Showing posts with label Adam Scott (golfer). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adam Scott (golfer). Show all posts

4/18/2016

Dunne Finishes 16th at Valderrama

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Paul Dunne - Getty Images
Paul Dunne fired four birdies in the final round of the Real Club Valderrama Open de España, Hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation only to end the day just one under par after a double bogey 6 on the final hole.

A top twenty finish though is the Greystones man’s best result since a ninth place at the JoBurg Open last January and a good build up for the China swing over the coming two weeks. 

Dunne plays the Shenzen International next week and looks certain to secure a spot at the Volvo China Open in Beijing the following week given his current reserve position.

Peter Lawrie was close to also signing for under par round on Sunday until a few stray putts undid some of his good work at the San Roque course. A great recovery after a wayward drive on the 17th hit out of bounds showed a return of confidence that bodes well for the season. Any loss of momentum could be only due to Lawrie’s lack of events following his loss of European Toru playing rights and leaves him with an unwanted three week break until the Trophée Hassan II in Morocco next month.

However, in the first full four rounds of the year - having missed the cut at the Tshwane Open in February and withdrawn from the Alfred Dunhill Links before Christmas – Peter Lawrie should be satisfied with his weekends’ work. The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at the K Club the next biggest event on the horizon.

As a former winner of the Open de Espana Lawrie was automatically exempt this weekend and his hard work during the close season was rewarded in the toughest and most demanding of conditions at Valderrama. 

The weekend though belonged to Andrew Johnston who won his first European Tour title as he held off the challenge of Joost Luiten to claim the Real Club Valderrama Open de España, Hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation.

The Englishman came into the final day alongside Luiten at two over and signed for a one under par 70 to take the title by one shot and become the first man to win a European Tour event with an over par score since Justin Rose won the US Open at Merion in 2013.

It had been 20 years since a regular event had been won over par, Ian Woosnam shooting the same score to win the Scottish Open at Carnoustie in 1996, showing just how difficult a test Valderrama had been over the four days.

"I drove the ball well all week, chipped and putted well all week, I struggled a bit with my irons the first three days but I just kept going and kept digging in and then on the fourth I found something," he said.

"I came off the course and I just started crying with the emotion of it. It's just very surreal and I don't think it will hit me for a few days.

"You see them winning these tournaments, and the history of it and all these names, so to put mine on there feels pretty ridiculous, really. It really does.

"Hopefully I can be one of those guys who has an incredible career like that and people are sitting here in the future going, 'oh, Beef's on there'. It's pretty incredible."

Tournament host Sergio Garcia made six birdies in his round of 67 to finish at three over, a shot ahead of defending champion James Morrison and Søren Kjeldsen.

The win completes a long journey for 27-year-old Johnston, who first made it onto The European Tour via the Challenge Tour in 2012 before a loss of form and fitness saw him lose his card.

Two wins on the Challenge Tour in 2014 saw him win the Road to Oman and now, after finishing 70th on The Race to Dubai last season, he has his breakthrough.

For Dutchman Luiten, the result is the continuation of a brilliant start to the season and hands him his fifth top ten in eight events so far this term.

Johnston bogeyed the first as those around him jostled for position, with Martin Kaymer opening up a two-shot lead over the field with a birdie on the third.

Luiten and Kaymer continued to battle it out but when Johnston hit a sensational approach to the seventh for birdie and made another gain on the next, a dropped shot from the German on the seventh meant Johnston and Luiten shared the lead at the turn.

Morrison had also turned in 34 and bogeys on the 11th from Luiten and 14th from Johnston meant there was a three-way tie for the lead. That became a four-way tie when Garcia birdied the 16th and 17th to surge into contention.

A bogey on the last saw Garcia set the clubhouse target at three over but Johnston holed a 20-footer on the 16th to move ahead and Luiten could not reel him in as he finished with seven straight pars.

Kjeldsen's 68 handed the Dane a second straight top ten after his excellent performance at the Masters Tournament last week, while Morrison finished with a 72.

Ross Fisher, Kaymer, Mike Lorenzo-Vera and Alex Noren were then at five over, a shot clear of Craig Lee.


3/24/2016

McIlroy Wins as GMAC and Lowry Lose

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A shake of the hand and a pat on the shoulder from Shane Lowry to Martin Kaymer demonstrated his magnanimity after losing out to the German in the first match of the group stages of the WGC-Dell Matchplay championship at Austin, Texas. But such gestures were delivered with a sense of utter wonderment at how the Claraman had ended up on the losing end of the deal.

