European Captain Darren Clarke has named Martin Kaymer, Thomas Pieters and Lee Westwood as his three captain’s picks for The 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National.
Former World Number Ones Kaymer and Westwood, who have 12 previous Ryder Cup appearances between them, will add a wealth of experience to the nine already-confirmed automatic qualifiers, while Pieters’ stunning recent form, which culminated in his impressive victory at last week’s Made in Denmark, is rewarded with a rookie appearance in Minnesota next month.
The trio join Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Andy Sullivan, Danny Willett and Chris Wood in Clarke’s 12-man line up to face Davis Love III’s United States team, as Europe seeks to earn a record fourth consecutive victory from September 30-October 2.
Englishman Westwood will make his tenth appearance in the biennial contest, joining Christy O’Connor Senior and Bernhard Langer on that mark, just one behind Sir Nick Faldo’s European appearance record. Germany’s Kaymer will also be aiming to extend his unblemished record in Minnesota after featuring in each of the last three European victories.
Clarke said: “In Lee and Martin, I've got two former World Number Ones and guys who bring a wealth of experience to the team. It's just not about playing, it's about the dynamic of the team room and that's involved in it.
“And then I've always been a huge Thomas Pieters fan from when I first witnessed how he hits the golf ball and how he plays. The manner which he's played golf these past few tournaments - fourth in the Olympics, to go to Czech and get beaten with a birdie on last green; and then last week to do what he did, to birdie the last three holes to win the tournament in the fashion that he did – that just impressed me so much that I found it impossible to leave him off the team.”
Team USA captain Davis Love has yet to announce his 4 captain's picks. He will name three of his four picks on September 11, and will make his final selection on September 25.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Rickie Fowler leads the Barclays, bids for Ryder Cup pick..
PGA Tour the Barclay's leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/the-barclays/leaderboard.html
Rickie Fowler, shot -3 68 to get to -9 for a one shot lead over Patrick Reed, to set up a fascinating final round with a chance to win for the first time on the PGA Tour in a year with that make the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
This is the final tournament for Americans to earn one of the eight automatic spots for the Ryder Cup matches at Hazeltine at the end of next month and he started the week at #12 needing at least a third-place finish to earn a spot. The US team will have 8 earned spots and 4 captain's pick's as they pull out all the stops to try and stop Europe's run of 8 victories in the last 10 events.
Reed is currently at #8 in the standings, shot 71, so he'll play with Fowler. Adam Scott shot the low round of the tournament, a 65 and is two shots behind at -7. Martin Laird (69) and Emiliano Grillo (71) are -6, Justin Thomas (66) -5 along with defending champion Jason Day.
Canadians: Adam Hadwin 70 68 74 -1 T27, David Hearn 75 70 69 +1 T43, Grahan DeLaet 73 72 76 +5
Bryan Angus
Rickie Fowler, shot -3 68 to get to -9 for a one shot lead over Patrick Reed, to set up a fascinating final round with a chance to win for the first time on the PGA Tour in a year with that make the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
This is the final tournament for Americans to earn one of the eight automatic spots for the Ryder Cup matches at Hazeltine at the end of next month and he started the week at #12 needing at least a third-place finish to earn a spot. The US team will have 8 earned spots and 4 captain's pick's as they pull out all the stops to try and stop Europe's run of 8 victories in the last 10 events.
Reed is currently at #8 in the standings, shot 71, so he'll play with Fowler. Adam Scott shot the low round of the tournament, a 65 and is two shots behind at -7. Martin Laird (69) and Emiliano Grillo (71) are -6, Justin Thomas (66) -5 along with defending champion Jason Day.
Canadians: Adam Hadwin 70 68 74 -1 T27, David Hearn 75 70 69 +1 T43, Grahan DeLaet 73 72 76 +5
Bryan Angus
Jutanugarn leads into final round at CP Women's Open
CP Women's Open leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cp-womens-open/leaderboard
Thailand's star Ariya Jutanugarn is the #2 in the women’s world golf rankings behind Lydia Ko and just ahead of Brooke Henderson, and she’s already won four times on tour this year including the Women's British Open.
She's well placed to add a fifth, our national title, after yesterday's 65, -17 total has her
in first two shots clear of South Korea’s In Gee Chun who had a 66 of her own. Chun leads the rookie of the year race.
Jutanugarn doesn't need to hit her driver on this tight par-72, 6,622-yard Raven course layout at the Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club, she hits her 2 iron further than anyone else.
Another South Korean, Sei Young Kim shot -4 68 -12 T3 with Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow, who shot 69.
Canadians: Alena Sharp had six birdies to shoot -5 67 to get into a five-way T5 with Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, Ha Na Jang, Amy Yang and Chella Choi, all from South Korea.
Brooke Henderson shot another - 4 68 -8 T21 in a group of six which includes Maude-Aimee Leblanc. They are both 9 shots off the lead, hoping for a top 10.
“I felt way better today and I think feeling the energy from my massive crowds has definitely really helped that,” said Henderson. “Through bad shots and good shots, they’re supporting me and give me a little bit of extra energy and positive vibes. That’s really helped me the last two days.”
Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee shot +1 73 -4 total T47th.
Bryan Angus
Thailand's star Ariya Jutanugarn is the #2 in the women’s world golf rankings behind Lydia Ko and just ahead of Brooke Henderson, and she’s already won four times on tour this year including the Women's British Open.
She's well placed to add a fifth, our national title, after yesterday's 65, -17 total has her
in first two shots clear of South Korea’s In Gee Chun who had a 66 of her own. Chun leads the rookie of the year race.
Jutanugarn doesn't need to hit her driver on this tight par-72, 6,622-yard Raven course layout at the Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club, she hits her 2 iron further than anyone else.
Another South Korean, Sei Young Kim shot -4 68 -12 T3 with Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow, who shot 69.
Canadians: Alena Sharp had six birdies to shoot -5 67 to get into a five-way T5 with Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, Ha Na Jang, Amy Yang and Chella Choi, all from South Korea.
Brooke Henderson shot another - 4 68 -8 T21 in a group of six which includes Maude-Aimee Leblanc. They are both 9 shots off the lead, hoping for a top 10.
“I felt way better today and I think feeling the energy from my massive crowds has definitely really helped that,” said Henderson. “Through bad shots and good shots, they’re supporting me and give me a little bit of extra energy and positive vibes. That’s really helped me the last two days.”
Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee shot +1 73 -4 total T47th.
Bryan Angus
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Weekend leaderboards, storylines CP Women's Open, Fed Ex Playoffs..
Lots of big time golf on tap this weekend and here for you are all the leaderboards and storylines along with what the Canadians are doing.
LPGA Tour CP Women's Open leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cp-womens-open/leaderboard
After withdrawing from the Olympics with a knee injury, Thailand's star Ariya Jutanugarn is fit again and she shot a -8 64 yesterday to take the lead at -12 after two rounds of play at the CP Women’s Open.
South Korea’s In Gee Chun made an eagle on the 18th to shoot a -5 67 T2 at -9 along with Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow, 66 69 -9.
Canadians: Maude-Aimee Leblanc sank a long putt from off the green for an eagle on the 18th hole to the delight of the crowd, 69 69 -6 T14 along with Alena Sharp 68 70.
Amateur, Jaclyn Lee, 69 70 T20 -5, Brooke Henderson 72 68 -4 T29. Anne-Catherine Tanguay 70 73 -1 was the only other Canadian to make the cut.
Rebecca Lee-Bentham along with Brittany Marchand and Jessica Wallace all finished at even par to miss the cut by a shot.
PGA Tour the Barclay's leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/the-barclays/leaderboard.html
Patrick Reed has it going at the tough Bethpage Black course in upper NY following a -3 68 -8 134 for a two-shot lead over Emiliano Grillo 69 -6 total, and Rickie Fowler 69 -6 total, going into the weekend at the Barclay's.
Ryan Moore (68) -5 total, defending champion Jason Day (70) and Jordan Spieth (67) are at -4.
Canadians: Adam Hadwin is playing great, T5 70 68 -4. David Hearn (70) and Graham DeLaet (72) both are +3 right on the cut line so need big weekends to get into the top 100 who will qualify for next week.
European Tour Made in Demark leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2016/tournamentid=2016066/leaderboard/index.html
Despite a pair of 6's on his card, Welshman Bradley Dredge 63 66 72, -12 has a one shot lead heading into the final round of this Made in Denmark event in Farso, Denmark. Dredge is now 43, hasn't won in 10 years, but has been second 12 times.
American David Lipsky, and Belgium's Thomas Pieters are in a group at -11.
PGA Tour Champions Boeing Classic leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/boeing-classic/leaderboard.html
Stephen Ames has shot an opening -6 66 and is just a shot off the lead held by Gene Sauers and Kirk Triplett -7 65's.
Rod Spittle is T37 E72.
Web.com Tour Winco Foods Portland Open leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/webcom/tournaments/winco-foods-portland-open-presented-by-kraft-heinz/leaderboard.html
Five Canadians led by Mackenzie Hughes 68 68 -6 T15, have made the cut at this last regular season event before the playoffs on the Web.com Tour.
The leaders at -11 are Ted Potter Jr and Jack Maguire.
Bryan Angus
LPGA Tour CP Women's Open leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cp-womens-open/leaderboard
After withdrawing from the Olympics with a knee injury, Thailand's star Ariya Jutanugarn is fit again and she shot a -8 64 yesterday to take the lead at -12 after two rounds of play at the CP Women’s Open.
South Korea’s In Gee Chun made an eagle on the 18th to shoot a -5 67 T2 at -9 along with Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow, 66 69 -9.
Canadians: Maude-Aimee Leblanc sank a long putt from off the green for an eagle on the 18th hole to the delight of the crowd, 69 69 -6 T14 along with Alena Sharp 68 70.
Amateur, Jaclyn Lee, 69 70 T20 -5, Brooke Henderson 72 68 -4 T29. Anne-Catherine Tanguay 70 73 -1 was the only other Canadian to make the cut.
