Group (First round tee time)
*times are based on British time (+5 hours for Eastern Standard Time in the United States)
Alex Noren, Felipe Aguilar, Mikko Ilonen (7:30)
Paul McGinley, Wen-chong Liang, Shane Lowry (7:40)
Robert Rock, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Marcel Siem (7:50)
Darren Clarke, Thorbjorn Olesen, Richard Sterne (8:00)
Martin Kaymer, David Lynn, Justin Rose (8:15)
Paul Lawrie, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy (8:25)
Scott Jamieson, Matteo Manassero, Branden Grace (8:35)
Thongchai Jaidee, Retief Goosen, Stephen Gallacher (8:45)
Thomas Aiken, Bernd Wiesberger, Chris Wood (8:55)
Richie Ramsay, Edoardo Molinari, Fredrik Andersson Hed (9:30)
Pablo Larrazabal, Ricardo Santos, Simon Dyson (12:00)
David Howell, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, David Horsey (12:10)
Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Jose Maria Olazabal, Raphael Jacquelin (12:20)
George Coetzee, Ross Fisher, Jamie Donaldson (12:30)
Nicolas Colsaerts, Ian Poulter, Brett Rumford (12:40)
Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (12:50)
Francesco Molinari, Lee Westwood, Ernie Els (1:00)
Thomas Bjorn, Paul Casey, Peter Uihlein (1:15)
Marcus Fraser, Alvaro Quiros, Colin Montgomerie (1:25)
*Second round tee times have not been released yet, but Thursday's morning players will be teeing off in the afternoon on Friday and vice versa for Thursday's afternoon players.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
For golf fans, all eyes should be on the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth
BMW PGA Championship (Virginia Water, Surrey, England): May 23-26
Wentworth Club (West Course)
Yardage: 7,302 yards (6,679 meters)
Course Designer: Harry Colt (1926)
Purse: 4,750,000 euros
This week's BMW PGA Championship is one of the world's biggest and most prestigious tournaments. Winners of the event include Tony Jacklin (1972 and 1982), Arnold Palmer (1975), Sir Nick Faldo (1978, 1980-1981, 1989), Seve Ballesteros (1983 and 1991), Bernhard Langer (1987, 1993, 1995), Ian Woosnam (1988 and 1997), Jose Maria Olazabal (1994), Colin Montgomerie (1998-2000), Miguel Angel Jimenez (2008), Paul Casey (2009), and Luke Donald (2011-2012). There has been an increase of 250,000 euros to put the prize fund at a record 4,750,000 euros. 11 out of the 12 "Miracle at Medinah" 2012 Ryder Cuppers will take part, along with their captain, Olazabal, and vice-captains Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke, Miguel Angel Jimenez, and Paul McGinley (2014 Ryder Cup captain). Sweden's Peter Hanson is the only member of last year's Ryder Cup team not to commit to the BMW PGA.
The weather for England's only regular Tour event has been fantastic for the last three editions of the tournament, although this week isn't expected to be quite as fortunate. The forecast for Thursday thru Sunday calls for the weather to be cloudy and cool with a chance of showers. Winds are expected to be gusting over 10 miles per hour and temperatures are going to be around 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit for most of the tournament. Still, tens of thousands will converge on the West Course each day to see the European Tour's best fight it out over the four days. British golf fans are the most knowledgeable in the world and it's a delight to see the players put on a wonderful show for the worthy fans. With a minimum of 64 world ranking points on offer to the winner, a spot in this year's U.S. Open, a European Tour exemption for the next five years, and a healthy winner's check of 791,660 euros, this is a Championship that every European Tour member wants to win.
Donald, the current world #6, has won the event in back-to-back years. He will be trying to emulate Montgomerie, who went back-to-back-to-back from 1998 to 2000. Donald, much like Monty, is not an overpowering player and, instead, uses his pinpoint iron play to his advantage. The West Course is a tree-lined layout that requires strategy and calls for players to think their way around, unlike most of the bomber's-type courses that seem to be dominating world golf at the moment.
