Despite withdrawing from last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill after three rounds PGA Tour veteran Mark Calcavecchia had reason to celebrate.
The Nebraska-born star fired opening rounds of 71 and 74 to make the weekend with only one shot to spare, and it's the 500th time he's made the cut on the PGA Tour.
Calcavecchia, the 1989 Open Champion, made his first cut in 1981 at the Quad Cities Open and is the only current full-time member of the PGA Tour to reach the 500 cut milestone.
In a career spanning three decades, the current world number 129 has captured more than 20 titles worldwide, including his most recent win at the 2007 PODS Championship.
If the four time Ryder Cup star is to break the record for most cuts made then he is going to need to still be making cuts in 2012. Jay Haas made an amazing 592 cuts during his career and Calcavecchia still has to pass the likes of Tom Kite (590) and Arnold Palmer (541).
Tuesday 31 March 2009
Monday 30 March 2009
Masters Preview - The English Challenge
Arguably the biggest golf tournament of the year is rapidly approaching, it’s almost time for the biggest names in golf to drive up the famous Magnolia Lane and step foot on the spectacular Augusta National course once again.
This year's event is one of the most eagerly anticpated in decades. Defending champion Trevor Immelman will be striving to be the first non-American to defend the title since Nick Faldo won in 1989 and '90, Phil Mickelson will be looking for Green Jacket number three, Padraig Harrington will be on the hunt for the third leg of his 'Paddy Slam' and Sergio Garcia will be hoping to capture that elusive first major.
There will also be a Tiger lurking.
The last time Tiger Woods entered a major championship was last year's US Open, which he won on one good leg. His record at Augusta is outstanding, but to win his fifth Masters title this year will be a massive ask, even for the world’s best player.
His win at Bay Hill this week shows that he is returning to the sort of form that has seen him dominate the game for a decade or more, but it would take a monumental effort for the world number one to win a major so soon after returning from such a serious injury.
What odds an English winner then? Since the inception of the Masters in 1934 the only Englishman to win there is Nick Faldo, who claimed three Green Jackets during his career.
There is currently only one space left in the field for the 2009 competition, which will go to the winner of next week's Shell Houston Open, and among those who are already assured of their place are seven Englishmen hoping they can mount a serious challenge for the Green Jacket.
Of those seven heading to Augusta, Paul Casey is currently the highest in the world rankings at number 12. The 31-year-old, who has a home in America, has started 2009 in terrific form and will be brimming with confidence as he makes his fifth Masters appearance.
He won on his first outing on the European Tour earlier this year, claiming the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship for the second time in three years and he could easily have been crowned WGC Accenture World Matchplay champion, had Australian Geoff Ogilvy not been in such sparkling form in the Arizona desert.
There is no doubting Casey has the power that is required to do well at Augusta, and his previous Masters performances will have given him plenty of encouragment.
After 54 holes in 2004 he was within two shots of joint leaders Chris Di Marco and Phil Mickelson, but a disappointing final round of 74 saw him drop to a tie for 6th place, his best finish to date.
On two occasions since 04 Casey has made it to the weekend - finshing 10th and 11th in the last two years and a missed cut in 05 is the only bleamish on his Masters record.
Justin Rose will have taken a great deal from his last two trips to Augusta and will be looking for another good showing this year.
Rose, another with a home in America, was in a tie for the lead after the first day of the last two Masters tournaments and obviously enjoys the Augusta experience.
In 2007 he finished in a tie for 5th, just 3 shots behind eventual winner Zach Johnson, while last year a disappointing 78 on Friday knocked him out of the running, before he ended the tournament in a tie for 36th place.
Rose's season on the European Tour has been pretty unspectaular so far. This year's Dubai Desert Classic will forever be remembered as Rory McIlroy's first victory, but it could easily have been Rose who took the title. His final round 67 left him one shy of the Ulsterman however and that runner-up finish is Rose's best of the season so far.
His American form has been slightly better however. Despite an early exit in the WGC Accenture World Matchplay at the hands of Boo Weekley he ended the WGC CA Championship in a tie for 20th after a very strong weekend finish.
Lee Westwood knew he would be returning for this year’s Masters as soon as the last one finished.
His 11th place finish in '08 meant that he was guaranteed a place in this year’s field and he will be eager to improve a modest Augusta record.
His best performance to date came back in 1999, when he managed his only top ten finish, five shots adrift of winner Jose Maria Olazabal in sixth place.
The poor form that blighted his career in the early 00’s meant that he missed three of the next four tournaments and then when he did make his return in 2005 he duly missed the cut, an act he repeated in 06.
The World number 15 has had a quiet start to the season by his own standards, a tie for 3rd at the South African Open his only success of note thus far.
The Worksop ace will be hoping he can improve on his impressive showing at Augusta last year, when three rounds of 73 were solid if not spectacular.
Ian Poulter is another man who will be desperate to improve his Masters record.
