golfweloveit

Thursday (June 16), hole #1 / Friday (June 17), hole #10

6:45 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. – Denny McCarthy, Jupiter, Fla.; Aron Price, Australia; Mikael Lundberg, Sweden

6:56 a.m. / 12:41 p.m. – (a) Nick Hardy, Northbrook, Ill.; TBD; Tom Hoge, Fargo, N.D.

7:07 a.m. / 12:52 p.m. – Patrick Rodgers, Singer Island, Fla.; (a) Sam Horsfield, England; Andrew Johnston, England

7:18 a.m. / 1:03 p.m. – Justin Hicks, Wellington, Fla.; Soren Hansen, Denmark; Jason Allred, Scottsdale, Ariz.

7:29 a.m. / 1:14 p.m. – Romain Wattel, France; Sung Kang, Republic of Korea; Yusaku Miyazato, Japan

7:40 a.m. / 1:25 p.m. – Bernd Wiesberger, Austria; Matteo Manassero, Italy; Daniel Berger, Jupiter, Fla.

7:51 a.m. / 1:36 p.m. – Matt Kuchar, Sea Island, Ga.; Bubba Watson, Bagdad, Fla.; Patrick Reed, Houston, Texas

8:02 a.m. / 1:47 p.m. – Rafa Cabrera Bello, Spain; J.B. Holmes, Campbellsville, Ky.; Kevin Chappell, Fresno, Calif.

8:13 a.m. / 1:58 p.m. – Matthew Fitzpatrick, England; Danny Lee, New Zealand; Byeong Hun An, Republic of Korea

8:24 a.m. / 2:09 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Danny Willett, England; Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif.

8:35 a.m. / 2:20 p.m. – Chris Kirk, Athens, Ga.; Emiliano Grillo, Argentina; Shane Lowry, Republic of Ireland

8:46 a.m. / 2:31 p.m. – Mike Miller, Brewster, N.Y.; Matthew Borchert, Windermere, Fla.; (a) Charlie Danielson, Osceola, Wis.

8:57 a.m. / 2:42 p.m. – Chase Parker, Augusta, Ga.; (a) Ryan Stachler, Alpharetta, Ga.; Patrick Wilkes-Krier, Ypsilanti, Mich.

Thursday (June 16), hole #10 / Friday (June 17), hole #1

6:45 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. – Andres Gonzales, Lakewood, Wash.; (a) Scottie Scheffler, Dallas, Texas; Derek Fathauer, Jupiter, Fla.

6:56 a.m. / 12:41 p.m. – Andrew Landry, Austin, Texas; Matthew Baldwin, England; D.J. Trahan, Plano, Texas

7:07 a.m. / 12:52 p.m. – Rob Oppenheim, Andover, Mass.; Dicky Pride, Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Wes Short Jr., Austin, Texas

7:18 a.m. / 1:03 p.m. – Patton Kizzire, Sea Island, Ga.; Yuta Ikeda, Japan; David Lingmerth, Sweden

7:29 a.m. / 1:14 p.m. – Hideto Tanihara, Japan; Gregory Bourdy, France; Kevin Streelman, Scottsdale, Ariz.

7:40 a.m. / 1:25 p.m. – (a) Jon Rahm, Spain; James Hahn, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Robert Streb, Shawnee, Kan.

7:51 a.m. / 1:36 p.m. – Thomas Aiken, South Africa; Jeff Maggert, Sea Pines, S.C.; David Toms, Shreveport, La.

8:02 a.m. / 1:47 p.m. – Marc Leishman, Australia; Jimmy Walker, Boerne, Texas; Paul Casey, England

8:13 a.m. / 1:58 p.m. – Lee Westwood, England; Luke Donald, England; Martin Kaymer, Germany

8:24 a.m. / 2:09 p.m. – Russell Knox, Scotland; Harris English, Sea Island, Ga.; Jason Dufner, Auburn, Ala.

8:35 a.m. / 2:20 p.m. – Zach Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Bryson DeChambeau, Clovis, Calif.; Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas

8:46 a.m. / 2:31 p.m. – TBD; Gregor Main, Danville, Calif.; Mark Anguiano, Whittier, Calif.

