After an incredibly frustrating week at the Portugal Masters in which the event was reduced to 36 holes due to rain, the European Tour comes back this week with two events. The Volvo World Match Play Championship, the 50th anniversary of the event's initial staging, began today at The London Club in Kent, England. The Hong Kong Open, which will be included twice on this season's schedule (the event was also staged in December), is once again being held at Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling. Both tournaments have their unique history, but I must admit that my focus will be mostly directed towards the event in Hong Kong, due to the course and the players fighting to get inside the top-110 on the Race to Dubai to keep their playing rights. That being said, the Match Play being staged in England is quite exciting due to the country's lack of events, but there is positive news on the horizon in terms of tournaments being staged in England, which I will explain in a separate blog entry.
In Hong Kong, Miguel Angel Jimenez will be going for his third consecutive win in the event that he has won a total of four times. The tournament became a co-sanctioned event with the European Tour in 2002 and boasts winners such as Jose Maria Olazabal, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, and Padraig Harrington. The old-fashioned course measures only 6,699 yards, but the rough is thick and the greens are small, so accuracy off the tee and into the greens will be paramount this week. While the field is not its strongest, their are still some notables taking part: Jimenez, Ernie Els, Nicolas Colsaerts, Soren Hansen, Anirban Lahiri, Y.E. Yang, and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
The pre-tournament favorite has to be Jimenez, even if his form has not been up to his usual standard over the past couple of months. But you cannot discount the fact that the ageless Spaniard is a four-time winner of the event. Another favorite is Colsaerts, who has recorded two top-five finishes in his last two events (T4 in Wales and 2nd in Portugal). The "Muscles from Brussels" seems to have rediscovered the form that saw him qualify for the 2012 Ryder Cup. With the short course this week, he could have a field day. Plus, his putting has been better of late, which was on display in last Thursday's 60 (-11) in Portugal.
The main reason I am interested in the Hong Kong Open is the battle for the top-110. Lucas Bjerregaard is the man sitting in the 110th spot, but he is by no means safe. Any player outside the top-100 should be playing this week and next week in the ISPS HANDA Perth International in Australia. It is certainly a nerve-racking time for players in that situation, but two solid weeks should be enough to get the job done. Sometimes players play great golf when faced with a challenge such as this.
It should be an enthralling week in England and Hong Kong, with prestigious titles up for grabs. For viewers in the United States, Golf Channel provides the coverage of both events:
Volvo World Match Play Championship
Thursday (6:30-11:30 AM)
Friday (6:30-11:30 AM)
Saturday (6:30-11:30 AM)
Sunday (7:30-11:30 AM)
Hong Kong Open (*tape delayed)
Thursday (11:30 AM-2:30 PM)
Friday (11:30 AM-2:00 PM)
Saturday (11:30 AM-2:00 PM)
Sunday (11:30 AM-2:00 PM)
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Luiten wins ISPS Handa Wales Open for 4th career European Tour victory
Joost Luiten (-14) held his composure on the 18th hole at the Celtic Manor Resort to beat Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood by one stroke in possibly the last Wales Open. It was the Dutchman's 4th European Tour win and he continues a very solid season, in which he now has a win and six other top-10s. The win should propel him to somewhere around the mid-30s in the Official World Golf Rankings. The 28-year-old was in contention for a Ryder Cup spot but I firmly expect him to be on the 2016 team.
Lowry shot one-under today and Fleetwood looked completely out of it before he made his way to the back nine, but shot 30 to finish tied-2nd. He'll be sickened at the double-bogey he made on the par-3 12th hole, but it's another great week for the young Englishman.
Sadly, this is the last time the 2010 Ryder Cup course will host the Wales Open, at least for the for the foreseeable future. Tournaments in Britain are always top-class, but maybe that means a tournament in England will make its way onto the 2015 schedule. The Wales Open could still be held next year, but on a different course. We'll have to wait and see.
