Harrington Hoping for More 66's

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Padraig Harrington is relishing the atmosphere at Crans-sur-Sierre as the Dubliner returns to Switzerland for the first time in 13 years to tee up in this week’s Omega European Masters.

The Irishman last played this event back in 2000, but is clearly enjoying his return to the stunning mountain venue. Although not always a fan of the mountain course opened his account in the Pro-am on Wednesday with a round of 66.

“Clearly it is right up there as the most beautiful venue we play tournament golf at around the world,” Harrington said. “It is a beautiful place, let alone the golf course. Secondly, it always has a great atmosphere here. 

“The course is in the centre of the town and everyone seems to be into their golf here. You walk around the town and there are three caddie carts outside the pub because they haven’t made it home. It reminds you of home because a lot of links courses at home are like that and the clubhouse is nearly in the town and everyone, even if they don’t play, are involved. 

“Here you can’t go ten yards without seeing a poster for the event. Every shop window has clubs and balls in it. It really is a nice atmosphere. I’m staying in a golf hotel and it is stunning, with stunning views. There is a putting course in front of us and I am going to have a game against my caddie - the big match of the week! It really looks difficult too; there is a volcano hole and I don’t know how you play it!”

While the three-time Major Champion is enjoying matters off the course this week, Harrington knows there is plenty of work to be done on it after five years without a European Tour title.

And the 42 year old feels he has a good idea of what is required if he is to end that run.

“Two six unders and two two unders would be pretty close,” he added. “It’s really hard. There are some short holes, but there is a lot of difficultly around the greens. 

“The condition of the course is immaculate and there is a substantial difference in the quality and condition of the course from back when I played it.” 

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Rory Labours Through Boston Storm

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Rory McIlroy met the violent electrical storm which hit TPC Boston on Saturday forcing him to re-start his third round.

Yet instead of wallowing in another stroke of misfortune, McIlroy, 24, rebounded to play some of his best golf of the season, shooting a seven-under par 64 to sit eight under for the tournament

Already intensely frustrated by his failure to make any significant headway during the first 36 holes of his title defence at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the Holywood native then had a birdie wiped off by PGA Tour officials.

After scraping through the cut on the mark, one-under, McIlroy made an good start,picking up a birdie four at the long second. However, this effort was declared null and void when the storm swept in.

Play was halted for three hours, 29 minutes and with bad weather forecast, officials felt they'd no option but to re-start the third round from scratch if the tournament was to make its scheduled Monday finish.

The 76 survivors were redrawn in threeballs and sent off from two tees with preferred lies allowed on rain-softened fairways.

McIlroy had completed three holes in one-under when the hooter sounded. Yet those early morning efforts were wiped out and McIlroy had to start again at 10 when play eventually resumed.

After a birdie at the par-three 11th, the Ulsterman slumped to a double-bogey six at 14, where he blocked his tee shot deep into trouble and then missed from inside five feet for bogey.

But there were hugely encouraging signs as he then embarked on a splendid birdie blitz, landing six in his next eight holes before taking another at the seventh and his last hole.

No matter where they finish today in Boston, McIlroy and Graeme McDowell both will make the 70-man field at the third playoff, The BMW Championship.

McDowell was level with Tiger Woods on six-under after following up Saturday's bogey-free 66 with a third round 69. Tiger will retain his lead in the FedEx Cup race even if a one-over 73 left him and McDowell 13 off the pace set by third-round leader Sergio Garcia (-19).

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Dougherty and Wilson Praise Galgorm

Nick Dougherty and Oliver Wilson led the glowing tributes from the Challenge Tour players after the hugely successful first staging of the Northern Ireland Open Challenge presented by Clannah and XJET.

Having played professional golf at the very highest in every corner of the globe, there are few better judges than three time European Tour winner Dougherty and former Ryder Cup player Wilson when it comes to assessing the quality of an event.

With almost 21,000 people visiting the tournament during the week, and an outstanding test of golf at Galgorm Castle, the Northern Ireland Open Challenge has quickly established itself as one of the Challenge Tour’s strongest events.

Wilson said: “This is the best Challenge Tour event I have played. Simple as that. From the moment you drive in the gates here at Galgorm you just get the sense that there is an event on. Everything you would expect from a Tour event is here, from the tented village to hospitality and the most important thing of all – good crowds.

“The facilities are first class and the set-up is as good as you will find anywhere on the Challenge Tour.

“Then you get out onto the golf course and you find a real good test. The greens are in the top three that we will putt on all year. It is so nice to play on a golf course that really asks questions of you and forces you to think about your strategy and to play good shots. 

“I have played well this week and I think a big part of that is the fact that it feels like a big event and that has an effect on players. Obviously I am just starting to play better and coming into better form, but I do think that the set-up here and feeling around the event has played a part in me performing well.” 

Dougherty added: “This tournament has been great. It feels like a step-up from the usual events on the Challenge Tour. To have such big crowds in has been amazing and I was lucky enough to have a lot of people following me round and it felt like being at a main Tour event. 

“The golf course matches that as well. We are playing on a course this week that I would consider one of the best we will play on this year. It is nicely defined and the greens are outstanding. The whole set-up and conditioning of the golf course is worth of The European Tour so it has been a great experience. 

