Golfing world rocked by Ballesteros illness
On October 20, 2008 by Administrator
The golfing world has been rocked this week by the news that five-time major winner, Seve Ballesteros, has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. Ballesteros was admitted to hospital after collapsing at the airport in Madrid.
Several golfing legends have been quick to offer their support and words of sympathy to the 51 year-old. After visiting Ballesteros in hospital, fellow Spaniard, Jose Maria Olazabal, was the bearer of some positive news: “I thought Seve seemed very well”. Olazabal revealed that Ballesteros was able to chat with him for a long time and ended by wishing him a “speedy recovery”.
These sentiments were echoed by Miguel Angel Jimenez, who spoke of his “love” for the golfing legend. Jimenez was also trying to keep positive, speaking of his desire for Ballesteros to “recover as soon as possible”.
The thoughts of Olazabal and Jimenez are undoubtedly representative of those of the golfing community as a whole. Few people have ever had a bad word to say about Ballesteros, a man who has changed the face of golf dramatically.
He turned professional at the age of 16 and, just two years later, finished second in the Open. He won an impressive total of 87 titles during his long career before retiring in 2007 after succumbing to back and knee problems caused by arthritis.
His title wins included the Open in 1979, 1984, and 1988 whilst victories in the Masters came in 1980 and 1983. Ballesteros lit up the golfing world in the 1980s and has directly influenced the careers of legends such as Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, and Bernhard Langer.
However, most people will remember him for his impact upon the Ryder Cup. Maria Acacia, Spanish press officer for the European Tour, has spoken of her respect for Ballesteros: “I think Seve has not only made a huge contribution to golf in Spain, but also the whole of Europe”.
Acacia continued to state that the player’s “new kind of golf” changed the Ryder Cup and the current form of the competition “owes a lot” to him. He competed in eight Ryder Cup competitions between 1979 and 1995 and won 20 points from just 37 matches. One of his proudest moments came in 1997, when he led the European team to victory at Valderrama.
Sam Torrance, also a former European Ryder Cup captain, has spoken of his sadness at the “tragic news”. Torrance also echoed the thoughts of many by referring to Ballesteros as “one of the best-ever players” who enjoyed a “glorious career”.
Seve Ballesteros was so fond of the Ryder Cup competition that he decided to launch another competition in the style of the Ryder Cup. The Seve Trophy was established in 2000 and was immediately popular among golfers from the UK and Europe.
Ballesteros’ impact on the game is undeniable and the golfing world can only hope that he makes a full recovery. In the words of Tony Jacklin, Ballesteros is “unique. The impossible was an everyday thing for him”. Furthermore, whilst another player may “come along with enormous talent again”, there will always be just “one Seve”.
Written by Charlotte Cook
Europe crushed in the Ryder Cup
On October 2, 2008 by Administrator
Team Europe has lost the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1999 in an exhilarating tournament at the Valhalla golf club, Kentucky. A resurgent United States team led after every session of play, proving that Paul Azinger’s eclectic team of rookies can survive without the injured Tiger Woods. The final result: 16½ – 11½.
Europe was ‘expected’ to win. The Times Online even went as far as publishing five different reasons why the USA was fated to bite the dust with the ‘pathetic’ Phil Mickelson key to their demise. On paper, Team Europe did indeed seem like the better side.
Nick Faldo’s Ryder Cup experience made him a logical choice for the captaincy, but his decision to leave his best and most experienced players until the bottom of the tournament was a fatal mistake. By the time the likes of Pádraig Harrington and Ian Poulter stepped onto the green the game was already lost.
Paul Azinger surprised everybody by selecting six rookies in his team, but his foresight ultimately paid off. On the final day, youngster Anthony Kim silenced critics by beating Sergio Garcia in the first match of the tournament, while fellow US debutant Boo Weekley hammered Oliver Wilson and finished 8-under-par after 16 holes.
World number two Phil Mickelson fell to Justin Rose in what was perhaps the biggest shock of the tournament. The Englishman was jubilant with his performance but disappointed that Team Europe failed to defeat the Americans overall: ‘I may have won three points out of four on my debut, but this week is not about individuals, it is about the team.’ He also claimed that the score didn’t reflect the play, and that it was actually much closer than it seemed.
Unfortunately, the tournament was not without incident. Ian Poulter told reporters that rookie US golfer, Anthony Kim, ‘body-checked’ him on the 14th green. Kim was apologetic: ‘I wasn’t out there to bump anybody. That’s not the spirit of the Ryder Cup. This isn’t football. I’m sorry he took it personally.’ Poulter performed well in his match against Steve Stricker but, despite scoring the most points overall, he was unable to tip the scales in Europe’s favour.
