The Irish Golf Club Gazette: Hideki Matsuyama

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5/18/2016

Irish Professionals - Brendan McGovern

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Brendan McGovern is recognised as one of Ireland's top golfers and is club professional at the 36 hole Headfort Golf Club in Kells, County Meath.

After turning professional in 1984 he qualified for the European Tour in 1990 where he played for over five years.

In 1997 he qualified for the 126th Open Championship at Royal Troon and suffered an opening round of 84 in very difficult conditions. On the Friday hefollowed up with a 74 and missed the cut. T

he Claret Jug that year went to American Justin Leonard after Darren Clarke could only finish on Sunday with a round of 71.

Over the past years McGovern has been a regular at the Irish Open.

Brendan is a Certified PGA Referee and 2003 captain of Irish Region PGA. He is a member of Tartan Golf - Ireland's largest buying group and the Headfort Pro shop supplies all leading brands at best prices.

Brendan offers lessons in all aspects of the game and is regarded as a leading short game specialist in the country with special tuition on pitching, chipping and bunker play.

In 2016 McGovern returned to the pro circuit to play the Senior Tour qualifiers in Portugal and finished third in the final event following rounds of 67-74-70-73 - to earn a place on the European Senior Tour for the 2016 season.

Career Highlights

Irish Assistant Champion 1984

Southern Professional Champion 1993/2002

Leading Qualifier British Open 1997

European Card Holder 1990/1995

Runner-up Boggi Intl. Open 1990

9th Kenya Open 1995/1996

8th Zambian Open 1994

8th European U 25 (Paris) 1989

Irish Order of Merit Winner 1990/1995/2002

Over 60 pro-am wins

Lowest pro score 63 (9 under) Torrequebreda S.C.

Represented GB/Ire in PGA Cup matches v. USA 1996/2003

FactFile

DOB 07/10/2015

Seniors QSchool 2016

Attachment Headfort Gol Club

Turned Pro 1984

2/25/2016

Lowry Tops Honda Leaderboard

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Shane Lowry signed for an opening round of 67 at The Honda Classic courtesy of a birdie on the 17th and then an eagle 3 on the 18th in the opening round of The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. .

He shared a threeway lead in the clubhouse with Sweden's David Lingmerth and American George McNeill, who has missed the cut in his last five events and whose last competitive round was an 84 in the Farmers Insurance Open.

"It wasn't easy," McNeill told PGA Tour radio after a round containing six birdies, one bogey and a double bogey. "The wind always blows here, it was the opposite direction to what it was in the practice rounds and the pro-am and a little cooler.

"I putted pretty phenomenal, that's really all I did well. I haven't made a putt in two years so it kind of felt good! To see them consistently go in, I didn't expect to make that many, but it was nice.

"Being back in Florida I feel a little more comfortable being back on Bermuda grass and greens. The stuff out west, I have fits out there just because I can't read it and putt it there. Being back in Florida helps."

Out on the course, the start of Sergio Garcia's round was as spectacular as Lowry's finish, the Ryder Cup star holing his approach to the second from 148 yards for an eagle two.

The world number 19 then holed from six feet for birdie on the par-five third to move into a share of the lead, with playing partner Rickie Fowler a shot behind after birdies on the second and third.

2/12/2016

Irish Trio Struggle at Pebble Beach

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Pádraig Harrington was thebest of the three Irish after a seocnd round 71 at the AT&T Pro- am in Pebble Beach on Friday - seven strokes of the lead.

Harrington is in his second week of a four-tournament stretch leading up to his defence of the Honda Classic at the end of the month, and used a missed cut at Phoenix to work on elements of his game.

Playing his second round at Pebble Beach, the Dubliner claimed another birdie on the Par 5 sixth, finding the green with a 3-wood approach from 237 yards and two-putting before adding a third birdie on the 10th where he hit a 170 yards approach from the left rough to 20 feet and rolled in the putt. A wayward drive into rough on the 16th proved costly though as Harrington bogeyed the 16th to drop back to two-under for his round (and five-under for the tournament).

As South Korean Sung Kang shot the lights out to grab the clubhouse lead in the AT&T Pebble Beach pro-am, Phil Mickelson provided proof of the old adage that class is permanent.

Kang briefly flirted with posting a magical 59 - before having to settle for a 60 that gave him a midway total of 11-under-par 231 - as Mickelson, a four-time winner of the tournament, reminded everyone of his pedigree with a second round 65 for 10-under-par.

