The Champions TOUR starts this Friday in Hawaii and this year we have a Canuck to cheer for Rod Spittle..
Mitsubishi Electric Championship
Site: Kaupulehu-Kona, Hawaii.
Schedule: Friday-Sunday.
Course: Hualalai Resort Golf Club (7,107 yards, par 72).
Purse: $1.8-million.
Winner’s share: $305,000.
Canadians: Rod Spittle
While I've been writing about Abu Dhabi and the Hope I haven't forgotten the old guys as the Champions Tour kicks of 2011 in Hawaii on the Big Island this Friday with another of those select fields, this year 42 of them, tour winners from the last 2 years including our own Rod Spittle, and a slew of sponsor invitees and past majors winners, like Tom Watson who defends his title.
Remember last year when Freddie burst onto the scene winning 2 of the first 3 events and just losing this one to Watson who birdied the last 2 holes, and Bernhard Langer was the player of the year winning back to back majors, 5 titles and his 3rd consecutive Player of the Year award as well as the Charles Schwab Cup, incredible !!
Expect him to be the man to beat again this year..
Here is the full field
1. Michael Allen
2. Phil Blackmar
3. Brad Bryant
4. Russ Cochran
5. John Cook
6. Fred Couples
7. Allen Doyle
8. David Eger
9. Keith Fergus
10. Dan Forsman
11. David Frost
12. Fred Funk
13. Mike Goodes
14. Jay Haas
15. Gary Hallberg
16. Bernhard Langer
17. Tom Lehman
18. Mark McNulty
19. Larry Mize
20. Lonnie Nielsen
21. Mark O'Meara
22. Tom Pernice Jr.
23. Nick Price
24. Mike Reid
25. Loren Roberts
26. Eduardo Romero
27. Ted Schulz
28. Jeff Sluman
29. Rod Spittle
30. Bruce Vaughan
31. Bobby Wadkins
32. Denis Watson
33. Tom Watson
34. D.A. Weibring
Sponsor Exemptions
35. Ben Crenshaw
36. Hale Irwin
37. Tom Kite
38. Bruce Lietzke
39. Corey Pavin
40. Craig Stadler
41. Curtis Strange
42. Fuzzy Zoeller
CHAMPIONS SKINS GAME
The following week 8 of the guys move over to Ka'anapali on Maui to play in the Champions Skins game where Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson will defend their title..
For the sixth consecutive year, the players will compete in the alternate-shot, team format which has produced memorable shots, a sprinkle of intrigue and a bundle of player commentary. The players will play nine holes each day, with Golf Channel televising the Ka'anapali Champions Skins Game on a tape-delayed basis from 6-8:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Jan. 29 and from 6-8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 30 (Times vary in different areas; check your local listings). The broadcast will also be available on Golf Channel
Nicklaus and Watson, who are paired for the sixth consecutive time, return to the Royal Ka'anapali Golf Course to defend their title against 2009 champions Crenshaw and Zoeller. Couples and Price will team for the second consecutive year, while Langer and O'Meara are paired together for the first time
Bryan Angus
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Davis Love to be named US Ryder Cup captain
Expect Ryder Cup veteran Davis Love III to be named the next captain of the US Ryder Cup team (2012) in a news conference at Medinah in Chicago tomorrow
On Tuesday Jose Maria Olazabal was named captain of the European squad..
Bryan Angus
On Tuesday Jose Maria Olazabal was named captain of the European squad..
Bryan Angus
Matt McQuillan added to the field at the Hope
Matt McQullan, listed as an alternative, has been added to the field at the Bob Hope Classic and becomes the 4th Canuck, joining Weir, Ames, and Baryla
He tees off at 1045am (245pm est)
Play is under way on all 4 courses and I will report back later tonight, including the story on our Canucks..
Bryan Angus
He tees off at 1045am (245pm est)
Play is under way on all 4 courses and I will report back later tonight, including the story on our Canucks..
Bryan Angus
Woods will start 2011 next week at Torrey Pines... Mickelson back on the burgers !!
Although his website lists his first event of 2011 as the Omega Dubai Desert Classic as I reported yesterday, Tiger has decided to return to the scene of his most prolific success, Torrey Pines in San Diego where he has won 5 times, in fact the last five times he has played there..
As is so often the case these days we found out about it on Twitter... Here is the AP story.
“I've been working hard on my game, it's game time hooah!!”
With that tweet, Tiger Woods confirmed he will open his 2011 campaign at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
While the tournament has become the traditional start of his season since 2006, Woods has not played the PGA Tour stop at Torrey Pines the last two years. He missed the 2009 event while recovering from knee surgery and last year he was dealing with personal problems related to his extramarital affairs.
Woods has won the last five times he played Torrey Pines, including the 2008 U.S. Open in a playoff over Rocco Mediate.
Woods will be joined in San Diego by Phil Mickelson, who will also make his 2011 PGA Tour debut after competing in the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
Woods, who lost his No. 1 ranking to Lee Westwood last year, has not won since the Australian Masters in November 2009.
Prior to Wednesday, the only other tournament listed on Woods 2011 schedule was the Dubai Desert Classic in February. Many believe Woods could play as many as five tournaments before the first major of the year, the Masters.
