Golf Events from the Weekend 5th February 2012

Well it was another great weekend on the Professional Golf Tours around the world. First I will start with the European Tour and the Race to Dubai. This week it was the second leg of the Desert Swing which was the Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy and was played on the Doha GC, Doha, Qatar. And it was the Golfer by the name of Paul Lawrie (Scotland) who scored rounds of 69-3, 67-5 and a final round of 65-7 for a 54 Hole total of 201-15 and won by 4 strokes. The Tournament was reduced to 54 Holes because high winds suspended play all day on Friday.

Paul Lawrie (Scotland) embraces his caddie after winning the Qatar Masters

Paul Lawrie (Scotland) won € 316,020.21 for the win and moves to 3rd Position on the Race to Dubai Money List with € 407,732 earned from the 3 events he has played to date this year so far. Branden Grace (RSA) still leads that list with €577,600 earned from the 5 events he has played to date this year so far. He played a great final round which was the equal lowest final round. He scored 33-3 on the front nine that included a birdie at the Par 5, first hole and a chip in eagle at the Par 5, ninth hole where he chipped in from just of the green. He played an even better back nine where he scored 32-4 that included birdies at the Par 4, Eleventh hole, Par 4, Fourteenth hole, Par 4, Sixteenth hole and Par 3, Seventeenth hole.  The 65-7 was just a brilliant performance and great display of the talent he has got for Golf.

It was Paul Lawrie’s (Scotland) seventh European Tour International Schedule victory in his 493rd European Tour event. He moves to €407,732 on The Race to Dubai Money list. He moves into the top 45 of the Official World Golf Ranking, from 78th Position. First time he has been back inside the top 50 since 2003. It was his second victory in the Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy, following his triumph in 1999. He joins Adam Scott (Australia) (2002 and 2008) as the only players to win twice in Doha. His winning margin of four strokes is the largest winning margin of the 2012 season to date. His final round of 65 (-7) is the lowest final round by a winner of the season so far.

Paul Lawrie (Scotland) holding the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy he won

It was Paul Lawrie’s (Scotland) second consecutive European Tour season with a victory following the 2011 Open de Andalucía de Golf by Turkish Airlines. This would represent the second time in his European Tour career he has won in successive European Tour seasons. He first accomplished this feat in 2001-02 at the 2001 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and then at the 2002 Celtic Manor Wales Open. He now has won six of his seven European Tour titles when leading or sharing the lead going into the final round. Aged 43 years and 35 days, he became the oldest winner on The European Tour since Miguel Angel Jiménez, who was aged 46 years and 243 days when he won the 2010 Omega European Masters. He has now finished in the top ten in his last four European Tour events. He was second in the 2011 Dubai World Championship presented by DP World, tenth in the 2012 Volvo Golf Champions, tied eighth in the 2012 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and first in the 2012 Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy. This is the first time he has finished in the top ten in four consecutive appearances in his European Tour career.

It was his second career-top ten finish in this event and first since his win in 1999. He became the first Scot to win on The European Tour since Paul Lawrie’s (Scotland) win in 2011. It was the 128th Scottish victory in European Tour history. He gains a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2014 season. He gains a place in the 2012 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship, 2012 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and 2012 WGC – HSBC Champions. And finally he gains his 12th victory as a professional. I wish Paul Lawrie (Scotland) to continue his success on the European Tour in 2012 and perhaps he could even contend again in the Majors?

Coming in tied for 2nd position at 205-11 after 72 holes was Jason Day (Australia) who was having a rare appearance on the European Tour. He scored a great final round of 65-7 which included 9 birdies. Also tied for 2nd was Peter Hanson (Sweden). Coming in at solo 4th position at 207-9 after 54 holes was the Long Hitting American Golfer, John Daly (USA). It was good to see him have such a great tournament. In tied for 5th position at 208-8 after 54 holes were Jean – Baptiste (France), Soren Hansen (Denmark), Sergio Garcia (Spain) and Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina). Rounding out the Top 10 in tied for 9th position at 209-7 after 54 holes were Martin Kaymer (Germany), Victor Dubuisson (France) and Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium).

The only New Zealander in the field was Michael Campbell (NZL), He scored rounds of 74+4 and 80+8 for a 36 hole total of 156+12 and missed halfway cut by 11 strokes. It was his second start on the European Tour this season and he has missed both cuts. I would like to see him have a good year this year and get back to the form he showed when he won the US Open in 2005 at Pinehurst. I wish him all the best with his Golf in 2012 on the European Tour. But I’m just wondering how long he can keep playing this bad Golf before he gives the game away?

Next week the European Tour and Race to Dubai head to Dubai for the 3rd leg of the Desert Swing for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and it is being played at the Emirates GC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It has a huge prize purse of $US 2,500,000 for the taking. Alvaro Quiros (Spain) is the defending Champion and will be looking for back to back titles. It starts on Thursday 9th February and I will report back who won the Trophy next week.

