Tag: European Tour

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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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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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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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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2 up, 2 down: Eddie Pepperell runs out of balls, falls down the list

Golfweek’s experts dish on the two players who are up and down on the PGA, LPGA and European Tours.

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Golfweek takes a look at who’s up and who’s down each week on the three major golf tours. Here are the latest rankings for men and women.

Since the PGA Tour held no event last week, we look at LPGA and Euro Tour rankings.

The Golfweek/Sagarin ranking for each player is in parentheses.

LPGA

Up

Jennifer Kupcho (103)

Only 18 events into her LPGA career, Kupcho crossed the $500,000 mark in official earnings. Not bad for someone who didn’t turn professional until midway through the season. The Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion played her way into the Asian swing and season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. A share of fourth in Japan was the former NCAA champ’s third top-five finish of the season.

Hyo Joo Kim (2)

Somewhat quietly putting together a strong season. Birdied the last three holes in Japan to vault into solo second with a closing 66. Leads the tour in putting and ranks second to Jin Young Ko in scoring. Hasn’t won on the LPGA since 2016 but certainly trending toward ending that drought.

Down

Lexi Thompson (25)

What kind of shape is Thompson in going into the CME Group Tour Championship, where she won in 2018? Hard to say. She competed for the first time since September last week in Japan and finished T-24. Took over 30 putts in each round but said she’s now hitting fewer errant shots off the tee. Thompson said she’s trying to tame down the jump in her swing to gain consistency. Said she’s happy with the progress.

So Yeon Ryu (38)

Hasn’t contended since the U.S. Women’s Open in late May. Hasn’t notched a top-10 since June. Hasn’t won on the LPGA since the summer of 2018. Typically near the top of the tour in greens in regulation (top 5), Ryu is currently 54th. Her driving accuracy has dipped to 129th.

Euro Tour

Up

Tyrrell Hatton (46)

The Englishman earned his first win since the 2017 Italian Open by surviving a six-man playoff to in the $7 million Turkish Airlines Open. Hatton was the last man standing after finally seeing off Matthias Schwab after four holes in darkness. Only floodlights on the back nine of the Maxx Royal course allowed Hatton to prevail. He triumphed thanks to good iron play. Hatton was second in strokes gained in approach shots to France’s Victor Perez, picking up an average of +2.62 per round. The 28-year-old leads the tour in that category, averaging +1.48 strokes per round. He moves to sixth on the Race to Dubai with a realistic chance to finish the season as European number one.

Matthias Schwab (82)

The former Vanderbilt player will rue the fact he did not win his first European Tour by missing out in a playoff for the $7 million Turkish Airlines Open. The Austrian had a great chance to birdie the par-5 18th hole in the final round but could only manage a par and then lost out to Hatton. It was Schwab’s 10th top 10 of a fantastic season and moved him to 14th on the Race to Dubai. The 24-year-old finished 72nd last year in his rookie season. He’s averaging 29.62 putts per round this season compared to 30.24 last year, and his stroke average is under 70. He’s averaging half a shot better per round with a 69.94 stoke average in 2019 against 70.58 last year. That’s roughly two shots better per tournament.

Down

Ross Fisher (233)

The Englishman was in good position for a high finish in Turkey only to falter when it mattered most. The 38-year-old got to 18-under par through 12 holes of his second round and in contention to win. However, he dropped three shots in his final six holes to finish T-10. It was costly since it ended his season. Fisher could have moved into the top 60 on the Race to Dubai and into this week’s Nedbank Challenge with a higher finish. Instead, he ended up 84th. Fisher is a five-time European Tour winner but is still looking for his first win since the 2014 Tshwane Open. Fisher has always been long off the tee, but he’s not been too accurate this year. He has hit just 54.86 percent of fairways versus 63.28 percent last year, and ranks 148th in driving accuracy.

Eddie Pepperell (98)

Literally ran out of balls in the third round of the $7 million Turkish Airlines Open much to the bemusement of playing companions Martin Kaymer and George Coetzee. The Englishman is one of the smarter players on the European Tour, but he couldn’t find a way to play the par-5 fourth hole in the third round. He went for the green in two, found the water, went for the green in four, found the water, then for six, and carried on until he had no more balls in his bag. Call it Eddie’s Tin Cup moment. Pepperell ran out of golf balls and was disqualified. He arrived in Turkey 41st on the Race to Dubai and dropped to 48th. He needs to stay inside the top 50 to make it to the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.