Golf, by TourMiss

In a huge blow for organsiers defending Australian Open champion Matt Jones will not defend his Emirates Australian Open title. Jones reluctantly informed organisers of his decision Tuesday when his chase to retain full playing rights on the US PGA Tour became his priority. The 36-year-old finished 126th on the main tour’s money list last season, agonisingly leaving him one spot outside those who automatically retain their full card. Jones tried in vain to regain that luxury during the Web.com ...

Graeme McDowell reckons after one of the worst seasons of his career he longs for the day his two children will be able to run onto a final green in celebration of future success. McDowell finds himself in Mexico for this week’s defence of the PGA Tour Mayakoba Classic and his only victory since successfully defending the 2014 French Open. But after easily missing out on European Ryder Cup selection, McDowell bounced back to some in finishing 4th in the recent British Masters. McDowell had finished ...

Future Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington has labelled as ‘silly’ suggestions by Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood the European Tour drop its mandatory Tour membership requirement that would have seen the likes of Paul Casey compete at Hazeltine McIlroy and Westwood are on record as saying changes should be made to the selection process and with European Tour CEO, Keith Pelley hinting the matter will be up for discussion before Christmas when the 2018 European Team Captain is appointed. Harrington, ...

Masters Champion Danny Willett has dropped outside the top-10 on the World Rankings for a first time since winning at Augusta and confessing an end-of-season downturn in his game could not have come at a worst time. The 29-year old Willett has enjoyed just two top-10s since being fitted last April with the famed Augusta National members green jacket. Willett’s frustration boiled over last Sunday after finishing in a distant share of 68th place in the Turkish Airlines Open at Belek in Turkey. Two ...

THORBJORN OLESEN – WITH HIS 2016 TURKISH AIRLINES VICTORY * His fourth European Tour International Schedule victory in his 159th official European Tour event. * Moves to 1,751,589 points in the Race to Dubai and takes his career earnings to Euro 7, 077, 613 since his first Tour event in 2009 * His first victory since the 2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. * This victory beats his previous best 2016 performances of tied second in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and BMW International Open. * ...

Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen overcame seeing a seven-shot lead reduced to just one mid-round before holding on to capture a Euro 1m first prize cheque and become Europe’s newest Euro 7m man following victory in the Turkish Airlines Open at Belek. Olesen, 26 eventually won by three strokes with a round of 69 for a 20-under par tally on the Regnun Carya course. It is Olesen’s fourth European Tour success and has taken his career earnings through the Euro 7m barrier in his seventh season on ...

Europe’s biggest Ryder Cup defeat in 35-years could lead to a new qualifying process ahead of the 2018 biennial showdown in Paris. Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood were very critical post their Hazeltine defeat and particularly a process where the very in-form Paul Casey, and despite not being a member of the European Tour, was excluded from selection. In fact, McIlroy went so far to say not having Ca sey, and who McIlroy had beaten into second place at the Deutsche Bank Championship, ‘definitely ...