Of the three Irish players in the field, three-time Major champion Pádraig Harrington - benefitting from a couple of chip-ins - led the way as he moved into contention with 71 for four-under 139. But Shane Lowry, coming into the tournament on the back of a tied-13th in Torrey Pines and a tied-sixth finish in Phoenix, and Paul Dunne struggled until late rallies and both face a battle to survive the three round cut.

Paul Dunne, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, struggled at the famed links and was heavily penalised for finding a number of bunkers. That tendency to find sand was apparent from the first hole when he found a greenside bunker and suffered an opening bogey.

On the second, Dunne’s drive found a fairway bunker and compounded matters by also finding a greenside bunker on the Par 5 en route to another bogey. Further bogeys followed on the fifth and eighth, the only bright light coming with a tap-in birdie on the sixth. Dunne’s homeward run also featured further visits to sand traps, with bogeys on the 12th and 14th. A 10-footer for birdie on the Par 3 17th got him back to one-over overall before an eight-footer on the 18th left him on level-par 143 alongside Lowry.

Lowry - playing alongside Harrington - got off to a good start with an opening birdie but gave the shot back immediately with a bogey on the second, where he drove into a fairway bunker and then compounded matters by finding another trap with his next shot. Although Lowry managed a birdie on the sixth, he then suffered back-to-back bogeys on the eighth and ninth to turn in one-over 37.

Mickelson set the course alight at Monterrey Peninsula with a front nine of 29 that featured five birdies and no bogeys. But such fireworks failed to continue on the run home as he added two birdies and suffered two bogeys, including a dropped shot on the 18th, to finish with a 65 which tied his best low round at the course in 2012. On that occasion, he went on to win the tournament.

Dunne Cards Eagle at Monterey Peninsula

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Paul Dunne card a four-under 67 in his opening round at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California, four shots behind leader Chez Reavie, who also played the par-71 Monterey Peninsula course, one of three played in the event.

Starting on the par-five 10th hole, Dunne made an eagle three before handing one shot back on the par-three 11th. Six straight pars followed before his round took off with four birdies in five holes as he made it to five under. A bogey on the par-three 17th saw him drop back to a share of 16th position.

Dunne and former R&A chief executive Peter Dawson are tied for sixth spot on the pro-am leaderboard on nine under.

Pádraig Harrington was a shot behind Dunne on three under after five birdies and three birdies in a 68, also at Monterey. Shane Lowry carded an even-par 71 on the same course.

American Reavie rebounded superbly from missed cuts in his last two PGA Tour starts to fire an eight-under-par 63 at Monterey and grab a one-shot lead in the opening round.

While some of the biggest names in the game battled hard to post sub-par scores, Reavie covered his final nine holes in a sizzling seven-under 30, considered the easiest of the three venues being used for this week’s event.

That left Reavie, whose only PGA Tour victory came at the 2008 Canadian Open, one stroke in front of Australian Cameron Smith and American Bronson Burgoon, who also played at Monterey, after a picture postcard day of unbroken sunshine.

Swede Freddie Jacobson had the best score at the Pebble Beach host course, a seven-under 65, while Englishman Justin Rose and American JB Holmes were best at Spyglass Hill, with six-under 66.

World number one Jordan Spieth, back on the PGA Tour after playing tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Singapore, struggled with his short game as he mixed four birdies with three bogeys for an opening 71 on the challenging Spyglass Hill layout.

“I played the hardest holes on this golf course in four under par and then I played all the easy ones over par,” Spieth, 22, told Golf Channel. “It’s kind of a bit odd.

“I’m just not quite dialled in with my wedges or with the short game right now. I had three (birdie) chances on par-fives greenside, just little chip shots, basic shots, and I made par as well as bogeying that 115-yard par-three.

“So a little frustrating with that but, all in all, to actually shoot one under with what I felt like I should have shot today is promising, considering we are going to the two easier courses, in my mind.”

Australian world number three Jason Day also had to fight hard as he matched Spieth with a 71 at Spyglass Hill.

“It’s a little frustrating,” said Day, who birdied two of his last six holes to finish the round with something of a flourish.

“I feel like I am hitting the ball pretty good and then I stand over some shots and I just don’t quite have the control that I would like to have.

“I feel okay with how I am driving it. I feel like it’s really close. Once I start getting that control back in the swing and I start gaining a little bit more confidence, then hopefully from there I will start playing a little better.”

5/10/2015

Rory Suffers Cold Putter at Players

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Rory McIlroy admitted he needs a "pretty special" final round at TPC Sawgrass if he is to contend for a maiden Players Championship title on Sunday.

