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 [...]
Ryder Cup: Europe thwart American comeback as Francesco Molinari and Sergio Garcia make history September 30, 2018 The talk had been of the United States needing their own Miracle of Medinah to retain the Ryder Cup. In the end it was more a case of Frazzled in France, Vanquished in Versailles, Pulverised in Paris. For a spell on Sunday the holders threatened to mount a comeback to rival Europe’s heroics of 2012, [...]
The Ryder Cup rookie factor: Does it matter how many debutants are on your team? September 27, 2018 If the number of rookies in his team has caused Thomas Bjorn any sleepless nights in the lead-up to Friday's first day of the Ryder Cup then Europe’s captain did his best to hide it earlier this week. The hosts will have five debutants in their ranks at Le Golf National – Tommy Fleetwood, [...]
How the Ryder Cup became one of sport’s biggest events – and why it might be about to become even bigger September 26, 2018 The Ryder Cup has come an awful long way since British garden seed entrepreneur and golf enthusiast Samuel Ryder spawned the competition as we now know it during the mid-1920s. More than 50,000 spectators per day are expected to pay an average of £115 to attend the contest at Le Golf National, near Paris, [...]
Sam Torrance: USA are rightful Ryder Cup favourites but Europe thrive on underdog role September 26, 2018 On paper, the 12 men wearing the striped shirts at Le Golf National this week might comprise the strongest line-up that the United States has ever sent to a Ryder Cup. But then I can’t remember the last time that Europe started out as favourites. We love being the underdog. We don’t realise that [...]