McIlroy Shares Hong Kong Lead

Rory McIlroy shares the lead with Alvaro Quiros and David Horsey at the Hong Kong Open after firing a superb opening six-under-par 64.

McIlroy's bogey-free round in windy conditions was later matched by Quiros and Horsey while Miguel Angel Jimenez was one behind after a 65.

McIlroy is third in the order of merit, £970,000 behind leader Luke Donald, who is not playing in Hong Kong.

"It was very good, a solid round. I didn't make a mistake," said McIlroy.

Gareth Maybin, badly needing a good finish to hold on to his tour card, responded by firing an impressive 66.

However, Dunhill Links winner Michael Hoey shot a disappointing opening 78.

Peter Lawrie shot a 69 with Padraig Harrington, needing a high finish to force himself into next week's Dubai World Championship field, having to be content with a 70.

Damien McGrane, like Maybin under a degree of pressure to hold on to his card, was near the bottom of the field after carding a 77.

Starting on the 10th, McIlroy picked up birdies at the 14th and 16th to reach the turn in 33 before a sand wedge to inside three feet at the first brought another.

The 22-year-old moved to four under at the next and although his drive from the fifth tee found the bunker, a superb recovery allowed him to knock in a short putt for his fifth birdie of the day before adding his sixth at the next.

"Six birdies and no bogeys is always a nice way to start the tournament," added McIlroy, who has twice finished runner-up at the Hong Kong event.

"I just gave myself a lot of chances - I think I hit 17 greens and a lot of fairways - and I was able to take a few, which was nice."

A win for McIlroy would help to cut Donald's lead at the top of the order of merit heading into the Dubai World Championship.

Maybin started this week's event in 120th place in the order of merit, with only the top 118 after Sunday's tournament conclusion set to hold on to tour cards for next season.

However, Maybin, after starting at the 10th, picked up birdies on the 11th, 12th, 15th and 16th and parred his remaining 12 holes to card a 66.

McIlroy Confirms 2012 Irish Open

ory McIlroy has confirmed his participation in the 2012 Irish Open from June 28 – July 1.

The US Open Champion revealed his intention to play in his national open at the UBS Hong Kong Open on Wednesday.

“There has been a lot of speculation on whether or not I will play the Irish Open next year, so I am happy to announce that I will definitely play the tournament next season."

“For me, the Irish Open has always been, and will continue to be, one of the most important events on the global golf calendar. It’s our national open and it’s obviously a title that I would love to win at some stage in my career.

"With Irish golf on such a high in recent years, it is important that we put on a good show not only for the home fans, but also for the global golf audience who will be watching the event on TV next summer.

“A lot has been made of me joining the PGA Tour again next year, but in reality, it's not a drastic change to the schedule I have played in recent seasons. It just means that I will be adding a few more events to my schedule in America in 2012.

“Taking my PGA Tour card again does not mean that I'm going to neglect my European Tour status. I'll continue to play a similar schedule of events in Europe and will obviously fulfil my commitment to the European Tour.”

Looking ahead to this week at the UBS Hong Kong Open, the World Number Two is hoping to finally lift the trophy on Sunday night having finished second twice at the Hong Kong Golf Club in the past three years.

Victory, or possibly a second place finish, at Fanling will mean that McIlory will retain an outside chance of winning The European Tour’s Race to Dubai by also lifting the season-ending Dubai World Championship presented by DP World next week.

The 22 year old would be relying on current Race to Dubai and World Number One Luke Donald finishing well down the 60-man field in Dubai in order to top The Race to Dubai, but he is confident that he can keep his side of the bargain.

“Of course winning the next two events is achievable,” said McIlroy, “but I probably need to win here in Hong Kong first to even think about it. So all I can concentrate on is trying to play the best I can here, and if I get myself into a position to win and end up winning, it gives me the chance of going to Dubai next week and trying to win The Race to Dubai.

“But even still, I'll have to win there and Luke will have to finish quite a way below me. It doesn't look like he's done that at all this year, so I don't expect him to do it to be honest, but you never know in this game. All I can do is try and win this week and see what happens after that.”

Connacht Golf Industry Conference

Connacht Golf Industry Conference 2012

Sunday 29th January

"Highlighting the Unique Golfing Experience in the West of Ireland."

Topics

What topics might be discussed at the Conference?

Cost cutting & revenue generation.

Golf Club Marketing & Social Media.

Retention of Members.

Junior Golf Developement.

Clubs role in the local community.

Bulk purchasing & machine sharing.

Bar & Catering.

Contact

Conference Chairman: Paul O'Neill, Marketing Manager, Westport Golf Club, E-mail: pauloneill@live.ie; Mobile: 0876139112; Phone: 098/28600; Web: www.khh.ie

Itinerary

Trade only

9.30am - 9.45am: Registration.

10.am - 11.am: Tourism & Marketing

11.15am - 12.15pm: Golf Sales & Service

GOLF SHOW (Open to the Public)

12.noon - 5.pm: 

Golf Club Green Fee Offers, Membership Rates & Trade Demonstrations

Objective

"The delegates at the conference will attempt to build on the hard work that has being maintained over many years by their fellow members, to agree on measures that will continue to develop the game during these difficult economic times and to ensure that the industry is on a solid footing for generations of golfers to come." 

Venue

Knockranny House Hotel,

Westport, 

Co. Mayo.

