5 Golfers With the Most PGA Tour Wins

Another turbulent year has come to a close for Tiger Woods, and the golfer finished his 2013 season with a loss to Zach Johnson, failing to add what would have been a sixth overall victory to an otherwise strong year. Sunday marked the end of his 17th full year as a pro, but Woods made it clear following the tournament that his work is far from over and that he still wants to beat two of the best records in golf: Jack Nicklaus’ 18 major titles and Sam Snead’s total of 82 career wins on the PGA Tour.

2013 was another dramatic year for Woods, but it will likely go down as the one in which the golfer finally returned to dominant play. ESPN reports that Woods didn’t add to his major championship tally of 14 this season — the fifth year in a row he missed the mark — but he did win the Players Championship, two World Golf Championships, and two regular tournaments at Torrey Pines and Bay Hill. Woods told ESPN following the final round of the Northwestern Mutual Challenge: “I’m very proud of my overall record, especially in the bigger events. I think my wold golf record is pretty decent.”

Woods still has his sights set on Nicklaus and Snead’s titles; he stands four majors behind Nicklaus and three wins behind Snead. Woods will turn 38 at the end of December, but as he takes a much anticipated break from play, he is already strategizing how he can come closer to claiming record victory next year.

He told Sky Sports: “The easier goal is going to be getting to Sam’s record — you could get to there basically by playing the first three events of the year and win three in a row. But the major championships are a bit more spread out in April, June, and July, so it’s certainly much harder to get to Jack’s number than it will be to get to Sam’s number. But both of them I think are significant numbers, significant milestones and hopefully one day in my career I’ll be able to surpass both of them.”

So we know Woods is No. 2 on the PGA Tour wins list and Snead is No.1, but we can’t forget about the others. Here are the five golfers with the most PGA Tour victories.

Shootout features six major winners

As might be expected, Greg Norman has assembled a strong field for the 25th anniversary of the Franklin Templeton Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club this weekend. Here are some interesting facts about the 24 players assembled for the popular event. 

Seven of the players in the field have won in the 2013 calendar year: Jonas Blixt, Jason Dufner, Harris English, Billy Horschel, Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Kenny Perry. Under the TOUR’s new schedule, English and Johnson are also 2014 champions with victories last month at OHL Classic at Mayakoba and the World Golf Championships-HSBC Championship, respectively.

Major champions: Six players have won major championship titles during their careers -- Mark Calcavecchia, Jason Dufner, Retief Goosen, Justin Leonard, Greg Norman and Mike Weir.

Total PGA TOUR victories: As a group, the 24 players in the field have accumulated 140 PGA TOUR victories during their respective careers. Greg Norman leads in individual titles with 20. Kenny Perry follows with 14 while Mark Calcavecchia has 13 and both Steve Stricker and Justin Leonard have accumulated 12 each.

First-time Shootout participants: Six individuals will be competing in their first Shootout: Blixt, Graham DeLaet, English, Retief Goosen, Horschel and Lee Westwood.

New teammates: Ten of the 12 teams in this year’s Shootout will be together for the first time. Only Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker, the 2009 champs who are playing together for the sixth straight year, and defending champions Sean O’Hair and Kenny Perry return.

Margin of victory: Historically, the Franklin Templeton Shootout has always been a close competition. In the past 24 years, there have been four playoffs, eight victories by one stroke and six wins by two strokes. In fact, since the tournament moved to Naples, the margin of victory has only been greater than two strokes twice -- in 2011 when Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele won by three and when Scott Hoch and Kenny Perry won by four in 2008.

Boris Johnson opposes London golf course plan

BORIS JOHNSON has criticised the The Shire London and West London Golf Centre for planning to build two 18-hole golf courses in London over the next two years.

The organisation want to build one of the courses on Busy Farm in Edgware which has led to concerns animals may be left homeless.

Plans for around half of the 200-acre build need to be approved by Barnet Borough Council and the charismatic London Mayer but Johnson has made his feelings clear.

Johnson’s Spokesman said: “The mayor has now responded to the council with his initial views regarding this application.

“It is his belief that some aspects of the proposals do not comply with the London Plan [the statutory spatial development strategy for the Greater London area] and require further clarification.”

The owner of The shire London and West London Golf Centre, Tony Menai Davis, said there is a demand for a new golf course in the area as The Shire is at full capacity.

Mr Menai Davis said: “The golf industry has changed, and what is in the area at the moment is traditional members’ clubs built 100 years ago.

“People want to play on top quality courses, which we can offer here.

“The Shire is a proven success and we are at full capacity – but we can’t expand anymore, so this is ideal.

