Archive for the ‘Golf’ Category

Liselotte Neumann: Honoured to be offered captain’s role

Liselotte Neumann will take over the role as captain of the European team at next year’s Solheim Cup.

The 45-year-old from Sweden will succeed Alison Nicholas, who led the team to a 15-13 victory over the United States last year.

However, Neumann admitted she had second thoughts about accepting the role.

“I think everybody will be really fired up to hold on to the trophy and try to win it on US soil for the first time,” said the former US Open winner.

“I did think it over. I actually found out in November I was put on the list and considered to be a captain and I accepted to start with and kind of changed my mind about five days later.

“It’s a big job. It’s very time-consuming and I was thinking about maybe doing a little bit of coaching or teaching.

“I took my name off the list and a few months later I ended up getting a lot of very nice emails and text messages from a lot of the players and from friends and family.

“It really sort of got me thinking again, I might never get the opportunity again, and I put my name back on the list.

“I’m very honoured and it feels great to have that support.”

Annika Sorenstam revealed last month that she had told the European Ladies Tour she did not feel ready to take on the commitment.

Next year’s match is in Denver on August 16-18.

Matteo Manassero: Favourite to win in front of his home fans

Matteo Manassero says he is in great shape to win his first European Tour title for almost 12 months, when he tees-up in this week’s Sicilian Open at Verdura.

The 18-year-old Italian arrives on home soil in good form after his runner-up finish in Andalucia two weeks ago was followed by a tie-for-sixth in Morocco on Sunday.

Manassero, a winner of two Tour titles – the second of these in Malaysia last year – would have qualified for next month’s Masters had he won last week but admits he is not too disappointed at missing out.

He told the European Tour’s website: “I don’t feel like I have missed out on Augusta. I don’t have any sadness about not going there because I have a great chance to win in Italy this week.

Love to win

“And that would be a great achievement. I think everybody would love to win in their home country and I am the same.”

As for his chances this weekend, he added: “Last week was a great week and I played some great golf but I made too many bogeys in the final round and Michael (Hoey) played so well that it wasn’t to be my week.

“But I have played great in my last two tournaments, so the confidence is there and I feel good about my game, and I am really looking forward to Sicily now.”

Sky Bet make Manassero the clear 13/2 favourite ahead of Belgian Nicolas Colsaert at 10/1 and Welshman Jamie Donaldson at 18s.

Suzann Pettersen: Looking to finally win the Kraft Nabisco after three near misses

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen is hoping she can finally land the Kraft Nabisco Championship this week after a hat-trick of near misses.

The tournament – the first major of the women’s season – gets underway at Mission Hills Country Club in California on Thursday.

World number three Pettersen has an excellent record at the event having finished as runner-up in 2007, 2008 and 2010, but she is determined to go one better this time around.

She admits she has been gearing her season towards this week and is now eager to get underway.

“You know, it’s always great to finally be here,” she told reporters. “It’s the first big week of the year. At least everything I’ve done this year has been with this in mind, how I played, how I practiced.

“It’s kind of nice to come back to the same place year after year because you know what to expect and you know what the course expects of you, so it makes the preparations a little bit easier.

“This place has been very special to me in a lot of different ways. I have a lot of great memories, some pretty big disappointments. But at the same time I look at it all as one big learning experience.

“It’s one of those courses that really suits my eye, so I kind of always look forward to playing here. I look at this as kind of our Augusta. We come back to the same course. It’s a fantastic set-up.

“Mission Hills here puts on a great show, and we have great fans coming out to watch. It’s just fun for this week finally to get started.”

Of her near misses at the event, the 2007 LPGA Championship winner continued: “I guess losing in ’07 – I say losing because I felt like I really gave it away, that’s a huge disappointment for me.

Patience

“The other time I made the cut on the number and finished second. It also shows that in a major, ten shots is nothing. If you get on a run on the weekend, you can get it done.

“But I think around this place, you’ve got to be patient. There are holes where you can be aggressive and try to take advantage of those, and there’s some pins where a par is a good score.”

“You know, this is a question we get a lot these days, how good is Yani? What she’s done is phenomenal. She’s won five majors, she’s 23 years old, she’s a very consistent contender every week.”Suzann Pettersen Quotes of the week

If she is to finally end her wait for the title at Mission Hills this week, it seems likely Pettersen’s biggest threat will be Yani Tseng – the all-conquering women’s world number one.

