Poulter defeat his Ryder Cup colleague

Poulter defeat his Ryder Cup colleague

Poulter, who had been down three times in the match, holed a 10-foot putt on the penultimate green at the Finca Cortesin club to defeat his Ryder Cup colleague 2&1 and take the £704,000 winner's cheque. The disappointment for Donald was compounded by the fact that the defeat meant he missed out on a chance to usurp Lee Westwood as the world No1. It is the second time in a month that Donald has come up just short when in with a chance of topping the world rankings. "It's disappointing. I ran out of steam at the end and you have to hole putts to win," he said.Never a truer word was spoken in golf, and never have Poulter's strengths been so obvious as this  week. He putts brilliantly under pressure and never gives in, as he showed on Saturday when he birdied the final three holes to overcome a two-hole deficit to Francesco Molinari in the quarter-finals. There Have A Swing In The Sun With Taylormade R11 Driver  was more of the same on Sunday morning against Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium, who was three-up at one stage in their semi-final before the Englishman reeled him in by the 16th and sent him to defeat at the first extra hole.Over the past three months there can be little argument that Westwood and Donald have played the best golf in the world on a consistent basis – Poulter beat both men in Spain; the former in a wonderful contest in the round of 16 that went all the way to the 18th green.The final on Sunday did not quite reach the same standard, but it was enthralling nevertheless. Donald took the lead at the 2nd with a par, then bogeyed the 4th and 5th to fall behind. His 25-footer at the 6th for a birdie two left the match level once more.Back and forth it went after that, with Poulter's tumble after losing his balance on the 8th even leaving him without his lucky ball-marker, until it was retrieved by a referee. He levelled at the next and again with a 40-footer at the short 12th after bogeying the 226‑yard 10th, then went ahead for the second time thanks to a pitch to three feet on the 14th.Donald had a chance to draw level again on the 15th but missed from three feet and had to settle for a half. That was not the decisive blow but its effect on the world No2's morale was plain to see, though perhaps it was not as obvious as Poulter's approach shot at the 16th, which finished two feet from the hole.Two up with two to play, he needed to hole a 10-foot putt for par on the 17th to win and, unsurprisingly, he did exactly that.Afterwards, Poulter dedicated his victory to his son Luke, who was celebrating his seventh birthday back home in Florida. "It's a nice boost. Plenty of questions have been asked of me over the last five months," he said.He can expect the questions to stop for a while now.

TPC Open tees off

TPC Open tees off

“This is an exciting time for golf fans. It’s always a pleasure to watch the top players meet the unique challenges of our beautiful course, and this year will be no different.“We expect to witness some sensational golf at the TPC course, and we'll be delighted if they turn up at the club to enjoy the competition,” she said.Nyandera named Nuru Mollel, Jimmy Mollel, Frank Roman and Michael Makala as among the household names that are setting sights on the top prize.The list also includes the likes of: Iddi Mzaki, Abasi Adamu, Godfrey The golfing R11 Driver You Can Afford Easily Leverian, Elisante Lembrice, Hamis Ally, John Saidi, Isaack Anania, Pembe Kondo, Frank Roman and John Leonce.Meanwhile, Jimmy Mollel has eclipsed his younger brother, Nuru, in the TGU order of merit.The Arusha youngster now relishes in the driver’s seat with 25 points, five above Nuru.Meanwhile, Rwanda and Burundi are the next venues for East Africa’s professional golfers after the 2011 KCB Bank Tanzania Open at the scenic Arusha Gymkhana Club over the weekend.Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) captain, Rizwan Charania yesterday said six Kenyan pros, seven Tanzanians and two Rwandese players had confirmed participation at the KCB Bank Rwanda Open, whose first round is set for next Wednesday at the Kigali Golf Club.This will be the fifth leg in the 2011 KCB East Africa Golf Tour, but the third among the regional tournaments, each with a prize fund of Sh18 million.

