Author: Johanna Lakämper

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Panorama

In the PGA Championship field: Next major for Tiger Woods?

We can continue to hope to see Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship. (Photo: Getty)
We can continue to hope to see Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship. (Photo: Getty)

It took over a year for Tiger Woods to be capable of full tournament participation again. In February 2021, the legend nearly lost his right leg. Whether he would ever be able to play golf again was unclear for a long time. His participation in the PNC Championship together with his son Charlie raised hopes. Then, shortly before the US Masters in 2022, the surprise: Tiger will be competing! His participation in the first Major of the year should not be the last. Recently, it was officially announced that Woods is on the list of participants in the PGA Championship in May.

Tiger Woods: “Only the big events”

It has been clear to Tiger Woods for some time that he will probably never play another full tournament season on the PGA Tour. The car accident has affected his right leg too much. Woods’ participation in the Masters showed that while he struggled and limped on the highly demanding terrain toward the end, he is perfectly capable of handling a four-day tournament again. His Masters participation, in which he made the cut and finished tied for 47th, solidified his plans for the future: “I’ll never play a full schedule again, just the big events.”

Last afternoon, the PGA Championship released the list of participants for the 104th PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, May 19-22. Lo and behold, Tiger Woods is one of the announced participants.

St. Andrews is especially close to Woods’ heart

While it was not 100 percent certain for Tiger Woods whether he will compete in the PGA Championship, it was clear to him that he will definitely travel to St. Andrews for the British Open in July: “The tournament is something that is very close to my heart. It’s my favorite golf course in the world, so I’ll be there.” The fact that the golf course is a particularly flat course with no slopes to speak of will definitely suit Woods.

However, Tiger Woods already seems to have largely recovered from his start at the particularly strenuous Augusta. We can still hope for a participation in the PGA Championship at Southern Hills. Phil Mickelson, who withdrew from the public eye for weeks, is also on the official list of participants in the PGA Championship.

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Panorama

Greg Norman wants to participate in the 150th Open Championship

Greg Norman as a participant in the 150th Open Championship? (Photo: Getty)
Greg Norman as a participant in the 150th Open Championship? (Photo: Getty)

Greg Norman has been causing quite a stir as CEO of the LIV Golf Invitational Series for several months. He wants to organize a tournament series that is in direct competition with the world’s major tours: PGA and DP World Tour. In doing so, he also doesn’t shy away from “luring” as many big-name players as possible onto his tour, triggering a major controversy. Now he is making headlines again – but not with his LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Greg Norman wants to return to the Open Championship after 13 years

Greg Norman wants to return to tournament action in 2022. After ten years of not participating in professional sports, he wants to compete for a title again. And not just any title. At the age of 67, Norman wants to compete in the 150th Open Championship in world-famous St. Andrews.

His last tournament in which he played for world ranking points was ten years ago. The last major he played was even 13 years ago: the Open Championship 2009 in Turnberry. Nevertheless, there is no better time for Greg Norman to play one (last) time, as he assures in an interview with New Corp: “I think I can still do it. It’s the 150th, I’m a former Open champion. I love St. Andrews. If there’s one time I would consider going back and teeing off one last time. Maybe it’s this one.” He said he is currently in the process of filling out the entry form.

It remains questionable whether he will get an exemption

One fact appears to jeopardize his participation: Greg Norman, at 67, is outside the age limit of 60 set by the Open Championship. The probability that the Australian will receive a playing permit from the R&A is therefore rather low. The only alternative for Norman would be to qualify for the Major via an Open qualifying tournament. The aforementioned disputes in which Greg Norman currently finds himself will make his plans even more difficult for the 67-year-old.

