We will strive to bring you the latest news, updates, and gossip from around the golfing globe and commentary from our resident experts here at Australian Golf Addict.
Caddie Carnage Continues.
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| RA reacts to another poor yardage call |
Robert " Caddie Killer " Allenby has struck again, firing his latest caddie Steve Potts, Via text message.
Scott Wins World Golf Championship ( Williams takes the Accolades)
Adam Scott has won the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational. Scott played a flawless final round of golf to secure the championship, finishing at 17 under the card. On completion of his round, Scott's caddy and New Zealand's greatest living sportsman, Steve Williams, took charge of the media throng chairing several interviews from various channels. He proudly gushed that the win was " the best week of my life. I have been caddying for 33 years, 145 wins, and that's the best win I've ever had," said Williams, who also called it his "most satisfying win" and then added "I sort of believe in destiny sometimes". Various former players and sports stars have taken to Twitter to point out to New Zealand's greatest living sportsman that it was in fact Scott that won the tournament, and that Williams merely trudged around the course with a bag over his shoulder, with little effect. US LPGA player Christina Kim put it as gently as possible stating “Greatest week of my life.” he says, "Good job congratulating Adam, who actually hit the shots, you knob."......
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| Adam Scott Congratulates Steve Williams |
Scott and Day fire at Firestone
Jason Day and Adam Scott set firestone alight today with rounds of 63 and 62 respectively. Day played a bogey free round, in what he described as "boring golf " to be one shot off the lead. While Scott, with his new Caddie in tow and broomstick putter firing, set a cracking pace to be in the outright lead after the first round. Stuart Applelby struggled coming in at 73, and in equal 64th position.
Tiger confirmed for Oz Open.
Tiger Woods has signed on the dotted line to play the Australian Open at the Lakes course in Sydney this November. In a big win for Golf Australia and Sydney cocktail waitresses, Woods will jet in to play alongside big name signings Geoff Ogilvy, Greg Norman, Jason Day, Bubba Watson, and Adam Scott. No Doubt his every move will be scrutinized which may restruct his movements off the course.
Rory Goes to War on Twitter
Rory McIlroy has courted more controvery at the Irish Open overnight, having a running battle with Golf Commentator Jay Townsend. McIlroy's ire was spiked when Townsend tweeted that his course management was "shocking, and some of the worst I have ever seen beyond an under 10 boys competition."
McIlroy's response was that Townsend should " shut up", as he was "a failed golfer and only a commentator", and " His opinion meant nothing" Following the exchange, McIlroy has now blocked him on Twitter, happy that he cant be subjected to anymore hurtful comments. It is unknown if The Irishman's new girlfriend The C Woz has joined him at the open.
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| Rory's New Squeeze |
Apples Needs a Reprise.
Apples Needs a Reprise.
Stuart Appleby returns to West Virginia this week hoping to recapture some of the form that saw him shoot a 59 in the final round of the Greenbrier classic to seal victory. Apples is having a shocking stretch of form in the last year, making one cut from his last 12 starts, and lays the blame squarely on himself. Lets hope the Australian can replicate the form that saw him become one of only 5 players to ever shoot a sub 60 round.
Tiger Dumps Williams.
Tiger Woods has fired New Zealand's greatest living sportsman Steve "crowd control" Williams. Williams, who carried the bag for the world's premier golfer and rooter for a number of years, may now be consigned to giving putting advice to Adam Scott on a full time basis. Williams, best known for his obnoxious on course management of paying patrons, seemed shocked and disappointed by the news. He claimed to have waited, without an income, for Tiger to recover for months, likening himself to that of an old greying Labrador in terms of loyalty for his former boss. Williams's firing, with little or no notice, or thanks for the years of turning a blind eye to the revolving door of cocktail skanks at golf tournaments, comes as a slap in the face for him, and all golf loving Kiwi's globally.
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| Wood's and Williams the Dream is over |
July 27th
Rory Dating Wozniacki.
