11/15/2013

Higgins Fails School Test

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David Higgins faces a long solitary journey home to Kerry from Western Australia after just one level par round at the ISPS Perth International and finishing on Sunday one over par for a share of 56th place. More than twenty places adrift of safety in the Race to Dubai Rankings needed to claim automatic playing rights for next season.

After thirteen visits to Qualifying School since 1994 the talented Higgins contemplated the journey once again after a season's best earnings of €215,000 fell short by fifteen thousand euro.  Reflecting an indifferent first half to the season this year.

“I’m naturally disappointed but you have to try so this is where we are now,” he said. 

“Nothing worked out over the weekend. I played lovely on Sunday but just didn’t get any breaks on Saturday so it’s back to Q School. 

“I thought after making the cut I could shoot a couple of 60 somethings but it just didn’t work out and it’s very frustrating.”

Higgins is a multiple winner of Irish PGA order of Merit in recent years, and added the Irish PGA Championship to his trophy list in 2012.

Having won the Irish PGA Order of Merit on numerous occasions Higgins was fulfilling the promise gained from being part of a golfing family as his Father, Liam, is a veteran of the European Tour and Senior Tour.

Not surprisingly by the time David was twenty-one he was the country's leading amateur, and following match play victories over Pádraig Harrington in 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 Higgins 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. 

But in recent seasons David has remained a consistent force 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 in 2010. 

Although he failed to qualify for the 150th Open Championship at St Andrew's, along with a bigger disappointment in the September when he failed to make it through European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 at Dundonald Links that same year.

In 2011 at Stage 3 of European Tour Qualifying School at the PGA Catalunya the Waterville professional man missed out once again on a quick return to the main Tour

But in 2012 he came back stronger and improved on his two previous outings at the BMW PGA Championship, ending a magnificent performance at a sun kissed Wentworth Course, with a two under par final round 70, and slaying a tough West Course that over four days had taken a number of high profile Irish casualties.

None less than the World Number One, Rory McIlroy, the 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke, the 2010 US Open Champion, Graeme McDowell and three time major winner Padraig Harrington.

Amidst the carnage though Higgins exuded composure travelling around Wentworth with a remarkable consistency and carding three rounds of 70, with only the one blip on a windy Saturday when reaching the historic Gothic clubhouse in a two over par 74

In was his third consecutive appearance at the BMW PGA Championship with Higgins slaying his own demons on the Sunday to finish in tenth place.

Higgins then crowned the year by capturing the Irish PGA championship at Mount Juliet and underlined his ranking as the number one player after he beat assistant professional Noel Murray from Massereene in a play-off.

The Waterville man, who fired a best of the day final round of five-under-par 67 to reach the play-off, said it was the fulfilment of a boyhood dream to lift the trophy that his father Liam lifted in 1983.

"I remember looking at the trophy as a young lad and saying it would be lovely to win it.I tried for a long time to win it and did it today and I'm just delighted."

In July David Higgins narrowly missed out on qualifying for the British Open after his five-under was one shot short of the qualifying mark at St Annes Old, with former Ryder Cup pair Barry Lane and Paul Broadhurst, both squeezing in.

However on the PGA Catalunya's Stadium Course in December 2012, Higgins signed for a final round 70 to earn the most cherished of prizes - one of the 25 automatic places - and made a return to the European Tour five years after losing his card.

In 2013 a second place finish at the Open D'Italia Lindt gave him Higgins late hope of an automatic place for next year, in what was a very disappointing season with too many missed cuts. Including the Irish open at Carton House and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

At 115th in the Race to Dubai Higgins returned to European Tour Final Qualifying and finished 59th after six rounds.

Only the first 25 were guaranteed qualification.

Fact File
DOB: December 1st 1972 in County Cork.
Attachment: Waterville GC
Place of Birth Cork, Ireland
Family Wife: Elizabeth (m. 2008)
Interests Shooting, dogs, fishing

Turned Pro 1994 (plus 3)
Qualifying School (1994), 95*, 97*, 99, 01, 03, 04, 06, (08), (09), (10), 11, 12*, 13

Career: 
1989 Irish Boys Championship
1994 Irish Amateur Closed Championship, South of Ireland Championship

European Challenge Tour
2000 NCC Open;
Günther Hamburg Classic
Rolex Trophy

European Tour
2007 loses Tour card
2012 Qualifies for 2013 season after finishing T16th


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Phelan Earns Tour Card

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Kevin Phelan earns a full European Tour card for the 2014 season after a final three under par round at the European Tour Final Qualifying in Girona on Friday, which earned him one of the elusive 25 places on offer at the end of day six. 

