Schwartzel defends Joburg Open title

Pre-tournament favourite and defending champion, Charl Schwarzel successfully retained his Joburg Open title with a convincing four shot win. Schwartzel finished with a 19-under par total 265 – 4 shots worse than his 2010 winning total.

Schwartzel, ranked 32 in the world, fired a closing round of 67 despite some erratic driving, but some remarkable short-game saves were enough to see off fellow South African Garth Mulroy, with Thomas Aiken a further shot behind.

The trio had began the day tied together for the lead, but it was the defending champion who came out of the starting blocks the quickest and quickly opened up a two-shot lead with birdies on the 1st and 3rd holes of the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington golf club’s east course.

However, a bogey on the fourth hole re-opened the door and Aiken again tied Schwartzel with a birdie at the sixth. That tie was short-lived, as Schwartzel birdied the par-five 7th to re-establish his one-shot lead over Aiken and Mulroy until the 11th hole, where a par from the defending champion was enough to increase the gap to two shots.

Another birdie for Schwartzel came at the 13th hole, courtesy of a chip in from a greenside bunker; with both Aiken and Mulroy missing birdie putts of their own, the gap was up to three shots with just five holes remaining.

Neither player could claw back the lead, and Schwartzel made another birdie on the final hole, after his approach almost spun into the hole for eagle.

“Thomas and Garth probably outplayed me on the back nine by quite a bit, but I just managed to get the ball in the hole,” he said afterwards.

“For me I didn’t really play well on those last nine holes, but I just kept telling myself ‘you’ve got a good short game and you can do it’ and my putting along with the short game came to the rescue.

Schwartzel becomes only the third South African player to successfully defend a European Tour title after Ernie Els and Trevor Immelman.

England’s Jamie Elson came out best of the European contingent, closing with a round of 71 to finish 13-under par and sole possession of fourth place, while France’s Jean-Baptise Gonnet took fifth spot.

The YourGolfTravel tipster’s trio endured poor final rounds. Scot David Drysdale had begun the day just one behind the leading trio, but a double-bogey and bogey in the first three holes effectively ruined any chance of a maiden victory for the Edinburgh-born player and he eventually finished with a round off 77 and a share of 13th place.

Meanwhile, Gareth Maybin shot a closing 74 for a 5-under par total and a share of 27th; while Danny Willett shot a round of 73 to share 33rd place on 4-under par.

Graeme McDowell wins European Tour Shot of the Year award

Graeme McDowell’s already-long list of awards from the 2010 season has been added to yet again, with news that the US Open champion has been awarded the European Tour Shot of the Year for his crucial 16th hole birdie putt at the 2010 Ryder Cup.

The Portrush player had already garnered quite a collection of awards and trophies throughout the season, following an impressive year which included a major win at Pebble Beach as well as representing Europe at The Celtic Manor Resort, Wales in the Ryder Cup. McDowell also won three other tournaments throughout the year – the Wales Open, which was also played at The Celtic Manor, the Andalucia Valderrama Masters and the Chevron World Challenge.

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Martin holds nerve to retain Alfred Dunhill Championship

Spaniard Pablo Martin successfully retained his Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, South Africa but only after surviving a late wobble that almost saw him throw it away.

Trailing by one shot overnight to South African Anthony Michael, Martin stormed into sizeable lead by the turn as Michael and others struggled to get competitive. Martin’s approach shot to the first hole almost pitched into the hole to leave the Spaniard a tap-in birdie and he quickly followed up with a 10-foot eagle putt on the second hole.

Further birdies at the seventh and ninth holes opened up the sizeable advantage and Martin looked home and dry, especially after Michael snap-hooked his drive on the 11th hole en-route to a double-bogey, to leave Martin five ahead with just seven holes left.

