2013 Presidents Cup Preview.

The President’s Cup has a problem, and that problem is the International team simply can’t win the competition. The President’s Cup is a series of golf matches contested between 12 United States of America golfers and 12 golfers from the rest of the world, excluding Europe due to the Ryder Cup of course. The event is alternated every 2 years between a course located in the USA and a course located in one of the International team’s home countries. The last even was held in Australia at Royal Melbourne golf course where the USA team came away with a 19 to 15 win to once again retain the Cup. It was a poor result for the International team who went in with high hopes after what happened in Royal Melbourne in 1998 where they notched their first and only team win. That was the stellar time for the Internationals as after winning the cup in 1998 they almost won it again in 2003 only for the event to be called a tie after bad light stopped play in the singles play off between Ernie Els and Tiger Woods. Both team captains shook hands and declared the event a draw in one of the more magnanimous events in world sporting history. Since then though the US has dominated with the smallest margin of victory being by 3 in Virginia in 2005.

Tiger Woods watches Adam Scott tee off in the 2011 Cup.

The format of the President’s Cup consists of 5 rounds of golf played over 4 days. Each team is made up of 12 competitors with 10 of those selected solely off their world ranking. The final two spots on each team are selected by the Captains and thus given the title “captain’s picks”. The format for this year is the same as 2 seasons ago and goes as follows. On the Thursday all golfers will compete in a round of foursomes, with 2 players from each team facing off against the other in an alternate shot match play competition. On the Friday all 24 players are in action again as they face off in a four ball match play scenario, which basically means the lowest individual score of each hole counts for each team. Saturday is where the event really gets interesting though with four ball and foursome matches, but only 10 golfers from each team compete in each session, meaning the captains’ and their assistants need to plan and strategise as to which 2 players to sit out. Sunday is where the event is ultimately decided though with all 12 players going head to head in singular match play with no “tied games”. One point is given to any pairing or individual who wins his match outright while if there’s a tie after 18 holes (in the first 3 days) half a point is awarded to each team. There are 34 points in total so any team who gains over 17 points will win the Cup outright.

The par 3 12th is a perfect example of what makes Muirfield a great course.

This year the event rotates back to the United States as hosts and the Muirfield Village Golf Club just north of Columbus, Ohio will be where all the action takes place. Muirfield of course was famously founded and designed by the great Jack Nicklaus and construction of the course was completed in 1974. Muirfield is well known as being the first course designed with spectators in mind with mounds and natural amphitheatres constructed around some of the course’s stand out holes. The course has played host to the Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup but is known primarily as the host of “Jack’s event”, the Memorial Tournament which has been a massive part of the US PGA landscape since 1976. Tiger Woods loves the place having won the Memorial on 5 different occasions and most of the great names of golf have won here too, including Jack on two occasions. The course in Ohio is widely regarded as one of the best in the USA and is a great place to hose the tenth President’s Cup event.

Ernie Els will once again be the father figure of the International team.

This week at Muirfield 24 of the world’s best golfers will gather to contest the 2013 President’s Cup and once again the USA team seems the strongest on paper. The USA team captained by Fred Couples and led by the world’s number 1 and number 3 ranked players Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson has strength from top to bottom with even the two Captain’s Picks being ranked inside the world’s top 25. They are also on home soil this week so it’s sure to be a very tough ask for the International team to gain their second win. That team that will represent the Internationals is no bunch of amateurs or nobodies either though, with captain Nick Price having world number 2 and Masters’ champion Adam Scott at his disposal and a team that has 4 other major championship winners in it. The biggest difference is in the world rankings though, especially in regards to the Captain’s Picks with Mark Leishman ranked 59^th. The International team has a big ask on their hands and will be relying on the experience of those major winners to keep it in touch until the Sunday head to head matchplay events start. Ernie Els and Angel Cabrera will be the rocks around which their team is built and they will be replied upon to guide some of the younger players through the tough periods of what is always gruelling contest.

The President’s Cup is always a highlight on the world golfing calendar when it appears every second year and this year is no mistake. Coming just a few weeks after the US PGA play-offs were contested you can be sure that all the players competing are still in top form and won’t be at Muirfield for the fun of it. The Internationals need a win here, not only for the reputation of the event but also for some of their lesser known players to launch themselves onto the world stage. It’s an event well worth watching, enjoy it for what it is, a presentation of golf by some of the best players on the planet. Unfortunately I have to tip the USA team to come out on top although I’ll surely be cheering on the Internationals.

