Grace Storms to China Win

A final round 68 secured Damien McGrane a share of twenty third place at the Volvo China Open to secure  a vital cheque for just under twenty-five thousand euro - and finish the best of the Irish players on Sunday.

Shane Lowry slipped down the field after a two over final round to end the weekend on 6 under overall and two strokes better than Michael Hoey who signed for a71.

Peter Lawrie also finished with a one under par 71 but was further back in 63rd place.

Gareth Maybin ended on 2 under for the tournament after turning in a two over par card on Sunday -  a total 19 strokes off the winner Branden Grace - who became only the second player in European Tour history to win three times in the season after graduating through Qualifying School.

Three clear of last year’s winner Nicolas Colsaerts overnight, the South African’s lead on the final day was never fewer than two shots and a closing 69 saw him finish 21 under at Binhai Lake.

“I stayed really calm today,” said Grace. “I kept hitting the ball well. I missed a couple of shots the first couple of holes but regrouped well and made the birdies where it counts on the par fives, and just stayed with it from there. 

“I thought my first win was around the corner [this season]. To have three before May is literally unbelievable, but I’ve been playing well so I’ve been feeling like I can win and I’ve been giving myself opportunities.”

“It’s just amazing and shows you the standard of golf that I am playing right now. To have three win on The European Tour at this stage of my career is awesome. 

“It could have been different this week – Nicolas was superb the last two days and came up short with a few putts that could have made a difference. It helped that I was playing with him but it was still hard.

“If I think back now to last year and playing on the Challenge Tour and just trying to get back to the main Tour and really just trying to make a living it was tough at points. So to be here with three wins is amazing. 

“Everything is going great. I wouldn’t have thought I would have been top 70 in the world and it is nice to know that I don’t have to worry about a lot of stuff and I will just be able to play the game with a smile on my face and try to push on from here. I want to get better, I want to win more titles and I want to play the Majors and make a name for myself around the world.”

As well as matching Johan Edfors’ 2006 accomplishment of winning three times after coming through Qualifying School in the winter, the 23 year old joins some illustrious company in The European Tour record books.

Only two players have won three European Tour titles in a single season at a younger age – Seve Ballesteros did it three times between 1977 and 1980, and Sandy Lyle did it in 1979.

Grace also becomes only the third South African to win three times in a single season, and again he is in the company of Major winners – Ernie Els and Retief Goosen are the others to do so.

The Joburg Open and Volvo Golf Champions winner’s achievements are all the more remarkable given there have been only 15 events so far on the 2012 Race to Dubai, and few would bet against him adding to his trophy haul before the season’s end.

Having pulled three clear of Belgian Colsaerts with a sublime third round 64, Grace’s first shot on returning to the course was not a good one - but he holed a 15 foot par putt at the first to atone for his wayward drive.

Colsaerts applied some pressure when he splashed out of the bunker at the second to three feet to set up a birdie putt, but Grace followed him in from two feet.

Both players in the final group parred the third, but another poor drive from Grace at the fourth saw him drop a shot.

He responded with birdies at the long sixth and struck his approach to five feet for another gain at the seventh.

Colsaerts matched the latter, and closed the gap to two by the turn with another birdie at the ninth.

The 29 year old Colsaerts dropped a shot at the tenth, and Grace looked odds on to win when he birdied the 12th from five feet.

Despite some hefty strikes off the tee, Colsaerts could not find another birdie until the last – although it was still an important blow as it gave him solo second from England’s Richard Finch. 

“I thought I could have got little meaner on Branden today because I had a few chances and I could have closed the gap a little more but in the end I left him a bit too much breathing space,” said Colsaerts.

“Apart from that I played pretty good. I didn’t putt as well at the weekend but I think I played pretty good all day but he never really made a mistake.” 

Grace, meanwhile, was completely unflappable as he parred his way in for a three shot victory.

“I’m definitely here to win every week I play now,” he added.

Lowry in the Leaders Wake

It was a tougher third day at the Volvo China Open for the Irish players with Shane Lowry carding the best score following a round of 68 on Saturday to finish 8 under and a share of 29th place - ten strokes off the leader.

Damien McGrane lost momentum with a third round  71 for a 7 under total.

Gareth Maybin was 4 under for the day after a round of 71 and holds a share of 46th place ahead of Sunday.

Michael Hoey was unable to build on the good work of Friday signing for a one under par third round 71 to finish 3 under overall.

Peter Lawrie was two over par for the day with 74 and a 2 under overall score.

 

A round of 64 took Branden Grace into a clear lead on day three of the Volvo China Open.

The South African, seeking a third European Tour title of the season, moved into a three-shot lead thanks to his Saturday round of eight under par.

Benign conditions in Tianjin were conducive to low scoring and Fabrizio Zanotti, of Paraguay, emulated Grace's 64, the bogey-free round taking him into third, a shot behind Nicolas Colsaerts.

