Sunday, May 31, 2015

Soren Kjeldsen Wins the 2015 Irish Open

Well we've seen everything Royal County Down had to offer this week, both the good and the bad. Despite its toughness, a victor has emerged in the form of Danish golfer Soren Kjeldsen after a playoff between Bernd Wiesberger and Eddie Pepperell. This is Soren's 4th European Tour victory and his first in six years. The win also allows him to play this year's Open Championship at St. Andrews.

Looking at the leaderboard going into the weekend, you couldn't help but get the feeling that the scoreline wasn't going to change much and that a playoff would probably decide the winner. And that's exactly what happened. After 72 holes of golf, the leading score had increased from the halfway point up to 2-under par, something which we rarely see in a golf tournament. A playoff then ensued between Bernd, Eddie, and Soren.

Sunday was probably the toughest day all week with 25-30 mph winds all day. All three played very well to get to the playoff with Soren shooting a 76 but fighting Royal County Down every shot along the way, Bernd shot a 73 in a up and down round, and Eddie stunned many with a 69, which was one of a handful of sub par rounds and bogey-free rounds today.

The single hole playoff took place on the par 5 18th hole. Both Soren and Bernd found the fairway with their tee shots while Eddie hit his into the right rough. Soren then found the green with his second shot and had a putt for eagle. He missed the eagle putt and was left with a tricky 3 footer for birdie (and ultimately the win as Eddie and Bernd both parred after some incidents). Soren nearly missed the putt as the ball did a 360 degree turn around the hole before dropping in; Royal County Down had one more trick to pull before tournament's end. Soren has always been a golfer that I've liked over the years so it's great to see him win again.

The average score in today's final round was probably a few shots over par, due to the high winds. On that note, here's how our picks finished the tournament:

1) Lee Westwood: T53 at 12-over
2) Miguel Angel Jimenez: T43 at 10-over
3) Tommy Fleetwood: T21 at 5-over

1) Graeme McDowell: T30 at 7-over


Not too bad in the end. Ironically, Miguel (who's friends with Soren) was one of the first people to congratulate Soren on his win after he walked off the tee. Tommy Fleetwood had another good finish and GMac too.

And that's all for our coverage this week. Next week, our coverage heads across the pond to the Jack Nicklaus hosted Memorial tournament. Stay tuned for our picks for that.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/soren-kjeldsen-wins-2015-irish-open.html
Soren Kjeldsen Wins the 2015 Irish Open

WATCH: Soren Kjeldsen's winning putt

Friday, May 29, 2015

2015 Irish Open Weekend Update

We're two rounds into the Irish Open and we've already gotten a taste of how tough Royal County Down can be. The leading score is just 3-under and is held by six players including the likes of Chris Wood, Bernd Wiesberger, Soren Kjeldsen, and more. The cut has also been set at 6-over par.

To say Royal County Down is playing tough so far is actually an understatement. I mentioned in my Picks post that unpredictability would be a key factor in the difficulty of the course and that was just the case in the weekday rounds. Conditions started off favourable for the early Thursday rounds but steadily worsened as time passed. During today's round, only 15 out of 156 players managed to break par and a round in the low to mid 70's was considered average.

Irishman Padraig Harrington didn't let an injury and withdrawal from the BMW PGA last week hinder him this week. He's currently tied for 2nd place with Luke Donald. Padraig predicted earlier this week that an Irishman would win the tournament and so far it's looking like it could be him!


Tournament host and World Number One Rory McIlroy shot a 80/71 and missed the cut for a 3rd straight year. His opening round of 80 was his worst professional round since 2011. Many will probably attribute this to fatigue and that's looking like the case.

Continuing with the trend of bad scores, American Jonathan Moore made headlines for all the wrong reasons. The 2007 Walker Cup hero knows Royal County Dawn well, but carded a Kevin Na-esque 13 on Royal County Down's par 4 13th hole, which included four lost balls (three off the tee) and an encounter with a bunker. He finished the tournament in last place and was subsequently cut.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Lee Westwood: T39 at 4-over
2) Miguel Angel Jimenez: T19 at 2-over
3) Tommy Fleetwood: T39 at 4-over

1) Graeme McDowel: T55 at 5-over

I really didn't expect all of my picks to make the cut this week considering how tough the course has been. Good results from all though, but yet again GMac just barely makes the cut. He still gets to play the weekend though, which is certainly a plus.

Given the log jam of leaders expect even better golf to come this weekend. Who knows how Royal County Down will play? Stay tuned for our results post on Sunday.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Hole-in-One VS Albatross: Which One's More Prestigious?

If you watched the BMW PGA Championship last weekend, you were treated to two amazing feats of golf during Saturday's round. The first was a hole-in-one by Miguel Angel Jimenez on the par 3 2nd hole and the second was an albatross (double eagle) by Tommy Fleetwood on the par 5 4th hole. While these two feats are rare in their own rights, it's even rarer that both of them occur in the same tournament, let alone the same round.


