Written by Kevin Brown, TG Courses Editor on Sunday 19 July 2009
SUNDAY 4.30 It’s still anybody’s Open…which doesn’t augur too well for TG’s flight back home. We’re due to catch an evening flight from Prestwick airport back to London but that could be in jeopardy if there’s a play-off which at the moment seems a distinct possiblity. So many players are stll in the Claret Jug picture though, for me, Lee Westwood is looking...
Written by TG Features Writer on Sunday 19 July 2009
Ernie Els, Justin Leonard and Soren Hansen hold the clubhouse lead on 281 as Lee Westwood leads the Open Championship by a shot from Tom Watson. All three of the early finishers carded a birdie, par finish, Hansen’s for a 67 and Els and Leonard for 68s to set a very respectable target. An eagle at the par 5 7th for Westwood...
Written by TG staff writer on Sunday 19 July 2009
With some squally showers around Turnberry, it’s like the calm before the storm with the leaders, including Old Tom Morris, sorry Watson, getting ready to take to the course. The expectation and pressure is definitely mounting and everybody at Turnberry – and in millions of homes worldwide – is on tenterhooks to see whether Watson can miraculously become the oldest major champion in history. With...
Written by TG staff writer on Sunday 19 July 2009
Who emerged the 3rd round’s best putter, bagged the most birdies and found the most greens? Here’s the main 3rd round men… Stats Life… *Longest Driver (3rd hole) 1. Nick Watney 349 yards Longest Driver (5th hole) 1. Sergio Garcia 310 yards *Fairways Hit 1. Paul McGinley 13 93% 2. Billy Mayfair 12 86% *Greens in Regulation 1. Thomas Aiken 15 83% 2=. Ross Fisher, Lee Westwood, Thongchai Jaidee & Steve...
Written by TG Features Writer on Saturday 18 July 2009
Tom Watson has defied the odds to hold onto his Open Championship lead with a third round of 71. The American legend went out in 36 and had a mini-wobble half-way though the inward nine with bogeys at 12 and 15 but recovered superbly with birdies at 16 and 17 to claim the outright lead. Watson clearly believes he can win. His...
Written by TG Features Writer on Saturday 18 July 2009
The final pairing of Tom Watson and Matthew Goggin will tee off at 2.20pm in the final round of the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry. The English duo of Ross Fisher and Lee Westwood form the punultimate group at 2.10pm. Here are all the pairings and tee times: 8.00 Daniel Gaunt 8.10 Ryuji Imada and Paul Goydos 8.20 Mark O’Meara and Darren Clarke...
Written by TG Features Writer on Saturday 18 July 2009
Tom Watson negotiated the front nine at a tricky Turnberry in one over par to sit alone at the top of the Open Championship leaderboard at -4. The 59-year-old recorded six pars, bogeys at the 6th and 9th and birdie at the 7th as his challengers struggled to make par. Joint overnight leader Steve Marino started badly with five dropped shots in his first five holes...
Written by TG Features Writer on Saturday 18 July 2009
Tom Watson and Steve Marino have teed off, but many of the early starters have returned disappointing scores. The best performance so far has come from American Bryce Molder who teed off at 9.30am this morning and shot a 67 to get back to level par and leap into the top 20. Molder’s rise has been aided by the likes of Sergio...
Written by Courses editor Kevin Brown on Saturday 18 July 2009
A phone conversation several weeks back with Tom Watson was still ringing in my ears after the veteran’s heroic 2nd round display yesterday. The five-times Open champion readily agreed to have a transatlantic chat as part of TG’s Open preview. We also contacted the other two former Turnberry winners – Nick Price and Greg Norman – though both declined. Watson, easily the...
Written by TG Features Writer on Saturday 18 July 2009
It’s moving day at Turnberry and the 138th Championship is still wide open. Tiger Woods may have missed only his second major cut as a professional but there are still plenty of top names in the mix and wonderful stories beginning to unfold. None of the 73 players who made the cut could be discounted at the start of Saturday but some...
Written by TG staff writer on Saturday 18 July 2009
Who emerged the 2nd round’s best putter, bagged the most birdies and found the most greens? Here’s the main 2nd round men… Stats Life… Longest Driver 1. Sergio Garcia 316 yards average 2. Dustin Johnson 314 3. Nick Watney 313.5 Fairways Hit 1=. Ernie Els, Ross Fisher and Lee Westwood all 12.00 86% Greens in Regulation 1. Mark Calcavecchia 15.00 83% 2=. Retief Goosen, Angel...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
With a big grin on his wrinkled face, ageing Open hero Tom Watson quipped: “For somebody who is 59, this is even better than sex!” Wily Watson is overcoming all the odds, including a hip replacement, to battle his way to the top of the Open leaderboard. Watson amazingly shares top spot on -5 after a gutsy 2nd round level-par 70 –...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
Red-hot favourite Tiger Woods is OUT of this year’s Open. Tiger failed to survive the cut after a 2nd round score of 75 left him +5 for the championship – one shot too many. It’s the first time Tiger hasn’t featured over the weekend at the Open and only the third time he has missed the cut in a major – the...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
Ian Poulter may have looked the part in his natty apparel, but he certainly didn’t play the part at Turnberry. Poults missed the cut by a country mile, finishing a disastrous +14 after rounds of 75 and 79 which put him at the back end of the field. It was a far cry from last year when Poulter pushed Padraig Harrington all...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
If push comes to shove, Ross Fisher would still rather be holding the baby than the Claret Jug this weekend. With wife Jo expecting to give birth to their first child any time, Fisher remains on tenterhooks, specially as a superb 68 put him firmly in Open contention. After opening his account with a 69 he’s -3 and just two shots...
Written by TG Features Writer on Friday 17 July 2009
American Steve Marino shares the lead of the Open Championship on -5 but admits Turnberry is “one of the hardest courses I’ve ever played”. Turnberry may have been benign yesterday but it’s defences were there for all to see today. “Today was so much different than yesterday,” said the 29-year-old. “It was like a totally different golf course.” “It played so difficult out there...
Friday 17 July 2009
To celebrate the start of The Open Championship at Turnberry in Scotland on July 16th we’re bringing you everything you could possibly want and need to know about the Open, and a lot more, right here in the weeks leading up to the tournament and as Tiger and chums tread the fairways, in association with Nikon, Patron of The Open Championship… With Lucas Glover’s composed...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
An out-of-form Michael Campbell pulled out of The Open during his unhappy 2nd round – his fifth withdrawal this season. It’s hard to believe that Campbell won the US Open just four years ago. Nowadays the Kiwi is a shadow of the player who triumphed in 2005 and went close to winning the Claret Jug at St Andrews a decade earlier. In fact...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
Aussie Terry Pilkadaris is a very brave man indeed. Some macho golfers wouldn’t be seen anywhere near a golf course with their ‘better halves’ but 36-year-old Pilkadaris is definitely an exception to the rule. So much so he has his wife Monique acting as his caddie and the duo get on like a house on fire – on and off the course! After...
Written by TG Features Writer on Friday 17 July 2009
Japanese world number 125 Kenichi Kuboya has started his second round in fine style with two birdies in his first four holes to move a shot clear on -6. The 37-year-old ended his first round in spectacular fashion with a birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie finish and he’s continued in that vein in tougher conditions today with birdies on the 1st and 4th. American debutant Steve...