Golf Events from the Weekend 8th September 2013

Well it was another great weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the European Tour and Race to Dubai head to Switzerland and it was the Omega European Masters and was played on the Crans-sur-Sierre GC, Crans Montana, Switzerland. And it was the Golfer by the name of Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) who scored rounds of 66-5, 66-5, 67-4 and a final round of 65-6 for a 72 hole total of 264-20 but he was tied on that score by Craig Lee (Scotland) who scored rounds of 71 even par, 65-6, a brilliant third round of 61-10 and a final round of 67-4 for a 72 hole total of 264-20. So those two players headed back to the par four, 18th hole for the first playoff hole.

Craig Lee (Scotland) teed of first and found the right hand fairway bunker from the par four 18th tee. Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) followed with a superb drive down the middle at the first play-off hole. Both men played fine approaches to the green for their second shots, however, Craig Lee (Scotland) landed pin high to around 20feet from the flag stick while Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) ball was a little closer above the flag stick. Craig Lee (Scotland) gave his birdie putt a good run but it just slipped by and he easily tapped in for his par four. He had now left the door open for Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) and he took it and rolled in his birdie putt to secure a second Omega European Masters title in three years. He pumped the air with his first to celebrate then gave his caddie a huge hug!!

Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) pumps his fist in the Air to Celebrate after winning!!

Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) won €366,660.00 for the win and moved to eighth position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with €1,058,313 earned from the twenty events he has played to date this year so far. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) still leads that list with €2,118,961 earned from the 13 events he has played to date this year so far. From the twenty events Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) has played to date this year so far he has made 16 cuts, withdrawn from one and achieved seven top ten finishes which includes the win here.

It was Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 14th European Tour International Schedule victory in his 417th European Tour event. He moves to €1,058,313 in The Race to Dubai. It was the eighth time he has passed €1 million in a single European Tour season during his career. He moves back into the top 45 in the Official World Golf Ranking from 66th. It was his first European Tour victory since the 2011 Omega European Masters. This is a gap of two years and four days. He played 47 European Tour events between victories. This victory beats his previous best 2013 performances of second in the Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity and BMW International Open. To highlight his consistency since his last win here in 2011, of the 47 events he has played in, he has amassed 14 top ten finishes.

It was his second victory in the Omega European Masters, following his triumph in 2011. It was the second event he has won twice, the other being the BMW International Open in 2000 and 2002. This victory number two comes in his 13th appearance in the Omega European Masters. He has one of the best records of current players in the Omega European Masters. From his 13th appearances he has now won twice, in 2011 and 2013. Apart from his victories, he was second in both 1999 and 2000 and seventh in 1996. And finally he became the fifth player to record multiple victories in the Omega European Masters since the event became part of The European Tour in 1972. They are: Seve Ballesteros (Spain) (1977-78, 89), Hugh Baiocchi (RSA) (1973, 79), Manuel Piñero (Spain) (1976, 81), Eduardo Romero (Argentina) (1994, 2000) and Thomas Björn (Denmark) (2011, 13).

Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) played a awesome final round of 65-6 which included a front nine of 31-5 with birdies on the Par five, first hole, par four, fourth hole, par four, fifth hole, par four, seventh hole and par three, eight hole. He played a very steady back nine of 35-1 which included a lone birdie on the par five, 15th hole. He has been playing the European Tour fulltime since the 1996 season and has had some amazing success with easily keeping his card for the following season every year since. He has won 14 events so far to date in his European Tour Career and here they are from the first to the most recent: 1996 Loch Lomond World Invitational, 1998 Heineken Classic, 1998 Peugeot Open de Espana, 1999 The Sarazen World Open, 2000 BMW International Open, 2001 Dubai Desert Classic, 2002 BMW International Open, 2005 The Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters, 2006 Nissan Irish Open, 2010 Estoril Open de Portugal, 2011 Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy, 2011 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, 2011 Omega European Masters and the 2013 Omega European Masters. His career year to date so far on the European Tour came in 2000 where he earned € 1,929,657 from the 27 events he played in and finished fifth in the then 2000 final European Tour Order of Merit List Standings. I wish him all the best with the remaining events on the European Tour in the 2013 season.

Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) poses with the Omaga European Master Trophy he won!!