8:57 a.m. / 2:42 p.m. – (a) Kyle Mueller, Athens, Ga.; Derek Chang, Dallas, Texas; Richie Schembechler, Massillon, Ohio

Thursday (June 16), hole #1 / Friday (June 17), hole #10

12:30 p.m. / 6:45 a.m. – Peter Hanson, Sweden; Tim Wilkinson, New Zealand; Thitiphun Chuayprakong, Thailand

12:41 p.m. / 6:56 a.m. – Billy Hurley III, Annapolis, Md.; Jeev Milkha Singh, India; J.J. Henry, Ft. Worth, Texas

12:52 p.m. / 7:07 a.m. – Brendan Steele, Idyllwild, Calif.; Soren Kjeldsen, Denmark; Jaco Van Zyl, South Africa

1:03 p.m. / 7:18 a.m. – Anirban Lahiri, India; Scott Piercy, Las Vegas, Nev.; Jamie Donaldson, Wales

1:14 p.m. / 7:29 a.m. – Spencer Levin, Sacramento, Calif.; Toru Taniguchi, Japan; Carlos Ortiz, Mexico

1:25 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. – Ryan Moore, Las Vegas, Nev.; Andrew Sullivan, England; Charley Hoffman, San Diego, Calif.

1:36 p.m. / 7:51 a.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Sergio Garcia, Spain; Dustin Johnson, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

1:47 p.m. / 8:02 a.m. – Webb Simpson, Charlotte, N.C.; Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland; Geoff Ogilvy, Australia

1:58 p.m. / 8:13 a.m. – Ernie Els, South Africa; Jim Furyk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Angel Cabrera, Argentina

2:09 p.m. / 8:24 a.m. – Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Thailand; K.T. Kim, Republic of Korea; Kevin Na, Las Vegas, Nev.

2:20 p.m. / 8:35 a.m. – Jason Day, Australia; Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa; Adam Scott, Australia

2:31 p.m. / 8:46 a.m. – Aaron Wise, Lake Elsinore, Calif.; Ethan Tracy, Galloway, Ohio; Brandon Harkins, Scottsdale, Ariz.

2:42 p.m. / 8:57 a.m. – (a) Justin Suh, San Jose, Calif.; T.J. Howe, Osceola, Pa.; Frank Adams III, Salisbury, N.C.

Thursday (June 16), hole #10 / Friday (June 17), hole #1

12:30 p.m. / 6:45 a.m. – Lee Slattery, England; Miguel Tabuena, Philippines; TBD

12:41 p.m. / 6:56 a.m. – Sebastian Soderberg, Sweden; TBD; Kent Bulle, Glasgow, Ky.

12:52 p.m. / 7:07 a.m. – TBD; Alex Noren, Sweden; Jason Kokrak, Charlotte, N.C.

1:03 p.m. / 7:18 a.m. – Max Kieffer, Germany; Gary Stal, France; Kevin Tway, Edmond, Okla.

1:14 p.m. / 7:29 a.m. – Cameron Smith, Australia; Steven Bowditch, Australia; (a) Derek Bard, New Hartford, N.Y.

1:25 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. – Jim Herman, Palm City, Fla.; Smylie Kaufman, Birmingha.m., Ala.; TBD

1:36 p.m. / 7:51 a.m. – Brandt Snedeker, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Bill Haas, Greenville, S.C.; Billy Horschel, St. Augustine, Fla.

1:47 p.m. / 8:02 a.m. – Brooks Koepka, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Chris Wood, England; Justin Thomas, Goshen, Ky.

1:58 p.m. / 8:13 a.m. – Kevin Kisner, Aiken, S.C.; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Branden Grace, South Africa

2:09 p.m. / 8:24 a.m. – Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Justin Rose, England; Henrik Stenson, Sweden

2:20 p.m. / 8:35 a.m. – Retief Goosen, South Africa; Keegan Bradley, Woodstock, Vt.; Lucas Glover, Tequesta, Fla.

2:31 p.m. / 8:46 a.m. – Andy Pope, Orlando, Fla.; (a) Sam Burns, Shreveport, La.; Matt Marshall, Carlton, Ore.

