Golf Thread

[Cricket Warrior]

Two-time major winner Fuzzy Zoeller has died at the age of 74.

Born Frank Urban Zoeller Jr, the American clinched the 1979 Masters in a play-off to become the first player since 1935 to win the tournament on his debut - and the last.

He also won a play-off against Greg Norman to claim victory in the US Open at Winged Foot in 1984.

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Puig emulates Ballesteros with win in Australia

David Puig became the first Spanish winner of the Australian PGA Championship since Seve Ballesteros in 1981 with a two-shot victory in Brisbane.

The 23-year-old, who also competes on the LIV Golf Tour, carded a bogey-free five-under 66 in Sunday's final round to claim his first DP World Tour title on 18 under.

It is Puig's third title as a professional after two wins on the Asian Tour in 2023 and 2024. His previous best on the DP World Tour was third at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in January.

Australian PGA Championship: Spain's Daniel Puig emulates Seve Ballesteros with two-shot win

David Puig becomes the first Spanish winner of the Australian PGA Championship since Seve Ballesteros in 1981 with a two-shot victory in Brisbane.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Blinded in one eye but facing McIlroy in Australia

Jeff Guan was climbing up the professional golf ladder rung by rung.

A two-time Australian amateur champion, Guan had made his PGA Tour debut in the United States and been snapped up by the same management agency as Spanish superstar Jon Rahm.

Gaining a card on the DP World Tour was the next logical move. Then his ascent towards the top of the game was ripped away.

A week after his US bow in September 2024, Guan was hit in the face by a stray ball at a Pro-Am event, leaving him permanently blinded in his left eye.

This week, the 21-year-old from Sydney caps a remarkable return. He is part of a strong field at the Australian Open - the crown jewel of the nation's golfing summer - rubbing shoulders with Masters champion Rory McIlroy, as well as Australian major winners Adam Scott and Cameron Smith.

"Playing these events, especially with so many DP World Tour pros coming over to Australia, is so exciting," Guan told BBC Sport.

"It will be good to see where I'm placed in the field and test where my game is at."

The life-changing incident at the Catalina Club in New South Wales left the young player fearing he would never swing a club again.

Guan's comeback at the elite level is a tale of remarkable courage and perseverance.

After hitting his second shot from the third fairway, Guan headed towards a buggy to put the iron back in his bag. Seconds later, he was struck.

"I remember I dropped to the floor and I could feel a throbbing pain at the top of the left hand side of my head," he recalled.

Guan was quickly taken to a Canberra hospital, where a CT scan revealed he would immediately need surgery on his fractured eye socket.

The following day he was moved to the Sydney Eye Hospital for a second operation and spent two weeks there in intensive care.

When Guan was allowed home, doctors insisted he stay in the confines of his room to stabilise the eye pressure and avoid any particles entering the area.

Some days he could not face getting out of bed. Others he could not bear to look at his golf clubs.

"I've always loved golf and played it my whole life. So having it stripped away all of a sudden was mentally challenging," said Guan, who was told within days he would not regain his sight in that eye.

"Luckily I got the 'good to go' after a couple of weeks, started walking again and doing body strength work."

Fortnite & COD - gaming helps Guan make adaptations

Guan remembers the rehabilitation process as a series of "little steps" on a long road back to the golf course.

Three months after the second operation, he picked up clubs for the first time with gentle chipping and putting.

He had to patiently build up through the bag and, about another three months later, was taking full swings with the driver.

"My initial thoughts were 'wow, my clubs are so long'," said Guan.

"I hadn't been playing for six months and gripping the club felt really awkward, I wanted to stand way too tall.

"I had no idea if I would be able to play again, but as the sessions kept going and I practising more, I started seeing results."

Specialists gave Guan a series of vision therapy drills to strengthen his right eye - and encouraged him to play console games.

Battling online opponents on Marvel Rivals, Fortnite, Rainbow 6 Siege and Call of Duty has added a fun element to the rehabilitation process.

"Gaming helps with some hand eye coordination and increase of peripheral vision awareness. It helps that I love gaming anyway," Guan said.

The change in his depth perception has made playing from the bunkers - where he would be penalised for grounding his club - particularly challenging.

Visually-impaired golfers from around the globe, who contacted Guan through social media after hearing his story, provided crucial tips.

Squinting with his right eye to block out peripheral objects, and using the shadow from the sun to tell where his club is, have improved his sand game.

When he began putting, Guan found his reading of the greens was "atrocious".

Guan could not judge the contours - even if there were steep breaks - and quickly adopted a technique used by many golfers to improve putting accuracy.

"I've starting learning Aimpoint – where you stand over the second third of the putt and you feel how big the slope is with your feet - to confirm what I'm seeing," he said.

"I still read a putt normally behind the ball or the hole and then I will use Aimpoint quickly to make sure it's right."

How has he fared on his comeback?

