Golf, by TourMiss

Rory McIlroy has played down a possible last-16 Texas showdown with Tiger Woods should both players emerge from the round robin stages in today’s (WED) starting WGC – Dell Technologies Match-Play in Austin, Texas. McIlroy is first facing American Luke List in one of 32 opening matches in the Euro 9.05m event. The Ulsterman then on Thursday faces South African, Justin Harding who captured the Qatar Masters earlier on St. Patrick’s Day when McIlroy landed victory in the Players Championship. McIlroy, ...

It took Paul Casey nine years to capture a second PGA Tour title and now he has won a third 12 months on by becoming the first player to successfully defend the Valspar Championship at the Innisbrook Resort near Tampa, Florida. Casey, 41 went head-to-head with World No. 1 Dustin Johnson over the final posting a last day one-over 72 to win by a stroke with an eight-under par tally. ‘DJ’ was never a threat uncharacteristically failing to post one birdie in a three-over par 74 to end in ...

Padraig Harrington’s return from injury to competition was given a huge lift when he birdied his closing three holes for a second day running at the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur. The effort, and in Harrington’s first event for some four months, handed the triple Major winner, a round of 69 for a five-under par total and a share of 30th place in the co-sanctioned event. Aussie Scott Hend made amends in losing out in a play-off at both the 2016 and 2017 Omega European Masters to capture ...

Affable Aussie Scott overcame a wasp sing, bird droppings and a final green storm delay to capture the Maybank Championship in remarkable play-off at the Saujana Resort in suburban Kuala Lumpur. For the 45-year old Hend it was also a European Tour third time lucky after losing out in both 2016 and 2017 in a play-off at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland. The victory is also Hend’s 14th professional success, a third on the European Tour, a 10th counting Asian Tour title and with all ...

  Finland’s most successful golfer Mikko Ilonen has surprised the golf world by announcing his retirement from competitive golf at age 39. Ilonen turned professional in 2001 but made his European Tour debut contesting two events including becoming the first Finn in 2000, and as the then British Amateur champion to contest the (British) Open Championship that same year before soon after turning pro. He contested a total of 398 European Tour events in his career, making the halfway cut in 230 ...

Padraig Harrington’s revealed he will forgo his own on-course aspirations during his 25th anniversary next season  and turn his full attention to helping steer Europe to victory at the 2020 Ryder Cup. The 43rd staging of the biennial showdown is still some 18-months away, and while Harrington admits he is already involved with off-course matters, he  realizes the stress that comes with trying to balance staying competitive but also being fully committed to the European Team cause. It will ...

Rory McIlroy may have politely declined to contest this year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open but it would seem there was no escaping a new PGA Tour mandate that states players who contested less than 25 tournaments a season must add a tournament they have never contested. Hence the news McIlroy has added the RBC Canadian Open to his schedule and it is little wonder organisers of the only Canadian event on the Tour are excited. We’ve seen the same reaction this week at the ...