Oh. My. God.  At the quarterfinals of the Volvo World Match Play Championship, Nicolas Colsaerts found himself in some deep doo-doo on the par-4 10th hole. Literally.  (continue reading…)

G-Mac sporting the tartan jacket that comes along with winning the trophy at Hilton Head

Graeme McDowell, one of the most popular players (especially in the interview room and at his recently-opened tavern, Nona Blue, in Orlando), returned to the PGA Tour winner’s circle at last week’s RBC Heritage Classic. Let’s take a look at how G-Mac won, along with a quick peek at Adam Scott’s victory at the Masters.

[*Ed note: Sorry this is a bit late -- it's my fault, not Shoshana's. Please forgive me!]

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G-Mac attack

In a playoff between two U.S. Open champs, Graeme McDowell beat Webb Simpson in the first extra hole, the par-4 18th, to claim the tartan jacket at the RBC Heritage.

While Webb missed just right of the pin, G-Mac went flag hunting and left himself an uphill 12-footer for birdie. He had a similar putt for par in regulation, but he left it short to post his first bogey of the day, which is pretty incredible considering the tough conditions on Sunday at Harbour Town Golf Links, with strong winds, including gusts up to 41 mph.  (continue reading…)

I never left, b**ches!

Congratulations to Tiger Woods, who captured his second win in 2013 and 76th career title on the PGA Tour. Oh, and we’re back with By the Numbers after a temporary hiatus due to the pesky real world intruding. On the way to his victory at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, Tiger obviously put up some impressive numbers, but we’re going to try look at several that you (probably) haven’t heard repeated ad nauseum (100 putts total), as well as a glance at a few other players. (continue reading…)

The happy couple: G-Mac and fiancee Kristin Stape

Graeme McDowell proposed to longtime girlfriend Kristin Stape from the 656-foot high helipad of the Burg Al Arab Hotel in Dubai two weeks ago.

…and she said yes.

The couple met when the 2010 U.S. Open champ hired Stape’s Orlando-based interior design firm to decorate his Lake Nona home. (continue reading…)

A man in desperate search of a solution.

Graeme McDowell is, by whatever metric you care to apply, a bright and articulate individual. Self-aware in a way few athletes are, he makes for a shrewd and canny interviewee. Measured, non-confrontational: he usually excels at tip-toeing through minefields.

Consider it indicative, then, of the extent to which the question of Northern identity remains one with no easy answers that mere mention of the 2016 Olympics can reduce a speaker of McDowell’s abundant ability to the crudest buck-passing. (continue reading…)

Woods looking for a major W

Tiger Woods, along with Graeme McDowell and Adam Scott, played a practice round at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, on Tuesday, for next week’s final major of the year, the PGA Championship, according to the tournament’s Twitter feed (which was also confirmed by the AP). (continue reading…)

Tiger fist-pump...for the win?

The last twosome — Graeme McDowell and Adam Scott — has just teed off, but the atmosphere has been buzzing with anticipation here at Royal Lytham &St Annes since early this morning. It’s already been a hectic day with the usual excited nervous energy that comes along with the final round at a major championship. What’s more, look at the names on the leaderboard. We’ve got Adam Scott (and Stevie Williams), Graeme McDowell, Brandt Snedeker, Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson and Ernie Els in the final three groups.

As we’ve seen with all the dramatic finishes this season, NO LEAD IS SAFE.

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Looks easy, right?

The Guardian has assembled an interactive guide to the five holes comprising arguably the most difficult closing stretch on the Open Championship rota.

Well worth your attention, it pairs snazzy graphics with the insight of several illustrious (and not so illustrious) competitors, Graeme McDowell, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk among them.

Conor Nagle

Thomas Levet makes his return to Le Golf National, scene of his infamous pond-diving mishap.

Building on the unexpected momentum provided by the success of last week’s Irish Open, the European Tour has decamped to mainland Europe this week for the Alstrom Open de France. (continue reading…)