2013 Open Championship Preview.

The Open Championship (also known as the British Open) is unique in so many ways. It is of course the only one out of golfs’ 4 majors played outside the United States, which in itself makes it so special to so many around the world. Then there’s the courses it’s played on, with a rotation that involves some of the greatest golf courses on earth, from the mythical St Andrews through to the famous Royal courses like Birkdale, St George’s and Troon. It’s the oldest major and in many ways it’s the truest test and most historically accurate golf major each season. Since 1979 the Open has been played on the weekend of the third Friday of July and has become a must watch, and for some a must attend event on the world’s sporting calendar.

The history of this event is filled with stories that could fill a bunch of books, yet the easiest way to explain the prestige of the Open is that it is played on courses that were designed with the “way golf is supposed to be played” in mind. Since the first open way back in 1860, when the first Open was played in Scotland at Prestwick Golf Club (won by Willie Park Sr), the Open and it’s famous Claret Jug (first awarded in 1873) have carried with them the ultimate prestige and quite simply makes it’s winners immortal in the golfing world.

As the years had passed the Open has become more international that ever, to the point where now there is an international qualifying event held in 5 different nations outside the Britain and Ireland. The top 50 players in the world, as well as the top 30 on the money list of the previous seasons USPGA and European tour get automatic invitations, making this as good of a field as any event held throughout the year. Any previous champion is welcome back until he hits the age of 60, although even that age limit has been lifted for some of the greats of the game at times.

The winners list of the Open is a who’s who of the greatest of all time, with Woods, Els, Norman, Faldo, Ballesteros, Watson, Nicklaus, Player, Trevino, Thompson, Palmer, Locke, Cotton, Hagan, Vardon, Braid and Jones all multiple winners of the Open Championship. Simply put you will never be considered a “great” of the game until you have won an Open.

This year the Open returns to Muirfield in Scotland for the 16^th time, and the first since 2002 when the defending champion Ernie Els won his first Claret Jug. The course is of course a links course, and in great Open tradition is home to the “Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers”, a group that claims to be the oldest organised golf club in the world, dating way back to 1744 when they created 13 simple rules for golf. The course over looks the estuary of the Firth of Forth, which is technically the fjord that is the basis for life in Edinburgh. The course itself is a par 71 layout, that has been extended since 2002 to now reach a total length of 7,192 yards (6,576 metres) for the 2013 Open. By looking at the scores of the previous winners of this event you can see it’s a tough test indeed, with a score of 6 under being the winning score back in 2002, although it took a playoff to split the four players that were tied on that score after 72 holes. Talking about playoffs, in the event of one four holes are played to decide the champion, and it was Els who came out on top back in 2002 here at Muirfield. As always the conditions on a links course dictate just how hard the golf course is, and if the rain and wind blow in during a round it can greatly effect the final score of even the most talented players. The forecast for this weekend is ok, although it’s Scotland so anything can happen, and most likely will.

Ernie Els celebrates after his 2002 Open win at Muirfield.

Anyway, enough of the past, let’s look towards the future and this weeks 142^nd Open Championship. The field this week is about as star studded as it gets, with most of the top 50 players in the world turning up, as well as those just outside the top 50 who gained exemptions or qualified via the open qualifying tournaments around the world. The names that will dominate the media this week are Woods, Westwood, Donald, Rose, Scott, Els and McIlroy and it’s likely that at least a few of those will be well in contention coming down the final nine holes on Sunday. One great lead up event is the Scottish Open, held at Castle Stuart just last week, an event where the last 3 winners of the Open have played in, without winning mind you. Phil Mickelson won last week but no one has completed that double in 13 years, so that’s not good news for him. Looking back at the most recent winners on the European PGA tour also gives you a guide leading into this week, with winners in the past 5 events including Mickelson, Else, Rose and McDowell it is night on impossible to ignore those names. One player who hasn’t won recently but has numerous top tens on the Euro PGA tour is Denmarks’ Thomas Bjorn who finished second to Els in Germany and 10^th behind McDowell in France. For sure Bjorn is one to include if you are having a bet. Looking at the recent form on the US PGA tour and there’s not a heap to guide you towards a probably Open winner, with Bill Haas maybe the most consistent of the players in the past month, but he doesn’t have a great record at the Open championship, although he is an improving player.

I like the Europeans’ for this event but if there’s two non European countries that may provide a winner, it’s Australia and South Africa with Els, Sterne, Sabbatini and Schwartzel all possible winners for the latter, while from Oz there’s the likes of Masters champion Adam Scott, and the ever in contention Jason Day. Day seems to always be in contention in the majors played on US soil, but it’s hard to get a form line on his Open chances as he’s only played in 2 previous Open championships, and did not play last season due to injury. Day and Scott lead the Aussie charge but that doesn’t mean there won’t be an outsider from Australia in contention also. One player I haven’t mentioned is Luke Donald, who had a chance to win the US Open a few weeks back before fading to finish 8^th. In his last 10 majors Donald has finished in the top 10 four times with three other finishes inside the top 40, and he was tied for 5^th at the end of last year’s Open.

