Golf Events from the Weekend 29th September 2013

Well it was another awesome weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the European Tour and Race to Dubai headed to Scotland for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and it was played on the Old Course St. Andrews, Carnoustie & Kingsbarns, Scotland. And it was the Golfer by the name of David Howell (England) who scored rounds of 67-5, 68-4, 63-9 and a final round of 67-5 for a 72 hole total of 265-23. But he was tied on the score by Peter Uihlein (USA) who scored rounds of 71-1, 60-12, 65-7 and a final round of 69-3 for a 72 hole total of also 265-23. So those two players headed back to the par four, first hole for the first playoff hole. Both players found the vast acreage of the first fairway. Both players chose irons from the tee, and had a short range approach to the short par four. Peter Uihlein (USA) played first from a little over 120 yards, pushing a wedge a little right but perfect distance, and leaving himself 20 feet or so for his birdie. Not dissimilar to what David Howell (England) had left himself, from just over 100 yards his ball took a firm bounce and bounded past the flag. Not nailed on birdie chances by any means, but you never know. David Howell (England) missed and his birdie effort rolled down the right hand side, leaving Peter Uihlein (USA) with another chance at the title. But... it's no good, and we're back down the Par four, 18th hole for the second playoff hole.

So to the second playoff hole. Not a test of driving here particularly on the first and 18th holes, and it will all come down to wedges, putting, and nerve. Driver for David Howell (England) and a three wood for Peter Uihlein (USA), and both players landed in the fairway with their second shots to come. Advantage to David Howell (England) who has gone second and knocked it inside ten feet on the par four, 18th hole, whereas Peter Uihlein (USA) will face a similar putt to regulation, and not one you would really expect to make too often from outside 15 feet. Close, but not quite for Peter Uihlein (USA) who leaves himself a tap in just short of the hole after leaving his birdie putt short, and now David Howell (England) will putt for the title from ten feet. David Howell (England) calmed his nerves and rolled in the ten foot putt for his birdie three to win the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Links Champion. David Howell (England) won € 589,562 for the win and moved to 12th position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with €1,027,606 earned from the twenty five events he has played to date this year so far. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) still leads that list with €2,118,961 earned the 13 events he has played to date this year so far. From the twenty five events David Howell (England) has played to date this year so far he has made twenty one cuts and achieved six top ten finishes which includes the win here.

David Howell (England) tees off on the second hole during the final round

It was his fifth European Tour International Schedule victory in his 481st European Tour event. He moves to €1,027,606 in The Race to Dubai. It is the fourth time during his European Tour career he has amassed more than €1 million in a single European Tour season. The first time he has achieved this since 2006. He moves into the top 95 of the Official World Golf Ranking, from 176th. It was his first European Tour victory since the 2006 BMW PGA Championship, a gap of seven years and 124 days. This represents the biggest gap between victories of his European Tour career. In that time has played in 200 European Tour events between victories. This victory beats his previous best performance since the 2006 BMW PGA Championship of tied second in the 2008 Open de Portugal. This victory beats previous best 2013 performances of tied sixth in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and Maybank Malaysian Open. He began the final day two shots behind. The second of his five European Tour wins he has made up a final round deficit. The first was the 2005 BMW International Open when made up one shot. He became the fourth Englishman to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, following Lee Westwood (England) (2003), Nick Dougherty (England) (2007) and Simon Dyson (England) (2009).

This victory comes in his 13th appearance in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. (He has played every year since the event began in 2001). This victory beats his previous best performance in the Alfred Dunhill Championship of third in 2001. (He has also had a further three top eight finishes). He became the tenth winner of the event to come from Great Britain and Ireland from the 13 times the tournament has been played. His 72 hole winning total of 265 (-23) is a new Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, record beating the 266 (-22) of Michael Hoey (NIR) (2011) and Branden Grace (RSA) (2012). He becomes the 282nd English victory in European Tour history. He becomes the fifth Englishman to win on The European Tour in 2013. They are: Chris Wood (England) (Commercial Bank Qatar Masters), Justin Rose (England) (US Open Championship), Paul Casey (England) (Irish Open), Tommy Fleetwood (England) (Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles) and David Howell (England) (Alfred Dunhill Links Championship).

 

David Howell (England) poses with the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Trophy he won!!

