Mavs Weekly European & Challenge to update - Castello Masters

Firstly to Tom Lewis, congratulations on his win in what was only his 3rd pro start, there have bee some saying it was his 4th, but they are over looking the fact his first event at was prior to the walker cup meaning he was still an Am. His win secures him a 2year exemption to the tour and means he can look at building a full schedule for next season to kick on his pro career.

Briefly to mentionthe Gran Slam of golf, what I find the most pointless event in world golf, much like the Chevron just a invite to something that is purely a money generator for those that already have pots of it playing in an exhibition type event, but thats just my opinion.

So to this week:

1.Adam Hunter this week passed away after a a battle with leukaemia. Hunter a former winner on the European Tour was 48 years old. After his brief spell on the tour he went onto become Paul Lawries swing coach and you could say they had some successes, an Open win for example only a year after they began to work together. He had also less than a year ago been appointed head coach to the scottish U16's by the SGU.

2.Sergio returns to spain this week for an event he won back in 2008 and is surely not far from being back in the winners enclosure his ball striking this year is right back up there now he just needs toput it all together. A note to boost Sergios confidence is RC Captain Olazabal saying he is sure Sergio will play his way onto the RC team with his talent.

3.This weeks defendig champion another young prodigy like Sergio is Matteo Manassero, to add to the field Tom Lewis, plus 2 time winner this year Noren it promises to be a good week for potential talent should be looking at making next years RC.

4.I guess the Golfing Gypsy John Daly deserves a mention travellng around on invites like some form of bad smell rather than doing the rght thing an earning a tour card.

5. So this week were in Spain at the Club de Campo del Mediterraneo, reports saying the organisers are looking to have the greens around 10.6 on the stimp by Thursdays opening round. The Course designed by Ramon Espinosa opened in 1978 and claims it's Par 3 16th as it's signature hole; the other hole of note this week is the 17th, a Par 5 for it's members but for the tour players this week being set to a long Par 4. The course measuring at 7073 yards providig the weathers good should see a winning score around the -19 mark.

6. The first of the big names to confirm for the Barclays Singapore Open are in, names such as Mickelson, McDowell, Villegas, YE Yang and Anthony Kim. Expect many more big names such as Manassero, Westwood, Scott, Poulter and McIlroy to confirm they are playing in the 6million dollar event, the only likely oe from that list that maybe absent is Poults, not sure what his schedule is but judging my his comments that he was glad the season ended for him early due to his poor performance allowing him to work on the range, don't expect to see him too soon before end of season RTD

Challenge Tour Bit

Congratulations to Sam Little for his 3rd win on the CT in less than 6 weeks, he no longer has to worry about hitting the numbers on the money list as 3 wins is automatic promotion to the ET proper and makes him the 2nd man to achieve the feat this term with Frances Benjamin Hebert the first.

Not really much to mention this week as there is no evet taking place everthing goes quiet as they are preparing for the grand final which takes place the first week in november and when we will have our definitive list of who has earned their tour cards and who has got close but not close enough.

So rather than posting the list of who is currently in and out, we'll look at that more in depth next week in the weeks befores run in to the final event which was won last year by Matt Haines securing him 2nd place on the money list and earning him his full ET card, unfortunately not been the great first year on the tour for him and needs a late flourish to make the top 115 and maintain his card for another year, but he is talented and will be around for years to come

Maverick wrote:3.This weeks defendig champion another young prodigy like Sergio is Matteo Manassero

Thanks, Mav
Big question now is who is going to be Matteo's next caddy?
He just decided that a change was needed in that department, which means Ryan McGuigan goes (to Paul Cutler's bag apparently) while Matteo will work with his coach Alberto Binaghi for the next couple of weeks until they find a replacement.
Hope all will work out for the better, these are always difficult moves to judge from outside...

Didn't Alberto Binaghi play on Tour for a few years?

