The Irish Golf Club Gazette

5/03/2013

McIlroy in Wells Fargo Chase

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Rory McIlroy joined six other players in a leadership log jam after the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship.

McIlroy birdied the 18th hole at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte to end the opening round alongside Americans Ryan Moore, Nick Watney, Robert Garrigus, Derek Ernst, Daniel Summerhays and Nate Smith on five under at the top of the leaderboard.

Watney and Moore both posted bogey-free rounds with the former, who started on the back nine, producing a brilliant run home, birdying the first, second, third, seventh and eighth holes to take a share of the lead.

Moore also took a little while to get going on Thursday but a birdie on the 9th hole set him up for an impressive back-nine performance.

The 30-year-old birdied the 10th, 13th, 14th and 15th holes to card a five-under 67 in North Carolina.

McIlroy looked on track to be the sole leader at the end of the first round of the PGA Tour event when he birdied four consecutive holes from the par-five 5th onwards.

While the 2010 champion also birdied the 10th and 11th holes, bogeys on the 9th and 12th left the Northern Irishman on four under and he needed another birdie on the 18th to take a share of the lead.

The tight nature of the opening round of the Wells Fargo Championship was underlined with 30 players within three shots of the leading seven players.

Rod Pampling and Steven Bowditch are the highest-placed Australian players at three under, while John Senden is a shot further back heading into Friday's second round.

Harrington Anchors at Wells Fargo

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Padraig Harrington used a belly putter in the opening round of the Wells Fargo Championship.

Despite shooting an eight-over-par 80 - his long game was more to blame - the three-time major winner said he would consider sticking with a belly putter until the proposed ban on anchored strokes comes into effect in 2016.

"The R&A and USGA support the rules of golf and (anchoring) is well within the rules," Harrington told reporters at Quail Hollow.

"I think (anchoring) is bad for the game of golf. But if something's going to help me for the next three and a half years I'm going to use it.

"It's the same as the box (square) grooves. It's hurt me deeply having the box grooves banned. I knew it wasn't good for my game, but it was for the good of the game.

"For the majority, I believe anchoring shouldn't be there. It doesn't look good. The commentators are talking about it. You (the media) are talking about it now. It's a story, just like the grooves.

"As much as the grooves cost me dearly, I know nobody wants to talk about that now. Six months after they were gone, nobody talked about it. It will be the same with the putter. Once it's banned, six months later everybody will move on.

"And there is no doubt there are individuals that it's going to be tough on (Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Ernie Els and Adam Scott have won four of the past six majors between them using anchored putters).

"But it cost me a couple of shots a day, at least a shot a day, not having the box grooves because that's my style of game. So it's not like it hasn't happened before. But for the game, I definitely think that I don't agree with anchoring at all."

Speaking after Els' Open Championship win at Royal Lytham last year, Harrington said he was expecting a ban, adding: "I just hope that they don't wait too long - I hope they don't wait until I'm 50 years of age to change the rule."

5/01/2013

Clarke Back in Action

Darren Clarke returns to action this week after recovering from the injury that forced him to pull out of the Masters earlier this month.

The 2011 Open champion has been sidelined for five weeks after suffering a hamstring strain while playing tennis with his children.

But the 44-year-old is in Jakarta for this week's Indonesian Masters, where reigning Open champion Ernie Els and former US Open winner Michael Campbell are also competing.

"It has been a frustrating period. I'm not good at sitting and not doing anything. I've had intensive treatment on my hamstring and it is fine now," said Clarke.

"I was playing tennis with my kids and I thought I was 24 and not 44! Unfortunately I had to pull out from Augusta and Korea last week.

"I couldn't do anything. I could hardly walk, hit golf balls or putt. I had to sit at home and watch the Masters. I only watched the last round on television because if I watched every day, then I would have been frustrated."

Clarke also revealed he had sought advice from good friend Lee Westwood, who is a two-time winner of the Indonesian Masters.

"I haven't played here before but Lee has told me bits and pieces about the golf course," he added. "The greens and fairways are sensational here. It is set up tough but fair as well. It will be a good, fair and stern test."

4/28/2013

Baltray Champion wins Ballantines

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2004 Nissan Irish Open winner, Brett Rumford, overcame a late wobble to win the Ballantine’s Championship after a play-off with compatriot Marcus Fraser and Scotland’s Peter Whiteford.

An eagle at the first extra hole gave the 35 year old a fourth European Tour title and first for six years after a closing 68 left him level with Fraser (68) and Whiteford (69) on 11 under par.

Rumford had raced to the turn in just 30 strokes in the final round and still led by two shots with two holes to play, only to run up a double-bogey six on the 17th after a wild drive led to a penalty drop from a bush.

Another errant tee-shot on the 18th meant Rumford eventually had to hole from eight feet to save par, and when Fraser was also unable to birdie the 543 yard par five, Whiteford knew he needed a four to win.

The 32 year old chipped to five feet after missing the green with his approach, but missed the birdie putt to finish alongside Rumford and Fraser on 11 under.

The three returned to the 18th tee and, after a quick call to coach Pete Cowen, Rumford hit a much better drive and having seen his opponents fail to reach the green in two fired a brilliant approach to four feet and eagled.

“A lot of thanks go to Pete,” said Rumford. “I battled with my driver constantly and I guess that’s what keeps me out of most golf tournaments.

