News

Preview: WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship

Published

12 years ago

Feb 22, 2012

Michael Williams

By Michael Williams

Special to GolfWRX

The 2012 WGC-Accenture World Match Play Championship gets underway today at the Ritz-Carlton Club in Marana, Ariz. and this year is sure to provide all the drama and unpredictability that is a part of single elimination match play. Three-time winner Tiger Woods joins a powerhouse field that includes World No. 1 Luke Donald, all four current major championship winners and slew of young guns and accomplished veterans all vying for $1.4 million and 550 FedEx points. Notably absent from the tournament is Phil Mickelson, who lost in a playoff last week at Riviera in the Northern Trust Open. Mickelson, who would have been the first golfer to win in consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour since Woods in 2009, withdrew from the field due to a previously scheduled family commitment.

Opening round play includes some exciting matchups including Donald versus No. 16 Ernie Els, No. 3 Dustin Johnson against No. 14 Jim Furyk in the Snead bracket, while No. 8 David Toms meets No. 9 Rickie Fowler, and No. 3 Graeme McDonald takes on No. 14 Y.E. Yang in the Hogan bracket.

At a whopping 7,849 yards, the Jack Nicklaus-designed desert track will have the distinction of being the longest layout in Tour history. With generous fairways and a number of forced carries, the course would seem to favor the longer hitters in the field. But a hot putter is more important than ever in this format, and the field contains some of the most clutch putters in the game. Whether by land or by air, every participant knows that in match play there is only one objective; get to the next round.

“It’s a sprint, not a boat race,” noted Woods regarding the match play format. “Generally if you get down early, two or three down, you rarely come back. It’s hard to make up ground when you’re only playing 18 holes. It puts such a premium on getting off to a good start, and the guys that do generally win the matches.”

Woods, the only No. 1 seed ever to win the event, is seeded at No. 5 and is matched against No. 12 Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in the Snead bracket. Fernandez-Castano raised eyebrows earlier in the week by commenting that Woods was “beatable.” In response, Woods quipped, “I feel exactly the same way he does. I think he’s beatable, too.” Woods inflicted the worst defeat in tournament history on Stephen Ames in 2006, a punishing 9 and 8 opening round drubbing that came on the heels of Ames making similar comments about Woods’ vulnerability. Woods lost in the third round that year to Chad Campbell.

Defending Champion Luke Donald is looking to join Woods and Geoff Ogilvy, who has won the event twice, as the only multiple winners of the event. Last year’s Accenture Match Play win was a kick start to a campaign that saw Donald become the world’s top ranked player, in addition to being the first player to win the money title on the PGA Tour and European Tour simultaneously.

In his pre-tournament press conference, Donald commented, “[I have] a lot of great memories here last year, a lot of great things happened to me after I won here. I gained a lot of confidence from my win and how I went about winning it. And I’m excited to be back. I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of match play, and hopefully I can have another good week.”

The fact that 2012 is a Ryder Cup year will give some extra incentive to players who are assured of a roster spot to establish their match play reputations. It will also be a chance for those who have not fared well in stroke play events to impress the coaches who must make wild card selections for their respective teams. Significantly, all four No. 1 seeds (Donald, defending U.S. Open Champion Rory McIlroy, and former world No. 1’s Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood) are likely members of the European team that the U.S. will face later this year. 2012 marks the first time in event history that there will not be an American among the No. 1 seeds.

The first of four World Golf Championship events on the golf calendar, the Accenture event is the only one that has a match play format. This year also marks the second in which the final match is 18 holes. The final match was conducted over 36 holes from 1999 through 2010.

The first three days of the tournament on will be televised on the Golf Channel, with NBC picking up the coverage on Saturday and Sunday. Check local listings for air times.

Click here for more discussion in the “Tour Talk” forum.

Michael Williams is the contributing editor of Newschannel8 Capital Golf Weekly and Bunkershot.com, as well as a member of the Golf Writers Association of America.