The University of Florida graduate carded six birdies on The Stadium Course, three of them in the first four holes, to gather momentum on what is normally a tense final day. To add to his woes three bogeys just before and after the turn, drag him back to -1. Threatening to unravel his good work thus far.

But birdies on hole 15 and then the last ensured a three under par finish and a jump up the leader board to 16th spot at one point. 

When the dust settled and all the scores were in, a five way share of 17th was good enough to secure him full playing rights for next season.

Yet despite his best efforts the final 10 under par aggregate was fifteen strokes behind of the winner, Carlos del Moral from Spain, who proved consistent from the outset this week. Rounds of 67-71-69-63-65-67 from Del Moral will serve as warning to Phelan of the many tests that lie ahead in order to keep that hard earned Tour card.

In the end Phelan was the only Irish player who get closest to that blistering pace from the Spanish winner.

The Waterford native revealed afterwards that some advice from three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington played a big part in his rapid rise from the amateur game, having been the subject of so much hype and expectation.

“I have been told a couple of times not to read anything that has been written about me,” said Phelan, the only player to have jumped from outside the cut mark on day six to claim a card. “I haven’t done that in a couple of years now so I don’t really pay any attention to expectations that are put on me, just what I put on myself.

“Harrington said it to me a while ago and my coach Mark McCumber tells me all the time. It definitely helped a lot.


“Padraig is definitely a big inspiration for me. I played a practice round with him at the US Open the first time I played it and at the Irish Open in Killarney and again at Carton House this year. He’s been very nice and very helpful and I've always looked up to him so it’s nice to get some good feedback from him. I look forward to joining him on The European Tour.”

David Higgins on the other hand will reflect on a poor run of form since his second place finish at the Open D’Italia Lindt late in the season and a chance he failed to build on with the last few events of the season. Even travelling to Perth in search of a top twenty finish to retain his card. However it was not to be and missing out by a handful of Euro.

At PGA Catalunya as the pressure increased the experienced Higgins was unable to react and completed his 14th trip to Q School in level par. And also leaves empty handed.

Friday’s card saw the Waterville man sign for a triple, double and a bogey, wiping out the hard fought gains of six birdies. Realistically though Higgins was never in contention for a top 25 finish this week after fading following his promising 67 on the first day.

It is now a well-worn route for the three time Challenge Tour winner and he will use the generous exemptions available to him this season to perhaps stage a comeback playing on the European Tour.

Ruaidhri McGee continued the downward spiral of the past two rounds with a final day 74 dropping him to 66th place.

Having won the Stage 1 in Wychwood Park in September it looked like the breakthrough was to be made this year for the Rosapenna attached golfer. And up to midweek he still looked on course for one of the automatic places.

But such is the tormented way of Q School McGee lost his momentum and once he plummeted down the leader board there was little hope of reversing matters.

However it was a very creditable performance this season from the young McGee and in time his ambition – and talent – will find reward on the European Tour.

Of those who made the grade, there were five European Tour winners - Scotsman Alastair Forsyth, who endured a roller-coaster two over par round of 74 which included three double-bogeys and five birdies before making it on the mark, Swedes Mikael Lundberg and Patrik Sjöland, as well as England’s James Morrison and Estanislao Goya of Argentina.

Some of the names to narrowly miss out included former Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson, who was two shots short of the mark, and former European Tour winners Oliver Fisher of England and Welshman Bradley Dredge, who missed by three and four shots respectively.

Ten of those who qualified will be playing their rookie seasons in the top tier of European golf next season, including Phelan and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters, who impressed in the American collegiate circuit. 

A record four USA players  qualified, three of which were under the age of 25. 

The winner Del Moral was delighted to become the first Spanish winner of the Final Stage since Carlos Rodiles in 2006.

“It feels very special to be the winner of this event,” said the 28 year old, who finished the week 26 under par. “It’s such a long week and after the year I have gone through it is a pay-off for all the hard work.

“Sometimes you feel like it’s all a waste but it is showing now and hopefully I can keep up the good work for the next few weeks in South Africa and for the 2014 season.”

