The Irish Golf Club Gazette

4/20/2016

Profile - Peter Lawrie

Peter Lawrie, Rabat - Getty Images

Peter Lawrie claimed his maiden European Tour victory at the Open de España in 2008, defeating home favourite Ignacio Garrido in a play-off. Enjoyed a fine performance as defending champion in 2009, finishing tied third.Made history at the end of the 2003 season when he became the first Irish golfer to win the prestigious Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award.

Educated at the University College Dublin where he undertook a golf scholarship. Graduated to The European Tour through the European Challenge Tour, finishing fourth in the Rankings at the end of 2002, helped by a superb victory in the Challenge Tour Grand Final.

The Dublin brn golfer graduated to The European Tour through the European Challenge Tour, finishing fourth in the Rankings at the end of 2002, helped by a superb victory in the Challenge Tour Grand Final. His elevation to The European Tour was testament to his determination, having spent one year on the Asian Tour and three seasons on the Challenge Tour before achieving his goal.

Peter was capped at boys, youths and national level for Ireland as an amateur. In his early days as a professional, he played in Asia and Florida, gaining a ‘Mini Tour’ victory in America’s Sunshine State.

In 2012 Lawrie teed off in his first US Open last year, played at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, having secured a spot through UK qualification.

The next year Lawrie managed a strong finish at the ISPS HANDA Perth International to earn just enough to retain his card.

In 2014 an indifferent season ended with €56,040 in prize money earning him 174th place in the Race to Dubai - and loss of automatic playing rights for 2015.

At The European Tour Final Qualifying Peter Lawrie finished in a share of 29th place at PGA Catalunya and outside the first 25 places required to regain status.

In 2015 the Dubliner, who had finished 124th in the Race to Dubai on the back of 17 invitations, missed again.

Despite that result Lawrie felt his chances of regaining his full playing rights from a lesser category were better in 2016.

“I won’t give up,” said Lawrie afterwards, and expected to get around 22 starts next season.

“I have never been a giver-upper, so I will carry on and I will play next year though apart from the Irish Open, I won’t be seeking invites. I have had my fair share and it’s time for somebody else to get them.”

“It’s like anything,” Lawrie said. “Do you enjoy a job that is not giving you something back? The big problem is the potential golden egg. But sometimes you have to look at the expense account and weigh one up against the other.

“So I’ll play whatever I can get into next year. That’s the plan. From there, we will wait and see.”

In 2016 at the Open de España Lawrie finished in a share of 53rd place at the Real Golf club Valderrama, Hosted by Sergio Garcia Foundation. At the Tshwane Open in South Africa the Dubliner missed the cut and it was his first full event since September.

Factfile

Residence Dublin

Date of Birth: 22/03/1974

Place of Birth Dublin, Ireland

Family Wife: Philippa (m. 2003), Children: Jessica (2005), Amelia Jane (2007), Elizabeth (2009), Christopher (2011)

Interests Snooker, football, cinema

Turned Pro 1997 (plus 2)

Qualifying School 1998, 99, (00), (01) (14) (15)

Peter Lawrie - 2016

Related articles

4/18/2016

Dunne Finishes 16th at Valderrama

Paul Dunne - Getty Images

Paul Dunne fired four birdies in the final round of the Real Club Valderrama Open de España, Hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation only to end the day just one under par after a double bogey 6 on the final hole.

A top twenty finish though is the Greystones man’s best result since a ninth place at the JoBurg Open last January and a good build up for the China swing over the coming two weeks.

Dunne plays the Shenzen International next week and looks certain to secure a spot at the Volvo China Open in Beijing the following week given his current reserve position.

Peter Lawrie was close to also signing for under par round on Sunday until a few stray putts undid some of his good work at the San Roque course. A great recovery after a wayward drive on the 17th hit out of bounds showed a return of confidence that bodes well for the season. Any loss of momentum could be only due to Lawrie’s lack of events following his loss of European Toru playing rights and leaves him with an unwanted three week break until the Trophée Hassan II in Morocco next month.

