The Irish Golf Club Gazette: ISPSGolf

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9/21/2014

Lowry Claims Share of Second in Wales

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Shane Lowry was never able to get on level terms with the leaders on the final day of the ISPS Handa Wales Open, carding two bogeys and one birdie in his first five holes to sign for a round of 70 at The Celtic Manor.

So it was Joost Luiten who breathed a sigh of relief after overcoming a poor start and nervous finish to claim his fourth European Tour title in Wales.

The Dutchman, who was fifth in the defence of his KLM Open title on home soil last week, saw his two shot overnight lead disappear when he bogeyed the first two holes of the final round at The Celtic Manor Resort.

But the 28 year old hit back with three birdies and one bogey on the back nine to card a closing 71 and finish 14 under par, one shot ahead of England's Tommy Fleetwood and Ireland's Shane Lowry.

Fleetwood had looked out of contention following a double bogey on the 13th, but then chipped in for a birdie on the 14th, holed from five feet for eagle on the next and also birdied the last three holes for a closing 67.

That left Luiten needing to par the last three holes to win and he looked to have done the hard part with a superb up and down from a greenside bunker on the 17th, only to hit an amazingly wild drive on the last.

It took several minutes for the ball to be found in dense rough but Luiten was able to hack it across the fairway and into more rough, from where he found the green with his approach and two-putted from long range.

"It was tough, it was hard work down the last," Luiten admitted. "I didn't have the start I wanted with two bogeys and I just tried to hang in there and wait for my chances and made some nice birdies at the end and a par down the last was luckily enough.

“There's always a lot of tension on the first hole – you try to settle down, try to make an easy par or birdie and then I left myself quite a tricky first putt and I just didn't read it well. I didn't give the right pace and you leave yourself an eight footer downhill left to right and that's one you can make or miss and I missed it today.

“You just try to settle down the first couple holes, and after that, I got back into my game. I started to hit greens, and I just didn't really make any putts in the middle part - luckily we made a couple at the back.”

Like Luiten, Fleetwood has also come into form late in the season, finishing fifth in both the D+D REAL Czech Masters and Omega European Masters recently.

The 23 year old, who won his maiden European Tour title at Gleneagles last year, said: "After the double bogey on 13 I definitely wasn't thinking about getting to 13 under, just try your best on the last few and see what you can get. I wanted to get back to level par or under par for the day. I thought that would have been a good effort.

"After a poor summer, I wanted to finish the season well. I've been playing well recently and the more you get up there, the better. This is how you learn. You can't practice this on the range when you're coming down the stretch in the top five and just the more you do it, the better it is."

Five players shared fourth place, Ryder Cup debutant Jamie Donaldson carding a 67 to finish alongside Nicolas Colsaerts, Eddie Pepperell, Marc Warren and Edoardo Molinari.

"I'm very pleased," Donaldson said. "Celtic Manor is a tough golf course which doesn't quite suit my eye. It's been hard for me this week to keep focused and try and see the shots. If you take your foot off the pedal and there's a lot of trouble about.

"I'm happy the way I played over the last four or five weeks, building up to the Ryder Cup. I couldn't have asked for any more, really."

Team-mates Thomas Björn and Lee Westwood carded closing rounds of 74 and 76 respectively, Westwood having to birdie the 16th and 18th to avoid an even worse score.

"I needed to play some competitive golf and I've done that," said the 41 year old ahead of his ninth Ryder Cup. "I hit a few good shots (this week), not so good today, but I probably had one eye on next week. I don't think the concentration and the focus was there.

"The Ryder Cup is very special, I am looking forward to getting there tonight and preparing for Friday when it starts."

9/19/2014

Lowry Tops Leaderboard in Wales

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Shane Lowry tops the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the ISPS Handa Wales Open after a flawless second round 65 at The Celtic Manor Resort, but admitted his position was something of a surprise.

The Clara man, who has recorded all three of his top-ten finishes this season on British soil, carded six unanswered birdies to move one ahead of first round leader Joost Luiten and big-hitting Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts on nine under par.

