Eight slots up for grabs

Eight coveted slots to an international field of the US$2 million Iskandar Johor Open 2011 are on offer in the National Qualifying Round scheduled for November 1-2 at the Pulai Springs Resort in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Unlike last year’s National Qualifying Round, which was played over 18 holes offering five slots, this year’s event will be played over two rounds (36 holes), and three additional slots are offered for the local players, further boosting the presence of Malaysians at the prestigious championship.

“As the championship grows in stature, it is always good to have strong local representation in the field, and I believe this National Qualifying Round provides an ideal platform for local players who have yet to qualify to earn the privilege to tee up alongside some of the biggest international stars,” said Grant Slack, Vice President of the Golf Division, IMG.

“Last year we had excellent participation in the national qualifier, and I’m confident that the increase in playing slots offered this year will further boost entry this time around as the prospect of gaining entry into an illustrious field consisting top names like defending champion Padraig Harrington, Camilo Villegas and Anthony Kim, playing for huge prize money will be too good to resist.”

Entry for the National Qualifying Round is exclusively for Malaysians and Malaysian passport holders. To participate, a participant must be a professional with a valid Professional Card from a recognised golf club or Professional Golf Associations. In addition, for the first time in the event’s history, the National Qualifying Round is also open to amateurs with a USGA handicap index of 3.0 and below.

The entry fee for the National Qualifying Round is RM250, which includes a complimentary practice round on October 31. The proceeds from the National Qualifying Round will be donated to the Johor Junior Development Programme undertaken by the Johor Golf Association.

The official entry form is now available at Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club’s golf reception and can be downloaded from the official tournament website here. The deadline for entry to the National Qualifying Round is October 24, 2011.

Meanwhile, Pulai Springs Resort, the official hotel of the Iskandar Johor Open 2011, is also offering a special rate of RM 240 per night for all participants of the National Qualifier.

The fifth edition of the prestigious US$2 million Iskandar Johor Open will be played from November 17-20 at Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, promising an illustrious field headlined by defending champion Harrington and Europe’s 2010 Ryder Cup-winning Captain Colin Montgomerie.

The Iskandar Johor Open 2011 will boast a 156-man field consisting of 67 players each from The European and Asian Tours, eight invites, eight national qualifiers and six international qualifiers, all vying for the top purse of US$317,000.

Fowler takes control

Rory McIlroy slipped ten shots behind leader Rickie Fowler as he only managed a third round 73 at the Kolon Korea Open.

The young Ryder Cup stars from opposite sides of the Atlantic both held a share of the overnight lead, but while US Open Champion McIlroy had four bogeys, four birdies and a double bogey, American Fowler carded eight unanswered birdies in a 63.

At 13 under Fowler leads by four from former US PGA Championship winner Y E Yang, with Kim Meen-whee in third on seven under.

Ross McGowen returns to form

Ross McGowan returned to form in sensational style to lead the Bankia Madrid Masters after the opening round.

The 29 year old Englishman won his only European Tour title when this event was staged at Centro Nacional de Golf two years ago, en route to finishing 12th on the 2009 Race to Dubai.

A persistent wrist injury then saw him miss out on Colin Montgomerie’s Ryder Cup side for The Celtic Manor Resort and McGowan’s best finish this year was 18th in the Africa Open at the start of the season.

Down at 161st on The Race to Dubai and in danger of losing his card, McGowan produced his lowest European Tour round for three years with an eight under par 64.

That gave him a one shot lead over Australian Brett Rumford, Italy's Lorenzo Gagli and tournament host Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño, who thrilled the home fans until a three-putt bogey at the final hole cost him a share of the overnight lead.

“I think I like Madrid,”said McGowan. “That was a much better round than I’ve been putting together recently.

“I got off to a good start, birdied the first two, and just kept trying to hit good golf shots - that was the key. I kept finding the right spots on the greens and holing the putts.

“It’s been a pretty tough year with a couple of injuries but it’s been improving week to week and this week it really seems to have come together.”

McGowan had three birdies in his first four holes at El Encin Golf Hotel before a bogey at the sixth.

But a sparkling run of five successive birdies from the ninth propelled him into the lead - the highlights coming with a 30 foot putt at the 12th and an approach to seven feet at the next.

The former Challenge Tour graduate failed to get up-and-down from the edge of the 15th green but responded to that bogey with a birdie at the next and finished with a pitch to two feet at the last for an amazing tenth birdie.

Like McGowan, Rumford and Fernandez-Castaño are outside the all-important top 115 on The Race to Dubai, although the Spaniard has missed most of the season with a back problem.

