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Daily Mirror
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Tiger Woods and son Charlie footage emerges as Ryder Cup hero makes bold claim
Tiger Woods has coached his son, Charlie, throughout his development as a golfer and the 16-year-old's game is beginning to look almost identical to his father's Golfing great Sam Torrance has heaped praise on Tiger Woods and his young son, Charlie, highlighting their strikingly similar approach to the game. The Scottish legend, who clinched four Ryder Cup victories with Team Europe, knows a thing or two about family success in golf, having triumphed at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with his own son, Daniel, in 2003. The dynamic duo of the Woods family have teed off together five times at the PNC Championship, most recently securing a runner-up spot in the 2024 tournament, just behind Bernhard and Jason Langer. Torrance, who has previously lauded the pair's bond on the course, remains captivated by Charlie's burgeoning talent, especially after the youngster's victory at the Team TaylorMade Invitational in May. Speaking exclusively to Mirror US, courtesy of Lottoland, Torrance reiterated his admiration for the teen golfer: "I just know how good the boy is. "When I said that about his father and son thing, I was very lucky to win the Dunhill with my son. "So I know how special it is to have a boy of your own that can play the game and Charlie looks magnificent." Torrance also noted the uncanny resemblance between Charlie and his legendary father on the course. He said: "I mean, if you've seen the clips of the two of them together, it's like little and large. They do exactly the same thing. The way they lean on the putter, the way they swing. "There's no finer tutor than Tiger Woods to his son. I was very fortunate to have my father teach me my whole life, and there's nothing better than having someone that loves you teaching you." Woods is expected to be in a familiar setting come August, potentially supporting his son at the AJGA Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass' Players Stadium Course. This is the same course where Woods celebrated his Players Championship victories in 2001 and 2013, reports the Mirror US. Torrance, who previously praised Woods' then-13 year old son during the Notah Begay III Junior National Golf Championship, believes the young golfer has an excellent role model and coach in his father. "There's nothing better (for Tiger) and, christ, he's got a machine there, I think," Torrance stated. "It will be nice to see how that develops because he couldn't get a better coach. "He'll obviously have all the practice facilities etc he'll ever need. He'll not want for a thing in his life, but he's got a great wee swing and the mannerisms they share is quite extraordinary."
Newsweek
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Scottish Open: Rory McIlroy Grinds Through "Scrappy Start" to Stay in Contention
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. "Golf is hard" is probably the most popular phrase among fans of the sport, and even top players are no exception. So it's no surprise that a star like Rory McIlroy didn't soften his performance during the first round of the Scottish Open: "It was a scrappy start," he summed it up. It's fair to say that things improved markedly for the Northern Irishman as the day progressed. "I definitely finished the round better than I started it," he said. "Felt like it was a bit of a slow I felt like as the round went on I was getting a little more comfortable and a little more used to what we're going to face this week and next week as well." Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts on the 18th green on day one of the Genesis Scottish Open 2025 at The Renaissance Club on July 10, 2025 in North Berwick, Scotland. Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts on the 18th green on day one of the Genesis Scottish Open 2025 at The Renaissance Club on July 10, 2025 in North Berwick, assessing his upward trend during the round, the five-time major winner mentioned the two aspects that marked his luck during the day: "I was saying to the guys over there, I struggled a bit in left-to-right wind," he said. "Right-to-left winds I was okay with. But seemed like the holes I got myself in trouble was when the wind was to the left..." "Just getting used to the green speeds and the conditions, and it's a little bit of an adjustment when you've played so much golf over in the States when the greens are that much quicker and conditions are just a little bit different," he added. McIlroy has not played links golf in Europe in official tournaments since the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October 2024. Rory McIlroy's Hard Work Kept Him in Contention Up until the fifth hole, it seemed Rory McIlroy was headed for a round to forget. He had carded a birdie and two bogeys, and with a score of 1-over, and was hovering at the bottom of the leaderboard. However, the Northern Irishman showed that he has a Career Grand Slam under his belt for good reason. After birdieing the sixth hole to level his score, he strung together eight consecutive pars, putting the instability of the start of the round behind him. He bogeyed the 15th after sending his tee shot into a fairway bunker, but responded by birdieing the final three holes consecutively to finish at 2-under. "All you can do is play the conditions that are there and that are put in front of you," he said in assessing his performance. "And if there's an opportunity this week to be aggressive, you have to be. We're still trying to win the golf tournament. You're trying to shoot the lowest score possible." McIlroy will start the second round tied for 33rd. His tee time is 3:28 a.m. Eastern Time. More Golf: Sergio Garcia Admits Getting Warning After Dinner With Ryder Cup Captain
The Herald Scotland
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Hotel in St Andrews reveals £1.1m transformation
With global attention turning once again to St Andrews for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship later this summer, and anticipation already building for the next Open the town will host in 2027, the investment ensures that the hotel remains firmly positioned at the forefront of the town's hospitality scene. The newly refreshed guest rooms take their cues from the quiet of the local landscape, with soft muted greens from the surrounding grasslands and earth tones that echo the sand and stone of the coastline. READ MORE: The design retains original, reupholstered woodwork and uses natural materials like rattan to add subtle texture. Andrei Secuianu, General Manager at Hotel du Vin St Andrews, said: 'We are the custodians of a place with great heritage, and we've modernised it with care, drawing on the character of the coastline and the traditions of the town, so that the hotel continues to feel like it belongs not just to guests, but to St Andrews itself. 'St Andrews may be known all over the world, but at its heart, it's a small, close-knit town with a deep sense of community. It's also home to some of the best hospitality in Scotland, and that keeps us striving to evolve.' This project marks a significant milestone in the lifestyle brand's multi-million-pound revitalisation initiative, which has transformed 12 of its 19 properties since the project's inception at One Devonshire Gardens, Glasgow, five years ago. Hotel du Vin St Andrews (Image: Tim Winter) Renovations are already underway at the Henley-on-Thames, Hotel du Vin, which occupies a grade-II listed Georgian building that served as a brewery for 300 years. Scott Harper, COO at Malmaison and Hotel du Vin said: 'In today's hospitality landscape, staying relevant isn't just about investment, it's about intent. "The refurbishment at St Andrews is part of a much wider revitalisation of the Hotel du Vin portfolio, but it also reflects our belief that great hospitality evolves with its environment. "St Andrews is home to some of Scotland's most respected hotels, and to continue to lead in that space means understanding what today's guests value, which is connection, character and a sense of place. "This project is a clear expression of our commitment to thoughtful design, long-term stewardship, and keeping Hotel du Vin at the forefront of the UK lifestyle hotel sector.'
The Herald Scotland
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Dermot Desmond: Absentee landlord or Celtic mastermind?
