James Kingston

2009 World Golf Championship - CA Championship

12-15 March 2009 - Doral Golf and Spa Resort - Phil Mickelson won his first World Golf Championships title on Sunday at the CA Championship, where he held off Nick Watney to take the title by one stroke and his 36th career victory. However this was perhaps not the most news worthy story of the week. During his opening round, Henrik Stenson thought it a good idea to play from out of the water! After stripping down to his boxer shorts the Swede preceded to do just this. And it was down to PGA Tour photographer Kyle Auclair to capture this magical moment. With the world’s best golf photographers trailing Tiger Woods, Kyle decided he was going to follow other players instead. Little did he know this particular sequence of images would be plastered on newspapers, websites and television shows all over the country the next day.

In James Kingston's bag...An opening round of 66 by the South African was all but cancelled out by the round of 74 that followed it. James managed to put himself in contention again after a 67 in the third round but then could not find the sub-seventy round that was need to challenge on the final day. His 72 was only good enough for a share of 20th place. We have seen James a lot over the past 18 months and it seems that he is still as unsettled with his equipment as ever. The driver and fairways (Titleist 909 D2 and 909 F2) are the same as the last time we caught up with him at the Portugal Masters later in 2008. There are is a new pair of Adams Golf hybrids. The clubs that he is pulling out of his bag is a Titleist AP2 Forged iron. We cannot see his putter so cannot comment on whether it is still the Yes! model that we spotted him with previously.

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2008 BMW PGA Championship

22-25 May - BMW PGA Championship - Wentworth Club. Miguel Angel Jiménez completed the BMW treble when he won the BMW PGA Championship with a birdie on the second hole of a play-off to deny England’s Oliver Wilson his maiden European Tour title. Jiménez, who won both the 2004 BMW Asian Open and the 2004 BMW International Open, became the first player to claim the BMW ‘grand slam’ when he tapped in for a winning birdie after tying Wilson with a final round of four under par 68to finish on -11 after 72 holes.

In James Kingston's bag...Consistent but lacking the magic touch. An opening 72 followed by 3 73's saw James into a top-25 finish at the European Tour's top event. James had a driver from Callaway; he used a FT-5. His fairway wood was from Titleist and was a 906F. He carried a pair of Adams Golf Hybrids. His irons were Titleist AP2 Forged and were complemented by Titleist Vokey Design wedges. James used a Yes C-Groove putter.

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2008 Portugal Masters

16-19 October - Portugal Masters - Oceânico Victoria Golf Course. Spain’s Alvaro Quiros was victorious at the Portugal Masters after holding off a determined challenge from Europe’s form player, Robert Karlsson. The 25 year old from Cadiz pocketed the €500,000 winner’s cheque - the largest of his career - after a final round 68 (a 19 under par total); he immediately dedicated his win to Seve Ballesteros, who was recovering in hospital from an operation to remove a brain tumour at the time. European Order of Merit leader Karlsson, who had begun the final round only a shot behind the Spaniard, had to settle for a share of third place after carding a 71.

In James Kingston's bag...The low round of the week (a 64 in the 3rd round) helped the veteran South African to a 6th place finish. He could not repeat this performance in the final round, only managing a 70. Not the first time that we caught up with the South African in 2008. He seems to be testing the New Titleist range of drivers this week - however this is the only thing that has changed from earlier in the season. He is still using the Titleist AP2 Forged irons and Vokey Wedges.

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2008 The Open Championship

17-20 July - The Open Championship - Royal Birkdale. The 137th Open Championship was successfully defended by Padraig Harrington. He shot -4 on the back 9 on the Sunday to pull away from Ian Poulter and overnight leader Greg Norman. The Open this year was without one notable absentee as World #1 Tiger Woods was recovering from knee surgery. Greg Norman became the oldest golfer ever to hold at least a share of the 54-hole lead when he led by 2 strokes on +2. Due to extremely high winds, no one managed to play under par for the round, and it was first time since 1986 when the 54-hole leader was not under par. Despite a wrist injury that almost forced him to withdraw prior to the tournament Harrington pulled away from the field with a tremendous back 9 and became only the fifth golfer to retain the Open Championship in the last 50 years.

In James Kingston's bag...An opening round of 77 this week was followed up by a 73 and despite the poor weather conditions and higher than expected scoring these numbers were not good enough to see James Qualify through to the final rounds. Here he is again with some of the new Titleist range to show us. He is using the New 909 D2 driver and its fairway wood equivalent - the 909 F2. His irons are still the AP2 forged model that we’ve seen him with previously.

(CLICK ON IMAGES TO SEE FULL SIZE VERSION).