Gagli finished his round with a hattrick of birdies to match their 65s to be one ahead of Italy’s Edoardo Molinari - the Ryder Cup star performing best of the morning starters in the Spanish capital.

Big-hitting home favourite Alvaro Quiros was amongst those on five under, with World Number One and defending champion Luke Donald a shot further back.

“I felt like I left a few out there,” said Donald. “A couple of careless mistakes but a lot of solid golf in there too.”

Euro tour players win around the world

It has been a successful few days all round for Members of The European Tour after this weekend saw multiple wins around the globe.

By the end of play yesterday, five European Tour Members had recorded victories across four continents, reflecting the truly international scope of The European Tour’s Membership.

In Europe, Michael Hoey grabbed a two shot victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews on The European Tour, while England’s Matthew Baldwin triumphed after play-off drama in the Challenge Tour’s Fred Olsen Challenge de España in the Canary Islands.

Paul Casey didn’t disappoint as the showpiece attraction in the Korean Golf Tour’s Shinehan Donghae Open after eventually prevailing by one shot, while New Zealander Danny Lee picked up his first win in America on the Nationwide Tour at the WNB Golf Classic.

Meanwhile, on Saturday in South Africa, Hennie Otto won on home soil in the Sunshine Tour’s Platinum Classic at the Mooinooi Golf Club on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

The victories were bound to have a substantial effect on the Members’ various World Ranking positions, and this was confirmed after the release of the weekly Official World Golf Rankings early this morning.

Hoey, now a three-time champion on The European Tour after his brilliant win in Scotland, moved into the top 100 for the first time in his career after shooting 173 places up the Ranking, moving from 271st place up to 98th.

The most dramatic ascent up the Ranking went to Baldwin after his success in the Challenge Tour event in La Gomera. The victory not only earned him his first professional victory but propelled the Englishman to 283rd in the World Ranking, after beginning the week at 476th – a jump of a colossal 193 places.

Casey began the year at eighth in the World Ranking and won the Volvo Golf Championship in Bahrain in January, however he has since then struggled for form so a victory in the 27th Shinehan Donghae Open will come as a welcome boost to the eleven-time European Tour winner. The title has elevated Casey back into the top 20 and he will be hoping he can push on for a strong finish to year and an improvement on his current Race to Dubai ranking of 32nd.

At the tender age of 18 years and 213 days Danny Lee became the youngest-ever victor on The European Tour after winning the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic, a record surpassed by Matteo Manassero in 2010, and his victory in the Nationwide Tour’s WNB Golf Classic, in what was only his 19th entry, has taken the Korean-born 21 year old to 190th in the World Ranking, a rise of 76 places.

Hennie Otto’s two stroke victory in the Platinum Classic on the Sunshine Tour earned him R500,000 but unfortunately no World Ranking points. Part of South Africa’s Winter Series and only played over three rounds, Otto, winner of the 2008 Italian Open, was simply happy to see his hard work paying off, citing a desire to “find my game”.

Dustin should be OK with losing LaCava

After his first round in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Dustin Johnson made it clear he was not bitter about Tiger Woods hiring his now-former caddie Joe LaCava.

Good.

Johnson may not be Woods – he may never be Woods – but he is young, talented and marketable. Those are three things Tiger was 15 years ago.

Who carries his bag is not inconsequential, but Woods himself said a caddie is not worth more than the rare shot or two in a round. Considering the three shots which kept Johnson from likely having at least one major by now were a shank, a rules violation and a nasty bunker shot, those were out of the control of any caddie.

Clement opens with a 65

Virginie Lagoutte-Clement opened with a seven under par 65 on a beautiful morning at Paris International Golf Club to claim a one stroke clubhouse lead at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France.

This event sees the three-time Ladies European Tour event champion from Montelimar play at home in her native France and she made the most of her opportunity with eight birdies and just one bogey in her round.

One stroke behind Lagoutte-Clement on six under is Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord, who had six birdies with four on the more difficult back nine.

A shot further back on 67 were Spain’s Tania Elosegui, Australian rookie Stacey Keating and England’s Sophie Walker, who was inspired by watching Europe’s Solheim Cup victory on Sunday.

England’s Trish Johnson, a three time winner of the Open de France and the defending champion, finished her round three strokes off the pace after a 68 along with compatriot Felicity Johnson.

Two of last week’s winning European Solheim Cup Team are playing this week and both Laura Davies and Caroline Hedwall were round in three under par.

Davies struggled with her putting from inside eight feet but rallied to finish with an eagle on hole eight followed by a closing birdie. Hedwall had three birdies in a steady round.

