Tag: Tommy Fleetwood

Honda Classic: Tommy Fleetwood has no regrets about going for it on No. 18

Tommy Fleetwood decided to go for it on the final hole of the Honda Classic but the risk didn’t pay off.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Tommy Fleetwood was feeling pretty good as he stepped up to his second shot on the par-5 18th hole of PGA National’s challenging Champion course Sunday.

His previous two shots not only got him back into the Honda Classic, a tournament he led by three shots after starting his final round with two birdies, but gave him a chance to walk away with his first PGA Tour victory.

Fleetwood rolled in a 24-foot birdie putt on the par-3 No. 17, the rowdiest hole on the course, sending the legions of Fleetwood followers into a celebration as he pulled within a shot of Sungjae Im.

He then smacked a 305-yard drive on the par-5 18th right down the middle with a chance to get up and down for the win.

“Seventeen was massive,” Fleetwood said. “Felt great walking to the 18th, ripped a tee shot, felt really good and …

“You know, the game switches pretty quickly.”

In one swing of the club.

Fleetwood, 29, has won in seven countries and entered the week ranked No. 12 in the world. But he has never won in the United States. Now, standing 239 yards from the pin on No. 18, the Englishman was looking for at least a birdie, which would have forced a playoff with Im, or better yet, carding that eagle for the outright victory.

The decision: Go left, where it was wide open, and then try to get up and down for the birdie.

Or go for the win.

Fleetwood, who has five wins on the European Tour, is one of the game’s best ball strikers. And he needed one more strike.

“There was only one shot, really,” he said. “Maybe at the time you’re looking, ‘I had the world left and I could have gotten up and down.’ You’re not playing for that. I could have easily bailed left and not got up and down and I would say ‘Why did I bail out left?’ You pick your shot and you hit and that’s it.”

Fleetwood sliced the ball and it never reached land, splashing down a few yards from the embankment in front of the hole.

“I think we picked the right shot 100 percent. I just didn’t pull it off.”

Fleetwood bogeyed the hole after taking his one-stroke penalty, finishing with a 71 for the round (his only round over par for the tournament) for a total of 4-under 276. He was third, his best finish on Tour since finishing runner-up to Shane Lowry in last year’s British Open.

Fleetwood made the right decision. You don’t get into the top 10 – he will move to No. 10 in world, bumping Tiger Woods to No. 11 – by playing conservative golf.

This time it didn’t work out. But it has in the past and will in the future.

Fleetwood is close to that breakthrough win in the States. Who knows? It could come this week at Bay Hill or the week after at The Players. He has four second-place finishes – two in majors, including last year’s British and the 2018 U.S. Open, which was won by Brooks Koepka – and three third-place finishes.

Though he repeated several times his disappointment of giving away an early three-shot lead Sunday, he is somewhat encouraged in the fact that he was one of just 16 players to shoot under par for the tournament and had a chance on the final hole despite not playing his best.

“It’s disappointing and I’ll be thinking about it,” he said. “Little things will come to your mind, ‘What if? Or what if that?’

“My game is in good shape where I actually feel like I can hit it better. I don’t feel like this week I’ve played some absolutely fantastic golf. I still feel like my game could have felt better at times and I think that’s something to look at. I feel like I can get sharper.”

Fleetwood had his moments off the tee (he led the field in strokes gained tee to green in round 2) and on the greens (he was third in strokes gained putting in round 3). Sunday, he slipped in both, 39th in tee to green and 25th strokes gained putting.

“I’ve just got to keep pushing,” he said. “Absolutely, I want to be a regular winner, but there’s no point in moaning and groaning about it now. It didn’t happen. I’ve just got to keep going and if I keep getting this close, it’ll happen.”

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Sungjae Im drives off with his maiden PGA Tour title at Honda Classic

The 21-year-old Im fired a 4-under 66 and edged Canadian Mackenzie Hughes by one stroke at PGA National.

Sungjae Im finally backed up his reputation as one of the emerging stars of the PGA Tour by earning his maiden victory at the Honda Classic.

Im, the 21-year-old reigning Tour rookie of the year, played the infamous Bear Trap, three consecutive water-laden holes beginning at 15 at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Champion course at PGA National Resort and Spa, in 2 under en route to shooting a final-round 4-under 66. Im had to scramble for par at the par-5 18 to finish at 6-under 274, and edged Canadian Mackenzie Hughes by one stroke.

