Video of the week: 17/04/2013

Engraver almost puts Adam Scott's name on 2004 Players Championship trophy too early

Adam Scott closes Lytham wound in style

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

The Masters. Pure sporting theatre as always. In the midst of heartbreak for so many, there was adulation for Adam Scott as he conquered the undulations of Augusta National to end the Australian Green Jacket curse.

Many demons were banished today; Scott's collapse at Royal Lytham and St Annes is now a distant memory and there will finally be a Masters winner down under.

The Masters 2013 day 1 - as it happened

77th Masters not all about the big guns

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

The Masters brings the best out of the best and always has done. Augusta National is a course that separates the men from the boys, although it is more difficult than ever to distinguish the difference. 

It isn't hard to differentiate in a literal sense; 14-year-old Chinese prodigy Tianlang Guan will play alongside two-time champion Ben Crenshaw who is 47 years his senior. However in golfing terms, despite Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson being the three favourites, the Green Jacket is there for the taking. 

Major championships are becoming increasingly tough to predict, Ernie Els' romantic Open win last July halted a run of nine consecutive first-time major winners. Although Rory McIlroy claimed his second major win in two years with his emphatic victory at the USPGA and Tiger Woods has won three times this season en route to world number one, there are a whole host of players hopeful of conquering Augusta.

The Masters 2013

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

Nothing grabs attention quite like the Masters. The green pinnacle of golf that is Augusta National captures the imagination of the world for one week every year thanks to its meticulously prepared fairways and greens, and the majestic pine-straws that bring about the death of so many a round. 

The players are mere midgets in the face of 7,400 metres so daunting, yet so beautiful. In 48 hours time 93 men of all ages and stature will take their turns to attempt to conquer the beast, and what a spectacle it promises to be. 

From the sorry (Kenny Perry 2009) to the sublime (Nicklaus 1986), the Masters never fails to disappoint and this year could excite the pallet more than ever. There are plenty of tales ready to be written. Could 14-year-old Tianlang Guan make the cut despite not being able to reach all the greens in regulation? Will Sergio Garcia win his first major on the 30th anniversary of the late Seve Ballesteros' last Masters win, in the same week that it would have been the great Spaniard's birthday? Only time will tell. 

A Sporting Insight won't be leaving a blade of grass uncovered, with live text commentary and reports. Join us for golf's greatest advertisement, don't miss the Masters. 

Video of the week: 09/04/2013

Jack Nicklaus remembers 1986

Inspired Europeans Pull Off Stunning Come-Back In 'The Miracle Of Medinah'

13 years ago a stunning US fight-back to win from 10-6 down in the tournament dubbed 'the Battle of Brookline' shocked the European side. This time it was the Europeans who replicated that famous day with a breath-taking come-back to retain the Ryder Cup after a 14.5 13.5 win, sealed by a Martin Kaymer knee-knocker for par on the 18th in the penultimate match. 

With the match tied at 13-13 and the last two matches level, it all came down to Kaymer v Stricker and Tiger Woods v Francesco Molinari. On the 17th the German holed a tense short putt for par to win the hole and take a one hole lead up the 18th. Kaymer's tee-shot found the fairway bunker and Stricker's ended up in position A on the short grass.

Both players found the green with their second shots but both faced  long birdie putts down the hill. 45-year-old Stricker completely mis-read his to leave about eight feet for par, but with the Ryder Cup on his shoulders Kaymer clearly felt the pressure as he raced it seven feet past. 

Despite putting poorly all week, and missing a vital putt on the last yesterday, Stricker showed nerves of steel to roll it in to the centre of the hole and pile the pressure on Kaymer. The 2010 USPGA champion took his time before stepping up and confidently striking his effort up-hill into the bottom of the cup, a stroke which resulted in a clenched-fists celebration. 

Jose Maria Olazabal named four of his strongest players to go out first and Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose all duly delivered the goods. Donald survived a late Bubba Watson come-back to prevail 2&1 before fellow country-men Rose and Poulter both grabbed wins on the final green in dramatic fashion. Poulter won his fourth point from four of the tournament with another magnificent iron shot on the last while Justin Rose showed amazing guts to birdie the last two holes and defeat Phil Mickelson, despite being one down with two to play.

After his match he was understandably delighted and paid tribute to the late great European Ryder Cup player Seve Ballesteros: "To dig myself out of that game is incredible. I felt like we needed that point. Phil Mickelson had the flag out at 17 and I thought he might make that chip but then I buried it in on top of him and that was one of the best feelings of my life. I've just had a look at my left sleeve [at the picture of Seve Ballesteros] and that is that sort of thing that man would have done. I think we can [win] and that's going to shake things up a bit."

World number one McIlroy was always half a step ahead of youngster Keegan Bradley and won 2&1. The winners of the last two USPGA championships played out a thrilling match but it was the Northern Irishman who had the class to come through and claim a price-less point. 

Scotsman Paul Lawrie proved his doubters wrong with a magnificent display against Fed-Ex Cup winner Brandt Snedeker to win 5&3 and bring Europe level at 10-10. He finished off the American in fitting style with a tap-in birdie after a pitch-perfect approach shot on 15. 

Dustin Johnson brushed aside a Nicolas Colsaerts surge to win 3&2, just minutes before Zach Johnson completed a 2&1 victory over an-out-of sorts Graeme McDowell. The 2010 Ryder Cup hero was not at his best and missed several putts before succumbing to the ever-reliable man from Iowa. Name-sake Dustin proved to be too strong in an exciting battle of the long-hitters against the spirited young Belgian. 

The away team took the lead for the first time in the competition after Sergio Garcia bounced back to beat a dejected Jim Furyk and Lee Westwood played excellently to mop up an off-colour Matt Kuchar. Sergio was slightly lucky to see off Furyk who missed several short to mid-range putts, including an eight footer on the last which would have squared the match. However big Swede Peter Hanson could not find a win on the final hole to square his match against Jason Dufner and the scene was set for the drama that followed. 

