The Irish Golf Club Gazette: Africa Open

Showing posts with label Africa Open. Show all posts

3/14/2015

Captain Clarke Fires Tshwane 67

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Darren Clarke had both good and back luck in equal measure, during his second round at Pretoria Country Club of the Tshwane Open.

The 46 year old Ulsterman has not had a top ten on The European Tour since lifting the Claret Jug at the 2011 Open Championship, some 190 weeks ago, and he started the second day at Pretoria Country Club eight shots behind the lead of Morten Ørum Madsen, looking to right that wrong in his fifth start of the 2015 campaign.

Back-to-back birdie threes at the opening two holes were a fine way to gain ground on those atop the leaderboard, before Clarke followed that up with six straight pars. Cue the ninth hole, where his approach to the par five narrowly missed the green, but what happened next needs to be seen to be believed.

Having played two holes without the use of his putter - after he also chipped in on the tenth - Clarke was five under par through ten holes and had jumped 65 places on the leaderboard into the top 15. However, his short game domination did not last, and while facing a tricky lie to the left of the green on the 13th hole, Clarke hit what the commentators rather generously described as "a snap slice".

As a result, the 46 year old walked off the hole with a double bogey six and an apology to his playing partner Andy Sullivan, who got a closer view of Clarke's chip than he expected as it whizzed past the head of the two-time 2015 European Tour winner.

Regardless of their near miss, however, the pair seemed to thoroughly enjoy each other's company all day, sharing a laugh on more than a couple of occasions.

As for Clarke's round, it did not take the 14-time European Tour winner too long to get over his miscue, and having stuck a long iron approach to within a few feet of the hole at the testing par four 12th hole, he did the same again on the 14th to set up a tap in birdie two.

Following a short weather delay, Clarke and his playing partners Sullivan and Trevor Fisher Jnr returned to the course to finish the final four holes. Sadly for Clarke, the break seemingly interrupted the momentum he had built beforehand, eventually seeing him double bogey the final hole and card a three under par round, to sit two under par after 36 holes and in a tie for 34th.

The 67 was Clarke's lowest round in more than six months, however, and did show signs of the work he has been putting in on the range, as well as on the practice green, recently. Whether or not this ends up being the week that Clarke posts his 121st European Tour top ten remains to be seen, but he will no doubt continue to entertain the crowds here in Pretoria, and will be sure to do so with that trademark smile on his face.

3/05/2015

Kevin Phelan Leads Africa Open

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Kevin Phelan continued his impressive form by taking a one shot clubhouse lead at the Africa Open following an opening round 67.

The Irishman, who finished tied for second at the Joburg Open last week, negotiated the blustery conditions at the East London Golf Club superbly to sit five under.

Starting on the back nine, Phelan dropped his only shot on his second hole, the par four 477 yard 11th.

But the 24 year old responded in emphatic fashion with six birdies, including three consecutively from the fifth, the last of which was completed when he escaped from behind the trees following a disappointing tee shot.

Richard Bland and David Howell, also second last week, are leading the chase following four under par 68s, the former out in front before Phelan's superb late surge.

The Englishman produced three birdies on the front and back nine, but two dropped shots either side of the turn hampered his progress.

Bland said: “I had a little bit of a wobble through the middle, but I bounced back well. I hit a lovely shot into the 12th and made a good putt. On 14 today I hit driver, gap wedge and managed to take advantage of it. It was nice to finish strong.”

Bland would have slipped two off the lead if he had not produced an excellent chip shot to aid a putt for par on the last after over-hitting his approach.

Fellow countryman Howell collected a shot on his second and, despite cancelling that out on the next, four more gains helped his cause.

He said: “I played well and kept the ball in play. I think anything in the 60s is something to be delighted with.”

Scot David Drysdale, another early leader, and Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick were also among four players two shots off the lead.

Drysdale made a brief charge with an action-packed opening six holes, eagling the par five 509 yard first before collecting three birdies and a bogey, but failed to continue that hot streak and dropped a second shot on the 13th.

Fitzpatrick, starting on the back nine, was first out and his only blemish arrived on his penultimate hole, the eighth, which was the first of two consecutive bogies for Shaun Norris.

With South Africans winning this event on all five occasions, Norris was leading the home charge on two under after a mixed round that also consisted of six birdies and a double bogey.

Andy Sullivan, aiming to make it a hat-trick of victories in co-sanctioned events this year after winning the South Africa Open and Joburg Open, struggled with a level par 72 with five birdies and the same amount of bogies.

The in-form Englishman, despite being five shots off the lead, will take heart from the fact that he produced a level par opening round last week at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club and still went on to win the event.

Darren Clarke and Damien McGrane carded rounds of 72.

Michael Hoey and Peter Lawrie finished Thursday on five over par rounds of 77.

2/26/2014

Five Irish Contest Tshwane Open

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Shane Lowry, Damien McGrane, Gareth Maybin, Peter Lawrie and Kevin Phelan are in action this week in South Africa and join Jaco Van Zyl, who hopes to continue the excellent record of South African players on home soil at the Tshwane Open.

Home players have won nine of the last 11 European Tour events in South Africa, but Van Zyl is still awaiting his breakthrough after runner-up finishes at the Africa Open and Trophée Hassan II.

"As South Africans we always feel a bit more pressure playing European Tour events at home, but we've always done well in these events," said Van Zyl, who has made every cut this season and finished tied for fifth in East London two weeks ago.

"We're very competitive and we like marking our territory and won't give it up that easily. It would be nice if it's my turn this week."

Dawie van der Walt admits he faces a journey into the unknown as he looks to defend his title this week.

Van der Walt won his maiden European Tour title in the inaugural Tshwane Open 12 months ago and also triumphed at the Nelson Mandela Championship in December, but does not know how he will respond to the pressure of being defending champion.

"This is the first time I am defending so I don't really know what it's like," Van der Walt told the European Tour podcast. "We will see how I deal with the pressure of defending.

"I am not putting too much pressure on myself, my goal for this week is just to have a chance going into the last day to defend the title, not be too far back.

"If I can defend it, great; if I don't I'm not going to let it affect me too much."

Van der Walt won by two shots from compatriot Darren Fichardt last year on the Ernie Els-designed Copperleaf Golf & Country Estate at Centurion, which at 7,964 yards is the longest course in European Tour history.

It is also the first European Tour course to have four par fives measuring over 600 yards, while the 685 yard par five fourth hole is the longest in European Tour history.

"Last year the course was long but this year it's ridiculous. It's almost crazy," said local favourite Fichardt, who was born in Pretoria and is attached to Centurion.

"It's going to be demanding on your long-iron play, and it's going to put pressure on your chipping and putting.

"I like this course and I've been pretty consistent this year. I play here a lot and I'm hitting it a bit longer, which helps around here."

World Number 53 George Coetzee is the highest ranked player in the field and reached the last-16 in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona last week.

Coetzee beat World Number 13 Steve Stricker in the first round and Patrick Reed in the second at Dove Mountain, before losing 3 and 1 to eventual champion Jason Day.

The Joburg Open winner has been paired with England's Tommy Fleetwood and fellow South African van Zyl in the first two rounds.