Tag Archives: Tiger Woods

A Great Week Of Golf Ahead

Posted on June 27, 2012 by | Comments Off on A Great Week Of Golf Ahead

This week’s AT&T National tournament on the PGA Tour visits Congressional Golf Club in Maryland. The golf club where Rory McIlroy won the US Open by eight shots last year.

The Ulsterman won’t be teeing it up this week though as he is back on home soil for the Irish Open in Portrush.

Congrssional is Situated in Bethesda, just north of Washington DC, and the Blue Course is one of the best known venues on the PGA Tour.

Opened 88 years ago back in 1924, and re-designed 65 years later by Rees Jones, the course has staged the US Open three times  as well as one PGA Championship.

What a great week of golf ahead, I’m going for McIlroy in the Irish Open and Tiger at Congressional, what do you think?

Comments Off on A Great Week Of Golf Ahead

Posted in Blog Post, News Stories

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Simpson Makes It Three Majors In A Row For America

Posted on June 18, 2012 by | Comments Off on Simpson Makes It Three Majors In A Row For America

Congratulations to Webb Simpson who won his first major  in the early hours of this morning. He is the third American in a row to win a major since Keegan Bradley took the USPGA title followed by Bubba Watson at the Masters.

The 26 year old was joint eighth with 18 holes to go, but after shooting a two under par round of 68 for a one over total he had to wait to see if the rest of the field could catch him.

Jim Furyk looked the biggest danger at that point, but it turned out to be McDowell after disappointing rounds from Westwood and Woods left the door open.

Simpson, only playing his fifth Major and trying to become the ninth successive first-time winner in them, had become joint leader when Furyk bogeyed the short 13th hole which should have been a birdie hole.

He then led on his own when Furyk missed the fairway left down the long 16th hole, and carded a bogey six.

McDowell,  who was joint leader at the start of play, was two shots behind at that point, but when the 2010 US Open Champion holed a tough putt on the 17th hole, he and Furyk both needed to birdie the  last to tie Simpson on one over par.

Both found the semi-rough off the tee, but while McDowell hit his second shot to 25 feet, Furyk buried his in the sand to the left.

Furyk made bogey and McDowell failed to convert his birdie attempt. Maybe a bit of an anticlimax but Simpson a deserved winner.

Comments Off on Simpson Makes It Three Majors In A Row For America

Posted in Blog Post, News Stories

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Top 3 in the world score 19 over par collectively

Posted on June 15, 2012 by | Comments Off on Top 3 in the world score 19 over par collectively

 I’m sure you saw as I did that the three best players in the world struggled like hell around a very difficult golf course. Is it unfair? I don’t think so, you just have to be at the top of your game and more importantly play the course with your head like Tiger did. At the end of the day it’s a major and it’s not meant to be easy!

Lee Westwood called the Olympic Club “indescribably” difficult after a first round that saw only six players break par.

Westwood carded a respectable three-over-par 73,  but he’s not out of it yet. He’s seven behind the lead but six shots better than fellow countryman and world number one Luke Donald. It was always going to be difficult for Luke, especially as he missed a lot of fairways and just didn’t have the power to recover.

Northern Ireland’s defending champion Rory McIlroy carded a  77.

Westwood said: “It’s set up hard, the greens are very firm, there’s a breeze. It’s a very difficult golf course.”

The 39-year-old, chasing his first win in a major tournament, said “You hit a lot of good drives that don’t end up on the fairways.”

Westwood, McIlroy and Donald, the world numbers three, two and one respectively, were expected to comprise one of the low-scoring threesomes on the opening day. Instead they were collectively 19 over par!

Good luck tonight boys!

 

Comments Off on Top 3 in the world score 19 over par collectively

Posted in Blog Post, News Stories

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

McIlroy To Be Aggressive In San Francisco

Posted on June 13, 2012 by | Comments Off on McIlroy To Be Aggressive In San Francisco

Defending US Open champion Rory McIlroy intends to be aggressive around the Olympic Club in San Francisco tomorrow.