To rub salt into the Americans' wounds Europe did not just draw the competition, but went on to win it as Francesco Molinari secured a half with Tiger Woods on the final green when the 14-time major champion showed how far he has fallen with a missed straight, up-hill, three foot par putt. 

An amazing tournament will always be remembered for the final day and how the Europeans came back from the dead, but Saturday's four-balls will also surely never be forgotten. The way that Poulter birdied the last five holes yesterday will live long in the memory and that was the turning point that gave Europe some momentum going into the final day.

He was clearly as stunned as anyone else with the victory: "Ollie said to us at the start of the week, the Ryder Cup is what memories and stars are made of. Last night we were buzzing, we weren't 4-0 down, we were all square and we knew we had a chance. This is history. This has been unbelievable. I'll tell you what, I'm going to enjoy it with the best team I've ever seen and the best captain I've ever seen because this is special."

Europe Fight Back At Medinah To Keep In Touch With The USA

A thrilling evening of golf at Medinah supplied plenty of thrills and spills before the session ended up being  shared 2-2  meaning that the US go into tomorrow's singles matches with a 10-6 lead. Europe produced a stirring fight-back at the end of the day to win the last two matches after being 10-4 behind at one point and down in the last. 

Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter produced a great come-back to defeat Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner to keep Europe in the Ryder Cup hunt with just one day to go. Just before that Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia with-held a Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker come-back to give Europe hope. Colsaerts and Lawrie also played the 18th hole but were beaten one up by Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar. 

Earlier on Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson beat Molinari and Rose 5&4 after a destructive display. Magnificent hitting from both men sealed the comprehensive victory with Simpson's putting well and truly on song. Rose had a putt on the 14th green to keep the match going but, just like so many putts for Europe, it looked in all the way before sliding all the way around the hole and out the other side.

Bubba Watson said of the Ryder Cup experience: "Its very special, its his [Simpson's] first time in the Ryder Cup, lost one but won a couple. Great fans, the competition has been great, its been fun."

Simpson acknowledged the pressure of playing in a Ryder Cup: "Hitting that first tee shot and making that first birdie, I could feel my heart beating. Because you are playing for your team-mates and your country, there is more pressure than in a major, for sure."

At one stage Colsaerts and Lawrie were two down to Johnson and Kuchar but they fought back to one down with five to play. Colsaerts hit a magnificent second shot into 14, only for his eagle putt to somehow stay out after rolling all the way round and then failing to drop, despite being within a centimetre of the hole. To make matters worse, that was the second time that had happened to him in consecutive holes. Dustin Johnson duly holed out from about 3 feet for his birdie and Colsaerts and Lawrie remained one down. 

Matt Kuchar hit the green on the short par four 15th, while both Europeans found the left-hand bunker. The Belgian massively over-cooked his bunker shot and it rolled all the way off the green, down the slope and stopped a couple of feet short of the water. Scotsman Lawrie played his with much more conviction from an almost identical position to leave himself with a 5-foot birdie putt. Kuchar played a near perfect eagle putt and it stopped dead just inches away from the side of the hole to seal a birdie for the USA and pile the pressure on Lawrie, however he stepped up and stroked it in to stay one down with three to play. 

The Europeans's fortunes appeared to be changing as Matt Kuchar's second on the 16th struck a tree and ended up further back than it was originally. Dustin Johnson then missed the green while Lawrie found the fringe to really open the door for the away pair. The 1999 Open champion sealed the hole in par to take the match to all square going down the 17th and really put the cat in the American pigeons. 

On the penultimate hole Lawrie and Colsaerts both hit good tee shots onto the green, but the American duo appeared to hardly feel the pressure and ensured that all four players found the dance-floor. Somehow both Lawrie and Colsaert's birdie attempts didn't drop and Dustin Johnson took advantage with a wonderful 25-foot putt down the hill to regain the one hole lead. That was a crushing blow and it felt as though it could be a crucial moment in the Ryder Cup with the United States guaranteed to at least be leading by three points going into the singles tomorrow. 

Colsaerts almost holed his approach to the last but span quite a way past the hole to leave himself with a 15 footer up the hill for birdie. Johnson responded brilliantly to also leave himself with a birdie try from a similar distance. The Belgian captain's pick missed his putt to the right to give the USA a more than commanding 10-4 lead and wins in the last two matches became a must for Europe if they were to have any chance of retaining the trophy.

The only game that looked destined for a Europe victory, at one stage Donald and Garcia were four up over Woods and Stricker, was the third match, but Woods found his form and the Americans pulled it back to two down with six to play. Woods hit an amazing tee shot on 13 to within about 2 feet for birdie to continue the come-back. Garcia left a 35 footer in the jaws and Tiger converted to bring him and Stricker to within a shot. On the par 5 14th the world number two saw his second shot fly through the green, finishing up just yards away from Garcia's ball. The Spaniard almost holed his eagle chip, only for it bounce out and leave him a tricky birdie putt from the fringe. Tiger responded excellently with a well-executed flop shot to leave himself a birdie putt up-hill from inside ten feet to put Europe under even more pressure. Garcia poured in his putt but Woods proved that he had well and truly found his form with a clinical effort to halve the hole and stay one down.

On the 15th hole all the players missed the green and it was Luke Donald who put down the gauntlet with a great chip to within 5 feet to set up a golden birdie chance. When Woods's putt stayed up it gave Donald the chance to grab a two hole advantage and he rolled in his birdie try with obvious confidence. Then Woods continued on the birdie trail as he brought it back to within one with two to play. The birdie run from him came as a shock after he had played the front nine the same as a 12 handicapper.

On the 17th tee Woods hit it to about ten feet, but Luke Donald got comfortably inside that with an imperious shot for a tap-in birdie. Despite Donald's brilliance Woods showed his class with a well-played birdie to insure that the penultimate match of the day went down the last.

