Ernie Els played a solid final round of golf to clinch the Claret jug for the second time in his career after Adam Scott threw away a commanding lead.

Els finished seven-under-par after he birdied the 18th hole. Scott bogeyed the final four holes to leave him one shot adrift at the challenging links course at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Els, who started the day six shots off the lead, wins his fourth major title ten years after he won his first British Open in 2002.

“I am just numb at the moment, I feel for Adam Scott, he is a great friend of mine,” said the 42-year-old South African. “We both wanted to win so badly, but I really feel for him. That is the nature of the beast, that is why we are out here.”

“It was my time. I was hoping at best a play-off. A lot of people never thought I would win but I started believing this year, getting a lot of help from my family and the professionals around me,” he added.

Scott had a four-shot lead with four holes to play, and will regret not making the most of the opportunity to secure his first major win.

His meltdown was reminiscent to Rory McIlroy’s 2011 US Masters crumble, which saw the Northern Irishman lose a four-shot lead in spectacular fashion in the final round of last year’s event at Augusta.

“I’m very disappointed but I played so beautifully for most of the week I really shouldn’t let this bring me down,” said Scott.

“I know I’ve let a really great chance slip through my fingers today, but somehow I’ll look back and take the positives from it,” he added.

Elsewhere, Tiger Woods played, by his standards, fairly poor golf. A triple bogey at the seventh hole saw his chances of a 15th major championship disappear, but he birdied the final hole to finish tied for third with Brandt Snedeker.

World number one Luke Donald had a solid four days, but would have liked to have holed more putts on a tough course. He finished in a tie for fifth place with Graeme McDowell, whose final round struggles saw him drop from second place overnight.

It was the 16th consecutive major with a different champion, a trend that looks likely to continue with a wealth of up and coming young golfers.

Results:-7: Els (SA)-6: Scott (Aus) -3: Snedeker (US), Woods (US)  -2: Donald (Eng), McDowell (NI) - 1: Aiken (SA), Colsaerts (Bel)

Image Courtesy of   photogolfer / Shutterstock.com

The article Ernie Els Wins the British Open appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Las Vegas, U.S.A.- Fourteen years later, and Tiger Jam has yet to skip a beat! This past Saturday, Tiger Jam 2012 again rocked the Las Vegas strip, bringing host Tiger Woods and talents including Jon Bon Jovi and Friends and American Idol winner David Cook to the stage for an incredible performance. Held at the renowned Mandalay Bay Events Center, the sold-out concert and accompanying attractions raised approximately $1 million for programs of the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Kicking off the weekend, VIP Tiger Jam guests were treated to a day of golf at Cascata Golf Club, which included a private exhibition with Woods followed by a round of golf. Next, guests went head-to-head for an exclusive night of poker, competing against some of the game’s biggest names.

Tiger’s Poker Night, held Friday, April 27, featured such legends as Phil Hellmuth, Jr., who emceed the event and took second place; Ben Lamb who finished fourth; and Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson, won first place. Proceeds from the Texas Hold ‘em style charity poker tournament went directly to the college-access programs of the Tiger Woods Foundation, while the winner of the tournament received a foursome of golf with Tiger Woods. Following poker, VIP guests gathered at Moorea Beach Club for a performance from The Bravery.

On Saturday, headliners Jon Bon Jovi and Friends took the stage, delivering a rocking performance that included some of Jon’s greatest hits such as: Livin’ on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name and Wanted Dead or Alive. Opening the show was singer, songwriter and American Idol season seven winner David Cook.

Live and silent auctions preceded Saturday night’s event. VIP guests mixed and mingled over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at the Tiger Jam reception. During the live auction, a Lindsey Vonn skiing weekend package that included a skiing lesson from the Olympian, went for $20,000; a Maui Jim Fishing Excursion went for $10,000; a getaway to Turtle Island, Fiji raised $19,000; and the Ultimate Gastronomic Golf Getaway With Mario Batali in NYC, went to the highest bidder for $10,000.

After the main concert event, guests returned to the House of Blues for the after-party hosted by M.C. Hammer.

Image Courtesy of   sportgraphic / Shutterstock.com

The article Jon Bon Jovi Raised U$ 1 Million For The Tiger Woods Foundation appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Genius in sports does not come around every day, and when it does, it should not be hard to recognize and appreciate. When an athlete accomplishes things in a sport that have never been done before and does it in a way that has rarely ever been seen, it is important to not only stand up and applaud that greatness, but to make sure everyone else sees it and understands what is being accomplished.

