Higgins Shows BMW Class

David Higgins has been a multiple winner of Race to Mount Juliet in association with PING which normally culminates at the famous Kilkenny venue with an end of season final event. 

Having won the Irish PGA Order of Merit on numerous occasions Higgins is an experienced  golfer. All no surprise given he hails from a golfing family with his Father,  Liam, a veteran of the European Senior Tour in recent years. 


As a result by the time David was twenty one he was the country's leading amateur.

Following match play victories over Pádraig Harrington in the finals of the South of Ireland and the Irish Amateur Close championships he decided to turn professional in 1994.

In his Rookie season in 1996 Higgins earned £67,000 finishing just inside the top 100 on the Order of Merit. The following year he broke his left wrist and right elbow in a horse riding accident and failed to rediscover his form on his return to the game dropping down to the Challenge Tour in 1999.

In 2000 Higgins won three times on the Challenge Tour and was ranked 2nd at the end of the season earning his playing rights back on the European Tour for the following season. Having been unable to make the breakthrough over a few years Higgins returned to the Challenge Tour in 2005 finishing 12th - earning playing rights for the European Tour once again. However he lost his card at the end of 2007. 

In 2009 he qualified for The Open Championship in Turnberry and in winning the Irish PGA Order of Merit earned a place at the 3 Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth - failing to make the cut at all three events. At Stage of 3 of Q School last December at the PGA Catalunya the Waterville professional man also missed out on a return to the main Tour

This season David has been very consistent on the Irish PGA Region winning five times - including the Quinn Insurance Pro Am and a second place at the Southern Championship in Powerscourt behind Eamonn Darcy. However he failed to qualify for the 150th Open Championship at St Andrew's with a bigger disappointment to come in September when he failed to make it through European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 at Dundonald Links.

In his last two outings at the BMW PGA Championship Higgins has missed the cut. But this year he has broken the mold and on the second day carded an impressive  two under par in the windy conditions to secure a share of 17th place.

Personal Fact File

DOB: December 1st 1972 in County Cork.

Attachment: Waterville GC

Career: 

1989Irish Boys Championship

1994 Irish Amateur Closed Championship, South of Ireland Championship

European Challenge Tour

2000 NCC Open;

Günther Hamburg Classic

Rolex Trophy

Trainor Loses R2 West Course Battle

The talented Irish PGA professional Barrie Trainor suffered the tougher conditions at Wentworth on Friday afternoon. The result saw an efficient opening round come unstuck on Friday., when he signed for an eight over par 80 – to miss out on a lucrative weekend stay. 

Although the Warrenpoint opened with a bogey, he then birdied the fourth to make amends for the mistake at the third - which he also bogeyed. Only to drop two more shots at the seventh to reach the half way mark on three over par. 

Having started the day one under the danger zone started to loom at this stage if Barry was to remain inside the projected level par cut – which may have added to the pressure. 

But it was not to be this time and the homeward leg saw Trainor bogey ten, twelve, fourteen, fifteen and eighteen to finish with a 42, and leave him well outside the cut on +7 – albeit two shots better than the current US Open Champion and fellow Northern Ireland golfer, Rory McIlroy. 

And four shots better than three time major champion, Padraig Harrington. 

It was a pity for Trainor who had travelled the demanding course so safely on Thursday with a one under par - giving up only two bogeys on the card - and then amending matters with three birdies to ease the damage. 

But in truth it was a big step up to play with the world's best on the tough Ernie Elks redesigned course and far beyond anything – other than the Irish Open – that Trainor would play on a competitive basis with frequency. 

It is also no doubt disappointing for Trainor himself to exit in this way, the experience will prove invaluable when he plays Royal Portrush for the 20120 Irish Open n a few weeks - where no doubt Trainor will make amends.

McIlroy Crashes Out of BMW Championship

World Number One Rory McIlroy crashed out of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in spectacular fashion as England's James Morrison opened a four-shot lead at the halfway point following a stunning 64.

McIlroy endured his worst-ever tournament performance in Europe as he followed Thursday's disappointing 74 with an awful second round of 79 to miss the halfway cut by eight strokes.

That prompted a frank admission from the Northern Irishman who is just three weeks away from the defence of his US Open title.

"I think I might have taken my eye off the ball a bit," stated McIlroy after a round that included seven bogeys and two double-bogeys.

It is his second successive missed cut following his early exit from the Players Championship in Florida a fortnight ago and at nine-over-par he ended up an incredible 21 strokes behind runaway leader Morrison.

Before the wind got up world number 236 Morrison, who switched to golf after playing for the England youth cricket team alongside current Test stars Alastair Cook and Tim Bresnan, added a sparkling 64 to his opening 68.

At 12-under-par the 27-year-old moved four clear of world number two Luke Donald, who won the title at only six-under last year, and Scot David Drysdale.

Donald now needs only a top-eight finish to take the number one spot back off McIlroy in what would be the sixth change at the top in under three months.

