Open de Espana: Halfway observations

Leaderboard: Top 10

1 Peter Uihlein (-6)

T2 Felipe Aguilar (-5)

T2 Raphael Jacquelin (-5)

T2 Rikard Karlberg (-5)

T5 Marc Warren (-4)

T5 Eddie Pepperell (-4)

T5 Morten Orum Madsen (-4)

T5 Craig Lee (-4)

T5 Andreas Harto (-4)

T10 Lasse Jensen (-3) 

T10 David Howell (-3)

T10 Tommy Fleetwood (-3)

T10 Matthew Baldwin (-3)

Notables:

T14 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (-2)

T14 Paul Casey (-2)

T22 Edoardo Molinari (-1)

T22 Anders Hansen (-1)

T30 Shane Lowry (E)

T43 Rafael Cabrera-Bello (+1)

T43 Sergio Garcia (+1)

T61 Matteo Manassero (+2)

MC Simon Dyson (+4)

MC Robert Rock (+5)

MC Miguel Angel Jimenez (+6)

MC Alvaro Quiros (+6)

MC Thomas Levet (+6)

MC Michael Hoey (+7)

MC Francesco Molinari (+7)

MC Pablo Larrazabal (+7)

MC Tom Lewis (+8)

MC Jose Maria Olazabal (+11)

MC Michael Campbell (+11)

MC Oliver Wilson (+16)

Observations:

• Peter Uihlein (-6): The American is playing this week on a sponsor's exemption and he's certainly making the most of it.  He's ranked 75th on the Race to Dubai, with his best finish being a 4th-place finish in the Tshwane Open.  He only has status on the Challenge Tour, so it's important that he takes advantage of invites on the Main Tour.  The former world #1 amateur will need to battle the nerves tomorrow, as well as the changing winds.  It's going to be interesting how he reacts tomorrow; if he shoots 72 (par) or better, I'd consider that a success and he likely wouldn't lose much ground, if any.
• Rikard Karlberg (-5): The big-hitting Swede started his second round on fire, starting birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie on his first four holes.  He would have been leading at the end of the day if he hadn't bogeyed the final two holes.  Karlberg, who is playing out of a lower category this season due to his 130th-place finish on the Race to Dubai last season, needs to post some good results in the coming weeks.  He's playing in the Ballantine's Championship and the Volvo China Open in the next two weeks, respectively.  While he plays the majority of his golf on the Asian Tour, he's stated that he wants to get his full Tour card in Europe.  Now that he has a category on the European Tour, he needs to take advantage of the co-sanctioned events in Asia (where he's exempt due to his Asian Tour ranking) and the limited events that he'll get into in Europe.  The first two rounds in Spain were certainly a good start.

What is Monty's next move?

Let me start this entry off by saying that I was very surprised to see that Colin Montgomerie hadn't signed up for the Open de Espana (April 18-21). The fact that he's played six out of the last seven stagings of the event makes this decision quite baffling.  Monty's last event was the Avantha Masters six weeks ago, so one would think he'd be playing soon.  Playing in Spain made perfect sense.  If he played in Spain, he probably wouldn't have played the Ballantine's Championship in South Korea the next week (due to travel), and it would have been a toss-up whether he'd play the Volvo China Open the following week due to his World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in St. Augustine, Florida, on Monday May 13.

All in all, it's disappointing that he's only played five events this season, and only 12 competitive rounds under his belt.  Montgomerie's next event will probably be the BMW PGA Championship, the Tour's flagship event and a tournament that he won three years in a row from 1998-2000.  He finished tied-seventh in 2011, so it's definitely a course that he feels comfortable on and can contend on.  He'll most likely participate in the 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier at Walton Heath on the Monday after the BMW PGA, so let's hope that he takes some confidence going into the qualifier.