“We’ll be attracting a different clientele. Business here is fantastic and I know this is a well-wanted, well-needed course.”

However, Hendon Golf Club’s chairman, Andrew Hoffbrand, said: “We’ve fallen on severe times and golf clubs in the area are seeing their membership diminish. It’s happening, there’s nothing we can do to stop it.

“But what we don’t need in any shape or form is a new golf course. It would ruin everything. It would soak up any other potential members.

“It wouldn’t be a good thing at all.”

Aldenham Golf Club’s proprietor, Jacqueline Phillips, said: “The last thing the area needs is a golf course at a time where others are looking for members.

“It’s a concern – the recession has hit golf courses hard and people haven’t got much money to spend, so leisure is the first thing they cut. If this were to go ahead, it would give us all a smaller slice of the cake.

“One old established club told us that in order to retain members they had been forced to halve all their fees thus dramatically cutting their income,” said local resident Linda Cherry. “Another had imposed a one off £200 levy on all members to remain solvent.

“Any employment brought to the area by this new club is very likely to lead to the closure of some existing clubs with resulting loss of jobs.”

Matthew Offord, MP for Hendon, said: “I do not see any need for another golf course in this area.”

Charley Hull: Top Europe rookie plans dual-tour schedule for 2014

Northamptonshire's Charley Hull will divide her time between the Europe and USA in 2014 after a successful debut professional season.

Hull, 17, took the Ladies European Tour Rookie of the Year award by holding off England's Holly Clyburn, 22, at the season-ending Dubai Ladies Masters, where she tied for eighth place.

"I didn't go to LPGA Qualifying School, but I've got six or seven invites.

"It'll be half and half on each Tour. I don't want to go straight to America."

She continued: "I'm already in a few of the majors, but I don't want to ruin my childhood - I still want to see my mates."

Hull had five runner-up finishes this year, winning almost 136,000 euros in prize money to pip fellow debut professional Clyburn by 19,844 euros in the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit.

Hull and Clyburn finished sixth and seventh respectively, with the title claimed by Norway's Suzann Pettersen, 32, who won 518,448 euros.

The 17-year-old also shone in Europe's Solheim Cup triumph over the USA in Colorado, beating 27-year-old Paula Creamer 5&4 in the final days singles.

She has also been nominated for the BBC's Young Sports Personality of the Year award.

"It's been a really good season and to win Rookie of the Year tops it all off," she added.

"It's an honour to be nominated for Young Sports Personality. That event should be a lot of fun.

"Next year, I just want to get that [first tournament] win and then I'll be super happy."

Swan headlines Port Royal development drive

Port Royal Golf Club has launched a development programme aimed at attracting more people to the sport by offering a full range of coaching sessions and group clinics at the course.

The main focus is on getting youngsters introduced to the sport, but Kim Swan, the teaching professional at Port Royal, emphasised that the aim is to introduce persons of all ages and experience levels to golf.

“We are so excited to be launching the Golf Developmental Programme and encouraging more people to play the game,” said Swan, previously one of the Island’s top golfers.

“Golf is a wonderful sport that teaches life lessons. It encourages people to socialise, meet new people and enjoy the outdoors with the breathtaking scenery of the Island. Where better to learn how to play golf than in Bermuda?”

In addition, in partnership with the Bermuda Junior Golf Association, the programme also focuses on junior players and offers special introductory “Pee Wee” coaching sessions for students as young as 3. As part of the teaching, the club holds monthly tournaments so that students can socialise and be properly introduced to the game.

Swan, who grew up near Port Royal and was introduced to the game at a young age, had a humbling experience recently when he was invited to speak to students at nearby Southampton Glebe School.

“The beauty of working with entry-level golfers is that it really keeps you grounded in the fundamentals, and I really enjoy that,” Swan said. “I’m a sportsman right across the board, but golf is my trade and anybody that plays sport knows that it is reinforcing the basic fundamentals that make you better as you grow into the game.

“Two weeks ago, I was invited to do a presentation to Southampton Glebe and that was an awesome experience because both Dwayne [the playing professional at Port Royal] and myself, my brother Darren and Cornell Bean are all golf pros who started at Southampton Glebe. The proximity of Southampton Glebe to Port Royal lends itself to the encouragement of young people to get involved in the game of golf.

“It is in the infancy stage, but we’re very excited.”

Port Royal Golf Course, which is open to the public, features a full driving range and 18 championship holes over 6,842 yards and is ranked among the world’s best public golf courses by Golf Digest and named Bermuda’s finest course by the New York Times.

“The beauty of learning to play on a PGA-designed course like Port Royal is that it prepares you to play on any course in the world,” Swan said.

