Latest news with #majorwinner
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Colin Montgomerie backs Robert MacIntyre to end Scotland's major drought
Colin Montgomerie has backed Robert MacIntyre to become Scotland's first major winner in almost three decades and believes he is on the brink of something special. The 28-year-old from Oban finished tied-seventh at last week's Open to add to his second-place finish at the US Open in June, where he ended two shots behind JJ Spaun. Scotland hasn't had a major winner since Paul Lawrie came from 12 shots back to win the Open at Carnoustie in 1999. Montgomerie, 62, went close but finished second four times, including to Tiger Woods in the 2005 Open at St Andrews. A year later, he looked set to win the US Open but double-bogeyed the 72nd hole whilst in a tie for the lead and lost by a shot. But the eight-time European Tour Order of Merit winner thinks MacIntyre, who has five top 10 major finishes, is his country's next great hope to reign supreme at one of the sport's big four tournaments. '[MacIntyre] almost won the US Open there at Oakmont, it was a great performance from him and let's hope he takes that forward,' said Montgomerie, speaking at the launch of Ernie Els' new golf club, Els Club Vilamoura. 'Another top 10 finish at [Royal] Portrush too, and he was top 10 there six years ago as well, so he's right there. He drives the ball very well, and putts extremely well. 'And who knows, with a favouring wind, you've got to be lucky, you've got to have fortune, whether it's fortune for you or unfortune for your opponent, if he has that fortune, he has every chance of winning a major.' Montgomerie is backing MacIntyre to play a key role in a European Ryder Cup victory in New York in September. Europe have not won in the US since the 'Miracle of Medinah' in 2012 but have a team stacked with talent, led by Masters champion Rory McIlroy. The teams are decided by a combination of world rankings and captain's picks but MacIntyre, ranked 14th in the world, should be an automatic choice. 'I think we've got a very good chance, I really do,' said Montgomerie – who captained Europe to victory in 2010. 'I think the team are excited about going to Bethpage. McIlroy especially wants to win away from home. 'The last seven Ryder Cups, I believe, have been won by the home team, four by Europe and three by America. 'So, it is difficult to win away from home, but at the same time, with [Jon] Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton coming back into the fold, we've got a good set [of players]. We've got a great set that are coming through. 'I think we've got every chance.' Montgomerie played a nine-hole exhibition to open the Els Club Vilamoura alongside four-time major winner Els and 2001 Open Champion David Duval. The Algarve course is a championship-standard 18-hole golf course that features a luxury clubhouse and signature amenities such as the 261 Bar, and was built on the redesigned Victoria course, which hosted the Portugal Masters from 2007 to 2022. It will host the new PGA Champions Tour event, the Portugal Invitational, after signing a five-year deal. The first edition of the event is set to be held between 31 July to 2 August 2026. Els said: 'Golf is in the pretty sweet spot at the moment and [creating this course] has been a really nice venture. We want the conditions to be absolutely perfect and for people to have a great experience and good food.' Montgomerie added: 'The golf course is superb, and the clubhouse is fantastic. It's not just a course for the present; it's a course for the future as well.'