Several players stepped up who needed big weeks for either keeping their card or moving closer to the top-60 in the Race to Dubai. Nicolas Colsaerts finished tied-4th and will look to continue that form in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in just under two weeks. Robert Rock closed with a 65 to finish tied-9th and, from all accounts, it has been a long time coming. Andrea Pavan, sitting 139th in the Race to Dubai before the event, also finished T9 and needs one or two decent week to secure his playing privileges for next season (the top-110 on the Race to Dubai have full playing rights for the following season). The English duo of Anthony Wall (108th on R2D) and Steve Webster (109th on R2D) finished in a tie for 12th to cap off good weeks.
Updated Race to Dubai rankings for above players:
Luiten (10th)
Lowry (14th)
Fleetwood (30th)
Colsaerts (77th)
Rock (96th)
Pavan (120th)
Wall (98th)
Webster (99th)
Four European Ryder Cup team members took part in the event this week, with very mixed results. Jamie Donaldson was the highest finisher in his home open with a T4. Thomas Bjorn finished T58, but sounded upbeat about his game in his post-round interview. Lee Westwood finished T60 and he is clearly the weakest link on the European side so it'll be interesting to see how much Captain Paul McGinley plays him. Stephen Gallacher missed the cut after rounds of 78 and 70 but his mind was probably more on next week. I think "Stevie G" is going to be a real dark horse and will be inspired by the home fans.
The golfing world shifts its focus to Gleneagles for next week's Ryder Cup, an event that I have been looking forward to since that epic Sunday at Medinah in 2012. It is my favorite sporting event and I cannot wait to watch both teams battle it out over the three days. In the United States, coverage begins at 2:30 AM on Friday so I'll be looking to get some extra sleep in the days leading up to the competition. I'll plan on providing blog entries throughout the week
Lowry shot one-under today and Fleetwood looked completely out of it before he made his way to the back nine, but shot 30 to finish tied-2nd. He'll be sickened at the double-bogey he made on the par-3 12th hole, but it's another great week for the young Englishman.
Sadly, this is the last time the 2010 Ryder Cup course will host the Wales Open, at least for the for the foreseeable future. Tournaments in Britain are always top-class, but maybe that means a tournament in England will make its way onto the 2015 schedule. The Wales Open could still be held next year, but on a different course. We'll have to wait and see.
Several players stepped up who needed big weeks for either keeping their card or moving closer to the top-60 in the Race to Dubai. Nicolas Colsaerts finished tied-4th and will look to continue that form in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in just under two weeks. Robert Rock closed with a 65 to finish tied-9th and, from all accounts, it has been a long time coming. Andrea Pavan, sitting 139th in the Race to Dubai before the event, also finished T9 and needs one or two decent week to secure his playing privileges for next season (the top-110 on the Race to Dubai have full playing rights for the following season). The English duo of Anthony Wall (108th on R2D) and Steve Webster (109th on R2D) finished in a tie for 12th to cap off good weeks.
Updated Race to Dubai rankings for above players:
Luiten (10th)
Lowry (14th)
Fleetwood (30th)
Colsaerts (77th)
Rock (96th)
Pavan (120th)
Wall (98th)
Webster (99th)
Four European Ryder Cup team members took part in the event this week, with very mixed results. Jamie Donaldson was the highest finisher in his home open with a T4. Thomas Bjorn finished T58, but sounded upbeat about his game in his post-round interview. Lee Westwood finished T60 and he is clearly the weakest link on the European side so it'll be interesting to see how much Captain Paul McGinley plays him. Stephen Gallacher missed the cut after rounds of 78 and 70 but his mind was probably more on next week. I think "Stevie G" is going to be a real dark horse and will be inspired by the home fans.
The golfing world shifts its focus to Gleneagles for next week's Ryder Cup, an event that I have been looking forward to since that epic Sunday at Medinah in 2012. It is my favorite sporting event and I cannot wait to watch both teams battle it out over the three days. In the United States, coverage begins at 2:30 AM on Friday so I'll be looking to get some extra sleep in the days leading up to the competition. I'll plan on providing blog entries throughout the week
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Ryder Cup teams finalized
On Tuesday, September 2, the European and United States Ryder Cup teams were finalized. The European captain, Paul McGinley, and American captain, Tom Watson, had three picks each. McGinley chose Stephen Gallacher, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood. Watson chose Keegan Bradley, Hunter Mahan, and Webb Simpson. In addition, McGinley today announced that Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, and Jose Maria Olazabal would be vice-captains, joining Des Smyth and Sam Torrance in assisting the Irishman. So far, Watson's assistant captains are Raymond Floyd, Andy North, and Steve Stricker.
