Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 21 December 2015
Tiger Woods turns 40 on 30th December 2015. During the last decade, he’s slumped from the dominant player of his generation to 414th in the world, with back operations coming more frequently than tournament wins. Woods, who hasn’t won a Major since 2008, was recently named as on of Davis Love’s assistants for the 2016 Ryder Cup – an honour typically...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 17 December 2015
As 2015 draws to a close, it’s that time of year when we all retire to the drawing room and nestle down in front of an open fire, snifter of whiskey in hand, to reflect on the year’s highs and lows. In our case, that means watching 10 videos the PGA Tour have selected as their ‘shots of the year’ and...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 15 December 2015
When you watch a lot of golf, it’s easy to think that every hole is a birdie-fest. The top players hit it so far and so pure that most courses seem to have no defence against red-hot scoring. But, sometimes, the holes do come out on top. When it comes to the battle against players, the 17th at St Andrews is...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 14 December 2015
The Franklin Templeton Shootout is the PGA Tour’s version of the last day of term, when you’re allowed to bring in your favourite toys and watch largely unsuitable films while your teacher slyly nurses a bottle of whisky hidden in her handbag. The three-day pairs tournament, which comprises a scramble on the Thursday, alternate shot on Friday and better ball on...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 14 December 2015
We’re a bit upset that The Open won’t be on BBC anymore. We could cogitate on the pros and cons of that for hours, but one thing is for sure: we will very much enjoy Sky’s generous use of Protracer when the 2016 Open at Royal Troon comes around. We bloody love Protracer. We don’t know what it is, but there’s...
Written by Courses & Travel Editor Kevin Brown on Monday 14 December 2015
The 2022 Ryder Cup will be played at the Marco Simone course in Rome – the first time Italy has staged the bi-annual clash between Europe and the USA. It will be the 44th Ryder Cup and Italy somewhat surprisingly got the vote ahead of Germany and Spain’s bids while Austria were also in the running though very much the outsiders. European...
Written by Garrett Johnston on Friday 11 December 2015
“I want people to know who I am,” says Patrick Reed. He shouldn’t have too many concerns on that front. The 25-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, only turned pro four years ago, but his short career has already made countless headlines, cementing his role as golf’s biggest bad boy. He’s been accused of cheating in college events and stealing from fellow...
Written by Stuart Hood on Friday 11 December 2015
Francesco Molinari is the most accurate driver on the PGA Tour. That’s not our opinion – it’s a FACT. He hit more fairways than anyone else last season. We asked him for his secrets to finding the short grass, his plans for the Ryder Cup 2016 – and his love for West Ham. Your driving accuracy of 76.88% was the best...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 7 December 2015
John Daly was the first player to average over 300 yards in driving distance for an entire season. When he achieved that feat in 2001, he was the only one to do it. In 2015, 26 players on the PGA Tour did it, while 27 maintained an average of 300 yards or more on the European Tour. Daly was the original bomber.
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 7 December 2015
Bubba Watson won the Hero World Challenge at the weekend, a tournament he very nearly didn’t enter. Having recently adopted a daughter, Bubba feared that her adoption paperwork and passport would not be sorted in time to allow her to travel, so declined his invitation to participate. “I said no, but if somebody does back out, let me know and...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 4 December 2015
Byeong Hun An has been crowned European Tour Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Korean winner of the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award. 24-year-old An made a significant impact early in his maiden campaign in The Race to Dubai, sealing a first European Tour title at one of its most prestigious events, the BMW PGA Championship at...
Written by Stuart Hood on Thursday 3 December 2015
The moment that changed George Coetzee’s life forever came when he was 13. “My mates and I used to play nine holes every day,” he recalls. “One day, my dad said, ‘This rubbish has got to stop. If you want to make it as a golfer you need to practise your putting while they play.’” Fast-forward 16 years and 29-year-old...
Written by Denis Hurley on Wednesday 2 December 2015
If you follow professional golf, you’ve probably found yourself, at one time or another, struggling to understand how the world golf rankings work. It can often seem nonsensical, particularly when players gain top spot in a week when they’ve missed the cut – or even just stayed at home. But there is a system. And it makes sense. You just...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 2 December 2015
For almost 20 years, Tiger Woods’ press conferences have been twice as popular as any other player’s. Even at this year’s Open, where a 21-year-old Spieth with two Majors under his belt had a shot at making history, his press conference was nowhere near as well-attended as Tiger’s. It doesn’t matter that Tiger hasn’t won a Major since 2008 and...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 27 November 2015
We’ve always thought it strange that we play golf for enjoyment but the less we do of it, the more we enjoy it. Go out and shoot 65 and you’ve had a great time. So if you go out and shoot 130, you’ve had twice as much fun, right? Well, as we all know, it doesn’t quite work like that. It’s...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 26 November 2015
Jordan Spieth went into this year’s Open Championship with history in his sights. Having won the Masters and U.S. Open, a victory at St Andrews would have put him three-quarters of the way to a historic single-year Grand Slam. It wasn’t to be, after a bogey on the Road Hole and a disappointing par on the last left Spieth one...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 24 November 2015
Golf can be a confusing game, at times. While the European Tour was wrapping up its season with the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai – which, last time we checked, isn’t in Europe – the PGA Tour was playing its seventh tournament of the new season, the RSM Classic. We’re no experts in time differences, but the PGA Tour does...
Written by James Henderson on Monday 23 November 2015
Until last year, it was all too easy to dismiss Rickie Fowler as a likeable lad, helping the game appeal to youngsters but unlikely to ever cause much of a stir on the Sunday afternoon of a Major. He was the kid in orange, trailed by dozens of adolescent wannabes sporting identikit flat-peaked luminous Puma caps. The relaxed Californian looked...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 20 November 2015
27 players secured European Tour cards at Qualifying School yesterday. Among them were 2010 Ryder Cup hero Edoardo Molinari, who put together a scintilating back-nine 32 when his hopes of making the European Tour for next season looked lost. Ulrich van den Berg was the oldest qualifier, at 40 years and 310 days. Alongside Molinari, three other former European Tour...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 19 November 2015
Congratulations, Tiger Woods! You’ve just been named as one of Team USA’s vice-captains for the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. “Once I’m fully healthy, I’d like to try to make the team too,” says Woods, battling to recover from a back injury that has plagued him for years. “Either way, I’m very excited to work with Davis [Love III], the other...