So great news for Farmer's Insurance who have a mediocre field headlined by hometown favourite Phil Mickelson, but now the spotlight is on for them, the PGA tour, CBS and golf fans around the world.
How will Tiger play, has Sean Foley got him back on track. You'd think that with 2 months off to practice everyday he would be all set with his swing, his putter and his confidence, playing on a course he loves..
We shall see.. Tell me, what do you expect from Tiger next week ??
Phil Mickelson gave his press conference in Abu Dhabi earlier this morning and announced he has packed in his Veggie diet and is back on the burgers !!
Here is that report from the Europeantour.com and Reuters..
ABU DHABI - Masters champion Phil Mickelson has abandoned the strict vegetarian diet he adopted to combat psoriatic arthritis during his disappointing 2010 season when victory in Georgia was his only success.
The 34-year-old American joins his three fellow major champions -- Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and defending titleholder Martin Kaymer -- on Thursday in the strongest Abu Dhabi championship in the event’s six-year history.
“I was a strict vegetarian for five months, and that went okay but ultimately, it was doomed to fail,” he told a news conference on Wednesday. “I learned a lot from that as far as eating habits and diet and so I’ve implemented a lot of the things from that.
“I continue to eat a lot more vegetables than I have in the past and I’m trying to have a better balance now than instead of all protein.
“But as far as the arthritis, that’s something that will never go away but I was fortunate. I was fortunate because I got on it right away.
“So the key for me now was getting on it right away before there was permanent damage to any joints or whatnot.”
Mickelson, who is making his competitive debut in the Middle East, has slipped to fourth in the world rankings alongside McDowell. The pair will play alongside on the first two days at the National Club course.
“My goal this year in 2011 is to have the year I expected 2010 to be,” Mickelson said. “With the exception of the Masters, it wasn’t the year I had hoped for. And so I’ve been working hard in the off-season to make 2011 the year I believe I can have and the one I had hoped for last year.”
The former world number two said he had struggled with his strength work in the gymnasium.
“I had lost a lot of strength over the summer from some medications I took before I was really getting treatment,” he said.
“I was having difficulty getting that strength back, and so I have added protein back into my diet, and since then I’ve been able to get back to lifting weights and so forth to what I was lifting before.”
Mickelson like so many ( eg..Colin Montgomerie ) has struggled with his diet over the years, fighting the flab as the great Terry Wogan used to say became more of a focus for him 3 years ago when he decided to take his fitness seriously by eating sensibly and incorporating daily sessions in the gym as part of his regime.
Bryan Angus
As is so often the case these days we found out about it on Twitter... Here is the AP story.
“I've been working hard on my game, it's game time hooah!!”
With that tweet, Tiger Woods confirmed he will open his 2011 campaign at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
While the tournament has become the traditional start of his season since 2006, Woods has not played the PGA Tour stop at Torrey Pines the last two years. He missed the 2009 event while recovering from knee surgery and last year he was dealing with personal problems related to his extramarital affairs.
Woods has won the last five times he played Torrey Pines, including the 2008 U.S. Open in a playoff over Rocco Mediate.
Woods will be joined in San Diego by Phil Mickelson, who will also make his 2011 PGA Tour debut after competing in the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
Woods, who lost his No. 1 ranking to Lee Westwood last year, has not won since the Australian Masters in November 2009.
Prior to Wednesday, the only other tournament listed on Woods 2011 schedule was the Dubai Desert Classic in February. Many believe Woods could play as many as five tournaments before the first major of the year, the Masters.
So great news for Farmer's Insurance who have a mediocre field headlined by hometown favourite Phil Mickelson, but now the spotlight is on for them, the PGA tour, CBS and golf fans around the world.
How will Tiger play, has Sean Foley got him back on track. You'd think that with 2 months off to practice everyday he would be all set with his swing, his putter and his confidence, playing on a course he loves..
We shall see.. Tell me, what do you expect from Tiger next week ??
Phil Mickelson gave his press conference in Abu Dhabi earlier this morning and announced he has packed in his Veggie diet and is back on the burgers !!
Here is that report from the Europeantour.com and Reuters..
ABU DHABI - Masters champion Phil Mickelson has abandoned the strict vegetarian diet he adopted to combat psoriatic arthritis during his disappointing 2010 season when victory in Georgia was his only success.
The 34-year-old American joins his three fellow major champions -- Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and defending titleholder Martin Kaymer -- on Thursday in the strongest Abu Dhabi championship in the event’s six-year history.
“I was a strict vegetarian for five months, and that went okay but ultimately, it was doomed to fail,” he told a news conference on Wednesday. “I learned a lot from that as far as eating habits and diet and so I’ve implemented a lot of the things from that.
“I continue to eat a lot more vegetables than I have in the past and I’m trying to have a better balance now than instead of all protein.
“But as far as the arthritis, that’s something that will never go away but I was fortunate. I was fortunate because I got on it right away.
“So the key for me now was getting on it right away before there was permanent damage to any joints or whatnot.”
Mickelson, who is making his competitive debut in the Middle East, has slipped to fourth in the world rankings alongside McDowell. The pair will play alongside on the first two days at the National Club course.
