2021 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Preview

Shane Lowry is our top pick to win the 2021 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
 (image: Sky Sports)

 

FIFE, SCOTLAND - After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic, the European Tour travels back to the home of golf in Fife, Scotland for the 2021 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

 

This is one of the tour's most prestigious tournaments on the schedule and a fan favourite without question. It is unique in the fact that it is a four-round pro-am split across the trifecta of links courses: The Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Links and Kingsbarns Golf Links. 

It also boasts a $5 million USD prize fund and 5,500 Race to Dubai points for the winner, the most of the tournaments left on the tour schedule before the DP World Tour Championship in November.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY AND FORMAT

The tournament was first contested in 2001 as the Dunhill Links Championship, making this year it's 20th anniversary. Its format is similar to its PGA Tour counterpart, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Professionals are paired up with an amateur for the entire length of the tournament. Over the first three rounds, groups will get the chance to play all three courses, with a 54-hole cut being made of the top-60 professionals and top-20 pro-am teams. The final round is then played at the Old Course, where the professional with the lowest 72-hole score is crowned the winner. Likewise, the winner of the pro-am is the team with the lowest 72-hole score.

Over the years, many celebrities and notable persons have had the chance to play this illustrious tournament. This year, the amateur field consists of singer/actor Justin Timberlake, footballer Luis Figo, boxer Wladimir Klitschko and (naturally) Bill Murray, just to name a few. 

Each course this week will test golfers in different ways. Carnoustie, site of the 2018 Open Championship and holder of the title "golf's greatest test", will play at 7,412 yards. Kingbarns will play at 7,150 yards and is the newest of the courses in the rotation. Lastly, the iconic Old Course, with its enduring and prestigious history, will measure 7,307 yards. The chance to play these courses in this format truly is something special.

What is common between all the aforementioned courses is that they are links courses, which is something that is quasi-rare on the European Tour and even more so on the PGA Tour. This is something that has always bothered me about the professional tours, they don't play enough links courses. In my opinion, a links course is the truest and purest form of a golf course; it's where golf was meant to be played. Things are not perfect on a links course; you are constantly at the mercy of the weather and consistency amongst conditions is far from even. It forces a golfer to think in different ways, look for different opportunities, play the non-conventional shot, etc. All of this adds up to a unique golfing experience, and with respect to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, an exciting tournament to watch; our favourite on the European Tour in fact.

JAVIER, SON OF LEGEND SEVE BALLESTEROS, IN FIELD THIS WEEK

Among the 138 professionals in the field this week is one Javier Ballesteros, son of the late Seve Ballesteros. Javier is also a professional golfer who currently plays on the European Challenge Tour. 

 

For Javier, the opportunity is truly special, as this will be his first time playing the Old Course, site of his father's 1984 British Open win, as a professional. This year also marks the 10-year anniversary of Seve's untimely death.

 

 

OUR PICKS THIS WEEK

Notables in the field this week include European Ryder Cup members Tommy Fleetwood, Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry, as well as 2021 BMW PGA Championship winner Billy Horschel. Tony Finau was also scheduled to play in the tournament but pulled out last minute due to a persisting health issue. 

When making picks for this tournament, one needs to take into consideration a golfer's ability to play links golf. Not all professional golfers have the skills necessary to succeed on a links course. In addition, the event offers a large amount of Race to Dubai points, so players looking to get into the DP World Tour Championship at the end of the season will be looking for a good performance this week. Given all this, here are our picks for the winner this week. 

1) Shane Lowry

2) Pablo Larrazabal

3) Billy Horschel 

Lowry is a links golf veteran and coming off a hot week at the Ryder Cup last week. While still surely gutted with the defeat, we think he can carry over his skills to Fife this week. Larrazabal has been playing great golf on tour as of lately, including a T8 finish at the Italian Open. Lastly, Horschel is also playing great, finishing 7th at the Tour Championship (72 hole score) and his iconic win at the 2021 BMW PGA Championship. I believe he's fully embraced European golf and can do well this week. He's also playing with his father this week, as his amateur pairing.

 

Play kicks off very early Thursday morning. If you are interested in seeing a great display of links courses and what links golf really is, check out the coverage of this tournament. You won't be disappointed. 

 

 

Stay tuned for our Weekend Update post to see the storylines and drama heading into the weekend,

 

 

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

 

 

Billy Horschel Wins the 2021 BMW PGA Championship

Billy Horschel birdies 18th to win 2021 BMW PGA Championship (image: Getty Images)

 

 

After a dramatic final round on Sunday, American Billy Horschel has won the 2021 BMW PGA Championship with a score of 19-under. He wins by a single stroke over Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Laurie Canter and Jamie Donaldson, after carding a final round 65 on the West Course at The Wentworth Club.

 

This is Horschel's second win on the European Tour and second this season, his first being the 2021 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play. With this win, Horschel moves from 4th to 2nd in the Race to Dubai Rankings. He also becomes the first American golfer to win a Rolex event on the European Tour.

HORSCHEL THE FINISHER

Horschel started his Sunday not far off the lead at 12-under and in the second-to-last pairing. Knowing he needed to start off well, Horschel did just that, birding holes 3, 4 and 6 before heading to the back nine. After birdies on 11, 12 and a clutch putt on 15, Horschel found himself tied for the lead with three holes left. 

But Horschel would par the par 4 16th and par 5 17th holes. Onto the par 5 18th hole he went, which historically has been the site of much drama in the past. Opting to play for a birdie, Horschel layed up with his second shot. With 90 yards left to the hole and a wedge in hand, Horschel nearly holed out from the fairway, his ball stopping a couple of feet from the hole for an easy birdie. One birdie was all that was needed though, as no one else was able to break the 18-under barrier. 

Horschel's rounds were admittedly far from perfect, in his own words, carding scores of 70, 65, 69 and 65, but it was the back nine where Horschel made an impact. Over his four rounds, he played the back nine alone at 17-under with no bogeys and managed to birdie the 18th hole everyday except Saturday.