Coming in solo second position at 264-20 after 72 holes and losing on the first playoff hole as I mentioned above was Craig Lee (Scotland); he earned € 244,440.00 for his efforts and moved to 55th position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 438,678 earned from the twenty three events he has played to date this year so far. From the twenty three events he has played to date this year so far he has made 14 cuts and achieved three top ten finishes that includes the one here. He is in his third full season of playing the European Tour fulltime after his two previous seasons which were 2008 and 2012. His career year to date on the European Tour was last year in 2012 where he earned € 193,334 from the 23 events he played in and finished in 115th position on the final 2012 Race to Dubai Money list standings and he just hung on to his full playing status on the European Tour by the skin of his teeth. But when his 2013 season is complete it will be his best season ever. He had his best chance in his European Tour career to date of winning and I am sure he will gain a lot of confidence out of this finish. And his third round of 61-10 was just amazing!! I hope he can achieve his maiden win on the European Tour in the months to coming. Now he is inside the top 60 on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings and if he can stay there before the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai he will get to play in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai for the first time. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season. 

Coming in solo third position at 265-19 after 72 holes was Victor Dubuisson (France); he earned € 137,720.00 for his efforts and moved to 41st position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 544,054 earned from the 17 events he has played to date this year so far. From the 17 events he has played to date this year so far he has made eight cuts and withdrawn from one event. He has also achieved five top ten finishes that includes the one here. He first qualified for the European Tour by gaining his 2011 European Tour card at the 2010 Qualifying School Final Stage. He had a successful rookie season in 2011 by finishing 106th position on the final 2011 Race to Dubai Money list standings easily keeping his card for the 2012 season. He had an even better season in 2012 with earning € 573,249 from the 20 events he played in and he finished up in 52nd position on the final 2012 Race to Dubai Money list standings and played in his very first DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. The way he is playing this year he is sure to be headed back for his second appearance in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. I feel his maiden win on the European Tour isn’t too far away and perhaps it will happen in the 2013 season.

Coming in solo fourth position at 266-18 after 72 holes was Alejandro Canizares (Spain); he earned € 110,000.00 for his efforts and move to 52nd position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 451,122 earned from the twenty one events he has played to date this year so far. From the twenty one events he has played so far this year he has made 12 cuts and achieved three top ten finishes that includes the one here. He has been playing the European Tour fulltime since the 2006 season with easily keeping his card every year since except one season which was in 2009 that he had to go back to the final European Tour Qualifying School and he finished in tied for fourth position easily regaining his full playing card for the 2010 season. His career year to date on the European Tour came in the 2010 season where he earned € 806,510 from the 28 events he played in and finished in 38th position on the final 2010 Race to Dubai Money list standings. He has won one event on the European Tour to date so far in his career and that came at the 2006 The Imperial Collection Russian Open and that was in his rookie year in only his third start as an Affiliate Member. I’m sure his second win isn’t too far off and maybe it will happen in the 2013 season?

