Written by The Masters 2011 on Thursday 7 April 2011
First round Masters leader Rory McIlroy is hoping that his experiences in the Open at St Andrews last year will stand him in good stead to challenge for the Green Jacket this week. The Northern Irishman shot an opening 63 before falling away with a second round 80 at St Andrews last year and will he believes he can use what he...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Thursday 7 April 2011
Ross Fisher should get some family planning advice. His wife Jo, always seems to be expecting a baby during a major championship. Two years ago, during the Open at Turnberry which Ross looked as though he might win for a while, he was on ‘call’ all week, ready to drop everything and fly back if she went into labour. And this...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Thursday 7 April 2011
Rory McIlroy holds the Masters lead on -5 through 13 holes at just after 1pm local time. The Northern Irishman started in enphatic style with birdies at 2, 3 and 4 and added to his tally on 9 and the par-3 12th. He has yet to drop a shot. Earlier in the day, Ross Fisher held the lead on -4 but a...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Thursday 7 April 2011
Arnold Palmer got the 75th Masters underway with a magnificent drive down the left half of the fairway. It’s always a heart-in-the-mouth moment when these old boys hit the honorary tee shots; and a decade ago Sam Snead hit his straight right, hitting a spectator, breaking his glasses and producing a lot of blood! A couple of years ago, when Arnie hit...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Wednesday 6 April 2011
Late on Wednesday afternoon, when most of the field had left the course, world number 7 Tiger Woods could be seen working on his swing on the practise ground. Most players hope that by the time Wednesday afternoon comes around, their games are in decent shape; so it must be a bit disturbing for Tiger-fans that he was seen endlessly poring...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Wednesday 6 April 2011
After weeks and months of build up, the first Major of the season is finally upon us. The 2011 Masters promises to be a fantastic tournament. It has never been so open and with so many questions to be answered and issues to be decided this week, there will be stories unfolding wherever you look. Phil Mickelson is the favourite and it’s...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Wednesday 6 April 2011
Luke Donald, world number 4, has given himself a real chance of becoming the first person in history to win both the Par 3 Tournament at the Masters, and the main event. Such is the superstition of most professional golfers, that if they think they have half a chance in the main tournament, they make sure they don’t win the Par...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Wednesday 6 April 2011
By Kit Alexander, Features Writer Wednesday 6 April Masters Wednesday is famous for the Par 3 Tournament and I’d been told by many people before I came over that it was a fantastic spectacle. They were right. The course is absolutely superb (and by no means easy) and you’re able to get so close to the players around the tight and insanely fast...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Wednesday 6 April 2011
American young gun Rickie Fowler got a bit of a shock when he made his first visit to the Media Centre on Monday. As he sat down in his chair and waited for the tardy members of the world’s press corps to arrive, the Green Jacket who was about to conduct the interview told him to turn his cap around.
Written by The Masters 2011 on Wednesday 6 April 2011
The Chairman of Address to the media was as entertaining as always. Billy Payne always gives a press conference on the eve of the Tournament, and this year the main news was that tickets will be available for the first time to the general public. Usually, practise day tickets are available to the public, but only ‘patrons’ get tickets for Tournament...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Wednesday 6 April 2011
Simon Whitley, Director of Food & Beverage at The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in St Andrews flies out to Augusta National tomorrow (Thursday, April 7) to help deliver the Champion’s Cocktail Party at the US Masters after the world’s most famous green jacket has been donned on Sunday evening. Following an invitation from Augusta’s Director of Culinary Operations...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Tuesday 5 April 2011
By Kit Alexander, Features Writer Tuesday 5 April I arrived late last night (Monday) and it was hard to really get a feel for the place in the dark, but just knowing you’re in Augusta in Masters week is a very special feeling. However, I didn’t wake up to the clear blue skies and 30 degrees I was expecting. My first night in...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Tuesday 5 April 2011
The tension is mounting as the first tee time on Thursday at 7.40 a.m. approaches and most agree this is a very wide open Tournament. The first shot will be hit by Arnold Palmer with his inaugural tee shot, and then the Tournament will be underway. A huge storm on Monday night, and heavy winds on Tuesday, have meant that the groundstaff...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Tuesday 5 April 2011
By his own admission, world number four Graeme McDowell’s Masters record is not great. He has played three times (2005, 2009 and 2010) and finished missed cut, tied for 17th and missed cut. “When I came here first in 2005,” he said, “I took one look at the course and thought ‘Are you kidding me? How do I get around this...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Tuesday 5 April 2011
The buzz on the course as well as in the locker room at the end of Tuesday’s practice day was that this really looks like being one of the most open Masters Tournaments for over a decade. For the first time since 1997, Tiger Woods is not the favourite. He is 9-1 and second favourite to Phil Mickelson, who of course...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Tuesday 5 April 2011
Here is a full list of all the tee times for the 2011 Masters. Times are given in British Summer Time, with the Thursday tee time followed by Friday’s. 12:45-15:52 — Jonathan Byrd, Ross Fisher, Sean O’Hair 12:56-16:03 — Sandy Lyle, Alexander Cejka, David Chung (a) 13:07-16:14 — Jerry Kelly, Camilo Villegas, Jeff Overton 13:18-16:25 — Ben Crenshaw, Brandt...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Tuesday 5 April 2011
The starting times are out for Thursday’s first round of the 2011 Masters, and the world numbers 1 and 2 (Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood) are due to tee off at 10.19 a.m. local time (3.19 p.m. UK time) with Matt Kuchar. Two of the youngest players in the field, Ricky Fowler and Rory McIlroy tee off just before them at...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Tuesday 5 April 2011
A big storm hit Augusta National last night. Lightning struck the course at about midnight and several trees were lost on the property. The gates to the course weren’t open on time, and the huge crowds waiting to see the second last day of practise were kept waiting for over an hour. Golf World’s columnist, John Huggan, who had been at the...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Tuesday 5 April 2011
Masters week is finally here. The first Major of the season promises to be an incredible spectacle with so many potential stories in the offing. Can Tiger Woods challenge again? Who will be world number one on Monday? Will a European Tour member make it four in a row or can the Americans and the PGA Tour hit back? Will we...
Written by The Masters 2011 on Monday 4 April 2011
Phil Mickelson is now a red-hot favourite to win this week’s US Masters after clinching the Shell Houston Open yesterday. ‘Lefty’ is now the 7/1 favourite with Ladbrokes to make a successful defence of his title at Augusta National. Fallen idol Tiger Woods currently trades at 11/1 with Lee Westwood the shortest priced European at 16/1. Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said: “We’re used...