Twilight Zone turns dark for World Challenge contenders
Tiger Woods duffed his fifth pitch of the week as playing partner Patrick Reed shot 63 to move into contention. But the second round of the suspended Hero World Challenge will be remembered for the near shambolic scenes played out in darkness at Isleworth last night.
Tiger splutters on comeback as G-Mac cruises
High expectations sometimes lead to even bigger disappointments and while Tiger Woods might not have expected to shoot the lights out, his opening five over 77 in the Hero World Challenge was like like watching a Ferrari career into the barriers right from the green light.
Woods laughs off Rory's "last few holes" remark: "Rory right now is playing fantastically"
The storm in a teacup that blew up on social media when Rory McIlroy said last week that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were "getting into the sort of last few holes of their career" was well and truly quelled by the 14-time major winner on Monday.
Rory on 2013: "When they start digging into your personal life, then that’s where it starts to annoy you"
Rory McIlroy might be a former world No 1 but he refuses to come to terms with the scrutiny into his private life and business dealings that comes with his vaunted position in the game.
It was almost fitting that he ended the season with a listless bogey at Sherwood Country Club near Los Angeles, where he finished an anonymous 11th in what was a thrilling final edition of the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge before it leaves Sherwood Country Club and moves to Isleworth in Florida.
Power game no distraction for McDowell
Graeme McDowell might have had an average day on the speedy greens of Sherwood Country Club but in outscoring big-hitting playing partner Rory McIlroy by a stroke he proved that power is not always the answer.
A level par 72 to McIlroy’s 73 in his defence of the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge left him five strokes adrift of Zach Johnson, a player of similar qualities, but still well-placed to rack up his third win in his last four starts in Tiger Woods’ season-ending bash.
McIlroy reflects: "The way I play golf shouldn't determine who I am as a person"
Rory McIlroy might have put a band aid on the wounds of 2013 with a win in the Australian Open but even if he makes it back to back victories in Tiger Woods’ season-ending World Challenge this week he knows there are fundamental problems that need to be addressed.
Forgetting for a minute any minor issues with his swing or the repercussions of his on-going legal war with his former agents, the 24-year old admits that he’s emotionally struggling to separate himself from his trials and tribulations on the golf course.
“I’ve learned and I've said this all along, I'm very hard on myself,” he said of the lessons learned this season. “I feel like I'm emotionally connected to my golf game in terms of, if I play bad, I'll be in a bad mood. If I play well, I'll be in a good mood. Sometimes I feel like I need to differentiate that.
"W * * * * r !" - G-Mac loses it with Mashed Potatoes Man
Graeme McDowell became a bit more of cult hero for normal golf fans on SundayGraeme McDowell is “fed up” with loudmouth golf fans who shout “Get in the hole” and “Mashed potatoes.”And he even lost it briefly after he hit a crucial shot in Sunday’s dramatic World Challenge victory in California when he made a naughty gesture and appeared to call a fan a “w****r.”
McDowell ends two-year drought with World Challenge win
Graeme McDowell lifts the World Challenge Trophy for the second time. Photo: Kenneth E. Dennis/kendennisphoto.comGraeme McDowell produced three late moments of brilliance to hold off Keegan Bradley and end a two-year victory drought by capturing the $1.2m winner’s cheque in Tiger Woods’ hosted World Challenge at a rain-lashed Sherwood Country Club in California.Hungry McDowell up for Sunday Sherwood challenge
Two years after his last victory, Graeme McDowell holds a two stroke lead over Keegan Bradley with a round to play in the World Challenge present by Northwestern Mutual.Graeme McDowell could never be accused of being an underachiever - quite the opposite - but given the high standards he’s set for himself over the past four years, the Ulsterman will head into 2013 with renewed confidence in his abilities if he can end a two-year victory drought in Tiger Woods’ season-ending World Challenge in California.