I was certain that Gallacher and Poulter would be chosen, but the third pick could have gone to three players in my opinion: Westwood, Luke Donald, or Francesco Molinari. In the end, the captain chose the eight-time Ryder Cup player because he will provide a veteran presence and has the ability to partner different players due to the fact that he's played with nine different partners in the Ryder Cups dating back to 1997. Donald had a strong April and May, but has not had his usual consistent season. Molinari has had a great season so far, with a ton of world ranking points earned, but no wins which probably cost him a pick; the Italian has only won three times on the European Tour and that's clearly an underachievement.
On the U.S. side, I was confident that Watson was going to select Bradley and Mahan, but the third pick was up in the air. Bill Haas, Chris Kirk, Simpson, and Brandt Snedeker were all in consideration. In the end, Simpson's record in the 2012 edition proved to be too hard to overlook, plus his potential partnership with Bubba Watson gave him an advantage over the other candidates.
With only 23 days until the first ball is struck at the PGA Centenary Course at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland, the excitement level is already pretty high among players and fans. I, for one, cannot wait because the Ryder Cup is, without a doubt, the greatest sporting event in the world.
I was certain that Gallacher and Poulter would be chosen, but the third pick could have gone to three players in my opinion: Westwood, Luke Donald, or Francesco Molinari. In the end, the captain chose the eight-time Ryder Cup player because he will provide a veteran presence and has the ability to partner different players due to the fact that he's played with nine different partners in the Ryder Cups dating back to 1997. Donald had a strong April and May, but has not had his usual consistent season. Molinari has had a great season so far, with a ton of world ranking points earned, but no wins which probably cost him a pick; the Italian has only won three times on the European Tour and that's clearly an underachievement.
On the U.S. side, I was confident that Watson was going to select Bradley and Mahan, but the third pick was up in the air. Bill Haas, Chris Kirk, Simpson, and Brandt Snedeker were all in consideration. In the end, Simpson's record in the 2012 edition proved to be too hard to overlook, plus his potential partnership with Bubba Watson gave him an advantage over the other candidates.
With only 23 days until the first ball is struck at the PGA Centenary Course at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland, the excitement level is already pretty high among players and fans. I, for one, cannot wait because the Ryder Cup is, without a doubt, the greatest sporting event in the world.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
European Tour returns to Denmark for the first time since 2003
Tournament: Made in Denmark
Course: Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort
Location: Aalborg, Denmark
Purse: €1,500,000
Yardage: 7,033
Preview
The Tour's eagerly-anticipated return to Denmark begins in earnest this week, with the country's most successful golfer, Thomas Bjorn, headlining the field. A 15-time winner on the European Tour, Bjorn needs one more good result to book his third Ryder Cup appearance. Over 70,000 spectators are expected to be in attendance over the four days so the Danish fans will be hoping for a home winner. 17 Danes are in the field, with the only notable absentee being Soren Hansen, who is out with an injury. According to Lucas Bjerregaard, who is playing his first season on Tour and is a member at Himmerland, the winning score should be somewhere around eight or ten under par, depending on if the wind blows. The course recently underwent a renovation of all greens and bunkers, but it looks like it will provide a stern test.
