The Irish Golf Club Gazette

11/01/2013

Record DJ Leaves MAC's Back

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Rory McIlroy carded a level par second round at the WGC HSBC Champions on Friday to remain in a three way share of second place, but dropping five strokes off the lead in Shanghai.

The World Number six reached ten under par with a hat-trick of birdies McIlroy did not create a single birdie opportunity on the back nine and paid a heavy price on the last.

Having seen his tee shot finish leak right and finish a yard from the water, the undeterred 24 year old went for the green in two at the par five but only succeeded in finding the lake. After taking a drop, McIlroy fired a spectacular fourth to ten feet, but missed the putt for a third bogey of the day and level par 72.

Dustin Johnson up ahead equalled the Sheshan International course record with a nine under par 63 to take control of the WGC-HSBC Champions.

The Ryder Cup star birdied sixth of his first seven holes in a blistering start and, having dropped his only shot of the day at the tenth, picked up four shots in his last six holes.

That took the big-hitting Johnson to 12 under par, and five shots clear of compatriot Bubba Watson and Boo Weekley and Northern Ireland’s first round leader Rory McIlroy.

Graeme McDowell finished three under par and dropped only two shots along the way to trail McIlroy by one.

10/31/2013

Irish Open Winner Faces Hearing

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Simon Dyson has been summoned to appear before a European Tour disciplinary panel. The hearing has been called after the Yorkshireman was disqualified from last week's BMW Masters for signing for an incorrect score.

Dyson was in joint-second place at Lake Malaren in Shanghai when he was thrown out of the tournament after an incident during his second round which he had "no recollection of" according to officials.

The 35-year-old failed to add a two-shot penalty to his card on the eighth hole when he touched the line of his putt after marking his ball, an incident which was noticed by a television viewer.

Having reviewed the incident, European Tour officials concluded that further action was required under the Tour's code of behaviour and disciplinary procedure, which states: "3. Serious Breach. If, at the conclusion of an investigation into an alleged breach of the code by a member, it is evident that a serious breach of the code may have occurred, then a disciplinary hearing shall take place before an independent disciplinary panel."

Under European Tour regulations, the three-person panel will comprise an independent lawyer, an ex-member of the European Tour or current player on the European Senior Tour and an experienced sports administrator.

If Dyson is found guilty of a serious breach of the code, the Tour's statement added that it can impose sanctions which range from "a reprimand, a censure, a fine, a suspension of membership, a suspension from participation in one or more tournaments or for a given period, or expulsion from the European Tour, or otherwise as the panel shall determine."

Dyson insists the violation was unintentional and has welcomed the hearing.

He said: "I have been informed of the procedure being put in place by The Tour following my actions during the second round of the BMW Masters in Shanghai last week and am perfectly happy to co-operate with the investigation by the independent disciplinary panel.

"I would like to say at this stage that I have never deliberately broken the rules either on this occasion or in the past.

"It was only after I was shown the replay of my action ... that I realised what I had done and that I was in breach. I immediately accepted that I should be disqualified.

"It was simply an accidental mistake which I have no reservations in apologising for, and particularly to my fellow professionals and The Tour for any inconvenience and embarrassment unintentionally caused."

McIlroy Fires into HSBC Lead

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Rory McIlroy established a two shot lead on the opening day of the WGC-HSBC Champions as the former World Number One set about justifying his pre-tournament predictions.

McIlroy won five times in 2012, including a second Major title by eight shots, to finish top of the money lists on both side of the Atlantic but has yet to taste victory this season.

Down from first in the Official World Golf Ranking to sixth as a result, McIlroy is 62nd on The Race to Dubai and needs to move into the top 60 this week to have a chance of qualifying for the DP World Tour Championship in November.

McIlroy is less than €4,000 behind Garth Mulroy in 60th place, but will need to win much more than that to feel safe.

The first prize of €1,012,145 would of course take care of everything and McIlroy took confidence from his one shot victory over Tiger Woods in their 18-hole exhibition match at Mission Hills on Monday, insisting he was more likely to win in Shanghai than miss out on a trip to Dubai.

And that did not appear to be an idle boast as the 24 year old opened with a seven under par 65 to lead Wales’ Jamie Donaldson and last week’s BMW Masters champion Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño by two.

Starting from the tenth with a birdie, McIlroy gave the shot straight back at the next but also picked up shots at the 12th, 14th and 16th.

