Thursday 7 April 2016
Spieth takes early Masters lead Reigning champion Jordan Spieth took up where he left off last April with a commanding opening round at the 2016 Masters. The American birdied the last for a six-under 66 to banish thoughts of his indifferent form this season to date with an authoritative statement of intent to the rest of the field. Shane Lowry of...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 7 April 2016
Who’s the favourite to win the Masters this year? Technically, the answer is Jason Day, priced at around 7/1 with most bookmakers. But the real answer is that there isn’t one. This year, perhaps for the first time ever, there is no discernible favourite to be picked from the field. “I don’t think that’s been the case in a major championship for a...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 7 April 2016
The annual Par-3 Contest is a fun part of the Masters. It’s a chance for players to interact with fans, free from the pressure they’ll be under from Thursday to Sunday. It features a host of celebrities, helping showcase golf to a wider audience. And it tends to feature an exciting mix of holes-in-one and outrageous scores, as the world’s...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 6 April 2016
No European has won the Masters since Jose Maria Olazabal way back in 1999. Should Rory McIlroy end Europe’s 17-year wait for a green jacket, he’ll also complete the career grand slam, adding the Masters to his US Open, Open Championship, and pair of PGA Championship titles. Two-time Masters champ Tom Watson knows what it’s like to be one major short...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 5 April 2016
The start of the 2016 Masters is so close we can almost taste it. Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus will start proceedings at 8.05am local time, which is 1.05pm in the UK. Sadly, they won’t be joined by Arnold Palmer, whose continued recovery from a shoulder injury will prevent him from hitting the ceremonial tee shot. Then, once Gary Player has entertained...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 5 April 2016
There are people saying that Rory McIlroy has no chance of winning the Masters this year. His naysayers are pointing to his recent struggles on the green, and a new putting grip he’s still getting used to, suggesting the world number three is in no fit shape to tackle the notoriously tricky greens of Augusta National. Whether or not they have...
Written by Michael Catling on Monday 4 April 2016
Get the TV on standby and your local takeaway on speed dial. Masters week is finally here, which also means the start of Fantasy Golf for a sixth season. We’ve revamped the format and secured another set of top prizes, including trips to Mallorca, Sicily, La Manga and Belek. Excited? You should be. The team of the month will also win...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 4 April 2016
The standout hero on the Sunday of the Shell Houston Open was undoubtedly Jim Herman. The 38-year-old surprised everyone to beat a stellar field and secure his maiden PGA Tour victory. But we want to talk about Colt Knost. The 30-year-old American was 12 shots off the lead going into the final round of the Shell Houston Open. With an odd...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 4 April 2016
Jim Herman’s victory at the Shell Houston Open was yet another example of the unpredictability and strength in depth of the professional game. Prior to the Shell Houston Open, 38-year-old Herman had never finished in the top three of a PGA Tour event in 105 starts. He’d only managed five top-10s. And yet the man ranked 189th in the world was...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 4 April 2016
That Lydia Ko won the year’s first major was not a big surprise. The ANA Inspiration was world number one Ko’s second consecutive victory and the 12th of her short LPGA Tour career. Ko has now won the last two majors, meaning that at just 18, she’s the youngest in LPGA Tour history to win two majors as she continues...
Written by Staff Writer, Today's Golfer on Monday 4 April 2016
When you’re one of the world’s best golfers, a hotel room becomes a putting green. A picnic table transforms into the perfect target for pitching. A mirror in the bedroom becomes a swing plane aid… “If you don’t love the work you have to put in to become the best, then you may want to consider a different line of work...
Monday 4 April 2016
Every golfer knows about Augusta National, the most famous course on earth. But few are aware of humble Cavendish in Derbyshire – the course that inspired the Georgia track. Both were the handiwork of eminent architect Dr Alister MacKenzie and current course designer Jonathan Gaunt has been researching how the game’s most famous course was born – in the Peak District.
Written by Golf World on Monday 4 April 2016
When Jason Day was gowing up, his baths were filled with a kettle, his mum ‘mowed’ the lawn with scissors, and his first golf club came from the local dump. It was a hard upbringing, yet these weren’t even the biggest obstacles golf’s new shining star faced on his journey to the top of the sport. The 27-year-old’s father, Alvin, was...
Written by Kevin Brown on Monday 4 April 2016
Few people know Augusta National more intimately than veteran bagman Damon Green, the supremely knowledgeable and influential caddie who helped Zach Johnson celebrate an against-theodds Masters victory nine years ago. The 50-year-old’s Masters experience has helped him understand better than most when you can go for it, and when you need to throttle back; where you can leave it for a...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 1 April 2016
Yes, we know it’s 1 April, but this is no April Fools’. But, if you’re breaking down in tears as your dreams of spending four days glued to the action from Augusta National disappear in a blur of azaleas and pine straw, don’t panic. It’s the Australian Masters that has been cancelled. The event has been on the calendar since 1979, but will...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 31 March 2016
Jordan Spieth had us ridiculously excited after winning the first two majors of 2015. We went into The Open at St Andrews knowing that Spieth, who was yet to turn 21, was already halfway to a proper Grand Slam. The ‘Tiger Slam’ of 2000-2001 which saw him hold all four major titles at once was hugely impressive, of course, but Big...
Written by Golf World on Tuesday 29 March 2016
AUGUSTA WEAPONS: Length off the tee, towering iron shots You could probably count the golfers whose games were better-suited to Augusta National than that of Rory McIlroy on the fingers of one hand… well, one and a bit. The first name would of course be Jack Nicklaus, whose length off the tee, high faded irons, exceptional putting, meticulous preparation, and shrewd...
Tuesday 29 March 2016
With his 39 million Facebook friends and 24.4 million Twitter followers, pop superstar and golf nut Niall Horan will be one of the most popular people in the grounds during his second trip to Augusta National this year. The One Direction star is big mates with lots of the players, notably Rory McIlroy, whom he caddied for in last year’s Par-3...
Tuesday 29 March 2016
Zach Johnson’s caddie Damon Green gives a fascinating insight into what you need to do to don a green jacket. Take your pick – the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 10… The 11th is just a bear now they’ve got the trees down the right side, making it a very demanding tee shot now. There’s water left but it’s a difficult up-and-down...
Written by Golf World on Tuesday 29 March 2016
AUGUSTA WEAPONS: Great putting, distance control with irons John Fields remembers the first time he saw Jordan Spieth play. “He was 13, had shot a 62 a few months before, and was making a lot of noise in Texas junior golf,” says the head coach of the men’s golf team at the University of Texas (UT). “I was immediately impressed with...