The 14-times major winner’s second place at the Valspar Championship has generated excitement but talk of him conquering Augusta again may be prematureBookmakers are apparently revelling in these fevered times for golf. By Monday afternoon, the only absent bulletin was the price for Tiger Woods to walk unassisted on Rae’s Creek when taking to the 12th green during his first round at the Masters. That may be in the post.Woods’s surpassing of expectations has been timely. With the first major of the year, the Masters, only three weeks away, the 42-year-old finds himself listed among the second favourites to prevail. Woods can be backed at shorter odds than Sergio García, the defending champion, Justin Rose, a modern day Augusta specialist,...
Carnoustie’s 1999 champion has worked tirelessly at the grassroots of the game and though he is not desperate to be a Ryder Cup captain, he admits he would love to do the jobThere has always been a danger of Paul Lawrie being underappreciated. He was rightly and significantly wounded by his Open triumph of 1999 being widely recognised for Jean van de Velde’s blundering rather than his own brilliance. Lawrie’s intense commitment to grassroots golf in his native Aberdeenshire puts to shame those who pay lip service to charity foundations.It may have taken until only recently for Lawrie’s career and contributions to the game to be properly acknowledged. When receiving a lifetime achievement award at a sports dinner in Glasgow, a visibly...
Galleries who never warmed to the 14-times major champion are willing him to make his latest comeback one of the greatestTiger Woods seemed destined to be celebrated but not loved. If that appears harsh, the greatest golfer in a generation appeared perfectly at ease with that scenario himself. Until now.Woods’s complex relationship with US galleries conjures gallows humour. A string of relationships, after all, were so damaging not only to Woods’s personal life but his broader reputation. Woods, already deliberately distant from fellow competitors, was apparently forever tarnished as tales of his extra-marital antics emerged. Phil Mickelson, the immaculate blue-eyed boy and long-time Woods rival, benefited in popularity terms. Related: Tiger Woods says Masters plan on track as Justin Thomas...
Not enough people are aware of the world No 12’s brilliance but he enters the Desert Classic feeling at ease among the very bestDuring an endearing tournament pause in Abu Dhabi last week Dustin Johnson chuckled at Tommy Fleetwood’s expense. That Fleetwood has soared to the summit with an equipment miscellany – Nike fairway woods and irons no longer in production, Callaway wedges, a TaylorMade driver plus Odyssey putter – breaks from convention in this most commercial of times. Johnson pointed out the anomaly. The undertone was of obvious compliment.Fleetwood was to win, again, in Abu Dhabi, having taken the title last year to begin his run to the top of the European Tour order of merit. Johnson, the world...
This week’s roundup also features a Robbie Fowler dink, a memorable ODI between Australia and England and all of Boca Juniors’ goals from 20171) Farewell Ronaldinho, you were a lot of fun. Here are all his goals for Barcelona, some tricks and flicks, futsal magnificence, keepie-uppies with a crossbar, that goal against Chelsea, trick tackling and oh David! To show he’s human there’s also this.2) En route to winning the Tournament of Champions Dustin Johnson came within inches of a hole in one on a par four after a 430 yard drive. It would have been the longest in a professional tournament but there have been some par-four aces caught on camera: Andrew Magee, Richard Green, Minjee Lee, Rahil Gangjee,...