Showing posts with label Tiger Woods. Show all posts

Sunday, 28 July 2013

Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger, shot 67 on her professional debut in England

Eye of the Tigress is coming along nicely as Woods' niece enjoys capital gains

PUBLISHED: 21:33, 26 July 2013 | UPDATED: 01:49, 27 July 2013

For one afternoon only, it became the London Eye of the Tigress. Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger, shot 67 on her professional debut in England at the ISPS Handa European Masters, and then took herself off to the capital for a little sightseeing.

From a skilful dismantling of The Buckinghamshire course in the morning to an awestruck glimpse of Buckingham Palace after lunch, Cheyenne, who turned 23 on Thursday, is determined to make the most of her European adventure.

'On the course, I feel my game is starting to come around; off it, I try to see as much of the local area as I can,' she said. 'I loved walking around Madrid last week, for example, and a chance to appreciate the architecture. Everywhere is just so different to the States!'

Sight to see: Cheyenne is worth keeping your eye on

The game's history books are not exactly littered with relatives who have gone on to become great players in their own right, and bearing the Woods name might be the most difficult task of all.

Yet Cheyenne, as personable as her uncle is reticent, as accommodating as Tiger is unforthcoming, has the right approach.

'I was 10 when I played in my first national competition and so have learned that having the name of Woods brings a lot of attention,' she said.

'Even as a rookie, there is expectation and pressure that goes with the territory. But when I get on the golf course, I don't think about Tiger or the fact my name is Woods. I think about achieving my own goals and playing my own game.'

With no playing rights to compete in her home country, she decided to throw her lot in with the Ladies European Tour, and is so glad she did.

'It was a tough decision, and one I had long talks with my family about because of the length of time I would be spending away,' she conceded. 'But it has proven the right one. It's lovely to go to different places and see how welcoming everyone is both to the tour and to me.

'Even if I get some status to play in America next year, I'll come back and play in Europe as well. I love it here,' she added.

Relative success: Tiger (below) is a keen follower of his niece

Cheyenne cannot remember anything of the first time she saw Tiger play competitive golf, which is hardly surprising given she was a baby at the time. She was wheeled around fabled Rivera in Los Angeles by her mother, Susan - married to Tiger's older half-brother Earl Dennison Jnr - as her uncle, then 16, made his PGA Tour debut. 'It was definitely an inspiration growing up to see him on television,' she said.

'It was exciting to go into school and have everyone tell me that they had been watching my uncle. And Tiger always keeps up now with how I'm doing.

'He phoned me after I shot 64 in Madrid last week, which was really nice of him given he had only just finished his first round in the Open. He's there for advice if I need it.'

Cheyenne could not build on that opening 64, but there are distinct signs she is coming to grips with playing here. Her score yesterday left her four shots off the lead and in a tie for sixth.

This weekend, she needs to finish in the top three who are not already qualified to make it into the field for the Ricoh Women's British Open at St Andrews next week - a place where her uncle won twice.

'Do you know I can't remember anything of either win off the top of my head,' she giggles. 'Is that bad? I just don't have a good memory. But I really want to play the Old Course.

'And if I don't make it here, I'll try to qualify at Kingsbarns on Monday.'

No doubt there will be plenty at The Buckinghamshire course this weekend who will turn up out of curiosity. But quite a few are hanging around now to see a golfer who was an all-American college player in her own right, and progressing well at her own pace.

And so off she went for her early evening trip on the London Eye. A girl on the way up, in every sense.

Monday, 15 April 2013

Adam Scott becomes the first Australian to win US Masters

Great Scott! Adam becomes the first Australian to put on the famous Green Jacket after nail biting finish at Augusta

By DEREK LAWRENSON

PUBLISHED: 00:44, 15 April 2013 | UPDATED: 02:28, 15 April 2013

The final frontier for Australian sport was crossed on a historic, rainy afternoon in Georgia on Sunday as Adam Scott ended 76 years of hurt and became the first man from down under to wear the green jacket.

The 32-year-old from Adelaide who lives in the Swiss mountains climbed the summit following a sudden-death play-off against the Argentine Angel Cabrera.

He did so in the most spectacular manner imaginable as he followed a birdie at the 18th in regulation play with another at the second extra hole. What a moment of redemption this was for the man who threw away The Open at Royal Lytham last year when he bogeyed each of the last four holes.

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Champion: Adam Scott became the first Australian to win the US Masters

Embrace: Second placed Angel Cabrera (right) congratulates Scott on his win

Adam Scott wins the Masters

A gripping afternoon played in an almost continual downpour drew to a conclusion amidst golf of breathtaking quality. This was one of the great Masters finishes, beginning on the 18th hole in normal time, as Scott rolled in his 20ft birdie putt to take the lead by a shot.