He'll either be playing or commentating for Sky Sports at the U.S. Open.  After the U.S. Open (June 13-16), his upcoming schedule will be his own decision as he has a few options.  The BMW International Open in Germany is the following week, so if he doesn't qualify for the U.S. Open I would expect him to play in Germany.  He will turn 50 years old on June 23, making him eligible to enter the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship (June 27-30).  He has admitted that this is a possible option, after originally saying that his Senior debut would take place at the Senior Open Championship at Royal Birkdale (July 25-28), the week after the Open Championship.  There's a side story though; the Irish Open this season is being held at Carton House Golf Club on the Montgomerie Course (designed by Montgomerie in 2004).  Monty played in the previous two stagings of the Irish Opens on the Montgomerie Course at Carton House.  So, this creates a dilemma: Does he play in the Senior major or in the Irish Open on the course that he designed?  At this point,   I have no idea what he'll do.  Two things are certain: As he has stated when talking about his Senior schedule, he will compete in the Alstom Open de France and the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open the following two weeks after the Irish Open.  Whether he qualifies for the Open Championship through International Final Qualifying (36 holes) at Sunningdale on June 24 or based on his performance in the events leading up to the Open, he'll definitely be ready for the Senior Open.

An interesting note is that the Open Championship qualifier at Sunningdale is on June 24, so that might rule Monty out for the Senior Players Championship, which begins on the 27th.  And with the Irish Open being staged that week, it would make sense travel-wise for Monty to play in Ireland versus Pennsylvania.

Here is an excerpt from Martin Dempster's article in the Scotsman on April 9th:  

"For the third Masters running, Montgomerie has traveled to Augusta without his clubs. He’s part of the Sky commentary team and insists he’s beyond the point of feeling he should be out on the manicured fairways.  'The Masters and the USPGA are against me now in terms of length so I’m losing that thought that I should be here playing,' he said.  'But I’m going to really try my damndest to qualify for the US Open this year because Merion is the shortest course they’ve had for that in 20 years.  I’m also keen, of course, to play in the Open Championship at Muirfield because, one, it’s in Scotland, and two, the running fairways suit me.'"

Here's a breakdown of my proposed schedule for Montgomerie leading up to the Senior Open Championship:

May 23-26: BMW PGA Championship
May 27: U.S. Open Qualifier (36 holes)
May 30-June 2: Nordea Masters
June 13-16: U.S. Open (if he qualifies)
June 20-23: BMW International Open
June 24: Open Championship Qualifier (36 holes)
June 27-30: Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship (Champions Tour) or The Irish Open
July 4-7: Alstom Open de France
July 11-14: Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open
July 18-21: The Open Championship (if he qualifies)
July 25-28: The Senior Open Championship (European Senior Tour and Champions Tour)

Adam Scott’s Resiliency, Grit, and Determination Led Him to the Masters Win

July 2012: Australia’s Adam Scott goes to the 15th hole leading the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes by four shots. For all intents and purposes, the tournament was his to lose. South Africa’s Ernie Els, a two-time Open Champion, was his closest pursuer and he needed a major collapse if he wanted to make it to a playoff. Scott bogeyed the 15th. No worries. He bogeyed the 16th. Alright, you still have a two shot lead, but you’re making this hard for yourself. He bogeyed the 17th. Oh boy, this is turning out to be a Van de Velde-esque collapse that we are witnessing before our eyes. He came to the 18th hole after having heard the roars for Els’s birdie on the last, which put them in a tie for the lead. All Scott needed to do was drive the ball in the fairway, avoid the thick rough, get his second shot onto the green, two-putt on the green for a par four and there would be a playoff. You guessed it, he bogeyed 18.

I remember watching that collapse like it was yesterday.  Adam Scott, proclaimed as the next great Australian golfer, had to that point been categorized as one of the best players never to have won a major.  On the side, he’s one of the genuinely nicest guys in golf and it’s hard not to root for guys like that.  So when he essentially choked away last year’s Open Championship, the entire golf world was absolutely stunned and wondered if he’d ever get another shot to redeem himself and capture that elusive major.  The very next major, the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, he responded with a seventh-place finish, confirming that he had great resolve and perseverance after only a month earlier throwing away the Open. 

Scott came to this year’s Masters as sort-of an underdog.  Most of the experts were going with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, and Justin Rose.  So, in that sense, Scott didn’t have the added pressure of knowing that he was a favorite going into the tournament.  However, there’s a hidden pressure that all Australians feel at Augusta: In the Masters’ 77-year history, no Australian had ever won the Masters.  For a country with 15 majors all-time, this had been a travesty.  So many Aussies had come close, the most crushing defeat having been Greg Norman’s blown six shot lead in 1996 to eventual champion Nick Faldo.  Scott had had success at Augusta National in the past, notably a tie for second in 2011 behind Charl Schwartzel.