 

For those who do not watch the European Tour often, the eliteness and importance of the BMW PGA Championship may be lost on them. This is not the case for Horschel however. Earlier in the week, Horschel said in an interview that he equated the BMW PGA Championship to the Players Championship, in terms of importance and prestige. This was something he reiterated upon winning the tournament. Horschel also stated that he loves playing overseas on the European Tour and plans to return for the Alfred Dunhil Links Championship at the end of September and the DP World Tour Championship in November.

Horschel's win this week caps off an impressive month of golf for him, after a 9th place finish in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. His performance was a week too short for US Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker, who did not select Horschel as a captain's pick for the upcoming Ryder Cup. There's still hope for him though, as team member Brooks Koepka is still questionable after an injury during the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

HOW DID OUR PICKS FINISH?

It wasn't looking too good for our "older" picks but here's how they finished:

 

1) Richard Bland: T57 at 3-under

2) Francesco Molinari: T35 at 7-under

3) Ian Poulter: CUT

 

Surely a frustrating week for our picks. It was also revealed by Molinari that he will most likely miss the Ryder Cup this year after a lingering back issue. Let's hope this changes, as many of us desperately want to see the famous Fleetwood-Molinari pairing again!

 

***

 

That concludes our coverage of the 2021 BMW PGA Championship. Yet again, this illustrious tournament failed to disappoint, with amazing drama and exciting storylines.

Next week, our coverage will travel back over the pond for the start of the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season with the 2021 Fortinet Championship. Stay tuned for our preview of the season, the tournament and our picks.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Kiradech Aphibarnrat Leads the 2021 BMW PGA Championship

 

Kiradech Aphibarnrat leads the 2021 BMW PGA Championship (image: AFP)

 

 

Two rounds have been played at the 2021 BMW PGA Championship at The Wentworth Club. Much anticipation was had for this event, given the elite field of players, and as of now, Kiradech Aphibarnrat is the leader at 12-under with a single shot lead over Laurie Canter. 

 

The cut has been set at 2-under par.

APHIBARNRAT IN CONTROL AT WENTWORTH

Aphibarnrat opened the tournambent with an impressive 8-under 64 on Thursday. His round started off quiet however, only carding a single birdie on the front nine. But that changed on the back nine, where Aphibarnrat birdied 7 of the 9 holes for a 30. 

 

He followed up his opening 64 with a 68 on Friday. This time though, he found trouble on the back nine, carding bogeys on holes 11 and 13 with six birdies on the day.

Going into the tournament, Aphibarnrat was ranked 208th in the Race to Dubai rankings. With a win this week, he would sky-rocket up to 14th place; a much needed boost as the season winds down. 

Aphibarnrat's impressive play thus far should be of no surprise, given the wave of momentum he is riding at the moment. Just last week, he successfully regained his PGA Tour card for the 2021-2022 season after an excellent performance at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. 

 

WET WINDY WENTWORTH

If one wasn't truly convinced that The Wentworth Club was located in England, the weather over the first two days certainly would confirm this. Conditions were cool and wet for the opening rounds, but this didn't stop low scores from being shot. The low round of the tournament thus far was a 64 shot by Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Christian Bezuidenhout, both on Thursday.

The wet weather is expected to cease for the weekend rounds, as are the winds. 

HOW ARE OUR PICKS DOING

We gambled this week by making "older" picks who were jousting for Ryder Cup potential. Here's how they are doing so far:

1) Richard Bland: T61 at 2-under

2) Francesco Molinari: T61 at 2-under

3) Ian Poulter: CUT

Not looking too good so far. Both Bland and Molinari experienced up and down rounds, but fought to get over the cutline, with Bland making a key birdie at the par 5 18th hole on Friday. Let's hope the weekend will treat them better.

 

 

Two rounds down, two to go at the 2021 BMW PGA Championship. Stay tuned for our wrap-up post to see who has won.

 

 

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

 

 

2021 BMW PGA Championship Preview

Richard Bland is one of our picks to win the 2021 BMW PGA Championship (image: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

 

 

This week, the European Tour returns home to the Wentworth Club for its premier event: the 2021 BMW PGA Championship. Star-studded and filled with the elites of the European Tour, the best of the best will be battling it out this week. 

 

There is much on the line, including an $8 million purse, 8,000 Race to Dubai points, 64 WGC points and exemptions into the next US Open and the next three Open Championships for the winner.

 

 

THE WENTWORTH CLUB: HOST AND HOME THIS WEEK

The BMW PGA Championship was first contested in 1955. Prior to 1984, the tournament was played at a variety of courses across England, including Royal St. Georges, Royal Birkdale, Saunton, before making its permanent home at Wentworth.

 

Since 1984, the West course at Wentworth had hosted the tournament. Originally designed in 1926 by Harry Colt, the course remained much the same until 2005, when it received modifications by Ernie Els. Els aimed to modernize the course slightly, increasing its total length by 310 yards and adding thirty bunkers spread across the holes. For the BMW PGA Championship, the West course plays as a par 72 at 7,302 yards in length. 

The course record is a 62, shot by Robert Karlsson in 2010, Thomas Bjorn in 2014 and Alex Noren in 2017, all during European Tour events.

The Wentworth Club and its estate is also the headquarters for the European Tour, acting as its front office and central location.

SPOTLIGHT: 2011 BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

The BMW PGA Championship is one of my favourite tournaments to watch on the European Tour since it was the setting an amazing moment in golf, in my opinion. 

 

In the 2011 edition of the tournament, World Numbers One and Two, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, respectively, had finished their final rounds tied for the lead; a sudden death followed, on the par 5 18th hole. On the line was not only the tournament but also the title of World Number One, since Donald and Westwood were close in the world rankings. 

