ISPS Handa Wales Open (The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales)
August 29-September 1
Purse: £1,800,000 (€2,095,460 or $2,803,100)
Venue: The Twenty Ten Course
Yardage: 7,352 yards (Par 71)
Opened: 2007
This week's weather: Dry, sunny, and warm
*This week marks the start of the 2014 Ryder Cup qualification period. Current Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley will hit the first tee shot in celebration of the beginning of the year-long points race.
*The 2010 Ryder Cup was staged at this venue. Europe prevailed over the United States, 14.5-13.5.
*Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee won this event last year (his first win outside Asia and 6th European Tour victory) with a score of six-under-par. Thomas Bjorn, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Joost Luiten, and Richard Sterne were all a stroke behind at five-under.
*29 different nations will be represented this week.
Notable groupings for the first two rounds: 1st round tee time/2nd round tee time (all times according to Eastern Standard Time):
Paul McGinley, John Parry, Espen Kofstad (2:25 a.m./7:35 a.m.)
Anders Hansen, Ross Fisher, Scott Henry (2:55 a.m./7:45 a.m)
Thorbjorn Olesen, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (3:05 a.m./7:55 a.m.)
Mikko Ilonen, Francesco Molinari, Tommy Fleetwood (3:15 a.m./8:05 a.m.)
Chris Wood, Danny Willett, Robert Rock (3:25 a.m./8:15 a.m.)
Raphael Jacquelin, Rhys Davies, Peter Uihlein (3:35 a.m./8:25 a.m.)
Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Phillip Price, Ricardo Santos (3:45 a.m./8:35 a.m.)
Alvaro Quiros, Pablo Larrazabal, Joost Luiten (7:45 a.m./2:55 a.m.)
Jeev Milkha Singh, Simon Khan, Simon Dyson (7:55 a.m./3:05 a.m.)
Marc Warren, Brett Rumford, Bernd Wiesberger (8:05 a.m./3:15 a.m.)
Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Thongchai Jaidee, Darren Clarke (8:15 a.m./3:25 a.m.)
Stephen Gallacher, Thomas Bjorn, Scott Jamieson (8:25 a.m./3:35 a.m.)
Jose Maria Olazabal, Ricardo Gonzalez, Stephen Dodd (8:45 a.m./3:55 a.m.)
U.S. TV Coverage (Golf Channel) (all times Eastern)
Thursday: 10:00-2:00 (taped)
Friday: 9:30-12:30 (live)
Saturday: 8:30-12:30 (live)
Sunday: 8:30-12:30 (live)
Final round replay: Monday from 1:00-3:30 on Golf Channel
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013
For some Europeans, the PGA Tour season has come to an end
On the PGA Tour this week, the FedExCup Playoffs begin with The Barclays. Last week was the last chance for players to earn enough points to make the top-125 in order to be eligible for the Playoffs. Also, it was the last chance for players to earn enough money to finish inside the top-125 on the Tour's money list. Being inside either the top-125 in points or earnings will guarantee a player's spot on Tour next season. Several European Tour members who also ply their trade on the U.S. Tour will be missing out on the Playoffs or have not earned enough money and will not have full playing privileges next season on the PGA Tour.
Two exceptions to this are Padraig Harrington and Nicolas Colsaerts. Both players finished outside the top-125 in points, but finished inside that number on the money list to guarantee their full playing rights for next season.
The soon-to-be 42-year-old Harrington finished 130th in points with 345 (125th place had 369), but finished 113th on the money list with $711,244. The affable Irishman had three top-10 finishes during the PGA Tour season.
Colsaerts, the 30-year-old Belgian, finished his rookie season on the PGA Tour at 128th in points with 353. He was likely to remain inside the top-125 if he had not withdrawn prior to the final counting event, the Wyndham Championship, due to neck and shoulder injuries. He will keep his Tour card courtesy of finishing 110th on the money list with $720,164. The "Belgian Bomber" had three top-10s during this year's spell in America.
Others, however, were not so lucky.
