In the Rough

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.

After Day One of the Joburg Open it is South Africa’s Trevor Fisher jnr and Sweden’s Steven Jepperson that lead the way by a shot after both players carded eight under par total’s on the West Course at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.

The leaders did it in very different ways though. Fisher jnr hit nine birdies and a single bogey on his way to the eight under total whereas Jepperson hit two eagles, four birdies and a bogey.

Belfast born Michael Hoey hit a brilliant seven under par to be one of the pace.

The first two days of the Joburg Open are played on two different with the West and East courses being used. Once the cut is made after Fridays rounds all remaining players will use a solitary course to complete their last two rounds and hopefully win the Joburg Open.

After Day One -

1 - Fisher jnr eight under
1 - Jeppesen eight under
3 - Hoey seven under
4 - Cabrera Bello, Garcia-Heredia, Drysdale, Sjoland, Molinari and McLardy six under

The 2009 European Tour calendar see’s a couple of changes one being the Madeira Islands Open.

For the 2009 event the Madeira Islands Open will be played on the Seve Ballesteros designed golf course Porto Santo Golf, this is on the little Island of Porto Santo. The course itself has stunning views and climbs up and around the basalt cliffs.

The Porto Santo Island is part of the Madeira Islands and is between Portugal and Africa.

The course has a unique hole at the 13th where golfers will be teeing up to play over a gorge and water. Personally this has disaster written all over it and a lot of lost golf balls!!

After day one of the World Cup of Golf at Mission Hills in China it is the German pairing of Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka that lead the way after a brilliant start in the fourballs, which has left them on a combined ten under. World number 26 Kaymer gained a couple of strokes after a brilliant 80 foot birdie putt on the par five 7th.

Only a shot seperates the German’s and the Australian pairing of Richard Green and Brendan James who both finished well on day one.

Two shots off the lead on eight under is the three pairings of USA, Canada and  Spain. The United States team features Ben Curtis and Brandt Snedeker. With the Canadians having Graham DeLaet and Wes Hefferman competing for them. The Spanish team have a good mix of experience and rookie with Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal together and sitting well in third place.

The World Cup of Golf starts on Thursday 27th December at the Mission Hills Golf Course in Shenzhen, China.

Reigning champions Scotland are competing again this year but with a change of team. Colin Montgomerie remains in the team but partner from last year’s World Cup of Golf Marc Warren has been replaced by Alastair Forsyth.

The Scottish team start Thursday with a fourballs match against the host’s China. Last year the Scottish team beat the Americans to claim the prize.

England’s Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher start the World Cup of Golf against Mexico.

Colin Montgomerie is competing in his 10th World Cup of Golf this weekend.

India’s Jeev Milka Singh won the Singapore Open by one shot on Sunday after a very tense final few holes. Singh himself finished on seven under par for the tournament after a closing round of two under. Tied in joint second place was Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and South African Ernie Els.

Going down the final hole Harrington and Els had birdie putts to try and force a play-off but unfortunately they both missed the birdie putts and Singh claimed the Singapore Open.

It all could of been very different for Harrington though as he double bogeyed the 16th hole after putting his second shot in the water. From his tee shot Padraig found the rough and had a difficult second shot, which found the middle of the green but ran straight through into the water.

Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat had the lead going into the final 18 but a horror round of 78 meant he finished way of the pace.

Over half the field at the Sentosa Golf Club haven’t been able to finish their first rounds due to bad light and a lightning storm, which stopped play for nearly two hours.

In the clubhouse though with the outright lead is Lam Chin Bing who on Day One shot a four under par 67. Bing has a one shot lead over Ernie Els, Oliver Wilson and Marcus Booth. A further three shots back in the clubhouse is Markus Brier, Charlie Wi and Zhang Lian-Wei.

The Singapore Open has a prize find of 5 million dollars so it has attracted big names such as Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Darren Clarke and Adam Scott.

Sweden’s Niclas Fasth goes into the weekend sharing the lead with Australian Mitchell Brown after carding a second successive 68 at the Iskando Johor Open. Mitchell Brown shot a second round 69 to be in a great position for the weekend. they are both on 8 under in the $500,000 Asiam Tour event.

Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand who was the former Asian number one sits a further shot back on 7 under after producing one of the rounds of the day with a brilliant 66. Fellow Asian Thaworn wirachant is also well in contention after two rounds of 69.

42 players still havent finished their second rounds after lightening held play up for over two hours.