Grace's compatriot George Coetzee and Sweden's Alexander Noren also surged up the leaderboard to share fourth place on 13 under after rounds of 64 and 63 respectively.

However, overnight leaders Gary Boyd and Jean-Baptiste Gonnet failed to build on their strong starting position. While Gonnet's 70 kept him in touch with the leaders, Boyd could only manage a one-under 71 and slipped to a share of ninth place on 12 under.

Highlight

Grace was five under par for the front nine, the highlight being an eagle at the sixth.

His only dropped shot came with a three-putt at the 14th but he bounced back with a superb pitch to close range at 15 as he birdied three of the last four.

Defending champion Colsaerts was less spectacular but a tidy 67 kept him within three shots of the lead.

Gonnet was two under for the front nine but made pars all the way home, the last coming despite a wayward second shot which struck a female fan.

Among the British contingent, Richard Finch was a shot behind Boyd at 11 under with Danny Willett a further shot back and Scotland's Paul Lawrie at nine under.

Volvo China Open leaderboard

Hoey Magic Makes China Cut

Michael Hoey went about his business on the second day of the Volvo China Open on Friday and carded a second round 68 to get inside the cut, ensuring a weekend stay in Tianjan - following an opening day 2 over par 74.

Damien McGrane slipped five shots off the lead with a second round 71 and two strokes ahead of Shane Lowry and Peter Lawrie - both on 4 under in 29th place.

Gareth Maybin signed for a two under par 70 to finish 3 under ahead of the weekend.

At the top of the leader board France’s Jean-Baptiste Gonnet and England’s Gary Boyd will be vying for a maiden European Tour title this weekend after moving into a share of the halfway lead at the Volvo China Open.

Boyd, who has recorded two runner-up finishes during his three seasons on The European Tour, recorded a five under par 67 to reach 11 under.

Gonnet, whose only top-three finish came during his rookie 2007 season when he was second in Sweden, was also round in 67 after six birdies and a single bogey.

They are a shot clear of South African Branden Grace, already a two-time winner on The Race to Dubai this year, with defending champion Nicolas Colsaerts in fourth on nine under par.

Gonnet’s performance continues the good form that has seen him finish 12th in Abu Dhabi, sixth in India and fifth in Qatar this season.

“I played very well again today, even off the tee which is really good for me,” he said. 

“It’s good to be in the lead and the game is in good shape so I have a very good chance to win but I have to try and not think about it. 

“My confidence levels are high because I have been playing well for the last two months. I had a lot of fun out there today and that is very important for me on the course, to try and have fun and enjoy it because the last two years have been very tough for me. 

“It wasn’t tough to keep my card but I wasn’t getting too much enjoyment out of the game and I was bringing too much pressure on myself. I know this is a job but, for me, I have to enjoy it and remember why I started playing this game. 

“I have to go back to the five year old kid and try to play for fun. That will be the main aim for the weekend – to go out there and try to enjoy it because there is no point in playing the game if you are not having fun.”

Boyd’s round started on the back nine and his start was far from ideal, a bogey at the 12th not cancelled out until the par five 18th as he turned in 36.

But the 25 year old birdied five of his last eight holes, including a 12 foot putt at the fifth.

“It was good out there,” he said. “I had to stay patient on the front nine and was one over playing my ninth hole but managed to get on in two and two putt for birdie and really get my round going. 

“The back nine I managed to take a few more chances and finished it off with a three wood to eight feet on the ninth - it was the shot of the year so far for me. I hit the driver off the tee and it went left into the bunker and I didn’t know if it was a five or three wood but I went for the three and it just came out perfectly and I managed to make the putt. 

“I have been playing pretty well and I have just trusted what I have been working on with my old coach since two weeks ago. I was a bit lost in too many thoughts and trying too many different things for a while and that is not something that you want to be doing in tournament golf. It is starting to pay off this week. 

“It has been a long while since I was properly up there – probably Czech Republic or Switzerland round about September last year – but I am going to draw on those experiences going into the weekend.”

Grace, who won back-to-back titles in South Africa at the start of the year after coming through Qualifying School, had three birdies and an eagle two at the seventh after hitting his tee shot to five feet as he carded a second-straight 67.

“There are opportunities out there,” he said. “It wasn’t easy because you still had to hit the shots and get it going. 

“The most important thing I did today was to play the difficult holes for me sensibly. I didn’t take any chances on the holes that could cause me real trouble and then I managed to birdie the ones where I can make chances.”

Belgian Colsaerts, looking to become the first player in the history of the event to successfully defend the title, carded five birdies and two bogeys in his round, but for the second day running, the highlight of the biggest hitter on The European Tour’s round came at the par five second.

The 29 year old needed only an iron into the 575 yard hole, and struck it to two feet before holing the eagle putt.

“It was pretty good for the first two days,” he said. “Funnily enough I probably played better yesterday and shot four under and then went one better today in the tougher conditions. 