 

Both hit great tee shots and both had roughly the same distances for their approach shots to the green. Donald went first and landed his ball safely on the green, close to the flag. Westwood responded by landing his shot just inside Donald's but then watched his ball roll off the water-lined green into the water, resulting in Donald winning the tournament and the title of World Number One. So much was on the line at that moment and Westwood, after seeing Donald's shot, knew he had to go for it. It was tense, yet exciting; that's why I'll never forget it. Moments like this seem to only happen at big tournaments like this. Luke also managed to defend his title the next year. 

OUR PICKS THIS WEEK

It's a packed field this week, but there was something else we needed to consider when making our picks. The Ryder Cup is just a few weeks away. For some European golfers, the BMW PGA Championship will be a spotlight for them to plead their Ryder Cup case to European Captain Padraig Harrington, who is in the field this week. Given that, here's who we have winning it:

1) Richard Bland

2) Francesco Molinari

3) Ian Poulter

Not the youngest picks in the field by quite a margin, but its for good reason. It's been great to watch the revival of Richard Bland over the past year with his first European Tour win at the British Masters, plus he's coming off a good finish at the Italian Open. Molinari I think will make the Ryder Cup team as a captain's pick, and will most likely be using the tournament this week as prep for it. Poulter has had a good year and is coming off a decent end to his PGA Tour season. He also makes it as a captain's pick, hands down, who else is going to deliver the post?

Play kicks off very early Thursday morning, but the weather is forecasted to rain for the first two rounds. This is sure to add some more drama to the tournament. 

Stay tuned for our Weekend Update post to see all the storylines and drama heading into the weekend.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Showdown at St. Andrews: Perez emerges victorious over Southgate at Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Sunday at St. Andrews, there is perhaps no better setting for the conclusion of a golf tournament. This year, the Old Course would end up playing host to a dramatic battle between Frenchman and European Tour rookie Victor Perez and Englishman Matthew Southgate, with Perez emerging on top, capturing the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. 

The two golfers finished their third rounds tied for the lead at 20-under. Both had played the Old Course relatively well over their first three rounds: Perez on Thursday, shooting a 64 and Southgate on Saturday, shooting a 65. The stage was set for an unlikely showdown between the two golfers.

Perhaps it wasn't the showdown we wanted, but looking deeper into these two golfers, it was certainly a showdown we could have expected. You see, despite being relatively new to the European Tour, both golfers had connections to links golf. Perez, in his rookie year, had been living in nearby Dundee for the past 18 months, no doubt honing his game on the many links courses in the area. Southgate, in his fourth year on tour, was no stranger to competition at the Old Course. In 2010, as an amateur he won the St. Andrews Link Trophy. He is also a member at Carnoustie. These connections would prove to be invaluable to both golfers.

With the stage set, the two golfers began their final round on a cold and windy Old Course. It was Southgate who would take the lead at the turn. Despite bogeying the first hole, he rallied back, birdieing holes 5-7 and 9; good enough for a one shot lead over Perez. His lead would grow to two shots after a three-putt bogey by Perez on the 11th hole. But Perez persisted; a birdie on the 14th hole and a bogey by Southgate evened out the score. 

Then came the infamous par 4 17th hole "The Road Hole". Perez placed his second shot safely onto the green after hitting the fairway with his opening drive. Southgate, on the other hand, drove his tee shot further but into the rough, resulting in a poor second shot that landed on the green, but much further away. A two-putt by Perez and three-putt by Southgate separated the two and pars on the last hole by both resulted in Perez winning the tournament by a single shot.

For Perez, the win is career defining (thus far) and his first on the European Tour. It is also most certainly the highlight of his 2019 season, having just one top-10 finish this year: the Hong Kong Open, which was also his first European Tour tournament. On top of the $800,000 in prize money, the Challenge Tour graduate will move into the top-70 of the World Golf Rankings and top-20 on the European Tour money list. He is also the first Frenchman to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

On his win, Perez stated. "The emotions were really high all day. It was really cold and windy, a long day out there and I felt I was able to battle. It wasn't easy, Matt played amazing. I was expecting some of the guys to charge and we were fortunate that it was kind of a one on one battle on the back nine. There's nothing like a win. The confidence that you get from getting it done, it's so difficult at this level to win. Being my first year, I'm obviously delighted."

On the pro-am side of the tournament, it came down to Tommy Fleetwood, who was paired with horseracing executive Ogden Phipps II and Rory McIlroy, who was playing with his father Gerry McIlroy. Both teams played extraordinarily well and finished at 39-under over. Interestingly enough though, the tie was not settled with a playoff, as is the case in most tournaments. Instead, the team whose pro finished with the lower final round score wins, being Fleetwood in this case with a 64 over McIlroy's 67.

As always, we finish up our coverage with our picks results, which for the most part, were relatively good:

1) Rafa Cabrera Bello: T61 at 8-under
2) Alex Noren: T15 at 17-under
3) Tom Lewis: T5 at 19-under

I said it at the start of the week, the winner of this tournament was going to be a golfer who had a history with links courses and it turns out that could have equally have been Perez or Southgate. Our dark horse pick Tom Lewis had an excellent week, in particular shooting a 65 at Kingsbarn and 64 at the Old Course over the weekend. Noren also played well but did have reoccurring trouble on the Road Hole. Cabrera-Bello unfortunately missed the cut.

Overall, like so many editions before it, the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship did not disappoint. We saw it all this week, excellent golf from the world's best golfers, a collection of perhaps the finest links courses in the world, and of course dramatic storylines. These are just a few reasons why I'll be watching this tournament again and again every year.

Congratulations once again to Victor Perez. Who did you think was going to win? Let us know in the comments below,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

France's Victor Perez wins the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

(Getty Images)

2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Preview

This week, the European Tour travels back to St Andrews, Scotland, the home of golf, for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The prestigious tournament is iconic for its star-studded pro-am and is considered by many as a jewel of the European Tour. It is also unique in the fact that it is contested over three courses: the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Links and Kingsbarns Golf Links.

