Carlos Sainz to Compete in All-Star Match Preceding Upcoming Ryder Cup

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Sainz is swinging into a new sport…

The 29-year-old Spanish racing driver, currently competing in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, will step out of his race car and onto the golf course.

Sainz will compete in an All-Star match preceding the upcoming Ryder Cup outside Rome.

Sainz, Novak Djokovic and soccer players Gareth Bale and Andriy Shevchenko are among those named to compete in the September 27 event by Ryder Cup Europe.

“I can’t wait to tee it up in Rome and experience the incredible atmosphere of a Ryder Cup, which has become legendary,” said Djokovic, a 23-time Grand Slam champion who is currently competing at the US Open.

Actress Kathryn Newton and Super Bowl champion Victor Cruz were also included on the teams that will be led by former Ryder Cup captains Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin.

The Ryder Cup will be held from September 29-October 1 at the Marco Simone course.

At the 2022 British Grand Prix, Sainz took his maiden Formula One pole position and career win. He has ended up on the podium 16 times.

José María Olazábal Named a European Team Vice Captain for This Year’s Ryder Cup

Posted on August 2, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

José María Olazábal has a new vice (title)…

The 57-year-old Spanish professional golfer has been named as the European team’s fourth vice captain for the Ryder Cup.

It’s the fourth time Olazábal will serve as assistant — after 2008, 2010 and 2014 — and he was captain for Europe’s famous comeback win at Medinah in 2012.

He also played for the European team on seven occasions from 1987 to 2006, winning 20½ points.

European captain Luke Donald had already picked three vice captains — Thomas Bjørn, Edoardo Molinari and Nicolas Colsaerts — for the Ryder Cup being held at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome from September 29 to October 1.

“I am really looking forward to feeling that special adrenaline flow, the intensity and the electricity that only the Ryder Cup can bring — I’m really excited to be part of it all again,” Olazábal said.

“It was a very nice surprise to be asked by Luke. I didn’t expect it, but I was delighted when the call came.”

Jon Rahm Wins Third Career Open de España Title

Posted on October 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jon Rahm is a national champion once again…

The 27-year-old Spanish professional golfer won the Open de España by six shots to match Seve Ballesteros‘ record of winning three national titles.

The world No. 6 led Australia’s Min Woo Lee by one shot heading into the final round at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, but cruised to victory with a final-round 62, the lowest round of the week.

Rahm, who won the event in 2018 and 2019, finished six shots clear of second-placed Matthieu Pavon.

Asked how special the victory was, Rahm told Sky Sports: “You might need to ask me in a few days because I take quite a while to process these things.

“It was the goal coming in; Seve is a great hero of mine and to do something he took his whole career to do in just a few years is quite humbling, I’m not going to lie.

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“I understand it might not be the strongest field I play all year but sometimes these can be the hardest to win. I’m at home, I’m supposed to win, everybody is betting on me to win and to come out and play a Sunday like I just did is hard to describe.

“It’s my lowest score out here, it was pretty much a perfect week. The only thing that would make it better is if my wife and kids were here but I have a lot of family here that I don’t see throughout the year to celebrate with.

“It’s emotional. Going up the 18th hole I knew what was about to happen and to get it done like that, I can’t describe it.”

Rahm took a one-shot lead into the final round and quickly doubled his advantage with a birdie on the second, before picking up further shots on the sixth and seventh.

Playing partner Min Woo Lee kept up the pressure and closed to within a shot thanks to a birdie on the sixth and an eagle on the par-five seventh, only for Rahm to pull away with birdies on the ninth and 11th.

A bogey on the 12th briefly halted Rahm’s momentum but he responded with a birdie on the next and then almost made an albatross on the par-five 14th, his approach from 208 yards hitting the pin and finishing just five feet from the hole.

The resulting eagle put the result beyond any doubt and Rahm signed off in style with birdies on the 17th and 18th, while Pavon’s flawless closing 65 secured his third runners-up finish on the DP World Tour.