2:42 p.m. / 8:57 a.m. – Tyler Raber, Davis, Calif.; (a) Christopher Crawford, Bensalem, Pa.; Austin Jordan, Rainbow, Texas

Phil Mckelson commented on the Dean Foods Insider trading case, of which he was named as a relief defendent, last week at the Memorial.

He said “I’m disappointed to have been part of that whole thing but after a thorough investigation I’m glad it’s behind me. I have to be responsible for the people I associate with. I’ll make sure that I represent myself ad well ad my family and my companies in the way that I want to and they deserve”.

We’ve heard this all before.

Apparenly Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and Phil Mickelson have not spoken about the situation, even though he clearly broke the players code of conduct.Looks as though Mickelson will not be sanctioned with a suspension so he can have yet another attempt at winning the last elusive major the US Open at Oakmont next week.

What a dramatic story it would make if he won, against this background. He would probably make a movie about himself.

Royal Troon will be bringing forward its decision whether to admit women members to before its hosting of the Open Championship in July. There will be a General Meeting on July 1 where the club’s constitution will be adjusted. to allow for mixed membership. It was originally not planning to announce its decision until the end of the year but the controversy over Muirfield’s vote and its subsequent loss of its place on the Open rota had prompted this change of position. With 38 members aged 30 or younger, a different perspective may be forthcoming. Former captain of Royal Troon Ken Arthur has said that there “is a moral imperative ” to admit wimen members.

Jason Day said at the Memorial Tournament last week that he’s still undecided about representing Australia at the Olympic Games.

“I dont think its a Rio issue. its a medical issue that’s attached to the Games. What happens id I go there and get it and bring it back because they dont know enough. I’m a little wary of it” said Day who plans to have more children in the future.

Rickie Fowler also said he was concerned. “Yeah I want to make sure we look through everything and make sure were prepared Its something I would definitely like to do, but if it’s too risky to go doen we will pull out”.

This brilliant photograph shows the triumphant Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team the last time the matches were played on home soil at Nairn. Wishing the 2016 team play well and win the cup back at Dun Laoghaire, south of Dunlin Friday to Sunday this week. athe for at is 3 Foursomes, 3 Fourballs for the first two days and the 8 singles on Sunday.

Muhammad Ali apparently played golf only once. It was 1973, and Ali had just returned from a boxing training run on the Stardust Country Club golf course. A pro at the time, Brad Wilson, asked if he could take some photos of Ali swinging a club on the driving range.

Ali agreed.

“When Wilson handed Ali an 8-iron, the champ asked, ‘How ya hold this thing?'” “After putting Ali’s hands on the club in a baseball grip, the next question was, ‘What do I do now?'”

At Wilson’s encouragement, Ali took a swing and hit the ball 140 yards down the middle. He turned to his trainer, Angelo Dundee.

“Ali crowed, ‘How ’bout that Angie! You didn’t know I was a champion golfer, did you?’ Wilson actually felt that despite the unorthodox look, Ali’s swing had some desirable elements: good shoulder turn, flexed knees, led the downswing with hips and legs, right elbow close to the side, head down, right shoulder lower than the left, and eyes remain fixed on the ball.”

Ali hit a second ball down the range, and was impressed by his success.

“‘Look at that ball go! Nobody can knock the ball that far. Nobody but me, the great, the one and only Muhammad Ali!'” he yelled… “A crowd of people started gathering to watch, and that just fueled Ali’s stage presence.

“He suddenly jumped away from the ball at one point and raised both hands into the air and crowed, ‘Muhammad Ali is the world’s greatest golfer! Nobody can beat Muhammad Ali! Not Arnold Palmer, not Jack Nicklaus, not nobody. I’m gonna make ’em look bad, predict the score, how bad I’m gonna beat ’em, everything — just like I do in boxing!'”

So yesterday on Radio 5 Live we were treated to Peter Alliss in full flow. He spoke out again about the Muirfield not allowing women to become members. “If somebody wants to join Muirfield, you’d better get married to a member”.

“I may want to join the Womens Voluntary Service but unless I have a few bits and pieces nipped away on my body I’m not going to be able to get in’.