Having upped his workload to daily practice sessions with long-time coach Gary Barter at the revered Australian Golf Club, Guan had a decision to make about returning to the professional ranks.

"Even when training and practising was going well, I was 50-50 if I should take another year off," he said.

"I get two years on a medical [exemption] and, after talking to my team and my parents, I felt two years out of golf was too long."

Guan has been fitted for a prosthetic cover over the eye, which he wears while playing to make him feel "100% confident" in front of other people.

His first tournament back came at the Northern Territory PGA Championship in August, falling short of the cut after carding rounds of 74 and 73.

A fortnight later he played at the Western Australia PGA Championship - finishing in a share of 10th place after shooting a final-day 66.

Guan says his comeback has been fuelled by self-motivation, but also credits the overwhelming support of the golfing world for providing further encouragement.

A recent video message from Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood - who Guan describes as an "idol" - was a particular source of inspiration.

Fleetwood will not be playing in the Australian Open, but Guan warily dreams about potentially lining up alongside the Englishman in the future.

"I would love to be part of the DP Tour or PGA Tour as a member but right now I'm just focusing on the Aussie schedule and playing my way up from there," he said.

"I want to say [earning tour cards] is a target but it's still very early to tell."

BBC

 

[hassan918]

McIlroy produces 'rollercoaster' opening round​

Rory McIlroy shot a one-over round of 72 on a "rollercoaster" opening day at the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.

The Masters champion, who won this tournament in 2013, had an up and down round which included five birdies and six bogeys in tricky conditions with strong winds.

His playing partners Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee both finished two under for the day, while Australia's Elvis Smylie, New Zealand's Ryan Fox and Mexico's Carlos Ortiz are in a three-way tie for the lead on six under.

Scotland's Cameron Adam, appearing at just his second tournament as a professional, is two shots behind the leaders.

The 22-year-old missed the cut on his professional debut at last month's Australian PGA Championship but has started strongly in Melbourne.

He hit three birdies on the front nine and added a further two on his way back to the clubhouse before dropping a shot on the par-three 16th to sign for a 67.

McIlroy started his round on the back nine with a birdie on the 10th, but bogeys at the following two holes set the tone for his round.

"Every time I made a birdie or two, I made a bogey or two," he said.

"It felt like one of those days - what side of par am I going to finish on, under or over?

"It wasn't terrible. I hit it in a couple of bad spots and had a couple of early three-putts as well.

"It's tricky conditions and not like anyone is getting away out there, so I limited the damage and hope the conditions are a little bit better tomorrow."

McIlroy admitted he was "caught out a couple of times" with the crosswinds as he tried to adjust to the conditions, but is happy to be back at the Australian Open for the first time since 2015.

The support he and his Australian playing partners enjoyed from early on Thursday morning is not lost on the career Grand Slam winner who acknowledged the tournament "means a little bit more" to the Australian public.

"It was amazing, I couldn't believe how many people were there at seven o'clock when we teed off," he said.

"There are events in golf that means a little bit more. I think everybody in Australia takes so much pride in their national Open and you can feel it, so it's a pleasure to be here again and play there with Adam [Scott] and Min Woo [Lee].

"I'm looking forward to getting out there with them again tomorrow."

Elsewhere, Jeff Guan, a two-time Australian amateur champion - who is permanently blind in his left eye - is tied for 117th after a four-over-par 75 in his opening round.

Source: BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

2028 Open moved to August to avoid Olympics clash

The R&A is moving The Open championship in 2028 to avoid clashing with the Los Angeles Olympics golf tournament.

With the Olympic golfing medals being decided between 19-29 July, the 156th staging of golf's oldest major has been shunted back from its traditional slot in the third week of July to 3-6 August.

The men's Senior Open will take place from 10-13 August, with the Women's Open being held from 17-20 August.

"Providing clarity on the dates now will assist with the planning of the global golf calendar in 2028," said R&A chief executive Mark Darbon.

"The Open will be returning to its normal mid-July dates in 2029."

The venues for all three major championships in 2028 will be confirmed at a later date.

Open Championship 2028 moved to avoid clash with Los Angeles Olympics

The 156th Open Championship will be held in August 2028 to avoid clashing with the Olympic golf tournament at the Los Angeles Games.

www.bbc.com

 

[hassan918]

Scheffler joins Woods with fourth PGA Tour award​

Scottie Scheffler has become just the second man after Tiger Woods to win the PGA Tour's player of the year award for four seasons in a row.

The 29-year-old American won six times in 2025, including two majors - The Open and the PGA Championship - and recorded a PGA Tour-best 17 top-10 finishes as well as not missing a single cut.

He is just the second player to claim the Jack Nicklaus Award in at least four straight seasons after Woods (five in succession between 1999 and 2003 - and 11 overall).

World number one Scheffler won the vote of PGA Tour members ahead of his fellow American Ben Griffin, England's Tommy Fleetwood and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.

PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp said: "Scottie's consistent level of success has been nothing short of spectacular as he continues to chase history on the PGA Tour, and we're excited to see what he will deliver in 2026."

South Africa's Aldrich Potgieter received the Arnold Palmer Award as the PGA Tour rookie of the year after a season in which he was the only newcomer to qualify for the FedEx Cup Play-offs.

Potgieter, one of five rookies to win on the tour this season, is the third South African winner of the prize, joining Ernie Els (1994) and Trevor Immelman (2006).

Source: BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

McIlroy wins Sports Personality of the Year 2025

Golfer Rory McIlroy has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025 after clinching the career Grand Slam and playing a key role in Europe's Ryder Cup win.

The 36-year-old Northern Irishman achieved golfing immortality in April when he won the Masters at Augusta National to complete the set of all four major trophies.

He became just the sixth man - and first European - to achieve the Slam, joining Americans Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, and South Africa's Gary Player, in accomplishing the feat.

Having won the US Open, The Open and US PGA Championship by 2014, McIlroy had to wait another 11 years to make his "dreams come true".

He then played a key role in Europe's first Ryder Cup win in the United States since 2012, contributing three-and-a-half points to his team's triumph.

McIlroy also delighted his home crowd by winning the Irish Open for a second time, with further successes at the Players Championship and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, before topping off a stellar year with his seventh Race to Dubai title.

Rory McIlroy wins Sports Personality of the Year 2025 award

Rory McIlroy is crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2025 after clinching the career Grand Slam and playing a key role in Europe's Ryder Cup win.

www.bbc.com

 

[hassan918]

Japanese golf great 'Jumbo' Ozaki dies aged 78​

Japan's most successful professional golfer, Masashi 'Jumbo' Ozaki, has died at the age of 78.

Nicknamed Jumbo because of his length off the tee, Ozaki won 94 times on the Japan Tour and topped the country's order of merit 12 times.

He was in the top 10 of golf's rankings for nearly 200 weeks and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.

"While golf has long been popular in Japan, it was Ozaki who brought a new vitality to the game and his emergence spawned an unprecedented growth in the game in the country," said his profile on the World Golf Hall of Fame website., external

Ozaki was a professional baseball player before switching to golf and winning his first tournament in 1973 at the age of 26, with his last coming when he was 55.

He had top 10 finishes at The Open, Masters and US Open and used to take a sushi chef with him when he played away from Japan "so that he and his entourage would feel more at home outside of their homeland".

Ozaki also ventured into singing and had three singles in the Japanese charts in the late 1980s.

A statement on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) website said Ozaki's son Tomoharu had announced his father had passed away after being diagnosed with colon cancer about a year ago.

"The golf world has lost a truly great man," said JGTO chairman Yutaka Morohoshi., external

"He long steered the men's professional golf world and overwhelmed others with his unparalleled strength."

Source: BBC

 

[hassan918]

McIlroy's omission from honours list questioned​

Questions are being asked about why the King's New Year Honours list did not recognise the achievements of Northern Ireland golfer Rory McIlroy.

The 36-year-old completed a career Grand Slam in the sport by winning the Masters in April and led Team Europe to a memorable Ryder Cup success against their American hosts in September.

When McIlroy won a dramatic play-off to add the Masters to his Open, US Open, and US PGA Championship triumphs, there were calls for him to be knighted.

At the time, the Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt said: "This universally popular figure deserves the highest praise the nation can bestow, and a knighthood is just that."

However, McIlroy did not feature in the list of honours released on Monday evening, despite being nominated by Stormont for recognition as reported by the Press Association.

Asked to confirm this, a spokesperson for the Executive Office said: "Any queries about honours nominations should be directed to Cabinet Office."

The Cabinet Office does not comment on individual honours.

Holywood-born McIlroy was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2012 after winning his first major championship at the US PGA.

He became the first European to win all four major tournaments, known as a golfing Grand Slam, during a remarkable 12 months.

McIlroy also delighted his home crowd by winning the Irish Open, with further success at the Players Championship, before topping off a stellar year with a seventh Race to Dubai title.

He was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2025 and won the equivalent award from the Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

'An unbelievably massive honour'
In response to a direct question by Sky Sports about becoming 'Sir Rory McIlroy' one day, he said in November: "If that were ever to happen it would be an unbelievably massive honour.

"That's obviously up to people a lot more powerful and important than me.

"But, I mean, if it were to happen one day, it would be a very proud moment in my life."

Since not being included in the latest honours list, there has been no comment from McIlroy or anyone close to him.

He is likely to be asked about the issue by the media in the new year, at his next tournament which may be the Dubai Invitational starting on 15 January.

Among the sportsmen and women recognised in the New Year honours were Olympic gold medalist Rhys McClenaghan from Newtownards.

England women's football coach Sarina Wiegman was made an honorary dame.

Figure skating duo Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean were given a damehood and knighthood respectively.

Source: BBC