The 2012 Masters tees off on Thursday. (John Trainor) TIGER WOODS IS BACK IN FORM. The Masters scars of 22-year-old Rory McIlroy have only made the Northern Irishman tougher, better and more prepared to slip into his first Green Jacket. And, as we know, Augusta National is like the fountain of youth for 41-year-old Phil … Read more
PGA TOUR ROOKIE ANDRES GONZALES demonstrates the chip-and-run shot to perfection on the 15th hole of Old White at The Greenbrier Classic. Gonzales, self described as “half man, half amazing,” went on to card a 69 on Thursday but slipped to a 74 on Friday to miss the cut. Gonzales is perhaps best known for … Read more
RORY MCILROY WILL TAKE A four-shot lead into the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. McIlroy fashioned a solid 70 on Saturday while his closest pursuers failed to mount a charge. Patient and poised, McIlroy birdied three of the final six holes to put himself in position to not only win … Read more
IF YOU’RE A GOLF nut who can’t get enough golf on the tube, my tip is the 100th playing of the South African Open, this week’s event on the European Tour and Sunshine Tour. (The PGA and LPGA tours, of course, are idle. The Asian Tour is playing its season finale, the Black Mountain Masters, … Read more
Gary Player at the Masters. (The Armchair Golfer) While a generation of American golfers idolized Jack Nicklaus, South African golfers such as Nick Price, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and new Masters champion Trevor Immelman looked up to their hero, Gary Player. A week ago when I attended the Masters with author John Coyne, we watched … Read more
(C O’Neal/Flickr) “Tiger Woods, whose hopes for a calendar Grand Slam ended with a thud,” reported ESPN.com. “And it ends the American’s hopes of a Grand Slam of all four majors this year,” concluded BBC SPORT. Here they come. The doubters. The naysayers. Those who have lost the faith. But things are not as they … Read more
Paul Casey (Pocketwiley/Flickr) Playing on an Augusta National course softened by rain, Tiger Woods did what he needed to do on Saturday. Woods shot a moving-day 68 and, at one point, pulled within a few shots of the lead. But somebody forgot to tell Trevor Immelman and Brandt Snedeker that they were supposed to fold … Read more
Ian Poulter is in contention at the Masters. (Speedpics/Flickr) South African Trevor Immelman is the 36-hole leader at Augusta. Englishman Ian Poulter is tied for third, three shots back. Trevor Immelman “The best players in the world get nervous and they feel pressure. I guess it’s just who can disguise it the best and who … Read more
Defending champion Zach Johnson practices his stroke. (John Coyne) We’ve been here before. A couple of young, talented players (Trevor Immelman and Brandt Snedeker) rise to the top of the leaderboard at the halfway point of the Masters. Then there are the lurkers, both major winners and solid contenders: Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen, Mike Weir, … Read more