“I’ve been in this spot many times. I just felt like the experiences really helped, especially on the last few holes. I just wanted to get a little more aggressive [on the last four holes]. I was just happy to finish the way that I did,” Im said through his caddie, Albin Choi, who served as an interpreter.

Im, who turned pro at age 17, played a Tour-high 35 tournaments last season, recording seven top-10 finishes and was the only rookie to qualify for the 30-man Tour Championship last season. His teammates at the Presidents Cup called him “The Weapon,” and his swing has been compared to the USGA ball-testing robot Iron Byron because it is so repeatable. The South Korean, who entered the week ranked No. 34 in the world, also doesn’t have a permanent residence and lives week-to-week at hotels with his parents joining him in a separate room and helping him in his U.S. adventure.

On a wild day where no less than four golfers held or shared the lead, Im birdied four of the five first holes to cut into the lead of 54-hole leader Tommy Fleetwood. Im took just 11 putts in his first 10 holes before back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 12 and 13 temporarily slowed his march to victory.

Hughes, 29, nearly went from the cutline to the winner’s circle. After making the cut on the number at 3 over, Hughes shot 66, the low round of the day on Saturday, to improve 51 spots. Playing alongside Im, Hughes holed a bunker shot at 13 on Sunday and played his first 15 holes without a bogey to join the trophy chase.

Fleetwood, No. 12 in the world has won five times on the European Tour but he’s the only player in the top 20 of the world ranking without a victory on the PGA Tour. Fleetwood, runner up at the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 British Open, raced to a three-stroke lead with birdies on the first two holes, but failed to make another birdie until 17 and hit his second shot at 18 in the water to blow another chance to put an end to the questions of when he will win on the PGA Tour. Fleetwood finished alone in third after a 1-over 71.

Im seized the moment at 15, where water guards both the front and right sides of the green, and a large bunker to the left is a magnet for those who bail out. Im stuck a 5-iron to 8 feet and canned the putt for birdie, and knocked his tee shot to 8 feet again at 17 and rolled the downhill putt in moments after Hughes poured in a 54-foot birdie putt to momentarily tie for the lead. But Hughes, who had missed five cuts in a row and hadn’t recorded a top-10 finish since the Charles Schwab Challenge in May, hooked his second shot into the stands at 18 and failed to make birdie. He finished with a second straight 66.

Im was the 36-hole leader at Honda a year ago, but the moment proved to be too big for him and he ballooned to a Saturday 77 and finished T-51. Not this time. Im became the youngest champion of the Honda Classic and the 14th international player to win the title in the last 27 years.

“Even after winning Rookie of the Year and having a few chances to win, I really wanted to get that win,” Im said. “Had a few good chances that slipped away, but I’m also still very grateful that I could win at such a young age, and to have it happen as fast as it did, I’m very happy and satisfied.”

Tommy Fleetwood leads British invasion at Honda Classic

Tommy Fleetwood is one of three Brits among the top four contenders after 54 holes of the Honda Classic. He leads by 1 after shooting 67.

The leaderboard through 54 holes at the Honda Classic would have sent Paul Revere into a frenzy.

There are three Englishman among the top four contenders, led by Tommy Fleetwood, who birdied four of the final six holes to shoot 3-under 67 and grab his first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour.

Fleetwood, 29, leads American Brendan Steele, who shot 71, by one stroke at 5-under 205 at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Champion course at PGA National Resort & Spa. He leads fellow Brits Lee Westwood and Luke Donald by two.

“It’s just an all-around very, very difficult test, and it tests everyone,” Fleetwood said of the layout. “It tests every part of your game.”

More: Photos | Updates | Leaderboard

The wind blew and the greens got crusty and the course played so tough that Fleetwood was the only player in the final eight twosomes under par in the third round. Only 13 players are under par through 54 holes.

“It feels like a major championship toughness-wise,” local product Daniel Berger said after shooting 69.

Or as NBC commentator David Feherty put it, as only he can, “This golf course is kicking you know what.”