For most of the match, Lowry had the upper hand and was one-up with three holes to play only to lose the Par 5 16th and then three-putt for bogey on the 17th to lose back-to-back holes that swung the match in Kaymer’s favour. The one hole defeat has left Lowry with an uphill battle to escape the group stages.

In contrast, Rory McIlroy - who had trailed Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen for most of their match - fought back from being two down after 13 holes to win his match on the 18th green. The Northern Irishman birdied the 14th and 15th to get back to all-square and then won the 18th after the Dane missed the green to claim a one hole win.

Graeme McDowell was given a front row seat to two performances in his opening group match: the first was a close-up view of world number two Jason Day, his opponent, continuing his stellar form on the back of his Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament win; the second was an closer view of the Australian’s back injury late-on in their match which cast a cloud on Day’s 3 and 2 opening day win.

Day was required to undergo immediate treatment on his ailing back after suffering what were described as “shooting pains” down his lower back and into both legs, which has put a question mark over his continued participation in the WGC event and also a worry over his participation in the upcoming US Masters.

“He grabbed his back and said, ‘oh, I just tweaked it,” his caddie Colin Swatton said of his player’s injury, adding: “Up until that point, there was nothing.”

In fact, Day - who had opted not to play any practice rounds ahead of the tournament - had demonstrated his status as one of the game’s in-form players with a comprehensive win that also showed resolve. He was two down to the Ulsterman after just four holes, but won the fifth with a birdie and then claimed the eighth and ninth holes to turn one up.

McDowell’s day got worse on the Par 3 11th, where, with 192 yards to the flag, he put his tee shot into the lake and was ultimately forced to concede the hole. Day won the 12th with a birdie four to go three up, but instead of coasting home had to endure a painful finish as he suffered back problems from the 15th fairway where he was seen holding his back and stretching. By the time he reached the green, he was grimacing and in obvious pain.

“I’m not going to say it rubbed salt in my wound when a guy is 3 up with three to go and then he starts hurting and is able to limp up and win the match, but it does put a salty edge in it for me,” McDowell said, before adding, with a laugh: “Go down six holes ago if you're going.”

“But you never wish an injury on a guy,” he said, “especially on a guy on top of his form like Jason is, and as good of an athlete as Jason is.”

Day would move ahead of Jordan Spieth into the world number one spot with a win in Austin but that prospect was reduced by his latest medical setback and there is a question over whether or not he will be able to complete the two remaining matches in the group, with the winner advancing to the last-16. And, with the Masters just two weeks away, his fitness for the season’s first Major is an even greater concern.

As his caddie put it, “He’s been great all year,” Swatton said of Day’s health. “Just out of the blue. I don’t know if it was one swing or what it was.” Subsequently, his agent issued a statement confirming that Day’s post-round treatment had proven beneficial and he aimed to play his second round match.


4/01/2015

Intelligent Play for Golfers


Intelligent Play is a new golf tracking app and platform. In fact, the fastest and easiest way to track a round of golf, generating powerful stats and visuals for the user without the need for a laborious data-inputting process. Or any additional distractions on the course.

With Intelligent Play golfers are being given the chance to use a piece of new technology to improve their game, while avoiding tuts in the clubhouse.

Developed in the golfing homeland of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington, the Intelligent Play team, with offices in Belfast and Dublin, prides itself on developing creating the fastest and easiest way to track your stats from a round of golf.

The tracking app and platform allows users to generate a wealth of data about their game. Importantly, that data is captured without the need to bring any extra technology or gadgets onto the course.

Golfers fill out the GameCardTM as they would a regular scorecard. After their round, they simply snap a photo using Intelligent Play’s GameScanTM technology. Within seconds, they are provided with powerful visuals and stats on their most recent round.

Intelligent Play’s CEO Fergus Wallace explained: “The modern golfer is very much interested in simple stats and data that can polish their game, save a few shots and help them get one over on their playing buddies.

“But technology and smart phone use that, in anyway, disturbs or holds up play remains a big no-no on courses around the world. Intelligent Play allows golfers to easily collect the data they need using our GameCardsTM, an intelligent but simple evolution of the humble scorecard.”

After being scanned, the data is quickly transformed by the Intelligent Play platform into visuals showing measurable aspects of the golfer’s performance. Users can track statistics including percentage of fairways hit, greens in regulation percentage and average number of putts, plus detailed analysis of where they are missing fairways and greens.

“Intelligent Play golfers can take the data generated and share it with their coach, who can use it to inform their sessions to iron out obvious flaws.”

