Stock up on the crunchy granola bars because I’m heading away for a few days which means less posts than normal.
The trip kicks off in Reus Spain tomorrow, from where it’s a dash down to Villarreal to catch the bottom of the table six pointer with Zaragoza. Sunday is a mountain bike trek up the hills of Benicassim (I swear to God) as part of our Sea2Summit training.
Then its up to Barcelona to the International Festival of Golf on Monday, for which we have packed “sports jackets and a shirt”. Formal.
While I’m gone might I recommend the following sites below which are similar to golfcentraldaily.
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Cant think of anything off hand
Nah, there’s nothing like this site in the whole wide world!!
Gigantic Neanderthal Italian front row forward Martin Castrogiovanni took time out from the Rugby World Cup yesterday to play a round of golf in Las Vegas! Castro, who lives in a doorway outside a stripclub in Rome, disappeared from the Italian camp who were busy preparing for their crunch clash with Ireland on Sunday. Five hours later he was spotted at the J.T. Shriners Open in Las Vegas.
“This isn’t unusual for Castro” said coach Nick Mallet before adding “but he is a crazy hairy bastard, and we love him for it. I’m sure he’ll arrive back, drunk as a skunk, with chips in his beard, just in time for kickoff”, laughed Mallet.
Teammate Sergio Parisse said “Martin stinks most of the time. He only cleans himself up to go golfing, so we are all really happy for him. He normally smells like an egg sandwich in an open sewer on a hot day.”
Castrogiovanni, who plays his club rugby with Leicester Tigers, and Sergio Parisse are the only two Italian players who are any good.
Thanks Tiernan Byrne for this: The Inaugural year of the Junior Pro Am Series is drawing to its grand finale with the sixteen qualifying teams busy cleaning their clubs, polishing their shoes and packing their bags for the Final in St. Helens Bay Golf Resort on the 8th October.
Over the past eight months we’ve had four Regional Qualifiers, with over 250 Junior’s and over 60 Assistant Professional’s participating in the Series. The qualifiers took place in St. Helens Bay Golf Resort (27th April), Milltown Golf Club (6th July), Mitchelstown Golf Club (25th July) and Malahide Golf Club (26th August), where the top four teams in each event qualified for the Grand Final.
And the worse thing for all you animal lovers is that these two piglets were so evil, they might not get in to Animal Heaven. The two wild boar piglets were finally felled on Tuesday after a Värmland golf club finally lost their patience as the pigs ripped up their fairways.
The only thing that is surprising judging by the picture is that they didn’t do it sooner!
”We hope that we are rid of them now, and that the others were scared off for good,” said Malte Ottosson, chairman of the Dömle Golf Club referring to the wild sow who saw two of her eight golf mad piglets made into rashers on the front nine.
Pic: Domle Golf Club Pig Damage. Though John Daly did play there the day before!
”They just came out of nowhere and started ruining our fairways,” said Ottosson. It turns out the peace loving Swedes first tried to co-exist with the piglets by organizing members into shifts to repair the nightly damage. It was only after realizing that this was never going to work a local hunter was brought in to speak the only language the pigs understood.
The unlucky piglets were shot on the approach to the fifth hole, a tough par four with a heavily bunkered green. The piglets were 165 yards from the green when taken out. The whole thing ”took fifteen minutes” according to Ottoson. We agree. That’s far too long to tolerate on a short par four.
All’s well that ends well, and with the golf course now protected by an electric fence, the members celebrated with an impromtu barbeque of rashers and sausages. No sense in letting good meat go to waste now is there?
According to good sources in Killeen Castle last week, the post mortem’s on the USA team side continued late into Sunday night. Apparently it escalated into a shouting match between Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr. Creamer thought that Kerr, with her sore wrist, could have made more of an effort to play her match on Sunday. TV pictures of Kerr roaring in pain, collapsing in tears into her husband’s arms, then wearing a sling did nothing for Paula, who reckoned a one armed Kerr would have had a fair shot at Karen Stupples, who had never won a Solheim Point.
