Five Irish Contest Tshwane Open

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Shane Lowry, Damien McGrane, Gareth Maybin, Peter Lawrie and Kevin Phelan are in action this week in South Africa and join Jaco Van Zyl, who hopes to continue the excellent record of South African players on home soil at the Tshwane Open.

Home players have won nine of the last 11 European Tour events in South Africa, but Van Zyl is still awaiting his breakthrough after runner-up finishes at the Africa Open and Trophée Hassan II. 

"As South Africans we always feel a bit more pressure playing European Tour events at home, but we've always done well in these events," said Van Zyl, who has made every cut this season and finished tied for fifth in East London two weeks ago.

"We're very competitive and we like marking our territory and won't give it up that easily. It would be nice if it's my turn this week."

Dawie van der Walt admits he faces a journey into the unknown as he looks to defend his title this week.

Van der Walt won his maiden European Tour title in the inaugural Tshwane Open 12 months ago and also triumphed at the Nelson Mandela Championship in December, but does not know how he will respond to the pressure of being defending champion.

"This is the first time I am defending so I don't really know what it's like," Van der Walt told the European Tour podcast. "We will see how I deal with the pressure of defending.

"I am not putting too much pressure on myself, my goal for this week is just to have a chance going into the last day to defend the title, not be too far back.

"If I can defend it, great; if I don't I'm not going to let it affect me too much."

Van der Walt won by two shots from compatriot Darren Fichardt last year on the Ernie Els-designed Copperleaf Golf & Country Estate at Centurion, which at 7,964 yards is the longest course in European Tour history.

It is also the first European Tour course to have four par fives measuring over 600 yards, while the 685 yard par five fourth hole is the longest in European Tour history.

"Last year the course was long but this year it's ridiculous. It's almost crazy," said local favourite Fichardt, who was born in Pretoria and is attached to Centurion.

"It's going to be demanding on your long-iron play, and it's going to put pressure on your chipping and putting.

"I like this course and I've been pretty consistent this year. I play here a lot and I'm hitting it a bit longer, which helps around here."

World Number 53 George Coetzee is the highest ranked player in the field and reached the last-16 in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona last week.

Coetzee beat World Number 13 Steve Stricker in the first round and Patrick Reed in the second at Dove Mountain, before losing 3 and 1 to eventual champion Jason Day.

The Joburg Open winner has been paired with England's Tommy Fleetwood and fellow South African van Zyl in the first two rounds.

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No Honda Groundhog for Rory

Rory McIlroy says he has banished the demons of the last year to his furthest recesses ahead of this year's Honda Classic.

Northern Irishman McIlroy was defending champion in Palm Beach, Florida, last year when he walked off the PGA National course midway through his second round, initially telling reporters he was in a "bad place mentally" before citing toothache as the cause of his early exit.

The 24-year-old subsequently apologised for the incident and admitted he should have battled through the bad form which blighted most of 2013 following his multi-million pound switch to Nike.

It took McIlroy until December to register his only win of the season, but the 24-year-old has shown glimpses of his best form already this year - despite a second-round exit from the WGC-Accenture Match Play last week - and can also enjoy some home comforts this week.

The world No 8 said: "I really can't wait to get back to The Honda. It is one of my favourite events of the year and winning in 2012 was an important landmark in my career.

"Having a place in Palm Beach now also gives the tournament a kind of special feeling - nearly like a home event.

"Last year, admittedly, I had a tough week, a forgettable week. I guess I let frustrations get the better of me and perhaps should have adopted a more mature approach."

Seven of the world's top 10 are in the field this week, with world No 1 Tiger Woods, Masters champion Adam Scott and Open winner Phil Mickelson returning to action after opting to miss last week's match play event in Arizona.

Jason Day, Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson are the players to miss out, with Day taking a break after his WGC-Accenture victory which lifted him to a career-high fourth in the rankings, while Rose is again struggling with a shoulder injury.

