No European golfers have won the PGA Championship since the format was switched from match play in 1958, but Colin Mont-gomerie is hoping to end that drought.
Scotland's Montgomerie said the links-style feel of the Whistling Straits course will provide a boost to the Europeans, especially the ones who don't play that often on the USPGA Tour.
"I feel more comfortable on a course like this than I do on some others, so I am looking forward to this very much," said Montgomerie, who has 28 career titles.
"It is more like playing a links course than your average American target golf that we tend to play over here. Nature tends to play more of a role than technology."
Montgomerie has come the closest of any European to winning the final major of the year, losing in a playoff nine years ago to Australian Steve Elkington.
Montgomerie's results haven't been as impressive since. He tied for sixth in 1999, tied for 13th in 1997, tied for 39th in 2000, tied for 44th in 1998, missed the cut three times and was disqualified in 2001.
German's Bernhard Langer said this course resembles those in Europe more so than most US designs. Langer said the weather and an abundance of bunkers would play a major factor in the scores this week.
"I believe you can play this course 50 times, 100 times and you would still see things that you didn't see before," said Langer, the captain of the European Ryder Cup team. "The wind changes the course so much and I hear stories of 1,000 and 3,000 bunkers."
Two-time Masters champion Langer finished tied for 57th at this event last year and tied for 23rd in 2003.
He has four top 10 finishes on the USPGA this year.
"It is a fantastic venue, great golf course," Langer said. "Maybe a little extreme here and there, but it's certainly going to be a fabulous test."
TO FINAL FOUR: France had 22 chances and scored two goals, while Croatia could not manage a single shot on target in 120 minutes. Les Bleus won 5-4 on penalties France on Sunday overturned a two-goal deficit to qualify for the UEFA Nations League Final Four by eliminating Croatia 5-4 on penalties after a 2-0 victory in their quarter-final second leg at the Stade de France. Dayot Upamecano scored the winning spot kick in a nail-biting shootout in which France keeper Mike Maignan made two saves, sending Les Bleus into the semi-finals against Spain. Michael Olise opened the scoring and Ousmane Dembele doubled their lead 10 minutes from time to send the tie into extra time after their 2-0 loss in Split, Croatia, on Thursday. France had a total of
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to