Englishman Ross Fisher, a PGA Tour rookie after earning his card through the Qualifying School, notched just one top-10 en route to finishing a disappointing 161st in points and the same position on the money list with $311,168. The 2010 Ryder Cupper finished the season ranked 5th in Greens in Regulation (69.71%) but will rue his play on the greens as he finished 183rd in Putts per Round (30.52). An opening round 64 left him tied for the lead at the Wyndham Championship, but shot subsequent rounds of 69-74-72 to finish T-52. This was an epitome of his PGA Tour season. In the end, the 32-year-old can look back to his putting, to go along with playing new courses and being a member of a new tour, as the reasons for his hugely disappointing PGA Tour season.
Maybe the biggest surprise to (possibly) lose his playing rights was the Swede, Peter Hanson. A veteran of the past two Ryder Cups, Hanson was also playing his first season as member of the PGA Tour. Hobbled by a back injury which plagued him for most of the season, he was not able to build on a hugely successful 2012 season which saw him win twice on the European Tour en route to finishing 4th on the Race to Dubai (money list). This season on the U.S. Tour, the 36-year-old only notched one top-10 finish and had three withdrawals and two missed cuts out of 15 events. He looked all but set to finish inside the top-125 in points after finishing T-33 at the PGA Championship, but needed to make the cut at the Wyndham in order to guarantee his place on Tour for 2013-14. Rounds of 68 and 73 saw him miss the cut. He ended his season 127th in points with 356.
There is a glimmer of hope, though. Hanson earned enough money ($610,178) to put him at number 124 on the money list. If no one outside the top-125 on the money list were competing in the FedExCup playoffs, the Swede would be home free and he could count on another season in the States next year. However, due to George McNeill ($475,838), Stuart Appleby ($489,613), Scott Langley ($573,564), and Chez Reavie ($590,925) all qualifying for the Playoffs via the points list, each one has a chance to pass Hanson due to the fact that all four players are outside the top-125 on the money list. So the six-time European Tour winner will have to sweat it out and see if any of these four can overtake him on the money list.
Lastly, it was another disappointing season for Robert Karlsson, the 43-year-old Swede. The 2008 European Tour Order of Merit winner decided to join the PGA Tour for the first time in 2012 and finished 158th on the points list, but regained his position on Tour with a solid showing at the Qualifying School (had to play both 2nd and Final Stages). This year was better, but he still fell short of the top-125. Due to his category coming out of Q-School, the big Swede was not able to play a full schedule. He did, however, qualify for both the U.S. Open and Open Championship. But you cannot possibly keep your card by only garnering one top-10 and missing nine cuts in 18 events. His 2013 PGA Tour stats were: 156th in FedExCup points (236) and 143rd in money earned ($444,238)
The 11-time European Tour winner (most wins by a Swede on the European Tour) now has a choice to make regarding 2014: Either take part in the Web.com Tour Finals and earn your PGA Tour card that way, or play on the European Tour next season. He could also play on sponsor's invitations in a limited number of tournaments next season. The Finals are open to players who finished 126-200 on the FedExCup points list or in the top-75 on the Web.com Tour money list. The Finals comprise of four events and a money list for those four events will determine 25 PGA Tour cards (this replaces PGA Tour Q-School which will no longer be taking place). He is exempt in Europe until 2018 courtesy of his Order of Merit win (10-year exemption). He's currently ranked 239th in the Official World Golf Rankings and needs to have some balance in his playing schedule. He actually resigned his European Tour membership this season due to the fact that he would not be able to fulfill the 13 tournament minimum in Europe because he was trying to focus on keeping his U.S. Tour card. The two-time Ryder Cupper is looking at a similar season if he chooses to play primarily in the States.
Although their seasons in America have concluded, the European Tour is still plugging away with 11 tournaments left on the Race to Dubai schedule. Harrington will be playing in both the ISPS Handa Wales Open and the Omega European Masters in the next two weeks, while Colsaerts will be resting his injury and return to the Tour at the KLM Open in three weeks and play the following week at the Italian Open. Fisher is competing in this week's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles and also next week in Wales. His website lists him playing the next five weeks in a row, but no confirmation has been made. Hanson will most likely defend his 2012 title at the KLM Open. There is no upcoming schedule for Karlsson yet, but I would guess a spot in the Web.com Tour Finals is in order.
