Local Boxers Clash in Liverpool

British Super-Middleweight Champion Paul Smith enters into another Merseyside derby when he make the first defence of his title against Tony Dodson on Friday, March 12 at the Echo Arena. Smith won the title in October with a rugged points win over rival Tony Quigley and now takes on the Garston Warrior who previously held the title in 2003. It's the first Merseyside derby of the new decade and Smith believes it will be another glorious night in Liverpool. He said, "The city has been starved of big-time boxing in recent years, mainly due to the lack of a big arena, but now with the fabulous Echo Arena firmly established and with my promoter Frank Warren putting on the big shows it's going to herald a new era for boxing in Liverpool," "We have the talent coming through from the city now like my brother Stephen and Liam, plus Tony Bellew who is fantastic prospect, and lot's of kids in the amateurs," "The arena was packed out with 9,000 fans for my fight against Quigley and it was fantastic to walk into the ring in front of my own fans in my home city with such an electric atmosphere," "It's going to be a hard fight against Dodson, he's got plenty of experience against the top names in the domestic division so I'm not going to underestimate him," The card will also feature the best in Liverpool talent from the Warren's stable including hot-prospect Tony 'Bomber' Bellew in his first championship title contest, plus Paul's younger brothers Stephen and Liam Smith, and Joe Selkirk. Oldham hot-shot Ronnie 'The Razor' Heffron, this year's ABA light-welterweight champion, made his debut in Newcastle earlier this month with a second round TKO and will feature in a four-round contest.Completing the card will be Tobias Webb, nephew of former WBO World Crusierweight Champion Enzo Maccarinelli, from Swansea. Tickets are available from the Echo Arena Box Office on 0844 8000 400 or http://www.echoarena.com/

Boxing returns to London in 2010

Promoter Frank Warren will start the new decade with a blockbuster show on Saturday 13th February in London. The venue will be announced shortly, but the main event will be the big heavyweight clash between British champion Danny Williams and Commonwealth king Sam Sexton. Chief support is the long awaited British Welterweight Championship showdown between reigning champion and outright winner of the Lonsdale belt Kell Brook and the former champion Michael Jennings. They were due to meet in Liverpool in October, but Brook withdrew from the fight after he picked up a virus. Unbeaten heavyweight prospect Derek Chisora will also get his first title opportunity on the card, further details will be announced on this shortly. The Olympians James DeGale, Frankie Gavin and Billy Joe Saunders, who all won last Saturday night in Newcastle, will open their 2010 campaign that could see them challenge for titles before the year is out. Also on the card will be Vinny Mitchell, the undefeated younger brother of Kevin, and the Walsh brothers Liam, Michael and Ryan. Hall of Fame promoter Warren, now entering his fourth decade as a licensed promoter, said, "I'm delighted to bring such a fantastic show to the capital for my first show of the year," "The card is packed with quality fighters and their are some intriguing title fights on there," "I promoted Williams for many years and the one thing he can do is produce an upset, but he faces the rising young star of the domestic scene in Sexton who recently defeated Martin Rogan for the second time," "Brook versus Jennings is mouthwatering fight that the public have been waiting for for a long time and I'm delighted that it will happen on this show," "Our unbeaten Olympian's DeGale, Gavin and Saunders have had a great first year in the professional ranks and next year is going to be a big one for all of them," "British boxing is on a high at the moment and this card is an example of that and we will be announcing more big shows for 2010."

Simpson seals role in Coronation Street

Despite his disappointment last Saturday night in Newcastle when he lost to Commonwealth Featherweight Champion John Simpson, Manchester star Stephen Bell has been lifted with a guest role in Coronation Street. The Ashton-under-Lyne fighter, who has also appeared in Shameless and was a gay bare knuckle boxer in a film, will play the part of soldier in the hit soap. Bell, 34, started filming on Monday in Manchester, only a couple of days after his loss to Scotsman Simpson on Amir Khan's world title undercard at the Metro Radio Arena. In Corrie, Bell will feature in a new Army storyline involving Gary Windass (Mikey North) and it is expected to be screened in February. He said, "I got a few funny looks turning up on set with a big shiner for the first day of filming and the make up artist had to do a bit of work on me but it's all been great fun," "Obviously it was a gutter losing to Simpson in my first big title challenge, but I'm really into the acting and this is a perfect role for me," "I'll have a rest from the boxing over Christmas and see what happens in the New Year, but for now I'm concentrating on Corrie."

