Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 4 April 2016
Jim Herman’s victory at the Shell Houston Open was yet another example of the unpredictability and strength in depth of the professional game. Prior to the Shell Houston Open, 38-year-old Herman had never finished in the top three of a PGA Tour event in 105 starts. He’d only managed five top-10s. And yet the man ranked 189th in the world was...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 4 April 2016
That Lydia Ko won the year’s first major was not a big surprise. The ANA Inspiration was world number one Ko’s second consecutive victory and the 12th of her short LPGA Tour career. Ko has now won the last two majors, meaning that at just 18, she’s the youngest in LPGA Tour history to win two majors as she continues...
Monday 4 April 2016
Every golfer knows about Augusta National, the most famous course on earth. But few are aware of humble Cavendish in Derbyshire – the course that inspired the Georgia track. Both were the handiwork of eminent architect Dr Alister MacKenzie and current course designer Jonathan Gaunt has been researching how the game’s most famous course was born – in the Peak District.
Written by Kevin Brown on Monday 4 April 2016
Few people know Augusta National more intimately than veteran bagman Damon Green, the supremely knowledgeable and influential caddie who helped Zach Johnson celebrate an against-theodds Masters victory nine years ago. The 50-year-old’s Masters experience has helped him understand better than most when you can go for it, and when you need to throttle back; where you can leave it for a...
Written by Golf World on Monday 4 April 2016
When Jason Day was gowing up, his baths were filled with a kettle, his mum ‘mowed’ the lawn with scissors, and his first golf club came from the local dump. It was a hard upbringing, yet these weren’t even the biggest obstacles golf’s new shining star faced on his journey to the top of the sport. The 27-year-old’s father, Alvin, was...
Tuesday 29 March 2016
Zach Johnson’s caddie Damon Green gives a fascinating insight into what you need to do to don a green jacket. Take your pick – the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 10… The 11th is just a bear now they’ve got the trees down the right side, making it a very demanding tee shot now. There’s water left but it’s a difficult up-and-down...
Tuesday 29 March 2016
With his 39 million Facebook friends and 24.4 million Twitter followers, pop superstar and golf nut Niall Horan will be one of the most popular people in the grounds during his second trip to Augusta National this year. The One Direction star is big mates with lots of the players, notably Rory McIlroy, whom he caddied for in last year’s Par-3...
Written by Golf World on Tuesday 29 March 2016
AUGUSTA WEAPONS: Great putting, distance control with irons John Fields remembers the first time he saw Jordan Spieth play. “He was 13, had shot a 62 a few months before, and was making a lot of noise in Texas junior golf,” says the head coach of the men’s golf team at the University of Texas (UT). “I was immediately impressed with...
Written by Golf World on Tuesday 29 March 2016
AUGUSTA WEAPONS: Length off the tee, towering iron shots You could probably count the golfers whose games were better-suited to Augusta National than that of Rory McIlroy on the fingers of one hand… well, one and a bit. The first name would of course be Jack Nicklaus, whose length off the tee, high faded irons, exceptional putting, meticulous preparation, and shrewd...
Written by Golf World on Tuesday 29 March 2016
AUGUSTA WEAPONS: All-round game, dogged tenacity and belief When, in early 2008, a 20-year-old Jason Day first mentioned that he wanted to take the world number one spot from Tiger Woods, the golf world gave a little chuckle. It stopped short of actually laughing out loud, however, because it knew this Aussie kid could definitely play a bit. The son of an...
Written by Staff Writer, Today's Golfer on Monday 4 April 2016
When you’re one of the world’s best golfers, a hotel room becomes a putting green. A picnic table transforms into the perfect target for pitching. A mirror in the bedroom becomes a swing plane aid… “If you don’t love the work you have to put in to become the best, then you may want to consider a different line of work...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 1 April 2016
Yes, we know it’s 1 April, but this is no April Fools’. But, if you’re breaking down in tears as your dreams of spending four days glued to the action from Augusta National disappear in a blur of azaleas and pine straw, don’t panic. It’s the Australian Masters that has been cancelled. The event has been on the calendar since 1979, but will...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 31 March 2016
Jordan Spieth had us ridiculously excited after winning the first two majors of 2015. We went into The Open at St Andrews knowing that Spieth, who was yet to turn 21, was already halfway to a proper Grand Slam. The ‘Tiger Slam’ of 2000-2001 which saw him hold all four major titles at once was hugely impressive, of course, but Big...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 28 March 2016
Jason Day’s WGC-Dell Match Play victory saw him become the number one player in the world. The 28-year-old Australian will be hoping he can stay there for longer than the one week he managed last time he was in that position, and it would take a brave man to bet against him. Day overcame a bad back and arguably the best...
Written by Rob McGarr on Sunday 27 March 2016
There isn’t much that Russell Knox won’t try in his hunt for success. Only a month ago we discovered that the 30-year-old had turned to Google in the hunt for a putting tip that would change his game. He found one, and it worked, helping him secure his first European Tour title at the WGC-HSBC Champions. << Check out the internet tip...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 23 March 2016
Ever since Paul the Octopus (RIP) proved surprisingly successful at predicting football results, other animals have been stepping up to the plate. A clairvoyant manatee named Buffett correctly predicted the Superbowl winner six years on the trot, a small-clawed otter had some success during Euro 2012, a Brazilian sea turtle backed his home nation to do well in the 2014 World...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 24 March 2016
A couple of years ago, a survey of 25 PGA Tour players revealed that 18 of them don’t think about anything at all during their golf swing. But can that really be true? You’re playing on the world’s biggest stage, with millions watching and huge amounts of money on the line, and we’re meant to believe that your mind isn’t racing with...
Written by Rob McGarr on Sunday 20 March 2016
@PGATOUR What’s the point In educating kids about the importance of shouting FORE!! (Jason Day’s tee shot on 18) Ridiculous & dangerous — Nick Huby (@PCGAJUNIORTOUR) March 20, 2016 Jason Day won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, making an excellent up-and-down from the bunker on the final hole to snatch a one-shot victory over Kevin Chappell after a final round filled with twists...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 22 March 2016
Last week, we brought you the news that both Jordan Spieth and Ian Poulter were having a bit of a hard time on social media. Spieth wasn’t happy that a tweet from the PGA Tour’s official account made it sound like he might feign injury to withdraw from the Valspar Championship, and his mood wasn’t improved when someone on Instagram...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 22 March 2016
Whenever we see a trickshot genius in action, we always wonder why they aren’t competing on tour rather than entertaining people on a corporate golf day. If you can hit a 350-yard high draw off the deck with a driver, what’s stopping you winning PGA or European Tour events? Admittedly, being able to hit a flop shot with an umbrella...