Category: Euro Tour

Forecaddie: Rory McIlroy has a new caddie — for a week

This week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai will be Rory McIlroy’s last start of the year, but it will be the first for his new caddie.

This week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai will be Rory McIlroy’s 25th and last start of the year, but it will be the first for his new caddie. And the last.

The Forecaddie hears McIlroy’s bag will be toted in the European Tour’s season finale by his pal Niall O’Connor. But the gig is a one-off assignment for O’Connor, who will head back to his regular job in private equity in New York City next week.

McIlroy’s regular bagman, Harry Diamond, is taking time at home in Belfast to enjoy fatherhood. Diamond’s wife, Claire, gave birth to their first child, Georgia Iris, on Nov. 11. Mom, dad and baby are all doing well, The Man Out Front is assured.

O’Connor is no stranger to the sporting limelight. The 32-year-old from Northern Ireland is a former international rugby player. Nor is this his first experience carrying for a McIlroy: he caddied for Rory’s dad, Gerry, at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2018.

Diamond will be back on the bag when McIlroy kicks off his 2020 campaign, with his expected first start at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

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Benjamin Poke takes control of European Tour Q-School 

At the halfway point, Denmark’s Benjamin Poke leads European Tour Q-School after carding four birdies and a bogey Sunday to sit at 12 under.

Denmark’s Benjamin Poke is in control of the European Tour Qualifying School at the halfway stage. The 27-year-old takes a two-shot lead into the final three days at Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona, Spain. The Danish professional is hoping to take the lead card of the 25 on offer for the 2020 European Tour.

Poke had four birdies and only one bogey in a 3-under par round of 69 on Lumine Golf Club’s Hills Course. He sits at 12-under par.

Lars van Meijel of The Netherlands lies in second place after a 7-under 65 that included six birdies and an eagle-two on the Hills Course’s par four 12th hole.

“It was nice to finish with a flurry of birdies at the end,” Poke said. “I was hitting greens from the start but leaving myself some long putts. By the time I got to the back nine, I was striking them better and hitting my approach shots a bit closer and I managed to take advantage of that over the closing holes.

“I haven’t really looked at the scoreboards this week or checked online after the round to see how I’m doing. I’ve been watching snooker over the last few days in the evening to take my mind off things.”

“It’s a new day tomorrow so I’m just going to try and approach things the same way, enjoy being out here playing. I’m looking forward to going out there and playing the next few days. I’m trying not to think about the top 25 at the moment as I can’t control what other players are doing. I can only try and control how I play, and we’ll see where it all ends up at the end of the week.”

Van Meijel is making his first appearance at Final stage, but looked comfortable in his surroundings on day three.

“It’s the first time I’ve played in Final Stage and it’s absurd to think there are still three rounds to go,” he said. “I’ll just keep playing one shot at a time, keep it relaxed and chilled, and then we’ll see.

“I feel confident. I’m just focussing on myself and trying to play the best golf I can. Then we’ll see where I end up.

“I made some small changes in the way I practice with a new coach and also, my childhood technical coach has made some small changes which have also clicked. I’m just trying to get better every day.”

First round leader John Catlin returned a second consecutive 73. The former University of New Mexico player sits on 4 under in a tie for 34th spot.

The top 70 and ties after the fourth round advance to the final two rounds, with the top 25 and ties after round six earning playing rights for the 2020 European Tour.

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Tommy Fleetwood soars like an eagle to win Nedbank

Tommy Fleetwood picked up his first win of the season. He also lifted a check for $2.5 million to move to second on the Race to Dubai.

Tommy Fleetwood reeled off three eagles in six holes to come through the field to win the $7.5 million Nedbank Golf Challenge in a playoff with Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult.

The Englishman began the final round six shots off the lead, but returned a 7-under-par 65 to live up to his billing as the highest-ranked player in the field. The world number 18 made three birdies in the first six holes before eagling the ninth, 10th and 14th holes, all par 5s. It helped him reach 12 under to tie with Kinhult. Fleetwood won at the first extra hole to earn his fifth European Tour victory.

Fleetwood picked up his first win of the season. He also lifted a check for $2.5 million to move to second on the Race to Dubai behind Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger, who placed joint third. Kinhult earned $845,000 and rises 26 places to ninth on the Race to Dubai.

Nedbank Golf Challenge: Leaderboard

“The money is not that important because I guess being a golfer these days you have the chance at a young age to set your family up for life,” Fleetwood said. “It’s just really, really cool to win a tournament and I’m choking up here.”

