The 145th Open Championship begins Thursday at Royal Troon, and there are a few talking points to discuss:
1. 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie is back with Wilson Staff after playing Titleist clubs for the past year and a half. Lawrie has played the majority of his career with the equipment company that has won more majors than any other iron brand. The 47-year-old Scotsman has struggled this season with his putting, which has lead to a lack of confidence with all other facets of his game. Lawrie has also battled a four-year-old foot injury that will require surgery later this year. Hopefully a change of clubs will give him some optimism for this week.
2. Colin Montgomerie will hit the first tee shot in what is going to be a special moment for the 53-year-old Scot. "Monty" is a member of Royal Troon and learned how to play the game there. His father was the club secretary for 20 years and he still considers it his home course. The current PGA Tour Champions player qualified through one of four 36-hole qualifiers two weeks ago and it would not surprise me at all to see him in contention over the weekend.
3. American Brooks Koepka withdrew from the championship, citing a wrist injury. Koepka was a European Tour member the previous two seasons but gave it up this season. He has a lot of talent and should be a major winner very soon.
4. Look out for Padraig Harrington this week. The two-time Open Champion has played well the past two weeks, finishing T30 in the French Open and T21 in the Scottish Open, respectively. The 44-year-old Irishman seems to always play well on links courses and I really like his chances this week.
Showing posts with label Padraig Harrington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Padraig Harrington. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Sunday, December 7, 2014
From Turkey to Indonesia to South Africa, three players grab much-needed wins
The last wins for John Daly, Padraig Harringon, and Danny Willett came in 2004, 2010, and 2012, respectively. Today, those winless streaks have come to an end. The 48-year-old and two-time major winner Daly won the Beko Classic, a pro-am event in Turkey sanctioned by the PGAs of Europe. Three-time major Harrington won by two strokes in the Bank BRI Indonesia Open on the Asian Tour. Willett won by four strokes one of the biggest events on the European Tour outside Europe in the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Daly's last win came at the Buick Classic on the PGA Tour. Although his win won't garner him any world ranking points, it definitely will do wonders for his confidence heading into 2015. Next year, I expect him to play sort-of a mixed schedule between the PGA, Web.com, and European Tours as he bides his time before turning 50 and joining the Champions Tour. The key for "JD" is to stay healthy, take advantage of sponsor's invites when he gets them, and play four good rounds.
Harrington's last win was also in Asia at the Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia (although he did win the 2012 Grand Slam of Golf, which only had four competitors). The Irishman had fallen all the way to 385th in the Official World Golf Rankings, but maintained the belief that he was close to playing really well. Although the field in Indonesia wasn't the greatest, a win is a win. Following the win, Harrington said, "Winning is a good habit to have. It gives you a lot of confidence and I need that confidence." The now 29-time winner around the world added, "I didn't start too well but I came through and I got the win. This win brings a lot of confidence to my game and hopefully it will show up next year." 2015 will be an interesting year for Harrington as he lost his PGA Tour card after last season and will have to rely on sponsor's invites, which he shouldn't have trouble securing. Still fully exempt in Europe, I expect him to play more tournaments on the European Tour than in previous years because he's had his best results in recent seasons in Europe, not America. How will he spend the holiday period? By taking 49 days off from competition and making 100,000 swings! Typical of the Dubliner, as he's arguably one of the hardest workers in the sport.
Willett's last win was the most recent, but he has so much potential that it's a wonder why he went such a long time between victories. He won the 2012 BMW International Open in Germany for his first European Tour win, and had 11 top-10s in the previous two seasons. The Englishman has been hovering around the 75-100 mark in the world rankings and this win should take him inside the top-70. He had to hold off challenges from fellow countrymen Ross Fisher and Luke Donald, but prevailed in the 30-man field. I'm looking for a big 2015 from the Yorkshireman.
Next week, the European Tour stays in South Africa for the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek CC, a popular venue with the players. Home players Charl Schwartzel (trying to win the event for the third straight year), Louis Oosthuizen, Richard Sterne, Branden Grace, George Coetzee, Thomas Aiken, and Hennie Otto will be looking to maintain their dominance in Tour events in their home country. International players looking to change that trend include Willett, Francesco Molinari, and Morten Ørum Madsen.
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.
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