Lee finished a shot behind Pavon in third, with Ryder Cup vice-captain Edoardo Molinari and Zander Lombard two strokes further back in a tie for fourth.

Rahm’s win will take the 27-year-old from sixth to fifth in the world rankings.

Lizette Salas Named to Team USA at 2019 Solheim Cup

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Lizette Salas is ready to represent…

The 30-year-old Latina professional golfer, who currently plays on the LPGA Tour, will represent the United States at the 2019 Solheim Cup.

In addition to Salas, Team USAwill consist of Lexi Thompson, Danielle Kang, Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda, Marina Alex,Megan Khang, Brittany Altomare, Angel Yin, Annie Park,Morgan Presseland Stacy Lewis.

In three weeks, The Solheim Cupwill return to the “home of golf” for the first time since 2000. U.S. captain Juli Inksterand her team of 12 will take on Team Europecaptain Catriona Matthewand her 12 players at the PGA Centenary Courseat Gleneagles in Perthshire, Scotland on September 13-15.

Team USA will be on the hunt for a third successive Solheim Cup victory under Inkster.

Over the course of three days in Scotland, Team USA and Team Europe will go head-to-head in the biggest event in women’s golf. Following the same format as the Ryder Cup, the teams will face off in 28 matches — eight foursomes and eight fourballs over the first two days and 12 singles on the final day.

This will be Salas’ fourth time taking part in the cup. She previously played at the Solheim Cup in 2013, 2015 and 2017, with Team USA winning in 2015 and 2017.

Jon Rahm Wins Hero World Challenge Title

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Jon Rahm is Hero…

The 24-year-old Spanish professional golferturned a potential shootout into a Bahamas breeze Sunday, closing with a 7-under 65 for a four-shot victory in the Hero World Challenge.

Starting the final round in a three-way tie with Tony Finau and Henrik Stenson, Rahm took the lead when Finau made bogey on the par-3 eighth hole, and the Spaniard never trailed the rest of the day at Albany Golf Club.

Finau was the last challenger until the 14th hole, when he went from a sandy area to a bunker and over the green, leading to double bogey. Rahm made birdie on the hole, and suddenly had a five-shot lead without much trouble to get in the way.

Rahm ends his year with three victories, just like in 2017, his first full year as a pro.

Even with his individual trophies, no moment for Rahm will top facing Tiger Woods in the Sunday singles at the Ryder Cup and beating him on the 17th hole, putting the first point on the board for Europe that day. And then Rahm ended his year with Woods handing him the trophy from his holiday event.

“That Sunday with Tiger is still the most emotionally, most important moment of my golf career,” Rahm said. “It means so much to play against Tiger. A couple months later, to win his event, it’s really special.”

Rahm previously won the CareerBuilder Challenge on the PGA Tour and the Spanish Open on the European Tour.

Sergio Garcia to Play This Year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Sergio Garcia is headed to Louisiana…

The 38-year-old Spanish professional golfer, defending Masters champion and world No. 11 has committed to play in the PGA Tour‘s Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event in April.

Tournament chief Steve Worthy, who made the announcement, says Garcia’s partner will be fellow Spaniard and Zurich Classic newcomer Rafa Cabrera Bello, who is ranked 21st.

Garcia last played the tournament, held at the TPC Louisiana, in 2010.

Garcia and Cabrera Bello teamed for two matches at the 2016 Ryder Cup, going 1-0-1 in Europe’s losing effort.

Worthy says this year’s field also will include 2011 Zurich Classic winner and two-time former Masters champion Bubba Watson, but with a new partner, Matt Kuchar. Last year, Watson played with J.B. Holmes.

This marks the second year of the team format at the Zurich, won last year by Swede Jonas Blixt and Australian Cameron Smith.

The tournament runs from April 26-29.

Nadal & Roger Federer to Play Doubles Together at Next Year’s Laver Cup

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal is joining forces with one of his biggest rivals…

The 30-year-old Spanish tennis star, who recently earned a gold medal in Men’s Doubles at the 2016 Rio Games, and Roger Federer say they plan to play doubles together when the Laver Cup debuts next year.