The Northern Irishman, who took the title last year by an amazing eight shots, is bidding to become the first player since Curtis Strange back in 1989 to retain the championship.

McIlroy’s form  has not been  great by any means going into the tournament and had missed three straight cuts but the 23-year-old was joint leader with one hole to play at the FedEx St Jude Classic last week but double bogeyed the 18th, eventually finishing in seventh place.

He has been practising with Lee Westwood and  former US Open champion Graeme McDowell at the Olympic Club, and said: “I reckon I’m going to use my driver eight or nine times.

“The rough is not as bad as maybe in previous years where you can get away with some tee shots, so really you just need to know your way around the golf course and know where you can miss it.”

Coverage starts tomorrow afternoon on Sky Sports

 

Comments Off on McIlroy To Be Aggressive In San Francisco

Posted in Blog Post, News Stories

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

McIlroy Says Missing Last Years Players Championship Was A Mistake

Posted on May 9, 2012 by | Comments Off on McIlroy Says Missing Last Years Players Championship Was A Mistake

Rory McIlroy (who is at number one again) is keen to improve on  a poor record at the £5.8m Players Championship, which starts at Sawgrass in Florida tomorrow.

The Northern Irishman has yet to brake par and has  missed the cut on two previous visits on the 7,215-yard par-72 course.

McIlroy and Westwood chose to miss the event off their calender last year but both have returned to the so-called fifth major.

“It wasn’t one of my brightest moments,” McIlroy admitted. “I’m glad to be back, it’s a very big tournament and one that I’d love to win one day.”

McIlroy lost in a play-off at last week’s Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina, as American Rickie Fowler won his first PGA Tour title. So he is keen to put that behind him and come out all gun’s blazing on Thursday. Another interesting week ahead!

Comments Off on McIlroy Says Missing Last Years Players Championship Was A Mistake

Posted in Blog Post, News Stories

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

R&A lift ban on mobile phones for the Open Championship this year

Posted on April 24, 2012 by | Comments Off on R&A lift ban on mobile phones for the Open Championship this year

Spectators at this years Open Championship will be able to use mobile phones after the R&A lifts its six-year ban on the devices.

There are going to be designated area’s to allow phone calls in, although photography will be definitely be banned during the four days of the championship.

“Allowing their use at the championship will enrich the Open experience.” said Peter Dawson.

I think this will be welcomed by many golf fans as today’s way of living has changed a hell of a lot in the past 3 years regarding technology on your phone. It will enable fans to check the scores on their phone apps and just make the whole experience a better one. Only if the fans respect it though.

Mobile phones were banned for the 2007 Open at Carnoustie after complaints from players about the number in use at the previous Championship at Hoylake.

The Open last visited Lytham in 2001, seeing David Duval lift the Claret Jug.

The course has changed since then,  14/18 have undergone redevelopment, with nearly 200 yards added making the 7,086-yard course a par 70 for the Championship in July.

 

Comments Off on R&A lift ban on mobile phones for the Open Championship this year

Posted in Blog Post, News Stories

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This years U.S. Open in San Francisco

Posted on April 17, 2012 by | Comments Off on This years U.S. Open in San Francisco

This years U.S. Open Golf Championship will be held at the historic Olympic Club, in San Francisco. The  dates for the Championship are June 14-17, 2012.

The U.S. Open has been hosted at this venue four times before. They were in 1955, 1966, 1987 and 1998. This event presents golfers around the world with the chance to watch the world’s best professionals compete on this classic and prestigious stage, and to play some of America’s finest public golf courses including Pasatiempo Golf Club, CordeValle, Pebble Beach, and Spyglass Hill.

It really is a truly beautiful setting in this part of the world, and all the top players love playing down the west coast of America with most of it’s courses having spectacular ocean views.

All the players will be looking to hone there game in time for June the 14th and will all be looking to lift that huge trophy. McIlroy will be defending this time around. I don’t know what to expect from him after his lackluster Masters performance a couple of weeks back. I get the feeling it will be much of the same?