“Additionally, the stats can be shared on social media to give a new depth and measurability to clubhouse banter about who has had a good round, or even a good season. Users can also share their stats with the Intelligent Play community to see how their game measures up against other golfers around the world who are playing off the same handicap.”

One of the first coaches to use Intelligent Play was local PGA coach Geoff Bleakley.

“As a PGA Professional, I find Intelligent Play is a great new innovation in helping both me, as a coach, and the pupil by making it very easy to identify specific areas where the pupil needs to improve.

“It’s so simple for the pupil to record their strokes on the GameCardTM. Then, with a single screen shot on their smart phone, their stats are delivered to both the pupil and coach within 30 seconds in a very clear and easy to understand graphic.

“This information it gives me, as a PGA coach, an immediate and detailed record of how the pupil is progressing and how they are performing on the course.

“I’m delighted with this great addition to my coaching.”

Fergus added: “We must thank a number of local golfers, coaches and clubs who helped us to beta-test the initial concept. We wanted to ensure Intelligent Play is easy to use, combining the idea of capturing and identifying simple improvement stats while sharing and enjoying your game of golf.

“The initial response from golfers of all levels has been fantastic and we have even teamed up with a number of Irish coaches and clubs to develop their own individually branded Intelligent Play apps which they can offer to their students and members.

“Ultimately, if we can help the golfer to play, enjoy and improve their game that little bit more in 2015, then we have a result.”

Intelligent Play is available for golfers, coaches and clubs to try for free at www.intelligentp.com or by downloading the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store


12/10/2014

McIlroy Claims Second Golf Writers

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European golfers had such a banner year in the big events that their winning Ryder Cup team -- normally the story of the year in golf -- finished third in media voting for the Golf Writers Trophy.

The British-based Association of Golf Writers voted Rory McIlroy as the winner for the second time in three years. McIlroy was the overwhelming choice after winning two majors (the British Open and PGA Championship), a World Golf Championship and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

The Golf Writers Trophy is awarded to the European who has made the most outstanding contribution to the sport.

Martin Kaymer was runner-up after his wire-to-wire, eight-shot victory in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, along with his victory in The Players Championship.

The Ryder Cup team, which had an easy time beating the United States at Gleneagles, finished third.


11/30/2014

G''Day for Spieth as McIlroy Slips

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Rory McIlroy signed for a final round 72 and had to settle for fifteenth place at the Emirates Australian Open Golf in Sydney on Sunday. The costly battle with the fescue grass on Saturday the damage on his card and leaving him well out of contention after he finished with a 76.

Jordan Spieth played the best round of an already impressive career with an 8-under 63 on Sunday to win the Australian Open by six strokes, making his first trip Down Under a successful one.

Spieth's 72-hole total of 13-under 271 on the tough, windy Australian Golf Club made him the first American to win the Australian Open since Brad Faxon in 1993, when the 21-year-old Spieth was four months old.

"It's the best round I have ever played, especially considering the conditions," Spieth said. "It was just kind of one of those rounds when you're in the zone and you're not sure what you're at. It's nice that it came on a Sunday."

Spieth birdied four holes on the front nine -- three of them in a row -- to lead by three strokes after nine holes, then made light of the challenging, windy conditions by adding four more on the back nine, never threatening to lose his lead.

"You don't want any kind of crack in the door to be open and I felt like we kept it shut from the front nine on," Spieth said.

Spieth's score was a record for the revamped Jack Nicklaus-designed layout which was being played as a par 71 for the first time. On Friday, Jamie Lovemarkof the United States shot 65.

Adam Scott shot 71 and finished fifth, nine strokes behind. Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who shot 76 on Saturday, finished with a 72 and was 2-over, 15 strokes behind Spieth.

Three Australians who finished closest to Spieth earned trips to next July's British Open. The Australian Open is the first qualifying tournament for the 2015 Open Championship and offers three spots to the top finishers not already exempt.

Rod Pampling shot 68 to finish second, while former two-time Australian Open champion Greg Chalmers (71) and Brett Rumford (70) were third and fourth, respectively. All three will play at St. Andrews next year.

Gusty northeasterly breezes played havoc all week with scores, and only eight players finished under par.

Chalmers and Spieth were tied for the lead at 6-under after four holes, but Spieth birdied the par-5 fifth where Chalmers made bogey for a two-shot swing. The American also birdied the sixth and seventh holes, made a fine par save on the ninth, then did the same on the 10th from about five feet, pumping his fist as he edged closer to the title and the Stonehaven Cup trophy.