“Dwayne and I are both proof that public golf works because we are boys who came from this community and travelled the world. The excitement for golf when I visited Southampton Glebe School warmed my heart. As long as public golf exists, there will always be the opportunity to create Kim Swans, Dwayne Pearmans, Cornell Beans, Darren Swans and many others.”

Individual or group golf coaching sessions are available seven days a week from 7.30am until dusk, starting at $60 for a half-hour, $120 for an hour and $240 plus a nine-hole fee for a playing lesson. Clinics for junior players, adults and corporate groups are also available. In addition, the development programme works with area hotels to provide multi-day golf school packages for tourists.

Lessons are also available at Port Royal’s sister course, Ocean View Golf Club, which features nine holes with 18 different tee positions set for a challenging par 70.

Golf equipment is available at no charge for those who need it.

Bhullar, Randhawa in fray at Thai Golf Championships

CHONBURI (Thailand): On a high after clinching his fifth Asian Tour title earlier this month, Gaganjeet Bhullar will spearhead the Indian challenge at the Thai Golf Championships starting Thursday. 

Bhullar will be joined by the likes of Randhawa, whose last Asian Tour title came in Thailand in 2009, and Jeev Milkha Singh, who is easily the most travelled Indian golfers apart from being the most successful. 

Also there would be SSP Chowrasia, whose two wins have both come on joint-sanctioned events in India, Anirban Lahiri, Digvijay Singh, Himmat Rai and many more making up for exactly a dozen in a field of 126 who tee off on Thursday morning. 

Placed comfortably in fourth position on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, Bhullar is in no hurry to force things. At 25, he knows he has a whole life and a wonderful career ahead of him. 

"This has been a very good year. I have had a win, the fifth of my career on the Asian Tour, and I am set for the European Tour in 2014. Sure I will play in Asia now and then, mostly in co-sanctioned events and a maybe few more, but the focus will be on bigger events on European Tour," said Bhullar. 

"I want to play as much as I can. From here I will go back home for the PGTI (Indian) Tour's final event in India and then I will begin the new year with the Desert swing in Abu Dhabi and on to Qatar and Dubai. I will also play all events in South Africa." 

He knows his journey, though could be called a bit up-and-down, because of a few missed cuts. 

"I have been playing well, even when I have missed cuts. It is a question of getting things together for four days and I feel I am quite close to it. I just want to get into a position to contend before just as the weekend begins and then go for it." 

Bhullar added, "I am 25 and I have been a pro only for seven years and if I keep fit I could go on for 20 years more, so I just want to progress and improve gradually." 

Then there is, Randhawa, one of the flag bearers of Indian golf. His eight titles from the Asian Tour are the highest among all Indians and he feels he can add a few more. 

After a couple of none-too-happy seasons, Randhawa is back in decent form. 

"I have played well close to the weekend last few weeks. I am happy that my game is coming around and the changes I have made in last 2-3 years are settling in," said Randhawa, before pushing off for the Pro-Am. 

"I need to take a quick look around the Amata Spring course." 

On the number of Indians here, Randhawa remarked that one of the guys joked to him, that 10 per cent of the field is Indian. 

"I counted and we are 12 guys here. In addition we have a few who are not here or could not make it like Shiv Kapur, Rahil Gangjee and Chiragh Kumar and then there are youngsters waiting in the wings. Indian golf is really very strong now." 

The year 2013 may not have been among the best of his career, but the never-say-die Jeev says, "One good week and it all comes back. I have been though this before," says Jeev of the rough patch and the spate of injuries. 

"I am going to work on repairing a few things (injuries on his shoulder) and then I hope to be back again fit and ready," added Jeev. 

"I love Thailand and my family is going to be here in the next few days. They wanted to be here as my birthday falls on December 15, the last day of this event." 

Chowrasia has lost his European card, but says, "That's alright. I have to now try and get back, just as Shiv (Kapur) did this year. I have had a decent year on Asian tour (he is 14th on the Money List) and next year I will play in Asia, the co-sanctioned events and some European Challenge Tour events. There are times I can feel my game coming back." 

The field at the third edition of the Thai Golf Championships is world class, as World number three Henrik Stenson and US Open champion Justin Rose, the fourth ranked player in the world, lead the cast, which also includes the 2012 Masters Tournament winner Bubba Watson and title holder Charl Schwartzel, also the 2011 Masters winner. 

Current Asian Tour leader, Kiradech Aphinbarnrat, and fellow Thai, Thongchai Jaidee, a legend in his home country; Ryo Ishikawa of Japan, Hunter Mahan of US and the charismatic Spaniard Sergio Garcia add more muscle to the field.