The tournament was first contested in 2001 as the Dunhill Links Championship and its format is similar to its PGA Tour counterpart, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Professionals are paired up with an amateur for the entire length of the tournament. Over the first three rounds, groups will get the chance to play all three courses, with a 54-hole cut being made of the top-60 professionals and top-20 pro-am teams. The final round is then played at the Old Course, where the professional with the lowest 72-hole score is crowned the winner. Likewise, the winner of the pro-am is the team with the lowest 72-hole score.

Over the years, many celebrities and notable persons have had the chance to play this illustrious tournament. This year, the amateur field consists of singer/actor Justin Timberlake, footballer Luis Figo, boxer Wladimir Klitschko and (naturally) Bill Murray, just to name a few. 

Each course this week will test golfers in different ways. Fresh off its hosting of the 2018 Open Championship, Carnoustie, also known as "golf's greatest test", will play at 7,412 yards. Kingbarns will play at 7,150 yards and is the newest of the courses in the rotation. Lastly, the iconic Old Course, with its enduring and prestigious history, will measure 7,307 yards. The chance to play these courses in this format truly is something special.

What is common between all the aforementioned courses is that they are links courses, which is something that is quasi-rare on the European Tour and even more so on the PGA Tour. This is something that has always bugged me about the professional tours, they don't play enough links courses. In my opinion, a links course is the truest and purest form of a golf course; where golf was meant to be played. Things are not perfect on a links course; you are constantly at the mercy of the weather and consistency amongst conditions is far from constant. It forces a golfer to think in different ways, look for different opportunities, play the non-conventional shot, etc. All of this adds up to a unique golfing experience, and with respect to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, an exciting tournament to watch.

The professional field this week is packed with European Tour royalty in addition to the top players of the world. It's always tough to make picks for this tournament, but this year I've decided to base our picks off of recent performance and performance on links courses:

1) Rafa Cabrera Bello

2) Alex Noren

3) Tom Lewis

Cabrera Bello is our top pick this week. He's coming into the tournament off a T6 finish last week at the BMW PGA Championship and T9 and T6 performances at the Scottish and Irish Opens earlier this year, respectively. Noren also performed well last week, finishing T28. He also finished T11 at the Open Championship earlier this year at Royal Portrush. Tom Lewis is our dark horse pick, but did have a good finish at the Open Championship this year, at T11. He also won the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, the final tournament of the Korn Ferry Tour (formerly Web.com Tour).

Play kicks off early Thursday morning and is sure to be full of excitement and great golf. Be sure to check it out!


And let us know in the comments below who you think will win this year,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews 

Rafa Cabrera Bello is our top pick this week at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

(Getty Images)

Danny Willett Wins Big On Home Soil

After firing off a 5-under 68 for his final round, 2016 Masters Champion and Englishman Danny Willett has won the 2019 BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club. He finished with a three shot lead over final round partner Jon Rahm. This is Willett's first win of 2019 and his last win since the 2018 DP World Tour Championship. He is also the first Englishman to win the tournament since Chris Wood in 2016.

Willett's final round was impressive, consisting of six birdies (including back-to-back on the 17th and 18th) and a single bogey. The bogey occurred on the 11th hole, where Willett found trouble with trees, but a key 40-foot putt limited the damage. Going into the final hole, Willett was up by two strokes over a pressing Jon Rahm. Rahm knew he needed at least a birdie to force a playoff, but was too aggressive with his second shot, finding water just short of the green. Willett on the other hand, took a safer approach and managed to birdie the hole for the win.

It is quite ironic that our last post here at Toronto Golf Reviews before our "break" was about Danny Willett winning the 2016 Masters. Even more ironic is perhaps the fact that at the conclusion of the 2018 BMW PGA Championship, Willett had dropped to 462nd in the World Golf Rankings, his lowest ranking since his rookie year. 

Like many golfers in the past, after his major win, Willett struggled on the course with his new expectations and off the course with injuries. He was pointless in the 2016 Ryder Cup, lost his PGA Tour card and managed just one top-10 finish in 2017. It was a low point for Willett, but not the end, although it easily could have been.

“I’ve had an undying want to get back… I was willing to change whatever had to be changed and that’s pretty hard to do… to jump full throttle into something you’re not sure if it’s going to work out or not.” the Englishman said of his post-Masters struggles.

And come back he did, after the 2018 BMW PGA Championship. His hard work paid off, resulting in top-10 performances at the Irish and Turkish Airlines Open and a win at the DP World Tour Championship. This propelled Willett up to 90th in the World Golf Rankings. Further top-10 performances in 2019 at the RBC Canadian Open and Open Championship pushed him into the top-60. Now with this win, Willett is back in the the top-40. 

Personally, I am happy to see that Danny Willett is back and not one of those "one and done" golfers. He's shown that he has what it takes to be an elite and world-class golfer. After all, he's had to battle high-profile fields in pretty much every tournament that he's won. If that's not the mark of a world class player then I don't know what is!

We end with a quick look of how our picks performed this week:

1) Matthew Fitzpatrick: T46 at 1-over

2) Tommy Fleetwood: T60 at 3-over

3) Rory McIlroy: T9 at 11-under

Not the best weeks for Fitzpatrick and Fleetwood, with both shooting over 70 in all their rounds. McIlroy on the other hand picks up another top-10 finish.

That's a wrap on our coverage of the 2019 BMW PGA Championship. Our couverage of the European tour continues this week of perhaps the best tournament on the European Tour (in my opinion), the exciting and dramatic Alfred Dunhill Links Championship!


Stay tuned for our preview and picks,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

 

Danny Willett Wins the 2019 BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club

(Photo: Reuters)

2019 BMW PGA Championship Preview

The European Tour heads to Surrey, England this week for its flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club. Filled with a star-studded field consisting of top players from all over the world, this is one of the most elite and biggest events on the European Tour. Much is up for grabs this week: a nearly million Euro paycheck, 64 WGC points and exemptions into this year's US Open and the next 3 Open Championships being given to the winner.

The tournament will be contested on the West course at Wentworth, originally designed by Harry Colt in 1926 and adjusted over the years. The 7284-yard par 72 course is not the longest on tour but nevertheless tough. It's tree-lined, forest-carved holes demand accuracy and good ball-striking. It is also among the favourite courses for many tour pros who have had the opportunity to play it. 