Lionel Messi is probably the greatest athlete of today, yet outside of those who understand and love the sport he dominates, his genius is swept aside as just another athlete playing a meaningless sport. Of course, soccer, or football as it is call outside of the U.S., is one of the most popular sports in the world, yet you would not know it listening to analysts discuss the sport.

Soccer gets a bad rap for many reasons here in the U.S., but instead of welcoming the washed-up players from Europe who are past their prime, the greatest soccer player to have come along in decades while he is still ripe with potential should be celebrated.

Messi stands at 5 feet 7 inches tall. It would be hard to look at the man and think that you are looking at the greatest athlete playing any sport today. He has a slight build with the face of a young boy, not yet a man, but do not be fooled. He has been described as an assassin on the field, and at 24 years old, the 7-year pro has surpassed legends.

Messi is now the all-time leading scorer for his club team, Barcelona, with 234 goals, and the first player to score 5 goals in a single game in that league. Accomplishments left to those at the twilight of their careers, not a young player yet to reach his prime. He has won the FIFA Ballon d’Or three times, an award given to the best player each season, and is likely to win his fourth this year.

Soccer played at the highest level by the best players is the most beautiful sport in the world to watch, and Messi reinforces that every time he gets on the field. Watching the boy genius play is like watching Barry Sanders make a great unexpected cut on the football field or even watching Michael Jordan suspended in the air on his way to the basket.

Those are not images seen every day in sports, but when they do happen, they should be appreciated because they may never be seen again. As sports fans here get sidetracked by Linsanity and Tebowmania, the real once-in-a-generation story does not get the attention it deserves. We do not play football in America, so it is only right we give it another name. Soccer in America is the reason why Messi does not get the love and recognition he truly deserves.

During the week when the record was set by Messi, ESPN, who covers all sports, barely dedicated a segment to the story. In fact, a quick video was put up along with the record-breaking goal, and that was that. That is all soccer is worth in the realm of American sports, even if the great Lionel Messi is the topic.

There have been many sports analysts during World Cup events and Olympic events who have said that America does not need to be good at soccer because of all the other sports which the U.S. dominates. There is an arrogance that goes along with the ideas that Americans have about soccer and why American soccer players are not as good as other nations.  Sadly, this will not change anytime soon.

The eye test is all it takes to realize that this is no ordinary man. Lionel Messi is superman and his kryptonite might very well be the international stage, the only place left where his greatness has yet to make its mark. However, maybe that will change in 2014.

Image Courtesy of   sportgraphic / Shutterstock.com

The article Lionel Messi: Unappreciated Genius appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The pairings are set for both days of the 2012 Tavistock Cup that returns to Lake Nona Golf & Country Club March 19 and 20. The ninth installment of the event features 24 of the top touring professional members of Albany, Isleworth Golf & Country Club, Lake Nona and Queenwood Golf Club.

The tournament’s first-day pairings feature better ball stroke play. Each team will post three 18-hole better ball scores. The team with the lowest cumulative score will lead after the first round.

Day 1

• 10:50 a.m: Justin Rose & Tiger Woods (Team Albany); Charles Howell III & Bubba Watson (Team Isleworth)
• 11:05 a.m.: Ben Curtis & Peter Hanson (Team Lake Nona); Soren Kjeldsen & Paul McGinley (Team Queenwood)
• 11:20 a.m.: Tim Clark & Ernie Els (Team Albany); Thomas Bjorn & Adam Scott (Team Queenwood)
• 11:35 a.m.: Sean O’Hair & Bo Van Pelt (Team Isleworth); Ross Fisher & Retief Goosen (Team Lake Nona)
• 11:50 a.m.: Robert Allenby & Daniel Chopra (Team Isleworth); David Howell & Tom Lewis (Team Queenwood)
• 12:05 p.m.: Trevor Immelman & Ian Poulter (Team Albany); Graeme McDowell & Gary Woodland (Team Lake Nona)

The second-round pairings feature individual stroke play. Each team will count six 18-hole individual scores. The team with the lowest score in relation to par at the end of both rounds will be crowned World Golf and Country Club Champion.