Graeme McDowell’s recent win makes him a real contender.

So to my tips, and while there’s a massive field with plenty of chances this weekend, I’ve narrowed it down to 4 choices that I really like as contenders for this years Open. Ernie Els is my first tip, with that recent win in Germany priming last year’s winner to go close to repeating here, something Woods did in 2005 and 2006, and Irishman Padraig Harrington achieved the following two years. Els for a top ten finish is my best bet. The second player I’ve chosen is Graeme McDowell, and despite a poor showing at the US Open I still believe the Northern Irishman has more chance of winning than his fellow countryman McIlroy. McDowell finished 5^th last year and will relish the links style golf. Thomas Bjorn is the next one on the list, and at very nice odds too (40-1 +). Bjorn may not have won so far this season but with two seconds, a fourth and an eighth in the last 6 weeks alone the Dane is almost the most in form player coming into the Open. My last choice was a toss up between Donald and Day, and I’ve gone with the experience here and chose Donald. I just believe Day’s inexperience on the links style courses will lead him to fall short of the win. Donald however is primed for this after the 8^th at the US Open. In his last 9 tournament he’s finished in the top 25 an amazing 8 times, that’s good enough for me.

The Open is one of the more enjoyable golf tournaments of the year to watch on TV as the players challenge not only the course, but the conditions as well over four rounds of great golf. Enjoy the event, and bet responsibly if betting, of course.

2013 Masters Preview.

It’s an event like no other, held at a place that is as much spiritual and mystical as it is a sporting ground. It’s an event that has come to be the pinnacle of it’s sport at a place that amateurs and professionals alike from all over the world dream of visiting, it’s the Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

The great Bobby Jones.

The history of this great event is as stoic and endearing as any annual sporting event, and the fact it was co founded by the player many believe to be the greatest of all time, Robert Tyre “Bobby” Jones Junior (better known as Bobby Jones), just adds another layer to an already impressive resume of history and grandeur. The Masters dates back to 1934, but the real story began a few years earlier when Jones and an investor by the name of Clifford Roberts came together to create the Augusta National Golf Club, a golf course that’s aim was best summed up by Jones himself in a statement at it’s official opening in 1933;

“Our overall aim at the Augusta National has been to provide a golf course of considerable natural beauty, enjoyable for the average golfer and at the same time testing for the expert player striving to better par. We want to make bogies easy if frankly sought, pars readily obtainable by standard good play, and birdies, except on Par 5’s, dearly bought”

Those words would go on to become the basis to which any great golf course designer world wide would use when first thinking about how to lay out their course. The following year, 1934, saw the first ever “Augusta National invitational tournament” played at Augusta National, with an invitation only field competing with Horton Smith declared the inaugural winner. It was the following year though, 1935, that the tournament gained international notoriety for the first time, and the reason behind it’s sudden fame can be tracked to one shot, Gene Sarazen’s double eagle (or albatross as they are currently known) on the par five 15^th that has since been called the “shot heard around the world”, because that’s what it was, the shot that placed the event on the world stage. Sarazen went on to win that year, and it was also the first time the current 18 hole layout and order was used, it has remained unchanged since.

It wasn’t until 1939 that the name of the event changed to “The Masters”, a name that co founder Roberts had pushed Jones to call it since it’s inception, and he finally got his way after 6 runnings of the event. Jones was initially against the name, as he saw it as immodest, yet he too commented after the name change; “I think the tournament is now well entitled to be called the Masters, because it has continued to assemble those that are entitled to be called masters of the game”.

The event, while gaining in notoriety and prestige throughout this period was disrupted by World War II, and no event was held from 1943-1945, and a reduced field was in attendance for several years after the war as well. If there was to be a stand out moment or event in that decade, it would be the roping off of fairways and greens, something that had not been done at any other golf event before, and this was done because of the sheer size of the crowds. In 1949 for the firs time the winner, apart from being awarded a trophy and prize money, was also given a distinctive green jacket, and this has also become known world wide as the most sought after prize in world golf.

Jack Nicklaus during his sixth Masters win in 1986.