The big attraction for fans at The Players Championship

The big attraction for fans at The Players Championship

The big attraction for fans at The Players Championship’s first two days of practice rounds appears to be the replica of the 17th island green at the JELD-WEN Stadium Village. Men, women and childred were lined up much of the day to see if they could conquer the most famous hole at TPC Sawgrass.Most of them Golf Difficulties Send Romo To Regular Job could not.And it wasn’t just about bragging rights, though that sure had a lot do with the interest. Anyone who makes a hole-in-one on the replica will be given an iPad 2. Just getting a ball to stay on the green earns a sleeve of golf balls. Each person gets two shots and it doesn’t cost anything.The 17th hole island green is also the focus of another giveaway at the Stadium Village, and everyone is a winner on this one. Just stand in front of the plain green screen and the folks from Kodak will take a photo of you that looks like you’re standing right in front of the 17th hole. Could be this year’s Christmas card.

Lots of gadgets and gizmos are on display, and for sale, at the Stadium Village. One that’s bound to get more attention as the week goes on TaylorMade R9 Fairway Wood is a new Tiger Woods golf game on PlayStation that visitors can play, again at no charge. The cool thing about it is you can decide which of several real golf courses you want to play the game on, including our very own TPC Sawgrass. The Stadium Villlage also has a large apparel shop, several small putting greens, a ball fitting station, food service, a bar with mixed drinks and a patio with tables. It’s also air conditioned, which will draw a crowd in itself if the hot weather continues all week, and has bathrooms being described as “luxury facilities” with running water, bathroom attendants and, of course, that air conditioning.If you’re attending the practice round on Wednesday – military appreciation day, plan to hang around for the ceremony saluting the military and a concert featuring country music singer Darius Rucker, better known in some circles as the lead singer for the rock band Hootie and the Blowfish.

Golf broadcast moment of the week

Golf broadcast moment of the week

The tribute to the late Seve Ballesteros was a lovely touch, orchestrated by the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour to occur concurrently. Nice that the American-based tours would do this for a player who so embodied European golf, and did almost all of his playing on his home continent – only four of Seve’s Players Appear At Tim Tebow Charity Golf Event 88 international wins were regular PGA Tour stops.

The whole weekend of tribute to Seve, I thought, was impressive in its volume and sincerity. Ballesteros, in the end, was a player and a man whose impact exceeded his five major championships (two Masters; three British Opens). By sheer force of his charisma – the eye was always drawn to Seve – and by the power of his Ryder Cup heroism (only Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie have tallied more for Europe than Seve; and not by much), Ballesteros was larger than life.

I often crack Faldo in this space, and I sleep like an infant at night knowing that I am often correct in doing so. In fairness, I must take this space to say Faldo was great this past weekend in remembering his old Ryder Cup teammate, full of anecdotes and good vibes. “The greatest show on Earth,” Faldo called Seve.And an honorary navy blue Seve sweater to Peter Kostis of CBS, who did a beautiful job linking Seve’s game to today’s players. Kostis noted that Seve’s “creative genius, imagination and recovery skills” live on in Phil Mickelson; that his low hands at address live on in Rickie Fowler; and that the freewheeling abandon in his swing lives on in Bubba Watson.“The hands,” Kostis said, “were the genius behind Seve Ballesteros.”

Two reasons for Tiger Woods paly more before the US Open

Two reasons for Tiger Woods paly more before the US Open

A lot of reasons may exist as to why Tiger should or shouldn't play at least twice between the Players Championship and US Open. I could list all of them, but it really only boils down to two.frist,in his career, Tiger has twice not played between the Masters and the US Open. The first was 2006. He didn't play in that period because of the illness and eventual death of his father, Earl.2006's US Open was at Winged Foot and was one of the more challenging US Opens in history. His game was not sharp and it showed, How Can You Enhance Your Golf Level as Tiger missed the cut in a major the the first time as a professional.The second time was in 2008, when he had a knee injury. The US Open that year was at Torrey Pines, where Woods had enjoyed great success. While that wasn't an easy US Opens (if there is such a thing), it was not as tough as Winged Foot two years before. Tiger won that tournament.So, the past history of one win and one missed cut doesn't doesn't show us anything. Those two results couldn't be much more different. So, what does that prove?This year, the US Open is at Congressional in Washington D.C. While Tiger has won at Congressional before, the closer parallel is 2006. This year's National Championship is likely to produce a winning score above par.Woods doesn't have to win before the US Open. If nothing else, playing in these tournaments will give him time to find the game that was so sharp on the front-nine at Augusta on Sunday.He may not need to win, but he does need to get sharp. Most importantly, he needs to stay sharp.