Two exceptions to this are Padraig Harrington and Nicolas Colsaerts. Both players finished outside the top-125 in points, but finished inside that number on the money list to guarantee their full playing rights for next season.
The soon-to-be 42-year-old Harrington finished 130th in points with 345 (125th place had 369), but finished 113th on the money list with $711,244. The affable Irishman had three top-10 finishes during the PGA Tour season.
Colsaerts, the 30-year-old Belgian, finished his rookie season on the PGA Tour at 128th in points with 353. He was likely to remain inside the top-125 if he had not withdrawn prior to the final counting event, the Wyndham Championship, due to neck and shoulder injuries. He will keep his Tour card courtesy of finishing 110th on the money list with $720,164. The "Belgian Bomber" had three top-10s during this year's spell in America.
Others, however, were not so lucky.
Englishman Ross Fisher, a PGA Tour rookie after earning his card through the Qualifying School, notched just one top-10 en route to finishing a disappointing 161st in points and the same position on the money list with $311,168. The 2010 Ryder Cupper finished the season ranked 5th in Greens in Regulation (69.71%) but will rue his play on the greens as he finished 183rd in Putts per Round (30.52). An opening round 64 left him tied for the lead at the Wyndham Championship, but shot subsequent rounds of 69-74-72 to finish T-52. This was an epitome of his PGA Tour season. In the end, the 32-year-old can look back to his putting, to go along with playing new courses and being a member of a new tour, as the reasons for his hugely disappointing PGA Tour season.
Maybe the biggest surprise to (possibly) lose his playing rights was the Swede, Peter Hanson. A veteran of the past two Ryder Cups, Hanson was also playing his first season as member of the PGA Tour. Hobbled by a back injury which plagued him for most of the season, he was not able to build on a hugely successful 2012 season which saw him win twice on the European Tour en route to finishing 4th on the Race to Dubai (money list). This season on the U.S. Tour, the 36-year-old only notched one top-10 finish and had three withdrawals and two missed cuts out of 15 events. He looked all but set to finish inside the top-125 in points after finishing T-33 at the PGA Championship, but needed to make the cut at the Wyndham in order to guarantee his place on Tour for 2013-14. Rounds of 68 and 73 saw him miss the cut. He ended his season 127th in points with 356.
There is a glimmer of hope, though. Hanson earned enough money ($610,178) to put him at number 124 on the money list. If no one outside the top-125 on the money list were competing in the FedExCup playoffs, the Swede would be home free and he could count on another season in the States next year. However, due to George McNeill ($475,838), Stuart Appleby ($489,613), Scott Langley ($573,564), and Chez Reavie ($590,925) all qualifying for the Playoffs via the points list, each one has a chance to pass Hanson due to the fact that all four players are outside the top-125 on the money list. So the six-time European Tour winner will have to sweat it out and see if any of these four can overtake him on the money list.
Lastly, it was another disappointing season for Robert Karlsson, the 43-year-old Swede. The 2008 European Tour Order of Merit winner decided to join the PGA Tour for the first time in 2012 and finished 158th on the points list, but regained his position on Tour with a solid showing at the Qualifying School (had to play both 2nd and Final Stages). This year was better, but he still fell short of the top-125. Due to his category coming out of Q-School, the big Swede was not able to play a full schedule. He did, however, qualify for both the U.S. Open and Open Championship. But you cannot possibly keep your card by only garnering one top-10 and missing nine cuts in 18 events. His 2013 PGA Tour stats were: 156th in FedExCup points (236) and 143rd in money earned ($444,238)
The 11-time European Tour winner (most wins by a Swede on the European Tour) now has a choice to make regarding 2014: Either take part in the Web.com Tour Finals and earn your PGA Tour card that way, or play on the European Tour next season. He could also play on sponsor's invitations in a limited number of tournaments next season. The Finals are open to players who finished 126-200 on the FedExCup points list or in the top-75 on the Web.com Tour money list. The Finals comprise of four events and a money list for those four events will determine 25 PGA Tour cards (this replaces PGA Tour Q-School which will no longer be taking place). He is exempt in Europe until 2018 courtesy of his Order of Merit win (10-year exemption). He's currently ranked 239th in the Official World Golf Rankings and needs to have some balance in his playing schedule. He actually resigned his European Tour membership this season due to the fact that he would not be able to fulfill the 13 tournament minimum in Europe because he was trying to focus on keeping his U.S. Tour card. The two-time Ryder Cupper is looking at a similar season if he chooses to play primarily in the States.
