2021 Zozo Championship Preview and Picks

 

Xander Schauffele is our top pick this week to win the 2021 Zozo Championship

 

This week, the PGA Tour travels over the Pacific Ocean to Japan, for the 2021 Zozo Championship. Narashino Country Club plays host this week to an elite field of some of the best players on the PGA Tour, in what is Japan's only PGA Tour event.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

First contested in 2019, the Zozo Championship is the first and only PGA Tour event to be played in Japan. Tiger Woods won the inaugural event, which too was hosted by Narashino Country Club.

 

In 2020, due to Covid restrictions, the event was forced to move to the US, where Patrick Cantlay won with a score of 23-under at Sherwood Country Club in California. 

The Zozo Championship is very similar to its Korean counterpart, the CJ Cup, and is part of an effort by the PGA Tour to bring PGA Tour golf to East Asian markets and fans.

Like the CJ Cup, the tournament is an invitational. 78 players receive invites, including the Top 60 of last season's FedEx Cup Rankings, the current Top 7 players on the Japan Golf Tour's money list, the Top 3 players in the Bridgestone Open, as well as 8 sponsor exemptions.

Narashino Country Club is no stranger to hosting large events. The tight, tree lined course measures 7,224 yards in length and will play as a par 72. Like many Japanese courses, the holes at Narashino feature two greens. The idea behind this is that, in an effort to play golf across multiple seasons, one green is used during the summer and one during the winter, with the greens featuring different grass types to accommodate this. Winter greens will usually feature bentgrass, whereas summer greens bermuda grass. 

OUR PICKS THIS WEEK

Like the CJ Cup, we are seeing some of the best golfers tee it up this week. Given this, here are our picks this week:

1) Xander Schauffele

2) Tommy Fleetwood

3) Mackenzie Hughes

For Xander, Japan holds great memories, especially after his gold medal at the 2021 Summer Olympics. Let's see if he can channel that positive energy into a win. For Fleetwood, he has been playing good golf post-Ryder Cup including a T7 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. For the Canadian Mackenzie Hughes, his season is off to a good start as well, including a T25 finish last week at the CJ Cup.

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Since the event is being contested in Japan, play will kick off Wednesday evening, with the first tee times starting at 7:30PM Eastern Time. This is sure to be an exciting event with lots of drama and great golf.

Stay tuned for our Weekend Update post to see the storylines heading into the weekend,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

2021 Wyndham Championship Weekend Update

Russell Henley leads by four shots going into the weekend at the 2021 Wyndham Championship (image: SkySports)

 

 

The first two rounds of the 2021 Wyndham Championship, the last regular season event of the PGA Tour, have concluded. As it stands right now, Russell Henley is the leader going into the weekend with a score of 14-under par, after shooting an opening round (and career low) 62 and following it up with a 64 on Friday.

 

He holds a four shot lead over 2020 Olympic Silver medalist Rory Sabbatini, 2011 Wyndham Championship winner Webb Simpson and Scott Piercy. 

 

 

HOT GOLF

Despite the heat and humidity present in the first two rounds, which saw a weather delay at the end of the first round, Sedgefield Country Club played benign; good scores were able to be had. There were 19 players who shot 65 or under in their opening rounds; the second most in tournament history at Sedgefield. Due to this, the cut has been set at 3-under par. 

 

The weather is expected to turn for the worse on the weekend however, with thunderstorms forecasted on both Saturday and Sunday. 

A GAME OF NUMBERS

As we mentioned in our preview article, the Wyndham Championship is a unique tournament, in that it's the last chance for players to make a statement for the year. Whether it's trying to get into the FedEx Cup Playoffs, or retaining a Tour card, players are extra motivated this week.

The elusive number, at least for the Playoffs, this week is 125. Above it, and you're in the Playoffs, below it and your season is over. It's always a game within a game during the Wyndham Championship to see who gets in and who doesn't.

 

As of now, there are several players in interesting scenarios around the 120th-130th position, i.e., the bubble. Ryan Armour started the week at 122nd, but missed the cut and is projected to fall to 126th, as did Patrick Rodgers (123rd to 127th) and Bo Hoag (125th-128th). Our pick Tommy Fleetwood started the week at 136, but made the cut and sits at T23 6-under, projecting him to 133rd. Tommy will need a good weekend to get him above 125.

Other notables who missed the cut and Playoffs include Rickie Fowler (+3, 135th), Francesco Molinari (E, 141th), Padraig Harrington (+2, 169th) and Luke Donald (-1, 184th). 

HOW ARE OUR PICKS DOING?

1) Justin Rose: T5 at 9-under

2) Tommy Fleetwood: T23 at 6-under

3)  Louis Oosthuizen: WD

Rose came into the week with a goal in mind and he's on his way to accomplishing it. He's jumped 21 places in the rankings to 117 and is on track to get into the FedEx Cup Playoffs. In a similar situation, as mentioned, is Tommy Fleetwood, who isn't quite over the 125 hurdle just yet. Lastly, shortly after we made our picks on Wednesday, Louis Oosthuizen withdrew from the event. He cited a lingering neck injury and didn't want to aggravate it before the playoffs. This is a smart decisions from Louis, who is safely in the playoffs.

