"There are no shortcuts to success."
Showing posts with label Jason Day (golfer). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jason Day (golfer). Show all posts
Monday, 3 July 2017
Monday, 25 April 2016
McIlroy Skips WGC-Bridgestone
Rory McIlroy will miss the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational this summer after choosing instead to play in the 100th French Open at Le Golf National.
The two tournaments clash as a result of the PGA Tour's 2016 calendar being re-worked to accommodate the Olympics.
As a result of the scheduling conflict the European Tour refused to sanction the WGC event, which 26-year-old McIlroy won in Akron two years ago.
He believes the course in Paris will better prepare him for The Open.
The French Open starts on Le Golf National's exacting Albatros course - which will host the 2018 Ryder Cup - on 30 June, two weeks before the year's third major begins on the Ayrshire links of Royal Troon.
"Le Golf National might not be a pure links course, but it is traditionally firm and fast and can throw up some tricky conditions," said the Northern Irishman.
"It is a great test of golf and I think playing there, as well as staying in Europe, will be the best way to prepare for The Open at Troon."
Four-time major winner McIlroy has played in the event on the outskirts of Paris twice before, missing the cut in his first full season as a professional in 2008 before firing a closing 66 to miss out on a three-man play-off by one shot in 2010.
The European Tour's decision not to the sanction the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational means it is not part of the 2016 European Tour international schedule, and therefore money won in it will not count towards the Race to Dubai or Ryder Cup qualification.
The Bridgestone Invitational is one of four World Golf Championship events jointly sanctioned by the International Federation of PGA Tours, which includes the European Tour and the PGA Tour in America.
Since the advent of the WGCs in 1999, the Bridgestone Invitational has been played in August at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
Wednesday, 13 April 2016
Captain Clarke Launches Ryder Cup
 |
| Darren Clarke, Royal Portrush - Getty Images |
Darren Clarke launched the Ryder Cup trophy tour from Royal Portrush Golf Club in his native Northern Ireland on Tuesday, and the European captain had a spring in his step.
No wonder, considering the performance of the continent’s players at the Masters last week. Danny Willett won at Augusta National for his first major championship title and there were six other Europeans in the top 10.
“Hope they are all in the same form in September in Hazeltine,” Clarke said, looking forward to the Ryder Cup against the United States from 30 September until 2 October 2016.
“Any time you see seven Europeans in the top 10 at a major, that’s got to be a hugely positive step. Especially in the year of the Ryder Cup.”
Wearing the Green Jacket, Willett arrived back in Britain on Tuesday following his Masters victory. Speaking at Manchester airport, he said his immediate plan was to “get home, put the kettle on, and change some nappies” after the birth of his first child last month.
Among the many benefits of winning his first major is that it virtually assures his place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team for the first time. Willett, ranked No9, is currently top of the world points and European points list.
“He was almost guaranteed to be in the team before he won at Augusta but it was wonderful to see him come through and win in the fashion he did,” Clarke said. “It’s another step in the right direction. He’s a confident, dedicated man.
“You take a look at the top of the world rankings at the moment, you have Rory [McIlroy], Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, and there’s Rickie Fowler pushing hard. But Danny has all the ability to go to the top.”
The Europeans are looking to win the Ryder Cup for a fourth straight time after their victory at Gleneagles, Scotland, in 2014.
The Ryder Cup trophy heads to Belfast next, before it goes to France and Italy – the next two European countries to host the contest in 2018 and 2022, respectively.
Saturday, 9 April 2016
Rory Rollercoaster as Spieth Slips
 |
| McIlroy at Augusta, Round 2 |
Rory McIlroy believes the Masters "owes" him a green jacket to complete the career grand slam after setting up a mouthwatering battle with defending champion Jordan Spieth.
McIlroy could have won his first major title at Augusta National when he took a four-shot lead into the final round in 2011, only to collapse to a closing 80 to finish 10 shots behind the winner Charl Schwartzel.
The 26-year-old bounced back to win the US Open two months later and the US PGA title in 2012, meaning victory in the Open at Hoylake in 2014 left him needing victory in the Masters to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in having won all four majors.
"I sort of feel that Augusta owes me something and I have come with that attitude," McIlroy said after a second round of 71 in swirling winds left him just a shot behind Spieth, who struggled to a 74. "I have come here to get something that I should have had a long time ago.
"You need to be so focused and in control of your emotions here. It's about not getting fazed and mentally I have been good the last couple of days. I need to keep that going for the next two days."
McIlroy was eight shots behind Spieth after 11 holes as the world number two threatened to turn the tournament into a procession for the second year running in his quest to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods in making a successful title defence.
However, The Masters ChampionsSpieth then four-putted the fifth and became noticeably annoyed at being timed for slow play around Amen Corner on his way to his worst score in 10 rounds as a professional.
McIlroy took full advantage with birdies on the 13th, 15th and 16th to put himself in a great position, but admits he needs to ignore who he is playing with and the significance of what he is trying to achieve.
"Look, I know it's a very big weekend for me. I know that," he said. "But when I'm out there on the golf course, I just have to be completely 100 per cent focused on the task at hand, and if I can do that and stay in the moment and be completely focused over every golf shot I hit from now until Sunday night, then hopefully everything will work out the way I want it to."
