Archive for April, 2007


Austrian Brier Strolls to Victory in Shanghai

Austrian sport came down from the white ski slopes of Europe to triumph on the green manicured fairways of Shanghai as Markus Brier coasted to victory at the Volvo China Open on Sunday. Brier fired a final round of four-under-par 67 for a 10-under total of 274 and a five-stroke victory at the Shanghai Silport […]

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Els Refuses to Give Up in His Pursuit of Tiger

Ernie Els said before the US Masters that he wanted to make a grand comeback and take a shot at Tiger Woods’ number one spot in the Official World Rankings. To help him in his three-year plan, he signed a new equipment deal with Callaway six weeks before the Masters, ending his stint with Titleist. […]

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Europe’s Major Hopes Need to Buck Up Ideas

Another major. Another misfire. The high hopes of Henrik Stenson et al squashed. The European drought continued in Augusta. A drought that increasingly looks like a famine. We’ve been here before. There were 18 long years between Max Faulkner clinching the British Open and Tony Jacklin replicating the feat. Another nine years passed from Jacklin’s […]

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Viva Seve – Spanish Legend Turns 50

The European Tour this week pays tribute to Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros, who turned 50 years old on April 9. It has been a long time since Ballesteros triumphed in a Major tournament, but the memories of his swashbuckling style of play, at an era when Tiger Woods was unheard of, will live long in […]

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Two Fundamentals for Solid Putting

Ben Hogan loved to play his practice rounds without putting. He would give himself points for fairways and greens and then, pick up his ball and go to the next tee. Mr. Hogan’s reasoning was – any novice could make a six foot putt, but it took a great player to consistently hit quality iron […]

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Old Course Lands New Greenkeeper

Do greenkeepers dream of anything other than divots and bad weather? If they do then Gordon Mckie is surely living the greenkeeper’s equivalent of winning the Masters and the Open on the same day. Because Gordon has just been appointed head greenkeeper at the Old Course in St. Andrews – giving him control of the […]

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Moody Augusta Makes for Muted Masters

The 2007 US Masters will be remembered not only for Zach Johnson’s surprise victory but also for an Augusta course that was unusually bitter and twisted towards its supposed subjugators, particularly during the first three rounds. Normally Fine weather was replaced by wintry conditions and biting winds that added to the challenge of the extra […]

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Let Tiger be Tiger – Architects Don’t Win Golf Tournaments

It was around the dawn of the new millennium that a new golfing term was coined. Suddenly golf courses across the globe were trying to master the art of “Tiger-proofing.” That is golf courses were trying to make the game more difficult for the new breed of golfer – a breed personified by the Tiger […]

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Johnson stokes Masters with maiden Major triumph

Nothing could be more unnerving in golf than sitting on a two-stroke lead with no holes to play and with Tiger Woods bearing down on you. Magnify that when the stage is the season’s first Major tournament. Iowan Zach Johnson can now rest easy with a Green Jacket on his back after his stunning victory […]

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Masters Imitating U.S. Open?

It has always been the USGA’s mission to protect par in all its championships. To that end, they set up golf courses to play extremely difficult – so difficult in fact, that only once (Tiger Woods in 2000) in its long history, has a player finished a Men’s U.S. Open at -10 or lower. In […]

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Scotland and Ireland Golf Holidays

A golf trip to the British Isles can be something of a puzzle. Which courses accept visitor play and when? What options are available for playing the Old Course? Where should you stay? What can you do when you’re not playing? How much will it cost? Thus if you are serious about such a holiday […]

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Donald Luck? Golf and Superstition Surfaces at Masters

Modern golfers: dedicated to practice, prepared by fitness trainers and sports psychologists, advised by caddies that know the yardage of every water sprinkler and divot. Nothing is left to chance. And yet it seems golfers are as given to superstition as the most hopeless weekend hacker.  From Tiger’s red shirt on Sundays (and yes it […]

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Jeev Singh Has High Hopes for Asia

On the eve of the US Masters, Indian Jeev Milkha Singh said it was only a matter of time before an Asian player wins a Major tournament. Small wonder then, that it is Jeev himself who is leading the Asian charge after the first round at Augusta. The Indian star shot a first round of […]

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Sky Night and Day for Masters?

Beware viewers in Britain currently enjoying the BBC coverage of the Masters from Augusta. Rejoice viewers in Britain currently throwing things at the television set whenever Peter Alliss speaks.  The never ending merry go-round of TV sports coverage has seen Sky usurped by the Irish newcomer Setanta Sports in the race for USPGA coverage and […]

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Tiger vs Jack

Since childhood, Tiger Woods has used Jack Nicklaus’ records as motivation for his tremendous work ethic. He even went so far as to post Jack’s totals on his walls and ceiling, to constantly remind of the task at hand. He would lie in bed at night, dreaming of breaking all of Jack’s records and eventually […]

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