The Open really is now truly open.
British Sports Minister Richard Caborn
It was announced today that women will be allowed to qaulify for the Men’s British Open. How long will it be before Michelle Wie qualifies? She is already eligible to attempt qualifying for next year’s Open.
More details at ESPN.com.
Tiger Woods has won 20 of the 50 highest-rated tournaments (according to the Official World Golf Ranking) over the past seven years. He’s won three Masters, two PGA Championships, two U.S. Opens and two British Opens, as well as the 2001 PLAYERS Championship. He’s also won 10 World Golf Championships — four American Express Championships, four NEC Invitationals and two Accenture Match Play Championships in that span.
Second best on the list is the quartet of Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen. Each of them has won twice.
PGA Tour Weekly
Think about that for a minute…
Tiger was supposed to be going through a slump over the previous year or two. He still managed to win 40% of the toughest golf tournaments played around the world in the last seven years.
According to ESPN.com the TCP at Sawgrass will undergo renovations costing an estimated $25 million. Plans involve changes to the stands on the 16th, 17th, and 18th holes, a new water drainage system, and new technology around the course. Technology improvements would include video screens around the course as well as a radio system for fans to listen to the action (maybe XM since they broadcast the PGA Tour).
Hopefully, it translates to a tournament that all of our tournaments can look at as a model, and that’s where the bar is set in terms of fan experience, player experience and sponsor experience.
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem
For full details visit ESPN.
With a first prize of $1.3 million on the line, the greatest players in the game of golf teed off this weekend in the American Express Championship of the World Golf Championships. The world’s #1 golfer, Tiger Woods, hoisted the trophy when John Daly missed his par put on the 2nd playoff hole.
Even though the end of the tournament was a letdown, golf fans everywhere got to watch two of the most exciting players in the game battle down the stretch. John Daly and Tiger Woods are two of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, but both also have great short game skills. Tiger Woods is my favorite athlete in any sport and maybe the most recognized athlete on the planet. John Daly is a golfer most of us weekend hackers can relate to, so he is also very popular among spectators. Watching these two go head-to-head was as exciting golf as I’ve ever watched on TV. The team of Nick Faldo, Paul Azinger, and Mike Tirico do an excellent job with their commentary and analysis because they get just as excited as some of the fans.