Donald found the fairway sand and then missed the green before Steve Stricker hit a towering iron shot to about eight feet, despite the immense pressure. Garcia also found the short stuff but had a much tougher putt down the hill with about 15 feet left. Woods did what was needed of him as he found fringe short of the hole to make sure that the Americans would have two good chances of holing birdie putts to draw the match. The Spaniard's effort narrowly missed leaving Stricker needing to hole his putt to draw the match. His effort lipped out, giving Europe just their second point of the day.

McIlroy and Poulter had chances on the front nine but could not hole the putts when it mattered. When two down after 10 Poulter missed a good birdie chance on the 11th green, slipping it below the hole. McIlroy hit a solid second shot to give himself a good birdie chance on 12. Despite missing that opportunity the world number one bounced back in style with a magnificent birdie on the par three 13th to pull to within one hole of Johnson and Dufner. On the following hole, the par five, Poulter holed a nerveless putt for an up-an-down birdie to halve the game and keep the two Europeans in the hunt.

2007 Masters winner Zach Johnson then found the water from the 15th tee which forced Dufner to lay-up and give McIlroy and Poulter another chance to draw the match level. The journey-man American hit his second to about ten feet to give himself a great chance of halving, possibly even winning a hole that the Americans looked out of. Match-play specialist Poulter almost holed his bunker shot meaning that Dufner had to hole his birdie effort to stay one up, he failed to do so and the match was back to all square with three to play.

On the 16th green Poulter holed a magnificent birdie putt to complete the come-back and give Europe the lead with two to play. On the 17th Johnson found the green only five feet from the pin, only for Poulter to hole another birdie putt to give the two Europeans a one hole lead going to the 18th tee.

Poulter hit first from the fairway and found a great spot about ten feet right of the pin before Zach Johnson struck his just outside his opponent. There was still another twist in the tail as Jason Dufner hit a magnificent iron to about four feet, before McIlroy hit a disappointing wedge shot that spun back onto the edge of the green. The Americans decided to let Dufner play first and it proved to be the perfect choice as he rolled it in to pile the pressure on Poulter's twelve footer. He showed why he is regarded as Europe's best Ryder Cup player as he sent it down the hill and straight into the middle of the cup to give Olazabal's men a vital point.

The Europeans will be delighted to snatch the last two matches which keeps them in touch going into the last day when anything can happen. It was still the Americans' day, but it was an admirable fight-back by the visitors to keep themselves in contention.

Europe Struggling In Medinah As The Americans Increase Their Lead

The US Ryder Cup team increased their lead to 8-4 after a disappointing morning foursomes session for Jose Maria Olazabal's Europe side. Leading 5-3 going into the second day the US were quickest out of the blocks as Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson continued their sensational partnership with a comprehensive 7&6 victory over former world number ones Luke Donald and Lee Westwood.

The away team did hit back through the opening pair Ian Poulter and Justin Rose as they saw off 2012 major champions Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson by one hole. Poulter showed great match-play form yet again to improve his already excellent Ryder Cup record, while good friend Rose showed why he is the current world number five. 

Englishman Poulter said of the electric atmosphere at Medinah: "A win is a win. It was a special moment [on the first tee]. It was pretty special of Bubba to pump them up yesterday. It is an amazing amphitheatre and I knew Bubba was going to do it today, so why not join him?" 

Fellow country-man Rose acknowledged that it was a hard-fought, but crucial point: "We won ugly. That was a good point. We didn't have our best out there but we won." 

Yesterday's European hero Nicolas Colsaerts was unable to repeat the trick today alongside Spanish Ryder Cup veteran Sergio Garcia. The solid partnership of Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson were excellent from tee to green and fully deserved their 2&1 win. The point increased the US lead to 7-4 and put them firmly in pole position. 

Garcia and Colsaerts were always behind the 8-ball and they could not find the consistency to match their American counter-parts. Two down with three to play Garcia did conjure up some magic to chip-in for birdie, but that was about as good as it got for the continental pair as they succumbed to defeat on the next hole. 

The Northern-Irish pair of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell struggled early on against Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker but McIlroy conjured up some magic to force the match down the last. Half a point was always going to be vital for Europe as they looked to hold onto the USA's coat-tails going into the four-balls. 

McIlroy hammered his tee shot miles down the 18th fairway and Snedeker clearly felt the pressure as he found a fairway bunker. Furyk did brilliantly well to get his partner out of trouble as he managed to hit a great shot onto the front of the green and leave McDowell needing to stiff it close to give world number one McIlroy a chance. 

McDowell tugged his chip left and over the back of the green effectively ending Europe's chance of getting into the clubhouse at less than four points behind. 

The 8-4 deficit means that Europe will need to replicate, or do something close, to the incredible Saturday fourballs session of two years ago to give themselves a realistic chance of retaining the trophy.

Golf's Show-Piece Event Has No Favourites Ahead Of Friday's Foursomes

For so many years the Ryder Cup was almost seen as a pointless event that was always going to be won by the team from the west of the Atlantic. The last 18 years have seen a huge swing in momentum as Europe have won six out of eight competitions and are unbeaten at home since 1993. This September Jose Maria Olazabal's side travel to Medinah, Illinois to play in one of golf's most hyped up events: The Ryder Cup. This year there are no favourites, as although the defending champions have big names such as world number one Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and match-play specialist Ian Poulter, the Americans have an in-form Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and the big-hitters, Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson. 

With so many big names gearing up for this afternoon's foursomes it is very hard to pick which players will shine and which players won't. US captain Davis Love III has already made a very bold decision by sending out Cup rookie Brant Snedeker first alongside old hand Jim Furyk. Snedeker has been on great form in a season that culminated with a Tour Championship win while Furyk has shown flashes of his best, most notably in the US Open when he blew a great chance to win his second major. Love defended his decision to throw Snedeker in at the deep end: "We wanted to get Brandt going - Brandt likes to get out there and get after it." 