Is Kerr really the whinging princess of the LPGA Tour that so many say? Should she not have pulled before letting all the other matches start, thereby sharing a half point? Should Rosie Jones not have put the foot down and played other Team members during the week besides using Kerr in every match?
So many questions. The good news Team USA is you have two years to reflect on them.
I read this today. Only in America. I think the guy in the story below was actually trying to leave The Tour Championship!
A Georgia state trooper shot a motorist accused of forcing his way past a barricade at the PGA Tour Championship and dragging another officer. Georgia State Patrol Capt. Paul Cosper says the shooting happened Sunday around 7 p.m. He says Gerald Williams tried driving into a barricaded area near the East Lake Golf Club. Cosper says that when police told Williams that he couldn't drive through the lot, he became "irate." When a trooper opened the car's door, Williams hit the gas and dragged the officer a short distance. Another trooper fired twice, wounding Williams. He was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital with injuries that did not appear to be serious. The troopers have been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, which is standard procedure.
From GolfWeek
The U.S. team hasn’t lost the Presidents Cup since 1998, coincidentally the last time the matches were played at Royal Melbourne. Since then, the Americans have gone 4-0-1, including a 19.5-14.5 victory over the International team two years ago at Harding Park in San Francisco.
Here is an in-depth look at this year’s team, captained by Fred Couples:
•••
1. Matt Kuchar
By Associated Press
• Scoring average on Tour: 69.55
• Top-10 finishes on Tour this season: 9 (23 starts)
• Major finishes this season: T-27, Masters; T-14, U.S. Open; MC, British Open; T-19, PGA Championship
• Presidents Cup record: First appearance
• Outlook: Affable, steady, solid – Kooch would be a good partner for just about anyone on the U.S. side. He went 1-1-2 at last year’s Ryder Cup, where he twice partnered with Stewart Cink (not on Presidents Cup roster).
•••
From GolfWeek
The International team hasn’t won the Presidents Cup since 1998, coincidentally the last time the matches were played at Royal Melbourne. Since then, the Internationals have gone 0-4-1, including a 19.5-14.5 loss in 2009 at Harding Park in San Francisco.
Here is an in-depth look at the team, captained by Greg Norman:
1. Jason Day
By Getty Images Scoring average on Tour: 69.94 Top-10 finishes on Tour this season: 10 (21 starts) Major finishes this season: T-2, Masters; 2nd, U.S. Open; T-30, British Open; MC, PGA Championship. Presidents Cup record: First appearance Outlook: One of the more consistent players on Tour this year, Day has been in great form since a missed cut at the PGA Championship, putting up a pair of top 10s in the FedEx Cup playoffs (T-3, Deutsche Bank; T-6, Tour Championship).
• • •
Hank Haney has been sued by a kid from Pennsylvania and his mother after they claimed Hank Haney did not meet his contractual obligations at his South Carolina academy.
Matthew Teesdale’s mother Maureen alleged “consumer fraud” in a Philadelphia lawsuit filed last week. The suit claims that Hank Haney gave Matthew a total of seven minutes instruction to Matthew, after he paid the $30,000 enrolment fee at the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head Island two years ago.
Teesdale, now 20, is seeking damages in excess of $150,000 and a jury trial.
My own wife probably summed it up best when she said, “$30,000 for seven minute? Who does he think he is? Carlos Tevez?
Posh and Becks. Brangelina. You’re nobody now if you don't have a celebrity nickname. And Caroline and Rory haven’t left anything to chance. They’ve gone with “WOZZILROY” as stamped on Caroline’s gift to Rors, a new Titleist Vokey wedge.
Wozniacki apparently spent days working on name permutations and it’s believed Wozzilroy was chosen from a shortlist including McNiacki, Roroline.
