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Westwood fearful of Woods backlash

Andrew Clough — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:32:59 +0000

Former world number one Lee Westwood has urged the golfing world not to write of Tiger Woods as he searches to recapture the form the made him the most feared golfer on the planet.

Westwood, a free bet favourite, took the American’s number one spot in October after Woods topped the rankings for 281 weeks, before Martin Kaymer took over as the world’s leading golfer earlier this week.

Revelations about Woods’s personal life forced the 14-time major winner to take an extended break from the game last year, and he has not won a PGA tour event in over 18 months. He currently sits in 5^th in the world rankings after Luke Donald’s victory over Kaymer to claim the WGC Matchplay title moved him up to 3rd in the world from 6th.

Westwood , speaking ahead of the Honda Classic at the PGA National course in Palm Beach Gardens, where Donald and Ryder Cup colleagues Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter will be competing, insists it is only a matter of time before Woods finds his form again.

“Class is permanent. Form is fickle; I would be wise enough to know not to write him off.” He said.

“When he was playing well, there was interest to see how far up he could get and could anybody catch him up.”

“Now that he’s not playing very well, there’s the interest of when will he get it back and how fast will people go in front of him.” He added.

Woods is currently undergoing work to change his swing with coach Sean Foley and will not be competing in Florida.

Those who place free bets have placed Donald as amongst the favourites to win the tournament following his win in Arizona.

Westwood gets European membership for life

Alexandra Khan — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 19:58:19 +0000

Westwood gets European membership for life

It has been a good year or so for Lee Westwood. He is the No.1 golfer in the world, played a major part in Europe’s Ryder Cup win and was well up there in the Sports Personality of the year discussions.

Things are getting better by the day too with the news that the Englishman has been handed a life-time membership to the European tour.

He has been awarded for 17 years on the circuit, during which time he has won 20 tournaments.

Speaking about the recognition, Westwood said: “I have always loved the Tour. It has played a huge part in my life and I will cherish this honour for the rest of my life.”

It will now continue to be a part of his life for many years to come and there is no doubt those over at bigfreebet will be backing him to add to the 20 career titles on the tour.

He would also love to add to the two season-long competition wins, after securing the Order of Merit title in 2000 and the race to Dubai in 2009.

In terms of the main reasons Westwood has become the 37^th person to be awarding with the accolade, a spokesperson for the European Tour said: “He is a devoted family man, but also devoted to the tour on which he cut his teeth in professional golf.”

“He has shown unswerving loyalty to the European Tour for the best part of 20 years and is fully deserving of being recognised with honorary life membership.”

It is recognised by those over at big free bet that Westwood’s main aim for the year though will be a major win. This has alluded him during his career so far, but the way things are going, it should only be a matter of time.

New ‘nasty’ Woods falls foul of European Tour

Andrew Clough — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:18:08 +0000

New 'nasty' Woods falls foul of European Tour

There is a scene in Superman III where the caped crusader meets his match in the form of a meaner, nastier, all round darker version of himself. This ‘nasty’ Superman, wears a darker costume, looks a bit more frayed around the edges and prowls around doing mean things with a constant scowl on his face.

It was that image that came into my head when I saw Tiger Woods’ controversial behaviour at the Dubai Desert Classic over the weekend.

Woods, once the golden poster boy of the sport and the one kids, amateurs and fellow pros alike looked up to, has seen his image nosedive in the wake of the scandal in late 2009 that ended his marriage.

Since his return to the game from a self-imposed absence Woods has not only failed to rediscover his form but his general behaviour and attitude is that of a man who still has personal issues to resolve, and to make matters worse his latest golf scores show no sign of improvement.

Woods started the final day one off the lead, but bogeyed two of the opening three holes and put a wedge into the water at the last from 100 yards. The double-bogey finish left him in a share of 20th place, seven shots behind winner Alvaro Quiros.

The round was one filled with expletives and clubs flung angrily into the ground as the world number three let his frustrations get the better of him. He also failed to acknowledge a crowd of young autograph hunters – still sticking by him despite all his troubles – and capped a miserable and controversial day by spitting in anger on the final green.

