Golf, by TourMiss

Paul Lawrie is banking on a third Commercial Bank Qatar Masters success that would lead to a third Ryder Cup cap. Twice before in his career Lawrie’s started a New Year with victory in Doha and each of those years he’s won for a second time leading to European Ryder Cup selection. In 1999 Lawrie followed fellow Scot Andy Coltart in capturing the Qatar Masters and then went onto to win The Open to seal his play in what was a haplessly led Mark James team. Two years ago, Lawrie tamed a desert ...

European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley confessed he’s not God and can’t be expected to be looking every moment over the shoulder of the likes of Rory McIlroy as they strive to qualify for his Gleneagles side. Despite letting slip victory last Sunday in Abu Dhabi, McIlroy continues to rekindle the form that earned his team caps in the past two Ryder Cups. While McIlroy has remained at Number 7 in the world following his joint second place finish in Abu Dhabi, the effort has seen him jump to ...

Renowned Scottish caddy Dave Renwick confessed he could have lived with himself had he not pulled Rory McIlroy up on a rules infringement that effectively killed McIlroy’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship victory hopes. For a second time in three years McIlroy’s fallen foul of rules that’s seen the double Major winner have glory snatched from his grasp and again finish runner-up by a shot. Two years ago, Luke Donald picked McIlroy up on a rules infringement during the final round that saw McIlroy ...

Five-time Major winner Phil Mickelson agreed his on-course antics made him ‘Box Office’ material after sharing second place in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in the UAE capital. Mickelson was left paying a severe price for a bizarre incident on the 13th hole when, in playing a 4-iron right-handed, the current British Open champion had to call a penalty on himself when his second shot from under bushes ricocheted off a branch hit his club. It left the visiting American walking off ...

Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal upstaged his more-fancied rivals to shoot a final round final round 67 to end a near three-year winless drought to capture the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Larrazabal won by one shot with a 14-under par total on the National Course in the UAE capital. Rory McIlroy, who had incurred a two-stroke penalty a day earlier, shot a last round 68 to finish with a share of second place at 13-under par and tied with American Phil Mickelson (69). Mickelson was left counting the costs ...

Bizarrely, today’s two shot penalty incurred by double Major winning Rory McIlroy continues a trend in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. McIlroy found himself robbed of a final round last group match-up with Scotland’s Craig Lee and instead the 24-year old was removed from second place at 11-under par and will now start the fourth day tied in fourth place on nine under par and three behind Lee. Some years ago, fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington was disqualified when it came to light in ...

Double Major winning Rory McIlroy had labelled as ‘stupid’ a rule that saw him slapped with a two-shot penalty on day three of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. McIlroy was in a then share of second place on 10-under par after 17 holes, and tied with Phil Mickelson (63) and India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar (66), when he was approached on the 18th hole by Scotland-born Dave Renwick and the caddy to his playing partner to Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez, that he should not hand in his scorecard. Renwick, ...