Golf Comment: Heat is on as Ryder Cup deadline looms August 18, 2014 THE RYDER Cup is less than six weeks away and, more importantly for a handful of European players, there are just two more weeks of competition in which to secure guaranteed qualification. At least two of the nine automatic places, based on European and world points lists, are still up for grabs and there could [...]
Golf Comment: Swing perfection, a cool head, hunger to win: why Rory’s the best by miles August 11, 2014 WHEN Tiger Woods burst onto the scene in the 1990s, the American was the best player that we had ever seen. It’s no exaggeration to say Rory McIlroy, following successive Major wins and his return to world No1 ranking, has hit those same heights. There’s no limit to what he could achieve over the next [...]
Golf Comment: McIlroy isn’t just back to his best – Rory is now better than ever August 4, 2014 RESURGENT Rory McIlroy’s return to world No1 ranking following back-to-back wins at the Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational have got people wondering: is the Northern Irishman back to his best? For me, he’s even better than ever. McIlroy’s turn of form has been extraordinary, and he was magnificent in chasing down Sergio Garcia at Akron on [...]
Golf Comment: Langer just gets better with age and McGinley will be taking note July 28, 2014 IT MAY not quite be up there with his two Masters wins, but Bernhard Langer’s utter dominance of the Senior Open Championship last week must rank alongside just about any of his other performances. His score of 18 under par was the lowest in Senior Open history, while his winning margin of 13 shots not [...]
Golf Comment: Rory’s back on form and that’s great for golf July 20, 2014 A WEEK ago I wasn’t sure that Rory McIlroy was ready to win his third Major but he blew away concerns with two blistering opening rounds and barely looked back. It was a magnificent display that not only showcased McIlroy’s talent but also his character, as he kept a cool head and fended off his [...]
Golf Comment: Rory answered doubts before and can again July 17, 2014 IT’S A case of so far, so good for Rory McIlroy, but this is a player who has developed an unfortunate habit of starting brilliantly only to scupper his chances on the second day. If the problem is psychological, then the backdrop of a Major, and a British one at that, is not going to [...]
Golf Comment: McDowell has skills to thrive at Hoylake and don’t discount Tiger July 16, 2014 A FEW weeks ago I was asked who my tip was for the Open. At the time I thought Graeme McDowell, and the only reason to doubt that prediction now is that he won in France two weeks ago, so you wonder whether he could have peaked too early. I really fancy a player with [...]
Golf Comment: You can’t overpower strategic Hoylake, it’s like a game of chess July 14, 2014 ACCOLADES for British golf courses do not come much higher than a place on the Open Championship rota, so that speaks volumes for the quality of Hoylake, where the year’s third Major begins on Thursday. Like Royal Aberdeen, which staged the latest instalment of the Scottish Open last week, it is a class act. It [...]
Golf Comment: Timely win puts McDowell back in Ryder hunt July 7, 2014 GRAEME McDowell’s success at the Open de France was not just a long-awaited and deserved personal triumph, it was also brilliant news for the European Ryder Cup team. The Northern Irishman remarked afterwards that he had “really, really needed” that win, and he was right. Having won three times last season, this was his first [...]
Golf Comment: Rose maintains winning run as Ryder team takes shape June 30, 2014 ONE OF the greatest compliments you can pay Justin Rose is that it comes as no surprise whatsoever when he wins another title, as he did on Sunday in the National at Congressional. It may have been the Englishman’s first victory this season, but it kept up his run of winning a PGA Tour event [...]