A very definite feeling among the US golfing cognoscenti that Chandler has gazumped the PGA Tour with his support for the Shanghia Masters and its field relative to the Tour co-sponsored CIMB event in Malaysia.
They may have Ben Crane and his god (what's his ranking by the way, seems to be doing awfully well in PGA Tour events?) in the field but relatively small beer compared to Shanghai.

kwinigolfer wrote:Didn't Alberto Binaghi play on Tour for a few years?

He did indeed... Binaghi was on Matteo's bag when I followed them at Augusta and they really seem to work very well together, although you could sense there was an element of 'coach-pupil' relationship in the air...

Agreed, certainly this Shanghai thing is an interesting development... we shall watch this space...

good article. thanks mav

Chandler's definitely got one over on Finchem et al, but in terms of politics it all seems a bit pointless unless Shanghai affiliates itself to something. Afaik it's entirely its own creation, no input from the ET, Asian Tour or the new OneAsia version. The PGA can just take the hit and come back next year if no other tour is grasping the opportunity.

WOW!!!
Matteo starts with 4 birdies in a row!
Would be fantastic if he wins this again...

I've a history of spooking Matteo here and I did it again, so I better shut up...
Tentative starts from Lewis and Sergio...

NedB-H wrote:Chandler's definitely got one over on Finchem et al, but in terms of politics it all seems a bit pointless unless Shanghai affiliates itself to something. Afaik it's entirely its own creation, no input from the ET, Asian Tour or the new OneAsia version. The PGA can just take the hit and come back next year if no other tour is grasping the opportunity.

Ned, apparently Chubby has made already some comments saying that the Shanghai Masters event is to be co-sanctioned by the European Tour next year... Probably what Lee was refering to when he said recently he wants a 5th major in Asia? Who knows...

Thing I don't understsand about Shanghai is that it's an IMG tournament with ISM support. You wouldn't have seen those strange bedfellows together two years ago.

Westwood is just playing to the crowd about 5th Major, but the whole shambles puts the necessity for Tours to work together, rather than the conflict maintained by Finchem, in a nutshell. Now he's being challenged at his own game and you can bet the PGA Tour won't like it.

Good Run of figures from Sergio and Tom Lewis....

Is "disappointing" an adequate description for Oliver Wilson's performances this season? After going +4 over his last five holes he'll need an exceptional Round 2 to get paid. At 138th position on the R2D he can't afford to be missing putts.
And to think he was after Special Temporary PGA Tour Membership just a couple of years ago.

Mav,
Your mate Matt Haines off to another good start. He's got to learn to make cuts then to finish tournaments off or he's on his way back to Q-School.
He's probably proved to himself that he belongs, just a question of maximising promising beginnings into good scores.
Seems every Tour is especially unforgiving to such golfers this time of year.

Scores a bit better overall this afternoon?

Hi Kwini indeed a good start for Matt, he's always had the talent his 2wins on the CT last year and 2nd place on money list last season is proof of that. However like you say he needs start closing out now he's on the full tour and with a couple events left I'm really hoping he does

Certainly seems to have been more condusive scoring this afternoon as the course dried out through the day still hoping my prediction for -19 is fairly accirate and hopefully sergio will be atop the pile.

Good to see him going well Mav, think he's slowly getting to grips with this level of play, certainly been an improvement for the second half of his season. Would think that even he does have to go back to Q-school the experience of this season will be useful for him.

Out of interest (and without trying to get you to name drop), who are the other guys you know playing on the pro circuits? I try to keep an eye on the Kent pros myself, can't remember now who else you knew.

Evening Ned. Name dropping aye let me see, know a few guys on various different tours via varying different ways.

Matt is the obvious one from previous posts on here, know him through having played together in countly league games very talented..

Ben Barham he's been a regular on ET for years, lost his playing rights due to having to have a cancerous tumour removed and returned to play on invites to CT this year doing nicely for a first term back after long lay offhe will regain his ET card soon I'm sure of it very good player, know him through my brother, they played county together and still very good friends

Phil Archer, was on the ET but didn't hold it together, has been playing CT this year know him through business initially but we still talk regularly and play a couple times a year

Know a few guys from around mini tours Sam Piggot one I mentioned as part of the tall tales thread, he and my brother been friends since they were kids so he's like part of the family, did well on EuroPro and went onto be GM for the tour at one stage. He was the guy to go to for invites to play EuroPro events never thought to try and snaffle one though, maybe missed a trick there.

