Category Archives: Blog Post

Is 2014 going to be Sergio Garcia’s Year?

Well it’s fair to say that Sergio Garcia has had an up and down career, and especially over the past 5 years has been the hardest of all for him.

He has gone from being one of the best players in the game to totally falling out of love with the game, but it looks like he’s right back to his best and seems to be enjoying life on and on the golf course more than ever.

Since finding love, Garcia seems to in a much better place and is much more comfortable with himself and with his golf as his recent performances would indicate .

Since bursting onto the scene when he was just 19 years old when he finished second to Tiger Woods in the PGA Championship at Medinah in 1999 after an enthralling contest, and if you remember he hit a remarkable shot from behind tree to get himself and the crowed really pumped up.

Take a look at the shot here:

He has also always been a prominent force in the Ryder Cup matches, even when his form had deserted him he managed to find a way to get the job done under the upmost pressure to help guide Europe to victory on many occasion.

Last season he looked to recapture some of the form that we had previously witnessed from the young spaniard and had a steady finish to the 2013 PGA Tour season with three top 20 finishes including a tie for ninth place in the Tour Championship.  He also ended last season with a win on an Asian Tour event.

This season also started well with a win in the Qatar Masters and a handful of top 25 finishes.

Garcia has always performed pretty well in the majors throughout his career, and let’s hope that one of the three left in this season will belong to a player that undoubtedly deserves one.

Remembering Seve Ballesteros Three Years On…

Today three years ago we mourned the passing of one of the greatest golfers to ever play the great game we call golf.

It only seems like yesterday we heard the sad news that Seve’s condition has worsened and that he had then died at the age of 54 of two  two malignant brain tumours. Seve was diagnosed with the tumours back in 2008 and underwent several operations, but sadly never fully recovered.

Seve will be remembered for many great things. He won 5 major championships including The Open and The Masters. He won 6 European Tour order of merits with an incredible 50 wins on the European Tour and 96 in total world wide.

His Ryder Cup record was pretty good too with a total of 22½ points in 37 matches played, and of course, how can we forget when he captained Europe to victory in the 1997 Ryder Cup at Valderrama when Colin Montgomerie saw off Scott Hoch at the last hole in virtually pitch darkness.

We called talk about him forever with so many different stories, but the one moment that will stick in my head was the celebration when he won The Open in 1984. Catch the memories below….

He was always be known for his incredible shot making, putting and wayward driving, and will always be talked about in the history of the game. I’m just glad that I grew up when I did, so I was at least able to see some of the genius at work, even if it was for only a handful of years….

Fleetwood Hopes His ‘Singapore Swing’ Can Lead Him To Victory This Week

It was a good week last week for Tommy Fleetwood at the Volvo China Open as he finished runner-up to Frenchman Alexander Levy. The Englishman is looking to keep his momentum going having made the journey over to Singapore for the championship at Laguna National this week.

Fleetwood has now had two top five finishes in 2014, and his fantastic display in China has seen him rise up from 41st to 17th in the Race to Dubai.

His only success on the European Tour came  at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles last year when he won in a play-off against Stephen Gallacher and Ricardo González in a thrilling tournament, and will be looking to feed off those memories this week.

It’s always difficult to keep the momentum going after coming off such a good week, but he will trying his hardest to get a couple of victories under his belt and get himself up the money list, and the Ryder Cup list.

Read more of my latest blogs 

What’s Up Next?

Hope you all had a nice Easter break and are fully refreshed!

Now the holidays are over and the Easter camps have finished, I’m back to my normal teaching hours again. My lesson diary is busy this time of year, so if you do want to book a lesson then please get in contact with me to arrange a time and day.

The Masters has been and gone and although the final round was a bit of an anti climax it was a great tournament to watch as always in beautiful surroundings.

The next major will be the US Open which starts on 12th June and will be held this year at Pinehurst No.2. Just in Rose will be trying to defend his title around a very difficult golf course. The same golf course will also be used for the Women’s US Open this year.

Well that’s it from me for now, I hope to see you all down at the driving range over the next few days practising hard and getting your game in shape for the rest of the season.

James

 

Dukes Meadows Golf – The Home of Golf In London

If you’ve ever been to Dukes Meadows Golf in London, I’m sure you would agree that it is a hidden gem that lays on the outskirts of Central London which offers golf lessons seven days a week.

Tucked away behind tall trees next to Chiswick Bridge, Dukes Meadows Golf is an outstanding facility for golfers of all levels, with it’s 50 bay floodlit driving range, 9 hole par 3 executive golf course and modern bar with restaurant.

When you turn up at Dukes Meadows, you will have no problem parking as the car park boasts over 200 parking spaces for it’s customers and staff and also has a resident car wash facility in place.

Another fantastic feature is the fully stocked professional golf shop which has all of the latest equipment for you to browse and even try if you are looking to purchase a new set of clubs for the season ahead. You will also receive professional advice from the fully trained staff behind the counter.

If you are new to golf and don’t have your own golf clubs yet, you can hire clubs from the shop and use them on our driving range. The cost to hire a club is £2 and it’s £5.50 for a bucket of balls.

