BILLY HORSCHEL AT THE 2021 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP, PHOTOGRAPH © MATT HOOPER 2021
6 MARCH, 2022 - SHANK MEDIA: BILLY HORSCHEL COULD WELL BE THE MOST UNDERRATED GOLFER IN THE WORLD.
CONSIDER THIS,
HORSCHEL HAS WON,
THE FEDEX CUP,
THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP,
THE BMW CHAMPIONSHIP,
THE BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP,
THE WGC-DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP AND 3 OTHER PGA TOUR TITLES,
THERE ARE VERY FEW PLAYERS TO HAVE WON THE FEDEX CUP, THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AND A WGC, IN FACT ONLY RORY MCILROY CAN EQUAL THIS FEAT, SO ITS TIME HE WAS GIVEN THE RESPECT HE DESERVES, ESPECIALLY AS HE DOES PLAY AROUND THE WORLD ON THE DP WORLD TOUR AND HAS INDICATED HE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
THE FLORIDIAN GOES INTO THE FINAL ROUND OF THE 2022 ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL TIED FOR THE LEAD WITH FELLOW AMERICAN TALOR GOOCH AT 7-UNDER-PAR, 1 AHEAD OF NORWAY'S IN-FORM VIKTOR HOVLAND, 2 AHEAD OF THE PHOENIX OPEN CHAMPION SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER, 3 AHEAD OF 2019 US OPEN CHAMPION GARY WOODLAND, AND 4 SHOTS CLEAR OF CHRIS KIRK, GRAEME MCDOWELL AND RORY MCILROY.
HORSCHEL CLAIMED A SIGNIFICANT VICTORY AT WENTWORTH LAST SEPTEMBER, WINNING AT A VENUE THAT HAS SEEN ICONIC GOLFER AFTER ICONIC GOLFER LIFT SILVERWARE, INCLUDING IN 1964 AND 1967, THE KING, ARNOLD PALMER. PALMER WON THE INAUGURAL WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1964 AND THEN AGAIN IN 1967, AND THE TOURNAMENT WAS WON BY LEGENDARY FIGURES SUCH AS JACK NICKLAUS, GARY PLAYER, BOB CHARLES, TOM WEISKOPF, HALE IRWIN, DAVID GRAHAM, ISAO AOKI, GREG NORMAN, SEVE BALLESTEROS, IAN WOOSNAM, SIR NICK FALDO, SANDY LYLE, COREY PAVIN, ERNIE ELS, VIJAY SINGH, MARK O'MEARA, COLIN MONTGOMERIE, LEE WESTWOOD AND MICHAEL CAMPBELL.
OVER THE YEARS OTHER ICONIC FIGURES OF THE SPORT HAVE ALSO LIFTED SILVERWARE AT WENTWORTH INCLUDING ABE MITCHELL, DAI REES, MAX FAULKNER, SAM SNEAD, BEN HOGAN, TONY JACKLIN, PETER OOSTERHUIS, BERNHARD LANGER, JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL, ANGEL CABRERA, LUKE DONALD, RORY MCILROY AND FRANCESCO MOLINARI. SO HORSCHEL ENTERED AN ELITE GROUP OF CHAMPIONS TO HAVE WON AT WENTWORTH, HE NOW HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER ENHANCE HIS RESUME WITH VICTORY IN THE ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL, AT THE BAY HILL CLUB AND LODGE WHERE OTHER LEGENDARY FIGURES SUCH AS WOODS AND MICKELSON HAVE WON, AMONG OTHERS.
BILLY HORSCHEL IS ARGUABLY THE BEST PLAYER NEVER TO HAVE WON A MAJOR, A TAG MANY HAVE HELD OVER THE YEARS, BUT A WIN THIS AFTERNOON COULD GIVE HIM THE BELIEF TO GO AHEAD AND CLAIM ONE OF THE GREAT PRIZES OF THE GAME, AND AFTER HIS EXPERIENCE AT THE ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS LAST YEAR, WHO KNOWS, IT MAY WELL BE THE 150TH OPEN.
THE FLORIDIAN OPENED HIS TOURNAMENT WITH A FIRST ROUND OF 67 BEFORE SUCCESSIVE ROUNDS OF 71 SAW HIM RISE TO THE TOP OF THE LEADERBOARD, WITH THE COURSE GETTING EVER MORE DIFFICULT IN BREEZY CONDITIONS IN ORLANDO, AND SUNDAY COULD BE EVEN MORE DEMANDING, WITH THE TITLE ON THE LINE.