‘C’mon Aussies,’ screamed Scott, who was in rapture as the ball caught the edge of the hole and dropped. Standing in the middle of the 18th fairway was the only man who could catch him. Imagine listening to all those roars and needing a birdie of your own?

Cabrera has nerves that don’t break. He got his birdie with a stunning shot that finished next to the hole. The crowd here had seen one shot worthy of winning any Masters and now, almost unbelievably, they had witnessed another. And still it was not over.

Nice fit: Bubba Watson (left) helps Adam Scott into the Green Jacket

So close: Angel Cabrera had a chance to win it but his putt fell inches short

Third place: Jason Day was in the running right until the end but ended up third

Back to the 18th hole they came for the first sudden death play-off hole, where Cabrera’s pitch grazed the edge of the hole. Now they went to the 10th where Cabrera’s putt finished agonizingly behind the hole. How it did not drop is a mystery but no-one would begrudge an Australian a moment of luck after all the near misses. How Scott took full advantage. ‘This is the time to stand up and find out how much you want it,’ he said to himself.

We saw how much he wanted it, as he yelled in jubilation once the putt had dropped. At that moment he thought of Greg Norman, his inspiration and the man who finished runner-up on three occasions at Augusta. ‘He has been a hero to all the young Australians and helped us so much,’ said Scott.

‘Part of this absolutely belongs to him.’

Remarkably, neither Scott nor Cabrera led with three holes to play.

England's finest: Lee Westwood was the only Englishman to come in the top 10

Another Australian, Jason Day had delivered moments of pure brilliance but also a young man’s mistakes and there were two more that led to bogeys at the 16th and the 17th. It proved the difference between a place in the play-off and having to settle for third place. As disappointing as this was for the 25 year old from Victoria, he will be back and he will win majors.

Some men feel sick playing the most fabled back nine in the game. Cabrera spent quiet moments bouncing his ball on his putter. With his son Angel jnr on the bag he was having the time of his life.

He was trying to compose a little poetry of his own, since back home in Argentina it was the 90th birthday of Roberto de Vicenzo, the greatest South American golfer of all. He did him proud, for Cabrera didn’t lose this Masters. Scott won it with strokes of genius.

Disappointment: Tiger Woods won't be adding another Green Jacket to his collectino

Disappointment: Tiger Woods was unable to add another Green Jacket to his collection

Not quite enough: Brandt Snedeker lost ground with a poor final round

The green jacket in Australia has taken on mythical status following 76 years of hurt. No fewer than eight editions have ended with Aussie golfers finishing runner-up. Some of the tales have been heartbreaking. Think Norman, losing a six stroke last round lead to Sir Nick Faldo in 1996, for a start.

Only two major sporting events remained without Aussie names on them, and they knew they were never going to win football’s World Cup. The other was the Masters.

What excitement there must have been in Australia at the death. Nerves must have been shredded, but it would have been all worth it.

Day and Scott were joint runner’s-up two years ago. The others who have finished second down the years are Jim Ferrier, Bruce Crampton, Jack Newton and, on no fewer than three occasions, the luckless Norman.

Good performance: Marc Leishman played well to earn himself a fifth place finish

Teeing off: Adam Scott drives from the third hole on a tense final day

Where were the Europeans? Excellent young Dane Thorbjorn Olesen was continuing his heartening recovery from an opening 78 to make it all the way back to four under and a position in the top ten with a 68. Sergio Garcia, the man who has had more top tens in majors than any man in history who hasn’t won one, added one more with a 70. So did Lee Westwood with a 71. Then there was Bernhard Langer.

No wonder they say time flashes by in the wink of an eye. Twenty years have passed since Langer won the second of his green jackets but the seasons melted away over the opening holes as the indefatigable German put together an amazing charge.

If there was one recurring theme in this 77th edition it might be the astounding feats of men from either end of the age spectrum.

Masterful: Jason Day plays one of many excellent shots

Missed: Woods reacts to a poor shot on the fourth hole

At one end we had 14-year-old Tianlang Guan leaving the place agog as he followed the wonderful achievement of simply making it into the field here with making the halfway cut and winning the Silver Cup as the leading amateur.

At the other, we had Fred Couples notching a fourth consecutive top 15 finish since passing his 50th birthday and 55 year old Langer, who started with three straight birdies to move within one of the lead.

He also holed great par putts at the fourth and fifth. He couldn’t keep this going, could he? Alas he dropped shots at the sixth and seventh and the magic had gone.