Tommy Fleetwood plays his third shot on the 18th hole in the playoff at the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player on Nov. 17, 2019 in Sun City, South Africa. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

The 28-year-old won the Race to Dubai two years ago, but will have to play well next week to overhaul Wiesberger from the top of the pecking order after the Austrian bolstered his points total with his third-place finish.

“It’s an absolute privilege to get to the last event with a chance to win the Race to Dubai,” Fleetwood added. “It’s an amazing thing to have in your carer and it’s one of the things I’m most proud of.

“I’ll start thinking about next week at a later date. The closer it gets to the end of the season the harder it gets to stay in the present, do your thing and concentrate on what you do best. But I’m happy for the challenge and I’m very ready. I mean I might go out next week and play terrible, but that’s golf and this experience will live with me forever.”

And with Kinhult. Those who weren’t convinced he had the game to become one of Europe’s greats when he won this year’s BetFred British Masters, should be now with this finish. The 23-year-old might have come out second on this occasion, but rest assured he’ll win many European Tour titles before his time is up.

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European Tour player gets ‘best result for the worst golf shot you’ve ever seen’

Joachim Hansen hit a horrendous shot from the bunker but got an incredible bounce you have to see to believe.

Hitting out of a sand trap is no day at the beach for the normal golfer, but week in and week out, the professionals on television make it look easy.

Every now and then, however, a pro will look like an average Joe, which was the case on Saturday for Denmark’s Joachim Hansen during the third round of the European Tour’s Nedbank Golf Challenge.

On the par-4 sixth hole at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa, Hansen horribly mishit his ball out of the bunker, blasting it off the hosel and into the grassy bank. What happened from there was something you have to see to believe.

Leaderboard: Nedbank Golf Challenge

“The best result for the worst golf shot you’ve ever seen,” said the broadcast.

Hansen shot a 1-under 71 on Saturday and will enter the final round T-6 at 6 under, five shots off the lead.

How come that never happens to you or me, right?

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Toby Tree and Benjamin Poke lead European Tour Q-School hopefuls

Toby Tree and Benjamin Poke head the list of hopefuls after 36 holes of the European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage.

England’s Toby Tree and Benjamin Poke of Denmark head the list of hopefuls after 36 holes of the European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage. Overnight leader John Catlin slipped down the leaderboard, but the former New Mexico player is still well placed to earn a European Tour card.

Tree and Poke returned matching 4-under 67s over the Lakes Course at Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona, Spain. They moved to 9 under, one shot better than four-time European Tour winner S.S.P Chawrasia of India and Finland’s Sami Valimaki with four rounds still remaining at Lumine.

Former England amateur Tree is hoping to end a testing year by taking one of the 25 cards on offer for next year’s European Tour. The 25 year old got off to a good start this year after recovering from a broken bone in his leg. However, he missed six months of the summer with another injury, and could only place 79th on the Challenge Tour money list.

Tree has made four previous unsuccessful trips to the Qualifying School. Two bogeys in two rounds points to this visit being perhaps more fruitful.

Leaderboard: European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage

“I’m really pleased,” Tree said. “I played solidly on both days and gave myself plenty of chances. I made a couple of bogeys today but bounced right back, so that’s good for me, bouncing back.

“I thought the pins were a bit tricky, especially today. The breeze was up, it was cold and I thought it was playing quite long.

“I’m not really thinking about how long is left. I’m going through the process. There are four rounds to go and I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.”

Poke finished 29th on this year’s Challenge Tour order of merit in his first season on Europe’s junior circuit.

“I struggled a bit more today, especially off the tee,” the 27 year old said. “I got off to a good start and hit some great iron shots and also managed to hole a few putts as well. I had bit of a bump in the middle of the back nine. I broke my eight iron on 13 – I came up against a tree and had to give it a bit of a hack and I made par there, so it was worth it.”

Catlin returned a 1-over 73 over the Hills Course to go with his opening 65. He is on 5 under par in joint 13th place.

Arizona State graduates Niklas Lemke and Alejandro Canizares share eighth place on 6 under. Lemke is making his 11th trip to the European Tour Qualifying School. The Swede is hoping to emulate last year’s performance when he successfully qualified for the main tour for the first time. Canizares, the 2003 NCAA individual champion, is a two-time European Tour winner who finds himself at the Q School after finishing 138th on this year’s Race to Dubai.

The field will be cut to the top 70 and ties after four rounds, with the top 25 and ties after six rounds earnings places on the 2020 European Tour.