“My goal this year in 2011 is to have the year I expected 2010 to be,” Mickelson said. “With the exception of the Masters, it wasn’t the year I had hoped for. And so I’ve been working hard in the off-season to make 2011 the year I believe I can have and the one I had hoped for last year.”
The former world number two said he had struggled with his strength work in the gymnasium.
“I had lost a lot of strength over the summer from some medications I took before I was really getting treatment,” he said.
“I was having difficulty getting that strength back, and so I have added protein back into my diet, and since then I’ve been able to get back to lifting weights and so forth to what I was lifting before.”
Mickelson like so many ( eg..Colin Montgomerie ) has struggled with his diet over the years, fighting the flab as the great Terry Wogan used to say became more of a focus for him 3 years ago when he decided to take his fitness seriously by eating sensibly and incorporating daily sessions in the gym as part of his regime.
Bryan Angus
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Global schedule creates headaches for top ;pros..
One of my favs is Ernie Els and he is featured in this article by Doug Ferguson of AP.....
HONOLULU - For all the miles he has flown and all the trophies he has won on the six major tours around the globe, Ernie Els would seem to be the biggest supporter of a move toward a world golf tour.
Far from it.
“I hope not, because it won't work,” he said. “The egos won't let it work.”
Els wasn't referring to players demanding appearance money or expecting to be otherwise pampered. His angst is aimed at administrators who seem to be tripping over themselves to stake out territories, not to mention weeks on the calendar.
“It's going to be a mess.” A week later, he found out just how messy.
The Sunshine Tour announced over the weekend that the South African Open will be played Nov. 17-20 “as a result of the congestion on the worldwide golfing calendar.”
There's just one problem.
Not only is Els very much South African, he is the defending champion and a five-time winner of his national open. The date change means the South African Open will be held the same week as the Presidents Cup in Australia. Els is the premier global player of his generation, yet even he hasn't figured out how to be two places at once.
And right now, he's not sure which one to play.
Would he skip the Presidents Cup to defend his title in South Africa? His body language — an angry stare and raised eyebrows — suggested he is seriously thinking about it. Remember, Els missed the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994 to play in the British Masters and honour a commitment to longtime supporter Johann Rupert.
The timing of the decision is even more peculiar considering how the last South African Open turned out. It was a 1-2-3-4 finish by Els, Retief Goosen, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, with Tim Clark in a tie for ninth. Those five South Africans currently occupy the top six spots in the Presidents Cup standings.
“It doesn't make sense,” Els said. “This is my national open. I don't get a chance to play there often. I don't know about the timing of this, but I'm sure the U.S. tour had the date set already for the Presidents Cup. Then the European Tour comes in and ... why are they trying to (mess) with myself and Retief and Tim? Don't they have any regard for the Presidents Cup?”
Europe is involved because it co-sanctions the South African Open and is trying to play its season in a calendar year. The South Africa events that once kicked off a “new” year in December have been brought forward a month so the European Tour season can end in Dubai, which has been moved back because of the Presidents Cup and World Cup.
What a mess.
“We had no alternative but to compromise our schedule for 2011 for obvious reasons,” Sunshine Tour Commissioner Gareth Tindall said in an email. “One also has to bear in mind that the Sunshine Tour ... has no input whatsoever to the Presidents Cup, we are not consulted on scheduling and, more importantly, we derive no financial benefit from the event. And yet we may have up to five players qualifying.”
Els realizes there are no easy solutions.
He might not be as frustrated had he been involved in the discussions, and the Big Easy should have been shown that courtesy given his worldwide support. At a time when the PGA Tour is asking its top players to add events, Els has been doing that for years. He was on the verge of playing New Orleans this year until a conflict in Asia arose.
And part of the frustration is feeling as though he has been burned before.
Els was leading the European Tour money list late in the 2007 season. The season-ending Volvo Masters was pushed back a week to clash with the Singapore Open, even though Els said tour officials knew he had signed a three-year deal to play in Singapore. He honoured his commitment, and Justin Rose won at Valderrama to secure the Order of Merit.
And now, Els said, they're pulling this again.
It's a mess, all right, and not just the week of the Presidents Cup.
—Nov. 10-13 has the Singapore Open, Australian Open and Taheiyo Masters in Japan. Adam Scott, who is Australian, is the defending champion in Singapore.
—Nov. 17-20 has the Presidents Cup, South African Open, Johor Open and Dunlop Phoenix, a top event on the Japan Golf Tour that surely would miss Ryo Ishikawa if the teen sensation is on the International team in Australia.
—Nov. 24-27 is the weekend of the World Cup in China, the Dunhill Championship in South Africa, the Australian PGA and Casio World Open in Japan.
The worst of it might be Dec. 1-4, which features these tournaments and their defending champions — Chevron World Challenge (Graeme McDowell), Hong Kong Open (Ian Poulter), Nedbank Challenge (Lee Westwood) and Australian Masters (Stuart Appleby).
McDowell wants to be in it all and he says, that means going consecutive weeks from China to California to Dubai.
“Geographical nightmare,” McDowell said. “There's a lot of golf going on.”