Although their seasons in America have concluded, the European Tour is still plugging away with 11 tournaments left on the Race to Dubai schedule. Harrington will be playing in both the ISPS Handa Wales Open and the Omega European Masters in the next two weeks, while Colsaerts will be resting his injury and return to the Tour at the KLM Open in three weeks and play the following week at the Italian Open. Fisher is competing in this week's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles and also next week in Wales. His website lists him playing the next five weeks in a row, but no confirmation has been made. Hanson will most likely defend his 2012 title at the KLM Open. There is no upcoming schedule for Karlsson yet, but I would guess a spot in the Web.com Tour Finals is in order.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Outside of Donaldson and Price, Welsh presence on Tour is small
This season on the European Tour, there are only two Welshmen who have full playing privileges: Jamie Donaldson and Phillip Price. Donaldson, winner earlier this year in Abu Dhabi, is ranked 42nd in the world and sits at 14th on the Race to Dubai. Price, a three-time winner on Tour, has not finished inside the top-100 on the money list since 2004. For a country that hosted the 2010 Ryder Cup, having only two fully exempt players three years later is quite disappointing.
Donaldson has won twice in a span of 13 months and will be looking to make a push for next year's Ryder Cup team. The 37-year-old recorded his best finish in a major in the 2012 PGA Championship when he finished T-7. His goal for the rest of the season should be to remain inside the world's top-50 so that he can be eligible for the four majors next season and give himself an opportunity to play in the "big money" events so that he can make his dream of playing in the Ryder Cup a reality.
Rhys Davies won the 2010 Trophee Hassan II (only Tour win) and was very close to making that year's Ryder Cup team, en route to finishing 18th on the Race to Dubai. It's been a struggle, however, since then as he had a sub-par 2011 and lost his playing rights after finishing 121st on the money list (top-115 retain their cards). He's currently focusing his schedule on the Challenge Tour, where he sits 41st.
Bradley Dredge, a two-time Tour winner, had a remarkable run of finishing in the top-100 on the Race to Dubai from 2001-2011 until finishing 125th last season. He won the World Cup with Dodd in 2005 and has also competed on two Seve Trophy teams. The 40-year-old has played poorly in the limited number of events in which he's played, making one cut on both the European and Challenge Tours.
Dodd, a three-time Tour winner, has played a limited schedule since losing his playing rights after the 2011 season. At 46-years-old, he is probably looking forward to the Senior Tour. He sits 241st and 231st on the European and Challenge Tour money lists, respectively.
Price, probably most known for his singles victory over Phil Mickelson in the 2002 Ryder Cup, has seen his play suffer due to a lack of distance off the tee (has not averaged more than 277 yards in the past eight seasons). The 46-year-old is still interested in competing against the "young guns," but he has to be looking forward to competing against a level playing field on the over-50 circuit. He's currently 136th on the Race to Dubai.
Welsh golfers have always had a small presence on Tour, mainly due to the number of the country's golfers. According to Nigel Edwards, the recent Walker Cup-winning captain, there are only 60,000 total male and female golfers in Wales. Therefore, Wales struggles to produce the large quantities of golfers that countries such as England, France, Scotland, Spain, and Sweden do.
Outside of the legendary 29-time Tour winner Ian Woosnam, the Welsh golfer with the most Tour wins is Stephen Dodd with three. The four "D's," as I like to call them, and Price, have been at the forefront of Welsh golf since "Woosie" turned 50 years old and began playing on the European Senior Tour.