For a tournament of this caliber, it's tough to pick a winner as there are so many players who could triumph. Donald is among my favorites, not just because he has won the event two years in a row, but because he has the ideal playing style for this course. I'm also looking for three other Englishmen to contend: Lee Westwood, Justin Rose, and Ian Poulter. Westwood lost out in a playoff to Donald in 2011 and has posted four consecutive top-10s in his last four worldwide events. Something tells me he'll be near the top of the leaderboard during his back nine on Sunday. Rose, ranked #4 in the world, finished second to Donald last year at Wentworth and has the type of iron play that could see him go one better this year. Poulter, a matchplay wizard who was eliminated before the knockout stages of last week's Volvo World Match Play Championship, has extra motivation this week to avenge last week's poor performance. Other European favorites include Graeme McDowell (last week's Volvo World Match Play winner, but without a top-10 in this event in 10 tries), world #2 Rory McIlroy (has had average success here with only one top-10 in five tries), Francesco Molinari, Martin Kaymer, Matteo Manassero, Paul Lawrie, Paul Casey, Ross Fisher, Alex Noren, David Horsey, and David Howell. Non-European challengers should include Ernie Els (lives on the Wentworth estate and also revamped all 18 greens from 2009-2011), Brett Rumford (winner of back-to-back events in Korea and China within the past month and is #2 in the Race to Dubai), Richard Sterne (ranked #4 in the Race to Dubai), Branden Grace (finished tied-3rd in last week's Match Play), Thomas Aiken (also finished tied-3rd last week), Thongchai Jaidee (lost in the final to McDowell last week and is #7 in the Race to Dubai), Marcus Fraser (finished tied-4th in 2011 and has the playing style to contend at Wentworth), and Peter Uihlein (now exempt on the European Tour after winning last week's Madeira Islands Open, the opposite field event which was co-sanctioned between the European and Challenge Tours).
There's a certain buzz that surrounds European events, but the flagship event tops them all. The crowds, course, and competition make for a great tournament. A worthy champion will be crowned on Sunday, and he will be fully deserving after having beaten a star-studded field and tackled a challenging course. There have already been three Tour events in Europe so far this season, but the BMW PGA Championship signals the true beginning of the European golfing season. Let's get it started with a bang!
Wentworth Club (West Course)
Yardage: 7,302 yards (6,679 meters)
Course Designer: Harry Colt (1926)
Purse: 4,750,000 euros
This week's BMW PGA Championship is one of the world's biggest and most prestigious tournaments. Winners of the event include Tony Jacklin (1972 and 1982), Arnold Palmer (1975), Sir Nick Faldo (1978, 1980-1981, 1989), Seve Ballesteros (1983 and 1991), Bernhard Langer (1987, 1993, 1995), Ian Woosnam (1988 and 1997), Jose Maria Olazabal (1994), Colin Montgomerie (1998-2000), Miguel Angel Jimenez (2008), Paul Casey (2009), and Luke Donald (2011-2012). There has been an increase of 250,000 euros to put the prize fund at a record 4,750,000 euros. 11 out of the 12 "Miracle at Medinah" 2012 Ryder Cuppers will take part, along with their captain, Olazabal, and vice-captains Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke, Miguel Angel Jimenez, and Paul McGinley (2014 Ryder Cup captain). Sweden's Peter Hanson is the only member of last year's Ryder Cup team not to commit to the BMW PGA.
The weather for England's only regular Tour event has been fantastic for the last three editions of the tournament, although this week isn't expected to be quite as fortunate. The forecast for Thursday thru Sunday calls for the weather to be cloudy and cool with a chance of showers. Winds are expected to be gusting over 10 miles per hour and temperatures are going to be around 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit for most of the tournament. Still, tens of thousands will converge on the West Course each day to see the European Tour's best fight it out over the four days. British golf fans are the most knowledgeable in the world and it's a delight to see the players put on a wonderful show for the worthy fans. With a minimum of 64 world ranking points on offer to the winner, a spot in this year's U.S. Open, a European Tour exemption for the next five years, and a healthy winner's check of 791,660 euros, this is a Championship that every European Tour member wants to win.