You can follow Michael on twitter — @Michaelontv

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 3M Open

Published

1 day ago

Jul 23, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at TPC Twin Cities for the 2024 3M Open for the penultimate event of the PGA Tour’s regular season.

The photos are flying in from Blaine, Minnesota. We’ve already assembled general galleries and a fresh Tony Finau WITB.

Check back throughout the week for more photos!

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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Courses

The BEST hidden gem links courses in the UK & Ireland

Published

1 day ago

Jul 23, 2024

Josh Post, Golfbreaks

Another Open Championship has come and gone and links golf was once again in the spotlight at Royal Troon! For those who have never played a links course (like myself), it sparks a desire to fly across the pond to experience it for ourselves. While a golf trip to the UK or Ireland is a bucket-list item, most people look to play the big-name courses (Old Course, Carnoustie, Lahinch, Royal Portrush,etc.), but don’t realize they can get a similar experience by traveling to some of the lesser known destinations where you will find some of the purest links courses in the world. With this in mind, here are our picks for the best hidden gem links courses you should play when you book a UK or Ireland trip:

IRELAND

Ballyliffin

We start our list off with a 36-hole club in the Northwest of Ireland, a remote area of the Emerald Isle that is known for its rugged terrain and spectacular scenery. Bordering the Wild Atlantic Way, Ballyliffin is relatively newer (est. 1947) but offers golfers one of the purest links golf experiences anywhere in the country. While not easy to get to, the two courses onsite (Old and Glashedy) are well worth the travel with large dunes shaping the fairways that overlook the North Atlantic Ocean and a myriad of pot bunkers everywhere you look. Even Rory McIlroy believes that “Ballyliffin’s two courses are a must play on any golf trip to Ireland.” and we tend to agree.

How to incorporate Ballyliffin in a golf trip:

Stay:Ballyliffin Lodge, Hotel & Spa

Play: Old Links & Glashedy Links at Ballyliffin, and Old Tom Morris Links or Sandy Hills Course at Rosapenna

Enniscrone

The next course on the list is in the Sligo area of the Northwest where we find Enniscrone, roughly 3 hours (by car) south of Ballyliffin. Like many links courses, Enniscrone was originally a 9-hole course when it was opened in 1918 before an additional 9 holes were added 12 years later. In 1970, Eddie Hackett was tasked with redesigning the course to help the two 9-hole courses flow effortlessly into one 18 hole layout. A big feature that can be seen throughout your round here are the towering dunes that shape the course and protect some holes from the ocean winds. Built right out of the landscape of the dunes bordering the sea, the course has a lot of undulation in the fairways and greens with some elevated tee boxes providing unreal views of the natural land.

How to incorporate Enniscrone in a golf trip:

Stay: The Glasshouse Hotel, Sligo

Play: Enniscrone, County Sligo, and Donegal

Additional Courses: Strandhill, Carne, and Narin & Portnoo

St. Patrick’s Links

Another fantastic gem on the Northwest coast of Ireland is the NEW (2020) St. Patricks Links at Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Links. The land was purchased back in 2012 which was already a 36-hole facility and Tom Doak was brought in to reimagine the property to the layout it currently is today. Large sand dunes shape the front 9 holes before heading back through some more subtle dunes back towards the clubhouse. The course offers elevation changes with some tee boxes sitting atop the dunes offering spectacular views of Sheephaven Bay and beyond. With two other courses and a fantastic hotel on property, this destination is all you could ever ask for.

How to incorporate St. Patricks in a golf trip:

Stay: Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Links

Play: St. Patrick’s Links, Sandy Hills Course , and Old Tom Morris Links (all at Rosapenna)

Island Club

For our last hidden gem in Ireland, we head 30 minutes north of the country’s capital, Dublin, to The Island Club. Built along rugged terrain and the highest sand dunes on the east coast of Ireland, the Island Club is situated on a small peninsula surrounded by water on three sides providing a difficult challenge, especially with the winds. Founded in 1890, the Island Club continues to be ranked in the Top 10 courses in Ireland and has held some Amateur Championships and Open Championship Regional Qualifiers.

