Golf, by TourMiss

Tiger Woods now looms large after moving well into contention to win for a second straight time after two rounds of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The visiting American recorded five birdies in a round of 69 to move into a share of fourth place at five under and only two from the lead. Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen (67) and competing in Abu Dhabi for a first time heads the field by a stroke at seven under par. Northern Ireland’s Gareth Maybin, who has not dropped a shot in two rounds, carded ...

One of the shocks of this year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship was Germany’s Martin Kaymer missing the halfway cut with rounds of 77 and 73 for a six over par tally. Kaymer is a three-time former Abu Dhabi HSBC champion (2008, 2010 and 2011) and his scores are the highest in 20 rounds of the National Club course. The former European No. 1 and U.S. PGA winner got to one under par after nine holes on day one but stumbled under the weight of 11th hole bogey and 12th hole double bogey. It ...

Rory McIlroy scored a first-up ‘Star Wars’ points victory over Tiger Woods on day one of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. McIlroy outplayed the former long-time World No. 1 Woods by three strokes with a five under par 67 to Woods’ 70 on the National Club course in the UAE. It sent McIlroy to the top of the board and tied with Sweden’s Robert Karlsson at five under par. It’s only the second time in tournament play the duo have played alongside each other with McIlroy and Woods now all square ...

Spain’s Sergio Garcia became the fourth player this year to record a hole-in-one when he aced the par three, 12th hole during the opening round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Garcia’s 7-iron shot from 193 yards landed just short and to the right of the flag before rolling some four feet into the hole. The Spaniard was congratulated by playing partners Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood before delving into his bag for a ‘Nutella’ sandwich. His prize is a three-night stay ...

Popular French golfer, Jean Van de Velde has been appointed Tournament Director of the French Open. Van de Velde will work on the sponsor’s and organising side of the event.  The 45-year old has won four times in his pro career including twice in the European Tour however he will always be known as the player who lost the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie. However despite this, Van de Velde’s appointment is a welcome move. “It is a smart decision by the organisers of the French Open to ...

Six years ago Rory McIlroy borrowed an official photographer’s long lens to walk inside the ropes so he could get close to boyhood idol Tiger Woods. In a scenario highlighting McIlroy’s current stature in the game, the reigning U.S. Open champion found himself sharing the same stage as Woods in a promotional photo shoot ahead of this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.  McIlroy and Woods later played a nine-hole practice round together over the inward half of this week’s National Club course ...

Injury plagued French golfer Thomas Levet will be sidelined for at least a month after breaking his ribs following a freak accident during last week’s Volvo Champions event in South Africa. Levet slipped while walking down a staircase from the Fancourt 11th tee during the third round of the event recording an 82 ahead of a final round 76 to finish well down the field with a 20-over par tally. It was not to Tuesday and on arrival in the UAE when Levet underwent an x-ray at an Abu Dhabi hospital ...