And it's not likely the calendar will get any easier after this year, not with the PGA Tour already in Malaysia and looking to add tournaments in China, South Korea and Japan. Perhaps one tournament official said it best last year when asked about the co-operation among tours as golf continued to expand.
“The Far East looks a lot like the Wild, Wild West.”
Too much of a good thing ?? they should learn from women's tennis too many events...
Best Bryan Angus
HONOLULU - For all the miles he has flown and all the trophies he has won on the six major tours around the globe, Ernie Els would seem to be the biggest supporter of a move toward a world golf tour.
Far from it.
“I hope not, because it won't work,” he said. “The egos won't let it work.”
Els wasn't referring to players demanding appearance money or expecting to be otherwise pampered. His angst is aimed at administrators who seem to be tripping over themselves to stake out territories, not to mention weeks on the calendar.
“It's going to be a mess.” A week later, he found out just how messy.
The Sunshine Tour announced over the weekend that the South African Open will be played Nov. 17-20 “as a result of the congestion on the worldwide golfing calendar.”
There's just one problem.
Not only is Els very much South African, he is the defending champion and a five-time winner of his national open. The date change means the South African Open will be held the same week as the Presidents Cup in Australia. Els is the premier global player of his generation, yet even he hasn't figured out how to be two places at once.
And right now, he's not sure which one to play.
Would he skip the Presidents Cup to defend his title in South Africa? His body language — an angry stare and raised eyebrows — suggested he is seriously thinking about it. Remember, Els missed the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994 to play in the British Masters and honour a commitment to longtime supporter Johann Rupert.
The timing of the decision is even more peculiar considering how the last South African Open turned out. It was a 1-2-3-4 finish by Els, Retief Goosen, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, with Tim Clark in a tie for ninth. Those five South Africans currently occupy the top six spots in the Presidents Cup standings.
“It doesn't make sense,” Els said. “This is my national open. I don't get a chance to play there often. I don't know about the timing of this, but I'm sure the U.S. tour had the date set already for the Presidents Cup. Then the European Tour comes in and ... why are they trying to (mess) with myself and Retief and Tim? Don't they have any regard for the Presidents Cup?”
Europe is involved because it co-sanctions the South African Open and is trying to play its season in a calendar year. The South Africa events that once kicked off a “new” year in December have been brought forward a month so the European Tour season can end in Dubai, which has been moved back because of the Presidents Cup and World Cup.
What a mess.
“We had no alternative but to compromise our schedule for 2011 for obvious reasons,” Sunshine Tour Commissioner Gareth Tindall said in an email. “One also has to bear in mind that the Sunshine Tour ... has no input whatsoever to the Presidents Cup, we are not consulted on scheduling and, more importantly, we derive no financial benefit from the event. And yet we may have up to five players qualifying.”
Els realizes there are no easy solutions.
He might not be as frustrated had he been involved in the discussions, and the Big Easy should have been shown that courtesy given his worldwide support. At a time when the PGA Tour is asking its top players to add events, Els has been doing that for years. He was on the verge of playing New Orleans this year until a conflict in Asia arose.
And part of the frustration is feeling as though he has been burned before.
Els was leading the European Tour money list late in the 2007 season. The season-ending Volvo Masters was pushed back a week to clash with the Singapore Open, even though Els said tour officials knew he had signed a three-year deal to play in Singapore. He honoured his commitment, and Justin Rose won at Valderrama to secure the Order of Merit.
And now, Els said, they're pulling this again.
It's a mess, all right, and not just the week of the Presidents Cup.
—Nov. 10-13 has the Singapore Open, Australian Open and Taheiyo Masters in Japan. Adam Scott, who is Australian, is the defending champion in Singapore.
—Nov. 17-20 has the Presidents Cup, South African Open, Johor Open and Dunlop Phoenix, a top event on the Japan Golf Tour that surely would miss Ryo Ishikawa if the teen sensation is on the International team in Australia.
—Nov. 24-27 is the weekend of the World Cup in China, the Dunhill Championship in South Africa, the Australian PGA and Casio World Open in Japan.
The worst of it might be Dec. 1-4, which features these tournaments and their defending champions — Chevron World Challenge (Graeme McDowell), Hong Kong Open (Ian Poulter), Nedbank Challenge (Lee Westwood) and Australian Masters (Stuart Appleby).
McDowell wants to be in it all and he says, that means going consecutive weeks from China to California to Dubai.
“Geographical nightmare,” McDowell said. “There's a lot of golf going on.”
And it's not likely the calendar will get any easier after this year, not with the PGA Tour already in Malaysia and looking to add tournaments in China, South Korea and Japan. Perhaps one tournament official said it best last year when asked about the co-operation among tours as golf continued to expand.
“The Far East looks a lot like the Wild, Wild West.”
Too much of a good thing ?? they should learn from women's tennis too many events...
Best Bryan Angus
Olazabal picked to captain 2012 Ryder Cup team
This comes as no surprise as my pal Gordie Simpson of the European Tour has sent out this press release..
Jose Maria Olazábal has accepted an invitation from the Tournament Committee of The European Tour, ratified by The European Ryder Cup Players and Stakeholders Board, to captain the European team in The 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club, Medinah, Illinois, United States of America, from September 28-30, 2012.
