Saudi-backed golf tour ‘dead in water’, says Rory McIlroy February 21, 2022 Former world No1 Rory McIlroy believes Saudi-backed plans for a breakaway golf tour are “dead in the water” after more leading players turned their back on the talks. McIlroy also issued a stinging rebuke of Phil Mickelson after the US PGA champion indicated he would overlook his humanitarian concerns about Saudi Arabia in the name [...]
World No1 Rahm delivers another blow to Saudi golf league plans February 17, 2022 Men’s world No1 Jon Rahm has become the latest high-profile golfer to rule out joining a new Saudi-funded circuit. Leading players have been offered tens of millions of dollars to leave the PGA Tour and sign up to a new Super League competition fronted by Greg Norman and bankrolled by Saudi Arabia. “There has been [...]
Ed Warner: Spare a thought for golfers locked out of Saudi Arabia and Greg Norman’s gilded cage February 10, 2022 In the Year of the Sportswash it should be no surprise that Saudi Arabia is at the centre of the struggle for control of pro golf. But would the beefed-up Asian Tour arouse such a frenzy if it had a different backer? The PGA Tour has been accused of greed that is “beyond obnoxious” by [...]
Sam Torrance: Nicolai Hojgaard is destined to be a world beater February 7, 2022 Big-money tournaments elsewhere in the Middle East may have attracted the headlines but the best golf story of the weekend for me was Nicolai Hojgaard. The young Dane and his twin brother Rasmus are going to be world-beaters and Nicolai took the next step on that journey with an extraordinary victory at the Ras Al [...]
Asian Tour CEO Cho Minn Thant: Saudi alliance was ‘a no brainer’ February 1, 2022 “It’s the dawn of a new era,” says Cho Minn Thant, chief executive of golf’s Asian Tour, of this week’s Saudi International, a tournament that has shaken up the sport even before a ball has even been teed up. He is not wrong. The $5m event, which begins in Jeddah on Thursday, is the richest [...]
Sam Torrance: Thomas Pieters is playing the best golf of his life January 24, 2022 Thomas Pieters’ victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday wasn’t just the biggest of his career – it was also the best performance I’ve seen from him. Pieters was a picture of composure as he played beautifully all day, making 16 pars in a 72 to keep his nose in front of Rafa [...]
Golf the latest sport to get Netflix documentary treatment January 12, 2022 Golf has become the next sport to receive the drama documentary treatment from streaming service Netflix. In a statement, Netflix said: “Netflix is teaming up with the PGA Tour and golf’s major championships for a documentary series that will follow the lives and stories of the world’s top professional golfers across the 2022 season. “From [...]
Sam Torrance: Cameron Smith and my other players to watch in 2022 January 10, 2022 Cameron Smith got his 2022 off to just about the perfect start at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii at the weekend. The Australian hardly put a foot wrong as he posted a PGA Tour record score of 34 under par to fight off the challenge of world No1 Jon Rahm and compatriot Matt Jones. [...]
Big Sport Quiz of 2021: How much do you remember? December 20, 2021 From teenagers sweeping to Grand Slam tennis titles to England reaching a major football final, an Olympic Games like no other and the introduction of a brand new cricket competition, it has been a hugely eventful year in sport. Off the field it has been just as transformative, with private equity and, increasingly, cryptocurrency and [...]
Sam Torrance: DP World Tour Championship marks the end of an era – but also start of a new one November 15, 2021 This week’s DP World Tour Championship doesn’t just mark the end of the Race to Dubai and the European Tour season, it is also the end of an era. Following the news that the European Tour will rebrand as the DP World Tour next season – starting at the Joburg Open next week – these [...]