19th Hole
Rory Mcilroy delivered a ruthless verdict when asked if he could rekindle friendship with Sergio Garcia
Rory McIlroy has played exceptionally well over the past year and has risen to the number one spot in the world once again. However, he’s found himself in the headlines for what he’s said to the media more often than for his stellar play.
At this week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Rory was once again asked about his former friend, Sergio Garcia.
At the beginning of the week, DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley stated that if Luke Donald chose a LIV golfer for his captains pick at the Ryder Cup, they’d be able to participate. Sergio Garcia, who’s the European team’s all-time leading scorer in the Ryder Cup would typically be a player who’s worthy of consideration for one of those six available spots.
McIlroy, who was an usher at Garcia’s 2017 wedding, has emphatically stated that he doesn’t want Garcia at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club for the 2023 Ryder Cup.
During the media session in Dubai, Rory was asked if his relationship with former good friend Garcia could be rekindled.
McIlroy responded by just saying: “No.”
When asked to elaborate, McIlroy shook his head and said: “No way”.
There have been some dissenting opinions among European golfers on whether member of LIV Golf should be allowed to play in the Ryder Cup.
Jon Rahm said back in July that he wants his friend and fellow Spaniard Garcia on the Ryder Cup team.
“Sergio knows very well that he has dedicated his life to the European Tour in his 25 years as a pro,’’ Rahm said. “That they turn their backs on him that way doesn’t seem right to me. And it is what it is. It is not my decision and that he has to make this decision, it hurts me.
“It’s a shame also because I know that he wanted to play in Spain. And he won’t be able to play either the Spanish Open or at Valderrama. And it bothers me even more that he can’t play the Ryder Cup.’’
Rahm echoes those sentiments once again in October.
“The Ryder Cup is not the PGA Tour and European Tour against LIV – it’s Europe versus the US, period,” Rahm told The Telegraph. “The best of each against the other, and for me the Ryder Cup is above all. I wish they could play, but it doesn’t look good.”
Reigning U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick believes the best players should play, regardless of which Tour they play on.
“I think there definitely are a few personal relationships that have been dented by this,” Fitzpatrick told Sky Sports. “I’m not bothered, I just want to win, and I’m sure those boys do too.”
“Sergio would be the one that would stand out for me, particularly,” Fitzpatrick said. “I don’t know the details of [his relationship with Rory McIlroy]. I’m happy to share a room with him, if that’s going to be the case, I can corner him off for everyone else.”
It will be fascinating to see what European Captain Luke Donald ultimately decides to do with his captains picks with so many differing opinions amongst the European stars.
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19th Hole
‘You’re a f*****g traffic cone!’ – Brooks Koepka heckles Aaron Ekblad at Florida Panthers game
Brooks Koepka is preparing to play in this week’s LIV event in Orlando. While in Florida, the four-time major champion attended a Florida Panthers game.
At the game, Koepka was seen taunting Aaron Ekblad, who was the first overall pick in the draft in 2014, with a traffic cone.
Brooks can be seen in the video yelling, “Ekblad you suck” as well as calling him a “traffic cone” with the prop in hand.
Is that Brooks Koepka calling Ekblad a fucking traffic cone from the stands in Florida??
?: IG/floridapanthersfp pic.twitter.com/LqolbAuYYt
— Missin Curfew (@MissinCurfew) March 26, 2023
So far this season, Koepka has finished 31st at LIV Mayakoba and 29th at LIV Tucson. He’ll be teeing it up at The Masters next week in search of his 5th major championship.
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19th Hole
‘Never mind the Masters’ – Gary Player explains why he ranks the Masters dead last of all the majors
In an interview with Sportsmail, Gary Player spoke about which major championship he believes is the best among them. The 87-year-old won nine major championships, including the Masters three times and The Open Championship three times.
“But never mind the Masters, the Open is by far the greatest tournament on the planet.”
Interestingly, Player ranked the Masters fourth of the four majors.
“I rate the Open at one, the US Open two, PGA three and Augusta four,’ he adds. Four marvelous tournaments.”
When asked why he ranked the Masters after the other three, Player said it was because the others have been around longer.
“It’s the youngest of the majors. The others are steeped in tradition and history, and they still have to catch up. Nothing comes to the top without time.”
