The Irish Golf Club Gazette: Morten Ørum Madsen

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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.

2/04/2015

Round Two in McIlroy Dublin Battle

Rory McIlroy and his lawyers were locked in talks for hours after Dublin High Court agreed to defer the opening of his multi-million pound legal battle with a former agent.

Mr Justice Cregan postponed the case for three hours, for another two and then until Wednesday morning after hearing the two sides were "making progress" in discussions.

The 25-year-old golfer is suing his former management company for £4.5m, alleging he was coerced into signing an "unconscionable" contract at a Christmas party.

Horizon Sports Media, is counter-suing him for £13m, alleging breach of contract and unpaid fees for helping to negotiate some lucrative sponsorship deals.

The bitter dispute has rumbled on for 18 months and a previous attempt at arbitration proved unsuccessful - when legal costs are included, the lawsuit could total £40m.

The case is scheduled to last eight weeks and the World No 1 faces the prospect of having his finances laid bare during cross examination in a public courtroom.

But the lengthy delay in proceedings has fuelled speculation that the two parties are close to reaching an out-of-court settlement, protecting both their reputations and their privacy.

The four times major winner, from Holywood in County Down, flew into Dublin on Sunday evening, fresh from his three shot victory in the Dubai Desert Classic at the weekend.

There was standing room only in courtroom number one - 35 journalists had descended to hear the world-famous sportsman giving evidence in the witness box.

The golfing commentators among them were more keen to know if he could wrap the case up in time to let him concentrate on winning that fifth elusive major - the US Masters.

2/02/2015

Heartbreak Ridge For McIlroy

Rory McIlroy, fresh from a weekend victory in Dubai, is suing Conor Ridge's Horizon Sports Management over the cut his firm was taking from his on and off course earnings.

On Tuesday the world number one is in Dublin to contest the case in court.

The bitter row over £4.2million in fees has taken the pair all the way to the big business division of the Irish High Court.

The case centres on McIlroy's contract with Dublin-based Horizon and two other linked companies, the Malta-based Gurteen and Canovan Management, also based in the Irish capital.

The golf star, who took up the game as a youngster in Holywood, Co Down, and now has a home in Florida, claims the terms were inferior to those given to other top 10 players including fellow countryman and major winning friend Graeme McDowell, who was in the same stable.

In court papers when the case was launched in late 2013, it was claimed McIlroy signed up with Ridge's agency at an informal meeting on the day of Horizon's Christmas party in 2011.

The golfer, whose address at the time was given as Avenue Princess Grace in Monaco, alleged he was exploited, misled and taken advantage of when he joined the Dublin agency.

The court heard he had no legal advice or knowledge of negotiating before he signed up, and trusted them to charge the appropriate rates.

McIlroy's case will be heard before the president of the High Court, Judge Nicholas Kearns, unless the two sides attempt an 11th hour settlement.

The dispute involves McIlroy's claim that Horizon charged almost four times what top 10 golfers pay to agents.

The pre-tax rates were set at 5% of prize winnings and 20% of sponsorship and appearances money, a charge his lawyers claim is reserved for an "inexperienced or unproven golfer'', the court heard last year.

McIlroy's business interests are now overseen by Rory McIlroy Incorporated, which is headed by Donal Casey, formerly of Horizon, his father Gerry and family friend and business executive Barry Funston, who also oversees much of the golfer's charitable work under the Rory McIlroy Foundation.

Another dispute in the case is an alleged 166,000 euro (£141,000) donation to Unicef on the eve of a trip to Haiti when McIlroy was an ambassador for the charity.

There was another row over Horizon using complimentary airline seats on a flight to Abu Dhabi booked by tournament organisers in McIlroy's name.

The young golfer's career soared in the year after he signed for Ridge from Chubby Chandler's stable, earning more than £10m in 2012 before hitting a slump to earn about £2m in prizes.

