1/31/2015

Rory In Desert Battles to Hold Lead

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Rory McIlroy was relieved to get through the third round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic without a bogey on his card after scrambling hard for pars in his six-under 66.

The world No 1 looked set to break Stephen Gallacher's 54-hole record score of 21 under par after he picked up five birdies over the first eight holes to storm six strokes clear of the field.

He lost momentum when he lipped out from barely two feet for birdie at the 10th, and he then became ragged off the tee and did well to string together eight straight pars before getting up and down from thick rough for birdie at 17.

McIlroy's drive at the last leaked into the first cut, and his attempt to find the green in two came up short as his four-iron from over 200 yards failed to clear the water.

But he pitched to 20 feet and rolled in another excellent putt to make it two whole rounds without a blemish on his card, and he will head into the last round four shots clear of Morten Orum Madsen.

"It meant a lot, to be bogey free again today was important to me. To get that up and down on the last was big for momentum going into tomorrow," he told Sky Sports 4.

Great position

"It was nice to make one birdie on 17 and then a great save on the last, it was nice to go round there with no bogeys. I can't complain, another good round and I'm in a great position going into Sunday.

"I was just trying to get as many in front as I could. I knew I had some chances coming in but saying that, the back nine did play tricky. The greens got firm, the wind got up a little bit, so it was hard to get the ball close to the hole.

"You had to hit quality shots to give yourself chances for birdies, and I didn't quite do that on the back nine like I did on the front.

"I didn't put a foot wrong on the front nine and, when I missed that little short putt on 10, it seemed like that momentum I had just sort of went away and had to scramble a little bit for pars coming in.

"I've been in this position many times before, so I know the pitfalls that are waiting out there. It's just a matter of sticking to the same game plan, being aggressive, making committed swings and giving myself as many chances for birdies as I can."


ARCHIVES - Is Sports Management that Easy

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In watching Conor Ridge’s stable at Horizon Sports over recent years it has been great to see such quick success, with the money rolling in since 2010 measured in shovel fulls, following Graeme McDowell’s victory at Pebble Beach at the US Open. It all must have looked since then as if good times would roll on forever, afterall, the buses seemed to come together after McDowell broke into major territory as he then became a vital component of the European Ryder Cup tea, later the same year at Celtic Manor. That momentum opened up many commercial doors for Horizon Sports and set the small Dublin start up into a global player with everything the company touched becoming gold. 

Even at the 3 Irish Open in Killarney, the same year, Englishman Ross Fisher stormed home ahead of Padraig Harrington to win the half a million Euro in prize money with Ridge once again on the final green hugging his signing. The momentum was added to when the winner of the US Open last year decided to join the Horizon juggernaut - from Team ISM -  which  propelled the company into the nether regions of global dominance, with Rory Mcilroy even attending the White House for a function earlier this year. But as the business is sport it also about ebbs and flows, and that dreaded word - momentum. Or indeed, the lack of it. 

Which would sum up the last year for GMAC who has not won since Pebble Beach, and until this year - when he played in the final group at the Olympic Club during the US Open – and then repeated the same at Royal Lytham in the British Open, had become a worry in itself. But having arrested that supposed rut in his game last weekend, a new battle has arisen based on some of the post Open interviews – and it is a failure to convert on the final day. 

If this becomes the new mental challenge it sounds a little over played given that going into Sunday McDowell looked the most relaxed of all the leading pairings, was also playing the course with ease and proffered the body language that indicated a second major was really in the offing for him. Especially with experienced caddie Kenny Comboy at his side. 

However it was not to be this time and a few sessions with mind coach Bob Rotella are no doubt already booked. Which me thinks is too hasty if is the case. 

In fact a chat with the carefree Brandt Snedeker would seem to be the best medicine as he is a golfer who has gone through more than a few ups and downs over the past years yet arrived at The Open unfancied, promptly matching the 36 hole record posted by Sir Nick Faldo. 

By the end of Friday evening he had not dropped a shot, despite having had missed the cut in his three previous trips to golf's oldest major and suffering from the same disadvantage all the American players do – too much target golf. Fortunately Snedeker managed well his discomfort with links courses this time, aided and abetted by the favourable weather, and learning to embrace links play with the help of Tom Watson when they played together in a practice round at Royal Birkdale before the 2008 Open. The 2007 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, had six birdies Friday and, on the second day had a bogey-free round with four of his birdies on the front nine. 