The Masters really started to take off in the 1950’s and 1960’s, as some of the all time greats of the game, most who would win the event multiple times, became champions for the firs time. In 1949 Sam Snead won his first Masters, and in the 50’s Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer added their name to the winners list, with Palmer winning a remarkable 4 Masters by the time the 1964 running had been held. Probably the most notable name in Masters history won his first event in 1963, as Jack Nicklaus started on a journey that would make his name synonymous with this proud and popular event, For by the time the 1975 event had been fully completed, Nicklaus had over taken Palmer as the player with the most Masters wins as he secured his 5^th green jacket. Nicklaus wouldn’t win another jacket for 11 years though, when in a remarkable effort he became the oldest player to win a major event at the age of 46.

The event continued it’s great tradition throughout this time period, with some stunning finishes, including the 1987 play-off where a chip in by American Larry Mize defeated the eternal runner up Greg Norman. Again it was Norman in 1996 who became probably the event’s most famous loser when he gave up a third round lead of six shots to eventually finish second to Englishman Nick Faldo in a freakish turnaround that saw the final margin between winner and runner up become five shots.

Norman’s failings at this event are at the forefront of a frustration for Australian sports fans, as the Masters is the only major golf tournament that has never been claimed by one of their countrymen. Australian’s a plenty must have thought that their luck had changed though in the final round of the 2011 Masters, with Jason Day making two long putts on the 17^th and 18^th green to finish with two birdies and tie compatriot Adam Scott for the club house lead at 12 under. Soon after Day had finished, South African Charl Schwartzel birdied the 16^th to move into a tie for the lead with the Australian’s, and a three way play-off was looking like a possibility. Yet, Schwartzel had other ideas, as he played the last two holes under par to finish off a remarkable final round of 66 and claim his first Masters crown with a two shot victory.

This year four Australian’s will return to the hallowed grounds at Augusta with a chance of making themselves national heroes by finally bringing a green jacket home, and again Scott and Day lead the charge.

Tiger Woods is the favourite this week.

Also returning this year is the four time winner Tiger Woods, who with a resurgence in form over the past few months has wrestled back the world no.1 ranking from young Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, although Rory went within a few shots of regaining that title with a second place finish at the Texas Open on the weekend. Most of the media focus will centre on these two throughout the week, and rightfully so, as in terms of rankings they are clearly the two most consistent players in the field, but of the 90 players who take to the greens and fairways on Thursday, there are plenty who also will claim to be contenders for the year’s first major. Last year’s winner Bubba Watson will go in with some confidence, although Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo are the only players to win back to back Masters in the last 47 years. One player who knows this place better than most is Phil Mickelson, and the three time winner (last win in 2010) will like his chances after notching up another PGA tour win at the Phoenix Open earlier this year. There’s been a strange quirk on the US PGA tour in 2013, as up until Scotland’s Martin Laird won the just completed Texas Open no golfer from outside the USA had won in 14 attempts, and although in recent years a few international players have managed to take a green jacket home, the smart money must be on an American to claim this years prize.

One stat that is interesting at Augusta is that through the last eight editions of the Masters no winner has been further back than 7^th after the first round, and only Woods and Mickelson winning from outside the top ten since 2000. This shows how tough of a course it is so players that have a habit of starting well, and of course who are American have to be in serious contention this week.

Dustin Johnson is the first player I’ll mention as a chance to win, or at least finish high up the order, and although his record at Augusta isn’t great, with no top 30 finishes, his record at the other majors points to Johnson, with his length of the tee and current good form, pointing to him being well in contention early on. The second player I’ll make note of is Brandt Snedeker, a local who always seems to start tournaments well, has a tie for third and two top 20’s here at Augusta, he also has a win under his belt already this year at Pebble Beach, which is a great training ground for this type of course. Snedeker also tied for third at least year’s US Open which shows the tougher courses aren’t of any concern to him at all.

My final mention goes to a non American (Yes, I know that I said) but I just can’t ignore the form of South African Richard Sterne, who at 31 and after years on the European and South African golf tours looks to have finally come of age this year, and he also has a 25th placed finish here at his only attempt. Sterne also has a win and a second in two big European events so far this season, and in his two American outings posted top 20 finishes at the completed WGC events. South African’s also have a great record at this event with three winners (Schwartzel, Immelman and Player) and also the ever in contention Ernie Els, another who can’t be completely ruled out this week either.

Whomever you decided to select as your tip (or tips) this week the Masters is an annual event that you simply can’t miss, especially the final round when the world’s best golfers bring out their best in an endeavour to end up in the Butler Cabin where the presentation of the awards to the winner and best amateur take place late on Sunday afternoon.

The 141st Open Championship Preview.