Westwood caps Year on the Fairways

Lee Westwood has been named The Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Year following a momentous season which culminated in him being crowned Europe’s Number One golfer for the second time in his career. The award comes at the end of a year in which he won twice – in the Portugal Masters and Dubai World Championship presented by: DP World – and became the inaugural winner of The Race to Dubai with record earnings of €4,237,762. In the process, he climbed to Number Four on the Official World Golf Ranking. The 36 year old Englishman has been named The European Tour Golfer of the Year on two previous occasions, in 1998 and 2000, and joins Severiano Ballesteros, Ernie Els and Sir Nick Faldo as a three-time winner. European Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie is the only player to have won the award four times. Westwood’s performance in the Dubai World Championship in particular was breathtaking in its brilliance. Westwood was trailing Rory McIlroy in The Race to Dubai heading into the final week of the season but knew that victory in the Dubai World Championship would make him unbeatable in the quest to be crowned European Tour Number One and once again hold the Harry Vardon Trophy. For four days he put on a masterclass and his final round of eight under par 64 over the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates will stand alongside some of the greatest performances ever witnessed on The European Tour as he hit every fairway, every green and holed every putt of consequence for a six-stroke victory, thus securing his 20th European Tour title. His level of consistency, particularly over the second half of the season, was also something to behold as he recorded 11 top ten finishes from his 13 events after the US Open. His victory in the Portugal Masters, his first win in more than two years, was his 30th title worldwide and took him past Mark James and second only to Sir Nick Faldo in the list of England’s most prolific champions. In addition to his two victories, Westwood also finished joint third in The Open Championship at Turnberry, where he was within a putt of making the play-off with Stewart Cink and Tom Watson, and finished in the same position in the US PGA Championship at Hazeltine National GC. Westwood said: “It is a fantastic honour to win The European Tour Golfer of the Year and cap a wonderful season for me and all those who have helped me get to this position. “I have won this award twice before but this probably means more to me in recognising how I have fought my way back to the top. When I last finished Number One in 2000 it was special as I won six events and the World Match Play that year. But to then drop completely into obscurity and come back from that, get back into the World’s top five and crown it all by winning the Dubai World Championship and the first Race to Dubai means a lot. “It says a lot about my mental strength and about the team around me, and all the hard work and dedication they have put in, and the belief they have shown in me. It certainly helps having Billy Foster on the bag, a man I consider the best caddie in Europe, if not the world, while Steve McGregor, who I have worked with on my fitness for the past three years, and my coach, Pete Cowen, have all played a huge part on the course. And I’d also like to thank my manager Chubby Chandler, who I have been with for 16 years, and my family at home, who have been supportive through the good times and the bad times, and back through the good times. This award is as much for them as it is for me.” European Tour Chief Executive George O’Grady said: “We congratulate Lee on a marvellous season and deservedly winning The Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Year award. He has demonstrated a tremendous level of consistency this season, coupled with brilliant performances in the Portugal Masters and the Dubai World Championship. He is also an outstanding ambassador for The European Tour on the global stage.” Westwood was voted The Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Year by a panel comprising members of the Association of Golf Writers in addition to commentators from television and radio following a lively discussion during which a number of candidates were considered. Angel Cabrera was singled out for special mention for his victory in the Masters Tournament in May while the performances of Rory McIlroy, second to Westwood in The Race to Dubai and only the second 20 year old in history to break into the world’s top ten, Martin Kaymer, with his back-to-back victories in the Open de France ALSTOM and The Barclays Scottish Open, and Ross Fisher, fourth in The Race to Dubai after victory in the Volvo World Match Play Championship, were also highly commended. Paul Casey, who won two European Tour titles including the flagship BMW PGA Championship and made his breakthrough in the US but missed the second half of the season through injury, was also given particular praise. The panel also spoke highly of the strength in depth of The European Tour with players such as Chris Wood, The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year, making wonderful progress. Iain Carter, Golf Correspondent of BBC Radio Five Live, said: “Many players had outstanding claims including Angel Cabrera for his superb win in the Masters Tournament, but one man stood apart from the others. Lee Westwood was the standout European Tour Golfer of the Year. I’m sure that Lee would be the first to say that the supporting cast was fantastic – led by the youthful flair and brilliance of Rory McIlroy. You could say that between them Rory, Martin Kaymer, Ross Fisher and, in fairness, Paul Casey took it to the 18th – but when it came to the conclusion of The Race to Dubai, then the finish by Lee was overwhelming. Lee stepped up his game when he needed to and his golf over four rounds on the new Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates was absolutely sublime. He is a fantastic golfer and a fantastic man for The European Tour. A true character and personality; a wonderful role model for the game of golf. “The panel also wanted to place on record the part that Billy Foster as caddie played in Lee Westwood’s outstanding season for which he was deservedly elected The European Tour Golfer of the Year.”