However they will be facing the Northern Irish juggernaut that is Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, a combination that features the world's number one and 18 golfers, as well as three major championship wins. McIlroy and 'G-Mac' will go into this one as favourites, although Furyk has done everything there is to do in the sport and Snedeker will be going out with all guns blazing. 

In the next foursomes match is probably the most successful Ryder Cup foursomes team of all-time in the shape of former world number one Donald and Spain's Sergio Garcia. Neither player have ever lost in this format with Donald holding a record of six wins out of six and Garcia unbeaten in eight matches. They are tough opponents for anyone, but if anyone can beat them then it will be the star-studded American pairing of four-time major champion Phil Mickelson and rookie Keegan Bradley, the 2011 USPGA champion. 

The third match looks to be very much in the balance with world number four Lee Westwood and Italian Francesco Molinari taking on Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner, both in the world top 20, and both very much in form. This is the battle of the 'steady eddie's' with all these players very solid from tee to green. Europe skipper Olozabal said of his decision to choose Molinari: "He's straight off the tee, he hits good iron shots. When I look at foursomes, I want to have players who are consistent and are steady from tee to green."

Englishmen Ian Poulter and Justin Rose round off the session for Europe and are up against the two old pros that are Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker. Both have been around for what seems like forever with Woods holding 14 major titles and Stricker being in the world top 20 for the last five years. Both have not scored as well as many would have expected in the Ryder Cup, but both will out to prove their doubters wrong this week-end. Woods said of previous matches: "I didn't earn the points I was put out there for. Hopefully I can do that this week, and hopefully the other guys can do the same and we can get this rolling."

Poulter is a well-renowned match-play player with a magnificent Ryder Cup record and won the WGC match-play title in 2010 as well as the Volvo match-play championship in 2011. Rose has been on good form and has four wins on the PGA Tour in the last three years which has resulted in a rise to a career-high of fifth in the world rankings. The last game, as ever, will be the one to watch, but all the matches have a sense of intrigue and the potential for drama surrounding them.

McIlroy Wins With Consummate Ease at Kiawah Island

On Sunday morning the 94th USPGA Championship was hanging in the balance with Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Fiji's Vijay Singh tied for the lead on -6. As Saturday's play was suspended the leaders had to resume mid-way through their third rounds and McIlroy got out the blocks the quickest as he moved into the lead on his own with an impressive 67. Singh slipped back to join 14-time major champion Tiger Woods on -2 while Carl Pettersson went into the final round in second place on four under.

The Northern Irishman found himself with the 54-hole lead for the third time in a major after his collapse at Augusta last year and his demolition job at Congressional in the 2011 US Open. Early on it was Englishman Ian Poulter who made a charge as he birdied his first five holes to get to within one with some magical stroke-play and a series of one-putts. He made it birdie number six on the seventh hole as it started to look as though something special was on the horizon. Something out of the ordinary did happen, but it was not Poulter who produced it as he fell away on the back nine to finish with a 69 on four under par. 

Many turned to Tiger Woods to light up the course and he was on the prowl to start with after two early birdies, only for his challenge to also fail to materialise down the home stretch. McIlroy was playing serene golf and went out in just 33 strokes as he opened up a two shot lead over Poulter. Big Swede Carl Pettersson was in contention as he moved to -6 despite incurring a two-shot penalty on the first hole for moving a leaf (loose impediment) with his club in a hazard. However he also faltered as it became the 'Macca' show. 

The Ulsterman rolled in a ten-footer on the 12th green to move six shots clear and after that it was merely a victory procession. Like Congressional he had that bounding walk as he seemed to find fairways and greens with relative ease. When he did find trouble he also found his short game in excellent order as he got up and down on 16 to move seven shots clear on -12. He finished in magnificent style to boot as he holed a 12-foot putt on the 72nd hole to match his effort at Congressional last summer and win by eight shots. He took only 25 putts in a majestic final round of 66 which was added to rounds of 67, 75 and 67 to leave him on -13 with his nearest competitor, David Lynn, on minus five. 

Understandably McIlroy was delighted after regaining the world number one spot and becoming the youngest ever double major champion at 23: "I don't think I have let it sink in yet, it was a great round of golf. I just wanted to play solid, as I did all the way through the week. I got off to a shaky start but settled into it and my putting was phenomenal. It means an awful lot to look at the names on the trophy and to put my name beside them is something special."

USPGA Championship Has Potential To Emerge From London's Shadow

Last August drama unfolded at Atlanta Athletic Club as PGA Tour rookie Keegan Bradley came back from five shots behind with three holes to play to beat journeyman Jason Dufner in a three hole play-off by one stroke. No one believed that there could be a way back for Bradley after he chipped into the water on route to a triple bogey six at the par 3 15th. Jaws dropped as Dufner then hit his tee shot on the same hole into a similar watery grave as Bradley birdied the 16th. Dufner then bogeyed 16 and 17 while the youngster holed a 50 foot putt for birdie on the penultimate hole prior to winning the play-off. 

This time around the year's last major has slipped so far under the radar that a lot of people seem to be unaware that it is even taking place. The Bridgestone Invitational was played rather unnoticed as the London Olympics got under way but Kiawah Island will be hoping for more attention on this week's golfing show-piece. In four years time The PGA Championship will most likely be moved to a later date to accommodate the Olympic Games' golf tournament. However this year the PGA will have to try and lift the profile of one of the sport's main events as London 2012 takes centre stage. 

This tournament will not come to the fore-front by advertisement or promotion as the Olympics has already moved into the spotlight, and rightly so. The only way for golf to steal a bit of the limelight is for drama to unfold on the Ocean course as a field that includes the world's top 103 players fight it out. In recent years this has been the most open major with a variety of different winners. In the last eight years there have been winners from four different continents and the last three tournaments have been won by players from Asia, Europe and North America. That pattern would suggest that maybe this is the year for an African or Australasian golfer. 

