Sports Then and Now

The biggest lesson to be learned from golf in 2011 was quite simply that the standard of the game and the levels of competition just gets higher and higher, not just in the standards set by the players but also with the tournament organization and TV coverage.

The re-vamped European Tour now known as the Race to Dubai has added a new dimension to European Golf. Although it possibly has some way to go before it begins to attract some of those star names from the US PGA Tour, it is constantly discovering new talent and it should be noted that it is four European players who sit in the top four places in the world rankings.

Top of that list is Luke Donald, who became the first man in golf history to win the money lists on both the US tour and Race to Dubai Tours. Four wins during the year and whole host of top five and top ten finishes, confirmed him not only as the best in the world right now but also by far and away the most consistent.

The young Ulsterman, who sits one place behind Donald in the rankings, Rory McIlroy also enjoyed an unforgettable year. The 22 year old won a first Major at the US Open, where he broke just about every record that is to be broken in that most prestigious tournament. That win came on the back of a hugely unfortunate final round at the US Masters in April where after three rounds McIlroy had decimated the field and the daunting Augusta course. We all know what happened to him in that final round, but the courage he showed from that disaster to win the US Open in such style was actually almost beyond belief. The lesson learned by all golf fans and players is that Rory McIlroy is going to be around at the very top for a very long time. Read the rest of this entry →

Keegan Bradley has been amongst the hottest golfers in the world since winning the PGA Championship in August.

Keegan Bradley enhanced his growing reputation even further this week with victory at the PGA Grand Slam, holding on to the lead despite a late surge from the in-form Charl Schwartzel.

While Bradley shot an even 71 in the tournament’s final round to go 4-under in total, Schwartzel was in sublime form, equaling the course record of 65 with a run of five consecutive birdies in the front nine.

The South African will be pleased with his efforts of course, but also frustrated that he left it too late to win the tournament. He went into the final round at 3-over, so a 65 wasn’t even enough for him to overtake Bradley to take the title.

He admitted as much afterwards, saying: “I obviously still had a chance going into the back nine. I just didn’t do enough when I needed to.”

As for Bradley, the American youngster did feel the pressure during the final round with dropped shots at 1, 5 and 6. He recovered well though with a birdie at the 7th and he didn’t look back from there.

Speaking about a dramatic days golf, Bradley said: “It was a lot more intense that I thought it was going to be. I was nervous, this felt like a tournament on the PGA Tour. I was very nervous. I had been thinking it was going to a playoff considering how my year has been going.” Read the rest of this entry →

Thomas Bjorn claimed the Omega European Masters in a playoff.

Thomas Bjorn has had impressive two weeks, securing two titles and enhancing his reputation in the process.

The vastly-experienced Dane won a five-man play-off at Gleneagles to win the Johnny Walker Championship and followed it up with securing the Omega European Masters in Switzerland.

The 40-year-old showed his coolness under pressure in Scotland a fortnight ago, with five great playoff holes and sent a message down to the other players vying for a Ryder Cup place.

The qualifying for next year’s event started this week and a nine-under-par 62 not only saw him shoot the lowest round of his European Tour career, but also ensured he made strides for the race for the major tournament.

His feat in Switzerland was all the more impressive as US Open champions Rory McIlroy and former number-one ranked players Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer, who he beat by four shots, were both in contention heading into the final day before Bjorn blew them away with some influential strokeplay and immaculate putting. Read the rest of this entry →

After winning the 2010 PGA, Martin Kaymer struggled in 2011.

A year that started so well for Martin Kaymer did more than just fizzle out. The 2010 PGA champion and joint European player of 2010 confirmed his ascendency by claiming top spot in the rankings soon after a stunning eight-shot victory at the Abu Dhabi Championships. He certainly made himself popular in the Golf betting.

The German seemed sure to be the leading player in the vacuum at the top of the sport by the varying degrees of loss in form experienced by Tiger Woods and other Americans. Instead Kaymer has regressed, slipping to fourth in the rankings and failing to win another event.

An opening round 78 at the Masters, consigning him to his fourth straight missed cut at Augusta, revealed that his seemingly rock-solid all-round game could collapse. Kaymer has struggled to regain his composure since, although he did show glimpses of his best by starting the Open well and finishing joint 12th.

Jose Maria Olazabal might not be too concerned at Kaymer’s loss of form. The German’s best golf since Abu Dhabi have come in Match Play – he was runner-up to Luke Donald in the WGC-Accenture Match Play and was beaten by the same man in the semi finals of the Volvo Match Play Championship.
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Despite a self-proclaimed return to health, Tiger Woods has not yet found a return to form.

Tiger Woods blames his alarming slide down the golf world rankings on his health, and says he feels better now than he has for a long time. The former world number one has undoubtedly had his problems over the last few years, with a knee injury the most recent issue he has faced.

Woods believes that now he is finally over his injuries, he will be able to concentrate on his golf, and getting back to his best. However, he isn’t off to a great start in his return after finishing 18 strokes back last week at the Bridgestone Invitational and then shooting an opening round 77 to make it likely that he will miss the cut at the PGA Championship.

“In order to win, I had to be healthy,” Woods said. “That’s what we’re trying to get to. Now I can go, now I can do the work.

“I can do the practice sessions, and I think that that’s the only way that my game will get to where I need to get to.” Read the rest of this entry →

It has been a frustrating year so far for former top golfer Tiger Woods.

Some bookmakers are offering odds of 16-1 that Tiger Woods will mark his return to golf with a sensational win at the Bridgestone Invitational this week.

The event, which begins this week, will see Woods make his first appearance in a competition since he limped out of The Players’ Championship after just nine holes, 12 weeks ago.

At such odds, Woods is considered by most placing free bets to be the fourth favorite to win the tournament, testament to his undoubted ability as a player.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is a Northern Irishman who goes into the event as favourite. US Open winner Rory McIlroy will be looking to put a disappointing British Open behind him, and remind the world that he is one of the finest players in golf at the moment.

England’s Lee Westwood is another who will be hoping to win this week – he is second favourite, just ahead of Steve Stricker.

But it is Woods who will no doubt be the main talking point.

There are many questions that cannot be answered until he gets out onto the course and shows everyone what level he is at. Read the rest of this entry →