Written by Kit Alexander on Tuesday 23 July 2013
There’s no let up after a thrilling Open Championship as the Today’s Golfer Fantasy Golf game continues with the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour. The tournament returns to Glen Abbey GC, in Oakville, Ontario, for the 26th time. The 7,253-yard par 72 layout last hosted in 2008-2009. The course is a classic tree-lined design with plenty of elevation change and...
Written by Kevin Brown on Sunday 21 July 2013
Phil Mickelson was heavily backed ante-post where he teed off at Muirfield as a 25/1 shot, and along with his final round 66 it has cost Ladbrokes just over £8 million in payouts to winning punters. Mickelson also touched 20/1 during in-play betting at the start of Sunday’s play. And after Lee Westwood’s latest major setback the firm now make him odds-on...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Sunday 21 July 2013
Elated and jubilant Phil Mickelson said winning The Open was something he would “always cherish as the most fulfilling win” of his brilliant career. Lefty mastered Muirfield after a brilliant final round of 66, keeping his head while all around him players were losing theirs; overnight leader Lee Westwood once again denied by the American as he was in 2010 at...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Sunday 21 July 2013
Tiger Woods resigned himself to his fate after missing out on The Open he desperately wanted to land but couldn’t force into his hands. Starting the day one under, Woods never advanced his score, instead falling back and pushing hard to recover as first playing partner Adam Scott and then Phil Mickelson forged ahead of him. His 74 (+3) pushed Woods back...
Written by Kevin Brown on Sunday 21 July 2013
Super Swede Henrik Stenson admitted he was caught napping by Open champion Phil Mickelson’s late birdie surge. “That was a bit sneaky of Phil,” joked Stenson who had to settle for second spot on level par, three shots adrift of the American after carding a gritty final round 70. He added: “I looked up at the scoreboard on 17 and suddenly realised...
Written by Kevin Brown on Sunday 21 July 2013
Lee Westwood’s long wait to win a major goes on… It was not to be for Westy this afternoon as he struggled to maintain his earlier blistering form, once again failing to cope with the pressures and expectation of getting over the winning major line. Once again it was a case of so-near-but-so-far for the 40-years-old Englishman who went into the final...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Sunday 21 July 2013
Ian Poulter produced the sensational final day charge that swept him through the chasing pack to lead The Open in the clubhouse at +1 – and then face an agonising wait to see if it would be enough. Poulter’s brilliant four under par 67 saw him surge through at Muirfield – as overnight leader Lee Westwood fell back into the chasing...
Written by Kevin Brown on Sunday 21 July 2013
England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick took time off baby-sitting duties to comfortably and deservedly pocket the amateurs Silver Medal. The 19-year-old often earns himself a bit of extra much needed pocket money by looking after a couple of youngsters belonging to a member of his golf club. A local qualifier from Gullane No.1, the youngster had the golfing week of his life to make the cut...
Written by Kevin Brown on Sunday 21 July 2013
R&A Rules supremo David Rickman claims they haven’t been ‘trigger happy’ by putting players on the clock in a bid to stamp out slow play at this week’s Open. He stressed: “We’re certainly not in the business of unsettling players, but we have our pace of play policy similar to all professional tours for a reason, and that is to get...
Written by Kevin Brown on Sunday 21 July 2013
It’s D-Day, the moment of truth for Lee Westwood at Muirfield this afternoon. The 40-years-old Englishman goes into the fourth and final round holding a two-shot lead over his playing partner Hunter Mahan (2.10pm) and another American star, 14-times major winner Tiger Woods who tees it up with current Masters champion Adam Scott (2pm), a further shot adfrift. This is Westwood’s big...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Sunday 21 July 2013
Paul Lawrie was at back home in Aberdeen regripping his new set of black Wilson FG Tour Staff irons when he found out he’d made The Open cut at +8 – and duly had to make a two and a half hour dash back south to return to Muirfield. Given his bad opening round of 81, he followed it up with...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Sunday 21 July 2013
Phil Mickelson says he will need a low round in the 60s to win The Open instead of Lee Westwood. Mickelson managed to defeat the Englishman for the Masters in 2010 but knows he has his work cut out to repeat that feat over the troublesome Muirfield links. Lefty is two over par after a 74 on Saturday and still rates his...
Written by Kevin Brown on Saturday 20 July 2013
Lee Westwood is staying cool, calm and collected ahead of arguably the most important 18 holes of his career. After firing a spirited 3rd round 70, Westy goes into the final day of the Open holding a deserved two-stroke lead and he appears to be in a bullish mood and taking everything in his stride. Obviously he’s not yet counting his chickens...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Saturday 20 July 2013
The promised Tiger Woods ‘Moving Day’ charge never quite materialised but he remains lurking ominously at Muirfield after battling to a one over 72 that left him -1 for the Open and just two behind leader Lee Westwood. Woods was in the zone he used to occupy before the round; focused and oblivious to the attention he was under, although he...
Written by Kevin Brown on Saturday 20 July 2013
Adam Scott is looking to slip under the radar and lay last year’s Open ghosts at Lytham to rest for good. After carding a 3rd round of 70, the Aussie is dangerously lurking at just three shots off the lead and he’s quietly confident of adding the Claret Jug to the Green Jacket he won earlier this year after winning the...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Saturday 20 July 2013
Hunter Mahan got up and down out of the right 18th greenside bunker to complete a wonderful three under par 68 that left the American -1 for the championship and slap bang in contention for The Open. Renowned for his premium accuracy, Mahan mastered Muirfield to jointly shoot the best score of the day, become clubhouse leader and with it spearhead...
Written by Kevin Brown on Saturday 20 July 2013
Don’t rule out Sergio Garcia tomorrow, the Spaniard giving himself a fighting chance with a 3rd round 68 (+3). Garcia’s display was arguably the round of the day and means he can go into tomorrow with an outside chance of securing his long-awaited first major win. Muirfield is a happy hunting ground for Garcia who claimed the 1998 Amateur Championship on the...
Written by Kevin Brown on Saturday 20 July 2013
Ernie Els doesn’t plan to relinquish his Open crown without putting up a big fight and though somewhat off the pace at +5 the Big Easy reckons he’s still in the frame. The South African fired a spirited 3rd round score of 70 (-1) and has by no means ruled himself out of contention 12 months after winning at Lytham and...
Written by Kevin Brown on Saturday 20 July 2013
High noon has come and gone but the real shoot-out is about to get underway at Muirfield later this afternoon. That’s when the frontrunners in the 142nd Open Championship take 3rd round centre stage and to be honest most eyes will be on the penultimate pairing of Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood (3.10pm tee-time). It should be a classic duel in the...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Saturday 20 July 2013
Rory McIlroy left The Open “disappointed but with a clearer picture of what he needs to work on” after slumping to a horror-show at Muirfield and missing the cut on +12. McIlroy was never at the Open races, clearly uneasy and unhappy with his golf throughout his appearance in East Lothian and giving further indication his world is not a happy...