Donaldson has won twice in a span of 13 months and will be looking to make a push for next year's Ryder Cup team. The 37-year-old recorded his best finish in a major in the 2012 PGA Championship when he finished T-7. His goal for the rest of the season should be to remain inside the world's top-50 so that he can be eligible for the four majors next season and give himself an opportunity to play in the "big money" events so that he can make his dream of playing in the Ryder Cup a reality.
Rhys Davies won the 2010 Trophee Hassan II (only Tour win) and was very close to making that year's Ryder Cup team, en route to finishing 18th on the Race to Dubai. It's been a struggle, however, since then as he had a sub-par 2011 and lost his playing rights after finishing 121st on the money list (top-115 retain their cards). He's currently focusing his schedule on the Challenge Tour, where he sits 41st.
Bradley Dredge, a two-time Tour winner, had a remarkable run of finishing in the top-100 on the Race to Dubai from 2001-2011 until finishing 125th last season. He won the World Cup with Dodd in 2005 and has also competed on two Seve Trophy teams. The 40-year-old has played poorly in the limited number of events in which he's played, making one cut on both the European and Challenge Tours.
Dodd, a three-time Tour winner, has played a limited schedule since losing his playing rights after the 2011 season. At 46-years-old, he is probably looking forward to the Senior Tour. He sits 241st and 231st on the European and Challenge Tour money lists, respectively.
Price, probably most known for his singles victory over Phil Mickelson in the 2002 Ryder Cup, has seen his play suffer due to a lack of distance off the tee (has not averaged more than 277 yards in the past eight seasons). The 46-year-old is still interested in competing against the "young guns," but he has to be looking forward to competing against a level playing field on the over-50 circuit. He's currently 136th on the Race to Dubai.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel, however. On the Challenge Tour, Stuart Manley lies 7th on the rankings list (the top-15 qualify for the European Tour at the conclusion of the season). Mark Laskey is currently 3rd on the EuroPro Tour Order of Merit and Oliver Farr is 18th (the top-5 earn Challenge Tour cards at the conclusion of the season). Rhys Enoch is 15th on the Alps Tour Order of Merit (same criteria as EuroPro Tour). Rhys Pugh won the 2012 European Amateur Championship, which earned him a spot in this year's Open Championship where he joined Donaldson as the two of the three Welshmen in the field, along with PGA professional Gareth Wright. Pugh was also the only Welshman on the winning 2011 Walker Cup team, and also the youngest on both teams at 17-years-old.
With the ISPS Handa Wales Open taking place in two weeks at the 2010 Ryder Cup venue, Celtic Manor, every Welsh golfer will be fighting hard to become the first home player to win the event. A Welsh victory would be widely-celebrated and a tremendous boost to the tournament.
The present and future looks promising, but as with anything, these things go in cycles and it's time for Welsh golfers, as a whole, to become prominent on Tour again.
With the ISPS Handa Wales Open taking place in two weeks at the 2010 Ryder Cup venue, Celtic Manor, every Welsh golfer will be fighting hard to become the first home player to win the event. A Welsh victory would be widely-celebrated and a tremendous boost to the tournament.
The present and future looks promising, but as with anything, these things go in cycles and it's time for Welsh golfers, as a whole, to become prominent on Tour again.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Seve Trophy to go ahead as scheduled
Well, as the saying goes: Better late than never. The Vivendi Seve Trophy, a biennial competition pitting 10-man teams from Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe, is due to be staged at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche outside of Paris, France, from October 3-6. The event is staged in non-Ryder Cup years. The event has been on the 2013 schedule but was without a host course which made the event somewhat of a question mark. According to Graham Otway of the Daily Mail, organizers at Saint-Nom, which has hosted the two previous installments of the event, did not wish to continue hosting due to the lack of paying spectators. On one of the four days, only 53 fans came through the gates. Personally, I don't blame the tournament hosts for being reluctant to host an event of this magnitude if it means that spectators will not attend. Vivendi, a French media company, has agreed to once again sponsor the event. They became title sponsors in 2009, the first year that the event was staged in France. In 2011, GB&I defeated the heavily-favored Continental Europeans, 15.5 to 12.5.