Two rounds down, two to go at the 2021 Wyndham Championship. Who will win this year? Who will get into the FedEx Cup Playoffs? Stay tuned for our Monday post to find out.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Showdown at St. Andrews: Perez emerges victorious over Southgate at Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Sunday at St. Andrews, there is perhaps no better setting for the conclusion of a golf tournament. This year, the Old Course would end up playing host to a dramatic battle between Frenchman and European Tour rookie Victor Perez and Englishman Matthew Southgate, with Perez emerging on top, capturing the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. 

The two golfers finished their third rounds tied for the lead at 20-under. Both had played the Old Course relatively well over their first three rounds: Perez on Thursday, shooting a 64 and Southgate on Saturday, shooting a 65. The stage was set for an unlikely showdown between the two golfers.

Perhaps it wasn't the showdown we wanted, but looking deeper into these two golfers, it was certainly a showdown we could have expected. You see, despite being relatively new to the European Tour, both golfers had connections to links golf. Perez, in his rookie year, had been living in nearby Dundee for the past 18 months, no doubt honing his game on the many links courses in the area. Southgate, in his fourth year on tour, was no stranger to competition at the Old Course. In 2010, as an amateur he won the St. Andrews Link Trophy. He is also a member at Carnoustie. These connections would prove to be invaluable to both golfers.

With the stage set, the two golfers began their final round on a cold and windy Old Course. It was Southgate who would take the lead at the turn. Despite bogeying the first hole, he rallied back, birdieing holes 5-7 and 9; good enough for a one shot lead over Perez. His lead would grow to two shots after a three-putt bogey by Perez on the 11th hole. But Perez persisted; a birdie on the 14th hole and a bogey by Southgate evened out the score. 

Then came the infamous par 4 17th hole "The Road Hole". Perez placed his second shot safely onto the green after hitting the fairway with his opening drive. Southgate, on the other hand, drove his tee shot further but into the rough, resulting in a poor second shot that landed on the green, but much further away. A two-putt by Perez and three-putt by Southgate separated the two and pars on the last hole by both resulted in Perez winning the tournament by a single shot.

For Perez, the win is career defining (thus far) and his first on the European Tour. It is also most certainly the highlight of his 2019 season, having just one top-10 finish this year: the Hong Kong Open, which was also his first European Tour tournament. On top of the $800,000 in prize money, the Challenge Tour graduate will move into the top-70 of the World Golf Rankings and top-20 on the European Tour money list. He is also the first Frenchman to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

On his win, Perez stated. "The emotions were really high all day. It was really cold and windy, a long day out there and I felt I was able to battle. It wasn't easy, Matt played amazing. I was expecting some of the guys to charge and we were fortunate that it was kind of a one on one battle on the back nine. There's nothing like a win. The confidence that you get from getting it done, it's so difficult at this level to win. Being my first year, I'm obviously delighted."

On the pro-am side of the tournament, it came down to Tommy Fleetwood, who was paired with horseracing executive Ogden Phipps II and Rory McIlroy, who was playing with his father Gerry McIlroy. Both teams played extraordinarily well and finished at 39-under over. Interestingly enough though, the tie was not settled with a playoff, as is the case in most tournaments. Instead, the team whose pro finished with the lower final round score wins, being Fleetwood in this case with a 64 over McIlroy's 67.

As always, we finish up our coverage with our picks results, which for the most part, were relatively good:

1) Rafa Cabrera Bello: T61 at 8-under
2) Alex Noren: T15 at 17-under
3) Tom Lewis: T5 at 19-under

I said it at the start of the week, the winner of this tournament was going to be a golfer who had a history with links courses and it turns out that could have equally have been Perez or Southgate. Our dark horse pick Tom Lewis had an excellent week, in particular shooting a 65 at Kingsbarn and 64 at the Old Course over the weekend. Noren also played well but did have reoccurring trouble on the Road Hole. Cabrera-Bello unfortunately missed the cut.

Overall, like so many editions before it, the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship did not disappoint. We saw it all this week, excellent golf from the world's best golfers, a collection of perhaps the finest links courses in the world, and of course dramatic storylines. These are just a few reasons why I'll be watching this tournament again and again every year.

Congratulations once again to Victor Perez. Who did you think was going to win? Let us know in the comments below,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

France's Victor Perez wins the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

(Getty Images)

2019 BMW PGA Championship Preview

The European Tour heads to Surrey, England this week for its flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club. Filled with a star-studded field consisting of top players from all over the world, this is one of the most elite and biggest events on the European Tour. Much is up for grabs this week: a nearly million Euro paycheck, 64 WGC points and exemptions into this year's US Open and the next 3 Open Championships being given to the winner.

The tournament will be contested on the West course at Wentworth, originally designed by Harry Colt in 1926 and adjusted over the years. The 7284-yard par 72 course is not the longest on tour but nevertheless tough. It's tree-lined, forest-carved holes demand accuracy and good ball-striking. It is also among the favourite courses for many tour pros who have had the opportunity to play it. 

