Tag: European Tour

No Tour card? No problem for Tommy Fleetwood, who is ‘teaching’ Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola golf

Fleetwood hasn’t seen much success on the PGA Tour this year, but seems to have hit his stride this week on the European Tour.

This has been a peculiar year for Tommy Fleetwood, who struggled in 18 PGA Tour starts — cracking the top 10 just twice — and lost his Tour card in the process.

He’ll still have a presence on this side of the pond in 2021-22, but the Englishman has slipped from a career-high of No. 9 in the Official World Golf Ranking back in 2018 down to his current spot at No. 38 (he’s fallen to 40 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings).

Still, there’s plenty for Fleetwood to do, even without exempt status on the Tour. He’s back in his comfort zone on the European Tour, as is evidenced by a 67 during the third round of the DS Automobiles Italian Open. Fleetwood is currently 12 under after three rounds, and just a single shot behind 54-hole leader Nicolai Højgaard.

But there’s also his mentoring of a famous student — Manchester City football manager Pep Guardiola. The two struck up a friendship in 2018, on the day Guardiola’s team was crowned English champions while on a bye. The Spaniard didn’t watch soccer that fateful afternoon and never had any intention of doing so, because he was scheduled to play his first round with Fleetwood.

“The only score I want to know is bogey or birdie,” Guardiola said at the time. He played with his son and Fleetwood at Sandiway Golf Club about 30 miles south of Manchester.

The two have continued to sneak in occasional rounds of golf ever since, with Guardiola insisting he’ll get serious about the sport when his managerial career is through.

“I have Tommy Fleetwood as a good teacher so I have some drills,” Guardiola said earlier this week. “We play once a year. His schedule is busier than mine.”

Fleetwood shot back during this week’s event that in fact Guardiola is the one whose schedule is too tight, and added that while he gives the Man City skipper plenty of free advice on the course, he gets few nuggets of wisdom in return.

“It’s a bit more than once a year. He gets a little bit bitter about it but he’s a much busier man than I am,” Fleetwood said. “I learn nothing from him. He never gives me any advice at all. It’s all a one-way street. Nothing at all. One-way street. You can tell him that.”

As for this week, Fleetwood has displayed a consistency he lacked on the PGA Tour this year, posting rounds of 66, 68 and 67.

“I keep taking every week very individually,” he said. “Let’s face it, I haven’t played great this year and I haven’t had the year that I want to and every week is the chance to start again in golf, that is the beauty of it. I am trying to work hard, I’m trying to get better, and you never know what can turn things around.

“I’ll just keep turning up, keep trying to do the right things and play.”

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Nacho Elvira dedicates first European Tour title to slain golfer

Elvira dedicated his first victory to Spanish golfer Celia Barquin Arozamena, who was murdered in 2018.

A golfer named Nacho won something called the Cazoo Open. Does it get any better than that?

On a busy day in golf, the European Tour event at Celtic Manor in Wales slipped under the radar. But the headline to a story about Spain’s Nacho Elvira winning the title in a playoff gave me goose bumps.

It had nothing to do with the 34-year-old former Texas A&M Aggie winning for the first time in his career, although kudos to him for that. It was that he dedicated the victory to Spanish golfer Celia Barquin Arozamena, who was murdered in 2018. The story of how she was found dead on a course in Iowa, where she was a student and golfer at Iowa State, still keeps me up at night.

In this Sept. 7, 2017, photo provided by Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, golfer Celia Barquin Arozamena poses for a photo. The former ISU golfer was found dead Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at a golf course in Ames. Collin Daniel Richards, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in her death. (Luke Lu/Iowa State University via AP)
Iowa State golfer Celia Barquin Arozamena was found dead Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at a golf course in Ames. Collin Daniel Richards, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in her death. (Luke Lu/Iowa State University via AP)

I’ve been following Elvira for some time mostly because of his name. Is there a better name in golf? I don’t think so. Plus, in the only time we ever crossed paths, he held the door as I dragged my golf bag and luggage through an international airport. In other words, he’s a friend for life.

On Sunday, Elvira blew a six-shot overnight lead heading into the final round at the Cazoo Wales Open and bogeyed the 18th hole to drop into a playoff with Justin Harding. But the South African took three putts on the first playoff hole, the par-five 18th, to hand Elvira the title.

“I thought I had it all pretty much under control and to be honest I got pretty nervous on the last couple of putts,” Elvira told Sky Sports of his three-putt at 18 in regulation. “I was more calm in the playoff than I was on 18.”

Afterwards, he spoke about Barquin, who won the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship in 2018, and who served as a good luck charm of sorts on Sunday.

“To be honest I was thinking especially during the last nine or 10 holes about Celia Barquin, she passed away a few years ago,” Elvira said. “I was good friends with her family and this is for her.”

