LA QUINTA, Calif. — Georgia alum, Hudson Swafford, won The American Express for the second time in five years Sunday, breaking a late tie with an eagle in a closing-round 8-under 64. Swafford broke a late tie with an eagle in an 8-under 64 on the Stadium Course. He beat Tom Hoge by 2 strokes after beginning the day 3 strokes behind rookies Lee Hodges and Paul Barjon."I've … [Read more...]
Georgians Hope To Contend as British Open Returns to Northern Ireland
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...]
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...]
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...]
9 Players with Georgia Ties Among Early 2019 Masters Invitees
With the 2018 golf calendar down to a handful of international tournaments, invitations are about to go out for the 2019 Masters, and a smaller than usual group of golfers with Georgia ties will be among those getting an invite in the mail. Only nine players with Georgia ties will be receiving Masters invitations over the holidays, and four of them have won in Augusta, which … [Read more...]
U.S. loses Ryder Cup in Europe again; Woods goes winless, Furyk fumbles pairings
After all the talk about the immense talent on the 2018 American Ryder Cup team, the final result was the same as that of the previous five matches played in Europe. The U.S. team lost by the second largest margin of the 6-match road losing streak, with Europe erasing a 3-1 deficit after the first session Friday morning to win the team matches 10-6. The Europeans clinched … [Read more...]
Reed, Watson Part of U.S. Ryder Cup Team Looking to Break Losing Streak in Europe
It’s been 25 years since the United States team won the Ryder Cup in Europe, but the U.S. losing streak is not quite as bad it as appears. Or is it? There have been just six Ryder Cup matches played in Europe over the past quarter century, but the Americans’ record in the U.S. during that span is less than stellar, especially compared with the Europeans’ home … [Read more...]