Category Archives: News Stories

Does better course design mean better golf?

Even Tour players look at golf courses the same way most people look at them. They like course layouts where they tend to play well, maybe even more than the average golfer does. For a lot of amateurs the venue doesn’t have quite the same effect on their ability to enjoy the day.

It’s hard for even a top tour pro to love a course he has trouble scoring on. Look at Lee Trevino. He always had problems playing at Augusta National, and he was one of the best players of all time. So, generally speaking, players look at courses through glasses of whatever tint matches their ability to perform.

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European Tour Boost For Race To Dubai

In 2008, the European Tour were shouting from the hill tops about the news of a massive influx of cash from the Emirate that would bring a whole new dimension to their schedule.

This year, that most lavish of launches has been replaced by an email telling of a reduced bonus pot available for this year’s exciting Race to Dubai.

Unfortunately it’s a sign of the current economic times that the Tour’s top players will not be able to cash in this year to the extent they have done  in previous ones.

Three years ago, just as the “Race to Dubai” was being launched, the world’s economic crisis began.

An immediate re-Jig of the deal was required to keep the concept alive. Instead of $10m being split between the top 15 in the Order of Merit, the fund to finance the newly branded Race quickly became $7.5m. (Still not bad considering it’s only a game and world was in supposed economic melt down)

The purse for the new season-ending Dubai World Championship was similarly reduced.

Last month,  Luke Donald became the third world number one to win the Race, the Tour announced a three-year extension to the running of the championship, with its prize money rising to $8m .

Louis Oosthuizen wins the Africa Open title for the second time

Louis Oosthuizen successfully defended his Africa Open title in East London yesterday by beating fellow countryman Tjaart van der Walt by two strokes in a field dominated by South African players.

Oosthuizen had shared the overnight lead with rival Van der Walt, with Retief Goosen closely chasing behind.

But the Open champion of 2010 made sure of victory when he holed out for  birdie on the 17th, as Van der Walt could only make bogey.

Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth was the top non-South African, finishing in fifth place, five shots off the eventual winner.

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Winner Of Free Golf Lessons Competition

Thanks to everyone that took part in my free lesson give away over Christmas. The winner of the free golf lessons competition was Lisa at FAST SIGNS in Kingston, look forward to seeing you soon Lisa! You can follow Lisa’s company on twitter on @Fastsigns869

I will be doing more of these special offers throughout the year, so keep your eyes peeled! The next one will be in March.

To keep up to date with my special offers then please ‘Like’ me on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/jamesironsgolf and follow me on twitter @jamesironsgolf if you haven’t done already.

Take Care

James

 

A Great Year For Golf In 2011

Well what a year it’s been, we’ve seen some great drama in the world of golf over 2011, we’ve seen four new major winners, we’ve seen European golf dominating the world, we’ve seen an Englishman win the money list on both sides of the Atlantic!

But most importantly for the world of golf we’ve seen the return of the worlds best golfer! I don’t need to mention his name.

Europe won the Solheim Cup and GB&I won the Walker Cup. We have two Englishmen at 1& 2 in the world. I find it amazing how the game of golf is being dominated by Europe.

I think the reason for this is the amount of work and money that has been put into junior golf over the past 10-15 years. It has really helped kids in the early teens develop into tremendous golfers which in past years may not have been the case. Long may this continue!

Well I hope you’ve all enjoyed the golfing year, and there’s plenty to look forward to in 2012 including the Ryder Cup, and who knows, we might see Tiger win all four majors to equal the Golden Bear’s record! Okay maybe that’s unlikely, but I wouldn’t put it past him!

 

Westwood shoots career best of 60 in Thailand

Lee Westwood shot a 12-under-par 60 – the best round of his career to date – to establish a five-shot lead on day one of the Thailand Golf Championship.

Westwood carded 10 birdies and an eagle at the Amata Spring Country Club.

“I made a dream start and you start thinking about 59, I guess,” said Westwood, the world number three.

