The Irish Golf Club Gazette

11/18/2012

Jimenez Surpasses Des Smyth

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Miguel Angel Jimenez became the oldest European Tour winner on Sunday by shooting a 5-under 65 to capture his third Hong Kong Open title.

At 48 years and 318 days, the Spaniard surpassed the previous record set by Ireland's Des Smyth, who was 48 years and 34 days when he won the 2001 Madeira Islands Open.

"Winning now, and becoming the oldest winner on the tour at 48, my goodness. Twenty-four years I've been on the tour, I've been around a long time," Jimenez said. "But I still love it and that is fantastic, to love what you're doing, and enjoy yourself, keep fit, keep working myself a little bit and stretching a lot. And that's the main thing to do to keep the body to compete with the new guns."

Jimenez earned his 19th tour victory by making four straight birdies from the seventh hole in his third straight bogey-free round to finish with a 15-under total of 265 on the suburban Fanling course. He was one shot ahead of Fredrik Andersson Hed of Sweden, who closed with a bogey-free 64.

As always, the Malaga-based Jimenez celebrated his success with a glass of Rioja and a cigar -- and credited those habits with helping his longevity.

"There is maybe olive oil in my joints, and drinking the nice Rioja wine and those things keeps me fit and flexible," he said. "Well, the most important thing (is), I do what I like to do in my life, and golf has given me all of this pleasure."

Jimenez earned $333,330 for the win, while Andersson Hed secured a place in next week's season-ending DP World Tour Championship with his second-place finish.

Australia's Marcus Fraser also shot a 64 to finish third on 12 under for his sixth top-10 placing of the season.

Italy's Matteo Manassero (68) shared fourth place with Ireland's Peter Lawrie (66) and Scotland's Stephen Gallacher (65).

New Zealand's Michael Campbell, who was tied with Jimenez for the third-round lead and looking to end a seven-year winless drought, double bogeyed the last in a score of 72 to drop to eighth place.

Welshman Rhys Davies (70) also had a disappointing day as his tie for 51st place means he will lose his tour card for next season after slipping outside of the top-119 who will retain automatic membership.

Davies arrived in Hong Kong lying 119th, but dropped to 120th -- missing out on retaining his tour card by just $133 on the money list. The European Tour also confirmed that John Daly will be facing a fine after throwing a club on the second day of the event.

Daly hurled his putter into the trees at the 11th green ahead of missing the cut after being continually bothered by fans using mobile phones and cameras.

Tournament director Mickael Ericsson said the tour will take those disturbances into account, but that Daly will still be fined.

"Yes, the circumstances regarding crowd manners and behavior will be considered, but when it all boils down there is still no excuse for throwing his putter," Ericsson said.

11/16/2012

Peter Lawrie Seals Dubai Place

Peter Lawrie started the week clutching the final ticket to the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, and now the Dubliner appears on course to end it with his berth booked for the season finale after signing for his second successive round of 68 at the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Lawrie came into this week’s US$2million tournament a mere €14,997 ahead of his nearest Race to Dubai rival, Englishman David Howell, but has consolidated his position in the top 60 of the Rankings with a polished performance at Hong Kong Golf Club.

The former Open de España champion suffered an early wobble on Friday morning, bogeying the fourth hole, but subsequently made light of the stiff breeze with restorative birdies at the seventh and eighth.

Lawrie eagled the par five 13th on the opening day, and he again showed his liking for the hole with a birdie on day two to move to four under par and within sight of the leaders – and indeed a trip to Dubai.

He said: “I came into the week in 60th position, which could be fortunate or unfortunate, depending on what way you look at it. I’ve been moving down the Rankings all the time over the last five weeks, after not getting into tournaments. So it’s quite difficult to get that out of your head this week.

“As I said to a few people at home, I have to try to play mind games with myself this week and try to get past it. I was in a similar position last year and managed to make Dubai, so hopefully we can get there again.

