Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Park on verge of golfing immortality

Inbee Park can make golfing history if she was to win the British Open title on Sunday

(CNN) -- On May 31st 1930, on this very course, Bobby Jones won the British Amateur.

As thousands of fans flocked towards him in the aftermath of his victory, little did they realize they'd just witnessed the first leg of what was then termed the 'Improbable Quadrilateral.'

Never mind improbable, it was considered pretty much impossible, inconceivable, that one man could win all four majors in a year, but by September Jones had completed what is now known as the 'Grand Slam' of golf.

No-one, not Hogan, not Nicklaus, not Woods, nor Sorenstam, Ochoa or Tseng, has ever matched that achievement in the 83 years that have followed.

Read: Park sets sights on 'grand slam

But on Thursday morning, a woman from South Korea steps onto the same Old Course at St Andrews with a chance to rewrite that particular line of golfing history.

Inbee Park arrived in Scotland as the winner of all three majors played so far this year, in itself a staggering achievement.

As she set off for her final practice round on Wednesday, we were among a traveling caravan of video and stills photographers, most from Asia, eager to capture her image on the verge of immortality at the home of golf.

And yet it is impossible to escape the feeling that were this a male player on the verge of joining the game's most exclusive club, the swell of interest would be significantly, demonstrably, higher.

"Men's golf.... is bigger than women's golf -- that's just the way it is. I can't change the world," Park told CNN World Sport.

"I think I'm getting a lot of attention. If I got more attention I think it would be too much for me: it's tough to handle that kind of pressure."

That doesn't mean Park hasn't allowed herself to entertain the thought that she could emulate Jones' feat.

Tiger Woods won four in a row across 2000 and 2001: Hogan won three in 1953 and was unable to compete in the PGA; in 1950, "Babe" Zaharias had won all three existing majors in the women's game.

But no-one since Jones has won four majors in a single year.

On completion of his landmark, mentally and physically exhausted, the 28-year-old declared he just didn't know when he'd be playing again. Effectively he left the competitive game.

Park won't be following suit, even if her profile goes through the roof should she be the one clutching the British Open trophy come Sunday night.

"It'd be something so big, thinking about my name being in the history of golf, even after I die, is just amazing, especially in St Andrews on the Old Course, it's going to be even more special," she added.

She revealed that among those sending her good luck messages have been the President of South Korea and a certain Arnold Palmer.

"I feel like I'm just so lucky to have this kind of experience at this kind of golf course. It's something I never really dreamed of, not this big.

"I feel very honoured to have this kind of experience, and even if I don't win this week I'll always remember this moment and I'll always remember St Andrews' Old Course."

Inbee's keen not to seem too eager for the prize, and is understandably trying to take some pressure off herself.

"If I try to push myself to do it this week, I think that's being greedy, but if I wait and just be patient and have the trophy come to me, that'd be great," she explained.

"Sometimes you have bad weeks and sometimes you have good weeks. If I have a good week here that'd be great, but if not, it's ok."

South Koreans have been the major force in the women's game for the past 15 years, since Se Ri Pak won two majors in her rookie 1998 season, and again this week players from Asia dominate the field.

"I think people are just so interested in golf and they have a big passion for golf, because their personality is so strong and they really want to be good," suggests Park.

"Their parents' support is so big. But the one real factor is that they love golf."

At three minutes past seven on Thursday morning Park will stand on the first tee of the Old Course, where Bobby Jones stood just over 83 years ago.

The odds against her are significant. The field is packed with former major winners. But were she to do it, it would be one of the most incredible achievements in sporting history.

And then, in a strange postscript, Park would have the chance to go one better.

This year, the women's game has a new fifth major, the Evian, taking place in September. Park won the 2012 installment and is among the front runners once again. Now that really would be greedy.


Via: Park on verge of golfing immortality

Monday, July 29, 2013

Snedeker profits from Mahan's new arrival

American Brandt Snedeker is placed seventh in golf's world rankings.

(CNN) -- It was a weekend that Brandt Snedeker and Hunter Mahan will never forget.

For Snedeker, it saw him clinch a three-shot victory at the Canadian Open and climb to third in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup standings.

But the American benefited from the withdrawal from the tournament of halfway leader Hunter Mahan, who left the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Ontario after receiving news his wife Kandi had gone into labor.

Kandi gave birth to a daughter, Zoe Olivia Mahan, and Snedeker plans to send the newborn a gift for inadvertently aiding his sixth PGA Tour win.

Read: Fans to choose pin position for final major

"Zoe will be getting a very nice baby gift from me," the 32-year-old told the PGA Tour's website after finishing the tournament 16-under par ahead of William McGirt in second place.

"I can't thank Kandi enough for going into labor early. I don't know if I'd be sitting here if she hadn't.

"But that is a way more important thing than a golf tournament. I missed a golf tournament when my first was born, and it was the best decision I ever made. I'm sure Hunter would say the same thing."

Read: Golf's mind doctor on McIlroy

Snedeker is the reigning FedEx Cup champion and Sunday's win, his second of 2013, leaves him behind compatriots Matt Kuchar and world No. 1 Tiger Woods in the standings.

"It feels great to get a win," added Snedeker.

"To validate all the hard work I've put in over the past three months where I haven't played my best and know that I'm working on the right stuff and able to hold up under some pretty serious pressure this afternoon.

"To win a tournament like this with those pivotal holes coming down the stretch means a lot."


Via: Snedeker profits from Mahan's new arrival

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Mahan quits Canadian Open to attend birth of child

Hunter Mahan has returned to Dallas after his wife Kandi went into labor.

(CNN) -- Halfway leader Hunter Mahan has pulled out of the Canadian Open after his wife went into labor.

The 31-year-old, who was leading the tournament by two shots after 36 holes, was on the practice ground when he received a telephone call informing him of the news.

"I received exciting news a short time ago that my wife Kandi has gone into labor with our first child," Mahan said in a statement.

"Kandi and I are thrilled about the addition to the Mahan family and we look forward to returning to the RBC Canadian Open in the coming years."

Opening rounds of 67 and 64 had taken Mahan to 13-under par and a two-shot lead over John Merrick at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario before he rushed back to Dallas.

But Merrick, who equaled the course record on Friday with a round of 62, couldn't capitalize on Mahan's unexpected exit and slipped down the field to 12th place with only a handful of holes left to play on Saturday.

Instead, it was Brandt Snedeker who seized the initiative firing a nine-under par round of 63.

The Nashville native is 14-under par, one shot ahead of Sweden's David Lingmerth whose round of 65 included an eagle three at the last.

American's Matt Kuchar and Jason Bohn are one shot further back on 12-under following rounds of 64 and 66 respectively while Dustin Johnson is in a four-way tie for fifth after shooting 63 earlier in the day.

Johnson, who played with Mahan in the first two rounds, is tied on 11-under par with compatriot's Kyle Stanley and Charley Hoffman and England's Greg Owen.

"I actually didn't know that (his wife was due) until my caddy Bobby told me on 18. Hopefully everything goes all right," Johnson said, PGATour.com reported.

"I know it's one of those situations where you probably wouldn't expect him to have to leave. But sometimes that's just how it works. He's playing really well right now, but yeah, I mean, things happen, and obviously I'm in a good position for going into tomorrow," he added, PGATour.com reported.


Via: Mahan quits Canadian Open to attend birth of child

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

What's your pin? Fans get PGA Championship chance

Golf fans will be able to vote on where the pin on the 15th hole at Oakland Hills will sit for August's PGA Championship.

(CNN) -- Golf fans from around the world will have a chance to make history at next month's PGA Championship with just a click of a button.

Fans have been given the unique opportunity to design part of the course setup by deciding just where to place the pin on the par-three 15th at Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, New York.

An online poll offers four different positions for the pin on the 181-yard hole, which is downhill with a narrow green, surrounded by water and two bunkers.

The "PGA Championship Pick the Hole Location Challenge" is hosted by Jack Nicklaus, who won the final of his five PGA championships at Oakhill in 1980.

"The chance for golf fans to interact with the PGA Championship and play a role in shaping the outcome of the final round fascinates me," Nicklaus told the PGA's official website.

"It's like being able to call the shots during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. In addition to playing a key role in the outcome of the Championship, golf fans can learn many aspects of on-course strategy, as the PGA of America and I present educational videos to enhance their golf experience.

"I believe this new concept will serve as an exciting hands-on learning experience for golf fans and I'm happy to be involved."

Voting finishes on August 10 -- the day before Rory McIlroy begins the defense of his title.

PGA President Ted Bishop believes the social media interaction will help boost the profile of golf's final major of the season.

"The PGA of America is delighted to present this innovative opportunity, as we believe this is the first time that consumers have been able to make a direct and significant impact on a global sports arena," said Bishop.

"We are honored that the legendary Jack Nicklaus will lead fans as their host and teacher in understanding the nuances that the greatest players in golf consider and think about regarding course setup and hole locations -- and the effect their selection will have on the eventual outcome of the 95th PGA Championship."

Read: Mickelson savors his 'greatest day'

Meanwhile, England's Lee Westwood will hope to finally break his major duck at Oak Hill after squandering a glorious opportunity a the Open Championship.

Westwood threw away a two-shot lead at Muirfield allowing Phil Mickelson to roar up the leaderboard and snatch victory.

