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 [...]
Sam Torrance: Tiger Woods’s second coming is here and he is capable of anything now September 24, 2018 I think we can safely say that Tiger Woods is back. Five years and several rounds of surgery on from his previous win, he stood up and batted off all of his rivals at the Tour Championship on Sunday – just as he always used to. He was magnificent, it is huge for golf [...]
Sam Torrance: Captains’ decisions, team spirit and home advantage – the factors which could shape the Ryder Cup September 17, 2018 European captain Thomas Bjorn may have selected his four wildcard picks for next weekend’s Ryder Cup, but there is still a lot to be decided between now and the first tee. The team will arrive at Le Golf National, outside Paris, on Sunday night in order to familiarise themselves with the course ahead of the [...]
Sam Torrance: Captains’ decisions, team spirit and home advantage – the factors which could shape the Ryder Cup September 17, 2018 European captain Thomas Bjorn may have selected his four wildcard picks for next weekend’s Ryder Cup, but there is still a lot to be decided between now and the first tee. The team will arrive at Le Golf National, outside Paris, on Sunday night in order to familiarise themselves with the course ahead of the [...]
Sam Torrance: Europe’s big-hitters timing their form perfectly for the Ryder Cup September 10, 2018 The conclusion of the BMW Championship may have been delayed by heavy rain in Philadelphia on Sunday, but the weather didn’t stop Europe’s best from putting on a show. Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn will have been delighted watching on as Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari all played to their [...]
Sam Torrance: Thomas Bjorn’s Ryder Cup decision over Matt Wallace rests on rookie factor September 4, 2018 I find it unbelievable that a player can win three times on the European Tour this year and still not earn an automatic place on the Ryder Cup team, but that’s the case for Englishman Matt Wallace. Wallace was magnificent at the weekend to win the final tournament of the qualifying process in Denmark – [...]
Sam Torrance: European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn is facing his day of reckoning August 27, 2018 Thomas Bjorn is facing a tricky time as his plans for the European Ryder Cup team begin to solidify. This week’s Made In Denmark tournament is the last event that counts towards qualification; a few days after that, Bjorn will name his four captain’s picks. He will consider the assets of all the potential candidates, [...]
Rory McIlroy may not be winning but I’m sure he’s on the cusp of another prolific run March 20, 2017 He may have been beaten to the Arnold Palmer Invitational by a great finish from Marc Leishman, but Rory McIlroy looked magnificent once again over the past few days at Bay Hill. It could have been a different result if Rory had been able to apply more pressure on the back nine on Sunday, but [...]
Arnold Palmer Invitational offers Rory McIlroy a chance to win before the Masters but Jason Day needs a performance more than most March 13, 2017 The first staging of the Arnold Palmer Invitational since the great man’s passing last year is sure to be a sad yet special occasion, as well as the fantastic week of golf at Bay Hill that we have come to expect. As always there is a very strong field, with some of the leading contenders [...]
Why cool customer Dustin Johnson is cream of the American crop March 6, 2017 Dustin Johnson provided a snapshot of his character when his ball got stuck up a tree during the WGC-Mexico Championship on Saturday. Some players might lose their temper, but Johnson just laughed. That unflappable temperament helped the new world No1 clinch victory 24 hours later, in his first tournament since hitting the top of the [...]