GMAC Seeking Volvo Success

Graeme McDowell is having the kind of year they warn golfers about after winning a Major title. Or as in the case of GMAC a fourteen month period when everything went right, once he showed up at the right course, on the right day, in the right continent. But that streak ended in Sherwood Country Club in December 2010 when he beat Tiger Woods at The Chevron World Challenge and it  has been harder work ever since. 

At TPC Sawgrass McDowell confirmed some of those warning signs that suggest the revolving door that is golf might be close to allowing the Portrush golfer back on to the winning stage once again - despite missing the cut at The Players Championship with rounds of 74 and 71. However a level of consistency is returning that indicate he is not as off course as might be judging things solely by the number of missed cuts this season. As the 2010 US Open Champion arrives in Spain this week for the Volvo World Match Play he will be hoping that the Finca Cortesin course renders up better rewards for his efforts on his return to Europe - than the PGA Your has in recent months.

He will be joined in that hope by Open Champion Darren Clarke who has endured a somewhat pass remarkable few months since securing the Claret Jug, with a caddie change already made since Royal St George. In Augusta an injury prevented him competing worry-free and naturally missed the cut at The Masters given the distraction. But a few weeks later he repeated the same shortfall at the Ballantine' Championship in Korea with a first round 77 - after struggling with the elements the opening day – and now sits 75th in the 2012 Race to Dubai. 

A good few days at Finca Cortesin could do wonders for Dungannon man ahead of the  PGA BMW Championship at Wentworth and the Irish Open on his home course at Royal Portrush.

For Padraig Harrington this week the work is on the PGA Tour where he competes at the HP Byron Nelson at the Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas – as he is not eligible for the Volvo Match Play. Last weekend at The Player's Harrington showed some sparkle with a first round 69, only to slump out of the event by a few shots when he came in on Friday with a 74. Similarly at the ATT Pebble Beach Pro Am he bolted another low score only to fade on day two and three. But then out of the blue he bested those efforts with the lowest official score of his life - a 10-under 61 - to set the course record in the Transitions Championship in March. 

So clearly over the past weeks Harrington has looked closer to ending his year and half win less run, and just needs to sustain his focus over the four days. At Innisbrook it was not to be either, nor was it at Sawgrass, so he will be calling on his well practiced patience again this weekend in Texas. 

Rory Mcilroy takes the  week off after missing the cut at The Player's Championship on Friday  and clings to his world number 1 spot by virtue of Luke Donald's 6th place finish at Sawgrass. The Englishman needed fourth place or better to reclaim the honours this week. 

All in all there is a 24-man elite 2012 field offers a number of intriguing story lines as 15 of the World’s top 60 gather for the only match play event to be held in Europe this season. In addition three Spaniards have qualified for the Championship for the first time; Sergio García, Álvaro Quirós and Rafael Cabrera-Bello, each offering compelling reasons why they should be the first Spanish winner since the legendary Seve Ballesteros triumphed in 1991. 

Also six Major Champions will be seeking their first Match Play title in the form of Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell, Paul Lawrie, Retief Goosen and Calrke. 

Twelve nations are represented at the 2012 Volvo World Match Play Championship with England leading the charge with six players qualifying for this elite tournament including defending Champion, Ian Poulter and World Number nine, Justin Rose. Eleven players will be making their Volvo World Match Play Championship debut including American star Brandt Snedeker, ranked 23rd in the world, Australia’s John Senden and Sweden’s Peter Hanson who finished third at the recent Masters Tournament. 

Retief Goosen is the most experienced campaigner in the field with ten appearances to his name while Thomas Björn, a three-time winner on The European Tour last year, will be making his sixth appearance. Colombia’s Camilo Villegas and 2011 Volvo China Open Champion Nicolas Colsaerts will be amongst six players making only their second appearance. 

The Championship’s exciting format will see the players, divided into eight groups of three, play in a round-robin group format on Thursday and Friday. 

This will decide which 16 players progress to Saturday’s knock-out stage with the semi-finals and final played on Sunday.