Signs of nerves however began to creep into the Spaniard’s game, and after a fortunate par at the 13th hole, carded a bogey at the next after finding the trees off the tee. Pars at the 15th and 16th holes seemingly steadied the ship, but then came a disastrous triple-bogey at the penultimate hole. After finding the bunker from the tee, he then found his ball plugged in long grass, and despite a free drop needed four shots to find the green before three-putting for a seven to go down the 18th and final hole with just a one shot advantage.

But the Spaniard dug deep and after a fairway-splitting drive, knocked a 5-wood into the heart of the water-surrounded green and made birdie. Michael’s challenge effectively ended before Martin’s ball disappeared in the hole, after he found the water with his approach.

Martin pocketed €158,500 for the win and for the second year running becomes the first leader of this season’s Race to Dubai. He also became the first player to successfully defend a European Tour title since Padraig Harrington successfully defended the Open Championship in 2008 at Royal Birkdale.

Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen, playing in his first full European Tour event after graduating from the Challenge Tour shot a best-of-the-day 66 also shared second place with Michael and Charl Schwartzel ; the trio each pocketing €77,767.

Padraig Harrington to host Irish Open?

Padraig Harrington could act as ‘host’ for next year’s Irish Open after the tournament lost its sponsorship with mobile telecoms firm 3.

Despite failing to find a sponsor, the European Tour has suggested that the tournament will keep its place in the 2011 schedule, and Harrington is looking to bring in new sponsorship for the event.

Asked whether the event would be called the Irish Open hosted by Padraig Harrington, the Dubliner said:

“Yes, if I brought the sponsor it would be and it would have that official tag… I could also see Darren (Clarke) or Graeme (McDowell) or Rory (McIlroy) doing the same in the North. I think if there is an ambassador role to be played it would be based on the connection between the player and the sponsor.”

Harrington finished second behind eventual winner Ross Fisher in the 2010 renewal at Killarney, in what turned out to be one of golf’s greatest 2010 duels.

Speaking in Dubai, where Harrington is contesting the Dubai World Championship, Harrington said he had spoken to European Tour chief executive George O’Grady about the issue.

“I have met with George … the tour certainly want to make sure it’s there on the schedule,” said the world number 21.

“It is a big event again in Europe and it’s at a quality time of the year. While it would be good to have a domestic sponsor, the Irish Open attracts global coverage and that’s why it is up there with €3million in prize money.”

Good start for Kaymer, but Karlsson leads Race to Dubai finale

Martin Kaymer began his quest to win the Race to Dubai and be crowned Europe’s number one with a round of 67, but still found himself trailing the lead.

Kaymer got off to an excellent start in his opening round, carding a birdie and an eagle in his first three holes. A bogey on the fourth hole was cancelled by another birdie at the par-3 sixth hole, and the German added a pair of birdies on the homeward nine to come home in 5-under par.

However, he still found himself two shots behind Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, who carded a 7-under par 65, and Seung-yul Noh of South Korea who shot a 66 for 6-under par.

Only Kaymer or Irishman Graeme McDowell can win the Race to Dubai, and while the German was enjoying himself on the course, McDowell had a less enjoyable time but still managed to finish with a level par 72 after finding himself two-over par after 12 holes. But as is typical of the Irishman, he dug deep to claw his way back.

McDowell needs to finish in at least third place and hope Kaymer fails to make the top-20 if he is to have any chance of wresting the Race to Dubai crown away.

“He kind of left me in the dust literally out there, so it’s great to get away from him and the distraction tomorrow.” McDowell said afterwards. Having been paired with Kaymer for the first round, McDowell will partner big-hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros in the second round.

Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee opened with a 4-under par 68 to take fourth place, while it was a welcome return to form for Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, who both went round in 69 to share fifth place with Alejandro Canizares, Charl Schwartzel – who hit a hole-in-one during his round – and Ryder Cup pair Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, the current world’s number one.

Kaymer could even overtake Lee Westwood with a win this week. The prize purse of £777,00 for winning the tournament is supplemented by the Race to Dubai winner receiving an additional £934,024 bonud, and should Kaymer win, he could leapfrog Westwood to the top of the world pile as well, depending on where Westwood himself finishes.

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