But Snedeker is made of stern stuff as at the second round of the Memorial he cracked a rib when coughing, and was forced to take a month off to recuperate, missing the U.S. Open. 

But since turning pro in 2004, Snedeker has battled injuries and health problems, and seems to respond to these setbacks by winning. In fact after breaking his collarbone in a freak accident in 2005, he won on the Web.com Tour for a second time to secure his PGA Tour card. He has also had victories in the past two years after hip surgery, winning the Farmers Insurance Open in a playoff over Kyle Stanley in January. At the Accenture Match Play, he lost to Peter Hanson in the third round. 

Last Saturday Snedeker finally lost the lead to his playing partner Adam Scott - never to regain it - yet finished the tournament in a share of third place along with Tiger Woods. And listening to Snedeker's post Open comments was very refreshing, all about building on the momentum rather analysing why he fell short. A tip there for Graeme McDowell perhaps. 

A harder task though faces International Sports Management and Andrew Chandler who saw the 2011 Open Champion relinquish his grasp of the Claret Jug with an opening round of 76 and unable to find more than a 71 on Friday to miss the cut. For Clarke there now maybe a chasm to be crossed having passed through a twelve month period not only without a win, but on most occasions battling just to make the cut. Although not fancied to retain the title he won at Royal St George, Clarke arrived at Royal Lytham desperate to end the bad run, and not unlike last year his being unrated would not have bothered him. 

What will no doubt bother him more is how his challenge fizzled out the first day in what were very easy conditions, on terrain that is bread and butter to a golfer raised on links. 

But that will be for Chubby Chandler to unravel and a much harder task than escorting a reining Open Champion around the world with the Claret Jug - as has been the case over the past 12 months. 

Ironically, it is the golfer known to be the biggest tinkerer that has matched the achievements of the golfing greats by winning consecutive Open Titles. For that Harrington probably deserves more credit given that so many have tried and few have achieved - as McDowell, McIlroy and Clarke can attest. Although being part of colossus IMG his achievements are well recognised and his emoluments and earnings equally well matched no doubt. The only headache now being that Padraig is outside the top fifty players in the world, and some events are now beyond the Dubliner's reach, the Firestone being one of them later this month. 

It is now a challenge that also lengthens the odds of Harrington maintaining his unbroken record since 1999 of qualifying automatically for the Ryder Cup contest at Medinah in September - and may require a wild card. Padraig's renowned natural mental toughness will come in handy over the coming months. 

One player who slipped through all the headlines at Royal Lytham last weekend was Michael Hoey, who despite his win in Morocco earlier in the year and some good ball striking at Royal Portrush over four days at the Irish Open, missed the cut at The Open after dismal rounds of 79 and 75. No doubt a disappointment for the Belfast man who was returning to the venue where he first made his Open debut as the British Amateur Champion. Over the coming weeks he will reflect over his round and establish where to focus his efforts, having decided to leave Horizon Sports earlier this year. 

Now seventeenth in the Ryder Cup rankings Hoey now requires another few top finishes to fulfil a dream that back in March might have seem nearer his grasp.

Courtesy of OS Media - All rights reserved


RMAC on the Attack in Dubai

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Rory McIlroy’s peerless power and precision has put him in pole position at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

The Northern Irishman produced a superb bogey-free eight-under-par 64 to take a one-shot lead over Scotland’s Marc Warren at 14-under.

Graeme McDowell trails Rory by two strokes after firing a second round 65

McIlroy underlined his class by closing with three successive birdies but even so, he would have come off the course with the feeling he could have gone even lower on a track where he recorded his maiden professional victory in 2009.

That shows how far the 24-year-old’s expectations have risen in the six years since he lifted the title at the Emirates Golf Club, during which time he has won four majors with two of those coming in the last six months.

“It was good. I hit a couple of loose shots early on but found my rhythm and after that I played pretty well and converted most of my chances,” he told European Tour Radio.

“You can’t ask for much more: bogey-free, eight birdies. I’ve set myself up nicely for a good run at it in the next couple of days.

