Tuesday, 20 October 2009
PGA Grand Slam
Bermuda comes under the golfing spotlight this week as it hosts the annual end of season PGA Grand Slam tournament contested by the year's winners of the four major championships, the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship and the PGA Championship. The prize fund is $1.35 million, of which by golfing standards only a paltry $600,000 goes to the winner, however for showing up each player is already guaranteed $200,000.
The tournament moved to Bermuda in 2007 and for the first two years it took place at the Mid Ocean Club, however this year it is moving to the newly renovated Port Royal Golf Course. Originally opened in 1970 this Robert Trent Jones course has been modernised to the tune of $14.5m and made more challenging in the process with fairways, greens and bunkers reshaped and holes altered but the very photographic 16th with swathes of turquoise sea lining every attempted shot remains (see photo top left).
With all due respect this year's challengers lack any real star appeal. Tiger was supposed to come to the island last year after winning the US Open but was injured. One can sadly only wonder how an appearance by Woods would be hijacked here by the Premier. Anyway this year's Grand Slam competitors are Argentinian Ángel 'El Pato' Cabrera (Masters winner), American's Lucas Glover (US Open), Stewart Cink (The Open) and South Korea's Y E Yang (PGA) and following yesterday's rain affected practice and pro-am competition the tournament starts in earnest later today.
Despite being beyond our baby countdown and having some work meetings that I have attend, I hope to at least pop along for a little while today or tomorrow as it's only 10 minutes from the house.
UPDATE: Wed 21st 5pm. Glover wins by 5 shots, Cabrera 2nd. ¶ 08:06
Bermuda comes under the golfing spotlight this week as it hosts the annual end of season PGA Grand Slam tournament contested by the year's winners of the four major championships, the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship and the PGA Championship. The prize fund is $1.35 million, of which by golfing standards only a paltry $600,000 goes to the winner, however for showing up each player is already guaranteed $200,000.The tournament moved to Bermuda in 2007 and for the first two years it took place at the Mid Ocean Club, however this year it is moving to the newly renovated Port Royal Golf Course. Originally opened in 1970 this Robert Trent Jones course has been modernised to the tune of $14.5m and made more challenging in the process with fairways, greens and bunkers reshaped and holes altered but the very photographic 16th with swathes of turquoise sea lining every attempted shot remains (see photo top left).
With all due respect this year's challengers lack any real star appeal. Tiger was supposed to come to the island last year after winning the US Open but was injured. One can sadly only wonder how an appearance by Woods would be hijacked here by the Premier. Anyway this year's Grand Slam competitors are Argentinian Ángel 'El Pato' Cabrera (Masters winner), American's Lucas Glover (US Open), Stewart Cink (The Open) and South Korea's Y E Yang (PGA) and following yesterday's rain affected practice and pro-am competition the tournament starts in earnest later today.
Despite being beyond our baby countdown and having some work meetings that I have attend, I hope to at least pop along for a little while today or tomorrow as it's only 10 minutes from the house.
UPDATE: Wed 21st 5pm. Glover wins by 5 shots, Cabrera 2nd. ¶ 08:06