The international challengers include Paul Lawrie, Nicolas Colsaerts, Marc Warren, Chris Wood, David Horsey, David Howell, Gregory Bourdy, Simon Dyson, Michael Hoey, and Peter Uihlein. Lawrie is dealing with a back injury and may not tee it up, but let's hope he does because he's been working hard on his game and I'm confident a very good result is in store very soon. Colsaerts, outside of a tied-second performance at the Maybank Malaysian Open in April, has had an abysmal season in both Europe and the United States; let's hope the month's break will see him play the golf we know he's capable of beginning this week. Warren finished tied-15th last week at the US PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club and sits 33rd in the Race to Dubai; I firmly expect the two-time Tour winner to bag a victory before the season ends. Wood also played at Valhalla last week and put in a respectable performance by finishing tied-47th; the tall Englishman has all the tools to be a top-50 player but needs to put four rounds together on a more consistent basis. Horsey won the M2M Russian Open three weeks ago in a playoff over Damien McGrane to complete a wire-to-wire victory and has to be one of the favorites in this week's event. Howell has shown signs of a return to form, most notably a tied-15th finish in the Open Championship and looks to improve on his 63rd ranking in the Race to Dubai. Bourdy has made 12/15 cuts this season with two top-10s, but he has way too much talent to be 68th in the Race to Dubai and 134th in the Official World Golf Rankings. Dyson has played so much golf this season, but has been surprisingly consistent in making 13 cuts out of 20 events and has already earned more euros than he did all of last season; like Warren, I'd be shocked if Dyson didn't win by the end of the season. Hoey has had his most consistent season on Tour, only missing five cuts in 21 events, but picked up an injury in the Open Championship so it's uncertain how he's going to perform this week. Uihlein has had a torrid time over the past five or six months, both through injury and poor play; since the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March, the American has yet to make it to the weekend but hopefully this week is the beginning of a strong end to the season for him.
Notable groupings for the first two rounds (all times United States Eastern Time; first round/second round)
Morten Orum Madsen, Felipe Aguilar, and Paul Lawrie (2:00 a.m./7:00 a.m.)
Marc Warren, Thomas Bjorn, Nicolas Colsaerts (2:10 a.m./7:10 a.m.)
David Howell, Richie Ramsay, Anders Hansen (2:20 a.m./7:20 a.m.)
Raphael Jacquelin, Peter Uilein, Chris Wood (7:00 a.m./2:00 a.m.)
Thorbjorn Olesen, Kristoffer Broberg, Brett Rumford (7:10 a.m./2:10 a.m.)
Gregory Bourdy, Julien Quesne, Soren Kjeldsen (7:20 a.m./2:20 a.m.)
TV Coverage in the United States (Golf Channel)
Thursday and Friday (5:30-7:30 a.m. and 9:30-12:00 p.m.)
Saturday (7:00-11:00 a.m.)
Sunday (6:30-11:00 a.m.)
Course: Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort
Location: Aalborg, Denmark
Purse: €1,500,000
Yardage: 7,033
Preview
The Tour's eagerly-anticipated return to Denmark begins in earnest this week, with the country's most successful golfer, Thomas Bjorn, headlining the field. A 15-time winner on the European Tour, Bjorn needs one more good result to book his third Ryder Cup appearance. Over 70,000 spectators are expected to be in attendance over the four days so the Danish fans will be hoping for a home winner. 17 Danes are in the field, with the only notable absentee being Soren Hansen, who is out with an injury. According to Lucas Bjerregaard, who is playing his first season on Tour and is a member at Himmerland, the winning score should be somewhere around eight or ten under par, depending on if the wind blows. The course recently underwent a renovation of all greens and bunkers, but it looks like it will provide a stern test.
The international challengers include Paul Lawrie, Nicolas Colsaerts, Marc Warren, Chris Wood, David Horsey, David Howell, Gregory Bourdy, Simon Dyson, Michael Hoey, and Peter Uihlein. Lawrie is dealing with a back injury and may not tee it up, but let's hope he does because he's been working hard on his game and I'm confident a very good result is in store very soon. Colsaerts, outside of a tied-second performance at the Maybank Malaysian Open in April, has had an abysmal season in both Europe and the United States; let's hope the month's break will see him play the golf we know he's capable of beginning this week. Warren finished tied-15th last week at the US PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club and sits 33rd in the Race to Dubai; I firmly expect the two-time Tour winner to bag a victory before the season ends. Wood also played at Valhalla last week and put in a respectable performance by finishing tied-47th; the tall Englishman has all the tools to be a top-50 player but needs to put four rounds together on a more consistent basis. Horsey won the M2M Russian Open three weeks ago in a playoff over Damien McGrane to complete a wire-to-wire victory and has to be one of the favorites in this week's event. Howell has shown signs of a return to form, most notably a tied-15th finish in the Open Championship and looks to improve on his 63rd ranking in the Race to Dubai. Bourdy has made 12/15 cuts this season with two top-10s, but he has way too much talent to be 68th in the Race to Dubai and 134th in the Official World Golf Rankings. Dyson has played so much golf this season, but has been surprisingly consistent in making 13 cuts out of 20 events and has already earned more euros than he did all of last season; like Warren, I'd be shocked if Dyson didn't win by the end of the season. Hoey has had his most consistent season on Tour, only missing five cuts in 21 events, but picked up an injury in the Open Championship so it's uncertain how he's going to perform this week. Uihlein has had a torrid time over the past five or six months, both through injury and poor play; since the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March, the American has yet to make it to the weekend but hopefully this week is the beginning of a strong end to the season for him.
