The Irish Golf Club Gazette

6/17/2013

Meadow Without Maguire Twins

Leona and Lisa Maguire have declared themselves unavailable for selection for the GB&I Vagliano Trophy team to meet the Continent of Europe at Chantilly this month.

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Selectors will meet in Edinburgh this morning to choose the nine-strong side. With the 18-year-old Maguires of Slieve Russell out of contention, it is likely there will be just one Irish player in the side – Stephanie Meadow, the 2012 Ladies British Open Amateur Champion from Royal Portrush.

Meanwhile, the British Championship at Machynys Peninsula in South Wales was won by Dorset teenager Georgia Hall.

Lisa Maguire reached the quarter-finals of the championship while Leona was a third-round loser.

The biennial Vagliano Trophy matches are played between GB&I and the Continent of Europe. The matches are played in foursomes and singles format.

Thornton Seals Maiden Win

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An emotional Simon Thornton dedicated his maiden European Tour victory to his late father after the Irishman showed nerves of steel to beat Tjaart Van der Walt of South Africa in a play-off and claim the Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open presented by Neuflize OBC title on Father’s Day.

The Irishman holed several tricky putts on the back nine in an enthralling battle of wits with his South African playing partner in the final group at Aa Saint Omer Golf Club.

The most important putt of all, however, came at the 18th during regular play when, after Van der Walt sealed a par, Thornton was left with a ten-foot putt to take it to extra holes.

Under the most intense of pressure, the 36 year old rolled it into the cup and clenched his fist in celebration as he signed for a one under par 70 to finish alongside Van der Walt on five under.

He kept his cool once again in the play-off, finding the fringe of the green while Van der Walt’s approach landed in a greenside bunker and after the South African’s sand shot fell 12 feet short, Thornton rolled a perfectly-weighted putt from 30 feet which slid just left of the hole but ensured a par.

When Van der Walt’s par putt came up short, Thornton tapped in for the win, before dedicating the victory to his father, who passed away three years ago.

“It’s so big for me,” said a tearful Thornton. “On father’s day too, he passed away three years ago and it still hurts, but they are happy tears today. This is dedicated to him.

“I didn’t play particularly well today in perfect conditions but I got up and down when I had to and holed good putts.

“I didn’t put myself in position very well so I was scrambling but my short game held up. I've been working hard on my short game for a couple of years now so I'm delighted. I changed my putter and my putting technique last week too so it all came together this week.

“On the last putt – I had been saying to myself all day, if I'm going to make it easy for myself you need to try on every putt and make sure it goes where you want to hit it – so I just picked a line and willed it in and it dropped.”

Thornton’s rise is an incredible story of progression to the top of European golf against all odds, as he was a seven handicap golfer just over a decade ago.

Born in Bradford, England, he moved to Ireland to become an Assistant Professional at Royal County Down Golf Club before rising through the Irish professional ranks to the Challenge Tour and then The European Tour.

“Hopefully this is a stepping stone for me,” he said. “I’ll go home this week now and celebrate, take a week off, and then play in the Irish Open.

“Last year was a huge disappointment on The European Tour after getting there through the Challenge Tour.

“To come here and play like I did is incredible. What happens now with this category is fantastic, it’s mad how things have changed. It’s surreal.”

Van der Walt, meanwhile, was disappointed not to have claimed a first European Tour victory having shared the overnight lead after every round of the week.

The George native, however, was extremely optimistic about his game and believes the performance in northern France will spur him on to greater things in the future.

“It’s really disappointing to get so close and not finish it off,” said the 39 year old, who also carded a one under par 70 after entering the final day tied for the lead alongside Thornton and Frenchman Baptiste Chapellan.

“I just didn’t chip well today and bad wedge shots cost me a bogey at the fifth and a double-bogey at the eighth, which is unacceptable.

“But the rest of my game is pretty close. I think if I can iron out those little mistakes I can go on to win tournaments by bigger margins and I'm the kind of person who gets motivated by these kind of things so hopefully the door will open again and I can do it with flying colours next time.”

Englishman Seve Benson sealed the highest finish of his European Tour career as a one under par 70 left him in outright third place, two shots ahead of his compatriot Robert Dinwiddie whose final round of 70 earned him a fourth-placed finish.

Merion Frustrates McIlroy

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Rory McIlroy admitted frustration had got the better of him as he damaged one of his clubs in the final round of the US Open at Merion.

McIlroy drove into the water on the par-four 11th and then hit his approach into the creek short of the green as well, the world number two then leaning on the offending iron so hard he bent the shaft out of shape.

That meant he could not use the club for the rest of the round as he ran up a quadruple-bogey eight on the hole and a closing 76 to finish 14 over par.

"I just hit a bad tee shot into the creek there and what you don't want to do as a golfer is follow one mistake with another, and that's what I did," McIlroy said. "And obviously I got a bit frustrated there.

"It's a hole that you want to try to take advantage of. It's a hole that you want to at least give yourself a birdie chance and you walk off with a quad and it's not very good.

"I think that's what this tournament does to you. At one point or another it's got the better of you, and it definitely did this weekend."