Things are a bit different this year however, most notably the date. This is the first time that the tournament is being played in September, moving from its original slot in May as a result of the PGA Championship moving up to May. Given this, the weather may become more of a factor than in previous editions of the tournament. As of now, this doesn't appear to be the case for the first three rounds, but conditions could worsen for Sunday, which will no doubt make things interesting.

Perhaps a more interesting feature of this year's tournament is that GPS will be used to track slow play amongst the players. This is part of the European Tour's newly released initiative to combat slow play on tour. In particular, a tracking device will be placed on one player's golf bag in each group. Once a hole is completed, the information will be automatically sent to officials, who will be monitoring progress. Displays will also be available on each hole, to indicate tardiness, among other information. I am very curious to see what the results will, especially considering that we have an article on slow-play in the works. For more information, check out Golf Channel's article about it.

Personally, the BMW PGA Championship is one of my favourite tournaments to watch on the European Tour since it was the setting an amazing moment in golf, in my opinion. In the 2011 edition of the tournament, World Numbers One and Two, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, respectively, had finished their final rounds tied for 1st place; a sudden death followed, on the par 5 1st hole of the West course. On the line was not only the tournament but also the title of World Number One. Donald and Westwood both started the hole well and both had roughly the same distances for their approach shots. Donald went first and landed his ball safely on the green, close to the flag. Westwood responded by landing his shot just inside Donald's but then watched his ball roll off the water-lined green into the water, resulting in Donald winning the tournament and the title. So much was on the line at that moment and Westwood, after seeing Donald's shot, knew he had to go for it. It was tense, yet exciting; that's why I'll never forget it. But moments like this seem to only happen at big tournaments like this. Luke also managed to defend his title the next year. 

As always, we end off with our picks for this week. Given the requirements of fairway accuracy and ball-striking, we decided to make our picks for this week loosely based on these stats:

1) Matthew Fitzpatrick

2) Tommy Fleetwood

3) Rory McIlroy

Fitzpatrick ranks consistently as one of the more accurate players on tour and doesn't drive the ball too far (something that will benefit him this week). Fleetwood is also very accurate off the tee and is coming off a T8 finish a few weeks ago at the Omega European Masters. McIlroy is our last pick and frankly is always a safe pick when he's playing well. He also won the tournament in 2014.

The first round kicks off early Thursday morning (EST time) and is the start of what's sure to be an exciting tournament. Be sure to check it out!

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Can Matthew Fitzpatrick win the 2019 BMW PGA Championship this week? (PressClub Global BMW)

Matthew Fitzpatrick Wins the 2015 British Masters

After leading for a good portion of all four rounds, 21-year old Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick has won the 2015 British Masters at Woburn Golf Club with a score of 15-under and a two shot lead over Soren Kjeldsen, Shane Lowry, and Fabrizio Zanotti. This is his first European Tour win (it's also his rookie season on the European Tour) however the Sheffield-native is no stranger to doing well at "Masters" titled event, having finished second in the Omega European Masters earlier this year in Switzerland. He also takes home a prize of £500,000.

Things were getting close towards the end of the final round today, mostly between Fitzpatrick and Soren Kjeldsen, who at one point on the back nine needed a birdie to co-lead. Unfortunately a bogey by Soren on the 16th and two birdies and a bogey by Fitzpatrick sealed the deal for him. Chances were also had by Fabrizio Zanotti (who needed a hole out on the final hole from a greenside bunker to force a playoff) and Shane Lowry.

Woburn continued it's trend of not to easy, not to hard golf, with the average scoring range in the high 60's on the weekend. The low round today was a 65 shot by Tommy Fleetwood, who carded six birdies during his round today. In fact, Fleetwood didn't make a single bogey since his front nine yesterday and has carded a total of ten birdies since then. He finished with a score of 9-under T13.

Our picks this week also did very well. Luke Donald finished off the weekend by shooting a 65/69 and finished at T5, one of his best finishes of the year. Lee Westwood finished off just behind him at 8-under. And tournament host Ian Poulter finished off in a respectable T33, after many missed opportunities on his home course.

That wraps up our coverage this week. Next week, we'll be heading back over to the PGA Tour for the start of the 2015-2016 PGA Tour season at the Frys.com Open from Silverado Country Club in Napa, California. Stay tuned for our picks next week.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Matthew Fitzpatrick Wins the 2015 British Masters

Kjeldsen, Fitzpatrick Co-Lead Halfway at 2015 British Masters

After two rounds of play at Woburn Golf Club, two players lead the British Masters, in the form of Soren Kjeldsen and Matthew Fitzpatrick. Both lead with a score of 9-under and a single shot lead over Richard Bland and Kiradech Aphibarnrat. The cut has also been set at 1-over.

Nearly twenty years separate the two leaders and despite co-leading, both are in very different situations, career-wise. Fitzpatrick is in his rookie year on tour but is certainly no stranger to professional golf, having played in many of the recent majors as an amateur, his most notable was the 2013 Open Championship where he finished as the low amateur. Kjeldsen is the posterperson of a golf veteran on the European Tour, having been on tour for almost as long as Fitzpatrick has been living. He's won already this year, after a 6-year dry spell, at the Irish Open, and is also one of the nicer players on tour. Despite the differences, both are fighting for a win this week.

Woburn played very well both days, not too hard and not too easy, with wet and soft conditions (typical English weather some would say). The scoring average for Thursday was 70.7 and today was a bit tougher at 71.3. The low score today was a 65, shot by Robert Rock (Rock moved up 59 places on the leaderboard due to this score). No one is bogey free throughout their rounds.

Our picks this week are doing well. Luke Donald sits at T33 3-under, shooting a 67/72 so far, as does Lee Westwood, who shot a 69/70. Woburn professional and tournament host Ian Poulter leads them by a shot at 4-under T23. He also made news today by making an incredible up and down, which Poults said was one of his best. TGR favourite Graeme McDowell sits at T13, after shooting a 67 today.