Olazábal, who was born in Fuenterrabia, Spain, on February 5, 1966, becomes the 23rd golfer to captain a Ryder Cup team against the United States and the second Spaniard following Seve Ballesteros, the winning captain in 1997 when Europe triumphed 14 ½ - 13 ½ at Club de Golf Valderrama, Sotogrande, Spain.
Olazábal made the first of seven Ryder Cup appearances in 1987 when Europe created history by winning on American soil for the first time and he was also on the winning European team in 1997 and 2006 in a Ryder Cup playing career that spanned 19 years. Olazábal and Ballesteros formed the most successful partnership in Ryder Cup history in the fourballs and foursomes with 11 wins and two halved matches from 15 played, and with 18 wins and 20½ points, Olazábal stands fifth in the European lists for most matches won and most points won respectively.
Following Europe’s 14 ½ - 13 ½ win at The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales, Olazábal succeeds Colin Montgomerie as captain with the aim of retaining The Ryder Cup which Europe has won eight times and the United States seven times with one match tied since players from the Continent of Europe became eligible in 1979. Europe’s victories were achieved under the captaincies of Tony Jacklin (1985, 1987), Bernard Gallacher (1995), Ballesteros (1997), Sam Torrance (2002), Bernhard Langer (2004), Ian Woosnam (2006) and Montgomerie (2010) with Jacklin being the captain when the match was tied in 1989.
Olazábal said: “The two Masters wins at Augusta National are the highlight of my playing career but this is my proudest moment. Golf has been my life and representing Europe in The Ryder Cup has given me so much enjoyment. So to be named the European Ryder Cup captain is something very special and I am looking forward to the next 20 months before we reach Medinah.
“Seve was also our Captain at Valderrama in 1997 and that was especially significant because the match was played in Spain and on the Continent for the first time and, of course, we won. In all I’ve played under five Captains – Tony Jacklin, Bernard Gallacher, Mark James, Ian Woosnam and Seve – and the last in 2006 with Woosie was one to remember because we won 18 ½ - 9½. I played two fourball matches with Sergio (Garcia) and we won both and then I beat Phil Mickelson in the singles which was the last match I played.
“It was also a wonderful experience to be involved as a vice captain with Nick Faldo in 2008 and then again with Colin Montgomerie when we regained the Cup at Celtic Manor last year. I’ve learned a lot along the way and linked to my own experiences I look forward to drawing on all that knowledge with the aim, of course, to keeping the Cup in our possession. We all know The Ryder Cup is one of the most exciting and important competitions in the golfing calendar, and that it always inspires team members and spectators alike, but there is nothing like holding that trophy at the end of the week.
“I have accepted the captaincy but I think my desire to keep playing is known by everyone. This is the first of four tournaments in succession I am playing on the Desert Swing of The European Tour International Schedule. I am looking forward to competing again and giving myself the chance to win.
Olazábal, who won the Masters Tournament in 1994 and again in 1999 after recovering from rheumatoid polyarthritis in three joints of his right foot and two in his left, struck his first shots at the age of two at the Real Golf de San Sebastian, set in the lush foothills of the Pyrenees. He was drawn to the golf course because it was where his father, Gaspar, worked as the greenkeeper and his mother, Julia, as wardrobe mistress. It was on the practice range at Real Golf de San Sebastian in 1979 that Olazábal also met Sergio Gomez, who would go on to become his long-time friend and manager.
Olazábal has won 23 times on The European Tour International Schedule with 30 wins in all worldwide and he became the second Spaniard to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame when he joined his great friend Seve Ballesteros (inducted in 1999) in that illustrious group during a moving ceremony at St Augustine, Florida, in November, 2009.
Medinah Country Club’s Number 3 Championship Course, close to Chicago, has hosted three Major Championships – the US Open in 1949, 1975 and in 1990 when Olazábal finished tied eighth and the US PGA Championship in 1999 and 2006. It has also staged a US Senior Open. The course was designed by Scotsman Tom Bendelow and carved out of an oak tree forest in rolling terrain and opened in 1928. After the 1999 US PGA Championship Rees Jones, the renowned architect, undertook a modification project and the course played to more than 7,500 yards from the championship tees in the 2006 US PGA Championship.
Bryan Angus
Jose Maria Olazábal has accepted an invitation from the Tournament Committee of The European Tour, ratified by The European Ryder Cup Players and Stakeholders Board, to captain the European team in The 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club, Medinah, Illinois, United States of America, from September 28-30, 2012.
Olazábal, who was born in Fuenterrabia, Spain, on February 5, 1966, becomes the 23rd golfer to captain a Ryder Cup team against the United States and the second Spaniard following Seve Ballesteros, the winning captain in 1997 when Europe triumphed 14 ½ - 13 ½ at Club de Golf Valderrama, Sotogrande, Spain.