Rebecca Lee-Bentham along with Brittany Marchand and Jessica Wallace all finished at even par to miss the cut by a shot.
PGA Tour the Barclay's leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/the-barclays/leaderboard.html
Patrick Reed has it going at the tough Bethpage Black course in upper NY following a -3 68 -8 134 for a two-shot lead over Emiliano Grillo 69 -6 total, and Rickie Fowler 69 -6 total, going into the weekend at the Barclay's.
Ryan Moore (68) -5 total, defending champion Jason Day (70) and Jordan Spieth (67) are at -4.
Canadians: Adam Hadwin is playing great, T5 70 68 -4. David Hearn (70) and Graham DeLaet (72) both are +3 right on the cut line so need big weekends to get into the top 100 who will qualify for next week.
European Tour Made in Demark leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2016/tournamentid=2016066/leaderboard/index.html
Despite a pair of 6's on his card, Welshman Bradley Dredge 63 66 72, -12 has a one shot lead heading into the final round of this Made in Denmark event in Farso, Denmark. Dredge is now 43, hasn't won in 10 years, but has been second 12 times.
American David Lipsky, and Belgium's Thomas Pieters are in a group at -11.
PGA Tour Champions Boeing Classic leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/boeing-classic/leaderboard.html
Stephen Ames has shot an opening -6 66 and is just a shot off the lead held by Gene Sauers and Kirk Triplett -7 65's.
Rod Spittle is T37 E72.
Web.com Tour Winco Foods Portland Open leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/webcom/tournaments/winco-foods-portland-open-presented-by-kraft-heinz/leaderboard.html
Five Canadians led by Mackenzie Hughes 68 68 -6 T15, have made the cut at this last regular season event before the playoffs on the Web.com Tour.
The leaders at -11 are Ted Potter Jr and Jack Maguire.
Bryan Angus
Friday, August 26, 2016
Rain, wind, lightning play havoc with play at CP Women's Open
LPGA Tour Canadian Pacific Women's Open leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cp-womens-open/leaderboard
Stephanie Meadow was born and grew up in Northern Ireland where she played a lot in the rain and wind and that's exactly what they got for the opening round at this CP Women's Open, in fact there was a 3 hour lightning delay which started at 11.45 local time.
When it was over she came out and posted a -6 66, good for the clubhouse lead.
Chella Choi is the leader at -7 through 14 holes and will be one of 52 players who will be out at 7.45 MST this morning to finish their first rounds. Karine Icher is at -6 through 14
Lydia Ko is in a group at -5 67 and she gets to sleep in this morning.
Canadian scores so far: Brooke Henderson is T46 at -1 through 15. Alena Sharp finished at -4 68 and is tied as the top Canadian with Jaclyn Lee, an amateur who ended the night at -4 through 13 holes.
Maude-Aimee LeBlanc shot -3 69 while Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Jessica Wallace, shot scores of -2 70.
Stephanie Meadow was born and grew up in Northern Ireland where she played a lot in the rain and wind and that's exactly what they got for the opening round at this CP Women's Open, in fact there was a 3 hour lightning delay which started at 11.45 local time.
When it was over she came out and posted a -6 66, good for the clubhouse lead.
Chella Choi is the leader at -7 through 14 holes and will be one of 52 players who will be out at 7.45 MST this morning to finish their first rounds. Karine Icher is at -6 through 14
Lydia Ko is in a group at -5 67 and she gets to sleep in this morning.
Canadian scores so far: Brooke Henderson is T46 at -1 through 15. Alena Sharp finished at -4 68 and is tied as the top Canadian with Jaclyn Lee, an amateur who ended the night at -4 through 13 holes.
Maude-Aimee LeBlanc shot -3 69 while Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Jessica Wallace, shot scores of -2 70.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Fed Ex playoffs begin at the Barclay's.
PGA Tour The Barclay's leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/the-barclays/leaderboard.html
So much has happened in the men's game this jam packed summer already, with Dustin Johnson winning the US Open, Henrik Stenson's epic win at the Open and Justin Rose just edging Stenson for the gold in Rio.
Now the top 125 on the money list begin the Fed Ex Cup playoffs on the tough Bethpage Black course in New York state.
Rory and Jason and Jordan all skipped the Olympics sadly and therefore have been out of the picture, but are here and I presume well rested. There are 3 Canadians who qualified, Adam Hadwin, Graham DeLaet and David Hearn.
Play is underway...
Bryan Angus
So much has happened in the men's game this jam packed summer already, with Dustin Johnson winning the US Open, Henrik Stenson's epic win at the Open and Justin Rose just edging Stenson for the gold in Rio.
Now the top 125 on the money list begin the Fed Ex Cup playoffs on the tough Bethpage Black course in New York state.
Rory and Jason and Jordan all skipped the Olympics sadly and therefore have been out of the picture, but are here and I presume well rested. There are 3 Canadians who qualified, Adam Hadwin, Graham DeLaet and David Hearn.
Play is underway...
Bryan Angus
Brooke Henderson seeks her first Canadian Pacific Women's Open
LPGA Tour Canadian Pacific Women's Open leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cp-womens-open/leaderboard
As always, it will take a great performance this week in Calgary for whomever wins the Canadian national title for women.
The field is stacked as play gets underway today, and Brooke Henderson fresh off her T7 at Rio2016 leads the Canadian contingent of 16, ( 12 pros, 4 amateurs) as she seeks her first of what she hopes would be several Canadian Pacific Women's Opens.
"Having Canadians and people from all over the world kind of celebrate this national championship is really cool,” Henderson said. “Even yesterday morning, I teed off at 8 in a pro-am, and there were people following me right from the start. My gallery kind of grew throughout the day, and as I finished, that was probably the longest autograph session that I’ve ever had.”
If Brooke is going to win it, she'll need to beat all the regular stars on the LPGA tour and at the top of that list is Lydia Ko who has an infinity for Canada having won the national championship three of the last four years, the first two as an amateur.(2012 at Vancouver GC when she was just at 15 years old with big glasses and braces on her teeth, then again in Edmonton in 2013) Last year as a pro, she returned to Vancouver and beat Stacy Lewis in a playoff.
Brooke can take heart from the fact she beat Lydia in a playoff in June at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her first major title.
The tournament organizers have split them up on opposite sides of the draw with Ko out early this morning off the 10th tee with Jessica Korda and Sei Young Kim, and Brooke off the first at 1.31pm with Gerina Piller and Amy Yang
Gold medal winner Inbee Park is not here, but all the rest are including Lorie Kane, making her record-tying 26th straight appearance and this year she is being inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
Also remember that Suzann Pettersen won the tournament on this Priddis Greens course in 2009, horses for courses is the old adage...
Bryan Angus
As always, it will take a great performance this week in Calgary for whomever wins the Canadian national title for women.
The field is stacked as play gets underway today, and Brooke Henderson fresh off her T7 at Rio2016 leads the Canadian contingent of 16, ( 12 pros, 4 amateurs) as she seeks her first of what she hopes would be several Canadian Pacific Women's Opens.
"Having Canadians and people from all over the world kind of celebrate this national championship is really cool,” Henderson said. “Even yesterday morning, I teed off at 8 in a pro-am, and there were people following me right from the start. My gallery kind of grew throughout the day, and as I finished, that was probably the longest autograph session that I’ve ever had.”
If Brooke is going to win it, she'll need to beat all the regular stars on the LPGA tour and at the top of that list is Lydia Ko who has an infinity for Canada having won the national championship three of the last four years, the first two as an amateur.(2012 at Vancouver GC when she was just at 15 years old with big glasses and braces on her teeth, then again in Edmonton in 2013) Last year as a pro, she returned to Vancouver and beat Stacy Lewis in a playoff.
Brooke can take heart from the fact she beat Lydia in a playoff in June at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her first major title.
The tournament organizers have split them up on opposite sides of the draw with Ko out early this morning off the 10th tee with Jessica Korda and Sei Young Kim, and Brooke off the first at 1.31pm with Gerina Piller and Amy Yang
Gold medal winner Inbee Park is not here, but all the rest are including Lorie Kane, making her record-tying 26th straight appearance and this year she is being inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
Also remember that Suzann Pettersen won the tournament on this Priddis Greens course in 2009, horses for courses is the old adage...
Bryan Angus
Monday, August 22, 2016
European Ryder Cup Team named for 2016
European Ryder Cup team http://www.rydercup.com/news-media/europe/nine-qualifiers-set-hazeltine
Europe will seek a record fourth successive Ryder Cup victory with at least five rookies on the team when they take on the United States from September 30 - October 2. Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Andy Sullivan, Danny Willett and Chris Wood will all be making their debuts.
Rory McIlroy, Open champion, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Olympic gold medal winner,Justin Rose are the 4 veteran members who have also qualified.
European Captain Clarke will name his three wild cards to complete the 12-man team on Tuesday 30 August.
I believe they will be Lee Westwood who has played in every Ryder Cup since 1997, Marin Kaymer a three-time Ryder Cup veteran, who so memorably sunk the winning putt to secure the Miracle at Medinah four years ago and has seven top 15 finishes in his last nine starts, and Travelers Champion winner, Russell Knox.
Luke Donald will be tough to ignore after his T2 this week, but Knox has earned his shot. Guys like Thomas Pieters, Shane Lowry and Soren Kjeldsen all could make the team easily if the guys ahead weren't so good.
Bryan Angus
Europe will seek a record fourth successive Ryder Cup victory with at least five rookies on the team when they take on the United States from September 30 - October 2. Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Andy Sullivan, Danny Willett and Chris Wood will all be making their debuts.
Rory McIlroy, Open champion, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Olympic gold medal winner,Justin Rose are the 4 veteran members who have also qualified.
European Captain Clarke will name his three wild cards to complete the 12-man team on Tuesday 30 August.