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Zander Lombard hangs on to take lead into Nedbank final round

Zander Lombard has the lead entering the final round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, but has a major champion chasing him for the title.

Zander Lombard fought back to take the lead into the final round of the $7.5 million Nedbank Golf Challenge as he seeks his first European Tour win. However, he’s got a major champion and a player just as desperate for his maiden win chasing him for the title.

The 24-year-old returned a level par 72 to stay at 11 under. He’s one shot in front of 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and former Illinois player Thomas Detry of Belgium. England’s Oliver Wilson and Swede Marcus Kinhult share fourth spot on 8 under.

Lombard took a two-shot lead into the third round and looked like he’d end the day trailing when he bogeyed the sixth after five straight pars. Worse followed two holes later when he double bogeyed the eighth.

“Just couldn’t get it going today,” Lombard said. “I was 3-over after the eighth, and I had a good fight back to get it back to level par. Then I flushed a 6-iron on the 16th and made a sloppy bogey. I thought it was going to be par, but got a bogey there. All in all, I’m still in the lead. Got to stay positive and really looking forward to tomorrow.

Leaderboard: Nedbank Golf Challenge

“I don’t want to sound cocky, but it (his current form) has been a long time coming. I’ve really made big strides in how I do things on and off the golf course. It’s nice to get some feedback and some results from the hard work.”

He’ll have to work hard in the final round to hold off Oosthuizen. The South African has won five of his nine European Tour titles on home soil but has never won the Nedbank. He has three top 10s in his previous four appearances at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City.

“I need to give myself more chances on the greens, decent chances for birdies, not from 30, 40 feet away all the time,” said Oosthuizen, who returned a 71. “But probably a little bit more aiming towards the pins tomorrow and just try and put a little pressure on Zander.

“This is the tournament growing up as a kid you watched and wanting to have your name on that plaque walking up the 9th hole there. It would mean a lot. But I need to play a little better tomorrow.”

Detry posted a 3-under 69 to remain in contention for his first European Tour win. It could have been better if not for a double bogey seven at the par-5 14th hole.

“Very, very happy,” Detry said. “I pretty much missed only one shot today. I hit a cart path and went into the trees and made double bogey, but other than that, played some really good golf.

“I think it’s going to be a fun battle tomorrow. It’s fantastic to play with these two guys. Louis is great and Zander, as well. The atmosphere is fantastic out there and I’m very much looking forward to tomorrow.”

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New Mexico alum John Catlin takes early lead at Euro Tour Q School

John Catlin took the early lead at European Tour Qualifying School, but there’s a lot of golf left at Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona, Spain.

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New Mexico graduate John Catlin will take a one-shot lead into the second round of the final stage of the European Tour Qualifying School after returning a bogey-free 6-under 65 over the Lakes Course at Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona, Spain.

Catlin needs another five good rounds to take one of the 25 cards on offer for the 2020 European Tour season.

“It’s only one of six rounds and it’s definitely a nice way to start, but there’s still a long way to go,” the Sacramento native said.

The 29-year-old switches to the Hills Course for Round 2. Catlin is in good form after winning last week’s Thailand Open on the Asian Tour.

“Winning my fourth title on the Asian Tour and to win in Thailand where I’ve been living for the past three years was a great feeling. I know if I can take care of what I can take care of then I’ve got every chance of contending, and I’ve given myself the best chance possible.”

Catlin is keen to find a permanent home on the European Tour after honing his skills in Europe. In 21 starts this year, Catlin made 13 cuts with a best finish of 12th in the Made in Denmark tournament. However, he finished the season 155th on the Race to Dubai.

“It’s been absolutely fantastic to compete in Europe,” Catlin said. “It’s made me a better golfer for sure. You can see the difference coming from the Asian Tour to the European Tour which is the next step up and the margin of error is just that much smaller.”

Spain’s Alejandro Canizares is one of a group of six in second place. Canizares, who won the 2003 NCAA individual title while at Arizona State, returned a 5-under 66.

France’s Gregory Havret is tied for eighth at 4 under after a 68. Havret, runner up to Graeme McDowell in the 2010 U.S. Open, is a three-time European Tour winner.

Matteo Manassero’s travails continued with an opening 78. The four-time European Tour winner sits in 155th place, next-to-last out of the 156-man field.

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Zander Lombard outshines golf legends to take Nedbank lead

Zander Lombard shot a 7–under-par 65 Friday alongside defending champion Lee Westwood and four-time major champion Ernie Els.