I’m sure all the talk will be on him and Tiger again, let’s just hope they don’t let us down this time and give us something to get excited about!

I will be  covering this tournament in more detail nearer the time.

Until then….. Happy golfing

James

Comments Off on This years U.S. Open in San Francisco

Posted in Blog Post, News Stories

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Woods ends win drought at Bay Hill and is now eyeing up the Masters

Posted on March 26, 2012 by | Comments Off on Woods ends win drought at Bay Hill and is now eyeing up the Masters

Tiger Woods can now turn his attentions to trying to win a fifth Masters title after claiming his first PGA Tour title for well over 2 years at Bay Hill.

The 14 time major winner is now warming up for the first major of the year with a five-shot victory over Graeme McDowell at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

“I’m excited about the Masters,” said the 36-year-old, who has won 14 majors.

Woods made an incredible recovery after pulling out of his last event two weeks ago with an Achilles tendon strain that initially seemed likely to threaten his participation at Augusta. Nobody could have foreseen this happening, not even Tiger.

Chasing a seventh Bay Hill title, and 98th professional victory, Woods held a one-shot lead over Northern Ireland’s McDowell going into the final round in Florida and carded a final-day two-under 70 to wrap up the win.

“It’s always fun to play there and I’m looking forward to going to Augusta with the momentum I’ve built here.”

I made a prediction a couple of months back that Woods and McIlroy would be fighting it out at the final day of the masters, let’s hope for great viewing that’s going to be the case.

Comments Off on Woods ends win drought at Bay Hill and is now eyeing up the Masters

Posted in Blog Post, News Stories

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Masters is around the corner now – Plus a review of my betting tips

Posted on March 14, 2012 by | Comments Off on The Masters is around the corner now – Plus a review of my betting tips

Just a few weeks now until the season really starts to kick in and the fair weather golfers come out of the closet and get the bug back for golf again. Who wouldn’t get the bug back for golf after watching the Masters which starts on April 3rd!

If you’re not up to scratch with the history of the Masters and the past winners then click here to see the complete list of past champions. Alternatively click here to check the Masters website and all the information you need to know about the wonderful tournament.

If you missed them before then here are my bets for the Masters and the rest of the majors.

The Masters –  Tiger Woods                                                                                                                                            Steve Stricker                                                                                                                                          Luke Donald                                                                                                                                            Rory McIlroy

The US Open –  Jason Day                                                                                                                                                 Webb Simpson                                                                                                                                       Steve Stricker                                                                                                                                          Sergio Garcia

The Open –   Sergio Gacria                                                                                                                                          M. Mannasero                                                                                                                                        Rory McIlroy                                                                                                                                          Lee Westwood

The US PGA – Sergio Garcia                                                                                                                                           Luke Donald                                                                                                                                             Bubba Watson                                                                                                                                         Ricky Fowler

 

Comments Off on The Masters is around the corner now – Plus a review of my betting tips

Posted in Blog Post, My Betting Tips, News Stories

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rose holds on after late charge from McIlroy and Watson

Posted on March 12, 2012 by | Comments Off on Rose holds on after late charge from McIlroy and Watson

England’s Justin Rose notched up his fourth on the USPGA Tour at the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, in Florida.

Rose from Hampshire was three shots back to Bubba Watson at the start of the day and had it all to do seeing how Bubba had been playing over the first three days.

But, with Watson making mistake after mistake, and world number one Rory McIlroy’s late charge just falling short even after a holed out bunker for eagle in the closing four holes and Tiger Woods retiring with an Achilles injury , Rose held his nerve.

A final round two-under 70 was enough to win by a shot from Watson, who missed a 10-foot birdie putt at 18 after probably the shot of the week from the right hand side rough after a wayward drive.

“There’s been a lot of hard work going on in my game,” said Rose. “And days like this make it all worthwhile.

Former world number one Donald had  a respectable week finishing on -12 and showed some of the form which got him to the top spot in the first place.

Roll on the Masters!

Comments Off on Rose holds on after late charge from McIlroy and Watson

Posted in Blog Post, News Stories

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,