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PGA Tour Champions

After months of recovery: Steve Stricker returns to the Champions Tour

Comeback: Steve Stricker will play on the Champions Tour next week. (Photo: Getty)
Comeback: Steve Stricker will play on the Champions Tour next week. (Photo: Getty)

These have been tough months for Steve Stricker. After leading the U.S. Ryder Cup team to victory last year, a mysterious illness struck Stricker. The 55-year-old suddenly suffered from a wide range of symptoms: from cough and sore throat to jaundice and an inflammation of the heart. The consequences of these strains were extreme: Stricker could not eat solid food for a long time and lost about 25 pounds. Now the golfer announced his return to the Champions Tour.

Steve Stricker fought against a mysterious disease outbreak

Steve Stricker has had an illness record to show for it since last fall, and it’s not without its challenges. After his Ryder Cup victory as captain of the U.S. team, things went downhill for the then 54-year-old. A mild cough was followed by a high fever and an allergic reaction to a medication. Shortly thereafter, Stricker was informed of very poor liver values and cardiac arrhythmias. His health deteriorated rapidly, while doctors were at a loss as to the cause of this. Stricker spent eleven days in the hospital, after which he felt “like an 85-year-old man.” His doctors announced he would be in rehabilitation for months.

Comeback on the Champions Tour

After Stricker was unable to eat solid food for a while and going to the bathroom had been a challenge for him, a former golf coach suggested he not return to professional sports and take it easy. For Stricker, that wasn’t an option: “That’s not my style, you know? I like to work at things.” For Stricker, one thing was certain: he would return to the Champions Tour. Next week’s Insperity Invitational is expected to be the time, and the twelve-time PGA Tour winner and seven-time Champions Tour winner announced his participation. In Houston, he will be competing for prize money of more than 2 million euros. We will find out in the coming week how well his comeback is going and whether his body can already withstand the rigors of a professional tournament.

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Panorama

Tennis star Ash Barty at unique tournament series with other sports icons

Former tennis No. 1 Ashleigh Barty is one of the sports stars at the new Icons Series. (Photo: Getty)
Former tennis No. 1 Ashleigh Barty is one of the sports stars at the new Icons Series. (Photo: Getty)

In addition to the new edition of The Match, a new and very special tournament series is about to start: The Icons Series. Led by Fred Couples and Ernie Els, two teams of true sports legends will compete in match play over 10 holes. The first event will be held from June 30 to July 1 at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey.

Icons Series with “Mount Rushmore of the World’s Greatest Athletes”

And the line-up of the unique spectacle is already impressive. A “Mount Rushmore of the world’s best athletes,” is what Icons Series CEO, Thomas Brookes, calls it. Twenty-four sports icons will compete in two teams, one for the U.S. under captain Fred Couples, while Ernie Els leads the team with the rest of the world. While some team members are still waiting to be revealed to the public, the four players per team already announced show the class of athletes we will be dealing with in this series.

Competing for Team USA:

  • Michael Phelps – The most successful Olympic athlete of all time with 28 swimming medals, including 23 golf medals.
  • Michael Strahan – Hall of Fame professional football player, two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants
  • Oscar De La Hoya – boxing legend with 11 world titles from six weight classes
  • Ben Roethlisberger – two-time Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers

Competing for Team Rest of the World (also abbreviated ROTW):

  • Canelo Alvarez – King of pound for pound boxing who won world titles in four different weight classes
  • Ash Barty – The former world No. 1 tennis player and three-time Grand Slam winner, including the Australian Open in 2022
  • Pep Guardiola – One of the most successful soccer coaches of all time, winning 2 Champions League titles as well as multiple Spanish and English league championships
  • Harry Kane – The dynamic captain of the English national team and three-time winner of the Golden Shoe award

For special sensation causes the participation of Ash Barty, who declared last month mi only 25 years, that she retires from tennis. However, she still swings the golf club diligently and won a golf tournament in Brisbane shortly after this announcement.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Barty expressed pride in her latest sporting venture: “I’m excited to be part of the Icons Series and I hope through my participation in the series that we can encourage more women and girls to participate in golf around the world,” she said. “The series is also a great opportunity for athletes to have an impact on local community and charity projects in each of the host destinations.”

