Rather Late Weekend Wrap - Golf Week 25.10.2015

Euro Front: With the Race to Dubai heading into the business end of the 2015 season, a return of many who ply the trade on both sides of the Atlantic saw a strong field line up for both the Portugal Masters and the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Starting in Portugal, after a blisteringly warm Thursday, last year’s rain clouds seemed intent on interrupting play once again. A delayed Friday and further inclement weather coming in on the weekend saw the tour’s decision making chaps implement a shot gun start for the remaining two rounds. Something certainly progressive and only having been resorted to on one other occasion, that being the 1994 Czech Open. Fortunately the slight change in play did not halt a superb showing by the short but certainly not overshadowed Englishman, Andy Sullivan. The two-time season winner set himself up to coast into the champion’s chair, his 23 under total blowing the field away by a nine shot margin. A perfectly times win, sets him up nicely as Dubai slides closer every day.

A strengthened field took on the tight Hong Kong GC layout last week, headlined by world number 7 (now number 6) Justin Rose. The days of 21 straight missed cuts in his rookie year on tour are certainly so far back, as to almost not be associated with the now 2013 US Open Champion. Rose started the week looking to put the previous week’s PGA disappointment well behind him, could not have done much better than start with a 65 in round one. With stiff challengers in young Fitzpatrick and Dane Bjerregaard, Rose had to hole more than his fair share of par putts to keep out in front. Persistence with the flat blade, on some tough and sloping greens accompanied by top notch driving, gave him a two shot buffer with the 72nd hole to navigate. Although a nervy three putt on the last, marred the performance somewhat, his smile said he could not give two … well you can finish that thought. The win takes him to 4th in the R2D rankings, and within touching distance of the noticeably absent Irishman.

State Side: A new season and some new beginnings for Argentine Emiliano Grillo, having secured his PGA card for the first time, he wasted no thoughts at all on late season heroics to maintain his new status, instead he fired a fine final round 69, including a birdie on the last to see him into a play-off with Kevin Na. Two extra holes and a new future lies ahead of the talented 23-year-old.

Following on from the opening week, last week’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, held more of the same magic for another PGA rookie. Smylie Kaufman blitzed the field on the last day, making up 27 spots with a superb 10 under 61. Edging fellow Web.com graduate Patton Kizzire by one.

Highlights included:

• Tyrone van Aswegen after a rather sweaty palms way of finishing last season, having to dabble in the Web.com tour playoffs to guarantee his return to the main tour, capped a great few weeks with his best tour performance coming at the season opener, The Frys.com Open.

• The end of the European Tour regular season, would not be the same without some last shot heroics and amazing card saving performances. The most noteworthy of which came from Englishman Matt Ford. After bogeys on 15 and 16, it would be easy and understandable for a collapse, of greater scale even than the South African cricket side in a world cup, to ensue. Except it did not happen, a bird on 17 and a well held together classic fairway, green, 2-putt par on 18, found Ford smiling and still in possession of his tour card. Massive respect.

Other events of note included -

• Lydia Ko (AUS) has cemented herself as World Number One, after her third win in the last five starts. The win coming in the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship is her 5th of the season. She truly has set a high bar for the rest of the Ladies to follow.

• The week before that saw a brief interlude from Ko’s winning ways, as American Lexi Thompson’s 15 under proved just enough for her to lift her 2nd trophy of the year, this time coming at the LPGA Keb Hana Bank Champiosnhips.

• Rourke van der Spuy (RSA) lifted his maiden trophy on the Sunshine Tour at the Sun Fish River Sun Challenge. It may have been a shortened affair with day two being blown off, but still certain he will be chuffed, especially as it is his rookie year.

• Dean Burmester (RSA) a name that is fast becoming synonymous with victory, made it a 4th season win last week. Cleaning up the Vodacom Origins of Golf @ Koro Creek by a five shot margin.

• Borja Virto Astudillo (ESP) capped off a great display at the Foshan Open in China, by dropping a birdie on the final hole to seal his 2nd Challenge Tour win of the season. With just the Grand final to be played his accumulated money total has already ensured him a place on the 2016 European Tour, but a lucrative final event would see him in fine spirits for next seasons new challenge.

To look forward to this week -

• Turkish Airlines Open (European Tour)

• CIMB Classic (PGA Tour)

• No Event (Challenge Tour)

• Blue Bay LPGA (LPGA)

• No Event (Sunshine Tour)