Now to the final event I am reporting on this week and it was on the USPGA Tour and part of FedEx Cup and was the Waste Management Phoenix Open and it was played at the TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona and it was the Golfer by the name of Kyle Stanley (USA) who scored rounds of 69-2, 66-5, 69-2 and a final round of 65-6 for a 72 hole total of 269-15 and he won by 1 stroke. It was a very sweet win by Kyle Stanley (USA) as he should have won the week before at the Farmers Insurance Open but blew a 6 stroke lead there with nine holes to play and he lost on the 2nd playoff hole to Brandt Snedeker (USA). He won $US 1,098,000.00 for the win and moves to the Number One Position on the USPGA Tour Money list with $US 1,793,575 earned from the 4 events he has played to date this year so far. He also earned 500 FedEx Cup points for the win and he is now in the Number One Position on the FedEx Cup Points list with 846 points earned from the 4 events he has played in to date this year. He is 49 Points ahead of Johnson Wagner (USA).

Kyle Stanley (USA) in Action during the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open

Kyle Stanley (USA) played an awesome final round of 65-6 and it included a front nine of 32-3 which included birdies on the Par 4, 2nd hole, Par 5, 3rd hole and Par 4, 8th hole. He played just as good back nine with birding the Par 4, 11th hole, Par 5, 13th hole and Par 4, 14th hole. He bounced straight back from the devastating defeat he suffered the week before and got his Maiden USPGA Tour win. It shows to me he is very strong mentally and didn’t let last week’s huge disappointment get to him. Now he has achieved his maiden win on the USPGA Tour I feel he will gain the confidence to go on and win more tournaments on the USPGA Tour. And he gets to play in his very first Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia in the second week in April which is the first Major of the Year. I wish him all the best for the rest of 2012 on the USPGA Tour.

Kyle Stanley (USA) with the Waste Management Phoenix Open Trophy he won

Coming in solo 2nd position at 270-14 after 72 holes was Ben Crane (USA). In solo 3rd position at 271-13 after 72 holes was the 54 Hole Leader, Spencer Levin (USA), at one point during the final round he had a 6 stroke lead. But he just had a terrible back nine of 40+4. His shocking back nine included alone birdie at the Par 4, 14th hole, But he bogeyed the Par 4, 11th hole and Par 3, 12th hole and he had a shocking Double Bogey 7 at the Par 5, 15th hole. But maybe he will win the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am this week in California in the same way Kyle Stanley (USA) bounced back from losing the Farmers Insurance Open in the same circumstances?

Coming in solo 4th position at 272-12 after 72 holes was D. J. Trahan (USA). In tied for 5th position at 273-11 after 72 holes were Brendan Steele (USA), Kevin Na (USA) and the long hitting Bubba Watson (USA). Rounding out the top 10 in tied for 8th position at 274-10 after 72 holes were Bo Van Pelt (USA), John Rollins (USA), Jason Dufner (USA) and Webb Simpson (USA).

Danny Lee (NZL) was the only New Zealander in the field, he scored rounds of 74+3 and 73+2 for a 36 hole total of 147+5 and missed the 36 hole cut by 5 strokes which fell at even par. He has only made one cut in the 4 events he has played to date this year and earned $US 11,368 in them which places him in tied for 147th position on the USPGA Tour Money list. He also has 3 points in the FedEx Cup points list from the 4 events he has played to date this year which places him in tied for 144th position on that list. He is 843 points behind the current FedEx Cup leader who is Kyle Stanley (USA). I hope Danny Lee (USA) can have a better finish this week in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am. I am disappointed with his start to the USPGA Tour in his first 4 events. But I wish him luck in the future and every success with his Golf in 2012.

 Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup moves up the coast to California for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am and it is being played on 3 different courses which are Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, California ,Monterey Peninsula CC, Pebble Beach, California and Spyglass Hill GC, Pebble Beach, California. It has the largest prize purse of the USPGA Tour in 2012 so far with $US 6,400,000 for the taking and Tiger Woods (USA) will be making his 2012 debut on the USPGA Tour. D.A. Points (USA) is the defending Champion and will be keen to defend his title he won last year. It starts on Thursday 9th February and I will report back who won next week.

So to the Top 5 on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list and coming in at Number One for the 36th week in a row is Luke Donald (England) with 9.59 Official World Ranking Points, Coming in at Number Two is Rory McILroy (NIR) with 7.86 Official World Ranking Points, Coming in at Number Three is Lee Westwood (England) with 7.54 Official World Ranking Points, Coming in at Number Four is Martin Kaymer (Germany) with 6.10 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the Top 5 is Steve Stricker (USA) with 5.74 Official World Ranking Points. Tiger Woods (USA) this week slips one place to 18th position on the Official World Golf Ranking Points list with 3.79 Official World Golf Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) is still the highest ranked New Zealander in the World. This week he slips down 2 places to be at 159th position on the Official World Golf Ranking Points list with 1.12 Official World Golf Rankings Points on the list.

Remember in these very dry conditions we are having at the moment allow for the ball to roll out when you are playing all your shots.

Source: pgatour.com, europeantour.com