These are all tournaments that he normally plays in. If he doesn't play well in the Players Championship I would actually recommend that he play in another one or two tournaments before Congressional. But that would mean playing in events that haven't ever been part of his normal routine.Second,These three events are all tournaments that he plays in basically every year.Woods won the 2009 AT&T National, held at Congressional, the same venue that will host the US Open. While Byron Nelson passed away in 2006, the tournament still bears his name. Woods has always made it a point to play in the tournaments of the legends. He always plays the Bay Hill Invitational in March, which is put on by Arnold Palmer.That logic applies in an even greater way at the Memorial. The legend that hosts that tournament is Jack Nicklaus, the same person whose records Tiger has been chasing for his entire career.

Economic downturn at Utah golfing courses

Economic downturn at Utah golfing courses

Because belonging in the direction of downturn within overall economy all through the previous a amount of many years and coupled using the fourth straight spring by which there are actually much more snowy, rainy, windy and chilly times than normal, officials who oversee Utah golfing programs from Logan to St. George and everywhere in amid say they are struggling to attract golfers as in no way before. What is perceived as an overabundance Rory McIlroy Said Masters Is In Past of programs within place has also experienced a damaging result inside the bottom line."It’s been a kick within butt for everyone within business," stated Matt Loo, who oversees the 4 programs held by St. George as that southern Utah city’s community-development director but can be common using the plights belonging in the direction of nine other programs in Washington County.None is acknowledged to acquire in danger of closing — maybe merely because most public-access programs within suggest are held by municipalities — but few, if any, are producing a profit. The result on avid golfers could be the reality that instruction course conditions, upkeep and upkeep could suffer, although an informal questionnaire carried out last Tuesday in the Salt Lake Tribune within parking a massive amount of the half-dozen programs within Salt Lake Valley turned up few of complaints.According in the direction of nationwide golfing Rounds carried out Report, a joint work by golfing Datatech, the PGA of America along using the nationwide golfing instruction course managers Association, the complete amount of rounds carried out within Mountain place (Utah and surrounding states) fell 5.5 % in March and April in comparison with individuals weeks in 2010. The nationwide golfing groundwork says the quantity of "avid golfers" within United States has dropped 9 % all through the previous 5 years, slipping from 28.6 million in 2008 to 27.8 million in 2009."The bottom collection could be the reality that there are just fewer people these times actively playing golfing best suited now," stated Salt Lake County director of golfing Jerry Brewster, who oversees the county’s 6 courses. "We’ve experienced three difficult years, but we really feel like it is turning the corner. For instance, it appears like company tournaments are coming back again a bit. which is a superb sign."Once the environment starts to cooperate — also it has this month — the golfers will return, stated Randy Dodson, publisher of Utah-based Fairways magazine."There is awesome golfing to acquire carried out and fabulous prices in Utah, even although the overall economy is dragging along using the environment may be the pits," he said. "Winter eventually has obtained to leave, [and] the golfing programs will in all probability be in awesome condition" merely because belonging in the direction of moisture.

We should give applause for Thursday's golf tournament

We should give applause for Thursday's golf tournament

How should we describe the golf tournament on Thursday?peaceful, beautiful, with spatters of polite applause for most of the day. Even as the afternoon slides by and the beverages start kicking in, a person is not going to go deaf from the noise.