Collin Richards pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in August 2019. Elvira’s win was cool, but his dedication of the victory turned an otherwise forgettable Euro Tour event into an underappreciated moment during Sunday’s trophy hunt.

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A European Tour player won a ridiculous amount of whiskey for his hole-in-one at the Scottish Open

204 bottles of whiskey!!???

Often times during a professional golf tournament a player can win a car on a par 3 if they get a hole-in-one. It’s a fun reward that rarely pays off but still, it’s a cool thing to have on the table.

Well, the Scottish Open took things to a whole different level over the weekend as their reward for a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th hole was a bottle of whiskey for all 204 yards of the hole. That’s right – if you got a hole-in-one you’d receive 204 bottles of whiskey.

Look. Out.

And you know what happened? Wade Ormsby got a hole-in-one on Sunday and now owns a TON of whiskey:

204 bottles of whiskey!!

Amazing.

I wonder how this works, though – do they just roll out 204 bottles of whiskey to his courtesy car after the round are like “Here ya go!”

Twitter loved it:

Min Woo Lee buries birdie putt, wins three-way playoff to capture European Tour’s abrdn Scottish Open

After a Sunday 64 Lee earned his second European Tour win in a three-way playoff.

Australian Min Woo Lee dropped an 8-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to capture the abrdn Scottish Open on Sunday, marking his second victory on the European Tour, this one coming against one of the circuit’s strongest fields in recent memory.

Lee edged Matt Fitzpatrick and Thomas Detry in the playoff, but first, he posted a 64 on Sunday, using six straight birdies on the front nine to get into bonus golf.

The native of Perth, Australia, deserved the win — he finished the last 43 holes of the four-day event at The Renaissance Club with an eagle, 15 birdies and just one bogey.

His other previous win was the ISPS Handa Vic Open in February 2020.

Ian Poulter had posted a 63 early in the day and shared the lead for a stretch, but the group passed him. Ryan Palmer and Lucas Herbert tied Poulter for second at 17 under for the tournament.

Jon Rahm, who appeared to be closing in prior to a weather delay, finished in seventh, just two shots off the leaders. Justin Thomas was T-8 at 15 under while Xander Schauffele (-14) and Scottie Scheffler (-13) both posted top-15 finishes.

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Lucas Herbert punches ticket to British Open with wire-to-wire win at European Tour’s Irish Open

The win is Herbert’s second on the European Tour.

Lucas Herbert began the week at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open with a 64 to take the lead and never looked back.

The 25-year-old Australian went wire-to-wire thanks to a 4-under 68 on Sunday to reach 19 under at Mount Juliet Estate and seal the deal for his second European Tour win. Herbert’s first came in early 2020 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, where he defeated Christiaan Bezuidenhout in a playoff.

With this win, Herbert punched his ticket to the 149th British Open later this month at Royal St George’s in Sandwich, England. Joining him at the Open will be runner-up Rikard Karlberg, who finished three shots back at 16 under, and Johannes Veerman, who placed third at 15 under.

“It’s a bit fulfilling really, I feel like I was probably really at one of my low points in my life two years ago when I played at Lahinch in the Irish Open,” said Herbert after the round. “The more big events that you play the better. You get more comfortable in those so I can take some more opportunities when I do get those chances.”

Next week the European Tour heads to the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, for the Scottish Open ahead of the year’s final men’s major championship.

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Lucas Herbert sets the pace at Irish Open; Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy lag behind

Lucas Herbert remains at the top of the Irish Open leaderboard after two rounds.

Lucas Herbert remains at the top of the Irish Open leaderboard after two rounds on the strength of his opening 8-under 64 at Mount Juliet Estate in Thomastown, Ireland.

Herbert, an Australian, followed with a 4-under 67 on Friday that included both a bogey and a double-bogey. He balanced it out with a total of eight birdies on the day and is at 13 under for 36 holes.

After winning last season’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic, Herbert is looking for his second European Tour win.

Despite not being thrilled with his big numbers on Friday, Herbert was pleased with how he’d set himself up for the weekend. He leads Grant Forrest and Andy Sullivan, both at 11 under, by two shots.

“I think it’s definitely something that comes with a win where you know you’ve proved to yourself that you can win, you can hit shots under pressure and actually win,” he told the European Tour. “So I’ll be taking a lot of experience from that into the weekend and try and draw on that confidence as well.”

Defending champion John Catlin was T17 at 7 under, two shots clear of 2019 British Open champion Shane Lowry and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy.

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Viktor Hovland holds off Martin Kaymer, makes European Tour history with 2021 BMW International Open win

Hovland, 23, now has three wins early in his professional career.

Viktor Hovland continues to put Norway golf on the map.