Things are a bit different this year however, most notably the date. This is the first time that the tournament is being played in September, moving from its original slot in May as a result of the PGA Championship moving up to May. Given this, the weather may become more of a factor than in previous editions of the tournament. As of now, this doesn't appear to be the case for the first three rounds, but conditions could worsen for Sunday, which will no doubt make things interesting.

Perhaps a more interesting feature of this year's tournament is that GPS will be used to track slow play amongst the players. This is part of the European Tour's newly released initiative to combat slow play on tour. In particular, a tracking device will be placed on one player's golf bag in each group. Once a hole is completed, the information will be automatically sent to officials, who will be monitoring progress. Displays will also be available on each hole, to indicate tardiness, among other information. I am very curious to see what the results will, especially considering that we have an article on slow-play in the works. For more information, check out Golf Channel's article about it.

Personally, the BMW PGA Championship is one of my favourite tournaments to watch on the European Tour since it was the setting an amazing moment in golf, in my opinion. In the 2011 edition of the tournament, World Numbers One and Two, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, respectively, had finished their final rounds tied for 1st place; a sudden death followed, on the par 5 1st hole of the West course. On the line was not only the tournament but also the title of World Number One. Donald and Westwood both started the hole well and both had roughly the same distances for their approach shots. Donald went first and landed his ball safely on the green, close to the flag. Westwood responded by landing his shot just inside Donald's but then watched his ball roll off the water-lined green into the water, resulting in Donald winning the tournament and the title. So much was on the line at that moment and Westwood, after seeing Donald's shot, knew he had to go for it. It was tense, yet exciting; that's why I'll never forget it. But moments like this seem to only happen at big tournaments like this. Luke also managed to defend his title the next year. 

As always, we end off with our picks for this week. Given the requirements of fairway accuracy and ball-striking, we decided to make our picks for this week loosely based on these stats:

1) Matthew Fitzpatrick

2) Tommy Fleetwood

3) Rory McIlroy

Fitzpatrick ranks consistently as one of the more accurate players on tour and doesn't drive the ball too far (something that will benefit him this week). Fleetwood is also very accurate off the tee and is coming off a T8 finish a few weeks ago at the Omega European Masters. McIlroy is our last pick and frankly is always a safe pick when he's playing well. He also won the tournament in 2014.

The first round kicks off early Thursday morning (EST time) and is the start of what's sure to be an exciting tournament. Be sure to check it out!

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Can Matthew Fitzpatrick win the 2019 BMW PGA Championship this week? (PressClub Global BMW)

Matthew Fitzpatrick Wins the 2015 British Masters

After leading for a good portion of all four rounds, 21-year old Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick has won the 2015 British Masters at Woburn Golf Club with a score of 15-under and a two shot lead over Soren Kjeldsen, Shane Lowry, and Fabrizio Zanotti. This is his first European Tour win (it's also his rookie season on the European Tour) however the Sheffield-native is no stranger to doing well at "Masters" titled event, having finished second in the Omega European Masters earlier this year in Switzerland. He also takes home a prize of £500,000.

Things were getting close towards the end of the final round today, mostly between Fitzpatrick and Soren Kjeldsen, who at one point on the back nine needed a birdie to co-lead. Unfortunately a bogey by Soren on the 16th and two birdies and a bogey by Fitzpatrick sealed the deal for him. Chances were also had by Fabrizio Zanotti (who needed a hole out on the final hole from a greenside bunker to force a playoff) and Shane Lowry.

Woburn continued it's trend of not to easy, not to hard golf, with the average scoring range in the high 60's on the weekend. The low round today was a 65 shot by Tommy Fleetwood, who carded six birdies during his round today. In fact, Fleetwood didn't make a single bogey since his front nine yesterday and has carded a total of ten birdies since then. He finished with a score of 9-under T13.

Our picks this week also did very well. Luke Donald finished off the weekend by shooting a 65/69 and finished at T5, one of his best finishes of the year. Lee Westwood finished off just behind him at 8-under. And tournament host Ian Poulter finished off in a respectable T33, after many missed opportunities on his home course.

That wraps up our coverage this week. Next week, we'll be heading back over to the PGA Tour for the start of the 2015-2016 PGA Tour season at the Frys.com Open from Silverado Country Club in Napa, California. Stay tuned for our picks next week.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Matthew Fitzpatrick Wins the 2015 British Masters

Thorbjorn Olesen Wins the 2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

A breezy cloudy fall afternoon on the Old Course at St Andrews, there's no better place to finish a round, let alone win a tournament. That's just what Danish golfer Thorbjorn Olesen did earlier today, winning the 2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with a score of 18-under and a two shot lead over Brooks Koepka and Chris Stroud. This is Thorbjorn's third European Tour victory, his first since the 2014 ISPS Handa Perth International. It also makes him the youngest Dane to win three times on the European Tour.