This got me thinking about which of the two was better: an albatross or an ace? For those who do not know, a hole-in-one is ... well ... hitting your golf ball into the hole (in this case on a par 3) in just one shot, resulting in a 2-under score for the hole. An albatross on the other hand, is when you score a 3-under on a hole, in this case making a 2 on a par 5. Now I have two golf buddies of mine, one who scored an ace and one who scored an albatross and they're always comparing and going back and for about who's shot was better (of course they are biased though). So to get to the bottom of it, I asked a few golf personalities on Twitter what their thoughts on it were. The question was: "Ace VS Albatross: Which shot carries more prestige in the golf world and why?". Here's what they had to say:

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/hole-in-one-vs-albatross-which-ones-better.html
 Matthew "Coach" Lockey
Club Pro/PGA Instructor - East Devon Golf Club in Devon, UK
Golf Personality featured in Mark Crossfield's YouTube videos

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/hole-in-one-vs-albatross-which-ones-better.html
James Pickard
Club Pro/PGA Instructor - Honiton Golf Club in Honiton, UK
Golf Personality featured in Mark Crossfield's YouTube videos
Recently shot a hole in one

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/hole-in-one-vs-albatross-which-ones-better.html
Rick Young
Past President - Golf Journalists Association of Canada 
Equipment & Business Analyst - SCOREGolf

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/hole-in-one-vs-albatross-which-ones-better.html
Steven Buzza
Performance Coach - University of Exeter Golf
TPI certified Golf Professional and Sport Scientist
Golf Personality featured in Mark Crossfield's YouTube videos


Some very interesting responses. Like we said above the albatross results in a lower score, as Coach Lockey said, which is always a better thing. Buzza and Pickard mention that the albatross is rarer, which is most certainly the case. To shoot an albatross, you pretty much have to make a hole-in-one as your second shot on a par 5. But, distance-wise you're probably farther away than your average par 3, you're not hitting from a tee box i.e. you can't choose your lie or tee it up, and statistically most golfers are less accurate with longer clubs (which you are most likely going to be hitting for your 2nd shot on a par 5) than with shorter clubs (which you most likely use for par 3's).


So it seems like the albatross carries the most prestige right? Well consider what Young and Buzza said for a minute. The ace is the shot that everyone knows and it's the shot that's more respected by a broader audience. You can ask pretty much any non-golfer what a hole-in-one is and they'll know what it entitles. The same thing cannot be said for an albatross. In a social context, the ace is the defining achievement for golf, just as the triple play is for baseball or the hat-trick is for soccer. Plus, there's just something about standing on the tee box, hitting one shot, and watching it drop in that every golfer wants to experience.


Also, I think that the fact that the hole-in-one is easier to hit than the albatross makes it more desired. The ace is the shot that professionals as well as amateurs can hit maybe more so than the albatross. And I'm pretty sure when most golfers look at a par 3, they're secretly thinking in the back of their minds "an ace would nice here".


So in the end, yes, technically speaking the albatross is the better shot with the better results and the one that requires more skill, but I think we would all be lying if we said that we didn't think of scoring an ace more often than an albatross.


What are your thoughts on it? Leave a comment below and let us know...


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

2015 Irish Open Picks

This week the European Tour visits the coasts of Northern Ireland specifically at Royal County Down in Newcastle for the 2015 Irish Open (formally the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation). As the title says, this year's Irish Open is being hosted by World Number One and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, who will also be donating his winnings to charity this week.

Royal County Down is a links golf course with a rich history. The Old Tom Morris-built course opened its doors in 1889, making it one of the oldest golf courses in all of Ireland. Over that time, it's hosted tournaments such as the Senior British Open, the British Amateur, British Ladies Amateur, the Walker Cup in 2007 (where some say the McIlroy vs Fowler rivalry started) and much more. In fact, the last time Royal County Down hosted the Irish Open was 80 years ago in 1935. It was also ranked the best golf course in the world outside the US in 2005 and 4th best in 2007, by Golf Digest. It goes without saying that we're getting a chance to see a top notch course this week.

Not only is Royal County Down a links course (which in it's own right usually leads to an excellent display of golf) it's one of the best and purest in the world. Expect nothing short of typical links golf this week, i.e. changing weather/wind, firm fairways, massive slopes in almost every spot, thick rough, dangerous patches of gorse, and above all, unpredictability. While change in conditions are bad for the players, it's always great to watch as a spectator. The winner this week will be the player who can overcome these changes the best.

We have a great field this week, partially due to it being the Irish Open, being hosted by Rory McIlroy, and being played at Royal County Down. Due to this, we've put a little more thought into our picks this week:

1) Lee Westwood
2) Miguel Angel Jimenez
3) Tommy Fleetwood

1) Graeme McDowell

Lee Westwood has traditionally played pretty good on links courses. So has Miguel, who has had good finishes in the past British Opens (also played on links courses). He also may have some momentum from that 2nd place finish last week at the BMW PGA. Tommy Fleetwood may have some as well. We'll also be watching TGR favourite Graeme McDowell, who had a T6 finish last week.

Play kicks off early Thursday morning at around 2 AM Eastern Time. A notable group to watch is GMac, Jimenez, and Westwood, who tee off at around 2:50AM EST.