The 23-year-old from Taiwan heads to California on the back of consecutive victories on the LPGA Tour and already has no fewer than five majors to her name – including the Kraft Nabisco in 2010 when she beat Pettersen to the title.

However, the Norwegian is adamant she remains capable of toppling her rival should she find her best form.

“You know, this is a question we get a lot these days, how good is Yani? What she’s done is phenomenal. She’s won five majors, she’s 23 years old, she’s a very consistent contender every week,” Pettersen added.

“I still think it’s possible to play better than her and that’s what I believe. I believe in my own game. I know what I’ve done in the past and I know what I’m capable of doing. That’s where I’m kind of keeping my focus.

“I don’t try to compare myself to other players, I’m trying to build my own game and believe in what I do. I know if I can finish what I’ve started, I think I can be pretty good.

“I mean, I don’t really feel like I need the momentum to build for this week. I know where my game is at, I feel like it’s very close for it to click and it couldn’t be a better stage than clicking this week instead of last week.

“There were a lot of good signs last week, and like I said, I feel very relaxed. My game feels in good shape, and just want to have Thursday come around so we can start play.”

Lee Westwood: Keen to hone his game for Augusta

Lee Westwood hopes to sharpen up for The Masters with a big performance in this week’s Shell Houston Open.

While the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Luke Donald have chosen to skip the PGA Tour’s final warm-up event, world number three Westwood believes honing his skills in Houston is ideal preparation for Augusta.

“I like to be competitive the week before the Masters,” said Westwood. “It’s a tough test at Augusta. If you don’t go into it competitively sharp, you are not going to hit all the greens, going to have to get up and down.

” I have to concentrate on the thing at hand, which is trying to win this week.”Westwood on Houston bid Quotes of the week

“It just seems like it’s more important for the Masters to keep the momentum going.”

With its fast greens, Houston is set up to try and replicate the lightning-quick putting surfaces of Augusta and that’s why Westwood and the likes of Phil Mickelson and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel believe an outing on the par 72 Redstone course is beneficial.

“It would be hard for me to go from being at home (in England) to straight into competitive play at Augusta,” said Westwood.

“It’s nice to get on fast greens because you can’t practice this time of year, the greens are in poor condition and you can’t get them faster.”

While many players have played an early practice round at Augusta in the last few weeks, Westwood has stayed away.

“It’s nice to go and soak up the atmosphere with nobody there and get some work done, but the course isn’t really reflective of how it’s going to be on Thursday morning next week,” he explained.

“I just decided not to this year and thought the extra couple of days at home would do me more good.”

Westwood has finished in the top three in five of his last nine majors, including a second place at Augusta in 2010.

“I think it proves I’m capable of winning major championships,” Westwood said. “Lot of top threes and just have to keep doing that and put myself in position – when I get the chance, take it the next time.”

Instead of beating himself up over the near-misses, Westwood has taken confidence from coming so close.

Better equipped

“It makes me look forward to major championships a lot more than I used to,” Westwood said. “I think my game is better equipped to tackle major championship golf courses.”

Westwood already has experience of winning a PGA Tour event the week before a major – the St Jude Classic ahead of the 2010 US Open – and insists he won’t be letting his mind wander to Augusta.

“I’m here to try to win this tournament, the Shell Houston Open,” he said in his pre-tournament press conference in Texas.

“I’m not smart enough to concentrate on two things at once so I have to concentrate on the thing at hand, which is trying to win this week.”

Tiger Woods: Got back to winning ways at Bay Hill last weekend

Sam Torrance insists the game of golf is much better off for having Tiger Woods back winning tournaments.

The former world number one ended his two-and-a-half year wait for a victory on the PGA Tour when he cruised to a five-shot triumph at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend.

Torrance – who posted 21 wins on the European Tour during his career – believes a fully-fit and in-form Woods brings an added dimension to the sport.

However, the Scot is of the opinion that the 36-year-old will never again be the kind of domineering presence that he became at the very peak of his powers a few years ago.

“I want to see him back winning majors, it’s much more exciting when he’s playing and playing well,” Torrance told Sky Sports.

“There’s no question about that, just because of who he is and what he’s done.

“But I don’t think he has the fear factor anymore, I don’t think the players are as scared of him as they were ten years ago.