Lee Westwood lost to Ben Curtis on the final afternoon but explained that he had been distracted by the behaviour of the American crowd. He blamed US captain Paul Azinger for inciting the fans and ‘involving outside agency’ in his first match against Boo Weekley. Westwood, who hails from Worksop, claimed that he was the victim of early-morning prank phone calls and a string of abuse from the American crowd.
The 2008 Ryder Cup has drawn a great deal of praise from both sides of the Atlantic with many believing that America’s victory over Europe was necessary to keep the tournament alive. Nick Faldo has borne the brunt of the media’s distaste, but few can deny that the result has enlivened the competition once again. Ian Poulter and Justin Rose both played exceptional golf for their team and were rightly disappointed with the overall result.
Written by Chris Illingworth
Europe to Face ‘Rookie’ US Team
On September 18, 2008 by Administrator
The Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, took a pasting at the weekend as Hurricane Ike tore through the state. Pylons were downed, fallen trees blocked roads in and around the course, and a TV mast fell onto the 12th green. Despite nature’s best efforts, the 37th Ryder Cup competition begins on Friday 19th September 2008, with Europe expected to claim a record breaking 4th consecutive victory over a weakened United States team.
With Tiger Woods still recovering from surgery on his left knee, Paul Azinger’s hopes of stealing the Ryder Cup away from Europe seem slim at best. The newly appointed coach shocked many by announcing that this year’s team would contain six newcomers – almost double the amount featured in Nick Faldo’s European team – as well as Chad Campbell, a man with an abysmal Ryder Cup record.
Some pundits fear that if the USA’s losing streak continues, the competition will lose popularity with both TV companies and professional golfers. Whilst this revelation may have prompted Paul Azinger to lobby for alterations to the selection process (essentially giving him four wild-card selections instead of two), his team selection is only punching more holes in a rapidly sinking ship.
Nick Faldo’s competition experience speaks for itself. The Englishman boasts an impressive eleven career Ryder Cup appearances, including four team victories and one tied game. His decision to include Ian Poulter in the European team came as a surprise to many but he appears to have the full backing of the British media. Writing for The Times yesterday, rookie team member Justin Rose lauded him as an iconic figure; somebody to look up to. Faldo has almost three times the Ryder Cup experience of Azinger and is the perfect character to chaperone newcomers Soren Hansen, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, and Oliver Wilson through the tournament.
Pádraig Harrington is expected to take a leading role at the weekend but has made no secret of his reluctance to step up to the plate. The Irishman recently discussed how the speed of the greens can win or lose tournaments: ‘If they are too fast, we will be in trouble. On the other hand, the Americans don’t adapt to slow greens and they have been slow these last few years.’ Harrington believes a combination of youth and experience is the most important aspect of the European team. Despite the number of rookies on the US team, the two opponents have a similar collective age, making experience an all important factor for the Europeans.
American youngster, Anthony Kim, is expected to shine at the weekend despite his lack of experience, and with world number two Phil Mickelson filling up the American ranks it would be foolish to rule out the possibility of a surprise US victory. The absence of world number one Tiger Woods is a thorn in Azinger’s side but few teams are built around the abilities of a single man. Expect a close battle but don’t be too surprised if Europe topples the Americans in Kentucky this weekend.
Written by Chris Illingworth
USPGA Tee Times
On August 5, 2008 by Administrator
Thursday, August 7, first hole, Friday, August 8, 10th hole
0730, 1240: Bradley Dean, Briny Baird, Alastair Forsyth (Britain)
0740, 1250: Bart Bryant, Jeff Martin, Robert Karlsson (Sweden)