Be sure to check out our results post Sunday evening to see who won,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

2015 British Masters Picks

This week is a special week for the European Tour, it's the return of the British Masters. This tournament hasn't been played on the European Tour since 2009 and returns to Woburn Golf and Country Club in Woburn, UK this year. It's being hosted by Ian Poulter, who is also the club's touring professional, and brings a purse of 3 million euros to the table.

The British Masters was first contested in 1946 as a restricted event at the end of the year. It reached peak popularity in the 80's, where the tournament was won by the likes of Greg Norman (81, 82), Seve Ballesteros (86, 91), Nick Faldo (89), and more. However, popularity for the tournament declined in the years after and it was cancelled after 2008, due to a lack of sponsorship. In the past it's been played on courses all over the UK, like The Belfry, Woburn, Royal St. George, Wentworth, St. Andrews, etc. This week, Woburn will play as a par 72 at just under 7,000 yards.

The return of the British Masters has brought many of the European Tour's elite players to the field this week. Tournament host Ian Poulter is on many pick lists this week. He knows this course better than anyone else in the field this week, hands down. Add in the fact that he hasn't won in over three years and we might see some of that Ryder Cup Ian Poulter in the field this week. There's probably no other place he'd like to win too.

Poulter is one of our picks this week, among others:

1) Ian Poulter
2) Luke Donald
3) Lee Westwood

It's an all English pick list this week, some of England's best in recent years. Two former World Number One's in the form of Luke and Lee and a Ryder Cup legend in the form of Ian. Surely one of them will win this week...

 

Play kicks off early tomorrow morning and it's sure to be filled with good golf. Be sure to check out our Weekend Update post to see who's leading at the halfway point.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Ian Poulter is playing his home course this week. Could he win this week?

Mullen and Wall Co-Lead at Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Halfway through this year's edition of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (being played cross-course at Kingsbarn, Carnoustie, and the Old Course at St. Andrews), both Jimmy Mullen and Anthony Wall co-lead with a score of 11-under. Behind them, a log jam of players, including Ryder Cup hero Jamie Donaldson, new professional Paul Dunne (who first made headlines at this year's Open Championship, where he led a portion of it), etc. The cut will be set tomorrow, giving all players a chance to play each course once.

Jimmy Mullen is making his debut as a professional golfer this week, and doing it in good style. The young golfer is from Devon, UK (affiliated with Royal North Devon Golf Club) and had a good amateur career. He played on this year's Walker Cup team, along with Paul Dunne. This week, he shot a 64 at Kingsbarn and a 67 at St. Andrews today. His opening round consisted of seven birdies, an eagle, and just one bogey.

On the other hand, Anthony Wall has been playing on the European Tour for twenty years. He's one once during his professional career, ironically the 2000 Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa (a co-sanctioned event between the European Tour and Sunshine Tour), with several 2nd place finishes over the years. He also has a T12 finish at this year's Open Championship. Wall played the same courses as Mullen and shot a 65/68.

Those who watched the Open Championship this year at St. Andrews will surely remember the then-amateur Paul Dunne. He co-lead the tournament after the first three rounds, becoming the first amateur since 1927 to do so. He also makes his professional debut this week and shot a 64/70 at the same course as Mullen and Wall. He also made a hole-in-one on the 15th at Kingsbarn.

On the pro-am side of things, Rafael-Cabrera Bello (partnered with businessman Dermont Desmond) and Jared Harvey (partnered with businessmanMichael Zamkow) lead with a score of 19-under over Jimmy Mullen and businessman Miguel Duenas.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing,

1) Tommy Fleetwood: T52 at 3-under
2) Graeme McDowell: T13 at 7-under
3) Danny Willett: T66 at 2-under

Good scores from GMac, who hasn't had the best season so far. Remember that the cut will be set tomorrow, with the final round of the tournament being played on Sunday at St. Andrews. Stay tuned for our results post to see who's won.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

New pro Jimmy Mullen could win his first tournament as a pro this week

2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Picks

One of the European Tour's most exciting events starts tomorrow. We are of course talking about the 2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. This tournament is probably the most unique event on the European Tour and is personally one of my favourites to watch every year.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was first played in played in 2001. What makes this tournament so different from others? Firstly, it's played at three separate courses over the first three of four days of the event; Kingsbarn Golf Links, Carnoustie Golf Links, and the Old Course at St. Andrews, with all Sunday rounds being played at St. Andrews. Over the course of the tournament, players travel from course to course to play their round for the day. You'll also notice that these courses are all in links-style, which always makes for a much more interesting round of golf.

This tournament is also a pro-am (similar to the AT&T National Pro-Am) meaning that amateur golfers (usually celebrities or persons of note) get the chance to play on a team with professional golfers. Thus there are two parts to this tournament, the individual (professional) part, which is just like a normal professional tournament where the lowest combined 4-day score wins with a monetary reward (one of the largest on the European Tour). The last part is the pro-am portion where a single amateur is paired with a single pro, and the pro-am duo with the lowest score wins this portion of the tournament. Both parts are played consecutively and both the pro and the amateur travel from course to course.

Lastly, this tournament is special since half of it is played at the Old Course at St. Andrews, the physical home of golf. It's filled with so much history and the course itself is such an icon in the golfing world. We saw a bit of what the Old Course has to offer earlier this year at the British Open, but this time around conditions will be cooler. However, the weather and thus the course will probably still be unpredictable as per usual.

Some notables in the field this week are: John Daly, Erik Compton, Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clark, and TGR favourite Graeme McDowell. Will one of them win, who knows, but here are our picks this week:

1) Tommy Fleetwood
2) Graeme McDowell
3) Danny Willett

Play starts very early tomorrow morning on all courses. Be sure to check out our Weekend Update post Friday evening to see who's leading.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Graeme McDowell is winless in 2015 thus far, could that change this week?

