Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 28 April 2016
There are many reasons why some of the world’s best golfers are reluctant to participate in the Olympics. Many golfers and fans argue that the competition should be reserved for amateurs, for whom a gold medal would be the highlight of their career, rather than for professionals, many of whom would barely find a space for it in their trophy cabinet. There’s...
Written by Today's Golfer on Wednesday 27 April 2016
2016 is going to be a busy year for Rory McIlroy (subject to football injuries…). With four majors, the Olympics and the Ryder Cup, golf has never seen a year like it. So how does 26-year-old McIlroy viewing the big events in this biggest of golf years? And what is his take on the game’s biggest rivalry? We asked him… Have you...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 27 April 2016
It’s less than two months until the second major of the year, the US Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. The US Open is a major that prides itself on providing a real test for the world’s best golfers. When Rory McIlroy had the temerity to blast his way to a record 16-under winning total in 2011, the USGA made...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 26 April 2016
First it was Vijay Singh. Then Adam Scott. Louis Oosthuizen followed, then fellow South African Charl Schwartzel. It is highly likely that more top players will withdraw from the Olympics before the tournament starts in Rio de Janeiro this August. South Africa’s greatest ever golfer, Gary Player, is not at all pleased with what he’s witnessing. “I am sad and disappointed that...
Written by Michael Catling on Monday 25 April 2016
It has taken a few dodgy predictions granted, but one of our top tips from last week – Charley Hoffman – secured maximum points for fantasy managers with a dramatic one-shot victory at the Texas Open. The new world number 34 rolled in a birdie putt on the last to avoid a play-off with Patrick Reed and leave yours truly feeling...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 25 April 2016
Only a month ago we brought you the exciting news that Wesley Bryan, one half of golf’s leading trickshot duo the Bryan Bros, was well on his way to earning a PGA Tour card for next season. We weren’t wrong. The 26-year-old won the El Bosque Mexico Championship yesterday, his second win in just six starts – and this is his debut...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 25 April 2016
As the old saying goes, “there are no pictures on the scorecard”. (For argument’s sake, let’s ignore the fact that there is normally a picture on the front.) Unfortunately for Charley Hoffman, whilst there are no pictures on the scorecard, there are video cameras everywhere when you’re playing a PGA Tour event. Those cameras captured the woeful drive Hoffman hit on...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 22 April 2016
A while ago, we told you that Jordan Spieth had been shortlisted for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award. The Laureus awards, which involve the difficult task of comparing stars from a variety of sports and trying to decide who had the better year, ultimately decided that Novak Djokovic, who reached four grand slam finals and won three of...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 20 April 2016
Adam Scott has hardly made his feelings about Olympic golf a secret. “I’ve been pretty open and outspoken that it’s not really a priority of my scheduling, which is based around the majors,” he said a couple of months ago. “If the Olympics fits in, then it does. The gap in the schedule there… some time off looks quite good actually. It...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 19 April 2016
In the highly unlikely event that you haven’t seen Ernie Els’ six-putt on the first hole of the Masters, here it is: Ernie demonstrated incredible resolve to not only keep playing, but to play the remaining 17 holes in just three over, on a day when even players who weren’t six-putting were struggling to shoot good scores. “I can’t explain it. I...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 18 April 2016
How much did you earn in the first week of your first job? Chances are it was quite a bit less than the $259,000 cheque Bryson DeChambeau pocketed for finishing tied-fourth in the RBC Heritage, his first tournament as a professional. “It’s tough to really sum up. What I can tell you is it’s been quite a journey so far these...
Written by Michael Catling on Monday 18 April 2016
Another week and another victory for an English underdog. Andrew Johnston followed in the footsteps of Danny Willett by upstaging the higher-ranked Sergio Garcia and co to claim his maiden European Tour title at the Spanish Open. The new world number 125, priced at just £5.5m, capitalised on a disastrous start from overnight leader Michael Lorenzo-Vera to seal a one-shot victory...
Written by Rob McGarr on Sunday 17 April 2016
A week after Rotherham’s Danny Willett won the Masters, Londoner Andrew Johnston has recorded another victory for England golf, winning the Spanish Open (Open de Espana, if you’re feeling fancy) at Valderrama. “It’s a dream come true, really,” said 27-year-old Johnston, whose previous best finish in a European Tour event was a third at the Alfred Dunhill Championship. “You always try...
Friday 15 April 2016
Danny Willett‘s coach, Pete Cowen, talks to us about their preparations heading into Augusta, fitness time in the gym, and just what is coming next for the Masters champion!...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 14 April 2016
Davis Love III could sympathise when watching world number two Jordan Spieth collapse on the back-nine of the Masters. Love knows exactly what it feels like to fall at the final hurdle of a major. He had a putt on the final hole to win the 1995 US Open at Oakland Hills, but things didn’t go to plan. “Every time I...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 13 April 2016
On the same day three-time major champion Vijay Singh announced that he wouldn’t be competing in this year’s Olympic golf tournament due to scheduling issues and his concerns over the Zika virus, another issue emerged that may encourage more players to steer clear of Rio this August. Several large alligators have been spotted on the Olympic golf course, traversing the course...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 13 April 2016
We’re excited about Olympic golf. Sure, we’d rather it was in a more interesting format than the 72-hole strokeplay we see almost every single week, but we’d rather have that than nothing. And some of the world’s best players feel exactly the same way. World number two Jordan Spieth says, “Winning a gold medal has got to be up there now, in...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 12 April 2016
Danny Willett wasn’t the only European to fare well during the 2016 Masters. There were seven Europeans in the top-15 at the end of play, and only five Americans, despite nearly half of the field being American. Willett, the first European winner since Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999, was joined in the top-10 by Lee Westwood, who finished tied-second with Jordan...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 11 April 2016
The 2016 Masters was Jordan Spieth’s to win. Spieth had a five-shot lead as he reached the 10th tee. Three holes later, he’d dropped six shots and found himself off the top of the leaderboard for the first time that day. Danny Willett is the main story, and his fantastic achievement should not be undermined by suggestions that Spieth handed it...
Written by Courses & Travel Editor Kevin Brown on Monday 11 April 2016
Newly-crowned Masters champion Danny Willett not surprisingly has Georgia at the forefront of his mind when carefully selecting his 10 favourite courses on Planet Golf… ► Augusta National, Georgia, USA I’ve now played in two Masters and even if you take the fact that it’s the Masters to one side. Without the crowds though it feels a bit strange and I think the...