EACH YEAR ON THE WEEKEND OF THE THIRD FRIDAY IN JULY, the best golfers in the world gather for the most traditional of tournaments on the calendar, The Open Championship. This year the event will be held at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England. It will be the 11th time the links style course has hosted the Open Championship, and the first time since 2001 when the United State’s David Duval held aloft the Claret Jug. The Open Championship (also known as “The Open” or “The British Open”) is the only one of the four majors to be held outside of the USA, and it is the oldest and most prestigious of all golfing events held each year. The Open Championship is now held on a rotation of 9 courses throughout England and Scotland and this year at Royal Lytham & St Annes the total prize pool will total 5 Million pounds, with 900,000 of that going to the winner.

Darren Clarke with the Claret Jug after winning last years Open.

The winner will be presented with the Claret Jug (formally entitled “The Golf Champion Trophy”), an award that is known world wide as the greatest prize handed out each year in the world of golf. The Open is more then just one of the fourth majors, it represents the birth of golf, the pioneers of the game and takes the game back to the way it was originally played, on links style courses, with plenty of bunkers, long grass and most importantly some extreme natural elements that the golfers have to contend with throughout the four rounds of the event. Last year Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke held the Claret Jug aloft as he won his first Open Championship at Royal St Georges by a margin of three shots, and in doing so became the toast of a nation as he became the first golfer to win a title under the Northern Ireland flag.

The Open Championship is the third of four major tournaments held each year, and the remarkable fact about the four major events of the year over recent times is that 15 different golfers have won the last 15 major tournaments over the past few years. Previous to that names like Mickelson, Woods and Els seemed to dominate the major tournaments, yet over the past few years the unpredictability of the majors has actually made for some great sporting theatre throughout the world. This year, in Lancashire, the worlds best golfers will gather again, with those that were non exempt from the automatic qualifying clauses having qualified through the “open style” qualification system that has recently been extended to qualifying events in 6 different locations around the world, making The Open Championship truly the most fair and equal major tournament of them all. The field will consist of 156 golfers, and once again, just as golfers have since the first event in Scotland way back in 1860, they will all do battle for the prestigious honour of being named the champion golfer of 2012 by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

The 18th hole surrounded by stands during the 2001 British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club.

The field this year will consist of the majority of the top 50 rankings, and as expected it’s almost impossible to pick a clear winner this far out. Of the top 10 ranked players in the world, amazingly 6 of them have not won a major, including local favourite and world number one Luke Donald, who will surely break his majors duck soon, maybe as early as this week. Tiger Woods returns again this year, looking for his 15th major title, and his fourth Open Championship, and wherever Tiger goes he is quickly installed as the bookies favourite, despite not actually having won one of the four majors since the 2008 US Open, although he has managed to add another three US PGA tour wins to his list of honours in 2012. Joining Woods as the best chances are a British and Northern Irish contingent made up of such names as McIlroy, McDowell, Donald, Westwood, Harrington, Rose and Poulter, all of whom will carry the local hopes in the tournament it seems. The United States will be well represented as always, with the likes of Mickelson, Johnson, Dufner, Fowler, Stricker, Kuchar and Mahan hoping to win back the Claret Jug for the Americans. Australia will also be well represented, with 14 Aussies lining up at Royal Lytham & St Anne’s in an attempt to win the first Open for Australia since Greg Norman saluted back in 1993. Many other countries will also be well represented, and the winner may well come from a country that has never had an Open Championship winner, with Germany, Belgium and Italy all in with a chance of having a breakthrough winner.

The layout at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club is both beautiful and challenging.

The entry list shows the true world nature of the Open Championship, and shows why this event stands out as unique amongst the four major tournaments of the year, and not only because it is the only one held outside of the powerful United States. The preparation of the worlds best golfers has been varied, with most choosing to either play in the latest US PGA tour event of the Scottish Open over the weekend, but some would have arrived early in Lancashire to get accustomed to the links layout before the real festivities start on Tuesday, and the competition begins on Thursday in earnest. As for a tip from myself for the 141st Open Championship, I’m sticking with a local in Englishman Lee Westwood who may just be able to break through for his first major on Sunday. No matter who wins, The Open Championship is always a great event to watch, it’s the way that golf was intended to be played by it’s creators, and the weather will surely make this course a tough test for the best golfers in the world, sit back and enjoy.

112th US Open Preview

THE OLDEST ATHLETIC CLUB IN THE U.S.A, the Olympic Club in San Fransisco will this week host the 112th United States Open golf tournament, and what an event it promises to be. The US Open holds a special place in the hearts of many golfers, but more precisely the hearts of any US golfer, for it is the US Open that any young American golfer grows up wanting to win more than anything. It’s their National Open, the event that is unique in that it has an open qualifying system so just about anyone has a chance of making the final field, and therefore realising a dream of becoming a US Open champion. Up until recent years, US golfers dominated the event, so much so that when Greame McDowell won in 2010, he became the first European golfer to win the US Open in 40 years. Any National Open is put up on a pedestal by it’s homegrown golfers, yet the US Open has the added distinction of being one of the four major tournaments on the world golfing calendar.

