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Winning by being the best at not losing

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — It was hard to read the eyes of Jack Nicklaus behind his sunglasses, and maybe that was a good thing. He was in his customary spot behind the 18th green at Muirfield Village as he waited to see who would win the Memorial.

Or who would do the best job of not losing.

It’s rare to get such beautiful weather over four days at the Memorial. An ugly finish? That has become all too common this year.

The Sunday follies of so many top players — most of them major champions — stand out even more in the absence of Tiger Woods, who is recovering from back surgery that has kept him away from golf for the last three months.

Without Woods around, all anyone has are memories, particularly around a place like Muirfield Village. He won his fifth Memorial title two years ago with three birdies on the last four holes. One year he was in a battle with Paul Azinger, tied for the lead early in the final round. Woods ended up winning by seven.

Over the last four months, a list that includes major champions Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson has shown that it’s either hard to win on the PGA Tour or that Woods was really, really good at it.

Probably a little of both.

“We’ve seen a lot of things happen,” Scott said on the eve of the final round, perhaps a pep talk that his three-shot deficit to Watson going into Sunday was not that large. “It’s not a lot when we’ve seen a lot of leads go the wrong way recently.”

That was rare with Woods, of course.

He went nearly 15 years before losing a lead greater than two shots going into the final round. Graeme McDowell rallied from four behind to beat Woods in the Chevron World Challenge at the end of 2010.

His conversion rate on the PGA Tour with at least a share of the 54-hole lead is 93 percent. Even though Woods hasn’t sustained a full season of great play in five years, his reputation as golf’s greatest closer in history takes on a new appreciation in times like this.

Consider the final round at the Memorial.

Watson failed to hold an outright lead for the second time this year because of mistakes on the back nine. He bogeyed two of the last three holes in Phoenix. At the Memorial, it was a pair of tee shots that did him in, particularly that monster drive over the trees, off the property and into a neighborhood.

Scott was in position for his second straight PGA Tour win. He was tied for the lead until he put his tee shot in the water on the 12th (double bogey), took two shots to get out of a bunker on the 14th (bogey), and then had some bad luck when his wedge to the par-5 15th hit the flag and bounced back toward the fairway (bogey).

The winner was Hideki Matsuyama, and here’s how he got it done. He hit his tee shot into the water on the 16th for double bogey to lose a two-shot lead. From the 17th fairway, he went over the green and made bogey to fall out of the lead. And then he pushed his tee shot toward the big tree right of the 18th fairway, lightly slammed his driver to the turf (the head broke off), only to find the ball had hit the tree and bounced back to the fairway.

From there, he smashed 7-iron at the flag and made birdie to get into a playoff.

He beat Kevin Na, who hooked his drive into the water and still had 10 feet left for bogey when Matsuyama made the winning putt.

These things happen in golf. They just seem to be happening more than usual this year.

McIlroy had a two-shot lead at the Honda Classic until hitting it fat out of a bunker and into the water for double bogey on the 16th hole, and making bogey from a bunker on the 17th hole. He hit as good a shot that has been struck all year on the 18th, a 5-wood over the water to 12 feet, only to miss the eagle putt and then lose in a four-man playoff. The playoff hole was a par 5. Russell Henley was the only player to make birdie.

Scott, in his first chance to reach No. 1, had a seven-shot lead going into the weekend at Bay Hill. He closed with a 76 and finished two shots behind Matt Every. Matt Kuchar blew two good chances in Texas with mistakes rarely seen from him, and he might have blown another chance to win except for holing out from a bunker on the 18th at Hilton Head. Phil Mickelson was right there at Quail Hollow until missing four putts from the 4-foot range and closing with a 76.

The lesson is it’s not easy to win on the PGA Tour. The reminder is Woods made it look that way.

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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