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Scheffler ticks off British Open in pursuit of perfection
Scottie Scheffler began his week at the British Open pondering "the point" of his pursuit of perfection but still cruised away from the field to lift the Claret Jug for the first time. Now a four-time major winner, the unassuming American's game is making waves in a dominant spell golf has not seen since Tiger Woods' heyday. Scheffler's four-stroke victory at Royal Portrush was already his fourth this year, despite a slow start after a freak hand injury caused by broken glass when he was making pasta. Since the Houston Open in March, the 29-year-old has not finished outside the top 10 in 11 tournaments -- rubber-stamping his status as the world's best. That run has included major wins at both the PGA Championship and British Open to take him within a US Open victory of joining the six men to have won the career Grand Slam. Rory McIlroy was the latest to join that select club when he won the Masters in April. But even the world number two is blown away by Scheffler's consistent excellence as McIlroy was unable to chase down the only man on the planet currently better with a club in his hand on home soil. "Scottie Scheffler is inevitable," said McIlroy. "He's just so solid. He doesn't make mistakes." Scheffler's supremacy over the rest of the field has drawn comparisons to 15-time major champion Woods. Matt Fitzpatrick labelled his playing partner on Saturday "Tiger-like" and there are a raft of stats to back up that claim. He is the first player since Woods to surpass 100 consecutive weeks as world number one. Scheffler's seven PGA Tour wins last year was the most since Woods in 2007 and he has also now become just the second player to win the British Open while ranked number one. Behind that success is a relentless work ethic, even if it sometimes drives even Scheffler to wonder why he pushes himself to the max. "We work so hard for such little moments," he said on the eve of the British Open. "I'm kind of a sicko; I love putting in the work. I love getting to practice. I love getting to live out my dreams. But at the end of the day, sometimes I just don't understand the point." - Arrest shock - For those trying to catch him, the hard work appears well worth it. "At the start of this year, when we checked the stats, Scheffler was further ahead of number two in the world than I was at 15th or 16th to the number two," said world number 14 Robert McIntyre. "He's an exceptional player and a great guy, and works so hard." Scheffler's dominance on the PGA Tour is beginning to show in his major record. His four majors have come in the last 16 events, a record which could have been even better but for a remarkable incident as last year's PGA Championship, which checked his progress. The mild-mannered Scheffler was arrested on the morning of his second round for trying to work his way around a traffic jam outside the course. Despite being bundled into a police station and having his mugshot taken in an orange jumpsuit, he was released in time to make the tee and went on to shoot a five-under par 66. The toll came the following day when his streak of 42 consecutive rounds of par or better came to an end and he finished in a tie for eighth. All charges were subsequently dropped and business was soon back to normal on the course too. He produced a blistering course-record 62 on the final day at Le Golf National to add Olympic gold to his list of honours in August and took home a record $62 million in prize money last year from his haul of victories on the PGA Tour. kca/jc/mw
France 24
20-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Scheffler ticks off British Open in pursuit of perfection
Now a four-time major winner, the unassuming American's game is making waves in a dominant spell golf has not seen since Tiger Woods' heyday. Scheffler's four-stroke victory at Royal Portrush was already his fourth this year, despite a slow start after a freak hand injury caused by broken glass when he was making pasta. Since the Houston Open in March, the 29-year-old has not finished outside the top 10 in 11 tournaments -- rubber-stamping his status as the world's best. That run has included major wins at both the PGA Championship and British Open to take him within a US Open victory of joining the six men to have won the career Grand Slam. Rory McIlroy was the latest to join that select club when he won the Masters in April. But even the world number two is blown away by Scheffler's consistent excellence as McIlroy was unable to chase down the only man on the planet currently better with a club in his hand on home soil. "Scottie Scheffler is inevitable," said McIlroy. "He's just so solid. He doesn't make mistakes." Scheffler's supremacy over the rest of the field has drawn comparisons to 15-time major champion Woods. Matt Fitzpatrick labelled his playing partner on Saturday "Tiger-like" and there are a raft of stats to back up that claim. He is the first player since Woods to surpass 100 consecutive weeks as world number one. Scheffler's seven PGA Tour wins last year was the most since Woods in 2007 and he has also now become just the second player to win the British Open while ranked number one. Behind that success is a relentless work ethic, even if it sometimes drives even Scheffler to wonder why he pushes himself to the max. "We work so hard for such little moments," he said on the eve of the British Open. "I'm kind of a sicko; I love putting in the work. I love getting to practice. I love getting to live out my dreams. But at the end of the day, sometimes I just don't understand the point." Arrest shock For those trying to catch him, the hard work appears well worth it. "At the start of this year, when we checked the stats, Scheffler was further ahead of number two in the world than I was at 15th or 16th to the number two," said world number 14 Robert McIntyre. "He's an exceptional player and a great guy, and works so hard." Scheffler's dominance on the PGA Tour is beginning to show in his major record. His four majors have