Fleetwood kicked back with a ferocious finish as his putter warmed up. Winner of five titles on the European Tour and making his 64th career PGA Tour start, Fleetwood has four runner-ups, including at last year’s Open Championship, and 16 top-10 finishes, but nary a win to show for it on U.S. soil. He’s ranked No. 12 in the world and is the highest ranked player without a victory on the PGA Tour. Fleetwood said there’s nothing he’d like more than to nab that first Tour title on Sunday.

“For a guy who has never won, he sure looks ready,” NBC’s Paul Azinger said.

Fleetwood said he hadn’t made many mid-range putts this week, but his putter came alive beginning at No. 13, where he canned a 14-foot birdie. One hole later, he was simply trying to lag one close from 45 feet and it dripped in for another birdie. He gave a stroke back at 15, but called the 11-foot bogey putt he holed crucial to keeping the momentum of his round going. On 17, he drilled another bomb, this time a 49-footer from the fringe for birdie, and he capped the day with a two-putt birdie at 18, after becoming just the seventh player to reach the 18th hole in two on Saturday.

“I sort of fancied that one, but it’s always nice to pull it off when you’re trying,” Fleetwood said of his 258-yard cut 5-wood from a downslope.

Steele, the 36-hole leader, jumped out of the gates with birdies on two of his first three holes, but made back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 4 and 5 then 10 and 11 to fall out of the lead. He drained a 12-foot birdie at 17 to climb within one stroke heading into Sunday and will play in his second final group of the season (Sony Open in Hawaii).

Westwood from Worksop, who spent a combined 22 weeks as World No. 1 in 2010-11, and Donald from Hemel Hempstead, and World No. 1 in 2011-12 for a combined 56 weeks, both had up-and-down days but salvaged rounds of 1-over 71 to remain in the hunt.

“I didn’t have my A-game today, struggled with my swing a little bit. But I didn’t do too much damage,” Westwood told Golf Channel after the round. “I don’t feel like two shots [deficit] is much around this golf course. My confidence levels are high. The good thing is I’m driving the ball well.”

Berger is joined at 2 under by South Korea’s Sungjae Im and South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel.

Canadian Mackenzie Hughes made the biggest move of the day. After making the cut on the number, he shot 4-under 66 and improved 51 spots into a tie for eighth at 1 under with a group that includes former Honda champions Russell Henley and Rory Sabbatini.

“Anything under par is pretty good,” said Schwartzel, the former Masters champion who missed nine months last season with a wrist injury and shot even-par 70. “As you can tell by the scores, no one is really going anywhere, and I don’t really see anything different happening tomorrow.”

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Honda Classic field, by the rankings

We break down the Honda Classic field by Golfweek/Sagarins and OWGR rankings.

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This week’s Honda Classic, the 21st event of the 2019-20 PGA Tour season, starts the beginning of a series of East Coast stops. While the field features plenty of top players – Brooks Koepka, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose among them – the biggest story might be the absence of nearby residents and top-10 players. That list includes Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay and Tiger Woods.

Regardless, there’s still plenty of top talent in the field, and we’ve broken it down according to two rankings.

MORE: Tee times | Odds + picks | Fantasy | Podcast

For the 2019-20 season, the average ranking of the winner heading into the week in which they won PGA Tour event has been 88.50 in Golfweek/Sagarins and 119.65 in the OWGR.

