Weekly Tour Wrap-Up

Two of the most eagerly anticipated tournaments of the season were contested last week, with two winners coming from completely different ends of the golfing spectrum.

On the European Tour at the Irish Open – contested north of the border for the first time since 1953 – a talented Welshman broke through at the 255^th time of asking with a seamless performance in front of the biggest gallery in European Tour history.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the AT&T National offered a touching tribute to ex-servicemen and was won by the tournament host, who moved into second place in the all time PGA Tour victory rankings with his 74^th career title.

Donaldson Dominant at Portrush

Jamie Donaldson made a fine birdie at the last hole to finish on 18-under-par and record a four shot victory over Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Anthony Wall and Fabrizio Zanotti at the Irish Open. The tournament, played at Royal Portrush, was the first regular European Tour event to completely sell out, with more than 100,000 spectators visiting the course over four days.

Despite a strong field including major champions Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington, it was Frenchman Gregory Bourdy and Indian Jeev Mikha Singh who led after round one after opening with a pair of 65s.

Bourdy continued to impress in round two, surging into the lead at the halfway stage on 12-under-par after a round of 67, which included six birdies and an eagle. He was trailed closely by Englishman Mark Foster, who added a birdie-free round of 67 to his opening 66 to record a 36-hole total of 11-under-par. There was a sizeable group a shot further back on ten-under-par, including little-known Paul Waring, who shot a brilliant second round 65, and Padraig Harrington, who returned a second consecutive 65. Donaldson was on nine-under-par after rounds of 68 and 67.

Home favourites McIlroy, Clarke and McDowell all made the cut, but needed a low number on Saturday to get themselves into contention.

Overnight leader Bourdy fell well off the pace in round three in tough conditions at Portrush, and was replaced by Donaldson, who shot a 69. Journeyman Anthony Wall jumped up the leaderboard with a 67 to sit one back with one round to play, with Harrington and Foster a further stroke behind. The round of the day came from the impressive Thorborn Olesen, who shot 66 to lie four back with 18 holes to play.  

Both Clarke and McDowell predicted low scoring on Sunday after their rounds on Saturday, and were vindicated the following day.

Mikael Lundberg started the day at six-under-par, but found himself in contention after a blistering first ten holes. The Swede started birdie-eagle-birdie, finished the front nine with three consecutive birdies and added another at the 10^th to reach 14-under-par; eight under for the day after just 10 holes.

Ross Fisher, meahwhile, was making a charge of his own. Starting the day on five-under-par, he recorded two eagles and a birdie on the front nine before further birdies at ten, 13 and 14 moved him into the top five.

Unfortunately for them, the overnight leader got off to a good start, making birdies at two, three and four. He turned in three under and, by that point, both Fisher and Lundberg had fallen away.

Zanotti and Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bellow were making birdies, but Donaldson was playing solid golf. His first bogey of the day came at the 11^th, but he responded by playing the next four holes in three-under-par. Standing on the 18^th tee, he had a two shot lead over playing partner Wall, and hit a brave drive down the left fairway. With Wall in sand, Donaldson knocked his approach to 20 feet and holed the putt to a rapturous reception from the wonderful crowd, who received plaudits all week long from everyone involved in the tournament.

Tiger triumphs at Congressional

At the AT&T National, tournament host Tiger Woods became the first player to win three PGA Tour titles this season and completed his return to stardom in the process. He shot a final round of two-under-par 69 to finish on eight-under-par, two shots clear of compatriot Bo Van Pelt at Congressional Country Club.

Woods, however, got off to an inauspicious start, shooting a 72 on day one to sit five off the pace. Van Pelt shot an opening four-under-par 67 in the soaring heat to lead by one from Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge, Jimmy Walker and Vijay Singh.

It was Hunter Mahan – a two-time winner in 2012 – who surged up the leaderboard in Friday. Mahan, who shot a closing 61 last week at the Travelers Championship, mixed seven birdies with one bogey to lead on seven-under-par after 36 holes. Walker and De de Jonge returned 69s to share second with Robert Garrigus, who had his sixth straight sub-par round at Congressional. Woods, meanwhile, moved within five after a solid second round 68.

The third round was played without any spectators as storms ripped through the course, knocking down trees, shredding tents and littering the course with debris. That didn’t bother de Jonge, however, who carded a 69 to reach seven-under-par and lead Woods (68), Van Pelt and talented Korean Seung-yul Noh by one shot heading into the final round.

On Sunday, a series of world-class golfers came to the fore.  Adam Scott played the first nine holes in five-under-par to move into a tie for the lead. Elsewhere, Nick Watney started with three quick birdies and Jason Day moved into the top three with a solid front nine.

Woods, however, stayed focused, and played the front nine in two-under-par to lead Van Pelt by one stroke. Overnight leader de Jonge had fallen away, as had Watney and Scott (67), who failed to fully capitalise on strong starts.

After exchanging birdies at the 15^th, Woods and Van Pelt were tied for the lead with three holes to play. Both made a mess of the par-5 16^th, but Woods managed to par the 17^th to regain the lead after Van Pelt failed to get up and down from behind the green.

Woods, showing no sign of nerves, then cracked a glorious drive down 18, hit a stunning nine iron approach to 12 feet and secured victory with two putts after Van Pelt missed his long-range birdie effort.

This Week

This week on the European Tour, a strong field assembles at Le Golf National for the Open de France, while the PGA Tour and Tiger Woods head to West Virginia for the Greenbrier Classic.