Day 2

• 10:50 a.m.: Tim Clark (Team Albany); Robert Allenby (Team Isleworth); Ben Curtis (Team Lake Nona); Paul McGinley (Team Queenwood)
• 11:05 a.m.: Ernie Els (Team Albany); Charles Howell III (Team Isleworth); Retief Goosen (Team Lake Nona); Soren Kjeldsen (Team Queenwood)
• 11:20 a.m.: Trevor Immelman (Team Albany); Daniel Chopra (Team Isleworth); Ross Fisher (Team Lake Nona); David Howell (Team Queenwood)
• 11:35 a.m.: Justin Rose (Team Albany); Bo Van Pelt (Team Isleworth); Peter Hanson (Team Lake Nona); Adam Scott (Team Queenwood)
• 11:50 a.m.: Ian Poulter (Team Albany); Bubba Watson (Team Isleworth); Gary Woodland (Team Lake Nona); Tom Lewis (Team Queenwood)
• 12:05 p.m: Tiger Woods (Team Albany); Sean O’Hair (Team Isleworth); Graeme McDowell (Team Lake Nona); Thomas Bjorn (Team Queenwood)

Each year, Tavistock Cup contestants play for prize money, team hole-in-one prizes and the title of World Golf and Country Club Champion. But the tournament also exists to raise money for many worthy causes. The Tavistock Cup has generated more than $7 million for charity in its short nine-year history. In addition to various player charities, a number of major beneficiaries include The First Tee, Orlando Minority Youth Golf Association, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, The UCF Foundation and the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.

The Tavistock Cup has become one of the most unique golfing events of the year as tickets are not sold to the public. Only club members, sponsors, designated charities and invited guests are able to attend the two-day event. Once in, there are no ropes separating the world’s best players from the spectators.

The tournament will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel in the U.S., Canada, China and Japan and airs on international affiliates throughout the United Kingdom, Australia, Latin America and South Africa. TavistockCup.com will feature real-time live scoring of the 2012 Tavistock Cup.

Image Courtesy of   Tony Bowler / Shutterstock.com

The article 2012 Tavistock Cup – First-Day Pairing Up appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

There’s a great bit of luck involved in sports as we’ve seen, but this serge of luck always seems to occur at the most opportune times to the most unlikeliest of people.  That was the case in this year’s British open with its unlikely winner, Darren Clarke.  It is important to remember though, luck is not the only reason he won; it is not the only reason he holds the Claret Jug instead of names like Phil Mickelson or golden boy, Roy McIlroy.  He played well enough to be in the position to capitalize on those moments.

Clarke delivered in the final round while players like Dustin Johnson faltered in the latter parts of Sunday’s round.   We shouldn’t be surprised at the outcome only from this standpoint, a different golfer won the last 10 majors we have seen played and I’m not sure if that will change anytime soon.

Sports fans have come to expect Phil to crumble when it matters most, but it was different this time.  Different because, although Clarke is a seasoned golfer, he doesn’t strike fear in anyone who knows the game or have played it; thus there should be no pressure- aside from the pressure being applied by the course itself.

For a man who has seen his share of disappointment on the golf course at this stage of his career, you would think he would have figured out a way to avoid these lapses in crucial tournaments (Majors).

After being tied entering the 8^th green, things took a turn for the worse on a day where there were only two birdies completed throughout the round.  It is important to note also how difficult it was to have played on this course; the conditions were brutal to deal with considering the rain and relentless winds that seem to alter the play of many golfers.

Clarke finished 5 under par after bogeying the final hole while Mickelson finished 2 under par. This continues the drought of American winners with Irishmen Clarke, who is a popular sympathetic figure on the tour.

Now it’s interesting to consider what happened with golden boy McIlroy; Roy McIlroy was in contention early on after a slow start, but never got things going. Some say it is a direct result of his inactivity after winning the last major in which the Tiger comparisons began to creep up. Not sure which had greater impact on his play, the pressures of such talks or the difficulty of the course itself?  Either way, he finished 7 over par and wasn’t a factor down the stretch.

I wonder how he will recover from this outing after his star was so bright just weeks ago.

We must congratulate Clarke for winning his first major and acknowledge the manner in which he accomplished the things he did.  But I, like most sports fans can’t help but wonder about the golfer who was not present for this major.  Tiger Woods misses many tournaments but is always present for majors- this win is great in the realm of golf and golf purist who will watch this sport regardless of whether tiger plays or not.  The problem instead is that a casual sports fan who did not watch this major will likely not watch most majors if Tiger is not playing.