Donald, the current world #6, has won the event in back-to-back years. He will be trying to emulate Montgomerie, who went back-to-back-to-back from 1998 to 2000. Donald, much like Monty, is not an overpowering player and, instead, uses his pinpoint iron play to his advantage. The West Course is a tree-lined layout that requires strategy and calls for players to think their way around, unlike most of the bomber's-type courses that seem to be dominating world golf at the moment.
For a tournament of this caliber, it's tough to pick a winner as there are so many players who could triumph. Donald is among my favorites, not just because he has won the event two years in a row, but because he has the ideal playing style for this course. I'm also looking for three other Englishmen to contend: Lee Westwood, Justin Rose, and Ian Poulter. Westwood lost out in a playoff to Donald in 2011 and has posted four consecutive top-10s in his last four worldwide events. Something tells me he'll be near the top of the leaderboard during his back nine on Sunday. Rose, ranked #4 in the world, finished second to Donald last year at Wentworth and has the type of iron play that could see him go one better this year. Poulter, a matchplay wizard who was eliminated before the knockout stages of last week's Volvo World Match Play Championship, has extra motivation this week to avenge last week's poor performance. Other European favorites include Graeme McDowell (last week's Volvo World Match Play winner, but without a top-10 in this event in 10 tries), world #2 Rory McIlroy (has had average success here with only one top-10 in five tries), Francesco Molinari, Martin Kaymer, Matteo Manassero, Paul Lawrie, Paul Casey, Ross Fisher, Alex Noren, David Horsey, and David Howell. Non-European challengers should include Ernie Els (lives on the Wentworth estate and also revamped all 18 greens from 2009-2011), Brett Rumford (winner of back-to-back events in Korea and China within the past month and is #2 in the Race to Dubai), Richard Sterne (ranked #4 in the Race to Dubai), Branden Grace (finished tied-3rd in last week's Match Play), Thomas Aiken (also finished tied-3rd last week), Thongchai Jaidee (lost in the final to McDowell last week and is #7 in the Race to Dubai), Marcus Fraser (finished tied-4th in 2011 and has the playing style to contend at Wentworth), and Peter Uihlein (now exempt on the European Tour after winning last week's Madeira Islands Open, the opposite field event which was co-sanctioned between the European and Challenge Tours).
There's a certain buzz that surrounds European events, but the flagship event tops them all. The crowds, course, and competition make for a great tournament. A worthy champion will be crowned on Sunday, and he will be fully deserving after having beaten a star-studded field and tackled a challenging course. There have already been three Tour events in Europe so far this season, but the BMW PGA Championship signals the true beginning of the European golfing season. Let's get it started with a bang!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Players still looking for their first European Tour win
Every Tour member will tell you how hard it is to win, more so than 10-15 years ago. The players are younger, bigger, stronger, and better. A lot that goes into winning is the type of golf course (long or short), weather, competition, and confidence. Many Tour members have the talent and confidence to break their winless drought. Some are only a few years removed from amateur golf, some are entering their prime or are already in it, and some are journeymen. Whatever the case, there are fully-capable Tour players still searching for their first Tour win. For many, a win will open the floodgates to multiple victories. Here's a list of the most notable players on the European Tour who are still searching for their first Tour win:
Matthew Baldwin: The 27-year-old Englishman was in the running for the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award last season had it not been for Ricardo Santos's win at the Madeira Islands Open. In Baldwin's first season on Tour, he finished 72nd on the Race to Dubai, with two top-10s and two made cuts in majors (tied-59th in the U.S. Open and tied-23rd in the Open Championship). While the start to his 2013 season hasn't been too impressive, he's started to rediscover some of last year's form with four straight cuts made (best finish was a tied-5th at the Trophee Hassan II). This season, he is ranked 202nd on Tour in putts per round (30.9). If he's able to improve that aspect of his game, his results will drastically improve and his confidence from last season will return. One of many talented, young Englishmen on Tour, it's going to be interesting to see how Baldwin develops over the next 5-10 years.