come in the last 16 events, a record which could have been even better but for a remarkable incident as last year's PGA Championship, which checked his progress. The mild-mannered Scheffler was arrested on the morning of his second round for trying to work his way around a traffic jam outside the course. Despite being bundled into a police station and having his mugshot taken in an orange jumpsuit, he was released in time to make the tee and went on to shoot a five-under par 66. The toll came the following day when his streak of 42 consecutive rounds of par or better came to an end and he finished in a tie for eighth. All charges were subsequently dropped and business was soon back to normal on the course too. He produced a blistering course-record 62 on the final day at Le Golf National to add Olympic gold to his list of honours in August and took home a record $62 million in prize money last year from his haul of victories on the PGA Tour. © 2025 AFP
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
McIlroy feels he can still 'make a run' at Open
World number two Rory McIlroy said he "could be a couple closer to the lead" at the halfway stage of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush but feels he is in a "decent" position heading into the weekend. The five-time major winner from Northern Ireland shot a second-round 69 on Friday, one stroke better than he managed on failed to make the cut when the championship was last staged at Portrush in 2019, the 36-year-old had no such concerns this time around and walked off the 18th green five shots behind clubhouse leader Brian Harman."Another solid day," McIlroy said. "Improved a little bit on yesterday, hit it in play a little bit more off the tee which was nice."It was a good day. I feel like I maybe could be a couple closer to the lead, but overall in a decent position heading into the weekend."I didn't have this opportunity six years ago, so to play an extra two days in this atmosphere in front of these crowds, I'm very excited for that and I feel like my game's definitely good enough to make a run." McIlroy added that he felt he let himself down by missing the cut here six years ago but felt "close" to his best this time around despite the weight of expectation."It was a hard pill to swallow, but at the same time, I left myself too much to do," he said of his opening-round 79 in 2019 when he eventually missed the cut by a shot."I've been somewhat close to my best over the first two days in little bits here and there. I'm going to need to have it all under control and have it sort of all firing over the weekend to make a run."On another day when he was roared on by a vociferous home crowd, McIlroy began his round with a birdie. A par on the second despite taking a drop after an unplayable drive felt like a net gain too.A dropped shot on the par-three third was negated by a birdie at the fourth, but that was given straight back at the fifth on a hole where he had chipped from already on the green to leave himself 10 feet for par. Seven consecutive pars then gave the feeling of a round that failed to ignite and even when that streak was ended with a birdie at the 14th, it came with the lingering tinge of disappointment from an eagle attempt that came up however, said Royal Portrush was not a course where you could expect to go particularly low. "This golf is very demanding," he added. "It's one of these places where you know the holes you have to make par, you know the holes you have to make birdie, and everyone sort of has to play the golf course the same way. Everything becomes pretty bunched."If you have one of those out of the blue days, you can get it going, but for the most part, you're just trying to pick off your birdies on the easy holes and honestly like hold on with some of these really tough par fours."
France 24
18-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Hunter Harman stalking second British Open crown
The 2023 winner of the Claret Jug made the most of the benign morning conditions on the Causeway Coast to card six birdies in a bogey-free round to move to eight under par. Two years ago at Royal Liverpool, Harman also pulled clear in his second round and was never reeled back in by the field on the way to sealing his first major by six shots. The best the 38-year-old has managed in seven majors since was tied for 21st at last year's US Open. Yet, the 5ft 7in (170cm) Harman's game is tailor made for the seaside links conditions, which are less beneficial for the booming big hitters off the tee than most courses on the PGA Tour. "I just enjoy the creativity and trying to think your way around," said Harman. "You can kind of do it your own way. "I love the golf over here. It suits me. Distance, of course, matters over here, but it doesn't matter as much as maybe some other tournaments, and it doesn't matter because the ground is so firm that the ball rolls." With dark clouds and driving rain rolling in for the afternoon starters on Friday, Harman is likely to go out in the final group come Saturday's crucial third round. But he is trying to stay calm, despite recognising that the chance to contend for majors does not come around often. "I'm not trying to be heroic or do anything crazy. I know that I've got the game to do it, and it's just a matter of executing and staying in my own head," he added. "I was quoted afterwards (winning the 2023 British Open) saying I'd spend the rest of my life trying to get in a position to feel this again because it is, it's the top of our profession, major championships. "Any time you can get in contention, have a chance to win, I mean, that's what we've all worked for our entire lives and you don't get that many opportunities to do that." Harman, nicknamed "The Butcher" due his passion for hunting, said he would celebrate his Claret Jug two years ago by mowing grass on his new tractor. His pro-hunting comments have previously drawn criticism from animal rights activists, but said he will "sleep like a baby" despite the furore, after a steak dinner to recover his energies for a big weekend ahead.