I believe they will be Lee Westwood who has played in every Ryder Cup since 1997, Marin Kaymer a three-time Ryder Cup veteran, who so memorably sunk the winning putt to secure the Miracle at Medinah four years ago and has seven top 15 finishes in his last nine starts, and Travelers Champion winner, Russell Knox.
Luke Donald will be tough to ignore after his T2 this week, but Knox has earned his shot. Guys like Thomas Pieters, Shane Lowry and Soren Kjeldsen all could make the team easily if the guys ahead weren't so good.
Bryan Angus
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Inbee Park wins gold at Women's Olympic Golf Competition
Women's Olympic Golf Competition leaderboard http://www.igfgolf.org/olympic-games/scores/womens/
The women's version of these Olympic Games golf competition came down to the last few holes and there was a Chinese star, Shanshan Feng at -10, and a Japanese star, Harukyo Nomura (65) at -9 along with an American star Stacy Lewis (66) -9 and also world #1 from New Zealand, Lydia Ko, but they were all chasing the queen of the LPGA tour, back after months away with a broken thumb, Korean #1 Inbee Park who cruised to the Olympic gold that has put the icing on the cake of her Hall of Fame career at a final score of 66 66 70 66 -16.
Lydia Ko made a birdie putt at the last (69 -11) to earn silver and Feng (69 -10) from China won the bronze.
Brooke Henderson finished her adventure representing Canada in Rio with a birdie on the 72nd, 70 64 75 67 -8 T7, to finish just outside the medals. Apart from Thursday's 64 when everything went in her putter let her down this week.
Alena Sharp 72 69 75 69 finished at +1, 30th.
The former world #1 28 year old Park has had not played in 2 months, has won seven majors including the career Grand Slam, is already in the Hall of Fame and has now won an Olympic gold medal.
Her family moved from Korea to the US when she was 12 and she now lives in Lorietta, California.
She has hinted strongly that she wants to retire to start a family like Lorena Ochoa did while she is at the top of her game, so we may have seen the last of this unflappable, stoic, brilliant player... she can't get much more on top than she is today...
Bryan Angus
The women's version of these Olympic Games golf competition came down to the last few holes and there was a Chinese star, Shanshan Feng at -10, and a Japanese star, Harukyo Nomura (65) at -9 along with an American star Stacy Lewis (66) -9 and also world #1 from New Zealand, Lydia Ko, but they were all chasing the queen of the LPGA tour, back after months away with a broken thumb, Korean #1 Inbee Park who cruised to the Olympic gold that has put the icing on the cake of her Hall of Fame career at a final score of 66 66 70 66 -16.
Lydia Ko made a birdie putt at the last (69 -11) to earn silver and Feng (69 -10) from China won the bronze.
Brooke Henderson finished her adventure representing Canada in Rio with a birdie on the 72nd, 70 64 75 67 -8 T7, to finish just outside the medals. Apart from Thursday's 64 when everything went in her putter let her down this week.
Alena Sharp 72 69 75 69 finished at +1, 30th.
The former world #1 28 year old Park has had not played in 2 months, has won seven majors including the career Grand Slam, is already in the Hall of Fame and has now won an Olympic gold medal.
Her family moved from Korea to the US when she was 12 and she now lives in Lorietta, California.
She has hinted strongly that she wants to retire to start a family like Lorena Ochoa did while she is at the top of her game, so we may have seen the last of this unflappable, stoic, brilliant player... she can't get much more on top than she is today...
Bryan Angus
Friday, August 19, 2016
Henderson begins round 3, T3 at Women's Olympic Golf Competition
Women's Olympic Golf Competition leaderboard http://www.igfgolf.org/olympic-games/scores/womens/
At 9.58 (est) Brooke Henderson, dressed from head to toe in black with long white sleeves smacked a drive away down the middle past all the bunkers on the by now familiar opening hole of this Women's Olympic Golf Competition.
Following rounds of 71, 64 she begins play under sunny skies and a freshening breeze at -8, T3 with English star Charley Hull 68 66 -8 , just a shot behind Stacy Lewis 70 and a course record, 63 -9, and two behind the amazing Korean Inbee Park 66, 66 -10 who is probably playing her final event after a Hall of Fame career which includes seven majors.
The other Canadian Alena Sharp 72 69 is +2 this morning thru 7 holes currently T37.
Lydia Ko is going well this morning with a hole in 1 at the par 3 8th, along with 4 birdies now at -8, Suzann Petersen of Norway has 5 birdies and is also at -7. Many of the big names like Lexi Thompson, Ariya Jutanugarn and Shanshan Feng are in contention.
Henderson who began her shot at a golden medal, had gotten off to a terrible start on Wednesday, 3 over thru 4 holes did well to recover, but it was a different story on Thursday, -2 through the first nine, then 5 birdies in her last 6 holes for the 64.
She had this to say afterwards " Yeah, it was a much better day today, I felt better right off the bat. I was 2-under through my first nine holes, which was good, and I was hoping to get a few more birdies on the back nine, and I definitely was able to do that, especially my last six holes. I kind of got momentum and putts drained for me and I was able to hit some really good shots. I’m really happy with today and hopefully I’ll do something similar on Friday."
She made par 5 on her first and is hole high in two, on the par 4 2nd.
Remember play began Wednesday, so this is moving day for the 60 women in this Olympic field, where unlike the men, all the top performers are in attendance.
More to follow...
Bryan Angus
At 9.58 (est) Brooke Henderson, dressed from head to toe in black with long white sleeves smacked a drive away down the middle past all the bunkers on the by now familiar opening hole of this Women's Olympic Golf Competition.
Following rounds of 71, 64 she begins play under sunny skies and a freshening breeze at -8, T3 with English star Charley Hull 68 66 -8 , just a shot behind Stacy Lewis 70 and a course record, 63 -9, and two behind the amazing Korean Inbee Park 66, 66 -10 who is probably playing her final event after a Hall of Fame career which includes seven majors.
The other Canadian Alena Sharp 72 69 is +2 this morning thru 7 holes currently T37.
Lydia Ko is going well this morning with a hole in 1 at the par 3 8th, along with 4 birdies now at -8, Suzann Petersen of Norway has 5 birdies and is also at -7. Many of the big names like Lexi Thompson, Ariya Jutanugarn and Shanshan Feng are in contention.
Henderson who began her shot at a golden medal, had gotten off to a terrible start on Wednesday, 3 over thru 4 holes did well to recover, but it was a different story on Thursday, -2 through the first nine, then 5 birdies in her last 6 holes for the 64.
She had this to say afterwards " Yeah, it was a much better day today, I felt better right off the bat. I was 2-under through my first nine holes, which was good, and I was hoping to get a few more birdies on the back nine, and I definitely was able to do that, especially my last six holes. I kind of got momentum and putts drained for me and I was able to hit some really good shots. I’m really happy with today and hopefully I’ll do something similar on Friday."
She made par 5 on her first and is hole high in two, on the par 4 2nd.
Remember play began Wednesday, so this is moving day for the 60 women in this Olympic field, where unlike the men, all the top performers are in attendance.
More to follow...
Bryan Angus
Monday, August 15, 2016
Gold: Rose, Silver: Stenson, Bronze: Kucher
Men's Olympic Golf Competition final scoreboard http://results.nbcolympics.com/golf/event/men/
In Scotland we have what are called "pitch and putt courses". When you rent the clubs you get a wedge, a putter and a ball. They aren't as big as par 3 courses, the longest hole may be 100 yards and the greens are tiny.
On a sunny, breezy afternoon in Rio, good pals, neighbours in Florida, Ryder Cup team mates Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose had an enjoyable walk around the newly minted Olympic golf links and played some pretty decent golf. Matt Kuchar went out and shot 63, just missing 62 to set the clubhouse mark at -13 and make it interesting coming down the last three holes, but most of the afternoon it was between the Swede and the Englishman for the gold medal.
In the end it became a pitch and putt competition. locked together at -15, both just 70 yards or so short of the green in two big strokes. Stenson pitched first and came up 20 feet short, while Rose stuck his within 3 feet.
Henrik was too bold with his attempt down the hill and three putted for bogey 6, leaving Justin with 2 putts for the gold medal.
He only needed one.
So ended a most enjoyable Men's Olympic Golf Competition. A truly international gathering played in good spirits on a course for the most part left unprotected by the prevailing winds, but with enough slope and undulation around the greens to make it challenging.
This was a test to see if golf will be back in 2020 and it surely will, despite the absence of Rory, Jason and Jordan, the new big 3, who as it turned out missed out on the party.
Gold: Rose, Silver: Stenson, Bronze: Kucher is what will go down in the records, but that doesn't nearly tell the story....
Canadians : Graham DeLaet had two birdies and an eagle for -2 69 finishing -4 280, for 20th while David Hearn shot a brilliant -5 66 to end up -1 T30.
Now on to the Fed Ex playoffs, the Ryder Cup and the Race to Dubai, but the game will be better for their week at Rio2016.
Bryan Angus
In Scotland we have what are called "pitch and putt courses". When you rent the clubs you get a wedge, a putter and a ball. They aren't as big as par 3 courses, the longest hole may be 100 yards and the greens are tiny.
On a sunny, breezy afternoon in Rio, good pals, neighbours in Florida, Ryder Cup team mates Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose had an enjoyable walk around the newly minted Olympic golf links and played some pretty decent golf. Matt Kuchar went out and shot 63, just missing 62 to set the clubhouse mark at -13 and make it interesting coming down the last three holes, but most of the afternoon it was between the Swede and the Englishman for the gold medal.
In the end it became a pitch and putt competition. locked together at -15, both just 70 yards or so short of the green in two big strokes. Stenson pitched first and came up 20 feet short, while Rose stuck his within 3 feet.
Henrik was too bold with his attempt down the hill and three putted for bogey 6, leaving Justin with 2 putts for the gold medal.
He only needed one.
So ended a most enjoyable Men's Olympic Golf Competition. A truly international gathering played in good spirits on a course for the most part left unprotected by the prevailing winds, but with enough slope and undulation around the greens to make it challenging.