“I saw a stat yesterday that since the first round of The Open, I’ve played 45 rounds and a third of them were 66 or better, which just shows you the level that I am at.

“I’ve put the work in and I’ve worked hard; I continue to work hard and this is the result, which is nice.

“I am very comfortable and a lot of the parts of my game are in good shape but the conditions out there are absolutely perfect so I would expect the scoring to stay low for the weekend and I am going to have to carry on playing like this.

“It is the best place to be, one shot ahead, but you just got to go out and be aggressive and try to make as many birdies as you can.

“I’m going to need something similar over the weekend to stay in the same position, as there are so many people close to the lead, it is so bunched up, you can’t play defensively on this course.”

McIlroy’s power advantage was evident early on as he almost eagled the 351-yard second after driving the green but had to settle for one of three birdies in his first five holes.

That put him four off the lead but back-to-back birdies at the 10th and par-three 11th, where he hit a brilliant approach to three feet, got him moving again and he would have advanced quicker had a four-foot birdie attempt not lipped out at the next and not mis-read from inside 10 feet at the 13th and 14th.

But he continued to push hard and at both 16 and 17 he hit driver then wedge to eight and six feet respectively before holing an 18-footer at the 564-yard last having flown the water-guarded green with his approach.

McIlroy’s performance took the shine off Warren’s round of 65, which was possibly not as clean but included nine birdies – including five in six holes from the 13th, having started on the back nine.

The in-form Scot, runner up in Qatar last week, is now 30 under for his last five rounds and he told Sky Sports News: “It was very good from the fairways but scrappier than I would have wanted off the tees.

“(In) Abu Dhabi I drove the ball really well, I improved my iron play last week and I am giving myself lots of chances.”

England’s Seve Benson and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell lead the chasing pack with 12 players within four shots of the lead.

Among them are Englishman Lee Westwood, who was bogey-free in carding 68, and Dane Morten Orum Madsen who had seven birdies and an eagle on the way to a best-of-the-week 63.

Darren Clarke was the only one to miss the cut after a second round 71.

Peter Lawrie made it into the money with a 69 on Friday which put just on the cut line and an invaluable weekend's golf.

Michale Hoey ended T49th after a 70

Damien McGrane carded a 71.

1/30/2015

Classic for McIlroy in Dubai Desert

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Rory McIlroy confessed the conditions were almost too easy as he joined a host of players in cashing in on a low-scoring first day of the Dubai Desert Classic.

Bernd Wiesberger made the most of lower than predicted winds to fire a flawless 64 and take a one-shot lead into the second round, with 18 players within three shots of the Austrian.

One of those is McIlroy, whose 66 was enough to leave him six under, two off the lead, as he chases victory after finishing second in his last three events.

The world number one was returning to the scene of his first professional win six years ago, where he has secured four consecutive top-10 finishes, and showed why he is so fond of the Emirates Golf Club with seven birdies and just a single bogey on the ninth.

The wind normally poses some challenge in Dubai but still conditions led to low scoring and McIlroy, who started on the 10th, admitted he would have liked more of a test.

“I’d be disappointed if I didn’t shoot anything below 68 today, especially with the conditions and 66 is a nice start,” he told Sky Sports 4.

“I’d like to see it blow a little bit and make it more of a challenging golf course. You still need to hit the shots, but it would be nice to play in some conditions that are a little different than this.”

He added on the European Tour website: “It was a little disappointing to bogey the last but the golf I played up until then was nice.

“It’s a solid start. I felt like I hit the ball very well for the most part and gave myself plenty of birdie chances and was able to covert a few more of them than I was doing in Abu Dhabi a couple of weeks ago.

“I putted nicely and it’s definitely something to build on for the next few days.”

Wiesberger came alive on the back nine after reaching the turn in 33, picking up a shot on 10 and then registering five consecutive birdies from 13 to set the target.

“I’ve always played well here,” he said. “I know I can make a lot of birdies out here.

“Perfect conditions like we have had the last couple of weeks make the guys go low.”

Wiesberger was one shot clear of a chasing group of four which featured Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, American Peter Uihlein and English duo Lee Westwood and Andy Sullivan.