However, in the first full four rounds of the year - having missed the cut at the Tshwane Open in February and withdrawn from the Alfred Dunhill Links before Christmas – Peter Lawrie should be satisfied with his weekends’ work. The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at the K Club the next biggest event on the horizon.

As a former winner of the Open de Espana Lawrie was automatically exempt this weekend and his hard work during the close season was rewarded in the toughest and most demanding of conditions at Valderrama.

The weekend though belonged to Andrew Johnston who won his first European Tour title as he held off the challenge of Joost Luiten to claim the Real Club Valderrama Open de España, Hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation.

The Englishman came into the final day alongside Luiten at two over and signed for a one under par 70 to take the title by one shot and become the first man to win a European Tour event with an over par score since Justin Rose won the US Open at Merion in 2013.

It had been 20 years since a regular event had been won over par, Ian Woosnam shooting the same score to win the Scottish Open at Carnoustie in 1996, showing just how difficult a test Valderrama had been over the four days.

"I drove the ball well all week, chipped and putted well all week, I struggled a bit with my irons the first three days but I just kept going and kept digging in and then on the fourth I found something," he said.

"I came off the course and I just started crying with the emotion of it. It's just very surreal and I don't think it will hit me for a few days.

"You see them winning these tournaments, and the history of it and all these names, so to put mine on there feels pretty ridiculous, really. It really does.

"Hopefully I can be one of those guys who has an incredible career like that and people are sitting here in the future going, 'oh, Beef's on there'. It's pretty incredible."

Tournament host Sergio Garcia made six birdies in his round of 67 to finish at three over, a shot ahead of defending champion James Morrison and Søren Kjeldsen.

The win completes a long journey for 27-year-old Johnston, who first made it onto The European Tour via the Challenge Tour in 2012 before a loss of form and fitness saw him lose his card.

Two wins on the Challenge Tour in 2014 saw him win the Road to Oman and now, after finishing 70th on The Race to Dubai last season, he has his breakthrough.

For Dutchman Luiten, the result is the continuation of a brilliant start to the season and hands him his fifth top ten in eight events so far this term.

Johnston bogeyed the first as those around him jostled for position, with Martin Kaymer opening up a two-shot lead over the field with a birdie on the third.

Luiten and Kaymer continued to battle it out but when Johnston hit a sensational approach to the seventh for birdie and made another gain on the next, a dropped shot from the German on the seventh meant Johnston and Luiten shared the lead at the turn.

Morrison had also turned in 34 and bogeys on the 11th from Luiten and 14th from Johnston meant there was a three-way tie for the lead. That became a four-way tie when Garcia birdied the 16th and 17th to surge into contention.

A bogey on the last saw Garcia set the clubhouse target at three over but Johnston holed a 20-footer on the 16th to move ahead and Luiten could not reel him in as he finished with seven straight pars.

Kjeldsen's 68 handed the Dane a second straight top ten after his excellent performance at the Masters Tournament last week, while Morrison finished with a 72.

Ross Fisher, Kaymer, Mike Lorenzo-Vera and Alex Noren were then at five over, a shot clear of Craig Lee.

4/16/2016

Irish Duo Tested Again at Valderrama

Peter Lawrie - Getty Images

On another day of tough scoring conditions at the Real Club Valderrama Open de España, Hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation, only Joost Luiten and Alex Noren recorded under par rounds.

Valderrama now threatening to produce the first over par winner of a European Tour event since Justin Rose won the US Open Championship in 2013.

Paul Dunne and Peter Lawrie in the windy conditions also signed for over par rounds on Saturday.

The Greystones rookie came home in three over par after dropping three shots before the turn and just a single birdie - at the par five fourth – to complete nine holes in two over. With one more birdie on the par four 14th Dunne carded two more bogeys ending his day with a round of 74.

Lawrie was amongst the first group on Saturday morning and battled through the early stretch carding four bogeys by the halfway stage. Then five straight pars maintained some momentum from the tenth before the Dubliner dropped a shot on the par three 16th. Unable to do better than par on 16 and 17.

On the eighteenth a good drive went unrewarded when it clipped a tree to leave him unsighted and unable to better a bogey five on the last hole - for a round of 77 and share of 59th place.