The 2012 winner Thongchai Jaidee and Italy’s former Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari are a shot further back on seven under, while one of Europe’s Team members for next week’s contest at Gleneagles, Jamie Donaldson, maintained his chances of becoming the first Welsh winner of his National Open with a second round 67 that left him five under.

The 27 year old Lowry’s four previous visits to the 2010 Ryder Cup venue had yielded only one made cut when he finished 39th four years ago, and after his round the two-time European Tour winner said: “I'm pretty happy. I've never, ever done well here before, so to be leading after two rounds is nice.

“There is still a long way to go in the tournament but I'm really looking forward to the weekend.

“I didn't drive it that good yesterday but still shot a decent score. I drove it a lot better today, drove it a lot straighter and gave myself a lot of chances and rolled in a few putts, so it was nice.

“I felt like coming over that I could give it a go this week. I was around tenth going into the back nine on Sunday last week, and similar the week before in Switzerland. If I can get myself in a good position come the back nine this weekend, again, hopefully I can give it a go.”

The 28 year old Luiten finished fourth in the 71° OPEN D'ITALIA Presented by DAMIANI and fifth in the defence of his KLM Open title last week and said: “I’m happy. It was tough today because the greens were very soft compared to yesterday with all the rain they had last night, and with the back pins, even seven irons spun back four or five yards, and it was tough to fly them all the way to the back.”

Colsaerts has not won since the Volvo World Match Play Championship in 2012 which secured his Ryder Cup place that year, but eagled the par five 18th for the second day running in his round of 68.

"It would mean a lot to win again after two years and struggling the first few months of the season," Colsaerts said. "Today I started very nicely but made two silly mistakes in the middle of the round and I almost lost it but it was nice to hole that putt on the last. It was about 35 feet with eight feet of break."

Ryder Cup wild cards Stephen Gallacher and Lee Westwood experienced differing results but similar emotions.

While Gallacher headed home in relaxed mood despite seeing his preparations cut short by missing the halfway cut, Westwood was equally happy that a battling performance ensured he would have two more rounds to get his game into shape for Gleneagles.

"Yesterday was quite tough," Gallacher admitted after a round containing two birdies - both on par fives - and one bogey. "It was tough to get going and get my head around it but today was a lot better. I was maybe trying a wee bit too hard yesterday and still thinking about next week.

"I feel good, I'm physically and mentally good so I am really looking forward to next week. I'll get up the road this afternoon and relax this weekend and maybe play nine holes with Thomas (Björn) on Monday morning. I've done my preparation for it and I just want to get up there and get going."

Westwood had also not played competitively since bowing out of the FedEx Cup play-offs after the first event, but recovered from an opening 73 with a 69 which featured two crucial birdies in the last four holes.

"I needed a couple more rounds," Westwood said. "I was not particularly competitive yesterday, it was pretty scratchy, but today was more solid. A few iffy shots but it was nice to finish with two birdies in the last four holes to ensure being here for the weekend and two more competitive rounds.

"I have been working on my game and been in the gym quite a lot, but I'm not quite match fit. I had three weeks off and you lose your sharpness."

Team-mate Björn, who played alongside Gallacher, added a 69 to his opening 71 to lie two under par, with Donaldson’s 67 most impressive of the Gleneagles-bound quartet.

7/07/2014

Meadows Third at ISPS Masters

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Stephanie Meadow fired a nine-under 63 to finish in a share of third spot at the ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters at Buckinghamshire Golf Club on Sunday. Just a fortnight after finishing third at the US Women’s Open at Pinehurst on her professional debut and a cheque for €200,000.

Meadow has now proved it was no flash in the pan on her debut in the paid ranks of the Ladies European Tour as she took home just under €28,000.

Her earnings so far look set to earn her a full LPGA card for 2015 in a start to a professional career similar to that of fellow Ulster native Rory McIlroy, who earned his card through sponsor invites when he made the switch .