The only other of note is a youngman called Lloyd Campbell, very very promosing player we were in the same junior team he was at the younger end of the scale than I was though and his family have been family friends of clan Mav since time began. He went to study in tennesse I believe on a golf scholarship, now plays the Hi5 tour not quite worked for him since going pro.

Other than that like I say a few guys from mini tours and Roger Chapman is an old pal of my dads from way back when.

Hope that helps Ned

Forgot one to look out for Ned, Francis mcguirk, local to where i used to live and another who played county with my brother and 2 of the others I mentioned infact he a Barham were regular partners, mcguirk grew up playing princes with hi brother another fine county player.

Francis is currently sitting top of the order of merit for the TP tour and that will earn him full exenption to the Europro next year, he also qualified for this years Open at RSG.

The ironic fact of all these guys is the one who had the most potential and was the standout player of them all no longer plays golf due to getting himself into trouble, I won't mention his name as never know whose reading these things. But one thing I will say is the guy popped up at a recent charity event I was at, he hadn't played a round of golf for 7 years, borrowed a set of clubs from the pro shop and bought some shoes to use in there and went round off the white in 65! From what I hear he's taking the game up again and looking to hone his skills next year and give Q school a shot in 2 years time!

Cheers Mav, good to know someone is keeping a close eye on these things, always good to see a few Kent guys making it on the tours! I follow Benn Barham a bit, didn't realise Phil Archer was local though. Steve Tiley is another I keep an eye on, from my end of the county, and Tom Sherreard is another who might make it, did well as an amateur at the Open a few years ago, think he's from Tonbridge way. Am I right in thinking McGuirk's dad owns Prince's? Not a bad start in your golfing life!

There's a guy I was at school with who I think has had some success at the county level, Levi Johnson, don't know if you know anything about him? Never knew him very well but it would be good to see him do well.

Morning Ned: appears you had a late night from time of your post.

Regarding McGuirk not 100% sure if his dad owned it outright could easily find that out, but I know he was majority shareholder of the place. At one stage not sure if he still is, wouldn't have thought he'd sell up, well I wouldn't. Robert McGuirk is the current director of golf there and is one hell of a link playe r.

Intersting point though regarding Princes the old clubhouse that sat empty at. The entrance to the course which suffered heavy fire damage is now being redeveloped into a country lodge to allow golfers to stay and play there and get deals at RSG and RCP

I hear Tom Lewis has withdrawn due to illness? Apparently he was feeling unwell on practice day and round 1.

Tom Lewis was suffering a virus yesterday and Sergio said in his interivew after their round that it was obvious the lad was poorly. He must be feeling pretty rough to withdraw.

Sorry Ned completely overlooked your comments regarding Tiley and Archer, never had any dealings with Tiley, I know a few of the lads said he's a thoroughly nice fella, and he did well when the open was at TOC. With regards to Archer he plays from Birchwood Park in Swanley, not having a stellar year but still hits a good ball.

Davie: Lewis has pulled out citing flu like symptoms causing him to feel run down, in fairness to the lad he's got his card now so no point playing when he's ill

Great round from Noren, think hes definately going to be a future ryder cupper...

Sand wrote:Great round from Noren, think hes definately going to be a future ryder cupper...

Playing with the RC captain to a great time to shine.

Fine 63 also from Richie Ramsey, former US Am champ has potential but always falls a little short for some reason be nice see him kick on to

Mr.Haines going nicely . . . . . . .

PS: Regarding Philip Archer. The consensus on 606 was that Archer was a really nice guy. Seems only a year or two ago he even had a fine first couple of days at the US Open. I'm always puzzled as to why a Pro goes from relative journeyman to seemingly established Tour player and then back again, all in a few seasons. 'Course, some seem to do it annually, Stephen Dood to name but one. Curious about Archer though.