“Conditions were far from easy again today, “said caddie Brendan McDaid walking off the final green “The leaderboard showed all day how tough the scoring was for the field today.”

“We left a few putts out there today which might have fallen our way,” continued McDaid, “But Valderrama was not in that kind of forgiving mood once more and gave up nothing.”

“It’s an exacting course in these type of conditions,” McDaid concluded, “But Peter is striking the ball well and with some luck we might have been a couple of strokes better on the day.”

Leader Mike Lorenzo-Vera will take a take a one-shot advantage into the final day as he goes in search of a first European Tour title. The Frenchman’s level par round of 71 saw him stay at one over par and lead ahead of Luiten, two-time Major Championship winner Martin Kaymer and England's Andrew Johnston.

The highlight of Lorenzo-Vera’s day was his approach to the par five 17th for an eagle to spark a wild celebration and move him two ahead, before a bogey on the last cut the gap.

"I'm very excited," he said. "I'm going to have a big nap tonight because it takes so much energy to stay patient here. I'm just going to try to relax and enjoy it as much as I can tomorrow.

"I'm just trying to look at the pace of the leader board and accept that you're going to have a lot of bogeys here. A bogey on the hole is never really a bad score so you just try to accept it. Take the bogey and get out of there."

The 31-year-old was number one on The Challenge Tour in 2007 and enjoyed his best ever European Tour season last term, finishing 78th on The Race to Dubai, but he will face a tough challenge on Sunday.

Dutchman Luiten is the only player in the field with two under par rounds this week and already has four top tens to his name this season, while Kaymer is an 11-time winner on The European Tour.

Johnston has held the lead on several occasions this week and will be brimming with confidence as he goes in search of a first European Tour win.

Defending champion James Morrison signed for a 74 to sit at three over alongside fellow Englishman Ross Fisher, with Spanish duo Pablo Larrazábal and Pep Angles a further shot back.

Lorenzo-Vera reached the turn in 35 before a birdie on the 12th thanks to a stunning flop-shot got him to level par and, when Johnston bogeyed the same hole, he found himself in a share of the lead for the first time.

All those at the top of the leader board were falling back and Lorenzo-Vera did the same with bogeys on the 15th and 16th, but his spectacular hole-out on the 17th catapulted him ahead before his disappointing finish.

Johnston had been battling for top spot with overnight leader Larrazábal in the early stages and held the lead on his own after birdies on the fifth and 11th but three bogeys in a row from the 12th saw him fall back.

Kaymer twice got to level par with back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth, and tenth and 11th, but both times gave the advantage back, while Luiten registered five birdies and four bogeys.

Fisher overcame a double-bogey on the 12th in his 72, while Morrison also fought back well after turning in 38.

Larrazábal endured a frustrating afternoon as he carded a 78, with Angles' 74 enough to get him a shot ahead of Thomas Bjørn, Richard Bland, Alejandro Cañizares and Noren.

Peter Lawrie tees off on Sunday at 10:10hrs with Seve Benson and Alvaro Quiros.

Paul Dunne is off the first tee at 08:35hrs with Thomas Linard and Graeme Storm.

4/15/2016

Dunne and Lawrie Survive Spanish Inquisition

Paul Dunne makes Valderrama cut

Paul Dunne and Peter Lawrie battled the strong winds at Real Club Valderrama Open de España to survive the cut on Friday

Dunne, who went out in the morning, reached the clubhouse with 76 on the card after two double bogeys, four bogeys and three birdies for +7 - which looked like a missed cut when the leaders were -7.

But as the testing conditions took their toll the projected cut moved four strokes in the afternoon and reduced the field to 61 players and included Dunne.

Peter Lawrie teed off late in the afternoon and reached the turn one over par after two bogeys wiped out the birdie on the the par 3 third hole.

On the run for home Lawrie was focused on the cut line and four pars, a birdie on the eleventh helped him on his way. Even consecutive dropped shots on the 13th and 14th saw the Dubliner looking safe.

However on the last a bogey five almost ended some good work in the tricky conditions with the round 2 74 proving enough to ensure weekend play.