"Obviously, I was a little bit disappointed not to play well on the last day and to win the Open Championship, but as a golfer, you have to take the positives out whenever you can," he told reporters.

"You don't win very often and it was a top-three (finish) in another major championship. I didn't feel like I had my best game but I still had a two-shot lead going into the final round, so that's a positive."


Via: What's your pin? Fans get PGA Championship chance

Mickelson wins British Open with late charge

It's a dramatic final day at Muirfield. Another birdie on the 18th puts Phil Mickelson in the driving seat to win his first British Open title.

(CNN) -- All the talk at Muirfield has been about which drought would be broken.

Would world No. 1 Tiger Woods win his first major in five years? Could Lee Westwood complete his 18-year quest for a major title?

No-one talked much about Phil Mickelson, on his own personal mission to end a British Open quest that began in 1991 at Royal Birkdale.

But at the 20th time of asking, the man known as 'Lefty' produced some of the most dynamic golf of his career to electrify the galleries and finally wrap his hands round the Claret Jug.

Four birdies on the final six holes saw Mickelson surge up the leaderboard, his last on the 18th green prompting tears as the enormity of his achievement sunk in.

Read: Mickelson ends European drought

Starting the day five shots off the lead he won his fifth major at a canter, three clear of Sweden's Henrik Stenson in second, with Westwood joint third and Woods in a share of sixth.

No wonder the 43-year-old told the gallery at Muirfield it was his finest ever round, a glittering career now only lacking one of the four golfing majors, the U.S. Open.

"It's an amazing feeling," Mickelson told a press conference. "I hit some of the best shots I've ever hit, putted better than I've ever putted.

"I needed to show up and play some of the best golf of my career and that's what I did. It's a day I'll always cherish.

"I was behind the whole day. The putt at 13 was going to make the day go one way or another. It's very hard to make birdies here.

"I had to compose myself up to 18 because when I walking up to the green I realized this championship was in my control. That's when I started to get emotional.

"It's a special moment to be a part of the history this championship. This has been the biggest challenge of my career to capture this trophy."

Day three: Woods hunting Westwood

The clear skies and bright sunshine that graced the opening three days of the 142nd Open were absent by the time the final round began to form a decisive shape.

As the majority of spectators alternated between the final two groups, Mickelson was steadily, and stealthily, winding his way through the field under a blanket of cloud on the East Lothian coast.

He reached the turn at two-under, by which time the frontrunners had begun to shed shots. Slowly but surely, the galleries got wind of his charge and made a beeline for Lefty.

It was the 13th where the momentum swung his way, a birdie putt sparking a run that was to end with him posing for photos with the Claret Jug as the main grandstand was enveloped in late afternoon gloom.

Another birdie on 14 moved him one shot behind then leader Scott, before two perfect blows to the par five 17th saw him infused with adrenalin as he seized the outright lead for the first time in the Championship.

By this time Scott had carded four consecutive bogeys, the same run that saw him relinquish the lead 12 months ago at Royal Lytham to allow South African Ernie Els to claim his second Open title.

Another Mickelson birdie on the final hole saw him punching the air, hugging his caddy Jim 'Bones' Mackay and breaking down as he realized he'd finally landed the one crown he wasn't sure his game was equipped to deliver.

It was his second victory in a week after he won the Scottish Open and goes some way to repairing the desolation he felt after losing out on the U.S. Open crown to England's Justin Rose at Merion last month.

Read: Rose beats birthday boy Mickelson

For home hoppe Westwood, the final day only served to reinforce the widely-held notion that his game isn't sturdy enough to close out a major championship.

Leading by two as he teed off in front of a supportive crowd at 2:10pm local time, he managed just one birdie and carded five bogeys.

It meant he ended a 62nd major without topping the leaderboard, extending an unwanted record that weighs heavily around his neck.

"I didn't play that badly -- probably not so well at seven, eight or nine," he explained to reporters.

"Phil must have played really well for five under par this afternoon, especially with a breeze going. That is a special finish in a major championship."

Woods too will rue missed opportunities as he goes in search of the 15th title that will end his half-decade without a major championship.

Three birdies were canceled out by six bogeys and he could only watch from the 14th green as, only 30 yards away, Mickelson marched up the 17th on his way to a pivotal birdie to a rapturous ovation from the crowd.

"It was frustrating. I played well," Woods told reporters. "I could just never get the speed right today.

"I had a hard time adjusting to the speeds. They were much slower today, much softer. I don't think I got too many putts to the hole today.

"I really had a hard time and left myself a couple of long lag putts early on when [the wind] was really blowing, and left them way short and didn't make those putts."


Via: Mickelson wins British Open with late charge

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Mickelson savors his 'greatest day'

(CNN) -- They were tears of pride, of relief, but most of all, tears that marked the end of Phil Mickelson's 22-year battle to conquer the greatest test in the game of golf.

The wind, the weather, the firm ground, the prohibitive rough -- all components of nature that make links golf one of the biggest challenges to any player.

Until the final Sunday of the 142nd British Open at Muirfield, Mickelson didn't know if he had in his locker all the elements to suppress Scotland's elements.

But the emphatic answer came in a frenzied final few hours of the championship, a blizzard of birdies propelling 'Lefty' towards his fifth major title, and the sweetest of his career to date.

Read: Mickelson wins British Open with late charge

Surging through the field with four birdies in the final six holes he cast aside the likes of 14-time major winner Tiger Woods and Masters champion Adam Scott to conclude a journey that began on the links of Lancashire in England back in 1991.

At the 20th time of asking, the British Open crown was his.

"Winning this Open Championship -- the tournament that has been the most elusive and the most difficult for me to play my best in -- is probably the greatest accomplishment of my career," he told CNN World Sport.

"It's special to be part of the Championship, to be on the Claret Jug, to have won this tournament. Muirfield is a special golf course, a very demanding test, but all Open courses are demanding.

"Any win here is special because the links style of golf is so unique and to finally break through and conquer links golf is a great accomplishment for me and my career."

Resilience has been a steadfast theme in Mickelson's make up throughout his time as a professional.

Just five Sundays ago Mickelson suffered the heartbreak of yet another second-placed finish in the only major championship that continues to elude him -- the U.S. Open.

Read: Mickelson ends European drought

It was the sixth time he'd finished runner-up in the tournament and he left the viciously difficult Merion course distraught that England's Justin Rose had beaten him by one shot.

But after stewing on yet another near miss for a few days, he resolved to work even harder on his game, the fruits of which poured forth on the course beside the Firth of Forth.

"Part of golf is dealing with failure, dealing with losing," he explained moments after conducting his first press conference as British Open champion.

"The U.S. Open was a very difficult loss for me because it was a tournament that I've wanted to win so badly throughout my career. I've come so close and to let it slide at Merion was a huge disappointment.

"But after a few days of sulking I was able to reassess and see that I was playing some of the best golf of my career and that I didn't want to let a tournament that got away affect these future events.

"I used it as a motivating factor to work a little harder and get ready for these upcoming majors."

Mickelson's dozen

It was a sensational final half dozen holes that catapulted Mickelson into the lead, a run that none of the other contenders could match.

By the time he reached the 17th the 43-year-old knew the championship was in his sights and two shots he described as "screaming bullets" helped him land a fatal blow on his rivals.

Playing at 575 yards, and into the wind, Mickelson struck two perfect three woods, to roll his second onto the green, take two putts for a regulation birdie putt and clasp one hand on the Claret Jug.

"I've been playing some of my best golf these last few months, striking the ball better than I ever have," he added.

"But there are two areas of my game that have really changed. One is putting -- you saw today -- I'm putting the best I've ever putted in my career, I'm making everything.

"The second is driving the ball off the tee. I have a club now -- a three wood -- I hit long and I hit it straight.

"On 17 I hit two three woods where not many people are getting there in two -- these screaming bullets down the middle of the fairway when I had to hit the fairway -- then onto the green for an easy two-putt birdie.

"It's what won me this British Open and it's what's giving me a chance to compete and contend in these big events now because I'm able to get the ball on the fairway without any of the problems I've had in the past."

Team Mickelson

After another birdie on the final hole, the emotion that Mickelson had been wrestling with in the closing stages poured out, as he embraced long-time caddy Jim 'Bones' Mackay.

And he paid tribute to the team around him, and his family, after a triumph that enshrines his name amidst 142 years of Open history.

"I'm really lucky to have such special people in my life," he said.

"Bones is Bones, he's the best at what he does and to have him my entire career, I'm so lucky.

"And then to have a life partner like Amy and to have three healthy children, to have those people in my life makes moments like this even more fulfilling to be able to share it with them."


Via: Mickelson savors his 'greatest day'

Monday, July 22, 2013

Single-sex golf clubs?

The "battle of testosterone" at Muirfield will decide who takes home the British Open's Claret Jug trophy but women are not allowed to join the clubhouse as members.

(CNN) -- There are cool whites instead of lush greens, herbal showers instead of holes-in-one and empowering juices not intoxicating malt whiskies on the bar menu.

A sleek health club in central London and Muirfield -- home to golf's 2013 British Open -- might not have much in common but they are agreed on one thing -- they only accept members of a certain sex.

Grace Belgravia is one of a few female private members club in the U.K. while, north of the Scottish border, Muirfield is notorious for its men-only membership code.

Women are invited to play at the historic club as visitors or guests but cannot become members, a policy the club has no plans to change.