Player Golfweek/Sagarin OWGR
 Tommy Fleetwood 5 12
 Brooks Koepka 8 3
 Louis Oosthuizen 9 18
 Justin Rose 14 13
 Rickie Fowler 20 25
 Viktor Hovland 22 60
 Sungjae Im 25 34
 Billy Horschel 26 35
 Gary Woodland 28 17
 Rory Sabbatini 30 104
 Jim Furyk 34 79
 Daniel Berger 35 123
 Vaughn Taylor 36 96
 Shane Lowry 39 19
 Byeong Hun An 40 52
 Cameron Tringale 42 199
 Harris English 49 194
 Denny McCarthy 50 165
 Russell Knox 51 115
 Talor Gooch 54 167
 Erik van Rooyen 55 40
 Joaquin Niemann 56 70
 J.T. Poston 57 76
 Brian Harman 59 134
 Harry Higgs 60 139
 Ryan Palmer 68 81
 Lucas Glover 71 85
 Bud Cauley 73 142
 Mark Hubbard 75 177
 Xinjun Zhang 76 472
 Doc Redman 77 160
 Corey Conners 79 65
 Matt Wallace 85 42
 Ian Poulter 86 56
 Matt Jones 87 95
 Dylan Frittelli 91 118
 Brian Stuard 93 143
 Matthew Wolff 95 107
 Sam Burns 97 191
 Bo Hoag 99 292
 Kurt Kitayama 100 72
 Keegan Bradley 106 64
 Bronson Burgoon 109 216
 Harold Varner III 112 129
 Tom Hoge 115 146
 Jhonattan Vegas 116 152
 Kevin Streelman 117 91
 Lee Westwood 120 30
 Emiliano Grillo 123 119
 Zach Johnson 124 250
 Chase Seiffert 125 276
 Joseph Bramlett 127 374
 Adam Schenk 128 204
 Kyle Stanley 129 132
 Grayson Murray 134 398
 Sam Ryder 135 227
 Zac Blair 137 207
 Patrick Rodgers 140 267
 Maverick McNealy 142 256
 Wyndham Clark 143 162
 Keith Mitchell 148 538
 Brendan Steele 149 171
 Henrik Norlander 150 222
 Aaron Wise 151 147
 Beau Hossler 153 209
 D.J. Trahan 154 323
 Danny Lee 156 108
 Wes Roach 157 293
 John Huh 158 716
 Scott Stallings 160 300
 Adam Long 163 111
 Tyler McCumber 167 363
 Stewart Cink 168 240
 Brice Garnett 169 242
 Scott Harrington 170 236
 Cameron Percy 173 310
 Rob Oppenheim 174 451
 Kevin Tway 175 144
 Fabián Gómez 176 259
 Peter Malnati 180 247
 Matthew NeSmith 184 202
 David Hearn 186 423
 Jason Dufner 191 303
 Nick Watney 192 224
 Russell Henley 196 233
 Cameron Davis 199 252
 Richy Werenski 202 295
 Brian Gay 204 203
 Tom Lewis 206 57
 Robby Shelton 209 180
 Tyler Duncan 211 174
 Luke List 212 168
 Kiradech Aphibarnrat 217 133
 Chesson Hadley 221 198
 Ryan Armour 223 230
 Jimmy Walker 224 275
 Mark Anderson 227 330
 Vincent Whaley 229 409
 Luke Donald 231 456
 Ryo Ishikawa 237 87
 Kyoung-Hoon Lee 239 232
 Josh Teater 247 221
 Hank Lebioda 258 301
 Tim Wilkinson 259 390
 Mackenzie Hughes 261 308
 Scott Brown 266 157
 Kramer Hickok 268 257
 C.T. Pan 280 90
 Hudson Swafford 281 354
 Si Woo Kim 282 124
 Roger Sloan 288 280
 Sepp Straka 289 181
 Michael Thompson 298 249
 Charl Schwartzel 299 217
 Chris Baker 301 452
 Robert Streb 311 271
 Ted Potter, Jr. 315 281
 Sebastian Cappelen 325 318
 Michael Gligic 328 476
 Matt Every 330 296
 Austin Cook 337 327
 Patton Kizzire 349 368
 Doug Ghim 354 454
 Chris Kirk 363 466
 Brandon Hagy 394 426
 Padraig Harrington 396 341
 Chris Stroud 415 282
 Satoshi Kodaira 434 288
 Lucas Bjerregaard 443 109
 Jim Herman 465 305
 Jamie Lovemark 513 647
 Arjun Atwal 639 1408
 Bo Van Pelt 740 2085
 Martin Trainer 767 379
 Justin Bertsch N/R 2085
 Hayden Buckley N/R 738
 Greg Chalmers N/R 690
 Davis Love III N/R 811
 Andrew McCain N/R 2085
 Seung-Yul Noh N/R 1477
 Sean O’Hair N/R 572
 Vijay Singh N/R 820
 Camilo Villegas N/R 1066
 Daniel Wetterich N/R N/R

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Honda Classic odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Honda Classic, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.

The PGA Tour begins its four-event Florida swing with this week’s Honda Classic. Just three of the top 10 players in the world, according to the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings are in the field this week. Many of the world’s top golfers are taking the week off ahead of next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship the following week.