The longest hole in US Open history, the 670 yard, Par 5 16th

This week, the Open heads back to the Olympic Club in San Fransisco for the fifth time in it’s illustrious history, and what a venue it is for a National Open. The stunning Lake Course (one of three on the grounds) will host the event this weekend, and it’s been described as “the most no-nonsense course in America”. The course differs greatly from most US PGA tour event courses, in that it has over 30,000 trees lining it, there are no water hazards at all, no out of bounds areas and only the one fairway bunker, on the sixth. Most of the course also sits within the San Fransisco city limits, which is also a rarity for a course where a US professional event is held. But it is a majestic course, as the pictures attest to, and despite the lack of the features mentioned above, it does have one feature that will give the average punters interest a boost, and that is the longest hole, and thus the longest par 5 in US Open history, the 670 yard monster 16th, which is just one of a number of holes which have been lengthened since the Olympic Club last held the Open back in 1998.

Jack Fleck defeated Ben Hogan at Olympic in the 1955 US Open

On the previous four occasions that the US Open has been held at Olympic, “the wrong guy has won every time” as one golfing journalist stated this week. In 1955 Jack Fleck defeated the great Ben Hogan in an 18 hole playoff (another quirk of the US Open), and in 1966 the immortal Arnold Palmer was defeated by Billy Casper, also in an 18 hole playoff. The event made it’s way back to Olympic in 1987 and once again an upset was on the card, as Tom Watson was beaten by one stroke by American Scott Simpson. On the last occasion that the Open ventured out to San Fransisco, Payne Stewart lead for 60 of the 72 holes, and Kurk Triplett infamously stopped a rolling ball with his putter to incur a two stroke penalty, as Lee Janzen was again a surprise winner of America’s great golfing event. So if Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods are in contention late on Sunday, they may well feel the curse that seems to afflict the favourites when the US Open is played on this course.

Last years US Open wasn’t much of a contest at all, although that didn’t make it any less moving to watch. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, coming off a disastrous final round in the US Masters, won his first ever major tournament after leading from start to finish, eventually finishing 8 shots ahead of Australia’s Jason Day, with 5 other players tied for third including Lee Westwood. McIlory took an eight shot lead into the final round at the Congressional Country Club in Maryland, and despite some last round jitters some small charges from the chasers, he ended up with the eight stroke win in a remarkable performance that saw him arrive on the world stage as a serious contender to the modern day greats of the game. This year hasn’t been as kind to Rory though, although he did bounce back a little last week with a tie for 7th after being in contention all week.

Rory McIlroy holds the trophy after the final round at the 2011 U.S. Open

Tiger Woods celebrates as he chips in on 16 during the final round at the Memorial

The favourites for this weeks tournament in San Fransisco are a who’s who of modern day golf. Looking to add a US Open (or another one) to their resumes are the likes of Woods, McIlroy, Mickleson, Donald, Westwood, Johnson, Kuchar, Rose, Furyk, Day, Ogilvy, Fowler, Mahan, Scott, Watson and many many more who will give themselves a realistic chance of winning this week.
If recent form is anything to go by, then the names to watch would be Woods and Johnson, the previous two winners on the US PGA tour leading into this week. Two weeks ago at “Jack’s tournament”, the Memorial, Tiger produced some vintage Woods like golf in making birdies on three of the last four holes to win by two shots over Rory Sabbatini and Andres Romero. But it was the chip in on 16 that got the crowd, and the whole golfing world talking about Tiger once again, as he replicated that great Masters chip in of 2005 to produce a shot that Jack Nicklaus himself called “the gutsiest shot I’ve ever seen”. The crowd in Dublin, Ohio went bananas as the great Woods roared into US Open contention with his 73rd PGA tour win, putting him equal second with Nicklaus on the all time winners list.
Last week at the final lead in tournament to the US Open, Dustin Johnson continued on with his recent good form, shooting a final round 66 as he won the St Jude Classic in Memphis by one shot over John Merrick, and in doing so pushed away challengers from McIlroy, O’Hern and Love III. Johnson has always performed well at the Majors, with 4 top ten finishes in the last 3 years, and this could well be the week he breaks through for his first ever Major Championship, and what a win it would be for the American, being his National Open.

