Sam Torrance: Thorbjorn Olesen is back on the up after extraordinary British Masters win May 9, 2022 From his opening tee shot at The British Masters on Sunday, overnight leader Thorbjorn Olesen struggled to keep his ball on the course. He bogeyed the first, dropped further shots at the sixth, ninth, 14th and 15th holes, and on another day his scoring might have been even worse. I felt for the Dane, who [...]
Sam Torrance: Jon Rahm is due another major as magical Masters week rolls around April 4, 2022 Masters week is always one of my favourites and I am really looking forward to watching the best players in the world, hopefully including Tiger Woods, grace Augusta National. Five-time winner Woods is set to make a last-minute decision on whether to play in his first 72-hole tournament since almost losing his leg in a [...]
Sam Torrance: Man of the moment Scottie Scheffler has a wonderful golfing brain March 7, 2022 Until a few weeks ago, Scottie Scheffler was one of those players who you couldn’t believe hadn’t won on the PGA Tour yet. Now, suddenly, he is a two-time winner and up to No5 in the world rankings – but anyone who has been watching his progress won’t be surprised. Having got his first victory [...]
Sam Torrance: Fearless Joaquin Niemann is part of a classy new guard February 21, 2022 Joaquin Niemann has long been tipped for the big time, the former world No1 amateur mentioned alongside Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland as stars of the next generation. Were it not for the extraordinary success enjoyed by two-time major winner Morikawa and world No4 Hovland, Niemann’s own very promising first few seasons as a professional [...]
Sam Torrance: Thomas Pieters is playing the best golf of his life January 24, 2022 Thomas Pieters’ victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday wasn’t just the biggest of his career – it was also the best performance I’ve seen from him. Pieters was a picture of composure as he played beautifully all day, making 16 pars in a 72 to keep his nose in front of Rafa [...]
Sam Torrance: Cameron Smith and my other players to watch in 2022 January 10, 2022 Cameron Smith got his 2022 off to just about the perfect start at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii at the weekend. The Australian hardly put a foot wrong as he posted a PGA Tour record score of 34 under par to fight off the challenge of world No1 Jon Rahm and compatriot Matt Jones. [...]
Sam Torrance: DP World Tour Championship marks the end of an era – but also start of a new one November 15, 2021 This week’s DP World Tour Championship doesn’t just mark the end of the Race to Dubai and the European Tour season, it is also the end of an era. Following the news that the European Tour will rebrand as the DP World Tour next season – starting at the Joburg Open next week – these [...]
Sam Torrance: Even players as good as Rory McIlroy need self-belief too October 18, 2021 Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick would have organised all of their schedules around trying to peak at the Ryder Cup last month. So even though they were part of a European team that was heavily beaten, it is no huge surprise to see them playing well soon afterwards. McIlroy bounced back with victory over a [...]
Sam Torrance: Hard working Rafa Cabrera Bello deserves return to form October 11, 2021 Rafa Cabrera Bello is one of the hardest workers on and off the course so his first win in four years, at the Open de Espana on Sunday, is well deserved. He hadn’t even finished in the top 10 at an event since January, so the omens weren’t good when he began the final round [...]
Sam Torrance: USA’s record Ryder Cup win was the best I’ve seen September 27, 2021 This turned out to be a tough Ryder Cup for Europe, who were outplayed, out-thought and out-fought by the USA. The Americans were simply magnificent, sublime from Friday morning all the way through to Sunday evening. It was the best Ryder Cup performance I’ve seen in my career. Dustin Johnson led the way for the [...]