If he hadn’t done so already at last month’s British Open, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington sealed his status as a true golfing heavyweight with his epic and draining victory at the USPGA Championship at Oakland Hills.
Battling through 36 strength-sapping holes on the final day, and then scrapping with Spain’s Sergio Garcia in a tussle reminiscent of [...]
There is something about injuries and winning a major this season. Padraig Harrington was only 75 per cent confident of completing 72 holes of a brutal British Open at Royal Birkdale because of a wrist injury.
In the end, it was not percentages but sheer guts, talent and determination that not only allowed him to last [...]
It has been a momentous past few days for Asian golf in a variety of ways. There were celebrations for the continent’s new number one, China’s Liang Wen-chong, while Asia’s women were on a high after victory over the Rest of the World in the Lexus Cup.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Jean Van De Velde, who came within [...]
A recent article on the European Tour website highlighted the “record number of European Tour members” competing at this year’s US PGA Championship, the final Major of the year at Tulsa, Oklahoma.
It claims to have 48 golfers due to take part at Southern Hills Country Club from August 9-12 but some of those names have [...]
As young Patrick Harrington asked his daddy if he could put ladybirds in the Claret Jug he had no idea that eyes of the world were on him.
But as daddy celebrated, one man knew only too well that he had strode onto a global stage and blown his lines. Sergio Garcia looked like he wanted [...]
Sports and marketing. The curse of the modern era. The English Premiership is the “Greatest Show on Earth!” Lewis Hamilton is the “British Tiger Woods.” So it was inevitable that the last month would be Scotland’s “Summer of Golf!”
No matter that any use of the word “summer” is somewhat ironic with the weather pretty much [...]
The names were big enough for a Major tournament. Tom Watson, Mark O’Meara and Nick Faldo were among the star elements who took on Muirfield in the Senior Open Championship.
Faldo, at 50, was making his debut and was the co-leader after the first round. In the end, it was American links ace Watson who triumphed, [...]
As an 18-year-old, Nick Faldo was awestruck by Tom Watson and the way the American would hit the ball during the British Open at Carnoustie.
More than three decades later, the relationship between the two golfing legends have changed significantly. No longer is Faldo the inspired kid and Watson the role model.
This week, they are [...]
The emotions stirred by Major tournaments in golf can be intense to the extreme. How a pro performs under pressure can not only change his life but also his character.
Such was the weight of a three-foot bogey putt in the British Open play-off that Irishman Padraig Harrington faced on the 18th at Carnoustie, a course [...]
This week, for the first time since I’ve been watching golf, the British Open teed off without Seve Ballesteros (My all-time favorite player).
By now, most golf fans are aware that earlier this week Seve announced his retirement – an announcement that officially ends one of the most exciting careers in the history of golf. [...]
The British Open buzz in Asia is all about KJ Choi and his great performance so far at Carnoustie.
South Korean Choi has been billed as the Asian most likely to win a Major, and he has certainly shown he can slug it out with the best during his career.
Recently, he won his fifth title on [...]
At 6:30 this morning Joe Durant had the honour of being the first player to play the opening shot of this year’s Open Championship. You can imagine despite days of practice, the realisation that this shot is for real and counts, must make even the most confident pro nervous. It’s a whole different ball game [...]
I’m sitting staring out the window prevented, by a deadline, from enjoying this rare blast of sunshine out on the fairway – or out on the sun terrace, chilled drink in my hand.
It strikes me, however, that this is the weather that I associate with the Open – the weather that accompanied long hours in [...]
The end, when it eventually came, was anti-climatic, messy, an affront to the irresistible force of the career that came before.
Seve had finally held his hands up and acknowledged that nobody, not even him, could fight off the ticking of the clock. In reality we knew it had been over for some time. Out of [...]
Frenchman Gregory Havret emerged triumphant at Loch Lomond, the final tune-up before the British Open, by defeating Phil Mickelson in a sudden-death play-off and winning the Scottish Open.
With Ernie Els and Luke Donald finishing strongly but unable to challenge, world number three Mickelson and Havret took up the mantle. Havret eventually drained the par putt [...]