Olazábal made the first of seven Ryder Cup appearances in 1987 when Europe created history by winning on American soil for the first time and he was also on the winning European team in 1997 and 2006 in a Ryder Cup playing career that spanned 19 years. Olazábal and Ballesteros formed the most successful partnership in Ryder Cup history in the fourballs and foursomes with 11 wins and two halved matches from 15 played, and with 18 wins and 20½ points, Olazábal stands fifth in the European lists for most matches won and most points won respectively.
Following Europe’s 14 ½ - 13 ½ win at The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales, Olazábal succeeds Colin Montgomerie as captain with the aim of retaining The Ryder Cup which Europe has won eight times and the United States seven times with one match tied since players from the Continent of Europe became eligible in 1979. Europe’s victories were achieved under the captaincies of Tony Jacklin (1985, 1987), Bernard Gallacher (1995), Ballesteros (1997), Sam Torrance (2002), Bernhard Langer (2004), Ian Woosnam (2006) and Montgomerie (2010) with Jacklin being the captain when the match was tied in 1989.
Olazábal said: “The two Masters wins at Augusta National are the highlight of my playing career but this is my proudest moment. Golf has been my life and representing Europe in The Ryder Cup has given me so much enjoyment. So to be named the European Ryder Cup captain is something very special and I am looking forward to the next 20 months before we reach Medinah.
“Seve was also our Captain at Valderrama in 1997 and that was especially significant because the match was played in Spain and on the Continent for the first time and, of course, we won. In all I’ve played under five Captains – Tony Jacklin, Bernard Gallacher, Mark James, Ian Woosnam and Seve – and the last in 2006 with Woosie was one to remember because we won 18 ½ - 9½. I played two fourball matches with Sergio (Garcia) and we won both and then I beat Phil Mickelson in the singles which was the last match I played.
“It was also a wonderful experience to be involved as a vice captain with Nick Faldo in 2008 and then again with Colin Montgomerie when we regained the Cup at Celtic Manor last year. I’ve learned a lot along the way and linked to my own experiences I look forward to drawing on all that knowledge with the aim, of course, to keeping the Cup in our possession. We all know The Ryder Cup is one of the most exciting and important competitions in the golfing calendar, and that it always inspires team members and spectators alike, but there is nothing like holding that trophy at the end of the week.
“I have accepted the captaincy but I think my desire to keep playing is known by everyone. This is the first of four tournaments in succession I am playing on the Desert Swing of The European Tour International Schedule. I am looking forward to competing again and giving myself the chance to win.
Olazábal, who won the Masters Tournament in 1994 and again in 1999 after recovering from rheumatoid polyarthritis in three joints of his right foot and two in his left, struck his first shots at the age of two at the Real Golf de San Sebastian, set in the lush foothills of the Pyrenees. He was drawn to the golf course because it was where his father, Gaspar, worked as the greenkeeper and his mother, Julia, as wardrobe mistress. It was on the practice range at Real Golf de San Sebastian in 1979 that Olazábal also met Sergio Gomez, who would go on to become his long-time friend and manager.
Olazábal has won 23 times on The European Tour International Schedule with 30 wins in all worldwide and he became the second Spaniard to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame when he joined his great friend Seve Ballesteros (inducted in 1999) in that illustrious group during a moving ceremony at St Augustine, Florida, in November, 2009.
Medinah Country Club’s Number 3 Championship Course, close to Chicago, has hosted three Major Championships – the US Open in 1949, 1975 and in 1990 when Olazábal finished tied eighth and the US PGA Championship in 1999 and 2006. It has also staged a US Senior Open. The course was designed by Scotsman Tom Bendelow and carved out of an oak tree forest in rolling terrain and opened in 1928. After the 1999 US PGA Championship Rees Jones, the renowned architect, undertook a modification project and the course played to more than 7,500 yards from the championship tees in the 2006 US PGA Championship.
Bryan Angus
Golf's stars in the desert, but in Abu Dhabi, not Palm Springs..
Last year world #1 Lee Westwood ruffled a few feathers on the Yankee turkey when he announced he would not be playing full time on the PGA tour, concentrating rather on the European tour instead. That followed on the heels of similar decisions by world #3 Martin Kaymer and #12 Rory McIlroy.
This weekend brings an early indicator of the new world order as Martin Kaymer defends his title in Abu Dhabi
16 of the world's top 30 will travel to the desert of the middle east to play the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, including #4 Phil Mickelson, while only 2 will travel to the Palm Springs desert to play the Bob Hope Classic
12 others are not playing in either including the likes of Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson and Hunter Mahan who have chosen not to play their PGA tour event... Now the Hope, once a classic, Arnie won it 5 times, is not every one's cup of tea or should I say tee, anymore.. 5 days ( 4 with amateurs) on 4 very easy courses (Palmer course PGA West where Duval shot 59, Nicklaus course PGA West, La Quinta and Silver Rock ) with a winning score usually around 30 shots under par.. Mike Weir won in 2003 with a total of 330.. it doesn't make it a great draw for the world's elite although Canucks Weir, Ames Baryla are in the field and McQuillan is an alternative..
The European Tour starts it's 4 week desert swing as follows...
