Written by Courses editor Kevin Brown on Saturday 18 July 2009
A phone conversation several weeks back with Tom Watson was still ringing in my ears after the veteran’s heroic 2nd round display yesterday. The five-times Open champion readily agreed to have a transatlantic chat as part of TG’s Open preview. We also contacted the other two former Turnberry winners – Nick Price and Greg Norman – though both declined. Watson, easily the...
Written by TG Features Writer on Saturday 18 July 2009
It’s moving day at Turnberry and the 138th Championship is still wide open. Tiger Woods may have missed only his second major cut as a professional but there are still plenty of top names in the mix and wonderful stories beginning to unfold. None of the 73 players who made the cut could be discounted at the start of Saturday but some...
Written by TG staff writer on Saturday 18 July 2009
Who emerged the 2nd round’s best putter, bagged the most birdies and found the most greens? Here’s the main 2nd round men… Stats Life… Longest Driver 1. Sergio Garcia 316 yards average 2. Dustin Johnson 314 3. Nick Watney 313.5 Fairways Hit 1=. Ernie Els, Ross Fisher and Lee Westwood all 12.00 86% Greens in Regulation 1. Mark Calcavecchia 15.00 83% 2=. Retief Goosen, Angel...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
With a big grin on his wrinkled face, ageing Open hero Tom Watson quipped: “For somebody who is 59, this is even better than sex!” Wily Watson is overcoming all the odds, including a hip replacement, to battle his way to the top of the Open leaderboard. Watson amazingly shares top spot on -5 after a gutsy 2nd round level-par 70 –...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
Red-hot favourite Tiger Woods is OUT of this year’s Open. Tiger failed to survive the cut after a 2nd round score of 75 left him +5 for the championship – one shot too many. It’s the first time Tiger hasn’t featured over the weekend at the Open and only the third time he has missed the cut in a major – the...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
Ian Poulter may have looked the part in his natty apparel, but he certainly didn’t play the part at Turnberry. Poults missed the cut by a country mile, finishing a disastrous +14 after rounds of 75 and 79 which put him at the back end of the field. It was a far cry from last year when Poulter pushed Padraig Harrington all...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
If push comes to shove, Ross Fisher would still rather be holding the baby than the Claret Jug this weekend. With wife Jo expecting to give birth to their first child any time, Fisher remains on tenterhooks, specially as a superb 68 put him firmly in Open contention. After opening his account with a 69 he’s -3 and just two shots...
Written by TG Features Writer on Friday 17 July 2009
American Steve Marino shares the lead of the Open Championship on -5 but admits Turnberry is “one of the hardest courses I’ve ever played”. Turnberry may have been benign yesterday but it’s defences were there for all to see today. “Today was so much different than yesterday,” said the 29-year-old. “It was like a totally different golf course.” “It played so difficult out there...
Friday 17 July 2009
To celebrate the start of The Open Championship at Turnberry in Scotland on July 16th we’re bringing you everything you could possibly want and need to know about the Open, and a lot more, right here in the weeks leading up to the tournament and as Tiger and chums tread the fairways, in association with Nikon, Patron of The Open Championship… With Lucas Glover’s composed...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
An out-of-form Michael Campbell pulled out of The Open during his unhappy 2nd round – his fifth withdrawal this season. It’s hard to believe that Campbell won the US Open just four years ago. Nowadays the Kiwi is a shadow of the player who triumphed in 2005 and went close to winning the Claret Jug at St Andrews a decade earlier. In fact...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
Aussie Terry Pilkadaris is a very brave man indeed. Some macho golfers wouldn’t be seen anywhere near a golf course with their ‘better halves’ but 36-year-old Pilkadaris is definitely an exception to the rule. So much so he has his wife Monique acting as his caddie and the duo get on like a house on fire – on and off the course! After...
Written by TG Features Writer on Friday 17 July 2009
Japanese world number 125 Kenichi Kuboya has started his second round in fine style with two birdies in his first four holes to move a shot clear on -6. The 37-year-old ended his first round in spectacular fashion with a birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie finish and he’s continued in that vein in tougher conditions today with birdies on the 1st and 4th. American debutant Steve...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
Who emerged the 1st round’s best putter, bagged the most birdies and found the most greens? Here’s the main 1st round men… Stats Life… Longest Driver 1. Alvaro Quiros 327 yards average 2. Sergio Garcia 318.5 3. Dustin Johnson 317 Fairways Hit 1. Ernie Els 13.00 93% Greens in Regulation 1. Mike Weir 18.00 100% 2=. Retief Goosen, Billy Mayfair and Mark Calcavecchia all...
Written by TG staff writer on Friday 17 July 2009
All Japanese Open eyes are practically focused on 17-year-old wonderkid Ryo Ishikawa, but they shifted to unknown Kenichi Kuboya, a surprise 1st round frontrunner after shooting a 65 (-5). Kuboya, currently 125th in the World rankings, will be looking to build on his cracking start this morning – even though he admits he’s not a big fan of lnks golf! “I can’t honestly say...
Written by TG Features Writer on Friday 17 July 2009
Yesterday’s benign weather conditiond will seem like a distant memory for the players as the wind picks up at a drizzly Turnberry. 50 players shot under par in the windless conditions yesterday but the Ayrshire links is fighting back today with gusts of 35 to 30mph forecast. It was thought today’s early starters would face similar conditions to yesterday but this prediction...
Written by TG Features Writer on Thursday 16 July 2009
Miguel Angel Jimenez holds a one shot lead after firing a a flawless six under par 64 on the first day of the Open Championship at Turnberry. The Spaniard went out late and birdied the 17th and 18th to steal the lead away from Americans Tom Watson and Ben Curtis who had earlier posted 65s. The American duo were joined by little-known...
Written by TG staff writer on Thursday 16 July 2009
Teenage Italian Matteo Manassero had the time of his young golfing life playing alongside veteran Tom Watson and his idol Sergio Garcia. At sweet 16, Manassero – he automatically qualified after capturing the British Amateur crown – is the youngest Open competitor but was he overawed by being paired with the oldest, the living legend that is Tom Watson, and the...
Written by TG staff writer on Thursday 16 July 2009
Tom Watson rolled back the years today and after firing a first round 65 (-5) firmly believes he can clinch his sixth Claret Jug – and his second at Turnberry. “I feel like I’m playing well enough to win the tournament. It doesn’t feel a whole lot different from 32 years ago (his last success at Turnberry) except that I don’t...
Written by TG staff writer on Thursday 16 July 2009
It’s fair to say red-hot favourite Tiger Woods was not best pleased with his bitterly disappointing opening effort of 71 (+1). Tiger was clearly not at his best despite winning his previous event (AT&T Championship) and the near-perfect conditions. He only opted to use his driver three times all day and each time miserably failed to find the short stuff. He conceded: “I certainly...
Written by TG staff writer on Thursday 16 July 2009
It wasn’t a very happy return to Turnberry for Greg Norman who opened his Open account with a six-over-par 77. The 1986 Turnberry champion suffered one disaster after another and for once regular gallery cries of “Come on, Aussie” failed to inspire him. What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago at Birkdale the Great White Shark got off to a flyer, impressively...