Froch to face Kessler in Denmark

Reigning WBC World Super Middleweight Champion and Super Six stalwart Carl Froch’s achievements have been recognised following an incredible 12 months for the Nottingham man. Froch is celebrating having won a hat trick of awards over the past week but “The Cobra” insists that 2010 will be even bigger promising fans that, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!”. Froch has been feted by the British Boxing Board of Control as their Boxer of the Year while the sports governing body in Britain also honoured Froch for his part in their Fight of Year (his thrilling win over Jean Pascal last December to win the WBC title). There was further good news for the unbeaten 32-year-old last week when he was voted as the BBC East Midlands Sports Personality of the Year for 2009 having been chosen as the winner by viewers and listeners to the BBC in the East Midlands. “Last year was great, this year’s been fantastic and next year’s going to be even better,” said Froch who also received confirmation over the weekend that his next Super Six outing against Danish superstar Mikkel Kessler will take place in April. Froch’s promoter Mick Hennessy revealed, “We’ve confirmed a date of April 17th for the Kessler fight. It will take place in Denmark and will be on at around 10pm in the evening U.K. time which is great news for British fight fans. It’s going to be an absolutely massive event and it should attract a huge audience. “It’s an incredible fight between two of the World’s best and most exciting fighters. Carl proved with that sensational KO over Jermain Taylor that he can go into the lions den and beat the very best in the World and I’ve no doubt he’ll prove that again against Kessler. “Carl’s been outstanding over the last 12 months. He’s had three massive fights in a row against Jean Pascal to win the title, a sensational knockout against Jermain Taylor in the U.S. to retain it and then opening his Super Six account by handing Andre Dirrell his first defeat. He’s shown the kind of mental and physical toughness in those fights that I don’t think any other British fighter in recent times has possessed.” Froch’s thrilling WBC title win over Canadian star Pascal kept fans at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham and the millions watching live on ITV1 on the edge of their seats as the two men put their undefeated records on the line in a toe to toe classic. Froch ultimately prevailed to celebrate a magnificent points victory that will live long in the memory of all those who saw it. Clearly it impressed the voting panel on the BBB of C with the bout earning their Fight of the Year award. The Nottingham man also received the Boxer of the Year award having followed up his thriller with Pascal with a stunning final round win over former Undisputed Middleweight champ and marquee U.S. name Jermain Taylor. The dramatic win was made all the more impressive by the fact that Froch’s dramatic win came on the road at the Foxwoods Resort in Connecticut as he showed American fight fans just why he has a growing reputation as one of the most exciting fighters in the sport. Froch’s win over Taylor secured his place in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, a ground breaking new tournament that is revolutionising the sport. In his opening bout in the Super Six in October Froch was back home in Nottingham to hand touted American Olympic medallist Andre Dirrell the first defeat of his pro career in another successful WBC title defence. This years BBB of C’s awards ceremony in London last week also celebrated the centenary of the prestigious Lonsdale belt, the prize awarded to all British title holders and a belt which Froch won outright himself back in 2006 following his third successful defence of the British Super Middleweight title.

