The Irish Golf Club Gazette

10/27/2012

McIlroy Moves One Behind Hanson

Peter Hanson shot a 2-under 70 to lead Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy by one stroke after the third round of the inaugural BMW Masters on Saturday.

Hanson, who won the KLM Open last month, was at 15-under 200 at the Lake Malaren Course and will be wary of McIlroy, who shot a 69.

"I feel myself very lucky to be in this position and hopefully I can stay ahead of him because it is going to be a tough one considering the way he is playing, so I need to play a little bit better than I did tomorrow to have a chance of beating him," Hanson said. "But if I were to win this event it would be massive and this is the start of a big stretch coming up now, so it's just nice to find a bit of form and see yourself up there, and having a bit of a chance of winning the title.

"But I do need to step up a bit more because if I don't I am going to have the world No. 1 snapping right at my heels, and if I'm not careful he could be going pass me."

McIlroy, chasing a fifth title this season, won the exhibition Shanghai Masters tournament on the same course last year.

"It would mean a lot if I could successfully defend here at Lake Malaren, even though this year's event is now on the European Tour, so it would be nice to win for a second time," he said. "What also would be most pleasing is that I will come into these last few weeks of my year trying to wrap up the Race to Dubai No. 1 title.

"I've put myself into contention this week and [if] I'm to finish this one off that would give me a nice lead going into my last three events. So that would more pleasing than anything else as it would extend my lead over Justin [Rose] and Branden [Grace], so that when I do get to Dubai later next month I won't have to do much."

George Coetzee of South Africa (66) was in third at 12 under. Alexander Noren of Sweden (69), Michael Hoey of Northern Ireland (68), South Africa's Charl Schwartzel (68), Shane Lowry of Ireland (69) and the England pair of Justin Rose (69) and Luke Donald (68) were tied for fourth another shot back.

10/26/2012

G-MAC Looks for Olympic Decision

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Graeme McDowell wants some help in deciding which country he should represent at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The golfer from Northern Ireland said Thursday he would like some guidance on whether he and top-ranked Rory McIlroy should play for Britain or Ireland when golf returns to the Olympics for the first time since 1924.

“Obviously, Rory’s come under a lot of scrutiny in the last couple of months for kind of saying he might play for Great Britain,” McDowell said. “We’re kind of in a unique scenario in Northern Ireland in that we have one foot on each team. I think it’s going to be a lot easier if someone makes the decision for us.

“The Olympic committee should step in and say that ‘You guys are either playing for Ireland or you’re playing for Great Britain.’”

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, putting the pair in position to either play for Britain or Ireland. On the regular golf tours, Northern Ireland stands on its own alongside Ireland and the other three British nations — England, Scotland and Wales.

Last month, McIlroy said he had not made a decision on which country to represent.

The president of the Irish Olympic Committee, Pat Hickey, has denied reports that he said McIlroy could carry the Irish flag in the opening ceremony in Rio if he competed for that country.

At the BMW Masters, McDowell said he would be prepared to represent either Britain or Ireland.

“I always say that I come from a mixed religion family,” McDowell said. “My mum’s Catholic and my dad is Protestant. And my mum would probably like me to play for Ireland, and my dad might like me to play for Britain.

“But then I always kind of sit on the fence because that’s exactly the only place I can sit. Let’s say that I’d play for whatever team we have come 2016.”

McIlroy Makes China Move

Rory McIlroy feels his game is coming together nicely after moving into second place at the BMW Masters in Shanghai.

Despite carding a fine 67 in round one, the two-time major winner felt his performance on the opening day at Lake Malaren was just "okay".

But after scoring a seven-under 65 on Friday to move into clear second place - two behind leader Peter Hanson - McIlroy was far more satisfied with his display.

"It was a very good day," said the world number one.

"I played very well - a little better than I did yesterday. I hit the ball a lot better, and gave myself plenty of opportunities.

"When I did need to make a par putt here or there, I was able to save those, and overall it was just a very good round of golf and obviously in a great position going into the weekend."

McIlroy turned in 32, picking up shots at the second, third, eighth and ninth, and then had a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th on another day of low scoring.

