Weekly Tour Wrap-up #21st Jan

Last week, both the PGA and European tours reached fifth gear and gave an indication the 2013 season could be as good as any that have preceded it.

On the PGA Tour, a veteran American won his fourth tournament and his first for three and a half years after coming through a three-man play-off.

On the European Tour, a shocked Welshman survived a near-calamitous mistake on the 72^nd green to win his second event in his last 14 starts.

Delighted Donaldson triumphs in Abu Dhabi

Welshman Jamie Donaldson carded a final-round 68 to post a 14-under-par 72-hole total and win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship by a single shot from Justin Rose and Thorbjorn Olesen at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Portugal’s Ricardo Santos closed with a 68 to finish alone in fourth on 11 under, one shot clear of four-time European Tour winner Branden Grace.

Donaldson got off to a good start, and shared the lead with Rose after both mixed six birdies with one bogey for five-under-par 67s on Thursday.

Olesen shared third place with gregarious Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal, with talented South African George Coetzee and the resurgent pair of Michael Campbell and David Howell among the substantial group two back on three-under-par.

Rose and Donaldson were the first two names on the leaderboard after round two, but the Englishman had edged into a one-shot lead, courtesy of a second-round 69.

Joining the Welshman on seven under after 36 holes were 23-year-old Olesen and 2012 Italian Open champion Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who forced his way into the final group with a fine 67.

After round three, Rose had extended his advantage to two shots.

He bogeyed the first, but five birdies in six holes before the turn put some daylight between him and the chasing pack. He could only manage a level-par back nine, though, and carded a 68 for a 12-under-par 54-hole total and a two shot lead over Donaldson and Olesen (both 69s).

On Sunday, Rose made birdie at two but gave it back at five to turn in level par. At that point, he was still two ahead of playing partner Olesen – who birdied four and five but gave both shots back at six – but level with Donaldson, who played his first nine holes in two-under-par.

Rose and Olesen birdied ten and Donaldson birdied 11, but they all found themselves chasing David Howell, who had reached 13-under-par.

He would bogey the 12^th, though, and painfully took four putts from five feet at 13 to fall out of contention.

Behind, Olesen birdied 13 to reach 12 under and Rose made a fine three at 14 to move 14 under, but Donaldson was one clear after holing two long birdie putts on 14 and 15.

Rose bogeyed 16 after a pushed approach and failed to birdie 17 to seemingly fall out of contention.

But Donaldson three putted the par-5 18^th for bogey, bringing Rose and Olesen, who made a birdie three at 17, right back into the tournament.

Needing birdies to force a playoff, Rose and Olesen hit their approaches to 12 and 15 feet respectively. The Dane narrowly missed, but the world number five’s putt looked in all the way. Agonisingly, though, it lipped out, and Donaldson was crowned champion.

Gobsmacked Gay cool in California

Brian Gay came through a three-man play-off to claim the Humana Challenge after a superb final-round 63 earned him a place in extra holes.

He beat Swedish rookie David Lingmerth and Charles Howell III in sudden death, clinching success with a birdie at the par-4 10^th.

The tournament was played over three resort courses – La Quinta Country Club and the Nicklaus and Palmer courses at PGA West – and low scoring was the order of the tournament from the get-go.

Jason Kokrak, Roberto Castro and James Hahn shared the lead after 18 holes with three 63s, nine in front of Phil Mickelson, who was making his first start of the season.

Castro and Hahn retuned second round 67s to reach 14-under-par, one clear of Darron Stiles, Richard Lee and two-time PGA Tour champion Scott Stallings with 36 holes remaining.

On Saturday, the two leaders stuttered along, leaving the door wide open for Stallings.

The 27-year-old shot to the top of the leaderboard with a third-round 63, which included a pair of eagles. Remarkably, it was his third successive round without a bogey.

It also gave him a five-shot lead (22-under-par) over Castro, Howell III, John Rollins and Stewart Cink, who had only recorded four top tens on the PGA Tour since his victory at the 2009 Open.

The low scoring continued on Sunday, with Kevin Chappell, who was 11 under through 17 holes, showing anything was possible.

Gay followed his lead, playing his first 13 holes in nine-under-par to move one behind Stallings, who had reached 26-under-par.

Howell started slowly, but he joined Gay on 25-under-par after a birdie on the par-3 15^th, his ninth birdie in 12 holes.

After 16 holes, there was a three-way tie for the lead on 25-under-par, with Stallings making bogey at the long 16^th. Up ahead, Lingmerth birdied the final hole to make it four.

With a par-5 to close, 25 under never looked enough, but Gay and then Howell both missed six-footers on the reachable 72^nd.

Behind, Stallings ripped a drive down the middle, and looked odds on to make a four with just a six iron for his second.

But he found water left of the green and was unable to save par, missing out on the play-off by one.

The trio of Gay, Howell III and Ligmerth came back down 18, but the Swede bowed out after pulling his second into the same lake as Stallings.

On the second extra hole, Howell III hit his approach into a bunker behind the pin, and could only pitch to ten feet. He missed, and Gay – who hit a glorious approach – knocked in a five-footer to claim the title.

Next week, the European Tour’s Middle East swing continues at the Qatar Masters, and Tiger Woods make his PGA Tour season-debut at the Northern Trust Open.