The Irish Golf Club Gazette: 11/03/13

11/03/2013

Padraig Chases Turkish Delight

Getty Images

Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry tee off this week at the Turkish Open and join Justin Rose, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel to compete in the inaugural $7million tournament presented by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Belek, Antalya next week.

The two Irish entries for this week return to action two weeks after the BMW Masters at Lake Malaren where Lowry finished 24th and Harrington 27th. Both returned to Ireland as they were not eligible for the WGC-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International this past weekend. Harrington having slipped out of the world stop 100.

Harrington needs a quick start to the season in order to have a chance to make the Ryder Cup next year in Gleneagles. So this is an important week for the three time major winner.

The runner up on Sunday at the HSBC Champions, Ian Poulter, joins them for the penultimate tournament of The European Tour’s new lucrative Final Series, which takes place from November 7-10.

The four players form an integral part of the 78-man line-up alongside the already-announced 14-time Major Champion Tiger Woods, FedEx Cup winner Henrik Stenson and former World and European Number One Lee Westwood.

Rose, the reigning US Open Champion, is targeting victory in Turkey for the second time in just over a year, having triumphed at the eight-man Turkish Airlines World Golf Final - a pre-cursor to this event - in October 2012.

The Englishman, who is third in The Race to Dubai, said: “I’m very much looking forward to returning to Antalya as I have fond memories after winning last year’s match play event. I am feeling very confident about my game and am ready to make the final push for The Race to Dubai.”

Schwartzel has won once on The European Tour this campaign, at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December. However, the 2011 Masters Champion returned to winner’s circle at the OneAsia Nanshan China Masters earlier this month and is looking to boost his position in the overall standings.

Schwartzel, who also played in the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final last year and is 20th in The Race to Dubai, said: “I very much enjoyed the experience of playing in Turkey last year and am looking forward to going back. I have been pleased with my form this year and definitely feel I should have won more times than I have done. It would be great to put that right.”

Oosthuizen, third on the money list in 2012, is looking for a strong finish after enduring an injury-hit campaign since winning the Volvo Golf Champions in January.

The 2010 Open Champion said: “It has been a frustrating season but there is nothing I can do about that now. The main thing is to focus on the future and try and make up for lost time. I am determined to finish the season strongly and would love to do so with victory in Turkey.”

Love McGladrey About Clarke

PGA.com

Darren Clarke decided this year to take up PGA TOUR membership and play a full schedule. So his first stop in America is Sea Island and support a life long friendship with David Love III at the McGladrey Classic.

Although unclear what kind of field to expect as a regular PGA Tour event in November, about a month later than usual, and one week after most of the top players are in Shanghai for the HSBC Champions. But the tournament received a boost from the commitment of 2011 Open Champion, Darren Clarke.

The long friendship between Clarke and Love is best illustrated in match play on two occasions in 2004.

During the semifinals of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, Love rallied to force extra holes. The greens were so bumpy at La Costa that Love, not wanting to see the match end with a missed putt, conceded par putts from 4- to 5-foot range on consecutive holes. Love won in 21 holes.

Later that year, in the Ryder Cup, Love put his tee shot on 18 in the rough. He could have widened his stance for a high cut shot and taken relief because his foot would have been on a sprinkler. He chose to play the ball where it was because such a shot would have been impractical. They halved the match.

"He said I was honest with my drop in the rough," Love recalled last month at Sea Island.

"Darren is just one of those guys like Freddie (Couples). Everywhere he plays, people like watching him."

Love still isn't sure how Clarke decided on Sea Island.

He said Scott Reid, The McGladrey Classic tournament director, heard a rumour Clarke might be playing and asked Love to try to close the deal. Too late. Turns out Clarke already had committed as Love was sending him a text.

McGee Best in Class

European Tour

Ruaidhri McGee finished in a share of fifth place at European Tour Qualifying School Stage 2 at Las Colinas to keep his PGA Catalunya hopes alive after a one under par 70 on Sunday.

A double bogey on the first did not bode well for the Rosapenna professional for his Round 2 hopes. However three birdies on the way to the turn brought McGee under par and a level finish at the eighteenth secured a spot seven strokes from the leader James Heath. More importantly well inside the coveted first fifteen places with two days to go.

