Iona Stephen

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  • Iona Stephen believes bopth the men's and women's PGA Championships should become matchplay events.

    I’ve never been more convinced that one of golf’s Majors must become a matchplay event

    Written by Iona Stephen on Wednesday 26 June 2024

    What did I learn while working at the R&A’s Amateur Championship? Professional golf needs more matchplay events… And those events need to be Majors. I had the pleasure of covering the prestigious Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin Golf Club’s spectacular Glashedy Links a few weeks ago. It got me thinking – why doesn’t professional golf have more matchplay events? They’re so captivating...

  • Iona Stephen shares the lessons she learned from spending the day with Butch Harmon.

    “The five key lessons I learned from my day with the world’s best golf coach”

    Thursday 30 May 2024

    After spending a day with Butch Harmon, Iona Stephen shares the five lessons she learned from the greatest golf coach on the planet… and they’re not all about her swing. Butch Harmon is a legend in the world of golf. The greatest coach in the history of the game and one of the sport’s most recognizable voices, a lesson with Butch...

  • Iona Stephen says Nelly Korda can do for golf what Caitlin Clark has done for basketball

    Iona Stephen: “Nelly Korda can be golf’s Caitlin Clark”

    Tuesday 30 April 2024

    All the ingredients are there for Nelly Korda to set the same trailblazing path as basketball superstar Caitlin Clark, and take women’s golf to the next level says Iona Stephen. Some champions come into their sport and capture the imagination. Charisma and character charming fans around the world on and off the field. Partner charisma with the ability to win and...

  • An easy and affordable route into golf is key for the future of the game.

    “Golf has to do more to make itself accessible – not let public courses close”

    Thursday 4 April 2024

    Iona Stephen believes her life would be very different were it not for a public golf course in Edinburgh – and wants potential golfers to have an easy and affordable route into the game. Accessibility is, by definition, the practice of making environments (and other things) useable for as many people as possible. In golf, this ultimately relates to...

  • Jon Rahm has joined LIV Golf and Keith Pelley is leaving his role as Chief Executive, but Iona Stephen believes the DP World Tour's future remains bright.

    Iona Stephen: “Loss of Pelley and star names is a blow, but DP World Tour’s future remains bright”

    Tuesday 6 February 2024

    Iona Stephen explains why she’s excited about the DP World Tour’s future despite Chief Executive Keith Pelley’s resignation and players departing for LIV and the PGA Tour. Understandably there is some concern about the future of the DP World Tour after a tough couple of months. Big names Jon Rahm, Adrian Meronk, Lucas Herbert, and Tyrrell Hatton have all gone...

  • Iona Stephen is backing Ludvig Aberg to win a Major in 2024.

    Iona Stephen: Who I’m backing to win the Majors in 2024

    Wednesday 3 January 2024

    Forget New Year’s resolutions, for golf fans January marks the countdown to the Majors and as you read this, it’s less than three months until the opening tee shots at the Masters! You’ll all have opinions on who will win the biggest events in 2024, and I’d love to hear them, but for now, I’ve looked into my crystal ball to...

  • Iona Stephen wants to play in the 2024 AIG Women's Open at St Andrews.

    Iona Stephen: “I want to play in the 2024 AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews”

    Wednesday 6 December 2023

    When the AIG Women’s Open arrives at St Andrews in 2024, Iona Stephen is hoping to have swapped her microphone for her golf clubs and be teeing it up alongside the world’s best. As the new year hurtles towards us, we’ll all be setting golf goals for 2024. Mine? I want to play in the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews!  I...

  • Ladies European Tour boss Alexandra Armas is hopeful of a merger with the LPGA.

    Iona Stephen: “Plans to merge LPGA and LET is music to my ears”

    Tuesday 14 November 2023

    Reading LET boss Alexandra Armas’ plans to merge her tour with the LPGA and create a “cohesive, single women’s organization,” is music to my ears. In an exclusive interview with Today’s Golfer, Armas called the move the “best thing for women’s golf,” and said she expects the merger to happen soon. I’m right behind it. It has been discussed in the...

