9/15/2013

McGrane Goes Dutch

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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.
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Comeback McIlroy Fires 68

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Rory McIlroy made a welcome return to form during a lightning-fast display in Saturday's third round.

Paired with American Charley Hoffman in the first group to tee off after lying stone last in the elite field of 70 overnight, McIlroy fired a three-under-par 68 in warm, sunny conditions at Conway Farms Golf Club.

Though he ran up a double-bogey six at the 13th after hitting his third shot thin from a bunker and overshooting the green, he otherwise played flawless golf, recording three birdies and signing off in style with an eagle at the last.

"It's funny," world number four McIlroy told reporters after he and Hoffman had raced around the par-71 layout in only two hours 35 minutes.

"You're going out there with no real goal.

"You're just trying to get in quick, you're just trying to play fast and you end up shooting a decent score.

"So maybe it's a case of I'm maybe just trying a bit too hard out there and not just letting it all sort of go," added the Northern Irishman, after posting a 10-over total of 223 in the third of the PGA Tour's four FedExCup playoff events.

The double major winner has endured a frustrating 2013 campaign after moving to the top of the world rankings last year and claiming the order of merit titles on both sides of the Atlantic.

In 15 starts on the PGA Tour this season, he has recorded just five top-10s, including a missed cut at the British Open in July.

Though McIlroy produced what he described as "glimpses" of good form during the first two playoff events, he made a bad start to this week with opening scores of 78 and 77.

"I'm looking forward to getting my game back to where it was," said the 24-year-old, who has not won a tournament since the European Tour's DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last November.

"I'm striking the ball well. That part of my game is totally fine. Just have to tighten it up around the greens and I'll be okay."

McIlroy, whose hopes of qualifying for next week's season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta evaporated after his poor start at Conway Farms, was mainly happy with his form on Saturday.

"But I have to throw in a double bogey," he laughed, having recorded a double in each of his three rounds this week.

"A round isn't complete without a double bogey these days."

McIlroy, who hit a brilliant second shot from 202 yards to six feet at the par-five 18th, jested that he and Hoffman had been disappointed after initially aiming to complete the third

round in two hours 30 minutes.

"We were looking for his ball on the fourth (hole) so he messed it up," McIlroy said with a grin after the pair had finished five minutes over their target.


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9/14/2013

McGrane Joost in Touch

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Damien McGrane defied the miserable conditions to card a superb 67 and set the early clubhouse target in the third round of the KLM Open in Zandvoort.

McGrane, whose sole European Tour victory to date in the 2008 Volvo China Open was achieved in similar wet and windy weather, recorded three birdies and no bogeys to reach eight under par at Kennemer Golf Club.

The 42 year old began the day four shots off the lead, but with the leaders getting the worst of the conditions he was just one off the lead when he reached the sanctuary of the clubhouse.

Home favourite Joost Luiten recovered the lead after signing for a eound of 66.

France's Julien Quesne and Spain's Miguel Angel Jiménez shared the lead on nine under, Luiten having chipped in twice for birdie and Quesne carding 14 pars and just one birdie so far.

Jiménez had shared the overnight lead with compatriot Pablo Larrazábal, but Larrazábal's bid for a third European Tour title got off to a start as miserable as the weather.

The 30 year old ran up a triple-bogey seven on the opening hole and also dropped a shot on the fifth, and although he birdied the seventh another bogey on the 13th left him four off the lead.

Jiménez had topped his third shot on the par five second but rescued a par with a superb pitch, only to bogey the next after missing the green with his tee shot and failing to get up and down.

The 49 year old, already the oldest winner in European Tour history after his win in the Hong Kong Open aged 48 and 318 days last November, had to wait until the 13th for his first birdie of the day, but that was enough to reclaim a share of the lead.


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9/13/2013

Padraig Prefers Ghost Spider

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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.


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Murphy Revives QS Hopes

Mark Murphy shot a superb three-under-par 69 to propel himself into contention for a place in the second stage of European Tour qualifying at the Roxburghe in Scotland.

The Kerryman shares 14th place with a 54-hole aggregate of 217, one-over-par, and with only the top 17 and ties progressing to the second round in Spain next month, Murphy will need to shoot another solid round today if he is to make the grade.

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Murphy's third-round score of 69 was seven strokes better than his opening-day 76, with the 33-year-old bagging four birdies along the way.

The Island's Paul Rawluk is also right in the mix as he too sits tied 14th after a level-par 72.

Rawluk had an eventful round, carding an eagle at the long par-five seventh hole where he knocked in a monster of a putt, as well as two birdies and four bogeys.

Cork's Peter O'Keeffe's chances of progressing were dealt a huge blow after he dropped from eighth to tied 29th after a disastrous 78.

Ballinasloe's Mark Staunton and Killarney's Daniel Sugrue shot rounds of 74 and 71 respectively, and are tied 47th and 51st place.

Sweden's Philip Eriksson and England's Jamie Moul share the lead on seven-under.


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