Since 2016/17, Celtic have lifted 83 per cent of the trophies available in Scotland. Rangers and St Johnstone are the only other teams to have won anything at all. Yet, in the minds of supporters, Desmond is an absentee landlord, semi-detached from the day-to-day functions of the club. A man who pokes his head in to the Hampden showers long enough to pick a new manager before slamming the door behind him and going off to play a round of golf. Most of this stuff is overblown. On a list of 28,000 shareholders, only one yields any real influence in the running of Celtic. In return for his 34 per cent stake, Desmond has 100 per cent of the say. If anything, he involves himself in things he shouldn't. Rodgers spoke recently of holding discussions with the major shareholder over a new contract for player of the year Daizen Maeda. As a rule, non-executive directors don't insert themselves in the nitty gritty of contract discussions concerning key employees. Yet, from budgets to player trading matters and remuneration, very little of any importance happens without Mister Big's say-so. When Rodgers speaks of dealing with the club on matters of significance, he rarely name checks chief executive Michael Nicholson or financial director Chris McKay or chairman Peter Lawwell. On the issues that matter, he deals with Desmond. When supporters underplay his level of influence, you can hardly blame them. Thirty years have passed and sometimes it still feels as if no one outside his inner circle really knows him at all. The Companies House website reveals that his middle name is 'Fachna' and lists a correspondence address in Gibraltar, while Ronny Deila once revealed that he keeps a harp, a piano and Irish murals in the front room of his London residence. Describing Celtic as an emotional, rather than a financial, investment, he has been known to wine and dine Lisbon Lions at supporters' functions but shows little interest in burnishing his man-of-the-people credentials. Beyond the odd morsel for Sky Sports News from the 18th hole of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, journalists are regarded with withering contempt and he sees no benefit in exposing himself to questions on Resolution 12 or the nick of the public toilets in the south stand. His face is more likely to be seen on a fans' protest banner than it is at the Annual General Meeting in Glasgow. In a rare interview for the lavish, leather-bound Celtic Opus, the 75-year-old outlined his distaste for the unpredictable whims of the general public. 'We lose a big match and I'm the greatest bollox on the earth. It's all my fault, all the directors' fault. But when we win, it is down to the manager and the team, not the directors. We are beneficiaries of abuse, we are never beneficiaries of praise.' There was no acclaim at all in May 1995 when Desmond invested in a nervous, neurotic basket case of a club which hadn't won a league title in seven years. Any trophy at all, for that matter, since 1989. Read more: Whether it's 49ers-era Rangers or not, Celtic need a title challenge Why the very nature of Rangers v Celtic means derby day will never be tedious While Pierre van Hooijdonk rose to head the only goal of an edgy 1-0 win over Airdrie in the Scottish Cup final, a period of flux continued until the day Desmond – now running the show – began to assert himself by marching Martin O'Neill into a London board meeting and introducing him as the next manager. He was equally decisive in the decision to hire Rodgers twice and, since the Northern Irishman's unexpected return in the summer of 2023, Celtic have overhauled the Rangers trophy tally of 118, reaching their target of 119 when they won the Premier Sports Cup in December. The latest title triumph at Tannadice made it 120 and you'd get long odds on Aberdeen preventing another one on May 24. In the first 107 years of their existence, Celtic won 35 league titles. In the last 30 years alone they have won 20, adding 13 Scottish Cups and the same number of League Cups. It might be coincidence that the swag haul coincides with a period of boardroom continuity overseen by the major shareholder. Then again, maybe not. While smaller shareholders fret over Celtic's non-executive directors hanging around far longer than the UK Corporate Governance code recommends, the trophies tell you that there might be something to be said for boardroom stability. While owners and managers come and go through a revolving door at Rangers, Celtic have been under the control of one careful owner since 1999. 'What we do is make a club people can be proud of,' said Desmond in his Opus interview. 'We want Celtic to be a showpiece for how football clubs should be run, without having money thrown at it.' Last year, the champions threw more money at new players than usual. They shattered their transfer record to spend £9 million on Adam Idah. They did it again when they lavished £11m on Arne Engels. Defender Auston Trusty was lured north from Sheffield United for £6m. While Idah's goal tally of 19 is respectable, he struggles to convince. Engels looks a player, but remains a work in progress. Trusty recently lost his place in the team to Liam Scales, the man he was bought to replace. For the club kingpin, this conjures up a dilemma. He can either release the sums Rodgers craves to go for broke in Europe this summer or go back to signing low risk players in the £2.5m to £3m bracket and hoard tens of millions of pounds in the bank for the new main stand no one ever builds. This tug o'war between the spending ambitions of slightly frustrated managers and a board of directors fans regard as cautious, conservative, out-of-touch Tories has been a feature of recent years. When 10-in-a-row disappeared, a stubborn determination to stand by Neil Lennon ended with supporters lobbing stuff around the car park. They still feel ignored and overlooked whenever a tifo is banned or the club send goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo out to address the subject of Ibrox missiles instead of tackling the issue in a blistering boardroom statement. And yet, through it all, the uneasy truce is maintained by a quid pro quo. It took Celtic 80 years of existence to make it to 47 trophies. Beat Aberdeen at Hampden and they will have won that many in the three decades since Desmond pitched up with a Bank of Ireland chequebook in one hand and a calculator in the other. Keep the trophies rolling in and people will turn a blind eye to the rest.
