Tag Archives: Jack Nicklaus

McIlroy Claims Fourth Major In Near Darkness

It wasn’t all plain sailing this time around for Rory McIlroy as he saw his overnight lead vanish after the first few holes in the PGA Championship at Valhalla.

McIlroy found himself 2 over par on the front nine, and strong starts from Mickelson, Fowler and Henrik Stenson saw him 2 behind the leaders at the turn.

But as a true champion McIlroy was to show that he wasn’t out of the tournament yet and with a tremendous second shot to eight feet on the par 5 10th which he holed for eagle, he suddenly was right back in the tournament.

As the other players were running out of steam and holes up ahead, he would go on to birdie the 13th and the 17th and claim a one-shot victory in what was pretty much darkness at the 18th green apart from the lights of the clubhouse which lit up a small part of it.

It’s been quite a few weeks for McIlroy and he has become the third youngest player after Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus to win four majors, but by the way this young man is going, he will be looking to break all records set by these great players and who’s to say anything can stop him at the moment.

If you followed my bets from earlier last week then well done on your winnings, and don’t spend all of the money at once!

 

Mickelson Aiming For Career Grand Slam At US Open

The desperation for Phil Mickelson to win the US Open and to claim a career Grand Slam will make it even tougher for him as he heads to Pinehurst this week.

Mickleson has never won a US Open before but has been runner-up an amazing six times in his home Open, he will be looking to put things straight come Thursday.

Only a handful of players have ever managed to claim a career Grand Slam before, they are Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus , Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen and if Phil can win this week he will truly go down as one of the all-time greats in the game of golf.

Mickelson will be putting great expectations on himself this week like he always does, but there’s no reason why the big American can’t triumph at this tough golf course which is also hosting the Women’s US Open soon after.

If like me you are looking forward to watching the golf tomorrow night, don’t forget to tune into Sky Sports 4 from 2pm.

Enjoy!

Will Tiger Finally Get Out Of The Woods This Year?

If  like me you’ve still got the Christmas blues and are still thinking about that last turkey sandwich you had and wish you still had some left then don’t worry…..you’ve got a great year of golf ahead!

One of the questions that will be asked again this year will be ‘Can Tiger Woods win his 15th major?‘ It’s a question that has been hanging over Tiger for quite a while now and I’m sure one that he will want to answer very quickly with a big resounding YES!

Tiger is without doubt the best player of his generation and some would argue the best player of all time and there will be no better place for him to take the next step into beating Jack Nicklaus‘ record than at Augusta in the first major of the year in April.

Woods has the best short game around maybe apart from maybe Mickelson and that is exactly what you need to win at Augusta with it’s heavily contoured and fast greens. 

Last year Woods was in contention until that silly mistake at the 15th which not only cost him 2 shots but more than anything seemed to cost him mentally when he dropped his ball in the wrong spot on the fairway.

His game seems to be in the best shape it has been in years and he more than anyone will want to get this monkey off of his back and will feel that The Masters is his opportunity of claiming the first of maybe two or three majors this year!

Tiger Sniffing After Golden Bear In The Woods

Tiger Woods is going into the Masters at Augusta a red-hot favourite according to eight-time European Tour Champion Colin Montgomerie. The big Scot believes that if Tiger can putt the way he has done in the past month then he will be virtually unbeatable.

Although the current World Number One has had his problems with injuries in recent years, this year has seen him win three times already and if he can win here in Augusta then I believe that Jack Nicklaus’ record is definitely in danger of being beaten by Tiger. It’s hard not to see him winning at least two majors this year which will take him to 16 majors with still a long way to go in his career.

Two days to go!

 

Is There Anything That Can Stop Tiger Now?

Tiger Woods is back to where he wants be and where I think he will stay for a very long time now.

After a turbulent couple of years he has put all of his woes behind him and shown everyone what a great champion he is and what great champion he will still be in the future.

Two years ago we all thought that we had seen the last of one of the greatest golfers that has ever lived, his personal life was in tatters, he had dropped to outside the top 50 in the world and he had to publicly apologise for his actions in front of millions of people, something that would have finished many men off. But this guy is made of something that  I think is nearly inhuman.

I don’t think there’s any doubt that he will break Jack Nicklaus’ record, he wants to be the best in world and he has such a strong mind and wants to be the best that I don’t think anyone can stop him now.

 

McIlroy Continues To Get Frustrated By Current Form

The story on everyone’s lips ( apart from the ongoing putter row ) is that of Rory McIlroy, and his sudden loss of form since the equipment change at the start of the season.