This was a test to see if golf will be back in 2020 and it surely will, despite the absence of Rory, Jason and Jordan, the new big 3, who as it turned out missed out on the party.
Gold: Rose, Silver: Stenson, Bronze: Kucher is what will go down in the records, but that doesn't nearly tell the story....
Canadians : Graham DeLaet had two birdies and an eagle for -2 69 finishing -4 280, for 20th while David Hearn shot a brilliant -5 66 to end up -1 T30.
Now on to the Fed Ex playoffs, the Ryder Cup and the Race to Dubai, but the game will be better for their week at Rio2016.
Bryan Angus
Sunday, August 14, 2016
PGA Tour golf scoreboards, headlines...
With the Mens Olympic Golf Competition get most of our attention there are other significant PGA Tour events being played...
US Senior Open Champions Tour leaderboard http://www.usga.org/championships/2016/u-s--senior-open/scoring.html
AP....Miguel Angel Jimenez handled gusty winds and shot a -1 69 Saturday to grab the lead after the third round of the U.S. Senior Open Championship.
US Senior Open Champions Tour leaderboard http://www.usga.org/championships/2016/u-s--senior-open/scoring.html
AP....Miguel Angel Jimenez handled gusty winds and shot a -1 69 Saturday to grab the lead after the third round of the U.S. Senior Open Championship.
Despite three bogeys on the windy back nine, the 52-year-old Spaniard finished as one of just four players under par for the day. He’s at 3-under 207 through 54 holes at Scioto Country Club in suburban Columbus.
Gene Sauers also battled the wind finishing with a 71 to put him in second place, one stroke off the lead. He shot a 68 on Thursday and 69 Friday. Ian Woosnam, Loren Roberts and Billy Mayfair were in a tie for third at 1-over par.
Calgary’s Stephen Ames holds a share of 15th at +4 after carding a third-round 76, while St. Catharines, Ont., native Rod Spittle sits T51 at +12.
Web.com Tour Price Cutter Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/webcom/tournaments/price-cutter-charity-championship-presented-by-dr-pepper/leaderboard.html
Royce Thompson..
Mackenzie Hughes the 25-year-old from Hamilton, birdied the final two holes of his third round and shot a bogey-free -8 64 to take the 54-hole lead at the Price Cutter Charity Championship. Hughes’ -18 198 total puts him one clear of Australian Steve Allan (63), Xander Schauffele (64) and No. 3 on the Web.com Tour money list Richy Werenski (66).
PGA Tour John Deere Classic leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/john-deere-classic/leaderboard.html
AP...Ryan Moore shot two more rounds of 6-under 65 on Saturday to take the third-round lead in the John Deere Classic, finishing at 8:25 p.m. in nearly dark conditions.
After opening Thursday with a 65, Due to all the rain, Moore barely got on the course Friday in the tournament that finally got back on schedule Saturday when the players raced to finish before dark.
Morgan Hoffman and Ben Martin each shot 62 to pull within a stroke at -17.
Jordan Spieth chose not to defend his title because he didn’t think it would be appropriate in light of his decision to skip the Rio Olympics
Bryan Angus
Poor finish costs DeLaet, Stenson chasing Rose for Olympic gold.
Men's Olympic Golf Competition scoreboard http://results.nbcolympics.com/golf/event/men/
Without his A game Graham DeLaet battled away all day at the 3rd round of the Men's Olympic Golf Competition, and with three birdies and 2 bogey's on the front nine he turned at -1 for a -6 total, 4 shots behind the leaders at -10.
However starting at the 14th he made 4 costly bogey's in his last 5 holes including a 6 at the par 5 18th to drop to -2 T22, ten shots behind the leader Justin Rose who had it all going on his way to -6 65, -12 201.
DeLaet was so angry at his finish he stormed away from the course refusing to speak at the customery post round presser.
I followed him all day on shot link as he didn't get much air time on TV who concentrated on the final threesome most of the day.
His troubles began with a pair of 3 putts at 14 and 15, then nearly drove the short par-4 16th, driving to within 20 yards of the green. He attempted a long lag putt for safety but put it into the greenside bunker, then took two to get out, turning a birdie into a bogey.
He got up and down for par on 17, but hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker on 18, and hit his third into another greenside bunker and missed the 12 footer for par.
His 74 has him 7 shots behind the Aussie Marcus Fraser who is in the bronze medal position after posting a gutsy 72 for -9 204. David Hearn also shot 74 and he is at +4 for the event.
Two summer's ago Rory McIlroy ran the tables, last year it was the turn of Jason Day, this year it could be the turn of Henrik Stenson, who posted a hard earned -3 68 to go into today's final at -11 202. He is coming off an epic final round 63 to edge Phil Mickelson for the title at the Open at Royal Troon and was T7th at the PGA Championship at Baltusrol.
Remember there is no prize money, just gold, silver or bronze. Rose, Stenson and Fraser will be the final pairing today. Bubba Watson (67,207), David Lingmerth, (68 207) and Emiliano Grillo from Argentina (68,207) will be the penultimate group.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington (67, 208) and Finland's Mikko Ilonen (66, 208) Matt Kuchar (69), Gregory Bourdy (72) and Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello (71) are all at -5 and have a chance. Rickie Fowler had the low score of the day 64, to move up into T14th on 210.
My money however is on the big Swede, who didn't play all that well on Saturday but still managed that -3 68. He can always count on that 3 wood of his off the tee, and has been putting superbly and he had this to say afterwards.
"In my mind, we’re still going for one thing – gold. Even though the consolation prizes might be better here than some other events in a way, it’s still the No. 1 spot that I’m looking for and I’m going to try my hardest to make that happen. It’s been a long and tiring stretch for me the last month, so I’m just going to try and squeeze whatever I have left in the tank for the final 18 holes.”
Listen for my report at 8am on the ISR on TSN1050 with Lins and Pete.
Bryan Angus
Without his A game Graham DeLaet battled away all day at the 3rd round of the Men's Olympic Golf Competition, and with three birdies and 2 bogey's on the front nine he turned at -1 for a -6 total, 4 shots behind the leaders at -10.
However starting at the 14th he made 4 costly bogey's in his last 5 holes including a 6 at the par 5 18th to drop to -2 T22, ten shots behind the leader Justin Rose who had it all going on his way to -6 65, -12 201.
DeLaet was so angry at his finish he stormed away from the course refusing to speak at the customery post round presser.
I followed him all day on shot link as he didn't get much air time on TV who concentrated on the final threesome most of the day.
His troubles began with a pair of 3 putts at 14 and 15, then nearly drove the short par-4 16th, driving to within 20 yards of the green. He attempted a long lag putt for safety but put it into the greenside bunker, then took two to get out, turning a birdie into a bogey.
He got up and down for par on 17, but hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker on 18, and hit his third into another greenside bunker and missed the 12 footer for par.
His 74 has him 7 shots behind the Aussie Marcus Fraser who is in the bronze medal position after posting a gutsy 72 for -9 204. David Hearn also shot 74 and he is at +4 for the event.
Two summer's ago Rory McIlroy ran the tables, last year it was the turn of Jason Day, this year it could be the turn of Henrik Stenson, who posted a hard earned -3 68 to go into today's final at -11 202. He is coming off an epic final round 63 to edge Phil Mickelson for the title at the Open at Royal Troon and was T7th at the PGA Championship at Baltusrol.
Remember there is no prize money, just gold, silver or bronze. Rose, Stenson and Fraser will be the final pairing today. Bubba Watson (67,207), David Lingmerth, (68 207) and Emiliano Grillo from Argentina (68,207) will be the penultimate group.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington (67, 208) and Finland's Mikko Ilonen (66, 208) Matt Kuchar (69), Gregory Bourdy (72) and Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello (71) are all at -5 and have a chance. Rickie Fowler had the low score of the day 64, to move up into T14th on 210.
My money however is on the big Swede, who didn't play all that well on Saturday but still managed that -3 68. He can always count on that 3 wood of his off the tee, and has been putting superbly and he had this to say afterwards.
"In my mind, we’re still going for one thing – gold. Even though the consolation prizes might be better here than some other events in a way, it’s still the No. 1 spot that I’m looking for and I’m going to try my hardest to make that happen. It’s been a long and tiring stretch for me the last month, so I’m just going to try and squeeze whatever I have left in the tank for the final 18 holes.”
Listen for my report at 8am on the ISR on TSN1050 with Lins and Pete.
Bryan Angus
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Stephen Ames in contention at US Senior Open
USGA Senior Open leaderboard http://www.usga.org/championships/2016/u-s--senior-open/scoring.html
It is absurd to hold such a prestigious event as your country's national championship for golfers 50 or over (PGA Tour Champions) but that is what is happening this weekend, as all eyes are on the game's return to the Olympics and the Champions Tour presents it's US Senior Open at the Scioto GC in Columbus Ohio.
Stephen Ames seems to excel on tough courses and after 2 rounds he is T4 after he added five birdies 68 to his opening 70 for a -2 total . Rod Spittle is further back after a 70 and is T58 +7.
Joey Sindelar shot a -4 66 to take the second-round lead after a first round 69, to sit at -5 overall.
Billy Mayfair, making his first senior start after turning 50 last Saturday, was a stroke back after a 67. He had four birdies and a bogey.
Rain is forecast for today so the field will play in threesomes starting at 7:30 a.m (est)
Bryan Angus
It is absurd to hold such a prestigious event as your country's national championship for golfers 50 or over (PGA Tour Champions) but that is what is happening this weekend, as all eyes are on the game's return to the Olympics and the Champions Tour presents it's US Senior Open at the Scioto GC in Columbus Ohio.
Stephen Ames seems to excel on tough courses and after 2 rounds he is T4 after he added five birdies 68 to his opening 70 for a -2 total . Rod Spittle is further back after a 70 and is T58 +7.