George Coetzee: The 26-year-old, big-hitting South African has the sky as his limit. Currently ranked 48th in the world rankings, he will be eligible for the remaining three majors of this season. He has had three 2nd -place finishes and five 3rd-place finishes in his short career (one 2nd and one 3rd this season). There's not one player on Tour who's ready to win more than Coetzee. It's just a matter of time before he breaks through, and then the floodgates will open. He's had success in every part of the world, so it's just a question of which continent will yield his first victory. I expect Coetzee to break through this season.
Victor Dubuisson: The 23-year-old Frenchman has played very well this season, with four top-10s to his credit. He's ranked a career-high 105th in the world rankings and he'll obviously be looking to crack the top-100 by the time the U.S. PGA Championship rolls around. He's fresh off a 3rd-place finish in the Volvo China Open so he'll be taking some good form into the upcoming tournaments. Dubuisson has always been one of the longer hitters on Tour but, if he wants to take his game to the next level, he'll need to improve his putting (30.85 putts per round in 2012 and 30.17 so far in 2013). Long courses suit the Frenchman the best, so I look for him to contend at the Nordea Masters (7,607 yards) in three week's time.
Tommy Fleetwood: Out of all these golfers listed, this 22-year-old Englishman might have the most potential. He's gotten off to a flying start this season, registering two top-10s and has almost won the same amount of money as he did all of last season (has won €190,361 this season; won €203,699 last season). The former #3-ranked amateur was the 2011 Challenge Tour #1. This season, he's averaging almost a stroke and a half less than he did last season (70.88 this season vs. 71.49 last season). The only thing holding him back is his putting, as he's averaging 30.09 putts per round and that's too many no matter how good your ballstriking is. I'm predicting a victory for Fleetwood this season.
Jaco Van Zyl: The 34-year-old South African might be somewhat unknown to most golf fans, but he certainly knows how to compete around the world. The majority of his success has taken place in South Africa in his career, with 13 wins on the Sunshine Tour, including three this season so far. He's currently ranked 78th in the world rankings, but he needs to exhibit more success outside his homeland if he wants to continue progressing up the world rankings list. Within the next couple of seasons, I expect Van Zyl to have multiple wins on the European Tour.
Romain Wattel: The 22-year-old Frenchman recently finished 4th at the Ballantine's Championship so he's taking some good form into the European section of the schedule. Last season, he played in the final group at the Johnnie Walker Championship with eventual winner Paul Lawrie, where he finished tied-3rd. The following week at the Omega European Masters, he finished in a tie for 2nd. The talented Frenchman needs to keep knocking on the door and one of these weeks it will open for him.
Oliver Wilson: The 32-year-old Englishman is famous for his 2008 Ryder Cup appearance. He's also had nine 2nd-place finishes on Tour. Formerly ranked in the top-50 in the world rankings, he's now ranked 556th. He has yet to make a cut this season on either the main Tour or Challenge Tour. Still not fully recovered from a broken wrist suffered during the winter break, he needs a confidence-boosting week sooner rather than later. Next week could be his week, as he recorded his only top-10 of the season in the Madeira Islands Open with a tied-4th finish last season. "Ollie" has enormous potential, but he will need to make his way back to the European Tour via the Challenge Tour as his category won't allow him to play many more events on the main Tour this season. Once he makes his way back, I firmly believe that a European Tour win will not be far off.
Matthew Baldwin: The 27-year-old Englishman was in the running for the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award last season had it not been for Ricardo Santos's win at the Madeira Islands Open. In Baldwin's first season on Tour, he finished 72nd on the Race to Dubai, with two top-10s and two made cuts in majors (tied-59th in the U.S. Open and tied-23rd in the Open Championship). While the start to his 2013 season hasn't been too impressive, he's started to rediscover some of last year's form with four straight cuts made (best finish was a tied-5th at the Trophee Hassan II). This season, he is ranked 202nd on Tour in putts per round (30.9). If he's able to improve that aspect of his game, his results will drastically improve and his confidence from last season will return. One of many talented, young Englishmen on Tour, it's going to be interesting to see how Baldwin develops over the next 5-10 years.