The Courier
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The Courier
When to find cheapest rounds at Tayside and Fife's top golf courses
The demand to play a round of golf at Scotland's courses continues to grow. And here in Tayside and Fife, we are blessed with some of the best in the world – including Open Championship hosts St Andrews and Carnoustie, and Gleneagles, where Ryder and Solheim cups have been played out. In order to meet that demand, St Andrews Links Trust is offering Scottish residents the chance to play several of its most famous courses – including the Old Course – at a near-90% discount. Off the back of that announcement, we've taken a look at where you can find the cheapest rounds at the region's top courses as the summer season kicks in. All the courses here are among the top 50 best courses in Scotland and are listed in order of their ranking. The prices are for adults, with most of the courses offering cheaper rates for juniors. The world's most famous course normally costs £340 to play. However, St Andrews Links Trust's initiative – The Drive – will give 44 golfers the chance to play the Old Course for just on May 21. Players must enter a ballot for the chance to participate. Playing the course that hosted the 2018 Open Championship does not come particularly cheap. A round here during the high season – May to October – . There is also a deal to play all three Carnoustie courses on consecutive days for £420. A standard 18-hole round at the Fife course, one of the hosts of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship each autumn, will set you back £448 during high season – which runs from May 1 until November 9. There is a cheaper rate available to PGA or Bigga members, however, who can play for . As with many of the top courses, winter is the best time to get a cheap round at the famous Perthshire resort. From July to September, one round on each course costs £330, with a full-day ticket costing £500. In October, the cost of a round on both courses drops to , with a full-day ticket reduced to £295 The cost drops again to in November and in December. Gleneagles also offers discounts for visitors staying at the resort. A recent addition to Scotland's golf offering, a round at Dumbarnie will cost visitors £335 between May and October. However, Fife residents can play during the high season for while Scottish residents are charged , if booked within 21 days of play. In peak season, a round costs £145 during the week and £160 at weekends. However, during the low season from the end of October to the end of March, there is a dramatic fall in prices with a weekday round costing , rising to £75 at the weekend. Although cheaper than the town's Championship course, Panmure still costs £190 for a round between May and September – rising to £195 for 2026. However, playing in October this year costs less at £160. The cheapest prices are available to UK golf club members, who can play for in May to September or in October. Winter prices have not been confirmed on the club's website. Set on a rugged clifftop with spectacular views over the town, playing the Castle Course normally costs £180 during high season or £125 during shoulder season (October 20-November 2). However, this course is also part of the Drive initiative – meaning there will be rounds available for just on September 9, 17, 21 and 26, and October 13. However, the theme and criteria for these cheaper rounds are yet to be confirmed. As with many of the region's courses, UK-based golfers can get cheaper rounds at Lundin. Rounds normally cost £165 before 1.30pm and £140 after that time. However, this drops to and respectively for UK residents. October rounds are priced at £135 before 1.30pm and £115 after 1.30pm. A round on the Rosemount course in Blairgowrie costs £155, with a day ticket also allowing visitors to play a round on the Lansdowne course for £230. Costs drop in October to £100 and £150 respectively. From November to March, however, the cost is just per round. Through the Drive initiative, the Jubilee Course is available to play for just per round. However, as with other courses taking part, there are limited tee times on four dates in September and October. Details on how to enter are still to be confirmed. The normal green fee on this course is £150. Prices at the Angus course, considered the fifth oldest in the world, range from £100 to £200 in peak season. However, an SGU card-holder can play from £85. The costs drop during April to £80-£110. The cheapest time to play is November to March, when rounds cost between and . Peak-time rounds at this popular north-east Fife course cost £110, rising to £200 for a two-ball, £270 for three and £325 for a group of four. However, prices drop to per round out of season, with evening tee-offs costing just
