The Irish Golf Club Gazette: Friday

Showing posts with label Friday. Show all posts

9/26/2014

Medinah Repeat for McIlroy and Poulter

Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter will restore their Medinah partnership at Gleneagles in Saturday morning's Ryder Cup fourballs.

Poulter and McIlroy produced one of the finest comebacks in recent Ryder Cup history two years ago when they won their Saturday fourball, kicking off Europe's rally towards what turned into a sensational overall victory - Poulter ended that game with birdies at the final five holes.

They will go out in the last fourball on Saturday morning but face a tough match, McIlroy again facing Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler after claiming what seemed like an unlikely half with in the Friday afternoon foursomes, that time alongside Sergio Garcia.

McIlroy is one of three European players making his third appearance, with the pairing of Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson unsurprisingly kept together after two impressive wins on Friday.

They take on a new American partnership of Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar, who both suffered defeat in their sole outing on the opening day.

American captain Tom Watson drew plenty of criticism for leaving Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth out of his foursomes line-up on Friday afternoon, following their superb 5 & 4 win over Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter, but they are back in action together on Saturday morning.

The rookie duo will take on Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer, who halved their only Friday match against Fowler and Walker in the morning fourballs.

The other match sees foursomes winners Lee Westwood and Jamie Donaldson back together for a clash with Hunter Mahan and Jim Furyk.

That means no Saturday morning game for Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley after one win and one defeat on Friday, while Sergio Garcia misses out after a poor performance on Friday alongside world No 1 McIlroy.

7/15/2014

Thursdays Only for McIlroy

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Rory McIlroy admits his failure to back up a low first-round score with a solid second is "getting into his head" as he prepares for this week's Open.

Last week, he shot a course-record 64 on day one of the Scottish Openonly to follow it up with a 78.

"I have no problem shooting a low one on Thursdays, so there should be no reason I have any problem shooting a low one on Fridays," he said.

"I need to go out and pretend like it's a Thursday again."

McIlroy also carded a 63 and a 78 at the Memorial earlier this season and suffered a seven-shot swing in another US Tour event.

"I'm putting pressure on myself to back up a low round on Thursday," said the 25-year-old Northern Irishman.

"I just need to try to keep it a little tighter when things aren't 100%."

McIlroy said he felt "unconscious" and "brain dead" after carding an eight-over-par 79 on day one of the Open last year.

He will tee off in the 2014 event in the same group as Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and USA's Jordan Spieth.

The former world number one won the last of his two majors in 2012 and has struggled to add to that tally.

He goes into the Open having ended his engagement to tennis player Caroline Wozniacki in May.

Following the split, he won the PGA Championship at Wentworth but then missed the cut at the Irish Open.

"It just seems I've been caught out this year by a bad stretch of holes every tournament," said McIlroy.

7/26/2013

Paul Doherty Leads Concra Wood

Paul Doherty shot a second-round 70 to take a one-stroke advantage into the final round of the Kingspan Concra Wood Open, the latest event on the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour.

The Scotsman moved to five under after 36 holes while Marcus Armitage (Howley Hall GC) is one off the pace after shooting the day’s best score, a five-under 67. William Harrold is joined by last year’s Kingspan Concra Wood Open winner Billy Hemstock and Limerick’s Tim Rice on three under in a tie for third.

Doherty (Vale Hotel) had shared the lead with Colm Moriarty (Glasson Hotel and Golf Club) on three under par following Wednesday’s first round, but the Irishman shot a four-over 76 on day two and is now tied 19th.

After a one-hour delay due to fog, joint overnight leader Doherty teed off on the tenth tee but bogeyed the 14th to drop to two under. Back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th saw him take his second-round card below par and a four on the par-five first had him at five under, although that was short-lived when his second bogey of the round came on the following hole.

However, Doherty found one more par breaker on the seventh and his clubhouse lead was never taken.

His closest challenger at the start of Friday’s final round will be Armitage. The Englishman is playing his first 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour event of the main season after finishing tied 33rd at Qualifying School.

He went into the second round one over but quickly found form, making five birdies before the turn. A bogey at the second, having started on the tenth, was only a brief setback before a sixth birdie of the round was recorded on the fourth.

Hemstock (Teignmouth Golf Club), carded a one-under 71 on day two and is just two strokes behind Doherty as he looks to defend the title he won by play-off at Concra Wood last year.

Two birdies on his last three holes took Rice to three under, while Harrold (Sheringham Golf Club) fired a second-round 70 to manoeuvre himself into a tie for third.

Ahead of the final round a cut to the leading 50 players plus ties has been made. A total of 53 golfers, whose 36-hole score is five over par or better, will play the final round in a bid to claim the £10,000 winner’s cheque and a brand new Motocaddy trolley.

Spectator entry to the course is free throughout the week.