In the space of three short weeks, the world order has changed in both men’s and women’s golf.
After Adam Scott replaced Tiger Woods as the world No1, American Stacy Lewis knocked out Inbee Park following her win at the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Sunday.
And while most golf fans feel Scott’s accession to the throne was a bit of a backdoor entry as Woods continues to struggle with back issues, Lewis has shown such stunning form in the same period that it was only a matter of time before she regained the exalted status in women’s golf that she briefly held for four weeks last year.
There is no question that she has been the most in-form golfer on the planet in the past 11 months ever since winning the Ricoh Women’s British Open last year.
After the Women’s US Open in the fourth week of June, Lewis has won three tournaments and finished inside the top ten 22 times in 25 starts, including here at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters last November.
Lewis is one of the most inspirational stories in contemporary golf and her battle with scoliosis, an extremely painful condition caused by lateral curvature of the spine, since the age of 11 is now well known.
For seven years, until she had surgery at the age of 18, Lewis spent close to 18 hours a day wearing a back brace.
You’d think golf would be the last thing on her mind during those difficult stages of her life but speaking to Sport360° in Dubai last year she said that her situation made her fall in love with the game.
“I got five or six hours a day where I didn’t have to wear the brace, and my doctor always encouraged me to play sports, do what other kids were doing,” she said.
“I saw that a round of golf took at least four hours and you put some practice in there, it pulled me away from having to wear the brace and not even think about it. The time of the day where I didn’t have to wear it was when I went to the golf course, and I really think that’s why I started loving golf.”
Given her immense mental strength and determination, backed by a very effective and simple golf swing, be prepared to see the 29-year-old dominate the game for a long time to come.
Rory a victim of voodoo?
Surely, there are better explanations for that baffling 78 Rory McIlroy shot during the second round of The Memorial but, if social media is to be believed, it’s all because of the spell cast on him by former girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki.
It seems on the eventful Friday, Wozniacki changed the avatar on her Twitter account to one of her in a witch's costume, stirring a potion in a cauldron.
As if on cue, McIlroy’s game fell apart.
Three consecutive double bogeys, a twisted knee and a swift slide down the leaderboard followed, as the world No6 posted a score that was 15 shots worse than his opening-round 63.
It’s a double-double
When it rains, it pours.
It’s rare for professional to hit the ball twice, but on the second day of the Memorial, two players made a double-hit before quickly accepting responsibility and a one-shot penalty.
First it was McIlroy, who did so out of the bunker on the 15th hole leading to his third successive double bogey that day and, just a few hours later, it was Justin Rose’s turn to make the same mistake on the par-3 12th hole.
The resultant double bogey saw Rose, the 2010 Memorial champion, miss the cut by one shot.
Mother and MJ know best
Keegan Bradley has eventually ditched the long putter, but that decision was fast-tracked after a talk with his mum and some heckling from NBA legend Michael Jordan.
At the Memorial, Bradley shot a 67 playing with the conventional putter, and then revealed the role played by mum Kaye and Jordan.
After being in the lead group of Sunday at the Byron Nelson Championship, and putting poorly to move out of contention, Bradley said his mother told him that evening: “I’m going to tell you something I don’t think you’re going to like. I think you should use the short putter.”
After making up his mind to do so, he turned to Jordan for further help.
Playing 36 holes with him at their local club, Bradley said he asked MJ to wind him up with comments.
“I told him I really wanted him to chirp at me, make me uncomfortable, which he’s good at,” the 2011 PGA Championship winner said.
“We just kept playing and playing. And I felt better and better with it.”
Hence the switch.
Stat of the week
55 – million dollars (Dh202m), the estimated loss of John Daly through gambling before he gained control of his life in 2006.