The key stats for the 7,125-yard, par-70 PGA National are:

  • Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
  • SG: Approach
  • Birdies or Better Gained
  • Sand Saves Gained
  • Par 4 Efficiency: 400-450 Yards
  • Strokes Gained: Scrambling

My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 36 rounds for each golfer in the field on courses shorter than 7,200 yards.

Honda Classic – Tier 1

Feb 20, 2020; Mexico City, MEX; Tommy Fleetwood reacts after playing his shot from the 14th tee during the first round of the WGC – Mexico Championship golf tournament at Club de Golf Chapultepec. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 12:30 a.m. ET.

Tommy Fleetwood (+1000)

At No. 5 in the Golfweek rankings, Fleetwood is the top golfer in attendance. He also leads my stat model for the week on his strengths in SG: Ball Striking and Par 4 Efficiency. He finished fourth here in 2018 before skipping last year’s event.

Fleetwood is one of the more precise and accurate golfers in the world, and the forced layups off the tees at PGA National will play to his advantage as golfers need to navigate their way around the course. He’s a chalky play as the tournament favorite, but it worked for us last week with Viktor Hovland at the Puerto Rico Open.

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Billy Horschel (+2800)

Horschel has finished T-9 at each of his last two events – last week’s WGC-Mexico Championship and the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He tied for 16th at last year’s tournament following a missed cut in 2018. He finished T-4 and T-8 in 2017 and 2016, respectively. Like Fleetwood, he’s a great irons player.

Honda Classic – Tier 2

Jan 24, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Matthew Wolff plays his shot from the 18th tee during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course – North Course. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)

Matthew Wolff (+8000)

Wolff took last week off following a missed cut at the Genesis Invitational. He had previously missed the cut at the WMPO. While he ranks just 72nd overall by the stat model, he’s 18th in Birdies or Better Gained on shorter courses.

Luke List (+9000)

List’s advantage in length is largely negated at PGA National due to the forced layups off the tee. He was the runner-up to Rickie Fowler in 2018 and he tied for 10th in 2016. He’s on a streak of three straight made cuts.

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Honda Classic – Longshots

Apr 21, 2019; Hilton Head, SC, USA; Sam Burns tees off on the second hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links. (Photo Credit: Joshua S. Kelly – USA TODAY Sports)

Sam Burns (+10000)

Burns’ odds are attractive following a T-8 finish in 2018. He followed it up with a T-73 last year, but he’s coming off a T-23 result in a much stronger field at the Genesis Invitational. He can score low on shorter courses.

Dylan Frittelli (+15000)

Frittelli excels on par 4’s ranging from 400-450 yards. He missed the cut last year on the heels of an 11th-place finish in 2018. He hasn’t found top form since his breakthrough win at last year’s John Deere Classic, but he picked up top-10 finishes at the Sanderson Farms Championship and Safeway Open earlier in the 2019-20 season. These odds are far too high for someone with a Masters invite already secured.

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Top 10 Euro story lines of the decade: Rory’s statements, Sergio’s tantrum

Rory McIlroy hasn’t been afraid to speak his mind, and the Ryder Cup has provided plenty of drama in our top 10 story lines of the decade.

The European Tour hardly gets a break at all.

Last season ended Sunday at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, where Jon Rahm earned the $3 million first-place check for winning his second DP title, and a further $2 million bonus for finishing the season as No. 1 on the Race to Dubai.

The next season starts this week at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, a mere four days later.

With not much time to catch our breath, Golfweek’s Alistair Tait takes a look back at the top 10 story lines on the European Tour in the last decade:

KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, SAUDI ARABIA - FEBRUARY 02: Sergio Garcia of Spain in action during the third round of the Saudi International at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on February 02, 2019 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Sergio Garcia during the Saudi International at the 2019 Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

10. Sergio’s Saudi meltdown

Sergio Garcia displayed a lack of etiquette during the 2019 Saudi International that left fellow competitors disgusted. Garcia willfully damaged several greens during his third round. Players behind complained and the Spaniard was disqualified. It was yet another poor breach of etiquette from the Spaniard, following throwing a shoe in anger during the 1999 World Match Play Championship and spitting into Doral’s 13th hole during the 2007 CA Championship.