Westwood wins in November

Lee Westwood has been named The Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Month for November following his winning performance in the inaugural Dubai World Championship presented by: DP World, a victory which also saw him claim the 2009 Race to Dubai. The 36 year old Englishman, who will receive a jeroboam of Moët & Chandon champagne along with an engraved alms dish in recognition of his achievement, was in imperious form on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, his 23 under par total of 265 giving him a six shot winning margin in the end. The victory saw Westwood – who also won the August award – not only overtake Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy at the head of The Race to Dubai in a thrilling end to the 2009 season, but also saw him end the campaign with €4,237,762, the highest single season earnings in European Tour history. Westwood, who moved up to fourth on the Official World Golf Ranking after the victory, was the unanimous choice of the voting panel which comprised members of the Association of Golf Writers in addition to commentators from television and radio. However, other players were commended for their performances over the month, most notably Frenchman Grégory Bourdy, who became the first Frenchman to win tournaments in three consecutive years on Tour when he won the UBS Hong Kong Open on the day of his mother Martine’s 57th birthday; and Italians Edoardo and Francesco Molinari. The Molinari brothers created history in China by securing Italy’s first victory in the Omega Mission Hills World Cup, just one week after Edoardo followed up his record breaking season on the European Challenge Tour by beating Robert Karlsson in a play-off for the Dunlop Phoenix title in Japan. Also praised by the panel were McIlroy, who finished second behind Bourdy in Hong Kong and third in the Dubai World Championship on his way to finishing second in The Race to Dubai; and Englishman Ross McGowan who finished runner-up in Dubai, a performance which helped him jump from 29th to 12th on the final Race to Dubai standings. The full list of monthly winners: Rory McIlroy (January), Geoff Ogilvy (February), Søren Kjeldsen (March), Angel Cabrera (April), Shane Lowry (May), Nick Dougherty (June), Martin Kaymer (July), Lee Westwood (August and November), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (September) and Ross Fisher (October) will now go forward for consideration for The 2009 Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Year Award, the winner of which will be announced in due course.

Italians take the Initative

Italy created golfing history by winning the Omega Mission Hills World Cup for the first time after a thrilling final round battle with Ireland and Sweden came down to the 72nd hole, where the Molinari brothers combined perfectly to get up and down from a greenside bunker to take the title by a single stroke. Standing on the last tee on the Olazábal Course with a one stroke lead over playing partners Ireland and Sweden who were approaching the 18th green, Franceso fired a perfect drive down the middle of the fairway to set up Italy’s victory charge. With Edoardo standing over his approach shot to the green, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson watched in agony as his 45 foot birdie putt to tie the Italians lipped out, leaving Italy needing a par four to create history – providing Ireland did not make birdie. Edoardo pushed his approach into the bunker before Rory McIlroy gave Ireland one last chance, but Graeme McDowell could only watch on as his birdie attempt stayed above ground giving Italy their chance to make history. “It’s been a tough day and we have been playing against some of the best golfers in the world. It was really tough until the last, but it feels even better when it is like that,” said Francesco “It’s really great for Italy. I think we deserved it as we attacked from the first day with every putt and every shot and we tried to make as many birdies as possible. “I was lucky to hole two big putts on 12 and 13 which were probably the key moment and we just had to hang in there and hope for the best.”
Edoardo, the European Challenge Tour Number One and winner of last week’s Dunlop Phoenix in Japan, echoed his brother’s joy, adding: “It was a very sweet feeling after holing the putt. When I saw the bull in the bunker, it was lying okay, and I just said, ‘Francesco, just knock it on the green anywhere, and I'm going to hole the putt.’ “It was I think a great way to finish, to win by one shot against some really good teams like Ireland and Sweden. I mean, all of the players involved in the other teams were Ryder Cup players, so I think we probably had not realised what we have done today. But I think it's going to be pretty good coming back home.” Irish duo McIlroy and McDowell had stretched their overnight lead to three shots on the front nine, but failed to further advance their score on the way home and a final round two under 70 was not enough to secure what would have been a wire-to-wire victory. Sweden produced a gallant title defence as World Number Seven Stenson and Karlsson, who was beaten in a play-off by Edoardo last week in Japan, carded a final round three under par 69. England finished fourth at 26 under par as an impressive bogey-free eight under 64 came just too late for Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher. Hiroyuki Fujita and Ryuji Imada claimed fifth for Japan a further four shots back after a 69 with Robert Allenby and Stuart Appleby earning sixth for Australia. South Africa, Wales, Y E Yang’s Korea, Martin Kaymer’s Germany and USA, who shot a brilliant bogey-free final round ten under par 62, rounded out the top ten at 20 under par. But the day belonged to Italy who put their names in the history books with a brilliant performance.