My best effort is an anagram of Rory McIlroy and Caroline Wozniacki
Winner Alright: Last week we scored a third with Joost Luiten in Austria at 18/1
Rory McIlroy 10/1
The favourite at pretty much every event he starts these days is Rory McIlroy at 10/1 and I’ll be having a fiver each way on that. Happy in his personal life and just one good putting week away from another win. Third in his last two starts, and three top 10’s in the last four years. Bombed out badly last year, but I don’t expect a repeat of that this time around. After all Rors will be keen to impress the bankers of Santander whose logo he will brandish this week.
Simon Dyson 20/1
A little break couldn’t have come at a better time for Dyson who took last week off after winning the KLM Open. He has been in stunning form since the end of July when he won the Irish Open in Killarney. Dyson has pedigree on the Links too, he won here in 2009 beating Rory McIlroy and carding a record 20 under for the event. Tied fifth last year and my nap of the week.
Thomas Bjorn 33/1
Nobody knows what mood Tommy will be in this week in Scotland but I have a real feeling he is taking this one very seriously. With exactly a year to go to the Ryder Cup in Medinah Bjorn can almost secure a seat he wins here. He has won on his last two starts, the Johnnie Walker in Gleneagles and the Omega European Masters. Fourth at the British Open and Bjorn knows how to play links golf.
Ross Fisher 40/1
One of my favourite players to watch but sadly Ross Fisher hasn’t had his best of seasons. There were signs of improvement at KLM Open a few weeks back though with two rounds of 66 and one of 67, the problem was the horrid 74 sandwiched in between. However he tied sixth there and will relish a return to the links where he came close in 2008 losing in a playoff to Robert Karlsson.
Robert Karlsson 30/1
We don’t see Robert playing in Europe very much these days as he has been playing his trade on the PGA Tour where had some good results at the Crowne Plaza Invitation, the St Jude Classic and not forgetting a top five finish at the US PGA. His last start this side of the pond was his home Nordea Masters. The Swede won the Dunhill Links at the height of his powers in 2008 and I think his character is so well suited to the pro-celebrity format.
Best Of The Rest
The caddies on Tour always say to watch out for a guy with a brand new looper so I will be very keen to see how Dustin Johnson 22/1, who was jilted by Joe LaCava does. Johnson is a powerhouse of a man and he will be out to show Joe, he left the wrong man. Watch out too for Newcastle’s Kennie Ferrie. He nearly won this event back in 2005 when Monty pipped him by a shot. Ferrie won last week in Austria and 80/1 are crazy odds on a man with that form. Another guy at long odds of 60/1 is homeboy Stephen Gallacher who has had a decent season on Tour. His only ever win came in this event in 2004 when it was just played on the St Andrews Links.
The funniest bit of the convoluted mathematical equation that is the Fed-Ex Cup is that Billy Haas had absolutely no idea he had won the $10 million until the award ceremony after the tournament. No PGA Tour official informed him of the result.
“We had some interviews on the 18th green and I noticed both trophies sitting there and there wasn’t another player there, so I asked my wife if I’d won both” Haas said after.
Joe LaCava who caddied for Fred Couples for the best part of 20 years and who in recent times has been on the bag of Dustin Johnson, has been named as Tiger Woods new Caddie. Apparently Johnson had absolutely no idea about the arrangement until LaCava told him he was quitting after the Tour Championship yesterday. Neither did Woods have communication with Johnson to discuss the move beforehand.
Apparently LaCava approached Woods agent Mark Steinberg about the job.
Dustin Johnson was said to be furious and embarrassed on hearing the news. The Woods camp have stated that LaCava is to be his new “full time” caddie. Their first tournament together will be the Frys.com Open in California in a couple of weeks time.
from pgatour.com or somewhere Bill Haas failed to win the first two playoffs he appeared in during the 2011 PGA TOUR season. But he won in his third attempt on Sunday – and the payoff was huge.
Haas beat Hunter Mahan with a par on the third extra hole to claim both the FedExCup and the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. With the $10 million bonus that comes with the FedExCup, Sunday’s win was worth $11.4 million.