A dirty enough habit as it is, but to do so on a green, where a fellow player may have to put or walk over said phlegm, is totally unacceptable. Anyone following the livescore would have been deeply unimpressed by what they saw.

A few weeks ago Pardraig Harrington was disqualified for accidently moving his ball a few millimetres when replacing his marker. He took the decision – a ludicrous one in my opinion – with good grace and sportsmanship.

Woods should face a similar punishment for his far worse crime and hope he remembers his duties as a professional sportsman when he receives it.
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Beatriz Recari Claims Her First LPGA Title

Paul Clough — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 21:40:01 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

Soggy conditions plus a late bogey did not stop Beatriz Recari of Spain from winning last Sunday’s CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge. Recari’s victory over Gwladys Nocera of France gave the 23-year old her first LPGA Tour title.

No other Spaniard won in the LPGA since the 1994 Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open which was won by Marta Figueros-Dotti.

Not surprising though, since she was born and raised in a city famous for running the bulls. “Absolutely not,” was her quick reply when asked if she has tried it. “Absolutely not. You know, everyone asks me that, but I always say I’ve seen it enough times to realize that it’s more dangerous than what people think. I watched it many times behind the fence, but that’s about it.”

The tour rookie experienced a 14-month drought prior to this win, considering that her last victory in the profesional league, was still in August 2009 during the Finnair Masters’ Ladies European Tour. Winning the playoff came after she blew a five-sroke lead during the game’s final day.

Recari got a bogey on the No. 17 but rebounded with a part on the 18th for a Blackhawk Country Club course total of 2-under 70 and a 14-under 274. She birdied the final hole for a 70.

Her 165,000 first-place prize nearly tripled Recari’s total career winnings. Her victory was however not painless. In fact, the game was not easy for everyone, including South Korean rookie Ilhee Lee who missed seven straight cuts this year, prompting her to nearly quit the tour.

Recari’s dad Jose Luis got her into golf early. And when she accepted her head pro’s offer for a Spanish Championships whebn she was still an 11-year old beginner, there was no turning back for her.

“I had this feeling,” she recalled her post-round thoughts. “I took my dad to the car, I was like I said, ‘Dad, I really want to do this serious.’ I said, ‘Would you support me? Would you help me?’ He said, ‘Yeah, of course.’ I live in the north and the winters are cold, so he said, ‘If the Sundays are cold and it’s minus whatever, we’re still practicing.’ I said, ‘I get it.’ And since then it’s been a very interesting journey.”

Nicklaus Golf Resorts To Offer 50% Discount On His Spain Properties

Andrew Clough — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:15:40 +0000

Nicklaus Golf Resorts To Offer 50% Discount On His Spain Properties - Image via Wikipedia

The recent collapse of the property market may have led to property closures but at the same time, this has opened up a new world of opportunities for those who want to invest in themed living. Up for grabs are repossessed apartments at nearly half the price. But what makes them more worthwhile is their location–the Jack Nicklaus-designed six Spanish golf courses.

Spain was swept by the golf construction mania in the past years, with 345 courses. The European Golf Association said that Except for Germany, Spain has built more courses during the said period than any of the euro region members.

Golf became part of the construction mania that swept Spain in the decade through 2007 as prices for privately owned homes tripled. The country built more courses in the period than any member of the euro region except Germany, according to the European Golf Association. There are now 345 in Spain, 92 percent more than in 1997.

Barcelona’s IESE Business School, and property website Fotocasa reported that the slump in Spain’s construction and real estate industry has resulted to a 78 percent drop in the number of homes being purchased by foreigners from 2006 to 2009.

Today, 128,000 euros or $180,000 can already buy a 796 square-foot, two-bedroom penthouse in Murcia, Southern Spain. Before the real property collapse, such property was worth 272,000 euros. The said property, which covers a 32-square meter terrace, air conditioning and a communal pool. is ideal for avid golfers since it overlooks Hacienda Riquelme’s 18-hole golf course.

“This shows how desperate the banks are to offload their real estate,” said Borja Mateo, author of the book “The Truth About the Spanish Housing Market.” “The properties still look overvalued.”