Coming in tied for fifth position at 269-15 after 72 holes was Ross Fisher (England); he earned € 85,140.00 for his efforts and moved to 81st position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 286,101 earned from the eleven events he has played to date this year so far. From the eleven events he has played to date this year so far he has made eleven cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one here. After playing the European Tour full time since the 2006 season to the 2012 season which he easily kept his card for the next season every time and he achieved four wins and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2007 The KLM Open, 2008 The European Open, 2009 Volvo World Match Play Championship and the 2010 3 Irish Open. And his career year to date so far on the European Tour came in the 2009 season where he earned € 2,531,183 from the 22 events he played in and he finished in fourth position on the final 2009 Race to Dubai Money list standings. But last year he went to the 2012 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament and finished in tied for second position and easily gained his card for USPGA Tour for the 2013 season. But in his rookie season on the USPGA Tour he struggled by his high standards with only earning US $311,168 from the 15 events he played in this year and only made seven cuts and achieved one top ten finish. He finished in 161st position on the final 2013 USPGA Tour Money list standings and also finished in 161st position on the final regular Season FedEx Cup Points list. So I guess he will be back playing the European Tour fulltime in the 2014 season? Let’s hope he can have some more top ten finishes in the weeks to come on the European Tour and make it in to the Top 60 on the Race to Dubai Money list to play in the season ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in November. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Also tied for fifth position was Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain); he too earned € 85,140.00 for his efforts and moved to twenty first position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 739,218 earned from the 12 events he has played to date this year so far. From the 12 events he has played to date this year so far he has made nine cuts and achieved three top ten finishes that includes the one here. He has been playing the European Tour Fulltime since the 1989 season and has easily kept his card for the following season every season since. He has finished fourth on the final European Tour Order of Merit four times in his career and the most recent time he has done that was in the 2008 season where he earned € 2,066,596 from the 26 events he played in. He has also won 19 events to date on the European Tour and here they are from the first to the most recent: 1992 Piaget Belgian Open, 1994 Heineken Dutch Open, 1998 Turespana Masters Open Baleares, 1998 Trophee Lancome, 1999 Turespana Masters - Open Andalucia, 1999 VOLVO MASTERS, 2003 Turespaña Mallorca Classic, 2004 Johnnie Walker Classic, 2004 Algarve Open de Portugal Caixa Geral de Depositos, 2004 BMW Asian Open, 2004 BMW International Open, 2005 Omega Hong Kong Open, 2005 The Celtic Manor Wales Open, 2008 UBS Hong Kong Open, 2008 BMW PGA Championship, 2010 Omega Dubai Desert Classic, 2010 Alstom Open de France, 2010 Omega European Masters and the 2012 UBS Hong Kong Open. His European Tour career is now in its twilight years as he is now 49 years of age and turns 50 in early January next year. He may be considering giving the Champions Tour in the USA a try next year? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Coming in tied for seventh position at 270-14 after 72 holes was Gregory Havret (France); he earned € 60,500.00 for his efforts and moved to 80th position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 290,220 earned from the twenty five events he has played to date this year so far. From the twenty five events he has played to date this year so far he has made 12 cuts and achieved two top ten finishes including the one here. He also scored the lowest final round which was 63-8. He has been playing the European Tour fulltime since the 2001 season and has kept his card for the next year every season since except for 2002 and 2009 seasons. His career year to date on the European Tour came in the 2007 season where he earned € 1,142,148 from the 32 events he played in and he finished in 19th position on the then final 2007 European Tour Order of Merit list standings. He has also won three events on the European Tour to date and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2001 Atlanet Italian Open; 2007 The Barclays Scottish Open and the 2008 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. Let’s hope he can have some more top ten finishes in the weeks to come on the European Tour and make it in to the Top 60 on the Race to Dubai Money list standings to play in the season ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in November. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.  

Also tied for seventh position was Brooks Koepka (USA); he too earned € 60,500.00 for his efforts and moved to 112th position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 183,728 earned from the nine events he has played to date this year so far. From those nine events he has played to date this year so far he has made eight cuts and achieved two top ten finishes that includes the one here. He is only twenty three years of age and started this year with only a Challenge Tour card. He gained automatic promotion to The European Tour thanks to a third win in 2013 on the Challenge Tour at the Scottish Hydro Challenge. He stormed to the top of the Rankings early in the 2013 season with a brilliant seven shot victory in the Montecchia Golf Open presented by POLAROID, posting weekend rounds of 62 and 66 to seal his second Challenge Tour win following his triumph in the Challenge de Catalunya in October 2012. More was to come from the Floridian though, as a record ten shot win at the Fred Olsen Challenge de España in June 2013 was followed later that month by his crowning glory in Scotland. Less than 24 hours later Brooks Koepka (USA) was at Sunningdale, England, after a 6am flight from Edinburgh and with just a couple of hours sleep, beating a host of experienced pros to the top spot in the International Final Qualifying for The 2013 Open Championship, clinching a place at the year's third Major in Muirfield. Graduated from college in his native United States in May 2012 and subsequently played ten events on the Challenge Tour, finishing 43rd in the Rankings and securing a full playing category for 2013. Says his decision to play in Europe and not America was fuelled by a desire to be "a more rounded player". Already had Major Championship experience before turning pro, having qualified to play in the 2012 US Open at Olympic Club while still an amateur. He has forged a great future for himself on the European Tour for the years to come and I am sure his maiden win on the European Tour isn’t too far off, many it could even happen in the 2013 season? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Rounding out the top ten in tied for ninth position at 272-9 after 72 holes was Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand); he earned € 44,586.67 for his efforts and moved to 16th position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 834,077 earned from the 19 events he has played to date this year so far. From the 19 events he has played to date this year so far he has made 18 cuts and achieved six top ten finishes that includes the one here. He has been playing on the European Tour fulltime since the 2004 season and has easily kept his full playing card for the next season every season since. He has achieved five wins in that time and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2004 Carlsberg Malaysian Open, 2005 Carlsheberg Malaysian Open, 2009 Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open, 2009 Ballantine's Championship and the 2012 ISPS Handa Wales Open. His career year to date on the European Tour so far came in the 2009 season where he earned € 1,161,466 earned from the 27 events he played in and he finished in 19th position on the final 2009 Race to Dubai Money list standings. He will be turning 44 years old in November and I feel he still has a good few years left in him. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Also tied for ninth position was Stephen Gallacher (Scotland); he too earned € 44,586.67 for his efforts and moved to 13th position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 905,863 earned from the twenty events he has played to date this year so far. From the twenty events he has played to date this year so far he has made 16 cuts and achieved five top ten finishes which includes the one here and also his win at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in early February. He has been playing on the European Tour fulltime now since the late 1990’s and has managed to keep his card for the next season every season since. His career year to date on the European Tour so far came in the 2004 season where he earned € 1,144,158 from the 28 events he played in and finished in 15th position on the then 2004 Final European Tour Order of Merit standings. That year he also won his maiden European Tour event at the dunhill links championship. With the form he has displayed this year I would have to feel his third win on the European Tour isn’t too far away? Maybe it will happen before the 2013 season is over?