Joey Sindelar shot a -4 66 to take the second-round lead after a first round 69, to sit at -5 overall.
Billy Mayfair, making his first senior start after turning 50 last Saturday, was a stroke back after a 67. He had four birdies and a bogey.
Rain is forecast for today so the field will play in threesomes starting at 7:30 a.m (est)
Bryan Angus
DeLaet T6 after 2 rounds at Rio2016
Olympic Men's Golf Competition scoreboard http://results.nbcolympics.com/golf/event/men/index.html?v=20160812-204151155
It isn't just your normal weekly pro tour event, it's the summer Olympics and it's starting to sink in as far as golf's return to these storied games since Canada's George Lyon won it last, back in 1904.
13 different flags are blowing in the top 10 over the grandstand scoreboard and I am proud to report the Maple Leaf is one of them.
Graham DeLaet as proud a Canuck as there is didn't bring his A game but he played well enough along with the encouragement of Stanley Cupper Ray Whitney on his bag, to follow his opening -5 66 with an E 71 to sit T6 at the halfway point of this Olympic Men's Golf Competition
Canada has won 10 medals so far, led by our flag bearer and defending trampoline champion Rosie McLennan, and our golfing quartet of DeLaet, David Hearn (69 -1 total) Brooke Henderson and a resurgent Alena Sharp would love to add to that total.
Olympic connection: Australia's Marcus Fraser added a 69 to his opening 63 to lead the way at -10 followed by one of the two Belgians, Thomas Pieters (69 -9 total), then who else Sweden's Henrik Stenson who scrambled and putted his way to -3 68 -8 total in what is turning out to be his summer of summer's with the Ryder Cup yet to come, then the Fleur de Lis on the chest of Gregory Bourdy (T4 69 -6 total), Justin Rose ( 69 -6 total), an Englishman representing GB, followed at T6 by the game's fittest golfer Rafa Cabrera Bello from Spain (70 -5 total) along with DeLaet, Korean born Kiwi Danny Lee, (65 -5 total) then South Korean Pan CT (69 -4 total) in 10th along with Norway's Thorbjorn Olesen (68), Germany's Alex Cjeka (71) and Ireland's Seamus Power (67).
If you are wondering where the Yanks are, well their best T14 at -3 is Matt Kuchar , then Bubba T18 -2 then Patrick Reed T22 at -1 and finally Rickie Fowler 50th +4.
David Hearn played well on a day that swung from ideal, to windy and wet, and he is T37 +1 (73 70).
It isn't just your normal weekly pro tour event, it's the summer Olympics and it's starting to sink in as far as golf's return to these storied games since Canada's George Lyon won it last, back in 1904.
13 different flags are blowing in the top 10 over the grandstand scoreboard and I am proud to report the Maple Leaf is one of them.
Graham DeLaet as proud a Canuck as there is didn't bring his A game but he played well enough along with the encouragement of Stanley Cupper Ray Whitney on his bag, to follow his opening -5 66 with an E 71 to sit T6 at the halfway point of this Olympic Men's Golf Competition
Canada has won 10 medals so far, led by our flag bearer and defending trampoline champion Rosie McLennan, and our golfing quartet of DeLaet, David Hearn (69 -1 total) Brooke Henderson and a resurgent Alena Sharp would love to add to that total.
Olympic connection: Australia's Marcus Fraser added a 69 to his opening 63 to lead the way at -10 followed by one of the two Belgians, Thomas Pieters (69 -9 total), then who else Sweden's Henrik Stenson who scrambled and putted his way to -3 68 -8 total in what is turning out to be his summer of summer's with the Ryder Cup yet to come, then the Fleur de Lis on the chest of Gregory Bourdy (T4 69 -6 total), Justin Rose ( 69 -6 total), an Englishman representing GB, followed at T6 by the game's fittest golfer Rafa Cabrera Bello from Spain (70 -5 total) along with DeLaet, Korean born Kiwi Danny Lee, (65 -5 total) then South Korean Pan CT (69 -4 total) in 10th along with Norway's Thorbjorn Olesen (68), Germany's Alex Cjeka (71) and Ireland's Seamus Power (67).
If you are wondering where the Yanks are, well their best T14 at -3 is Matt Kuchar , then Bubba T18 -2 then Patrick Reed T22 at -1 and finally Rickie Fowler 50th +4.
David Hearn played well on a day that swung from ideal, to windy and wet, and he is T37 +1 (73 70).
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Delaet 2nd at Olympic Men's Golf Competition after round 1
Olympic Men's Golf Competition scoreboard http://results.nbcolympics.com/golf/event/men/phase=gom001101/index.html
Aussie Marcus Fraser had one of the best rounds of his pro career, 31 out 32 in, 9 birdies, just one bogey for an -8 63 on day one of the Olympic Men's Golf Competition, for a 3 shot lead over Graham DeLaet (-5 65) who was the clubhouse leader until Fraser arrived.
With play winding down for the day Justin Rose made a little history with the first Olympic hole in one at the par 3 4th and he is in a group at -4 that includes Henrik Stenson, Gregory Bourdy of France and Thomas Pieters of Belgium.
The day is sunny and calm right now, the wind did get up during the early afternoon and there is rain in the forecast overnight.
I thought today was very much like a European Tour broadcast with a real international field on a brand new course, only 4 Americans in the field, an Aussie broadcast crew who did a great job with their bio's on many players viewers on this side of the Atlantic have never heard of before.
Also I liked the introductions of the threesomes on the first tee with their names and country. It gave you a real chance to see how small many of these men are.
The fairways are wide and generous for the most part, the front nine is for scoring, there is plenty of slope on and around the greens. There is no rough but there is water from the nature reserve the course is built around. The soil is very sandy so the grass on the fairways isn't the lush green you are used to seeing.
David Hearn recovered from a 39 front nine with 3 birdies in his last 4 holes +2 73.
Scott Hend from AAstralia had a +3 74 which included a 10 on the par 5 10th, Rickie Fowler opened with a double and is currently +5.
There are 60 men in the field from 34 countries and there is no cut.
Bryan Angus
Aussie Marcus Fraser had one of the best rounds of his pro career, 31 out 32 in, 9 birdies, just one bogey for an -8 63 on day one of the Olympic Men's Golf Competition, for a 3 shot lead over Graham DeLaet (-5 65) who was the clubhouse leader until Fraser arrived.
With play winding down for the day Justin Rose made a little history with the first Olympic hole in one at the par 3 4th and he is in a group at -4 that includes Henrik Stenson, Gregory Bourdy of France and Thomas Pieters of Belgium.
The day is sunny and calm right now, the wind did get up during the early afternoon and there is rain in the forecast overnight.
I thought today was very much like a European Tour broadcast with a real international field on a brand new course, only 4 Americans in the field, an Aussie broadcast crew who did a great job with their bio's on many players viewers on this side of the Atlantic have never heard of before.
Also I liked the introductions of the threesomes on the first tee with their names and country. It gave you a real chance to see how small many of these men are.
The fairways are wide and generous for the most part, the front nine is for scoring, there is plenty of slope on and around the greens. There is no rough but there is water from the nature reserve the course is built around. The soil is very sandy so the grass on the fairways isn't the lush green you are used to seeing.
David Hearn recovered from a 39 front nine with 3 birdies in his last 4 holes +2 73.
Scott Hend from AAstralia had a +3 74 which included a 10 on the par 5 10th, Rickie Fowler opened with a double and is currently +5.
There are 60 men in the field from 34 countries and there is no cut.
Bryan Angus
Graham DeLaet has clubhouse lead in Rio 2016
Olympic Men's Golf Competition leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/olympic-mens-golf-competition/leaderboard.html
With the wind freshening Graham DeLaet went through the first nine holes in 31 shots and has just completed his back nine with a birdie on the 18th. His 35 shots give him a -5 total 66, good for the clubhouse lead at the Olympic Men's Golf Competition
There are 60 players in the field representing 34 countries and they will decide the medals over 4 rounds of stroke play.
David Hearn has had a tough front nine with a double a the 2nd and two further bogey's out in +4 39.
Both look very smart in their black caps and pants, red striped shirts and white belts and shoes. DeLaet has former NHLer Ray Whitney on his bag this week after regular caddie Julien Trudeau decided not to come to Rio due to concerns about the Zika virus.
Justin Rose has just had the first hole in one at the Olympics at the par 3 4th.
The course is wide open, it's like the field is all in the middle of a big park with the hills and condos of Rio as a backdrop. Gil Hanse the course architect has designed a 7,290-yard, par-71, links-style test alongside a nature reserve with no rough, plenty of water surrounded by scrub. The has become a factor as it often blows here up to 40mph.
More to follow
Bryan Angus
With the wind freshening Graham DeLaet went through the first nine holes in 31 shots and has just completed his back nine with a birdie on the 18th. His 35 shots give him a -5 total 66, good for the clubhouse lead at the Olympic Men's Golf Competition
There are 60 players in the field representing 34 countries and they will decide the medals over 4 rounds of stroke play.
David Hearn has had a tough front nine with a double a the 2nd and two further bogey's out in +4 39.
Both look very smart in their black caps and pants, red striped shirts and white belts and shoes. DeLaet has former NHLer Ray Whitney on his bag this week after regular caddie Julien Trudeau decided not to come to Rio due to concerns about the Zika virus.
Justin Rose has just had the first hole in one at the Olympics at the par 3 4th.
The course is wide open, it's like the field is all in the middle of a big park with the hills and condos of Rio as a backdrop. Gil Hanse the course architect has designed a 7,290-yard, par-71, links-style test alongside a nature reserve with no rough, plenty of water surrounded by scrub. The has become a factor as it often blows here up to 40mph.
More to follow
Bryan Angus
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Anthony Wall and Alex Noren playing in a howling gale at Archerfield.
European Tour Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Match Play scoreboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2016/tournamentid=2016060/leaderboard/index.html
Archerfield is a relatively new, private members links complex near North Berwick. It has 36 holes and this week it is the Fidra course which is hosting this Paul Lawrie Match Play. It will cost you nearly $400 to play as a visitor.