Del Moral endured a difficult season on The European Tour last year, making just four cuts in 16 events, but he feels like his imperious victory this week will help him wipe the slate clean and start afresh, beginning at next week’s season-opening South African Open Championship hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni.

“I'm done with 2013 now,” said the Valencia native. “I want to erase the whole year in terms of results but I think I have done some great work on the basics of my swing and my mind so I think 2014 will be different and I hope to keep up the good work.”

Fabrizio Zanotti finished runner-up after a four under par final round of 68 left him on 21 under for the tournament while Italian Marco Crespi finished six shots further back in third place on 15 under.


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GMAC Falters on Earth

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Graeme McDowell carded a second 68 and share of 21st place that brought an end his chase on the Earth Course for The Race to Dubai title after Henrik Stenson claimed the halfway stage lead of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai with a round of 64.

Stenson finished at Jumeirah Golf Estates on 12 under par, one shot ahead of Spain's Alejandro Cañizares, who added a 67 to his opening 66.

The 37 year old is looking to become the first man to win The Race to Dubai and FedEx Cup in the same season and is on course to clinch them both in the same imperious fashion.

He went into the Tour Championship in September as one of five players who could claim the FedEx Cup by winning the tournament, and did exactly that.

And this week the Swede is one of three players in similar control of their own destiny, knowing that a win on Sunday would secure overall victory in The Race to Dubai, status as European Number One and a US$1,000,000 bonus.

Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell could still deny Stenson the title with victory in Dubai, with Rose best placed on seven under after a 67.

A win for Ian Poulter would leave Stenson needing to finish second to claim the Harry Vardon trophy, with Poulter alongside Rose on seven under following a 68.

"I have my game plan cemented on this course and it's been working out great the first two days," said Stenson, who carded eight birdies and no bogeys. "It could have been a bit better but there is no point being greedy. I am delighted with the first two days' work.

"I keep track of what's happening with the other players, I'm too curious not to. I saw both Justin and Ian are seven under so they are chasing me as hard as they can.

"They are not going to back down so I better keep my foot and my head down, play another two good rounds and see where that takes me. I am in a great position to have a shot at winning and hopefully I will be there on Sunday afternoon."

Stenson admitted he is battling fatigue from a long season as well as an ongoing wrist injury, but added: "The two days I had off on Monday and Tuesday have helped. I got the club stuck in the ground on the sixth tee and felt it there but thankfully I don't think that made it flare up."

Cañizares has won just once on The European Tour - the Russian Open in 2006 - but boosted his chances of a second title with a brilliant par save on the 18th, where he botched his second shot into a stream before pitching to 12 feet and holing then resulting putt.

“I pull hooked it in the water - it was a terrible shot,” said the 30 year old.

“I gave myself a chance and I really wanted to make that putt, because I haven't dropped a shot in the whole day and I didn't feel like I should have. I made that putt and it felt great.

“I played with Henrik on Sunday, and he's a fun guy to play with, and tomorrow I'm just going to go out there and enjoy it and focus on my game. That's all I can do.” 

Rose and Poulter have not given up their pursuit of Stenson, but Rose admitted the 7,600-yard course is "tailor-made" for the likes of Stenson and defending champion Rory McIlroy thanks to their length off the tee.

McIlroy had eagle putts on all four par fives and made one on the 14th in a 67 that left the former World Number One six off the pace on six under.

"I think somewhere around 20 under par will win so I will need a couple of 65s," said McIlroy, who shot back-to-back rounds of 66 to win here 12 months ago. "I finally feel I have got to the stage now when I can contend week in, week out and on the rare times I have got into contention this year I feel like I have played my best golf."

The man McIlroy succeeded as European Number One, Luke Donald, is a shot further back after a 66 that contained six birdies in succession from the second.

Shane Lowry completed his second round in one under par 71 for 29th place.


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No Irish Fireworks in Dubai

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Graeme McDowell was happy to get himself back into contention at the DP World Tour Championship lying three over par after 13 holes before rolling in a hat-trick of birdies from the 14th and signing for a 72.

With it too the chance of hauling back the gap with Race to Dubai leader Henrik Stenson.

Rory McIlroy carded four birdies on the way to the turn but lost two of those gains on holes five and eight, with another bogey on the last leaving him one under par 72 for the day. 

Shane Lowry finished in a similar fashion with two bogeys undoing the birdies on holes 3,7 and 17.