A long birdie putt was left inches short on the par three 17th but McIlroy made no such mistake from four feet on the par five 18th to reach the turn in 32, before another birdie on the first took the former World Number One into a share of the lead on five under.

McIlroy moved into the outright lead with a birdie on the par five second and although he missed from six feet to double his advantage on the third, he holed from similar distance on the next to avoid a three-putt bogey.

Open Champion Phil Mickelson emerged to join McIlroy at the top of the leaderboard with his sixth birdie of the day on the short par four seventh, the left-hander driving close to the green and producing a trademark pitch to three feet.

But in the group ahead, McIlroy holed from seven feet for a birdie on the par five eighth to regain top spot on seven under par, and Mickelson dropped four shots on the eighth moments later to undo much of his good work.

10/30/2013

Make of Break for McIlroy

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Rory McIlroy admits it is a case of make or break at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China this week as the former World Number One looks to secure his place in the DP World Tour Championship.

The current Race to Dubai champion finds himself 62nd in this season’s rankings, with only the top 60 after next week’s Turkish Airlines Open qualifying for the season finale in Dubai.

However, the Northern Irishman insists that after finishing 27th at last week’s BMW Masters presented by SRE Group his game is in the sort of shape where he is more likely to be contending for the title on Sunday than struggling to qualify for Dubai.

“It's a big week obviously - it's sort of make or break,” said The Ryder Cup star. “If I don't play good enough here, then there's a good chance I won't play in Dubai. I think there's a bigger chance of me winning this tournament than not playing in Dubai, I feel.

“I'm looking forward to going out there and playing well. I feel like I'm capable of winning this golf tournament and I feel like my game's coming together nicely.

“I did a little short game work over the last couple days and I feel like if I can get that part of my game where it needs to be, then I've got a good chance.

“Of course I expect myself to be a lot higher than that. I won The Race to Dubai last year, and I was second in '11 and I was second in '09. So I've been a factor in it for the last few years and to be down where I am obviously doesn't feel too good and is a reflection of how my year has gone.

“It's just the reality and the reality is I haven't played well enough to be a factor.”

With a big performance needed, the timing of playing at one of his favourite courses could not have been better for the 24 year old.

“I'm really glad that this tournament is back here at Sheshan,” he added. “It's a golf course that I've done well on, as you've said, and it's a golf course that I really like. It's one of my favourite venues of the year quite honestly.

“It suits my game and I play well here. I played the golf course for the first time today and in great condition. It's always in great condition and they have got the greens quite firm already for early on in the week.

“It should be a good test. It suits my game - you've got to hit it pretty long. A few of the par fives are reachable for the longer hitters and if I can keep driving the ball the way I am, it should give me a bit of an advantage and obviously be a good chance this week.”

10/29/2013

Rory Out of Woods - Tiger

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Tiger Woods believes Rory McIlroy is slowly getting his game back on track and predicted that the former world No1 would claim his first victory of the year by the end of December.

McIlroy was on top of the world at the end of 2012, having won the orders of merit on both sides of the Atlantic, but he has had a turbulent season this year on and off the course.

The Northern Irishman changed his clubs to Nike in January, a switch that was criticised by several pundits. He is also in the middle of a bitter court dispute with his former management team and, according to media reports, has split from his girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki.

"He is playing better and swinging a lot better," Woods said. "You can see that some of the stuff he and his coach are working on is starting to come together.

"He's starting to put together a few good rounds, now he just has to make a few more putts. I can definitely see him winning sometime this year because his game has come around."

Woods, winner of 14 major titles and currently world No1, had a close-up view of McIlroy when he lost to the twice major winner in a lucrative head-to-head exhibition match on China's Hainan Island on Monday.

The two golfers are both based in Florida and the 37-year-old American said he and McIlroy, now world No 6, had formed an excellent relationship.

"Rory has become a good friend of mine over probably the past year, year and a half," Woods said. "It seems like every tournament we're paired together, we're also playing practice rounds together and we have really hit it off.

"He plays on both tours, US and European, so we see each other at big events and, when we do, we try and play practice rounds whenever we can."

The American is to miss the final World Golf Championship event of the season in Shanghai this week but will compete in next week's Turkish Open.

11/01/2013

Record DJ Leaves MAC's Back

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