The US Open is always one of the toughest tests of the year for the professionals, and on the lengthened Olympic Lake Course this is surely to be no different, which really does lead you to believe for once Olympic will see a superstar or a legend win the US Open within it’s grounds.
My tip for the week is Woods, I believe he has shown enough in the past few months to suggest he is capable of winning his 15th major championship and closing within 3 of Jack’s all time record. No matter who ends up lifting the US Open trophy they will have earned it and will be well deserving of the title of 2012 US Open champion.

THE PLAYERS preview

IT’S NOT THE FIFTH MAJOR, but it’s damn close to being so. I’m talking about The Players Championship, and it’s that time of the year again when the worlds best golfers will gather in Ponte Vedra Beach in Northen Florida for this years version of the richest single event in golf (prize money of $9.5 Million US this year). The event has built up in tradition since it’s inception in 1974, and has become known as simply the biggest event outside of the four majors, but there’s more to this tournament then just the prize money and the increase in ranking points awarded.

The course, TPC Sawgrass, the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass to be exact, was one of the very first courses designed to provide the perfect spectator event for both those in attendance, and for those watching on TV. The 17^th hole shows this more then anything, it’s the par 3 with the island lake, it is the trademark known internationally as the most famous hole in the world of golf, and has been a deciding hole in many a Players Championship over the years. This event immediately gained international notoriety when in it’s inaugural year (at the Atlanta Country Club) the greatest player that ever lived, Jack Nicklaus won the first of three of his Players Championships. That number is also notable, for Nicklaus is the only player to have won this event three times, and there’s only been four players that have won it twice. But the winner board reads of the who’s who of golf of the last 30 years or so, with the names such as Woods, Lyle, Floyd, Couples, Price, Norman and Mickelson engraved on the winners trophy, this event really is one that all professional golfers seek to add to their resume before their career ends.

Phil Mickelson at his inception into the Hall of Fame

The week usually starts in Northern Florida with the annual World Golf Hall of Fame inductions, and this week was no different, with past winners Phil Mickelson and Sandy Lyle gaining their entrance into the esteemed group, (along with three others) that defines you as a champion of the game, or at least as a great contributor (administrators and journalists are also included). Mickelson, in his normal way spoke of his love of the game and what it has meant to him, and paid special tribute to the great Arnold Palmer, whose name Mickelson’s will reside next to in the Hall of Fame at the World Golf Village in St Augustine, Florida. This is what Phil had to say about the immortal Palmer; “Arnold was a guy I really looked up to and tried to emulate and admired the way he played the game, the way he handled himself, the way he treated other professionals and everybody,” Mickelson said before the ceremony. “From the first time I played the U.S. Open in 1994 at Oakmont, which was his final one, watching him treat the volunteers to an hour-and-a-half discussion and autograph session, picture session, when he didn’t have to do it, he just thanked them for all of their contributions.”

It really is a special week in the merry go round that is the world tour of golf, and is treated with great respect and admiration by players, fans and officials.

As for this year, 144 of the best golfers on the planet, including the vast majority of the top 50 ranked in the world (some missing due to injury or illness) will compete to lift the sensational looking trophy (pictured) and receive all the extras that come along with being a winner of this great event (exemptions, ranking points, prize money etc). Coming into this week, the favourite has to be Rory McIlroy, who regained his number one world ranking after a second place finish last week behind the up and coming Rickie Fowler. Also in contention to be favourite to win this week is world number two Luke Donald, who is still looking for that big US break through win to give him some credit in the eyes of many US judges. But wherever there’s a big golf tournament, the big two always cast a shadow over it, and it’s no different this week, with Phil Mickelson and the great Tiger Woods bursting at the seams for a chance to put their name on the honour board for the second time at the The Players.

 No matter who is successful this week, it will be a great week for all golfing fans world wide, and the winner will become an immortal in the eyes of the golf historians, as he etches his name into history as the most recent winner of golfs biggest non major event, THE PLAYERS.

IT’S SPRINGTIME AT AUGUSTA

Bobby Jones Jnr

Back in 1934, champion golfer Robert Tyre Jones Jnr (better known to most as Bobby Jones) and investment mogul Clifford Roberts purchased 350 acres of land in Augusta, Georgia with the intent to design and create a golf course that was to be the equal of any that was ever built. Along with the assistance of the great golf course designer Alister McKenzie, they produced the Augusta National Golf Club. Upon it’s completion, Jones and Roberts personally invited the best golfers in the world to play in the then named “Augusta National Invitational Tournament” and from that time forward there’s been something different about this sporting event.