It certainly didn’t get any better at the Honda Classic for McIlroy after he withdrew from the tournament in his second round after finding himself seven over par through eight holes.

He said it was because of pain in his ‘wisdom teeth’ that caused him to walk off the golf course, but only he will know the real reason why. Was it just the frustration of  playing awful golf? Was it petulance? Or was it more ‘I’m not going to win this golf tournament so I might as well call it a day and stop the embarrassment”?

Eighteen time major winner Jack Nicklaus believes that McIlroy is frustrated with his current form but will come good for the first major of the year at Augusta.

The Northern Irishman has had it pretty easy since he turned professional, so it will be interesting to see how things develop over the next few tournaments and whether he will get some more wisdom tooth pain if things don’t go his own way over the course of the next couple of months.

 

Best Ever – Nicklaus? Woods? McIlroy?

Two time major winner and former world number one Greg Norman thinks that Rory McIlroy has what it takes to break Jack Nicklaus’ major championship record, and even more chance than Tiger Woods.

McIlroy who is currently the best in the world has two majors under his belt at the moment and is a long way off getting anywhere near Tiger’s record let alone Jack’s. Woods hasn’t won a major in four years but in my opinion still has a lot of golf left to play, and he more than anybody will be determined to surpass Nicklaus’ record.

McIlroy has had a great couple of years but I think people are getting carried away, sometimes talent isn’t enough to sustain a long career, you need sheer determination, has McIlroy got that? I don’t know but I think the next couple of years are crucial if he is to have any chance in becoming the greatest player to ever play the game.

 

McIlroy and Woods Go Head-To-Head In Showdown

Yesterday it was announced that there would be a head-to-head match between Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods in an 18-hole exhibition match in China later this year.

McIlroy, who is currently perched at the top of the world rankings after his USPGA triumph, and Woods who is number three at the moment will do battle at the Lake Jinsha International Golf Club.

After McIlroy’s great USPGA victory last weekend major at Kiawah Island it’s prompted renewed comparisons with Woods who has 14 majors to his name and was also number one for many years.

McIlroy completely ran away with the title last week – which included Woods, who was tied for the lead at the halfway stage – to win by an amazing eight-shot margin, which is slightly younger than when Woods won his second major.

Has McIlroy got what it takes to be the greatest of all time? He certainly has the talent, but has he got the mental toughness that Woods used to have?

Tiger Woods Is At Again ( Winning that is… )

Tiger Woods sailed pass Jack Nicklaus on the all-time PGA Tour victory list by winning last night at the AT&T National in Maryland at the age of 36.

He secured his 74th US Tour win by a couple of shots from Bo Van Pelt after a steady final round of 69 leaving him eight under par. He moved his way through the field over the weekend and the final day had a sense of inevitability about it when him and Bo Van Pelt were tied with a few holes to go.

It means Tiger has won more PGA events than any golfer bar Sam Snead, who recorded 82 victories on the Tour.

“To do it at 36, I feel like I have a lot of years ahead of me,” Woods said after his third win of the year.

People said he would never win again six months ago and now he’s won 3 times this year.

Overnight leader Brendon de Jonge had a round of six over par to finish in a share of 11th on one under.

With the Open just around the corner Tiger is priming himself perfectly for the links course in Lytham. Can he do it this time?

 

 

The Open golf championship to return to St. Andrews in 2015

The Open Golf Championship is set to return to the home of golf after it was confirmed the tournament will be held at St Andrews in 2015.

The announcement means the Old Course will have hosted the competition a total of 29 times, which is the most any course has ever hosted the event.

Golf’s governing body, the R&A, said St Andrews had proven itself a worthy host for the championship, which was last held at the course in 2010.

The sport is big business in Scotland, worth £220m to the economy.

R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said: “St Andrews has proved time and again that it is perfectly equipped to host The Open and I am certain we will yet again see a worthy winner lift the claret jug.

“Players, spectators and officials alike will welcome a return to the game’s spiritual home and I fully expect that we will witness another thrilling championship.”

The open will take place between 16 and 19 July 2015

Euan Loudon, chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust, said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming The Open championship back to the links.

“There is always a special sense of anticipation when The Open is played on the Old Course and it promises to be no different in 2015.

“Almost every great champion in the game has played here and there is no more fitting celebration of the rich heritage of the home of golf than hosting golf’s oldest major championship.”

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen won the 2010 Open by seven shots with a 16-under par total of 272.