SELECTED TEE-TIMES: (ALL GMT)
1.25PM HIDEKI MATSUYAMA, MATT JONES
1.55PM SERGIO GARCIA, LEE WESTWOOD
3.20PM ADAM SCOTT, LUCAS HERBERT
3.30PM KH LEE, SI WOO KIM
4.35PM MARTIN LAIRD, SAM BURNS
4.45PM JON RAHM, AARON WISE
5.50PM MATT FITZPATRICK, COREY CONNERS
6PM GRAEME MCDOWELL, RORY MCILROY
6.10PM GARY WOODLAND, CHRIS KIRK
6.20PM VIKTOR HOVLAND, SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER
6.3OPM BILLY HORSCHEL, TALOR GOOCH
COVERAGE IS ON SKY SPORTS GOLF FROM 2PM AND ON SKY SPORTS MAIN EVENT FROM 9PM, SHANK WILL HAVE UPDATES FROM THE FINAL ROUND FROM 6PM THROUGH TO THE CONCLUSION ON TWITTER.COM/SHANKMEDIA AND A FULL REVIEW OF THE FINAL ROUND ON SHANKMEDIA.CO.UK/GOLF LATER TONIGHT
CONSIDER THIS,
HORSCHEL HAS WON,
THE FEDEX CUP,
THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP,
THE BMW CHAMPIONSHIP,
THE BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP,
THE WGC-DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP AND 3 OTHER PGA TOUR TITLES,
THERE ARE VERY FEW PLAYERS TO HAVE WON THE FEDEX CUP, THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AND A WGC, IN FACT ONLY RORY MCILROY CAN EQUAL THIS FEAT, SO ITS TIME HE WAS GIVEN THE RESPECT HE DESERVES, ESPECIALLY AS HE DOES PLAY AROUND THE WORLD ON THE DP WORLD TOUR AND HAS INDICATED HE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
THE FLORIDIAN GOES INTO THE FINAL ROUND OF THE 2022 ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL TIED FOR THE LEAD WITH FELLOW AMERICAN TALOR GOOCH AT 7-UNDER-PAR, 1 AHEAD OF NORWAY'S IN-FORM VIKTOR HOVLAND, 2 AHEAD OF THE PHOENIX OPEN CHAMPION SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER, 3 AHEAD OF 2019 US OPEN CHAMPION GARY WOODLAND, AND 4 SHOTS CLEAR OF CHRIS KIRK, GRAEME MCDOWELL AND RORY MCILROY.
HORSCHEL CLAIMED A SIGNIFICANT VICTORY AT WENTWORTH LAST SEPTEMBER, WINNING AT A VENUE THAT HAS SEEN ICONIC GOLFER AFTER ICONIC GOLFER LIFT SILVERWARE, INCLUDING IN 1964 AND 1967, THE KING, ARNOLD PALMER. PALMER WON THE INAUGURAL WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1964 AND THEN AGAIN IN 1967, AND THE TOURNAMENT WAS WON BY LEGENDARY FIGURES SUCH AS JACK NICKLAUS, GARY PLAYER, BOB CHARLES, TOM WEISKOPF, HALE IRWIN, DAVID GRAHAM, ISAO AOKI, GREG NORMAN, SEVE BALLESTEROS, IAN WOOSNAM, SIR NICK FALDO, SANDY LYLE, COREY PAVIN, ERNIE ELS, VIJAY SINGH, MARK O'MEARA, COLIN MONTGOMERIE, LEE WESTWOOD AND MICHAEL CAMPBELL.
OVER THE YEARS OTHER ICONIC FIGURES OF THE SPORT HAVE ALSO LIFTED SILVERWARE AT WENTWORTH INCLUDING ABE MITCHELL, DAI REES, MAX FAULKNER, SAM SNEAD, BEN HOGAN, TONY JACKLIN, PETER OOSTERHUIS, BERNHARD LANGER, JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL, ANGEL CABRERA, LUKE DONALD, RORY MCILROY AND FRANCESCO MOLINARI. SO HORSCHEL ENTERED AN ELITE GROUP OF CHAMPIONS TO HAVE WON AT WENTWORTH, HE NOW HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER ENHANCE HIS RESUME WITH VICTORY IN THE ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL, AT THE BAY HILL CLUB AND LODGE WHERE OTHER LEGENDARY FIGURES SUCH AS WOODS AND MICKELSON HAVE WON, AMONG OTHERS.
BILLY HORSCHEL IS ARGUABLY THE BEST PLAYER NEVER TO HAVE WON A MAJOR, A TAG MANY HAVE HELD OVER THE YEARS, BUT A WIN THIS AFTERNOON COULD GIVE HIM THE BELIEF TO GO AHEAD AND CLAIM ONE OF THE GREAT PRIZES OF THE GAME, AND AFTER HIS EXPERIENCE AT THE ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS LAST YEAR, WHO KNOWS, IT MAY WELL BE THE 150TH OPEN.
THE FLORIDIAN OPENED HIS TOURNAMENT WITH A FIRST ROUND OF 67 BEFORE SUCCESSIVE ROUNDS OF 71 SAW HIM RISE TO THE TOP OF THE LEADERBOARD, WITH THE COURSE GETTING EVER MORE DIFFICULT IN BREEZY CONDITIONS IN ORLANDO, AND SUNDAY COULD BE EVEN MORE DEMANDING, WITH THE TITLE ON THE LINE.
SELECTED TEE-TIMES: (ALL GMT)
1.25PM HIDEKI MATSUYAMA, MATT JONES
1.55PM SERGIO GARCIA, LEE WESTWOOD
3.20PM ADAM SCOTT, LUCAS HERBERT
3.30PM KH LEE, SI WOO KIM
4.35PM MARTIN LAIRD, SAM BURNS
4.45PM JON RAHM, AARON WISE
5.50PM MATT FITZPATRICK, COREY CONNERS
6PM GRAEME MCDOWELL, RORY MCILROY
6.10PM GARY WOODLAND, CHRIS KIRK
6.20PM VIKTOR HOVLAND, SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER
6.3OPM BILLY HORSCHEL, TALOR GOOCH
COVERAGE IS ON SKY SPORTS GOLF FROM 2PM AND ON SKY SPORTS MAIN EVENT FROM 9PM, SHANK WILL HAVE UPDATES FROM THE FINAL ROUND FROM 6PM THROUGH TO THE CONCLUSION ON TWITTER.COM/SHANKMEDIA AND A FULL REVIEW OF THE FINAL ROUND ON SHANKMEDIA.CO.UK/GOLF LATER TONIGHT