He gains a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2015 season. He gains a place in the 2013 WGC – HSBC Champions, 2014 Volvo Golf Champions and 2014 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational. He moves over €12 million in European Tour Official Career Earnings. And finally it was his sixth victory as a professional. David Howell (England) has been playing on the European Tour fulltime now since 1996 and he has retained his full playing status every season since then. He has achieved five wins on the European Tour and they came at the 1999 Dubai Desert Classic, 2005 BMW International Open, 2006 HSBC Champions Tournament, 2006 BMW Championship and the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. His career year to date on the European Tour came in 2006 where he earned € 2,321,166 from the 21 events he played in and finished up in third position on the then 2006 European Tour Final Order of Merit standings list. Since the Race to Dubai started in 2009 he has not finished in the top 60 money earners on the Race to Dubai Money list standings the week prior to the finale event which is the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, so hence he has never played in that championship. I feel he is certain to qualify for that championship this year now. And I feel his sixth win on the European Tour may well come this season as well now that he has achieved his fifth after a seven and a half year gap between victories. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Coming in solo second position 265-23 after 72 holes and losing on the second playoff hole as I mention earlier was Peter Uihlein (USA); he earned € 393,038.75 for his efforts and moved to tenth position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 1,057,810 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 14 cuts and achieved seven top ten finishes which includes the one here and also his maiden European Tour win at the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI in mid May. He is a former US Amateur Champion having won it in 2010 and he was also a former number one world ranked Amateur on the rankings before he turned professional in December 2011. Last year he played on Europe’s second tour which is the Challenge Tour for the first time. He played in 15 events in the 2012 season on that tour and finished in 26th position on the final 2012 Challenge Tour rankings with €61,211 earned and narrowly missed out on gaining his full 2013 European Tour card. He is going to play the Challenge Tour full time again in 2013 and he will also get the odd start on the European Tour when the higher ranked players aren’t playing. But after he won the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI in mid May he became exempt on the European Tour until the end of the 2014 season. He now has become a Superstar on the European Tour and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he won again before the 2013 season comes to an end. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Coming in tied for third position at 266-22 after 72 holes was Tom Lewis (England); he earned € 199,153.98 for his efforts and moved to 90th position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 290,954 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 ten cuts and this is his very first top ten finish he has achieved so far this season. He scored the equal lowest score of the final round which was 64-8. Also with this finished he has wrapped up his 2014 European Tour card. He won his maiden European Tour title at the 2011 Portugal Masters in only his third professional start after a stunning final-round 65, becoming the joint-third quickest Affiliate Member to win on The European Tour. He shot to fame at The 140th Open Championship after posting the lowest-ever score by an amateur in Open history in the first round at Royal St. George’s, a brilliant 65 leaving him tied for the lead after round one with Thomas Björn (Denmark), before eventually finishing tied 30th and winning the Silver Medal as the leading amateur. 2011 was also his career year to date on the European Tour and Race to Dubai with earning € 459,266 from the eight events he played in and he finished in 66th position of the final 2011 Race to Dubai Money list standings. He is still very young with only being twenty two years old and turns twenty three in early January. He has a very bright future on the European Tour and I look for his second win to come in the near future.

The final player to tie for third position was Shane Lowry (Ireland); he too earned € 199,153.98 for his efforts and moved to twenty eighth position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 716,427 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 15 cuts and achieved six top ten finishes which includes the one here. Shane Lowry (Ireland) shot to prominence in 2009 when he became only the third amateur to win a European Tour title – and the second that year following New Zealander Danny Lee – when he captured the Irish Open at County Louth Golf Club in Baltray, beating Robert Rock (England) at the third hole of a play-off. He claimed the 2012 Portugal Masters – his second European Tour title – with a superb final round 66. He had already finished by the time Ross Fisher (England) needed to hole a four-foot par putt on the 18th to force a play-off, and was soon jumping for joy when the Englishman missed. He took fifth place in the lucrative BMW Masters a week later to finish a career-best 29th in The final 2012 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 996,540 earned from the twenty eighth events he played in. He has made his last 13 cuts and I feel his third win is not very far away and could well happen in the 2013 season? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Coming in solo fifth position on 267-21 after 72 holes was Tommy Fleetwood (England); he earned € 149,984.52 for his efforts and moved to twenty third position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 790,447 earned from the twenty six events he has played to date this year so far. From the twenty six events he has played to date this year so far he has made 19 cuts and achieved five top ten finishes which includes the one here and also his maiden win at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in late August. 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. He will get to play in his very first DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in mid November which is a great achievement for him in only his second full season playing the European Tour fulltime. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Coming in solo sixth position at 268-20 after 72 holes was Garth Mulroy (RSA); he earned € 123,807.98 for his efforts and moved to 61st position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 425,241 earned from the 19 events he has played in so far. From the 19 events he has played in so far this year he has made 14 cuts and achieved four top ten finishes that includes the one here. He has been playing the European Tour fulltime for the past two seasons fulltime after giving the USPGA Tour a try previously with some success. He is having his career year to date so far with already achieving earnings that I mentioned above. He has one win on the European Tour and that came at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in 2011. I feel another top ten finish in the weeks to come will make sure he gets a start in his first DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in mid November. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Coming in tied for seventh position at 269-19 after 72 holes was Chris Wood (England); he earned € 81,925.51 for his efforts and moved to twenty fifth position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 785,783 earned from the 16 events he has played to date this year so far. From the 16 events he has played to date this year so far he has made 12 cuts and achieved four top ten finishes which includes the one here and also his maiden win at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in January. He has been playing the European Tour fulltime since the 2009 season and has kept his card every year for the following season every year since. This year he has already earned more than his previous four years so it looks like this will be his career year to date so far. I feel his second win isn’t too far off and could well happen in the remaining events of the 2013 season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Also tied for seventh position was Charl Schwartzel (RSA); he too earned € 81,925.51 for his efforts and moved to 15th position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 964,246 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 ten cuts and achieved four top ten finishes which includes the one here and also his win at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December last year. He has been playing the European Tour fulltime since the 2003 season and in that time he has won eight times and here are those wins from the first to the most recent: 2005 dunhill championship, 2007 Open de España, 2008 Madrid Masters, 2010 Africa Open, 2010 Joburg Open, 2011 Joburg Open, 2011 MASTERS TOURNAMENT (Maiden Major Championship) and the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Championship. His career year to date on the European Tour came in the 2011 season where he earned € 2,929,829 from the 18 events he played in and won two events and also achieved eleven top ten finishes and finished in fourth position on the final 2011 Race to Dubai Money list standings. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Also tied for seventh position was Thomas Levet (France); he too earned € 81,925.51 for his efforts and moved to 131st position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 153,231 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 nine cuts and this was his very first top ten finish he has achieved this season so far. He has been playing the European Tour on and off since the 1992 season and in that time he has won six tournaments and here are all those wins from the first to the most recent: 1998 Cannes Open, 2001 Victor Chandler British Masters, 2004 The Barclays Scottish Open, 2008 MAPFRE Open de Andalucía by Valle Romano, 2009 Open de España and 2011 Alstom Open de France. His career year to date on the European Tour came in the 2004 season where he earned € 1,727,945 from the 28 events he played in making 25 cuts and achieving seven top ten finishes including the win at the Barclays Scottish Open. He finished in fourth position on the final 2004 European Tour Order of Merit. Let’s hope he can get more top ten finishes in the weeks to coming on the European Tour? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Also tied for seventh position was Martin Kaymer (Germany); he too earned € 81,925.51 for his efforts and moved to 31st position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 688,487 earned from the 13 events he has played to date this year so far. From the 13 events he has played to date this year so far he has made 13 cuts and achieved six top ten finishes which includes the one here. He has been playing the European Tour fulltime since the 2007 season and has easily kept his card for the next year every season since. He has also achieved ten wins on the European Tour in that time and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2008 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, 2008 BMW International Open, 2009 Open de France ALSTOM, 2009 The Barclays Scottish Open, 2010 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, 2010 US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (Maiden Major Championship), 2010 KLM Open, 2010 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, 2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and the 2011 WGC - HSBC Champions. His career year to date so far on the European Tour came in the 2010 season where he earned € 4,461,011 from the twenty two events he played in and he made twenty cuts which included ten top ten finishes and four of those finishes were wins. And he won the 2010 Race to Dubai Money list title. Let’s hope he can win his eleventh event on the European Tour in the remaining events left in the 2013 season?

