News

May 21^tst 2012
Alvaro Quiros a fine fifth at World Match Play Championship

Martin Kaymer and Peter Hanson eliminated in first round

On the European Tour, the Volvo World Match Play Championship at the Finca Cortesin Golf Club in Andalusia has been won by Nicolas Colsaerts. In a gripping final, the Belgian edged out Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell by 1 hole. The long-hitting 31-year-old defeated England’s Justin Rose, the American Brandt Snedeker and then Scotland’s Paul Lawrie in the semi-final en route to the biggest title of his career so far and a winner’s cheque for €700,000. This victory takes Colsaerts inside the world’s top 50 for the first time and boosts his chances of making Europe’s Ryder Cup team this September in Medinah, Illinois.

24 golfers from 13 countries assembled for the initial group phase on Thursday prior to the knockout stages. This elite field featured four Schüco brand ambassadors but, unfortunately, all four were eliminated before the final day. The best performance came from Alvaro Quiros, who tied for fifth place. The long-hitting Spaniard lost in the quarter final 3&1 to his compatriot Rafael Cabrera Bello, who would subsequently finish joint third with Paul Lawrie. Earlier, Quiros had ended the hopes of defending champion Ian Poulter, beating the Englishman 4&3. One of the best Match Play golfers in the world, Poulter had looked impressive in winning his first two matches.

Germany’s number one, Martin Kaymer, and Sweden’s Peter Hanson both failed to make it through the group phase. In his opening encounter, Kaymer slipped to a 3&2 defeat at the hands of Spain’s Rafael Cabrera Bello. And he then lost his second match too by the narrowest of margins; Kaymer bogeying the 18^th to lose by 1 hole to Englishman Richard Finch. A similar fate befell Peter Hanson as the Swede also exited the tournament on Friday after losing to Scotland’s Paul Lawrie (2&1) and the Columbian Camilo Villegas (6&4).

On the PGA Tour, attention turned this weekend to the HP Byron Nelson Championship at the TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas. The event was won by Jason Dufner (67-66-69-67 = 269) as the American celebrated his second victory on the PGA Tour just three weeks after claiming his maiden win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The 35-year-old from Auburn, Alabama, joins his compatriot Hunter Mahan as the only multiple winner this year on the PGA Tour. It also sees Dufner, who married his girlfriend Amanda two weeks ago, take the lead in the FedEx Cup standings. The American pushed his countryman Dicky Pride (270) into second place, with four golfers tied for third. Crowd favourite Phil Mickelson from the USA finished in a share of 7^th place on 274. There were no Schüco brand ambassadors in action. 

Bernhard Langer meanwhile is busy preparing for this week’s Senior PGA Championship in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The two-time Masters champion currently lies second to the American Michael Allen in the Charles Schwab Cup (the season-long points race on the Champions Tour) and is thus one of the big favourites for this Major tournament.

May 14^th 2012
Geoff Ogilvy an impressive 12th at “THE PLAYERS”

Matt Kuchar celebrates biggest win of his career

The American Matt Kuchar (68-68-69-70 = 275) has won The Players Championship, the unofficial “fifth Major” with a total purse of 9.5 million dollars. The Ryder Cup star finished on 13 under par for his four rounds at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, two shots clear of a four-way tie for second place comprising Rickie Fowler, Ben Curtis, Zach Johnson (all USA) and Martin Laird (Scotland). For the 33-year-old Kuchar, who registered an excellent third place finish at The Masters in early April, it was the biggest win of his career, earning him a winner’s cheque for $1.7 million.

The field included a total of six Schüco brand ambassadors. The best performance came from Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy (70-73-70-69 = 282), whose 69 on the final day saw him climb into a very fine share of 12th place.

After a three-week break from tournament action, Martin Kaymer (73-69-70-71 = 283) made a strong return, finishing tied for 15th. Despite an inauspicious start, the 27-year-old German produced some great golf in the second round, managing to birdie all three of the extremely difficult closing holes. Only a double bogey on the par-3 13th hole prevented Kaymer from improving on a terrific 69. A two-under-par round on “moving day” saw him climb the leaderboard further into a tie for 14th, eight strokes behind the third-round leader, Kevin Na from the USA. On Sunday, Kaymer double-bogeyed the par-4 fifth, but recovered to birdie holes 9, 13 and 16. Playing alongside crowd favourite Phil Mickelson, the top Schüco star closed with a 71 and a final score of 5 under par. Germany’s number one finished level with both Swedes in the team of Schüco brand ambassadors – Peter Hanson (73-71-71-68 = 283) produced an excellent final round to also be tied 15th alongside his compatriot Henrik Stenson (71-71-71-70 = 283), who won this event in 2009.

Ian Poulter (65-76-71-73 = 285) led the field after a scintillating 65 on the opening day, but enjoyed something of a rollercoaster tournament. Ultimately, the flamboyant Englishman tied for 25th place.

Spain’s Alvaro Quiros (72-72-72-71 = 287) played very consistently and ended The Players Championship in 40th place, level with the American Tiger Woods.

Masters champion Bubba Watson was not in action in Florida, having decided at the start of May to take a month off to spend more time with his family. Dustin Johnson, the second American in the team of Schüco brand ambassadors, was also missing due to a persistent back injury that he picked up several weeks ago when lifting a jet ski.

England’s Luke Donald (72-69-72-66 = 279) narrowly missed out on reclaiming the number one spot in the world rankings. After Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland missed the cut, Donald needed to finish fourth or better. But, in the end, the 34-year-old finished on his own in sixth place after firing an outstanding 66 in the final round. This included six birdies in a back nine of just 29 strokes – a tournament record.