Stay tuned for our Weekend Update post on Friday,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/2015-irish-open-picks.html
Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Byeong Hun An Wins the 2015 BMW PGA Championship

From the start of this week, I'm sure no one had this man in mind to win the tournament, especially the way he did. Against all odds though, Byeong Hun An AKA Ben An has won the 2015 BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club, with a score of 21-under par, six shots ahead of Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thongchai Jaidee. This is the Korean-born's first European Tour win only his second professional win.

An's final aggregate score was 267, which was just one shot shy of tying the tournament record of 266, set back in 1961 by Brian Bramford. To par however, his score of 21-under is the lowest in tournament history, going back to the start of the under-par format. On top of that, he's also the first winner in 39 years to win on his tournament debut. He shot this final score with rounds of 71, 64, 67, and 65. His final round consisted of five birdies and an eagle. This, combined with a struggling Molinari, led to his large victory. This is definitely a career changing win for An, as he's now exempt into the next three British Opens and next US Open and receives mega WGC points (he was previously ranked 132 in the world).

Speaking of Molinari, he was leading going into the final round and was in the final group, along with An. However, he shot a 74 today (in a round the was up and down all day) which was very high considering the average round for a good finisher was a couple of shots under par. He finished the tournament in solo 5th.

Saturday's rounds were also filled with much excitement. To start, Tommy Fleetwood (who finished T6) scored an albatross (double-eagle) on Wentworth's par 5 552 yard 4th hole. And if that wasn't enough, TGR favourite Miguel Angel Jimenez made an ace on the par 3 154 yard 2nd. This was Jimenez's 2nd hole in one in just two weeks (his last was at last week's Spanish Open) and his 3rd one this season. That's why they call Saturday "Moving Day".

Finally, here's how our picks finished:

1) Graeme McDowell: T59 at 2-over
2) Danny Willett: T38 at 2-under
3) Chris Wood: 4th at 13-under

A poor finish yet again for GMac, who didn't have a sub-70 round all week. Willett finished off pretty decent, but the best week goes to Chris Wood, who shot a final round of 66, which included 7 birdies and a hole-in-one of the par 3 179 yard 14th (due to the ace, he also wins a new BMW i8).

And that's a wrap on what's been a very exciting week, especially this weekend. Our coverage will be staying in Europe next week for the Irish Open (formally the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation) at Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland.

Stay tuned for our picks for the tournament on Wednesday,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/ben-an-wins-2015-bmw-pga-championship.html
Ben Am Wins the 2015 BMW PGA Championship by a staggering six shots

Friday, May 22, 2015

2015 BMW PGA Championship Weekend Update

We're two rounds into the BMW PGA Championship with two more to go at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, England. As it stands now, the leader going into the weekend is Italian Francesco Molinari at 10-under. He holds a one shot lead over Challenge Tour player Byeong Hun An AKA Ben An (who currently holds the record for younger winner of the US Amateur, which he won in 2009 at age 17.) The cut has also been set at 2-over this week

Conditions were perfect at Wentworth over the past two days, which led to good scores all around. Molinari started the tournament off with a 65 and followed it up with a 69 today. Ben An shot a 64 earlier today in a round that consisted of 8 birdies with four of them in a row. TGR favourite and former winner Miguel Angel Jimenez is also in the mix of things at 6-under T6. Many players were eager to put in a good round before the weekend.

World Number One Rory McIlroy is also making headlines this week, but for the wrong reasons. The Northern Irishman missed the cut after shooting a 71 76, but is also receiving a fine from the European Tour after throwing one of his clubs after a bad shot on the 17th on Thursday. In a post round interview, Rory stated that he was mentally angry and showing signs of fatigue.

Also in the news, the other older Molinari brother, Eduardo, and Padraig Harrington have withdrew from the tournament due to injuries; a shoulder injury for Padraig and a wrist injury for Eduardo.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Graeme McDowell: T62 at 1-over
2) Danny Willett: T25 at 2-under
3) Chris Wood: T17 at 3-under

Good work from Willett and Wood, they're in good positions going into the weekend. Though it looks like GMac needs a couple of big rounds to have a run at the title.

Stay tuned Sunday for our Results post to see who's won,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/2015-bmw-pga-championship-weekend-update.html
Francesco Molinari is on track for his first European Tour win in three years
(David Cannon/Getty Images)

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

2015 BMW PGA Championship Picks

This week we turn our coverage to a European Tour event, in fact, the flagship event of the European Tour, the BMW PGA Championship, which is played yearly at the West course at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, England. This is one of the most elite and biggest events on the European Tour, with a large money prize, 64 WGC points, and exemptions into this year's US Open and the next 3 Open Championships given to the winner. It's roughly the equivalent of The Players Championship on the PGA Tour.

This is also one of my favourite tournaments to watch on the European Tour since it was the setting an amazing moment in golf. In the 2011 edition of the tournament, World Numbers One and Two, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald had finished their final rounds tied for 1st place and had to go to sudden death on the par 5 1st hole of the West course. On the line was not only the tournament win but also the title of World Number One. They both started the hole well and both had roughly the same distances for their approach shots. Luke went first and landed his ball safely on the green, close to the hole. Lee responded by landing his shot just inside Luke's but then watched his ball roll off the water-lined green into the water, resulting in Luke winning the tournament and the title. So much was on the line at that moment and that's why I'll never forget it. But moments like this seem to only happen at big tournaments like this.