The world No 1 continued to delight from tee to green, but he struggled to contain his frustration after again failing to convert a number of excellent birdie chances as he carded a two-under 70 to close on six under.

McIlroy made a confident start with a birdie at the second, but his problems scoring on the front nine over the Stadium Course continued as he bogeyed the fifth and eighth and then whiffed a pitch at the long ninth.

Left of the green in two, McIlroy's lob wedge slid straight under the ball in the lush rough, but he composed himself before playing a sublime fourth to within three feet to save his par.

He got one shot back with a four at the 11th, and he rolled in a tricky downhill putt for birdie at 13 before two-putting from 15 feet for another at 16.

McIlroy had a chance to get to seven under following an excellent drive and approach to within 10 feet at the last, but the opportunity slid past and left him to reflect on what might have been.

"Tee to green it's been really good, I've given myself a lot of chances and really could not convert much," McIlroy told Sarah Stirk at the Sky Cart on Sky Sports4.

"I've struggled to read the greens all week and just don't quite have it on the greens like I did last week (when he won the WGC-Cadillac Match Play).

"I've left myself in a position where I am going to need something pretty special tomorrow to have a chance; a 64 or 65 to get somewhere around 13 or 14 under. I think that would go very close."

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.

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.”

1/17/2015

Kaymer Has Rory in Rear View

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Martin Kaymer will take a one-shot lead into the weekend of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship as Rory McIlroy remained in touch with the German after a spectacular hole-in-one on the second day.

Kaymer kept a bogey off his card as he added a classy 67 to his opening 64 to set the early clubhouse target at 13 under, and that proved enough to earn him the halfway lead after Thomas Pieters bogeyed his final hole.

But it was McIlroy who provided the highlight of the second round when he celebrated his first ace in professional competition – a perfectly struck nine-iron finding the bottom of the cup at the 177-yard 15th that lifted him to within three of the lead.

The world No 1 struggled on the greens for much of the day, but he rolled in a clutch par putt from 12 feet at the 17th and holed from similar range at the last for a closing birdie – his fifth of the round – to cap a six-under 66.

McIlroy had started his day with a pair of birdies just as Kaymer was putting the finishing touches to his second round, and the US Open champion headed off to lunch having extended his overnight lead to five shots.

Highlights and reaction from the second day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

Kaymer, who has won three of the previous nine events in Abu Dhabi, started at the 10th and soon got into his stride with birdies at 12 and 13 before another at the 18th completed a back-nine 33.

He started the front nine with an unlikely birdie as he holed his escape from a greenside bunker, but a cold putter then halted his momentum until he got one to drop at the eighth before closing with a cast-iron par.

But Kaymer insisted afterwards that he was happy with his performance despite letting a few opportunities slip on the greens, and he was particularly pleased with his game from tee to green.

"I guess the greens, I can read them very well and my stroke always feels well when I come here," Kaymer told Sky Sports 4. "Again, today, I didn't miss many fairways, which gives you the opportunity to go for a lot of flags.

"To be honest I really believe the golf course plays two or three shots tougher in the morning than in the afternoon, because once you miss the fairway, you're in that thick, wet grass and then it's almost impossible to get home in two on the par fours.

"So therefore, I was very happy to shoot five under today."

McIlroy was denied a place in Saturday’s final pairing by Pieters, who carded an excellent 67 despite not making a birdie at any of the four par-fives.

The young Belgian matched Kaymer’s back-nine 33 and three birdies over the next six holes pulled him level with the leader until his blotted his card at the ninth to close on 12 under.

England’s James Morrison earned himself a place alongside McIlroy in the third round after he birdied the final two holes to complete a six-birdie 67 that elevated him to nine under par.

Morrison shares fourth place with Peter Uihlein, who kept a bogey off his card in a solid 68, while Frenchman Alexander Levy (70) and Australian veteran Richard Green (68) are a short further adrift.

Further down the field, star American attraction Rickie Fowler scraped into the weekend with nothing to spare on two under after labouring to a 75 which was blighted by an ugly triple-bogey eight at the long eighth.

Justin Rose also made the cut on the number after managing four birdies in a workmanlike 69, but his Ryder Cup team-mate Henrik Stenson was unable to avoid a weekend off.

The world No 2 made a gallant attempt to bounce back from Thursday’s torrid 76, but his five-birdie 68 merely lifted him back to level par for the tournament, while defending champion Pablo Larrazabal’s 72 was one too many to make the weekend.

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