“It’s such a unique opportunity to have fun, test yourself and compete against the world’s greatest athletes in a sport that we are all so passionate about. I can’t wait to experience Liberty National and learn from our iconic captain, Ernie Els.”

Liberty National Golf Club was designed by US Open Champion Tom Kite and golf course designer Bob Cupp. It hosted the 2017 Presidents Cup, as well as the Northern Trust as the first of the PGA Tour FedExCup Playoff tournaments. Additional destinations in the worldwide series are planned in Australia, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

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PGA Tour

PGA Tour: Bitter disappointment after unbelievable par

Dylan Frittelli unknowingly made a costly mistake. (Photo: Getty)
Dylan Frittelli unknowingly made a costly mistake. (Photo: Getty)

Bizarre moments in the fourth round of the RBC Heritage: Dylan Frittelli’s ball got stuck in a tree at the edge of the fairway on the par-4-6. Literally standing under the ball, he played the ball onto the fairway with his driver and subsequently saved par. On Twitter, Frittelli wrote, “I thought this would be the greatest par of my life.”

Rejoiced too soon

However, Frittelli was hit with a hefty penalty. Two penalty strokes went to the account of the South African. The penalty was based on Rule 10.1c, which provides information on the correct execution of a stroke. Frittelli’s mistake: He stood frontally to his line of play, so that he placed his feet to the left and right of it. “The player must not make a stroke from a stance with a foot deliberately placed on each side of, or with either foot deliberately touching, the line of play or an extension of that line behind the ball. The term line of play in this rule includes only the actual line of play without reasonable distance on either side.”

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PGA Tour

Morgan Hoffmann: Comeback after diagnosis of muscular dystrophy

With a big grin: Morgan Hoffmann is back on the PGA Tour. (Photo: Getty)
With a big grin: Morgan Hoffmann is back on the PGA Tour. (Photo: Getty)

It’s been five years since Morgan Hoffmann, U.S. professional golfer, was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. This disease is a genetic defect in which muscle metabolism is impaired, leading to gradual muscle loss. For about three years, Morgan Hoffmann was no longer able to compete on the PGA Tour. His search for alternative cures to combat the previously incurable disease led Hoffmann and his family to Costa Rica. His therapy, he says, included urine therapy, a diet of hundreds of grapes a day, powerful hallucinogens, and lots of meditation and surfing.

As if nothing had happened: Return to the PGA Tour

On April 14, 2022, the time had come: After a break of 923 days, Morgan Hoffmann felt ready to compete again on the PGA Tour. A medical exemption enabled him to regain his Tour card with three starts. His first round was something to behold. He played even par with three birdies and three bogeys: “I felt great. The first tee shot wasn’t as nerve-racking as I thought it would be. I had a great group. It was easy keeping it light out there. We played fast, which was nice. The game didn’t feel anywhere near as bad as I thought it was, so it was pretty exciting.” With a big smile on his face, Hoffmann adds, “It felt like two minutes ago I was out here.”

The only thing Hoffmann is not satisfied with is his drives: “My putting felt great. I’m really confident. Hit all my lines today pretty much. Just a couple of misreads and mis-speed, that were a little slower than what I practiced, I guess. I’m driving it really short. So I’d love to have a little bit more speed.”

Two different worlds

From the jungles of Costa Rica back on the PGA Tour scene – a night and day difference. Morgan Hoffmann seems to like the change: “It was pretty surreal, a lot different than the lifestyle I’ve been living the last 2 1/2 years, and having people cheer your name out there, it’s very special.” Hoffmann also wants to use this media attention to raise awareness about his illness and the natural health and wellness center he is currently building in Costa Rica.

For now, however, Hoffmann’s focus is on the RBC Heritage. With his score of even par after Round 1, he is currently tied for 71st place and has a real chance of making the cut, provided he plays a good round on Day 2.

