Golf, by TourMiss

Defending BMW PGA champion Luke Donald was this morning honoured with European Tour Life Membership. George O’Grady, CEO with the European Tour, presented the award to Donald in the Media Centre at Wentworth. The Englishman became the first player to head the money lists on both The European Tour and the US PGA Tour in the same season  – topping The Race to Dubai with record earnings of €5,323,400 – and reached World Number One for the first time, a position he held for the majority ...

Graeme McDowell’s Volvo World Match-Play scars have healed and he’s ready to get straight into the overtaking lane in this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. The Ryder Cup winning hero had the victory red carpet pulled right out from under him by Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts who claimed the biggest title of his career. But while McDowell looked totally rejected last Sunday he’s brimming with enthusiasm heading into this week’s Euro 7.5m flagship event. “Wentworth has a real big-time ...

Martin Laird has been measured for Ryder Cup attire but the Scot declared he’s not about be consumed by trying to qualify for the European Team. While qualifying began last September Laird gave away three months by not joining the European Tour to January. Laird soon kick-started his bid with second in the PGA Tour season-opening event in Hawaii and while he stalled for some three months the Colorado-based Scot shot to 20th on the points table on the back of his share of second in the Players Championship. Laird ...

Admittedly, it was around a fortnight ago but out flight from Funchal to Lisbon following the Madeira Islands Open was quite spectacular. Shortly after leaving Funchal we had a superb view of the island of Santo and seen clearly from the air was the Seve Ballesteros designed Porto Santo course that hosted the tournament from 2009 to 2011. Also the view coming into the Portuguese capital was superb. Hereunder is a selection of shots taken on route.   *Click on photos to enlarge. #gallery-1 ...

 Ernie Els is hoping further changes to this week’s BMW PGA Championship will dispel the complaints directed at him the past two years as the Wentworth West course re-designer. The double US Open winning was heavily criticized two years ago when changes were first introduced to the European Tour’s flagship venue. Then last year England’s Ian Poulter leveled more criticism at further Els work on the course declaring he was ‘absolutely headless’ after taking an 18th hole double bogey during ...

Jason Day heads into the final round of the HP Byron Nelson Classic looking for that balance in trying to win the event for a second time in three years and thoughts of changing diapers. The ultra-talented Aussie lies in a share of second place at eight under par and just a stroke behind newly-married Jason Duffner. Duffner is making ammends for losing out to Keegan Bradley in last August’s PGA Championship by placing himself in position to win on the PGA Tour for the second time in a month. Day ...

Padraig Harrington continues his BMW PGA love/hate relationship later this week not only staring at another fight with the famed ‘Burma Road’ but dropping outside the top-100 in the world for a first time in over 13 years. As well, Harrington flagging game continues to cause concern for Ryder Cup captain, Jose Maria Olazabal given the Dubliner’s lying well adrift away the leading 30 on the European Team qualifying table. The top-30 will this week face Ryder Cup clothing outfitters to ...