George Coetzee: The 26-year-old, big-hitting South African has the sky as his limit. Currently ranked 48th in the world rankings, he will be eligible for the remaining three majors of this season. He has had three 2nd -place finishes and five 3rd-place finishes in his short career (one 2nd and one 3rd this season). There's not one player on Tour who's ready to win more than Coetzee. It's just a matter of time before he breaks through, and then the floodgates will open. He's had success in every part of the world, so it's just a question of which continent will yield his first victory. I expect Coetzee to break through this season.
Victor Dubuisson: The 23-year-old Frenchman has played very well this season, with four top-10s to his credit. He's ranked a career-high 105th in the world rankings and he'll obviously be looking to crack the top-100 by the time the U.S. PGA Championship rolls around. He's fresh off a 3rd-place finish in the Volvo China Open so he'll be taking some good form into the upcoming tournaments. Dubuisson has always been one of the longer hitters on Tour but, if he wants to take his game to the next level, he'll need to improve his putting (30.85 putts per round in 2012 and 30.17 so far in 2013). Long courses suit the Frenchman the best, so I look for him to contend at the Nordea Masters (7,607 yards) in three week's time.
Tommy Fleetwood: Out of all these golfers listed, this 22-year-old Englishman might have the most potential. He's gotten off to a flying start this season, registering two top-10s and has almost won the same amount of money as he did all of last season (has won €190,361 this season; won €203,699 last season). The former #3-ranked amateur was the 2011 Challenge Tour #1. This season, he's averaging almost a stroke and a half less than he did last season (70.88 this season vs. 71.49 last season). The only thing holding him back is his putting, as he's averaging 30.09 putts per round and that's too many no matter how good your ballstriking is. I'm predicting a victory for Fleetwood this season.
Jaco Van Zyl: The 34-year-old South African might be somewhat unknown to most golf fans, but he certainly knows how to compete around the world. The majority of his success has taken place in South Africa in his career, with 13 wins on the Sunshine Tour, including three this season so far. He's currently ranked 78th in the world rankings, but he needs to exhibit more success outside his homeland if he wants to continue progressing up the world rankings list. Within the next couple of seasons, I expect Van Zyl to have multiple wins on the European Tour.
Romain Wattel: The 22-year-old Frenchman recently finished 4th at the Ballantine's Championship so he's taking some good form into the European section of the schedule. Last season, he played in the final group at the Johnnie Walker Championship with eventual winner Paul Lawrie, where he finished tied-3rd. The following week at the Omega European Masters, he finished in a tie for 2nd. The talented Frenchman needs to keep knocking on the door and one of these weeks it will open for him.
Oliver Wilson: The 32-year-old Englishman is famous for his 2008 Ryder Cup appearance. He's also had nine 2nd-place finishes on Tour. Formerly ranked in the top-50 in the world rankings, he's now ranked 556th. He has yet to make a cut this season on either the main Tour or Challenge Tour. Still not fully recovered from a broken wrist suffered during the winter break, he needs a confidence-boosting week sooner rather than later. Next week could be his week, as he recorded his only top-10 of the season in the Madeira Islands Open with a tied-4th finish last season. "Ollie" has enormous potential, but he will need to make his way back to the European Tour via the Challenge Tour as his category won't allow him to play many more events on the main Tour this season. Once he makes his way back, I firmly believe that a European Tour win will not be far off.
Friday, May 3, 2013
BMW PGA Championship entry list revealed
The European Tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, released the entry list for the tournament taking place from May 23 to May 26. The tournament will once again be contested on the West Course at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, England. As always, there is an extremely strong field, with world #2 Rory McIlroy, back-to-back champion Luke Donald, and world #4 Justin Rose headlining the field. All 12 of Europe's 2012 Ryder Cup-winning team will tee it up, along with their captain, Jose Maria Olazabal. Other notables include Thomas Bjorn, Paul Casey, Darren Clarke, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Padraig Harrington, 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, and Colin Montgomerie. The prize fund has been increased by approximately €250,000 to a record €4,750,000. Less than three weeks remain until the Tour's best battle it out for one of golf's most prized tournaments.