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$5 million payday: Jon Rahm joins Seve Ballesteros in European record books

Jon Rahm had a six-shot lead in the final round, but arrived on the 16th tee feeling shaky after a three-putt bogey at 15.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Jon Rahm might not hole a more lucrative putt than the five-footer he holed for birdie on the 18th green in the final round of the $8 million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. Each foot was worth exactly $1 million.

Five million dollars for five feet. The richest putt ever holed in European Tour history. Rahm earned the $3 million first-place check for winning his second DP World Tour Championship, Dubai title, and a further $2 million bonus for finishing the season as No. 1 on the Race to Dubai.

The Arizona State grad joins the late Seve Ballesteros in the European Tour record books. Rahm is the second Spaniard, and first since Ballesteros in 1991, to end a season as European No. 1.

“It’s really so hard to believe that some of the greatest champions in European golf and Spanish golf haven’t been able to accomplish what I have in just three years,” the 25-year-old Rahm said.

“So many great players throughout the history of Spain that have had a chance and they didn’t get it done. It’s just hard to put that in perspective to know that since Seve, I’m the next one to get it done.

“It just doesn’t feel like it’s true. It’s hard to believe.”

Rahm’s birdie putt on the 72nd green gave him a closing 68 to help him finish 19 under, one shot ahead of England’s Tommy Fleetwood. France’s Mike Lorenzo-Vera placed third on 17 under.

Rahm had a six-shot lead at one point in the final round, but arrived on the 16th tee feeling shaky after a three-putt bogey at 15, and knowing Fleetwood was making a charge.

“I heard Jack Nicklaus talk about it, about his win at the Open at Muirfield. He said he was on the 16th hole as well and told himself, ‘If you finish 3, 4, 4, which there is birdie, par, par, you win the tournament.’ I told myself on 16 before I hit the tee shot, ‘If you finish 4, 3, 3, you win the golf tournament, no matter what anybody else does.’ That’s kind of what I said to myself, too, and that’s what I did.”

Rahm arrived in Dubai third on the Race to Dubai behind first-place Bernd Wiesberger and Fleetwood. His fourth Rolex Series tournament win, and sixth European Tour victory enabled him to overtake both. Fleetwood kept his second-place ranking, while Wiesberger dropped to third.

Fleetwood put up a fight with a closing 65. He was looking for his second straight win after last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge. He set a record then for picking up the biggest first-place check in golf history, one worth $2.5 million. Rahm took that record from him.

“There’s always going to be a little bit of disappointment but, for the most part, I got myself back in it, and I am very proud of the way I played on that back nine,” said Fleetwood, who came home in 31, 5-under. “You know, Jon’s time, Jon’s moment, he’s played unbelievable this year, and you know, fair play.”

Fleetwood earned $888,500 for his second-place finish, and a further $1.2 million for placing second on the Race to Dubai. It took his earnings to $4,588,000 for two weeks work.

Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez never managed to get their hands on the Harry Vardon Trophy awarded annually to Europe’s No. 1 player.

Ballesteros finished European No. 1 on six separate occasions. The question on everyone’s lips as the 2019 European season ended was just how many more times will Rahm finish on top of the European tree?

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Rory McIlroy falters, Tommy Fleetwood takes Race to Dubai lead

The second round of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai didn’t go according as planed for Rory McIlroy.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The second round of the $8 million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai didn’t go according to plan. Rory McIlroy hasn’t run away with the tournament and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger is no longer in pole position to finish the season as European No. 1.

After a stellar opening 64, McIlroy began in the final group trailing first round leader Mike Lorenzo-Vera by just a shot. Few would have backed the Frenchman to outplay the World No. 2, but that’s just what Lorenzo-Vera did. By five shots.

The 34-year-old from Biarritz returned a 3-under 69 to move to 12 under and a three-shot lead. McIlroy slumped to a 74 and lies in equal fifth. Fleetwood played the Earth course in 68 shots to lie joint second place with Jon Rahm on 9 under. Fleetwood is now projected to finish above Wiesberger on the Race to Dubai.

Signs that Rory’s round wouldn’t match his first came at the par-3 sixth when his tee shot found water. He scraped a shot back at the next with a birdie, but then bogeyed the 10th and 13th holes.  A birdie at the 14th helped.