At the start of his round, things weren't looking promising for Olesen. He double bogeyed the second then bogeyed the third at the Old Course. He fought back though with back-to-back birdies on the next two holes. At this point, the top of the leaderboard was full of players, every update had a new person tied for first or second. Olesen wouldn't make any more birdies until the 15th hole but that was more than enough to secure his victory. Ironically enough, Olesen does have some history with the name Alfred Dunhill. In 2010, he finished second at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa.

St. Andrews was in pristine conditions as always and at times had to rely on the elements to make it tough. Good score were found here on the weekend though, mostly on Saturday. The scoring average today was probably right around 70, which may seem high. The low score of the day was a 6-under 65 shot by Chris Wood.

Newly turned pros Paul Dunne and Jimmy Mullen didn't score the best weekend, but still finished very well considering it's their professional debut. Dunne finished at 12-under T19 and Mullen at 10-under (T30). It may be too early to say, but I think we'll be seeing a lot more of these two in upcoming European Tour events.

Finally, here's how our picks did:

1) Tommy Fleetwood: T13 at 13-under
2) Graeme McDowell: T19 at 12-under
3) Danny Willett: T52 at 5-under


Tommy Fleetwood slipped under the radar this weekend and scored himself a nice T13 finish. Earlier today, GMac was T2 at one point after shooting a 31 on the front nine. Unfortunately he bogeyed the last three of four holes. It's still one of GMac better finishes though this year. Better luck next week to Danny Willett too.

And there you have it, sadly another edition of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship has come and gone. Join us for more European Tour coverage next week at the British Masters from Woburn Golf Club.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Thorbjorn Olesen Wins the 2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Mullen and Wall Co-Lead at Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Halfway through this year's edition of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (being played cross-course at Kingsbarn, Carnoustie, and the Old Course at St. Andrews), both Jimmy Mullen and Anthony Wall co-lead with a score of 11-under. Behind them, a log jam of players, including Ryder Cup hero Jamie Donaldson, new professional Paul Dunne (who first made headlines at this year's Open Championship, where he led a portion of it), etc. The cut will be set tomorrow, giving all players a chance to play each course once.

Jimmy Mullen is making his debut as a professional golfer this week, and doing it in good style. The young golfer is from Devon, UK (affiliated with Royal North Devon Golf Club) and had a good amateur career. He played on this year's Walker Cup team, along with Paul Dunne. This week, he shot a 64 at Kingsbarn and a 67 at St. Andrews today. His opening round consisted of seven birdies, an eagle, and just one bogey.

On the other hand, Anthony Wall has been playing on the European Tour for twenty years. He's one once during his professional career, ironically the 2000 Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa (a co-sanctioned event between the European Tour and Sunshine Tour), with several 2nd place finishes over the years. He also has a T12 finish at this year's Open Championship. Wall played the same courses as Mullen and shot a 65/68.

Those who watched the Open Championship this year at St. Andrews will surely remember the then-amateur Paul Dunne. He co-lead the tournament after the first three rounds, becoming the first amateur since 1927 to do so. He also makes his professional debut this week and shot a 64/70 at the same course as Mullen and Wall. He also made a hole-in-one on the 15th at Kingsbarn.

On the pro-am side of things, Rafael-Cabrera Bello (partnered with businessman Dermont Desmond) and Jared Harvey (partnered with businessmanMichael Zamkow) lead with a score of 19-under over Jimmy Mullen and businessman Miguel Duenas.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing,

1) Tommy Fleetwood: T52 at 3-under
2) Graeme McDowell: T13 at 7-under
3) Danny Willett: T66 at 2-under

Good scores from GMac, who hasn't had the best season so far. Remember that the cut will be set tomorrow, with the final round of the tournament being played on Sunday at St. Andrews. Stay tuned for our results post to see who's won.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

New pro Jimmy Mullen could win his first tournament as a pro this week

2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Picks

One of the European Tour's most exciting events starts tomorrow. We are of course talking about the 2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. This tournament is probably the most unique event on the European Tour and is personally one of my favourites to watch every year.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was first played in played in 2001. What makes this tournament so different from others? Firstly, it's played at three separate courses over the first three of four days of the event; Kingsbarn Golf Links, Carnoustie Golf Links, and the Old Course at St. Andrews, with all Sunday rounds being played at St. Andrews. Over the course of the tournament, players travel from course to course to play their round for the day. You'll also notice that these courses are all in links-style, which always makes for a much more interesting round of golf.

This tournament is also a pro-am (similar to the AT&T National Pro-Am) meaning that amateur golfers (usually celebrities or persons of note) get the chance to play on a team with professional golfers. Thus there are two parts to this tournament, the individual (professional) part, which is just like a normal professional tournament where the lowest combined 4-day score wins with a monetary reward (one of the largest on the European Tour). The last part is the pro-am portion where a single amateur is paired with a single pro, and the pro-am duo with the lowest score wins this portion of the tournament. Both parts are played consecutively and both the pro and the amateur travel from course to course.

Lastly, this tournament is special since half of it is played at the Old Course at St. Andrews, the physical home of golf. It's filled with so much history and the course itself is such an icon in the golfing world. We saw a bit of what the Old Course has to offer earlier this year at the British Open, but this time around conditions will be cooler. However, the weather and thus the course will probably still be unpredictable as per usual.