The price of an 85-square meter, two-bedroom ground floor apartment that overlooks the Mar Menor golf resort has also gone down by 28 percent to 159,000 euros this year compared to its 2007 price.

More than 1,500 properties as well as lands were surrendered by Murcia resorts builder Polaris World to lenders in May 2009 to cancel 970 millon euros worth of debt. The banks, which are now saddled with properties, are trying to outdo each other in selling these properties by giving out hefty discounts and favorable mortgage deals.

The largest of the six Nicklaus-designed courses is the Hacienda Riquelme. Three of the courses are now owned by IRM Estates which subcontracted the courses to Ola Golf. The IRM Estates got the assets in exchange for cancelling the debts of Polaris World.

Lana Lawless Kicked Out From LPGA Challenge: Not Enough Woman!

Paul Malin — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 12:38:02 +0000

Here’s another gender-sensitive case involving a professional golfer who used to be a man but who has preferred to become a woman.

Apparently, professional golfer Lana Lawless’ preference will bar him or her from the L.P.G.A. Challenge in Danville, California. The court-decided case on 19-year old South African runner Caster Semenya could not be applied here because Lawless in not a hermaphrodite but is a transgender.

The 57-year old Lawless was born a male but became a woman in 2005 after a gender reassignment surgery.

The LPGA allowed Lawless to play in 2008 but banned her from the 2010 LPGA Championship. The competition rules provide that the players should be “female at birth” so this has been pointed out by the LPGA and the Long Drivers of America to justify the ban.

Lawless has however sued the LPGA and the Long Drivers of America for civil rights discrimination. “It’s an issue of access and opportunity,” Lawless told the New York Times. “I’ve been shut out because of prejudice.”

Professional sports has seen a lot of transgenders and some groups allow them to participate in competitions including the United States Golf Association (USGA). USGA rules provide that “In the event that a player has had gender reassignment surgery at any point after puberty, that player must provide certain documentation to the USGA.”

Transgenders are also allowed to compete in the Ladies European Golf Tour, the Ladies Golf Union in Britain and the International Olympic Committee.

The corporate sponsors of the LPGA Championship and the Long Drivers— Re/Max and CVS and Dick’s Sporting Good, are also being sued by Lawless.

Alfred Dunhill Links a tournament to admire

Dominic Willis — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:17:28 +0000

Alfred Dunhill Links a tournament to admire - Image via Wikipedia

As the final day of this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship drew to a close at the weekend, Ernie Els was unafraid to come out and speak publicly about the tournament’s appeal and it seems safe to say that the South African was quite right in his assertions.

Golf Betting pundits note how the tournament celebrated its tenth renewal this year and Martin Kaymer, as the winner who edged past Danny Willett and John Parry, was particularly happy to join in with the celebrations after a win that left him fighting it out with Lee Westwood for the number one ranking in the world, with Tiger Woods waiting to learn the identity of the golfer to leapfrog him at the end of the month.

Els, despite not enjoying a tournament that stole the headlines, stated that the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship has “gone from strength to strength” as the years have progressed, with the Scottish public thought to be a massive factor lying behind the admiration the players clearly have for the tournament.

Els quite obviously believes that the tournament strikes the ideal balance between the golfers all enjoying each other’s company and having a “great time” and remembering that the tournament is a “serious” one.

It’s always good to see a golfer come out and publicly praise a tournament that takes in so much tradition as this one, with three of the most famous courses in the world accommodating the action in Scotland.

Those who study Golf Odds regularly will agree that the manner in which the tournament incorporates amateur golfers and celebrates their talents is also admirable and it seems likely that the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship will be an important feature on the golfing calendar for many years to come.

Asian Tour Wins Case in Singapore High Court Against Five Players

Annika Lindorsson Krugel — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:38:09 +0000

Asian Tour Wins Case in Singapore High Court Against Five Players - Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Five players who earlier this year got suspended by the Asian Tour have seen their restraint of trade action against the tour lost in the Singapore High Court.

The case was filed by players Terry Pilkadaris and Matthew Griffin from Australia, Anis Helmi from Malaysia, Thailand-based Scot Simon Yates and Manila-based Dutch Guido van der Valk after they were fined by Singapore-based Asian Tour for playing for bigger prize-money on the rival OneAsia Tour and then refusing to pay the US$5,000 fine as stipulated by Tour regulations.

