Category: Golf

Lee Westwood is looking forward to hosting the first tournament of the resumption of European Tour activities, which is reportedly going ahead in July.

Westwood is “ready to welcome everybody” to the Betfred British Masters at Close House, his home course which also staged the same event in 2017 when Paul Dunne held off Rory McIlroy on a thrilling final day.

The European Tour are expected to announce their modified schedule this week, with the British Masters rumoured to be kicking off a run of events in the UK which could last until the end of August, with the aim of easing travel difficulties for the players.

Westwood revealed to The Golf Show that the course was in great shape and ready to stage the first tournament golf seen on the European Tour since Jorge Campillo was crowned Qatar Masters champion on March 8.

“The course is already in fantastic condition as you’d expect,” said Westwood, who is not attending to travel to the United States for PGA Tour events while the 14-day quarantine regulations remain in place.

“They’ve had seven or eight weeks without any play so the green staff have been able to do a lot of good work. I’ve seen a massive change in the condition of the greens over the last couple of weeks since the weather got better.

“It’s an exciting time for getting the course ready and hopefully it will be the start of the European season kicking off.

“I hosted it there in 2017 and is was great, it was an honour and it was really nice to see it at Close House. A lot of great players turned out so obviously that was very good, and he had a great finish and a great winner.

“The crowds turned out and supported it, but I don’t think we’ll be able to have the crowds this time. But hopefully it will be a great tournament and a great finish and a great way to start off the season again. I’m sure everybody is very keen to see some live golf.”

Westwood and winning 2018 captain Thomas Bjorn were also in agreement that the European Tour and the PGA of America don’t need to rush into a decision on this year’s Ryder Cup, which could go ahead without spectators for the first time.

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“I’m glad it’s a decision I don’t have to make,” said Westwood, who also revealed he is keep to captain Europe in Italy in 2022. “Any time you go to a Ryder Cup, the thing that strikes you most about it is the incredible atmosphere, and obviously the fans create that atmosphere for the players.

“So it’s very hard to picture having nobody there in the galleries and in the stands to celebrate with the players. It’s still a long way away and, as we’ve seen, a lot can happen in a few weeks, and we’ll wait and see what happens.”

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Luke Donald believes a fan-free Ryder Cup could suit the European side more than their American counterparts.

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The former world No 1 has been appointed by Padraig Harrington as a vice-captain for the biennial contest, which is due to be held at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin from September 25-27.

The PGA Tour will resume on June 11 behind closed doors and doubts still remain whether the Ryder Cup could be played without crowds this autumn, something that Donald believes could give Europe an advantage.

When asked whether a Ryder Cup without spectators could benefit Team Europe, Donald told the Sky Sports Golf podcast: “It certainly could. Obviously for anyone who watched the exhibition match last weekend and saw some live golf, there were only four players and there wasn’t much energy there.

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“I think players feed off the energy, especially the home team. They feed off that positive vibe and the crowd can play a big part, that’s why it’s always an advantage to be at home.

“If we were to play a Ryder Cup without any fans, then being in America it would be more favourable to the Europeans than the US team.”

Donald has featured on the winning side in all four Ryder Cup appearances as a player, as well as when he was a vice-captain during the 2018 contest at Le Golf National, with the Englishman hoping his credentials will one day allow him to captain Team Europe.

“It [captain] is something that I’d love to do,” Donald said. “I’ve had so many experiences playing in Ryder Cup and even in Paris two years ago, as a vice-captain, it was an amazing experience to be a part of it.

“I’d love to be a captain one day. Hopefully my record and my attendance in Ryder Cups would give me a chance, but there’s a lot of capable people in line to be a Ryder Cup captain.

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Tiger Woods got the better of long-time rival Phil Mickelson in an entertaining second instalment of “The Match” which raised $20m for Covid-19 charities in the United States.

Woods paired up well with an impressive Peyton Manning, who was by far the better of the two quarterbacks at a wet and windy Medalist Golf Club, with Tom Brady enduring the sort of day that every club golfer dreads when heading to take part in a pro-am.

Brady did at least conjure up the shot of the day, a sensational hole-out from the fairway at the par-five seventh which earned a $100,000 donation from Brooks Koepka, but that was a rare good strike from the legendary NFL quarterback who claims a handicap of 8.1.

The Match 2 – Champions for Charity, was substantially more watchable and enjoyable than the original $9m extravaganza that featured Woods, Mickelson, a number of hefty side-bets and little that resembled high-quality golf back in November, 2018.

Played in front of a handful of officials and the host broadcasting team at Woods’ home club in Hobe Sound, a washout looked likely after several bouts of torrential rain delayed the start by 45 minutes and kept the club greenstaff busy keeping the greens free of standing water.

There it is! @BKoepka donating $100,000 & giving back to @cfpbmc

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The result might have been irrelevant compared to the vast sums of money raised for worthwhile causes, but Woods and Mickelson were clearly relishing the chance to unleash the competitive juices that were rendered dormant by the coronavirus pandemic in March.

For those looking for clues to the form and fitness of the pros, Woods looked in excellent shape from tee to green – barely missing a fairway with his driver and even admitting to his rival of almost 25 years that he couldn’t compete with Mickelson’s distance on the designated long-drive holes.

And Mickelson leapt on the opportunity to rub salt into Woods’ wounded bravado by offering a clear reminder that he will be eligible to join the PGA Tour Champions when he turns 50 in just three weeks’ time.

Mickelson did struggle with his game over a three-hour front-nine, although he provided some trademark highlights when the format shifted to greensomes after the turn and celebrated a “salty bomb” on the par-four 11th, where a mammoth drive of some 330 yards pitched six feet from the hole and settled in the rear fringe, with Brady knocking in the putt for eagle.

