7/31/2011

Dyson Irish Delight and Green Despair


England's Simon Dyson completed a month to remember by winning the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland in Killarney.

The 33 year old took the first prize of €250,000 a fortnight after finishing ninth in The Open Championship - an event he went into as fifth reserve less than a week before it started.

"It's a shame you can't bottle how you feel sometimes," said Dyson after his fifth European Tour victory was achieved when Australian Richard Green three-putted the last to miss out by one.

"It's amazing - it really is. The golf I've played this week is probably the best I've ever played."

Two birdies in the final three holes for a closing 67 and 15 under par total gives Dyson a place in this week's World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron and possibly a spot back in the Official World Golf Ranking's top 50.

"That was the main aim after The Open," he added.

"I knew after that I could cut with the guys in the majors and I was thinking if I keep swinging it as I am I'm going to give myself chances."

Green led for most of the last day and was one ahead when he matched Dyson's two-putt birdie on the long 16th.

Dyson, though, pitched to three feet at the next to draw level and then, having missed from nine feet for a third successive birdie on the last, saw Green send a near 60 footer ten feet past and miss the return.

"You always feel sorry for somebody when that happens," added Dyson. "I would have much preferred to win it with a birdie, but I will take whatever I can get."

Scot Stephen Gallacher was third on 12 under thanks to a closing birdie, with Austrian Bernd Wiesberger taking fourth.

At the start of the week it had all been about Ireland's four major winners Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington, but not one of them finished in the top 20.

McDowell came 25th and McIlroy 34th, while Harrington and Clarke, in his first appearance since winning The Open, both missed the cut.

McIlroy, 25th in The Open, has just clung onto fourth place in the world as he heads back to America seven weeks after his runaway US Open triumph.

"It wasn't the result I was looking for, but this was the first week of three," said the 22 year old after a closing 71. 

"Next week is big, but the week after (the US PGA in Atlanta) is the most important one.

"I feel if I put the work in there's no reason why I can't have another good shot at a Major."



No comments:

Post a Comment