Wood caps his First Pro Year

England’s Chris Wood has capped a tremendous debut season on The European Tour by being named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year for 2009. Bristol-born Wood, 22 tomorrow (Thursday), who at 6ft 5in (196cms) stands alongside Swede Robert Karlsson as the tallest golfer on Tour, also enjoyed the highest finish of a talented group of contenders for the award in the inaugural Race to Dubai. By taking 44th place with earnings of €679,559, Wood secured the title ahead of Northern Ireland’s Gareth Maybin, who was 53rd in The Race to Dubai, England’s Danny Willett (58th) Sweden’s Oskar Henningsson, who was 68th and also claimed his maiden Tour title in the Czech Republic and another Englishman, David Horsey, who ended his first season in 76th place. However it was Wood’s remarkable performance in The 138th Open Championship which effectively sealed the Award, which is judged by The R&A, the Association of Golf Writers and The European Tour. A year after finishing tied fifth at Royal Birkdale as an amateur, Wood went even better at Turnberry in July, missing out on a play-off by only one shot as he finished alongside eventual Race to Dubai champion, Lee Westwood, in third place. That mature performance was one of five top ten finishes for Wood during his rookie season, while his liking for events with the word ‘Open’ saw him tie for fifth in The European Open and tie for sixth in the South African Open. He was also top scorer in the Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros, claiming 4 ½ points out of a possible five. Wood, who has climbed to 71st in the Official World Golf Ranking, is the 21st English golfer to win the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award since its inception in 1960, when his fellow countryman Tommy Goodwin became the inaugural winner. He succeeds Pablo Larrazabal of Spain, who follows in a long and illustrious list of players who have graduated to great things after winning rookie honours, namely Tony Jacklin, Bernard Gallacher, Sam Torrance, Sir Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, José Maria Olazábal, Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia. Wood admitted: “It is brilliant to win this award. Looking at the list of names who have won this title makes me appreciate that I am in good company, alongside people like Sir Nick Faldo, who is probably the greatest English golfer to play the game. It’s great to see my name on the same list as Sir Nick and some of the more recent winners like Paul Casey, Nick Dougherty and Ian Poulter. “I’ve had my eyes on winning the rookie crown all season, because it’s something you only ever get one chance to win. Fortunately I’ve been lucky enough to do it thanks to some good results like The Open and some pretty consistent finishes.”
Wood added: “I feel I’ve been able to step into the professional ranks quite easily. The experiences of Birkdale and Turnberry have helped and also getting my card at the Tour School at PGA Golf de Catalunya. Now I am closing in on the top 50 in the world and that must be a big goal in 2010. It opens a lot of doors to the Majors and the other top events where the best players are playing. “Look at Martin Kaymer. He was Rookie of the Year two years ago and has just finished third in The Race to Dubai and must be a contender for the next Ryder Cup. That’s where I want to see myself in a few years time.”