Despite his rollercoaster round, Spieth still became the first player in Masters history to hold the outright lead for six rounds in succession, but joked he would rather play with someone "less threatening" than McIlroy.
"We seem to both be on our games right now and focusing on this week. With a lot of players behind us there is potential for someone to shoot a few under tomorrow and move into the lead from outside the top 25.
"I don think either one of us will focus on each other, we'll focus on the course. Sure it's exciting to play with Rory, but we'll not think much more of it."
The top 32 players are separated by just six shots.
Shane Lowry remains just four off the lead despite singing for a 76.
US Amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau was also on level par after a triple-bogey seven following two wild drives on the 18th, when a par would have made the 22-year-old the only player in the field to break 70.
Wednesday, 6 April 2016
Pressure is for Tyres - Rory McIlroy
 |
| JP Fitzgerald and Rory McIlroy |
Rory McIlroy is certain that he will win the Masters at some point in his career to complete the career grand slam, but admits there is no time like the present.
McIlroy finished a creditable fourth last year in his first attempt to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in winning all four major titles.
But following the emergence of Masters and US Open winner Jordan Spieth and US PGA champion Jason Day, the 26-year-old would love to get his hands on a first green jacket sooner rather than later.
Irish Examiner sports editor Tony Leen poses the questions to sports journalist Denis Hurley and former European Tour golfer John McHenry as the panel discuss The Masters 2016. Follow @TonyLeen, @Denis_Hurley, @McHenryJohn and @BallTalkTV on Twitter. Video by Pauline Hallissey. Irish Examiner.
"I feel like I'm a good enough player," the world number three said. "I feel like I've got everything I need to become a Masters champion. But I think each and every year that passes that I don't, it will become increasingly more difficult. So there's no time like the present to get it done."
McIlroy admits he felt "exposed" by the hype surrounding his grand slam bid 12 months ago, when the return of 14-time major winner Tiger Woods was the main alternative focus.
Being the only member of the world's top five without a win this season has contributed to a somewhat more subdued build-up, along with a deliberate change in preparation in order to get off to a fast start.
"I feel like last year I didn't do much wrong really," added McIlroy, who did not visit Augusta before this week and opted for competitive matches in practice, the first of which he ended with a hole-in-one on the 16th on Monday against Chris Wood.
"I played well. I finished 12 under par for the tournament. But I was three over after 27 holes and that's not going to get it done.
"I think part of that was having so much expectation and thinking of the grand slam and thinking of the Masters, where I needed to just take a step back and relax and go out and try and play my own game.
"Someone once told me pressure is for tyres. The pressure I should feel is the pressure I put on myself and any outside influences, it shouldn't really come into play.
"This course is well suited for me. I don't need anyone to tell me that. So it should make me more comfortable knowing that I can go out and play my game, and that's why I want to be as relaxed as possible. Because if I am, it means that when I go out there, I can let my game just flow and express itself and if I can do that around this golf course, I feel like I can have a week like I've had in majors before and win."
Despite falling to third in the world rankings behind Day and Spieth, McIlroy is well aware that completing the grand slam will take him to another level, with Phil Mickelson and Tom Watson the only other players in the field to have won three of the four majors.
"To be only one of six people to do it, I feel like I've set myself apart from definitely the guys that are playing here this week," McIlroy added. "Obviously Phil has a chance to do that when he goes to the US Open as well.
"It's something that I'd obviously be very proud of and something that I feel would set me apart.
"I want to dominate. I want to go back to the summer of 2014 and play like that for the rest of my career. Whether that's possible or not remains to be seen, but I know that's a level that I can play at, and I'd love to be able to play at that level more consistently, and that's why I'm practising and working hard and trying to do that.
"What Jordan did here last year and the US Open and what Jason Day did during the summer and this year as well, yeah, I don't want to be left behind. I want to be a part of that conversation. I'm clinging on at the minute; a few wins will change that.
"Of course it's motivating. You don't want to see guys beating you. You want to be the best, so you want to go out there and win tournaments and try as hard as you can. But I feel like I'm close.
"I think it's imperative to get off to a good start here, especially for me. That's been the thing that's held me back the last couple of years, and I try to change that.
"I think coming back year after year, you do start to pick up on a lot and learn a lot more. This is my eighth Masters and hopefully I can use all that knowledge and experience to my advantage this week."
Sunday, 31 January 2016
Cavaliers Stun Spurs on Saturday
 |
| Getty Images |
LeBron James scored 29 points and Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving added 21 apiece as the Cleveland Cavaliers finally took down one of the NBA’s elite teams, beating the San Antonio Spurs 117-103 on Saturday night.
The Cavs won their fourth straight under coach Tyronn Lue, who was promoted after David Blatt was fired on 22 January. Cleveland came in 0-5 against San Antonio, Golden State and Chicago, three top-tier teams who figure to contend with them for a title this season.
Lue has the Cavs playing at a faster pace and the Spurs, who were again without center Tim Duncan, couldn’t keep up with them. Duncan missed his third straight game with a sore right knee.