It was Spieth's first win of 2014, and second of his pro career -- he won on the John Deere Classic in a playoff on the PGA Tour in 2013. Although he hadn't won this year, he was runner-up in the Masters and had eight top-10 finishes in 24 PGA tournaments.

He was reminded that last year's Australian Open win by McIlroy was his only victory that year, and the Northern Irishman went on to win two majors and have an outstanding 2014.

"If I had the follow-up year that Rory had this year, I'd be pleased this time next year," Spieth said.

McIlroy's 76 all but ended the defense of the title he memorably won in 2014 with a birdie on the last hole to deny Scott the Australian Triple Crown.

"It's been tough all weekend," McIlroy said. "I was trying to get something going but with the pin positions and the wind, it was just very hard to get the ball close to the hole. It just wasn't meant to be this year."

There were tributes around the golf course Saturday and Sunday for Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes, who died Thursday after being hit by a ball during a match at the nearby Sydney Cricket Ground.

The number 63 was used in many of them, as that was the number of runs Hughes had scored before he was fatally injured. Spieth provided the final reminder -- and an unintentional tribute -- by finishing with a round of 63.


11/27/2014

McIlroy Opens in Sydney 2 Under

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Rory McIlroy's defense of his Australian Open title began with a 2-under 69 on a cool, overcast and often drizzly morning at The Australian Golf Club.

McIlroy, winner of back-to-back majors this year at the the Open Championship and PGA Championship, began play on the back nine and made the turn at even-par after a birdie and a bogey. He birdied the first hole of his second nine, added another at the par-5 fifth, but made bogey on the seventh.

He finished strongly, hitting his approach on the ninth to less than 2 feet and making an easy birdie. McIlroy was a stroke behind Australian Aron Price, who was the best of the morning groupings with a 68.

It was a day that almost made him feel at home, McIlroy said.

"It was cold, windy and a little bit of rain here and there," explained the Northern Irishman. "When I think of playing golf in Australia, it's not the kind of day I expected."

McIlroy said the wind was tricky and predicted it could get tougher for the afternoon starters.

"The wind was up early on, then it died, then got up again," he said.

McIlroy missed a 10-foot putt for birdie on the 12th hole -- his third of the day after starting on the back nine -- and fought to save par on the 13th after putting his approach through the green.

He birdied the short par-5 14th after a bunker shot to three feet, but gave the shot back on the next hole after a poor shot out of the sand on the par-3 15th on the revamped Jack Nicklaus layout.

"Three birdies on the back nine, a nice one at the end," he said. "I'll take anything in the 60s. I thought was a good score and puts me right there for tomorrow."

Adam Scott, who finished second in last year's tournament at Royal Sydney when McIlroy birdied the 18th hole of the final round, was in an afternoon group that included American Jordan Spieth.


11/24/2014

Scott and McIlroy Meet in Sydney

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The Australian Open this week is all about the rematch between the No 1 v No 3 in the world, as Adam Scott lost a place when his birdie putt on the 18th hole lipped out at The Metropolitan in Melbourne on Sunday -  leaving him with a share of second place.

Meanwhile Sweden’s Henrik Stenson held off world No 1 Rory McIlroy to claim the European season-ending tour championship in Dubai and slip past Scott into the No 2 slot. Scott is unlikely to need any more motivation for his rematch with McIlroy at the Australian Golf Club in Sydney this week, after the Northern Irishman spoiled his rare opportunity to claim Australia’s triple crown of tournaments at Royal Sydney last year. But if he does beat the world No 1 to the title here, he is also likely to take back that lost ground on the rankings.

Neither player will arrive in Sydney claiming to be in career-best form, but both will be coming off runner-up finishes and with enough in the tank to recreate the fireworks they produced at their last meeting in the harbour city.

Scott left Melbourne yesterday believing he had found his rhythm on the final day of the Masters, and that the Australian layout, recently redesigned by Jack Nicklaus, will suit his style better than the confines of Metropolitan.

“I felt in good shape coming (to Melbourne) and just got knocked around on Thursday with that northerly (wind),’’ Scott explained on Sunday.

“I got a bit out of sorts and it’s taken me a couple of days to get back to where I thought I was. I’ve chipped away at it, today was definitely the best I’ve swung the club, chipped and putted.”

Scott hasn’t played the course since he was an amateur — he missed the two Australian Opens played there in the past 10 years (2004 and 2007) — but that’s unlikely to hurt his chances.

Some of those who have played the remodelled course say it may as well be brand new, so extensive are the changes. It is longer and much of the rough has been removed but the greens and bunkering are entirely different.

