Ryder Cup Stars back Four Course Classic

Ryder Cup hopefuls Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell have joined winning captain Sam Torrance to challenge golfers to test their game to the limit with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign’s Four Course Classic – the UK’s biggest golf challenge.

The Four Course Classic challenges golfers to play four different courses in just one epic day. Teeing off at sunrise on Friday 18 June, each group of four will need to play 72 holes in 16 hours covering 15 miles of Read more

Els wins Arnold Palmer Invitational

Ernie Els captured his second straight win on the PGA Tour this year with victory at the rain-delayed Arnold Palmer Invitational, Bay Hill, Florida. Els had previously won the WGC-CA Championship at TPC Blue Monster, Doral before sitting out last week’s Transitions Championship.

After seemingly coasting through his final round with a five shot lead, Els had stood on the 15th tee on Sunday two shots clear of the field, but heavy rain washed out the latter stages of the last round and the finish was moved to Monday. With rain continuing to fall, Monday’s scheduled tee-time was postponed and moved back to later in the day.

The delay might just have helped Els refocus on the job in hand, as he conspired to throw away his five-shot lead after carding a double bogey on the 13th and a bogey on the 14th hole to drop to just two shots in front of American Kevin Na.

Resuming play on Monday, Els closed with a one-under par round of 71 to maintain his two-shot advantage over Na and Italy’s Edoardo Molinari. Na birdied the long 16th hole to move within one of Els, while the South African settled for par after finding the trees. Another par followed on the 17th before Na found trouble on the final hole to hand back the stroke he had gained on Els, Na drove into the rough down the right-hand side of the fairway en-route to a bogey while Els recorded another par to seal the win.

Molinari, involved in a personal rankings battle with his brother Francesco – who finished fourth in the Open de Andalucia – climed above his brother in the world rankings and boost his chances of a Ryder Cup place. Both Molinaris – successful for Italy in the World Cup – hold strong chances of making Colin Montgomerie’s team for the Celtic Manor clash with the United States.

Els’ 11-under total of 277 saw him become the first player since Tiger Woods in 2001 to win twice on the Florida Swing and gave the South African his first back-to-back success since 2003, and 18th PGA Tour win of his career.

Retief Goosen finished in a tie for fourth, alongside Chris Couch, while Ben Curtis finished alone in sixth place following a final round 74, which saw him drop down the leaderboard after starting the round just one shot behind the lead.

Els’ victory was worth $1.08 million taking his season’s earnings to more than $3 million. Els also moves up to seventh spot in the World rankings. He will now head to the Houston Open this week before taking on the returning Tiger Woods and the rest of the field at Augusta next week for the season’s first Major tournament – the US Masters.

Sweden withdraw 2018 Ryder Cup bid

Sweden, one of six countries in the running to host the 2018 Ryder Cup match, has withdrawn its application for consideration as a candidate for the tournament.

The Swedish Golf Federation, backed by the Scandinavian Golf Event Management (SGEM) – the company behind the bid – withdrew their application citing a weakened economy, while the bid also faced difficult challenges in sourcing the financial backing necessary to make the country’s hosting of the 2018 match feasible.

Jacob Wallenberg, Chairman of SGEM, said:

“The Ryder Cup is a fantastic event and it is regrettable that it was not possible to resolve the funding for 2018. However, Sweden needs major events and one of these may be The Ryder Cup. We will work to ensure we can make a new application for 2022.

Sweden’s withdrawal leaves France, Germany, Holland, Portugal and Spain to battle it out for the honour of hosting the biannual team event. Only Valderrama in Spain has hosted the Ryder Cup away from the British Isles previously.

Spanish golf legend Severiano Ballesteros has already thrown his weight behind Spain’s bid, which if successful would be held in Madrid.

Exclusive Tournament Packages Available At Gleneagles

When the top European Tour professionals converge on Gleneagles for the Johnnie Walker Championship, Your Golf Travel.com clients will have an exclusive opportunity to take in the final day’s action and play the course the following day.

The August event is already entrenched among the most prestigious on the tour’s calendar, but as it represents the final chance to earn invaluable Ryder Cup points, the tournament takes on a unique Read more

Choi secures US Masters berth

KJ Choi will compete in the US Masters at Augusta this year after securing a ninth straight appearance in the season’s opening major.

Choi, a former powerlifter, finished third in the 2004 tournament and had been an ever-present since 2002 but had been in danger of missing out after starting the season ranked 88th in the world. However, two runners-up finishes and a guaranteed top-45 finish in the rain-delayed Arnold Palmer Invitational this weekend has seen the player attain a top-50 World ranking and so qualify for the Masters field.

Choi will be joined in the US Masters lineup by current US PGA champion YE Yang – the first Asian player to win a major – and current Asian number one, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee.

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