Meadow’s flawless final round saw the 22-year-old Royal Portrush golfer card nine birdies to equal the course record and catapult her up the leaderboard on the final day.

South Korea’s IK Kim proved a runaway winner of the event after she also carded a 63 on Saturday and followed it up with a closing 68 to finish five strokes clear on 18 under.

Australia’s Nikki Campbell carded a 67 in her final round to finish in second place, with Meadow sharing third spot with South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace (68) and Germany’s Caroline Masson (69).

Meadow put her stunning final round of 63 down to a combination of consistency over a full round and greens that were more receptive following rain.

“I just hit a lot of solid shots. All week I’ve had a good front nine or a good back nine. I just couldn’t put 18 holes together so obviously I did that today,” Meadow told the Ladies European Tour website.

“The greens were a little softer than the first two days. That makes scoring a lot easier and the wind wasn’t too bad today so that made some winds a lot easier. There were less side winds and more downwind and into the wind, so it was a little easier.”

Meadow’s round was all the more amazing as she failed to make any gains at the ninth or 10th, both Par 5s, but she admitted that the putter came to her aid.

“I started off with birdie on two and I made a really long putt on four which was nice. I got the putter going and other than that it was some solid shots and some great putts.”

Meadow received a sponsor’s invite to play at the Ladies European Masters, but must qualify for next weekend’s Ricoh Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale.

Meadow plays the final qualifier at Southport and Ainsdale on Monday, with 77 golfers bidding battling out for the 14 spots on offer for the British Open.

In regard to her future plans, Meadow added: “I’m going to qualify for the British Open tomorrow hopefully and after that I’m waiting for some sponsor exemptions to see if I can play LPGA in the States. Goal wise, I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing, work harder than ever and see where it puts me.”

12/13/2013

Hoey Finishes Second Round

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Michael Hoey finally finished his second round on Friday at the rain interrupted Nelson Mandela Championship in South Africa signing for a 69 to finish -6 and six strokes off the leaders.

David Higgins, Damien McGrane and Simon Thornton have yet to complete round two in an event now reduced to 54 holes.

Kevin Phelan carded rounds of 74 and 70 to fall well four shorts beyond the projected cut.

Jorge Campillo was one of two players to card a 59 on day three of The Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa, but England’s Daniel Brooks remains the man to catch in Durban.

Campillo and South African Colin Nel both broke the magic 60 barrier within moments of each other – although they will not enter the record books as preferred lies were allowed on Mount Edgecombe’s saturated fairways.

Spain’s Campillo had two eagles and seven birdies in his incredible round to reach 11 under par for the tournament, but first round leader Brooks was 12 under with seven holes of his second round remaining when darkness brought play to a halt.

England’s Matthew Baldwin shot a 62 to share the clubhouse lead with Campillo, with home favourites Branden Grace, Oliver Bekker and Dawie van der Walt on ten under.

Following lengthy delays on both Wednesday and Thursday, waterlogged fairways again held up play for three hours this morning and forced organisers to reduce the tournament to 54 holes.

On completion of the first round nobody had bettered Qualifying School graduate Brooks’ 62 from the opening day, but after a quick turnaround Campillo swiftly moved ahead.

Three birdies and an eagle on the way out saw him turn in 31, and he added another gain at the first.

Bidding for a first European Tour title, the 27 year old then holed from 25 feet at third, pitched in at the fourth for his second eagle, and hit his tee shot to six feet at the short fifth.

A straightforward two-putt at the long eighth completed his scoring, and afterwards he said: “We play other par 70s on Tour, but you still have to shoot 59 and I’m pretty happy with the way I finished.

“I was ten under after 14 holes and had two tough par fours and a tough par three coming in.

“I was never close to 59 before, but in the KLM Open I was eight under with three holes to go on a par 70. Finishing with three birdies would have put me on 59, but I finished par-par-bogey. That helped me a lot today, because finishing well was important and I did it.”

Brooks did not tee off until after Campillo and Baldwin had finished, but chipped in at the 15th for his third birdie in his opening six holes to draw level.