“I obviously didn’t quite have it today,” McIlroy said. “The putts that went in yesterday sort of went over the edges today.

“I didn’t actually know the rough was as bad is it was. I was hitting it in the fairway all week. Then I hit it in the rough today and realized it was a bit more difficult.

“It’s a very fickle game, one day it can seem very easy and then someone up there says ‘not so fast’, and brings you back down to earth. That’s golf. I battled through it and I’m still in with a shout to have a go at winning this tournament.”

Lorenzo-Vera is the stereotypical journeyman. He looked like he could make an impact on the European Tour when he won the 2007 Challenge Tour Order of Merit. However, he’s made four unsuccessful trips to the Qualifying School since then.

Lorenzo-Vera’s best European Tor season came in 2017 when he placed 35th on the Race to Dubai. He’s had three runner-up finishes, including this year’s Estrella Damm NA Andalucia Masters, but he’s still looking for his first European Tour win.

Victory this week would result in a $3 million pay day. The Frenchman knows exactly what he’ll do with the money.

“Last night I was trying to get it out of my head but it did not want to so I accepted and went on to the internet to see what car I’d buy if I won,” he said. “And it would be a Ferrari f12 TdF.”

Wiesberger returned a 1-under 71 and is tied for 13th spot. He is now projected to finish second on the Race to Dubai to Fleetwood, who is seeking to finish a season as European No. 1 for the second time following 2017. He was second to Francesco Molinari last year, and knows what it’s like to run this race.

“I feel very ready at the moment, feel very prepared for the scenarios that get thrown at you,” Fleetwood said. “I’m also very used to it. This is the three years in a row where I’ve been I’m in this situation.

“When I tee off tomorrow, I know what feelings to expect. I have a lot of experience in what to do, so it’s got to help.”

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Tommy Fleetwood found consistency, but is still looking for more wins

Tommy Fleetwood has reached a level of consistency few European Tour players achieve in this frustrating game. Alistair Tait explains why.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Tommy Fleetwood might not win the Race to Dubai at the conclusion of this week’s $8 million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. However, he’ll head home for a long break content in the knowledge he’s reached a level of consistency few European Tour players achieve in this frustrating game.

The Englishman lies second on the Race to Dubai. He trails Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger by 722.8 points in the battle to finish European No. 1. The 28-year-old made a good start in his fight to unseat Wiesberger from the No. 1 spot. He returned a 5-under 67 to the 34-year-old’s 70. Fleetwood lies fourth while Wiesberger is T-14.

The pair played the opening round together, and Fleetwood laid down an immediate marker by holing out his 9-iron second shot for an eagle two on the par-4 first hole.

“I hit two great shots and then thought I’ve got a bit of time now before my second tee shot,” said Fleetwood, who won last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge to put himself in contention to finish the season as European No. 1 for the second time in three years. He was first in 2017 and runner-up to Francesco Molinari last year. “It’s a perfect time for it to happen because if you get off to a perfect start you know you’ve got 71 more holes to build on it.

“You can only play your way out of it on day one. There’s a lot to do. There’s 54 more holes to play and some great players up there. All I can do is do my stuff. I’ve got three days of work left until the end of the year. Just make the most of them. Stay very present and keep doing my best on every golf shot and see how we can get on. I’d love to be up there come Sunday but we’ve got a lot to do.”

If trophies were being handed out for consistency, however, then Fleetwood should be considered for the Player of the Year. He’s made 41 cuts in a row coming into this week. He hasn’t had a weekend off since last year’s French Open. “And I only missed there by a shot,” he proudly proclaims.

“It’s a great run and something you should give yourself a pat on the back for. I’ve been saying for a while that I’d give up a couple of cuts for a win or two. I’ve got that now and just need to build on it.

“I pride myself on trying to prep well and having an all-round game, and for a while now I’ve been very consistent. I’d like to keep it going, but I’m ultimately trying to reach the upper echelons of the game and win tournaments. That’s what I’ve got to do. I’ve given myself an unbelievable platform from which to build on.”