0750, 1300: Jeev Milkha Singh (India), D.J. Trahan, Tim Clark (South Africa)
0800, 1310: Pat Perez, Charl Schwartzel (South Africa), WGC-Bridgestone Invitational winner
0810, 1320: Ryuji Imada (Japan), Carl Pettersson (Sweden), Corey Pavin
0820, 1330: Simon Dyson (Britain), Ken Duke, Robert Allenby (Australia)
0830, 1340: Steve Stricker, Jeff Quinney, Peter Lonard (Australia)
0840, 1350: Ryan Moore, Graeme McDowell (Britain), Billy Mayfair
0850, 1400: Todd Hamilton, Richard Green (Australia), Niclas Fasth (Sweden)
0900, 1410: Hunter Mahan, Richard S. Johnson (Sweden), Jerry Kelly
0910, 1420: Sean O’Hair, Scott Hebert, Rod Pampling (Australia)
0920, 1430: Steve Lowery, Brad Martin, Peter Hedblom (Sweden)
0930, 1440: Oliver Wilson (Britain), Curt Sanders, Vaughn Taylor
Thursday, August 7, 10th hole, Friday, August 8, first hole
0735, 1245: John Mallinger, Frank Esposito junior, Mark Brown (New Zealand)
0745, 1255: Hiroyuki Fujita (Japan), Don Yrene, Paul Goydos
0755, 1305: Steve Marino, Ross Fisher (Britain), Daniel Chopra (Sweden)
0805, 1315: Pablo Larrazabal (Spain), Boo Weekley, Paul Casey (Britain)
0815, 1325: Jim Furyk, Colin Montgomerie (Britain), Aaron Baddeley (Australia)
0825, 1335: Sergio Garcia (Spain), Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas (Colombia)
0835, 1345: Lee Westwood (Britain), Geoff Ogilvy (Australia), Zach Johnson
0845, 1355: Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson, Rich Beem
0855, 1405: K.J. Choi (South Korea), Justin Leonard, Chez Reavie
0905, 1415: Stewart Cink, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain), Nick O’Hern (Australia)
0915, 1425: Prayad Marksaeng (Thailand), Sonny Skinner, Peter Hanson (Sweden)
0925, 1435: Steve Flesch, Tim Weinhart, Hennie Otto (South Africa)
0935, 1445: Greg Kraft, Rick Leibovich, Parker McLachlin
Thursday, August 7, first hole – Friday, August 8, 10th hole
1245, 0735: Nicholas Thompson, David Long, J.J. Henry
1255, 0745: Ryan Benzel, Brian Gay, Mathew Goggin (Australia)
1305, 0755: Darren Clarke (Britain), Tom Lehman, Shingo Katayama (Japan)
1315, 0805: Trevor Immelman (South Africa), Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Padraig Harrington (Ireland)
1325, 0815: Bubba Watson, Rocco Mediate, Nick Dougherty (Britain)
1335, 0825: David Toms, Vijay Singh (Fiji), John Daly
1345, 0835: Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Brandt Snedeker, Woody Austin
1355, 0845: Adam Scott (Australia), Ernie Els (South Africa), Fred Couples
1405, 0855: Kenny Perry, Retief Goosen (South Africa), Justin Rose (Britain)
1415, 0905: Rory Sabbatini (South Africa), Ian Poulter (Britain), Chad Campbell
1425, 0915: Mike Weir (Canada), Alex Cejka (Germany), Andres Romero (Argentina)
1435, 0925: Sam Arnold, Jyoti Randhawa (India), Dean Wilson
1445, 0935: Ben Crane, Johnson Wagner, Vince Jewell
Thursday, August 7, 10th hole-Friday, August 8, first hole
1240, 0730: Charlie Wi, Eric Dugas, Louis Oosthuizern (South Africa)
1250, 0740: Kevin Sutherland, Tim Thelen, Steve Webster (Britain)
1300, 0750: Martin Kaymer (Germany), Jim Estes, Heath Slocum
1310, 0800: Tommy Armour III, Brendan Jones (Australia), Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden)
1320, 0810: Ben Curtis, Scott Verplank, Toru Taniguchi (Japan)
1330, 0820: Paul Azinger, Jay Haas, Michael Campbell (New Zealand)
1340, 0830: Stuart Appleby (Australia), Charles Howell III, Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark)
1350, 0840: Steve Elkington (Australia), Mark Brooks, Bob Tway
1400, 0850: Stephen Ames (Canada), Mark Calcavecchia, Anders Hansen (Denmark)
1410, 0900: Soren Hansen (Denmark), J.B. Holmes. Chris DiMarco
1420, 0910: John Merrick, Kyle Flinton, John Senden (Australia)
1430, 0920: Eric Manning, George McNeill, James Kingston (South Africa)
1440, 0930: Alan Morin, Scott Strange (Australia), Jonathan Byrd
The Open Tee-Off Times
On July 14, 2008 by Administrator
0630 Lucas Glover (US), Craig Parry (Aus), Simon Dyson
0641 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra), Pat Perez (US), Peter Fowler (Aus)
0652 Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Brendan Jones (Aus), Matt Kuchar (US)
0703 Jerry Kelly (US), Darren Fichardt (SA), Damien McGrane