Another gain from 20 feet at the first then put the 26 year old ahead, and he will have the chance to extend his lead over the last seven holes when play resumes at 06:00 on Saturday morning.

Baldwin has never finished better than fifth on The European Tour, but is looking forward to challenging for a maiden title and believes having completed his second round could be an advantage on Saturday.

“I don’t think tiredness comes into it - what does come into it is the fact that you’re playing a lot of holes close together,” he said. “For example, I played 21 holes in a short space of time today and by the time I finished I was quiet tired, so getting some rest in will be important for tomorrow.”

World Number 49 Grace won four times on The Race to Dubai in 2012, but having had several near misses in a trophy-less 2013 is keen to return to wining ways.

“I feel like this week shows what happens when you make those few extras putts,” said the 25 year old.

“I’m right up there again and it’s all about the putting. If I can keep rolling the ball well then hopefully tomorrow will be one more memory of lifting a trophy. It would be great to finish the year off with a win.

Grace can also cement his place in the Official World Golf Ranking’s top 50 who will receive invites to the Masters Tournament at the end of the year, but the Pretoria golfer has another motive.

“Mandela is one of the reasons I am here,” he added. “A lot of people think I’m here for the top 50, but I think I’ve secured that for the year.

“Coming here you’re trying to get the win for Madiba, not that it will make everything better for the country, but hopefully it will put a little smile on some people’s faces. Maybe if you lift the trophy at the end you can say ‘this is for him’.”

11/22/2013

GMAC Lowry Team 11th

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Graeme McDowell carded a level par second round at the ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf in Australia with team mate Shane Lowry signing for one stroke more for a 72.

Ireland are in 11th ahead of the weekend on +6 and thirteen strokes off the leader Thomas Bjorn.

On day two Bjorn continued his love affair with the Royal Melbourne Golf Course shooting a a 3-under 68 to take a one stroke lead into the weekend.

Bjorn leads the tournament at 8-under par, one ahead of American Kevin Streelman.

Portugal’s Ricardo Santos shot a third round of 4-under 67 to sit in a tie for third alongside Australia’s Jason Day, the Australians fighting hard in both the team and individual components of the tournament with help from a revitalised Adam Scott.

Despite being tested on numerous occasions by the course, leader Bjorn’s affection for Royal Melbourne continued to shine.

“I love this course,” said Bjorn who leads despite three putting the first.

“There were a couple of things that happened on the golf course today that really tested me.”

“I just want to play 72 holes, stay focussed, stay concentrated, knowing that this is a golf course that a lot of people are going to find difficult.”

Bjorn’s admiration also extended to local hero Adam Scott.

“You have got the greatest ambassador in golf, the nicest guy you will ever meet and what he is doing for Australian golf at the moment is just remarkable. Most other golfers would have chased a bit of cash around the world and done other things and, you know, Australia should be proud of what he does these four weeks that’s for sure.”

Out this morning Streelman got out to an early lead over the field of 60, the 35-year-old starting with four consecutive birdies.

However disaster struck towards the end of the American’s front nine, Streelman carding a bogey and double bogey on holes eight and nine.

“I just hit it in the wrong part of the golf course, No.8 and No.9, and Royal Melbourne will bite you when you do that which is what makes it such an awesome golf course,” he said.

Signing for a 1-under 70 an unlucky Jason Day was rueing a round that saw a number of putts lip out.

“I had three lip outs, pretty harsh ones, but I’m definitely happy with shooting one under today, especially being out here at Royal Melbourne with how hard and fast the greens are - it can definitely go south pretty quick.”

Finishing at 4-under for the tournament, Day said he was motivated by the home-crowd support around Royal Melbourne that included a number of The Fanatics in full sing.

“It just kind of takes your mind away from what has happened. When you are play in a different sport like football and you are not kicking that great, you can kind of take your aggression out on someone else.”

“We can’t really go and tackle someone across the green so to have the fanatics there to take our minds of mental errors is a good thing.”