France’s Jade Schaeffer, who won her second LET title three weeks ago in Prague, along with compatriot Cassandra Kirkland and Caroline Rominger of Switzerland were the best placed players at three under par by early afternoon.

FRED OLSEN CHALLENGE DE ESPAÑA

Ricardo Santos will resume his quest to move to the top of the European Challenge Tour Rankings when he heads the field for the Fred Olsen Challenge de España 2011 at Tecina Golf Club in the Canary Islands this week.

The 29 year old Portuguese has admittedly been in indifferent form in the past two weeks, having missed the cut in both Kazakhstan and France, but will aim to put all that behind him and show the form which brought him victory in The Princess tournament in Sweden in July.

With Rankings leader Tommy Fleetwood and second placed Sam Little – who won for the second week in succession when he claimed the Allianz Golf Open Grand Toulouse in France last week – both absent from the Canary Islands, it gives the chance for Santos to move to the head of affairs with a victory.

While the race for the number one spot is intriguing, with four events to go on the 2011 Challenge Tour schedule, the quest to finish in the top 20 at the end of the year and hence gain a card for The 2012 European Tour is equally as fascinating as the season comes down to the wire.

One player who made a significant stride last week in France was England’s Matthew Baldwin who finished in a tie for third place at Golf de Toulouse-Seilh and as a result, moved from 29th place to just outside the top 20 in 22nd place.

“I was pretty sure I would get a place in the field for the Canary Islands but this finish made sure of it for me and now I’ll go there and try and capitalise on what was a pretty good week for me in France,” said the 25 year old from Southport.

“Obviously everybody has their eye on finishing inside the top 20, it’s the goal for everyone out here and I’m no different. We all bandy about figures in what we think might be needed but it’s just really about going out there and playing good golf. If you do that, the rest will take care of itself.”

One man currently inside the top 20 is Scotland’s Craig Lee, who maintained his 13th place position after finishing in a tie for 19th place in France.

Lee is one of three players – the other two being Frenchman Anthony Snobeck and England’s Daniel Brooks – who have played in all but one of the Challenge Tour’s 21 tournaments thus far this season.

The marathon effort is a tiring one but one Lee admitted he hoped would pay dividends at the end of the season.

“I’m looking forward to going to Tecina,” said the 34 year old from Stirling. “I’ve never played there before and so like most courses on the Challenge Tour this year, it will be a new experience for me and a new challenge and I’m looking for another good week.

“A lot is made of the fact that I have played almost every event on the Tour but I just want to try and do the best I can and produce the best result at the end of the season.

“I’ve had a lot of good help and support this year from a lot of people being part of Team Scottish Hydro, and therefore it is nice to repay the faith they have in me by going out and trying to compete every week.”

Seniors, Belas Clube under way

David J Russell ripped up the back nine to take a clubhouse lead during the first round of the Belas Clube de Campo Senior Open de Portugal with a seven under par round of 65.

The Englishman carded five birdies in the last six holes to enter the clubhouse two shots clear of American Doug Johnson, who briefly held the clubhouse lead after a five under par 67.

Russell got off to a perfect start when he birdied the opening hole, the 383 metre par four, before another birdie at the par five sixth at Belas Clube de Campo, near Lisbon.

But it was after the turn when the two time European Tour winners round really took flight, shooting a birdie on the 10^th before an incredible run which saw him birdie the 13th, 14^th, 15^thand 17^th holes before finishing just as he had started, with a superb three at the par four 18^th.

“I holed a good putt at the first for a birdie but then I missed quite a few putts early on, I could have really got it going but then at the end everything I looked at went in,” enthused the 57 year old, who won his maiden Senior Tour title at the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship last year.

“I played nicely but the course, if you’re driving to good positions it’s not that demanding from the fairways and you can get it really close and then if you hole the putts, obviously you’ll get a good score.”

Russell’s good round comes in the wake of tied 31^st finish at the Cannes Mougins Masters last week, but it was a sterling performance in the Pro-Am tournament after the main event in France that gave him the momentum going into this week.

“I was playing reasonably well the last couple of tournaments and not really put a score together and then I played the Pro-Am after the Cannes Mougins Masters and shot 66,” he continued.

“I played with a bit more freedom. So I figured I would play a lot freer and not worry about where all the trouble was!”

Russell is chasing his first win of 2011 and has had an indifferent year, with four top 20s and two missed cuts in 15 appearances this season, but he did suffer a setback mid-way through the campaign when he was diagnosed with arthritis in his left knee.

