'Angry' Poulter & Casey lead Honda, Norman slams lazy pros - Gossip

��

'Angry' Poulter and Casey lead Honda Classic

Ian Poulter and Paul Casey lead the Honda Classic with just over nine holes to play on Monday after darkness forced a delay in Florida.

Poulter had a three-shot lead over Padraig Harrington before shanking his tee shot on the fifth en route to a double bogey.

“It was a lack of concentration,” he said. “I tried to take too much off an eight iron and hit a beautiful shank.”

On the sixth, he pulled his drive into the water for a bogey, but hit his approach to a few feet for a birdie on the short seventh before play was postponed.

“I was internally very angry, shall we say," added Poulter. "And when I do that, obviously my heart rate goes up slightly and obviously that sometimes is what needs to kick in to kick in the adrenaline. So the shot on seven was fuelled with adrenaline, because I was so pissed off.”

Casey went out in 31 to join his compatriot at the top of the leaderboard after Patrick Reed surrendered the lead with a bogey on the seventh.

Rory McIlroy made his PGA Tour debut but failed to make the cut.

Sullivan wins Joburg Open

Andy Sullivan won his second European Tour title in eight weeks and secured his spot at the Open in July.

The Englishman shot a final round of six under to win the Joburg Open by two shots to earn one of three coveted entries at St Andrews.

Compatriot David Howell missed an eagle chance on the last to force a play-off, while overnight leader Wallie Coetsee shot a 71 to finish second.

The 28-year-old Sullivan won a trip into space for a hole-in-one during last year's KLM Open and added: "I think I am already there to be honest with you. I am on the crest of a wave and I don't want it to end."

Nicklaus blames Presidents Cup 

Jack Nicklaus suggested playing the Presidents Cup may hinder the United States team in the Ryder Cup.

"Our guys are playing the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup each year, and I think it’s a little hard for the guys to expect them to be 100% every year," Nicklaus told the Golf Channel.

When asked about the task force and captain Davis Love III, Nicklaus added: “It goes in cycles. I’m not really in the middle of it right now, so I don’t think it’s fair for me to comment too much on that, except, I just feel the United States had [a good run] for a while, Europe’s had a good run, it’ll come back around to the US.

He added: “It’s great to have a good captain, and it’s great to have good players, but you’ve got to play the game. The game is really about camaraderie and sportsmanship, and it’s for bragging rights.”

Norman blames money for mediocre golfers

Greg Norman thinks players do not have the motivation to reach the top of the game because "20th place can pay six figures".

The Australian told the Wall Street Journal: "Most Tour pros don't really want to reach the top, not down deep, not in a sport where 20th place can pay six figures. Certain players are happy just going through the motions.

"They don't want to be the leader, they would rather be a sheep," he said. "They enjoy grazing the field and getting fat and sassy."

While the two-time major winner did not name players, he did pick out world number one Rory McIlroy for praise.

“Rory’s got it,” Norman said. “You can tell by his delivery when he talks to the media. He’s natural, he says what he feels, whether he’s right or wrong. And if he’s wrong, he will apologize, which most players out there won’t.”

Caddies stuck in "metal tent" during storm

PGA Tour caddies were forced to shelter in a “metal tent” while a storm battered the Honda Classic as they are not given access to clubhouses on the US circuit.

Brandt Snedeker’s bagman tweeted: “Sadly, it will take a caddie to get struck by lightning and dying before the PGA Tour realizes that we need indoor shelter during storms.”

He added: "Masive problem on the PGA Tour. Storms happen and no safe (metal tents don't count) shelter for caddies. Get it together guys!"

A group of caddies recently filed a lawsuit against the Tour as they are forced to wear branded bibs without compensation. 

Parnevik stars in new show

Jesper Parnevik will star in a show about his family to air in Sweden on 16 March.

The “Parneviks” will feature wife Mia and their four teenage children with a number of Swedish celebrities also making an appearance.

"I said 'no' to people who asked me for many years to do something like this," Parnevik told Golf Digest. "Ever since I've said 'yes', I've had anxiety for this. I hate bad TV.

"Everything that's happening is very real. There's going to be a lot of very weird things happening that always do here. It's not scripted at all."