The flamboyant Poulter has yet to deliver at the Masters. In 2007 he managed his best finish yet when he ended the week on 296 (+8), seven short of Zach Johnson's winning total.
What will be different about the Ian Poulter going to Augusta this time around as apposed to in previous years is extra confidence that he can compete in the big events.
His impressive showing at the Open Championship last year, where he finished second, will give him even more belief in his own ability, as if he needed it.
Poulter has been in decent form so far in '09. He was edged out in the last 16 of the WGC Accenture World Matchplay by an impressive performance from Sean O'Hair, and at the WGA CA Championship he performed well to take a share for 13th place.
Tiger Woods will not be the only man at this year’s event who will be worrying if a serious injury has had enough time to heal.
Luke Donald was forced to miss Europe’s unsuccessful defence of the Ryder Cup in September due to wrist injury he sustained during the US Open and questions still remain about his long-term fitness.
Donald missed the cut at last year’s Masters, withdrew from the US Open due to the wrist injury and did not compete in either of the remaining two majors.
It is only since the turn of the year that Donald has returned to tournament golf but morale boosting wins over Vijay Singh and Ben Curtis at the WGC Accenture World Matchplay will have helped his confidence greatly.
The statistic that he finished 3rd in 2005 is slightly misleading, as he was never really in contention for the Green Jacket.
That was the year that the final round was a shoot-out between Tiger Woods and Chris Di Marco, who eventually had to be seperated by a play-off after finishing seven shots clear of the field, with Donald and Retief Goosen the best of the rest.
Ross Fisher is one of two Englishmen who is looking forward to their first Masters experience.
Fisher earned a place in both the US Open and USPGA last year but failed to make the cut in either but he arrives as the reigning European Open champion and has proven that he is good enough to mix it with the big boys with a stunning start to '09.
Despite arriving in Tuscon for the World Matchplay as a relative unknown the 28-year-old took the tournament by storm, elminating Robert Allenby, Pat Perez, Jim Furyk, and Justin Leonard en-route to losing to Paul Casey in the semi-finals.
Oliver Wilson is another set to make his Masters debut this time out, but he will hold a significant advantage over the more seasoned English entrants and could well suprise many by being in contention on Sunday afternoon.
Up until recently the Mansfield ace has owned a house in the town of Augusta and played the course numerous times during his spell as a university student in Georgia.
As impressive as Wilson’s golf has been since he turned professional in 2003 he has yet to record a tour victory.
The latest ‘nearly-man’ on the European Tour he has amassed numerous second place finishes and needs to get that elusive first victory sooner rather than later but his form in America so far his year has been impressive to say the least.
At the WGC CA Championship he claimed a tie for 5th on 13 under-par after a scintilatting final round of 66 and at the WGC Accenture World Matchplay he reached the third round before losing to Justin Leonard.
With seven English entries in this year's tournament it is highly likely that one of them is going to be in the mix over the weekend - if I was a betting man my money would be on Mr Wilson and Mr Casey !
This year's event is one of the most eagerly anticpated in decades. Defending champion Trevor Immelman will be striving to be the first non-American to defend the title since Nick Faldo won in 1989 and '90, Phil Mickelson will be looking for Green Jacket number three, Padraig Harrington will be on the hunt for the third leg of his 'Paddy Slam' and Sergio Garcia will be hoping to capture that elusive first major.
There will also be a Tiger lurking.
The last time Tiger Woods entered a major championship was last year's US Open, which he won on one good leg. His record at Augusta is outstanding, but to win his fifth Masters title this year will be a massive ask, even for the world’s best player.
His win at Bay Hill this week shows that he is returning to the sort of form that has seen him dominate the game for a decade or more, but it would take a monumental effort for the world number one to win a major so soon after returning from such a serious injury.
What odds an English winner then? Since the inception of the Masters in 1934 the only Englishman to win there is Nick Faldo, who claimed three Green Jackets during his career.
There is currently only one space left in the field for the 2009 competition, which will go to the winner of next week's Shell Houston Open, and among those who are already assured of their place are seven Englishmen hoping they can mount a serious challenge for the Green Jacket.
Of those seven heading to Augusta, Paul Casey is currently the highest in the world rankings at number 12. The 31-year-old, who has a home in America, has started 2009 in terrific form and will be brimming with confidence as he makes his fifth Masters appearance.
He won on his first outing on the European Tour earlier this year, claiming the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship for the second time in three years and he could easily have been crowned WGC Accenture World Matchplay champion, had Australian Geoff Ogilvy not been in such sparkling form in the Arizona desert.
There is no doubting Casey has the power that is required to do well at Augusta, and his previous Masters performances will have given him plenty of encouragment.
After 54 holes in 2004 he was within two shots of joint leaders Chris Di Marco and Phil Mickelson, but a disappointing final round of 74 saw him drop to a tie for 6th place, his best finish to date.