Rory McIlroy has capitalized on his new found fame by dumping childhood sweetheart Holley Sweeney, and is now reportedly dating Tennis superbabe Caroline Wozniacki. The Golf star and the tennis glamour met on a flight across the Atlantic, the relationship blossoming over Twitter with Wozniacki Tweeting " Just met Rory McIlroy, such a down to earth guy, great flight!" Sweeney has packed her meagre possessions and moved out of his Belfast mansion while McIlroy scrambles to get a new grass court installed. (watch this space)
July 15th, 2011 -
Bjorn Leads British Open - Thomas Bjorn of Denmark leads the first round of the British Open after carding an opening round of 65. John Daly look alike Kurt Barnes leads the Aussie charge after carding a two under 68. Barnes a 30 year old from Mussellbrook caught the attention of spectators after walking on to the course in hot pink and black striped pants. Putting sensation Adam Scott remains in striking distance after carding a one under 69, along with Robert Allenby. Jason Day shot a 71 and seemed content with his score given his inexperience on links style courses. Aaron Baddeley, who has missed the cut in his last five starts appears to be spending the weekend in church after shooting an opening round of 77.
July 13th, 2011
Watson Backs Day for The British Open - Tom Watson has thrown his weight behind Aussie Jason Day to win at the British Open starting on Thursday. Watson, a five time British Open champion described Day's chances as "looking like he was going to be there" Watson who knows how to play links courses in the wind better than most was full of praise for the young Aussie, stating " He looks like he has a good head on his shoulders, he hasn't won majors yet, but has come awfully close." Watson's domination of the claret jug makes him as good a judge as any on who is best placed to win the championship. The key to victory being " the ability to deal with the pressure of leading. You've got to be thrown into the ocean with no life preserver, no psychiatrist can teach you that" we wholeheartedly agree.
June 27th, 2011
Sergio surges into The Open Championship - Sergio Garcia entered the BMW Open in Munich needing a miracle to qualify for the Open Championship held at Royal St Georges in July.
The Spanish hope was well outside the money list needed to qualify, and with one last chance, he took on a strong field in Munich over the weekend (a field that included big name's such as: Martin Kaymer and Dustin Johnson). The scene was set; Sergio needed a top 3, stand alone finish to regain his rightful place at the upcoming epic event. Like a Matador waiting for the opportune moment, it was on the last day, that he made his move. With two eagles in nine holes, Sergio moved into outright lead with only 7 holes remaining. The charging bull then turned into a great white shark as he crumbled with three consecutive bogeys...but somehow he was still in contention as he strolled down the last. On the mid-length par 5, Sergio needed an eagle to win, birdie to force a playoff with his compatriot and more importantly, a par to take outright second place. A birdie was all he could muster and the inevitable playoff ensued, where Sergio eventually lost out and was relegated to second.
A win would have been nice, but the viewer could tell that Sergio's surge into The Open meant so much more. He gladly would give up this victory for a shot at the big one. As an added bonus, the huge pay day dropped his world ranking back inside the top 50 in the world. We await with interest as this result could mark the return of one of golfs most likable characters. Is Sergio on the comeback trail? Bogey Golfer hopes so!
June 22nd, 2011
Congratulations Rory...You are the new Golf Superstar! - Rory McIlroy, the 22 year old from Northern Ireland, has become golf’s latest superstar.Recently re-signing sponsorship deals worth a reported £6.2 million, with sunglasses brand Oakley, golf equipment manufacturer Titleist and the Dubai-based luxury hotel chain Jumeirah (a deal which is expected to double following his historic win).
There are so many parallels between his upbringing and Tiger Woods’s. A child prodigy who could drive the ball 40 yards at age 2, and had his first hole in one at age nine. His parents sacrificed everything to give their son a chance at greatness, working up to 100 hour weeks, in a factory and bars, even cleaning toilets, to pay for his coaching when he showed real ability in the lucrative sport. Rory’s success has already bought him a new six-bedroom house 20 minutes outside Belfast, complete with an annex for his parents, a golf complex with a driving range, greens and bunkers, and an Audi A8 in the garage.
McIlroy’s similarities to Woods are as apparent as the differences however. A genuinely nice guy, liked by his peers, open and polite with the media, and truly grounded. Hopefully he has learned from Tiger’s mistakes, because the sport needs him!