In 1939, Jones finally gave in to calls for the tournament to be renamed “The Masters” (he initially thought the name to be preposterous) and the course and the name have stayed largely untouched ever since. As I said, there’s something different about “The Masters”, it’s an almost mystical sporting event, one that some may say is stuck back in the traditions of the past, yet an event that captures the imagination of sports fans around the world every April. The place itself is remarkable to look at, maybe even more so on the extensive TV coverage that now exists, but for those that have been to Augusta in Spring, it is truly a place of sporting worship.

Yes, the greens, fairways, tee boxes, surrounding gardens, lakes and everything else you can see has been manicured and adjusted to the exact second, but there’s something more then meets the eye. When you walk the fairways (even on the outer as a spectator) it’s one of those places where it seems as if the ghosts and great memories of past tournaments still possess the place. You can almost hear the call from the club house when Gene Sarazen held his 2^nd shot in the 1935 Masters, the stroke that has been branded “The shot heard around the world”. You can almost hear the roar that accompanied any great charge by the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods on the final day during some of their respective great wins. Is it just one of those places, a sporting arena that has so much history that it has become history itself, a course that to this day is still considered the most beautiful on Earth, especially in early April. It even has certain areas that have been renamed, like Amen Corner, an area that stretches from the middle of the 11^th hole, through to the 13^th green, named to indicate it’s importance to the tournament, it’s the start of the real homeward stretch, where most years the tournament is decided.

Rory McIlroy during last year's final round

Last year, after 3 rounds, emerging Northern Irishman Rory Mcilroy, and Argentinian Angel Cabrera held a 4 shot lead over the field, and the story that tournament will be remembered most for is the final round of 80 that young Mcilroy shot, that ultimately cost him any chance of winning his first green jacket. What has probably been lost was the astonishing finish from eventual winner, South African Charl Schwartzel, who started off by chipping in from off the green at the first hole for a birdie, then achieved a hole out at the par four third for an Eagle two, and then Charl proceeded to birdie the tough last four holes to over take the likes of Jason Day, Adam Scott and Tiger Woods. The 2011 event will go down as one of the most exciting ever completed, and for even many more than just the Schwartzel and Mcilroy stories. The great Tigers Woods, coming off 2 of the worst years of his life, both personally and professionally, produced his greatest ever Sunday score at Augusta, a 67 to put himself into contention, and other golfers were quoted as saying the roar they heard form a distance meant only one thing, that Tiger was charging and that they had to lift their game. Ultimately, Tiger failed to win by 4 shots, with Schwartzel even bettering Woods’ final round 67 by one shot. In all, it was an event befitting of the course, and the tournaments history.

And this year, for the 76^th time, the greatest golfers in the world will accept their invitations and attend the US Masters at Augusta National, all dreaming of walking away, not with the large prizemoney on offer, not with the gold medal awarded to the winner, but they want a green jacket, it’s the ultimate individual prize in Golf, and even those that have one (or more), seek to be in the Butler Cabin on Sunday afternoon placing that hallowed piece of green cloth over their shoulders.

Tiger Woods' winning smile returned recently

Officially beginning this Thursday, April the 5^th to Sunday, April the 8^th the worlds best golfers will gather again to contest the 2012 US Masters. The focus of this years event has centred mainly around two players, both former world number ones, Rory McIlory and Tiger Woods. For many months leading up to this event, many thought the best years of Tiger Woods’ career were behind him, yet only two weeks ago he finally secured his first US PGA tour event win in over two and a half years, by winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. In doing so Tiger straight away rocketed up into favouritism for the Masters, on both the bookmakers odds boards, but also in the hearts of so many golf and sporting fans alike, who had waited so long to see the real Tiger emerge from the darkest period of his professional and personal life. The galleries will be behind Tiger this week, but there is also a great sentimental story that will have many in the gallery cheering for another player. Last year, as described, Rory McIlroy lead only to collapse on the back nine, starting with a triple bogey at the tenth hole, in a manner that made many a weekend hacker feel for the most talented young golfer we had seen since Tiger himself. But it was more the way Rory handled the aftermath that endeared him to sports fans hearts, he laughed, he joked and he admitted the pain he felt, but he also said he would be back, and a few months later he ran away with his first major, the US Open in staggering fashion, you could say it was Tiger like.

And that’s why the focus has been on these two remarkable figures in the build up, and will be all week long, but there are so many great golfers in this field, that anyone of them could be wearing that green jacket on Sunday Evening.

In Australia, we have to get up early to watch each round, and thankfully this year the event falls over the Easter weekend, which means most of us don’t have to work on any of the four days of the event (Friday through Monday Australian time). It is an event I advise anyone who hasn’t watched intently in the past to watch this year, because it is one of those truly rare sporting events that transcend the sporting stage, and rises into a level that as I said, is both mystical and magical.

I simply can’t wait for the Masters to begin.