Being a more elite tournament, all of the European Tour's (and some PGA Tour) top players will be playing this week. It situations like this, it's always hard to make picks, but we've narrowed it down to three players:

1) Graeme McDowell
2) Danny Willett
3) Chris Wood

Hopefully one of these players will win it this week. Play starts very early tomorrow in the morning in EST time. Stay tuned for our weekend update post on Friday to see who's leading going into the weekend.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/2015-bmw-pga-championship-picks.html
Will GMac be able to win this week?

Monday, May 18, 2015

Rory McIlroy Dominates at Quail Hollow

Viewers and players alike were treated to a real spectacle this weekend at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club, in the form of one of our picks this week: Rory McIlroy. The World Number One showed us this weekend why he holds that title, winning the tournament by a Tiger-esque 7 strokes, finishing at 21-under, which is also a new final score record (previously held by Anthony Kim's 16-under in 2008). He finish ahead of Webb Simpson and PGA Tour Rookie Patrick Rodgers. This is Rory's second win this year and second time winning this tournament (his last win was in 2010 and was his first PGA win). This is also his 11th PGA Tour win and it further cements his place atop the World Gold Rankings.

The action started on Saturday when the Northern-Ireland native shot a course record 61, on a day where a score in the low 70's to high 60's was great. The round consisted of 11 birdies and the remarkable part was that nine of his eleven birdie putts were within 10 feet, on a course that's home to some of the longer holes on Tour. He followed this up with a 69 on Sunday.

As well as leading the tournament, Rory also led the field in driving distance and strokes gained tee to green, with an average drive of just over 321 yards. This was a key advantage to Rory, who could (and did) easily take advantage of the long par 4's and 5's. For example, the 16th at Quail Hollow is a 514-yard par 4, and played as the toughest hole on Sunday. In his final round, Rory hit a monster 364-yard drive to about 150 yards, then hit a gap wedge to three feet. While accurate approach shots like this are common on Tour, it's pretty rare to see them from these distances. Another record McIlroy broke this week was most birdies made in the tournament (27 this week).

Phil Mickelson, one of our other picks this week, also had an excellent T4 finish at (12-under). With this finish, Lefty continues his streak of amazing finishes at this tournament (despite not liking the course). Our last pick, Bill Haas finished the tournament at 1-over T68

On another note, that's another pick win for us and our second in just a month. This week, our coverage heads across the pond to Surrey, England at the Wentworth Club for the BMW PGA Championship, the crown jewel of the European Tour. Stay tuned for our picks for the tournament on Wednesday.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/rory-mcilroy-dominates-at-quail-hollow.html
Rory McIlroy Wins The 2015 Quail Hollow Championship in Style

Friday, May 15, 2015

2015 Wells Fargo Championship - Weekend Update

The second round of the 2015 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club has just concluded and the leaders going into the weekend are North Carolina native Webb Simpson and Robert Streb at 10-under and with a two shot lead. Simpson took hold of his share of the lead through consistency, shooting a pair of 67's whereas Streb shot a 65/69, which was the lowest round on Thursday. The cut was also set at even par this week.

Quail Hollow is playing fair so far. The average round seemed to be just above or below 70 and the club house lead so far is still Streb's 65. Any round in the high 60's was very good and probably put you in a good position going into the weekend.

Our picks this week are doing well as now. Rory McIlroy is tied for 5th at 7-under, as is Phil Mickelson. Bill Has is 2-under and tied for 42nd. Rory said in a post-round interview that he was in solid form and his score shows it. He shot a bogey-free 67 today. I find it interesting that Phil claims Quail Hollow is a poorly designed course, but he always plays well here despite this. He shot a 66 today and is a sure favourite for many going into the weekend.

Colt Knost also made headlines today by making a hole in one on the par 3 227-yard 17th hole. The hole-in-one, aside from being a great feat on it's own, resulted in Colt going from just missing the cut to just making the cut. He sits at T55 at 1-under.

Join us Sunday evening for our Results post to see who won,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/2015-wells-fargo-championship-weekend.html
US Open Champion Webb Simpson Co-Leads Going Into The Weekend

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

2015 Wells Fargo Championship Picks

The Tour moves north this week to Charlotte, North Carlolina for the Wells Fargo Championship (formerly the Quail Hollow Championship) at the Quail Hollow Club. This is a very new tournament, with respect to other events on the PGA Tour, having first been contested in the 2003 season. This year marks a special year for the tournament, as it's purse broke the $7 million mark this year, with the winner taking home just under $1.3 million.

The Quail Hollow Club has a rich history, being founded by George Cobb (creator of the par 3 course at Augusta) in 1959 and undergoing renovations over the years by the likes of Arnold Palmer and Tom Fazio. The club is set to host the PGA Championship in 2017 and the President's Cup in 2021. The course however came under scrutiny in 2010 by Phil Mickelson, who criticized the greens, saying that they were some of the worst on Tour.

A number of players have also won for the first time at Quail Hollow, including Anthony Kim, World Number One Rory McIlroy, current Players Champion Rickie Fowler, and Derek Ernst.