The lack of spectator interest has me wondering why the event is not moved to Spain (birthplace of Seve Ballesteros, one of the key forces behind the creation of this event), England, or Ireland (there is only one regular European Tour event in these final two countries). Economic reasons might prevent the competition from returning to Spain (hosted the event in 2003), but the fact that the 2018 Ryder Cup will be staged in Paris at Le Golf National gives me a hunch that the Seve Trophy will remain in France until at least 2017. A team event such as this will give spectators a small slice of the action that will be taking place in 2018. It can only benefit the popularity of the sport in France.
2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has the task of naming the captain for each team. My guess would be Darren Clarke (GB&I) and Thomas Levet (Continental Europe). Regarding the selection of captains, McGinley said, "At the moment, the points are still running. I'm a little bit reluctant to go ahead and choose now who the captains will be, but I would say in the next couple of weeks, particularly after this week, I'll have a good idea as to where we'll go with the captains."
The selection of players is determined from the top-5 in the Official World Golf Rankings and the top-5 in the European Tour's Race to Dubai. This year (and for the first time), the event will count towards a player's minimum of 13 tournaments required to remain eligible for the Race to Dubai. If the points race ended now, the rosters would read as follows:
Continental Europe: Henrik Stenson (OWGR), Sergio Garcia (OWGR), Matteo Manassero (OWGR), Peter Hanson (OWGR), Martin Kaymer (OWGR), Mikko Ilonen (Race to Dubai), Thorbjorn Olesen (Race to Dubai), Thomas Bjorn (Race to Dubai), Nicolas Colsaerts (Race to Dubai), and Francesco Molinari (Race to Dubai)
Great Britain & Ireland: Rory McIlroy (OWGR), Justin Rose (OWGR), Graeme McDowell (OWGR), Luke Donald (OWGR), Lee Westwood (OWGR), Ian Poulter (Race to Dubai), Jamie Donaldson (Race to Dubai), Stephen Gallacher (Race to Dubai), Chris Wood (Race to Dubai), and Scott Jamieson (Race to Dubai)
Unfortunately, a few of the dual-members of the European and PGA Tours will most likely skip the competition as they gear up for the "Final Series," the new term for the lucrative last four events on the European Tour schedule. The rosters will be finalized on the Monday after the Italian Open (September 19-22) to incorporate the world rankings weekly announcement. Players began earning points at the beginning of the 2013 season, the first counting event being the Nelson Mandela Championship (December 6-9). Including this week's U.S. PGA Championship, there are six events left for players to accrue points.
The lack of spectator interest has me wondering why the event is not moved to Spain (birthplace of Seve Ballesteros, one of the key forces behind the creation of this event), England, or Ireland (there is only one regular European Tour event in these final two countries). Economic reasons might prevent the competition from returning to Spain (hosted the event in 2003), but the fact that the 2018 Ryder Cup will be staged in Paris at Le Golf National gives me a hunch that the Seve Trophy will remain in France until at least 2017. A team event such as this will give spectators a small slice of the action that will be taking place in 2018. It can only benefit the popularity of the sport in France.
2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has the task of naming the captain for each team. My guess would be Darren Clarke (GB&I) and Thomas Levet (Continental Europe). Regarding the selection of captains, McGinley said, "At the moment, the points are still running. I'm a little bit reluctant to go ahead and choose now who the captains will be, but I would say in the next couple of weeks, particularly after this week, I'll have a good idea as to where we'll go with the captains."
