Golf News On and Around the Links (Video)

Mar 22, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Golf fan Chuck Grimstead carries a cutout of actor Bill Murray during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports

Golf news this week revolves around the sport’s version of March Madness. A series of run-ins with the weather resulted in delays, soft tracks, unpredictable greens, and a cancelled tournament. But putts rolled and dropped — or didn’t — the winners emerged and the trophies were hoisted. Wagers from inside and outside the ropes have been made and collected and we’re one tournament closer to the first Major of the year, whether it’s The Master’s Tournament or the ANA Inspiration.

Golf News On the Links

USA; Matt Every. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sportsb

With a 4th round charge from behind that culminated in an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, Matt Every edged past Henrik Stenson and won the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the second year in a row. Every also got his ticket to Augusta punched. Despite a comfortable 54-hole lead, the Swede let this one get away from him.

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy finished outside the top-10, at T11th, in his final event before he swaggers down Magnolia Lane and Arnie’s grandson, Sam Saunders, finished T29th.

Stacy Lewis gave it everything she had at the Founders Cup but what she had wasn’t enough to defeat rookie Hyo Joo Kim. As Karrie Webb discovered last year at The Evian Championship, the 19-year Kim is not a pushover and she can’t be shaken.

Hyo Joo Kim. Photo credit: lpga.com

World ranked 7th going into the Founders Cup, Kim will move up on Monday and present a serious challenge to the Tour’s current teen phenom, Lydia Ko, who finished five shots back this week at T8th. Kim is the 6th winner in as many tournaments on the LPGA Tour, the fifth to have learned her game and honed her skills on the KLPGA.

On the European Tour the weather won the Madiera Islands Open. The tournament was in trouble from the start, with four days of torrential rain, howling winds and pea soup fog rendering the picturesque Clube de Golf do Santo da Serra a soggy mess. Playing around the weather, the field managed to complete 18 holes and with Denmark’s Joachim Hansen holding the lead at 4-under par, was prepared to play the final round in a tournament already reduced to 54 holes when the weather intervened.

We have been very unfortunate with the weather this week – José Maria Zamora, Tournament Director

Despite heroic efforts by the grounds crew more rain fell, with inclement weather forecast to continue into the early part of the week and the golf course rendered unplayable, the tournament was cancelled. The European Tour has already begun discussions with the sponsors and host venue to reschedule the event for another week in the

2015 Race to Dubai

schedule.

On the Champions Tour, Marco Dawson played past Freddie Couples and Tom Watson to notch the win at the Tuscon Conquistadores Classic. Dawson got a very unique trophy!

Golf News Around the Links

Bubba Watson. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Bubba Watson showed us all what he’s made of when he withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational after the sudden death a childhood friend “so I can attend the funeral and pay respect to my friend and his family.”

In a relatively quiet spending spree, Chinese investors have been buying Myrtle Beach golf courses, 13 of them to date, with cash, approximately $47 million.

Long a popular tourist destination along the South Carolina Grand Strand where golf courses are abundant and golf is played year-round, Myrtle Beach is not entirely unhappy about the influx of cash into the local economy. Just down the road, in Charleston, the exclusive Golf Club at Briar’s Creek has gone on the auction block and a number of tracks in the overbuilt Grand Strand area are in financial trouble.

The Saturday afternoon Legends Match at the Founders Cup looked like a great deal of fun and, combined with Golfing With Ida, which was popularized by womensgolf.com, we are reminded (if we need reminding) that golf is a lifetime sport.

Coming Up

More from Pro Golf Now

The PGA continues its inexorable March to Augusta at the Valero Texas Open, the third oldest event on the PGA Tour. Defending champion Steven Bowditch is going to face a hungry field that includes Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Martin Kaymer but not Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed, or Bubba Watson, who are probably saving themselves for something more interesting in a few weeks. Watch for Danny Norris’s Valero Open fantasy picks and power rankings early in the week here at ProGolfNow.com.

The LPGA continues its inexorable March to Poppy’s Pond at the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, California next week. Defending champion Anna Nordqvist will also face a hungry crowd, co-led by Stacy Lewis and Lydia Ko and joined by Inbee Park, who are all trying to stay a couple of shots ahead of the Tour’s exceptionally strong Rookie Class that’s now being led by Hyo Joo Kim. I’ll post the tournament preview and my fantasy picks early in the week at ProGolfNow.com.

The European Tour and the Ladies European Tour will play conjointly this coming week at the very private Golf du Palais Royal in Agadir, Morocco. The men will be competing for the Trophee Hassan II and the women simultaneously for the Lalla Meyrem Cup.

The classy Alejandro Cañizares is the Trophee Hassan II defending champion and Charley Hull, who is casually playing her LPGA rookie year, will defend her Lalla Meyrem title. For the first time, these events will be telecast live in many areas and streamed on the LET YouTube channel.

ProGolfNow.com will continue to provide you with current commentary and updates on pro golf’s players and competitions as well as other golf-related news.

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