May 07^th 2012
Bernhard Langer shines with another top 5 finish

Season’s best for Geoff Ogilvy on the PGA Tour

Bernhard Langer (68-71-69 = 208) produced another first-class performance in the Insperity Championship at the Woodlands Country Club in Texas. The two-time Masters champion from Germany finished tied fourth. The Champions Tour event was won by the American Fred Funk (66-69-67 = 202), with the former Ryder Cup player overhauling his compatriot Tom Lehman on the 18^th green. In the Charles Schwab Cup, Langer remains in second place.

Schüco brand ambassador Geoff Ogilvy (71-70-65-75 = 281) finished tied for 21^st in the Wells Fargo Championship at the legendary Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. For the 34-year-old Australian, it was his best result of the season so far on the PGA Tour. Ogilvy, who now resides in Del Mar, California, fired a terrific 65 (7 under par) on Saturday with eight birdies and just one bogey to climb the leaderboard. But in the final round, he carded a double bogey on the ninth hole and five other bogeys on his way to a 75.

The winner’s cheque for $1.17 million went to the American Rickie Fowler (66-72-67-69 = 274) after a three-way playoff. Fowler birdied the first extra hole, whilst the long-time leader D.A. Points from the USA and Rory McIlroy could only manage par. For the 23-year-old from California, it was his maiden victory on the PGA Tour.

Henrik Stenson (74 + 70), the second Schüco brand ambassador in the field, missed the cut, as did American superstar Tiger Woods.

Italy’s Francesco Molinari (70-71-74-65 = 280) won the Open de España in Seville. Molinari, who is two years younger than his brother Edoardo – the Schüco brand ambassador – shot a brilliant closing 65 around the extremely tough Real Club de Golf course, the best round of the entire week, to win by three shots from the Spanish duo of Pablo Larrazabal and Alejandro Canizares, and Denmark’s Søren Kjeldsen. It was the 29-year-old’s second career win on the European Tour.

Frenchman Grégory Havret (72-74-72-69 = 287) confirmed his excellent form of recent weeks with a very good share of 12^th place. Edoardo Molinari (74-74-78-70 = 296) saved his best round until last and finished tied for 51^st. For the other three Schüco brand ambassadors in the field, the event was over after the second round on Friday. Spain’s Alvaro Quiros (73 + 76) missed the cut by a single stroke, with Colin Montgomerie (76 + 77) from Scotland and Spaniard Miguel Ángel Jiménez (75 + 80) much further back.

Marcel Siem (71-72-72-72 = 287) from Germany, by contrast, missed out on a top ten finish by one shot as he finished in a very strong share of 12^th place. Bernd Ritthammer, the second German in action in Spain, failed to qualify for the weekend after rounds of 73 and 81. 

And finally... news of the youngest member of the team of Schüco brand ambassadors. 20-year-old Maximilian Kieffer from Düsseldorf has just signed a contract to be the club pro at the Golf & Country Club in Fleesensee. Kieffer is considered one of the most exciting talents in German golf.

April 30^th 2012
Miguel Ángel Jiménez shines with season’s best performance

Luke Donald reclaims world number one spot

Bernd Wiesberger (72-65-65-68 = 270) has won the Ballantine’s Championship at the Blackstone Golf Club in the South Korean city of Icheon, celebrating his first tournament victory on the European Tour.

The 26-year-old Austrian called them the “three best rounds” of his life as he romped home five shots clear of second-placed Richie Ramsay from Scotland. 

Behind Ramsay, Frenchman Victor Dubuisson and Marcus Fraser from Australia were tied third on 275. Miguel Ángel Jiménez (72-68-69-69 = 278) was the best of the four Schüco brand ambassadors in the field; the Spaniard finishing in an excellent tie for fifth, his best result of the season so far. England’s Ian Poulter (75-67-69-70 = 281) recovered from a poor opening round to card three excellent scores and finish in a very creditable share of 15^th place. Grégory Havret from France (76-69-66-73 = 284) also made a slow start, but fought back on Friday and Saturday, before a final round of 73 saw him fall back into a tie for 32^nd. Unfortunately, China’s Liang Wenchong had to withdraw through injury after an opening day 79.

American Bubba Watson returned to action for the first time since his Major victory at Augusta. The new Masters champion (71-71-65-70) finished tied 18^th on the TPC Louisiana at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Watson ended the event on the same score (11 under par) as five other golfers, including Alex Cejka – the only German in the field – whose US PGA Tour card remains in jeopardy. A resident of Las Vegas for several years now, the Czech-born golfer urgently needs a top finish at one of his next two tournaments to ensure full playing privileges on the tour.

Australian Geoff Ogilvy (76-66-71-68 = 281) registered a share of 45^th place on the final leaderboard. This was one stroke ahead of Sweden’s Peter Hanson (282) who tied for 52^nd. 

The event was won by the American Jason Dufner (67-65-67-70 = 269), his first career victory on the PGA Tour. In an exciting sudden-death playoff, the 35-year-old from Alabama birdied the second extra hole whilst South African Ernie Els could only manage a par. Luke Donald finished two shots back in third place. It enabled the Englishman to reclaim top spot in the official world rankings from Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy. 

Germany’s Maximilian Kieffer, the newest member of the Schüco team of brand ambassadors, was not in action this weekend, so he remains third in the standings after three tournaments on the Challenge Tour, behind the English duo of Phillip Archer and Seve Benson.