“I left a few drives right - it wasn’t just the last two drives, it was the whole back nine I was feeling stuck and a little bit trapped - had a quick word with Pete and hit a five or six balls off the first tee and it obviously did the trick.

“It was an absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions out there this afternoon, obviously my last five holes yesterday and front nine today got me in a great position to take this tournament. Ballantine’s is always a tremendous sponsor and it’s just a great event.”

Rumford, who finished his third round with five consecutive birdies at Blackstone Golf Club, took that run to seven when he opened with a 20 footer on the first green then fired his approach to five feet at the next.

He then had three pars but a bunker shot to three feet at the sixth sparked a run of four straight birdies and he looked in complete control until his six-five finish.

Afterwards Rumford admitted it had been a difficult spell since his last triumph, and thanked his wife Sally for her support the day before her birthday.

“It was mixed emotions coming home and I’m really lost for words at the moment but there are a lot of people I need to thank – starting with my wife Sally,” said Rumford, after delivering a perfect early gift with his €367,500 winner’s cheque.

“It’s been pretty hard golf-wise and raising twins is not easy; she’s an amazing lady and she’s a great support to me and that’s why I’m standing here today.

“I’m really pleased with the result and I owe a lot to Ronnie my caddy and I’ve got a great team around me.”

While Whiteford was understandably frustrated to miss out on a maiden victory, earning enough to secure his card for next season was some consolation having not recorded a top-ten finish since August.

“I'm sure once it's all settled it will be a great week,” he said. “Probably made just enough to keep my card now - I know that's not what I should be thinking about, but I’ve done that and can press on for the rest of the season.

“Guys like me don't get many chances to win tournaments, and whatever it was, four or five feet, hit a decent putt and didn't go in. But to be fair, at least we got beat by a three on the last and didn't throw it away - Brett deserves it in the play-off there.”

France's Romain Wattel finished fourth on nine under par, with World Number Seven Louis Oosthuizen a shot further back. Overnight leader Alex Noren suffered a penalty shot at the second when his ball moved a fraction as he addressed his par putt, eventually carding a 74 to finish in a tie for sixth.

4/27/2013

Dunbar Cut at Madrid Challlenge

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Alan Dunbar came face-to-face with the harsh realities of life on Tour in his second round as a professional at the Challenge de Madrid, despite carding a 68 in Wednesday's first round, after the Portrush native shot six-over 78 to miss the cut by two.

A strong wind and a series of difficult hole placements made El Encin play like a different course on the second day

Starting on 10, Dunbar opened with three bogeys and completed the back nine in 41. The British Amateur champion gets another taste of the Challenge Tour action in next week's Montecchia Open in Italy.

Fellow Irish players Simon Thornton and Gareth Shaw made the cut.

It was Frenchman François Calmels who continued his domination of the 2013 Challenge de Madrid on Thursday, as a three under par 69 was enough to claim a two-shot lead over the pack as the tournament reached its halfway stage at El Encín Golf Hotel.

Calmels, who shot a course record 63 in his first round on Wednesday, did though see his lead cut from three overnight as Philip Archer’s second consecutive 67 saw the experienced Englishman capture second place alone with 36 holes to play, one shot further clear of Sweden’s Jens Dantorp.

After a masterclass of golf that saw Calmels sink ten birdies in 14 holes during a blistering first round, the 31 year old Parisian looked like finding more of the same fine form on Thursday as he sprang out the blocks with a birdie at the opening par four first in Alcala de Henares.

With more difficult conditions in Spain during the second round, though, it was to prove more of a steady if unspectacular day for Calmels, as a further gain at the long fourth preceded 13 straight pars before he finally found a third birdie of the day at the closing par five 18th.

“It was more difficult than yesterday with a strong wind and the pin positions were not easy,” said Calmels. “Some holes had changed a lot, for example yesterday I played driver and a wedge on the ninth and today needed driver and a three wood. My game was very good like yesterday but it was a little bit tougher today, it was impossible to shoot lower than on Wednesday!

“But my play was very good, I missed a few shots but managed to save pars. To be perfect I could have made two or three more birdies and I missed some good chances from around two meters. But I am happy because it is not easy to play well after such a good round, it was nice.”

Spaniard Alvaro Velasco showed some of the talent that saw the home contender crowned Challenge Tour Number One in 2010, signing for a best-of-the-day 65 on Thursday to move into a share for fourth place alongside England’s Sam Hutsby at eight under par.

After starting on the back nine, Velsaco found five birdies in reaching the turn with just 31 blows and refused to let up there, a monstrous drive and a pin-point wedge setting up an eagle on the long first before a further gain at the fourth was tempered by his only bogey of the day at the par four sixth hole.

“It's been a very solid round from tee to green, I am feeling very comfortable with my putting,” said Velasco. “I started off very well and gave myself many birdie chances.

“I am feeling much better than at the beginning of the week when I wasn't very solid, I was tired but I am feeling better each day and seeing as my game seems to be coming back I’m looking forward to the weekend."

Tapio Pulkkanen had perhaps the moment of the day at El Encín, however, when the Finn made his first competitive hole in one at the par three third hole with a picture perfect eight iron from 178 yards, en route to a five under par 67 – good enough for a share of tenth place heading into the final two rounds.