I’d love to see Rory McIlroy win The Open at Royal Portrush but Jon Rahm is my top pick for the year’s last golf Major July 16, 2019 It’s a slightly strange scenario to be playing the last Major of the year in mid-July, owing to golf’s new, reshuffled calendar, but there is enormous anticipation surrounding the 148th Open Championship, which starts on Thursday. Royal Portrush is an extremely good golf course which is in mint condition and certainly deserves to be hosting [...]
Golf has helped Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Nate Lashley turn their lives around July 1, 2019 Golf throws up some wonderful stories and this week’s two first-time winners on the main tours – Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Nate Lashley – are the perfect illustration. South African Bezuidenhout claimed his maiden European Tour title in fabulous style at the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama on Sunday. He stood up to everything that a high-class [...]
Sam Torrance: Reavie’s Travelers Championship win shows the importance of staying power in golf June 24, 2019 Chez Reavie would have been delighted with his third-place finish at the US Open a few weeks ago, but his victory at the Travelers Championship on Sunday was something special for the American. Reavie had gone nearly 11 years without a PGA Tour win – a period spanning 250 tournaments and 3,983 days – but [...]
Late bloomer Gary Woodland finds his winning formula with authoritative US Open victory June 17, 2019 It took Gary Woodland a while to make his mark at the highest level, winning just twice in his first nine years on the PGA Tour and failing to make the top 10 in 27 Major appearances. But his fortunes have improved in the last 18 months. Last year’s Phoenix Open ended a five-year spell [...]
Red-hot Rory McIlroy will win US Open if he sustains his untouchable form this week June 11, 2019 Rory McIlroy played the best golf that I have seen anywhere for a long time as he romped to a seven-shot victory with an extraordinary final round of 61 at the Canadian Open on Sunday. He was like Tiger Woods, demoralising the chasing pack right from the word go with five birdies on the front [...]
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 [...]