Some notables in the field this week are: John Daly, Erik Compton, Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clark, and TGR favourite Graeme McDowell. Will one of them win, who knows, but here are our picks this week:

1) Tommy Fleetwood
2) Graeme McDowell
3) Danny Willett

Play starts very early tomorrow morning on all courses. Be sure to check out our Weekend Update post Friday evening to see who's leading.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Graeme McDowell is winless in 2015 thus far, could that change this week?

Day 2 of the Open Championship

We're halfway through the 144th Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews, but not all players have finished their rounds. In an interesting decision by tournament coordinators, due to the darkness the remaining players were given the option to finish their round in the dark or pick up tomorrow morning. As it stands right now though, the leader is still Dustin Johnson with a score of 10-under par and a one shot lead over Danny Willett. The cut also looks to be set at even par.

The initial delay today was due to the fact that the Old Course received heavy rain early this morning. It lasted just over three hours thanks to the work of the great groundspeople at St. Andrews, who worked hard to remove casual water that had collected on the many low parts of the course. That meant that the early tee times had to be moved back, as did everyone else throughout the day. Players who didn't want to finish today's round will have to wake up early tomorrow to complete it (at about 2AM EST). However it's forecasted to rain again tomorrow.

Wind was the prominent weather condition today. Like yesterday, a stiff wind was still present all day, but some players like Adam Scott (67) and Russell Henley (66) found low scores and again the front nine played easier than the back nine. However during the later rounds, the wind picked up significantly. At one point even the camera towers were shaking. We even saw leader Dustin Johnson back off from a par putt twice on the 11th due to strong gusts. He eventually missed it and bogeyed; his only one of the round. He too will finish off his second round tomorrow morning.

One player who elected to finish his round today was multiple Open Champion and golfing legend Tom Watson. Today was Tom Watson's last professional round at the Open Championship (as he unfortunately missed the cut). Despite the darkness, he received a warm welcome from fans and players as he stood on Swilcan Bridge on the 18th, for the last time as a pro. Watson won the British Open five times over his long successful career.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Tommy Fleetwood: CUT
2) Dustin Johnson: 1st at 7-under
3) Rickie Fowler: T49 at 1-under

Fleetwood unfortunately shot a 76 today, which was probably his first +70 round at the Old Course in a long time. Dustin continues to take advantage of an easy front nine and is looking great for the weekend. Fowler, on the other hand, will need to put in a bit of work to be into contention.

Weekends at the Open Championship are always a special thing. Stay tuned for our recap coverage on Saturday and check us out on Sunday to see who's won.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Can Dustin Johnson hold on for his first major win?

2015 Open Championship Preview

Well it's finally here, the tournament we've been waiting for all season, the oldest of the majors, the one, the only, the Open Championship AKA the British Open. This year marks the 144th edition of the British Open and it will be taking place at the home of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland.

The British Open is by far the most "truest" and oldest of the majors, in that it brings golfers back to the roots of the game. It was first played back in 1860 (for us Canadians out there, that's seven years before Canada was even established as a country) and the field consisted of just eight professionals at the time. They played three rounds in a single day at Prestwick Golf Club (a 12-hole club at the time). The winner would receive not a trophy, but the Challenge Belt, worn around the waist of the champion. By 1873, the famous Claret Jug was presented to the winner instead and it's been that way ever since. The tradition of playing the British Open on a traditional links course has also remained and today several courses make up the yearly rotation.

The Old Course at St. Andrews is the birthplace of golf; it's the place where the first round was ever played back in the early 1400's. To say it's greatly influenced golf as we know it today is an understatement. For example, the current 18-hole layout of golf courses was first seen here. This year will mark the 29th time that the Old Course has hosted the British Open and as of now sits on a 5-year rotation. Golfers will be playing golf in its rawest form this week, just like in 1860. Be sure to look out for the typical links features that all have their roots at the Old Course this week, like deep bunkers, rolling fairways, gorse, etc.

The field this week is one of the most diverse in golf. We have older players who may not necessarily contend this week but will reminisce of their times playing St. Andrews and in the British Open. We have amateurs who will be looking to make a name for themselves. And of course we have the regular Tour players. This is also a special tournament for Tom Watson. The 5-time British Open champion will be making his last British Open appearance this week, at age 65, 32 years after his last British Open win. Just like for the US Open, my picks this week were hard to make, but here they are:

1) Tommy Fleetwood
2) Dustin Johnson
3) Rickie Fowler

Let's start with Tommy. He's a guru when it comes to the Old Course, despite his young age. Between his last eight rounds at St. Andrews (for the Alfred Dunhil Links Championship) he's 37-under par. In his last round there he shot a course record 62. He really knows how to play this course and that's an asset this week. For Dustin, his play at Chambers Bay shows his game is accurate enough to succeed on links course. His length will also give him an advantage this week. Finally, Rickie's coming off a win last week at the Scottish Open. Here's hoping he can pull off a Phil Mickelson and with the British Open as well.