Out of the sand: Cabrera hits from a bunker on the eighth hole

Great Dane: Thorbjorn Olesen plays a shot

Alongside him was Westwood. The Englishman, with two top three finishes here in the last three years, should have eagled the second but followed that two-putt birdie from 8ft with another birdie from tap-in range at the 7th to be four behind. Operation stealth was proceeding nicely but his chance went with a double bogey seven at the unlucky 13th.

What about Tiger Woods, who began four behind? There was no early final day charge from him.

Would the event ever get over the stench if Woods had won after he should have disqualified himself on Saturday morning for his flagrant breach of the rules? After a miserable first eight holes played in two over par, he flickered into life with consecutive birdies at the 9th and 10th and another birdie at the 13th. But he was always too far back and finished with a 70 to be four adrift.

Thanks, guys: Tiger Woods waves to the crowd as he walks off at the 18th

Lining it up: Adam Scott lines up a chip shot to the 13th green

US MASTERS BY NUMBERS - DAY FOUR AT AUGUSTA

Adam Scott claimed his first major title with a dramatic play-off victory over Argentina's Angel Cabrera at Augusta on Sunday.

Here are some of the notable figures from the final round.

0 - Amount of majors Tiger Woods has won when trailing going into the final round.

0 - Number of Australians to win at Augusta before Scott's triumph.

4 - Major championships won by players using the anchored putters due to be banned in 2016. Scott's win completes the set after Keegan Bradley (2011, US PGA), Webb Simpson (2012 US Open) and Ernie Els (2012 Open).

19 - Nineteen of the last 23 Masters winners have come from the final group. Zach Johnson (2007), Charl Schwartzel (2011), Bubba Watson (2012) and Scott are the exceptions.

55 - The age of Bernhard Langer, who had dreams of becoming golf's oldest major champion after starting his round with three straight birdies.

9 - Pars in succession made by Scott from the fourth hole in his final round.

1.1million - Prize money in pounds won by Scott.

68 - Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen shot two rounds of 68 over the weekend, after opening with a 78, to finish as the leading European in joint sixth on his Masters debut.

14 - Years since a European player won the Masters. Jose Maria Olazabal was the last to taste success in 1999.

Wednesday, 20 March 2013

'I too have a sex problem': How Lindsey Vonn mocked Tiger Woods' cheating scandal...

'I too have a sex problem': How Lindsey Vonn mocked Tiger Woods' cheating scandal... three years before they started dating

By IONA KIRBY

PUBLISHED: 00:10, 20 March 2013 | UPDATED: 00:14, 20 March 2013

On Monday Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn confirmed that they are dating.

But the couple revealed that they were pals for a long time before their friendship turned into a relationship.

And three years before their romance began, Lindsey was quoted as mocking her now-boyfriend in a newly unearthed article.

How times have changed: Lindsey Vonn, who is Tiger Woods' new girlfriend, was quoted as mocking the gofer three years ago

The Olympic skiing gold medallist poked fun at the disgraced golfing pro in an article published by Time.com back in February 2010.

The story describes how Lindsey, surrounded by her entourage at the Olympics, was told of the hugs Tiger got from supporters after releasing a statement following his cheating scandal.

‘They're like, “Yeah, you're awesome, you go have that sex,”’ the athlete is quoted as saying – a comment which was reportedly met by raucous laughter by those surrounding her.

The blonde then described a sketch she would perform if she ever had the opportunity to host Saturday Night Live.

Friends first: The couple had been pals for a long time before their friendship blossomed into romance

The 28-year-old pictured herself stood at a podium and imagined she was reading from a script in a pretend solemn voice.

‘There's something you don't know about me,’ Lindsey said, according to the publication. ‘Tiger, you're like my idol, and I too have a sex problem.’

Lindsey is Tiger’s first serious relationship since his ex-wife Elin Nordegren left him after several women came out of the woodwork to reveal their affairs with the sports star.

And the new couple decided to use Facebook to officially confirm their relationship status – complete with some sickeningly sweet photographs of the pair looking loved up.

Going public: Tiger and the Olympic skiing gold medallist confirmed they are a couple on Monday via Facebook

In his posting, Tiger, 37, said he was pleased with his two recent comeback wins on the US golf tour.

‘Something nice that's happened off the course was meeting Lindsey Vonn,’ the famously private star added.

‘Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating. We thank you for your support and for respecting our privacy.

‘We want to continue our relationship, privately, as an ordinary couple and continue to compete as athletes.’

Speculation that the relationship was serious grew after Tiger sent his private jet to collect Lindsey after she was injured in a horrific crash on February 5 during the Alpine Ski World Championships in Austria.