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Mount Wolseley Hosts EuroPro

The PGA EuroPro Tour has added Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort in County Carlow to its schedule, the second Irish venue to be included in the Tour’s impressive 2014 line-up.

The Christy O’Connor designed course boasts rich surrounds, mature trees and playing surfaces unrivalled for their consistency and quality and will host Europe’s leading satellite tour from July 30 until August 1.

The 54-hole event follows straight on from the tournament at Concra Wood in Castleblayney and will be filmed for a two hour highlights programme to be broadcast on Sky Sports. The tournament will see some of Europe’s best young professionals competing for the £10,000 winner’s cheque and their share of a total prize fund of £40,000.

Daniel Godding, PGA EuroPro Tour Director of Operations said: “Mount Wolseley is a stunning course and is in a great location with its mountainous backdrop.

“Historically the PGA EuroPro Tour has always enjoyed great public support in Ireland and I am thrilled to give Irish golf fans another opportunity to see some of Europe’s best young pros compete on a top-class course in front of the Sky Sports cameras.”

Lisa Morrissey, Director at Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort said: “We are delighted to be hosting such a prestigious event here at Mount Wolseley and to have such calibre of golfers descending on County Carlow in July. Our championship golf course will challenge the professionals on every aspect of their game, so it will be a great tournament to watch.”

Broadcast on Sky Sports HD and TV networks around the world, the PGA EuroPro Tour is the UK and Ireland’s leading golf tour and is where many top golfers begin their professional careers.

The Tour comprises 17 tournaments at some of the UK and Ireland’s very best courses, including the Belfry (Brabazon course), The Oxfordshire and Prince’s. 

Players play for a total prize fund of over £700,000 each year and at the end of the season the top five on the Order of Merit graduate to the Challenge Tour.

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McDowell Challenge Fades

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Graeme McDowell bowed out of the WGC Match Play in Arizona after Frenchman Victor Dubuisson beat him one up.

The Northern Irishman was seeking to reach the semi-finals for the first time but crucially lost the 16th hole.

In Sunday's semi-final Dubuisson will play veteran Ernie Els, who beat 20-year-old American Jordan Spieth 4&2.

Rickie Fowler lost four successive holes to Jim Furyk but recorded a 2&1 victory and he will now face Jason Day, who beat Louis Oosthuizen one up.

McDowell, who won the European Tour's Match Play tournament in Bulgaria last year, had staged remarkable recoveries in all three of his matches this week, needing to hole from 20 feet on the 20th hole to avoid defeat by Hunter Mahan on Friday, before beating the American at the 21st.

The 34-year-old world number 17 had played 58 holes to reach the quarter-final and had never stood on any tee with the lead but was two ahead after only three holes against Dubuisson, courtesy of an eagle and a birdie.

However, Dubuisson, ranked 30, picked up two birdies to level the match and then went ahead at the ninth after chipping in for another birdie.

It was all square after Dubuisson took six at the par-five 13th but McDowell went behind ahead again after three-putting the 16th.

McDowell had a birdie putt of 20 feet to take the match into extra holes but this time it drifted by on the left.

Els, 44, remains on course to become the oldest winner of the tournament, a distinction currently held by David Toms, who was 38when he triumphed in 2005.

The big South African, four times a major champion and winner of seven Match Play titles at Wentworth, had three birdies in taking a one-hole lead at the turn against an increasingly exasperated Spieth.

As Spieth imploded, Els needed only pars to win three holes on the inward nine, and said afterwards: "I wouldn't say I'm at my career best but I made some key putts."

Oosthuizen received lengthy treatment on his back from his physio before play started but carved his opening tee shot into the desert.

After attempting to hack clear from a bush, the 2010 Open championquickly conceded the hole to Day and seemed likely to fall two down after another errant drive on the second.

