Portugal Masters win shows why Ryder Cup captaincy can wait for Padraig Harrington October 24, 2016 It’s never a bad year when you’ve managed to win a tournament. There are plenty of years when you don’t win and you start to wonder if you will do again, and if you go more than a year then it can really start to play on your mind. Padraig Harrington may be a prolific [...]
Alex Noren’s acceptance of imperfection is the key to Swede’s red-hot run October 17, 2016 There was something that Alex Noren said in the moments after winning the British Masters at The Grove on Sunday – the Swede’s third win from his last eight events – that I particularly liked. He spoke about not trying to achieve perfection but just playing golf, and I think that is a good attitude [...]
Phenomenal breakthrough win could open the floodgates for Tyrrell Hatton October 10, 2016 There is winning your first European Tour title, and there is winning your first European Tour title at St Andrews having equalled the course record and finished with a score of 23 under par, as young Englishman Tyrrell Hatton did at the weekend. It really does matter how you win that first one. Some people [...]
Sam Torrance’s inside view: Unity of European team was best I have seen in 12 Ryder Cups October 4, 2016 I have been fortunate enough to be part of 12 Ryder Cup campaigns now and what I witnessed at Hazeltine over the last few days was without doubt the most united European team that I have ever seen. They may have come up short this time in terms of the result, losing 17-11, but the [...]
Seeing Arnold Palmer for the first time gave me goosebumps the size of eggs. He was The King and it felt like meeting Elvis September 26, 2016 I still vividly remember the first time I saw Arnold Palmer in the flesh. It was at my first Open Championship, at Muirfield in 1972, and it gave me goosebumps the size of eggs. I was practising on the putting green and on he walked, a seven-time Major winner who was tanned a deep shade [...]
Danny Willett demonstrates Ryder Cup form at Italian Open as showdown with United States looms September 19, 2016 Most of Europe’s players enjoyed their last taste of competitive action at the weekend before we all pack our bags and head for Hazeltine and the Ryder Cup in a few days’ time. There is no input from Europe captain Darren Clarke in the players’ scheduling decisions; it is entirely up to them how they [...]
Why Rickie Fowler’s FedEx Cup failure might have sealed his Ryder Cup place September 12, 2016 It might sound strange but I think that Rickie Fowler’s failure to reach the final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs may just have clinched his place as one of USA captain Davis Love III’s Ryder Cup wild cards. There were few shocks in Love’s decision to name Matt Kuchar and JB Holmes as captain’s [...]
Rory McIlroy back to his very best in time for Ryder Cup after stunning victory at Deutsche Bank Championship September 5, 2016 It was simply exquisite golf by Rory McIlroy to win the Deutsche Bank Championship last night. He carded 67, 66 and 65 in his last three rounds and is back to his best. He has only been with his new putting coach, Phil Kenyon, for a short time but it’s obviously working. The truth is he’s been [...]
How Europe’s Ryder Cup team was finalised on a WhatsApp group and why Darren Clarke thinks Thomas Pieters is a future world No1 August 30, 2016 I know just how difficult it has been for Darren Clarke to finally settle on Thomas Pieters, Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood as his three captain’s picks for next month’s Ryder Cup, which he named on Tuesday. It is hard to leave out players like Russell Knox, Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell, while Darren also [...]
Matt Fitzpatrick clinches Ryder Cup place in style as decision time looms for captains August 22, 2016 It was fantastic to see young Yorkshireman Matt Fitzpatrick secure his place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team for the first time in style at the Czech Masters at the weekend. The 21-year-old had been in line for a debut at Hazeltine next month ever since winning the British Masters last year and clinched one of [...]