The selection of players is determined from the top-5 in the Official World Golf Rankings and the top-5 in the European Tour's Race to Dubai. This year (and for the first time), the event will count towards a player's minimum of 13 tournaments required to remain eligible for the Race to Dubai. If the points race ended now, the rosters would read as follows:
Continental Europe: Henrik Stenson (OWGR), Sergio Garcia (OWGR), Matteo Manassero (OWGR), Peter Hanson (OWGR), Martin Kaymer (OWGR), Mikko Ilonen (Race to Dubai), Thorbjorn Olesen (Race to Dubai), Thomas Bjorn (Race to Dubai), Nicolas Colsaerts (Race to Dubai), and Francesco Molinari (Race to Dubai)
Great Britain & Ireland: Rory McIlroy (OWGR), Justin Rose (OWGR), Graeme McDowell (OWGR), Luke Donald (OWGR), Lee Westwood (OWGR), Ian Poulter (Race to Dubai), Jamie Donaldson (Race to Dubai), Stephen Gallacher (Race to Dubai), Chris Wood (Race to Dubai), and Scott Jamieson (Race to Dubai)
Unfortunately, a few of the dual-members of the European and PGA Tours will most likely skip the competition as they gear up for the "Final Series," the new term for the lucrative last four events on the European Tour schedule. The rosters will be finalized on the Monday after the Italian Open (September 19-22) to incorporate the world rankings weekly announcement. Players began earning points at the beginning of the 2013 season, the first counting event being the Nelson Mandela Championship (December 6-9). Including this week's U.S. PGA Championship, there are six events left for players to accrue points.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Nick Dougherty makes first cut of 2013
Nick Dougherty was hailed as the heir-apparent to Sir Nick Faldo, England's most successful golfer with six majors. After a glittering amateur career, he gained his place on the European Tour in 2002, where he finished 36th on the Order of Merit and was awarded the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award. He won his first Tour event in 2005 and, after a sub-par '06, had his most lucrative season in 2007 when he won the prestigious Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and finished seventh in the U.S. Open, en-route to earning close to €1.4 million (11th in the Order of Merit). He looked to be a contender for Faldo's 2008 Ryder Cup team, but the sudden passing of his mother in 2008 caused his play to suffer and he failed to make the 12-man roster. The following season was somewhat of a bounce-back for Dougherty, as he delivered an emotional win at the BMW International Open. Unfortunately, it's been quite the struggle since then on the course. After making one cut out of 34 events in 2011, he lost his card. He rediscovered some semblance of form on the second-tier Challenge Tour last year, finishing 39th on the money list after posting four top-10s. This season has been another struggle for the 31-year-old Englishman. In ten events, he's missed every cut (Six on the Challenge Tour and four on the European Tour). However, after taking three weeks off he's finally made the cut in the Finnish Challenge, an event where he finished T5 last year. He fired his first under-par round of the season with a first-round two-under-par 70 and followed that up with a 72 to make the cut on the number.
Dougherty's 2013 scoring average, excluding this week, is a mind-boggling 75.77. While this week's performance will see him earn his first paycheck of the year, he only has eight Challenge Tour events left before the season-ending "Grand Final," where the top-45 on the money list will gather. The top-15 on the season-long rankings list at the conclusion of that event will earn 2014 European Tour cards. This is a change from previous seasons where the top-20 would earn Tour cards, but the main Tour wants to give more playing opportunities to Challenge Tour and qualifying school graduates, thus the decrease from 20 to 15. Dougherty is exempt into the final stage of q-school courtesy of being a European Tour winner, so he has another way of making his return to the big stage if he doesn't find himself among the top-15 come season's end. While this season's struggles may be a result of trying to juggle being a husband and father, and also trying to perform on the course, he seems to have turned the corner this week. There are a lot of golf fans who want to see Dougherty regain his best form and return to competing against the world's best.
Dougherty's 2013 scoring average, excluding this week, is a mind-boggling 75.77. While this week's performance will see him earn his first paycheck of the year, he only has eight Challenge Tour events left before the season-ending "Grand Final," where the top-45 on the money list will gather. The top-15 on the season-long rankings list at the conclusion of that event will earn 2014 European Tour cards. This is a change from previous seasons where the top-20 would earn Tour cards, but the main Tour wants to give more playing opportunities to Challenge Tour and qualifying school graduates, thus the decrease from 20 to 15. Dougherty is exempt into the final stage of q-school courtesy of being a European Tour winner, so he has another way of making his return to the big stage if he doesn't find himself among the top-15 come season's end. While this season's struggles may be a result of trying to juggle being a husband and father, and also trying to perform on the course, he seems to have turned the corner this week. There are a lot of golf fans who want to see Dougherty regain his best form and return to competing against the world's best.
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