"It's just a week I'd like to forget," added the 23-year-old McIlroy. "I just feel I've lacked competitive rounds and maybe just not practising as hard as I might have been.

"Maybe it's a good thing I have the next two days off to practise. Everything was not really on song. I just have to go and work hard and try to get it back."

McIlroy, whose week also included a club-throwing show of frustration that is likely to result in a European Tour fine, fell apart around the turn for the second day running.

One-under-par and inside the cut mark after seven holes, he double-bogeyed the next and then had five bogeys in a row.

A par at the short 14th was almost a cause for celebration - he had to get up and down from sand for that - but when he double-bogeyed the next after another bad drive only five players in the 150-strong field were below him.

It needed a two-putt birdie at the par five last for him to break 80, prompting him to comment: "I really wanted to make four. It's not nice to play like this and not nice two weeks (he meant tournament weeks) in a row."

His previous worst finish in Europe as a professional was 116th - in the same event three years ago when he followed a 74 with a 77.

Morrison had earlier jumped out of the shadows by following six birdies with a 25-foot eagle putt on the 539-yard last.

His story is a remarkable one. The 27-year-old did not start golf until he was 16, but went from 18-handicap to scratch in 10 months - prompting him to give up on cricket.

"I haven't really looked back," he said. "Playing golf is better than standing in the field all day!"

"I expect a lot, but if I shoot 80 or 65 I'll take what I can from it," he said. "I desperately, desperately, desperately want to keep going forward and that's my problem sometimes - I'm too eager, too keen, too determined I guess.

"I've been playing great, but been getting in the way of myself. I'm going to do my best and that's all I can do."

Donald remains the favourite for the title, however, after his second successive 68 which included five birdies and an eagle.

Open champion Darren Clarke crashed out as well - he has still to make a cut all year - and so did three-major winner Padraig Harrington and 2009 champion Paul Casey on his latest return from injury.

World number three Lee Westwood, out of bounds with his drive as he followed bogeys on the 15th and 16th with a double-bogey seven at the next, was in severe danger of missing the cut at that point.

But he got up and down from sand on the last for a birdie, a 75 and a one-over total that he knew was likely to be just good enough to survive to the weekend.

Irish Majors Suffer BMW Trouble

All four Irish Major winners are in trouble on day two of the BMW PGA Championship on the West Course at Wentworth, with Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke set to miss the cut by a significant tally. 

They will be joined by US Open champion Rory McIlroy who has made the turn in 37 shots after a costly double at the par four 8th hole. 

On four over par on the inward journey he now needs a birdie blitz to get inside level par and ensure a stays for the weekend – and also hang on to his world number one ranking. 

Also struggling is fellow Horizon Sports stable mate, Graeme McDowell,but  who is still within stroke or two of making the cut, after making the turn on +1. But with little chance of winning the tournament one imagines, and build on his good work at the Volvo Match play at Finca Cortesin,  with the club house lead posted at 12 under.

Shane Lowry also on plus one, looks to have missed the cut as well as he finished on one under overall .

Open Champion Darren Clarke missed another chance to kick start his season after coming home in 77 strokes on Friday. It now looks like the next scheduled event is the place where  momentum can happen for him, with the Irish Open looming in a few weeks at his home course at Royal Portrush. 

Not to mention the Open at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s, where he will be due to hand back the claret jug which he won in such style last July. So far that achievement has not added to his titles and seems to be a burden that has affected his game. 

Similarly, Padraig Harrington is battling out the last few holes having reached plus eight after a disastrous opening day. The talk of Wentworth being the place to build on the good work he has been doing over pre-season has proved premature. So it will be an early flight back to Weston Aerodrome on Friday night for three time major winner. 

Across the cut line the news is better and the names are perhaps less renown. 

One of the two Irish PGA professionals is looking assured, as former European Challenge Tour player, David Higgins, is tipping around Wentworth safely on 3 under as he cleared the seventeenth green. A vast improvement on his last two visits where he missed the cut through one or two costly wayward shots. 

Barrie Trainor is level par having just teed off and dropped a shot after a bogey on the first. 

Paul McGinley is also level par having signed for a second day 71 and should be safely through to Saturday's pairings. 

Damien McGrane is one under and completed his Friday round in level par 72. 

Michael Hoey is still on course and by the seventh had claimed two birdies to help make up for the two doubles he carded on the back none in round 1. Now, at one under the Hassan II Trophy winner is moving in the right direction. 

Gareth Maybin has moved in the same direction with a front nine completed in 33 strokes  contributing to his success. An eagle then on the twelfth saved the damage from a bogey on the previous hole, and after the sixteenth is 2 under – but with a colourful card. 

But it is at the top of the leader board where Peter Lawrie drives the Irish challenge ending the first two days five shots off the leader - in a share of 4th place with only two blemishes over the two rounds on the final stretch on Friday - for a 71. He has been leapfrogged by a couple of players, including Luke Donald who signed for a 68 to share third place with David Dryable on -8. 