“I made one or two mistakes today but you just have to accept that on a day like this. It got really tough out there about halfway through the round. The wind really started to blow and the temperature went down about ten degrees.”

Clones Cyclone CLIC's for Irish Open

The European Tour and its charitable arm, the Tour Players Foundation, have announced CLIC Sargent Northern Ireland as the Official Charity of the 2012 Irish Open, which will be held at Royal Portrush Golf Club from June 28 – July 1.

A leading cancer charity for children and young people and their families, CLIC Sargent NI provides clinical, practical, financial and emotional support. 

From diagnosis onwards, the charity’s aim is to help the whole family deal with the impact of cancer and its treatment, life after treatment and, in some cases, bereavement.

The appointment is aimed at raising the profile of CLIC Sargent, as well as offering the opportunity to raise significant funds for the charity’s recently-launched ‘Homes from Home Appeal’.

The Appeal’s goal is to build Homes from Home accommodation in close proximity to Belfast’s two cancer specialist treatment centres - The Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and The Belfast City and Northern Ireland Cancer Centre.

CLIC Sargent Patrons, former WBA World Featherweight boxing champion Barry McGuigan and his wife Sandra, joined Tour Players Foundation Trustees and staff from The European Tour at Wentworth Golf Club for the announcement.

McGuigan said: “CLIC Sargent research tells us that, on average, families in Northern Ireland travel 95 miles up to five times a week to access the cancer treatment their child needs. The Homes from Home will ease that financial and emotional burden and most importantly, will create a place for families to stay together away from the hospital.

“We are proud to be associated with such an important event for Northern Ireland and we hope the generous public will get behind our campaign to raise much-needed funds for two Homes from Home.”

Jonathan Orr, Tour Players Foundation Trustee, said: “CLIC Sargent was chosen by the Irish Open and Tour Players Foundation due to its great reputation for the support it offers children with cancer and their families. The Homes from Home Appeal allows the Irish Open to leave a lasting legacy in Northern Ireland.”

Innovative fundraising initiatives for CLIC Sargent will take place in the run up to and during the week of the Irish Open, which takes place in Northern Ireland for the first time in almost 60 years.

China Fortune Continues for McGrane

AFP PHOTO / Paul Lakatos / OneAsia

Damien McGane is just two shots behind leader Matthew Baldwin following the first round of the Volvo China Open at Binhai Lake Golf Club in Tianjin.

McGrane, a former winner of the tournament, shot a five-under-par 67 and lies in eighth place. Baldwin (65) is one shot clear of a group of six players.

Peter Lawrie signed for a three under 69, Shane Lowry and Gareth Maybin, both 71 in a share of 62nd place.

Michael Hoey will need to shoot a sub-par round on Friday after a two-over 74.

Matthew Baldwin enjoyed one of his best days yet since joining the European Tour to take a one-shot lead. The 26-year-old Englishman fired a seven-under-par 65 to sit ahead of a five-way tie for second, with compatriot Gary Boyd, Dutchman Joost Luiten, Australian Scott Strange, France’s Jean-Baptiste Gonnet and Swede Fredrik Andersson-Hed, all on 66.

Baldwin enjoyed seven birdies on a blemish-free scorecard, picking up shots on the first, fifth and seventh before three in a row on nine, 10 and 11.

He then birdied the 17th to separate himself from the pack.

“It was very good today, so I am happy with that,” said Baldwin, whose best finish to date on the European Tour was a tie for 10th at the season-opening Africa Open.

“I just tried to keep everything as simple as I could. It turned out to be one of those days where there were a lot of chances and I managed to take a few of them.”

Boyd, who is also hunting a maiden European Tour win, helped his cause with an eagle on the 12th and five birdies, although he bogeyed the sixth to cost himself a share of the lead.

“I am usually a very slow starter but there have been encouraging signs recently,” he said. “I went back to see my old coach a few weeks ago to see what thoughts he had on the state of my game and I have done some good practice at home on the back of that.

“Then to come out to Asia and play well last week and make a good start this week is good.”

Dutchman Luiten had eight birdies in his round, but undid much of his good work with a double bogey on the fourth.

England’s Graeme Storm was among a host of players two strokes off the pace, while Sweden’s Alexander Noren went five under through the first 10 holes but dropped back into a tie for 15th after back-to-back bogeys on the 11th and 12th.

Among those joining him on four-under 68 were Paul Casey, winner of this tournament when it was at Shenzen in 2006, and former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie. Ian Poulter and Peter Hanson, two weeks removed from top-10 finishes at the Masters, were on one-under par.

Thirteen-year-old Chinese Guan Tian-lang shot a five-over-par 77 when he became the youngest golfer to play in a European Tour event. Guan, who bogeyed his first hole and quickly slipped to five over par before making a birdie at the seventh, was 107 days younger than his compatriot Lo Shik-kai at the 2003 Hong Kong Open.