“At the beginning of the 90s the golf he was playing was just… (holds hands up) ‘hands up, you’ve got it pal, carry on’. But now they’re very strong, his competition now is much stronger. But I would never write off Tiger.”

Charley Hull: Selected for the side to face the Americans at Nairn in June

English teenager Charley Hull has been picked for the Curtis Cup after all – but Lauren Taylor has not.

Sixteen-year-old Hull, the seventh-ranked woman amateur in the world, was originally told she would not be selected because she did not attend last week’s trial.

But that decision has been overturned by the selection panel of the Ladies’ Golf Union and Hull, who preferred to go to the United States after being invited to this week’s Kraft Nabisco Championship, now has something to celebrate even before she plays her first major.

However, her Woburn clubmate Taylor has been left out because of doubts about her fitness.

The 17-year-old, who last summer became the youngest-ever winner of the British amateur title and is currently ranked 21st in the world, did not play in the trial either, but that was because she is unable to play full shots at the moment.

The selection panel felt they could not take a chance on her being 100 per cent fit for the match against the Americans at Nairn in June.

Only three of the eight-strong side – Holly Clyburn, Leona Maguire and Pamela Pretswell – have Curtis Cup experience, being part of the team beaten 12.5 – 7.5 in Massachusetts two years ago.

Maguire’s twin sister Lisa also played then, but this time is only first reserve.

Team: Amy Boulden (Conwy), Holly Clyburn (20), Charley Hull (Woburn), Bronte Law (Bramhall), Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell), Pamel Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale), Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush).Reserves: Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell), Georgia Hall (Remedy Oak), Becky Harries (Haverfordwest), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).

Arnold Palmer: Back home after night in hospital due to high blood pressure

Arnold Palmer has been released from hospital and allowed to return home after spending Sunday night under observation due to high blood pressure.

The 82-year-old – who won a total of seven majors – was taken to the Dr Phillips Hospital in Orlando on Sunday afternoon after feeling unwell during the course of the final round of the tournament he hosts at Bay Hill, the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

His admission to hospital meant he was unable to attend the traditional post-event prize ceremony and congratulate tournament winner Tiger Woods.

Preliminary tests at the course showed that Palmer was suffering from increased blood pressure – possibly from a change in medication – but doctors were satisfied enough with his condition by Monday to allow him home.

“They did a few tests this (Monday) morning, and he got home around noon,” Palmer’s long-time assistant Doc Giffin told the Orlando Sentinal.

“Other than being tired, he seems to be fine. The doctors told him to slow down – as much as possible.”

Woods five-shot victory – the seventh time in his career he has won the event – was his first on the PGA Tour for two-and-a-half years.

Colin Montgomerie believes Tiger Woods’ return to winning ways at the Arnold Palmer Invitational over the weekend is “ominous” for his rivals.

Woods ended his two-and-a-half year wait for a PGA Tour victory as he cruised to a commanding five-stroke victory at Bay Hill on Sunday.

Montgomerie believes that victory, and the manner of it, suggest the former world number one is getting close to rediscovering his very best form.

But while he insists that Woods’ revival is good for the game, the Scot thinks it will make the job of winning the sport’s major prizes that much more difficult for Europe’s best players.

“It’s good for the game, we’ve missed him. Forget what happened, let’s just talk about Tiger Woods the golfer and the marketeer that he is for helping our game expand, and he did help it for the last 15 years.”Colin Montgomerie Quotes of the week

“It was amazing to win by five shots, to win easily in the end against a very good competitor in Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter that were pressing at one stage,” he told Sky Sports.

Ominous

“It’s ominous for our top four Europeans, the Kaymers, the Donalds, the Westwoods and of course Rory McIlroy, it’s ominous.

“But it’s good for the game, we’ve missed him. Forget what happened, let’s just talk about Tiger Woods the golfer and the marketeer that he is for helping our game expand, and he did help it for the last 15 years.

“Yes, the last three years have been difficult, but now to have him back in the winner’s circle is good for the game of golf.

“People are talking about the game of golf, people want to play the game of golf, people want to do now what Tiger Woods is doing on the golf course, it’s brilliant.

“The Masters I’m relishing. I’m going over to The Masters to commentate for Sky Sports and I’m relishing what’s going to happen there and to see how he performs against our top Europeans.”

Indeed, Montgomerie admits he now makes Woods the favourite to triumph at Augusta next month, stating simply when asked to pick his winner: “Tiger.”