With a combined 31 major titles, Nadal and Federer have committed to the inaugural event, which is an attempt to create a tennis version of golf’s Ryder Cup.

Named for Australian tennis great Rod Laver, the competition was first announced in January.

A team of European players will face off against a group from the rest of the world September 22-24, 2017, in Prague.

Former rivals Bjorn Borg (Europe) and John McEnroe (world team) were announced Wednesday as captains.

Jimenez Makes History at the Masters Golf Tournament

Posted on April 12, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Angel Jimenez has entered the annals of Masters history…

The 50-year-old Spanish professional golfer made Masters Golf Tournament history on Saturday by tying the record for the lowest score shot by a player age 50 or older.

Jimenez, who has 20 wins on the European Tour, shot 6-under-par 66 to surge up the leaderboard and move two shots behind co-leaders Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson in a tie for fifth place

Jimenez matched the 66 shot by Ben Hogan at the Augusta National Golf Club in 1967 and again by Fred Couples in 2010.

“I love the place,” he said. “It’s a beautiful place, a beautiful golf course, always manicured, and I feel great here. Doesn’t matter how you play, you feel good, because everything is prepared for us the way it is.

“If you are 50 doesn’t mean that you cannot play well. I’m still moving. I’m still flexible … the main thing is I’m doing what I like to do in my life and I’m enjoying it completely.”

Jimenez, who won the UBS Hong Kong Open late last year, started his round at 3 over, but birdied the third, fifth, 10th and 11th holes before a bogey at No. 12. He then added birdies at Nos. 13, 14 and 16.

Playing in his 15th Masters, Jimenez matched his lowest score at Augusta National, shot in 2010. His best finish is a tie for eighth in 2008.

Although Jimenez is scheduled to make his Champions Tour debut next week in Atlanta, he doesn’t plan to make a habit of the 50-and-older circuit — at least not this year. He has a goal of making the European Ryder Cup team.

“I know I have a chance to play the Ryder Cup,” said Jimenez, who is ranked 40th in the world and 13th on the European Tour points list — a world list is also used to determine the nine automatic qualifiers.

Jimenez has played on four European teams and was a vice captain for Jose Maria Olazabal‘s winning team in 2012 at Medinah.

Larrazabal Claims Third Career European Tour Title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Larrazabal is the last man putting at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

The 30-year-old Spanish professional golfer edged out two of the world’s top-10 golfers by 1 shot on Sunday to win the championship with a birdie at the home hole.

Larrazabal, ranked No. 103, claimed his third career European Tour win with a final-round 67 to finish at 14-under par.

He held off fifth-ranked Phil Mickelson and seventh-ranked Rory McIlroy despite birdies from both on the 18th hole at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. An eagle by either would have forced a playoff.

“It means a lot to win my third victory on Tour and playing against who I played today,” said Larrazabal. “Of course, I play against myself but I knew who I also had behind me in Mickelson. I have just beaten two of the three most-talented guys in my era, and in the last era, as well in Phil Mickelson and Rory.”

Larrazabal said standing next to Mickelson and McIlroy to accept his trophy was a surreal experience.

“I was sitting at the presentation ceremony I said to myself: ‘Pablo? What are you doing here?’ I’ve got Rory McIlroy on my left and I am shaking the hand of Phil Mickelson on my right. It’s very special for me,” added Larrazabal after collecting the trophy.

“But it’s been a long journey and a lot of work since my last win in Munich, and only my team and my family know how hard I have worked for this victory with no holidays, and not too many days off this winter, just working hard to arrive here properly and in form to Abu Dhabi. So, yes happy days.”

Larrazabal moved into seventh place in the Race to Dubai and to 12th on the European Ryder Cup Team points table.

He should move inside the top-64 in the rankings when they are adjusted Monday and that will guarantee the Spaniard a first-ever place in next month’s Accenture Match-Play Championship in Arizona.

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