Showing posts with label KLMOpen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KLMOpen. Show all posts

9/15/2013

McGrane Goes Dutch

Getty Images
Damien McGrane carded a final round of one under par at the KLM Open to secure a share of third place in Zandvoort in Holland. 

Shane Lowry slipped on the last day to sign for a round of 73 and finish 26th, four ahead of Paul McGinley.

David Higgins finished 58th and Simon Thornton 63rd.

Kevin Phelan ended his arrival into the professional ranks in Holland by making the cut and a 67th place finish after rounds of 71, 68, 73, 74. 

But it was Joost Luiten who made it a day of double Dutch delight with victory in the KLM Open after compatriot Daan Huizing won the Kharkov Superior Cup on The Challenge Tour.

Minutes after Huizing secured a two shot win in the Ukraine, Luiten beat Miguel Angel Jiménez on the first hole of a sudden-death play-off at Kennemer Golf Club to become the first home winner for a decade.

A par on the 18th was enough to give Luiten his third European Tour title and second of the season after Jiménez three-putted from long range.

Jiménez, already the oldest winner in European Tour history, began the day a shot behind playing partner Luiten but quickly moved into the lead courtesy of a hat-trick of birdies from the second.

The 49 year old, who broke his leg in a skiing accident shortly after his win in the Hong Kong Open aged 48 and 318 days last November, missed from two feet for a birdie on the 12th but soon enjoyed a two shot cushion when he birdied the next and Luiten bogeyed.

However, Luiten birdied the 14th after a superb approach to five feet and got back on level terms on the next when Jiménez failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker.

Both players bogeyed the 17th and parred the last to finish tied on 12 under par, Jiménez carding a 67 and Luiten a 68.

They returned to the 18th for the play-off and Jimenez needed a fairway wood for his second shot into a strong wind on the 400 yard par four, just finding the front edge of the green.

However, the 19-time European Tour winner charged his birdie attempt six feet past the hole and missed the return, leaving Luiten to hole from three feet for the win which brought a massive cheer from the packed galleries.

"Miguel was playing great, especially on the front nine when he started with four birdies in six holes and I was struggling a little bit," said Luiten, who won the Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity in Austria earlier this season.

"I made a few mistakes and although I saved par each time I thought to just hang in there until the back nine and hopefully I can make a move there and that happened."

Luiten finished second to Ross Fisher at Kennemer in 2007 and added: "It was my first year and a great week but it definitely gave me the taste for more and to win it now I can't believe it yet, it's unbelievable. I think tonight it will hit me.

"I don't know what it means for Dutch golf but I think it's pretty big. Maarten Lafeber won it in 2003 and that was huge, and to have another Dutch winner now I think it will help the game here and hopefully we can create more Dutch winners for this tournament."

Jiménez, who was seeking his 13th victory since turning 40, said: "Joost played very well and there had to be only one winner. The Dutch Open deserved the winner.

"It was a tough day in the wind and not easy for anyone. I was happy to be in contention once more."

Three-time champion Simon Dyson finished three shots back in a share of third place alongside fellow Englishman Fisher, France's Grégory Havret and McGrane.
Enhanced by Zemanta

9/13/2013

Padraig Prefers Ghost Spider

Getty Images
Padraig Harrington left the controversial belly-putter out of his bag in the first round of the KLM Open and further cheered purists by performing nicely on the greens at Kennemer with a conventional 'Ghost Spider'.

Harrington's long game was troubled on Thursday and required two birdies at 17 and 18 to salvage a one-over-par 71.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, playing in the same three-ball as Harrington, posted a career low 64 on Harry Colt's intriguing Dutch creation, which left the Spaniard (49) one ahead of Damien McGrane at the head of affairs.

McGrane sparkled on one of his favourite stomping grounds for an opening 65 that earned him a share of second with Pablo Larrazabal, David Howell, Gary Orr, Fabrizio Zanotti and Robert Allenby.

Harrington, on-course ambassador for world ruling body the R&A, is an outspoken supporter of the decision to outlaw anchoring of long putters from January 2016.

So, many were shocked when he took up the belly-putter at May's Wells Fargo Championship after being struck by what he once called the "heebie-jeebies" on the green.

Four months on, his stroke is back the groove. Which was just as well yesterday as Harrington polished off a series of clutch putts, not least a six-footer at 17 and eight-footer at 18.

His wayward play was summed up by a calamitous triple-bogey seven on 10 during a short, drenching squall.

When his tee shot skidded right, Harrington got a decent lie in the trees. Still, he carved his next into deep trouble and, after taking a penalty drop away from a bush, the Dubliner hit through the green and into sand. He needed two to get out of the trap, his ball rolling seven feet past the cup, leaving a decent putt for his seven.

Kevin Phelan signed for a 71 to share 82nd with Harrington and Peter Lawrie.

