Golf, by TourMiss

Darren Clarke confirmed he is considering withdrawing from next Tuesday’s Players Committee vote in Abu Dhabi to select the 2014 European Ryder Cup captain. The former British Open champion and Ireland’s Paul McGinley are the two nominations to replace Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal. Also interested in being appointed Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie, the victorious 2010 European Team captain. However after a good end to his 2012 season, including a best result in some 18 months by finishing eighth ...

Louis Oosthuizen holed a lengthy birdie putt at the final green to snatch a one shot lead and also earn himself an excavator on day two of the Volvo Champions event in Durban. The South African posted an eight under par 64 on a rain-softened Durban Country Club course to move to 12-under par and one shot clear of Scotland’s Scott Jamieson, who signed for a similar score and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (68) on 11-under par. Jaidee and Jamieson, who won last month’s Nelson Mandela Championship ...

If talk circulating the Durban Country Club is correct than Paul McGinley could be elected unopposed at next Tuesday’s 2014 Ryder Cup captaincy selection meeting. It was committee man Henrik Stenson who indicated:  “I would have thought Darren (Clarke) and Paul (McGinley) are the two nominees but there has been some information in the last couple of days that we might consider it differently so I still think it’s more open.” If so, that ‘information’ could relate ...

Volvo Champions competitors will be afforded police escorts from their hotels on Saturday to avoid any disruption caused as an expected 80,000 crowd gather in Durban to celebrate the 101st anniversary of the Africa National Congress (ANC).  South African President Jacob Zuma will address the crowd in the Kings Park Stadium located across the road from the Durban Country Club course.  The stadium is home to the Rugby Super 15 Natal Sharks and two playing fields beside the arena have been roped ...

Tiger Woods will commence his new season next week moving back to World No. 2 before he even plays a shot in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Woods is currently ranked No. 3 in the world behind World No. 1 Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald the current No. 2 ranked best player. However when the World Rankings are adjusted next Monday the 14-time Major winning Woods will find himself teeing up in the UAE capital as World No. 2. The last time the world’s top two ranked golfers met was in October’s ...

With opinion mounting in favour of Colin Montgomerie’s return to the Ryder Cup captaincy, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson is prepared to again leap to his feet in favour of the Scot at next week’s Ryder Cup captaincy selection meeting in Abu Dhabi. Three years ago it was Stenson who turned the Ryder Cup captaincy meeting around in Monty being awarded the 2010 Celtic Manor leadership role. Stenson, as a member of the Tournament Players Committee, pointed the finger at Monty and declared to the committee:  ...

Ireland’s Shane Lowry intends drawing on management stable mate Rory McIlroy’s enormous popularity to compete more in the States in 2013 should he break into the world’s top-50. The current No. 52 ranked Lowry took another step in achieving that goal carding a two under par 70 in cold and wet conditions on the first day of the Volvo Champions event in Durban. Lowry, who had five birdies in his round, needs only a decent finish along the Indian Ocean shoreline to break into the 50 and the ...