South Africa’s Zander Lombard and Tommy Fleetwood have much more in common than sitting on the first page of the $7.5 million Nedbank Golf Challenge leaderboard. They’ve both gone on to have better careers than the players they lost to in the British Amateur Championship final.

Scotland’s Robert Macintyre can also make that claim.

Lombard returned a 7–under-par 65 at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa to move to 11-under and take the 36-hole lead. He is two shots better than first round leader Louis Oosthuizen, who returned a level par 72. Illinois alum Thomas Detry scored 71 and is four shots off the pace in third place.

Fleetwood posted a second consecutive 69 to move to 6 under in a tie for fourth with Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult.

Lombard’s score is all the more remarkable considering he made it in the company of defending champion Lee Westwood and four-time major champion Ernie Els.

Leaderboard: Nedbank Golf Challenge

“Playing with two legends of the game, it was nervy, but I settled down quickly with a birdie on the second and it was just all really good vibes from there,” Lombard said. “The crowds were at their max and all into it. They were cheering and they were fantastic. They were cheering for Ernie and Lee at the start, but I won them over at the end, so it was awesome.”

Lombard reached the final of the 2014 British Amateur at Royal Portrush. He lost 2&1 to Scotland’s Bradley Neil. Yet there was a feeling then that Lombard might go on to have the better career. It was easy to reach that conclusion watching the morning round of the 36-hole final. Lombard hit 16 greens to Neil’s eight, yet went into lunch all-square.

The then 19 year old missed numerous putts that cost him the chance of taking a commanding lead into the afternoon session. His putting woes continued in the afternoon round and he had to settle for runner-up.

Lombard is currently 76th on the Race to Dubai, 234th on the Official World Golf Ranking and playing in $7.5 million tournaments. Neil spent this season on the European Challenge Tour where he ranked 62nd on the money list, he’s the world’s 1,048th best player and is at the European Tour Qualifying School this week trying to find a foothold on the European Tour.

Fleetwood had a similar experience in the 2008 final against Reinier Saxton of The Netherlands. The Englishman looked the better player but also finished runner up. Fleetwood is now world No. 18 while Saxton is 1,440th, and finished 121st on this year’s Challenge Tour.

Macintyre lost in the 2016 British Amateur final to England’s Scott Gregory. The left hander is the world’s 73rd best player, sits 14th on the Race to Dubai and has a shot at ending the season as Rookie of the Year. Gregory is with Neil this week at the European Tour Qualifying School after making just three of 18 cuts on this season’s European Tour to lose his card.

Funny old game.

Louis Oosthuizen rises from sick bed to lead Nedbank Challenge

Louis Oosthuizen was sick Thursday at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, but shot a bogey-free 63 to lead the event.

Louis Oosthuizen didn’t let illness get in the way of taking the first-round lead in the $7.5 million Nedbank Golf Challenge. The South African rose from his sick bed to fire a bogey-free 63, 9 under, to take a three-shot lead into the second round.

Beware the injured golfer, indeed!

Illinois grad Thomas Detry is Oosthuizen’s closest rival after the Belgian returned a 66. Italy’s Guido Detry is four shots adrift at 5 under. Defending champion Lee Westwood, Ernie Els and Zander Lombard are in a tie for fourth at 4 under.

Oosthuizen woke up in pain in the middle of the night before the opening round, and thought he might not be able to play.

“Considering that at 3 a.m. this morning I didn’t think I was going to tee it up, I’m very chuffed (happy) with that round,” Oosthuizen said.

“I woke yesterday with kidney stones and this morning was very uncomfortable, but it sort of eased at 6-7am. You could see me walking slower and just going at everything a little slower out there.

“But I know I played good at the WGC-HSBC Champions two weeks ago and I know the swing is there, the putting’s there. I just need to be healthy to play.”

The 2010 Open Championship winner has nine European Tour wins, five of which have come in his homeland. He won the South African Open for the first time earlier this year, but has never won the Nedbank. However, he has three top 10s in his previous four appearances at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City.

“I just love this golf course. One of my first wins on the Sunshine Tour was here, the Dimension Data. Every time I play here, it brings back a lot of good memories.”

Detry is still looking for his first win after nearly three full seasons on the European Tour. He only had one blemish on his card, a bogey at the par-5 second hole.

“I had it going pretty quickly,” said Detry, who is ranked 66th on the Race to Dubai. “I have got good vibes out here. I played pretty well here last year. Not quite as good as Louis today, but pretty happy.