But is there still a place in the 21st Century's equality-conscious society for single-gender institutions?

"Why should there not be?" Kate Percival, co-founder of Grace Belgravia told CNN in the club's tranquil environs. "It's not anti-feminist, it's not anti-men.

"It's just a fact that some women, not all women, feel more comfortable in an environment where there are other women around.

Battle of the testosterone

"The women that come here know it's a very relaxing place because the men are not here. This becomes a haven, a sanctuary from the battle of the testosterone."

At Muirfield the "battle of testosterone" will be very much in evidence when golf's oldest major tees off on Thursday and no-one watching the prestigious tournament will be particularly troubled by this primeval male instinct.

But when the Open is awarded to Muirfield -- one of three clubs along with Royal St George's and Royal Troon on the Open rotation which still operate men-only membership policies -- there is always intense criticism.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has publicly pronounced his disapproval of the male-only policy by effectively boycotting the event.

There is a view that holding a global tournament at a club which does not accept female members vindicates Victorian values of patriarchy and keeps women in their place.

But Percival does not necessarily agree -- instead she argues that male-only or female-only policies represent an expression of freedom, not constraint.

"If what people are trying to say is that it is putting women down because they aren't allowed to join, I don't think that's the issue," Percival said.

"If men want to have their own club by all means have their own club, if women want to similarly.

"If some men choose to play golf only with men that is absolutely fine. No-one is forcing anyone to go to an all-male club.

"When Grace Belgravia opened there was just one comment right at the beginning when a journalist said this was anti-feminist.

"I think the point that they were trying to make is that women have striven for hundreds of years to have equality and someone is going backwards by having a women's only club but I just couldn't understand that argument.

"For me, this is really liberating and really being independent of thought, saying no, we want our space because there are lots of issues we want to take up."

Golf economics

Nestled at the back of the19th Century village of Lundin Links is a parkland golf course, home to the Lundin Ladies Golf Club -- which claims to be the oldest female-only golf club in the world and the only one in Scotland.

The club was established in 1891 as a separate entity from the nearby men's club and is now run solely by women as a picturesque place for a game of nine holes. Men can play on the ladies' course but only women can become members.

"It's a nice welcoming environment for ladies getting into golf," club captain Anne Dobie told CNN. "We have beautiful views up to the north."

But with a dwindling number of local ladies that play golf, Dobie concedes that it might be difficult to survive as a single-gender club.

"A lot of our members are quite elderly," Dobie explained. "It's the way that things are now. Young women are working and working longer. That's a bit of a downside.

"Most clubs are just a ladies section in a mixed club so it does mean there are considerable extra responsibilities such as staff, ground maintenance, starters and two greenkeepers.

"Financially it's becoming more difficult as time goes on as we don't have the numbers. The older ladies here will talk about when they used to come up to pay to play on the course in the summer holidays.

"People used to be desperate to play and queue up but we're not in that favorable position now.

"We are finding it harder to make ends meet and the longevity of the club probably is not too rosy."

Just up the road at the Lundin Links men's club -- where a weekday round costs $120 -- the scenario could not be more different.

"There is no comparison with our wealth and the wealth that is in the men's club," Dobie added. "They still have a waiting list for membership. They are in a very fortunate position financially.

"The ladies' club might just be sustainable if we have a closer relationship with the men's club."

In fact, Dobie argues that closer relationships between men and women in the game of golf -- and beyond -- could be the solution to the furore over the female-ban at Muirfield.

"We may all have to give in to the point where all clubs are mixed," she said. "It's the way things are going in society and in sports.

"I don't see that sports clubs have any reason to be any different. It's just equality in all things.

"In time, what we're doing just now will look pretty archaic to future generations when they see that certain people were excluded from certain golf clubs."

Historic hangover

Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A, which organizes the Open, argues that the single-sex policy of Muirfield -- and others -- is a historic hangover.

"Single sex clubs are still something of a feature in Scotland," Dawson told CNN. "It's a historical thing actually because women came to the game of golf when men were already established.

"It's something that is reported as an issue far more than the actuality of it. We have a situation where about 1% of clubs in the UK are single sex - it's a very small number.

"Golf has moved on from the stereotypes of 50 years ago. It is chalk and cheese and we'll just have to wait and see what happens in the year ahead."

In Windsor in the south of England there is already a positive example of a single-gender club that has happily merged into mixed living.

The Sunningdale Ladies' Golf Club -- which can count the late Queen Mother as its club captain in the 1932 -- was established in 1902 as a place for women to play the game.

It took more than a century for men to be admitted as members -- but club secretary Simon Sheppard says the advantages of mixed membership are self evident.

Good mixers

"There are ladies out there who do not want to join a ladies-only club," Sheppard told CNN.

"Then there are other people who might feel intimidated by a male-dominated environment. Here those people might feel less intimidated.

"Society is mixed so there is no reason for this club not to be. The best friends I've made, I've made playing golf.

"I play golf here with my wife very happily and afterwards we have a damn good Sunday lunch in the clubhouse."

Whether it is tee for two or tea for two, the concept is one that Percival is also happy to endorse, even within the walls of female oasis Grace Belgravia.

"Invariably in the evening, our members invite male partners in for drinks or an event or lectures," Percival explained.

"A lot of women love the fact that they have their own space during the day but it's nice to have a mix of things.

"It's fine to invite the opposite sex in as guests -- it's quite civilized as men and women do sit side by side -- but if the core of the club is also about single-sex, that's fine too."

And if golf's global organizers wanted to make a stand for equality they could always hold the men's Open at a ladies-only golf club.

Wouldn't that equal things out?

"The Open, held at a ladies club?" Dobie ponders incredulously. " It will NEVER happen."


Via: Single-sex golf clubs?

U.S. PGA ends putter opposition

The

(CNN) -- The U.S. PGA Tour has ended its opposition to a change in golf's rulebook by agreeing to adopt the ban on the use of controversial anchored putters from 2016.

The putters -- where the top of the club rests on the belly or another body part -- have been used to win four of the last seven majors,

Golf's governing bodies -- the United States Golf Association (USGA) and the R&A -- made the ruling in May, but the PGA wanted more time before deciding whether to apply the new rule to competitions under its jurisdiction in the U.S.

But the PGA -- after a meeting at the end of June -- will now fall in with the ban to "avoid confusion" in the global game.

"A ban on anchored strokes would not fundamentally affect a strong presentation of our competitions or the overall success of the PGA Tour," said Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.

"Having a single set of rules on acceptable strokes applicable to all professional competitions worldwide was desirable and would avoid confusion.

"In making its decision, the Policy Board recognized that there are still varying opinions among our membership."

Earlier this year after several months of consultation, golf's governing bodies decided to introduce a new ruling banning anchored putters .

They explained in a statement at the time: "In adopting Rule 14-1b, the USGA and The R&A have concluded that freely swinging the entire club is integral to maintaining the traditions of the game and preserving golf as an enjoyable game of skill and challenge."

The PGA's change of heart means it will now join the European Tour, the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour in introducing a ban on anchored strokes on January 1 2016.

However, the PGA added that it would likely delay the ban in the amateur game beyond 2016, arguing it would be "beneficial for golf participation and the overall health of the game."

The PGA Tour also stressed that it would not be afraid to oppose rule changes instigated by the golf's global rule-makers in the future.

Adam Scott was the latest major winner to use an anchored putter -- where the top of the club rests on the belly or another body part -- on his way to a sensational playoff victory at the Masters in April.

Read: Why Adam's Scott win caused unease in golf world

England's Justin Rose, who won the U.S. Open at the Merion Golf Club last month, used a regulation 37-inch putter after deciding the anchored devices were not for him.

American Keegan Bradley was the first player to capture a major using a long putter at the 2011 PGA Championship, with compatriot Webb Simpson, winner of the 2012 U.S. Open, and last year's British Open victor Ernie Els of South Africa following suit.

Professional players like Scott and Els will now have to adapt their game on the greens before the ban is introduced.


Via: U.S. PGA ends putter opposition

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Looking forward to Muirfield

Phil Mickelson hugs his three children after winning the Scottish Open in a playoff at Castle Stuart.

(CNN) -- Phil Mickelson did it the hard way. But the bottom line was that he came away victorious from the Scottish Open to end a 20-year individual drought in Europe.

Mickelson beat South Africa's Branden Grace in a playoff on the links course at Castle Stuart in the Scottish Highlands on Sunday for his first win in Europe since claiming a Challenge Tour event in Paris in 1993.

It was the perfect preparation for Mickelson ahead of the British Open that starts Thursday at Muirfield in Scotland. It must have also eased the pain of finishing second again at the U.S. Open last month.

"This is really cool," Mickelson, in his ninth appearance at the Scottish Open, was quoted as saying by the European Tour's website. "It's important to me, and it's probably the biggest challenge of my career hitting the shots that are required here.

"To win here and to play well here, finally win on a links golf course, it really means a lot to me and it also builds my confidence heading into future Scottish and British Opens."

Read: Mickelson a runner-up at Merion

The highest ranked golfer in the field at No. 8, Mickelson blew a chance to win the title in regulation when he erred on the 18th hole.

Needing only a par five -- he didn't drop a shot at the 18th in the first three rounds -- Mickelson struck a bogey to complete his round at three-under 69 and was 17 under through four rounds, like Grace.

