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Golfblogger UK Golf Review of the Year 2007 - A Year of Major Surprises

Posted by admin under My Golf Returns, The Four Majors

Overview of the golfing year 2007

It was a bit of a strange golf year with Tiger Woods (pictured below) appearing at times to be struggling and hitting it off the planet, and coming in for a lot of criticism, but still strong enough in all departments to beat the opposition when not in top gear, before starting to swing it really well again.

Tiger flexed his muscle with seven PGA Tour victories during the 2007 season in finishing US PGA Tour Number 1

 

Phil Mickelson (pictured below) changed coach to Butch Harmon and this appeared to make a difference when he won a PGA tour event for the 1st time after going head-to-head and paired with Tiger in the last round. In the final analysis, Phil continued to under-perform in the four majors in which all great players are judged.

It was great to see Padraig Harrington (pictured below) win a major for the 1st time when he won the Open Championship at Carnoustie. There are very few players who work as hard as the Irishman and just goes to show up and coming youngsters what can be achieved through focus, hard-work, dedication and the right attitude.

Irish golf is on the rise after a successful Ryder Cup and Walker Cup. Padraig’s success and the great interest in young prodigy Rory McIlroy shall keep Irish golf in the limelight.

Above, great things are expected from Ireland’s Rory McIlroy

I started off by saying in this blog, it had been a strange golfing year and used Tiger’s 7 Tour wins as hardly been off winning form, as unjustly portayed by others within the media who love a crisis. As an example who would have thought that England’s Justin Rose would have finished 2007 European Tour Number 1; short hitting American Zach Johnson would have won the 2007 U.S. Masters at Augusta; Angel Cabrera from Argentina would have won the 2007 U.S. Open and Padraig Harrington from Ireland would have won the The Open at Carnoustie.

Above, Zach Johnson 2007 U.S.Masters Champion

A truly fantastic golfing year and just goes to show that golf is a truly global golf game and professional golfers from each corner of the earth are capable of victories on the big tours and winning majors.

Above, Argentina’s Angel Cabrera 2007 U.S.Open Champion

Above, England’s Justin Rose European Tour Number 1

A further illustration of how global golf has become, the ladies world cup of golf is due to start in Sun City, South Africa later this month and Paraguay are the defending champions.

Above, Paraguay the Women Professional World Champions

The leading women player is Lorena Ochoa from Mexico who lifted her 1st major when winning the Ladies British Open at St Andrews, the home of golf.

Above, Lorena Ochoa from Mexico, Women Professional Ranked Nos 1

The announcement of new professional golfing events in Poland, India and Dubai further illustrates that golf is on the rise and reaching a much wider audience, which can only be good for the game as a whole. A future event in Dubai is going to consist of the largest purse in golfing history.

Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson was crowned European number one for the third time when she won the Ladies European Tour’s 2007 New Star Money List.

Above, Sophie with Philip Goldsmith, International Managing Director of New Star Asset Management

Above, England’s Carl Mason finished European Seniors Tour Number 1 which included five victories and record-setting amount of €412,376

The Asian Tour hit new peaks in a memorable 2007 season which celebrated a record schedule and welcomed a new king of golf in China’s Liang Wen-chong.

Liang Wen-chong will create history next July by teeing up in the Open at Royal Birkdale.

The 29-year-old will become the first player from China to play in the world’s oldest major after topping the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Below, James Kingston (RSA) won the 2007 South African Sunshine Tour Order of Merit which included victory at the South African Airways Open

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So who was GolfbloggerUK’s Golfer of the Year for 2007?

Was it Tiger Wood, Angel Cabrera, Justin Rose , Zach Johnson or Padraig Harrington? No!

Our golfer of the year goes to Lorena Ochoa from Mexico, the 2007 Ladies British Open Champion. Lorena was voted American Sportswoman of the Year for 2007 and back-to-back winner of LPGA Player of the Year award. Amongst her victories were the successful defence of the LPGA Samsung World Golf Championship and she won over $3 million dollars in LPGA prizemoney during 2007.

Her major achievements have resulted in the announcement that Western Mexico state Jalisco will host the first edition of the one-million-U.S. dollar Lorena Ochoa Invitation Golf Tournament on Nov. 13-16 2008, in Guadalajara Country Club which further advances the game in this region.

Clanger of the Year for 2007?

Failure of Royal and Ancient GB&I Selectors to include back to back European Mid -Amateur Champion Gary Wolstenholme and top points earner in Walker Cup history within 2007 Walker Cup, around a golf course tailor made for his golf game. In the final analysis, with GB&I players hitting it off the planet, the difference between winning and losing?! Quack, quack, oops!

Golfblogger UK Worst Dress Sense for 2007?

Sergio Garcia, doing his impression of Ronald McDonald at this year’s Open at Carnoustie as follows:-

I do not know if there was any connection, but there was someone of close resemblance seen being escorted away within police transportation after the event……

Spat of the Year 2007?

Colin ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ Montgomerie

and Ryder Cup El Capitan Nick Faldo

publicly washing their dirty linen in public……odd socks….

It would appear that they threw their toys out of the pram and they might need a bed-time story?!

Daftest Quote of the Year: South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini, had a one shot lead on Tiger Woods at the World Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational at and three months earlier (in May) had lost a one-shot lead to Woods in the Wachovia Championship, and then said that Woods looked “as beatable as ever.”

A lot of people were looking forward to the final round because once again, just as he did in May, Woods put on a clinic for Sabatini, clawing his way past him and finishing with an eight shot win! - the only player in red numbers at the end of the tournament! Tiger demonstrated that Rory’s challenge was daft talk that he simply could not back up.

Worst Strategic Play Decision of 2007: The very experienced Ernie Els leading by two at the par 5 72nd hole in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek and deciding to go for green in two off a downhill lie, taking a triple bogey eight and handing the championship and Merry Xmas present to England’s John Bickerton which can only be described as……

So what about 2008, what does that hold in store? another year of major surprises or business as normal resumed?

Golfblogger UK Tips for 2008 ?

Ladies: look out for Melissa Reid from England (pictured below) who recently turned professional.

Gents Tours: Look out for former US Amateur Champion Nick Flangan from Australia, Rory McIlroy from Ireland and Ross Fisher from England (pictured below). I also believe Simon Dyson, Graeme McDowell and Graeme Storm shall win on the European Tour during 2008.

Could be another great Ryder Cup and hopefully Colin Montgomerie will do enough to make the team. The European Team could include a number of new selections and I tip the USA to win this year.

Business as normal is the www.golfblogger.co.uk prediction for 2008 - I would imagine that Tiger, now he is swinging far better, is going to really dominate during 2008 and the same shall apply with Lorena Ochoa in the ladies game.

I do predict the resurgence of Annika Sorenstam from Sweden, pictured above, as a major force in the ladies game. I do foresee Justin Rose going on from strength to strength and at least challenging for a major. I also would like to see Ross Drummond of Scotland winning on the European Seniors Tour.

Time will tell!

At this juncture, I would like to thank you all for visiting us at www.golfblogger.co.uk during our 1st year of operation during 2007. I look forward to you calling again during 2008 and perhaps submitting posts of golfing interest for networking with our large golfing community. Also, if you have any suggestions for helping us improve the site, please feel free to forward such constructive comments.

Good luck in the golfing year 2008!

The Editor, GolfbloggerUK