The 23-year-old made history on Sunday as the first Norwegian player to win on the European Tour with his two-shot victory at the 2021 BMW International Open at 19 under. The Oklahoma State product held off two-time major champion Martin Kaymer to earn his first win on the European Tour in just his second start.

Hovland now has three wins since turning professional in 2019 after claiming the Puerto Rico Open and Mayakoba Golf Classic last year.

“I grew up watching mostly the European Tour,” Hovland said after his round. “There’s a lot of guys who played this week who I grew up watching. It’s cool to be a champion of this tour, in Germany, in a place that… it’s not in Norway, but it’s close and has some of the same feelings of being home. It’s a huge honor and finally Norway has a win on the European Tour.”

Hovland shot a 2-under 70 in the final round to fend off Kaymer, who fired a 8-under 64 to finish second at 17 under. Jorge Campillo finished third at 15 under, followed by Victor Dubuisson at 14 under and seven players T-5 at 13 under: Darren Fichardt, Justin Harding, Sam Horsfield, Shaun Norris, Vincent Norrman, Andy Sullivan and Bernd Wiesberger.

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Four players tied for lead at Scandinavian Mixed, including two men and two women

Four players are tied for the lead through three rounds of the Scandinavian Mixed, and it’s an equal representation.

Four players are tied for the lead through three rounds of the Scandinavian Mixed, and it’s an equal representation. Alice Hewson and Caroline Hedwall both stand at 12 under at Vallda Golf and Country Club in Gothenburg, Sweden, and so do Rhys Enoch and Jason Scrivener.

Equal representation at the top of the leaderboard is the best endorsement you could make for the opportunity this tournament provides.

Wind made conditions difficult in the third round, but Hewson persevered. She birdied three of her final four holes for a third-round 69 and is enjoying every minute.

“I am having a lot of fun this week,” Hewson said. “That’s been something I’ve really kind of worked on from the beginning of this season. . . . Playing with the men has been so much fun. They’ve all made me feel exceptionally welcome.”

The former Clemson star is looking for her second Ladies European Tour win. Hedwall, meanwhile, is a six-time LET winner and was the 2010 NCAA individual champion. She walked away from Saturday’s third round please with the course setup.

“They’ve obviously set it up really well for us. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow,” she said.

The tournament concludes Sunday.

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Garrick Higgo makes a hole-in-one, wins again on European Tour

The UNLV product now has three Euro Tour wins, doing so in just 26 events.

Make it two wins in three weeks for Garrick Higgo.

The South African won the 2021 Canary Islands Championship on Sunday in Spain, following up his victory at the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open on April 24.

And he did it in style – his 9-iron on the 166-yard, par-3 seventh found the cup, part of a final-round 64. He finished 27 under and won by six shots over Australian Maverick Antcliff.

Ireland’s Niall Kearney made a run at a 59, needing to close with two birdies, but he parred in to shoot a final-round 61, good for a tie for fourth.

The left-handed Higgo, who played at UNLV, now has three Euro Tour wins in 26 events. That ties Tiger Woods for fewest number of events needed to reach three wins on either the Euro or PGA Tour, and makes him the fastest South African to win three times not counting majors or WGC events, the European Tour reported.

With Dean Burmester’s win last week, South Africans have won three consecutive events for the time on the Euro Tour in nine years.

Higgo’s win vaults him into fifth in the Race to Dubai Rankings and pushes him to verge of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Garrick Higgo
Garrick Higgo poses with the trophy after winning the Canary Islands Championship at Golf Costa Adeje on May 09, 2021 in Tenerife, Spain. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Garrick Higgo looking for second European Tour win in three-week stretch

Little did Garrick Higgo know a three-week jaunt to the Canary Islands would be not only beautiful but life-changing.

Little did 21-year-old Garrick Higgo know when he packed for a three-week jaunt to the Canary Islands that the experience would be not only beautiful but life-changing.

The South African, who played collegiately at UNLV, is leading after three rounds at the Canary Islands Championship and is looking for his second win in three weeks and his third straight top-10 European Tour finish. He had just a single win on the Euro circuit before this stretch, but after winning the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open and then placing eighth at the Tenerife Open, the lefty is looking to leave the scenic Spanish archipelago with more than $500,000 in winnings.

Higgo followed Friday’s 63 with a rocky 64, overcoming a pair of bogeys with two eagles. He leads Richard Mansell by two strokes and Calum Hill by three heading into the final day of play at Golf Costa Adeje.

Leaderboard: Canary Islands Championship

If he wins, Higgo would move into the top five in the lucrative Race to Dubai and improve on his already skyrocketing spot of No. 66 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

The top American in the field is Julian Suri, who sits T-9 at 13 under. Suri is a Duke product who lives in St. Augustine, Florida.

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