But in the playoff at the same hole he recovered, edging Grace by hitting a birdie.

"I was so mad at myself for mentally losing my focus that I came out on that 18th (in the playoff) pretty focused to make a four," said the American. "I started coming here around 2000 or so and spent a lot of years here enjoying my time in Scotland and enjoying this competition.

"And to finally win, that feels great."

Mickelson and Grace were tied for second behind Sweden's Henrik Stenson heading into the final round.

Stenson's two-shot lead evaporated when he fired a one-over 73 and he finished tied for second with Denmark's JB Hansen.


Via: Looking forward to Muirfield

'Brian dead' play costs McIlroy at Open

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy described himself as "brain dead" and "unconscious" after shooting an eight-over-par 79 on day one of the British Open.

(CNN) -- Unconscious. Brain dead. Rory McIlroy was in a brutally reflective mood in the words he chose to describe his opening round in the British Open

The world no.2 carded an eight-over-par round of 79 as the world's golfing giants made their first forays on Scotland's testing Muirfield course.

All the golfers are contending with the rarities of a British heatwave but McIlroy said he was tortured by a long-term torpor.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm walking around out there and I'm unconscious," said McIlroy, a two-time major winner, told the media.

"I just need to try to think more. I'm trying to focus and trying to concentrate.

"But I can't really fathom it at the minute, and it's hard to stand up here and tell you what's really wrong

"It's just so brain dead. Seriously, I feel like I've been walking around out there like that for the last couple of months. I'm trying to get out of it."

Read: The God of golf

McIlroy lost his top ranking to Tiger Woods in March and the Northern Ireland golfer is still searching for his first win in 2013, having only chosen to enter seven tournaments before the Open.

The 24-year-old's slump in form has also been linked to his switch to Nike equipment this year in a deal reported to be worth $250m.

McIlroy struggled to the turn at Muirfield in one over before two painful double-bogeys and four bogeys on the back nine left him searching for answers.

A comeback of epic proportions is required if McIlroy can make the cut for the third major of the year.

"I want to try to be here for the weekend," McIlroy said. "But the thing that I need to do tomorrow is just go out there and freewheel it and try and make birdies and try and play with that little bit of whatever it is I have usually."

McIlroy faced questions about his dubious form on the eve of the Open with suggestions his high-profile relationships with Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki was a distraction.

But he rebuffed that suggestion, saying: "No, not at all, no, no. It's not that at all. No, I'm fully focused on the golf out there."

McIlroy wasn't the only golfer mired at Muirfield, where temperatures nudging 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 Celsius) had hardened the course and sped up the greens.

Read: Muirfield puts in the extra mile

U.S Open winner Justin Rose finished on four over par after carding a 75 which included just a single birdie on the 17th hole.

Fellow Briton Luke Donald, the world No. 9, finished five shots further adrift of Rose after going round the links course in 80 while Australian Masters champion Adam Scott settled for a par-round of 71.

Tiger Woods, on the hunt for his first major win since 2008, was one over at the turn but clawed his way back into contention on the back nine.

The 14-time major winner lashed his opening tee-shot into the rough and ended up taking a penalty drop but four birdies - and just one bogey - on the run-in helped him finish on two-under.

"There wasn't a lot of talking out there because we're trying to grind it out on that golf course, and it's one of those courses where it just got so difficult," Woods told reporters.

"As the golf course dried out it got quick. Some of these putts today, I mean, I putted the ball off the green today. And it really wasn't that bad a putt."

Eagle eye

Fellow American Zach Johnson, winner of the 2007 Masters, held the overnight lead with a five-under 66.

It was a punchy round from the 37-year-old, who eagled the long par-five fifth and dropped just a single stroke at the 14th.

"Any time you shoot under par in an Open or a major, for that matter, you have to be putting at least decent and I putted great," Johnson told reporters.

The American holds a one-shot lead over 57-year-old compatriot Mark O'Meara and Spain's Rafael Cabrera-Bello, who both carded 67.

Next came a group of five players -- Americans Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker and Tom Lehman, Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain and India's Shiv Kapur -- on three under.

Read: Meet the new kid on the block

American teenager Jordan Speith, who beat Zach Johnson and David Hearn to the John Deere Classic title in a play-off earlier this month, joined Woods on two-under.

That victory earned the 19-year-old the last spot in the British Open and the debutant is in relaxed mood at Muirfield.

"It has been a great couple of weeks," Speith said. "I've kind of accomplished more than I'd thought possible this year."

What wouldn't McIlroy give to be able to say the same thing?


Via: 'Brian dead' play costs McIlroy at Open

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Woods hunts Westwood in Open

Major-hungry Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood are vying for the British Open crown

Muirfield (CNN) -- It is a British Open Sunday dripping with potential storylines.

Another sun-drenched day on Muirfield's links ended with Tiger Woods in the hunt to break his five-year major drought; standing in his way is a man gunning for his first at the 62nd attempt.

Lee Westwood played in his first Open Championship 18 years ago and is still to claim his breakthrough title after years spent hovering around the game's top echelons.

On increasingly parched terrain, the 40-year-old Englishman's much-maligned putting stroke held firm over the closing holes as he entered the sanctuary of the clubhouse on three-under, a lead of two shots.

Woods lies locked on one-under with fellow American Hunter Mahan, whose 68 was the best round of the day, while Masters champion Adam Scott, from Australia, is a further shot back on level par.

Day two: Veteran Jimenez leads at halfway

The tournament's overnight leader, Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez, slipped six shots off the pace after carding a disappointing 77 while Sweden's Henrik Stenson is in a clutch of players on one-over that includes two-time major winner Angel Cabrera.

Westwood has come close on several occasions, finishing in the top five on no fewer than eight occasions, but his run of 61 majors without success is an unwanted record.

Despite being on the precipice, he said he'll sleep soundly knowing he could be hours from filling the glaring hole in his golfing resume.

"I'm not in a high pressure situation because I'm going to go and have dinner and I'm so good with a knife and fork now I don't feel any pressure at all," he joked in a press conference.

"I'll think about winning the Open Championship tonight at some stage I'm sure -- I don't think there's anything wrong with picturing yourself holding the Claret Jug on the final green.

"But when it comes down to it tomorrow and I tee off about 3pm I'll be in the same frame of mind as I was today.

"Even though I haven't won a major championship I know what it takes to win one. It's just a case of going out there tomorrow and having confidence in my game."

Day one: Brain-dead play costs McIlroy

Woods, meanwhile, was upbeat about his chances of securing a 15th major, having grappled with a loss of form and a series of injuries since his last triumph, at the U.S. Open in 2008, when he played with Westwood on the final day.

But with four PGA Tour titles under his belt already this season the 37-year-old has underlined his ability to close out tournaments.

"I'm only two back, there's only guy ahead of me and we'll see what they do tomorrow," Woods told a press conference. "I noticed everybody this morning was leaving the ball short, couldn't get a ball in the hole.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge of it, I've been in this position before over the last five years. I've been in that mix and I'm in it again.

"Hopefully I can play well and win the tournament."

Unsurprisingly for a man into his 19th Open campaign, Westwood's popularity among the patrons of the tournament was cemented long ago, reflected in the vociferous thousands who cheered him on through his round.

Debate: Single-sex clubs: Not just for golfers?

One of the biggest roars was reserved for his eagle on the fifth hole, propelling him back into credit after an early bogey.

A birdie on the seventh was immediately canceled out by dropped shots on eight and nine as he teetered towards the turn.

Woods balanced two birdies with two bogeys on the front nine as both players began the homeward stretch on exactly the same score as they had set off with from the first tee.

But it was Westwood whose nerve held strongest as the pair, and the swelled ranks of the gallery, winded their way back towards Muirfield's clubhouse, a landmark that has stood on the East Lothian coast since 1891.

A birdie was a formality for Westwood after a delicate approach to the 14th but his round threatened to disintegrate on the par three 16th hole after shoving his tee shot into the thick rough that has tied many of the world's finest players in knots this week.

After a fluffed second and a third that left him with much to do, the man who moved to Florida to hone his shot game holed a critical putt to limit the damage.

Meanwhile Woods saw his birdie attempt shave the left side of the hole. It was to prove a costly miss when his tee shot on the 17th trickled into one of the many sand traps that complement these famous links.

Woods missed a ten foot putt for par while Westwood made one of similar range to edge to three-under and prise open a slice of daylight between himself and the chasing pack.

Mahan is also searching for his first major championship and his round of 68 was better than anything produced on the third day of competition. He'll be in the final pairing with Westwood on Sunday.

"You've got to have the belief before you can win it," Mahan explained to reporters. "I think with trusting yourself you can go out there and do all kinds of great stuff."

U-Turns

But as the denouement of this great sporting drama enters its twilight hour, it is the names of Westwood and Woods that will burn the lips of fans who'll pour through the gates on the last day of competition.

As the pair shook hands after regulation pars on the final green they departed knowing they are only 18 holes from ending the drought, but will it be five or 18 years of pain erased come Sunday evening in Scotland?

Or will the agony of waiting continue?

The wait for next year's British Open ended swiftly for Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee as he made a U-turn from London's Heathrow airport back to Edinburgh after finding out he had made the cut for the weekend.

"This is the first time in my life that this has happened to me but it was quite fun!" said Thongchai, who added ruefully he had been looking forward to seeing his family in Thailand.