Notable groupings for the first two rounds (all times United States Eastern Time; first round/second round)
Morten Orum Madsen, Felipe Aguilar, and Paul Lawrie (2:00 a.m./7:00 a.m.)
Marc Warren, Thomas Bjorn, Nicolas Colsaerts (2:10 a.m./7:10 a.m.)
David Howell, Richie Ramsay, Anders Hansen (2:20 a.m./7:20 a.m.)
Raphael Jacquelin, Peter Uilein, Chris Wood (7:00 a.m./2:00 a.m.)
Thorbjorn Olesen, Kristoffer Broberg, Brett Rumford (7:10 a.m./2:10 a.m.)
Gregory Bourdy, Julien Quesne, Soren Kjeldsen (7:20 a.m./2:20 a.m.)
TV Coverage in the United States (Golf Channel)
Thursday and Friday (5:30-7:30 a.m. and 9:30-12:00 p.m.)
Saturday (7:00-11:00 a.m.)
Sunday (6:30-11:00 a.m.)
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Why this year's European Ryder Cup team will look drastically different than 2012
The race to qualify for captain Paul McGinley's team is nearing its final stages, with only five events left in which to earn points (WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, US PGA Championship, Made in Denmark, D+D REAL Czech Masters, Italian Open). The next two events offer enormous amounts of points and represent the make or break for those on the outside looking in.
As the European team takes shape, it's amazing to see how different this year's team looks versus the 2012 version. Here was the 2012 team:
Rory McIlroy
Justin Rose
Paul Lawrie
Graeme McDowell
Francesco Molinari
Luke Donald
Lee Westwood
Sergio Garcia
Peter Hanson
Martin Kaymer
Ian Poulter (captain's pick)
Nicolas Colsaerts (captain's pick)
As it stands now, the 2014 squad would look like this:
Rory McIlroy
Victor Dubuisson
Jamie Donaldson
Henrik Stenson
Sergio Garcia
Justin Rose
Martin Kaymer
Thomas Bjorn
Luke Donald
(captain's pick)
(captain's pick)
(captain's pick)
Out of the nine players currently in the top-9, four were not on the last Ryder Cup team (two rookies). Luke Donald is trending downward with Graeme McDowell coming fast and furious. Where is Ian Poulter? "Poults" is currently 7th on the European Points List (top-4 qualify) and 12th on the World Points List (top-5 not already qualified). Unfortunately, he's had a poor season and has missed his last two cuts. He recently was stung by a horsefly in England and had to go to the hospital, and it's unsure if he'll play in the WGC this week. But we all know what kind of record the Englishman has in this competition so it's very hard to think he'll miss out on a captain's pick if he doesn't qualify automatically.
Another Ryder Cup stalwart not having a good season is Lee Westwood. The eight-time Ryder Cup team member won the Maybank Malaysian Open in April but is still 20th and 16th on the points lists. Assistant captain and 2002 Ryder Cup-winning captain Sam Torrance said a few weeks ago that Westwood should be a lock. If "Westy" doesn't perform well in the next month or so, he could be missing out on his first Ryder Cup.
