As majors go, the AIG Women’s British Open was a classic. Hinako Shibuno, the 20 year old Japanese rookie, who had never set foot in a tournament outside of her home country holed, in some style we might add, a 20ft putt on the 18th to secure the title. Just moments before Lizette Salas had missed a much shorter chance in front of an amazing crowd.
Less than 24 hours after the Evian Championship was wrapped up by Jin Young Ko, 49 of the top 50 women in the world hightailed it to Milton Keynes to somehow prepare themselves for the very different test that Woburn Golf Club’s Marquess Course will offer. Or at least most of them would have been preparing had Lexi Thompson not left her passport in her bag!
The men’s majors are over and so attention turns to the women, or ladies as they were referred to when I was growing up. We have a double header with the Evian Championship in France this week followed straight away by the Women's British Open. And we thought the men were compressing their majors too much!
They needed it to be tough out there if they were going to challenge Shane Lowry but in the end, it was too tough and the conditions actually played in to the hands of the big man. For a man who grew up playing links golf up and down Ireland he was always going to be one of best equipped if the really high winds came.
Lee Westwood backed up a first day 68 with an impressive 67 and is currently tied in 3rd position with Tommy Fleetwood, just one shot off the overnight lead. Based on his recent form this is somewhat unexpected. What has changed you might ask? Well he’s brought Helen Storey, his girlfriend, in as his looper and, despite her not knowing much about golf, it just might provide the fairy tale story for one of the finest golfers never to win a major.
J. B. Holmes leads the Open after a fine 66 on day one but all the talk was about Tiger and Rory. Once again when the spotlight of expectation was on him McIlroy failed to deliver and Tiger, well Tiger just looked tired.
The course the best in the world will take on this week will arguably be a stiffer test to that which faced Max Faulkner when he won the Open when it was last hosted by Royal Portrush way back in 1951. It will be a slightly tougher test than when a sixteen year old Rory McIlroy took it apart when shooting 61.
It’s Manic Monday, so here is a very quick round up of all the results and stories from the weekend on the PGA Champions Tour, PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA and Women’s European Tour.
Congratulations to Gary Woodland who stood firm under the pressure of a charging Brooks Koepka, the world number one and winner of four of the last eight majors he had played in. Others launched a challenge, most notably England’s Justin Rose, but all faded away as Woodland stuck to his task.
I just placed a bet on the US Open. I got odds of just shy of 6/1 on one Mr Brooks Koepka. My heart is with Justin Rose and, if his amazing short game continues, he may well win but my head says that Koepka will come through to make history.
Welcome to GP’s round up of all golfing related activity from the weekend. It’s everything you need to know in a bite sized format, so strap yourself in and here we go!
What kept Jordan Spieth going when things got tough while winning The Open? Incredible mental strength. Astounding putting prowess. Comfy performance pyjamas. Sorry what?