Sullivan claimed his first European Tour title at the South African Open earlier this year and was in sparkling form again as he recorded five birdies and an eagle on the 18th to share the lead.

The likeable 28-year-old was playing alongside McIlroy and Martin Kaymer and, while he looked perfectly at home in such company, he admitted to being a little overawed.

“It’s one of the best days of my life out there today, just watching Rory and Martin go at it,” he said.

“When I first looked at the draw I thought they’d messed it up. I thought ’I can’t be playing with these guys’. It’s an absolute pleasure.

“I didn’t really look at the leaderboard today. I was just watching them guys play golf and it was just absolutely fantastic, one of the best days of my life.

“And to play the way I did as well was brilliant.”

Fellow Englishman Westwood has 22 more Tour wins than Sullivan and finished with two birdies in a flawless 65.

Two-time defending champion Stephen Gallacher was alongside McIlroy on six under with the Ryder Cup duo being joined by another Scot in Marc Warren, German Maximilian Kieffer, Dane Anders Hansen, Englishman Seve Benson and South Africa’s Hennie Otto.

Graeme McDowell finished birdie-birdie to join the group on five under which included Kaymer, Race to Dubai leader Danny Willett and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, who went out in 37 but came back in 30 as he birdied his last seven holes.

Graeme McDowell carded a round of 65.

Damien McGrane finished one under par.

Michael Hoey signed for a level par 72.

Peter Lawrie  faces a tough second day after an opening 73 and needing at leats three shots to get back near the projected cut line.

1/28/2015

No Line on the Horizon - McIlroy

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Rory McIlroy is hoping for a swift court case between himself and Horizon Sports Management so that he can get back to doing what his does best on the golf course.

McIlroy took action against his former employers, claiming he is entitled to repudiate a December 2011 agreement with the three companies, on grounds that it was improvident.

Horizon Sport Management Ltd, Gurteen Ltd and Canovan Management Services deny his claims and have counter-claimed for damages.

"I want to put in a good performance this week, try to win and then turn my attention to the court case - hopefully it won't take too long and we can get it over and done with," said McIlroy ahead of the Dubai Desert Classic.

"It's not something you want hanging over your head and it's not something I'd want anyone to go through, it's not a nice process.

"It's a shame it's gone this far and that two sides see things completely differently. The only way to sort it out is to get a judger to come in and tell us what to do."

McIlroy is fully focuses on the week's action however.

"I am disappointed if I don't win, to be honest," he added. "You're not here to try to finish in the top five.

"I'd definitely like to break the runners-up duck the right way than the wrong way. We'll see. But I'm comfortable on this golf course, and I have good memories here, and I seem to play the course very well."

McIlroy was runner-up in the World Tour Championship in November, the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December, and the Abu Dhabi Championship two weeks ago in his first start of the year.

To finish the tour's desert swing a winner again, he will have to beat the likes of world No. 2 Henrik Stenson, No. 5 Sergio Garcia, No. 12 Martin Kaymer, and two-time defending champion Stephen Gallacher, who is a remarkable 55-under par in his last three tournaments on the Majlis course at Emirates.

Then he has a date in a Dublin court next week, as his legal battle with Horizon Sports, his former management company, inches toward a final judgement.

McIlroy said he was trying not to think of the court case until after the tournament.

"To be honest, I've been concentrating on my golf and practice, and that stuff is much more important to me than what's going to happen next week," he said.

"I will be relieved when this (case) is over. It's not something that I would want anyone to go through. I'm going to be heading to the States regardless, with it off my mind and not having to deal with it or think about it anymore."

The classic also marks the first start of the year for Europe Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell. Ernie Els, a three-time classic winner, and holder of the course record of 11-under par 61, is also entered.


Jimenez and Clarke Contest Captaincy

 

The Ryder Cup against the USA in two years will be either Darren Clarke or Miguel Angel Jimenez, reports now indicate.

Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia both believe it will be a straight fight between the Northern Irishman and the Spaniard over who replaces 2014 skipper Paul McGinley.

“Most likely we’re going to see a race between Darren and Miguel,” Stenson said ahead of this week’s Dubai Desert Classic.

