Augusta National chairman Billy Payne sidestepped questions about female members in his pre-tournament press conference.

It could have been the week the famed Augusta National made history. It could have been the week the club announced its first female member - nearly 80 years since its inception back in late 1932.

Instead, current chairman Billy Payne stuck to his guns and refused to discuss whether tournament sponsor IBM's new CEO Virginia Rometty would be considered for membership just like her four male predecessors.

It was a packed press conference at the National on Wednesday when the chairman gave his annual address to the world's media. I counted maybe five different attempts - including my own - to get Mr. Payne to elaborate further on his stance that the club simply doesn't comment on membership matters. But to no avail. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN World Sport Anchor, Patrick Snell
Filed under: Golf

Bill Haas beat fellow American Hunter Mahan in a playoff to win both the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup.

When Northern Irishman Darren Clarke deservedly won this year's British Open, the spotlight once again fell on America's under-achieving stars.

With Tiger Woods winless in majors since June 2008 and Phil Mickelson's last grand slam title coming in April 2010, the pressure on this current generation of U.S. players was immense going into last month's PGA Championship and the PGA Tour's big-money end-of-season series in September. 

But I have to say they've risen to the challenge in highly-impressive fashion. Keegan Bradley started the ball rolling by claiming his first major title, and Bill Haas has topped it off by winning the deciding Tour Championship and the $10 million FedEx Cup jackpot on Sunday. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN World Sport Anchor, Patrick Snell
Filed under: Golf

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland poses with the U.S. Open trophy Sunday in Bethesda, Maryland.

"Let's go Rory! Let's go Rory!"  The chants here at the Congressional Country Club over the weekend said it all.

There was a sense the 2011 U.S. Open would prove historic after Rory McIlroy posted a blistering score on the first day, but his play over the following days was sumptuous in quality and magnetic in attraction for golf fans. A fervently patriotic American crowd were charmed, amazed and captivated by the feats of the Northern Irish youngster. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN World Sport Anchor, Patrick Snell
Filed under: Golf

CNN's Patrick Snell agrees with basketball stars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett that the NBA All-Stars weekend is the biggest event in the sport.

I've covered FIFA World Cup football finals, UEFA Champions League finals and a fair few other high-profile tournaments in my time, but I was not quite sure what to expect when I was asked to attend my first ever NBA All- Star weekend here in Southern California.

Of course, I had a reasonable idea in one respect given the location of the event - Los Angeles, Hollywood. And we all know that nobody does showbiz or razzamataz quite like the Americans. There was a celeb sighting pretty much every which way you looked and the legions of young fans following Canadian singing sensation Justin Bieber were not disappointed with his appearance on court during the All- Star Celebrity game.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN World Sport Anchor, Patrick Snell
Filed under: U.S. Sport

One South Carolina fan shows her support as they take on Arizona's Crimson Tide.

I've covered World Cup and European Champions League finals and witnessed some of the most niggly and bad-tempered Manchester and Merseyside derbies in the English Premier League, but nothing quite prepared me for my trip to the University of Alamaba where the Crimson Tide faced Florida last weekend.

I was curious as to just what to expect. I know from nearly seven years of living in the States that College Football is a big deal, especially here in the South. But was there really going to be 101,000 fans showing up for what, at the end of the day, was a meeting between a pair of rival universities?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN World Sport Anchor, Patrick Snell
Filed under: U.S. Sport

Jim Furyk's victory at the FedEx Cup playoffs has given the U.S. Ryder Cup team a lift.

It's already advantage team USA ahead of this week's Ryder Cup in Wales. Jim Furyk held off the challenge of England's Luke Donald at the Tour Championship to give the Americans' confidence a boost.

After banking the tidy sum of $11.35 million over the weekend, Furyk immediately turned his attention to his country's defense of the trophy.

His success at East Lake in Atlanta was the second biggest win of his career following his 2003 U.S. Open success and once again golf's "Mister Unflappable" showed at the age of 40 he's still very much a formidable opponent.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN World Sport Anchor, Patrick Snell
Filed under: Golf

Dustin Johnson walks off on the 18th accompanied by a PGA rules official.

The theme of the week at Whistling Straits was the relentless march of golf's young guns as they continue to sweep away the old guard and sure enough 25-year-old Martin Kaymer became the latest major winner.

But it was a massive controversy centered on another rising young star, American Dustin Johnson, that will be the abiding memory of this year's PGA Championship.

Leading Kaymer and Bubba Watson by a stroke playing the 18th, his tee shot found one of over 1,000 sandy hollows which pit the links-style course in Wisconsin.

Surrounded by a mob of fans and marshals, Johnson had little other thought than locating his ball and then finding the green with his second shot because a par-four would be enough to secure his first major title.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN Anchor and Correspondent, Patrick Snell
Filed under: Golf

Luke Donald plays his way out of a bunker at Whistling Straits at the PGA Championship on Friday. (Getty Images)

Kohler, Wisconsin (CNN) - I like Whistling Straits, home of this week's PGA Championship. It's not just that it looks spectacular either. Nestled along the rugged shores of Lake Michigan here in the beautiful state of Wisconsin, it's a privilege to say this is actually my second visit to this part of the world.

The course is about an hour's drive from Milwaukee where we're staying, and while it's quite a trek to get here it really is well worth it. It's not just that the people here are so warm and welcoming either. No, I think it's possibly something to do with the fact that, on seeing the course, I feel very much reminded of home.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN World Sport Anchor, Patrick Snell
Filed under: Golf

Graeme McDowell proudly holds the U.S. Open title after his first victory in a major.

In recent weeks, I've been more than happy to witness a couple of important sporting successes for the British Isles.

I was on hand for the recent ICC World Twenty20 cricket event in the Caribbean and was in Barbados for the final which saw England beat the Aussies very comfortably indeed.

If I enjoyed that, then what I've just witnessed at the U.S Open golf this week at Pebble Beach in California was truly special too.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN World Sport Anchor, Patrick Snell
Filed under: Golf

Woods pumps his first after picking up a rare birdie in his first round at Pebble Beach.

I always knew the golfing landscape had changed but this week at the season's second major the U.S. Open I experienced it first hand.

There was a time when the incessant buzz in the media center at these kind of events was all about not whether Tiger Woods was going to win but by how many.

How those times have changed! Of course, the American can instantly point to the fact he's still world number one (though Phil Mickelson's closing in on him fast) but there's no doubt the man who once dominated the majors and the build-up to them has been upstaged somewhat.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: Patrick Snell, World Sport Anchor
Filed under: Golf