Play kicks off early Thursday morning on this side of the Atlantic. Since it's a major, we'll be having daily coverage of the British Open. Be sure to check it out.

Also, comment below with your picks this week...


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Tommy Fleetwood is our top pick this week at St. Andrews

Soren Kjeldsen Wins the 2015 Irish Open

Well we've seen everything Royal County Down had to offer this week, both the good and the bad. Despite its toughness, a victor has emerged in the form of Danish golfer Soren Kjeldsen after a playoff between Bernd Wiesberger and Eddie Pepperell. This is Soren's 4th European Tour victory and his first in six years. The win also allows him to play this year's Open Championship at St. Andrews.

Looking at the leaderboard going into the weekend, you couldn't help but get the feeling that the scoreline wasn't going to change much and that a playoff would probably decide the winner. And that's exactly what happened. After 72 holes of golf, the leading score had increased from the halfway point up to 2-under par, something which we rarely see in a golf tournament. A playoff then ensued between Bernd, Eddie, and Soren.

Sunday was probably the toughest day all week with 25-30 mph winds all day. All three played very well to get to the playoff with Soren shooting a 76 but fighting Royal County Down every shot along the way, Bernd shot a 73 in a up and down round, and Eddie stunned many with a 69, which was one of a handful of sub par rounds and bogey-free rounds today.

The single hole playoff took place on the par 5 18th hole. Both Soren and Bernd found the fairway with their tee shots while Eddie hit his into the right rough. Soren then found the green with his second shot and had a putt for eagle. He missed the eagle putt and was left with a tricky 3 footer for birdie (and ultimately the win as Eddie and Bernd both parred after some incidents). Soren nearly missed the putt as the ball did a 360 degree turn around the hole before dropping in; Royal County Down had one more trick to pull before tournament's end. Soren has always been a golfer that I've liked over the years so it's great to see him win again.

The average score in today's final round was probably a few shots over par, due to the high winds. On that note, here's how our picks finished the tournament:

1) Lee Westwood: T53 at 12-over
2) Miguel Angel Jimenez: T43 at 10-over
3) Tommy Fleetwood: T21 at 5-over

1) Graeme McDowell: T30 at 7-over


Not too bad in the end. Ironically, Miguel (who's friends with Soren) was one of the first people to congratulate Soren on his win after he walked off the tee. Tommy Fleetwood had another good finish and GMac too.

And that's all for our coverage this week. Next week, our coverage heads across the pond to the Jack Nicklaus hosted Memorial tournament. Stay tuned for our picks for that.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Soren Kjeldsen Wins the 2015 Irish Open

WATCH: Soren Kjeldsen's winning putt

2015 Irish Open Weekend Update

We're two rounds into the Irish Open and we've already gotten a taste of how tough Royal County Down can be. The leading score is just 3-under and is held by six players including the likes of Chris Wood, Bernd Wiesberger, Soren Kjeldsen, and more. The cut has also been set at 6-over par.

To say Royal County Down is playing tough so far is actually an understatement. I mentioned in my Picks post that unpredictability would be a key factor in the difficulty of the course and that was just the case in the weekday rounds. Conditions started off favourable for the early Thursday rounds but steadily worsened as time passed. During today's round, only 15 out of 156 players managed to break par and a round in the low to mid 70's was considered average.

Irishman Padraig Harrington didn't let an injury and withdrawal from the BMW PGA last week hinder him this week. He's currently tied for 2nd place with Luke Donald. Padraig predicted earlier this week that an Irishman would win the tournament and so far it's looking like it could be him!


Tournament host and World Number One Rory McIlroy shot a 80/71 and missed the cut for a 3rd straight year. His opening round of 80 was his worst professional round since 2011. Many will probably attribute this to fatigue and that's looking like the case.

Continuing with the trend of bad scores, American Jonathan Moore made headlines for all the wrong reasons. The 2007 Walker Cup hero knows Royal County Dawn well, but carded a Kevin Na-esque 13 on Royal County Down's par 4 13th hole, which included four lost balls (three off the tee) and an encounter with a bunker. He finished the tournament in last place and was subsequently cut.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Lee Westwood: T39 at 4-over
2) Miguel Angel Jimenez: T19 at 2-over
3) Tommy Fleetwood: T39 at 4-over

1) Graeme McDowel: T55 at 5-over

I really didn't expect all of my picks to make the cut this week considering how tough the course has been. Good results from all though, but yet again GMac just barely makes the cut. He still gets to play the weekend though, which is certainly a plus.

Given the log jam of leaders expect even better golf to come this weekend. Who knows how Royal County Down will play? Stay tuned for our results post on Sunday.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Hole-in-One VS Albatross: Which One's More Prestigious?

If you watched the BMW PGA Championship last weekend, you were treated to two amazing feats of golf during Saturday's round. The first was a hole-in-one by Miguel Angel Jimenez on the par 3 2nd hole and the second was an albatross (double eagle) by Tommy Fleetwood on the par 5 4th hole. While these two feats are rare in their own rights, it's even rarer that both of them occur in the same tournament, let alone the same round.