Former Open champion Paul Lawrie had to abandon walking his dog after also heading home to Aberdeenshire only to find out he had also survived the cut.


Via: Woods hunts Westwood in Open

Friday, July 19, 2013

Veteran Jimenez leads at halfway

Miguel Angel Jimenez put up another superb display at Muirfield to claim the halfway lead at the British Open.

(CNN) -- 49 years of age and still going strong, Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez delighted the Muirfield galleries to lead the British Open at the halfway stage Friday.

Jimenez, a real crowd favorite with his flamboyant approach both on and off the course, drew on all his experience to card a level-par 71 for three-under 139.

A strengthening wind and fast running greens and fairways made the famous links course in East Lothian a brutal test, with only a few golfers passing a stern examination.

Read: There's more to life than golf, says Jimenez

Among them, chasing his elusive 15th major, was World No.1 Tiger Woods, who also carded a 71 to be in a select group on two-under, one off the lead.

Woods rolled in a confidence boosting birdie on the 18th and admitted conditions had been tough.

"It was difficult out there today," he told gathered reporters.

Woods said patience would be the key over the weekend with conditions predicted to stay the same. "Just continue plodding along. Just continue being patient, putting the ball in the right spots," he said. "We're not going to get a lot of opportunities out there."

Woods has good company in the chasing group with 40-year-old Englishman Lee Westwood, who shot a joint best of the day 68, Swede Henrik Stenson and fellow American Dustin Johnson.

Overnight leader Zach Johnson fell away with a 75 but is still in contention in the pack at one-under-par with Scotland's Martin Laird, Rafael Cabrera-Bello of Spain and Argentine veteran Angel Cabrera.

Read: Mickelson warms up with Scottish win

Jimenez, who became the oldest winner on the European Tour earlier this season, said age should not be a barrier to success on the course.

"Only the young people can do it? I love what I'm doing. I play golf for a living. Same thing 25 years. I enjoy myself," he told the official British Open website.

"I keep elastic and flexible. I'm still able to shoot low and still here. Tomorrow if I cannot shoot low, I will not be here, you don't worry," he added with a smile.

American Phil Mickelson looked set to take closer order, but a four-putt nightmare on the 16th showed the speed of the surfaces and set him back in his tracks.

He ended with a three-over 74 for one-over 143, bracketed with reigning Masters champion Adam Scott of Australia, former Masters winners Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel, 2011 British Open winner Darren Clarke and England's Ian Poulter.

Read: 'Brain dead' play costs McIlroy at Muirfield

But there will be no back to back major wins for Justin Rose as the English star missed the cut after his Merion heroics at the U.S. Open.

Former World No.1's Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald will also not be around for the weekend despite the cut being made at seven-over-par.

But defending champion Ernie Els of South Africa scraped in at six-over, along with former winners Padraig Harrington and Sandy Lyle.


Via: Veteran Jimenez leads at halfway

Golf's mind doctor on McIlroy

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy described himself as "brain dead" and "unconscious" after shooting an eight-over-par 79 on day one of the British Open.

(CNN) -- When golfers admit to feeling "brain dead" and "unconscious" -- as Rory McIlroy did at Muirfield on Thursday -- perhaps it's time to book an appointment with the doctor.

Dr Bob Rotella that is; the legendary mind coach who has helped some of the game's biggest names like Keegan Bradley, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke plot their way to major success.

McIlroy's very public loss of form ended with a disheartening opening round of eight-over-par in Scotland and those comments to the media gave an insight into his present trouble state of mind.

But the good news is that if the beleaguered former world No. 1 wants to pick up the phone to Rotella, the revered coach would be only too happy to help.

"Anybody would love to work with Rory," Rotella exclusively told CNN.

"He's a really good kid, he has a lot of talent and he loves golf. Even people who love golf in some moments can feel bad about it but I've never seen him at a stage where he hates it.

"I think he probably feels like it's getting hard at the moment. Sometimes this game is so easy for someone like him -- it's ridiculous how easy it can be.

"But even for them sometimes you say 'Where is it? Where did it go? When is it coming back?' That's the big question.

"I spent some time with him a few years ago at The Masters. Perhaps it was nothing to do with me but the next week he won at Charlotte for the first time in the U.S. and he has obviously played some incredible golf (since)."

Read: 'Brain dead' play costs McIlory at the Open

McIlroy's form has dipped ever since he was launched as a new Nike protg in a blaze of publicity at the start of this year.

So, is he struggling with his new clubs or are off the course distractions, like his romance with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, limiting his time on the range?

Whatever is behind his malaise, the 24-year-old, who has won two majors, is still brutally honest about his current failings, laying his feelings bare in that startling press conference.

So what did Rotella make of his comments?

"First of all, it says to me that he's a young man who's very comfortable with himself and he feels good enough about himself that he is comfortable talking about it," added Rotella, who has been coaching amateur players in HSBC's golf zone.

"That's a good sign. This is the most honest thing any of us will ever do in our life -- playing golf.

"Rory sounds like he knows he's not where he needs to be or was when he was playing his best and he knows he's got to get back there. But that's pretty common. We've just seen Tiger Woods go through two or three years of struggling with it.

"What usually happens is you reach a certain point when you sink to a level and then say 'This is ridiculous.' At that point you simplify everything, stop over-analysing and go out there and kick some butt.

"What the world needs to understand is that he's only half an inch away. It happens a lot in the world of sport, not just in golf. Rory's been a very skilled, confident, successful player for a long time.

"He will be back, it's just a matter of how long will it take."

Read: The God of golf

Many commentators on the game have suggested McIlroy seek Rotella out while he is in situ at Muirfield.

He's a champion in his own right at focusing players and encouraging them to adopt routines that will keep them calm in the pressure cooker atmosphere of a major championship.

So where would he start if McIlroy -- who reportedly told the Times newspaper that "it could be beneficial to see someone like Rotella again" -- wanders into his surgery in the next few hours?

"I'd probably want to hear him tell me what is going on, to find out if what he said to the media is what really is going on," Rotella explained.

"The biggest thing is to say 'That round is over, forget about it. The only thing that matters now is getting in a great state of mind to go out there and whether it's to see how low you can shoot, make the most birdies and break the course record.'

"That's the mind-set you have to have. Sometimes when you're way back it makes it easier to free up and throw away all the doubt, fear and questions marks and go for it.

"But you have to combine that with patience -- that's the difficulty on a course this tough."


Via: Golf's mind doctor on McIlroy

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Muirfield puts in the extra mile

The 142nd British Open will be contested on the east coast of Scotland at Muirfield where the prized Claret Jug trophy awaits the winner after four days of play.

(CNN) -- Muirfield has gone the extra mile as it prepares to host the British Open Championship -- golf's third major of 2013 -- this week.

The grandstands are proudly in place, the pale greens are shorn and clipped and rakes nestle in the hollows of the bunkers waiting to smooth over sand disheveled by mishit balls.

But despite all this meticulous preening it is the extra 158 yards that matters most.

The seaside links course now unravels for 7,192 yards -- when the course was first opened on the Scottish east coast in 1891 it rolled over a mere 6,200 yards.

The total yardage for the Masters at Augusta ran to 7,435, June's U.S. Open at the Merion Golf Club was 6,996 while the next major, the USPGA, is to be played on the Oak Hill course runs a total of 7,134 yards.

This year new tees have been added on seven of the holes at Muirfield to match the prowess of the game's big-hitters and extend the overall playing distance for the 142nd British Open.

"The changes were made really just to strengthen the course," Colin Irvine, the Muirfield course manager, told CNN. "Golfers have got better and equipment has got better.

"A lot of this work was done over a two-to-three year period and we're now doing the final tweaking to make it look like everything has been here for years."

The biggest change, made to spice up golf's oldest major, lies in wait at the ninth hole.

Previously thought of as short by modern par-five standards, the tee has been moved back almost 50 yards thanks to a land swap with the neighboring Renaissance Golf Club.

A new bunker has been added to the right of the ninth fairway and the existing sand trap has also been moved closer to the green.

The sandy, new hazard was carved out with a "big digger" before the soil was put back, contoured and new turf laid down.

"It gives it a nice finish and you can't really see that anything has been there," said Irvine, casting a backwards glance at the grassy bumps hiding the scooped out earth.

"It was quite a wide, open area up here for hitting the second or third approach shot so the changes put a lot more thought to landing on the small green now.

"A lot of people [who have tested the new layout] have found these bunkers very difficult.

"One of the key areas we've changed across the course since 2002 is the greenside bunkering. We've brought them in a little bit tighter and made them more gathering for a ball to roll in easier."

It is the 16th time that Muirfield has hosted the Open and the first since South African Ernie Els triumphed 11 years ago following a dramatic four-man play-off that went to sudden death on the fifth extra hole.

Els returns to Muirfield as the defending Open champion after another emotional win at Royal Lytham last year.

The East Lothian course has attempted to move with the times away from the greens and fairways too by introducing Wi-Fi zones for spectators around the course as well as LED scoreboards.

A ban on mobile phones was also lifted last year and, as there have been no complaints from the players, spectators will once again be allowed to use them, so long as they "respect the game."

But it's traditions that the Scottish course prides itself on as well as its knotty rough and brisk coastal breezes.

When the world's leading male players return to joust for the honor of winning the Claret Jug, the hope is they will find very little has changed on the surface.

