Golf, by TourMiss

Double Major winning Rory McIlroy will get to test his game ahead of next week’s Masters alongside American Dustin Johnson and England’s former fellow No.1 Luke Donald for the opening two rounds of the Shell Houston Open. The trio is one of many star three balls featuring over the first two days of competition on the Redstone course. Immediately behind McIlroy’s group is the three ball of Joran Speith, Sergio Garcia and Steve Stricker with the threesome of Lee Westwood, Y E Yang ...

Fellow Masters Champion Trevor Immelman says the withdrawal of Tiger Woods through injury will rob this year’s Masters of its mystique and fanfare. Immelman became the second South African to win at Augusta National in capturing the 2008 Masters shooting a final round 75 to win by three shots from Woods. And while Immelman has struggled to again reach those dizzy heights the 34-year old says the 2014 Masters won’t be the same without the 14-time Major winning Woods. “Tiger’s ...

Japan TV ratings will surely plummet further if golfing heart throb Ryo Ishikawa does not qualify for next week’s Masters. News of 14-time Major winning Tiger Woods withdrawing from his first Masters since 1995 will surely hurt worldwide coverage of the season’s first Major and viewing audience in golf-mad Japan will dip lower if the 22-year old Ishikawa doesn’t win this week’s Shell Houston Open and the final automatic invitation into the Masters. At this stage there is just ...

Steve Stricker and one of Tiger Woods closest friends first thought it was a cruel April Fool’s Day joke, when informed the 14-time Major winner has withdrawn from next week’s Masters due to injury. Woods advised Augusta National officials he has undergone surgery for a pinched nerve. “After attempting to get ready for the Masters, and failing to make the necessary progress, I decided, in consultation with my doctors, to have this procedure done,” Woods said in a statement. “I’d like ...

Five-time Major Champion Phil Mickelson remains in serious doubt for this week’s Shell Houston Open and also next week’s Masters. Mickelson is entered in the opening two round draw from the $US 6.2m Houston event starting Thursday on the Redstone Course in suburban Humble. However the current World No. 5 advised officials today (TUES) he would not be available to compete in Wednesday’s Pro-Am. The news comes soon after World No. 1 Tiger Woods shocked the golf world in announcing ...

Three-time Augusta National champion Tiger Woods will miss his first Masters since 1995 after announcing he recently underwent surgery for a pinched nerve. The withdrawal of the World No. 1 and favourite for the season’s first Major Championship is a huge blow for golf fans around the globe along with Masters officials and the host CBS  TV network. “After attempting to get ready for the Masters, and failing to make the necessary progress, I decided, in consultation with my doctors, ...

Graeme McDowell’s returned to Orlando from Malaysia to begin his Masters preparations at a golf private golf course that has remained relatively unknown for 100 years. McDowell intends spending much of this coming week at the Mountain Lake resort course located about an hour’s drive south of his palatial Lake Nona abode. It means McDowell skipping this week’s Shell Houston Open where organisers have for the past few years enticed the likes of McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson by setting ...