Weekly Tour Round Up

The second week of the 2012 season is now complete, and both the PGA Tour and European Tour produced unexpected winners. Whilst the scoring wasn’t as low as last week (the two winners had a cumulative score of thirty under par this week, compared to fifty under par last week), excitement levels remained high. The weather played a prominent role in both tournaments: the Joburg Open saw multiple storm delays which softened up the course considerably, and strong wind in Hawaii accounted for some high final round scoring at the Sony Open. Conditions didn’t bother native Branden Grace in Johannesburg, as he parred in from the turn to beat off the challenge of Englishman Jamie Elson. American Johnson Wagner, sporting a terrific moustache, ran out a comfortable winner at Waialae Country Club with a final round of 67 for his third victory on the PGA Tour.

Grace Victorious on Home Turf

Branden Grace became the second South African in two weeks to win on home soil, following compatriot Louis Oosthuizen who won the Africa Open last week. Grace was fully deserving of his first victory on the European Tour, shooting a solid final round of 72 for an overall total of seventeen under par. He finished one clear of Jamie Elson, who shot up the leaderboard on Sunday with a stunning nine under 63 at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club. Elson claimed second place on his own, finishing two clear of a large group at fourteen under par, including Scotsmen David Drysdale and Marc Warren.

Two courses were utilised this week, the East and West Course. Elson started and finished the tournament with rounds of 63. Had he been able to shoot level par on Friday and Saturday, he would have been tied for the lead come Sunday. It wasn’t to be, however, and he fell back into the pack after a second round of 75.

At the end of round two, there were some big names atop the leaderboard. Robert Rock, fresh off a successful end to 2011, reached the halfway stage at eleven under par after rounds of 65 and 67 on the East and West, respectively. He was joined by big-hitting South African George Coetzee, who recorded symmetrical scores but on different courses, and Richard Finch. The Englishman, who completed his second round on Saturday, had the shot of the tournament – his tee shot on the par-3 12^th on the East nestling into the bottom of the cup for an eagle 1. Retief Goosen, continuing his good play from last week, was just one behind at the halfway stage on ten under par alongside Grace.

In round three, contested on the East, it was a case of what might have been for the Goose, who missed a number of short putts from within five feet. He recorded a 71, however, to go into the final round on eleven under par. Coetzee returned a solid, respectable round of 69 to be fourteen under after three rounds with Finch, who eagled the par-5 8^th en route to a matching 69. They were all chasing Grace after three rounds, though. He was two under for his round at the turn, before playing his last six holes in five under par for a 65 and a three shot lead with one round to play. Finch, Coetzee and Goosen all fell back on Sunday, and Jamie Elson came from nowhere to present the biggest threat to Grace’s lead. He was six under for his round to the turn, and eagled the 18^th to set the clubhouse lead at sixteen under par. Grace didn’t panic, and parred every hole on the back nine to hold on for a fine victory.  

Wagner Victorious in Hawaii

Johnson Wagner, the little known American, won for the third time on the PGA Tour at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He recovered from a bogey at the first hole of the final round to card four rounds in the sixties and a thirteen under par total at Waialae Country Club. In the first full-field tournament of the 2012 PGA Tour season, Wagner came from the pack with a lovely burst around the turn and stayed atop the leaderboard for a comfortable victory. Carl Peterson - the consistent, laid back Swede – matched Wagner’s final round of 67 to finish tied for second on eleven under par. Harrison Frazar, enjoying a good opening to the season, failed to make a short birdie putt on 18 and missed out on solo second. He also finished on eleven under, along with Sean O’Hair and Charles Howell 3rd. O’Hair, one of the best ball strikers in the game, will be buoyed by his finish after an indifferent 2011.

Graeme DeLaet, the Canadian, stormed into the first round lead after an opening 63, but would ultimately fall back into the pack and finish in a tie for 29^th. Matt Every, the rookie with a monstrosity of a putter, took control after 36 holes, leading by two from Petterson and David Hearn after a six under par round of 64. A credible 68 followed in the third round, leaving him tied for the lead on twelve under par with Jeff Maggert (64) going into the final round. Howell 3^rd, Wagner and Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge were all two back on ten under par.

In the final round, Maggert showed why he has only converted a 54-hole lead once in his career, stumbling to a 74 to finish in a tie for 13^th. Unsurprising, given his inexperience, Every fell four over through six holes but hung on well to earn his first top 10 on the PGA Tour. Howell 3^rd couldn’t mount a challenge, but finished in a tie for second on eleven under par with Petterson, O’Hair and Frazar. The day belonged to Wagner, though. Birdies at 7, 8 and 10 steadied an inauspicious start, and he never looked back after holing from off the green for birdie on 15. Wagner told people to “expect something at the start of the year”, and with “way more energy and confidence going into this year," look out for him to make a serious impression in 2012.

Next week, the PGA Tour heads to the desert, as Jhonnatan Vegas defends at the Humana Challenge. Phil Mickelson will also head to La Quinta to compete in his first event of the season. The European Tour stays in South Africa for the Volvo Golf Champions, an event that has attracted some of the top names in golf.