Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 24 May 2016
A few weeks ago, we told you that Oakmont was going to give players in this year’s U.S. Open one of the toughest challenges they’re ever likely to face. With a 300-yard par-3 and rock-hard fairways, players will have their work cut out just getting to the greens. When they do reach the dance floor, things are only going to...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 23 May 2016
Whatever happens between now and the end of his career, Sergio Garcia’s legacy will be one of nearly moments, missed opportunities and failure to capitalise on immense talent. Garcia has become known for an ability to fall at the final hurdle that has cost him countless tournaments, including several majors. But, Garcia’s win at the AT&T Byron Nelson was his ninth on...
Written by Rob McGarr on Sunday 22 May 2016
Hosting a big party isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. You spend so much time worrying about whether everyone else is enjoying themselves and waiting for things to get broken or spilled that you barely have a chance to enjoy yourself. Irish Open host Rory McIlroy, however, didn’t appear to have any such problems. Rounds of 67, 70, 70 and...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 20 May 2016
If the last General Election taught us anything, it’s that you shouldn’t pay attention to opinion polls. That didn’t stop Public Policy Polling carrying out their annual sports survey, though, with some eye-raising results when it comes to golf. Take a look at some of these – and bear in mind that the poll takes place in America, which explains some...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 18 May 2016
Rory McIlroy has won four major championships. He has been world number one for 95 weeks, a reign only bettered by Nick Faldo (97 weeks), Greg Norman (331 weeks) and Tiger Woods (683 weeks). He has appeared in three Ryder Cups, emerging victorious each time. He has twice been named RTE Sports Person of the Year, the Irish equivalent of...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 18 May 2016
This year’s U.S. Open is going to be tough. The organisers pride themselves on providing a stern challenge for the world’s best golfers, and Oakmont Country Club is as tough as they come. Last time it hosted the tournament, the winning total was five-over. One of Oakmont’s defences is its sheer length. 7,254 yards sounds long enough, until you realise it’s...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 17 May 2016
The BMW PGA Championship is the European Tour’s flagship event. It offers the highest prize money available in Europe, with €5 million up for grabs. It’s hosted at one of the world’s most exclusive golf clubs and boasts attendances of over 100,000 across the week. You’d think players would be jumping at the chance to play in it, especially Europeans. So...
Written by Michael Catling on Tuesday 17 May 2016
Sometimes it pays to back the favourite, as Jason Day proved in sensational fashion at the Players Championship. The Australian justified his top billing and £15m price tag with his second wire-to-wire victory this season, becoming only the fourth man since 1970 to achieve such a feat. The 28-year-old also led from start to finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 16 May 2016
The Players Championship is often referred to as golf’s “fifth major”. It is hugely popular with fans and players, always boasts one of the strong fields in golf, offers more prize money than any other PGA Tour event, and attracts television audiences that more than rival the majors. So, if The Players Championship has everything it needs to be classed as...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 16 May 2016
World number one Jason Day cemented his place on top of the world with a wire-to-wire victory at the 2016 Players Championship. Day’s tournament opened with a course record tying 63 on Friday, before a 6-under par 66 set a new 36-hole scoring record and gave the Australian a commanding lead going into the weekend. Rounds of 73 and 71 were...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 13 May 2016
I played golf yesterday with someone who said The Players Championship is their favourite tournament, even above all four major championships. “But obviously not ahead of the Masters?” I said. “Yep, nothing beats The Players at Sawgrass,” he replied. I internally labelled him a lunatic and slowly edged away. TPC Sawgrass is a sensational course and The Players is a fantastic event, but...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 12 May 2016
Everybody knows that slow play is a problem in professional golf. The sport cannot be expected to attract and retain its largest possible audience when it takes five and a half hours or six hours to watch a two-ball play 18 holes. But not everybody agrees on the root of the problem. Many feel that the players are to blame, a belief...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 11 May 2016
Tomorrow is the start of The Players Championship. It is also the start of what should be the greatest 144 days golf has ever seen. In the space of less than five months, the golf schedule includes The Players Championship, the U.S. Open, The Open, the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup and the Olympics. It’s a veritable golf feast. The Players Championship, 12-15 May Everybody...
Written by Michael Catling on Tuesday 10 May 2016
Golf’s so called ‘fifth major’ is just two days away, which means your team selection carries even greater importance this gameweek. Not only are all the big guns back in action, but the Players Championship is one of eight bonus tournaments which will add 50% to your score. Everyone’s favourite Yorkshireman Danny Willett is returning to the Tour for the first...
Written by Chris Bertram on Tuesday 10 May 2016
We sat down with Europe’s Ryder Cup captain, Darren Clarke, to discuss everything from Guinness to the gym, fishing to OCD, and why there’s no room for sentiment when it comes to picking a winning Ryder Cup team… You are portrayed as a laid-back character, always out for a good time. Is that an accurate summary? I enjoy myself – I like...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 9 May 2016
Who will win more majors – Jordan Spieth or Rory McIlroy? Let’s examine the evidence… What their fellow pros think The question of whether Jordan Spieth or Rory McIlroy would end up with most majors was put to more than 150 tour pros across the PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour in Sports Illustrated‘s Anonymous Player Poll. Tour opinion rests in favour of the 22-year-old...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 9 May 2016
If you’ve ever stood on the first tee of a competition and thought “I’ve got no chance of winning this, I’m playing so badly” – think again. Ahead of his victory at the Wells Fargo Championship, James Hahn was, to put it mildly, not playing his best golf. The 34-year-old had missed EIGHT consecutive cuts leading into the tournament. “You just keep...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 5 May 2016
So far, golf’s inclusion in the Olympics has not been met with overwhelming enthusiasm from the players. Vijay Singh, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Marc Leishman have all already withdrawn, with more expected to follow suit. World number three Rory McIlroy, however, thinks players should jump at the chance of Olympic glory. “It’s a week,” says McIlroy. “You know, go...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 5 May 2016
It will go down in history as one of the biggest collapses in a major, but 22-year-old Jordan Spieth says he’s over his Masters heartbreak already. “I’m not taking it very hard. I have ladies at grocery stores coming up and putting their hand on me and going, ‘I’m really praying for you. How are you doing?’ And I’m like, ‘My dog...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 28 April 2016
There are many reasons why some of the world’s best golfers are reluctant to participate in the Olympics. Many golfers and fans argue that the competition should be reserved for amateurs, for whom a gold medal would be the highlight of their career, rather than for professionals, many of whom would barely find a space for it in their trophy cabinet. There’s...