Golf, by TourMiss

Martin Laird could not have received a better omen as he now strives to become the first player in 25 years to win both the week before the Masters and also succeed at Augusta National. The new Valero Texas Open champion was among 24 players, caddies and team managers flown by sponsors on three private jets on Sunday night direct from San Antonio, Texas and touching down at around 11pm local time in Augusta, Georgia. However Laird had nowhere to stay so his management company Hambric Sports organised ...

Former Open Champion Darren Clarke has been forced to withdraw from the Masters through injury. The 2011 Open champion pulled a hamstring more than a week ago during holiday on The Bahamas island of Abaco that forced him out of last week’s Valero Texas Open and now the Masters. “It is with deep regret that I will not be able to play at Augusta this year,” said Clarke from the Caribbean Island. “Playing in The Masters is one of golf’s greatest pleasures and I am very disappointed to ...

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy didn’t get to slip on the winning Valero Texas Open cowboy boots but he’s now ready to slip into an Augusta National green jacket. Even though McIlroy didn’t in San Antonio it seems that everytime he’s questioned he responds, as we reported earlier this week, in the best way possible. McIlroy posted a final round 66 to finish in second place on 12 under and two shots behind Scotland’s Martin Laird. It is McIlroy’s best finish all season ...

  MARTIN LAIRD CAPTURES 2013 VALERO TEXAS OPEN – NOTES Scotland’s Martin Laird earns his third career PGA TOUR victory at the age of 30 years, 3 months and nine days in his 134th career start on TOUR. He previously won the 2009 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational. With his win, Laird moves inside the top-20 in the FedExCup standings to No. 18. In the midst of what had been a challenging season, this week’s Valero Texas Open marks Martin Laird’s ...

Martin Laird is heading to this week’s Masters in stunning form after ending a two-year winless drought in capturing the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio. The Scot carded a blistering final round 63 to deny World No. 2 Rory McIlroy the Texas title by two shots with a 14-under par tally in bright but windy conditions on the TPC San Antonio course. McIlroy did his best to counter Laird’s challenge and could be pleased with his best result all season after finishing with a 66 for a 12-under ...

Padraig Harrington has not ruled out ending a five-year winless drought with victory in the Valero Texas Open. Despite a disappointing bogey at the last, the triple Major winner ended his round five shots behind American Billy Horschell who carded a third round 70 to move to 10-under par. Fellow Americans Jim Furyk (69) and Charley Hoffman (70) are tied in second place on eight under par with three players, including World No. 2 Rory McIlroy (71) lying fourth and only four behind. Horschell continues ...

Rory McIlroy’s girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki will caddy for the double Major winner in Wednesday’s Par Three Contest on the eve of the Masters. It will be the first time the former No. 1 Danish-born tennis ace will be present at a Major to support her past World No. 1 ranked golfer. But just weeks after launching a designer line of underwear, Wozniacki will have to don a pair of very unfashionable Augusta National white overalls for the nine hole experience. “It’s taken a lot of encouraging ...