Today's final, now under way in a howling gale is between Alex Noren from Sweden and Anthony Wall from England and they are all square through 8 The runners up match features Oliver Wilson and James Morrison. who is 5up through 10 holes.
To get to the finals, Noren, who won for this sponsor, Aberdeen Asset Management at the Scottish Open back in July, beat Johan Carlsson 4 and 2 in the morning’s quarter-finals before edging James Morrison 3 and 2 in the afternoon.
Wall, who has played 431 European Tour events since collecting the only win of his career in South Africa 16 years ago, chipped in for eagle to beat Haydn Porteous in the morning and needed 22 holes to beat Oliver Fisher at the fourth extra hole in the afternoon.
Bryan Angus
Archerfield is a relatively new, private members links complex near North Berwick. It has 36 holes and this week it is the Fidra course which is hosting this Paul Lawrie Match Play. It will cost you nearly $400 to play as a visitor.
Today's final, now under way in a howling gale is between Alex Noren from Sweden and Anthony Wall from England and they are all square through 8 The runners up match features Oliver Wilson and James Morrison. who is 5up through 10 holes.
To get to the finals, Noren, who won for this sponsor, Aberdeen Asset Management at the Scottish Open back in July, beat Johan Carlsson 4 and 2 in the morning’s quarter-finals before edging James Morrison 3 and 2 in the afternoon.
Wall, who has played 431 European Tour events since collecting the only win of his career in South Africa 16 years ago, chipped in for eagle to beat Haydn Porteous in the morning and needed 22 holes to beat Oliver Fisher at the fourth extra hole in the afternoon.
Bryan Angus
Jimenez shoots 63 to lead 3M Championship
PGA Tour Champions 3M Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/3m-championship/leaderboard.html
The last time I was writing about Miguel Jimenez was at Carnoustie in the Senior British Open, where he was in complete control with a 4 shot lead but blew up to a messy 75 in the final round, to end up three strokes behind surprise winner, Paul Broadhurst.
So he has been playing very well, apart from that Sunday two weeks ago, and he has brought that form from Scotland to Minnesota.
He has made a habit of playing well when he comes over here, remember he won in March for his third career PGA Tour Champions title down in Mississippi. Yesterday he took the lead with a -9 63 -14 total, a shot better than last year's runner up, Kevin Sutherland -8 64 -13 total.
Glen Day 65 67 -12 is next while Colin Montgomerie and Jeff Maggert each shot 67 and are lurking on -11 on what can only be described as a generous TPC Twin Cities course with it's wide open fairways.
So let's see if the most interesting man in golf can hold them all off as he has done many times, remember he has 15 European Tour victories, the last at home in the 2014 Spanish Open to go with his wins in the States.
He is very disappointed not to make the Spanish team for Rio2016, and was saying post round that he put too much pressure on himself earlier in the year, but now that he has missed out he is just playing freely.
“I’m confident with my game right now, just play my game right now.”
Canadians: Stephen Ames T19 68 69 -7, Rod Spittle T37 66 74 -4.
Bryan Angus
The last time I was writing about Miguel Jimenez was at Carnoustie in the Senior British Open, where he was in complete control with a 4 shot lead but blew up to a messy 75 in the final round, to end up three strokes behind surprise winner, Paul Broadhurst.
So he has been playing very well, apart from that Sunday two weeks ago, and he has brought that form from Scotland to Minnesota.
He has made a habit of playing well when he comes over here, remember he won in March for his third career PGA Tour Champions title down in Mississippi. Yesterday he took the lead with a -9 63 -14 total, a shot better than last year's runner up, Kevin Sutherland -8 64 -13 total.
Glen Day 65 67 -12 is next while Colin Montgomerie and Jeff Maggert each shot 67 and are lurking on -11 on what can only be described as a generous TPC Twin Cities course with it's wide open fairways.
So let's see if the most interesting man in golf can hold them all off as he has done many times, remember he has 15 European Tour victories, the last at home in the 2014 Spanish Open to go with his wins in the States.
He is very disappointed not to make the Spanish team for Rio2016, and was saying post round that he put too much pressure on himself earlier in the year, but now that he has missed out he is just playing freely.
“I’m confident with my game right now, just play my game right now.”
Canadians: Stephen Ames T19 68 69 -7, Rod Spittle T37 66 74 -4.
Bryan Angus
Berger tops the low scoring on TPC River Highlands.
PGA Tour Travelers Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
Young Daniel Berger is proving very hard to beat on his return to the tour after recovering from a shoulder strain. He has added a -8 62 to earlier rounds of 66 67 and at -15 he has a 3 shot lead over Russell Knox 64, Russell Henley 65 and Tyrone Van Aswegan 65 on this easy TPC River Highlands course in Connecticut.
Berger just 23, earned his first PGA Tour win two months ago at the St Jude Classic in Memphis, but has been out of action since the first hole of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
Other notables : Evergreen Ernie Els, picked up his 13th career ace with a hole in one on the par-3 16th hole from 176 yards. USA Olympians Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed each shot -2 68 -5 total while Matt Kuchar was one of the few over par, +1 71 -3 total. They all watched the Olympic opening ceremony on TV.
The cut fell at -1 and of the Canadians, Nick Taylor 68 71 68 -3 T49 was the only one to make it.
Bryan Angus
Young Daniel Berger is proving very hard to beat on his return to the tour after recovering from a shoulder strain. He has added a -8 62 to earlier rounds of 66 67 and at -15 he has a 3 shot lead over Russell Knox 64, Russell Henley 65 and Tyrone Van Aswegan 65 on this easy TPC River Highlands course in Connecticut.
Berger just 23, earned his first PGA Tour win two months ago at the St Jude Classic in Memphis, but has been out of action since the first hole of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
Other notables : Evergreen Ernie Els, picked up his 13th career ace with a hole in one on the par-3 16th hole from 176 yards. USA Olympians Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed each shot -2 68 -5 total while Matt Kuchar was one of the few over par, +1 71 -3 total. They all watched the Olympic opening ceremony on TV.
The cut fell at -1 and of the Canadians, Nick Taylor 68 71 68 -3 T49 was the only one to make it.
Bryan Angus
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Here's your golf leaderboards heading into the weekend..
"I just never have enough time" seems to be the story for so many of us and it's a shame because life is very short. Anyhow here is a quick 2 minute round up of all you need to know from a golfing perspective heading into the weekend, as Rio 2016 is officially under way after a very colourful opening ceremony. The men's golf competition begins on Thursday, the women the week following...
PGA Tour Travelers Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
Daniel Berger was last year's rookie of the year and he has been out with a shoulder injury. So far so good on his return as he has shot 66, 67 for a share of the lead in the Travelers Championship along with Aussie, Marc Leishman 68, Russell Henley 65 and Springbok, Tyrone Van Aswegen 66, all at -7
Canadians: Nick Taylor made the cut, shooting a 71, T56 -1. Adam Hadwin and Derek Gillespie missed the cut.
PGA Tour Champions 3M Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/3m-championship/leaderboard.html
Glen Day shot a -7 65 to take the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ 3M Championship on TPC Twin Cities , one of the tour's easiest courses. Players used to call him All Day because he took so long to play !
Canadian, Rod Spittle shot -6 66 as did Jeff Maggert good for T2 with Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Woody Austin, Kevin Sutherland, Carlos Franco, Scott Dunlap, Bart Bryant and Jean-Francois Remesy all in a group at -5 67.
European Tour Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Match Play leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2016/tournamentid=2016060/leaderboard/index.html
PGA Tour Travelers Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
Daniel Berger was last year's rookie of the year and he has been out with a shoulder injury. So far so good on his return as he has shot 66, 67 for a share of the lead in the Travelers Championship along with Aussie, Marc Leishman 68, Russell Henley 65 and Springbok, Tyrone Van Aswegen 66, all at -7
Canadians: Nick Taylor made the cut, shooting a 71, T56 -1. Adam Hadwin and Derek Gillespie missed the cut.
PGA Tour Champions 3M Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/3m-championship/leaderboard.html
Glen Day shot a -7 65 to take the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ 3M Championship on TPC Twin Cities , one of the tour's easiest courses. Players used to call him All Day because he took so long to play !
Canadian, Rod Spittle shot -6 66 as did Jeff Maggert good for T2 with Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Woody Austin, Kevin Sutherland, Carlos Franco, Scott Dunlap, Bart Bryant and Jean-Francois Remesy all in a group at -5 67.
European Tour Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Match Play leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2016/tournamentid=2016060/leaderboard/index.html
Sweden's Alex Noren who won the Scottish Open a month or so ago at Castle Stuart continues his fine form on links courses and he faces James Morrison in this afternoon’s semi-finals.
The other semi-final will be an all-English affair between Anthony Wall and Oliver Fisher.
Web.com Tour Digital Ally Open leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/webcom/tournaments/digital-ally-open/leaderboard.html
Two Canadians made the cut on the Web.com Tour, Roger Sloan 70 64 T18, and Ryan Yip 70 67 T60. The leader down in Kansas is American Chris Smith 65 64 -13.
Naomi Ko is your newly minted Canadian Junior Girls champion, and earlier Sam Meek won the Canadian Junior Boys title, so two more youngsters to watch.
Bryan Angus
Two Canadians made the cut on the Web.com Tour, Roger Sloan 70 64 T18, and Ryan Yip 70 67 T60. The leader down in Kansas is American Chris Smith 65 64 -13.
Naomi Ko is your newly minted Canadian Junior Girls champion, and earlier Sam Meek won the Canadian Junior Boys title, so two more youngsters to watch.
Bryan Angus
Here's your golf leaderboards heading into the weekend..
"I just never have enough time" seems to be the story for so many of us and it's a shame because life is very short. Anyhow here is a quick 2 minute round up of all you need to know from a golfing perspective heading into the weekend, as Rio 2016 is officially under way after a very colourful opening ceremony. The men's golf competition begins on Thursday, the women the week following.