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Panorama

Thumbs up: Bryson DeChambeau reports after successful surgery

Bryson DeChambeau: Despair at the 2022 Masters is followed by confidence after surgery. (Photo: Getty, Instagram/@brysondechambeau)
Bryson DeChambeau: Despair at the 2022 Masters is followed by confidence after surgery. (Photo: Getty, Instagram/@brysondechambeau)

Bryson DeChambeau injured his left hip as well as his left wrist while playing ping pong during the Saudi International in February 2022. As a result, DeChambeau was forced to drop out of two tournaments and missed the cut several times as he apparently failed to properly heal his injury. Disappointment also followed at the Masters at the beginning of April: After it had initially been said that DeChambeau would return to the first major of the year 100 percent fit, he still seemed to have had problems with his wrist and failed to make the cut. There was now no getting around surgery.

Bryson DeChambeau wants to play “at golf’s highest level” again

The injury in Bryson DeChambeau’s wrist involves the hamate bone, a carpal bone. Following the surgery, which was performed by renowned hand surgeon Dr. Thomas Graham, DeChambeau reached out on Instagram and Twitter with an update.

In his statement, the 28-year-old expressed his usual confidence. He is looking forward to playing at the highest level again in the coming months. DeChambeau seems to want to forget the past few weeks: “I made attempts to play through this injury at three recent events, including the Masters, but this is typically an injury that requires surgical treatment. Through continued discomfort from the fracture, it has caused me to alter my grip and swing, resulting in my inability to compete at golf’s highest level. This has not been easy physically and mentally for me.”

DeChambeau faces hard work ahead

Bryson DeChambeau also wrote that he will now take enough time to recover so that he can return to his usual form afterwards: “Thank you to my family, team, partners, and supporters during this tough stretch but I am excited to work hard to get back competing soon.”

It doesn’t look like DeChambeau will compete at the PGA Championship in May 2022 due to the length of time his wrist will take to heal. A return by the US Open in June 2022 would be desirable for the golfer.

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European Tour

“The 14 Club Challenge” on the European Tour – Viktor Hovland vs. Rory McIlroy

Stars of the European Tour: Viktor Hovland and Rory McIlroy. (Photo: Getty)
Stars of the European Tour: Viktor Hovland and Rory McIlroy. (Photo: Getty)

The “14 Club Challenge” demands precise play from the players of the DP World Tour (formerly: European Tour) despite a completely wrong choice of clubs. At Emirates Golf Club, DP World Tour stars Viktor Hovland and Rory McIlroy compete against each other on Hole 4, a 155-yards par-3. At the end of the challenge, there is a clear winner.

Only on the DP World Tour: Driver on a par-3?

A point is awarded for every tee shot that comes to rest on the green. The challenge: Each of the 14 clubs that the players have in their bags may be used a maximum of once. If one player uses his pitching wedge, it is unavailable for the rest of the game and for the other player. The longer the challenge runs, the more diffuse the choice of clubs becomes…

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PGA Tour

The return is near: Phil Mickelson about to make a comeback at the US Open 2022?

Could be back on the golf course at the US Open in June: Phil Mickelson (Photo: Getty)
Could be back on the golf course at the US Open in June: Phil Mickelson (Photo: Getty)

It was quiet around the six-time major winner for a long time. Phil Mickelson played his last official tournament at the end of January, when he failed to make the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open. After his clear criticism of the PGA Tour, the American subsequently apologized for his statements and announced a break from golf. Since then, little has been heard from “Lefty”. Now, however, the bang for the buck: Phil Mickelson could make his return at the US Open in June.

List of contenders for the US Open raises hopes for Mickelson comeback

Many had probably expected a return of Phil Mickelson at the Masters. However, this assumption did not materialize and so the American missed the prestigious tournament at Augusta National Golf Club for the first time in 28 years and with it Scottie Scheffler’s triumph. In the run-up to the tournament, there were also rumors as to whether Mickelson had been disinvited or whether the American had voluntarily decided not to take part. The latter was confirmed afterwards.