  • Iona Stephen shares her views ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup

    Iona Stephen: “It’s time for Europe to seek Ryder Cup revenge”

    Monday 25 September 2023

    TG columnist and Sky Sports golf broadcaster Iona Stephen shares her view on all the key talking points ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. Straight after watching Team Europe retain the Solheim Cup, I’m hot-footing it to the airport in Spain and heading to Italy for my first Ryder Cup. It’s like a fortnight sent from the golfing gods! I’m...

  • Iona Stephen believes Europe will win their third successive Solheim Cup.

    Iona Stephen: “Europe will complete the Solheim Cup threepeat”

    Monday 18 September 2023

    Before hopping on the plane to the Solheim Cup, TG columnist and Sky Sports golf broadcaster Iona Stephen gives her insight on the biennial match between Europe and the USA and how she sees the 2023 clash going. It’s going to be an epic couple of weeks for golf with the Solheim and Ryder Cups being played just days apart for...

  • Iona Stephen would love to see Charley Hull play the social media poster who claimed he could finish in the top 20 on the LPGA every week.

    Iona Stephen: “It’s laughable that a male amateur thinks he could compete on the LPGA!”

    Friday 15 September 2023

    In her exclusive Today’s Golfer column, broadcaster and professional golfer Iona Stephen questions the social media trolls who criticize the quality of the LET and LPGA. I’d love to watch Charley Hull take apart the man who claimed he’d make every cut and be one of the best players on the LPGA. It would be outstanding entertainment. For those who haven’t seen...

  • Do we need a golf ball rollback?

    Iona Stephen: Is a golf ball rollback what we need in the game right now?

    Thursday 20 July 2023

    In her exclusive monthly column, Iona Stephen examines the pros and cons of a proposed golf ball rollback, and suggests some alternative courses of action. There has been many a hot debate in golf recently, often revolving around the LIV breakaway tour and more recently the merger of the PGA, DPWT and LIV. But let’s park that topic and focus on...

  • Iona Stephen believes we should (and will) see LIV players represent Team USA at the Ryder Cup.

    Iona Stephen: “Zach Johnson can’t ignore LIV’s in-form stars”

    Thursday 25 May 2023

    Broadcaster Iona Stephen gives her view on Brooks Koepka’s PGA Championship win, what it means for LIV and whether the rebel-tour’s players should appear in the Ryder Cup. I’ll hold my hands up, I didn’t expect to see LIV players performing as well at the Majors as they have. Honestly, did you? Brooks Koepka’s performance at the Masters and win at the...

  • Tiger Woods made the cut at the 2023 Masters but the conditions forced him to withdraw.

    Iona Stephen: “It’s not the end for Tiger. He can win again”

    Tuesday 25 April 2023

    Tiger Woods faces another spell on the sidelines following ankle surgery, but while some are writing him off, Iona Stephen believes the 15-time Major champion will return and has one more win in him. Seeing Tiger make yet another cut at The Masters was exceptional. What an incredible achievement. When he birdied the 15th in the second round, the noise around...

  • Rory McIlroy looks dejected after missing out on winning the 150th Open at St Andrews.

    Iona Stephen: “Rory must question everything… including his caddie”

    Tuesday 25 April 2023

    Does Rory McIlroy need to part ways with caddie Harry Diamond if he is to win more Majors and complete the Career Grand Slam? In Iona Stephen’s latest piece for Today’s Golfer, the former golf pro and expert broadcaster analyses what went wrong for McIlroy at the Masters and what needs to change if Northern Irishman is to end his nine-year...

  • Patrick Cantlay consults with his caddie during the final round of the 2023 Masters.

    Iona Stephen: “Slow play has to be punished, regardless of a golfer’s status”

    Monday 24 April 2023

    Watching Patrick Cantlay play golf, it’s no wonder your weekend competitions are taking longer than ever to complete. If that’s the example we’re letting the pros set without punishment, then how can we expect youngsters and amateurs to adhere to the rules? I don’t buy the argument that every shot could be worth huge sums of money or a big title...