Posts Tagged ‘scotland golf’

2009 Dunhill Links Championship

Monday, September 21st, 2009

The ninth annual Dunhill Links Championship, the UK’s premier pro-am golf tournament will take place from October 1 – 4. As usual, the tournament will be played on three of Scotland’s top links courses, The Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, with the final round being played on the Old Course. In 2001 the inaugural Dunhill Links Championship was played as a celebration of links golf and this is still the essence of the tournament to this day. The combination of The Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns surely incorporates all the splendid qualities of links golf. With the rich history of The Old Course and Carnoustie along with the splendid views at the newer links at Kingsbarns, it is hard to imagine a stronger mix of links golf in the entire world. The magnificent trio will once again stand to be a true and fair test of golf.

Past Open Champions Padraig Harrington (2007 Carnoustie, 2008 Royal Birkdale) and Ernie Els (2002 Muirfield) head a talented list of professionals who will be competing for the five million dollar purse. Other professionals in the strong international field will include past Dunhill Links Champions Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie along with rising star Rory Mcllroy and tour veterans Darren Clarke and Jose Maria Olazabal.

Along with the individual professional tournament, there is also a team competition in which the tour pros are paired with some of the world’s most celebrated amateurs. In 2001 and 2006 Padraig Harrington won both competitions! Celebrity amateurs entered into this year’s tournament include actors Samuel L Jackson and Hugh Grant, professional athletes Wladimir Klitschko and Marcus Allen, and musicians Huey Lewis and Tico Torres. With free entrance for the first three rounds, this rare combination of pro golfers and celebrities provides local fans with a unique opportunity to walk alongside and interact with their idols.

“Why they play the game”: 91st PGA Championship

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

To most “experts” and casual fans alike, it was a foregone conclusion Tiger Woods would win his 15th major championship (5th PGA Championship) this past Sunday at the beautiful links of Hazeltine Country Club in Chaska Minnesota.

Why even watch? Tiger would surely hold on to his lead, and his competitors would surely wilt under the relentless pressure and mystique Tiger has cast upon the PGA Tour. Sure, Tiger may come up with some fantastic shots during the big pressure moments, but doesn’t this get a little boring? Certainly no need to remove yourself from your cherished mid-summer activities, just turn on ESPN or The Golf Channel before work on Monday morning and watch Tiger’s recent highlight reel. After all, Tiger was a perfect 14 for 14 when holding or sharing the lead going into the final round of a major championship.

Well, it is a good thing the engraver of the Wanamaker Trophy stuck around to see the results of the final round of the PGA Championship. And, if you were fortunate enough to trade your day at the beach for an afternoon of being a couch potato you may have witnessed one of the greatest upsets in recent sporting history, thanks to Y.E. Yang’s gutsy and ice cool performance. If only our good friend Tom Watson could have pulled off a similar and equally stunning upset, at Turnberry Ailsa last month during the 138th Open Championship in Scotland. However, we still expect another strong performance by Watson in 2010 at the Old Course, in St. Andrews.

Yang Yong-eun, known in the United States as Y. E. Yang, not only put an end to Tiger’s 14 for 14 streak. He also became the first Asian born player to win a major championship. Ironically, Y. E. Yang was able to turn the tables on Tiger by making “Tiger-like” shots with a “Tiger-like” demeanor. Chipping in for eagle on the short par 4 14th and ultimately ending the tournament with a heroic approach on the final hole. Equally impressive was the true sportsmanship and class displayed in defeat by the great champion Tiger Woods. Odds makers, analysts, experts and just about everyone gave no one a chance of passing Tiger in the final round, let alone the 110th ranked player in the world. But, that is “why they play the game”.

British Open Underway at Turnberry

Thursday, July 16th, 2009
Turnberry Ailsa - 11th Hole

Turnberry Ailsa - 11th Hole

The 138th Open has started today at the Turnberry Resort on Scotland’s west coast.  The build-up and ‘Phoney War’ of the past few days (during which more media attention seems to have concentrated on the tiff between former champion Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie than the forthcoming championship) is now past and the ‘serious’ business has begun.

The fabulous Ailsa Course (Par 70, 7200 yards) is ready to test the world’s best players, and find out their weaknesses.  Arguably the most scenically-stunning layout of the Open rota, the course now has many more teeth – in the form of additional fairway and greenside bunkering as well as more length.  The 16th has undergone the most radical changes of all – a previously straight hole is now a left-to-right dogleg, making Wilson’s Burn in front of the green a greater lateral hazard than before.  Expect this hole to dish out a lot of punishment!

A warm, wet Spring and early Summer has also ensured that the rough is high and fierce.  Doug Sander’s comment during the 1966 Open at Muirfield:  “give me the hay concession and you can keep the prize-money” comes to mind.  If the wind blows at all there will be lost balls and tears before bedtime for a few players!

The economy is not holding back Trump

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

According to The Herald, Scotland’s leading quality daily newspaper, Donald Trump is moving full steam ahead on his Aberdeenshire golfing project.  Although Donald Trump is working through some bankruptcy issues and since resigned as chairman of his former company, Trump Entertainment Resorts, he is not stopping his work on the Scotland development.  This new project, called Balmedie Golf Resort, will consist of two 18-hole championship courses, 450-bedroom five-star hotel, along with numerous holiday apartments, villas, and private homes.  Trump feels confident that his new Scotland project will someday host the Open Championship; a bold & aggressive statement in our opinion, when Great Britain has numerous and historic golfing venues ripe for their first Open.

Trump’s spokesman’s on the project, George Sorial, advises that given the strong US Dollar (as compared to the Pound Sterling), now is the time to move ahead.  As stated by Sorial, “Contracts that were costing us a million dollars a year ago are now costing us $650,000. So we are taking advantage of the exchange rate and the availability of labour. For us it is full speed ahead.”

Adventures In Golf will be certain to update our readers on this project as more information is released.