Tag Archives: golf

With a heart-wrenching loss at Augusta and an explosive win at the U.S. Open

Rory McIlroy was playing in the North of Ireland Championship at Royal Portrush in July 2005. As a 2-year-old, he had poked a 40-yard drive; at 15, he had played for Europe’s winning Junior Ryder Cup team.

But now, at 16, his McNificence was still largely a matter of conjecture. He’d been left off Great Britain & Ireland’s 10-man Walker Cup team that would travel to Chicago to play the United States that September, a conspicuous, controversial omission. The kid still had much to prove at Portrush.

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Golf Star Jean Hugo leads strong line-up for 2011 BMG Classic

Jean Hugo goes into this week’s BMG Classic as a three-time winner this season already and looking for another win to boost his already high flying confidence ahead of a trip to Golf’s European Tour Qualifying School.

Hugo will lead a field of veteran professionals and promising young players in the R600 000 event at Glendower Golf Club from 28-30 October, and where he finished fourth last year.

“I would backing myself going into this week,” said Hugo. “With the European Tour Qualifying School just a few weeks off, I’m definitely in tournament mode. My golf game is on solid ground and I’m hungry to win again.”

Junior Golf Lessons In West London

I was lucky enough to have golf lessons in London from a young age and I fondly remember the Junior Group Coaching sessions that I took part in as a kid.

The professionals that taught me back then inspired me to improve and to eventually become a professional golfer, so I take great pride in teaching the youngsters of today, in the hope that they may become the golfers of tomorrow.

I cover all of the basics and the juniors will also enjoy some fun games and drills that they can practice away from the club.

I can also provide golf equipment free of charge for use during the coaching session, which typically lasts for one hour.

Golf is a great way to meet people, especially for the kids, they can interact with other kids from different backgrounds and all enjoy this great game together!

Please click here to see the forthcoming Junior Event Dates – there are some great events planned for half term!

McIlroy joins best pal McDowell

US Open champion Rory McIlroy has split with his manager Andrew Chandler.

The 22-year-old Northern Irishman has been with Chandler’s International Sports Management company since turning professional in 2007.

A spokesman for ISM said: “There has been no falling out, it is amicable. He is joining his great friend Graeme McDowell at Horizon.”

In a statement, Chandler said: “We have had a brilliant year. Rory has grown and he leaves us as a major champion.”

McIlroy became the youngest winner of the US Open since Bobby Jones in 1923 when he won by eight shots at Congressional in June.

It capped a remarkable  four years of golf for the world number three who turned professional after the 2007 Walker Cup.

Sergio Wins First Golf Tournament For Three Years

Sergio Garcia ended his three-year wait for a tournament victory by winning the Castello Masters by 11 shots in Spain.

The 31-year-old had taken an eight-shot lead into the final day and dominated again with a superb round of 63 on the Club de Campo del Mediterraneo course where he was boys champion aged 12.

Garcia, who was the tournament promoter, finished with his ninth birdie of the day for a 27-under total.

It gave the Spaniard his ninth European Tour career victory.

His compatriot Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano finished second after a 64 – although his round was spoiled slightly by two bogeys at the 17th and 18th while Scotland’s Richie Ramsay and Sweden’s Alex Noren were a shot further back on 15 under.

Garcia’s victory, his second in four years in the event, beat the previous biggest winning margin of the European Tour season by three shots.

The Putter With A New Face

Broomstick putters, belly putters, white drivers, thick handles. Just when you thought nothing else could be redesigned in golf comes along this little creation from MxVGolf.

I don’t know a lot about MxVGolf (Mass x Velocity) but it seems a curved putter face is what they do, and it’s a strange looking thing.

Based on the idea of Newtons Cradle, the putter supposedly gives you a more accurate strike towards the true centre of gravity of the golf ball. 

It appears that it will prohibit putts from striking the lower half of the ball, with the putter face having exactly the same radius as a golf ball.

The putter will be released in the US in December and it is not surprising to hear it comes in the belly putter variety.

McIlroy & Bradley share lead at Golf’s Grand Slam Event

Rory McIlroy carded four birdies on the back nine in a four-under 67 to share the first day lead with Keegan Bradley on his quest to become the PGA Grand Slam Champion in Bermuda.

The 22-year-old US Open champion from Northern Ireland holed from 30 feet at the 12th in the two-day competition for the four winners of the year’s major Championships.

Masters champion Charl Schwartzel shot a 74 and Open-winner Darren Clarke slumped to a 77.

McIlroy reached the turn at two-under, despite missing a series of short putts from inside 10 feet at the extremely tough Port Royal  Golf Course in Southampton.

He birdied the fifth after almost driving the 380-yard par-four but three-putted the 11th before his round was revived by the long putt at 12.

Bradley was out of the blocks quickly,  firing majestic six-irons to within two feet at both the second and seventh for his eagles to reach six-under but bogeyed the 14th and 16th to drop back to four under.

Today should make for interesting viewing, hopefully Darren Clarke can play some better golf and challenge the young guns for the title.

Winter Golf Lessons And Practice

It’s that time of year again where the fair weather golfers put their golf clubs back in the garage and decide that’s it over for 2011, but the hardcore golfers know that this is the time when they need to practice golf the most.

The winter is the perfect time to really hone your golf skills, even though it’s not the nicest conditions to practice in, but by the time spring comes around again you will be streets ahead of all your friends and fellow golf club members and ready to lift the Club Championship Trophy!

So see winter as an opportunity to practice more and a great chance to improve, it’s also a great chance to have golf lessons! Click here to see my teaching hours, and happy practicing!

Golf Has A New Rising Star

Englishman Tom Lewis birdied five of the last seven holes to win his maiden title at the Portugal Masters, in only his third professional start in golf.

The 20-year-old, who shot to fame by leading The Open as an amateur in July, beat a field that included Padraig Harrington and Martin Kaymer.

Lewis, who entered the closing stretch only in seventh spot, shot a closing 65 to finish with a 21-under-par 267.

“If you said that I’d finish 21 under, I’d have said ‘no way’,” he said.

“I’m a long way behind Rory in the Order of Merit so I’ve got a long way to go. But I’m really pleased.

“To shoot 65 in the last round, I wouldn’t have thought I’d be able to do that.”

Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello was the nearest challenger, finishing two shots adrift.

Tiger Woods needed five tournaments to land his first professional title, while McIlroy did not taste success until his 38th European Tour event.

Lewis two-putted the long 12th and then had four more birdies in a row from the 14th. He kept his nerve to par the dangerous final hole and had to wait the best part of an hour before victory was confirmed.

Instead of facing a trip to the Tour school in December – he entered the week 234th on the Tour money list and 621st in the world – he is now exempt for two seasons because of his win.

Golf Courses Suffering In America

Phil Mickelson is the beneficiary of an over-populated golf course market in Arizona.

The golf star and his agent recently purchased Sanctuary golf Course in Scottsdale for a cool $2.2 million. Not a bad price considering five years ago that course was probably valued near $20 million.

Golf clubs all over Arizona, from Superstition Mountain in Gold Canyon to Seven Canyons in Sedona, have been hurt. But the economic fallout is especially noticeable in Scottsdale, the pinnacle of the Valley’s sprawling golf landscape of close to 200 courses.

There are far too many golf courses for the metropolitan Phoenix market, an InsightLand and Investments partner who has sold golf courses for 25 years. Mississippi has just over 200 golf courses in the entire state. In metropolitan Phoenixalone, there are 200 courses. Granted, there are more people in Phoenix than in the entire Magnolia state, but you wonder how they ever thought they would be able to support all 200 plus golf courses.