He was with the company when he won the 2012 PGA Championship, rose to number one in the world and signed a five-year sponsorship deal with Nike, said to be worth in excess of £60m.

A dip in form followed and his engagement to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki ended, but the Northern Irishman has four majors to his name.

And if recent form on the course offers any insight into his demeanour in the face of a potentially ugly court case, McIlroy appeared focused when picking up his latest trophy.

Sunday's win at the Dubai Desert Classic is a repeat of his first as a professional back in 2009.

He is now favourite to complete the career grand slam of golf, aiming to have the commercial dispute over before vying for a famous green jacket at the US Masters in Augusta in April.

Unless both sides agree to last minute mediation - a plea for which already failed last December - the relations between arguably the world's most marketable sports star and a Dublin-based agent are set to play out in public over the next four to six weeks.

Ridge's Horizon is counter-suing McIlroy for at least £1.65m after breaking his contract early.

2/01/2015

McIlroy Starts 2015 Winning Streak

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Rory McIlroy produced an immaculate display of front running to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic for a second time at Emirates Golf Club.

The World Number One, who had been in front since his sublime 64 on Friday, closed with a two under par 70 to win by three shots on a tournament record equalling 22 under par: only Thomas Bjørn and Stephen Gallacher had previously won with such a low total.

Sweden’s Alex Noren, who missed almost all of 204 with tendonitis in both wrists, carded a final round 65 to announce his return to action with a runner-up finish – his best on The European Tour since 2011.

McIlroy made this his maiden professional title back in 2009, and was delighted to end a string of runner-up finishes by going one better.

“It’s nice to be able to put my name on that trophy again,” said McIlroy, who has now won four and been runner-up in three of his last seven European Tour starts.

“It felt like I was coming second every time I was teeing it up so it was time for a change and obviously the only way I wanted to go was one better and thankfully I was able to do that today.

“I played very nicely all week; I did what I needed to do today. I didn’t play quite as well as the first three days but I played a solid round of golf and kept my nose in front.”

Martin Kaymer and Charl Schwartzel had both seen substantial final round leads overhauled in recent weeks on The European Tour, and McIlroy admitted he had been concerned about suffering a similar fate.

“I felt like I was a little tentative the first few holes out there,” he added. “I guess we’ve seen what can happen to big leads out there the last few weeks and I was conscious of that and making sure that I wasn’t making any mistakes.”

Having started the day four shots clear, McIlroy immediately extended that advantage when nearest challenger Morten Ørum Madsen found the same bunker twice on the opening hole and ran up a triple bogey seven.

Instead it was former World Number One Lee Westwood who applied some pressure to McIlroy, birdieing three of the first five holes to get within four shots of the leader.

McIlroy had only birdied the long third from 12 feet over that stretch, and although Westwood bogeyed the sixth, McIlroy dropped a shot of his own at the short next after missing the green with his tee shot.

However, Westwood double bogeyed the ninth for the second day running after finding the water and from then on nobody seriously looked like threatening McIlroy.

The 25 year old got up-and-down from a greenside bunker on the tenth for birdie, made a 20 footer for par at the 12th and then completed his scoring with a stunning second into the long 13th and two-putt gain.

The four-time Major Champion then proceeded to play it safe over the closing stretch, finding fairways and greens at will as he parred his way in.

Noren won three European Tour titles between 2009 and 2011, but managed only two events last season and was delighted to get the competitive juices flowing again.

“It was an amazing day, an amazing week,” said the 32 year old after carding eight birdies against a single bogey. “I missed it so much - feeling my pulse and some nervousness, it's really nice.

“I never even thought of winning; he's playing so good. I was just trying to get a nice finish in, keep making birdies and try to stay up with the other guys.

“I was pretty unsure even two months ago if I was going to play again this early - it's tough when you don't know if the hand is holding up, and that's been a little bit of a problem, but it turned out better than I thought.”