PGA Tour Travelers Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
Daniel Berger was last year's rookie of the year and he has been out with a shoulder injury. So far so good on his return as he has shot 66, 67 for a share of the lead in the Travelers Championship along with Aussie, Marc Leishman 68, Russell Henley 65 and Springbok, Tyrone Van Aswegen 66, all at -7
Canadians: Nick Taylor made the cut, shooting a 71, T56 -1. Adam Hadwin and Derek Gillespie missed the cut.
PGA Tour Champions 3M Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/3m-championship/leaderboard.html
Glen Day shot a -7 65 to take the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ 3M Championship on TPC Twin Cities , one of the tour's easiest courses. Players used to call him All Day because he took so long to play !
Canadian, Rod Spittle shot -6 66 as did Jeff Maggert good for T2 with Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Woody Austin, Kevin Sutherland, Carlos Franco, Scott Dunlap, Bart Bryant and Jean-Francois Remesy all in a group at -5 67.
European Tour Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Match Play leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2016/tournamentid=2016060/leaderboard/index.html
PGA Tour Travelers Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
Daniel Berger was last year's rookie of the year and he has been out with a shoulder injury. So far so good on his return as he has shot 66, 67 for a share of the lead in the Travelers Championship along with Aussie, Marc Leishman 68, Russell Henley 65 and Springbok, Tyrone Van Aswegen 66, all at -7
Canadians: Nick Taylor made the cut, shooting a 71, T56 -1. Adam Hadwin and Derek Gillespie missed the cut.
PGA Tour Champions 3M Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/3m-championship/leaderboard.html
Glen Day shot a -7 65 to take the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ 3M Championship on TPC Twin Cities , one of the tour's easiest courses. Players used to call him All Day because he took so long to play !
Canadian, Rod Spittle shot -6 66 as did Jeff Maggert good for T2 with Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Woody Austin, Kevin Sutherland, Carlos Franco, Scott Dunlap, Bart Bryant and Jean-Francois Remesy all in a group at -5 67.
European Tour Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Match Play leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2016/tournamentid=2016060/leaderboard/index.html
Sweden's Alex Noren who won the Scottish Open a month or so ago at Castle Stuart continues his fine form on links courses and he faces James Morrison in this afternoon’s semi-finals.
The other semi-final will be an all-English affair between Anthony Wall and Oliver Fisher.
Web.com Tour Digital Ally Open leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/webcom/tournaments/digital-ally-open/leaderboard.html
Two Canadians made the cut on the Web.com Tour, Roger Sloan 70 64 T18, and Ryan Yip 70 67 T60. The leader down in Kansas is American Chris Smith 65 64 -13.
Naomi Ko is your newly minted Canadian Junior Girls champion, and earlier Sam Meek won the Canadian Junior Boys title, so two more youngsters to watch.
Bryan Angus
Two Canadians made the cut on the Web.com Tour, Roger Sloan 70 64 T18, and Ryan Yip 70 67 T60. The leader down in Kansas is American Chris Smith 65 64 -13.
Naomi Ko is your newly minted Canadian Junior Girls champion, and earlier Sam Meek won the Canadian Junior Boys title, so two more youngsters to watch.
Bryan Angus
Friday, August 5, 2016
Bubba trails by 3 at Travelers Championship
PGA Tour Travelers Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
Yesterday we talked about how easy TPC River Highlands would seem to this pre Olympic field after a summer at Royal Troon and Baltusrol and in fact on Thursday nearly 100 players shot par or better.
The best of the bunch were an old codger set to join the Champions tour, 49 year old Jerry Kelly with -6 64, Andrew Loupe who at 27 is still searching for that first win, and grinder Vaughn Taylor.
The featured group who are all heading for Rio Sunday evening were U.S. Olympians Bubba Watson (67), Matt Kuchar (69), and Patrick Reed (70) who had a huge gallery all shouting "USA USA !"
Kelly who went to the University of Hartford made 50 footer for eagle at the par-4 15th as he started in the late wave on the back nine to get his day off to a great start.
Loupe and Taylor were out early in ideal scoring conditions. Remember Taylor now 40 was a surprise winner at Pebble Beach back in February this year. He hadn't won since 2005.
Canadian scores: Nick Taylor is T24th, 68, Adam Hadwin shot E 70. Derek Gillespie had a +2 72.
Jon Rahm, the 21-year-old Spaniard who continues to be one of the year's top stories shot 65 and is a stroke behind the leaders along with Ben Martin and Marc Leishman.
This tournament is ranked as the top sporting event in Connecticut and it has been moved from June due to the hectic summer schedule which of course includes the Olympics still there are 10 players ranked in the top 30 here topped by #6 ranked Bubba, the defending champion.
Bryan Angus
Yesterday we talked about how easy TPC River Highlands would seem to this pre Olympic field after a summer at Royal Troon and Baltusrol and in fact on Thursday nearly 100 players shot par or better.
The best of the bunch were an old codger set to join the Champions tour, 49 year old Jerry Kelly with -6 64, Andrew Loupe who at 27 is still searching for that first win, and grinder Vaughn Taylor.
The featured group who are all heading for Rio Sunday evening were U.S. Olympians Bubba Watson (67), Matt Kuchar (69), and Patrick Reed (70) who had a huge gallery all shouting "USA USA !"
Kelly who went to the University of Hartford made 50 footer for eagle at the par-4 15th as he started in the late wave on the back nine to get his day off to a great start.
Loupe and Taylor were out early in ideal scoring conditions. Remember Taylor now 40 was a surprise winner at Pebble Beach back in February this year. He hadn't won since 2005.
Canadian scores: Nick Taylor is T24th, 68, Adam Hadwin shot E 70. Derek Gillespie had a +2 72.
Jon Rahm, the 21-year-old Spaniard who continues to be one of the year's top stories shot 65 and is a stroke behind the leaders along with Ben Martin and Marc Leishman.
This tournament is ranked as the top sporting event in Connecticut and it has been moved from June due to the hectic summer schedule which of course includes the Olympics still there are 10 players ranked in the top 30 here topped by #6 ranked Bubba, the defending champion.
Bryan Angus
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Canadians in action this weekend
PGA Tour Travelers Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor and a rare start by Derek Gillespie are the Canucks in what is a pretty decent field at this Travelers Championship considering all the big boys are off or in Rio for Friday's opening ceremony.
After surviving Royal Troon and then Baltusrol, this TPC River Highlands in Connecticut will be a birdie feast for the players and fans alike and Bubba Watson is the headliner as he is back to defend his title before heading to Rio.
Web.com Tour Digital Ally Open leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/webcom/tournaments/digital-ally-open/leaderboard.html
The Webber's are in Kansas this week and fresh off their appearance at the RBC Canadian Open there are seven Canadians back in action, Ryan Yip, Brad Fritsch, Adam Svensson, Taylor Pendrith, Albin Choi, MacKenzie Hughes and Roger Sloan.
European Tour Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Matchplay scoreboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2016/tournamentid=2016060/leaderboard/index.html
With so many European Tour players in Rio or heading there, this event hosted by Paul Lawrie who won the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie, yes the one the Jean van de Velde blew, is something for the left overs to compete in. It is also a chance for Lawrie who is from Aberdeen to give back to his community and raise some money for charity. Aberdeen Asset also sponsor the Scottish Open.
There are no Canadians in the field.
PGA Tour Champions 3M Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/3m-championship/leaderboard.html
The senior circuit have arrived in Blaine, Minnesota to play the TPC Twin Cities and believe it or not the afore mentioned Jean Van de Velde is in the field. Kenny Perry is the defending champion. Play begins on Friday.
Canadians are Rod Spittle and Stephen Ames
MacKenzie Tour, PGA Tour Canada ATB Financial Classic leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/canada/en_us/tournaments/atb-financial-classic/leaderboard.html
This may be the longest title...anyhow the old Canadian Tour event is in Calgary this week, at the Country Hills GC and there are 25 of our young guys in the field so plenty of red and white to cheer for. Some names you may know, Eugene Wong, Matt Hill, Austin Connelly and Riley Wheeldon..
The LPGA and Symetra Tour are off this week and the US Women's Amateur is underway in Springfield, PA and there are no Canadians in the field but here is a link to the scoreboard http://www.usga.org/championships/2016/u-s--women-s-amateur/scoring.html
Bryan Angus
Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor and a rare start by Derek Gillespie are the Canucks in what is a pretty decent field at this Travelers Championship considering all the big boys are off or in Rio for Friday's opening ceremony.
After surviving Royal Troon and then Baltusrol, this TPC River Highlands in Connecticut will be a birdie feast for the players and fans alike and Bubba Watson is the headliner as he is back to defend his title before heading to Rio.
Web.com Tour Digital Ally Open leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/webcom/tournaments/digital-ally-open/leaderboard.html
The Webber's are in Kansas this week and fresh off their appearance at the RBC Canadian Open there are seven Canadians back in action, Ryan Yip, Brad Fritsch, Adam Svensson, Taylor Pendrith, Albin Choi, MacKenzie Hughes and Roger Sloan.
European Tour Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Matchplay scoreboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2016/tournamentid=2016060/leaderboard/index.html
With so many European Tour players in Rio or heading there, this event hosted by Paul Lawrie who won the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie, yes the one the Jean van de Velde blew, is something for the left overs to compete in. It is also a chance for Lawrie who is from Aberdeen to give back to his community and raise some money for charity. Aberdeen Asset also sponsor the Scottish Open.
There are no Canadians in the field.
PGA Tour Champions 3M Championship leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/3m-championship/leaderboard.html
The senior circuit have arrived in Blaine, Minnesota to play the TPC Twin Cities and believe it or not the afore mentioned Jean Van de Velde is in the field. Kenny Perry is the defending champion. Play begins on Friday.