Rickie Fowler Wins the 2015 Scottish Open

After four rounds of tough links golf, the winner of this year's Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Gullane Golf Club is one of our picks this week, Rickie Fowler, who finished with a score of 12-under and a one shot lead over Matt Kuchar and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin. This is the young American's 2nd win this year (his first was the Players Championship) and first European Tour win.

Rickie's play towards the end of his round was exceptional, simple as that. The start of his round was uneventful until his last four holes, where his run for the lead began. He birdied three of the last four holes and on the 18th, hit an excellent drive then a wedge to a couple of feet for an easy birdie and a one shot lead over Matt Kuchar, who was in the clubhouse already at 11-under. Once again, he's shown us why he's such a good links golfer. On a more interesting note, it seems that Fowler always wins when the golfing world doubts him the most. Shortly after being ranked as one of the most overrated golfers, he won the Players Championship. After a disastrous US Open, many predicted a downward spiral for him, but he silenced all his critics with his well-deserved win this week.

Raphael Jacquelin, who was in the group behind Fowler, needed a 2nd shot eagle hole-out from the 18th fairway to force a playoff with Fowler. And he nearly pulled it off, hitting a wedge shot just past the hole and spinning it back to about a foot. Despite not forcing a playoff, with his good finish the 41-year old Frenchman now qualifies for the Open Championship next week. He will be playing his first major since the 2012 Open Championship.

Today's final round saw a big change in weather conditions as the round progressed and as a result Gullane played tougher and tougher. Winds picked up throughout the day and morning players, like Scotsman Marc Warren (64 today), were at a clear advantage. With these conditions though, we saw a variety of shots from players, typical in links style, and much movement in the leaderboard. One thing's for sure; this round was great preparation for St. Andrews next week.

Finally, here's how our picks finished for the week:


1) Padraig Harrington: T62 at 2-under
2) Justin Rose: 74th even par
3) Rickie Fowler: WINNER

That's another pick win for us! Padraig Harrington couldn't capitalize on two good opening rounds and Justin Rose had a very bad weekend, shooting 72/76 without a single birdie today. Better luck to both of them next week.

And that's a wrap for our coverage of the Scottish Open. Congratulations once again to Rickie Fowler! Our coverage stays in Europe this week and in Scotland for that matter, for the third major of the year. That's right, join us next week for the 144th Open Championship (British Open) from the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland next week.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Rickie Fowler Wins the 2015 Scottish Open

2015 Scottish Open Weekend Update

With just two rounds left to play at Gullane Golf Club, the leader going into the weekend of this year's Scottish Open is Englishman Daniel Brooks. He holds a three shot lead over a number of players including the likes of TGR favourite Graeme McDowell and defending champion/our pick Justin Rose. The cut has also been set at 1-under.

Brooks shot an excellent 64/65 and has only made a single bogey over both his two rounds. He's also carded 10 birdies and an eagle, which give him some great momentum moving into the weekend.

Despite the challenge that is links golf, many players were able to take advantage of Gullane Golf Club over the first two rounds. Scores in the mid 60's were common all around and the low round so far was a 63, shot by Thorbjorn Olesen. From the weather forecast though, it looks like the winds will pick up over the weekend and some rain will fall tonight and tomorrow. Maybe this will make Gullane more vicious?

Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell seems to be showing signs of recovery this week, shooting a pair of 66's so far. After three straight missed cuts, the 52nd World Ranked players has had a rough season so far and risks falling out of WGC contention if his trend continues. A win or a good finish for the 2008 champion this week would be hugely beneficial.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Padraig Harrington: T34 at 4-under
2) Justin Rose: T2 at 8-under
3) Rickie Fowler: T13 at 6-under

It's good to see Harrington doing well again; he's certainly still in contention given the upcoming weather. Rose has an excellent chance to defend his win and can probably pull it off seeing how he's been playing. It's also good to see Fowler playing well on links courses again.

With just two more rounds to go and upcoming weather conditions, we might see some movement in the leaderboard over the last two rounds. Stay tuned for our Results post Sunday to see who ended up winning.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Can Daniel Berger hold onto his lead for the win this week?

2015 Scottish Open Picks

For many golf fans, the next two weeks are some of the most exciting out of the entire golf season. It starts with the Scottish Open, this year being played at Gullane Golf Club in Gullane near Edinburgh, Scotland. It ends off with the Open Championship AKA British Open. Both events are played on links golf courses and offer many challenges to players.

The Scottish Open (now formally the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open) was first contested in 1972, but was then removed from the European Tour's event list from 1974 to 1985. It returned in 1986 and has been played at Loch Lomond Golf Club for the majority of it's current run. Just recently, it began rotating courses year to year. It's one of the larger and more popular events on the European Tour for a few reasons. Firstly, it has one of the largest purses on Tour at £3.25 million. Secondly, being a links course and taking place a week before the British Open, it's a tournament that's used by players to practice for the British Open, i.e. hone in their links golf skills and work on a variety of shots. Players such as Phil Mickelson took full advantage of this, as he won both the Scottish and British Opens in 2013.

This is the first time Gullane Golf Club has hosted the Scottish Open, but the town of Gullane is no stranger to professional golf. Situated on the coast of Scotland, it's also home to Muirfield Golf Club, which hosted the British Open in 2013 and lies just 1.5km from Gullane Golf Club. The town is ideal for golf holidays as it's also home to several other top quality links courses and itself is just a two hour drive from the Old Course at St. Andrews (which will host the British Open next week). For the Scottish Open, Gullane will play as a par 70 at 7,133 yards.

Like I've said many times before, it's always hard to make my picks in a tournament that precedes a major, simply because of the variety of players in the field. One thing's for sure though, the winner this week will definitely need to have great links golf skills, so that's what I've based my picks on this week:

1) Padraig Harrington
2) Justin Rose
3) Rickie Fowler

Padraig showed us earlier this year that he's capable of winning again. He's also won two British Opens back to back so he knows links golf. Justin Rose won this event last year and seems to be playing great golf at the moment. Like I say, he's always a safe pick week in week out. Lastly, Rickie Fowler hasn't had the best of weeks after his Players win, but he's done well in the past on links courses. Maybe this will be the comeback he needs?