Defending champion Stephen Gallacher carded a closing 69 to finish third on 16 under, with Madsen, US Open Champion Kaymer, Abu Dhabi winner Gary Stal, South African Open Champion Andy Sullivan and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger tied for fourth a shot further back. Westwood eventually finished with a level par 72 to end the week in a tie for ninth.

Graeme McDowell finished with a final round 70 to secure a share of 9th and trailing McIlroy by nine strokes.

Michael Hoey was joint 53rd.

Peter Lawrie was two places further adrift and earned a valuable cheque for nearly seven thousand euro.

Damien McGrane suffered two over par rounds on Saturday and Sunday [74 -76] and dropped to 73rd place.

1/31/2015

Rory In Desert Battles to Hold Lead

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Rory McIlroy was relieved to get through the third round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic without a bogey on his card after scrambling hard for pars in his six-under 66.

The world No 1 looked set to break Stephen Gallacher's 54-hole record score of 21 under par after he picked up five birdies over the first eight holes to storm six strokes clear of the field.

He lost momentum when he lipped out from barely two feet for birdie at the 10th, and he then became ragged off the tee and did well to string together eight straight pars before getting up and down from thick rough for birdie at 17.

McIlroy's drive at the last leaked into the first cut, and his attempt to find the green in two came up short as his four-iron from over 200 yards failed to clear the water.

But he pitched to 20 feet and rolled in another excellent putt to make it two whole rounds without a blemish on his card, and he will head into the last round four shots clear of Morten Orum Madsen.

"It meant a lot, to be bogey free again today was important to me. To get that up and down on the last was big for momentum going into tomorrow," he told Sky Sports 4.

Great position

"It was nice to make one birdie on 17 and then a great save on the last, it was nice to go round there with no bogeys. I can't complain, another good round and I'm in a great position going into Sunday.

"I was just trying to get as many in front as I could. I knew I had some chances coming in but saying that, the back nine did play tricky. The greens got firm, the wind got up a little bit, so it was hard to get the ball close to the hole.

"You had to hit quality shots to give yourself chances for birdies, and I didn't quite do that on the back nine like I did on the front.

"I didn't put a foot wrong on the front nine and, when I missed that little short putt on 10, it seemed like that momentum I had just sort of went away and had to scramble a little bit for pars coming in.

"I've been in this position many times before, so I know the pitfalls that are waiting out there. It's just a matter of sticking to the same game plan, being aggressive, making committed swings and giving myself as many chances for birdies as I can."

6/17/2014

Strong Irish Open Field for Fota

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An impressive international field comprising seven Major Champions and players from 23 different nations will gather at Fota Island Resort, in Co. Cork, for the 2014 Irish Open, from June 19-22.

The tournament takes place the week after the US Open Championship at Pinehurst and will, of course, include two former US Open champions in Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy, as well as fellow Major winners Darren Clarke, John Daly, Padraig Harrington, Paul Lawrie and José María Olazábal. Together they have amassed 12 Major Championship between them, bringing a wealth of quality and experience to Cork when the tournament visits Fota Island for the first time in 12 years.

There will also be 14 players in the field who have represented Europe in The Ryder Cup, including Englishman Paul Casey who defends the title he won by three strokes at Carton House 12 months ago, and Dane Søren Hansen, champion when the tournament last visited Fota Island in 2002.

With entries now closed for the tournament, the field also includes France’s Victor Dubuisson and Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher, the two players who finished runner-up to Thongchai Jaidee after a play-off in last week’s Nordea Masters.

Gallacher, who successfully defended his title in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February, and Dubuisson, the finalist in the WGC- Accenture Match Play, are joined in the €2million event by another Ryder Cup hopeful, Dutchman Joost Luiten, the defending champion in this week’s Lyoness Open presented by Greenfinity, who is also currently ranked inside the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

All three will be under the watchful eye of Irishman Paul McGinley, Ireland’s first Ryder Cup captain, who can be assured a passionate send-off from the Cork galleries as he makes his last appearance on home soil before leading Europe at Gleneagles in September.