Once again, the field this week is packed tight with top ranked and skilled players, all looking to win this tournament. In fact, 8 of the top 20 ranked players on the World Golf Rankings will be teeing it up this week. Our picks this week are:

1) Phil Mickelson
2) Rory McIlroy
3) Bill Haas

Phil may not seem like the first choice for some due to his comments, but it's worth noting that he only finished under T15 twice since 2004. Rory McIlroy is a former winner here and his game is on point at the moment; he's always a good pick any week too. Bill Haas, who had an excellent final round last week at TPC Sawgrass, might still have some of that momentum coming into this week.

Play kicks off early tomorrow morning and it sure to feature some great golf. Stay tuned for our weekend update post on Friday to see who's leading going into the weekend.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/2015-wells-fargo-championship-picks.html
A younger, curly haired Rory McIlroy won the Quail Hollow Championship in 2010

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Rickie Fowler Wins the 2015 Players Championship

Things came down to the wire once again on the PGA Tour. On a day that saw many players making a move for the lead, three players finished tied for 1st place at the end of the final round, each with their own unique story: Sergio Garcia, who's always played excellently at The Players over the years (he finished T5 or better 5 times). Kevin Kisner, the rookie who's never won on Tour and the real underdog. And Rickie Fowler, the player who was voted as one of the most overrated golfer on Tour, having won only once on Tour but finishing runner up in several big tournaments, including finishing T5 or better in all majors in 2014. In the end, it was Fowler who emerged as the victor, for his 2nd and by far his biggest, PGA Tour win.

The trio finished with a final score of 12-under at TPC Sawgrass, but got there in different ways. Rickie posted a score of 67 for his final round, having gone birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie in his last four holes, after a relatively quiet front nine. He posted his number early and had to watch the remainder of the field chase it. Sergio found himself in the playoff after holing an almost "better than most" 44 foot putt on the 17th Island Green. Kevin birdied the last two of three holes also.

In 2014, a new playoff format was introduced at The Players. It was an aggregate format which, in the event of a playoff, players would play holes 16, 17, and 18 again, and the player with the lowest combined score over these three holes would win. In the event of a tie, players would play a sudden death hole.

However, given that the venue was TPC Sawgrass, you couldn't help but get the feeling that if things ended in a tie, the 17th Island Green had to be the place where the winner would be decided, as it was years before. And that's just what happened. At the end of the 3rd hole of the aggregate playoff, Fowler and Kisner were tied at 1-under, while Garcia remained at even par after failing to birdie the 17th Island Green as Kisner and Fowler had. Off to the 17th they went for sudden death, which must've been good news for Fowler, who birdied the Island Green 5 out of 6 times this week (a remarkable stat in its own right).

Both tee shots were excellent, Kisner hit his too about 12 feet, which gave him an excellent chance as he'd been putting exceptionally all week. Fowler, however, stiffed his shot to within four feet. Kisner missed the putt and Fowler tapped in for the win, one which was long overdue and one which silenced his doubters. When asked about his thoughts on being one of the more overrated golfers on Tour after his win, Rickie responded hoping that this win was big enough.

The win is no doubt big for Fowler. While he may have the major exemptions all ready, the World Golf Rankings points as well as the FedEx Cup points are some of the highest given out for a golf tournament and invaluable. His name is also etched in Tour history as the most recent winner of golf's "5th major". And of course his prize of $1.8 million is nice. 

Finally, our remaining pick Dustin Johnson finished off the tournament at 3-over (T69) and Canadian David Hearn finished at 2-under (T42) after a disasterous final round of 78, which included a first nine score of 43.

Next week's stop on Tour is a Quail Hollow Golf Club, for the Wells Fargo Championship. Be sure to check out our picks for it next week.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/rickie-fowler-wins-2015-players.html
Rickie Fowler Wins the 2015 Players Championship, in dramatic fashion

Friday, May 08, 2015

2015 Players Championship - Weekend Update

We're halfway through this year's edition of the Players Championship and the co-leaders going into the weekend are Kevin Na and Jerry Kelly at 8-under (-8), with a two shot lead over Branden Grace, Canadian David Heard, Chris Kirk and Rickie Fowler. The cut has also been set this week at even par.

Both Na and Jelly had good rounds today, shooting 69 and 65 respectively. Na, who was the 54 hole leader just a few years ago, had 6 birdies and three bogeys. He's had an interesting past couple of years Kevin Na. He battled a severe case of the yips during his final round of the 2012 Players, where he was seen taking many practice swings and backing off many shots. He struggled careerwise, reaching a low point in 2013. In his post round interview today, Na said he's a changed person, and his score reflects it.

PGA Tour veteran and 48-year old Jerry Kelly's story is a little different. He opened the tournament this week with a decent 71, but followed it with a 65 in a round consisting of 8 birdies and 1 bogey (one of these birdies came on the infamous "Island Green" 17th). This was good enough for the low round of the day as well.

Canadian David Heard is also in the mix at T3 after opening rounds of 67 and 71. The Brampton native also birdied the 17th today. Hearn has been having an up and down season thus far, with his best finish occurring at the RBC Heritage (T6). Best of luck to him this week as well.