0714 Graeme Storm, Scott Strange (Aus), Sandy Lyle
0725 Richard Green (Aus), Mark Calcavecchia (US), Anders Hansen (Den)
0736 Tom Watson (US), Justin Rose, Aaron Baddeley (Aus)
0747 Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Oliver Wilson, Davis Love III (US)
0758 Retief Goosen (SA), Padraig Harrington, Justin Leonard (US)
0809 Richard Sterne (SA), Henrik Stenson (Swe), Jeff Quinney (US)
0820 Hunter Mahan (US), Vijay Singh (Fij), Reinier Saxton (Ned)
0831 Martin Kaymer (Ger), Scott Verplank (US), Ernie Els (SA)
0842 David Howell, Andres Romero (Arg), JB Holmes (US)
0858 Lee Westwood, KJ Choi (Kor), Ben Curtis (US)
0909 Nick O’Hern (Aus), Ian Poulter, Paul Goydos (US)
0920 Phil Mickelson (US), Hideto Tanihara (Jpn), Paul Casey
0931 Boo Weekley (US), Colin Montgomerie, Mike Weir (Can)
0942 Toru Taniguchi (Jpn), Richard Finch, John Daly (US)
0953 David Duval (US), Simon Khan, David Frost (SA)
1004 Rich Beem (US), Pelle Edberg (Swe), Thomas Sherreard
1015 Michoi Matsumura (Jpn), Tom Gillis (US), Barry Hume
1026 Shintaro Kai (Jpn), Tim Petrovic (US), Dave Horsey
1037 Ariel Canete (Arg), Craig Barlow (US), Phillip Archer
1048 Jamie Elson, Rohan Blizard (Aus), Jon Bevan
1059 Adam Blyth (Aus), Jamie Howarth, Josh Cunliffe (SA)
1110 Thomas Aiken (SA), Gary Boyd, Brad Lamb (Aus)
1141 Jean Van de Velde (Fra), Steve Webster, Andrew Tampion (Aus)
1152 Philip Walton, David Smail (NZ), Michael Letzig (US)
1203 Paul Waring, Hennie Otto (SA), Kevin Stadler (US)
1214 Paul Lawrie, Rocco Mediate (US), Angel Cabrera (Arg)
1225 Niclas Fasth (Swe), Mark O’Meara (US), Michael Campbell (NZ)
1236 Graeme McDowell, Rory Sabbatini (SA), Todd Hamilton (US)
1247 Jim Furyk (US), Nick Dougherty, Camilo Villegas (Col)
1258 Robert Karlsson (Swe), Greg Norman (Aus), Woody Austin (US)
1309 Robert Allenby (Aus), Steve Stricker (US), Benjamin Hebert (Fra)
1320 Adam Scott (Aus), Zach Johnson (US), Pablo Larrazabal (Spa)
1331 Gregory Havret (Fra), Tim Clark (SA), Stewart Cink (US)
1342 Wen-chong Liang (Chn), Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), Jeff Overton (US)
1353 Trevor Immelman (SA), Soren Hansen (Den), Anthony Kim (US)
1409 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Stephen Ames (Can), Charles Howell III (US)
1420 Peter Hanson (Swe), Bart Bryant (US), Rodney Pampling (Aus)
1431 Ryuji Imada (Jpn), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Sean O’Hair (US)
1442 Stuart Appleby (Aus), Brandt Snedeker (US), Ross Fisher
1453 Azuma Yano (Jpn), Johan Edfors (Swe), Tom Lehman (US)
1504 Simon Wakefield, Jay Williamson (US), James Kingston (SA)
1515 Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Danny Chia (Mal), John Rollins (US)
1526 Prayad Marksaeng (Tha), Chris Wood, Scott McCarron (US)
1537 Anthony Wall, Alexander Noren (Swe), Ewan Porter (Aus)
1548 Peter Baker, Hiroshi Iwata (Jpn), Alex Cejka (Ger)
1559 Douglas Labelle (US), Chih-bing Lam (Sin), Jose-Filipe Lima (Por)
1610 Martin Wiegele (Aut), Angelo Que (Phi), Doug McGuigan
1621 Jonathan Lomas, Yoshinobu Tsukada (Jpn), Peter Appleyard
(GB and Ire unless stated)
Tiger Lefty Scott in same group for Torrey Pines
On June 5, 2008 by Administrator
Tiger, Lefty & young Adam Scott will all play together in the first two rounds of the US Open. This decision has been made without TV’s consent but the tournament organiser believes that it’ll be good for the Championship. Having the three best players in the world play together will be interesting, but it will create one hell of a traffic jam with the galleries following them about.
Robert Dinwiddies burst wins place in US Open
On June 3, 2008 by Administrator
Robert Dinwiddie has grabbed a spot in the US Open. The young Englishman surged up the leaderboard at the qualifying event and joins the likes of Fred Couples at making the field. Can he shock the world and do something special on the big stage?
Strange secures Welsh Open lead
On May 29, 2008 by Administrator
Scott Strange takes the lead in the first day of the Welsh Open.
After six birdies in seven holes en route to an excellent eight-under-par 63 the Australian ended up one shot ahead of Italian star Edoardo Molinari.
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