Luke Donald takes Madrid lead
May 29, 2010 by Brian · Leave a Comment
Luke Donald heads the field into the weekend with a one shot lead at the half-way stage of the Madrid Masters.
Donald, who is looking for a first win in 4 years, came close to ending that at last week’s BMW PGA Championship before a late collapse opened the way for Simon Khan to pip the Englishman to the post. But, having shown few signs of that bitter disappointment in Madrid, Donald fired a second round 67 to add to an opening 65 and a 132 total.
It could have been even better for Donald however, who had threatened to burn up the course. With several of the leaders not starting until later in the day, Donald took advantage of his early tee shot to exert some pressure and starting from the 10th hole, Donald reached the turn 5-under par for his round and added another two birdies on his back nine to be six clear of the pack. However, two late bogeys blotted his copybook somewhat and a par at the last could have been so much more.
Donald leads Welsh duo Rhys Davies and Jamie Donaldson who are second and third respectively. Davies shot a second round 68 to close within one of Donald, while Donaldson shot a round of 70 to lie two shots further back.
Irishman Graeme McDowell shot a second successive 68 to take fourth place on 8-under, while England’s Graeme Storm fired a best-of-the-day 64 and climbed 93 places up the leaderboard and into a tie for 5th place.
Sergio Garcia turned in another poor performance and succumbed to the cut, which fell at 1-under par. Garcia shot a second round 73 to miss the cut by two shots.
Also missing the cut were two of the YourGolfTravel tipster selections – Alejandro Canizares, who played a shocker of a second round, opening with a NINE and Fredrik Andersson Hed, who shot a second round 75 to also miss out.
The third member of the tipster’s trip, Dutchman Joost Luiten made the weekend, and could still challenge after a second round 69 added to an opening 70 for a –5 total.
Macmillan Cancer Support announces Longest Day Golf challenge
May 28, 2010 by Brian · Leave a Comment
Macmillan Cancer Support is offering free tee times at some of the best Scottish golf courses for players brave enough to participate in a 72-hole one-day charity challenge.
The charity is seeking teams to play four rounds of golf in a single day, encompassing around 300 shots and walking 20-miles as part of the charity event, called the Longest Day Golf Challenge.
Trump bunkered in battle as protesters gain land
May 28, 2010 by Brian · Leave a Comment
US tycoon Donald Trump faces fresh protests against his plans to build a luxury golf resort on the Aberdeenshire coast but Trump continues to insist the construction will go ahead despite the opposition.
Trump’s $1.5 billion plans for the resort have created storms of controversy ever since they were first announced in 2008 and the project’s masterplan will be discussed later in the year by Aberdeenshire Council. The council have refused to rule out the use of compulsory purchase orders to remove residents who refuse to sell up to Trump from the land the tycoon wants, and one resident – Aberdeen fisherman Michel Forbes has refused an offer of almost £500,000 from Trump to buy his 23-acre farm which sits at the heart of the plans.
Forbes has been a staunch opponent of Trump’s plans throughout and now Forbes’ ramshackle farm is the linchpin in the battle between Trump and the protesters; but after rejecting Trumps’ offer, Forbes sold an acre of land in the centre of the planned development to the protest movement – Tripping Up Trump – and who have named the area ‘The Bunker’.
“We’ve called this piece of the land the bunker because he will now find it impossible to force a sale as there will be so many names on it,” group spokesman Martin Glegg said Wednesday. “This is the prime slot that Trump wants and there is no way he can get it now.”
Trump’s plans for the area include a five-star hotel, 1,200 homes and two international-standard golf courses. Colin Montgomerie, the European captain for this year’s Ryder Cup match is a supporter of Trump’s plans and the big Scot – along with actor Sir Sean Connery – are the two men Trump wants to play the opening round when the project is eventually complete.
Crowne Plaza Invitational Betting Preview
May 27, 2010 by Brian · Leave a Comment
The Texan Swing concludes this week on the PGA Tour with the Crowne Plaza Invitational – also referred to as The Colonial – which will be played over Colonial Country Club. The course features tight, tree-lined fairways and small, hard greens making accuracy the key attribute to success around the 7,200-yard track.
Madrid Masters Betting Preview
After the high-class BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last week, the European Tour returns to Spain for the Madrid Masters at Club de Campo. The course was last used on the European Tour back in 2007 when it also staged this tournament, and at just under 7200 yards isn’t overly long by Tour standards.
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