The ratings will not be at high levels as long as Tiger remains M.I.A; America responds to sporting events, not the everyday dealings of niche sports like golf or tennis.  Events usually involve big personalities that have an identity outside of that particular sport and it is clearly evident that we have yet to find someone to fill that vacant gap left by Tiger Woods.

A great victory for Darren Clarke, a player who has been around for a very long time; but I’ll be the first to admit that the excitement is not there.  My excitement along with the enthusiasm of the collective sporting world remains in search of something special; sadly enough, that wasn’t it.

Image: photogolfer / Shutterstock.com

The article Darren Clarke Wins British Open Championship appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The recent news, of Dr. Anthony Galea pleading guilty to “bringing unapproved drugs, including human growth hormone, into the United States”, begs the question: did Tiger Woods take steroids? What makes this question even more interesting is the fact that Dr. Galea “is not licensed to practice medicine in the U.S.”

The question then becomes a two part one: why would Woods need to see an unlicensed doctor, when he could just as easily see a licensed doctor? Did he go to Dr. Galea because he wanted something that a licensed doctor couldn’t offer (such as steroids)?

Galea and his lawyers claim, that he legally, “administered what’s known as platelet-rich plasma therapy to some athletes, including golf star Tiger Woods.” The treatment is legal in sports; However, Galea himself might have sealed his own fate, by admitting that he occasionally, “injected a cocktail of drugs to help injured athletes recover faster.

This mixture included, at times, human growth hormone — a drug banned in sport — as well as Acotovegin – a derivative of calf’s blood not approved for use in humans in the U.S. or Canada.”

Further information also might hint to the possibility of Tiger Woods taking steroids, including the fact that “In the plea agreement, Galea says he injected human growth hormone into the knees of some athletes to treat joint inflammation”. Tiger Woods is known to have had knee surgery and has admitted to having ties with Dr, Galea.

Another fact that could be telling is Dr. Galea’s ties to other athletes besides Woods. Galea is known to have treated other star athletes, one of which is known to be third baseman Alex Rodriguez (of the Yankees), who admitted to taking steroids before the start of the 2009 baseball season.

The ultimate question is: Was Tiger Woods one of the patients who Dr. Galea injected with this “cocktail of drugs”, that included the illegal substances, human growth hormone (HGH) and Acotovegin? Despite the question being far from answered, all the known knowledge so far, might pointedly lead one to believe that it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that Tiger Woods took steroids.

The question is: did Tiger Woods take steroids?

Brad Thompson / Shutterstock.com

The article Is Tiger Woods Innocent? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Oh how quickly they forget.

How quickly they forget the man who made you and I even care about golf…only three American athletes have made my mother ever speak a word of sports- Michael Jordan, Lebron James this post season and Tiger Woods.

Speaking to me about Lebron, my mother says, “Why won’t they just leave him alone? He looked like he was trying really hard.”  I couldn’t help but laugh, but she felt sorry for the man and how could she not; at least a little bit.

But back to tiger Woods, whose unfortunate circumstance as of late, have brought a little bit too much happiness to those who speak about the sport.  They seem so eager to replace a man who made golf so much money at the same time showing such greatness that we appreciated, seemed to admire and love for over 10 years.

But things have changed; we have a new wonder boy who we can’t wait to crown king.  One person, whose name escapes me right now, had the nerve to say that Rory McIlroy, the new king of golf is the best golfer he has ever seen.  A performance that is being described as the most historic performance in golf this past weekend… not only do we have amnesia, no it can’t be- it’s not amnesia because we chose to forget, we chose to forget due to his perceived disrespect on and off the course; so replace him we must.

Tiger was not the most beloved by golf purist because of his attitude on the golf course; his golf etiquette I guess was not up to par (no pun intended) but they tolerated the man because he provided great golf and gave all these golf analyst a job, making them wealthy men for ten years- 10 years in which tiger made millions as well, so no pity on that end.

Maybe this crowing has a lot more to do with Americans’ infatuation with young talent and always looking out for that next big thing or maybe it’s golfers feeling that Tiger never had any true competition throughout these years, now looking to this young talent, (which he is) to provide great competition and drive Tiger; If he ever comes back…maybe but I doubt it.  This I think speaks to a larger distain for Tiger combined with a hunger for golf to be big again.