However, there are some notable Europeans and European Tour members who are not entered:
Louis Oosthuizen
Charl Schwartzel
Henrik Stenson
Carl Pettersson
Fredrik Jacobson
Martin Laird
However, there are some notable Europeans and European Tour members who are not entered:
Louis Oosthuizen
Charl Schwartzel
Henrik Stenson
Carl Pettersson
Fredrik Jacobson
Martin Laird
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
New developments in Monty's schedule plans
http://www1.skysports.com/golf/news/12040/8682031/Colin-Montgomerie-talks-to-Sky-Sports-about-his-senior-tour-ambitions
In an interview with Sky Sports, Colin Montgomerie has indicated that he will begin his career on the over-50s circuit at the Senior Players Championship in Pittsburgh on June 27. He turns 50-years-old on June 23. As a Monty fan and someone who wants him to play on the European Tour as much as possible, this is a little disappointing. It's quite shocking that he's going to miss the French (July 4-7) and Scottish (July 11-14) Opens after saying that those were two tournaments that he'd be certain to play. Especially his national open, which is quite baffling that he'd skip it in favor of the Senior U.S. Open. It's important to note that he's played five events this season and he'll need to play eight more on the European Tour to be included on the Race to Dubai money list (he's exempt until 2016). When the BMW PGA Championship rolls around in three weeks, he will have not played since the Avantha Masters (March 14-17).
The benefits of splitting time on both the regular and senior tours have the potential to be great for Monty. By playing on shorter courses on the senior tours, he will not be at a disadvantage in terms of distance like he faces most of the time on the regular tour. This, in turn, will give him confidence that he can do well and compete for a high finish, something he has not felt in the last three or four years. By gaining confidence from playing in the senior majors, he can take that confidence to the regular tour events that he plays and hopefully post some good finishes.
I am perfectly happy with Monty playing in the senior majors and maybe a few other senior events. But I hope that his main priority will remain playing on the European Tour. While his results as a whole have not jumped off the page in the past three or four years, he's still posted top-10s in each of the past two seasons (2011 BMW PGA Championship and 2012 Johnnie Walker Championship). Maybe if a few putts drop or a couple of breaks go his way in those tournaments, then he ends up winning one of those events. I'm confident that he can still compete with the "young guys" on the right courses (preferably sub-7,100 yards).
Lastly, it's been much too long since he teed it up in an event, so I'm really looking forward to seeing him make his return to the Tour at Wentworth, where he's had so many great memories, including winning the Tour's flagship events in back-to-back-to-back years (1998, 1999, 2000). Luke Donald will be looking to repeat Monty's feat this year after winning the event in 2011 and 2012. All in all, it's going to be a golf-filled summer for Monty and let's hope that he's able to post some good results and possibly qualify for the U.S. Open or Open Championship.
Potential schedule for the remainder of 2013:
May 23-26: BMW PGA Championship (European Tour)
May 27: U.S. Open Qualifying (36 holes)
May 30-June 2: Nordea Masters (European Tour)
June 13-16: U.S. Open (if he qualifies)
June 20-23: BMW International Open (European Tour)
June 27-30: Senior Players Championship (Champions Tour)
July 11-14: Senior U.S. Open (Champions Tour/European Senior Tour)
July 25-28: The Senior Open Championship (Champions Tour/European Senior Tour)
August 16-18: SSE Scottish Senior Open (European Senior Tour)
August 22-25: Johnnie Walker Championship (European Tour)
August 29-September 1: ISPS Handa Wales Open (European Tour)
September 5-8: Omega European Masters (European Tour)
September 12-15: KLM Open (European Tour)
September 26-29: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (European Tour)
October 10-13: Portugal Masters (European Tour)
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