“I’ve been playing really, really well recently. You know, again last week, I was 11 under after two rounds and didn’t play quite as good on the weekend. I’m very comfortable with my game. If I can keep the putter hot for four days, then something might happen.”

Westwood’s victory last year was his 24th on the European Tour.

“You can’t win this tournament on the first day,” Westwood said. “Anything under 70 always feels like a great start to this tournament.

“I played well. Controlled the ball flight. Could have hit a few more fairways. Would have made it a little easier. I was in the rough too often, but no bogeys and 68 was a great start.”

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Tait’s Take: European Tour Qualifying School hopefuls face ultimate pressure

There are just 25 European Tour cards available for the 156 competitors at final stage. That means 131 are going to fail.

There’s a lot of pressure riding on this week’s European Tour event. No, not the $7.5 million Nedbank Golf Challenge, but the European Tour Qualifying School.

There is no pressure in Sun City. These guys have made so much money this season even their caddies are probably looking forward to buying some nice Christmas presents for their loved ones.

Zander Lombard was the last man into the Nedbank field. He’s earned €516,066.22 this season, $586,671.44 on today’s dollar exchange rate. The guys playing the Final Qualifying Stage at Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona, Spain November 15-20 dream of earning that sort of money.

Most of them won’t get the chance.

There are just 25 European Tour cards on offer for the 156 competitors at final stage. Put another way, 131 are going to fail.

Most Q-School rookies will already have frayed nerves at the prospect of trying to get a ticket for the world’s second-best tour. It might not pay them to look around at who they’re competing against.

There are multiple tour winners, players who flirted with major glory, seemingly can’t miss kids who made big noises in the amateur game still trying to find a European Tour foothold, and even a Ryder Cup player in the field.

Jamie Donaldson is the Ryder Cup player in question. He earned the winning point in the 2014 match at Gleneagles when he defeated Keegan Bradley 4-and-3. Those were halcyon days for the Welshman. He picked up his third European Tour victory that year and finished fourth on the Race to Dubai to better his fifth place the previous year.

The closest the affable Welshman has come to Ryder Cup action since Gleneagles is acting as an on-course commentator. To be fair, the 44-year-old has been hampered by a wrist injury that required surgery at the end of last year. However, he’s a salutary lesson that success in this game is ephemeral if your last name isn’t Woods, McIlroy, Koepka or Mickelson.

Gonzalo Fdez-Castano, Matteo Manassero, Darren Fichardt, Michael Hoey, Marc Warren, Gregory Havret and Lee Slattery are among those joining Donaldson as multiple European Tour winners. Fdez-Castano has seven victories. Fichardt and Hoey have five and 2009 British Amateur champion Manassero four, including the 2013 BMW PGA Championship.

Three-time winner Havret finished runner-up to Graeme McDowell in the 2010 U.S. Open.

Pitting their talents against this experienced group is a plethora of young talent that includes Ireland’s Paul Dunne, Scott Gregory of England, South Africa’s Wilco Nienaber and Australian David Micheluzzi. Dunne won the 2017 British Masters, returning a closing 61 to hold off a charging Rory McIlroy. That was supposed to be Dunne’s stepping stone to more wins and a possible 2018 Ryder Cup spot.

Gregory, like Manassero, is a recent British Amateur champion who played on the 2017 Walker Cup alongside Robert Macintyre, the player he defeated to win the 2016 British Amateur. Micheluzzi reached world number two on the World Amateur Golf Ranking and is a player to watch out for. So is Nienaber. He qualified for the match play stages of the 2018 British Amateur as leading qualifier, and is arguably a better prospect than compatriot and that year’s champion Jovan Rebula.

The survival of the fittest contest that is the Qualifying School not only means only 25 and ties can qualify for the European Tour, but those who do probably won’t survive. Just seven of the 27 card earners at last year’s Q-School kept their cards this year. Seven players of the 33 graduates in 2017 kept their cards in 2018.

U.S. citizen Kurt Kitayama is a seminal lesson that Q-School persistence can pay off. He came through all three stages last year and has two European Tour wins to his name. His playoff loss in last week’s Turkish Airlines Open saw him move to 11th on the Race to Dubai with €1.67 in earnings, approximately $1.8 million.

It costs €2,030, or $2,235, to enter Q-School. Twenty-two hundred dollars for the chance to win $1.8 million might seem like a good investment. However, for most it will just be more money spent chasing a dream that probably won’t come true.

Pressure? The ultimate pressure can be found every year at the Qualifying School.

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