Jan 20 Jan 23 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship
Abu Dhabi Golf Club,Abu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates
$2,700,000
Jan 27 Jan 30 Volvo Golf Champions
The Royal Golf Club,Kingdom of Bahrain,Bahrain
€1,700,000
Feb 03 Feb 06 Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy
Doha GC,Doha,Qatar
$2,500,000
Feb 10 Feb 13 Omega Dubai Desert Classic
Emirates GC,Dubai,United Arab Emirates
$2,500,000 where Tiger Woods is scheduled to start his 2011 campaign,,
while the PGA tour has this lineup, none of it with world #1 Lee Westwood or Tiger Woods..
Jan. 19 - 23 Bob Hope Classic
PGA West (Palmer Course), La Quinta, California
PGA West (Nicklaus Course), La Quinta, California
La Quinta CC, La Quinta, California
Silver Rock, La Quinta, California
Purse: $5,000,000
Bill Haas (D)
Jan. 27 - 30 Farmers Insurance Open
Torrey Pines (South Course), San Diego, California
Torrey Pines (North Course), San Diego, California
Purse: $5,800,000
Ben Crane (D)
Feb. 03 - 06 Waste Management Phoenix Open
TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona
Purse: $6,100,000 GOLF
Hunter Mahan (D)
Feb. 10 - 13 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, California
Monterrey Peninsula CC, Pebble Beach, California
Spyglass Hill GC, Pebble Beach, California
Furyk and Stricker normally don't play next until the following week at the Northern Trust Open at Riviera which Stricker won last year and Mickelson will likely get back on a plane from Abu Dhabi to play the Farmers Insurance at Torrey Pines since he is from San Diego.
The Pheonix Open has been moved up this year to the week before Pebble Beach.
A feast of golf for sure, but the early in the 2011 season, the stars are in the desert of the middle east..
Abu Dhabi's slogan.... This is not big it's major !! and in the near-40 year history of The European Tour there has never been such a superb field so early in the season. Here is a breakdown of the world's top 30 this week..
Key: Abu Dhabi (16) Bob Hope (2) NP not playing at either (12)
1 Lee Westwood, Eng 8.83 406.14 46 -18.81 0.00
2 Tiger Woods, USA 7.31 292.59 40 -22.67 0.00 NP
3 Martin Kaymer, Deu 7.05 338.21 48 -17.59 0.00
4 Graeme McDowell, Nir 6.24 343.11 55 -10.38 20.00
4 Phil Mickelson, USA 6.24 268.24 43 -19.93 0.00
6 Steve Stricker, USA 6.02 264.87 44 -17.91 19.98 NP
7 Jim Furyk, USA 5.76 276.53 48 -16.50 7.00 NP
8 Paul Casey, Eng 5.65 248.80 44 -16.52 0.00
9 Luke Donald, Eng 5.50 297.15 54 -13.41 0.00 NP
10 Ernie Els, Zaf 5.40 302.54 56 -14.41 5.64
10 Ian Poulter, Eng 5.40 270.12 50 -12.18 9.50
12 Rory McIlroy, Nir 5.40 291.65 54 -16.13 0.00
13 Matt Kuchar, USA 4.82 255.42 53 -11.71 20.06
14 Dustin Johnson, USA 4.42 220.92 50 -12.16 7.00 NP
15 Francesco Molinari, Ita 4.33 237.99 55 -8.45 4.63
16 Retief Goosen, Zaf 4.30 241.06 56 -13.76 0.00
17 Robert Karlsson, Swe 4.21 180.93 43 -5.90 0.00 NP
18 Louis Oosthuizen, Zaf 4.03 209.74 52 -9.85 22.00
19 Edoardo Molinari, Ita 4.03 213.61 53 -10.22 0.00
20 Tim Clark, Zaf 3.83 206.89 54 -9.29 28.13
21 Hunter Mahan, USA 3.80 205.37 54 -11.60 2.60 NP
22 Robert Allenby, Aus 3.56 199.09 56 -11.22 0.00 NP
23 Charl Schwartzel, Zaf 3.55 198.57 56 -8.71 25.43
24 Adam Scott, Aus 3.50 181.93 52 -7.19 3.13 NP
25 Geoff Ogilvy, Aus 3.47 169.90 49 -10.77 0.00 NP
26 Padraig Harrington, Irl 3.46 190.05 55 -10.82 0.00
27 Miguel A Jimenez, Esp 3.44 192.79 56 -9.12 0.00
28 Zach Johnson, USA 3.43 181.79 53 -12.21 2.85 NP
29 Kim Kyung-Tae, Kor 3.34 176.79 53 -4.97 0.00 NP
30 Rickie Fowler, USA 3.33 133.17 40 -5.26 0.00 NP
Bryan Angus bryanangus4@gmail.com
This weekend brings an early indicator of the new world order as Martin Kaymer defends his title in Abu Dhabi
16 of the world's top 30 will travel to the desert of the middle east to play the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, including #4 Phil Mickelson, while only 2 will travel to the Palm Springs desert to play the Bob Hope Classic
12 others are not playing in either including the likes of Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson and Hunter Mahan who have chosen not to play their PGA tour event... Now the Hope, once a classic, Arnie won it 5 times, is not every one's cup of tea or should I say tee, anymore.. 5 days ( 4 with amateurs) on 4 very easy courses (Palmer course PGA West where Duval shot 59, Nicklaus course PGA West, La Quinta and Silver Rock ) with a winning score usually around 30 shots under par.. Mike Weir won in 2003 with a total of 330.. it doesn't make it a great draw for the world's elite although Canucks Weir, Ames Baryla are in the field and McQuillan is an alternative..