“I attempted to work out what I would need to guarantee my place when I got here on Monday, but I ripped it up straightaway and said to myself: “Don’t even go there, Peter”. Apart from anything, it’s complicated by the fact that South Africa finishes after us. So you could be on the plane to Dubai thinking you’ve made it, and all of a sudden you find out you haven’t. But we’ll just work away and see where it takes us.”

In many ways Lawrie’s predicament is a nice one is a nice one in contrast to the battle to claim a coveted place on The 2013 European Tour International Schedule, which is altogether more intense.

Hong Kong Cut for McIlroy

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World number one and defending champion Rory McIlroy missed the cut at the Hong Kong Open on Friday after suffering a nightmare with his putter.

The 23-year-old Northern Irishman knew he had to shoot low in the second round after opening with a three-over-par 73 at the Hong Kong Golf Club on Thursday.

Starting from the 11th tee, he did just that producing four early birdies to get under par and within four shots of the lead.

However, at the par five third hole, his 11th of the day, he put his approach shot into a greenside bunker and after missing out on a good birdie opportunity, his charge up the leaderboard came to a halt.

A putt to save par at the fourth hole lipped out, at the seventh he misjudged the speed of the green and three putted and another shot was dropped on the following green when he put his first putt six foot past the hole and failed to hole the return.

He was on the projected three-over-par cutline as he played the tenth, his final hole of the day.

But he missed a birdie chance and went on to four-putt the hole for a double bogey to cap a frustrating two-over 72 round and a 145 total.

"The wheels came at that par five, it was a huge momentum breaker," McIlroy, who sealed the European Tour's money list last week with a third-place finish in Singapore told reporters.

"I had a great start getting it to four-under and in a position from which I might have even won the tournament but then it all went on the slide.

"Now I am going to work on few things with my putter before playing in Dubai next week," said the U.S. PGA champion.

In the group that finished after McIlroy, Anders Hansen from Denmark shot a six-under-par 64 to move into the early second round lead at seven-under.

11/15/2012

Lethargic Rory Off Hong Kong Pace

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Rory McIlroy says he felt 'mentally lethargic' during his opening round at the Hong Kong Open where his three-over-par 73 left him nine strokes off the pace.

The Ulsterman posted just a single bogey at Fanling where, in overcast and windy conditions, he ended the day outside the top 90.

The 23-year-old admits that he may have been lacking a little motivation after securing top spot in this season's Race to Dubai standings thanks to a top-three finish in Singapore last week.

He said: "I suppose after last week, and winning the Race to Dubai title, it was always going to be a bit of a let-down.

"I feel as though I am playing well enough but I just need to get my head and the golf to match up and I'll be OK.

"I just lacked a bit of energy out there, I felt a bit lethargic and mentally more than physically - if I am being honest.

"I bogeyed the first but then just got more frustrated as the round went on.

"I felt like I was hitting some decent shots and just not really converting any chances for birdies and I just let it go a little bit."

The early leader is world No 506 Spaniard Javier Colomo whose 64 required just 29 strokes for his second nine holes.

Tied-for-second is Colomo's 48-year-old compatriot Miguel Angel Jimenez who is a single shot adrift - and level with Aussie Andrew Dodt.

Jimenez, a two-time winner in Hong Kong, smirked: "I am like a good bottle of Rioja because I just get better and better with age.

"I'm putting very well and it's a pity I missed a fairway on the ninth and then on the last got a big flyer.

"It's an old-fashioned course - not very long but you need to be very precise."

11/14/2012

What a Difference Two Years Makes..

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Just two years ago Lee Westwood launched a Twitter rant against the PGA Tour after it named Rickie Fowler as rookie of the year ahead of Rory McIlroy.

On that December day in 2010 Lee tweeted: "Sorry 140 letters is not going to be enough for this rant! Just seen Ricky Fowler has been given rookie of the year! Yes he's had a good year but Rory McIlroy 3rd in 2 majors and an absolute demolition of the field at quail hollow! Oh yes and on the winning Ryder cup team! Please! Is this yet another case of protectionism by the pgatour or are they so desperate to win something! Wouldn't have something to do with Rory not joining the tour next year? Maybe the PGA tour just employs the same voting process as Fifa! Come on, fairs fair!"