"It's our duty to keep our famous links course providing the test we need to identify a champion," said Dawson.

"Muirfield has always been a very, very strong venue. The players love it and they think it's fair. Many of the changes you can't see and won't even know they've been done.

"When the players come here they'll recognize the Muirfield they know and love."


Via: Muirfield puts in the extra mile

The God of golf

Harry Vardon still holds the record for the most British Open triumphs, securing six between 1896 and 1914. He is also credited with sparking an explosion of interest in the game in the United States after embarking on three playing tours in the early 20th century.

(CNN) -- It was in the majestic surroundings of Muirfield that the original gold-plated superstar of golf secured his first major title.

The small town of Gullane to the east of Edinburgh that is all set to welcome the modern titans of the game for the 142nd staging of the British Open played host to a true pioneer back in 1896.

Harry Vardon won a total of six British Open titles, a record that still stands, but his achievements in the game stretch far beyond his haul of majors, which was lifted to seven by his 1900 U.S. Open triumph.

Not only was he credited with sparking an explosion of interest in the game during his tours of America at the turn of the 20th Century but he also devised the grip- -- "the overlapping grip" or the "Vardon overlap" -- that 90 percent of golfers still deploy.

It is little wonder he is spoken of in such glowing terms by Australian Peter Thompson, who alongside American legend Tom Watson, is just one British Open triumph behind Vardon's half-dozen successes.

"He was the God of golf," Thompson told CNN's Living Golf show. "To aspire to such a position was sacrilege -- it was way out of my league.

"It wasn't until I passed five that I thought, 'Well, it's possible to equal the great man' but I didn't do it, regrettably.

"It must have been inspirational to watch him swing. He had the power of a winning champion. Had someone won seven or even six Opens we wouldn't have had Vardon as a God.

"It is perfect it is in stone and concrete that he should be the man who won six. It hasn't happened before and it isn't likely to happen for many years.

"I don't think anyone will reach six because the competition there is today makes it more difficult. There are at least 25 players that have a chance of winning any major tournament."

Read: Single-sex clubs? Not just for golfers

Vardon's prowess on the golf course is indisputable.

His entry in the Hall of Fame quotes famed golf writer Bernard Darwin as saying: "I do not think anyone who saw him play in his prime will disagree as to this, that a greater genius is inconceivable."

But his legacy stretches far beyond the beauty of the links courses upon which he flourished, securing his first three championships before the turn of the century.

He became the game's first international superstar when he traveled to the United States in 1900, playing 80 exhibition matches around the country, his tour culminating in that U.S. Open triumph.

Thousands flocked to see him in action, with many scurrying back to their own courses to try and replicate what they had just seen.

"There is absolutely no doubt that that the great boom of golf in America was started by Harry Vardon," said David Crawford, former head greenkeeper at Royal Jersey, where Vardon learnt the game.

"The number of people who flooded to see his exhibition matches, the fact that he was asked back again and again prove that.

"He brought golf into the mainstream for everyone to play and I think that was probably his greatest achievement.

"And of course he'll be forever immortalized because of his most famous grip, there's no getting away from it."

Read: The next King of Scotland

Vardon was born into a working class family in Jersey, a British outpost off the coast of Normandy in France, and honed his game when the island got its first golf course in 1878.

Both Harry and his younger brother started out as caddies and invested hours on practicing their swings, despite their father's disapproval of the game.

Harry's career blossomed when he left Jersey for the English mainland, where his dedication to his craft and insistence on wearing knickerbockers made him stand out from the crowd.

His victory at Muirfield in 1896 announced his prowess to the world and irked the man he beat -- two-time Open champion Willie Park Junior.

"Park was so upset he challenged Vardon to a home and away match for 100," Crawford explained.

"It was a year before they came to play it and Vardon was two shots up after the first tie at North Berwick where around 10,000 people came to watch.

"In the second match Vardon annihilated Park, who went on to become an architect because he knew he wasn't going to win anything with Vardon around.

"Vardon was extremely accurate, a straight driver with an immaculate short game. It has been said his putting stroke wasn't that great but I don't believe you could win all those tournaments with a weak putting stroke.

"He had the complete all round game at the height of his powers."

Read: PGA Tour ends anchored putter ban opposition

Vardon went on to claim three more Open titles before he was struck down by tuberculosis, spending long spells in sanatoriums until 1910.

Yet despite his faltering health, and general lack of fitness, he still came back to win the Open twice more -- in 1911 and 1914.

According to another graduate of the Jersey links, former Ryder Cup star Tommy Horton, Vardon's success is made all the more remarkable given his physical frailties.

"He was never very fit, and when you think about 1914 when he won his last Open, they took him out of hospital two or three weeks before the Championship, because he had tuberculosis," he said.

"Vardon was never a very fit man and he had only a few weeks practice, fresh out of hospital and went out and won the Open Championship. That to me is incredible."

Vardon eventually died in 1937 at the age of 66.

While illness hampered his career in large parts, it may have also helped prolong it.

"It's not very common knowledge, but Harry Vardon was planning to go to promote the equipment he sponsored, or the sponsors promoted for him, in America," Horton added.

"He was going for two or three months as he'd done before -- they liked him in America -- but he fell sick, and because of that he didn't travel on the Titanic."

Read: Muirfield puts in the extra mile

Vardon's haul of six Open titles is unlikely to be matched any time soon, but had it not been for The Great War, it could have been more.

"He lost six years out of his professional life," Crawford added. "Goodness knows how many Opens Vardon could have won."


Via: The God of golf

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Rose: The next King of Scotland?

British golfer Justin Rose captured the first major of his career at the U.S. Open.

(CNN) -- Two men -- two champions -- two completely different worlds.

But for Justin Rose that's the way he likes it.

While Andy Murray has had to carry the weight of British expectation on his shoulders since he emerged as a talented teenager, Rose has been grateful to stay out of the limelight.

The golfer witnessed Murray's dramatic Wimbledon victory over Novak Djokovic from the Centre Court's Royal Box just days after his own triumph -- a first major success at the U.S. Open.

While Rose has been able to progress quietly since bursting onto the scene as a promising amateur in 1997, Murray has had to cope with constant media attention and an entire nation watching his every move.

For Rose, those circumstances make Murray's triumph even more remarkable -- not that he envies the attention which goes with the Scot's success.

Read: Rose wins U.S. Open

"I think what he achieved captured the imagination so much," Rose told CNN.

"If I was to go on and win the Open Championship then I think there would be some parallels to that but I'm not always the great British hope.

"I'm now the highest ranked English or British player but there are a few of us. There's Rory, Luke Donald, G-Mac," added Rose, referring to Graeme McDowell. "I don't feel like I'm the only one which Andy is."

Just as Murray's life will never be the same again following his Wimbledon triumph, Rose too must adapt to being a major winner and dealing with all the hype which surrounds such a feat.

Since his victory at Merion, Rose has been on television screens across the world, had his picture splashed on the front cover of magazines and newspapers and appeared on countless talk shows.

For a man who often likes to spend time in the background with his wife Kate and two small children, the hysteria created by his success has come as something as a surprise.

The chance to get back on the golf course at Muirfield offers the chance for solace following a rollercoaster few weeks and Rose simply cannot wait.

Read: Rose shares 'boyhood' dream' with late father

"The Open has a special place in my heart," he said.

"To win your home tournament is the one you dream of winning as a kid. It would be my favorite tournament to win. I'd be grateful to win any tournament really.

"Winning in golf can be far and few between but to win this is what I dreamed of as a kid."

Read: U.S. golf's new kid on the block

It was as a kid that Rose first shot to prominence -- finishing fourth while still playing as an amateur at the 1998 Open at Royal Birkdale at the age of just 17.

His dramatic chip at the 18th from 50 yards went down in Open folklore although Rose admits his memories of the incident are somewhat vague.

"I've watched it and turned up the volume on the 18th to recreate the roar," he said.

"I wish my memory was better. I went numb. It was a crazy way to finish and I don't think I could take it all in.

"I was so young at the time. There was an embarrassed look up to the sky with me thinking, 'what have i just done?' tThat was my reaction with it.

"I've always said that to surpass that achievement I'd have to go on and win the Open. Maybe winning the U.S. Open has done that but I have had a very special relationship with the Open.

"Hopefully that will end up with the Claret Jug," added Rose, referring to the iconic Open trophy

Read: Single-sex clubs? Not just for golfers

Following his success at the Open back in 1998 where he finished one shot behind Tiger Woods and two off the leaders, Rose was expected to bloom.

But after turning professional straight after his historic finish, Rose struggled badly, missing the cut in his first 21 events.

Now, 15 years later, Rose has come through and finally realized the potential which so many saw in him as a skinny teenager.

"I always believed in myself," he added.

"I had to dig in and keep going. I was motivated by the fact I didn't want to be the one week wonder, the flash in the pan at the Open.

"Golf is hard and has many aspects to it. It's as much a mental game as a physical one. I've probably had the talent for a long time and people tell you that you're good enough to do it but you have to truly believe it yourself.

"And when you can truly believe yourself, that's when you can handle the pressure. In the past three or four years, I've developed a real deep rooted sense of belief.

"There was some scar tissue I had to cut down. Missing those 21 cuts was a traumatic start to my professional career.