Now I don’t want people to think that I don’t see the brilliance in young McIlroy or I didn’t watch this past weekend thinking about that great performance from tiger, a performance in which he was the only player under par in a major- I did and I loved every minute of it… but it made me sick watching a tournament where people spoke as if no one ever did this before- and this slap in the face to a great champion was un called for, showing  once again the elitist attitude that the culture of golf has always had.

They speak of a new era in golf not realizing that a different person has won the last 10 majors and there is so much more to prove for this young player.  But maybe I’m just late to the coronation, maybe I’m completely wrong.

Will Rory be a great all time player? I have no clue. If he continues to play the way he played, then yes of course he will; I just chose to wait until he does more and accomplishes half of what Tiger Woods has done.

Sportsphotographer.eu / Shutterstock.com

The article Rory McIlroy: Selective Amnesia In Golf appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Everyone knows by now that Tiger Woods will be absent from the U.S. Open due to leg injuries; however, the question is: do people care? The answer to this question is yes, people do care—especially Americans, about Tiger’s absence from the U.S. Open. The question to ask is: do Americans root for Tiger because they don’t want European golfers to win? In regards to European success, the numbers speak for themselves. As Simon Veness of skysports.com explains in a recent article of his,

“the fact Woods has so dominated the scene for the past 13 years has certainly skewed things in terms of the Uncle Sam quotient. But, take Tiger’s 14 Majors out of the equation in that time…the rest of the world wins 55 percent of the time when Mr Fire Hydrant is not in the field. A sobering thought for the country that stages three of the four.”

Europeans have won 55 percent of the time. This is more than half the time! This is quite dreadful for American golfers, especially since three of the four majors are in the U.S. as aforementioned by Veness. In the article, Veness also points out that out of the last ten U.S. Opens only four Americans have won. With all that said, Even if Americans are not rooting for Tiger because of the facts Veness points out, it is not surprising because Americans love a come back-story.

Despite Tigers noted troubles, as bad as they may be, people still root for him. There is no fact as telling as the recent report by Eben Novy-Williams, of bloomberg.com, that discusses the impact of ticket prices since Tiger’s withdrawal from the U.S. Open on June 7th. In the report Novy-Williams says “ticket prices for golf’s U.S. Open have dropped 20 percent on the resale market”. More specifically, referring to the resale market in the report, Novy-Williams writes, “Four-day tickets to the tournament on EBay Inc. (EBAY)’s Stubhub dropped today to $402 from almost $500 on June 7, when Woods withdrew”. The report, which was written on June 9th (2 days after Tigers announcement) “anticipates prices will continue to drop another 17 percent” before the start of the U.S. Open.

Not only do fans and people in the market that depend on television ratings and ticket sales care about Tiger’s absence, but so do his competitors. Recently, defending U.S. Open champ Graeme McDowell said that he hopes Tiger is able to recover and have a chance to break Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major champion-ships won. In an article by Paul Mahoney, a contributor to Golf Magazine, McDowell  says in reference to Tiger,  “I hope for golf’s sake that he’s not finished…I hope this injury is not as bad as it seems and that he comes back and wins more majors and has a chance to beat Jack’s record.” The Golden Bear (Nicklaus’s nickname) shares McDowell’s sentiment saying recently in an article by John Dillion of the website express.co.uk, “Nobody ever wants their records to be broken, that much is obvious. but I certainly don’t want Tiger not to be healthy and not to have the opportunity to play to break those records.”

All in all, if Jack Nicklaus doesn’t want Tiger to finish his career this way, no one should. I think this sentiment is shared by many people, and not just by Americans, but, by many golf fans all across the world. It would be upsetting to see Tiger finish his career due to injury, especially since his talent cannot be doubted for a second. Tigers resume of 14 major speaks for itself. It would be unfortunate to see Tiger go out this way and have to ask the following questions: could he have won four more majors? Could he have won four more majors, which would have tied Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major championships won? Would he be considered the best golfer of all time if he tied Jack Nicklaus’s record? These are the questions everyone might be asking in the near future but right now people are wondering the same questions Graeme McDowell is asking, “Is he finished? Is he not finished? It’s an interesting one.”

photogolfer / Shutterstock.com

The article Do People Care That Tiger’s Absence From The U.S. Open Might Spell An Ending to His Chase of Most Majors Won? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.