On two occasions since 04 Casey has made it to the weekend - finshing 10th and 11th in the last two years and a missed cut in 05 is the only bleamish on his Masters record.
Justin Rose will have taken a great deal from his last two trips to Augusta and will be looking for another good showing this year.
Rose, another with a home in America, was in a tie for the lead after the first day of the last two Masters tournaments and obviously enjoys the Augusta experience.
In 2007 he finished in a tie for 5th, just 3 shots behind eventual winner Zach Johnson, while last year a disappointing 78 on Friday knocked him out of the running, before he ended the tournament in a tie for 36th place.
Rose's season on the European Tour has been pretty unspectaular so far. This year's Dubai Desert Classic will forever be remembered as Rory McIlroy's first victory, but it could easily have been Rose who took the title. His final round 67 left him one shy of the Ulsterman however and that runner-up finish is Rose's best of the season so far.
His American form has been slightly better however. Despite an early exit in the WGC Accenture World Matchplay at the hands of Boo Weekley he ended the WGC CA Championship in a tie for 20th after a very strong weekend finish.
Lee Westwood knew he would be returning for this year’s Masters as soon as the last one finished.
His 11th place finish in '08 meant that he was guaranteed a place in this year’s field and he will be eager to improve a modest Augusta record.
His best performance to date came back in 1999, when he managed his only top ten finish, five shots adrift of winner Jose Maria Olazabal in sixth place.
The poor form that blighted his career in the early 00’s meant that he missed three of the next four tournaments and then when he did make his return in 2005 he duly missed the cut, an act he repeated in 06.
The World number 15 has had a quiet start to the season by his own standards, a tie for 3rd at the South African Open his only success of note thus far.
The Worksop ace will be hoping he can improve on his impressive showing at Augusta last year, when three rounds of 73 were solid if not spectacular.
Ian Poulter is another man who will be desperate to improve his Masters record.
The flamboyant Poulter has yet to deliver at the Masters. In 2007 he managed his best finish yet when he ended the week on 296 (+8), seven short of Zach Johnson's winning total.
What will be different about the Ian Poulter going to Augusta this time around as apposed to in previous years is extra confidence that he can compete in the big events.
His impressive showing at the Open Championship last year, where he finished second, will give him even more belief in his own ability, as if he needed it.
Poulter has been in decent form so far in '09. He was edged out in the last 16 of the WGC Accenture World Matchplay by an impressive performance from Sean O'Hair, and at the WGA CA Championship he performed well to take a share for 13th place.
Tiger Woods will not be the only man at this year’s event who will be worrying if a serious injury has had enough time to heal.
Luke Donald was forced to miss Europe’s unsuccessful defence of the Ryder Cup in September due to wrist injury he sustained during the US Open and questions still remain about his long-term fitness.
Donald missed the cut at last year’s Masters, withdrew from the US Open due to the wrist injury and did not compete in either of the remaining two majors.
It is only since the turn of the year that Donald has returned to tournament golf but morale boosting wins over Vijay Singh and Ben Curtis at the WGC Accenture World Matchplay will have helped his confidence greatly.
The statistic that he finished 3rd in 2005 is slightly misleading, as he was never really in contention for the Green Jacket.
That was the year that the final round was a shoot-out between Tiger Woods and Chris Di Marco, who eventually had to be seperated by a play-off after finishing seven shots clear of the field, with Donald and Retief Goosen the best of the rest.
Ross Fisher is one of two Englishmen who is looking forward to their first Masters experience.
Fisher earned a place in both the US Open and USPGA last year but failed to make the cut in either but he arrives as the reigning European Open champion and has proven that he is good enough to mix it with the big boys with a stunning start to '09.
Despite arriving in Tuscon for the World Matchplay as a relative unknown the 28-year-old took the tournament by storm, elminating Robert Allenby, Pat Perez, Jim Furyk, and Justin Leonard en-route to losing to Paul Casey in the semi-finals.
Oliver Wilson is another set to make his Masters debut this time out, but he will hold a significant advantage over the more seasoned English entrants and could well suprise many by being in contention on Sunday afternoon.
Up until recently the Mansfield ace has owned a house in the town of Augusta and played the course numerous times during his spell as a university student in Georgia.
As impressive as Wilson’s golf has been since he turned professional in 2003 he has yet to record a tour victory.
The latest ‘nearly-man’ on the European Tour he has amassed numerous second place finishes and needs to get that elusive first victory sooner rather than later but his form in America so far his year has been impressive to say the least.
At the WGC CA Championship he claimed a tie for 5th on 13 under-par after a scintilatting final round of 66 and at the WGC Accenture World Matchplay he reached the third round before losing to Justin Leonard.
With seven English entries in this year's tournament it is highly likely that one of them is going to be in the mix over the weekend - if I was a betting man my money would be on Mr Wilson and Mr Casey !
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