How to incorporate The Island Club in a golf trip:

Stay: The Grand Hotel, Malahide

Play: Island Club, Portmarnock Old, County Louth

Additional Courses: Royal Dublin

SCOTLAND

Dunbar

Located along “Scotland’s Golf Coast” of East Lothian is where we find the classic links of Dunbar. Opened in 1856 with only 15 holes, this is one of the many courses in Scotland that Old Tom Morris had a hand in crafting. Laid out along rocky and rocky terrain, the course is only 6500 yards long and while not long by modern standards, the course requires shot making and proper club selection to play well. The course has held many national and international tournaments including a few rounds of The Open Final Qualifying.

How to incorporate Dunbar in a golf trip:

Stay: No. 12 Hotel & Bistro

Play: Dunbar, Gullane (No.1), North Berwick

Additional Courses: Craigielaw, Kilspindie, Gullane (No.2, No. 3)

Cruden Bay

The next course on our list brings us to the Scottish Highlands, one of the lesser traveled destinations in Scotland, but still home to some amazing links courses including Cruden Bay! Located 25 miles north of Aberdeen on the east coast of the Highlands, Cruden Bay was opened in 1899, although history would indicate golf has been played at the property since 1791. Another Old Tom Morris design, the course is consistently ranked in the Top 25 of courses in Scotland and it is easy to see why. At only 6600 yards, it is relatively short, but the natural lay of the land provides elevation changes, punchbowl greens, and some large, 3-story high dunes that offer spectacular views for a classic links experience.

How to incorporate Cruden Bay in a golf trip:

Stay: Leonardo Hotel Aberdeen

Play: Cruden Bay, Trump International Links, Royal Aberdeen

Additional Courses: Murcar

Brora

We head back to the Highlands just north of Dornoch to where we find Brora Golf Club. Similar to a lot of links courses, Brora opened as only 9 holes in 1891, but that only lasted for 9 years before an additional 9 was added in 1900 before a James Braid redesign in 1924. At just over 6200 yards, this is one of those courses that will make you appreciate links golf in Scotland with cattle and sheep roaming freely around the property. The course is a typical links routing with the front 9 going out and the back 9 coming back to the clubhouse. The defense of the course is the wind (naturally), but the greens are relatively small with pot bunkers standing guard to catch errant approach shots.

How to incorporate Brora in a golf trip:

Stay: Royal Golf Hotel, Dornoch

Play: Brora, Royal Dornoch – Struie & Championship

Additional Courses: Golspie, Tain

Nairn

Staying in the Scottish Highlands, the last Scotland links gem on the list is just outside of Inverness at The Nairn Golf Club. The narrow fairways are fast and firm leading to decent sized, tricky greens that roll true, but are guarded by devious pot bunkers. The first seven holes play right along the water and with not a ton of elevation changes, spectacular views across the Moray Firth can be seen throughout the course. With fantastic course conditions throughout the season, this fantastic links is an absolute must-play when visiting the Highlands.

How to incorporate Nairn in a golf trip:

Stay: Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness

Play: Nairn, Castle Stuart (Cabot Highlands), Fortrose & Rosemarkie

Additional Courses: Nairn Dunbar, Moray

Golfbreaks by PGA TOUR highly recommends you start planning your trip across the pond AT LEAST 12-18 months in advance in order to secure tee times and hotel rooms over the dates you desire. With more and more people taking up the game of golf, these bucket list trips have already become extremely popular and will continue to gain interest so make sure to start planning early!

Editor’s note: This article is presented in partnership with Golfbreaks. When you make a purchase through links in this article, GolfWRX may earn an affiliate commission.

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News

Forum Giveaway: TaylorMade P7CB “Proto” irons

Published

2 days ago

Jul 22, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX and TaylorMade Golf have teamed up for one of the most exciting giveaways in recent memory. We are giving away one (1) set (3-PW) of the P7CB “Proto” irons, built to order for one lucky forum member! These yet-to-be-released irons have recently made it into the bag for both Tommy Fleetwood and Collin Morikawa.