Week in Sportbiz: Yashenkov makes fan pledge ahead of election; global golf tour moves step closer; and Cazoo trumpets Hundred deal December 3, 2020 It’s a big weekend for rugby in Europe, and not just because of the final round of Autumn Nations Cup fixtures. On Friday, Russian challenger Kirill Yashenkov is hoping to topple incumbent Octavian Morariu and be named president of Rugby Europe. Yashenkov has vowed to double the organisation’s budget and create more opportunities for elite [...]
UK beats US to be named most influential country for sports technology November 17, 2020 The United Kingdom has been named the most influential country in the realm of sports technology by a new report. The UK leads the way because it is home to Formula 1 and golf’s European Tour, organisations praised for innovation. The United States is the second most influential country, according to the inaugural Sports Technology [...]
Sam Torrance: Masters magic can unlock more major success for vastly improved Dustin Johnson November 16, 2020 You couldn’t have asked for a much better Masters than the one Dustin Johnson just won in fantastic fashion. OK, it’s more exciting when there’s two or three players vying at the end, but he was sublime and outclassed the whole field. The signs were there. Johnson’s form going into Augusta included four top twos [...]
The Masters effect: How winning a green jacket can double a player’s social media following November 13, 2020 Some spoils of winning the Masters are easy to quantify, like one green jacket and around two million dollars. Others – joy, relief, satisfaction, prestige, profile – are less so. But new research has attempted to put a figure on the last of those by analysing the social media followings of recent Masters champions. Tiger [...]
Sam Torrance: Masters buzz around Bryson DeChambeau reminds me of Tiger Woods November 11, 2020 Anticipation for the Masters this year feels as high as when Tiger Woods won his first in 1997. I can remember it vividly. Tiger was the best and he was hitting the ball miles past everyone. He won by 12 strokes. This time, it’s equally exciting to see how Bryson DeChambeau plays. I can’t wait. [...]
Coronavirus: The impact on the sporting world as numerous events are disrupted March 12, 2020 In the space of a week the coronavirus pandemic has gone from having a minimal impact on the world’s sporting events to causing vast swathes of postponements and contests played out behind closed doors. This week saw the first Premier League game postponed due to Covid-19, Champions League matches played in empty stadiums and two [...]
Tyrrell Hatton should realise he is a world beater and give himself a break. Maybe his win at Bay Hill will do it March 9, 2020 Tyrrell Hatton first made a big impression on me when he won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, his maiden European Tour title, at St Andrews in 2016. Over the last six holes, under severe pressure, the 24-year-old Englishman was magnificent. I expected him to quickly to become a regular presence in the winner’s circle. He [...]
Sungjae Im and Sami Valimaki show way to the top for tomorrow’s golfers March 2, 2020 Any budding golfers out there wondering what their route to the top is – and how to win when they get there – could do worse than look at the weekend’s two main winners. At the Honda Classic in Florida, 21-year-old Sungjae Im continued his amazing progress with a first PGA Tour title, outshining overnight [...]
This is the best I’ve seen Patrick Reed play, but he’s not in my top picks for the Masters February 24, 2020 Seven under par for the day after 14 holes and holding a two-shot lead, Bryson DeChambeau looked absolutely nailed on to win the WGC-Mexico Championship on Sunday. But from there his run of birdies dried up and he bogeyed 17, opening the door for fellow American Patrick Reed to steal in and claim his second [...]
Four years without a win and now two in a row: king of the swingers Adam Scott is back at the top of the game February 17, 2020 You will never watch Adam Scott play golf on television without the commentators gushing about how good his swing is. When you think about the great ball-strikers, the Australian is one of the first names that comes to mind. For me, he is up there in the top 10 of all time, along with Tiger [...]