Stephen Grant went the opposite direction after a strong start on Saturday, to finish day two in a tie for 78th place - carding a round of 78. A double bogey on the par four 12th the major damage in a round that also included six bogeys.

Niall Kearney moved to a share of 21st with a second day 71, despite a double bogey on the par 4 sixth.

Damian Mooney fired a 69 and moved to 39th spot cruising around Las Colinas in two under par.

Brendan McCarroll was ten strokes worse though and a 79 included a double and triple bogey on Sunday.

David Rawluk is 66th after carding a second round 75 and unlikely to make it beyond Monday's cut.

At Campo de Golf El Saler the pace is being set by Carlos Del Moral from Spain and Niccolo Quintarelli from Italy on -7, where the best of the Irish, Kevin Phelan, was 72 for the day and sharing twentieth place.

The Waterford man has some work to do for a final Stage spot after his round of 35 and 37 reflected little drama he encountered, as he matched birdies and bogeys to finish level.

Colm Moriarty was one better with 71 but four places further adrift on day two after his one over par opening round.

John Daniel Guiney signed for a 75 with a double on the par 4 sixth the damage, leaving him in 75th spot at the half way stage.

Alan Dunbar signed for 80 despite an eagle 2 on par four 14th. That good news aside the card was just too blue with no recovery birdies to improve his chances.

At Lumine Golf and Beach Club in Tarragona Dermot McElroy finished three under par on Sunday to finish 20th and five strokes off the leader Chris Hanson - who was unable to match his first 64 - and signed for a round of 70.

At Valle Romano Golf Gareth Shaw finished with a three under par 68, and only good enough for a share of 46th place. Three players share the lead on -10, Nikolai E Nissen, Gary Stal and Lee Bedford.

No Turkey for Happy GMAC

Getty Images

"Proud of the way I played this week," said McDowell, who finished solo third, four shots behind Johnson.

"A little bit of work needed on the flatstick. I can put better than I putted this week for sure."

Still, it was McDowell's first top-10 on the PGA TOUR since his win in April at the RBC Heritage. He had only three bogeys all week at Sheshan, but was left in awe of Johnson, who played with McDowell in the final group Sunday.

"He trenches one 350 down the middle and has the hands to hit that 70 yard shot to the front pin and make the putt," McDowell said. "He's just a quality, talented, very athletic classy player.

"Yeah, he makes mistakes, but when you've got a game as good as him, you can get away with a few mistakes. He drove it phenomenal. He's just got a great wedge game to go with just an outrageously good driving game."

McDowell wasn't hitting it 350 yards and straight like Johnson was all week, but his iron game was just as good. He was second to Johnson this week in greens hit despite giving up all those yards off the tee.

"Generally just very proud of myself the way I played this week tee to green, especially," McDowell said. "On the greens, room for improvement. But I didn't make a bogey all weekend."

McDowell is second to Henrik Stenson in the Race to Dubai standings with two weeks remaining, but the Northern Irishman is skipping next week's Turkish Airlines Open.

"As long as Henrik doesn't do anything too unsensible next week in Turkey, I'll have a good shot going into Dubai," McDowell said.

McIlroy Makes Dubai List

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy was pleased to secure his place in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai with a sixth-placed finish in the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

McIlroy went into the tournament needing to climb from 62nd in the money list and put more pressure on himself by deciding not to play in next week's Turkish Airlines Open.

Although he failed to pressure eventual winner Dustin Johnson, McIlroy's closing round of 69 was enough for a good pay-day and a move up to a safe 38th place in the Race to Dubai.

"It was a good week. It was a step in the right direction for sure," said McIlroy.

"I don't think anyone could have competed with Dustin this week. He played very, very well and obviously is a deserved champion.

"I just didn't make enough birdies. I didn't take advantage of the par fives today and some of the short par fours.

"It's probably one of my only bogey-free rounds of the year but it just didn't contain enough birdies. It's something to build on and nice to go into an off week now and I know that I'm into Dubai.

"It would have been nice to try to get a win. I have three more tournaments left this year and I want to try to finish the season strongly.