However, this time Oosthuizen took a penalty drop and then hit a superb third shot with a fairway wood on to the green, holing the putt from 20 feet for an unlikely winning birdie.

But Day won the next two holes, went two ahead at the turn and remained in control.

"It got better - the last four or five holes I felt I could get through the ball better," Oosthuizen said of his injury. "It's a bit painful that it always happens when I'm playing well and I need to address it big time and get it sorted.

"I felt I played really well but you can't give away holes to a guy like Jason."

Fowler, who has missed his first three cuts of the year in strokeplay events, had three birdies in winning three of the first four holes against Furyk but three successive birdies from his veteran opponent levelled the match at the 15th.

Furyk went ahead with a par at the next but then dropped a shot at the 17th.

At the last the 43-year-old former US Open champion fluffed a chip, which rolled back to his feet short of the green and Fowler progressed with a par.

Quarter-final results:

Bobby Jones Group:

J Day (Aus) bt L Oosthuizen (SA) 2&1

Ben Hogan Group:

R Fowler (US) bt J Furyk (US) 1up

Gary Player Group:

E Els (SA) bt J Spieth (US) 4&2

Sam Snead Group:

V Dubuisson (Fr) bt G McDowell (NI) 1up

Sunday's semi-final line-up

J Day (Aus) v R Fowler (US)

E Els (SA) v V Dubuisson (Fr)

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McDowell Makes More Magic

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Graeme McDowell came from behind once again to reach the WGC World Match Play quarter-finals with a win over Hunter Mahan after 21 holes.

The Northern Irishman fought back from two down with two holes to play before beating Mahan on the third extra hole.

He will now face France's Victor Dubuisson, who beat Bubba Watson, in the last eight.

McDowell won the last two holes against Mahan to square the match and, after saving par on the second extra hole, won it with a birdie on the third.

He came from three down with three to play to beat Gary Woodland in round one and came back from two holes behind on the 14th to win on the final green against Hideki Matsuyama.

McDowell, whose win over Mahan sealed the 2010 Ryder Cup for Europe, said: "It's entertaining but I'd rather have it easier, believe me.

"I was sure I was beaten against Gary Woodland and walking off the 16th I thought I was beaten again.

"I've just robbed three players at this tournament and I can't believe I'm still in it."

Oosthuizen powered past Webb Simpson 5&4 and he will meet Australian Day, who George Coetzee 3&1.

Els beat Jason Dufner on the final hole and Spieth beat fellow American Matt Kuchar 2&1.

After overcoming Harris English, Furyk meets Fowler, who beat Sergio Garcia on the final hole.

Garcia pulled off a surprise on the seventh hole when he conceded a 20-foot par putt to Fowler when the Spaniard, who had a four-footer for par, had a chance to move three holes ahead.

Fowler won the match with a birdie on the last but Garcia, who felt he had held play up as he waited for a drop on the sixth, insisted he was not sorry for halving the seventh.

"I don't regret it at all. He played better on the last 10 holes and deserved it. It's a gentleman's game and lately it hasn't felt like that.

"This is the way I was brought up playing golf by my dad. It was the only thing I could do to make myself feel better [after the sixth]."

Bobby Jones Group:

L Oosthuizen (SA) bt W Simpson (US) 5&4

J Day (Aus) bt G Coetzee (SA) 3&1

Ben Hogan Group:

J Furyk (US) bt H English (US) 1up

R Fowler (US) bt S Garcia (Sp) 1up

Gary Player Group:

E Els (SA) bt J Dufner (US) 1up

J Spieth (US) bt M Kuchar (US) 2&1

Sam Snead Group:

G McDowell (NI) bt H Mahan (US) 1up (21 holes)

V Dubuisson (Fr) bt B Watson (US) 1up

Quarter Finals
Louis Oosthuizen v Jason Day
Rickie Fowler v Jim Furyk
Ernie Els v Jordan Spieth
Graeme McDowell v Victor Dubuisson

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