This got me thinking about which of the two was better: an albatross or an ace? For those who do not know, a hole-in-one is ... well ... hitting your golf ball into the hole (in this case on a par 3) in just one shot, resulting in a 2-under score for the hole. An albatross on the other hand, is when you score a 3-under on a hole, in this case making a 2 on a par 5. Now I have two golf buddies of mine, one who scored an ace and one who scored an albatross and they're always comparing and going back and for about who's shot was better (of course they are biased though). So to get to the bottom of it, I asked a few golf personalities on Twitter what their thoughts on it were. The question was: "Ace VS Albatross: Which shot carries more prestige in the golf world and why?". Here's what they had to say:

 Matthew "Coach" Lockey

Club Pro/PGA Instructor - East Devon Golf Club in Devon, UK

Golf Personality featured in Mark Crossfield's YouTube videos

James Pickard

Club Pro/PGA Instructor - Honiton Golf Club in Honiton, UK

Golf Personality featured in Mark Crossfield's YouTube videos

Recently shot a hole in one

Rick Young

Past President - Golf Journalists Association of Canada 

Equipment & Business Analyst - SCOREGolf

Steven Buzza

Performance Coach - University of Exeter Golf

TPI certified Golf Professional and Sport Scientist

Golf Personality featured in Mark Crossfield's YouTube videos

Some very interesting responses. Like we said above the albatross results in a lower score, as Coach Lockey said, which is always a better thing. Buzza and Pickard mention that the albatross is rarer, which is most certainly the case. To shoot an albatross, you pretty much have to make a hole-in-one as your second shot on a par 5. But, distance-wise you're probably farther away than your average par 3, you're not hitting from a tee box i.e. you can't choose your lie or tee it up, and statistically most golfers are less accurate with longer clubs (which you are most likely going to be hitting for your 2nd shot on a par 5) than with shorter clubs (which you most likely use for par 3's).

So it seems like the albatross carries the most prestige right? Well consider what Young and Buzza said for a minute. The ace is the shot that everyone knows and it's the shot that's more respected by a broader audience. You can ask pretty much any non-golfer what a hole-in-one is and they'll know what it entitles. The same thing cannot be said for an albatross. In a social context, the ace is the defining achievement for golf, just as the triple play is for baseball or the hat-trick is for soccer. Plus, there's just something about standing on the tee box, hitting one shot, and watching it drop in that every golfer wants to experience.

Also, I think that the fact that the hole-in-one is easier to hit than the albatross makes it more desired. The ace is the shot that professionals as well as amateurs can hit maybe more so than the albatross. And I'm pretty sure when most golfers look at a par 3, they're secretly thinking in the back of their minds "an ace would nice here".

So in the end, yes, technically speaking the albatross is the better shot with the better results and the one that requires more skill, but I think we would all be lying if we said that we didn't think of scoring an ace more often than an albatross.

What are your thoughts on it? Leave a comment below and let us know...


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

2015 Irish Open Picks

This week the European Tour visits the coasts of Northern Ireland specifically at Royal County Down in Newcastle for the 2015 Irish Open (formally the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation). As the title says, this year's Irish Open is being hosted by World Number One and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, who will also be donating his winnings to charity this week.

Royal County Down is a links golf course with a rich history. The Old Tom Morris-built course opened its doors in 1889, making it one of the oldest golf courses in all of Ireland. Over that time, it's hosted tournaments such as the Senior British Open, the British Amateur, British Ladies Amateur, the Walker Cup in 2007 (where some say the McIlroy vs Fowler rivalry started) and much more. In fact, the last time Royal County Down hosted the Irish Open was 80 years ago in 1935. It was also ranked the best golf course in the world outside the US in 2005 and 4th best in 2007, by Golf Digest. It goes without saying that we're getting a chance to see a top notch course this week.

Not only is Royal County Down a links course (which in it's own right usually leads to an excellent display of golf) it's one of the best and purest in the world. Expect nothing short of typical links golf this week, i.e. changing weather/wind, firm fairways, massive slopes in almost every spot, thick rough, dangerous patches of gorse, and above all, unpredictability. While change in conditions are bad for the players, it's always great to watch as a spectator. The winner this week will be the player who can overcome these changes the best.

We have a great field this week, partially due to it being the Irish Open, being hosted by Rory McIlroy, and being played at Royal County Down. Due to this, we've put a little more thought into our picks this week:

1) Lee Westwood
2) Miguel Angel Jimenez
3) Tommy Fleetwood

1) Graeme McDowell

Lee Westwood has traditionally played pretty good on links courses. So has Miguel, who has had good finishes in the past British Opens (also played on links courses). He also may have some momentum from that 2nd place finish last week at the BMW PGA. Tommy Fleetwood may have some as well. We'll also be watching TGR favourite Graeme McDowell, who had a T6 finish last week.

Play kicks off early Thursday morning at around 2 AM Eastern Time. A notable group to watch is GMac, Jimenez, and Westwood, who tee off at around 2:50AM EST.