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2 up, 2 down: Carlos Ortiz, Tommy Fleetwood on the rise

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

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

PGA Tour

Up

Carlos Ortiz (97)

Ortiz’s tie for second on home soil at the Mayakoba Golf Classic was the best of his fledgling career. The 28-year-old shot a pair of 65s in the middle rounds and overcame a double bogey on his opening hole of the final round to shoot 66. Ortiz has been on a roll thanks to a solid all-around game, highlighted by a rank of fifth in SG: Around the Green. He had finished in the top 5 in two of last four starts (Sanderson Farms and Houston Open).

Harris English (68)

English has had an outstanding start to the 2019-20 season after suffering through his worst season last year (No. 149 in the FedEx Cup standings). Playing on a sponsor’s exemption, he finished fifth at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. It marked his Tour-best fourth top-6 finish of the season: T-3 at Greenbrier, T-4 at Houston Open, T-6 at Sanderson Farms. What’s the difference? English said he simply went back to what worked when he was playing his best golf. “Just sticking to that, not trying to reinvent the wheel and just do what I’m good at,” he said.

Down

Kevin Kisner (41)

Kisner has finished T-66 at Zozo, T-28 at the WGC-HSBC Champions and T-76 at Mayakoba. He’s only broken 70 three times in 12 rounds and shot 72, 77 and 74 on Sundays. This week’s RSM Classic is a course he’s won on before so don’t count Kiz out yet.

J.J. Spaun (177)

The San Diego State product is off to an unusually slow start in 2019-20. In six starts, he’s missed two cuts and his best result is a T-36 at Sanderson Farms. At Mayakoba’s El Camaleon, a course where he finished a season-best T-3 last year, he tied for last (T-80). He’s already shot 77 twice and 78 this year, and ranks No. 201 in SG: Tee-to-Green. No bueno.

Euro Tour

Up

Tommy Fleetwood (8)

It wasn’t that Fleetwood was having a bad season, more a case of a frustrating one. The Englishman finished runner-up in the Open Championship, one of seven top 10s this year, but that fifth European Tour win seemed like it would arrive in 2020. The Englishman showed his class to come from six shots off the lead to return a closing 7-under 65 and then defeated Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult in a playoff.  The 28-year-old led the field in strokes gained off the tee, averaging +1.49 per round. Fleetwood is fourth in greens in regulation on Tour this year, with a 75 percent average. He’s also fifth in scoring average at 69.69 per round. He could do with improving his putter since he’s taking 30.22 putts per round to rank 171st on Tour.

Marcus Kinhult (108)

The 23-year-old Swede ranked third in stokes gained around the green in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Kinhult averaged +1.46 strokes gained around the greens, which explains why he got into a playoff with Tommy Fleetwood. He was chasing his second victory of the season following the Betfred British Masters, which Fleetwood hosted at Hillside Golf Club. Kinhult moved to 13th on the Race to Dubai, 36 places better than last year’s ranking of 49th.  He has one tournament left and no one would be surprised if he finished the year inside the top 10. The Swede got off to a slow start this season, missing six of his first eight cuts. However, he’s become more consistent as the season as wore on. He’s made the cut in his last 10 tournaments.

Down

Lucas Bjerregaard (348)

The Dane needed a good performance in the Nedbank Golf Challenge to move into the top 50 of the Race to Dubai to make the field in this week’s DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. Bjerregaard finished last and dropped from 49th to 53rd. It wasn’t what anyone would have predicted when he began the season by making the semi-finals of the WGC–Dell Technologies Match Play. However, the 28-year-old struggled the rest of the year, missing 12 cuts on both the European and PGA Tours. Bjerregaard struggled with his iron play this year. He hit an average of 66.16 percent greens this year to rank 119th on the European Tour. Last year he was third in that category, hitting 73.50 percent of greens.

Alex Noren (77)

Needed a good finish in the Nedbank to make it into the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. The Swede finished T-44 and sits 67th on the Race to Dubai. He was sixth last year, eighth in 2017 and third the year before. In 16 European Tour events this season, Noren failed to rack up one top 10. His poor season comes down to struggles with the shortest club in his bag. He was 18th in putts per green in regulation in 2018. This year he ranks 148th. The former Oklahoma State player is one of the hardest workers in the game. He doesn’t have to look too hard to discover what he needs to work on over the winter to try to get back to his best.

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