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...]
Henrik Norlander Wins 5-Way Playoff in Wichita; Earns Return to PGA Tour
Former Augusta State standout Henrik Norlander will get a third shot at the PGA Tour in 2019-20 after a playoff victory Monday in Wichita on the tour Norlander has called home for most of his professional career. Norlander scored his second victory on what was known until a week ago as the Web.com Tour, which is now playing under the name of a sixth corporate sponsor since … [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...]
Howell, Cink back in Masters after lengthy absences; Mitchell to make Augusta debut
Two veterans who haven’t played in Augusta in some time and a second-year PGA Tour member making his first ever start in a major are among 10 golfers with ties to Georgia who will be competing in the 2019 Masters. Augusta native Charles Howell is playing in the Masters for the first time since 2012 and making just the second start in his hometown in more than a decade, … [Read more...]
Reed fought off more popular challengers to capture 2018 Masters title
Last year’s Masters victory by Patrick Reed may not have been the most well-received conclusion in the tournament’s 80-plus year history, but it was certainly one of the most well-earned. At various stages during Sunday’s final round, Reed was challenged by three of golf’s highest profile performers, each of whom would have been a much more popular champion. Even though … [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...]
Kuchar Wins in Hawaii for Second Victory of Young Season
After eight consecutive outstanding seasons on the PGA Tour from 2010 to ’17, Matt Kuchar turned 40 in the summer of 2018 and did not have much to celebrate about on the golf course. Kuchar’s 2017-18 season was his least successful in almost a decade, and resulted in a lot more misses than hits on his annual to-do list. He failed to qualify for the Ryder Cup team, the … [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...]