Bjorn takes third round Qatar Masters lead

Ryder Cup vice-captain Thomas Bjorn rolled back the years to show he’s no back number, with a stylish display to take the 54 hole lead of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters. Bjorn birdied four of the last five holes to overhaul half-way leader, Austrian Markus Brier and take a one shot lead into the final round.

“When you finish a round with four birdies in the last five, you have to walk off very happy. I played fantastic yesterday to shoot that 65 and felt comfortable this morning, and felt good with the way my golf is. I’m feeling quite comfortable on the golf course considering it’s been a while since I’ve been in that kind of situation, so I’m pleased with the way the day panned out.” Bjorn told the European Tour’s official website.

Brier could still have held his lead but will rue costly double-bogeys at both the 9th and 18th holes. On the 9th, Brier’s approach to the green was too long and went through the back of the putting surface, and he failed to get down in two. On the 18th hole, Brier charted a path to the green via two trips to the thick rough down the right, laying up short of the water with his third.

Defending champion and tipster pick Robert Karlsson holds every chance of mounting a successful defence after a third round 69, including five birdies in his last seven holes, moved the Swede into third place, and he is just three shots behind Bjorn.

South Africa’s Thomas Aiken clamed fourth spot with a second successive 69 to close on 7-under par, while second tipster selection Alvaro Quiros also gave himself a chance at regaining the title he won in 2009 with a third round 66 to close on 6-under par, five off the lead. Quiros is tied with Englishman Richard Finch, who shot a round of 71.

First round leader, Retief Goosen slumped to a poor 75 to drop back to 2-under par and out of contention, while Martin Kaymer carded a round of 68 to move into minus figures, with a 1-under par three round total. With Lee Westwood having missed the cut, Kaymer could have become the new world number one with a win or second place finish, but Westy will hold onto the top spot for at least another week.

Goosen takes early lead in Qatar

Birthday boy Retief Goosen coped best with the prevailing strong winds that blew across the Doha Golf Club, Qatar to take the first round lead at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters.

Goosen shot an opening round 69 to take a one shot lead over fellow South African Darren Fichardt, England’s Richard Finch, and Swedish trio Robert Karlsson and Nicklas Fasth who has yet to complete his round.

Goosens’ last win on the European Tour came back in 2007 in this event, but he has posted 25 top-ten finishes since. He has, however, chalked up wins on other Tours, with wins on the PGA Tour, Sunshine and Asian Tours.

“It was a good four-club wind and tough,” Goosen said afterwards. “But I got off to a good start and my putting kept my score together.”

A bogey on the last hole cost tipster pick Robert Karlsson a share of the first round lead; a similar scenario to England’s Richard Finch, but the trio were just three of only 17 players in the field to card a round of par or better for their opening round.

Austrian Markus Brier, English duo Oliver Fisher and Seve Benson, and South African Thomas Aiken were all tied together on 1-under par after rounds of 71, while Ian Poulter recovered from a 3-over par outward nine holes to finish on level par.

Poulter was joined by fellow Englishman Simon Dyson, Irishman Peter Lawrie, Swede Peter Hanson, Wales’ Bradley Dredge, South African James Kingston, and Scots duo Stephen Gallacher and David Drysdale as the only players to make par or better in the tough conditions.

World number one Lee Westwood closed with a 1-over par round of 73, as did Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and Miguel Angel Jiminez. The trio share a tie of 18th place with thirteen other players, including Sergio Garcia.

Martin Kaymer, who had won so impressively two weeks previously in Abu Dhabi, struggled to a 5-over par 77, and failed to card a single birdie; while last week’s winner, Paul Casey opened his challenge for back-to-back wins with a 2-over par 74, which included two late birdies.

Niclas Fasth, 2-under par for his round, had just driven off the 16th tee but was forced off the course due to fading light.

Karlsson wins Qatar Masters

Robert Karlsson lifted the Qatar Masters after a sizzling, bogey-free 65 on his final round gave the Swede a three-shot victory over defending champion Alvaro Quiroz at the Doha Golf Club.

Karlsson, the 2008 European tour number one and a former Ryder Cup player spent four months out of the game in 2009 following an eye injury, but looks to be back to his formidable best, shooting the best round of the week to win, with some excellent iron play and accurate putting.

England’s Lee Westwood had tied Karlsson for much of the final round but couldn’t find the extra gear needed and with his putter going cold on the closing few holes found himself slipping back to eventually finish third.