All chasing leader James Morrison on 12 under after a round of 64. 

Windy Senior PGA Gives Walton Cut Worry

Philip Walton was one of a number of casualties in the very strong winds at Harbor Shores on Michigan, undoing a very positive start on Thursday afternoon, at the Senior PGA Championship - leaving him now facing the cut on Friday.

Despite being two over par at the turn -in his maiden Champions Tour event - after a double  bogey on the 7th, the Dub liner then birdied the first to steady the ship.

However Walton then dropped  six on the windy route to the clubhouse - finally signing for a round of 78. 

In contrast, after playing only one event on the European Senior Tour this year, Roger Chapman shot 3-under 68 to take the first-round lead.

"We have only played one event in Europe this year, so this is probably my fourth real competitive round this year," the Englishman said. "It's a long way to come, a long wait. But I'm very pleased with the way things are going."

John Cook was a stroke back, and Steve Pate, J.L. Lewis, Jeff Sluman, Jay Haas, David Frost and Jim Carter shot 70.

Chapman tied for 27th last year in the Senior PGA in Kentucky, his best showing in his first three starts in the major championship.

Harbor Shores opened two years ago for its first full season, and the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout gave players quite a challenge on a windy day along the shore of Lake Michigan. Chapman hit all 13 fairways and made five birdies and two bogeys. He birdied Nos. 7, 8 and 9 on the part of the course closest to the lake.

"My expectations were, just go in and come into the tournament and play as well as I can," Chapman said. "And I must say I'm very happy with what's happened today, so just keep it going."

Chapman's performance came somewhat out of nowhere after his pedestrian showing in Europe.

"We had one event, our first event, which was second week in May. We lost a couple sponsors in China and Brunei, which we normally play a couple in March," he explained. "We never really start very early anyway, but this is probably normally about the third or fourth event of the year."

Defending champion Tom Watson is sitting out the tournament because of a wrist problem. Four-time champion Hale Irwin shot 71 -- a solid score that puts him in position to contend again if he can keep it up. Irwin, who turns 67 on June 3, last won the event in 2004, but finished fourth last year.

Fred Couples, who won at Fallen Oak in Mississippi on the Champions Tour in March, made a double bogey on the par-5 15th and shot 76.

"Anything under par is a good score," he said. "It's just another round of golf. I'm 52 years old. If I'm worried what I shot every single round, then that's a problem."

Cook has three top-five finishes on the Champions Tour this year. He missed four fairways, but had only one bogey.

"Today the wind decided it was going to switch completely on us right from the first tee ball. We were trying to figure out what to do there," Cook said. "I know the wind's supposed to be different almost every single day. I know it's supposed to be hot on Sunday. So it just, it just adds those variables."

Bernhard Langer and Mark Calcavecchia shot 73. Fred Funk, coming off a victory May 6 at The Woodlands in the last Champions Tour's event, had a 74. Tom Lehman shot 76.

Lawrie Maintains Friday Momentum

Peter Lawrie continued to set the pace in the early stages of the BMW PGA Championship second round at Wentworth on Friday, and share lead with David Drysdale of Scotland - only to see James Morrison outpace them after he carded five birdies by the 12th hole.

The pair started with six under par rounds of 66 and were back on the course before 8am on another glorious morning.

Drysdale, 291st in the world, bogeyed the first, but came back with birdies at the fourth and fifth.

Lawrie, ranked 212th, also picked up a birdie at the long fourth and at seven under they were a stroke ahead of Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and Italian Francesco Molinari.

Donaldson, still seeking his first European Tour victory after more than 250 starts, recovered from an opening bogey with an eagle at the 552-yard fourth, while recent Spanish Open winner Molinari birdied the first two holes and Quiros showed he was not all about big-hitting by holing from 18 feet on the short second.

He was playing with World Number Two Luke Donald and World Number Ten Justin Rose. Donald hit his opening drive into a bunker and bogeyed, but then holed from 14 feet on the next to return to four under, while Rose remained five under.

World Number One Rory McIlroy and third-ranked Lee Westwood were among the later starters. They stood two under and two over respectively.

Drysdale's third birdie in four holes came on the 391 yard eighth, but it was only moments before Lawrie joined him again with a three at the 418 yard sixth.

Rose, who feared he might have to pull out before the start on Thursday because of dizziness, matched the Dubliner's birdies on the fourth and sixth and at seven under was up into a tie for third with Quiros and Molinari, but Donaldson, joint leader after a two at the short fifth, bogeyed two of the next three.

Donald continued to lurk menacingly. He picked up more shots on the fourth and fifth to stand six under and joint sixth, while 48 year old three-time winner Colin Montgomerie was not doing badly either. He was another to birdie the fourth and that took him to four under.