Chalk one up for the senior crowd
December 10, 2012 - 9:48am
Posted by:
T.J. Auclair
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Peter Senior
Australia's Peter Senior, 53, became the oldest Australian Open champion by 10 years, as the previous record holder was Peter Thomson, who won the title at age 43.

In case you missed it this weekend, Australia's Peter Senior pulled off an amazing feat Down Under, winning the Australian Open at the age of 53, to become the tournament's oldest winner. It was the second Australian Open title for the appropriately named Senior, but the incredible thing about it is that his two wins came 23 years apart -- also a record.

As reported by Martin Blake of emiratesaustralianopen.com.au:

He is the oldest winner of any top-level Australian tour event, having set the previous record himself when he won the Australian PGA at Coolum in 2010 at 51.

"It doesn’t get any better than this," said Senior, a profoundly popular figure in the Australian golf industry over three decades.

Kudos to Senior. It seems all we talk about lately is the supreme talent of players at such a young age. For instance, New Zealand's Lydia Ko became the youngest LPGA winner earlier this season when she captured the Canadian Women's Open at 15 years, 4 months and 3 days. More recently, Guan Tianlang of China -- just 14 years old -- became the youngest player ever to qualify for the Masters after his win at the Asia-Pacific Championship in November.

While it's fantastic to see that the future of the game is in great hands with the performances of these young players, it's also nice on occasion to see someone like Senior get the job done.

To read more about Senior's victory, check out our Australian Open recap here.
Tom Watson wants to be 2014 Ryder Cup captain
December 9, 2012 - 2:34pm
Posted by:
John Holmes
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Tom Watson
Getty Images
Tom Watson led the U.S. Ryder Cup team to victory at the Belfry in England in 1993, and now wants to return at Gleneagles in 2014.

Tom Watson has just wrapped up playing at the Australian Open for the first time since he won it in 1984. Now he's got another "back to the future" target on his mind.

Watson said Sunday in Sydney that he'd love to captain the U.S. team at the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland -- 21 years after he led the Americans to victory at the Belfry in England in 1993.

"It would be a great honor if I got tapped on the shoulder," said Watson, who stressed that he hasn’t been approach about the job. "’93 was the last time I've been to a Ryder Cup. I'd like to go back as captain. That would be cool."

Watson, 63, played on Ryder Cup teams in 1977, 1981, 1983 and 1989.
Rory's new pad
December 8, 2012 - 11:29am
Posted by:
Steve Eubanks
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Palm Beach County home reportedly under contract by Rory McIlroy
Gossipextra
This 10,000-square-foot Palm Beach County home is reportedly under contract by none other than 23-year-old Rory McIlroy. The home has six bedrooms and easy access to open water and the Bear's Club.

According to numerous real estate sources in the Palm Beach Gardens area, Rory McIlroy has signed a contract to purchase a $10 million, 10,000-square-foot home in the Old Gate community of Jupiter across the street from the Bear’s Club where he is a member.

The home, built in 2012 and owned by developer Christian Demers, has six bedrooms, nine baths, a gym, backyard putting green and deepwater dock.

First reported by Jose Lambeit on his website, the home had a listing of $10.9 million and, according to Lambeit’s sources, Rory came "close" to that asking price.

The 23-year-old has already listed his home in Holywood, Northern Ireland, and has been renting a home on the Loxahatchee River for some time. He plays regularly at the Bear's Club, one of Nicklaus' most impressive designs and a favorite of tour players and celebrities such as Michael Jordan.

No word on whether Caroline Wozniaki will be settling in as well, but there will be plenty of room for her if she also makes the move.
Is 'Johnny Football' also 'Johnny Golf?'
December 7, 2012 - 6:06pm
Posted by:
John Holmes
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Johnny Manziel
Chris Fowler via Twitter
"Johnny Golf? Manziel smooth swing on the range. Does it translate to the course?," tweeted ESPN's Chris Fowler before a round with Heisman Trophy hopeful Johnny Manziel earllier this week.

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel has rocked the world of college football this season, and is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday.

But he might be a better golfer than a football player. And, according to the Houston Chronicle, his introduction to football came through a golf connection.

Manziel was born in 1992 to two dedicated golfers, Paul and Michelle Manziel, who were high school sweethearts in Tyler, Texas, said the Chronicle. And through his love of golf, Paul Manziel became friends with Jacky Lee, a former Texas A&M golfer who also coached a powerhouse Pop Warner football team dubbed the Tyler Hurricanes.

Lee picked up on Johnny's extraordinary athleticism even as a skinny 8-year old, the paper said, but Johnny's mother and grandmother insisted the youngster not play football while in elementary school. Lee finally joined the Hurricanes in the sixth grade and was "immediately the best athlete on the field," Lee told the Chronicle, and his exploits earned him the first of his many nicknames: "Johnny Hurricane."

The youngster also became quite accomplished in baseball and golf, and Lee, who played golf for the Aggies in the early 1980s, said Manziel was playing par golf by the time he was 11.

It's not clear how much golf Manziel gets to play these days, but according to the Dallas Morning News, he played a round with Aggie offensive lineman Luke Joeckel and ESPN personalities Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit earlier this week in Orlando in conjunction with ESPN's Home Depot College Football Awards. None of the participants revealed their scores, but Fowler tweeted the photo above from the range before they played.

 
Caddie fight!
December 6, 2012 - 6:22pm
Posted by:
John Holmes
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James Nitties
Getty Images
James Nitties wasn't involved, but his caddie and another caddie came to blows before the first round of the Australian Open.

While the media was focused on Adam Scott's putter situation yesterday at the Australian Open, they overlooked one other bit of news.

There was a caddie fight!

Caddies Grant Buchanan and Matt Kelly had to be separated after coming to blows as their players prepared for the opening round at The Lakes Golf Course, PGA Tour of Australasia officials said Friday (Thursday afternoon in the United States). Buchanan caddies for James Nitties, while Kelly works for Marc Leishman.

"We've spoken to those involved and we still need to speak to a few more people," said Australian Open Tournament Director Andrew Langford-Jones. Tour officials have interviewed both caddies, and said they could face disciplinary action.

No word yet on what the disagreement was about, or exactly how big the brouhaha was.
Can rivals be friends?
December 6, 2012 - 1:33pm
Posted by:
John Kim
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Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy
Sports Illustrated
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have become good friends outside the ropes.

From the earliest days of competition, the thought has been that negative feelings toward an opponent would only help motivate a person to defeat them. Storied athletic rivalries are often accompanied by stories of bitter feelings and outright hostility (i.e. Ali-Frazier, Belicheck-Mangini, Brett Favre-Aaron Rogers) or even mutual respect can have some tense moments (Nicklaus-Palmer, Connors-McEnroe, etc.).  

But what happens when two rivals are friends -- even buddies? What if one is arguably the greatest golfer ever and the other is the most potent threat to threaten the top records in the sport?

CNN's Gary Morley has an interesting take. 
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