“It just shows you what can be achieved when you put the effort in and have good people working on events and that is clearly the case here. I have been speaking to a few people associated with the club this week and they are very ambitious and have a very clear plan of and having spent the week here I have no doubt they can achieve those goals.”

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Huizing Wins NI Open Challenge

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Daan Huizing confirmed his reputation as one of European golf’s hottest talents with a brilliant play-off win over former Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson at the Northern Ireland Open Challenge presented by Clannah and XJET.

Having begun the final round with a six shot lead, and having performed magnificently for the first three rounds, the tournament looked to be a forgone conclusion but Huizing struggled in the swirling winds at Galgorm Castle Golf Club, dropping four strokes on the front nine to allow Wilson and a host of other players back into the tournament.

As the leaders reached the turn, Huizing found himself in a four way tie for the lead with Wilson, James Heath, and Jamie McLeary but he rediscovered the smooth rhythm that had served him so well for the first 54 holes to pick up birdies on the 12th and 14th holes to move to clear of the pack.

But the drama was nowhere near over as Wilson birdied the 17th to get within one of Huizing and set the clubhouse target of 13 under par, with McLeary and Heath finishing the day on 12 under.

A par five at the last would have been good enough to give Huizing the prize but he lost his drive in the thick rough and was forced to play his provisional ball from the middle of the fair way. Huizing’s fourth shot was 40 yards short of the green leaving him needing an up and down to secure a play-off.

With the adrenaline pumping, and a crowd of over 8,000 people surrounding the 18th, he hit a poor pitch and left himself a 25 foot putt to keep his hopes alive.

“I suppose at that moment I proved how much I really wanted this victory,” said Huizing. “I hit a really good putt and once I had made it I knew I still had a chance.”

A perfect drive at the first extra hole put the Dutchman in pole position as Wilson found the bunker off the tee. But the English played a fine second from the sand, leaving himself 50 yards short of the green in two, while Huizing found the putting surface in two with a fine three wood approach.

Wilson’s chip stopped ten feet short before Huizing rushed his eagle chance eight feet past the hole.

“I was pretty sure that he was going to make his putt so I kind of felt I had to make mine. When he missed I just knew that was the moment for me and thankfully I managed to ignore the shakes and make a good stroke and get the ball on line.

“This has just been an amazing week. The tournament has been great and to play in front of so many people was really cool. Playing in front of crowds like this makes the win even more special, and hopefully I can keep playing well and win a card for The European Tour next year.”

Huizing is certainly in position to do that. His victory, worth €27,500, propelled him to sixth place in the Rankings, with the top 15 players winning European Tour cards at the end of the season.

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McGinley Ends Well in Wales

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Paul McGinley produced a final round 67 at the ISPS Handa Wales Open got under way.

On a week that has heralded the start of qualification of next year’s contest with the Americans, McGinley was looking to secure the best possible personal finish at The Celtic Manor Resort.

The 46-year-old made a good start in his attempts to do just that as, having resumed on three over par, he picked up five shots in the opening 11 holes.

Two bogeys came either side of a birdie thereafter as McGinley ended four under for the round and one under overall. Behind the European Ryder Cup capatn the younger guns played for the major honours in Wales.

Grégory Bourdy found the Midas touch on the greens to produce a stunning finish that sealed victory at the ISPS Handa Wales Open.

Joint-top with overnight leader Peter Uihlein after 15 holes, the Frenchman made a decisive move in the closing stages of his round.

Having holed a 50 footer from just off the green on the difficult 16th, he picked up another shot by draining a tricky one from 15 at the next.

The Celtic Manor Resort's par five last proved no obstacle as Bourdy ridiculously sunk a 30 footer for another birdie to complete a 67 that moved him to eight under par.

"It was an amazing round," he said. "I made an amazing finish with three birdies in a row and I am so happy.

"I will remember the finish on this great course for a long time. A lot of great moments have been here; I was thinking about the Ryder Cup on the 18th so I am so proud to win this trophy."

Bourdy's efforts meant America’s Uihlein had to settle for second place having struggled to make full use of the three stroke advantage he held at the start of the day.

He had initially indicated that a comfortable day might be in the offing.

Indeed, the 23 year old birdied the second to signal his confidence, only to drop shots at the next two holes; his bogey at three was a positive result given he holed a 45 footer to avoid a double.

Pars thereafter meant he was six under overall midway through his final round.

Uihlein was to atone for a bogey just after the turn on 15 but, despite retaking the lead with that gain, he had no answer for Bourdy’s late heroics.

For his own part, Uihlein threatened to finish equally impressively, himself showing fine touch with the short stick at 17 for birdie.

However, Bourdy’s final mammoth effort in an outstanding run of three would prove decisive as Uihlein settled bogeyed the last.

The Frenchman, for whom this victory is a fourth on The European Tour, had earlier shared the lead following an eagle three at the second, brought about by him holing from the sand.

But, having relinquished top spot when failing to get up and down from 84 yards at the sixth, he found a birdie at nine to rejoin Uihlein.

His competitor responded impressively thereafter to assume control once more, only for Bourdy to find the perfect riposte.

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