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Angel Cabrera builds momentum for British Open

By WTOP Staff

JOHN RABY
AP Sports Writer

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — Angel Cabrera has some much-needed momentum heading to the British Open in his quest for a title in a third different major.

Cabrera snapped a five-year drought on the PGA Tour and became its oldest winner this season, closing with his second straight 6-under 64 at the Greenbrier Classic to beat George McNeill by two strokes Sunday.

The 44-year-old Cabrera made good on his first visit to the historic venue in West Virginia that has put many players at ease with its laid-back environment and mountain views which the Argentine said reminded him of his home club in Cordoba.

“I had been told by my friends that this was a great place, a great golf course,” Cabrera said.

One that gave him his first non-major win on the tour, to go along with the 2007 U.S. Open and 2009 Masters.

“After the 2009 Masters victory, I haven’t been too consistent,” Cabrera said. “But I’ve been working very hard of late to get back to where I think I should be.”

With a combination of 330-yard drives, bold iron play and clutch putts, Cabrera finished with four rounds in the 60s for the first time since the 2010 Deutsche Bank Championship.

“I’ve been confident with my golf swing, and I feel confident mentally,” Cabrera said. Entering the British Open, “I’m just going to go over there and play, and it’s a very important tournament and it’s a different tournament, but I’m going to go play.”

Cabrera, who didn’t even have a top-10 finish previously this season, finished at 16-under 264. He won $1.17 million and improved from 158th to 54th in the FedEx Cup standings.

“I wanted it. I needed to win a tournament,” Cabrera said. “I felt under control today out there, and I didn’t want to let it get away from me.”

McNeill had four consecutive birdies, then a hole-in-one on the 220-yard 8th hole, during his season-best round of 61.

Afterward, he learned that his older sister, Michele McNeill, had died Sunday morning of breast cancer, Golf Channel reported.

“Golf doesn’t really mean a whole lot,” McNeill told reporters. “So it’s hard.”

McNeill was the clubhouse leader at 14 under well ahead of Cabrera, who still had the back nine to play.

Cabrera overtook McNeill with birdie putts of 17 and 7 feet on the 11th and 12th holes, then gave a fist pump after moving to 17 under with the highlight of his round — a 176-yard 8-iron up the hill on the par-4 13th, the hardest hole at Old White TPC, that settled into the cup for eagle.

Webb Simpson, who had flown home on Friday, learned upon landing that he made the cut, then rented a car and drove back to West Virginia, finished third after shooting 63 Sunday.

Third-round leader Billy Hurley III, playing alongside Cabrera, bogeyed four of the first six holes to fall out of contention. He shot 73 and finished in a seven-way tie for fourth at 9 under.

No third-round leader has hung on to win the Greenbrier Classic in its five-year existence.

Joining Hurley at 9 under were Bud Cauley (64), Bradley (66), Brendon Todd (66), Chris Stroud (69), Cameron Tringale (69) and Will Wilcox (69).

The leading four players among the top 12 not already exempt for the British Open earned spots in the July 17-20 tournament at Royal Liverpool. Those spots went to McNeill, Stroud, Tringale and Hurley.

At age 64, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson shot 69 to finish tied for 35th at 4 under. On the par-5 17th, Watson reached the green on his second shot from 271 yards out, surprising even himself because the group ahead was still putting.

In that group was Cauley, whose final shot of the day was a hole-in-one on the par-3 18th. Watson was one of the first to congratulate him. The ace triggered a $100 prize from the tournament to paying customers in the stands.

But Cauley narrowly missed out on a British Open nod, whose qualifying tiebreaker uses the world ranking. Cauley entered the week at No. 295.

Another spot will be handed out next weekend at the John Deere Classic.

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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