Tag Archives: Arnold Palmer

Will McIlroy End Up Chasing Tiger’s Tail?

Rory McIlroy decided not to play at the Bay Hill Invitational this week for reasons he will only know. He didn’t play last year either as he wanted to prepare for the Masters and seems to do this before every major to get his golf game tuned.

I find it a little strange I have to admit,  if you were No.1 in the world wouldn’t you want to deny the guy in second place  the chance of overtaking you? Especially as that guy happens to be Tiger Woods who won’t give the spot up easily after losing it for a few years now.

Even Arnold Palmer was surprised that the Northern Irishman didn’t want to  play at Bay Hill in Florida this week and opted to play in next week’s Houston Open instead.

Well McIlroy could find himself behind Tiger in the World Rankings when he tees it up in Houston and in my opinion could be chasing Tiger’s tail for a very long time!

It’s a great week of golf ahead and an exciting time of year to be interested in golf. Let’s just hope it lives up to expectation!

 

Arnold Palmer Invitational Raises $4m For Medical Centre

So as the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill drew to a close on Sunday evening, thoughts will of course turn to the forthcoming Masters tournament in Augusta – the first ‘Major’ of the golf season.

But before this great tournament is consigned to the 2011 season archives, it’s worth remembering the amount raised for charity – an amount much more significant than the cheque for $1million plus that tournament winner Martin Laird will be cashing in.

The invitational — coupled with the other Palmer  partners (including himself) — will raise about $4 million for the Arnold Palmer Medical Center, which includes Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, both based in Orlando, Florida.

Please click here for full details.

Martin Laird Wins Arnold Palmer Event At Bay Hill

(From bbc.co.uk) Martin Laird defied the challenge of American Steve Marino over the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill to win by a single shot.

The Scot squandered his two-shot overnight lead, but recovered to overtake Marino with two holes to play.

A solid approach over water at the last and a two-putt from about 80ft ensured a second PGA Tour title for Laird.

England’s Justin Rose took a share of third at six under with a round of 68 that included a five-under back nine.

Laird began the day with a decent advantage over another American Spencer Levin but bogeyed the third, seventh and ninth to reach the turn in three-over 39.

The 28-year-old slipped further off the pace as he hooked into the water following a poor tee shot for a double-bogey six on the 11th.

His resurgence began with a birdie at the 12th and, despite a further bogey on 14 to fall three shots behind, the US-based Glaswegian picked up another two strokes at the 15th and 16th to restore a two-shot lead as the charging Marino faltered.

“I’ve had perseverance all week and it paid off,” said Laird, who lost a play-off in Las Vegas last year and also lost to Matt Kuchar in a play-off for the Barclays event in August after three-putting the 72nd hole.

He added: “I don’t know if I was nervous. I thought in the morning that I’ve let a few tournaments go and I came out today, I wasn’t joking around – this was going to be my tournament to win, and I felt comfortable.

“I never thought about not winning. At three down I didn’t have a choice, I had to make birdies – Steve was playing so well and he wasn’t going to drop all the way back to where I was.

“That was the focus – not a place finish, I was out there trying to get this trophy.”

Please click here to read the full article.

Tiger Lags in a Movement He Helped Create

When Tiger Woods smashes one off the tee at Bay Hill on Thursday — gets every bit of the club face on the golf ball — chances are he will not be strutting out to the longest drive in the fairway. In fact, he may not be walking to the second longest.

“I’ll be the Corey Pavin of my group,” Woods said, laughing about what it will be like to be paired with two of the game’s longest hitters, Gary Woodland, 26, and Dustin Johnson, 26, for the first two rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

“Seriously, I’ll just kind of put it out there in play and put it up on the green and try and make putts,” Woods added. “Those guys will be bombing it way out there past me.”

This is the new reality on the PGA Tour. Gone are the days when Woods could shift into overdrive and, on command, blow a tee shot past his fellow competitors. Gone are the days when Woods made seemingly every important putt he looked at. And though he had only one three-putt green at the W.G.C.-Cadillac Championship outside Miami, Woods has not putted well this year and is ranked 101st on tour.

The tournament host, Arnold Palmer, 81, said all good players reach the point where “all of a sudden, once in a while, the bounces go the wrong way or the putts rim around the cup rather than going in the cup.”

Please click here to read the full article.