On Sunday afternoon, yeah, when the birdies start flying it sounds like an Auburn-Alabama football game, but by then the stage has been set, sides have been chosen and it's show time. You get more body English, more glaring at the sky like Watson Talk About Tiger’s Swing somebody up there just coughed on your backswing, more tooth grinding, more sweat stains.As Thursdays go, though, about the only way to ruin this one at the Wells Fargo Championship was to rattle the ball around in the trees and rinse a couple in the pond and shoot something ugly enough to make you go ahead and book an early flight out of town tonight. The weather was designer blue and gold, the Quail Hollow Club course was showing off its charms and its muscles and, to make everybody feel at home, there were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the locker room.Still, you had PGA Tour veterans Chris DiMarco and Kevin Stadler shooting 80 and Arnold Palmer's grandson Sam Saunders, someone everybody could pull for, posted a 77. There's only so much peanut butter and jelly can do.One of Thursday's hot hands, former Wells Fargo champion David Toms, in with a 66, hasn't won since 2006. He's liking his game this week ("I played great today") and he's a fan of the course ("This is just a place I like") and that's always a good parlay.

Another former winner here, Vijay Singh, who has wrestled with his putting demons on and off, is looking for his first win since 2008 and got a running start on it with a 68.Padraig Harrington got in with a 69. He hasn't won since 2008, when he won two majors. He chatted with the media after the round and when a writer thanked him for his time, Harrington said, "Thanks for wanting me."Into that company of stars trying to battle back to prominence came Sergio Garcia, another whose putter has treated him badly. He has an impressive resume, but it doesn't list a win on the PGA Tour since 2008, when he won the Players Championship. He had 69 Thursday.

Star power McIlroy bring

Star power McIlroy bring

McIlroy won the Wells Fargo Championship last year, just before his 21st birthday. His final-round 62 was a course record. Now he’s back in Charlotte after shooting an 80 and blowing a four-shot lead during the final round at the Masters last month, a collapse some have compared to Greg Norman blowing a six-shot margin in 1996.

His week in Charlotte began Monday night with a soccer match that included several other golfers and PGA Tour caddies taking on a local team and losing by a score of 7-4. McIlroy said the golfers and caddies emerged without injury. McIlroy Brings Good Memories To Charlotte McIlroy's manager suffered a pulled hamstring, a circumstance the Irish golfer chuckled over while fielding questions about his mental state following the Masters debacle.Along with Martin Kaymer, the highest-ranked player in this week’s field at No. 2, McIlroy’s apperarance is a sign that tournament week is beginning to transition from the sleepy early-week start toward competition for the $6.5 million purse.Kaymer’s lone appearance in Charlotte came in 2009, when he tied for 11th place.At 26, Kaymer already has a major on his résumé (the 2010 PGA Championship) and was ranked No. 1 in the world earlier this year. (The current No. 1, Lee Westwood, isn’t playing at Quail Hollow this week.)“I wanted to come back last year (to Charlotte), but for some reason I didn’t,” he said. “It was two years ago when I came here. I really liked the golf course. It’s one of the best we play on the PGA Tour.”Praise for the Charlotte tournament and Quail Hollow Club have become par for the course during the event's nine-year run.For McIlroy, the familiar setting might also soothe any lingering remnants of his Augusta agony last month."I played nine holes yesterday and it's great to have some of the memories come back of last year," he said. "It's great to be back here and defend. It's one of the best courses we play all year, one of the best events. Just glad to be back here."

NCAA Championships Selected Men's Golf to compete

NCAA Championships Selected Men's Golf to compete

Arizona has previously hosted NCAA Regionals in 1992, 1994, 1999 and 2006 - all at Tucson National G.C. The University of Arizona will host the 2011 NCAA Regional, May 19-21, at Omni Tucson National Golf Course. The first stop of college golf's postseason, the NCAA Regional is a 54-hole event, which will be contested at Tucson National, TaylorMade R9 SuperTri-Top Drivers for Pro a par 72, 7,094-yard layout. Eighteen holes of stroke play will be played each day. Tucson National has hosted more than 30 PGA Tour events and was the longtime home of the Tucson Open and Chrysler Classic of Tucson. The field will be announced by the NCAA during the afternoon of Monday, May 9. A total of 13 teams and 10 individuals will make up the 75-man field. Tucson is one of six sites to host a regional, joining Erie, Colo.; Ocala, Fla.; Radford, Va.; Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; and Zionsville, Ind., as host sites. The top five finishing teams and one individual will advance to the 114th NCAA Championships, May 31-June 5, at Karsten Creek Golf Course in Stillwater, Okla.

The NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships committee announced its 2011 National Championships field on Monday afternoon and the Gustavus men’s golf team received an at-large bid to participate in the championships, which will take place May 10-13 at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, North Carolina.A total of 205 participants will compete at the 2011 championships. Twenty-eight conferences were awarded automatic qualification for the championships. Six teams were selected from Pool B, which consists of independent institutions, and institutions that are members of conferences that do not meet the requirements for automatic qualification. The final six berths were reserved for Pool C, which are institutions from automatic-qualifying conferences that are not the conference champion and any remaining Pool B teams.  Gustavus was a Pool C selection.

Westwood tightens grip on best place in world rankings

Westwood tightens grip on best place in world rankings

Lee Westwood won for that next straight day and that aided him strengthen his grip atop the newest world golfing rankings.Westwood's guide over No. two Martin Kaymer moved from 0.13 common factors to 0.67 common points. The best two experienced been unchanged from last day as experienced been the up coming three destinations with No. three Luke Donald once more put into practice by Phil Mickelson and Graeme McDowell. Rory McIlroy, The Golf Tips To Pitch Closer who will defend his name at Quail Hollow this week, and Tiger Woods exchanged areas with McIlroy as very much as sixth. Paul Casey and Steve Stricker remained eighth and ninth.Bubba Watson was a playoff winner in the Zurich traditional of New Orleans and that aided him bounce 6 destinations to No. 10. He knocked Matt Kuchar, Charl Schwartzel, Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk, Nick Watney and Ernie Els decrease just one place apiece.Adam Scott and Ian Poulter flip-flopped destinations with Scott inching as very much as 17th. Francesco Molinari and Hunter Mahan rounded out the best twenty once more this week.

They've experienced a bad time there for just about any even although but they appear to possess obtained it with one another once more now and we are back again acquiring an opportunity of profitable a place inside the Premiership."What a way which can be to finish off the season."Westwood finished forward of Jimenez who was inside the last pair and he watched the Spaniard hold out the last hole on television.He said: "I watched him hold out the last inside the 15th green. It's additional nerve-racking viewing than it is around playing, primarily because you possess a little of manage when you're around playing."But i understand now how my partner and youngsters really feel once they check out me at home on TV. It should be quite nerve-wracking for them.

"It's the kind of situation in which you don't need ill on somebody, especially Miguel primarily because we get on so well."I don't certainly need ill on him but over people last three holes I wasn't cheering for him to create a birdie either. I didn't need to go in to a play-off."We are all professional sportsmen and we need to win."

Sergio Has Long Road To US Open

Sergio Has Long Road To US Open

Garcia, coming off his worst season as a pro that required a 10-week break to become rejuvenated about golf, is not exempt for the U.S. Open at Congressional.As of Monday, the Spaniard had not signed up sectional qualifying — the deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesday — although his agent said he was going to enter. The 31-year-old still has time to avoid having to go through qualifying for the first time."I suspect he'll be top 50 by then," Clarke Jones of IMG said Tuesday morning.Garcia is No. 76 in the world, and has until May 23 to try to Sergio Has Long Way To US Open crack the top 50. If that fails, new criteria for the U.S. Open gives him until the week before the U.S. Open to get into the top 50.

He has played only six times this year — three times in Europe, three times on the PGA Tour — with his best result a tie for eighth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.Jones said Garcia would play the Wells Fargo Championship next week, followed by The Players Championship and at least one of the Texas tournaments."He's on his way back up," Jones said. "He is headed down the right path."Garcia, along with Anthony Kim and Tiger Woods, is a past champion at Congressional, which hosts the U.S. Open on June 16-19. He won the now-defunct Booz Allen Classic in 2005, closing with a 65 for a two-shot victory.Along with the U.S. Open, Garcia has a lot of ground to make up in other events. He already has missed two World Golf Championships (Arizona and Doral) and is not exempt for the third one at Firestone a week before the PGA Championship. And he is not exempt for the final two majors, although the PGA Championship tends to take the top 100 in the world.