The African players have been in rich form over the last few years with four different winners in the last five years. Ernie Els was the last one to be added to that list when he won The Open Championship last month. Charl Schwartzel and Trevor Immelman have been recent winners of the Masters while Louis Oosthuizen won the Open in 2010. However no African player has come out on top in the US Open or USPGA since Retief Goosen won the last of his majors in the 2004 US Open. 1994 was the last time the continent yielded a champion in the season's final major when Zimbabwean Nick Price won his second title. 

Australasia has not produced a major winner since Geoff Ogilvy came out on top in the 2006 US Open and South America has only ever produced two major victors in the shape of Argentines Angel Cabrera and Roberto de Vicenzo. Traditionally the United States of America have dominated this event and the trophy only left the States three times before 1990. However since then the hosts have failed to win nine times. Last year Bradley ended a run of three foreign winners and the new crop of US golfers will be hoping to continue their winning run this week. 

The big guns will be out in force this week with the likes of Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Dustin Johnson looking for a maiden major. More experienced major winners Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Els will be after adding to their already large tallies while youngsters like Bradley, Webb Simpson, Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson will be on the hunt for a second title. This tournament has a tendency for a surprise performer and there are many talented golfers in the field that will secretly be thinking that they can win around the longest course in major history. Unheralded players like Dufner, Troy Matteson, Hunter Mahan and Rafael Cabrera-Bello have all had good years and could make charges. 

It may look as though the PGA Championship will slip to a conclusion relatively unnoticed but there is potential that a great story could arise from the 94th edition of this magnificent competition. Whether it is a first major since 2008 for Tiger, a first major for Westwood or Donald or a surprise victory from one of the world's lesser-known golfers, this could be one of golf's great weeks. 

Deflated Adam Scott Can Bounce Back After Open Meltdown

Yesterday evening Australian Adam Scott was poised to take his maiden major title at Royal Lytham and St Annes in the 141st Open Championship. Standing on the 15th tee he was four shots clear of Ernie Els, his nearest rival, and full of confidence after holing an excellent birdie putt on the previous green. What happened next will go down in Open folklore as he bogeyed the last four holes and lost by a stroke thanks to an Els birdie at the last.

Scott denied that his dramatic collapse was down to nerves: "I definitely worked myself up a little bit at times, but once I was out there I felt completely in control and even the last few holes I didn't really feel like it was a case of nerves or anything like that. It was a very sloppy finish and disappointing to finish that way. I played so well all week." Champion Els said that Scott 'would win majors' and offered his condolences.

The runner-up said that he would try and take the positives out of the week to help him progress. Take away the final four holes and this week was a massive improvement on his previous major appearances. For a man once ranked at three in the world he had had a relatively mediocre major record with just four top tens before his tied for second finish at the 2011 Masters. He has taken four top tens in his last seven majors which is a vast improvement on his four in 37 previous efforts. As a result of his Open challenge he has also risen seven places in the world rankings and is now placed at number six.

However it will be very hard for Scott to see all of these positives as he looks back on a championship that he should have won. At the age of 32 he may not have many more chances to break his major duck and this could play on his mind in the months, maybe years to come. His demise at Lytham will rank as one of the game's worst as he allowed the Claret Jug to slip through his fingers. Other players have suffered similar last round stumbles and have come out the other side in better shape.

Last year Rory McIlroy shot a last round 80 at Augusta, blowing a four shot lead to finish outside the top ten. The Ulsterman's putting game deserted him, missing many short attempts, and four-putted on the twelfth green. Like McIlroy, Scott's putting went walkabout and he missed a three-footer on the 16th before failing to hole crucial putts on 17 and 18. The Australian will be hoping to continue to replicate McIlroy at next month's USPGA championship; McIlroy responded to his Masters meltdown by thrashing the field to win the US Open by eight shots at Congressional.

Other players have had unbelievable falls at majors and never really been able to come back. One example of this is Frenchman Jean Van De Velde who will forever be remembered for his catastrophic triple-bogey on the 72nd hole in the 1999 Open at Carnoustie. On that one hole the journeyman European Tour player managed to find the the rough, the sand, the water and the grandstands as he self-imploded. He then lost in a play-off that Scot Paul Lawrie won by three shots. Van De Velde never again challenged at a top tournament with just one more win on the European Tour and no more top 15 major finishes.

Scott's fellow countryman and idol Greg Norman won two Open championships but was also known for his poor conversion rate when in with a chance at a major. He won just those two majors but finished in the top ten on 28 other occasions and the most famous of these near-misses was at Augusta in 1996. Norman went into the final round with a six-shot lead over England's Nick Faldo only to falter with five bogeys and two double bogeys as he shot 78 to Faldo's 67. Norman never finished in the top two at a major again and could only claim two more professional wins.

Unlike Norman, who was 41 in 1996, Scott may still have a few golfing years in him and will be hopeful of claiming that elusive major victory. He will take heart from McIlroy's comeback at Congressional last year and will hope to build on what was on the whole a good Open Championship. He will tee-off at the USPGA in two weeks time as one of the favourites and will relish that tag as he goes on the major hunt again.

Royal Lytham and St Annes To Take No Prisoners At 141st Open Championship

14 years ago tomorrow the late great Seve Ballesteros shot a breath-taking six under par 65 in the final round of The Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes to take the Claret Jug for the third time. His final score of -11 gave him victory by two strokes ahead of Zimbabwean Nick Price. The links course in the North-West of England continued to yield low scores the next two times golf's biggest tournament was held there. In 1996 Tom Lehman shot 13 under par while a number of low scores were shot, including three 65s. Five years on and Colin Montgomerie lit up the course with a magnificent opening day 65 before falling away as American David Duval won by three strokes on ten under. 

If it was a tough course then it has become even harder to negotiate over the last eleven years. Subtle changes have been made as the course has been lengthened by 213 yards and the sixth hole changed from a par five to a par four; meaning that it now plays as a par 70, not 71. Add 206 bunkers over the eighteen holes and this becomes a real test with good or bad weather. The forecast suggests some sun and some rain with a definite breeze but not overly disruptive winds. Sunday could be the day when the rains really come and the wind increases in speed and this could make for carnage on the final day. 

