Trevor Immelman emerged as the halfway leader at the Masters on Friday as Tiger Woods used an incredible finish to keep alive his bid for a fifth Augusta crown. Immelman, who has had an arduous recovery from surgery, birdied 17 and 18 en route to his second straight 68 and an eight-under total of 136.
One of the many joys attached to attending the Masters is watching the local television coverage. The biggest joy of all is the now established tradition that, starting on Monday at 6.30am, some poor sod masquerading as a traffic reporter has to set up a pitch at the side of the four-lane highway that runs menacingly in front of the Augusta National Golf Club.
Britain’s Justin Rose reeled off six birdies in eight holes to share the first-round lead at the US Masters while Tiger Woods laboured to stay in touch on Thursday. Rose shrugged off two early bogeys to fire a four-under-par 68 in bright sunshine. He launched his sizzling run at the par-three sixth before ending the day level with South African Trevor Immelman.
Tiger Woods opens his quest for an unprecedented Grand Slam of golf at Augusta National on Thursday, carrying the lowest odds ever for a player at the outset of a Major. The world number one is quoted at evens or just above evens to win a fifth Green Jacket, with the next best being two-time winner Phil Mickelson.
Ernie Els is hoping a radical change of coaches can propel him to Masters glory after 14 years of heartbreak. The 37-year-old South African has won two US Opens and one British Open, but has yet to strike gold at Augusta National, despite six top-10 finishes and twice being runner-up.
Golf superstar Tiger Woods takes aim at a fifth US Masters crown this week amid breathless speculation that it could be the first step toward a once-unimaginable Grand Slam. ”I think he’s the only player capable of doing that,” American Steve Stricker said on Monday as the world’s best golfers began their preparations for the first Major championship of 2008.
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/ 21 February 2008
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.
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/ 3 February 2008
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.
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/ 24 January 2008
World number one Tiger Woods and second-ranked Phil Mickelson applaud the new PGA Tour drug-test plan set to begin on July 1, even though it means careful monitoring when playing abroad. Mickelson said he sees no doping problem in golf but wants the anti-doping programme to ensure credibility with golf’s audience.
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/ 5 December 2007
South Africans Ernie Els and Charl Schwartzel return to one of their favourite hunting grounds this week, both looking for a second victory in the Alfred Dunhill Championship beginning at Leopard Creek on Thursday. They are two of the bigger names in this €1-million event which forms part of the 2008 European Tour.
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/ 13 November 2007
South Africa’s Retief Goosen is determined to win the UBS Hong Kong Open this week to erase the memory of missing the cut last year. The two-time United States Open winner said he is looking to improve on a top-20 finish at last week’s HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.
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/ 1 November 2007
Phil Mickelson made a smooth transition to the rigours of Asian golf on Thursday to lurk two off the pace alongside KJ Choi after the opening round of the Barclays Singapore Open. The world number two, in a rare outing to the region, fired five birdies in his three-under-par 68 to remain in touch with a trio of overnight leaders.
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/ 30 October 2007
The Asian Tour has more potential for growth than any other tour in the world, according to some of the world’s most successful stars who have seen big improvements in recent years. Lee Westwood, Michael Campbell and Vijay Singh have all been regular visitors to Asia over the past decade and they are impressed with what has been happening.
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/ 29 September 2007
Phil Mickelson and Woody Austin pounded Retief Goosen and Australia’s Stuart Appleby 5&4 in foursomes play to take the first point on Saturday for the United States in the Presidents Cup. The Americans have stormed back, Mickelson and Austin setting the pace with a crushing win and the US leading in all four other matches.
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/ 28 September 2007
Three tense last-hole foursomes triumphs on Thursday sparked the United States to a 5½ to ½ edge over the Internationals at the Presidents Cup, matching the largest first-session lead in its history. The Americans nabbed the biggest first-session edge since they grabbed 5-0 leads on their way to victories over their non-European rivals in 1994 and 2000.
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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.