The final player to tie for ninth position was Tommy Fleetwood (England); he too earned € 44,586.67 for his efforts and moved to 32nd position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 626,799 earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this year so far. From the twenty four events he has played to date this year so far he has made 17 cuts and achieved four top ten finishes which includes the one here and also his maiden win on the European Tour which was the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles last month. He is another very young golfer being only 22 years of age. In his maiden season on the European Tour in 2012 he played in 31 events and earned € 203,699 which placed him in 109th position on the final 2012 Race to Dubai Money list standings. I am sure he will be keen to win his second event on the European Tour in 2013. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Next week the European Tour and Race to Dubai heads to the Netherlands for the KLM Open and it is played on the Kennemer G&CC, Zandvoort, The Netherlands. It carries a prize purse of €1,800,000 for the taking. Peter Hanson (Sweden) is the defending Champion and will be keen to defend his title. It starts on Thursday 12th September and I will report back who won the trophy next week. The USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup Playoff Series recommences this week at the BMW Championship and it is played on the Conway Farms GC, Lake Forest, IL. It carries a huge prize purse of US $8,000,000 for the taking. Rory McILroy (NIR) is the defending Champion and will be keen for back to back titles. There is also a tournament within a tournament with only the top 30 players on the FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings at the conclusion of this third playoff event advancing to the final playoff event the following week which is the Tour Championship by Coca - Cola. The BMW Championship starts on Thursday 12th September and I will report back who won the trophy next week.

So to the Top 5 on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list this week and coming in at Number One Position for the 648th week of his career in total is Tiger Woods (USA) who is fresh off his tied for second position at The Barclays two weeks ago with 13.98 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Adam Scott (Australia) who won his maiden Major Championship at the Masters Tournament over four months ago and also won The Barclays two weeks ago with 9.48 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Phil Mickelson (USA) who is fresh off his Open Championship win over a month ago with 8.68 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Rory McILroy (NIR) who is fresh off his tied for eighth position at the 95th PGA Championship a month ago with 7.86 Official Golf World Ranking Points and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list this week is Justin Rose (England) who is fresh off his maiden Major Championship win at the 113th US Open Championship over two months ago and also tying for second position at The Barclays two weeks ago with 7.77 Official Golf World Ranking Points. Michael Hendry (NZL) fresh off  his tie for 10th position at the Vana H Cup KBC Augusta on the Japan Golf Tour a week ago is the highest ranked New Zealander Golfer in the world for the Thirtieth first straight week of his career. This week he slips one place and falls to 188th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list with 0.97 Official Golf World Ranking Points.

Remember when playing a game of golf the most important shot is the shot you are about to play!!

Source: pgatour.com, europeantour.com