Walton Punished in Pula Day Two

An opening double bogey for Philip Walton on day two of his maiden European Senior Tour  event led to a loss of the valuable momentum gained on Friday, adding to the score of 74 by the end of Saturday.

A bogey on the eighteenth par 3 led him to drop back 19 places and remain seven strokes off the joint leaders Gary Wolstenholme and Paul Wesselingh at the Mallorca Open Senior.

Des Smyth signed for a second round of 74 and lies +6 ahead of Sunday, a stroke ahead of Eamonn Darcy  and two ahead of Denis O'Sullivan who signed for  a 73.

Jimmy Heggarty finished Saturday carding 81.

A superb five under par 66 propelled Englishman Wolstenholme into a share of the lead at six under par alongside compatriot Wesselingh. However the pair have a host of contenders lurking close behind following the second round of the Senior Tour’s opening event of 2012.

Wolstenholme, who signed for a one under par round of 70 at Pula Golf Club on Friday, made seven birdies over the course of an impressive showing on the Balearic Island, while Wesselingh, who, having continued the fine form that saw him seize a share of the first round lead, carded a second consecutive three under par 68 that included five birdies, meaning the fellow countrymen will take a slim lead into Sunday’s final round, one shot clear of a trio at five under par.

Beginning the day two shots behind the overnight leaders, Wolstenholme, the 2011 Senior Tour Rookie of the Year, came flying out of the blocks at the José María Olazábal-designed layout on Saturday morning, finding birdie at the short second after a monstrous 40-foot putt.

He found another birdie at the par four fourth, while a bogey five at the seventh was sandwiched between a further two birdies at the long sixth and par three eighth holes – thanks to another sizeable putt – helping him reach the turn in 33 blows.

The Egham-born man matched this total coming home, finding a further three birdies on the back nine at the 11th, 13th, and 15th holes with a second bogey of the day at the par four 17th as the 2010 Casa Serena Open Champion vies for his second Senior Tour title in Spain this week. 

He said: “It’s funny how things work out, yesterday I played average and today was better. This is my first tournament here and it’s a tough course so I can’t expect miracles, but I learned a few things from the silly mistakes I made yesterday and I have been hitting great shots.” 

Wesselingh, playing his first event since claiming a card for this season with a second place finish at the Qualifying School earlier this year, again produced another solid round with just two bogeys coming at the par four fifth and 16th holes while the Kedleston Park pro found birdies at the second, fourth, and seventh holes on the front nine to reach the turn two under par for the day, with back-to-back birdies on the short 13th and par four 14th giving the 51 year old a share of the lead with one round remaining.

A makeable birdie putt at 18 that would have given him outright possession of the lead failed to drop, but it was still a satisfying day for the Liverpudlian considering the circumstances.

"I played really good, very solid play I am happy how it all went,” said Wesselingh. “This is the first tournament for me and I never expected to start this way, I didn't come out with any expectations, only to finish top 30 this year.

“But I had two great draws that helped a lot, I played with DJ Russell yesterday, who was a pro in my club, and Dick Mast today, who I played two rounds with at the School, so they were great rounds that have really settled me in. I am delighted. I will look forward tomorrow, with no more expectations other than enjoy it.”

Australia’s Mike Harwood, a five time winner on The European Tour, looked to be putting the best round of the day together having reached the 16th tee at six under par, but successive bogeys at the final two par fours mean he will have to make do with a three-way tie for third place alongside Paraguay’s Angel Franco and Spain’s Juan Quiros – who both shot rounds of 68 – one shot back going into Sunday.

Andrew Sherborne of England (67) and Spain’s Manuel Moreno (70) are a further two shots back, while the other co-leaders following Friday’s first round, America’s Dick Mast and England’s David J Russell, both struggled to find the form that took them to the top of the leaderboard after the first round, matching each other with four bogeys and three birdies on the way to one over par rounds of 72.

Mast and Russell sit four off the pace alongside 2011 John Jacobs Trophy winner Peter Fowler (71) and last season’s Number Two, England’s Barry Lane (69), with a fascinating day in store in Sunday’s deciding round as the congested field contests for the €30,000 first prize in the inaugural Senior Tour event of the 2012 season.

