Smyth Chases Woburn Treble

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Des Smyth will attempt to become the first player to win the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters three times when he defends his title at Woburn Golf Club this week against the best field ever amassed for the event.

The Irishman held off the challenge of 2011 Order of Merit winner Peter Fowler and former Ryder Cup Captain Mark James 12 months ago in front of record crowds of more than 23,000 people, triumphing for a second time in three years.

With Englishman Carl Mason (2006-7) the only other player to win the title more than once, Smyth can claim an historic treble this week on a course that will be hosting its 30th tour event.

At the halfway mark of the European Senior Tour season, Smyth currently sits 15th on the Order of Merit, with a share of eighth place in the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship his best finish so far this campaign.

He heads to Woburn on the back of three consecutive tied 14th place finishes, but as he chases his first win beyond the age of 60, Smyth believes the Duke’s Course at Woburn can once again bring out the best in his game.

“I’ve always played well at Woburn over the years and I feel like my game is coming around, so I think I will be in good shape for Woburn,” said Smyth. “I just need to improve my putting, but I always seem to putt well there.

“I know what it takes to win at Woburn because both of the times I won I shot ten under par, so that is my target as it seems to be the winning score.

“It’s a tree lined course, which promotes straight hitting and that it is my strength. It is a great golf course and it has always been one of the Senior Tour’s best tournaments. I’m very lucky to have won it twice and I would love to do it another time.

“I feel like I’m playing better and I’m getting a good feeling. It’s hard to explain, but going back to a place where you’ve done well before always helps.”

Colin Montgomerie, another player with a strong affinity for Woburn Golf Club, this week makes his debut in the £300,000 tournament in is his first appearance in a regular Senior Tour event.

The Scot was runner-up and third on his last two appearances over the Duke’s Course, in the 1999 and 2000 British Masters respectively.

He was also third on the Duke’s Course in the British Masters in 1994 and tenth in 1993, and he will now look to extend that record by attempting to become the second Ryder Cup Captain after James (2005) to win the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters.

Meanwhile, Spaniard Santiago Luna will be chasing back-to-back victories after winning the SSE Scottish Senior Open at Fairmont St Andrews a fortnight ago.

Sam Torrance, who finished joint runner behind Luna in Scotland, will be hoping to build on his first top five finish of the season, and he is one of four former Ryder Cup Captains in the field, alongside James, Montgomerie and Ian Woosnam.

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Hoey Drives NI Open Challenge

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Michael Hoey will make his first appearance in a regular Challenge Tour event for five years when he competes in this week’s inaugural Northern Ireland Open Challenge Presented by Clannah and XJET, a tournament he has helped to promote in his role as ambassador.

The five-time European Tour champion is one of 24 Irishmen, drawn evenly from the North and Republic of Ireland, who will tee up at Galgorm Castle Golf Club and Estates in Ballymena, Country Antrim.

Hoey’s most recent victory came in the M2M Russian Open at the end of July, and he comes into the event on the back of another solid performance in last week’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, where he finished in joint 28th place.

Whilst Hoey would dearly love to his tally of three Challenge Tour titles, much of the Ulsterman’s focus this week will be on his ambassadorial role for the €170,000 event.

He said: “I was more than happy to be the face of the tournament, and it’s a real honour and privilege to be able to help out the government and the Challenge Tour. I played on the Challenge Tour for a few years so I know how tough the competition is, and I’ll have to play very well just to contend.

“Some of the winning scores on the Challenge Tour this year and last have been unbelievable, so I’m under no illusions as to how difficult it’s going to be to get in contention, let alone win. There’s a huge difference in the standard from when I was playing five years ago to now.

“But my main aim this week isn’t necessarily to win the tournament – the main goal is to be an ambassador for the tournament. Hopefully everyone likes the venue, and we can have a great week. I’ve played the course three times on sponsors’ days this year, so I know it well. It’s a good parkland course and it’s in a beautiful location, so I’m sure the guys will enjoy playing there.

“The success of the Irish Open in Portrush showed what an appetite there is amongst the public for professional golf tournaments in Northern Ireland, so hopefully we can get some good crowds and keep the feel-good factor high.”

Calgorm Castle Golf Club’s touring professional Gareth Shaw will hope to build on some noteworthy results this season, with the highlight a top five finish in The Irish Open in June.

Shaw will be joined in County Antrim by his compatriots Paul Cutler and Alan Dunbar, the latter of whom won the 2012 Amateur Championship at Royal Troon. 

The duo formed a dynamic pairing in the 2011 Walker Cup, winning both their foursome matches as Great Britain & Ireland defeated their American counterparts 14-12 at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.

Other notable names in the field include in-form Portuguese José-Filipe Lima, currently second in the Challenge Tour Rankings thanks to a series of eye-catching performances which includes a tied third place finish at last week’s Rolex Trophy; and Frenchman François Calmels, bidding to gain instant promotion to The European Tour with a third victory of the season. 