Much has been made of the rough at the course so far this week with many of the top players saying after their practice rounds that it is almost unplayable. Tiger Woods said: "It's just that you can't get out of it. That bottom six inches, in some places is almost unplayable, I've never seen the rough this high or thick and dense." Defending champion Darren Clarke said that there 'could be some lost balls in there'. 

Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the Royal and Ancient has defended the rough on the course saying: "The rough is up but the course is reasonably generous on width and most of the players seem happy with it, at least those I have spoken to, maybe 20 or so." Links courses are always difficult and the players should be prepared for a tough examination of their game. World number two Lee Westwood agreed with Dawson: "I'm sure there are some unplayable places in the rough. It's pretty thick and brutal, but if you don't go in it then you don't have a problem with it." 

Whoever wins this weekend they will have to be hitting the ball very straight and that is what The Open is about; only players with the best ball control can hope to be successful. Westwood was quietly confident about his chances: I played the golf course last night, which was a genius move because it was nice weather and there was hardly anybody out there, it was one of the best Open Championship practices I ever had.

I was going around yesterday trying to figure out where the birdie opportunities are, and I'm still trying to figure that out. Rather than pick out the birdie opportunities, there's going to be holes out there where par is going to be a good score. That's the way to approach it." The Englishman will go into Thursday as one of the favourites and rightly so after eight top ten finishes in his last 12 major appearances. 

Despite there being the usual suspects in the field, the likes of Donald, Westwood, Woods, Mickelson, Harrington and McIlroy, it could be anyone's Claret Jug this year. With the rough high and the course littered with bunkers all the players will struggle if they cannot keep the ball on the fairway. While good putting is always key during an Open championship the accuracy from tee-to-green will be most important this week. This is why Westwood will go in as a hot favourite, as will Woods. Nevertheless any player who can hit form will be in with an excellent chance. Two-time champion Padraig Harrington goes into the tournament in good spirits after top 15 finishes in his last four PGA Tour events and a tie for 16th in the Scottish Open last week and many will tip him for glory.

This year's Open championship is sure to be decided by who can combine precise hitting with solid putting.  The winner could well be a first-time winner, like the previous nine major tournaments, or a person with experience of victory, possibly Woods or Harrington. Anyone who fails to keep their swing in good order will be found out by a Royal Lytham course that will clamp down its jaws on any erratic shots. 

Golfing Big Guns Warming Up For The Open At Scenic Castle Stuart

With the Open Championship less than a week away the attention of the golfing world is firmly placed on Castle Stuart, the venue for the Scottish Open which effectively serves as a warm-up event for the Open. The big guns are out in force at the picturesque golf course with world number one Luke Donald, four-time major champion Phil Mickelson and three-time major winners Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington among those going for glory this weekend. 

Francesco Molinari and Alexander Noren sit joint a-top the leader-board at -12 after Molinari shot 62 on Thursday while Noren hit consecutive 66s. The likes of Matteo Manessero, Ricardo Gonzalez and Shane Lowry are very close behind at -11. Defending champion Luke Donald is also well in the mix at -9 after two rounds in the 60s, although had more putts dropped he may have shot even lower. Former world number one Martin Kaymer held the lead at one stage today but dropped back to -9 after dropping two strokes in his last three holes. He was clearly disappointed with the end of his round: "Yesterday was good but today the back nine was a bit of a struggle; a bit of a s***** finish." 

American four-time major champion made a special flew over especially for this week's tournament but looked unlikely to make the cut after a 73 yesterday. However today he looked right back on form as he shot a magnificent 64. He said that 'when the wind starts blowing 20 or 30 knots it becomes difficult'. Despite the good scoring conditions he wants better preparation for the Open next week: "I hope we get some bad weather as it is meant to be very wet and windy next week." He is right in the mix and no one will rule him out at just five shots behind going into the weekend. 

Ernie Els has had a mixed start to the tournament consistently trading birdies with dropped shots for his first 36 holes. The 'Big Easy' has hit some magnificent shots but his putting has continued to be erratic and yesterday he took four shots to get out of a green-side bunker. Padraig Harrington has looked in ominous form recently and has been there or thereabouts in recent weeks. The two-time Open champion hit two 69s to take a seat well-placed at six shots back. 

On the opening day Molinari hit an imperious round of 62 which featured ten birdies and eight pars. This followed on from his closing 64 at last week's French Open that stole him second place. Of his recent run of form he said: "I know it's not going to last forever, but I hope to keep this going a little bit longer - obviously next week, but the next month or so is really big for Ryder Cup." Today he could not quite match yesterday's performance but he still shot a two-under-par 70 to claim a share of the lead. 

This tournament has given the spectators an excellent first two days with plenty of low-scoring. However if the wind picks up then the dropped shots start to appear on a more regular basis which would shake up the leader-board. Having said this, if the weather stays benign then it is still sure to produce a thrilling last two days as all the players continue to attack flags and hunt for birdies. 

Gripping Finale to 2012 US Open as Webb Simpson Takes First Nicklaus Trophy

When the fourth round of the 112^th US Open started today everyone thought that the winner would come from one of Jim Furyk, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood, with some other big names ready to make a charge. 14-time major champion Tiger Woods was six over after his first six holes to immediately drop out of the running while McDowell, Westwood and Furyk all started steadily.

Despite being six shots back after five holes played, last year’s PGA Tour money list runner-up Webb Simpson hit three consecutive birdies to move firmly into contention. Other contenders started to slip away from the lead including English world number three Westwood who lost a ball in a tree after an errant tee shot. Other players came into it, but dropped out of it. Young American Michael Thompson posted an excellent 67 to hold the clubhouse lead at two over par and missed a good chance at 17 to get to plus one.

42-year-old South African Ernie Els moved to +1 thanks to an eagle at seven before slipping back to plus two one hole later. Jim Furyk got himself out of trouble at the 12^th hole with a monster 30ft par putt while McDowell drained a similar length putt for birdie to move just one shot off the lead. Els dropped out of the running with bogeys at 16 and 18 to finish on +4 when he could have gone so much lower.