Where are Lawrie, Molinari, Hanson, and Colsaerts? Only Molinari is within shouting distance of automatically qualifying for the team. The Italian sits 14th on both lists and I expect him to do everything in his power to qualify for the team (i.e. playing all five events to gather more points). Wouldn't it be awesome if he won his national open and, by doing so, qualified for the team?
Lawrie (75th and 91st) would be a really compelling pick if he wins an event or finishes well in one or two. Being a Scot and McGinley stating that he'd love Scottish representation in the team like the Irish team had in 2006, it's not completely over for "Chippy." The 45-year-old has had an atrocious year with the putter and has seen his world ranking fall to 215th. He is scheduled to play in the Made in Denmark event so if he performs well, McGinley could give him a thought.
Colsaerts (69th and 73rd) and Hanson (51st and 50th) have both had a rough time since the Ryder Cup and they need to set their sights on the 2016 edition. We'll see lots more of them in Europe due to Colsaerts announcing that he's finished playing the PGA Tour after he couldn't get adjusted to life in America and Hanson's poor play has seen him probably, barring a miraculous turnaround, lose his PGA Tour card.
Stephen Gallacher is currently 12th and 11th on the lists, but only around eight points (world ranking points) behind Donald for the 9th spot. He's having the best season of his career and certainly looks like someone who's going to qualify automatically. Being Scottish doesn't hurt his case either. There's no way a Ryder Cup in the Home of Golf cannot have a Scotsman in the team.
Two other dark horses are Joost Luiten (10th and 15th) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (11th and 13th). Luiten's play has tailed off recently but he has the game to perform well in the next two weeks to give himself a better chance. The "most interesting man in golf" has won twice this season on the European Tour and once on the Champions Tour in the United States. Like Luiten, the Spaniard has not performed to his usual standard in previous weeks, but it's remarkable to think that a 50-year-old is in contention for a Ryder Cup spot. Don't rule out the "Mechanic!"
The next two weeks should see the team look about 75% set. After that, it's up to players outside the top-9 to impress the captain with their play in the next three events, whether they be on the European or PGA Tours. It obviously makes for compelling viewing!
The 40th Ryder Cup will take place at the PGA Centenary Course at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland from September 26-28.
As the European team takes shape, it's amazing to see how different this year's team looks versus the 2012 version. Here was the 2012 team:
Rory McIlroy
Justin Rose
Paul Lawrie
Graeme McDowell
Francesco Molinari
Luke Donald
Lee Westwood
Sergio Garcia
Peter Hanson
Martin Kaymer
Ian Poulter (captain's pick)
Nicolas Colsaerts (captain's pick)
As it stands now, the 2014 squad would look like this:
Rory McIlroy
Victor Dubuisson
Jamie Donaldson
Henrik Stenson
Sergio Garcia
Justin Rose
Martin Kaymer
Thomas Bjorn
Luke Donald
(captain's pick)
(captain's pick)
(captain's pick)
Out of the nine players currently in the top-9, four were not on the last Ryder Cup team (two rookies). Luke Donald is trending downward with Graeme McDowell coming fast and furious. Where is Ian Poulter? "Poults" is currently 7th on the European Points List (top-4 qualify) and 12th on the World Points List (top-5 not already qualified). Unfortunately, he's had a poor season and has missed his last two cuts. He recently was stung by a horsefly in England and had to go to the hospital, and it's unsure if he'll play in the WGC this week. But we all know what kind of record the Englishman has in this competition so it's very hard to think he'll miss out on a captain's pick if he doesn't qualify automatically.
Another Ryder Cup stalwart not having a good season is Lee Westwood. The eight-time Ryder Cup team member won the Maybank Malaysian Open in April but is still 20th and 16th on the points lists. Assistant captain and 2002 Ryder Cup-winning captain Sam Torrance said a few weeks ago that Westwood should be a lock. If "Westy" doesn't perform well in the next month or so, he could be missing out on his first Ryder Cup.
Where are Lawrie, Molinari, Hanson, and Colsaerts? Only Molinari is within shouting distance of automatically qualifying for the team. The Italian sits 14th on both lists and I expect him to do everything in his power to qualify for the team (i.e. playing all five events to gather more points). Wouldn't it be awesome if he won his national open and, by doing so, qualified for the team?