Kawhi Leonard scored 24 and LaMarcus Aldridge 15 for the Spurs, who lost for just the second time in 16 games. They lost to the Warriors on Monday.
Cleveland’s 117 points were the second-most given up this season by San Antonio, which came in allowing a league-best 90.6 points per game. The Cavs had more than that after three quarters.
Irving (10) and Matthew Dellavedova (8) scored Cleveland’s first 18 points in the fourth quarter. James scored the next three when he was fouled while going to the basket by San Antonio’s Patty Mills, who was flicked aside like a gnat by the four-time MVP on his way to a layup and three-point play.
Down by 17 points at the half, the Spurs scored the first eight of the third quarter, a spurt that prompted an oh-no-here-they-come vibe through Cleveland’s loud crowd, which was in playoff form.
But the Cavs responded with a flurry that showcased their offensive depth. Love and Dellavedova hit three-pointers and James powered inside for several baskets, helping Cleveland push its lead to 88-69 late in the third. James scored 16 in the quarter.
James, too, made one of his signature defensive plays by chasing down Spurs guard Manu Ginobili on a breakaway and blocking his shot at the rim.
Elsewhere, Harrison Barnes hit a three-pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining and Golden State escaped with a 108-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Klay Thompson had 32 points and Stephen Curry scored 23 for the Warriors, who nearly blew a 24-point second-half lead. Draymond Green added 10 points and 13 rebounds for Golden State, who opened a three-game road trip with their sixth straight victory while matching the NBA’s best start through 47 games.
Isaiah Canaan had 18 points to lead the 76ers, who dropped to 7-41 but nearly pulled off the most improbable victory of the NBA season.
“It shows we have no letdown, no backdown,” Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said.
Philadelphia trailed by double-digits most of the second half until a late 15-2 run tied the game at 105 with 22.3 seconds left. The Warriors won it when Curry passed inside to Green, who fired outside to Barnes on the right baseline.
“We kind of went into it knowing they were going to trap Steph, so whoever it was that got the ball tried to make a play,” Barnes said. “[Green] made that kick to the corner. I just let it ride.”
Monday, 11 January 2016
Spieth Equals Woods PGA Record
 |
| Getty Images |
World number one Jordan Spieth matched Tiger Woods by winning his seventh PGA Tour event before the age of 23 with a dominant victory at Hawaii's Tournament of Champions.
The 22 year old cruised to an eight-shot win over Patrick Reed after a six-under-par 67 at the Kapalua Resort on the island of Maui.
Spieth won the Masters and the US Open in 2015 and wants more success.
He said: "I'll try and continue exactly what we were doing last year."
Spieth held a five-shot lead going into Sunday's final round and was never troubled, hitting seven birdies to post a 30-under total of 262.
He became only the second player to finish a 72-hole event on the PGA Tour at 30-under par or lower, emulating South African Ernie Els who won the 2003 Tournament of Champions with a 31-under score.
Asked how he felt after matching 14-times major winner Woods with a seventh PGA Tour victory, Spieth said: "I don't think there's any reason to compare. What Tiger's done, I can't imagine ever being done again, but it's nice to be in that company."
Wednesday, 21 October 2015
Tiger Not Out of Woods
 |
| Getty Images |
Tiger Woods does not expect to compete again soon after admitting he faces a "tedious and long" recovery from back surgery.
Woods had an operation on his back for a second time last month after a routine check discovered a fragmented disc pinching a nerve.
He last played at the Wyndham Championship on August 23, where he tied for 10th in what was his best finish on the PGA Tour for nearly two years.
His first surgery came just before the US Masters in 2014, when he was out of action for nearly three months, although he later admitted he returned too early.
"Rehab will be soon, and it will be tedious and long," he said. "The last one, it took me awhile to get back. Some players on tour have done the same procedure and to be back pain-free it took them over a year."
Woods, who turns 40 in December, has not won a major championship since the US Open in 2008 and remains on 14 majors, four short of Jack Nicklaus' record, but the world No 334 has not given up hope of catching 'The Golden Bear'.
Some players on tour have done the same procedure and to be back pain-free it took them over a year.
"It's important for me to have more than 18 majors when all is said and done," he said. "It took Jack his whole career to achieve it and mine is not done yet. I believe that I have a very good record for 20 years on the tour.
"The main thing is to get fit and to reach my 40s with good health to be as successful as Vijay, who won most of his tournaments at that age. It's something that I hope I will be able to do," he said. "I want to play at an elite level with the new kids for a long, long time."
Woods has not won since the 2013 Bridgestone Invitational for his 79th career win on the PGA Tour, just three short of the record held by Sam Snead.
"I need to be healthy again," he added. "This year I tried to play after the back surgery and it wasn't fun because all of the pain. Also after my last surgery, I was changing my swing and to be able to do that successfully you have to practice a lot, and I could not practice because I was doing the rehab.
"It was a very complicated situation because of that."
Woods has not set a timetable on when he will start rehabilitation or a date for his likely return.
"I need to return with my explosiveness, and to do that, I need to practice for longer periods of time," he said. "It's going to take several months of hard work."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)