"Then I had chances to win tournaments but didn't quite put them away and again confidence can be dented. It has been slow progress for me but I've got a good team around me.

"They keep me on track and together we'll put a good game plan."

Read: Mickelson ends 20-year drought in Europe

With one major title under his belt, Rose will now turn his attention to lifting the Claret Jug and fulfilling a childhood dream.

Ranked third in the world below Woods and McIlroy, Rose believes he is finally ready to compete for another major title.

"Winning at Merion has given me a tremendous amount of confidence," added Rose.

"You hope you're good enough to win a major, you think you're good enough to win a major but it's not until you do it that you know you're good enough to win a major.

"You never know how you're going to handle the moment. I always knew I would create chances to win but there have been great players before me that have had chances that have never been able to quite put it away.

"I feel fortunate to have that monkey off my back. I feel like I've only been ready to win majors in the past year or two. Hopefully now I've now got five to 10 years of good golf left in me. Hopefully I can draw upon that experience in a similar situation."


Via: Rose: The next King of Scotland?

Monday, July 15, 2013

Spieth: U.S. golf's new kid on the block

(CNN) -- You might not have heard of him yet but you might well soon.

Jordan Spieth had thought he'd be back in school studying hard -- now he's on his way to compete against the world's best at the British Open.

The 19-year-old is ready to take on the world's best at Muirfield, Scotland after becoming the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in 82 years following his success at the John Deere Classic Sunday.

Spieth, who turns 20 in a fortnight, won a fifth hole playoff to see off David Hearn and former Masters champion Zach Johnson.

The U.S. star is the first teenager to win a PGA title since Ralph Guldhal won the Santa Monica Open in 1931.

Plan

"A year ago we had just won a national championship, and I thought I'd be back at school right now," he told reporters after being informed that Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy all had to wait until the age of 20 to win their first PGA event.

"I had a plan. I guess the plan got exceeded.

"I wanted to just earn my Tour card for next year this year somehow.

"Now to be able to have it for a couple of years and to be able to have an exemption to Augusta (and) all the stuff that comes with it.

"It hasn't hit me yet, and it will, but I'm just happy to go compete with those guys mentioned."

History

Only last April, Chinese teenager Guan Tianlang made history after making the cut at The Masters at the age of 14 years and five months.

But age is not a factor for Spieth -- not in his mind anyway.

"I don't think of my age as my age," he added.

"I just think of playing and competing with these guys as my peers. The guys in this event, each week, week to week, I don't think of myself as younger than them."

His success has fired him up to 59th in the world rankings, while he has also secured invitations to The Open, the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, PGA Championship, next year's Hyundai Tournament of Champions and the Masters.

A check for $820,000 came following a tense putt at the 18th green on the fifth hole of a playoff much to his delight as he booked his place at Muirfield.

He added: "I just got so lucky. That's what it is. But right now I'm extremely pleased, and a little worried about only having short sleeves going to Scotland."


Via: Spieth: U.S. golf's new kid on the block

Single-sex clubs? Not just for golfers

The "battle of testosterone" at Muirfield will decide who takes home the British Open's Claret Jug trophy but women are not allowed to join the clubhouse as members.

(CNN) -- There are cool whites instead of lush greens, herbal showers instead of holes-in-one and empowering juices not intoxicating malt whiskies on the bar menu.

A sleek health club in central London and Muirfield -- home to golf's 2013 British Open -- might not have much in common but they are agreed on one thing -- they only accept members of a certain sex.

Grace Belgravia is one of a few female private members club in the U.K. while, north of the Scottish border, Muirfield is notorious for its men-only membership code.

Women are invited to play at the historic club as visitors or guests but cannot become members, a policy the club has no plans to change.

But is there still a place in the 21st Century's equality-conscious society for single-gender institutions?

"Why should there not be?" Kate Percival, co-founder of Grace Belgravia told CNN in the club's tranquil environs. "It's not anti-feminist, it's not anti-men.

"It's just a fact that some women, not all women, feel more comfortable in an environment where there are other women around.

Battle of the testosterone

"The women that come here know it's a very relaxing place because the men are not here. This becomes a haven, a sanctuary from the battle of the testosterone."

At Muirfield the "battle of testosterone" will be very much in evidence when golf's oldest major tees off on Thursday and no-one watching the prestigious tournament will be particularly troubled by this primeval male instinct.

But when the Open is awarded to Muirfield -- one of three clubs along with Royal St George's and Royal Troon on the Open rotation which still operate men-only membership policies -- there is always intense criticism.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has publicly pronounced his disapproval of the male-only policy by effectively boycotting the event.

There is a view that holding a global tournament at a club which does not accept female members vindicates Victorian values of patriarchy and keeps women in their place.

But Percival does not necessarily agree -- instead she argues that male-only or female-only policies represent an expression of freedom, not constraint.

"If what people are trying to say is that it is putting women down because they aren't allowed to join, I don't think that's the issue," Percival said.

"If men want to have their own club by all means have their own club, if women want to similarly.

"If some men choose to play golf only with men that is absolutely fine. No-one is forcing anyone to go to an all-male club.

"When Grace Belgravia opened there was just one comment right at the beginning when a journalist said this was anti-feminist.

"I think the point that they were trying to make is that women have striven for hundreds of years to have equality and someone is going backwards by having a women's only club but I just couldn't understand that argument.

"For me, this is really liberating and really being independent of thought, saying no, we want our space because there are lots of issues we want to take up."

Golf economics

Nestled at the back of the19th Century village of Lundin Links is a parkland golf course, home to the Lundin Ladies Golf Club -- which claims to be the oldest female-only golf club in the world and the only one in Scotland.

The club was established in 1891 as a separate entity from the nearby men's club and is now run solely by women as a picturesque place for a game of nine holes. Men can play on the ladies' course but only women can become members.

"It's a nice welcoming environment for ladies getting into golf," club captain Anne Dobie told CNN. "We have beautiful views up to the north."

But with a dwindling number of local ladies that play golf, Dobie concedes that it might be difficult to survive as a single-gender club.

"A lot of our members are quite elderly," Dobie explained. "It's the way that things are now. Young women are working and working longer. That's a bit of a downside.

"Most clubs are just a ladies section in a mixed club so it does mean there are considerable extra responsibilities such as staff, ground maintenance, starters and two greenkeepers.

"Financially it's becoming more difficult as time goes on as we don't have the numbers. The older ladies here will talk about when they used to come up to pay to play on the course in the summer holidays.

"People used to be desperate to play and queue up but we're not in that favorable position now.

"We are finding it harder to make ends meet and the longevity of the club probably is not too rosy."

Just up the road at the Lundin Links men's club -- where a weekday round costs $120 -- the scenario could not be more different.

"There is no comparison with our wealth and the wealth that is in the men's club," Dobie added. "They still have a waiting list for membership. They are in a very fortunate position financially.

"The ladies' club might just be sustainable if we have a closer relationship with the men's club."

In fact, Dobie argues that closer relationships between men and women in the game of golf -- and beyond -- could be the solution to the furore over the female-ban at Muirfield.

"We may all have to give in to the point where all clubs are mixed," she said. "It's the way things are going in society and in sports.

"I don't see that sports clubs have any reason to be any different. It's just equality in all things.

"In time, what we're doing just now will look pretty archaic to future generations when they see that certain people were excluded from certain golf clubs."

Historic hangover

Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A, which organizes the Open, argues that the single-sex policy of Muirfield -- and others -- is a historic hangover.

"Single sex clubs are still something of a feature in Scotland," Dawson told CNN. "It's a historical thing actually because women came to the game of golf when men were already established.

"It's something that is reported as an issue far more than the actuality of it. We have a situation where about 1% of clubs in the UK are single sex - it's a very small number.

"Golf has moved on from the stereotypes of 50 years ago. It is chalk and cheese and we'll just have to wait and see what happens in the year ahead."

In Windsor in the south of England there is already a positive example of a single-gender club that has happily merged into mixed living.

The Sunningdale Ladies' Golf Club -- which can count the late Queen Mother as its club captain in the 1932 -- was established in 1902 as a place for women to play the game.

It took more than a century for men to be admitted as members -- but club secretary Simon Sheppard says the advantages of mixed membership are self evident.

Good mixers

"There are ladies out there who do not want to join a ladies-only club," Sheppard told CNN.

"Then there are other people who might feel intimidated by a male-dominated environment. Here those people might feel less intimidated.

"Society is mixed so there is no reason for this club not to be. The best friends I've made, I've made playing golf.

"I play golf here with my wife very happily and afterwards we have a damn good Sunday lunch in the clubhouse."

Whether it is tee for two or tea for two, the concept is one that Percival is also happy to endorse, even within the walls of female oasis Grace Belgravia.

"Invariably in the evening, our members invite male partners in for drinks or an event or lectures," Percival explained.

"A lot of women love the fact that they have their own space during the day but it's nice to have a mix of things.

"It's fine to invite the opposite sex in as guests -- it's quite civilized as men and women do sit side by side -- but if the core of the club is also about single-sex, that's fine too."

And if golf's global organizers wanted to make a stand for equality they could always hold the men's Open at a ladies-only golf club.

Wouldn't that equal things out?

"The Open, held at a ladies club?" Dobie ponders incredulously. " It will NEVER happen."