Lawrie (75th and 91st) would be a really compelling pick if he wins an event or finishes well in one or two. Being a Scot and McGinley stating that he'd love Scottish representation in the team like the Irish team had in 2006, it's not completely over for "Chippy." The 45-year-old has had an atrocious year with the putter and has seen his world ranking fall to 215th. He is scheduled to play in the Made in Denmark event so if he performs well, McGinley could give him a thought.
Colsaerts (69th and 73rd) and Hanson (51st and 50th) have both had a rough time since the Ryder Cup and they need to set their sights on the 2016 edition. We'll see lots more of them in Europe due to Colsaerts announcing that he's finished playing the PGA Tour after he couldn't get adjusted to life in America and Hanson's poor play has seen him probably, barring a miraculous turnaround, lose his PGA Tour card.
Stephen Gallacher is currently 12th and 11th on the lists, but only around eight points (world ranking points) behind Donald for the 9th spot. He's having the best season of his career and certainly looks like someone who's going to qualify automatically. Being Scottish doesn't hurt his case either. There's no way a Ryder Cup in the Home of Golf cannot have a Scotsman in the team.
Two other dark horses are Joost Luiten (10th and 15th) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (11th and 13th). Luiten's play has tailed off recently but he has the game to perform well in the next two weeks to give himself a better chance. The "most interesting man in golf" has won twice this season on the European Tour and once on the Champions Tour in the United States. Like Luiten, the Spaniard has not performed to his usual standard in previous weeks, but it's remarkable to think that a 50-year-old is in contention for a Ryder Cup spot. Don't rule out the "Mechanic!"
The next two weeks should see the team look about 75% set. After that, it's up to players outside the top-9 to impress the captain with their play in the next three events, whether they be on the European or PGA Tours. It obviously makes for compelling viewing!
The 40th Ryder Cup will take place at the PGA Centenary Course at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland from September 26-28.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Despite the limited field, M2M Russian Open could be a stepping stone for players
After the recent stretch of five massive events, this week sees the Tour touch down in Moscow, Russia, for the M2M Russian Open. The €1,000,000 event has been won twice by Mikael Lundberg before a hiatus from 2008-2012. The tournament returned to the schedule last season, with Michael Hoey triumphing over a host of players. The host course is the Tseleevo Golf & Polo Club, designed by Jack Nicklaus. The length is 7,491 yards (par 72) and let's hope that the weather is better after last year's rainy conditions. Hoey was planning on returning to defend his title, but had to withdraw after picking up an injury in The Open Championship. The favorite has to be Scott Jamieson, who finished T8 in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open to book his place in the year's third major, where he missed the cut. Other contenders should be Morten Orum Madsen, Thomas Pieters, David Horsey, and Craig Lee. Personally, it would be great to see Nick Dougherty, David Higgins, Fredrik Andersson Hed, Gary Boyd, Phillip Price, Liam Bond, and Alistair Forsyth perform well in this extremely weak field. Former tennis #1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who turned professional three years ago, is looking to make his first professional cut after numerous missed cuts after he's struggled to break 80. Unfortunately, the quality of the field is probably the worst of the season, but it does provide a chance for those players way down on the Race to Dubai or players without their playing rights to possibly win or claim a nice chunk of the prize fund. The field of 112 is the smallest of the season for a "full field" Tour event. TV coverage in the United States is on Golf Channel (Thursday and Friday: 8-11am; Saturday and Sunday: 6-9am).
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
U.S. Open preview
The 114th U.S. Open
Pinehurst Resort and Country Club (Course No. 2), Pinehurst, North Carolina
Yardage: 7,562 (Par 70)
It is time for the second major of the season, with the U.S. Open beginning tomorrow. Pinehurst No. 2 has staged two previous U.S. Opens, 1999 and 2005, but a redesign in 2011 by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore has seen it transformed back to its original design by Donald Ross in 1907. The word "native area" will be used quite a bit this week, but it is much easier to hit out of than usual U.S. Open-style rough. Some 200-300 yards have been added since 2005, but the course is supposed to play firm and fast, although rain is expected over the next four days. The course will play almost like a links course, but with the greens being so firm, it will be very beneficial to hit the fairways and aim for the middle of the greens (as usual in U.S. Opens).
