Written by Kevin Brown on Sunday 21 July 2013
England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick took time off baby-sitting duties to comfortably and deservedly pocket the amateurs Silver Medal. The 19-year-old often earns himself a bit of extra much needed pocket money by looking after a couple of youngsters belonging to a member of his golf club. A local qualifier from Gullane No.1, the youngster had the golfing week of his life to make the cut...
Written by Kevin Brown on Sunday 21 July 2013
R&A Rules supremo David Rickman claims they haven’t been ‘trigger happy’ by putting players on the clock in a bid to stamp out slow play at this week’s Open. He stressed: “We’re certainly not in the business of unsettling players, but we have our pace of play policy similar to all professional tours for a reason, and that is to get...
Written by Kevin Brown on Sunday 21 July 2013
It’s D-Day, the moment of truth for Lee Westwood at Muirfield this afternoon. The 40-years-old Englishman goes into the fourth and final round holding a two-shot lead over his playing partner Hunter Mahan (2.10pm) and another American star, 14-times major winner Tiger Woods who tees it up with current Masters champion Adam Scott (2pm), a further shot adfrift. This is Westwood’s big...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Sunday 21 July 2013
Paul Lawrie was at back home in Aberdeen regripping his new set of black Wilson FG Tour Staff irons when he found out he’d made The Open cut at +8 – and duly had to make a two and a half hour dash back south to return to Muirfield. Given his bad opening round of 81, he followed it up with...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Sunday 21 July 2013
Phil Mickelson says he will need a low round in the 60s to win The Open instead of Lee Westwood. Mickelson managed to defeat the Englishman for the Masters in 2010 but knows he has his work cut out to repeat that feat over the troublesome Muirfield links. Lefty is two over par after a 74 on Saturday and still rates his...
Written by Kevin Brown on Saturday 20 July 2013
Lee Westwood is staying cool, calm and collected ahead of arguably the most important 18 holes of his career. After firing a spirited 3rd round 70, Westy goes into the final day of the Open holding a deserved two-stroke lead and he appears to be in a bullish mood and taking everything in his stride. Obviously he’s not yet counting his chickens...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Saturday 20 July 2013
The promised Tiger Woods ‘Moving Day’ charge never quite materialised but he remains lurking ominously at Muirfield after battling to a one over 72 that left him -1 for the Open and just two behind leader Lee Westwood. Woods was in the zone he used to occupy before the round; focused and oblivious to the attention he was under, although he...
Written by Kevin Brown on Saturday 20 July 2013
Adam Scott is looking to slip under the radar and lay last year’s Open ghosts at Lytham to rest for good. After carding a 3rd round of 70, the Aussie is dangerously lurking at just three shots off the lead and he’s quietly confident of adding the Claret Jug to the Green Jacket he won earlier this year after winning the...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Saturday 20 July 2013
Hunter Mahan got up and down out of the right 18th greenside bunker to complete a wonderful three under par 68 that left the American -1 for the championship and slap bang in contention for The Open. Renowned for his premium accuracy, Mahan mastered Muirfield to jointly shoot the best score of the day, become clubhouse leader and with it spearhead...
Written by Kevin Brown on Saturday 20 July 2013
Don’t rule out Sergio Garcia tomorrow, the Spaniard giving himself a fighting chance with a 3rd round 68 (+3). Garcia’s display was arguably the round of the day and means he can go into tomorrow with an outside chance of securing his long-awaited first major win. Muirfield is a happy hunting ground for Garcia who claimed the 1998 Amateur Championship on the...
Written by Kevin Brown on Saturday 20 July 2013
Ernie Els doesn’t plan to relinquish his Open crown without putting up a big fight and though somewhat off the pace at +5 the Big Easy reckons he’s still in the frame. The South African fired a spirited 3rd round score of 70 (-1) and has by no means ruled himself out of contention 12 months after winning at Lytham and...
Written by Kevin Brown on Saturday 20 July 2013
High noon has come and gone but the real shoot-out is about to get underway at Muirfield later this afternoon. That’s when the frontrunners in the 142nd Open Championship take 3rd round centre stage and to be honest most eyes will be on the penultimate pairing of Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood (3.10pm tee-time). It should be a classic duel in the...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Saturday 20 July 2013
Rory McIlroy left The Open “disappointed but with a clearer picture of what he needs to work on” after slumping to a horror-show at Muirfield and missing the cut on +12. McIlroy was never at the Open races, clearly uneasy and unhappy with his golf throughout his appearance in East Lothian and giving further indication his world is not a happy...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Saturday 20 July 2013
Sir Nick Faldo says he may be tempted to play one more Open at St Andrews in two years time. Having made an emotional return to the scene of his 1987 and 1992 Open triumphs at Muirfield, Faldo could do the same at St Andrews, where he captured the Claret Jug in 1990. “I’m not ruling it out, but it’s slim. Who...
Written by Kevin Brown on Saturday 20 July 2013
Aussie ace Jason Day has knocked on so many major doors in recent years and he’s hoping to barge right through this particular one and finally break his majors duck this weekend. Day has really made a name himself in the US Open and Masters in the past few years – he finished runner-up in the former in 2011 and this...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Saturday 20 July 2013
Phil Mickelson says he has “putted phenomenal on greens that are faster than Augusta on spots” and is excited to only be four shots off the lead after 36 holes of his Open quest. Lefty is out at 1:45pm with 1997 champion Justin Leonard and said: “I think we’re all excited to have these firm fast conditions, because we haven’t had...
Written by Graeme Hamlett on Saturday 20 July 2013
Ian Poulter goes into his ‘Moving Day’ round at The Open insisting he is battle hardened for the task ahead. Some 11 years ago here Poults was in ninth spot before the infamous Saturday storm swept in at Muirfield, causing a litany of high scores amid a swale of doom. Conditions are a little more overcast today, after the baking hot opening...
Written by Kevin Brown on Saturday 20 July 2013
Despite sun-kissed conditions, the crowds strangely haven’t exactly been flocking to Muirfield this week. Attendances so far for the first two tournament days are down on the last time the Open was staged at the East Lothian links and significantly down on last year’s crowds which packed into Royal Lytham on the Lancashire coast. Thursday’s crowd was 23,393 compared to 30,620 in...
Written by Kevin Brown on Friday 19 July 2013
Muirfield creates an uncanny and delightful knack of baring its teeth and it did so again today. It was wet, windy – and formidable – the last time The Open was staged at the home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers 11 years ago and was an equally daunting prospect and challenge today…under clear blue skies and a burning sun! Just...
Written by Kevin Brown on Friday 19 July 2013
Early this evening a bright yellow rescue helicopter very briefly hovered over Muirfield and by that time many of the players badly need salvaging from the wreckage of this year’s gruelling battle for the Claret Jug. Yet again this week has proved that the Open Championship remains the ultimate test of golf. This week at Muirfield has categorically hammered that message...