Former Ryder Cup player and captain Paul McGinley will co-host the third edition of Golf’s Greatest Holes on Sky Sports, although this latest series of the acclaimed television show will focus entirely on Royal Portrush, which hosts the 153rd Open in July.
McGinley and Chris Hollins will again present the six-part series which features guest appearances from Darren Clarke, winner of the 2011 Open at Sandwich, and actor James Nesbitt.
“As well as showing Chris the breathtaking Dunluce Links at my home club, Royal Portrush, the lads and I made sure to treat him to some classic Irish hospitality ... though that might explain why he couldn’t hit a ball all week,” joked Nesbitt.
“I’m thrilled to welcome the world’s best golfers back to the best place in the world this summer, and here’s hoping for another Irish victory!” added Nesbitt, a keen golfer.
Paul McGinley to co-host Sky Sports series on Royal Portrush’s greatest holes
Tyrrell Hatton maintains his focus to claim Dubai Classic success
Rory McIlroy makes back nine move but is seven shots behind the lead in Dubai
Shane Lowry starts his own management company as 15-year partnership with Horizon Sports ends
This season marks the first time in the series that McGinley has selected more than one hole from a single course. The show’s previous seasons featured standout holes from 24 courses across the island of Ireland in the first series, including the 2027 Ryder Cup venue Adare Manor, and a spotlight on Portugal in series two.
The first episode is scheduled to air on Sky Sports on January 28th.
Max Kennedy kick-starts rookie season in South Africa
Max Kennedy shifts gears into life as a professional this week when the 23-year-old Dubliner kick-starts his rookie season on the Challenge Tour at the SDC Open in Limpopo, South Africa, an event which is a dual-badge tournament also on the Sunshine Tour.
Kennedy narrowly missed out on a full DP World Tour card at Q-School finals but secured a strong Challenge Tour card which will enable him to map out an itinerary up to the season-ending Rolex Grand Final in Mallorca where full tour cards will be dispensed. He also has partial DP World Tour status and hopefully will gain a few sponsors’ exemptions.
A graduate of the University of Louisville, Kennedy – who won three times on the collegiate circuit in the United States and played in last year’s Arnold Palmer Cup in Lahinch – has signed up with ForeFront Sports Group, who also have LET player Lauren Walsh on its books, as he embarks on the professional journey.
Kennedy is playing in the SDC Open and also next week’s MyGolfLife Open to get his season started. Galwayman Liam Nolan is also playing in both events, after receiving invitations.
On the DP World Tour this week, a trio of Irish players are in action in the Ras Al Khaimah Open in the UAE: Tom McKibbin, Pádraig Harrington and Conor Purcell, who is in his rookie season on the main tour having graduated off the Challenge Tour last year, are all playing in the €2.5 million tournament.
Shane Lowry, meanwhile, gets his season under way in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego on the PGA Tour and is also playing in next week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
By the Numbers: 3x1
For the vast majority of golfers who fail to ever record a hole-in-one, there is always someone on the flipside. Take Martin Kelly, for one. Kelly – the men’s captain at Forrest Little Golf Club under the flight path of Dublin Airport – has found the happy knack of keeping his putter in the bag and, would you believe, recorded his third ace last week, meaning he has now had holes-in-one on the seventh, 11th and 14th holes in his time as a member. Just the par 3 fifth hole to go for Kelly to complete the set!
Word of Mouth
“Golf is a lot like life. There’s adversity, and as a player and as a student of the game and as a person of life, it’s not about dwelling on adversity. It’s how can you turn your adversity into positivity and use that to fuel you to get better and look at the bigger picture” – PGA Tour rookie William Mouw after taking an octuple-bogey 13 on the par 5 16th of his second round of the American Express (on PGA West). Mouw missed the three-round cut by nine shots but continues his rookie season following his graduation off the Korn Ferry Tour at this week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
On this day: January 21st, 1990
Patty Sheehan started out as she meant to continue, in winning the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Jamaica Classic at Tryall Golf Club in Montego Bay where the American was the only player to finish under par in claiming a 20th career win on the circuit.
Sheehan produced rounds of 69-68-75 for a one-under-par total of 212, which gave her a three shots winning margin over Pat Bradley, Lynn Connelly and Jane Geddes.
That win would provide the springboard to a dominant season which produced a further four titles, at the McDonald's Championship, the Rochester International, the Ping-Cellular One and the Safeco tournaments.
In her teenage years, Sheehan seemed destined for a sporting life on the slopes. “My dad was an Olympic ski coach in 1956 and my three older brothers and I all ski raced when we were young. I tagged along with whatever my older brothers were doing at the time,” Sheehan – a Hall of Fame golfer – once remarked, before the family’s move from Vermont to Nevada saw her shift her sporting ambitions to golf.
Social Game
A memorable week in Dubai at @DubaiDCGolf! From watching this event as a kid to holding this trophy is a very special feeling. Thanks for all the support this week, means the world – Tyrrell Hatton, whose win in the Dubai Desert Classic moved the LIV player to the top of Europe’s Ryder Cup standings and from 17th to eighth in the updated world rankings.
I’ve been playing the @DubaiDCGolf since I was 16 and everything from the course, the fans and the city makes it my favourite way to start the season. Winning the Seve Ballesteros Award this year and staying at the incredible @RoyalAtlantis made it even more memorable – Rory McIlroy very much at home in Dubai.
First 3 tournaments of my @pgatour season are done. Nothing special to run home and tell my mom about in the results department but like where my game is and heading. After 2 of my worst weeks of putting, it was nice to feel comfortable with the putter and see a few go in. Week off and then back for another 3 week stretch starting at Pebble – Billy Horschel looking on the positives.
Know the Rules
Q: In stroke play, a marker signs the player’s scorecard in the space provided for the player’s signature and the player then signs in the space provided for the marker’s signature. What is the ruling?
A: There is no penalty if the correct information is mistakenly entered on the scorecard in a place other than where it was expected to be, except that each hole score on the scorecard must be identifiable to the correct hole (see Clarification 3.3b/2).
In the Bag: Sepp Straka (The American Express)
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (9 degrees)
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
7-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (20 degrees)
Irons: Srixon ZXi5 (4, 5), Srixon ZXi7 (6-9)
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (46, 52, 56, 60)
Putter: Odyssey Tuttle Stroke Lab
Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV
