Friday 9 January 2009
That’s the European team according to captain José Maria Olazábal who is convinced his men can stage a stirring Royal Trophy fightback. Ollie believes his European side are capable of mounting a glorious comeback to retain the silverware despite losing the opening day foursomes session 3-1 to an inspired Asian team at the Amata Spring Country Club in Thailand. After making...
Written by Kit Alexander on Monday 12 January 2009
Ian Poulter has opted to have eye surgery instead of playing in this week’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. The 33-year-old was advised to take the decision after struggling to see properly in poor light. “It is with great regret that I have to withdraw from the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship,” Poulter said in the UAE-based newspaper Gulf News. “I have been having a problem with...
Written by TG Tour Editor on Thursday 15 January 2009
Tiger Woods is now hitting driver and long irons again as he steps up his rehabilitation from knee surgery. The world number one says he doesn’t know exactly when he will return but ‘As I had hoped, after Jan. 1, I started hitting longer irons and my driver,” And although he is not swinging at full tilt yet Tiger is hopeful...
Written by TG staff writer on Wednesday 21 January 2009
Justin Rose will make his long-awaited Doha debut when he joins a powerful field for the Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented by Dolphin Energy, which starts tomorrow (thurs). The world number nineteen is just one of a catalogue of big name players to sign up for a $2.5 million tournament that has made rapid strides over the past three years to become...
Written by TG staff writer on Wednesday 21 January 2009
The English Open – set to be played at St Mellion International Resort in August – has been postponed. The event will now return to the top Cornwall venue and the European Tour schedule in 2011. Crown Golf, owners of the prestigious resort, and The European Tour agreed to the postponement due to difficulties being experienced by third party developers engaged in...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 23 January 2009
Teenage Japanese golfing sensation Ryo Ishikawa has received a special invitation to play in this year’s US Masters. Born on September 17, 1991, Ryo will be the second youngest ever Masters participant when the season’s first major starts at Augusta National on April 9. He’ll be 17 years 6 months and 23 days – the youngest is Tommy Jacobs (17yrs 1...
Written by TG staff writer on Monday 26 January 2009
Rising Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa couldn’t believe his ears when the phone call inviting him to play in the US Masters came through. The 17-year-old received a special invite to line up at Augusta National and he’ll be the second youngest player ever to compete in the season’s first major. “I got the call last night, but of course everything was in...
Written by TG staff writer on Tuesday 27 January 2009
Top coach Butch Harmon is worried whether Colin Montgomerie can balance a Ryder Cup captaincy with his playing commitments. Harmon, in Dubai to unveil his first golf school outside of the US – The Butch Harmon School of Golf at Dubai Sports City – expressed his concerns at a press conference today. “I was very surprised that Colin Montgomerie wanted...
Written by Kit Alexander on Wednesday 28 January 2009
Sandy Lyle exclusively revealed to TG Courses Editor Kevin Brown that he would consider the role of Vice Captain to Colin Montgomerie at the 2010 Ryder Cup. Lyle was overlooked for the main job again and he now appears to have resigned himself to the fact that he’ll never captain Europe. Scot Lyle, a former Masters and Open champion, was clearly disappointed...
Written by TG Courses editor on Friday 30 January 2009
Loch Lomond Golf Club, home of the Barclays Scottish Open, will be making the club’s luxury private motorboat available for exclusive daily hire at this year’s tournament (July 9-12). Moored in the harbour beside the 18th green the motorboat will be available for guests to use as they wish throughout the day. With a skipper at hand the lucky few will be...
Written by Kit Alexander on Tuesday 3 February 2009
44 players will battle it out for three places at this year’s Open at Royal Durban Golf Club over the next two days. Three of last year’s qualifiers, Josh Cunliffe, Douglas McGuigan and Darren Fichardt, all of South Africa, will be among the players hoping to earn a place at Turnberry. Jaco van Zyl has shown good early season form and will be hoping...
Written by Kit Alexander on Thursday 5 February 2009
Marc Cayeux, Jaco Ahlers and Jeremy Kavanagh have qualified to play at Turnberry from the Africa International Final Qualifying tournament. Zimbabwean Cayeux’s -3 score for 36 holes was enough for him to win the event while South African Ahlers and England’s Kavanagh finished jjoint secont and booked their spots at The Open on -2. Ahlers’ closing 65, the best round of the...
Written by Kit Alexander on Tuesday 10 February 2009
Darren Clarke has withdrawn from this week’s Malaysian Open, ending his chances of qualifying for the Accenture Matchplay Championship. The world number 73 would probably have needed to finish in the top two in Malaysia to climb into the top 64 on Monday, the qualification cut-off for the WGC event at Dove Mountain. Clarke beat Tiger Woods 4&3 in the final of the...
Written by Kit Alexander on Tuesday 10 February 2009
Australians Tim Wood and Michael Wright and New Zealander Josh Geary have qualified for The Open at Turnberry. The trio came through a 36-hole International Final Qualifying event in Melbourne, Australia. Geary and Wood led the way on -4 with Wright coming in a shot behind and one shot ahead of Peter Senior and Cameron Piercy, who failed to capitalise on an opening...
Written by Kit Alexander on Thursday 12 February 2009
Anthony Kim has shot a disappointing six-over-par 78 in the first round of the Malaysian Open. The American Ryder Cup star was disqualified at the season-opening HSBC Champions and he has again struggled in his second Race to Dubai event. “It was very frustrating – a tough day at the office,” said the 23-year-old who now faces an uphill battle take the...
Written by Kit Alexander on Monday 16 February 2009
The final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am will take place on Monday with strong winds and rain meaning no play was possible on Sunday. None of the 68 players left in the field got out of the clubhouse on Sunday and the opening threeball will tee off at 7.30am local time, 3.30pm GMT. The weather forecast for Pebble Beach...
Written by Kit Alexander on Monday 16 February 2009
Dustin Johnson has won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am after the fourth round was cancelled due to more bad weather in California. Johnson avoided the nerve-racking prospect of having to defend his four shot lead to claim his second PGA Tour title. The win lifts the 24-year-old to 45 in the world rankings and qualifies him to play at the season’s first...
Written by Golf World staff writer on Tuesday 17 February 2009
Tiger Woods is poised to return to action next week at the WGC-Accenture Matchplay Championship in Arizona. The world No 1 – out of action since knee surgery last June – is tipped to make his long-awaited comeback on February 25 in Tuscon. Though there’s no official word from Woods’ camp, his friend Mark O’Meara says he’s looking fit and...
Written by John Hawkins, Golf World on Friday 20 February 2009
No Tiger? No big deal. As Sir Eldrick lays a final coat of preparation on his long-awaited return to competitive golf, we present this unofficial PGA Tour starter kit, an unabashed glance at the best and worst in a Woods-free universe. No animals were harmed in the assembly of this product, nor was Tiger eligible in any category. It’s more...
Written by Jamie Diaz, Golf Digest on Friday 20 February 2009
The setting, of course, isn’t the final nine of a major but a clinic on a shimmering October day off the Pacific. Kim is hitting the shots while Woods—his celebrated left knee still on the mend—faces him from a few feet away and does the commentary. Tiger is holding a club, but his last full swing remains a 9-iron approach...