Speaking of The Masters, Player also spoke about Rory McIlroy’s quest for the career grand slam, of which he’s still one green jacket short. Player believes McIlroy will win and needs to do so sooner rather than later to cement his spot amongst the greatest players of all time.
‘He’s got the best swing in the world by a mile,’ Player says. ‘He’s won four majors but none since 2014. I think he will win the Masters because the course is made for him. I think if he does that, he’ll go down as one of the greats, but that’s something he has to do.
“I’ve always said my judgment of superstars is they have to win six majors. People these days say anyone who wins is a superstar. No. It’s not easily done, but I believe Rory can.”
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At one stage in his career, it looked as if Tiger Woods becoming the record major holder was a formality, but for whatever factors that never materialised.
In an interview with Sportsmail, Gary Player spoke about Tiger Woods and his quest to break Jack Nicklaus’s major championship record, and has his own view on why Tiger never surpassed Jack’s record.
Player, who won nine major championships himself, said that he believes Ben Hogan was the “greatest” golfer he’d ever seen, but Tiger Woods was the most talented.
‘The greatest I ever saw was Ben Hogan,’ he says. ‘He went to war for five years and then had a terrible car accident, so never played in 30 majors. Nobody had a streak like he had (winning his nine majors in the space of 16 starts). If I was a young boy today, I’d watch his swing from 1953 every day.”
‘Tiger Woods was the most talented golfer the planet has ever seen but he made a few bad decisions, which we all do.”
“Having lessons when he won the US Open by 15 shots was inconceivable — if he never went for a lesson, he would have won 20 majors minimum and he would have beat Nicklaus’s record.”
Player is referencing the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, which Woods won by 15 shots. Just two years later, Tiger completely renovated his golf swing, which in retrospect looks as if it may have been a mistake.
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Gordy
Feb 7, 2023 at 11:59 am
Rory is a clown.
BigBoy
Feb 1, 2023 at 4:16 am
The Irish leprechaun is becoming the golfing Clown ?
Craig Falco
Jan 28, 2023 at 9:28 pm
Anyone that would end a friendship over where their “FRIEND” decided to tee it up was never a friend to start with…. hopefully when McElroy gets older and more mature he will have a better understanding of what a friendship is all about and Sergio will forgive and forget
jack
Feb 6, 2023 at 3:29 pm
When your “friend” decides to try and destroy your livelihood it will be interesting to see your level of maturity.
David Mack
Jan 28, 2023 at 4:11 pm
What’s so hard to understand is that anyone can rationalize taking money from a cold-blooded murderer. It’s depressing and disappointing. They are enabling and legitimizing depravity.
shaggy
Jan 28, 2023 at 10:18 pm
Absolutely! #BloodMoney from the Murderous Dictator MBS! Remember Jamal Khashoggi was BUTCHERED by Murderous Dictator MBS! ? 81 Saudis EXECUTED in ONE DAY by Murderous Dictator MBS! ?
Suck my white a.. ball
Jan 30, 2023 at 9:53 am
Do you even know what the DP stands for in DP World Tour?
Hilarious that these PGA players say they have the moral high ground when they’re just as guilty.
Jbone
Feb 3, 2023 at 11:14 am
Like Rory taking appearance fees from Sheiks that fund terrorism in the ME? Or his Nike sponsor that uses slave labor???
Juan
Jan 28, 2023 at 10:38 am
Sergio needs a blanky and a pacifier. He made his bed. LIV golf events are showy and ridiculous.
Scott
Jan 27, 2023 at 4:48 pm
LIV is a closed field exhibition league. Why is this so hard to understand?
Juan
Jan 28, 2023 at 10:38 am
Agreed
Mike B
Jan 30, 2023 at 10:29 am
Exactly. They have already been paid (per each individual’s contract) to just show up wearing LIV swag. They are entertainers much like the Harlem Globetrotter’s or the WWE “wrestlers.”
Steve G
Feb 13, 2023 at 5:55 pm
How is that any different from other professional sports? Is Patrick Mahomes not contractually paid to wear a Chiefs jersey?
Jbone
Feb 3, 2023 at 11:16 am
PGA tour and euro tour closed itself off from LIV. That’s the only thing closer about it.