Stay tuned for our Weekend Update post on Friday,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland

Byeong Hun An Wins the 2015 BMW PGA Championship

From the start of this week, I'm sure no one had this man in mind to win the tournament, especially the way he did. Against all odds though, Byeong Hun An AKA Ben An has won the 2015 BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club, with a score of 21-under par, six shots ahead of Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thongchai Jaidee. This is the Korean-born's first European Tour win only his second professional win.

An's final aggregate score was 267, which was just one shot shy of tying the tournament record of 266, set back in 1961 by Brian Bramford. To par however, his score of 21-under is the lowest in tournament history, going back to the start of the under-par format. On top of that, he's also the first winner in 39 years to win on his tournament debut. He shot this final score with rounds of 71, 64, 67, and 65. His final round consisted of five birdies and an eagle. This, combined with a struggling Molinari, led to his large victory. This is definitely a career changing win for An, as he's now exempt into the next three British Opens and next US Open and receives mega WGC points (he was previously ranked 132 in the world).

Speaking of Molinari, he was leading going into the final round and was in the final group, along with An. However, he shot a 74 today (in a round the was up and down all day) which was very high considering the average round for a good finisher was a couple of shots under par. He finished the tournament in solo 5th.

Saturday's rounds were also filled with much excitement. To start, Tommy Fleetwood (who finished T6) scored an albatross (double-eagle) on Wentworth's par 5 552 yard 4th hole. And if that wasn't enough, TGR favourite Miguel Angel Jimenez made an ace on the par 3 154 yard 2nd. This was Jimenez's 2nd hole in one in just two weeks (his last was at last week's Spanish Open) and his 3rd one this season. That's why they call Saturday "Moving Day".

Finally, here's how our picks finished:

1) Graeme McDowell: T59 at 2-over
2) Danny Willett: T38 at 2-under
3) Chris Wood: 4th at 13-under

A poor finish yet again for GMac, who didn't have a sub-70 round all week. Willett finished off pretty decent, but the best week goes to Chris Wood, who shot a final round of 66, which included 7 birdies and a hole-in-one of the par 3 179 yard 14th (due to the ace, he also wins a new BMW i8).

And that's a wrap on what's been a very exciting week, especially this weekend. Our coverage will be staying in Europe next week for the Irish Open (formally the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation) at Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland.

Stay tuned for our picks for the tournament on Wednesday,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Ben Am Wins the 2015 BMW PGA Championship by a staggering six shots

2014 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Results

The four rounds have now concluded at the 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which was played at Old Course as St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarn, in Scotland. The winner this year is Oliver Wilson, with a score of 17-under (-17) and a one shot lead over the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy, and Richie Ramsie. This is Wilson's first European Tour win in over 220 European Tour events, nine of which he has finished in a runner up position. The cut this year was set at 3-under (after three days of play instead of the usual two).

Conditions at the Old Course were very benign on the weekend, with scores of 62 being shot by Louis Oosthuizen and Tommy Fleetwood. Kingsbarn and Carnoustie were also benign as well. On Saturday, Player of the Year Rory McIlroy was on track to shoot the lowest score of his professional career, but ended up faltering slightly during his final round (many would say due to fatigue). On Sunday, only the Old Course was being played, as per Alfred Dunhill Links Championship tradition.

On the Pro-Am side of things, Peter Lawrie and Kieran McManus were the winners, with a score of 37-under (-37). The cut for the pro-am event was also set for the top-20 pro-am teams.

As for the Ryder Cup members playing this week, Stephen Gallacher and Captain Paul McGinley both had good finishes, as T32 and T42. Good to see both of them playing well.

As for our picks (Victor Dubuisson, Martin Kaymer, and Simon Dyson), all of the were cut. Hopefully they'll play better in the next few events.

Congratulations once again to Oliver Wilson, a well deserved win! Stay tuned for more European Tour coverage,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Oliver Wilson finally wins on the European Tour

2014 Wales Open Picks - Results

The 2014 Wales Open at Celtic Manor has concluded and the winner this year is Joost Luiten. The young Dutchman shot even par during his final round, but this was still good enough for a 14-under finish, and a one shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry, the weekday leader. This is his fourth win on the European Tour and first in a little over a year; his last win being the KLM Open last year

Conditions during the final round were ideal for scoring. 6-under was the low score of the day and was shot by several players at the iconic 2010 Ryder Cup course.

The members of the European Ryder Cup that were playing this week had up and down finishes. Jamie Donaldson had an excellent finish at T4 which will sure make Captain Paul McGinley happy. On the other hand Lee Westwood and Thomas Bjorn finished lower on the leaderboard at T60 and T58, respectively.

Finally here is how our picks finished the tournament:

1) Thorbjorn Olesen: T32 at 5-under (-5)
2) Lee Westwood: T60 at 2-over (+2)
3) Peter Lawrie: T65 at 3-over (+3)

Not the best of finishes, but that's just more incentive to play better in upcoming tournaments.

As you know, the Ryder Cup is being played this week at Gleneagles, so we'll be covering that fully once it starts.

Also stay tuned for our coverage of one of our favourite European Tour events, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, in two weeks.

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Joost Luiten Wins the 2014 Wales Open (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)