If you’ve been inspired by watching the Masters on TV recently then we have golf lessons available throughout the week from 8am til 10pm, but to avoid disappointment these should be booked in advance as it’s coming in to our busy season now and especially busy at weekends.

If you need any information on the golf lessons we provide please feel to send me an email and I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

James

 

My Betting Tips For The Masters 2014

The long wait is nearly over as the first major of the year is just around the corner and it feels like an eternity since we saw Jason Dufner lift the PGA Championship at Oakhill back in August last year. 

The players have arrived at Augusta today and they will playing their practise rounds, either on their own or in groups. For some players this will be a new experience, especially the likes of European players such as Jamie Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson and Joost Luiten. The last debutant to win The Masters was Fuzzy Zoeller back in 1979, so it doesn’t happen that often. Just to make the cut would be a major achievement for these players, and I’m sure they will be seeking advice for fellow European players before teeing it up on Thursday.

So the big question is….Who is going to win?

It’s always hard to pick a winner at any tournament, but even harder in a major championship. Augusta is a well known course, and The Masters is the only major that is held at the same golf course each year so you can kind of get an idea looking back through previous results who does well, and who doesn’t. So if you are going to bet, this is a good one to bet on.

Here are my tips for this year:

Phil Mickleson 12/1

Dustin Johnson 25/1

Rickie Fowler 66/1

Jimmy Walker 55/1

Zach Johnson 33/1

For more betting odds visit Paddy Power.

Good luck if you are having a bet and enjoy watching the golf this week, this really is a spectacular event that never fails to be exciting!

 

Golf Courses To Close At Weekends Due To Traffic Problems

A new law is set to be enforced that golf courses across the UK will have to close on weekends due to the amount of traffic being caused on the roads and the fact that women’s husbands aren’t around to take them shopping because they are on the golf course.

UK shop owners have signed a petition to get golf courses to shut at weekends to allow shoppers to spend more time with their partners and hopefully spend more money in the shops.

The petition has been signed by thousands of people and is being passed to the powers that be who are expected to pass it through in the next few weeks.

This has been on the cards for a while now and I’m shocked to hear this news, let’s just hope they see sense and allow the men to do what they love doing most.

Find out more here

 

Tiger Woods Set To Miss The Masters For First Time In Professional Career

It’s been a tough start to the season for Tiger Woods, and he’s problems aren’t getting any easier.

With a fairly strong finish to his last campaign, everyone thought this could be the year when we saw him challenge again in the majors and maybe edge closer to the target of 18 majors set by Jack Nicklaus, but it hasn’t panned out that way as yet.

The back problems started when he pulled out halfway through the last round at the Honda Classic and then it flared up again at Doral especially in his final round of 78.

Woods has never missed The Masters throughout his professional career and it’s the only major he has never missed out of the four, so I’m sure he will be working hard to get himself back to full fitness for this one, although he won’t want to make the problem worse which could effect the rest of the season for him.

The next seven days will be vital for his recovery. The majors are never the same without the presence of Woods, so let’s hope he makes a quick recovery and can entertain the crowds once again.

Arnie Says ‘Hasta La Vista’ To Tiger Woods

The PGA Tour heads to Bay Hill today for the Arnold Palmer Invitational in the last leg of the Florida swing.

Unfortunately there will be no Tiger Woods in the filed due to his persistent back problems to the disappointment of Arnold Palmer, but it will still be a strong field nonetheless.

This event is one of the most prestigious on tour and for many players it is the last one before they hit the first major of the year at Augusta on April 10.

This would normally be the case for Woods, but he now has a race against time to get himself ready for The Masters and if fit enough may have to try and squeeze an extra event into his schedule to get himself prepared.

Woods, despite being hampered with injury was still the favourite going into this week but the door is wide open now for the likes of Justin Rose and the seven other Englishmen teeing it up in sunny Florida.

Should be another exciting week of golf. Next week a slightly lesser quality of filed will be heading to Texas for the Valero Texas Open whilst most of the top players will be trying to hone their game for the big one!

Live coverage is on Sky Sports 4 at 7pm tonight.

Jamie Donaldson Is Hanging Out With The Big Boys

Late developer Jamie Donaldson enjoyed a share of second place at the WGC-Cadillac Championship last week and the 38 year old Welshman is feeling at home amongst golf’s elite.

Unbelievably it took Donaldson 255 events to claim his first win on the European Tour which was the Irish Open, and since that win he has had an impressive run finishing 19th and 5th in consecutive years in The Race To Dubai and also winning the HSBC Golf Championship.

His performance last week shouldn’t be underestimated, he claimed second place on a tough golf course amongst the top 60 golfers in the world. He may have started performing well later on in his career, but he is certainly making up for it now.

His latest run of form has propelled him to second spot in the European Points List, and top of the Race To Dubai Standings, which will pretty much guarantee him a spot on the Ryder Cup Team at Gleneagles in September.

Maybe he could feature in the Majors this year? Probably the US Open and The Open will be the most suited to him. Looking forward to finding out.