Golf, by TourMiss

Houston, TX … “Houston, we have a problem” with the Masters preparations of Augusta National former champions, Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott along with Open Champion Henrik Stenson askew with all three missing the cut in the Shell Houston Open. Scott and Spieth, winners at Augusta in 2013 and 2015 respectively, shot rounds of five over par 77s while Stenson jumped straight on the mobile phone to his wife trying to work out his best weekend option in posting a score of 75. Texas-born ...

Houston, TX … England’s top-ranked Justin Rose says he’s short game and putting is so good he’s quietly confident of seeing the St. George flag raised at Augusta National for a second year running. Rose fought back from a horror mid-round two-hole collapse when he dropped three shots to birdie three of his closing seven holes in a round of 71 to stay inside the top-10 at six under par on day two of the Shell Houston Open. The Rio Gold medal winning Rose also saw off any challenge ...

Houston, TX … Spanish rookie sensation Jon Rahm is heading next week to his maiden Masters appearance inspired by memories of two of the greats of Spanish golf – the late Seve Ballasertos and double Masters winning Jose Maria Olazabal. Rahm qualified for the Masters in brilliantly eagling the final hole to capture the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Then after finishing top-5 in the WGC – Mexico Championship the 22-year old battled World No. 1 Dustin Johnson all the way ...

Houston, TX … Rickie Fowler stormed his way to a lowest ever Shell Houston Open round and a one shot lead on the opening day of the event at the Golf Club of Houston. Fowler didn’t drop a shot in racing to five under par through seven holes and then picked up three back nine birdies in an eight under par 64. It handed the American firstly a four shot lunchtime lead before South Korean Sang Kang carded a seven under par 65. Fowler’s eight birdies is the most in any round this season ...

Houston, TX … Tiger Woods could be very well be competing next week at the Masters with confirmation he will front the Augusta National media at 1pm next Tuesday (US time. If so, it will be the first occasion since 2015 Woods will tee-up on the Georgia golfing gem, and also on the 20th anniversary in winning by 12 shots the first of four Masters green jackets. Woods has not competed since limping off with a horror score of 77 on day one in January’s Dubai Desert Classic and then withdrawing ...

Houston, TX … In a big lift heading into next week’s Masters the European-born trio of Thomas Pieters, Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood have been officially confirmed with ‘Special Temporary Membership’ for the remainder of the 2016-17 PGA Tour Season. The trio have qualified by virtue of earning more FedEx Cup points in their limited number of appearances than the player ranked No. 150 on last year’s 2015/16 FedEx Cup standings. In Pieter’s six PGA Tour starts ...

Austin, TX … Dustin Johnson’s odds in capturing a first Masters continue to shorten considerably after claiming a third victory in succession with his triumph at the WGC – Dell Match-Play Championship in Austin, Texas. The World No. 1 was for much of the match in a class of his own before holding off a late round fightback to win 1-up over Spain’s gritty Jon Rahm. In the process, Johnson became the first player since the inaugural World Golf Championship in 1999 to win all four WGC titles ...