This week’s tournament will mark the first Irish Challenge Tour event since the 2009 Challenge of Ireland while the last time Northern Ireland hosted a Challenge Tour event was in 2003, when Darren Clarke won the Benmore Developments Northern Ireland Masters.

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McIlroy Slips to Number 4

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Rory McIlroy continues his slide down the world rankings after Adam Scottleapfrogged the 24-year-old following his success in The Barclays which sees the Northern Irishman slip to number four.

McIlroy was world number one this time last year but he has suffered a dramatic dip in form since returning in January, a loss of form he doesn't blame on his new Nike equipment.

Masters champion Adam Scott is up to a career-high second.

Scott carded a final round of 66 at Liberty National to finish one shot ahead of a group of four players, including world number one Tiger Woods and US Open champion Justin Rose.

On the European Tour, Tommy Fleetwood's play-off win over Stephen Gallacher and Ricardo Gonzalez in the Johnnie Walker Championship lifted the 22-year-old Englishman from 277th to 162nd in the standings.

Latest leading positions and points average:

1 Tiger Woods (USA) 14.38 

2 Adam Scott (Aus) 9.43

3 Phil Mickelson (USA) 8.62

4 Rory McIlroy (NIrl) 8.17

5 Justin Rose (Eng) 7.87

6 Matt Kuchar(USA) 6.58

7 Brandt Snedeker (USA) 6.32

8 Jason Dufner (USA) 5.99

9 Graeme McDowell (NIrl) 5.82

10 Henrik Stenson (Swe) 5.76

11 Luke Donald (Eng) 5.08, 12 Keegan Bradley (USA) 5.05, 13 Lee Westwood (Eng) 4.92, 14 Steve Stricker (USA) 4.92, 15 Jim Furyk (USA) 4.69, 16 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 4.52, 17 Ian Poulter (Eng) 4.51, 18 Jason Day (Aus) 4.48, 19 Ernie Els (Rsa) 4.43, 20 Sergio Garcia (Spa) 4.36.

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McIlroy Cards Liberty 65

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Rory McIlroy finished up his delayed round at Liberty National early with a birdie at the 18th for a second round of 65 at The Barclays.

On six under par, the Northern Irishman is well in contention ahead of the remaining two rounds in New Jersey.

Poor light forced a premature end to yesterday’s play with McIlroy, having already carded seven birdies and two bogeys through 17 holes, comfortably in the mix after building solidly on an opening round of 71.

After taking a three at the par-four 18th this morning, he will resume this afternoon well positioned to attack the lead held byMatt Kuchar.

The American also had to finish his second round this morning and carded consecutive birdies at 16 and 17 before a dropped shot at the last saw him sign for a 65 also. On 11 under, he holds a two-shot lead over Webb Simpson and Gary Woodland, who were tied for the clubhouse lead at nine under last night.

“I’ve been playing some good golf,” Kuchar on the PGA website last night.

Woodland birdied on four of the last five holes propelling him to a 64 and a share of the lead alongside Simpson, who carded a 66 and acknowledged he needed to enjoy his lead while it lasted.

“A lot of guys are playing good golf and my guess is at the end of two rounds I won’t be leading because there are a lot of birdie holes,” he said.

Rickie Fowler and Keegan Bradley were two shots further back after rounds of 64 and 63 respectively.

Tiger Woods cancelled out three early birdies with three bogeys yesterday to sit on five under par.

Graeme McDowell missed the cut after rounds of 71 and 72 - finishing one shot off the mark.

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McIlroy Bounces Back at Barclays

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Rory McIlroy's opening round of level par 71 at the FedEx Cup play-offs was every bit as explosive, unpredictable and sometimes spectacular as the electrical storms which twice interrupted play at The Barclays in Jersey City.

Showing the same fighting spirit which propelled him into the top-10 at the recent US PGA, McIlroy bounced straight back from ugly double-bogey sixes with a birdie and then an astonishing eagle at Liberty National.

Graeme McDowell joined the Holywood star on the same score, after a less erratic round. The two compatriots sat seven shots behind the early club house lead of Kevin Stadler, who was one ahead of Ryan Palmer and Henrik Stenson. Though wayward from tee to green, Tiger Woods scrambled brilliantly for a bogey-free 67.

All season, McIlroy has been blighted by grievous errors on the golf course, but the difference at Oak Hill, and again yesterday, was his blunt refusal to let them get him down. However, yet a third double-bogey when he hit his tee shot out of bounds at the ninth, his final hole, cast a dark pall over his day's work.

One under after holing from five feet for birdie at the par-five 13th, McIlroy made a hash of 15, where he pulled his tee shot left into the waste area, found the front left bunker in two and then hit his next through the green on the way to an ugly six.

Still, he rebounded with a sweet birdie six at 16.

McIlroy responded to his double-bogey at five, where he hit his approach into water tight to the left of the green, by holing from 29 feet for a fabulous eagle at the long sixth.

Those storms led to two long stoppages as the early starters, including McIlroy, Woods and McDowell played their first round.

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