10/25/2012

Irish Open Winner Shines in Shanghai

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Jamie Donaldson struck a course-record 62 to lead the BMW Masters by four shots on 10 under par after the first round in Shanghai.

World number one Rory McIlroy is five shots back on five under, as is Europe Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal.

England's Justin Rose, looking to overtake McIlroy in the Race to Dubai European money list, is a shot behind.

Italy's Francesco Molinari and Sweden's Peter Hanson are Donaldson's closest challengers, both on six under.

McIlroy, Rose, Molinari and Hanson are four of 11 members from Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team who are participating in China, along with skipper Olazabal, who is without a top-10 finish since January.

Rose and South African Branden Grace both have the opportunity to take the Race of Dubai lead from McIlroy, who is bidding to emulate Luke Donald's 2011 achievement of topping both the European and United States money lists in the same year.

But it was Donaldson, who won his first Tour title at the Irish Open in July, who stole a march on the field, carding birdies at 10 of the first 16 holes in benign conditions at Lake Malaren.

"It's up there with the best rounds I've ever shot," said the world number 51. "The golf course is no pushover by any stretch of the imagination."

The lack of wind made good scoring possible, according to Northern Ireland's McIlroy, who birdied the last to join Olazabal and compatriot Michael Hoey in a tie for fourth.

"Jamie has shot 10 under, which is phenomenal scoring, and I was just happy to stay somewhere within touching distance," said the two-time major winner.

"Ollie's name on the board was nice to see. A few weeks ago 12 individuals came together as part of the team and now we're back playing and trying to beat one another."

Rose, who needs a top-two finish to have a chance of overtaking McIlroy in the money list, lies alongside Germany's Martin Kaymer and South African Louis Oosthuizen on four under.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and Scot Paul Lawrie are a shot further back, with Grace and English trio Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Luke Donald all two under.

10/24/2012

Harrington Grand Slam Champion

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Padraig Harrington fired a second round of 67 to win the PGA Grand Slam of Golf by a single stroke from Webb Simpson in Bermuda.

Having opened with a 66 on Tuesday, Harrington - who was a late replacement after Ernie Els pulled out of the event through injury - held a two-shot lead over Masters champion Bubba Watson at the start of the day.

But Watson could manage only a level-par 71 to fall out of contention and it was US Open champion Webb Simpson who emerged as Harrington's only serious challenger.

Indeed, Simpson pulled to within one shot of the Dubliner with his third birdie of the day at the par-five seventh.

Both men then picked up shots at the eighth, but Harrington took a stranglehold on proceedings with a run of three consecutive birdies at 11, 12 and 13 to pull four clear.

Simpson halved the deficit with birdies of his own at 14 and 17 but, with the luxury of a two-shot cushion, Harrington was able to make bogey at the last and still emerge victorious on nine-under-par.

The three-time major winner succeeds Keegan Bradley as champion, the American firing a closing 67 to finish level with Watson at three-under.

The win will taste especially sweet for Harrington given that the 41-year-old lost play-offs at Mid-Ocean in 2007 and 2008 when he took part after winning his major titles.

"It was always the right decision no matter what," Harrington said of his decision to travel to Bermuda.

"You've got to give yourself the chance - it's a fantastic tournament and even if I finished fourth I'd be quite confident that I made the right decision.

"It is a bonus to come and win, no doubt about it, and it was unfinished business for me having lost in two play-offs.

"I believe I'm playing really good golf. I see a lot of good things happening and I do believe that I'm turning the corner into a peak. What those peaks are, we'll wait and see."

Encouraged

Simpson, who shot a 65 on Wednesday, was full of praise for the man that pipped him to the title.

"He's playing well and made the putts you've got to make, but I'm really encouraged with how I played," he said of Harrington.

"My weakness this year has been when I'm in between clubs and I try to smooth one. My body kind of shuts down and doesn't work as well - it's just an eye-opener that I've got a lot of work to do in the off-season.

"I wish I could have putt a little more pressure on Padraig (at the last), but he'd probably have two-putted if he had to."

Harrington, who got his chance after the first two reserves, Graeme McDowell and Tiger Woods,opted not to play, joins 1991 champion Ian Woosnam as the only European winners of the title.