TPC Sawgrass was of course in excellent condition, with the front nine playing slightly easier than the back nine, and the final three finishing holes playing the toughest overall. The Island Green 17th again showed us how dramatically it could affect a players score. For example, Ernie Els was 4-under for his round going into 17, having made several birdies and a bogey thus far. With today's far back hole location, Els landed his tee shot pin high then watched his ball slowly roll off the green and into the water. He ended up double-bogeying the hole.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Justin Rose: CUT
2) Jordan Spieth: CUT
3) Dustin Johnson: T61 at even par

Rose and Spieth were a bit off on both days, with Rose showing a bit of (rare) anger in his opening round, kicking his golf bag and throwing his club after hitting a ball into the water. Dustin's round was a bit more interesting. He went birdie/bogey and vice verse on many occasions, resulting in back to back 72's. TGR favourite Graeme McDowell also recovered from an opening round of 73 with a 70 today. He sits at 1-under (T46).

There are two more rounds left in The Players, which will no doubt be filled with excitement and good golf. Check out our Results post Sunday evening to see who won this year.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/2015-players-championship-weekend-update.html
PGA Tour Veteran Jerry Kelly is on track for his first win in 6 years at The Players

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

2015 Players Championship Picks

It's finally here, the biggest event on the PGA Tour and the pinnacle of the golf season, golf's "5th major", the one, the only, the Players Championship, which is contested yearly at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Everything about this tournament screams elite, from it's $10 million purse (with $1.8 million going to the winner) to it's world class field to TPC Sawgrass itself.

Many often wonder why The Players Championship is such a big deal on tour, so here are a few reasons. Aside from a large amount of money, winning The Players results in a large amount of World Golf Rankings points, a 5 year exemption on the PGA Tour, a 3 year invitation/exemption to the Masters, the Open Championship and the US Open, as well as an exemption into the PGA Championship later on in the season. Talk about a career starter...

Another reason why The Players is such a big deal is the course, the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass that is. The Stadium Course was designed by Pete and Alice Dye, for the sole purpose of hosting The Players. Widely recognized as one of the toughest courses played on Tour, the Stadium Course brings water into play on many of it's holes and is known for it's tough finishing holes. Perhaps the most famous part of the course is the par 3 17th, known as the "Island Green". And it is just that; you tee off with a lake in front of you and must land your ball on a small 70-foot green in the middle of the lake. The Island Green is hands down the most famous and iconic hole in golf and has been known to make or break a players round.

The field at The Players is usually more distinct and deeper than the average PGA tournament, as it includes top-ranked golfers, as well as past winners of notable tournaments such as the Senior Players, Tour Championship, WGC events, etc. Given this, it was a little harder to make our picks this week, but we've narrowed down the 144-man field to three players. Here's who we think might win this week:

1) Justin Rose
2) Jordan Spieth
3) Dustin Johnson

Justin Rose is an all round safe pick. He plays great golf, is a world class player, and always a favourite in my books when he's playing well. Speaking of playing well, Jordan Spieth is a pick for most people and myself, after winning the Masters and for probably being the best player in golf for the last 6 months. Dustin has a handful of top-10 finishes (including one at the Masters) as well as a win this year. Needless to say, he is playing pretty good golf at the moment and he also drives the ball a long way; that's why he's our last pick this week.

Also we'll be watching TGR favourite Graeme McDowell (who almost won The Players a few years ago).

To close, one thing I found interesting about this tournament was that since 2011, the winning score has been 13-under par. It'll be interesting to see if this trend continues this year. Play is set to start tomorrow morning at just after 7AM EST and is sure to be filled with excitement, especially at the 17th. Stay tuned for our Weekend Update post on Friday evening to see who's leading going into the weekend.

Who are your picks this week? Comment below and let us know...


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/2015-players-championship-picks.html
The iconic "Island Green" at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass

Monday, May 04, 2015

GAME GOLF Product Review

Name: GAME GOLF Tracking System
Price: $229 CAD in most places
Features/Description: A tracking system that tracks your ever shot on the golf course. By "tagging" the unit with tags that attach to each of your clubs, various stats about your round are logged then made available to you.
Website: http://www.gamegolf.com

Pros: Very user friendly and provides tons of useful stats for golfers of every skill level, great for any golfer who wants to improve. Identifies (via stats) your best and worst parts of your game.
Cons: The shot-detection system sometimes picks up practice swings and significant hip motion, which will influence your stats unless corrected. Uploading your round ASAP makes the editing process easier, as you'll probably remember more of your round.

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/game-golf-product-review.html

Value:
Build/Quality:
Effectiveness:
Features:

Overall Rating:  4.5 out of 5

GAME GOLF is probably one of the most revolutionary golf aids to ever be released. Simply put, it's a unit that uses a GPS-like system to track your every shot on the golf course, basically providing you with a map of where you hit your shots during your round as well as useful stats based on the shots. How it works is very simple. You attach "tags" (see image above) that screw into the grip of your club, then every time you use a club on the golf course, you tap the unit with the tag on the club (near your ball of course) and your location for that shot is recorded. You do this for every shot and every club you use on the course. But no worries if you forget to tag, as  the unit has a shot-detection system that detects hip motion from your swing, so the shot is still recorded. After your round, you simply plug the unit into your computer and upload the round to GAME GOLF's website (where you must have an account), where it stores the round and all the stats collected from it. After uploading the round (which you can edit online as well), the round and all the stats can then be viewed from the site or from their mobile app.

