Faultless and in total control, Danny Willett was back to his best in Wentworth duel with Jon Rahm September 23, 2019 It went right down to the wire, but Danny Willett got his reward for a week of near-faultless golf when he won a fantastic duel with Jon Rahm for the BMW PGA Championship on Sunday at Wentworth. I was very impressed by both men but especially Willett, who holed a 40ft putt to make a [...]
Solheim Cup thriller was up there with anything in men’s or women’s golf September 16, 2019 It has been a big week for many people in golf but none more so than those involved in an extraordinary Solheim Cup. Europe’s 14½-13½ win over the United States at Gleneagles was exciting beyond belief, up there with any finish that the men’s or women’s game has ever seen. First, Bronte Law looked to [...]
Sebastian Soderberg battled his demons to break his European Tour duck and pip world No1-in-waiting Rory McIlroy September 2, 2019 Sebastian Soderberg would have been forgiven for thinking his chance to win a first European Tour title at the 50th attempt had gone when he three-putted and bogeyed the 17th hole of the European Masters on Sunday. Had the 28-year-old Swede made par he could have played the final hole with a degree of comfort. [...]
Rory McIlroy gave golf a reminder of what he can do even against the very best at the $15m FedEx Cup finale August 26, 2019 Heading into the FedEx Cup Playoffs it looked like being a battle between Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy for the $15m prize – and so it proved, with those two in the final group at the Tour Championship on Sunday. McIlroy scooped golf’s biggest winners’ cheque with a sublime round of 66 to cap a [...]
Justin Thomas is in the box seat for the Tour Championship but the $15m FedEx Cup finale’s exciting new format means the race is far from over August 19, 2019 This week’s Tour Championship, the finale to the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup, sees the debut of a unique new format which I wholeheartedly believe is an excellent idea for players and fans alike. Players will start the week on a score determined by their place in the FedEx Cup standings, so current leader Justin Thomas [...]
Patrick Reed has reaped the rewards of a rest to get back to where he belongs August 12, 2019 After a horrid start to the year, Patrick Reed has been shaping up nicely for the last two or three months and the 2018 Masters champion capped that return to form with a big win at the Northern Trust on Sunday. Jon Rahm had looked on track to claim the second event of the FedEx [...]
Ollie Phillips: Eddie Jones is being decisive with England World Cup squad but his intensity could backfire August 8, 2019 Eddie Jones’s decision to name his World Cup squad almost four weeks before the official deadline is one typical of the England head coach. On one hand it’s unnecessary because he’ll almost certainly have to make changes to the 31 names he announces on Monday due to injuries sustained in the warm-up matches and training [...]
$15m FedEx Cup play-offs offer Tommy Fleetwood chance to go one better than his runner-up finish at The Open August 5, 2019 With a $15m top prize for the winner, the FedEx Cup play-offs, which begin this week at the Northern Trust and conclude with the Tour Championship later this month, have become a huge event in the golf calendar. The format of the competition doesn’t always make it easy to follow but the rewards on offer [...]
Unflappable Brooks Koepka shows why he’s world No1 and tees up intriguing FedEx Cup battle with Rory McIlroy July 29, 2019 Major wins may have been behind Brooks Koepka’s rise to world No1 but he was always going to start becoming more prolific across the board – he is just too good not to. The American underlined that fact in magnificent style on Sunday, winning only his third PGA Tour event outside of the Majors at [...]
Shane Lowry could win 10 Masters but nothing will ever top the Irishman’s emotional Open triumph at Royal Portrush July 22, 2019 What an extraordinary week it was at the Open Championship. The first time back in Northern Ireland for 68 years, remarkably good weather for much of it, an out-of-this-world course at Royal Portrush and, in Shane Lowry, an Irishman winning the Claret Jug – and winning it well. You couldn’t have scripted it any better. [...]