The Singapore High Court disagreed with the players’ restraint of trade claim; “The claim was that the rule preventing them from playing in non-sanctioned tournaments constituted an unreasonable restraint of trade and should be nullified,” the court ruling said.

The ruling stated: “One of the reasons for professional golfers to form associations like the Asian Tour was to gain bargaining strength with tournament sponsors and organisers.”… “The bye-laws help to cohere the body of professional golfers so that the association is united and strong.” … “Although it may appear that there was ostensibly little for the Asian Tour to lose if the plaintiffs were allowed to play in non-sanctioned tournaments, the authority of the Asian Tour would be undermined.

In light of this, the court ordered the players to pay costs.

The OneAsia Tour was established last year by bringing together tours from China, South Korea and Australia to offer players an alternative platform to the U.S. PGA and European Tours. However, it has already received criticism with the Tour not being able to convince the Japan Golf Tour to join, and with the Asian Tour accusing it of stealing their tournaments.

Ryder Cup: Wales Ready To Cash In On The Tournament

Annika Lindorsson Krugel — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 09:35:53 +0000

Ryder Cup: Wales Ready To Cash In On The Tournament - Image via Wikipedia

With the closing of what is said to have been the longest and biggest Ryder Cup in history, Wales can start taking stock of the competition thought to leave a lasting legacy on the region.

First Minister Carwyn Jones stated that as the winning European and defeated American teams return home, the job of cashing in on the tournament starts.

Although inconvenienced by bad weather more than 50,000 supporters showed up at the Celtic Manor on each of the scheduled three days, and another 35,000 came to watch the last matches on Monday. “What a great event,” said Sir Terry Matthews, the billionaire owner of the Celtic Manor Resort who helped bringing the event to Wales.

US ambassador Louis Susman said that – apart from the weather – the event had been flawless: “The Ryder Cup helped showcase Wales,” he said. “The most important thing is that this event was handled flawlessly – if you’ll forgive me saying, other than the weather.”

Jones talked about the significant impact of the success of the event on the region at the closing ceremony; “… the challenge now is to build on it, to follow the leads we’ve had talking to business people and make sure that as far as we’re concerned it’s not just tourists who come to Wales in the future, and more of them, but that we get investment as well.” he said.

According to the Welsh Assembly Government the impact on Welsh golf, tourism and business was already being felt. It also mentioned the important contribution by the Ryder Cup to improving south-east Wales’ transport infrastructure.

Ryder Cup: US Team Graciously Accepts Defeat

Annika Lindorsson Krugel — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 09:33:13 +0000

Ryder Cup: US Team Graciously Accepts Defeat - Image via Wikipedia

For the first time since its beginning in 1983 the Ryder Cup went to a fourth day, after which the Americans suffered an excruciating 14 ½-13 ½ loss.
U.S. captain Corey Pavin and his team graciously accepted defeat and refused to blame neither the bad weather nor the “boisterous” Celtic Manor supported for the defeat. “To hear that kind of excitement for golf really is spectacular for us. We don’t get a chance to play in front of crowds that boisterous and spirited. “Though they were cheering for the Europeans, the fans here are really respectful for all good shots and they have a lot of respect for all of us.” said Stewart Cink, who on Monday lost an important half after his singles match against Rory McIlroy.

The teams agreed to the change in the competition’s usual format in order to finish the cup on time, and decided to push though with all 12 players involved in foursomes or fourball play during Saturday and Sunday: “It was a plan for the fans; it was a plan to get the Ryder Cup done on Sunday. I thought it was a great idea.” said Pavin.

However, the change in schedule seemed to work in Europe’s favour as they turned a 6-4 deficit into a 9 ½-6 ½ lead on Sunday. The winning streak continued on Monday as Europe took the singles games 7-5.

The winning team of the 2010 Ryder Cup was only determined in the final game of the competition, which has not been the deciding game since 1991, with Hunter Mahan’s 3&1 loss to Graeme McDowell: “That birdie on 16, after I got it to one down, was huge. He just beat me.” said a distraught Mahan.