Super Swedes in World Cup Mission

Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson return to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup knowing they will have to raise their games against a 2009 field bursting with quality. The Swedish duo, who produced one of the greatest foursome displays in the tournament’s illustrious history last year with a stunning nine under par 63 that saw them charge to victory, are back at the Mission Hills Golf Club hoping to become the first country to retain the World Cup since Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara defended the title for the USA nine years ago. But with several of the world’s best players arriving at the magnificent Olazábal Course at Mission Hills, Team Sweden know they are in for a great battle to emerge victorious on Sunday night. “I think the tournament this year has a stronger field than ever before so it will be tough to defend,” said Karlsson, who returned to top form last week after his four-month summer injury lay-off at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan where he took second place to Edoardo Molinari after a sudden-death play-off.“It shows that the tournament is getting better, and it shows that they have done a good job at the Mission Hills Club and at OMEGA to get better players to come here. It’s all positive and we are looking forward to the Challenge.” Stenson agreed with Karlsson, but couldn’t help a cheeky reply to the Chinese Media when asked who he felt were Sweden’s biggest rivals for the title. “I can’t see past Sweden,” said Stenson before turning more serious. “It’s a stronger field for sure. It feels like you could find the winners among ten, 12, 14 teams, something like that, most likely, and I guess there’s a few more teams involved than before, and some other countries are also stronger than they have been before. “So it’s going to take some great play to win. Scoring has been quite low in the past and maybe the golf course plays a bit different this year since we play it a bit softer and a little bit longer, and also the greens can be a little bit tricky with all the grain. So yeah, we just have to wait and see what the scoring is like. It’s going to be low no matter what.” One of Sweden’s excepted challengers is Spain, led by World Number Eight Sergio Garcia and his partner, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño. The Spanish duo will rely on their friendship and their experiences of playing alongside each other as amateurs as they bid to win the World Cup for Spain for the first time in 25 years. “We don’t have any records playing professionally in the World Cup, but we’ve played a lot of amateur golf together and, well, it’s good to play with a friend,” said Fernandez-Castaño. “So I think it’s going to be fun – I’m really looking forward to it. I’m really glad that Sergio picked me to be here, and I think that we combine very well together. As soon as he called me to be his partner I didn’t hesitate for a second.” Garcia, an Omega Ambassador, knows there is pressure on the Spaniards to perform, but feels the greatest pressure will come from the players themselves. “It’s not about the amount of good teams that you have. There’s always going to be good players playing no matter what. So I think that the ultimate pressure is about trying to win the tournament itself and that’s where you try your hardest,” said Garcia. “Like I said before, there’s a lot of good teams out there. But we also have a good team. We should be very proud of that and if we manage to use our talent, the talent we have, and the capabilities that we have, I think that we should be contenders to the title.”

Combination of the two Macs

Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy are ready to bring the Omega Mission Hills World Cup back to Ireland for the third time in the country’s history. The duo have arrived at the Olazábal Course at the Mission Hills Golf Club with one thing on their minds – to bring home the magnificent World Cup trophy. Not only are McDowell and McIlroy among the best players in the field this week, they also have one of the strongest friendships off the course of the 28 nations competing. “It would mean a lot to win this tournament and that’s what we are here to try and do,” said McDowell. “The World Cup is one of the special tournaments in golf. We play a lot of individual golf, but getting a chance to play with a partner and representing your country and some of the great champions that have won this tournament, it would be a special feeling. “Rory has said this before and I agree with him: we have a great chance to experience being in the hunt coming down the stretch with a partner and a friend, and sharing that experience will be pretty cool. There are a lot of great teams playing this week, and it would certainly mean a lot to us to take that trophy back to Ireland. McIlroy echoed McDowell’s comments, and also dismissed any notion that he would lack motivation at this week’s event after just missing out on The Race to Dubai title to Lee Westwood at the Dubai World Championship presented by: DP World. “It will be very easy for me to stay motivated,” said the 20 year old. “I want to play the best I can for my partner. I don’t want to let him down. We are playing for our country which is a huge honour, and I don’t think there would be any reason why I wouldn’t be motivated. “This is a new challenge for me. Graeme has played here before, and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s my first taste of the World Cup, and I don’t think there should be any reason why I shouldn’t be motivated. I’m going to go out there and give it my best shot, and it would be a great title to win.” While Ireland are looking to land the World Cup for the third time, the USA team of John Merrick and Nick Watney are looking to win the tournament for a record 24th time. The Americans, who last won the World Cup in 2000, have a formidable record in the event’s 55 year history. But Merrick and Watney are determined not to be overawed by the past deeds of their fellow countrymen. “It’s an honour to represent the USA in this team competition,” said Merrick. “I haven’t played much team golf, so I’m excited. I think we’re both playing well this year, and we’re looking to come and play well and compete for the championship here. I think our games match up nicely for this format. “We’re looking to play well, although I got an idea of how tough it will be when I was speaking to Fred Couples recently. I said to him: ‘Fred, how many did you play?’ Fred then tells me he played in five and won five and he says: ‘Yeah, good luck. You’ve got your work cut out for you!’”