This entire process may seem complicated, but the people at GAME GOLF have made it very easy to implicate and understand. Whenever you successfully "tag" your club against the unit, a tone is played, the unit vibrates, and a green LED lights up, indicating that you tagged. The light stays on for one minute, which acts as a reminder in case you're wondering if you've tagged or not. There's also no need for course selection, tee selection, etc. Once you turn on the unit on the course (I would recommend as you are standing on the first tee), it automatically recognizes which course you're at and what tees you're playing from. All you do is leave the device on all round and tag your shots. At the end of your round, you turn the device off, which signals the device to conclude your round. It's as simple as that. Uploading and editing your round online is also very easy, and the entire process is made simpler via online tutorials that GAME GOLF provides.

Perhaps the most fascinating and useful part about GAME GOLF is the stats it records. It's like having a person following you around on the golf course, taking note of every shot you make. GAME GOLF tells you stats such as club distance, accuracy off the tee, distance from hole on approach, etc. for each club as well as overall round stats like number of pars, number of putts, your handicap, etc. Stats, I think, are ideal for golfers who are looking at getting better because stats simply tell you what the best/worst parts of your game are and thus areas for improvement. This is why GAME GOLF is so useful for any golfer.

Leaving the theory aside, I put GAME GOLF in play in several of my recent rounds. I found that I rarely forgot to tag my shots, partially due to how excited I was to see my stats after but partially due to the fact that I was reviewing it. The shot-detection system worked 100% of the time for me when I forgot to tag, but I did notice that it picked up on practice swings that I had taken not near my ball. For example, as I was waiting for my golf buddy to hit his shot, I got out of my golf cart and took some practice swings with one of my clubs. The device subsequently recorded my practice swings as a shot. It's also worth noting that the detection system only records that a shot has been taken, but doesn't say with what specific club (you can add the club online). One thing I recommend is uploading your round online as soon as possible, since you'll probably remember more of your round. For the few times that the detection system recorded one of my practice swings, I could not remember if it was my real shot or not as I forgot to tag my club. The good part is that these detected shots can easily be removed when editing the round online

Another big issue for most golfers looking to buy GAME GOLF is price. At $229, it does cost a bit more than your average training aid, which will definitely deter some golfers. I think it is 100% worth it though. The information and feedback you're getting from every round really justifies the price. GAME GOLF isn't a use-once-and-chuck-it product, you'll use it every round and collect more and more valuable data each time you play. Soon enough, you develop a sort of "portfolio" of your golf game, telling you what you do/don't do well in golf in general, which again will tells you where you can improve. And knowing what you're doing wrong is the first step to getting better, in my opinion.

Overall, GAME GOLF is a product that will no doubt change and open your eyes to many aspects of your golf game. I'd recommend it for every golfer, whether you want to get better or are just curious about your stats. 4.5 out of 5!


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Do you own GAME GOLF? Let us know what your favourite part about it is by commenting below...

Sunday, May 03, 2015

Rory McIlroy Wins the 2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play

San Francisco was treated to an excellent and world class display of golf this week at the World Golf Championships Cadillac Match Play at TPC Harding Park. With the new match play format (implemented just this year) we saw more matches being played than any year before, as well as more rounds of golf than any other golf tournament, which brought out a different side of some golfers. But after 7 matches, 3 of witch concluded today, World Number One Rory McIlroy emerged as the winner, defeating Gary Woodland with a 4&2 score. This is Rory's first PGA Tour win this year and his last PGA Tour win since the PGA Championship last year. Ironically, Rory has won 2 of the last 4 WGC events, his last being the 2014 WGC Cadillac Championship, which was also his last non-major PGA Tour win.

Rory remained undefeated all week, but his journey to the final round was not easy. He defeated the likes of Japan superstar Hideki Matsuyama, Paul Casey (a match which concluded early this morning due to darkness yesterday), and Jim Furyk (who finished 4th). In his match against Furyk, Rory was 1 down going into the 16th hole. It wasn't looking good for him, but Rory went on to win the next three holes and beat Furyk, going birdie, birdie, eagle. He drove the green on the 18th and made a huge (albeit unexpected for both him and Furyk) eagle putt to win.

In the final match, Rory took an early lead against Gary Woodland, going 4 up through 7. Both players were playing well, although Gary Woodland battled against errant drives most of the round. But Woodland made a charge on the back nine, taking two points away from Rory on the 11th and 12th. But things turned for the worst for Woodland on the par 3 13th hole, where he was left with a short four foot putt to win the hole after Rory had duffed a chip. Woodland missed and they halved the hole, but from there on, Woodland wasn't the same. He would concede the 16th hole and watch after a poor bunker shot.