No Madeira for Irish Trio

There will be no repeating of Michael Hoey's victory last year at Porto Santo Golfe in Madeira as all three Irish players failed to earn weekend playing rights this year. Or indeed that of Des Smyth in 2001 at Santo da Serra. 

Including Colm Moriarty, who within twenty-four hours of tasting the upside of European Tour golf, was left to reflect on the darker side of the game when a second round 75 left the Athlone man one stoke outside the cut at the Madeira Islands Open - Portugal.

A double bogey on the par 5 seventh hole causing the most damage on his card, sending  Moriarty on an early flight home than he would have planned after the opening day day 67.

Simon Thornton who signed for a level par round and paid the price for his opening 76 on Thursday and  also leaves early. 

Dara Ford also ended his appearance with a 78 on Friday.

At the top of the leader board though it was Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson who found form at a European Tour event for the first time since November 2008 after a sublime seven under par 65 in the second round.

The Englishman, who lost his European Tour card after finishing 130th in The Race to Dubai last year, showed signs he is rediscovering his best form, having not dropped a shot in two rounds at Santo da Serra to lead by one from Swedish pair Magnus A Carlsson and Joakim Lagergren, who both had two rounds of 66, and England’s Andy Sullivan, who shone with a 64.

Wilson has made eight appearances so far this season – six as a sponsor’s invitation – but has made just €22,084, so he is particularly pleased to be leading the way as he attempts to win a maiden European Tour title. The last time he was in pole position on The European Tour was after 54 holes of the 2008 Hong Kong Open (part of the 2009 International Schedule).

“I played nicely,” said the 31 year old, who was in the European Team at the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla. “The fact I haven’t had a bogey for two rounds shows I’m playing solidly and sensibly.

“I actually feel like I left a few out there today. I missed three putts from inside six feet. But I made a couple of really good par saves – not from bad shots, just because the course is tricky.

“There’s a long way to go and the scoring will carry on being low, but I’ll keep pushing on trying to make birdies. There will inevitably be some mistakes at the weekend but it’s just a question of trying to limit them. You’ve got to be patient.

“The course is playing very differently from how it was yesterday. It’s a lot softer today and the ball is stopping very quickly on the greens, which wasn’t the case yesterday. It was easier hitting into the greens today.”

Wilson, who has finished runner-up nine times in his European Tour career, credited a technical alteration for his better form, adding: “I changed the loft in my putter and it is working. The less I think about the set-up the better, and if you are standing over putts and know they are rolling well, it makes a big difference.”

Sullivan, a Walker Cup player in 2011, also had a bogey-free day and attributed his superb round, which featured six birdies and an eagle, to an improved putting technique.

"It's just great to see the ball rolling into the hole," said the 24 year old. "It makes a nice change. I saw (putting coach) Phil Kenyon last Friday and we've changed a few things technique-wise, and it seems to be paying off.

"I'm hitting the ball nicely too. It's the first time I've been in this position so I'm just going to take it as it comes and try and enjoy it. The only thing I can do is keep doing what I've been doing, as it's worked so far.

"I'd heard a lot about this event from the other guys - about how bad the weather can be and the delays - but it's been excellent so far and I'm enjoying it."

Lagergren is another player who is new to The European Tour, and the 20 year old Qualifying School graduate is delighted with the way he is playing.

“My ball striking is the best aspect of my game this week,” said the rookie, whose stepfather is Ola Eliasson, the former European Tour player. “I played really badly in the final round in Seville last week so it is nice to be playing better.

“I hit lots of greens in regulation today and I just played solidly all round. It’s the first time I’ve played this course. It’s a funny course – very slopey, but that’s not a negative.

“I’ve made four cuts in a row coming here so I’m feeling very confident. I’m really enjoying my first year on Tour and the other guys are looking after me.”

Ricardo Santos, a graduate from the 2011 Challenge Tour, is the leading Portuguese player at nine under, while Nuno Henriques delighted the home crowds with an albatross at the par five 11th, holing his second shot with a four iron.

