The heckling of Brooks Koepka by the crowd at the US PGA was unacceptable – but is likely to be even worse for Europe’s players when the Ryder Cup comes to the course in 2024“The fans here have been tremendous.” Suzy Whaley didn’t intend to raise eyebrows with a speech, as typically filled with platitudes, at the conclusion of the US PGA Championship. Instead, given events of Sunday afternoon, the PGA of America president’s lauding of New York galleries was horribly misplaced. It was laughable, in fact.Just because Brooks Koepka gleamed inspiration from fans chanting in support of Dustin Johnson and, even worse, cheering his own miscued irons the Bethpage scenario shouldn’t be shrugged off. Those spectators weren’t so much...
This week’s British Masters goes ahead thanks to Tommy Fleetwood’s generosity rather than the PGA and European Tours actually putting their heads togetherThere were reasons to celebrate Tommy Fleetwood’s status within the commonly self-serving world of top-level sport even before the altruistic touch that will come to the fore this week.As Sky Sports dropped sponsorship of the British Masters last year, an all-too-rare professional event in England looked like dropping off the European Tour’s schedule. Fleetwood, who has quite enough on his plate when keeping competitive company with the finest players in golf, stepped forward to host the tournament. Betfred duly joined in with a sponsorship deal. Fleetwood has admitted his keenly felt pride at staging the event at Hillside,...
Two years after contemplating retirement the American has eclipsed Ben Hogan’s remarkable recoveryThis one was for the sinners, one for the egotists, addicts, idolaters and fornicators, for those who have suffered, those who have recovered and all the rest too, for everyone who ever believed in second chances or who just loves a good comeback story.When Tiger Woods came here in 2010, right after his life started to fall apart, he told his old coach Hank Haney that he had decided one thing for sure: “When I play golf again, I’m not going to play for my dad or mum,” he said, or for his agent, Mark Steinberg, or his caddie, Steve Williams, or his sponsor, Nike, or for Haney...
The England manager leads and supports his players with few words and integrity – virtues that are lacking elsewhere, from the golf course to WestminsterEveryone loves Matt “Kooch” Kuchar, right? The American golfer has cherry‑cheeked and boy-smiled his way around the great courses of the world for years, the affectionate hooting of his fans a harmless counterpoint to the sometimes po-faced mien of the sport.Except “Kooch” is no innocent schoolboy. He is 40 years old and as tough a customer as there is in golf. At the World Match Play in Texas on Saturday, he got properly hard. Related: Gareth Southgate shows Montenegro how to react but what will Uefa do? | Daniel Taylor Related: Raheem Sterling is a better...
Four-times major winner has failed to win from the final pairing on the last nine occasions. What would Jordan Spieth give for this supposedly woeful situation?Rory McIlroy has encountered this statistical storm before. Only the day – and the year – have changed. In 2014 freaky Fridays were to disrupt the Northern Irishman’s quest for greatness. A series of curiously bad second rounds stood out – until McIlroy corrected the fault sufficiently to win both the Open and US PGA Championships.Sundays – sliding Sundays? – are now cited by McIlroy’s detractors. Of those he has many, to the point where he would be entitled to wonder if the peaceful life as a non-major winner and the world’s 255th ranked player...