Unlike last week’s “Driving Relief” headlined by Rory McIlroy, there was plenty of interaction between the star quartet, with encouragement, good-natured ribbing and acknowledgement of good golf all in equal measure, while the interjections of Charles Barkley kept the mood light.

The shrewd addition of Justin Thomas to the on-course commentary team was a particular delight, the world No 4 announcing himself as a natural talent in the role which featured some close-to-the-mark jabs at former NBA star Barkley and an abundance of insightful chat with Woods and Mickelson.

On a day when many players would not have contemplated braving the elements for a friendly fourball, the gallant competitors toughed it out and rewarded the viewers with close-to five hours of humour, interspersed with some good golf given the conditions.

For the record, Woods and Manning cruised into a three-up lead after dominating the front-nine, an advantage that could have been a couple more had Mickelson not holed a few clutch putts with a trusty old wand nicknamed “Tiger Slayer”, while Brady took a little gloss off his spectacular birdie at seven when he split the back of his trousers when picking his ball out of the cup.

“That’s how we roll” was the battle cry from Mickelson when Brady converted his eagle putt at the 11th for their first win of the day, and the lead was halved at the 14th after Manning, solid and dependable throughout with his iron play, missed a three-footer for par on the 14th green.

The pace of play quickened noticeably with sunset approaching, and the par-three 16th was costly for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson after he pledged to donate $100,000 for every tee shot that finished inside 12 feet from the flag – Woods being the only player to miss that target with Manning having knocked his to “gimme” range.

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This week’s podcast brings together three of the very best caddies for some enlightening insight into the hardships, and the rewards, of being a bagman.

Billy Foster, John McLaren and Craig Connelly joined Josh Antmann for this week’s edition, with the chat ranging from how they first started their looping careers, to detailing their Ryder Cup experiences – both good and bad!

Foster shares a couple of absolute gems when he looks back at his years carrying the bag for Seve Ballesteros, and describes how he dealt with an emotionally-charged week working with a grieving Darren Clarke at the K Club in 2006.

Connelly, known affectionately as “Weeman”, explains his on-off-on working relationship with two-time major winner Martin Kaymer, while “Longsocks” McLaren admitted to having the wrong pin information in Mexico with Paul Casey.

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And all three looked back on the astonishing events that culminated in the Miracle at Medinah, which Foster missed due to injury but still received welcome contact from European captain Jose Maria Olazabal.

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Andrew “Beef” Johnston warned that “nobody is immune” to mental health struggles as he revealed how opening up about his own problems was one of the best – and most crucial – moves of his career.

Little was known about Johnston’s mental health until he lifted the lid on his issues in an emotionally-charged interview with Tim Barter following his superb final-round 62 at last year’s Scottish Open – earning him his first top-10 finish of 2019 while also booking a place in The Open at Royal Portrush the following week.

Speaking live to The Golf Show on Sky Sports News, the popular Englishman explained how he was persuaded to consult a psychologist about his problems by his fiancee, Jodie, and Johnston has urged other athletes in a similar position to do the same.

“What I’ve learned the most is that it can happen to anyone at any time,” said Johnston. “Nobody is immune, so you shouldn’t be worried about talking to someone. Talk to someone close if you can, and someone you trust, and it’s better to be open about it. The more people that open up about it and talk, then the easier it becomes for everyone else.

“My situation was quite interesting. I had no idea what was going on until I started working with a psychologist, and my fiancée, Jodie, was the one that pushed me to do that when I was very hesitant to.

“Once I started talking about it, I could understand what was going on and the pressure I was putting myself under, and for no reason. It all made sense, and I’m still learning a lot about myself now.”

Johnston now insists his young family take priority over golf, although he admitted he cannot wait to get back to competition when professional golf returns after the coronavirus lockdown.

“I keep my perspective,” he added. “I want to win golf tournaments, there’s no doubt about that. I want to do well, I want to play Ryder Cups, play in majors and all that. But first things first, I want to be a good dad and the best dad I can be, that comes above golf. I want to be a good fiancé, and I want to be the best person I can be. All of that is above golf.

“So if I get those things in order, and know that even if I’m having a bad day I’m still talking to people and being myself, that’s the most important thing and golf comes next.”

Johnston also believes golf’s authorities could be doing more to help out players with mental health concerns, a view echoed by Sky Sports commentator and former PGA champion Rich Beem, who revealed he also struggled with expectations at times.

“Golf is such an individual sport where you can’t lean on team-mates,” said Beemer. “It’s you, and you alone, out there trying to perform at your absolute best, and the onus falls on you when you don’t succeed.

“Golfers probably put more pressure on themselves mentally, especially those who didn’t grow up in the spotlight. When you have those expectations that other people have put on you, your own expectations might be different sometimes, and that can throw you off.

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“I went through some of the same things as Beef. I got to the point where nothing made sense, and I was asking myself why I felt the need to be super-human out there when I wasn’t.

“I knew I was fallible at golf, but I also knew that when I was good, I was really good. I took a personality test and I learned so much about myself that I never knew previously, and that helped me immensely to get past some of the anxieties that I had on the golf course.

“But I also think the governing bodies should look at golf and realise there are people out there who struggle. It’s a case of how does everyone deal with it, how do they get past it, and awareness alone is a huge first step. I think there should be more money and research in this area.

“This actually goes deeper than going to see a normal sports psychologist, who might be more trained to deal with helping athletes get the most out of their abilities.

“This is different, this is more emotional and sports psychologists may not understand it as deeply as they could, or should. I look at some of the folks that follow the players around, and you do have psychologists working with the players, but what do they actually do? Are they just getting the players focused?

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