Starting at the opposite end of the leaderboard fellow Aussie Adam Scott wasted no time in trying to make amends for yesterday’s disappointing round.

The Queenslander birdied both the first and second hole on his way to a second round 3-under par 68 total.

“I needed to have a decent score today and it was hard out there. I do not think there were too many great scores to be had because Royal Melbourne is playing tricky so it felt like a hard working 68,” said Scott.

“It would be nice if I could play my way up there to the top few individually tomorrow and tee off around Jason as well. We both just have to play well over the weekend but the teams competition is well within our reach and six shots between two people can change very quickly so I think we are looking in good shape for a good weekend.”

In the teams component, the United States leads at 247 (-10), followed by Denmark at 277(-7) with Japan and Australia tied for third at 281 (-3).

10/19/2013

Higgins Struggles in Perth

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David Higgins dropped three strokes on the way to the turn at the ISPS Perth International on Saturday, to sign for a two over round of 74 falling to 58th place in his last event of the European Tour season - the cut off for the Race to Dubai.

The Waterville golfer now needs a magic Sunday with some good prize money to have any chance of automatically returning next year. This is despite benefiting already from some changes in the Race to Dubai rankings announced by the European Tour this week, all relating to some players ahead of Higgins. And indeed Peter Lawrie in the Race to Dubai.

Lawrie though looks more certain of maintaining his ten year playing rights, despite also signing for a level par round, as he now lies 25th ahead of Sunday. He needs much less prize money for safety on Sunday.

Michael Hoey, the almost forgotten other Irish entry downunder, is safely 92nd in the the rankings and repeated another 69 on Saturday to his Friday efforts, to share tenth place.

The leaasers, Western Australia natives Brody Ninyette and Brett Rumford, gave the locals plenty to cheer on day three of the ISPS HANDA Perth International at Lake Karrinyup.

Ninyette, who predominantly plays on the co-sanctioning PGA Tour of Australasia, holds the lead on eight under par going into the final round following a 67 today.

However, Rumford matched the course record with a 65 to be only behind, alongside Dane JB Hansen and Korea’s former Amateur Champion Jin Jeong.

Rumford started his round at the tenth having been seven shots off the lead at the start of the day, but birdied four of his first six holes to turn in 32 and make swathes through the field.

After another birdie at the first, the 36 year old struck his tee shot to three feet at the fifth, came within an inch from chipping in at the sixth, splashed out to a foot from a bunker at the seventh and holed a 25 footer at the eighth.

A par on his last hole would have seen the five-time European Tour winner, who claimed back-to-back titles in the Far East earlier this season, card a new course record, but he three-putted the ninth for his only bogey of the day.

“The greens were receptive with the wedges, and my wedge game was great today,” said Rumford – who at eighth on The Race to Dubai is on course to secure a share of the $3,750,000 bonus pool that will be share by the top ten players after the Final Series, which begins next week.

“It was a mixed bag of everything that was working well. It’s disappointing to have three putted the last, no doubt about it, but obviously my mind set, playing so well, was too aggressive on the last.

“It's great to play in front of the local galleries. It was nice to get out there and just to play some nice golf.

“The crowds were starting to increase as my round progressed and it was giving me an indication of how I was going.

“It would be massive to win on home soil. You win a couple of times and you think, let's go out and do it again but it doesn't quite happen that way and you realise how hard it is to win out here.

“There are so many great players, and the last nine holes of any championship can just swing so quickly, as it did in China. Mikko Ilonen got within one or two, whatever it was, and all of the sudden a few holes later, I'm leading by six just in the space of nothing and it can turn just as quick, negatively, as it can positively. I've got myself in position to win; I'll be working hard and that's what I'll be focusing on for the next 24 hours.

“Winning in front of your home crowd, there would be nothing better than that, that's for sure.”

The highlight of Ninyette’s seven birdies came with a 25 foot effort on the sixth, and he admits that leading on Sunday will be a new experience.

“I've been playing well the last few days,” he said. “It was good to hole a few putts and get myself into contention.