Alejandro Cañizares took the first round lead at the DP World Tour Championship as Stenson strengthened his position at the top of The Race to Dubai.

Spain’s Cañizares won on only his third European Tour start in 2006, but seven years and almost 200 events later is yet to add to his trophy haul.

A six under par 66 at Jumeirah Golf Estates saw the 30 year old lead by one from Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Australia's Marcus Fraser, with Race to Dubai leader Stenson a shot further back alongside Jamie Donaldson and Rafael Cabrera-Bello.

Stenson admitted he lost focus to three-putt the 18th for his only bogey of the day, but did enough to suggest his nearest challengers for the Race to Dubai title will be hard pressed to overhaul him despite continuing to battle a wrist injury.

Playing partner Justin Rose, who needs to finish fifth or better, carded a two under par 70, while third-placed Graeme McDowell returned a 72 and fourth-placed Ian Poulter a 69.

"It has been a lot of hard work all season and I just let my focus slip on the last," said Stenson, who is looking to become the first player to win the US PGA Tour's FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai in the same year.

"That sucks, but I am still in good shape and playing nicely. The guys are running on fumes so everybody is looking forward to getting done.

"You can't win a tournament on Thursday but you can certainly play your way out of it. I would have taken four under at the start of the day so I just have to let the disappointment of the last slip away."

Poulter believes he is playing the best golf of his career after finishes of 15th, second and fifth in the first three events of the inaugural Final Series, results which have given him a chance of overhauling Stenson and beating his rival and neighbour in Lake Nona in Orlando.

The Ryder Cup star carded four birdies and one bogey in his opening 69, but was frustrated at missing a number of chances to be higher up the leaderboard.

"I am annoyed," Poulter said. "I made two putts which were outside birdie chances and took a couple more but the rest were missed. I am frustrated but happy to be only three behind (the lead).

"I need to continue to be aggressive and see if I can nick it at the end. It's a good mix to be really angry being three under par and still being in there for the next three days."

Rose proved Stenson's point about the players "running on fumes", the US Open champion revealing he is suffering from an inflamed shoulder that required an MRI scan recently.

But the 33 year old is happy to have control of his destiny, with a victory here giving him a second money list title - he won it in 2007 - regardless of other results.

"Henrik is making it hard for the rest of us but that's why I wanted it in my own hands and that's still the case, so my goal remains the same for the rest of the week," Rose said.

McDowell was happy to get himself back into contention, the Northern Irishman lying three over par after 13 holes before rolling in a hat-trick of birdies from the 14th.

Cañizares carded seven birdies and one bogey in his 66 before revealing his relief at being in Dubai at all after problems with his girlfriend's visa.

"My girlfriend is from the Czech Republic and I always forget she doesn't have a Spanish passport and needs a visa," Cañizares explained. "I only remembered when we got to the check-in desk at the airport in Turkey on Sunday evening and handed over the passports.

"Fortunately we had help from a lot of people and the tournament director Nick Tarratt was waiting with Dubai's captain of immigration when we got to Dubai at 3am on Monday morning."

Former World Number One Rory McIlroy had to settle for a one under 71 after being three under for his first four holes, but the 24 year old defending champion could at least report better news in terms of his focus on the course.

"It's much better than it has been the last few months and I am playing better, which is important," said McIlroy.

"It's good that the game is back on track. I have this event and two more so it would be great to get a win before the end of the season."


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Bishop Talks Portrush PGA

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PGA of America president Ted Bishop has suggested Royal Portrush as his choice should they take the major overseas.

When asked today on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive which international venue he has a strong interest in pursuing, Bishop said: “You know, I think that Royal Portrush would be a great first international major.

“It was the first golf course played outside of England or Scotland for an Open Championship and I think given the effect that Irish golfers have on the professional game today, that might be a good place to start.”

The Antrim venue hosted the Open Championship in 1951, while it hosted the Irish Open last year.

The PGA have discussed taking the year’s fourth major abroad, and the earliest possible year that the event could be held overseas would be 2020. 

Last month PGA of America chief executive Pete Bevacqua said: "When we sat down to map our strategic plan... the question arose as to what impact it would have to take the PGA Championship to an international location once or twice a decade.

"It would be something we would only do if we had the cooperation of quite a few groups. We would want the international PGAs to be a part of this and share in this. Many pieces would have to fall in place."


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