Yeah good round from Ramsey and Haines...

Eagle for Serg.. Come on..

As everyone's caught in the whole Rory/Chubby saga, Sergio's putting together a heck of a round out there! Great to see it! Leading with -11 and 4 holes to go...

princedracula wrote:As everyone's caught in the whole Rory/Chubby saga, Sergio's putting together a heck of a round out there! Great to see it! Leading with -11 and 4 holes to go...

Now 12..

Genius bunker shot there at the 17th from Sergio!!

Fine rounds from Sergio, Noren and Ramsey, though I will offer special mention to Matt Haines, hoping he can push on for the weekend as a high finish will do his chances at saving his card no harm.

As for Archer, Kwini he is a thoroughly nice fellow, plenty of time for everyone andf getting to play with him, like Matt is an experience when as a scratch player you realise your at least 7shots behind them when they're having an average day and your playing out of your skin! No idea though why some guys go well then drop off has to be a mental thing as they have the talent to get there in the first place

princedracula wrote:Genius bunker shot there at the 17th from Sergio!!

Just seen the highlights.. Just a brilliant golf shot.

Sergio and Noren are making life difficult for themselves this morning...

More good work today from Wattel; decent summer for him, off the boil recently, but bang up amongst 'em today. Very promising looking player from 3,000 miles away.

My fantasy boys had four in the top ten Thursday, caught the down lift by mistake apparently.

Wattel has been indeed promissing, but there's a bit of the old French syndrome in there as well, you never know which side of him is gonna turn up...
It's always the case with their rugby team, although I'm really hoping their good side will turn up tomorrow in the final. Some of the most memorable rugby matches I've seen, have been between those two teams (and when the French turned on the style)...

C'mon Sergio!! Noren is going dowwwwwwwwwwwn...

Just a majestic 3 wood then putt for eagle and four shot lead. come on serg!!!!

Running away with it now, Sergio... superb play!

One more solid round from sergio around the -3 mark and its his win. Hoping Matt Haines has another good one maybe a top 5 finish will do his chances no end of good

Great tournament for Matt. If he finishes a solo 7th or better, he can get his biggest cheque of his carreer from what I can gather? And a 2-way share of 2nd place (I'm giving Sergio the win already) would lift him in the top 300 owgr!

if you cant give serigio the win in this i am not sure who you can give the win t .

More terrible reporting by bbc. In their report it says his best performance this year is tied 7th in us open. Quite clearly its not when he lost a play off in germany

Sand wrote:More terrible reporting by bbc. In their report it says his best performance this year is tied 7th in us open. Quite clearly its not when he lost a play off in germany

i doint know dude- it depends on what they meant, the open field would have been 10 fold better

Suppose thats can be said as true..

Anyway early bogey for Jaidee and 2 steady pars from Serg now leads by 9.

Obviously delighted with Sergio wining this, but would be even better if Gonzo could get a 2nd or 3rd at the same time to secure his card for next year...

The South Africans on the ET remind me of the Ausies on the PGA Tour... there's always 2-3 of them up there in contention almost every week. And not finishing things off too many times either...

Sergio can bogey in for the win!

14 pars out of 14 holes played for Matt Haines. Sounds good until one sees that he's lost 16 positions, and that's a lot of much-needed cash going down the drain. Improving by the week though . . . .

2 birds makes it look even better for Matt... Gonzo's been listening and he looks pretty much set for a runner up place right now... hopefully!

According to the ET site, Sergio's 63 & 64 in rd.2&3 are the best back-to-back rounds/scores of his carreer! He's been absolutely magnificent this week...

... and now it looks likely that he may get another 64 or better today, which will probably place his last three rounds among the lowest 3 consecutive rounds, full stop....

Matt can really take a lot away from his form since the start on the Dunhill and must say looking forward to chatting with hoim this week see how he feels about his game I'd expect confident, good to see Sergio taking the place apart hope this is the first of many

Perfect day, Man U getting humped and Sergio playing brilliantly and winning. Long time coming.

18 out of 18 greens for Ramsey.

wow what a shot to finish.