Sam Torrance: Deep thinker Zach Johnson will be happy with strong US Ryder Cup team August 29, 2023 In naming his six wild card picks to complete the US Ryder Cup team, captain Zach Johnson has clearly prioritised players with experience. Johnson would have been castigated if he hadn’t chosen US PGA champion Brooks Koepka, despite the controversy around Koepka’s membership of the LIV Golf tour. Collin Morikawa, who won 3.5 points from [...]
Sam Torrance: Viktor Hovland hitting new heights is a Ryder Cup boost for Europe August 22, 2023 Viktor Hovland was nothing short of magnificent in beating a stacked field to win the BMW Championship on Sunday – and that’s more great news for Europe ahead of the Ryder Cup next month in Italy. The Norwegian had to be at the top of his game to leapfrog in-form overnight leaders Scottie Scheffler and [...]
Sam Torrance: Hard but fair Open test suited magnificent Brian Harman perfectly July 24, 2023 You might not know Brian Harman if you walk past him in the street but, as he showed in winning the Open at the weekend, you’ll certainly know him when you hand in your scorecard. The low-key American was magnificent in all aspects of his game for the whole week on his way to winning [...]
Sam Torrance’s 2023 Open preview: Cream should rise to top at classy Royal Liverpool July 19, 2023 Narrow fairways, thick rough and small greens should favour good iron play at the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool this week, writes Sam Torrance. When you consider how well he has played in much of that time, it really is unbelievable that Rory McIlroy hasn’t won a major for nine years. Since 2014 he has [...]
Sam Torrance: Why Brooks Koepka is my favourite for the US Open June 12, 2023 Sam Torrance previews this week’s US Open at Los Angeles Country Club, where he says Brooks Koepka is the man to beat ahead of Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler. After a week in which the headlines have been dominated by a possible deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, it’s time for the golf [...]
Sam Torrance: Brooks Koepka looked better than ever in US PGA Championship May 22, 2023 Brooks Koepka looked back to his best in claiming a deserved third US PGA Championship on Sunday after a magnificent tournament at Oak Hill. Some of the golf played over the four days in Rochester, New York, was out of this world and the course held up unbelievably well in near-constant rain on Saturday. We [...]
Sam Torrance: Jon Rahm’s the man to beat at US PGA but don’t overlook Brooks Koepka May 17, 2023 Sam Torrance previews this week’s US PGA Championship and fancies Brooks Koepka to rival the three favourites, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Oak Hill is a venue I know well from playing the 1995 Ryder Cup and I’m back in New York state this week to cover what promises to be a great [...]
Sam Torrance: Masters win takes Jon Rahm closer to a likely career grand slam April 10, 2023 From four-putting on the first green to ending the day with a 65, Jon Rahm began Masters week in astonishing style and never let up on his way to a commanding win. I have never seen him drive the ball better, his iron play was sublime and his putting was, the first hole excepted, excellent. [...]
Sam Torrance: Scottie Scheffler and a thrilling three-man fight to be world No1 March 13, 2023 As the countdown to the Masters continues, Scottie Scheffler produced a performance on a par with his Augusta triumph last year to win the Players Championship and return to world No1. Scheffler played magnificent golf at Sawgrass, where he won by five shots from England’s Tyrrell Hatton on Sunday evening. He was only two shots [...]
Sam Torrance on Scottie Scheffler’s return to No1, why the world rankings are baffling and exciting news about Tiger Woods February 13, 2023 Scottie Scheffler had one of the quickest ever ascents to the top of the rankings and the Masters champion didn’t let go of the world No1 spot for long. Fifteen weeks after being overtaken by Rory McIlroy, Scheffler reclaimed his perch with an excellent victory at the Phoenix Open on Sunday. The defending champion was [...]