The golfing weekend (2-5 July 2009)

Posted on 01/07/09. Source: GOLFLINKS (By Steve Brine)

GOLFLINKS Editor, Steve Brine looks ahead to all the weekend golf on tour ...

Professional Tour (the boys) ...

European Tour 'Race to Dubai' - Open de France ALSTOM
Pablo Larrazabal will return to the scene of the greatest triumph of his short golfing career this week when he defends the title in the Open de France ALSTOM. If Pablo had to overcome a strong field to triumph last year, he will certainly have to do the same again as an abundance of players from the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking have travelled to France including Padraig Harrington.

Venue: Le Golf National; Paris, France
Date: 2-5 July 2009
Defending Champion: Pablo Larrazabal (Spain)
GOLFLINKS review: see report of 2008 event
www.opendefrance.fr

TV coverage: Sky Sports all four days / GOLFLINKS TV
Fancy a bet on the Open de France? - Place your bets now with Sky Bet

PGA Tour - AT&T National
The main US men's tour heads to the Washington D.C. area this week for Fourth of July in the Nation's Capital at Tiger Woods' AT&T National.  Tournament host Tiger Woods, newly crowned U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover and defending champion Anthony Kim headline a star-filled field at this week's AT&T National.

Woods, the top-ranked player in the world, will welcome 119 of the world's best golfers to the Blue Course at storied Congressional Country Club in Bethesda for the $6 million event. In addition to 14-time major winner Woods, top 25 players set to take on Congressional are Paul Casey, three-time major winner Vijay Singh, former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk, Sean O'Hair, Kim, Glover and former Masters champion Mike Weir.

Venue: Congressional Country Club; Bethesda, MD
Date: 2-5 July 2009
Defending Champion: Anthony Kim (US)
www.attnational.org


TV coverage: Golf Channel (US) Thurs/Fri - CBS (US) Sat/Sun plus Sirius XM (all four days, US only)
Fancy a bet on the AT&T? - Place your bets now with Sky Bet

Professional Tour (the girls) ...

Ladies European Tour - SAS Ladies Masters
LET No.1 Marianne Skarpnord is aiming to produce the performance of her life this week when she tees up on home turf at the €200,000 SAS Ladies Masters. For the 23-year-old Norwegian is intent on taking her second victory of the season and securing a berth on Alison Nicholas' 12-woman European Solheim Cup Team, due to travel to Rich Harvest Farms in the United States late next month.

Venue: Fritzøe Gård Golf Course, Norway
Date: 2-5 July 2009
Defending Champion: Gwladys Nocera (France)
GOLFLINKS review: see report of 2008 event
www.sasladiesmasters.no

TV coverage: www.ladieseuropeantour.com
Fancy a bet on the SAS Masters? - Place your bets now with Sky Bet

LPGA (US) - Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger
One of the LPGA's rising stars in Paula Creamer made one of the Tour's longest-running events her eighth LPGA career victory last year after a career-low 62 in the opening round gave her the momentum to win the 2008 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger. Creamer - looking to overcome an injury that forced her out of competition last week - plays best when she is not feeling well and is sure to be a contender for the title.

Venue: Highland Meadows Golf Club; Sylvania, OH
Date: 2-5 July 2009
Defending Champion: Paula Creamer (US)
www.jamiefarrowenscorning.com

TV coverage: ESPN2 (US)
Fancy a bet on the LPGA? - Place your bets now with Sky Bet

Rookie tours ...

European Challenge Tour - Credit Suisse Challenge
Former Ryder Cup player Peter Baker of England will seek his second success in the Credit Suisse Challenge when he tees up in the sixth edition of the €140,000 event this week. Baker has fond memories of his first visit to Wylihof Golf Club in Luterbach, Switzerland, where in 2007 he held off a final day charge by Scotland's Andrew McArthur to capture his maiden Challenge Tour title.

Venue: Wylihof GC; Luterbach, Switzerland
Date: 2-5 July 2009
Defending Champion: Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spain)
www.europeantour.com

Fancy a bet on the main European rookie tour? - Place your bets now with Sky Bet

News of other tours around the golfing world ...

US Nationwide Tour - returns with the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic Presented by Samsung from 9-12 July 2009.

USPGA Champions Tour - returns with the 3M Championship from 10-12 July 2009

European Seniors Tour - returns with the The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard at Sunningdale Golf Club (Old Course) from 23-26 Jul 2009.

Asian Tour - the next seperate Asian Tour event runs from 23-26 July 2009 withthe Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational at Damai Indah Golf, BSD Course in Indonesia.

Sunshine Tour (South Africa) - returns with the Klipdrift Gold Sun International Touring Pro-Am from 27-29 July 2009.

Japan Golf Tour - returns from 23-26 July 2009 with the Nagashima Shigeo INVITATIONAL SEGA SAMMY Cup.

PGA Tour of Australasia - returns Down Under with the Australian Masters Kingston Heath Golf Club on 12 November 2009.

Photo source; Open de France website