Golf, by TourMiss

Open Champion Francesco Molinari has formally confirmed Mark ‘Fooch’ Fulcher will be taking over the caddying duty for the champion Italian golfer’s first event of the New Year. ‘Fooch’ is the former very long-time caddy to England’s Justin Rose but had to step down from caddying duties for the US Open winner late last year before undergoing heart surgery on January 10th to replace a valve. Seventeen days late Rose captured a 10th PGA Tour victory and a 21st win ...

Open Champion Shane Lowry has called on the European Tour to end ‘diluting’ the lucrative ‘Final Series’  and avoid anyone becoming No. 1 via a ‘back door’. Lowry, and currently No. 3 on the Race to Dubai, found himself dragged into last week’s controversy surrounding a bizarre scenario involving his Dublin-based Horizon Sports Management stablemate, Ross Fisher. Fisher, and like Padraig Harrington, was afforded an invitation to compete in last week’s Turkish Airlines Open ...

On a day of surprise, there was no-one more surprised than Tyrrell Hatton to be left standing holding the gleaming Turkish Airlines Open victory trophy. Hatton entered round four in glorious sunshine three shots off the lead but ended it as the last man standing in a six-man play-off under floodlights and a near full moon to shine the brightest on the Montgomerie Maxx Royal course in Belek. A birdie on the 72nd hole handed him a closing 67 and a place in the record equalling play-off alongside French ...

… Belek, Turkey  Top-ranked Scot Bob MacIntyre once again is staring at a maiden Tour success heading into the final round of the Turkish Airlines Open. MacIntyre finished eagle, birdie, par and birdie in a round of 67 to be sharing second place with four others, including 2018 Masters champ, Patrick Reed on 15-under par on the Montgomerie Maxx course in Belek. Austrian Matthias Schwab posted a 66 to extend his lead to three shots at 18-under par. MacIntyre and Reed will have each ...

… Belek, Turkey  Firey Eddie Pepperell is facing a hefty Tour fine after walking off the course claiming he’d run out of golf balls following a calamitous ‘Tin Cup’ situation midway into his round on day three of the Turkish Airlines Open in Belek Pepperell, 28 began his round from the 10th and was level par coming to the second hole or his 11th of the round.  He then bogeyed the hole and also bogeyed the third hole or his 12th, and this after using a wedge to putt out on ...

The odds of Shane Lowry’s quest to end his Major-winning season as European No. 1 have lengthened considerably after a disappointing third round at the Turkish Airlines Open. Lowry headed into day three buoyed by a second day 65 but his goal of building on that score sunk in taking a 75 that included just two birdies but also five bogeys. Lowry looked in no mood to speak after his round and the media present here this week elected to give him the ‘day off’. The Royal Portrush winning hero ...

It is understood a number of players complained to the European Tour regarding the scenario of England’s Ross Fisher first entering the Turkish Airlines Open on an invitation but then taking is place as a ‘normal’ entrant despite arriving in Belek ranked 105th on the Race to Dubai. This came about through the very late withdrawal of two players and with Fisher, as the next available highest-ranked Race to Dubai player on hand in Turkey, being informed he would not require an invitation ...