“That’s the beauty of being part of the Tournament Players Committee that no longer votes for it. I don’t have to put any thought into it, I just have to wait like everybody else until the result comes out.”

The captain used to be decided by the players but it is now down to a five-man panel that includes former skippers McGinley, Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie.

“They have got enough experience between them to come up with a good decision,” said Stenson who has played in the biennial team event three times.

“I believe they haven’t met yet. They haven’t managed to get that meeting together so I don’t know when it’s scheduled to happen.”

Asked if Clarke or Jimenez would be the next captain, Garcia replied: “It looks like that.

“I think those are the two big candidates and I think we are all excited to see how it turns out,” added Garcia who has made seven Ryder Cup appearances.


1/23/2015

Lawrie Enjoys Grace in Doha

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Peter Lawrie is the leading Irish man at the Qatar Masters after a second-round score of 68. Lawrie now sits joint-fourth on the leaderboard just three shots of current leadersGeorge Coetzee, Bernd Wiesberger and Branden Grace.

Lawrie, playing in Doha on a sponsor’s invitation after just missing out on his card at qualifying school, opened with a confident opening round of 70 on Wednesday and replicated yesterday’s birdies on the first and 18th holes on Thursday, while he also struck on the fourth, seventh, ninth and tenth.

Bogeys on the fifth and 15th the only blotches on his card for the day. Michael Hoey is next best of the Irish on three under while Damien McGrane shot a level par round of 72 and is currently five shots off the lead.

Coetzee, Wiesberger and Grace may share the lead at the halfway stage but Marc Warren was the biggest mover. Coetzee improved on his opening-day 68 by a single stroke after mixing six birdies with a bogey in Doha while Wiesberger joined him on nine-under with a round of 66.

The Austrian - seeking his first European Tour win since 2012 - holed back-to-back birdies across four holes on the back nine to finish strongly and Grace’s measured four-under 68 steered him into a three-way tie for first place by Thursday evening. All one stroke behind the leading trio are Emiliano Grillo, An Byeong-hun and Scotland’s Warren, whose emphatic 65 lifted him from the mid-50s and right into trophy contention.

The highlight of the 33-year-old’s round was an eagle on the par-five first hole with only bogeys on three and 17 sullying the effect of seven more birdies around the Doha Golf Club course. Overnight leader Oliver Fisher of England slipped to 10th after following up his Wednesday score of 65 with a one-over-par 73 that included three bogeys and two birdies.

Also in the mix were Darren Fichardt, Richard Green and Alejandro Canizares but defending champion Sergio Garcia was struggling to break through after signing for a second consecutive 69. Justin Rose could only follow his opening-day score of 68 with a 73 after carding four bogeys across five holes on the back nine.


1/19/2015

McIlroy Commits to Desert Classic

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Rory McIlroy has confirmed that he has committed to play in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at the end of the month.

The world No 1 will make his first start of 2015 at this week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, but there were doubts over whether he would feature in the last of the three Desert Swing events due to his impending court case involving his former management company.

But McIlroy has announced he will make his ninth appearance at The Emirates, where he held off Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson to capture his first title as a professional in 2009.

The four-time major winner will headline another star-studded field which includes his Ryder Cup team-mates Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood and Stephen Gallacher, who became the first player to successfully defend the title last season.

“I’ve got great memories of Dubai and it will be fun to get back to a golf course where I have enjoyed success over the years,” the 25-year-old told the European Tour.

“It was nice to get my first professional win in Dubai. I had my parents there with me and it was a special moment that I will never forget. That win was a real stepping stone for the success that followed and my relationship with Dubai went from strength-to-strength.

“To think the tournament is older than I am is testimony to its strength. They have an outstanding field all the time, and the golf course is really in great shape. Obviously, I will be looking to win the event again."

Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi, added: "We are delighted to welcome back a stand-out player in a field which exudes the energy of a major with all those big names battling for glory in Dubai.

“We have seen him first compete as an amateur in 2006 and now we will see him tee up as the world number one for the first time. His incredible journey has left indelible footprints in the tournament’s history.

“As his name has become synonymous with the golfing landscape of Dubai, I am confident his presence will radiate distinct energy to the tournament, one that will rub off on fans. I wish him the very best and hope that the future brings him more success.”