Archive for the US Masters Category


South Africa’s First Star Deserves Respect

South Africa has a new golfing superstar. With many wondering if Ernie Els’ time as force in the majors is now in terminal decline, with Retief Goosen perhaps not the player he was a few years ago, Trevor Immelman’s Masters victory has delivered a new force. Yet one star continues to transcend them all. Immelman’s […]

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A Funny Kind of Failure

Goodnight and goodbye. The Grand Slam year is over before it even began. This will please some people: already a trawl through the UK press sees Tiger being written off, called an elder statesmen and generally mocked for ever claiming he could win the Grand Slam. The facts are that Tiger didn’t play well. I […]

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Immelman Follows in Player’s Footsteps

Like all budding golfers, Trevor Immelman had a hero to look up to. And like only a handful of budding golfers, Immelman emulated his hero. Being South African, there could be no other inspiration for Immelman than Gary Player, a three-time US Masters champion. And while Player was missing the cut in his 51st Masters […]

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No Joke As An Indian, Thai and Chinese Walk Into Augusta

Discounting Tiger Woods’ Thai heritage and Vijay Singh’s Fijian-ness, no Asian has ever won a major tournament. However, there are at least three golfers from different parts of the continent in the field for this week’s US Masters in Augusta hoping to break that duck. From the sub-continent, we have Jeev Milkha Singh, son of […]

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Nicklaus’ Legacy Helps Make Tiger What He Is

With so much talk about Tiger Woods – whether we love him or hate him, whether or not swearing on the fairways is okay because athletes in other sports do it, whether or not he will win the Grand Slam in 2008 – it’s good to sometimes sit back, collect our thoughts and consider why […]

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Tiger’s Major Passion Fails to Diminish His Appetite for ‘Regular’ Success

Recently, several readers commented on Tiger Woods’ mental approach to his game. They wrote about how his mental strength, more than his physical skills, is what separates him from the other players. If that is the case, then Woods’ recent comments makes his performances on a weekly basis even more amazing. According to a Reuters […]

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The Two Best Tournament Courses in The World

Not sure if there is a quantifiable list out there — but I believe hands down — the best tournament golf course in the world is Augusta National. I would rank St. Andrews a distant second — but without a doubt, Augusta National is my number one. I promise it’s not just because it hosts […]

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Greg Norman: What Could Have Been…

Those who watched the Shark Shootout presented by Merrill Lynch this weekend were treated with a rare glimpse of Greg Norman. A blast from the past if you will – or a return to competition of one of the game’s all-time dynamic figures. Granted, The Shark Shootout is a team event with a format that […]

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I For One Will Miss Seve Ballesteros

This week, for the first time since I’ve been watching golf, the British Open teed off without Seve Ballesteros (My all-time favorite player). By now, most golf fans are aware that earlier this week Seve announced his retirement – an announcement that officially ends one of the most exciting careers in the history of golf. […]

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Jeev Hoping for Hard Time at Carnoustie

India’s Jeev Milkha Singh leads the Asian assault on the British Open, with the 35-year-old hoping the Carnoustie course will play at its hardest. Talking to the Asian Tour website, Jeev said difficult courses bring out the best of his golf, using his 36th place at the treacherous US Open at Oakmont as proof. He […]

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Jack vs Arnie — Act II

Most historians would agree that the combination of Arnold Palmer and television brought golf to the masses. It was the 1958 Masters, one of golf’s first televised events, which saw Palmer birdie the last two holes to win. That Masters victory propelled Palmer to become the sport’s first matinée idol since Bobby Jones. He was […]

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Sudden-Death Triumphs for Harrington and Johnson

It took 25 years to end the drought but it was well worth the wait. If there was a choice homegrown winner for the Irish Open, it would always be Padraig Harrington and the Irishman overcame a late stumble to deliver the victory that the home fans wanted at the Adare Manor Hotel and Golf […]

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Can Justin Rose Top Nick Faldo’s Major Record?

For years, the golf world has been waiting for Justin Rose’s follow up to his thrilling debut at the 1998 British Open. The then 17 year old amateur made his splash with a solid 4th place finish – but more memorably, with a remarkable holed birdie pitch on the 72nd hole. “The shot” wasn’t enough […]

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Monty Looking for Shot That Got Away in Shanghai

Colin Montgomerie is returning to the BMW Asian Open this week looking for the single stroke that denied him victory at last year’s event. Monty will be joining a number of big names – among them South Africans Ernie Els and Masters joint runner-up Reteif Goosen, American John Daly and England’s Paul Casey – as […]

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Els Refuses to Give Up in His Pursuit of Tiger

Ernie Els said before the US Masters that he wanted to make a grand comeback and take a shot at Tiger Woods’ number one spot in the Official World Rankings. To help him in his three-year plan, he signed a new equipment deal with Callaway six weeks before the Masters, ending his stint with Titleist. […]

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