June 17th, 2011
McIlroy takes early lead in US Open - Irish Young Gun Rory McIlroy has shot a flawless six under 65 to take the early lead in the US Open. The 22 year old carded a bogey free round, and took charge of the leaderboard late in the day with 6 birdies. McIlroy, who hails from Dublin, is looking to put the misery of the US Masters behind him where he had a "Norman like" meltdown in the final round destroying his chances of victory.
Anasta is on the ball - Rugby League great Braith Anasta continues to turn heads on the golf course, winning the A grade event at St Michael's on the weekend, shooting a sub par round of 1 under. Anasta's handicap has moved from 6 to scratch in under 3 months, and he is refusing to rule out turning pro when he's done with League. "It's definitely something I'd consider at the end of footy, if my body was still in good shape", Anasta said. Rumour has it Anasta has been granted leave from the Roosters to contest the NSW Open in the coming weeks, and may also be engaged to reformed party girl / bikie associate, Jodi Gordon.
Scott borrows Tiger's Bag man - Adam Scott goes into this week's US Open with a new weapon, Steve Williams, Tiger Woods's long term caddie on his bag. Scott was quick to rule out using Williams on a permanent basis stating, "He's Tiger's guy, and that's the way it is. We've had some good discussions on course management, and I've got to make the most of him this week". It's unknown if the two discussed crowd management, which seems to be Williams's forte, the outspoken kiwi spending more time yelling at the punters in tournaments than the official marshalls.
Should Fred Couples select Tiger Woods in his President's Cup team? - 70% of Australian Golf Addict readers say 'yes' despite his recent two year form slump!
Tiger remains on Top - Tiger Woods has seen his annual earnings plunge a staggering $US50 million over the past two years, yet he still remained atop the Top 50 top sportsman earner list with $US75 million over the past 12 months, where he outpaced NBA star Kobe Bryant, the runner-up at $US53 million. Half of Woods income has been traced to his sponsorship with Nike and EA, estimated at US $25 million.
June 2nd
Tiger to Play Australian Open - Tiger Woods has signed to play this year's Australian Open at The Lakes. In a massive boost for the tournament, Wood's signature will be the icing on the cake for organizers, in an already star studded field. Big hitting seppo golfer's Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson have also signed to play, along with US Masters runner up Jason Day, Greg Norman, and Fred Couples. Bogey Golfer looks forward to seeing Woods in the dark corners of the Ivy Bar that week.
May 30th
May 27th
Will Tiger be selected for the President's Cup? - The Presidents cup will be held in Melbourne this year, and there is a very real chance, the tournaments biggest draw card, Tiger Woods, may not be selected to play. With the top 10 money earners gaining an automatic selection, and Tiger’s ranking and earnings steadily declining, the question needs to be asked, does he deserve selection? The tournament organizers would be hoping that Fred Couples takes the risk and selects Tiger, their main issue being, gate takings, ratings and sponsors dollars. No doubt the cocktail waitresses at Crown will be getting mentally prepared as well, the moment Wood’s Gulf Stream taxi’s into Tullamarine.
May 27th
Tiger Ready for US Open - Tiger Woods was taking no chances yesterday, using crutches and a protective boot on his left leg in a promotional appearance but said he expects to play the US Open.
Apples suffers final round meltdown - Stuart Appleby will need some time to forget one of the worst, most expensive final-round meltdowns of his long professional golf career. Four birdies on the front nine helped take the Australian within one stroke of the leaders - eventual winner David Toms and runner up Charlie Wi. On the back nine, he had a Shark like meltdown and scored bogey, bogey, triple bogey, par, bogey, bogey, bogey. In true Apples style he stated, "you can just sum it up as one of those days".
May 23rd
Poulter Downs Donaldson - Ian Poulter produced a battling display to defeat Luke Donald 2 and 1 in the final of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Casares, Spain, on Sunday. In a match opposing two Englishmen and European Ryder Cup stars, Poulter fell behind early and at times was clinging on grimly, but he finished the stronger as Donald saw his normally reliable putting touch desert him. Donald's loss made even the more sour as he would have claimed the No 1 ranking. Poulters questionable pants may have been partially to blame for the distraction.
