Tom Watson ready for ACE Group Classic after his Ryder Cup duties

Getty Images

Tom Watson, at the ACE Group Classic, made five birdies on the back nine of his pro-am round on Thursday.

1

20

21

0

• PRINT
• TEXT

By 

Associated Press 

Series: Champions Tour

NAPLES, Fla. – Tom Watson arrived late at the ACE Group Classic because of his duties as U.S. Ryder Cup captain. The 64-year-old star got up to speed in a hurry in the pro-am on Thursday. 

 

"I made five birdies on the back nine today so I'm happy with that," Watson said. "It gives me a pretty good feeling going into tomorrow." 

 

Watson will open play on Friday in a threesome with fellow Hall of Famers Colin Montgomerie and Hale Irwin. 

 

Will they talk Ryder Cup? 

 

"Oh, I'll bring it up, all right," Watson said. 

 

Defending champion Bernhard Langer – the winner of the Champions Tour's season-opening event in Hawaii on Jan. 19 – also is in the field along with Michael Allen, a playoff winner on Sunday in the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton. Allen opened with a record-tying 60 en route to his sixth career senior tour victory. 

 

RYDER CUP: Tom Watson names Ray Floyd as his second vice captain

 

"I always feel like I have to start over," Allen said. "I'm the only guy who has a chance to win two in a row so I'm going to enjoy that and see if I can go out tomorrow and get aggressive and get after it and get myself up on the leaderboard and get close for Sunday." 

 

Watson came from Los Angeles, where he named Raymond Floyd as his second assistant for the Ryder Cup. Watson also was the captain in 1993, the last time the U.S. won on foreign soil. 

 

"It was a wonderful time, a high-pressure time, pressure-packed time but it always left me wanting, wanting to do it again," he said. "And I'm very happy to be able to do it again." 

 

Montgomerie applauded Watson's appointment. 

 

"It's a fantastic coup," Montgomerie said. "They brought back stature and class and respect into the captaincy of the Ryder Cup team." 

 

In his first full season on the Champions Tour, Montgomerie said he has received a warm welcome, not only from the players but from the gallery. 

 

"People are slightly sort of cagey when they first meet me because it's first impressions, obviously, wherever I go here because I haven't been to these places before," he said. "`Oh, God it's him, you know?' Then actually, `He's all right. He's OK.' Yeah, so it's nice to start from a base of zero." 

What Really Matters In Ravens' Next Receiver Posted Jan 23, 2014

Ryan MinkBaltimoreRavens.com Staff Writer@Ravens All Ryan Mink Articles



Director of College Scouting Joe Hortiz says to forget size and speed. One quality supersedes all the rest.


At the Ravens’ season-ending press conference, General Manager Ozzie Newsome said they needed a wide receiver or tight end who “can make a third-and-7 or third-and-8 catch and run some after the catch.”

He said he is sure the Ravens can get him, whether in the draft or free agency. But Newsome didn’t share more about what type of player that exactly is.

Is he big? Is he small? Is he a burner? What is he?

Ravens Director of College Scouting Joe Hortiz elaborated a little bit while at the Senior Bowl.

“Forget about his size, forget about his speed,” Hortiz said. “Can he make the play?”

The Ravens lost a playmaker in wide receiver Anquan Bodlin last offseason. He wasn’t the fastest guy, but he knew how to get open and make tough plays when Baltimore needed them, time and time again. As Head Coach John Harbaugh said, they were never able to replace Boldin.

Baltimore also missed tight end Dennis Pitta, a reliable third-down target, for much of the season due to his hip injury. Now Pitta is an unrestricted free agent.

So the Ravens may need to find one, or possibly two, players to help quarterback Joe Flacco in the passing game.

“We want the guy that can make the play on third down, that understands how to get open against zone, who understands gaps in the zone, can settle in it and influence guys,” Hortiz said. “If it’s man, he can win in one-on-one situations. If somebody presses him, it’s going to be a risk.

“In football, it’s about gaining that initial separation, especially in those situations in third-and-7 because you’re shooting for the first down and not the end zone. They need to be able to get separation to give Joe a window to throw to. He can be eight yards away or a half-yard away, but he has to create a window for Joe and makes the play.”