We’ve all been there in that bunker slashing away trying to get that damn ball up and out as you see your chances in the competition dissolve in front of your eyes. At the Genesis Invitational on Saturday Ryan Palmer had a similar horrific moment which made us amateurs feel not so bad. Tiger Woods also had his nightmare on the greens which included a four-putt!
Not surprisingly, the LPGA has announced that the Blue Bay golf event, due to take place in China on 5 March, has been cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak. Organisers of the event, due to be staged on Hainan Island, said the health and safety of players, fans and staff was their "highest priority".
English prodigy Josh Hill warmed up for his European Tour debut in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Thursday by taking on world No 1 Brooks Koepka in a friendly match – a match the youngster won!
Ping has signed up Eddie Pepperell on a multi-year equipment deal. Eddie will be all Pinged up , as it were, as he will be wearing a Pink hat and carry a Ping staff bag as well as playing the clubs. It seems Eddie’s antics on Twitter also endeared him to the bosses at Ping and once again he amused his audience with an offer to Prince Harry.
Well they’ve had the boxing, Tiger and Rory have declined big pay days to play there and now Saudi has made history by announcing the first-ever professional women’s golf event in the Kingdom. The fully-sanctioned Ladies European Tour event will be staged in collaboration with Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation and carry a purse of $1 million.
Stop Press: Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam is set to become the first female professional to compete in the PNC Father Son Challenge. We’ve just picked the Brigadier up off the floor spluttering something about it never happening at West Hill or something. Yes, it is called a father son event but this is 2019 and actually the fairer sex has competed before.
It’s been a while since this fine course has featured a major event and it’s been even longer since GolfPunk played it. If we recall correctly you head south out of Dublin on the M9 and you can’t miss it – well you can as its in middle of nowhere, if we recall.
There has been much debate about parity for women golfers and there have been attempts to move in the right direction, for example the Jordan Mixed Open and the ISPS Handa World Invitational promoted by Niall Horran’s Modest media. With all respect to these other events, finally, there is a big one with some serious money attached.
Jon Rahm successfully defended a title for the first time in his career as he stormed to a five-stroke victory at the Mutuactivos Open de España. The 24-year-old secured his fifth European Tour title in just his 39th start, becoming the fastest Spaniard to reach five victories surpassing the late, great Seve Ballesteros who reached that milestone on his 49th appearance.
Australia’s Whitney Hillier carded a one-under round of 71 to claim a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Hero Women’s Indian Open. She leads by a single shot from Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord with Linda Wessberg of Sweden and Meg MacLaren of England a further shot back.
Sir Nick Faldo, has launched the opportunity of a lifetime, offering two lucky golf fans the chance to live like a legend for a week at a resort he calls ‘his paradise’. So get yourself over to the web link and tell the mighty Sir Nick what makes a legend and who knows this time next year? Well actually next March.
I am not sure what all the fuss is about as I’m with Rory on this one. I too am fed up of shooting fifteen over par every week at my club and not winning a competition. I am going to write to the committee and insist they rethink the course as clearly there is something very wrong going on.
