World number two Phil Mickelson, third-ranked Ernie Els and fourth-ranked Adam Scott will lead a strong field in the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond in July. Mickelson and Els, a double winner of the British Open warm-up event, return after finishing second and third respectively last year behind Frenchman Gregory Havret.
Two-time US Open winner Retief Goosen has returned to Asia quietly confident he is finally getting his groove back after a frustrating 18 months trying to reshape his swing. The laid-back South African famously won his two Majors without a coach and then suffered a drop in form last year after deciding to hire a mentor in an effort to improve his backswing.
Tiger Woods needed 20 holes to subdue Australian Aaron Baddeley on Friday and reach the quarterfinals of the $8-million WGC Accenture Match-Play Championship. It was the second hard-fought win in three days for Woods, who avoided a first-round upset on Wednesday.
Ernie Els was the biggest name to fall by the wayside as twice winner Tiger Woods conjured a miraculous escape at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Wednesday. Woods came from three down with five holes to play for a one-up victory over fellow American JB Holmes but fourth seed Els was hammered 6&5 by Jonathan Byrd.
Tiger Woods watched his 25-foot putt race down the slope and bend toward the cup, then he skipped backward and punched the desert air in celebration when it disappeared into the cup for a final birdie. So ended his spectacular charge on Sunday to win the Dubai Desert Classic over Ernie Els, a familiar victim.
Tiger Woods struggled with everything on the course on Saturday, missing putts, driving wayward balls into the desert terrain and yelling at a photographer for taking a shot while he was swinging. Ernie Els had a very different day, rising from fifth to first place at the Dubai Desert Classic.
Swede Johan Edfors shot a scintillating six-under-par 66 to take a two-shot lead going into the third round at the $2,5-million Qatar Masters on Friday. South African Charl Schwartzel, who was on two-under at the end of the first round, picked up five shots in a flawless round of 67.
Retief Goosen is hoping to become the first golfer to win the European Tour's Qatar Masters on two occasions when the 11th edition of the $2,5-million event gets under way on Thursday at the picturesque Doha Golf Club. The South African responded with a confident "You mean not yet" when told that no player has won the tournament twice since its inception.
South Africa's Trevor Immelman won the 27th edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge on Sunday, in spite of bogeying the final three holes at the Gary Player Country Club. He outplayed England's Justin Rose, who blew up with a double-bogey six at the last, in what turned into a nervy two-horse race between the two players in the final round.
Justin Rose of England fired a seven-under-par 65 on Friday, which equalled the day's best round, while South Africa's Trevor Immelman signed for a 66 as the pair shared the second-round lead on 11-under 133 in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Heavy mid-morning rain before play started softened the Gary Player Country Club course.
This weekend's Nedbank Golf Challenge has already made the headlines, but it is likely to be remembered mostly for the late withdrawals by big-name stars. First it was world number three and two-time defending champion Jim Furyk withdrawing on "doctor's" orders. Then reluctant genius Sergio Garcia said he needed to rest for three months.
Adam Scott of Australia and Trevor Immelman of South Africa both scored five-under-par 67s to share the first-round lead in the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City on Thursday. English pair Justin Rose and Luke Donald are lying one off the pace on 68, with tournament favourite Ernie Els of South Africa, who is trying for a record fourth title in this annual 12-man event.
Three of the world's top 10 golfers and eight of the top 20 will contest the annual Nedbank Golf Challenge over the Gary Player Country Club course at Sun City, beginning on Thursday. South Africa's world number five, Ernie Els, who is chasing a record four victories in the 27th edition of the tournament, is the highest ranked player in the 12-man line-up.
Ernie Els has told Colin Montgomerie to stop "shooting his mouth off" after the Scottish star hit out at the South African for skipping the European Tour's season-ending Volvo Masters in Spain. "I know where he's coming from so it's no surprise," said Els in response to Montgomerie's comments.
World number four Ernie Els lashed out Wednesday at the European Tour for "screwing up" their dates by scheduling the Volvo Masters to clash with the Barclays Singapore Open. Els leads the European Order of Merit by €222 000 from Ireland's Padraig Harrington but is unable to play at the Masters in Spain this week.