Haas also hopes the win will be enough to convince U.S. Presidents Cup Captain Fred Couples to make him a Captain’s Pick. Couples will announce his last Captain’s Pick on Tuesday.
Haas came into this week with a longshot chance to win the FedExCup. He was ranked 25th in points and needed a handful of scenarios to play out in his favor.
Mahan was in a similar spot, having come into the week ranked 21st in points. Both players entered East Lake looking for their first win of the season.
With Webb Simpson, the FedExCup points leader, finishing in 22nd and Luke Donald, who ranked No. 4 in points, finishing in a tie for third – and the other three players in the top five not getting into contention – the scenarios worked out in their favor.
Haas shot a 2-under 68 to finish at 8 under in regulation. When Mahan parred the 18th hole to also finish at 8 under, the two had their playoff to decide both the tournament champion and the FedExCup champion.
Haas’ most important shot in the playoff came after his approach at the par-4 17th dribbled into the water to the right of the green. Most of the ball was above the water line – “an unbelievably fortunate break” Haas said later – and he hit a tremendous shot to within 3 feet to save his par and force another hole.
“I thought I had one on the second playoff hole and then he hits it out of the water to two feet,” Mahan said. “It seemed like he was destined to win this week.”
Dead and buried with just a few holes to play, Europe staged one of the most dramatic victories ever seen in team golf.
Caroline Hedwall came back from two down with two play for a stunning half shortly after Suzanne Petterson defeated Michelle Wie in equally remarkable fashion. Christel Boeljon played the match of her life to beat Brittany Lincicome two up.
Then when Azahra Munoz turned her match around against Angela Stanford it became clear that Europe had made it to the magic score of 14.5.
Captain Alison Nicholls strategy of resting players reaped huge rewards, while Rosie Jones was left ashen faced after Christie Kerr was forced to withdraw with injury. It later emerged that Kerr had been on painkillers and anti inflammatories all week, yet was sent out by Jones to play in every match.
My sincerest apologies to all the people I had arranged to meet at the Solheim Cup in Killeen Castle.
I had to cancel my visit at the last minute, due to a much bigger issue involving my home beside Ashford Castle in Cong, County Mayo. A greedy property developer called Gerry Barrett is attempting to block my and the residents of Cong travelling through the Castle grounds as we have always done.
Barrett, though owing millions in debt, and with his companies having been taken over by NAMA, still ‘owns’ and maintains control over Ashford Castle.
Ashford is a fantastic hotel with stunning scenery. I have being playing golf there since I was a child, and its where many of our review videos are made. However three weeks ago, Mr Barrett closed two four tonne gates at the Castle blocking the centuries old public right of way used daily by the people of Cong and all residents on the Ashford Castle estate. I was asked to stay by the people of Cong to document a protest against Gerry Barrett and the blocking of the gates. Here is the video of the protest attended by residents, Cong people and Eamonn O’Cuiv TD.
Please take a look. Every view may help Mr Barrett change his mind.
Sky Sports may not have regular top jocks Ewan Murray and Bruce Critchley on the job at the Solheim Cup this week but their replacement haven’t let the side down.
Commenting on Christie Kerr’s battle with an arm injury, which later forced her to pull out of her singles match with Karen Stupples the female Sky Sports commentator came out with the unfortunate line:
“They have ridden her all week, now she needs to sit back and ride them”.
What a superb use of the double entendre! A sackable offence if it came from a male commentator but somehow perfectly acceptable coming from a woman.
Rory McIlroy may be out on the road for a 10 week stretch but he really never needs to bother after signing an eight figure deal with Santander Bank. The new Santander logo, one of six, will appear on Rors shirt from now on, making him the new billboard of the golf world.
Santander also sponsors Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Ana Botin from Santander, herself a former top junior golf, hammered out the deal.
Stock up on the crunchy granola bars because I’m heading away for a few days which means less posts than normal.