There are ten players in the field who have already tasted success so far on The 2014 European Tour Race to Dubai, with Morten Ørum Madsen, Pabalo Larrazábal, Ross Fisher, Alejandro Cañizares, Marco Crespi, Alexander Levy, Felipe Aguilar and Daniel Brooks joining McIlroy and Gallacher.

Larrazábal and Cañizares, along with Olazábal, are part of a strong looking Spanish challenge, which also includes Rafa Cabrera-Bello, the two-time European Tour champion, and big-hitting Alvaro Quiros, who will be seeking a seventh European Tour title having finished tied fifth at Carton House last year.

Italian Matteo Manassero, the player McIlroy succeeded as winner of the BMW PGA Championship last month, also features, along with compatriot Edoardo Molinari, with the aim of becoming the first continental European to win the Irish Open since Denmark’s Thomas Björn in 2006.

The last non-European to win the title was New Zealand’s Michael Campbell at Portmarnock in 2003, but there will be strong representation from outside the continent this year, including multiple European Tour winners Branden Grace of South Africa, Brett Rumford of Australia and Jeev Milkha Singh of India.

Antonia Beggs, Championship Director of The Irish Open, said: “The Irish Open is always one of the most popular tournaments on The European Tour’s Race to Dubai, attracting impressive galleries each year, and our players are looking forward to playing at Fota Island for the first time since 2002.

“With a number of players in the field coming from the US Open at Pinehurst, this year’s Irish Open promises to be another celebration of golf, and another special occasion.”

11/29/2013

Irish Struggle at Leopard Creek

Kevin Phelan made a strong to a new professional career securing a score the right side of the projected cut in his opening round of two-under-par 70 at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa. On Friday he is sailing closer to the edge and remains level overall after eleven playing holes and +2 for the day.

Former Walker Cup player Phelan made birdies on the second and fifth holes of his first round, but had back-to-back bogeys on the sixth and seventh. Another bogey on the 11th put him one over for his round, but Phelan stormed home with birdies on the 13th, 16th and final hole to lie in share of 15th position in the clubhouse.

Gareth Maybin is one shot ahead on three under after he carded a 69 that included five birdies and a double-bogey at the 11th.

Four days after winning his maiden European Tour title in the South African Open, Madsen carded a seven-under-par 65 at Leopard Creek to finish one ahead of local favourite Allan Versfeld and Portugal’s Ricardo Santos.

Madsen carded eight birdies and one bogey as he continued his remarkable start to only his second full season on Tour, having finished 81st in last season’s Race to Dubai.

Versfeld returned a flawless 66 thanks to an eagle and four birdies, while Santos did likewise and finished in style with his eagle coming on the par-five 18th.

Defending champion Charl Schwartzel was two shots further back on four under alongside England’s Richard Finch, Scotland’s David Drysdale and France’s Victor Riu.

Schwartzel was five under for his first six holes and annoyed at not capitalising on such a blistering start, declined to speak to reporters afterwards. The former Masters champion triumphed by 12 shots last year, just a week after winning the Thailand Open by 11 strokes.

“Today it seemed easy but it definitely wasn’t, it was pretty tough out there and the course was playing long with the wind,” said leader Madsen after his round.

“I played really solidly, I gave myself a lot of looks at birdie and a lot of shorter ones which was nice.

“I wasn’t expecting to shoot 65 today, I knew I was playing well but I won last week so everything that happens this week or next week is going to be icing on the cake. I am just trying to enjoy the ride.”

Damien McGrane suffered a costly finish to his round, a triple-bogey seven on the ninth, his final hole, meaning he had to settle for a level-par 72.

Peter Lawrie also carded a 72.

Michael Hoey signed for a 76 and Simon Thornton a 79.