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Kaymer leads Spieth by 1 at Players Championship

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Martin Kaymer and Jordan Spieth both lowered their expectations at The Players Championship, for different reasons.

Kaymer was coming off a record-tying round on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, becoming only the fourth player to shoot 63 and the first with a 29 on either nine. He has been around long enough to realize that it’s hard to follow such a low round with another one.

“Everybody else thinks you keep going like this and subconsciously, you think you should,” Kaymer said after his 3-under 69 on Friday to take the 36-hole lead. “Fortunately, I shot a few of those rounds in the past that I know that the next day is very difficult. If want to compare myself to yesterday, I think I was six shots worse on the first nine than yesterday. So that would be the wrong way to think.

“You know it’s a new day and new things will happen.”

He likes what is happening at the moment. The former world No. 1 and major champion is winless over the last two years. Every good shot, every good round, every time he sees his name on the leaderboard, his confidence only grows.

Spieth saw Kaymer’s name on the leaderboard at 12-under 132 when the 20-year-old Texan was still on the practice range in a warm wind. He figured that Kaymer couldn’t be caught Friday afternoon, so he aimed for being in range by the end of the second round.

“I didn’t think that was going to be possible in the afternoon to catch that, especially warming up when the wind started picking up,” Spieth said. “Still thought that 3 under was going to be a great score for me. Even par is still a good score. So we got out there and it was playing a little easier than it seemed, and they just kept going for me.”

He had the low score of the second round at 66. He hasn’t made a bogey in 36 holes, even more impressive considering this is his first time at The Players.

Then again, that’s the way golf seems to be going for Spieth at the moment.

He already has been in the hunt going into the weekend at Kapalua and Torrey Pines, at Riviera and most recently at the Masters, where he tied for second.

Spieth is young. This doesn’t get old. Asked he if was getting bored being in contention so much, he smiled and said, “No, because I haven’t won one.”

“You should probably have to win every time in order for it to get boring,” he said. “But not even Tiger gets bored.”

At his age, Spieth still gets most of his experience from watching on television. That’s why he believes The Players is just getting started. The cut was at even-par 144 for the fourth consecutive year at Sawgrass. This is a tournament that allows for good scoring on the weekdays, and seems to get firmer and tougher with each day.

Some players were happy just to see the weekend.

Adam Scott, in his first tournament as a married man, kept alive his hopes of going to No. 1 in the world this week with three birdies in his last four holes for a 67. That was a 10-shot improvement from Thursday and enabled him to make the cut on the number.

Rory McIlroy shot 42 on the front nine and appeared headed home early until making birdie on the 18th hole to salvage a 74 to make the cut.

Not so fortunate was Phil Mickelson. He missed his birdie attempt on No. 18 and had a 70 to miss by one. Mickelson now has missed the cut in the two biggest events of the year — the Masters and The Players.

“I don’t feel bad about the game,” Mickelson said. “But mentally, I’m just really soft right now.”

Russell Henley didn’t make a par over his last six holes — three bogeys, three birdies — for a 71 and was in third place at 8-under 136. Sergio Garcia (71), U.S. Open champion Justin Rose (71), Gary Woodland (71), Lee Westwood (71) and Jim Furyk (68) were six shots behind.

Geoff Ogilvy got within four shots of the lead until three straight bogeys. He was in the group at 5-under 139. They were seven shots behind, but this course can produce wild swings in either direction.

For now, the biggest surprise was Scott. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring this week. He said nothing to the media before the tournament started. He said only that he was settled down and happy.

As for the tournament, even though Kaymer and Spieth have created a little separation, the excitement figures to just be getting started.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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