He then cited a conversation he had had with Muirfield wives a few years ago “Good Lord we dont want to be members. If we joined our husbands they would have to pay thousands of pounds for our entry fee and subscriptions. We can come and play and do what we want for nothing”.

Then, most tellingly, he articulated the root of the problem.

“I believe golf clubs were formed years ago by people of like spirit, doctors, lawyers, accountants to talk amongst each other and do whatever”.

In April he said “the fight for womens rights in golf has caused mayhem. It has buggered up the game for a lot of people. I’m told the Ladies Golf Union has lost 150,000 members since equality came in. Hundreds of women left when they were forced to go from paying half fare to full fare”.

Perhaps so. The Ladies Golf Union, which was no longer financially sustainable will merge with the mens R&A soon. With great change there will be birth pains, and those who do not want this change will head to the enclaves where golf continues as it did in the 1950s, but these clubs will become fewer and fewer and will eventually die out altogether. Not yet, but maybe in another fifty years.

What Peter Alliss is saying is that golf was just the means to bring together like minded people i.e. of the same social class into these clubs, to be together it was never about the sport itself. And the sport itself has suffered because of it, in terms of image and perception. Peter does long to retain golf the way it has always been, to keep the charm for those lucky enough to be socially acceptable to belong.

But in truth saying that equality for women has buggered things up for a lot of people means that people dont want to accept fairness. And in 2016 this does beggar belief. How long ago did this country have the suffragettes crying votes for women? Over a hundred years ago. It is embarassing to younger people who love golf that we’re in this position now.

Fifty six European tour players teed up at Walton Heath on Monday for the USGA’s sectional qualifier for the United States Open Championship at Oakmont  in two weeks time.

The thirteen spots available to play in the championship were awarded to

Gregory Bourdy 67,68

Mikael Lundberg 68,69

Lee Slattery 69,69

Gary Stal 73,67

Alex Noren 69,71

Matthew Baldwin 70,70

Andrew Johnstone 68,72

Matteo Mannasero 72,69

Peter Hanson 71,70

Max Kieffer 73,69

Soren Hansen 67,75

Sebastian Soderberg 73,70

One of the Muirfield members, aged 81, who voted against the introduction of women members to their club has told The Scotsman “it wasn’t just about the women, we did not want the media telling us what to do”.

That said, the Captain of the club has called for an extraordinary committee meeting tomorrow to discuss the fallout from the decision, not least the massive loss of £45 million revenue to the local community following the R and A’s decision to withdraw the club from the Open rota. Gullane and neighbouring The Renaissance are interested in replacing Muirfield.

Rory McIlroy has spoken out on the decision “I think it is bad for golf’s image. We are trying to break out of this stuffy old image and move with the times. We’re trying to do things to  make golf faster, cooler and to include more people. It’s not right to host a major at a place that does not allow women”.

To this the club member retorted that he plays in The Masters at Augusta National which only has two female members..

The Royal and Ancient have said about Royal Troon, which is also going through a consultation process on the subject, while still hosting this year’s championship, that “we must give them time and space to carry out their review. They are aware of the R and A’s views and the consequences of a vote against allowing women members”.They also confirmed that there was no decision not to include the Trump Turnberry on the rota.

Royal Troon only require a 50% vote and have 38 members under the age of 30. Scottish Golf, the national body for the amateur game in Scotland, have said they are looking to move all their tournaments away from male only clubs.

Rory McIlroy and Danny Willett have both spoken out about their fears about the zika virus in Brazil which may overshadow their participation in this summer’s Olympic golf event.

On Friday over a hundred scientists signed a letter to the World Health Organisation urging it to exert pressure on the Olympic authorities to postpone or move the games from Rio de Janiero.

Rory said that although he was thrilled to be competing for Ireland, he had been reading a lot of reports and “it might be worse than they’re saying and I’m monitoring the situation”.

Dann Willett said that as it stands at the minute everything should be OK for him to compete for England but if there was a subatantial risk to his wofe and infant son he would withdraw.

Currently Adam Scott, Marc Leishman and Vijay Singh have withdrawn citing the health threat as the readon, Louis Oosthuisen and Charl Schwartzel will also not be competing.