He posted rounds of 69, 72, and 69 to sit a stroke behind leaders Angel Cabrera, the 2009 Masters Champion, and Brandt Snedeker.  As Snedeker’s chances ended after bogeying the 10^th hole, it looked to be a three-horse race with Scott, Cabrera, and another Australian in Jason Day.  Unfortunately for Day, the three closing holes proved to be his nemesis once again as he bogeyed 16 and 17 to finish at seven-under-par.  Scott was a stroke better than Day going to the 18^th, knowing that a birdie would, at worst, result in a playoff as Cabrera had the same score (-8).  Scott hit his second shot onto the green, giving him a birdie putt somewhere between 15-20 feet.  He stepped up and the ball sneaked into the left side of the cup, causing massive roars around the green and quite a celebration from Scott.  I’ll admit that I didn’t even see his celebration after holing the putt because I was fist-pumping around my room.  Now he had to wait for Cabrera, who undoubtedly heard the roars, to play the 18^th.  Cabrera hit one of the best second shots into the final green of the week and holed his birdie putt to send the tournament to a playoff.  Considering what was at stake, Cabrera (nicknamed “El Pato,” which means “the duck”) showed his mettle and why he’s always a contender at this event. 

So onto the sudden-death playoff they went.  It was back to the 18^th, where both Scott and Cabrera came up short of the green with their second shots.  It was now a chipping contest from the front of the green to determine the Masters Champion.  Cabrera nearly holed his, while Scott left his about five feet short.  However, in going with the theme of grit and determination, Scott duly holed the putt without a problem.  Two pars and the playoff would continue.  They walked to the 10^th hole knowing that a birdie would most certainly win it.  Both players found the fairway with their tee shots, putting themselves in prime position to hit a quality second shot into the green.  In the end, it was Scott who hit his ball inside Cabrera’s.  Cabrera narrowly missed his birdie attempt, and there was a feeling that this was Scott’s time.  He had a 12-foot putt for his first major title and Australia’s first Masters victory.  From the moment the ball left his putter it was in the center of the cup and as the ball rolled in, Scott spread his arms and looked up like the weight of a nation was lifted off his shoulders.  Just another Sunday at the Masters!   

            

It was only a matter of time before one of Australia’s players broke through at the Masters.  As a golf fan, I’m glad that it was Adam Scott.  He’s been one of the world’s best players for a decade or so, to go with the fact that he’s one of the nicest guys in golf.  For him to get himself into contention for a second consecutive major following the collapse at Lytham last summer was an accomplishment, further proving the point that he has the heart of a champion.  To hole pressure birdie putts on the 18^th in regulation, the 18^th on the first playoff hole, and the 10^th to claim his first major was absolutely incredible and a true story of redemption.  CBS analyst and fellow Australian, Ian Baker-Finch, said it best: “From Down Under to on top of the world.”  

Masters results after two rounds for European Tour Members

After the Second Round

Top 10
(*European Tour members in bold)
Par 72

1 Jason Day (-6) Round one: 70
T2 Fred Couples (-5) Round one: 71
T2 Marc Leishman (-5) Round one: 66
T4 Angel Cabrera (-4) Round one: 71
T4 Jim Furyk (-4) Round one: 69
T4 Brandt Snedeker (-4) Round one: 70
T7 Adam Scott (-3) Round one: 69
T7 Jason Dufner (-3) Round one: 72
T7 David Lynn (-3) Round one: 68
T7 Lee Westwood (-3) Round one: 70
T7 Justin Rose (-3) Round one: 70
T7 K.J. Choi (-3) Round one: 70
T7 Tiger Woods (-3) Round one: 70

Other European Tour players:

T14 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (-2) Round one: 68
T14 Bernhard Langer (-2) Round one: 71
T14 Sergio Garcia (-2) Round one: 66
T14 Rory McIlroy (-2) Round one: 72
T14 Charl Schwartzel (-2) Round one: 71
T20 Luke Donald (-1) Round one: 71
T31 Ernie Els (+1) Round one: 71
T31 Fredrik Jacobson (+1) Round one: 72
T31 Sandy Lyle (+1) Round one: 73
T31 Richard Sterne (+1) Round one: 73