The final player to tie for seventh position was Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina); he too earned € 81,925.51 for his efforts and moved to 64th position on the current 2013 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 407,482 earned from the twenty two events he has played to date this year so far. From the twenty two events he has played in so far this year he has made 13 cuts and achieved two top ten finishes. He has been playing on the European Tour fulltime since the 1992 season and has achieved four wins in that time and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2001 Omega European Masters, 2003 Telefonica Open de Madrid, 2004 Open de Sevilla and the 2009 SAS Masters. His career year to date on the European Tour came in the 2001 season where he earned € 721,853 from the twenty two events he played in and he made 19 cuts with achieving six top ten finishes and finished in twenty fifth position on the final 2001 European Tour Order of Merit list. Let’s hope he can have some more top ten finishes in the weeks to come and finish inside the top 60 on the Race to Dubai Money list the week prior to the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in mid November so he can 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.

Next week the European Tour and Race to Dubai heads to France for the Seve Trophy by Golf and it is played on the Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche, Paris, France. It is a different format because it is a Teams Match play competition played between Team Continental Europe verse Team Great Britain and Ireland. It is always played in the year that the Ryder Cup isn’t played. Teams consist of ten golfers. It carries prize money of €1,750,000 for the taking. Team Great Britain and Ireland are the defending Champions are will be keen to defend their title. Is starts on Thursday 3rd October and I will report back what team won the trophy next week. And on the USPGA Tour it has its final event of the 2013 season and is the tenth playing of the Presidents Cup Matches between the Team International and the Team USA. This year it is being played on the Muirfield Village GC, Dublin, Ohio. There is no prize money on offer just the honour of winning the Presidents Cup and representing your country. Team USA are the defending Champions and will be keen to put their name on the cup again. It starts on Thursday 3rd October with the Afternoon Foursome Matches. I will report back who won the cup 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 651st week of his career in total is Tiger Woods (USA) who is fresh off his tied for second position at The Barclays over a month ago with 13.03 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 five months ago and also won The Barclays over a month ago with 9.38 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Phil Mickelson (USA) who is fresh off his Open Championship win over a two months ago with 8.60 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who is fresh off winning the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and also the 2013 FedEx Cup last week with 8.19 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 three months ago and also tying for second position at The Barclays over a month ago with 7.66 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 over a month ago is the highest ranked New Zealander Golfer in the world for the Thirtieth fourth straight week of his career. This week he slips two places and falls to 198th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list with 0.93 Official Golf World Ranking Points.

Remember the best way to play golf is with a relaxed state of mind!!

Source: europeantour.com