With only four holes to play, Westwood was only one shot behind the Swede but had been struggling with a new driver and a three-putt bogey on the 16th effectively ended any chance he had of overhauling Karlsson.

Although understandably annoyed that he couldn’t maintain his challenge, the Worksop golfer can take solace in a strong showing on only his second tour start this season, which was a million miles removed from his Abu Dhabi challenge where he missed the cut.

Alvaro Quiroz mounted a stern defence of his title in the final round with a hat-trick of late birdies to collar and then pass Westwood for second place but it was too little, too late for the Spaniard.

Sharing third place with Westwood was Australian Brett Rumford who shot a closing round of 69 to record his 12th top-10 finish in his last 15 events.

Karlsson began his final round two shots behind overnight leaders Bradley Dredge and Paul Casey, but neither player could maintain their momentum in the final round with both players dropping through the field. Both players carded rounds of 74 while Oliver Wilson, who was involved in a road accident en-route to the course, closed with a trio of birdies and the three players finished together for a share of fifth place.

While Karlsson will be delighted to have lifted the trophy – his first since the 2008 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship – there will be another delighted man in Colin Montgomerie. Although the big Scot missed the cut in the event, he will no doubt be heartened to see Karlsson return to winning form ahead of the 2010 Ryder Cup. Karlsson has formed a formidable pairing with fellow Swede Henrik Stenson and also boasts winning form at the Ryder Cup venue – The Celtic Manor resort in Wales.

Stenson, who was our pick to win, never really got going over the weekend and finished well down the field.

Rumford rumbles Qatar field to take halfway lead

Australian Brett Rumford fired a second round six-under par at Doha Golf Club to take the halfway lead at the Qatar Masters. Rumord leads by one from Wales’ Bradley Dredge with Oliver Wilson a further shot back in a tie for third place. Rumford, who carded six birdies in his opening ten holes finished with a 66 for a nine-under par total.

Wilson’s former boss, Lee Westwood is slowly getting to grips with new irons and carded a second round of 69 – Wilson once caddied for Westwood at a tournament. Wilson himself netted two late birdies in his bogey-free round of 70 and joined Westwood for a share of third place.

Dredge, who enjoyed the best of the conditions might feel a little aggrieved he didn’t take full advantage but still carded a three-under 69; two of his birdies came in the final three holes.

Robert Karlsson made the most progress of the second round with a two-under par 70 to take him to six-under par for the tournament and into a tie with Sweden’s Niclas Fasth, with Peter Hanson and dual-winner Charl Schwartzel a further shot behind.

Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey lie poised to strike just behind the leaders at four-under par but Henrik Stenson faces an uphill struggle if he is to challenge for the event, finishing at level-par after a round of 69.

One player who won’t be involved over the weekend is Abu Dhabi runner-up Ian Poulter who carded a level-par second round to miss the cut by one stroke.

Wilson, Dredge share first round lead in Qatar

England’s Oliver Wilson shares the lead after the first round of the Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club. The Englishman carded a five-under-par round of 67 in blustery conditions to share the tournament lead with Wales’ Bradley Dredge who carded five birdies in his closing seven holes.

Wilson is still seeking his maiden tournament win, despite finishing runner up nine times in his career and played in the 2008 Ryder Cup match. But he did his chances of breaking his duck no harm with a round that included six birdies in his first thirteen holes.

Countryman Lee Westwood – the current European number one – carded birdies on each of the three par-fives on the course and lies one shot off the lead in a four-way share of second spot. Also in the group are Germany’s Marcel Seim, and Swedes Robert Karlsson and Alex Noren.

Karlsson held the early clubhouse lead after carding an early 68 in a round in which only 24 players broke par out of the 126 who started.

Brian Rumford of Australia sits alone on three-under-par while several players share two-under-par including Sergio Garcia, Peter Hanson, Charl Schwartzel, Richie Ramsay and Ross Fisher among others.

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen endured a roller-coaster round, having reached five-under par on his outward nine before coming back with four bogeys and a double bogey to finish on level par.

Abu Dhabi runner up Ian Poulter struggled to a frustrating round of 75 while Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie finished with a 76. Poulter’s Abu Dhabi conquerer Martin Kaymer struggled to a 74 while Henrik Stenson – YourGolfTravel’s pick for the tournament – recovered from three-over par after eight holes to get back to level par, before slipping back to three-over par again.

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