Tag Archives: USPGA

Germany V Belgium – Who Will Win Last Spot?

Posted on August 21, 2012 by | Comments Off on Germany V Belgium – Who Will Win Last Spot?

It’s coming to the business end of the Ryder Cup and Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts comes into this week’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles chasing that all important final automatic spot in the star studded European Team. Sergio Garcia’s win in the states yesterday earned the Spaniard a place in what I think is going to be a great Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club.

Garcia took the eighth spot in the qualification standings after claiming his first  win for four years on the US PGA Tour and in the process pushed Martin Kaymer to tenth place and unfortunately Ian Poulter out of the automatic places. But I’m confident that Poulter will get a pick from captain Olazabal.

But as Kaymer  is not playing this week in Scotland, Nicolas Colsaerts has a great opportunity to claim the final place for the European Team, I was lucky enough to play golf with Colsaerts a couple of years ago and let me tell you, that boy can hit a golf ball! The Ryder Cup takes place at the Illinois venue from September 28-30.

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McIlroy and Woods Go Head-To-Head In Showdown

Posted on August 16, 2012 by | Comments Off on 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?

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Mickelson Scrapes In By The Skin Of His Teeth

Posted on August 15, 2012 by | Comments Off on Mickelson Scrapes In By The Skin Of His Teeth

Fans favourite Phil Mickelson managed to cling on to the last qualifying position on the American Ryder Cup team even though a closing 74 dropped him out of the top 30 in the US PGA Championship on Sunday.  But by qualifying he will become the side’s record cap holder with his ninth appearance in the Ryder Cup matches.

Even if he hadn’t made the team by automatic qualifying i’m sure captain Davis Love III would have picked him, he makes a great fourball player as he makes so many birdies, I get the feeling he won’t be playing in many foursome matches after his display of driving on the first two day’s at the US PGA but you never know!

Bo Van Pelt was  Mickelson’s closest challenger needing to finish second to ensure himself a Ryder Cup debut.  But with Bogey’s at the 14th and 15th failed to do so.

Not long to go now, who will Jose pick as his wildcards?

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McIlroy Looked Down And Out

Posted on August 13, 2012 by | Comments Off on McIlroy Looked Down And Out

A young man form Northern Ireland who a couple of weeks ago couldn’t seem to string one round together yet alone four and looked like he was going to have to go back to the drawing board and figure out where it had all gone wrong. This  young man is called Rory McIlroy and he had different ideas coming into the US PGA Championship and he was back to his absolute best.

Playing well from day one he looked in okay form for the first two rounds but nothing that made you think he would go on and win, especially in the way that he did.

He held off an incredible challenge from friend and Ryder Cup team mate Ian Poulter to win the US PGA Championship in record-breaking fashion at Kiawah Island with a bogey free final round of 66 leaving everyone in amazement with another eight shot major victory matching his record breaking win at the US Open last year.

It really is a remarkable achievement for a man of that age. So far he is matching the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, he really is an incredible player and is the best player to watch when he’s on form.

Is the sky’s the limit for McIlroy? Can he do the grand slam?

 

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Harrington Has To Be Part Of Ryder Cup Team

Posted on August 10, 2012 by | Comments Off on Harrington Has To Be Part Of Ryder Cup Team

European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal has said publicly that Republic Of Ireland star and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington will have to produce an amazing performance at Kiawah Island this week if he is to keep his Ryder Cup spot, unless he wins of course which will take him into the automatic qualifying positions.

The Irishman currently lies 19th in the European qualifying list.

“He will have to do extraordinarily well here,” Olazabal said.

Harrington, with two British Open titles to his name has slipped to 63 in the world and needed a wildcard pick to be a part of the  winning team at Celtic Manor back in 2010.

He would certainly be one of my picks, he’s gutsy, he’s been there and done it before under pressure and has won 3 major titles, and he’s in pretty good form. There isn’t anybody else in the waiting list with those credentials. Has to be a dead cert to picked if he doesn’t qualify Jose.

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The US PGA Championship Is Underway – Take A Look At My Betting Tips

Posted on August 9, 2012 by | Comments Off on The US PGA Championship Is Underway – Take A Look At My Betting Tips

Well the 94th US PGA Championship is underway  and it was Italy’s Matteo Manassero who started proceedings as he struck the opening tee shot from the tenth tee at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort.

The 19 year old who is the youngest man in the 156-strong field this week took his three wood out the bag, managed to calm his nerves, and hit the left hand side of the fairway on a glorious morning in South Carolina.

With already a touch of humidity in the air there were still forecasts of electrical storms for the afternoon, but with no sign of inclement weather first thing. Let’s hope they manage to get in the full days play today.