“It's obviously a very new experience, so try and get some sleep and see how we go tomorrow.”

When asked what victory tomorrow would mean, Ninyette added: “Obviously being able to play in Europe next year; that would be one of the bigger things. Just getting to travel a lot more.

“It would be amazing. It would be a whole new experience, getting out there and playing over there would be unreal to see how the world's best do it. I've only played these sort of tournaments in Australia.”

At 90th on The Race to Dubai Hansen needs a good week to increase his chances of featuring in the Final Series, and his blemish-free round put him firmly in contention for a maiden European Tour victory.

“I just played great all day,” he said. “I kept the ball in play and I holed the important putts I needed to hole.

“It's a great score, just what I needed to move up in the field. Hopefully I will be in a good position tomorrow.

“I’m going to have fun tomorrow and enjoy. I'm on top of the leaderboard, so see what it brings.”

Jeong has featured on The Challenge Tour this season, and he fired in a 20 foot birdie putt at the last to move to within one of the lead.

Overnight leader Peter Hedblom, needing a win to retain his European Tour card, drifted into the pack with a three over 75.

Only the top 110 players on The Race to Dubai at close of play on Sunday will retain their cards for next season, and of those needing to climb the rankings 130th-placed Fredrik Andersson Hed and 136th-placed Richard Finch gave themselves the best chance by moving into a share of fifth on sixth under.

Both players are former European Tour winners, and England’s Finch require a top-three finish, while Swede Andersson Hed must finish in the top five to trouble those on the bubble.

10/18/2013

Hope Still for Duo in Perth

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David Higgins signed for a level par second round 72 at the ISPS HANDA Perth International on Friday and is currently in 48th place, with the afternoon starts still to complete their work.

At one over par overall Higgins lies seven strokes off the leader and two strokes inside the projected cut. His automatic return to the Europeans Tour next year however requires the Waterville man finishes at least 35th on Sunday to be safe.

Peter Lawrie is currently in a share of 24th, after a two under par round 70, and four places off where he needs to finish on Sunday to retain the playing rights he has held for ten years.

Ross Fisher grabbed the early clubhouse lead continued in Western Australia.

The former Ryder Cup star, currently 65th in The Race to Dubai and looking to break into the top 60 who will earn a place in next month’s DP World Tour Championship, shot a second round 67 to advance to five under par.

The four-time European Tour winner chipped in from the bunker at the sixth for one of six birdies at Lake Karrinyup, with his only dropped shot of the day coming at the 18th – his ninth – to lead Søren Hansen, Josh Younger and Clint Rice by one in the clubhouse.

“I want to try and get in the top 60,” Fisher said of his Race to Dubai aspirations.

“It would be for me a great achievement having played the first half of the year in the States. My first tournament in Europe counting wise wasn't till May.

“So I've always been playing catch up, but I can be really proud of how I've played the second half of the year.

“A good week here, hopefully that gets me into next week in China. Not out of the question if I won this week, hopefully that would put me into the HSBC - that would be huge. There are some big tournaments left: obviously this week first and hopefully I can do enough here to get myself into next week, possibility the HSBC, Turkey and Dubai.

“The ultimate goal would be to get myself into Dubai, but I need to play very well this week to allow myself to try and get into next week.”

Out on the course US Ryder Cup star Dustin Johnson and Sweden’s overnight co-leader Peter Hedblom were five under for the week after three and two holes respectively to join Fisher in the lead.

Dane Hansen was a member of Sir Nick Faldo’s Ryder Cup side in 2008, but has slipped to 137th in The Race to Dubai.

While most outside the top 110 are in the last-chance saloon to move up the rankings and keep their cards for next season, Hansen is in the top 40 career earnings and thus exempt for next year,

“Obviously that relaxes me a little bit and I feel for the guys who are playing for their privilege to play on The European Tour,” said Hansen after a second round 69.

“I played with Oliver Fisher and he's played really, really got last two days, shot level par, but should probably have been a lot better really. I feel for him and hope he can have a good week.”

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