T37 Paul Lawrie (+2) Round one: 76
T37 Thomas Bjorn (+2) Round one: 73
T37 Henrik Stenson (+2) Round one: 75
T37 Jose Maria Olazabal (+2) Round one: 74
T48 Martin Kaymer (+3) Round one: 72
T48 Peter Hanson (+3) Round one: 72

T55 Thorbjorn Olesen (+4) Round one: 78
T55 Branden Grace (+4) Round one: 78



Missed Cut
T62 Martin Laird (+5) Round one: 76
T62 Jamie Donaldson (+5) Round one: 74
T62 George Coetzee (+5) Round one: 75
T62 Matteo Manassero (+5) Round one: 75
T62 Graeme McDowell (+5) Round one: 73
71 Louis Oosthuizen (+6) Round one: 74
T72 Nicolas Colsaerts (+7) Round one: 74
T72 Ian Poulter (+7) Round one: 76
T81 Padraig Harrington (+9) Round one: 78
T84 Francesco Molinari (+11) Round one: 74
T88 Ian Woosnam (+14) Round one: 80

Masters first round scores for European Tour Members

Top 10
(*European Tour members in bold)

T1 Marc Leishman (-6)
T1 Sergio Garcia (-6)
3 Dustin Johnson (-5)
T4 David Lynn (-4)
T4 Rickie Fowler (-4)
T4 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (-4)
T4 Trevor Immelman (-4)
T4 Fred Couples (-4)
T4 Matt Kuchar (-4)
T10 Jim Furyk (-3)
T10 Zach Johnson (-3)
T10 Adam Scott (-3)

Other European Tour players:

T13 Lee Westwood (-2)
T13 Justin Rose (-2)
T23 Charl Schwartzel (-1)
T23 Luke Donald (-1)
T23 Ernie Els (-1)
T23 Bernhard Langer (-1)
T33 Peter Hanson (E)
T33 Martin Kaymer (E)
T33 Rory McIlroy (E)
T33 Fredrik Jacobson (E)
T46 Sandy Lyle (+1)
T46 Richard Sterne (+1)
T46 Graeme McDowell (+1)
T46 Thomas Bjorn (+1)
T56 Jose Maria Olazabal (+2)
T56 Nicolas Colsaerts (+2)
T56 Jamie Donaldson (+2)
T56 Francesco Molinari (+2)
T56 Louis Oosthuizen (+2)
T64 George Coetzee (+3)
T64 Matteo Manassero (+3)
T64 Henrik Stenson (+3)
T70 Ian Poulter (+4)
T70 Martin Laird (+4)
T70 Paul Lawrie (+4)
T82 Padraig Harrington (+6)
T82 Thorbjorn Olesen (+6)
T82 Branden Grace (+6)
T91 Ian Woosnam (+8)

Evaluating former Ryder Cup stars' performance this season

Criteria: Must have missed last year's Ryder Cup, must be under the age of 50, and must be competing on either the European or PGA Tours

*ranked in terms of current world ranking

Henrik Stenson

Cups played: 2006 (winners) and 2008 (lost)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 8/9

-Best result: T2 (PGA Tour: Shell Houston Open)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 60th  (€127,822)

-World ranking: 42nd

Padraig Harrington

Ryder Cups played: 1999 (lost), 2002 (winners), 2004 (winners), 2006 (winners), 2008 (lost), 2010 (winners)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 5/5

-Best result: 4th (Volvo Golf Champions)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 22nd  (€269,955)

-World ranking: 52nd 

Thomas Bjorn

Ryder Cups played: 1997 (winners) and 2002 (winners)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 4/5

-Best result: T9 (Volvo Golf Champions)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 73rd  (€92,254)

-World ranking: 62nd 

Miguel Angel Jimenez

Ryder Cups played: 1999 (lost), 2004 (winners), 2008 (lost), 2010 (winners)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: n/a (recovering from a broken leg sustained in December)

-Best result: n/a

-Race to Dubai ranking: n/a

-World ranking: 82nd 

Ross Fisher

Ryder Cup played: 2010 (winners)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 5/8 (All PGA Tour events)

-Best result: T21 (PGA Tour: Farmers Insurance Open)

-Race to Dubai ranking: n/a

-World ranking: 123rd

Paul Casey

Ryder Cups played: 2004 (winners), 2006 (winners), 2008 (lost)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 4/6

-Best result: T18 (Volvo Golf Champions)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 84th  (€79,496)

