The Irish Golf Club Gazette

3/07/2014

GMAC Hunts Mahan at Doral

Graeme McDowell finished round stalking leader Hunter Mahan as the new-look Blue Monster bore its teeth on day two of the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

After the first day was interrupted by strong winds and a tornado threat, the field were having to deal with more swirling gusts leaving only a handful of players under par.

US Ryder Cup player Mahan was one under through eight holes of his second round and four under for the week – one ahead of compatriots Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed, the first round leader after completing a four under par 68.

There was then a two shot gap back to a four-man group that included Francesco Molinari and McDowell.

The Italian had started the day in a share of the lead at three under, but despite clinging to that score for the remainder of round one, a double bogey at the third in round two hampered the former WGC-HSBC Champions winner’s progress.

McDowell was two under for his second round with five holes remaining.

Molinari bogeyed the seventh and McDowell the sixth on the way in, but by reaching the halfway stage in level par both were just one off Reed’s clubhouse lead, with Johnson two under for the week with three holes to play.

“Every shot, doesn't matter if it's downwind or into the wind, it's just a really hard guess, and there's water all over the place,” said Molinari.

“I'm glad it's over for me today and I get a rest before going out tomorrow.

“I actually feel pretty good but it is tiring mentally out there. There's always a hazard in play almost on every hole, and you can't miss the fairway, you can't miss the green.

“At some points it was almost three clubs of wind. It was definitely more difficult than yesterday.

“I think I hit a couple of loose tee shots that I didn't hit yesterday, so a couple of penalty shots. But, you know, it's really, really hard out there, so I'm pretty happy the way I played.”

McDowell was amongst a handful of players not to lose a ball in the water during his round, and said: “I kept it dry. I made one bogey in the second round and I probably should have got that ball up and down as well.

“One bogey in those conditions, on this tough a golf course - I'm very, very happy to be off the golf course.”

El Mecanico Congratulates Smyth

Miguel Angel Jiménez was the first man to welcome Des Smyth as his Vice-Captain for the inaugural EurAsia Cup presented by DRB–HICOM.

Smyth was revealed as one of Paul McGinely’s Ryder Cup Vice-Captains for the biennial clash with the USA in September at a media conference in Dublin this morning, where it was also announced that Smyth will be Jiménez’s right-hand man in Malaysia when Europe travel to the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club to face Asia in the inaugural EurAsia Cup from March 27-29.

Jiménez will act as playing Captain of the ten-man European team, meaning Smyth’s experience as a two-time Ryder Cup player (1979 and 1981) and Vice-Captain (2006) will be vital as the Irishman assumes a leading role behind the scenes in Malaysia.

“I am delighted to welcome Des to the team for the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB–HICOM,” said Jiménez. “Des is a man with a lot of experience and someone I know I can trust so he will be a great Vice-Captain.

“Paul McGinley and I have spoken a lot about the EurAsia Cup team and how important an event it is in terms of The Ryder Cup. A lot of the guys on my team could be playing for Paul in September so the EurAsia Cup is a great opportunity for Des to reacquaint himself with the experienced players and integrate with the younger guys.”

Smyth is relishing the opportunity to be part of the inaugural EurAsia Cup with Jiménez and the nine other members of Team Europe - Thomas Björn, Jamie Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño, Stephen Gallacher, Pablo Larrazábal, Joost Luiten, Graeme McDowell and Thorbjørn Olesen.

He said: “I am very much looking forward to working with Miguel and the European players at the EurAsia Cup. I already know a lot of the players such as Graeme, Thomas, Gonzalo and Stephen and I am looking forward to getting to know the rest of the guys.

“I feel I can bring a lot of experience to the role of Vice-Captain and I will be there to support Miguel and hopefully offer some good advice when required. I am thrilled to have been asked to be a Vice-Captain for both The Ryder Cup and the EurAsia Cup and I’m looking forward to getting started in Malaysia in a couple of weeks.”

The announcement of Smyth as Vice-Captain to Jiménez means the teams for the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB–HICOM are now complete after Asian Captain Thongchai Jaidee announced Boonchu Ruangkit as his Vice-Captain earlier today.

Rory Rounds Blue Monster

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Rory McIlroy was satisfied with his a showing in the weather-affected opening round of the WGC – Cadillac Championship, with the Northern Irishman handily placed just two shots off the pace.

Starting on the tenth tee, McIlroy displayed no signs of a hangover from his play-off defeat in last week’s Honda Classic, flying out of the blocks with three birdies in his opening four holes over the Blue Monster at Trump National Doral, draining a 53 foot putt on the 13th hole.

He dropped a shot at the next after finding the bunker, but regained it immediately with an eight foot birdie putt on the 15th before back-to-back bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes just before storms halted played for more than two hours.

