at the Players Championship on
Saturday by shooting a third round six-under par 66 leaving him
two shots behind leader Matt Kuchar.Fellow American Kuchar was three-under through 14 holes of
his round, putting him at 11-under for the tournament.Compatriot Kevin Na birdied the 12th hole to move to
two-under for his round and 10-under for the tournament.Fowler, who claimed his first PGA Tour win at Quail Hollow
last week, took on the merciless TPC Sawgrass course in relaxed
fashion and it paid off for him as he shot seven birdies.The 23-year-old Californian will be disappointed to have
ended his round with his only bogey – missing a putt from less
than four feet after a poor effort from the fringe.That was the only blemish on a round that confirmed Fowler’s
rising status in the game and gives him a chance of winning his
biggest prize yet.“I drove it well, put myself in position off the tee, which
is the key here, no matter what, especially with the wind
blowing today. I was able to play out of the short grass as much
as possible,” said Fowler.THREE BIRDIES
Kuchar, joint overnight leader on eight-under with fellow
Americans Na and Zach Johnson, stayed in front with a trio of
birdies at the turn before a bogey on the 11th where he got in
trouble in the rough after driving right and then two putted.Kuchar, tied for third at last month’s Masters, recovered
quickly with birdies on 12 and 13 before making a five on the
par four 14th after again driving into rough to the right.Na, taking a remarkable number of practice strokes before
shots, was bogey free through his 13 holes with two birdies.Zach Johnson was level par after his opening 13 holes while
England’s Brian Davis and American Ben Curtis were four strokes
off the lead but yet to complete their rounds.Tiger Woods made an even-par 72 and is two-under for the
tournament.(Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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