Leader Pablo Larrazábal recorded a level par round of 71 to open up a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the event Hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation.

After 15 players broke par in perfect, benign conditions on day one, the wind played its part in the second round, with only Peter Hanson and Mike Lorenzo-Vera able to get round in 70 as Valderrama showed just why it is regarded as one of the ultimate tests in world golf.

That made the round of home favourite Larrazábal all the more impressive as he stayed at three under and held off the challenge of England's Andrew Johnston.

Defending champion James Morrison, Alejandro Cañizares and first round leader Alexander Levy were then at level par, with Pep Angles, Richard Bland, Craig Lee and Lorenzo-Vera a further shot back.

Larrazábal came into Friday two shots behind Levy but got to seven under after ten holes to open up a two-shot lead.

A bogey on the second and bunker trouble on the third dropped him back to his starting position, but that was enough to give the four-time European Tour winner the advantage heading into the weekend.

"To shoot level in these conditions is a great feeling and to have a chance on the last to go into the red figures is something really special," he said.

"I said to my playing partners that I only missed one shot today really bad, and I made triple-bogey. I made so many great saves – like the 17th, the putt I made from the back of there was great.

"I didn't play my best golf, but on another golf course I would have gone six, seven under par because of the way I fought, so I'm very pleased.

If the wind blows like this a level par or more total will win this. If I shoot level par over the weekend I will be in the fight - Pablo Larrazábal

As the vast bulk of the field struggled, Larrazábal looked like he was playing a different course in the early stages, making birdies on the 11th, 12th, 17th and first.

An errant tee-shot on the second led to a bogey and, after taking two attempts to get out of a bunker and three putts on the par three next, an impressive recovery saw the Spaniard par his way home.

Johnston had held the lead following birdies on the tenth and second but eventually signed for a 74 with three birdies, three bogeys and a double on the third.

Englishman Morrison and Spaniard Cañizares both signed for rounds of 75 in the morning, which became increasingly valuable as the day went on, while Frenchman Levy recovered well from five bogeys in his first eight holes to record a 76.

Young Spaniard Angles was one of just four players to get round in level par 71, with Englishman Bland and Scot Lee both recording rounds of 72.

Two-time Major Championship winner Martin Kaymer was then at two over alongside France's Grégory Bourdy, England's Ross Fisher and another home favourite in Jordi Garcia Pinto.

Finn Roope Kakko recorded the 18th hole-in-one in Open de España history when he holed a seven iron from 200 yards on the 12th.

4/12/2016

Lough Erne Resort Loses Irish Open

Lough Erne Resort

The European Tour has announced that the Lough Erne Resort will not host the 2017 Irish Open.

There were doubts in January that the Fermanagh course may not stage the event and this was confirmed on Monday.

The Lough Erne Resort said it was extremely disappointed, adding that the European Tour had decided to "change the venue to a links course".

Tour officials have already visited Portstewart to check its suitability to stage the Irish Open.

In April 2014, it was announced that the 2017 event would be held at Lough Erne and supported financially by the Northern Ireland government.

"During a recent visit to the Lough Erne Resort, I was delighted to meet with the owners and to learn more about their significant investment plans for the golf course and hotel," said Keith Pelley, European Tour Chief Executive, on Monday.

"It is a beautiful facility with an outstanding championship golf course designed by Sir Nick Faldo.

"While the 2017 Irish Open will not be staged at Lough Erne, the European Tour looks forward to working with the new ownership consortium, and I am confident that the Lough Erne Resort will host an event with the European Tour in the future."

The Lough Erne Resort failed to persuade the European Tour to keep the event at the Fermanagh venue.

It added: "Over the last several months, senior tour officials began telling us that European Tour management was considering a 'traditional links course strategy' for future Irish Opens.

"We have remained steadfast in our position not to accept this change from the Tour, and we have spent the last few months trying to work with Tour officials at the highest level to persuade them to keep their commitment to Lough Erne Resort and the region.

"However, despite our willingness to work with the Tour in every way to convince them to maintain their commitment, they have made the decision to change the venue to a traditional links course in 2017."