The former World Number One regrouped during the delay and resumed his round in the middle of the first fairway, duly birdieing it to move to two under par before lipping out with another birdie chance on the second hole from eight feet.

With conditions proving tough, McIlroy bogeyed the fourth hole to sit on one under par through 14 holes of his round. With five players currently setting the pace on three under par, including clubhouse leader Harris English, McIlroy was rightly pleased with his efforts on the opening day.

“I said I’d be happy with anything under par from this round and I’m still on course for that,” he said. “I’m happy with the way I played and I’d like to get something in the 60s.

“I played pretty good. It was tough out there though with the wind and the firm greens with the moisture on top. It was really skidding. So it was hard when we got back out to control the distance. You had to guess a little how much the ball would skip forward. I’ll get back out in the morning and play the last three and a half holes without as much wind and with better conditions.”

After finishing runner up twice already this season, the two-time Major Champion has plenty of cause for optimism over the next three days.

“I'm playing well and I'm comfortable with my game,” he said. “I wasn't going to let one bad day last week derail the good path that I'm on.

“I played well from the start again, and made four birdies quickly. Hopefully I will make a few more tomorrow.”

3/06/2014

Phelan Joins Mount Juliet

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Kevin Phelan, the European Tour rookie who achieved his first top-10 finish last weekend, has been named as the attached professional at Mount Juliet.

Phelan will carry the Kilkenny resort's logo on his golf bag and it's a perfect fit for the recent Q-School graduate.

Born in New York, Phelan spent his boyhood in Waterford before moving to St Augustine, North Florida, at age 13, where he completed his High School and College education.

"I'm delighted to become the attached tour professional for Ireland's premier parkland course," said Phelan, who tied sixth at last week's Tshwane Open in South Africa. "The facilities are world-class and it is an honour to be associated with a venue that has hosted many prestigious tournaments."

"This is very exciting," said Anthony Brady, the resort's director of sales and marketing. "Kevin holds the values we appreciate – he is a talented golfer, but also a gentleman. We hope Mount Juliet becomes a home away from home for him."

Phelan has enjoyed a memorable 12 months, splendidly making the cut in June's US Open at Merion while still an amateur before winning two points out of three at the Walker Cup.

3/05/2014

McIlroy to Better Blue Monster

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Rory McIlroy is aiming to go one better at this week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship after a second runner-up finish of 2014 last Sunday.

In three stroke-play events this season the Northern Irishman has finished second in Abu Dhabi, ninth in Dubai and was only beaten in a play-off at last week’s Honda Classic.

The two-time Major winner came to the final hole needing an eagle to win, and almost pulled it off after a magnificent five wood approach to six feet.

McIlroy missed the putt and was beaten by Russell Henley at the first extra hole, but the World Number Six chose to focus on the positives of being in contention again.

“[The five wood into 18] is right up there,” he said. “It's probably the best that I've hit under pressure.

“I don't think I can think of any other ones where I've needed it and been able to pull it off like that.

“Looking at last week as a whole, there are definitely a lot of positives to take. I think I was up there in putting in the statistical categories, I drove the ball really well.

“I was just disappointed with how I played coming down the stretch; it obviously wasn't what I would have liked.

“But plenty of positives - getting myself in position to win, it was my third stroke play event of the year, and third chance to win.

“If you keep giving yourself those chances, then hopefully learn from the mistakes, then you're going to eventually walk through the door and win, and then when you get into the habit of it, it becomes a bit easier.

“But I feel like my game is there to get into contention again this week and that's what I'll try and do.”

McIlroy admits that it can be difficult to train for the nerves of coming down the stretch in contention, but The Ryder Cup star feels more confident this week having competed at the top of the leaderboard regularly since winning the Australian Open at the end of 2013.

“For me, there's no better way to prepare for that than to be in it,” he added. “I don't think by putting yourself under pressure in a practice session or even playing Monday games with people, it's not the same thing.

“So it's just about putting yourself in that position week in, week out.

“I maybe just didn't make as many committed swings as I should have at some points during the back nine last week.

“But I know that, and if I get myself into that position again this week, I'll try and do a better job of seeing my shots and making more committed swings. But I don't think there's anything that you can really do in practice that can replicate what you're feeling on the back nine on Sunday.

“You're not going to win every event that you play, but if you can give yourself at least a chance going into Sunday, then that's all you can really ask of yourself.

“Giving yourself a chance and getting yourself into contention is what I expect of myself, and everyone knows that I didn't do that enough last year at all, and I've started this year better because I've been in contention every time that I've teed it up. So I'm happy with that.”

3/07/2014

GMAC Hunts Mahan at Doral

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