Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 6 June 2016
As Solomon Northup would tell you, 12 years is a very long time. It’s longer than the sentence for trying to lethally poison someone. It’s the same amount of time since Arsenal last won the Premier League. It’s longer than it takes to become a fully qualified doctor. It’s also how long William McGirt has had to wait for his first...
Written by Rob McGarr on Sunday 5 June 2016
Ask any legend of the game and they’ll tell you the golf ball goes too far. “When are the USGA, the R&A and the PGA going to have more vision and cut the ball back by 50 yards?” says Gary Player. “The main culprit in slow play is the golf ball and the distance it goes,” says Jack Nicklaus. It’s easy to see...
Written by Rob McGarr on Sunday 5 June 2016
In an era when golfers seem to spend as much time in the gym as on the range, there’s something refreshing about 21-year-old Matt Fitzpatrick, who looks like he’d struggle to snap a 7-iron. “Everyone always says the same things about me needing to get in the gym and get bigger, and I probably do,” said Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick trains in the...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 2 June 2016
Golfers withdraw from tournaments all the time and for all manner of reasons from injury to overloaded schedules, family matters to fears of catching the Zika virus. But it’s not often they admit that they’re withdrawing from a tournament because they’re suffering “incredible anxiety while chipping [and] pitching”. You might think that the most surprising part of this story is that an...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 1 June 2016
The idea of playing a round at TPC Sawgrass is enough to get most golfers very excited. Throw in Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler as playing partners and you’re getting to a scenario that is simply too good to be true. Unfortunately, for most of us, it’s a dream that’s unlikely to ever come true. Fortunately, Justin Thomas is currently starring...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 1 June 2016
We’ve all had rounds where the driver has let us down and meant we’ve had no chance of winning, no matter how well the rest of the game is working. But have you ever thought of ditching the driver completely? It might seem like an extreme solution, but it worked for world number 10 Ariya Jutanugarn at the Volvik Championship. The longest club...
Written by Michael Catling on Wednesday 1 June 2016
Another week and another win for fantasy owners who backed the favourite. Jordan Spieth’s victory at the Dean & Deluca Invitational in his home state of Texas means the so called ‘Big Three’ head into this week’s Memorial Tournament having each won on their previous outing. Spieth needed just nine putts on his inward nine to win by three shots – the...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 31 May 2016
Elisa Buster was having a lovely day at the Dean & Deluca Invitational at Colonial Country Club in Texas. 300 yards away, Tony Finau stood on the tee of the par-5 11th hole. “Someone shouted ‘watch out!’ and the next thing I knew a golf ball hit me on the head,” says Buster. Big-hitting Finau had sailed his shot into the crowd,...
Written by Rob McGarr on Sunday 29 May 2016
Chris Wood’s final round 69 was enough to secure victory at the BMW PGA Championship, holding off the challenge of Rikard Karlberg, who shot a sensational 65 on a day when only six players broke 70. “It is the biggest win of my career,” said Wood, whose previous European Tour titles came at the 2013 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and 2015...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 27 May 2016
Golf’s return to the Olympics, after a 112-year hiatus, has not gone entirely smoothly. There have been calls from fans and players that it should be for amateurs, rather than professionals. There have been doubts over whether the course would be ready in time. There have been suggestions that a 72-hole strokeplay format is unimaginative and boring. And there have been...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 27 May 2016
Alan Hansen famously said “you can’t win anything with kids,” right before Manchester United went and won the double with – you guessed it – a team of kids. But experience tends to count in professional golf, where players tend to peak and win most between the ages of 30 and 35. It’s a different story on the LPGA Tour this season,...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 26 May 2016
There’s been a great deal of talk about nine-hole golf lately. It’s been proposed as a solution for people who can’t spare the best part of four hours to play an 18-hole round of golf. This year’s Open will even see a nine-hole championship hosted at Royal Troon in the week before the main tournament. But imagine if all of the majors...
Written by Michael Catling on Wednesday 25 May 2016
We did tell you that it pays to back the favourite, and those fantasy managers who heeded the TG Tipster’s advice last week were handsomely rewarded on Sunday night as Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia notched their first victories of the year. The duo more than vindicated their hefty price tags, with McIlroy’s three-shot victory at the Irish Open catapulting the...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 24 May 2016
A few weeks ago, we told you that Oakmont was going to give players in this year’s U.S. Open one of the toughest challenges they’re ever likely to face. With a 300-yard par-3 and rock-hard fairways, players will have their work cut out just getting to the greens. When they do reach the dance floor, things are only going to...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 23 May 2016
Whatever happens between now and the end of his career, Sergio Garcia’s legacy will be one of nearly moments, missed opportunities and failure to capitalise on immense talent. Garcia has become known for an ability to fall at the final hurdle that has cost him countless tournaments, including several majors. But, Garcia’s win at the AT&T Byron Nelson was his ninth on...
Written by Rob McGarr on Sunday 22 May 2016
Hosting a big party isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. You spend so much time worrying about whether everyone else is enjoying themselves and waiting for things to get broken or spilled that you barely have a chance to enjoy yourself. Irish Open host Rory McIlroy, however, didn’t appear to have any such problems. Rounds of 67, 70, 70 and...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 20 May 2016
If the last General Election taught us anything, it’s that you shouldn’t pay attention to opinion polls. That didn’t stop Public Policy Polling carrying out their annual sports survey, though, with some eye-raising results when it comes to golf. Take a look at some of these – and bear in mind that the poll takes place in America, which explains some...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 18 May 2016
Rory McIlroy has won four major championships. He has been world number one for 95 weeks, a reign only bettered by Nick Faldo (97 weeks), Greg Norman (331 weeks) and Tiger Woods (683 weeks). He has appeared in three Ryder Cups, emerging victorious each time. He has twice been named RTE Sports Person of the Year, the Irish equivalent of...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 18 May 2016
This year’s U.S. Open is going to be tough. The organisers pride themselves on providing a stern challenge for the world’s best golfers, and Oakmont Country Club is as tough as they come. Last time it hosted the tournament, the winning total was five-over. One of Oakmont’s defences is its sheer length. 7,254 yards sounds long enough, until you realise it’s...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 17 May 2016
The BMW PGA Championship is the European Tour’s flagship event. It offers the highest prize money available in Europe, with €5 million up for grabs. It’s hosted at one of the world’s most exclusive golf clubs and boasts attendances of over 100,000 across the week. You’d think players would be jumping at the chance to play in it, especially Europeans. So...