The pendulum swung towards Simpson when Furyk hit an ugly quick hook into the trees off the 16^th tee. Simpson then proceeded to finish with a brilliant up and down from the thick rough to the right of the 18^th green to finish with a two under par 68 and +1 overall. 42-year-old Furyk could not reach the green in regulation at the 70^th hole and had to settle for a bogey, leaving him needing at least one birdie from the last two holes while McDowell needed either two birdies or an eagle at 17.

Sitting in the clubhouse the leader was clearly pleased just to have finished: “I’ve probably prayed more in those last few holes than I have ever done in my life but I’m pleased to get in with a 68.”

Furyk’s second shot at the 17^th, also a par five, came up well short in a bunker as he decided to take a four iron when a metal club may have been the better option. All this time Webb Simpson had to sit in the clubhouse with his family and wait to see if his effort was going to be enough. Furyk’s birdie putt came up short but McDowell drained his attempt. This meant that the Portrush man and the unconventional American both walked down the last in need of a birdie in order to force a play-off. Both players found the first cut of rough as Simpson was left to chew on his nails for a little longer.

McDowell hit an excellent second shot into the 72^nd hole to leave himself around 15ft downhill to take part in a play-off. However Furyk’s ball buried into a green-side bunker to end his title hopes. McDowell missed his putt narrowly below the hole to give 26-year-old American Webb Simpson his first major title.

When asked if he was nervous waiting for McDowell and Furyk to finish Simpson replied: “It was nerve-racking. Graeme and Jim have both won majors before and when Graeme had that 25 footer at the last I expected it to hit the hole or at least go very close.”

An excellent win for Simpson caps un unbelievable rise from 200 in the world rankings at the end of the 2010 season which has included two other PGA Tour wins. Another rousing golf tournament has ended with a ninth consecutive new major winner and the third American victor in a row. Now all the players will go away and begin their preparations for the 141^st British Open that takes place in less than a month’s time. 

Tiger On The Prowl As 112th US Open Moves Into Full Swing

Tiger Woods is finally starting to look like the player he was when he was winning all those majors a few years ago. Since being beaten to the 2009 USPGA Championship by YE Yang he is yet to look that threatening in a major again. Three tied for fourth finishes since then have shown that he can still shoot low rounds in majors, but he has yet to string four good rounds together. This season he has picked up his first two PGA Tour victories since 2009 and seems to be in good shape and full of confidence. 

His pitch on the 16th green at Memorial two weeks ago was nothing short of sensational. If he under-hit it he could have not made the green, if he over-hit it he would have gone at least 10ft past and maybe in the water. However, he caught it to absolute perfection and the ball dropped delightfully into the cup to bring back memories of that famous chip at Augusta's 16th in 2005. Jack Nicklaus said that Tiger's latest magic moment was the 'best shot he had ever seen' and Tiger seemed pretty pleased with it as well saying that it was 'not bad'. "It was one of the hardest shots I've pulled off. If I leave it short, it rolls left, if I hit it long it's in the water. The lie wasn't that great. It came out just perfect."

For the first time in a long time Woods seemed to have his old self-confidence back after his Memorial win: "Boy, I hit it good," he said. "I never really missed a shot, I had the pace of the greens really nice and made a few putts."

Now he is following on from that win with a very accomplished performance so far at the difficult Olympic Club. Rounds of 69 and 70 have given him a share of the halfway lead and his overall play is looking back to its best. A grinding style is required to do well round this course and Tiger said he's "just playing for a lot of pars. This is not a tournament where we have to make a bunch of birdies." Unlike what many people may think, this is the type of course that suits Woods down to the ground. On such difficult courses only the very best can shoot a round near par and Woods is definitely one of the best and his statistics showed that yesterday with 11/14 fairways hit and 14/18 greens in regulation. History proves that Tiger thrives on harder courses with his three previous US Open wins coming on very tough courses. In 2008 his winning score was just -1, in 2002 it was -3 and although he shot -12 in 2000, his closest competitors were 15 strokes back at +3.

However the style of game most suited to this golf course is the grinding style effectively used by old-timers Jim Furyk and David Toms. With one major win a-piece these two players will fancy their chances of taking a second on Sunday. Aged 42 and 45 respectively their experience has helped them so far this week. Solid play and good scrambling and putting have been rewarded this week and Toms, Furyk and 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell have all shown these qualities. As a result all are in with a shout of stopping a Woods procession. 

As the tournament heads into the weekend it appears that the world's best will have to continue to scrap hard against the course in one of golf's most difficult tests. Tiger now looks as dangerous as ever and he will be expected to take his major tally to 15 as he endeavours to reel in Nicklaus's magic number of 18. Despite this there will be plenty of other players still hoping to have a decisive say over the weekend in what could become one of the game's most famous tournaments.

Who Could Grab US Open Triumph at Olympic Club?

This year the US Open has one of the most open fields in recent memory with a number of players in the running to claim the title. Jed Gore: A Sporting Insight takes a closer look at the top contenders:

Luke Donald (England)

The World Number One is yet to win a major title but will have high hopes of silencing his critics this week. The 34-year-old Englishman has been extremely consistent over the past two years with four wins in 2011 and two so far in 2012. Despite having five PGA Tour victories and seven on the European Tour he has largely underperformed at major championships with just six top-ten finishes. However two of these came last year during his rise to the summit of the world rankings. 

This season he became embroiled in a battle for the number one spot with Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy before reclaiming the position with a win at the BMW PGA Championship while McIlroy missed three cuts in a row. Despite his excellent record on the major golf tours he has a poor record at the US Open with a best of tied for 12th in 2006 as well as two missed cuts to his name. Donald faces a battle against the long par 70 Lake Course course this week and may struggle to haul himself into contention.

Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)

The youngster from County Down has taken the golfing world by storm since he turned professional back in 2009 and briefly held the number one ranking earlier on this year. With six professional wins in four years he has improved every season, taking the US Open crown last summer by eight shots with a record low score of 268 at Congressional Club. At top of the PGA Tour money list this year he has performed excellently on the whole although has suffered a blip in form recently.

Three consecutive missed cuts, including the prestigious Players Championship and BMW PGA Championship, lost him the number one world ranking. Last week in Memphis McIlroy blew his chance of victory with a disastrous double bogey on the 72nd hole. But despite his poor recent form McIlroy is one of the leading names going into tomorrow's first round and should be confident teeing off as defending champion.

Tiger Woods (USA)

14 major titles. 35 major top tens. 73 PGA Tour victories. 100 professional wins. Over 250 weeks as world number one. 10 PGA Player of the Year awards.

The numbers stack up in favour of one of golf's greatest ever players despite form-hampering injuries and his much-publicized private life problems. Two wins on the PGA Tour this season have helped him rise to number four in the world rankings and is seeming to hit some good form. The man he tied at 73 PGA wins two weeks ago at Memorial, Jack Nicklaus, said that Woods' chip-in on the 16th was 'the greatest he had ever seen'.
The golfing legend also appears to have his old swagger and confidence back. After his win he said: "Boy, I hit it good. I never really missed a shot, I had the pace of the greens really nice and made a few putts."

Tiger is definitely one of the red-hot favourites this week and will be hoping to add a fourth US Open to his list of major wins and move one step closer to his goal of over-taking Nicklaus's record 18 major victories.

Lee Westwood (England)


The world number three has been on excellent form recently but at 38 years of age time is running out for him to claim his maiden major title. His 39 professional wins prove he has what it takes but is yet to find the winning touch when it matters most. The 'perennial nearly-man' tag has haunted him for the last few years although that view is vindicated by the fact he has 8 major top-tens in the last four years. His putter has been his nemesis and he has been left to rue missed opportunities and think of 'what might have been' on numerous occasions. However, he is on good form this year and will be expected to mount a serious challenge again this week.

Bubba Watson (USA)


The winner at Augusta in April, Bubba Watson has excited golf fans all over the world with his stunning long drives and outrageous iron shots. His shot from the trees at the second play-off hole in The Masters will go down in history as one of golf's most magical moments. In the world top five for the first time in his career, the left-hander will be hoping to add to his major wins this week.

Playing in a 'dream' group with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson he will be sure to offer up some great entertainment. Four PGA wins in the last two-and-a-half years show that he definitely has what it takes and his length off the tee will definitely set up some birdie opportunities over the next few days.

Phil Mickelson (USA)


'Lefty' has not been in the best of form since his Masters triumph in 2010 but is always capable of making a challenge at major championships. Despite having never won the US Open, he has five runner-up finishes and still has it in him to win another major, as showed by his run at The Masters where he finished in a tie for third. However, without a win since February, coupled with dropping out of the world's top ten; he may not be at the top of his game.

Justin Rose (England)


The Englishman has enjoyed an excellent start to the season with a win in the Cadillac Championship and a runner-up finish to Luke Donald in the BMW PGA Championship. He has risen into the world's top ten and finished tied for eighth at Augusta. With the spot-light on the bigger names, Rose may just be the European to watch out for this week.

The Others


As well as the favourites listed above there are many golfers holding high hopes for this week. Exciting US youngster Rickie Fowler recently gained a first PGA Tour win, Hunter Mahan is a double winner this year, as is Jason Dufner. South Africans Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen and Ernie Els will be looking for a lofty position on the leaderboard as will German ex world number one Martin Kaymer. Amongst all these great sportsmen going for glory is 14-year-old Andy Zhang, the youngest ever player at the US Open who qualified courtesy of Paul Casey's withdrawal through injury.

All these factors look set to make sure that the next few days are as dramatic as ever as the best golfers from around the globe go head-to-head for one of the game's biggest prizes.

Americans Gunning for Sawgrass Glory

When Phil Mickelson holed the winning putt to win the Players Championship in 2007 no one would have predicted that the next four winners of the historic tournament would be players from outside the US. However since then there have been two European winners (Garcia, Stenson), a South African (Tim Clark) and the first ever Asian winner in KJ Choi. But this year there appear to be many Americans who are ready to buck the trend.

2001 champion and 14-time major winner Tiger Woods is in the field hoping to hunt down a second PGA win of the year. After his much-publicised slump he is appearing to be finding his feet again, winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this season. His old rival Mickelson will be looking to add to his one title, although has recently slipped to 10 in the world rankings. Despite the fact that these two great players will still be challengers; times have changed.

A new generation of American golfers have broken through. Finally winning major titles, Keegan Bradley's PGA Championship win last August was a first US win in seven attempts and Bubba Watson backed it up with his stunning Masters victory. Bubba has risen to number 4 in the world but is not in the field this week while Bradley has become a force to be reckoned with after his major triumph as a rookie. But he is not the only young American with realistic ambitions of winning the 'fifth major championship'. 

Hunter Mahan has two wins already this season, one of them the prestigious WGC World Match-Play Championship, defeating world number one Rory McIlroy in the process. He has climbed into the top five of the world rankings for the first time and is a serious contender for this week's title. Another American on the rise is Webb Simpson, who was beaten so dramatically to the money-list last year by Luke Donald. Last season he announced himself on the world stage with two PGA wins and defeats in two play-offs; being one of the most consistent players on tour and rising into the world top 10. Last week he led going into the final round at the Wells Fargo Championship but shot a 73 as he missed out on a three-man play-off by one shot. 

The winner of that play-off, Rickie Fowler, will also be on a high after winning his first PGA tournament at the 67th time of asking as a pro. Other players looking to add to their PGA Tour win list like Jason Dufner, Steve Stricker, Matt Kuchar, Ben Crane and Ben Curtis will surely mount a challenge to put recent Sawgrass history  right for US golf.