-World ranking: 143rd 

David Howell

Ryder Cups played: 2004 (winners) and 2006 (winners)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 9/9

-Best result: T6- twice (Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and Maybank Malaysian Open)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 24th  (€259,329)

-World ranking: 156th 

Edoardo Molinari

Ryder Cups played: 2010 (winners)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 2/7

-Best result: 2nd (Maybank Malaysian Open)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 29th  (€237,054)

-World ranking: 169th 

Robert Karlsson

Ryder Cups played: 2006 (winners) and 2008 (lost)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 2/4 (All PGA Tour)

-Best result: T30 (Puerto Rico Open)

-Race to Dubai ranking: n/a

-World ranking: 185th 

Darren Clarke

Ryder Cups played: 1997 (winners), 1999 (lost), 2002 (winners), 2004 (winners), 2006 (winners)

2013 season so far:

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 2/3

-Best result: T22 (Volvo Golf Champions)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 129th  (€36,050)

-World ranking: 217th

Thomas Levet

Ryder Cup played: 2004 (winners)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 2/6

-Best result: T51 (Maybank Malaysian Open)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 187th  (€12,373)

-World ranking: 289th 

Paul McGinley (2014 Ryder Cup Captain)

Ryder Cups played: 2002 (winners), 2004 (winners), 2006 (winners)

2013 season so far:

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 0/4

-Best result: n/a

-Race to Dubai ranking: n/a

-World ranking: 347th

Ignacio Garrido

Ryder Cup played: 1997 (winners)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 6/10

-Best result: T17 (Omega Dubai Desert Classic)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 92nd  (€65,066)

-World ranking: 402nd 

Jose Maria Olazabal (2012 Ryder Cup Captain)

Ryder Cups played: 1987 (winners), 1991 (lost), 1993 (lost), 1995 (winners), 1997 (winners), 1999 (lost),  2006 (winners)

2013 season so far:

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 3/6

-Best result: T17 (Omega Dubai Desert Classic)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 112th  (€49,195)

-World ranking: 407th

Philip Price

Ryder Cup played: 2002 (winners)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 4/7

-Best result: T32-twice (Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Africa Open)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 138th  (€33,160)

-World ranking: 481st 

Oliver Wilson

Ryder Cup played: 2008 (lost)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 0/1

-Best result: n/a

-Race to Dubai ranking: n/a

-World ranking: 528th 

Colin Montgomerie (2010 Ryder Cup Captain)

Ryder Cups played: 1991 (lost), 1993 (lost), 1995 (winners), 1997 (winners), 1999 (lost), 2002 (winners), 2004 (winners), 2006 (winners)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 1/5

-Best result: T29 (Volvo Golf Champions)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 146th  (€27,250)

-World ranking: 564th 

Soren Hansen

Ryder Cup played: 2008 (lost)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 0/1

-Best result: n/a

-Race to Dubai ranking: n/a

-World ranking: 624th 

Niclas Fasth

Ryder Cup played: 2002 (winners)

2013 season so far:

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 1/8

-Best result: T32 (Africa Open)

-Race to Dubai ranking: 200th (€7,600)

-World ranking: 670th

Peter Baker

Ryder Cup played: 1993 (lost)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: n/a (Currently playing on mini tours in England, while making the occasional Challenge Tour appearance)

-Best result: n/a

-Race to Dubai ranking: n/a

-World ranking: 857th 

Jarmo Sandelin

Ryder Cup played: 1999 (lost)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: n/a (First event of the season will be the Open de Espana)

-Best result: n/a

-Race to Dubai ranking: n/a

-World ranking: 1129th 

Jesper Parnevik

Ryder Cups played: 1997 (winners), 1999 (lost), 2002 (winners)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: 2/5

-Best result: T51 (PGA Tour: Northern Trust Open)

-Race to Dubai ranking: n/a

-World ranking: 1173rd 

Joakim Haeggman

Ryder Cup played: 1993 (lost)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: n/a (First event of the season will be the Open de Espana)

-Best result: n/a

-Race to Dubai ranking: n/a

-World ranking: 1407th 

Paul Broadhurst

Ryder Cup played: 1991 (lost)

2013 season so far: 

-Worldwide cuts made/missed: n/a (Currently playing on mini tours in England, while making the occasional European Tour appearance)

-Best result: n/a

-Race to Dubai ranking: n/a

-World ranking: 1487th