Moving on: Lindsey is Tiger's first serious relationship since his marriage to Elin Nordegren (L) crumbled after a series of women claimed they'd had affairs with the sports star

Lindsey, still recuperating from her injuries, acknowledged on her Facebook page: ‘I guess it wasn't a well-kept secret but yes, I am dating Tiger Woods.

‘Our relationship evolved from a friendship into something more over these past few months and it has made me very happy. I don't plan on addressing this further as I would like to keep that part of my life between us, my family and close friends. Thank you for understanding and your continued support!’ she added.

Tiger was recently spotted with his ex-wife on a day out with their children, Charlie, four, and Sam, five, while an apparently nervous Lindsay waited in the car to avoid a run-in with Elin.

The Swedish model, whose divorce from Tiger was finalised in August 2010, is meanwhile rumoured to be dating billionaire coal magnate Chris Cline.

Billionaire beau: Swedish model Elin meanwhile is believed to be dating coal magnate Chris Cline

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Saturday, 26 January 2013

Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn insists she's 'just friends' with Tiger Woods

'Her focus is solely on competing': Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn insists she's 'just friends' with Tiger Woods as rep denies reports pair are dating

By ESTHER BRADBURY and CASSIE CARPENTER

PUBLISHED: 03:50, 26 January 2013 | UPDATED: 03:50, 26 January 2013

She was first rumoured to be secretly dating disgraced golf star Tiger Woods last November.

But Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn's representative made it sound as though she was simply too focused on her career in a statement on Friday.

'Lindsey is currently in the midst of the World Cup season in Europe,' Vonn's representative told Us Weekly.

'Just friends': The two divorced world-class athletes, seen in April at a Tiger Woods Foundation event, have been rumoured to be dating since November

Single skier: Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn still insists that she and disgraced golfer Tiger Woods are 'just friends'

The spokesperson added: 'Her focus is solely on competing and on defending her titles and thus she will not participate in any speculation surrounding her personal life at this time.'

Last month, the pretty 28-year-old champion claimed that she and the 37-year-old golf pro were 'just friends.'

'My brother was the ski instructor for his kids this November in Vail. Guessing that's where it came from,' Lindsey told the Denver Post.

The blonde bombshell, who was on skis by age two, has a habit of keeping big secrets.

Too busy for love? The 28-year-old champion is currently in the midst of the World Cup season in Europe and her rep insists she's solely focused on her career

As she scored her first Olympic gold medal in 2010, Lindsey was secretly struggling with debilitating depression and a tough divorce from her husband of four years, Thomas Vonn.

She revealed to People: 'Everyone saw me on TV, or read articles, and it was all about my great marriage, the white picket fence, all this success and my perfect life. But behind the scenes, it was a struggle.'

The former couple met in Park City, Utah when she was 16 and he was a 25-year-old Olympic skiier himself.

'Everyone knows marriage is tough,' she said. 'But it just wasn't working, and it was making me miserable.'

Coy athlete: The blonde bombshell has a habit of keeping big secrets, including her debilitating depression and 2011 divorce from her husband of four years, Thomas Vonn

At her worst, Vonn's illness got so bad she couldn't get out of bed.

'I felt hopeless, empty, like a zombie,' she revealed. 'Because of my stubbornness, or shame of not wanting to admit something was wrong, I didn't do anything about it.'

Shockwaves were sent through the sporting world in December 2009 when it was revealed that Tiger had cheated on his wife Elin Nordegren with a string of women.

The Swedish supermodel and Tiger were married for five years, and they have two young children - five-year-old Samantha and three-year-old Charlie.

Back on top: Tiger's form has improved since he has been seeing the champion skier - after dropping out of the top 50 in 2011, his ranking is now back up to No. 2

His 32-year-old ex won a $110million divorce settlement after the shamed sportsman admitted to his infidelities.

Tiger's form has drastically improved since the incident. After dropping out of the top 50 in 2011, his ranking is now back up to number two.

Lindsey is one of only six women to have won World Cup races in all five disciplines of alpine skiing and has won 58 World Cup races in her career, and has won four overall World Cup championships – one of only two female skiers to do so.

The skiing superstar, who's also been linked to Tim Tebow, is also renowned for her beauty, appearing in Sports Illustrated's Olympic Swimsuit Edition in 2010 and making No. 59 on Maxim's Hot 100 list.

Serial cheater: Shockwaves were sent through the sporting world in December 2009 when it was revealed that Tiger had cheated on his wife Elin Nordegren with a string of women

KATCHING MY I

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