Level Irish Unable to Halt US Charge

Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland combined for six birdies as the United States won the World Cup by two shots.

The Americans eroded the overnight two-stroke lead held by Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell in China, with birdies on the first two holes.

Four more birdies lifted them to 24 under as the Irish faded with a 72 that included four bogeys to stay 21 under.

England's Ian Poulter and Justin Rose carded a nine-under-par 63 to finish second alongside Germany on 22 under.

Poulter and Rose sank four birdies on the front nine and finished with two birdies and an eagle in their last four holes as they recorded the lowest score of the final round.

But although they caught and passed McIlroy and McDowell, who had held an eight-shot advantage over the Englishmen going into the final round, they were unable to match the Americans.

Kuchar and Woodland played solid, rather than spectacular golf in the alternate shot foursomes format as they finished with a five-under-par 67.

Their only blip was a bogey on the par-three 11th but that dropped shot was clawed back on the 12th with a sixth birdie of the round coming on the 13th.

In contrast, McIlroy and McDowell, who led by three on the back nine two years but were beaten to the title ago by Italian brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari, again struggled on the final day.

They mixed two bogies with two birdies on the front nine to fall two behind the Americans.

A birdie on the 10th brought them within one shot of the lead but a bogey on 12 checked their progress and another shot went on the par-three 15th after McDowell's tee shot plugged under the lip of a greenside bunker.

McIlroy could only blast the ball a few feet out of the sand but when his playing partner missed the 25-foot par putt, their challenge was effectively ended.

They finished joint fourth with Australia, Netherlands and Scottish pair Martin Laird and Stephen Gallacher who closed with eight birdies in a six-under-par 66.

German duo Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka did not drop a shot over the last two rounds and played the final 18 holes in a three-under 69, sinking a lengthy par putt at the last to ensure they finished joint second.

Ireland Take Omega World Cup Lead

Ireland lead the Omega Mission Hills World Cup by two shots going into the final round at Mission Hills Resort on Hainan Island after Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy combined for a bogey-free 64 in the third round fourballs.

At 21 under par, the two Major winners edged ahead of Germany and South Africa, who produced best-of-the-day rounds of 61 to join the United States (63) in second on 19 under.

While pre-tournament favourites Ireland look to be in a strong position after carding eight birdies, the last two winners of the US Open Championship are well aware of the big names hot on their heels.

While pre-tournament favourites Ireland look to be in a strong position after combining for eight birdies, the last two winners of the US Open Championship are well aware of the big names hot on their heels.

“We are right where we want to be going into tomorrow,” said McDowell. “The leaderboard was not really going to mean anything until tonight, and we are two shots ahead going into tomorrow, but there are some great teams up there, some great players.

“We are going to have to go and play well tomorrow, but this is where we want to be. We are both playing lovely. I managed to heat my putter up today and make a few, and we are very excited and looking forward to tomorrow.

“When we saw the scoreboard - I think we were on sixth green - we saw Germany were off to a flyer. We actually expected that today - I think there were 18 teams within five shots of the lead.

“We knew someone was going to go low today, and the leaderboard was going to be fairly bunched going into tomorrow.”

Former US PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer was in sensational form for Germany, holing a 40 foot putt at the ninth as he and Alex Cejka played the front nine in 30.

Cejka then holed a five foot birdie putt at the 11th before Kaymer produced some stunning approaches to leave tap-in birdies at the 12th, 14th and 16th.

Four-time European Tour winner Cejka then chipped in at the 17th to card the pair’s 11th birdie of the day.

“That was kind of a bonus because I was short of the green,” said Cejka. “It was a pretty tough chip and Martin was on the other plateau on the right, so it was a tough putt. It was a bonus for us to make birdie from there, but every birdie counts and is important.”

Kaymer added: “We played very well together. We made lots of birdies and always on different holes.

“We had a slow start on Thursday. We didn't make any birdies the first six, seven holes and then we started making some birdies and even though we missed some greens, I was always pretty sure that Alex would make his up and downs so I could always be fairly aggressive.

“I played very well today, but obviously you can only play well and be aggressive if you have a partner who is playing very consistent and is always there for you.”

Major winners Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen matched the Germans’ efforts, thanks largely to a run of four consecutive birdies from the 14th.

Former Open Champion Oosthuizen put their success down to their close friendship. “We know each other really well and we travel most weeks together,” he said. “We are good friends and I think it definitely is a big thing in this format, in any team sport.

“The more you know each other, the better you're going to do, and I think we are very comfortable around each other. We do our own thing and whenever someone needs help, you ask him.

“It makes it a lot easier that we are so comfortable around each other.”

Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland dropped a shot at the par five second for the USA, before a run of five straight birdies from the fourth put them back on track.

There were three further gains coming in before Woodland rolled in a five footer at the 17th to leave them well placed going into the final round.

“Matt really got us going early,” said Woodland. “I was kind of all over the place, but he made a birdie on the first hole and then made three or four in a row.

“It was nice when I was struggling that he picked me up and fortunately I made some putts on the back nine. He had a huge up and down on the last hole that really kept the momentum going and hopefully gives us a lot more momentum going into tomorrow.”

Overnight joint leaders Australia had a 67, which was not helped by the fact Brendan Jones produced only one birdie all day.

They sit fifth on 18 under, one ahead of The Netherlands after last week’s Iskandar Johor Open winner Joost Luiten birdied the last from eight feet for a 64.