The PGA news at that time coming in the wake, let it be said, of an announcement by Rory McIlroy that he would play full-time on the European Tour in 2011, and just commit to 11 or 12 tournaments in the U.S. that year. Despite a string invitation for the PGA Tour.

A decision made when McIlroy was with ISM management and at a time he considered Northern Ireland as home, the place where his family and then girlfriend were based. The choice made even more dramatic when it included missing the 2010 Players Championship at Sawgrass – an unusual thing to do in the mind of most players.

Now, two years on, it is difficult to imagine what Westwood will tweet given that Rory is no longer part of the same ISM stable, yet in the mix for the PGA Tour player of the year, has been awarded a similar title from the PGA of America; topped the money list on both sides of the Atlantic; holds the 2012 Harry Vardon Trophy; garnered two major titles in all; has extended his winning record in the Ryder Cup to two out of two, and also joined the mega stars with a new contract with Nike imminent and now part of the best paid sporting athletes in the world. All achieved in just 24 months.

Amidst that that change the 23 year old has also moved to the United States to live near his friend and stable-mate at Horizon Sports, 2010 US Open Champing,Graeme McDowell, with a new look personal life as well as Rory now dates WTA Tennis star, Caroline Wozniacki

It says a lot too for McIlroy that alongside him on the fairways remains JP Fitzgerald, who in 2011 came under much scrutiny on the final day at The Masters in Augusta when his boss blew a four-stroke lead - when victory was within reach. That criticism coming for not reining in McIlroy’s natural aggressive instincts, and saw him walk off the 10th green with a triple-bogey seven – after crashing his drive into a tree. Indeed, further criticism followed at the US PGA Championship in the August when McIlroy picked up a wrist injury on the opening day having struck a tree root, after his drive on the par-four third ended up in the trees.

Rather than play out sideways, Rory chose to fully take the shot on with the club making heavy contact with the root, causing him to drop his club in agony – and fall out of contention. Despite that McIlroy never contemplated letting his bagman go, regardless of the flak Fitzgerald took for his part in the player's demise, saying at the time

"There was no point in me saying, 'JP didn't do a great job there, I'm going to get someone else'," he said in the Independent. "JP has been on my bag since the middle of 2008, when I was 200th in the world and he's helped bring me to where I am now.

"Here's a guy who has been with me for all five of my wins on Tour. He's been with me through some tough play-off losses. He's been with me through everything.

"I've a great relationship with JP. He's become one of my closest friends over the past two and a half years. It's a combination that works very well. I firmly believe if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

As history recalls McIlroy bounced back from his Masters disappointment, winning his first major at Congressional Country Club by eight shots and Fitzgerald is well on his way to joining those elite rich caddies, such as Steve Williams.

However earlier this year those heady days at Congressional were starting to seem dreamlike and perhaps a one off, as McIlroy missed a number of cuts, including Sawgrass, and a run of 13 top-five finishes in 15 events coming to a sudden end. The hiccup was then exacerbated at the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth where the world number one carded rounds of 74, 79 to end nine shots over, only three weeks before his US Open title defence. Which was become his fourth missed cut at The Olympic Club and a talented player looking only a shadow of the same golfer who had skipped around Congressional for a record 16 under par finish.

Not dissimilar to the figure cast at Royal Portrush for the Irish Open in July, where McIlroy made the cut but could finish no better than tenth.

Then a few weeks later McIlroy out of the blue validated for any doubters his ability with an eight-shot win at the U.S. Open, blasting the field at Kiawah Island in the PGA Championship. With the talent from Holywood, Northern Ireland not onlky adding to his major count but also becoming the youngest player since Seve Ballesteros to win two majors as Tiger Woods was about four months older than McIlroy when he won his second major.

Now the talk is will Rory match or exceed the Jack Nicklaus and Woods records.

What a difference two years can make.