Via: Single-sex clubs? Not just for golfers

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Mickelson within touching distance

On another fine day at Castle Stuart in Scotland, Phil Mickelson hit four birdies on the back nine to move into a tie for second.

(CNN) -- When Phil Mickelson finished as a runner-up at the U.S. Open for a sixth time, he said "it hurt." Last month at Merion, it was Justin Rose who got the better of Mickelson.

Mickelson subsequently missed the cut at the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia and dropped off the pace Friday at the Scottish Open as the tournament's highest-ranked player.

Read: Mickelson's U.S. Open woe continues

But the world No. 8 recovered Saturday on the links course at Castle Stuart in the Scottish Highlands and is now within touching distance of claiming a first individual victory on British soil.

In his ninth Scottish Open appearance, he is tied for second through three rounds, trailing Sweden's Henrik Stenson by two shots.

"Any victory over here would be terrific but we are getting ahead of ourselves," Mickelson was quoted as saying by the European Tour's website.

"There's a packed leaderboard so it will take one good round of a shootout between 15 and 20 guys that are right there. Being in position and shooting that good round today feels terrific but I've got to go out tomorrow and duplicate it."

A win for Mickelson would likely boost his confidence ahead of the British Open that starts Thursday at Muirfield, also in Scotland. Last year he missed the cut.

Mickelson hit four birdies on the back nine and six overall to shoot a six-under 66 in the third round following his 70 in the second.

"The first seven holes I got off to a bit of a slow start and I was really behind when I needed to make up ground," said Mickelson. "On the eighth I tried to slow it down and be patient, got one putt to drop and that seemed to ignite the rest of the round."

Stenson matched Mickelson with a 66, tallying seven birdies and dropping his lone shot at the ninth hole. He is seeking just his second win in six years on the European Tour.

"It's great to be back in the mix and getting the adrenaline going again," said Stenson. "I have always enjoyed playing with the best players in the world and trying to measure myself against them.

"I've played with Phil a few times and against him in the Ryder Cup so I will need to bring my good game again. But it's not just about the two of us. There are a lot of other players."

Another Scandinavian, Denmark's JB Hansen, first-round leader John Parry of England and South Africa's Branden Grace were the other golfers tied for second with American Mickelson.

Scotland's Chris Doak, the overnight leader ranked 341st, dropped into a tie for 12th.

He was one of two golfers in the top 20 in the standings who shot above par in the round.

On Friday, British Open champion Ernie Els missed the cut.

Woods set for Muirfield

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, said he'll be ready for Muirfield despite still taking anti-inflammatory medication for the elbow injury that hampered him at the U.S. Open.

"I started chipping and putting a little over a week ago and I'm full go for the British Open," he told his website. "I'm very confident my elbow strain won't be a problem and I will be able to hit all the shots I need to hit."

"That's why I took the time off, so it could heal and I would feel comfortable playing again."

Although he is the world No. 1, Woods last won a major in 2008.


Via: Mickelson within touching distance

Friday, July 12, 2013

Muirfield the next stop for Els

Ahead of his title defense at the British Open next week, Ernie Els missed the cut at the Scottish Open.

(CNN) -- Ernie Els insists his game is in good shape despite missing the cut at the Scottish Open days before his title defense at the British Open begins.

On another day of low scores on the links course at Castle Stuart in the Scottish Highlands, Els did shoot at two-under par 70.

But his five birdies came with three bogeys to leave him tied for 97th. His overall score was also at two under, 10 shots behind surprise leader Chris Doak of Scotland.

Read: Els wins British Open

"I thought I played quite well today but I had no idea on these greens so I am glad I am leaving to get on some other greens," said Els. "A missed cut is not great but we have had a great time here.

"I did not get the run of the course, it felt like it was against me, but I am playing nicely and gave myself a lot of opportunities. My game is where I want it to be. It did not quite go my way these last two days and I made a couple of silly errors, soft bogeys, yesterday.

"It's not the first cut I've missed and it won't be the last."

He hopes the next one, though, won't come at Muirfield next week.

Doak, ranked 341st in his second full season on the European Tour, struck five birdies, one eagle and one bogey as she shot a six-under 66 for the second consecutive round.

He has found it difficult to make an impact on the European Tour, only finishing once in the top 20 in his last 16 events. Doak, though, made his maiden appearance at a major at last month's U.S. Open at Merion.

"It's absolutely phenomenal to shoot 66-66 in the first two days," Doak told the European Tour's website. "You start the week thinking you want to go low but to actually do it is fantastic.

"I just feel it has been coming all year but just maybe haven't put it all together. These two days, I've definitely put it together."

He leads four golfers by a shot, with Phil Mickelson -- the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 8 -- four shots behind Doak.

The four-time major winner shot a 70, which wasn't as good as his 66 on Thursday.

First-round leader John Parry is tied for 13th with Mickelson. Hindered by a pair of double bogeys, he followed his 64 with a par 72.


Via: Muirfield the next stop for Els

Thursday, July 11, 2013

An unlikely first round leader at Castle Stuart

Phil Mickelson, the highest-ranked golfer at the Scottish Open, finished two shots behind leader John Parry in the first round.

(CNN) -- John Parry upstaged Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els in the first round of the Scottish Open, taking the lead in the final European Tour event before next week's British Open.

The little known Parry, ranked 471st in the world, tallied an eight-under 64 at Castle Stuart's links course in the Scottish Highlands to finish a shot ahead of fellow Englishman Simon Khan.

Mickelson, the highest-ranked golfer in the field at No. 8, was one of seven players tied for third, two shots behind.

Read: Mickelson falls short again

But Els, the reigning British Open champion, struggled on the opening day, carding a par 72 to finish in a tie for 118th.

Parry endured a rocky start to his 2013 campaign but said he gained confidence after tying for 28th at the U.S. Open.

Merion proved to be a challenging course for the elite, so finding himself in the top 30 last month was quite an achievement.

The 26-year-old then finished 10th at Germany's BMW International.

"The U.S. Open has been the catalyst for playing better," Parry told the European Tour's website. "It's renowned as the toughest event you can play and if you can compete in that you can compete in any event."

Parry, whose lone tournament victory came in 2010 in France, didn't make a bogey in his round.

"It was one of them where it just keeps happening," Parry said. "You wonder why you can't do that every week."

Mickelson knows how difficult winning the U.S. Open is. When he tied for second at Merion, it marked an agonizing sixth runner-up showing.

It was indeed a tough way to end the tournament for the four-time major winner since he held the lead through three rounds.

Mickelson missed the cut at his last event, the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia, and started poorly at Castle Stuart by hitting a bogey.

Mickelson, though, struck an eagle two holes later and dropped only one more shot.

He tied for 16th at the Scottish Open last year and tied for 58th in 2011.

""It's great for me to get off to a decent start because I have gotten off to poor starts the last couple of years here and I have been fighting just to make the cut and get into reasonable contention," said Mickelson. "Many of my great rounds in the past have started with a bogey so I wasn't too worried."

With the British Open at Muirfield near Edinburgh beginning next Thursday, Els won't have been pleased with his round.

Read: Els gets better of Scott

His four birdies came with four bogeys, leaving Els with work to do to make the cut.

Jeev Milkha Singh tied for 10th.

He missed a movie premiere in India -- the film was based on his father who nearly won a medal at the 1960 summer Olympics -- to defend his Scottish Open title.


Via: An unlikely first round leader at Castle Stuart

Monday, July 8, 2013

Bjorn to make 16th British Open appearance

Thomas Bjorn watched little known American Ben Curtis lift the trophy at the British Open in 2003.

(CNN) -- When it comes to golf's sentimental favorites, Thomas Bjorn would have to be near the top of the list.

The Dane famously blew a late lead at the British Open in 2003 and Ben Curtis took advantage to claim his lone major.

It wasn't a collapse to match that of Jean Van de Velde in 1999 -- the Frenchman crumbled on the final hole and eventually lost in a playoff -- but the Claret Jug was in sight for Bjorn since he led by two shots with three holes to play.

Bjorn's double-bogey five on the 16th at Royal St. George's in Sandwich, England effectively ended his hopes of capturing a maiden major and allowed the little known Curtis to triumph. Bjorn finished tied for second.

He will get another opportunity to win the British Open and his first major after being given an exemption Monday for this year's tournament at Muirfield in Scotland that begins next week.

Read: McIlroy targets British Open

Bjorn was one of five European Tour players to earn the exemption based on their Race to Dubai ranking.

Since 2003 Bjorn has only finished in the top 40 at the British Open once, in 2011. He was fourth when the Open was once again held at Royal St. George's.

And his only top-20 finish in any other major in the last 10 years came at the 2005 PGA Championship when he tied for second.

But in his last five European Tour events, Bjorn registered three top-five finishes and sits 13th in the Race to Dubai.

Among the other four European Tour players to be granted exemptions was South Africa's Richard Sterne, who finished second at the French Open after struggling on the back nine Sunday.

Five spots went to PGA Tour counterparts based on their FedExCup ranking, with Billy Horschel highest in the standings at No. 5.

Horschel tied for fourth at last month's U.S. Open and won the Zurich Open in New Orleans in April.

Read: Rose conquers Merion

Sweden's Jonas Blixt, meanwhile, led a list of eight players who earned their entry through the world rankings. Blixt won Sunday's rain affected Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia to see his ranking rise from 103rd to 51st.


Via: Bjorn to make 16th British Open appearance

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