For someone who’s on top of the world, Trevor Immelman has lately spent a lot of time looking up. One day after becoming the Masters champion, Immelman was courtside at Madison Square Garden for the Boston Celtics’ 99-93 victory over the New York Knicks.
Ernie Els spent last week in West Palm Beach, resting and working on his game as he tries to peak for the Masters. It might not be long before he returns for good. Golf’s most global player said on Thursday that he was planning to move his home base from London to south Florida, where the weather is more suitable for golf in the winter.
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/ 21 December 2007
As much as golf looked the same in 2007, some of the greatest triumphs were long overdue. Until a dramatic and calamitous Sunday on the cruel links of Carnoustie, the only time Padraig Harrington had reason to wave the Irish flag was during the Ryder Cup or perhaps a World Cup.
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/ 13 December 2007
No matter how often he won, by however many shots, no matter how wide the gap grew between Tiger Woods and the rest of the world, he could never escape comparisons to 2000. Woods won the last three majors, including record-setting wins at Pebble Beach and St Andrews, to complete the career Grand Slam at the age 24.
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/ 17 October 2007
British Open champion Padraig Harrington had little time to enjoy the turquoise coastline below the Mid-Ocean Club, struggling to a three-under 67 and a one-shot lead on Tuesday in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. ”I was struggling with my game, so my head was very much down,” Harrington said.
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/ 15 September 2007
Tiger Woods played a six-hole stretch in seven-under par but followed with a back nine of even-par golf that left him three strokes ahead of the field on Friday after two rounds of the United States Tour Championship. Tearing apart a defenceless course at East Lake Golf Club, Woods made five straight birdies and capped it with a 70-foot eagle putt on the par-five ninth hole to make the turn in 28.
Rory Sabbatini settled after an early double bogey to salvage a two-over 72 and build a one-shot lead over Tiger Woods in the Bridgestone Invitational. Woods dropped out of a share for the lead with a bogey from the trees on the final hole, but still managed a 69 and left himself a good chance to win this World Golf Championship for the third straight year.
Carnoustie was such a brutal test in the 1999 British Open that tabloids referred to it as ”Car-Nasty” and there were far more complaints than birdies. Sergio Garcia cried in his mother’s arms after an 89 in the first round, while Fred Funk withdrew after an 83 in the first round because he was fed up with narrow fairways and knee-high rough.
Perhaps the most famous photo of Jack Nicklaus as a father came from the 1973 United States PGA Championship. He had just completed a 68 in the second round at Canterbury when four-year-old Gary, the fourth of his five children, ran onto the green and into his arms.
Finishing with a hat-trick of birdies gave Sean O’Hair a six-under 66 and a one-shot lead over Phil Mickelson going into the final round of the Players Championship on Saturday. The centerpiece of his birdie-birdie-birdie end was his tee shot on the infamous island green 17th hole, which he thought was heading into the water.