The European Tour starts it's 4 week desert swing as follows...
Jan 20 Jan 23 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship
Abu Dhabi Golf Club,Abu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates
$2,700,000
Jan 27 Jan 30 Volvo Golf Champions
The Royal Golf Club,Kingdom of Bahrain,Bahrain
€1,700,000
Feb 03 Feb 06 Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy
Doha GC,Doha,Qatar
$2,500,000
Feb 10 Feb 13 Omega Dubai Desert Classic
Emirates GC,Dubai,United Arab Emirates
$2,500,000 where Tiger Woods is scheduled to start his 2011 campaign,,
while the PGA tour has this lineup, none of it with world #1 Lee Westwood or Tiger Woods..
Jan. 19 - 23 Bob Hope Classic
PGA West (Palmer Course), La Quinta, California
PGA West (Nicklaus Course), La Quinta, California
La Quinta CC, La Quinta, California
Silver Rock, La Quinta, California
Purse: $5,000,000
Bill Haas (D)
Jan. 27 - 30 Farmers Insurance Open
Torrey Pines (South Course), San Diego, California
Torrey Pines (North Course), San Diego, California
Purse: $5,800,000
Ben Crane (D)
Feb. 03 - 06 Waste Management Phoenix Open
TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona
Purse: $6,100,000 GOLF
Hunter Mahan (D)
Feb. 10 - 13 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, California
Monterrey Peninsula CC, Pebble Beach, California
Spyglass Hill GC, Pebble Beach, California
Furyk and Stricker normally don't play next until the following week at the Northern Trust Open at Riviera which Stricker won last year and Mickelson will likely get back on a plane from Abu Dhabi to play the Farmers Insurance at Torrey Pines since he is from San Diego.
The Pheonix Open has been moved up this year to the week before Pebble Beach.
A feast of golf for sure, but the early in the 2011 season, the stars are in the desert of the middle east..
Abu Dhabi's slogan.... This is not big it's major !! and in the near-40 year history of The European Tour there has never been such a superb field so early in the season. Here is a breakdown of the world's top 30 this week..
Key: Abu Dhabi (16) Bob Hope (2) NP not playing at either (12)
1 Lee Westwood, Eng 8.83 406.14 46 -18.81 0.00
2 Tiger Woods, USA 7.31 292.59 40 -22.67 0.00 NP
3 Martin Kaymer, Deu 7.05 338.21 48 -17.59 0.00
4 Graeme McDowell, Nir 6.24 343.11 55 -10.38 20.00
4 Phil Mickelson, USA 6.24 268.24 43 -19.93 0.00
6 Steve Stricker, USA 6.02 264.87 44 -17.91 19.98 NP
7 Jim Furyk, USA 5.76 276.53 48 -16.50 7.00 NP
8 Paul Casey, Eng 5.65 248.80 44 -16.52 0.00
9 Luke Donald, Eng 5.50 297.15 54 -13.41 0.00 NP
10 Ernie Els, Zaf 5.40 302.54 56 -14.41 5.64
10 Ian Poulter, Eng 5.40 270.12 50 -12.18 9.50
12 Rory McIlroy, Nir 5.40 291.65 54 -16.13 0.00
13 Matt Kuchar, USA 4.82 255.42 53 -11.71 20.06
14 Dustin Johnson, USA 4.42 220.92 50 -12.16 7.00 NP
15 Francesco Molinari, Ita 4.33 237.99 55 -8.45 4.63
16 Retief Goosen, Zaf 4.30 241.06 56 -13.76 0.00
17 Robert Karlsson, Swe 4.21 180.93 43 -5.90 0.00 NP
18 Louis Oosthuizen, Zaf 4.03 209.74 52 -9.85 22.00
19 Edoardo Molinari, Ita 4.03 213.61 53 -10.22 0.00
20 Tim Clark, Zaf 3.83 206.89 54 -9.29 28.13
21 Hunter Mahan, USA 3.80 205.37 54 -11.60 2.60 NP
22 Robert Allenby, Aus 3.56 199.09 56 -11.22 0.00 NP
23 Charl Schwartzel, Zaf 3.55 198.57 56 -8.71 25.43
24 Adam Scott, Aus 3.50 181.93 52 -7.19 3.13 NP
25 Geoff Ogilvy, Aus 3.47 169.90 49 -10.77 0.00 NP
26 Padraig Harrington, Irl 3.46 190.05 55 -10.82 0.00
27 Miguel A Jimenez, Esp 3.44 192.79 56 -9.12 0.00
28 Zach Johnson, USA 3.43 181.79 53 -12.21 2.85 NP
29 Kim Kyung-Tae, Kor 3.34 176.79 53 -4.97 0.00 NP
30 Rickie Fowler, USA 3.33 133.17 40 -5.26 0.00 NP
Bryan Angus bryanangus4@gmail.com
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