Westwood set the tone for his round with birdies at one, three, four and five and an eagle at the par-five second.

“I guess 59 is one of those numbers where if it is meant to be, it is meant to be. I messed it up with a few pars!”

Westwood really is in the form of his life, if only his putter could remain hot he could be the best player in the world without a doubt.

Luke Donald seals US & Europe money list wins

Luke Donald finally became the first player ever to win the money list both sides of the pond after finishing third in The Dubai World Championship.

Donald only needed a top nine finish to complete the job in Dubai despite what McIlroy did, the only way things could have been different was if McIlroy won and Donald finished 10th or worse. McIlroy finished ten shots off the lead in the end.

Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, the overnight leader, won the title by two shots after a 67 left him at 19 under par. Quiros played great golf all week and thoroughly deserved the win on a course that suited his long hitting.

After accumulating £4.19m in winning the US money list, Donald finished with earnings of £3,632,685 from the European Tour.

He won four tournaments this year, including the World Golf Championship Match Play event and the European Tour’s flagship event, the PGA Championship at Wentworth,  which also saw him crowned world number one after beating Lee Westwood in a play-off.

One more tournament left for Donald which is the Australian Masters starting on Thursday.

The tension in Dubai is hotting up for the weekend

An interesting day in Dubai today saw Alvaro Quiros hit the top of the leaderboard with an outstanding round of 64 following his round 0f 68 yesterday. An eagle on the last capped a bogey free round of brilliant ball striking.

Luke Donald found some form today and managed to finish with a flurry of birdies on the last three holes giving him a respectable round of 68 which keeps him right in the tournament and still in with a great chance of winning the money list.

Donald would have been slightly relieved watching McIlroy making a bit hash of the last two holes, bogeying the par 3 17th and then hitting his tee shot in the water at 18 also resulting in a bogey giving him a round of 71.

So the weekend is perfectly set up with McIlroy and Donald both in the top 12 of the leaderboard and playing a course that can offer a lot of birdies and a lot of bogeys which can see some big swings on the scoring.

Make sure your watching when the players tee it up again early tomorrow morning!

Rory McIlroy leads Luke Donald by six in Dubai

Rory McIlroy stormed into a six-shot lead over Luke Donald after day one of the Dubai World Championship after a shaky start.

It’s a must win tournament for the Northern Irishmen and he must hope Englishman Donald finishes outside the top nine to end the year top of the European rankings.

McIlroy dropped two shots on the second hole but six birdies on the back nine  moved him to six under par, two behind leader Peter Hanson.

World number one Donald, who has the chance to become the first golfer in history to win both the European and American money titles, finished the day in a tie for 26th place.

After the first nine holes McIlroy was three behind Donald and seven shots off the lead.

But Donald hit a wayward drive into bushes on the 14th and had to chip out to safety before dropping a shot and that slip was followed by two more bogeys.

Donald’s driving wasn’t up to his usual standard today, and he will have to put that right on the range if he’s got any chance if stopping a buoyant  McIlroy.

McIlroy, who won in Hong Kong last week, started his revival with a birdie on the 10th and finished carding five birdies in his last six holes.

Donald V McIlroy – The final showdown in Dubai

Well it’s nearly here, the final event of the year in which we will see who is going to be crowned winner of the Race To Dubai. It couldn’t be any better poised really, with two of Europe’s finest talents battling it out over four days of which is set to be scintillating golf.

Luke Donald could make history this week being the first player to win the order of merit on both sides of the Atlantic, and McIlory the youngest player for 30 years to win the European money list.

This would finish off a remarkable season for both players, McIlroy winning his first Major title at the US Open after the disappointment at The Masters, and Luke Donald winning numerous events and consistently finishing in the top 10 of the ones he didn’t win.

Luke has to finish outside the top 12 and McIlroy has to win if they are to change places at the top of the list this week.

I will certainly be keeping a close eye over the next few days, so make sure you are too! I will be posting regular updates, so keep checking.