Sam Torrance: Majors and world No1 spot are next on agenda for rare talent Jon Rahm December 3, 2018 Players of Jon Rahm’s quality come around so rarely and he has already achieved so much in his short career – it is almost like when Usain Bolt burst onto the scene in athletics. So when Rahm puts in performances like the one he mustered at the Hero World Challenge at the weekend, it’s no [...]
Sam Torrance: Belgium’s young bucks Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry are ones to watch in 2019 November 26, 2018 Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry are really good golfers with beautiful swings so I was delighted to see them claim the World Cup of Golf for Belgium in Melbourne on Sunday. Pieters is a bit of a puzzle. Having announced himself on the European Tour with a couple of wins in the second half of [...]
Sam Torrance: Sheer hard work earned Danny Willett a long overdue return to winning ways November 19, 2018 Five holes into the back nine at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday and it was starting to look very dodgy for leader Danny Willett. The Englishman – winless since his Masters victory two and a half years ago – had bogeyed twice since the turn and was now just one shot [...]
Sam Torrance: Tasty vintage Lee Westwood is playing as well as ever November 12, 2018 Lee Westwood swung as well as I have seen him swing for a long, long time on his way to a magnificent victory in the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City in South Africa on Sunday. The Englishman, 45, hadn’t won for four years but looked oustanding all week and some of the golf produced [...]
Sam Torrance: Justin Rose is a genius, a grandmaster of golf and in the prime of his career November 5, 2018 Justin Rose made a welcome return to the top of the world rankings by defending his Turkish Airlines Open title on Sunday but only after an incredible and fascinating finish to the tournament. Having played magnificent golf all week, Rose gave overnight leader Li Haotong fresh hope by bogeying the 17th and 18th holes – [...]
Sam Torrance: Schauffele’s Ryder Cup revenge on Finau will help him develop in his career October 29, 2018 Xander Schauffele produced an excellent finish to beat compatriot Tony Finau in a play-off and win the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai over the weekend. The 25-year-old American shot three consecutive birdies on the final two holes and in the sudden death par-five to claim a third PGA title and put a winless season behind him. [...]
Sam Torrance: Brooks Koepka is a deserving world No1 and has what it takes to stay at the top October 22, 2018 Brooks Koepka is the new world No1 after another extraordinary win at the weekend, this time at the CJ Cup in South Korea, lifted him above fellow American Dustin Johnson – and he totally deserves it. Koepka and Johnson are long-time friends and training buddies but the former has eclipsed the latter this year. DJ [...]
Sam Torrance: Eddie Pepperell has arrived and I’m expecting big things from the Englishman October 15, 2018 What a year it has been for English golf. Eddie Pepperell’s victory at the British Masters at Walton Heath on Sunday made it 11 English wins on the European Tour in 2018 and four from the last six events. It’s also turning out to be a landmark season for Pepperell himself. The 27-year-old from Oxfordshire [...]
Sam Torrance: Lucas Bjerregaard becomes the latest Dane on the podium as Ryder Cup heroics catch up with Tyrrell Hatton October 8, 2018 I seem to recall a couple of Danes celebrating at the end of the Ryder Cup last month and on Sunday it was the turn of Thomas Bjorn and Thorbjorn Olesen’s compatriot Lucas Bjerregaard to uncork the champagne. The 27-year-old was fantastic in winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, where he saw [...]
Sam Torrance: Magnificent Europe proved Thomas Bjorn right and the critics wrong October 1, 2018 The American team that touched down in France as hot favourites to retain the Ryder Cup was reckoned to be the best in the competition’s history. They got hammered. And the highest accolade has to go to Thomas Bjorn. Europe’s ice-cool captain got everything right: his wild card picks all justified their inclusion and his [...]