Golfing Greats & Their Favourite Courses

From the tranquil surrounds of the grand old parkland layouts to the windswept challenge of a classic links, there is a golf course out there to suit all tastes. Although we all have our favourite golf course it is unlikely that many of us have had the chance to play the courses that the greats of the game have strut their stuff on which got us wondering about the favourite golf courses of Messrs Nicklaus, Watson, Woods & Co. Read more

Top 10 Open Championship Moments

The Open is the most prestigious tournament in the golfing Calendar and often serves up more thrills and spills than any other tournament in the world. Players compete on the ancient courses that are the blueprints for all modern golf courses and the traditional links are often subject to severe weather that is alien to golf courses further inland…all adding to the excitement. Many great players say that links courses are levellers which mean any man in the field of 150 strong has a chance to get their hands on the Claret Jug. With this year’s Open well underway and having already witnessed two holes in one and a young amateur tearing the place apart we take a look at ten of the best moments from Open Championship history. Read more

Tom Watson wins Senior PGA Championship

Tom Watson holed a 3-foot putt for a birdie to claim the 72nd Senior PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.
Watson, 61, became the second oldest player to win the event after the late Jock Hutchison won it at the age of 62 back in 1947.

Watson’s winning putt came in a sudden-death playoff against David Eger; Watson’s 2-under par 70 enough to tie Eger at 10-under par 278. Watson was the only player to shoot four rounds under par in the tournament, with rounds of 70-70-68-70 and wins $360,000.

“When you’re walking up the 18th hole and you have a chance to win a tournament like this, you’re nervous,” Watson said. “You’re nervous. But you’ve been there before. And I said, ‘okay, I know that level of feeling in my gut and now let’s go take care of business.’”

Eger, who has won four times on the Champions Tour, earned his spot in the play-off after a best-of-the-day round of 67, to overhaul a 4-shot deficit.

Japan’s Kiyoshi Murota finished alone in third spot, missing the playoff by one shot. Murota’s level-par 72 included six birdies, six bogeys and six pars.

Hale Irwin was bidding to become the oldest winner of a Major at 65 years old – he turns 66 on Friday, and finished back in fourth place on 8-under par as he shot a closing 73.

Defending champion Tom Lehman finished well down the leaderboard in 22nd place with a level par total for his four rounds.

Road to ruin?

Well, here we are going into another Major championship and guess what? Another controversy over course design changes crops up.

Even the hallowed ground of the Old Course at St Andrews, host venue of the 2010 Open Championship, can’t escape this recurring theme – and the hooha this time is over just about the most revered hole in golf – the 17th “Road Hole”. Read more

“Doctor Harrington, I Presume?” – Harrington presented with Honourary degree

Former Open champions Padraig Harrington, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson will each be presented with honorary degrees from the University of St Andrews in Fife on Tuesday in recognition of their achievements in the sport.

Harrington, who turned professional in 1995, won the Open Championship in 2007 at Carnoustie and again in 2008 at Royal Birkdale when he successfully defended his title to became the first European to retain the Open Championship Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale since the great James Braid in 1906. Harrington also followed up with victory in the US PGA Championship in the same year.

Tom Watson won the Open five times – the last in 1983 – and at the 2009 championships lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink at Turnberry. Meanwhile Arnold Palmer had two victories in the Open Championship during the 1960s.

Each of the players will receive Doctor of Laws degrees, which will be presented by the university chancellor, Sir Menzies Campbell. Louise Richardson, the university principal, said of the awards:

“Individually and collectively, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Padraig Harrington exemplify excellence, drive and achievement at the highest levels of professional sport.

“This will be an opportunity for St Andrews and Scotland to honour their determination and achievement in the game of golf and the pursuit of excellence. We are absolutely delighted that they have agreed to accept these honorary degrees at the home of golf on the eve of the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship.”

The trio are not the only players to have been awarded honorary degrees by the university. Jack Nicklaus, Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo have each also been the recipient of honorary degrees from the academic institution.

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