A lot of the top players are yet to go off, Luke Donald is currently at one under par after two holes but with still a long way to go. Make sure you catch all the action on Sky Sports tonight!

As you know, I like to have a flutter on the major championships so here are my picks for this week. Just to remind you, I picked the winner of the US Open – Webb Simpson back in June!

Ian Poulter

Steve Stricker

Luke Donald

Bo Van Pelt

Stewart Cink

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Rose Has One Eye On Race To Dubai Heading Into US PGA Championship

Posted on August 8, 2012 by | Comments Off on Rose Has One Eye On Race To Dubai Heading Into US PGA Championship

Well as we head into this week and the final Major of the season at Kiawah Island Justin Rose will be looking to extend his lead in The Race to Dubai after targeting The European Tour’s ultimate prize at the start of the season which seems like a long time but we are at the business end of the season now.

The Englishman from Hampshire has led The Race to Dubai since finishing second place at the BMW PGA Championship at the sun soaked Wentworth Club back in May and Rose would love to be crowned The European Tour’s Number One player for the second time in his career.

Rose extended his lead last week over Ernie Els after finishing tied fifth alongside Rory McIlroy at last week’s WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and he is confident the good form he is showing can continue on the Ocean Course this week.

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Keegan ‘Would Love It’ If He Could Win Next Week

Posted on August 6, 2012 by | Comments Off on Keegan ‘Would Love It’ If He Could Win Next Week

Keegan Bradley doesn’t seem to know how to give up especially when he gets a sniff at winning, he’s like one of those annoying people at school that just won’t go away and i’m sure Jim Furyk felt exactly the same way yesterday as Bradley came back from six shots behind with just 13 holes to play to beat fellow Ryder Cup player Jim Furyk to the Bridgestone Invitational title.

It wasn’t all Bradley’s doing though, Furyk was one in front coming down the last, but double bogeyed the 18th to lose. But Bradley did scramble a par when he really never looked like doing so after a visiting a bunker on the 18th but managed to make a 20 footer which turned out to be the winning putt.

Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose were the best-placed Britons finishing level on eight under par and McIlroy showed signs that he was getting back to form just in time for the USPGA Championship next week which Bradley is defending and Said ” He would love to win next week”.

Tiger Woods showed good form on the final day, which will encourage him for next week also. He didn’t  break par in the first two rounds but the world number two signed off with a four-under-par 66.

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Larrazábal In Lead At Rain Hit Austrian Open

Posted on July 25, 2012 by | Comments Off on Larrazábal In Lead At Rain Hit Austrian Open

Well it was back to normal on the European Tour this week after a great week at Royal Lytham & St Annes and a quite a few players who appeared at The Open headed off to the mountains and to the Diamond Country Club for the Austrian Open.

It was Spain’s Pablo Larrazábal who held an early three shot lead when play was suspended for heavy rain and not one player having completed 18 holes during the first round of the Lyoness Open.

The Spaniard who is a two-time European Tour winner got himself to six under par through 12 holes to be three clear of local hero Hamza Amin.

Larrazábal birdied the long tenth hole and then eagled the par five 13th, he then picked up more shots at the 14th, 16th and 18th holes to turn in 30.

The man from Barcelona parred the first three holes after the turn, before the heavy rain came down and play was suspended at 11.40am local time.

Larrazábal had spoken about his desire to hit form after finishing 45th in The Open Championship.

“I’m playing here and then having a week off before Kiawah [for the US PGA  Championship], which I am really looking forward to. I played in a Junior tournament there in 2003 and finished second, so it will be great to go back there.

Keep up to date with the live leaderboard here  – play resumes at 3.20pm

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Rookie Claims First PGA Tour Title After Great Battle

Posted on July 9, 2012 by | Comments Off on Rookie Claims First PGA Tour Title After Great Battle

Last night at the Greenbrier Classic rookie Ted Potter Jr. held his nerve to beat fellow-American Troy Kelly in a tense play-off.

The 218th ranked player in the world, took victory with a four-foot birdie putt at the par 3 18th which was the third extra hole after a superb tee shot.

Kelly’s  previous best finish on the PGA Tour was tied-37th, and he looked to be heading for victory in regulation play at the $1m tournament at White Sulphur Springs in West Virginia. 

But somehow Potter, who was trailing by four shots with five holes to play, managed to finish eagle-birdie for a 64 and a four-round total of 264, which Kelly (66) could only match.

Both players parred at the first extra hole, the 18th, before Potter looked all set to wrap it up at the second, the 17th. But Kelly holed an amazing putt under pressure from 25 feet and Potter missed from five to send them back to 18 again.

It really was a true battle of two players trying to establish themselves on the PGA Tour and both should be proud of their performances.

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