"Obviously I have good memories going to Dubai from winning there last year, so hopefully I can put up a strong defence of my title there."

McIlroy's Ryder Cup team-mate Luke Donald remains on the bubble for Dubai, though, with his 31st place only enough to see him climb from 61st to 55th in the rankings - only the top 60 qualify.

No Pebble for McDowell

Getty Images

Graeme McDowell was part of the three member final group that shot 66, including Dustin Johnson, at the WGC-HSBC Champions and unable to repeat his major vciroty over the American three years at Pebble Beach .

The American recovered superbly from seeing his overnight three shot lead wiped out in the first two holes with a decisive scoring burst - playing the last six holes in five under par at Sheshan International to card a closing 66 and finish 24 under par, three ahead of defending champion Ian Poulter. Four ahead of McDowell who finished third outright.

Spain's Sergio Garcia, ended two shots behind in fourth after a closing 63.

Johnson began the final round three shots clear of Poulter but three-putted the opening hole as the Englishman birdied the first and second, while McDowell birdied the first three to share the lead with Poulter.

Birdies on the eighth and ninth got Johnson back into a share of the lead and although Poulter edged in front with a birdie on the 12th, Johnson birdied the 13th and matched Poulter's birdie on the 14th to set up a grandstand finish.

Johnson was left alone in the lead when Poulter was unable to get up-and-down from a greenside bunker on the 15th, although with the 16th being a reachable par four and the par five 18th still to come, the result was far from settled.

None of the final group tried to drive the green on the 16th, although Johnson's length meant he could hit a long iron just ten yards short and he promptly chipped in for an eagle two.

Poulter's birdie putt did not look like going in until it just caught the left edge of the hole and wobbled in, but Johnson still held a two shot lead on 23 under with two to play.

That became a three shot lead thanks to a birdie on the 17th from five feet and gave Johnson a welcome cushion playing the 18th, the hole where he drove into the water to run up a double bogey seven on Saturday.

Unsurprisingly Johnson hit an iron off the tee and laid up with his second, eventually missing a short birdie putt after Poulter and McDowell had done likewise.

It had no effect on the result however, the 29 year old Johnson claiming his eighth US PGA Tour victory – his first on The European Tour - and the first prize of €1,012,145.

Speaking at the trophy presentation, Johnson said: "I didn't get off to the best start and Poulter and McDowell got off to great starts and put a lot of pressure on me, but I am swinging well and putting well so I thought just stick to my game plan and play the golf course how I want to play it and it's going to come.

"I played really well the last few holes on the front nine and then had a great back nine. The guys made it really interesting but I just played really well coming down the stretch.

"The last few holes here you can make some birdies. It was a lot of fun out there, it was a good match from both of them. They put a lot of pressure on me but I am really proud of myself and the way I handled it."

Johnson has not always handled such pressure so well, McDowell famously winning the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach after Johnson squandered a three shot lead in the final round. After a triple-bogey on the second hole and double-bogey on the third, Johnson shot a closing 82 and McDowell's 74 was enough to win by one from France's Grégory Havret.

"It takes a while to learn that (maturity and patience)," Johnson added. "I wish I would have had some of that a few times a few years ago, but you learn from your mistakes and try to get better from them and I think I showed a lot of patience and a lot of discipline with clubs I picked and shot selection.

"This is probably my biggest win and hopefully there are better things to come."

Poulter climbs to fourth in The Race to Dubai as a result of his runner-up finish, while McDowell trimmed Henrik Stenson’s lead to under €150,000 ahead of the season’s penultimate event in Turkey next week.

“I guess it was a good defence,” said 37 year old Poulter. “Obviously a little disappointed not to put my hands back on the trophy, but 15 birdies and an eagle at the weekend is some pretty good golf.

“It's exciting for the next few weeks ahead, and obviously it's some good points on the board for Ryder Cup and Race to Dubai.

“I'm in great form, I really am playing well. The work I've done, obviously leading up to this run of tournaments has really worked and I couldn't be hitting it any better right now and obviously rolling a few putts in.”

11/03/2013

Related articles

Related articles

Related articles

Related articles

Related articles

Related articles