The 3rd place match was played between Jim Furyk (surprise, surprise) and young Englishmen and European Tour player Danny Willett. This was a back and fourth match, with Furyk leading going into the back nine, but Willett dominating much of the back nine. By no means did Furyk lose the match, rather, Willett won it. Despite being for 3rd place, Willett probably comes out as the biggest winner this week, as his 3rd place finish was enough to earn him temporary PGA Tour status for the rest of the season.

TPC Harding Park was not forgiving this week, especially the deep (US Open style) rough. On the back nine, many of the par 4s required a tee shot in the fairway, as a second shot from the rough would often result in balls not having enough spin to stay on the green when they landed. We saw this a lot in Woodland's final round, where he was penalized a few times for missing the fairway.

Finally, our lone pick who made it to the knockout rounds, Rickie Fowler, lost in his first match to Louis Oosthuizen, who dominated most of the match.

There you have it, the 2nd WGC event of the season. As I promised, it was filled with excitement and world class golf. Next week is the biggest event of the PGA Tour, the "5th major", the Players Championship from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Stay tuned for our picks for it.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/rory-mcilroy-wins-2015-wgc-match-play.html
Rory McIlroy Wins the 2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play

Friday, May 01, 2015

Jimenez vs Bradley: A Closer Look at What Happened Today

They say match play brings out the competitive side in a golfer and all the emotions that follow suit. Pride, the desire to win and beat a single person is often a double-edged sword. Sometimes we get a glimpse at the negative sides of these emotions at events like the Ryder Cup, perhaps the most famous being the Paul Azinger and Seve Ballesteros dispute. It's safe to say though that disputes and confrontations are something not seen too often in the world of golf.

Today's round at the WGC Cadillac Match Play saw a dispute between Miguel Angel Jimenez and Keegen Bradley, both very likable, calm, and some of the nicer players on tour. This was the third match for both players, but both had lost their previous two matches, meaning that neither of them had a chance of reaching the round of 16.

It started on the 13th hole, where Jimemez apparently questioned a cart path drop Bradley had made. Whether the questioning was out of curiosity, disapproval, etc. isn't not clear at the moment. Ok, no big deal, Miguel is 1 UP at this point and wants to make sure things are being done right. He does want to win after all.

Things turned for the worse on the 18th. After a wayward tee shot, Bradley was forced to make another drop. Jimenez had again made his way over to where Bradley was and discussions again ensued, with Jimenez voicing his opinion about the drop. Things became heated when Bradley's caddie (Steve AKA Pepsi) interrupted Jimenez, who was having a conversation with the rules official on scene. Pepsi said to Jimenez "do you want to delay us some more?" prompting Jimenez to tell Pepsi to "shut up". An angered Bradley then stepped in, getting up close and personal with Jimenez, telling him not to tell his caddie to shut up and to go back to his ball.

It's tough in this situation to point the finger at who is to blame or at fault for this. Many people are saying different things, some say Jimenez was out of line for being there and saying shut up, some say Pepsi was rude for interrupting, some say the rules official should have done something about it. Here's my opinion, for what it's worth.

This post should be titled "Jimenez vs Pepsi" because that's really where the heated dispute is, and started. You can't blame Jimenez for walking over to Bradley's ball and taking interest. It does, after all, affect him as it could affect Keegen's score on that hole and thus affect the match. Any match player golfer would have probably done the same thing, but probably not as insistent as Jimenez was. You can't blame Bradley for defending his caddie. Players and caddies are really close and most of the times are close friends. He's trying to defend his caddie after all.

So who's to blame?

Both Jimenez and Pepsi. Pepsi probably should not have interrupted Miguel and the rules official. That seems to me like the catalyst in the heated dispute. Likewise Miguel probably should not have told Pepsi to shut up and probably should not have been so accusatory in his opinion about the drop. Now whether Jimenez meant to tell Pepsi to shut up or meant to be so accusatory is a different story. There is after all a slight language barrier with Jimenez.

After the match (which Jimenez ended up winning), the two had apparently calmed down at least in their interviews, citing that they were in the heat of the moment and that what's done is done. But people inside the locker room afterwards are saying that the two and Pepsi had more words for each other and apparently nothing was resolved.

Some people (cough Johnny Miller, cough some Golf Channel experts) are blaming the rules official for not stepping in and "breaking up the confrontation". What I found interesting about this was what Chief Referee Mark Russell has to say about this. Russell defended the rules official saying that issue was between the players and that the rules official acted justly. He added that if things got any worse, the rules official would certainly have stepped in. It's also worth pointing out that although the rules official is a referee of sorts, he/she can't be compared to referees of other sports, where confrontations occur more often. These things just don't happen that often in golf so you wouldn't expect a rules official to step in like we see in other sports.

This is a very interesting story that's sure to develop some more in the next few days. I just hope that this isn't the latest golf rivalry to emerge. Both are great and respected players and hopefully they can resolve these issues.

In other news, the round of 16 has been decided. You can find out who's playing who by clicking here. The only one of our picks to make it to the round of 16 was Rickie Fowler, who will be facing Louis Oosthuizen tomorrow.

What's your opinion on the Jimenez/Bradley issue? Leave us a comment and let us know,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

http://torontogolfreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/jimenez-vs-bradley-closer-look-at-what.html
 Jimenez vs Bradley: What's your opinion on it?