PHOTO COURTESY OF VERDURA GOLF AND SPA RESORT I knew I was in trouble when Britt saw the glossy photos of sun-drenched beaches, fragrant orchards, and Sicilian villas. “Sicily?” she asked, suddenly interested in the pictures on my writing desk. It was the new 45-hole Kyle Phillips-designed Verdura Golf and Spa Resort. She opened the brochure to a two page...
Congratulations to Irish Golf Desk’s Brian Keogh and his lovely wife Elena, who became parents just minutes ago. Tristan Keogh de las Heras was born in Dublin, Ireland early Thursday morning. Mother, father, and child are all doing well. Here’s hoping we have a future sports writer in our midst, the third generation in a row for Brian’s family...
The funny thing about it is…he’s right! There’s no surly prima donna deliberately being passive aggressive and intentionally wearing the opposite color of the rest of the team so he could look like “the playing captain,” there’s no chump who refuses to get along with #2 in the world Phil Mickelson and flatten all comers like Mighty...
For all your European Tour needs, tune in to Brian Keogh and the Irish Golf Desk. Today, Brian has photos and a write up of back-to-back defending British Open champion Padraig Harrington at Turnberry. Also, check out Brian’s great Irish golf travel tips! ***UPDATE*** Keogh says Harrington told him they grew massive, thick, U.S. Open rough!!! From the article...
Brian Keogh of the Irish Golf Desk has this interview with Padraig Harrington, where the reigning British Open and PGA Champion talks about playing with Woods in 2002 at Bethpage, and how he’s excited. Angel Cabrera may round out the threesome for the first two days. Keogh also got Paddy to give us all an optimistic view of how his practice regimen is helping...
No matter how much hope and change comes to the U.S.G.A. offices in Far Hills, N.J., at the U.S. Open when it comes to a difficult set-up at Bethpage, The Song Remains the Same. Cybergolf.com has more.
Look for additional U.S. Open pieces here, at Cybergolf, and at GolfObserver.com.
Padraig Harrington seems to have the luck of the Irish everywhere except Augusta National. After another nightmare on the 15th hole yesterday – where a gust of wind blew his ball out of position as he addressed a birdie putt, and he incurred a one-stroke penalty – the Irishman who won the last two consecutive majors took a lethal quadruple bogey on the...
I couldn’t ask for a better European Bureau than Karl MacGinty, Dermot Gilleece, and Brian Keogh. Just last week, Brian gave me great insight into both Harrington’s practice regimen and time constraints: he’s doing all his interviews early so he can have as normal a week as possible at the Masters. That’s one of the reasons I picked...
I’ve never been a fan of drunk rowdy crowds, and especially not 16 at Scottsdale. Well Robert Allenby’s experience with a similar situation in Australia underscores exactly how ugly embracing this trend will get. The dispute began like this: AUSTRALIAN OPEN organisers are considering scrapping the controversial party hole, where the cruel comments of...
This is completely reedonkyoulous. Henrik Stenson didn’t want to get his golf shirt or slacks muddy at the third hole at Doral. This was the result. Well, that should increase the demographic response in casual fans. Are we in South Beach or what? In Sweden I hear they’re making “swinger’s party” jokes. I guess Forrest Fezler is...
The Irish Open inked a three million euro deal with 3, a promient mobile phone network. Appropriately, the deal was for three years. This year’s tournament will be played at County Louth Golf Club in Drogheda from May 14-17 will offer prize money of €3 million. Outside of the four majors and the World Golf Championships, only five tournaments now offer...
When you win two majors in a row, you have to do some zany photo ops, but this one takes the cake. Someone in South Africa decided to build a 907-yard par-3 as an “Extreme 19th Hole” at the Legends Golf and Safari resort. You read that right…a 907-yard par-3. “How can they do that?” you ask? Well, they went up to the top of a...
The members of the Golf Writers Association of America recently voted Padraig Harrington, Lorena Ochoa, and Jay Haas players of the year for their respective tours. Harrington got my vote. Two majors will do that.
Lawrence Donegan of the Guardian has this interview with Paddy. From the interview: “We have zero in common, bar the fact that we both play golf. He is the antithesis of me, and I am the antithesis of him,” said Harrington, who was yesterday named the European Tour’s player of the year in recognition of his two major victories in 2008, at the Open...
Nicely done, Brian. Slante to you, Dermot, and Karl. Harrington is gearing up for what might be the toughest Masters of all.