“I just remember it as a pretty long, tough golf course, demanding, and that’ll kind of suit me,’’ Scott said.

“If I get to hit the driver a bit more, that’s certainly to my advantage.”

McIlroy left Dubai less certain of his form but confident of his ability to contend no matter what.

“Given how I have played the last few days, second place isn’t too bad,’’ McIlroy said. “I didn’t have my best golf at all this week but at least I gave myself a chance (to win).

“It’s been a great season in terms of the wins I have had but these weeks are what I am proud of as well. In years gone by when I haven’t played my best golf it’s been middle of the pack, not a second-place finish. It’s something I am really excited about. My level of consistency is much higher and hopefully that will give me a lot more chances to win.’’

McIlroy will certainly want to put up a sturdy defence of the Australian Open title that sparked his run back to the top of the world this year. The Northern Irishman had not won for a year when he arrived in Australia last November but rediscovered his mojo in Sydney, where he birdied the 18th on the last day to snatch the title from Scott, who said at the time he was “gutted’’ by the result.

McIlroy went on to win two majors this year, the British Open and US PGA championship, as well as a world golf championship (Bridgestone Invitational) and reclaim the world No 1 ranking. He also won the European Tour’s Race to Dubai for the second time in three years.

In the same period, Scott has nursed his hurt from that near-miss at Royal Sydney with a view to reversing it this week.

Going into last year’s Australian Open, Scott looked like the best player in the world. Coming out, McIlroy looked like the No 1.

The question now is who will be on top next Sunday.


11/08/2014

Shane Lowry Chases a Top Spot

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Shane Lowry rebounded from a first round 78 with a 69 that included a mid-round run of birdie, birdie and then an 11th hole eagle where he drilled a 5-iron from 213-yards to just eight feet.

“It was a good bounce back from yesterday after a very disappointing round and that 78 came out of nowhere,” he said. “I had nine birdies winning the morning Pro-Am on Wednesday, so then come out and shoot a 78 really sat me on my backside. But I was delighted today with how I got myself back into the tournament and to shoot three under par was very pleasing. If I can get myself back to par tomorrow then I will be delighted.”

Lowry heads to the final two rounds sharing 49th place and needing to break into the top-20 to be assured of a top-50 world ranking for a first time in his career.

Graeme McDowell singled out the dangers of breaking political correctness in sport’s four-letter game after Patrick Reed’s ‘trial by TV’ verbal outburst during the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

McDowell was competing in the same group as his Ryder Cup rival and admitted after moving three shots clear of the field he actually never heard Reed launch a four-letter tirade of abuse at himself in three-putting the first green on day one.

Reed was so upset by reaction to the incident, including TV giant CNN running with the story in media-controlled China, he sought out countryman Bubba Watson to seek guidance from the self-confessed Bible-loving double Masters winner.

“Patrick said to me, ‘Hey, I did something bad’ and then he showed me the video clip,” said Watson, who shares third place behind McDowell on six under par.

Watson advised Reed to ‘tell everyone you’re sorry’ so he then went back to his own room tweeting his apologies.

“I made a stupid error that’s for sure and I’m definitely sorry for the word. It should never have happened and in this game of golf it’s a gentleman’s game and that should never happen,” said Reed. “I’m young and growing up and I’ve had temper issues on and off the golf course, and as you know I live and die through every shot.

“I’m not sure if I will get a fine or not. I will just have to wait and see. All I can handle is myself moving forward and playing some good golf.”

McDowell stressed the implications of crossing the line of political incorrectness, as we saw with Ted Bishop being sacked as PGA of American president over his sexist remarks directed at Ian Poulter.

“We always joke that golf is a four-letter word and there is a lot of four-letter words when you play the game of golf but then we are on global television and we have to be aware that we have to be very careful what we say,” said McDowell. “I don’t blame Patrick for using a profanity but then it was just an unfortunate choice of words, and we also live in a world where those small snowballs turn into one giant snowball when someone videos that and puts it up on Twitter. Then it gets repeated and repeated round the globe.

“He didn’t mean anything by his remarks and playing with him today I know he is sorry for what he said, and he wishes he hadn’t said that.

“Yes he should not have said it but is Patrick being unfairly dragged across the coals? I don’t know.

“Though guys say things all the time out here and it gets picked up by microphones, and Patrick uses one word that is politically incorrect and here we are still talking about it.

“We also saw a few weeks ago a leading official used sexist terms. Bad things can happen and you don’t want to be saying anything that is not PC so it’s a very sensitive universe these days.”