McIlroy Misses Sawgrass Cut

World number one Rory McIlroy suffered more Sawgrass misery as he crashed out of the Players Championship in Florida.

McIlroy missed the halfway cut for the third time in three visits after a second round of 76 left him on four over.

"There's something about this course I can't quite get to grips with," said Mcllroy. "It's disappointing."

Matt Kuchar, Zach Johnson and Kevin Na are at the top of the leaderboard on eight under.

Luke Donald improved on his opening round of 72 with a second round of 69 to move to three under - the same mark as Westwood but five shots behind the joint leaders.

Donald, who started on the 10th hole, eagled the 16th and second, first hitting a five-iron to six feet and then making a 20-footer, but then undid some of his good work before a closing birdie on the ninth.

"It could have been a special round," he said. "I threw in a couple of bad swings, but 69 is not a bad score.

"I am quietly optimistic. I think this course is only going to get tougher and eight or nine under could be a good score come Sunday."

Westwood said: "I didn't play as well as yesterday, but I'm shot one better off - that's golf.

"I'm playing all right. I like this course and it suits me.

"I suppose three under is in touch. Hopefully it will firm up and the greens will get quicker."

First round leaders Martin Laird and Ian Poulter both slipped down the leaderboard.

The Scot was in good form until the final three holes, but then found the water with his second shot to the long 16th and then hit a poor tee shot on the short 17th to find the same lake.

Those errors cost him a bogey six and a double bogey five, and his misery was complete when he left a chip well short on the last and bogeyed again to drop from 10 under to six under - two behind the leaders.

"That's what this course will do to you," he said. "I got a bit greedy with a four iron to the 16th - it was a stupid shot - and was between clubs at the 17th.

"A nine iron was too much and a wedge not enough, but I didn't hit it real solid and the wind got it. It was a bad shot.

"But I'm still well in it. I'd have taken my position before the start."

Poulter is on three under after a 76.

McIlroy's record at Sawgrass

2011: Did not play

2010: Missed cut (+1)

2009: Missed cut (+7)

Walton Fires Senior Maiden 69

Philip Walton launched his European Senior Tour career on Friday signing for a round of 69 at the Mallorca Open Senior at Pula Golf Club - one shot of the clubhouse leader Peter Fowler.

Having made the turn level par the 1995 Ryder Cup hero birdied the 14 and 15th holes to finish  two under par.

As the 2012 European Senior Tour season got underway Fowler is launching his defence of the John Jacobs Trophy.

The Australian, who sealed the 2011 Order of Merit top spot in Mauritius last December, will encounter many familiar faces and some new threats as he looks to become the first player since Sam Torrance in 2006 to retain the John Jacobs Trophy.

Torrance is among those looking to get their 2012 campaign off to a flying start on the Spanish island, along with fellow former Ryder Cup Captains Ian Woosnam and Mark James, who captured the title the last time the Senior Tour visited Mallorca in 2009, defeating Eamonn Darcy in a play-off at Son Gual Golf.

Barry Lane, whose formidable challenge Fowler held off last year to win the Order of Merit, is also in the field having decided to dedicate his full 2012 schedule to the Senior Tour, rather than splitting it with The European Tour.

While Fowler will know all about the challenge Lane will pose to his successful defence, the Mallorca Open Senior gives him the first chance to have a look at the new crop of Senior Tour rookies making their debuts this week.

Among them is Spaniard Miguel Angel Martin, the three-time European Tour winner who celebrated his 50th birthday only last Wednesday. Martin will be hoping to launch his Senior Tour career in style with a victory on home soil.

There is also a debut for another former European Tour champion, Scotsman Stephen McAllister, while American Dick Mast heads the group of Qualifying School graduates also hoping to capitalise on their opportunity with a strong opening week performance.

Designed by 2012 European Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazábal, who will be eligible to join the Senior Tour in 2016, Pula Golf Club in Son Servera has previously hosted seven European Tour events, most recently last year’s Iberdrola Open won by Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke two months before he lifted the Claret Jug in The 140th Open Championship at Royal St George’s.