In the Rough

local stockholm player wins championship

Organisers of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain have made a decision to change the date of this year’s tournament to avoid a clash with USPGA Tours Tour Championship event.

Both Volvo and IMG hope that by moving tournament back from the 24 - 27 October to October 29 - 1 November 2009. The move should ensure that the top players are at the 16 man tournament.

The event in Finca Cortesn near Marbella in Spain has a total prize fund of over £3,000,000 with the overall winner taking away a cool £700,000.

The Inaugural tournament will see 16 winners of the organisers match play events throughout the year all compete in a round robin style event. So far only South African Ernie Els has qualified after winning the HSBC Match Play at Wentworth. However the second name will be confirmed in a few weeks after the Volvo China Open, with the winner lining up along side Els.

Danish Golfer Soren Kjeldsen maintained his lead from his stunning round of golf Saturday to win the Andalucia Open from Scotlands David Drysdale by a margin of three shots.

Saturday’s brilliant round saw Soren break the course record after hitting a stunning round of 62 and from that point he was in a very strong position to win his second title in Spain in only a 6 month period after winning the Volvo Masters in Valderrama.

Both Kjeldsen and Drysdale made hard work of the last few holes with by players bogeying and double bogeying some holes. The water also made it a very interesting end to the round.

Argentine Estanislao Goya held off a good fight from Scotland’s Callum Macaulay to win the Madeira Islands Open by a single stroke.

Estanislao started the day with a comfortable three stroke lead but a course record of sixty four for Macaulay ensured it turned into a good finish and that the Argentine was going to have to fight to win this European Tour Event.

The final few holes became a roller coaster for Goya as a double bogey at 16 really put the pressure on but two pars of the 17th and 18th holes meant he finished a stroke ahead of the field.

Ireland’s Damien McCrane and Holland’s Wil Besseling tied for third spot with a four under par total.

American Phil Mickelson has won the World Golf Championship - CA in Florida.

Going in to the final day Mickelson had to overcome heat exhaustion, mild dehydration, a hospital trip after the third round and a very persistent Nick Watney to win his first World Golf Championship.

The two Americans started the final round together four shots ahead of the field and soon extended that lead to seven strokes with some very good golf. Both golfers always looked like they would finish one and two but the big question was who is going to beat the other into first place and claim their second title of the season.

We soon knew the answer after a bogey on 11 and 12 for Watney put Mickelson in the driving seat and from there he went on to win by one stroke.

American World Number four Phil Mickelson added to his poor round on day one of the FBR Open with a disastrous round on day two, which ended with him missing the cut and going home early.

Mickelson shot a “disgusting” round of 76 on day one and then a round of 73 on day two finish seven over par after two days and miss the cut. The American who recently has looked a little out of sorts needs to find some form soon with majors on the way in the coming months.

The projected cut for the FBR open was level par so Mickelson was off the pace by quite a way.

In his 18 year career Phil Mickelson has never missed the cut in the opening event of season until this weekend.

Mickelson has however seen success on this course with wins in previous year both in 1996 and 2005.

Leading the FBR Open is Watney closely followed by Charley Hoffman, James Nitties and Matt Kuchar.

Watney is looking for his second PGA Tour Title this weekend with his only previous PGA win being at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans back in 2007.

At the halfway stage of the Dubai Desert Classic it is Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy who leads the way after a brilliant eagle on the final hole of the day.

The youngster is just 19 years old and is searching for his maiden European tour victory after a few close finishes in 2008 saw him come very close to his first win. McIlroy sunk a 25 foot putt on the par five 18th hole to take a one shot lead into the third day of the Dubai Desert Classic.

Also in a strong position half way through the tournament are South African Louis Oosthuizen who had a hole in one on the 11th and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson who are both sitting one shot off the lead on 11 under.

Richard Green and Justin Rose of England are both a couple off the lead at 10 under.

In his pursuit for the world number one spot whilst Tiger Woods is still gaining fitness Sergio Garcia is eight under and a good final two days could strengthen his push for the world number one spot. Continuing a busy week Colin Montgomerie the new Ryder Cup Captain is four under for the tournament.

American Pat Perez claimed his maiden PGA Tour Title over the weekend by three clear strokes from nearest rival John Merrick.

32 Year old Perez shot a 3 under 69 in his fifth and final round to finish on a massive overall total of 33 under par at the Bob Hope Classic.

Starting the fifth day Perez was three shots behind leader Steve Stricker but a mixture of steady play by Perez and a disaster round of five over par 77 helped Pat Perez to claim his maiden tour title.

Steve Stricker still walked away after 90 holes pleased even though he had blown a very good chance of victory. Stricker said “It was tough to judge the wind and to pick a correct club. But overall, if you would have told me I would have played like I did this week coming into the tournament, I still take a lot of positives away.”

After showing such a steady nerve this surely won’t be Pat Perez last PGA Tour Title.

Englands Paul Casey ended his two year drought with winning a tournament by claiming the Abu Dhabi Championship by one stroke.

Casey made hard work of it though and going into the last six holes had a massive six shot lead but a mixture of some bogeys for Casey and a brilliant final round of 64 Louis Oosthuizen meant Casey needed to par the final four holes just to win by a stroke.

The final score of 21 under also set’s a new tournament record for the Abu Dhabi Championship.

Casey’s last win was also at the same time so it show’s he really is a sunshine golfer

After a very windy first round of the Mercedes Benz Championship it is Australian Geoff Ogilvy. The Former US Open champion shot a six under par score at The Plantation course in Hawaii.

Ogily has a one shot lead from South African Ernie Els and the two Americans Johnson Wagner and Kenny Perry. Ogilvy first round contained no bogeys, which contributed to a very steady round of golf.

The Season opening event on the USPGA tour is only available to winners on US tour in the previous year. So it really is elite players competing for the Mercedes Benz Championship.

The par 73 course in Hawaii has often been nicknamed “the course of champions” as it has been the season opener event on the US tour for a number of years now.