Now, however, there seems to be some movement in his comeback plans, even if the information about this caused a little confusion. An article from golfmonthly.com reports about the list of applicants for the US Open on the homepage of the United States Golf Association. Phil Mickelson was also mentioned on this list. In the meantime, the aforementioned USGA website is no longer accessible. Accordingly, this is not yet a firm commitment, but there are many indications that Mickelson could participate in a tournament again in June.

The US Open takes place from June 16 to 19 at the Country Club in Brookline in the US state of Massachusetts and is the second oldest of the four Major tournaments. Last year, Jon Rahm became the first Spaniard to win the tournament there.

It remains to be seen who will have the best cards this year. Phil Mickelson will probably also be there. The American is only one victory away from a career Grand Slam at the US Open, as he has already won the other three majors. All the more reason for Mickelson to return to the golf course.

PGA Championship not yet an issue for Mickelson

Before the US Open takes place in June, the PGA Championship is still on the agenda for May. From May 19 to 22, the golfing elite will meet at Southern Hills Country Club for the second major of the year. It is still unclear whether Phil Mickelson will be taking part, as the American has neither confirmed nor cancelled his participation. Last year he won the title with a par on hole 18, but whether he can defend it this year is still questionable.

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Highlights Tours

US Masters 2022: Tiger Woods on “a thousand putts” on Moving Day

Tiger Woods struggles in Round 3 of the 2022 US Masters. (Photo: Getty)
Tiger Woods struggles in Round 3 of the 2022 US Masters. (Photo: Getty)

Tiger Woods has made it into the weekend at the US Masters 2022. On the third day of his comeback, he visibly had problems on the greens and conceded several three-putts and one four-putt, as he reflected in the subsequent interview. Woods’ conclusion after his botched moving day: “Never give up. Always chase your dreams.”

Tiger, how has the challenge changed physically the last three days?

Changed? It hasn’t changed. It’s been hard. Today was a challenge with the conditions. The conditions were tough today. They were tough yesterday starting out, but at least we got a little bit of a lull at the end.

Today it’s just been blustery all day. You add in the temperature difference, it was cold starting out. The ball wasn’t going very far.

I thought it was tough. Some of the other guys may not say that, but for me I had a tough time. I felt like I didn’t really hit it that bad, but I had four three-putts and a four-putt.

I mean, it’s just like I hit a thousand putts out there on the greens today. Obviously it’s affected the score. You take those away and I have normal two putts, I made even par for the day.

I did what I needed to do ball striking-wise, but I did absolutely the exact opposite on the greens.

Was putting an issue of reads, or were you not executing it?

I just could not get a feel for getting comfortable with the ball. Posture, feel, my right hand, my release, I just couldn’t find it.

Trying different things, trying to find it, trying to get something, taking practice strokes and just trying to feel the swing and the putter head, trying to get anything, and nothing seemed to work.

Even as many putts as I had, you’d think I’d have figured it out somewhere along the line, but it just didn’t happen.

Tiger, you know how to play (indiscernible). What’s the approach?

The way he’s been playing, it’s kind of what we were talking about on the practice rounds with — Joey was caddying for Fred in ’92, right? He had a little hot streak right before this. He won Bay Hill, lost in a playoff to Corey, ended the West Coast hot, played Florida hot, ended up here, and won the Masters.

Scottie’s doing the same thing. He took care of it from the West Coast through Florida. Coming in here he’s doing kind of the same thing. We all wish we had that two, three-month window when we get hot, and hopefully majors fall somewhere along in that window. We take care of it in those windows.

Scottie seems to be in that window right now.

Tiger, how much is the weather bothering your back today maybe even more than the other days?

It’s not as limber and as loose as it normally is, that’s for sure.

There are millions and millions of people watching what you’re doing. You may not think this way, so if you don’t, forgive me. But what do you hope you’re showing so many people who watch the Masters about never quitting and never giving up?

Exactly what you just said, never give up. Always chase after your dreams.

And I fight each and every day. Each and every day is a challenge. Each and every day presents its own different challenges for all of us. I wake up and start the fight all over again.