Paul McGinley finished with a birdie at the last for a two-under 68, one better than his playing companion Shane Lowry.

Simon Thornton shot 70.


Enhanced by Zemanta

9/12/2013

McGrane Flies High at KLM

Getty Images
Damien McGrane is in command at the KLM Open at Kennemer Golf Club in Zandvoort.

He shares the lead with England's David Howell, Spain's Pablo Larrazabal and Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti. He shot an opening round of 65

Nicolas Colsaerts suffered a rollercoaster opening round as he returned to action following a four-week break in the KLM Open at Kennemer Golf Club in Zandvoort.

Belgian Colsaerts was hoping the combination of time off and a 'home' tournament in Holland could kickstart his bid for a second Ryder Cup appearance following his debut in last year's 'Miracle at Medinah'.

The 30-year-old was born in Brusselsbut has been playing in the KLM Open - also known as the Dutch Open - since he was a teenager and the course is just two and a half hours' drive from his home in Rixensart.

However, after recovering from three bogeys in his first seven holes to get back to level par, Colsaerts ran up a triple-bogey seven on his final hole to card a disappointing 73 and lie eight shots off the clubhouse lead shared by Ireland's Damien McGrane, England's David Howell, Spain's Pablo Larrazabal and Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti.

Starting from the 10th, Colsaerts bogeyed his opening hole and also dropped shots at the 14th and 16th to be out in 37 on the par-70 composite layout, but bounced back with birdies at the third, fourth and sixth.

All the good work was undone on the ninth however, where he was forced to hack out onto the fairway after a wayward drive and then took a penalty drop when his approach to the green found an unplayable lie in heavy rough.

At the other end of the leaderboard, McGrane had covered the front nine in 33 and reached six under thanks to an eagle on the par-five 12th and birdie on the 15th, but bogeyed the 17th when he three-putted from just short of the green.

In contrast former world number six Howell was inches away from winning aBMW for a hole-in-one on the 17th, the tap-in birdie his fifth of the day in a flawless 65.

Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley carded a two-under-par 68 to finish alongside Irish Open winner Paul Casey, while home favourite Joost Luiten was a shot behind after a 69 and BMW PGA Championship winner Matteo Manassero carded a 70.


Enhanced by Zemanta

9/11/2013

Harrington Makes KLM Return

Getty Images
Padraig Harrington will try to find the "intensity" which has been missing from his game all season as he competes in the KLM Open for the first time in more than a decade.

The Dubliner has recorded just two top-10 finishes on the European Tour this season - in January and March - and failed to finish in the top 125 on the US Tour to qualify for the lucrative FedEx Cup play-offs.

The three-time major winner has therefore turned his attention back to Europe and after finishing 41st in Switzerland last week, where he failed to build on a second-round 65, the 42-year-old is hoping to challenge for a first victory on a major worldwide tour since his 2008 US PGA triumph.

"Obviously I missed out on the FedEx Cup events and at this time of the year you are looking to play golf and try to find some good form," Harrington told European Tour Radio at Kennemer Golf and Country Club in Zandvoort. "It's nice to come to two really nice events this week and last week and being not far from home it really does feel nice.

"Everyone will feel comfortable on this course but certainly it will play into my strengths and I am definitely looking forward to a competitive week.

"It's very linksy tee to green and it's quite windy and cold as well. The golf course will play well in this weather; if it was a big parkland course it would be miserable, but every shot can be hit in the wind out here. No matter how windy it gets this course will play well.

"There's been nothing wrong with my game all year expect when I go on the course with a card in my hand. I play quite well Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and I don't seem to have the intensity on the tournament days.

"It's there, it's just figuring how to best get it out of me. That's part of the game at the moment, trying to figure out the right attitude and the right level of intensity to get the best out of my game.

"Whenever I've played my best golf in the past, I've generally felt quite fearful about the state of my game. I tended to get quite tense and focused and as a result I played much better, but because there's no fear at the moment, I'm not bringing much of a spark out onto the course.

"It's just something I'm going to have to manage to figure out, but I'm definitely working at it; I never stop working at this game."

Holland's Joost Luiten will carry the majority of home hopes as he looks to build on a superb season which saw him win the Lyoness Open in Austria and record five other top-10 finishes to lie 23rd on the Race to Dubai.

"I haven't played Zandvoort for three years but I like it and have good memories here," Luiten said. "I was second in 2007 so if I take my form to the course in know I can do well.

"It's a great old-fashioned golf course and is going to be in great condition. Hopefully the weather is going to help us a bit but the golf course itself is brilliant.

"It plays linksy but you can still fly it into the greens. You have to play for position a lot of the time, it's not driver everywhere, you have to be smart and hit the fairways. If you miss the fairways you are going to be in trouble."




Enhanced by Zemanta