The 2019 British Open enters uncharted territory in more ways than one, as Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland will serve as tournament host for the first time since 1951. The course was the first outside England or Scotland to host golf’s oldest championship, but the event has not returned to Northern Ireland for almost 70 years due to the internal strife within the country … [Read more...]
Woods Rallies for First Time in a Major to Take Fifth Masters Title
While he was winning 14 majors between 1997 and 2008, Tiger Woods established a 100 percent predictable model for divining whether he was going to win a Grand Slam event going to the final round. When leading or sharing the lead after 54 holes, Woods was 14-0 in Grand Sam events. When he was trailing going to the final round, he was 0-for-everything else. His spotless … [Read more...]
Masters preview: McIlroy the Favorite, No Green Jacket for Tiger or Phil
The list of potential 2019 Masters champions is long, with a clear but not overwhelming favorite who comes into the tournament as the game’s hottest player, but who does not have the best relationship with Augusta National. Everything points to a Rory McIlroy victory in Augusta next week. He has finished sixth or better in each of his six starts in PGA Tour stroke play … [Read more...]
Masters Memories: Woods, Mickelson dominated for 2 decades
For more than two decades from the mid-1990s to the mid-2010s, golf fans could count on seeing the names of Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson on the leader board at the Masters on an annual basis. From 1995 to 2013, either Woods or Mickelson (and frequently both) finished at least seventh in the Masters. After that streak ended when Woods did not play and Mickelson missed the … [Read more...]
Kisner Defeats Kuchar in Finals of WGC Match Play
For the second straight year, former Georgia Bulldog golf team member Kevin Kisner found himself in the finals of the WGC Match Play Championship against a familiar competitor. Last year it was fellow ex-UGA golfer Bubba Watson, who used his considerable distance advantage to put a 7&6 beating on Kisner in the title match. This time, Kisner drew a player whose style … [Read more...]
Kuchar Tops Large Field of Georgians in Players Championship
A large contingent of golfers with Georgia ties will compete in the Players Championship, which will be played March 14-17 at TPC Sawgrass outside Jacksonville, returning to its early Spring date after being held in May since 2007. Of the 144 players in the field, 22 have Georgia ties, led by Matt Kuchar (Georgia Tech/St. Simons resident), who won the Players in 2012 and … [Read more...]
Georgians Fill Leader Boards on PGA, Web.com Tours
Golfers with Georgia ties were all over the leader boards on both the PGA and Web.com Tours this past weekend, combining for six top-10 finishes, with three others placing among the top 15. Charles Howell, Michael Thompson and Vaughn Taylor posted top 10s on the PGA Tour in Los Angeles , with Luke List and Bubba Watson both coming up one shot shots of a top-10 showing. J.T. … [Read more...]
Weaver, Whaley Second in Web.com Events; Kuchar Second in FedExCup Standings
Two Atlanta area residents playing on the Web.com Tour this season recorded runner-up finishes in the tour’s two most recent events, putting them in good position to earn their PGA Tour cards for 2019-20. Atlanta’s Drew Weaver finished second in this past week’s tournament in Colombia, while Fayetteville’s Vince Whaley, a recent member of the Georgia Tech golf team, … [Read more...]
PGA Tour Preview: Significant Changes Highlight 2019 Schedule
The 2019 portion of the PGA Tour schedule began with two events in Hawaii, and will be followed by four annual stops in California and one in Arizona, the same as it has for the past two decades. After that, the usually standard sequence of tournaments has been significantly shuffled, along with a number of rules changes that are slightly confusing but not overly impactful. … [Read more...]