The European Tour breaks new and controversial ground in the Middle East this week, with Justin Rose among the players being paid up to $1m to compete in the Saudi InternationalIn a flawlessly manicured instance of cosmic timing, last Sunday saw Justin Rose become the sixth golfer to surpass $50m in PGA Tour earnings. With his win at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, the world No 1 now sits on a total of $51.02m, and counting. That, however, does not include his European Tour earnings, which currently stand at a further €27.25m. And counting. Related: European Tour makes a serious bogey in visiting Saudi Arabia | Ewan Murray Continue reading...
In-form Masters runner-up, so bruised by his play-off defeat at Augusta, can end on a high in DP World Tour Championship where he has unfinished businessThose who belittle the value of an order of merit chase may need to look away now. The Race to Dubai has never seemed more appropriately named, given the appealing pursuit likely to occur in the Middle East from Thursday. That two Englishmen are at the forefront of proceedings both adds allure and to the sense that the nation’s golfers – plus their recurring success – are not appropriately recognised at home.If Tommy Fleetwood had any doubts regarding whether to play in this weekend’s Nedbank Challenge in South Africa, they were forcibly removed by the...
Spaniard previously cast as a sore loser finally won a major after he made peace with defeat – and his victory shed light on the inherent futility of gamesmanshipIt’s one of the quirks of the English language that, if you didn’t know any better, you could imagine that the words sportsmanship and gamesmanship were synonyms. But, of course, they mean almost the complete opposite. Gamesmanship is the art of winning by underhand or devious means. It places victory above any code of gracious behaviour.Whereas sportsmanship entails an attitude that transcends winning and losing and instead places an emphasis on mutual respect and appreciation. In the pursuit of glory it refuses to compromise with the principles of fair play and a...
US challenge petered out before the turn and the Spaniard eventually saw off Justin Rose, his Ryder Cup team-mate, at the first extra hole in what also became a celebration of their great sportsmanshipFor a few brief moments on Sunday afternoon the 2017 Masters was alive with possibility. At the far end of the 1st hole, Tea Olive, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler, the two finest young players in the US today, were standing in front of the green, scheming over the chip shots they were about to play. Way back behind them Justin Rose and Sergio García, another couple of close friends, were making their way up the fairway from the 1st tee, to the spot where their drives...
USA’s wildcard Ryan Moore sealed victory for the team but Darren Clarke’s picks were more mixed, while Rory McIlroy has become Europe’s chief cheerleader Related: Ryder Cup 2016: USA sweep to victory as Rory McIlroy and Europe taste defeat Related: Danny Willett defends brother’s comments on American Ryder Cup fans Related: Rory McIlroy: Ryder Cup defeat hurts but USA win is good for golf Continue reading...