Canadians are Rod Spittle and Stephen Ames
MacKenzie Tour, PGA Tour Canada ATB Financial Classic leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/canada/en_us/tournaments/atb-financial-classic/leaderboard.html
This may be the longest title...anyhow the old Canadian Tour event is in Calgary this week, at the Country Hills GC and there are 25 of our young guys in the field so plenty of red and white to cheer for. Some names you may know, Eugene Wong, Matt Hill, Austin Connelly and Riley Wheeldon..
The LPGA and Symetra Tour are off this week and the US Women's Amateur is underway in Springfield, PA and there are no Canadians in the field but here is a link to the scoreboard http://www.usga.org/championships/2016/u-s--women-s-amateur/scoring.html
Bryan Angus
Summer Olympics in Rio... where's the hype?
Did you know the summer Olympics kick off with the Opening Ceremony down in Rio tomorrow? Is it just me, or has this been the quietest lead up to the world's biggest sporting event?
Golf's return has certainly been well discussed and publicized by Scott Simmons and his team at Golf Canada before and during the send off at RBC Canadian Open week. Most sports fans in this country would know Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp are representing the women with David Hearn and Graham DeLaet for the men, and it can be argued that Brooke is our best bet for gold, although she will be facing all her peers from the LPGA Tour.
It's on a brand new Gil Hanse designed course which is pretty well wide open with a lot of rolling undulating green areas, and it is not a team sport, rather a straight forward stroke play competition which I think was a mistake. Can you imagine Brooke Henderson vs Lydia Ko for gold ?!!
However I'm sure fans tuning in will have an added incentive if any of our foursome, all decked out in red and white get into contention, and for them at least it will be pretty neat to be part of our Olympic team. So from that point of view why not just sit back and enjoy.
I know we are a country that sits up and pays attention to the winter Olympics and our 2010 performance in Vancouver was one of this young country's top 3 defining sporting events. However even with the tepid response to the summer games, this year seems to have flown in right under the radar despite the 18 medals won at the 2012 Games in London.
Part of that lies in this summer of summer's with endless sunshine, and in the fact the Jays are right in contention, and we have just had an exceptional few weeks of golf high lighted with Stenson and Mickelson's epic Sunday at Troon, and part of is the TV rights are back with the CBC, and seriously who apart from the prairie provinces are watching the old girl anymore.
In the big cities cable companies like Rogers and Bell who had the rights in 2010 have been shut out, and their Olympic programming reflects it.
I was in the UK during the 1980 games held in Moscow, and despite the fact that the USA and 64 other countries boycotted them because of the Soviet war in Afganistan, that country was at a standstill watching the likes of Alan Wells, Brendan Foster, David Wilkie and David Bedford, Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe who had all become household names, Coe has since been knighted..
The summer Olympics are a BIG deal around the world.
Yet here in Canada do you have any idea who Ryan Cochrane (swimming) or Shawn Barber (pole vault) or Melissa Bishop (800 meters track) or Andre de Grasse (sprinter track) or Rosie MacLennan (trampoline gold in London) are?
Well along with our golfers they and many more will be in the headlines for the next month, our women's soccer and basketball teams have qualified as well, along with our women, in rugby sevens..
It's just a pity nobody here, seems to care.. yet..
Bryan Angus
Golf's return has certainly been well discussed and publicized by Scott Simmons and his team at Golf Canada before and during the send off at RBC Canadian Open week. Most sports fans in this country would know Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp are representing the women with David Hearn and Graham DeLaet for the men, and it can be argued that Brooke is our best bet for gold, although she will be facing all her peers from the LPGA Tour.
It's on a brand new Gil Hanse designed course which is pretty well wide open with a lot of rolling undulating green areas, and it is not a team sport, rather a straight forward stroke play competition which I think was a mistake. Can you imagine Brooke Henderson vs Lydia Ko for gold ?!!
However I'm sure fans tuning in will have an added incentive if any of our foursome, all decked out in red and white get into contention, and for them at least it will be pretty neat to be part of our Olympic team. So from that point of view why not just sit back and enjoy.
I know we are a country that sits up and pays attention to the winter Olympics and our 2010 performance in Vancouver was one of this young country's top 3 defining sporting events. However even with the tepid response to the summer games, this year seems to have flown in right under the radar despite the 18 medals won at the 2012 Games in London.
Part of that lies in this summer of summer's with endless sunshine, and in the fact the Jays are right in contention, and we have just had an exceptional few weeks of golf high lighted with Stenson and Mickelson's epic Sunday at Troon, and part of is the TV rights are back with the CBC, and seriously who apart from the prairie provinces are watching the old girl anymore.
In the big cities cable companies like Rogers and Bell who had the rights in 2010 have been shut out, and their Olympic programming reflects it.
I was in the UK during the 1980 games held in Moscow, and despite the fact that the USA and 64 other countries boycotted them because of the Soviet war in Afganistan, that country was at a standstill watching the likes of Alan Wells, Brendan Foster, David Wilkie and David Bedford, Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe who had all become household names, Coe has since been knighted..
The summer Olympics are a BIG deal around the world.
Yet here in Canada do you have any idea who Ryan Cochrane (swimming) or Shawn Barber (pole vault) or Melissa Bishop (800 meters track) or Andre de Grasse (sprinter track) or Rosie MacLennan (trampoline gold in London) are?
Well along with our golfers they and many more will be in the headlines for the next month, our women's soccer and basketball teams have qualified as well, along with our women, in rugby sevens..
It's just a pity nobody here, seems to care.. yet..
Bryan Angus
Monday, August 1, 2016
Jimmy Walker's PGA Championship... "Dy-no-mite!"
PGA Championship final leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/pga-championship/leaderboard.html
With all due apologies for the obvious headline.. there should always only be one Jimmie Walker.. alias JJ on the hit television series Good Times with his famous catch phrase "Dy-no-mite" !! ( By the way he is still touring North America doing his stand up comedy routine)
The Jimmy Walker from Texas who just deservedly won this year's PGA Championship should be called Jimbo, or James or Jim... or if he were a hockey player the Jimmer...but never Jimmy... It's like there is only one Johnnie Walker, and I may just have one later tonight...
All the same it was a well earned win for one of the game's good guys, who toiled mostly in obscurity until a few years ago, and at 37 this major will put the icing on a solid if unspectacular career.
Jason Day, a good friend of the Texan's made him work all the way to the 72nd hole after he hit a spectacular 2 iron to 15' at the last and made the eagle putt to cut Walker's lead from 3 to just one.
When Walker missed the 18th green to the right in gnarly rough I thought, after the marathon day it has been the last thing we need is a playoff, but he pitched out past the pin to 40 feet and held his nerve with a 2 putt for par that gave him a -3 67 good enough for the one-shot victory.
He had shot a 68 in the morning to continue to lead as he had from the start and he earned this win as he didn’t make a bogey over the last 28 holes finishing at -14 266.
His win moves him up to #4 in the Ryder Cup standings, and remember he was a solid addition to the US Team that got creamed the last time out at Gleneagles.
So he joins Danny Willett (Masters) Dustin Johnson (US Open) Henrik Stenson (the Open) as guys who are solid pros but have now had their lives changed forever this year, and they will all be squared off late September at Hazeltine.
A tip of the cap to Mother Nature who relented after dumping 4" of rain in the New York area, but decided to let up enough to let these guys finish in regulation, or I wouldn't be writing this yet..
Check my link to the final leaderboard to see where your favourite ended up. You'll be surprised.. Guys like Robert Streb and Daniel Summerhays and Tyrell Hatton all had big weeks..
Next week is the Travellers Championship where Bubba is due to defend, the it's off to Rio for the Olympics August 11-14.
You may not see the likes of Jason Day or Rory now until the end of this month when the Fed Ex playoffs begin with the Barclay's at Bethpage Black on August 25th
The majors may be over, but the 2016 season is far from it.
Bryan Angus
With all due apologies for the obvious headline.. there should always only be one Jimmie Walker.. alias JJ on the hit television series Good Times with his famous catch phrase "Dy-no-mite" !! ( By the way he is still touring North America doing his stand up comedy routine)
The Jimmy Walker from Texas who just deservedly won this year's PGA Championship should be called Jimbo, or James or Jim... or if he were a hockey player the Jimmer...but never Jimmy... It's like there is only one Johnnie Walker, and I may just have one later tonight...
All the same it was a well earned win for one of the game's good guys, who toiled mostly in obscurity until a few years ago, and at 37 this major will put the icing on a solid if unspectacular career.
Jason Day, a good friend of the Texan's made him work all the way to the 72nd hole after he hit a spectacular 2 iron to 15' at the last and made the eagle putt to cut Walker's lead from 3 to just one.
When Walker missed the 18th green to the right in gnarly rough I thought, after the marathon day it has been the last thing we need is a playoff, but he pitched out past the pin to 40 feet and held his nerve with a 2 putt for par that gave him a -3 67 good enough for the one-shot victory.
He had shot a 68 in the morning to continue to lead as he had from the start and he earned this win as he didn’t make a bogey over the last 28 holes finishing at -14 266.
His win moves him up to #4 in the Ryder Cup standings, and remember he was a solid addition to the US Team that got creamed the last time out at Gleneagles.
So he joins Danny Willett (Masters) Dustin Johnson (US Open) Henrik Stenson (the Open) as guys who are solid pros but have now had their lives changed forever this year, and they will all be squared off late September at Hazeltine.
A tip of the cap to Mother Nature who relented after dumping 4" of rain in the New York area, but decided to let up enough to let these guys finish in regulation, or I wouldn't be writing this yet..
Check my link to the final leaderboard to see where your favourite ended up. You'll be surprised.. Guys like Robert Streb and Daniel Summerhays and Tyrell Hatton all had big weeks..
Next week is the Travellers Championship where Bubba is due to defend, the it's off to Rio for the Olympics August 11-14.
You may not see the likes of Jason Day or Rory now until the end of this month when the Fed Ex playoffs begin with the Barclay's at Bethpage Black on August 25th
The majors may be over, but the 2016 season is far from it.
Bryan Angus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)