6/16/2013

Ace Thornton Shares Omer Lead

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Simon Thornton carded the first hole in one of his professional career on the way to a stunning six under par 65 as the Irishman moved into a three-way tie for the lead going into the final day of the Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open presented by Neuflize OBC.

In very high winds but clear skies at Aa Saint Omer Golf Club, Thornton holed out with a perfect seven iron tee shot at the 206-yard par three 11th which was greeted with cheers from the spectators and high fives from his playing partners.

That came just two holes after an eagle at the ninth hole as he made an almighty push up the leaderboard, climbing 34 places to the top alongside South African Tjaart Van der Walt and local favourite Baptiste Chapellan on four under par.

Indeed, the former Assistant Pro at Royal County Down Golf Club came agonisingly close to equalling the course record of 64, but his eight foot birdie putt at the last slid just by the left of the hole. Nevertheless, the 36 year old was delighted with how he played.

“That was obviously pretty good stuff,” said Thornton, who was six shots off the lead before Round Three. “I just played really well, hit some good shots and in weather like that you just have to keep straight and that’s what I do well.

“I was making greens and giving myself chances and I managed to take them today. The weather suits me, I like playing in a breeze. There were times when you could have hit any one of five clubs because the wind was unpredictable, but you just have to pick one and trust it.

“I holed about a 30-footer for eagle at the ninth and then the hole in one - I was in between a seven iron and an eight iron and I hit a nice smooth seven and it was all over the flag, one big bounce and it just rolled in. It was really good shot.

“There were a few high fives and shouts, it was my first one in a professional tournament so I was delighted.

“I was happier about the way I played 12 actually, because it’s breezy and the blood can rush to your head a little after the hole in one, but I hit a lovely drive there and hit to a few feet and holed it for birdie so that carried on the momentum.”

Having failed to retain his European Tour card in the 2012 season, Thornton has been left with a Challenge Tour category that does not allow as many playing opportunities as he would like, and he is under no illusions as to how big a week this could be in the context of his season.

But the Bradford-born man is not getting ahead of himself and, while knows there is still plenty to do, he is relishing the opportunity of a first professional victory.

“I was seven over after my first 27 holes so just to make the cut and then play well today was a bonus and it’s anybody’s tournament now,” he said.

“I am looking forward to the final day now, I'm just going to try and go for every shot like I did today and see what happens. It’s been a while since I've been in this position but this has given me a big boost.

“It could be a big week for me but I’ll tell you if it is or not tomorrow after I've finished!”

Van der Walt looked to be heading into a three shot lead entering championship Sunday in northern France but a double-bogey at the 16th followed immediately by a bogey at the 17th meant he had to settle for a level par 71 to remain on four under par for the tournament.

“I actually played better than I did yesterday and I don’t feel too disappointed after that,” said the 39 year old, who has now held a share of the lead after every round. “I gave myself a lot of chances and I'm really hitting some good golf shots.

“My mistakes were so close to being good shots but in that wind anything can happen. Overall I'm feeling comfortable and maybe tomorrow I can move clear of the field and then not drop back. I'm playing well so I just need to keep doing what I'm doing.”

Chapellan, who is playing in just his sixth European Tour event, was boosted by a significant following on home soil as he signed for a two under 69.

“I play well in the wind, I think it’s fun,” said the 25 year old. “It was similar conditions to when I won my first professional tournament on the Alps Tour. My putting wasn’t great today but I only made one bogey so that is positive.

“I will do my best to keep my energy up in this weather and I have had a good strategy around this course so far this week so hopefully I can keep that going.”

Englishman Seve Benson was a shot back in fourth place after carding a one under par 70 to move to three under for the tournament.

No Merion Move for McIlroy

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Rory McIlroy's hopes of reclaiming the US Open title are almost certainly over after he failed to build on an encouraging start to his third round at Merion.

Playing alongside Tiger Woods for the third straight day, the pair began the round just four off the lead and both holed good putts for opening birdie threes.

But McIlroy then carved his drive out of bounds at the second which prompted a run of four bogeys in five holes, although he stopped the rot with a welcome birdie at the seventh.

However, he could not get his game back together and dropped further shots at nine, 11 and 15 as he returned a 75 to slip to eight over - nine shots behind leader Phil Mickelson.

"If you're not on your game a hundred percent, you get on the wrong side of the greens and it's just frightening because I didn't feel like I played too badly," McIlroy said.

"I missed a few shots here and there and I was trying on every shot out there and I was trying to get myself back into it, but it's tough.

"If you're just not a hundred percent on top of your game, it's going to expose some of your flaws or weaknesses.

"I've been working on the swing quite hard over the last few months, and it looks really good on camera. I just get on the course and I hit a couple of bad shots and I guess that it sort of makes you lose confidence a little bit during the round.

"It's just a bit of a struggle and it seems like I've had a few too many tournaments this year where I've struggled in one round or a couple of rounds and not been able to put it all together.

"I don't feel like it's too far away at all. It's just a matter of believing and staying patient and working hard and knowing that if you work on the right thing, you're going to turn it around."