Phil Mickelson, a six-time runner-up in this event, would be the fairytale winner. However, "Lefty's" game heading into the U.S. Open has not been Phil-esque. With only one worldwide top-10 in 2014, the five-time major champion will need to improve his putting if he is to complete the major grand slam this week.
From a European Tour perspective, Rory McIlroy has to be the favorite. He won the BMW PGA Championship just three weeks ago and his game has been trending upwards for quite some time. The Northern Irishman will become an even greater favorite if rain ends up falling, which would make the course play longer. In today's press conference, he said that he is really enjoying his golf, a pleasant comment following his breakup with fiancée Caroline Wozniacki three weeks ago. Look for the two-time major champion to remain in the mix throughout the week.
Of course, Englishman Justin Rose defends the title after winning last year at Merion. Rose's play this season has been good enough to deliver wins, but he has not been able to get over the line. You just have to wonder if being defending champion will prove to be too much to handle. However, I highly doubt this. I expect Rose to be in contention when he comes to the back nine on Sunday.
Other European hopefuls include Graeme McDowell (2010 winner), who's game is tailor-made for U.S. Opens; Henrik Stenson, who looks poised to win a major very soon; Martin Kaymer, the Players Championship winner on the PGA Tour; and Lee Westwood, who seems to always be in contention on the back nine on Sunday of a major. Sleepers include Stephen Gallacher, Paul Casey, and Joost Luiten, and Francesco Molinari.
Get ready to see plenty of pars and bogeys this week, but there will certainly be a worthy winner come Sunday evening.
Pinehurst Resort and Country Club (Course No. 2), Pinehurst, North Carolina
Yardage: 7,562 (Par 70)
It is time for the second major of the season, with the U.S. Open beginning tomorrow. Pinehurst No. 2 has staged two previous U.S. Opens, 1999 and 2005, but a redesign in 2011 by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore has seen it transformed back to its original design by Donald Ross in 1907. The word "native area" will be used quite a bit this week, but it is much easier to hit out of than usual U.S. Open-style rough. Some 200-300 yards have been added since 2005, but the course is supposed to play firm and fast, although rain is expected over the next four days. The course will play almost like a links course, but with the greens being so firm, it will be very beneficial to hit the fairways and aim for the middle of the greens (as usual in U.S. Opens).
Phil Mickelson, a six-time runner-up in this event, would be the fairytale winner. However, "Lefty's" game heading into the U.S. Open has not been Phil-esque. With only one worldwide top-10 in 2014, the five-time major champion will need to improve his putting if he is to complete the major grand slam this week.
From a European Tour perspective, Rory McIlroy has to be the favorite. He won the BMW PGA Championship just three weeks ago and his game has been trending upwards for quite some time. The Northern Irishman will become an even greater favorite if rain ends up falling, which would make the course play longer. In today's press conference, he said that he is really enjoying his golf, a pleasant comment following his breakup with fiancée Caroline Wozniacki three weeks ago. Look for the two-time major champion to remain in the mix throughout the week.
Of course, Englishman Justin Rose defends the title after winning last year at Merion. Rose's play this season has been good enough to deliver wins, but he has not been able to get over the line. You just have to wonder if being defending champion will prove to be too much to handle. However, I highly doubt this. I expect Rose to be in contention when he comes to the back nine on Sunday.
Other European hopefuls include Graeme McDowell (2010 winner), who's game is tailor-made for U.S. Opens; Henrik Stenson, who looks poised to win a major very soon; Martin Kaymer, the Players Championship winner on the PGA Tour; and Lee Westwood, who seems to always be in contention on the back nine on Sunday of a major. Sleepers include Stephen Gallacher, Paul Casey, and Joost Luiten, and Francesco Molinari.
Get ready to see plenty of pars and bogeys this week, but there will certainly be a worthy winner come Sunday evening.
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