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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.