Webb Creamed by Creamer - NEW JERSEY: Karrie Webb bowed out of the $US1.5 million ($1.4m) LPGA Match Play Championship after a narrow second-round loss to American heavyweight Paula Creamer on Friday.
May 20th
Woods Star Power Remains Strong - Despite dropping out of the top 10 in world golf for the first time in 14 years, Tiger Woods remains a superstar. According to Forbes magazine, he continues to be the biggest sports celebrity in the world. He was rated at No.6 on its annual 'Celebrity 100' list titled "The most powerful people in the entertainment business." Woods is the highest ranked athlete on the Forbes list, sitting ahead of NBA star LeBron James (10th), tennis legend Roger Federer (25th) and soccer icon David Beckham (tied for No.35). Incidentally, Forbes have not released a list of top 100 celebrity ego's, if this were the case, we have no doubt Woods would have come in at No 1.
Adam Scott buys Gulf Stream - Australia's best looking golfer Adam Scott has apparently shunned commercial airlines and purchased a Gulfstream G450. Scott who receives a reported $8 million a year in endorsements alone claims the Gulfstream not only saves heaps of time, but has made a massive difference to his golf performance. Ahhmm, clearly the G450 doesn't have putting practice facilities! The Gulfstream was recommended to him by Greg Norman, who has "been a Gulfstream guy " since the early 90's. No word on if The Shark has been talking boats with Scott.
Australian golfer Adam Scott has split with long-time caddie Tony Navarro - Navarro, who caddied for Greg Norman before joining Scott in 2004, was relieved of his duties following last week's Players Championship in Florida.
Falling Tiger - Tiger Woods will fall out of the top 10 in the world rankings next week, ending an amazing streak of being in the top 10 in the world for 14 consecutive years. Woods' last win was 18 months ago at the 2009 Australian Masters in Melbourne (A tournament where Australian Golf Addict's very own celebrity golf reviewer, Bogey Golfer, was in attendance - offering the impressive TW advice on his way to the win). Tiger started this year at No.2 and has been steadily dropping points.
May 18th
France awarded 2018 Ryder Cup - France won the right to host the 2018 Ryder Cup on Tuesday, triumphing despite emotional appeals for the event to be awarded to Spain in tribute to Seve Ballesteros. France's bid, which centres on Le Golf National course outside Paris, successfully beat out rival bids from venues in Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands and Spain.
May 17th 2011
Tiger Likely for US Open - Tiger Woods expects to play in next month's US Open despite nagging left knee pain that forced him out of last week's Players Championship and has him doubtful for the Memorial in two weeks."Bummed that my left leg has me on the sidelines, but I want, and expect, to be at the US Open. Will do all I can to get there," Woods posted on his Twitter site on Monday.
Woods mentioned little about his latest squeeze, rumoured to be a 17 year old Brazilian nightclub door girl.
Norman's Course Record Remains Intact at Sawgrass - Greg Norman's first-round record nine-under-par 63 at the US PGA Tour Players Championship remains intact despite American Nick Watney giving it an almighty shake at TPC Sawgrass.Watney leads after carding an eagle and nine birdies on day one in Florida but a bogey on the eighth and double bogey on the 14th gave him an eight-under 64, leaving Norman's 1994 in the history books.
Golf Great Who Learnt to Play on the Beach Dies at 54 - EUROPE'S most successful golfer Severiano Ballesteros has died after a three-year battle with brain cancer. He was 54. Known as Seve, the Spaniard won three British Opens and two US Masters, amassed 87 titles worldwide, including a record 45 on the European Tour, and earned $7.6 million in prize money.
May 16th 2011
Choi wins PGA Championship - South Korean K.J. Choi has captured the US PGA Players Championship in a play-off on the famous par three island green at TPC Sawgrass over veteran American David Toms. Australian Aaron Baddeley was three shots off the lead at the start of the final round. An early bogey on the third destroyed any hope Baddeley had of victory.
The Aussie known as "dresses" and "badds.com" has reinvented his swing, and even grown his hair, but the results haven't come. On the topic of Badds, the Aussie golfer seems to have toned down his religious rhetoric of late. Although, its been a while since he's won and been able to inflict a sermon from the podium...watch this space.