“It’s not been a great year for me, I got injured starting around the time of the US Senior PGA Championship and my knee got really sore and it went into my back, so I was struggling to swing the club.

“It turned out I had got arthritis on my knee, so I’m taking anti-inflammatories and it’s a lot better but there’s nothing you can do.”

That didn’t stop him leading the field mid-way through the opening day at Belas Clube de Campo but Jerry Bruner was close on his tail through 12 holes.

Bruner was on fire, birdieing the second hole before a marvellous two on the par four sixth and three further birdies left him on six under par with six to play and one shot behind Russell.

Alfred Dunhill

Rafael Cabrera-Bello continued to be the man to catch as the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship reached the halfway stage.

The Spaniard, who won the Austrian GolfOpen two years ago with a stunning final round of 60, was playing Kingsbarns and, after going out in 31 with three birdies and an eagle, had picked up another shot on the back nine to lie six under after 13.

Louis Oosthuizen, who lifted The Claret Jug at St Andrews last year, was second on five under after carding six birdies and one bogey in 13 holes.

World Number One Luke Donald, looking to become the first man to win the money list on both sides of the Atlantic, was one under after eight, Lee Westwood two under after 11 and Rory McIlroy two over after seven after a triple bogey on the 13th at Kingsbarns.

Former amateur star Tom Lewis was boosting his chances of following the footsteps of McIlroy and securing his card for next season.

Lewis shot to fame at The Open Championship at Royal St George's this summer, shooting a 65 - the lowest round by an amateur in championship history - in the opening round.

He then helped Great Britain & Ireland win the Walker Cup earlier this month in Aberdeen before turning professional, finishing joint tenth on his debut in the paid ranks in Austria last week.

The 20 year old has six more events this season to earn around €200,000 he will need to secure full playing rights in 2012, but knows it is certainly possible after US Open Champion McIlroy finished third here in 2007 to do just that.

A top-three finish on Sunday would be enough for Lewis and that was where he found himself after 13 holes of his opening round at Kingsbarns, one of three courses used for the pro-am event.

Starting at the tenth, Lewis dropped a shot on the par four 11th but bounced back with four birdies in the next six holes to reach the turn in 33.

Another birdie on the first took him to four under par, two shots behind Cabrera Bello, alongside Ryder Cup star Graeme McDowell and another South African, Jaco Van Zyl.

Alfred Dunhill

Solheim Cup a triumph in very difficult times

RYDER Cup 2006 at The K Club, Solheim Cup 2011 at Killeen Castle -- two of golf's biggest international team events played in Ireland in vastly different economic circumstances.

The common denominators were: (1) Europewon on both occasions, although the women's victory over the USA last Sunday was far more dramatic than the men in '06; (2) heavy rainaffected the two events, but in each case, the course staff and officials coped admirably with the challenges and got play finished on the Sunday; (3) the fans were magnificent in '06 and last weekend.

Major differences? First, we had all the excitement in '06 of having an Irish interest with Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarkeand Paul McGinley on the team, plus, of course, the massive level of interest in men's golf.

And then there was the significant matter of the Celtic Tiger, still roaring away at full pelt five years ago.

All of which makes it more remarkable that the Solheim Cup proved to be such a crowd-puller on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Attendance figures of 28,000 for the final day were terrific, and for me, the heroes and heroines were those hardy souls who stayed all day and endured the awful deluge of rain and bad weather which caused stoppages lasting two hours and 20 minutes in total.

Soaked to the skin, they ignored the conditions and cheered and sang and applauded the golfers of Europe and USA right through to the nerve-jangling conclusion.

It says much for the underlying spirit of the Irish that they can rise to a big international occasion and enjoy the craic, despite the economic situation here and abroad.

Credit, too, to the visitors from Britain, Europe and the USA, who brought their support and some colourful costumes to the event.

What now for Killeen Castle? Well, first and foremost the course provided a platform which suitably challenged the LET and LPGA stars, with the last four holes justifying designerJack Nicklaus' vision for a dramatic closing stretch.

Now that the course and venue have been presented to an international audience, its attraction for green fee visitors from home and abroad can only be enhanced.

Killeen Castle has good, professional and courteous staff, fine facilities and a commitment to high standards. The announcement that the Ladies Irish Open will be staged there next year was a statement of intent to be open for business for a long time to come. Interesting to note negotiations are ongoing for the men's Irish Open, with suggestions that a change of date from the August weekend back to June is likely.

If that transpires, wouldn't it make sense for the promoters of the Ladies Irish Open to look for that August bank holiday weekend and build on the good vibes of the Solheim?

Source: Irish Independent