Play kicks off very early (or very late) at roughly 2:30AM EST tomorrow. Stay tuned for our weekend update post Friday to see who's in the lead at the halfway point.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

The scenic coast of Scotland is host to Gullane Golf Club

Soren Kjeldsen Wins the 2015 Irish Open

Well we've seen everything Royal County Down had to offer this week, both the good and the bad. Despite its toughness, a victor has emerged in the form of Danish golfer Soren Kjeldsen after a playoff between Bernd Wiesberger and Eddie Pepperell. This is Soren's 4th European Tour victory and his first in six years. The win also allows him to play this year's Open Championship at St. Andrews.

Looking at the leaderboard going into the weekend, you couldn't help but get the feeling that the scoreline wasn't going to change much and that a playoff would probably decide the winner. And that's exactly what happened. After 72 holes of golf, the leading score had increased from the halfway point up to 2-under par, something which we rarely see in a golf tournament. A playoff then ensued between Bernd, Eddie, and Soren.

Sunday was probably the toughest day all week with 25-30 mph winds all day. All three played very well to get to the playoff with Soren shooting a 76 but fighting Royal County Down every shot along the way, Bernd shot a 73 in a up and down round, and Eddie stunned many with a 69, which was one of a handful of sub par rounds and bogey-free rounds today.

The single hole playoff took place on the par 5 18th hole. Both Soren and Bernd found the fairway with their tee shots while Eddie hit his into the right rough. Soren then found the green with his second shot and had a putt for eagle. He missed the eagle putt and was left with a tricky 3 footer for birdie (and ultimately the win as Eddie and Bernd both parred after some incidents). Soren nearly missed the putt as the ball did a 360 degree turn around the hole before dropping in; Royal County Down had one more trick to pull before tournament's end. Soren has always been a golfer that I've liked over the years so it's great to see him win again.

The average score in today's final round was probably a few shots over par, due to the high winds. On that note, here's how our picks finished the tournament:

1) Lee Westwood: T53 at 12-over
2) Miguel Angel Jimenez: T43 at 10-over
3) Tommy Fleetwood: T21 at 5-over

1) Graeme McDowell: T30 at 7-over


Not too bad in the end. Ironically, Miguel (who's friends with Soren) was one of the first people to congratulate Soren on his win after he walked off the tee. Tommy Fleetwood had another good finish and GMac too.

And that's all for our coverage this week. Next week, our coverage heads across the pond to the Jack Nicklaus hosted Memorial tournament. Stay tuned for our picks for that.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Soren Kjeldsen Wins the 2015 Irish Open

WATCH: Soren Kjeldsen's winning putt

2015 Irish Open Weekend Update

We're two rounds into the Irish Open and we've already gotten a taste of how tough Royal County Down can be. The leading score is just 3-under and is held by six players including the likes of Chris Wood, Bernd Wiesberger, Soren Kjeldsen, and more. The cut has also been set at 6-over par.

To say Royal County Down is playing tough so far is actually an understatement. I mentioned in my Picks post that unpredictability would be a key factor in the difficulty of the course and that was just the case in the weekday rounds. Conditions started off favourable for the early Thursday rounds but steadily worsened as time passed. During today's round, only 15 out of 156 players managed to break par and a round in the low to mid 70's was considered average.

Irishman Padraig Harrington didn't let an injury and withdrawal from the BMW PGA last week hinder him this week. He's currently tied for 2nd place with Luke Donald. Padraig predicted earlier this week that an Irishman would win the tournament and so far it's looking like it could be him!


Tournament host and World Number One Rory McIlroy shot a 80/71 and missed the cut for a 3rd straight year. His opening round of 80 was his worst professional round since 2011. Many will probably attribute this to fatigue and that's looking like the case.

Continuing with the trend of bad scores, American Jonathan Moore made headlines for all the wrong reasons. The 2007 Walker Cup hero knows Royal County Dawn well, but carded a Kevin Na-esque 13 on Royal County Down's par 4 13th hole, which included four lost balls (three off the tee) and an encounter with a bunker. He finished the tournament in last place and was subsequently cut.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Lee Westwood: T39 at 4-over
2) Miguel Angel Jimenez: T19 at 2-over
3) Tommy Fleetwood: T39 at 4-over

1) Graeme McDowel: T55 at 5-over

I really didn't expect all of my picks to make the cut this week considering how tough the course has been. Good results from all though, but yet again GMac just barely makes the cut. He still gets to play the weekend though, which is certainly a plus.

Given the log jam of leaders expect even better golf to come this weekend. Who knows how Royal County Down will play? Stay tuned for our results post on Sunday.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

2015 Irish Open Picks

This week the European Tour visits the coasts of Northern Ireland specifically at Royal County Down in Newcastle for the 2015 Irish Open (formally the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation). As the title says, this year's Irish Open is being hosted by World Number One and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, who will also be donating his winnings to charity this week.

Royal County Down is a links golf course with a rich history. The Old Tom Morris-built course opened its doors in 1889, making it one of the oldest golf courses in all of Ireland. Over that time, it's hosted tournaments such as the Senior British Open, the British Amateur, British Ladies Amateur, the Walker Cup in 2007 (where some say the McIlroy vs Fowler rivalry started) and much more. In fact, the last time Royal County Down hosted the Irish Open was 80 years ago in 1935. It was also ranked the best golf course in the world outside the US in 2005 and 4th best in 2007, by Golf Digest. It goes without saying that we're getting a chance to see a top notch course this week.

Not only is Royal County Down a links course (which in it's own right usually leads to an excellent display of golf) it's one of the best and purest in the world. Expect nothing short of typical links golf this week, i.e. changing weather/wind, firm fairways, massive slopes in almost every spot, thick rough, dangerous patches of gorse, and above all, unpredictability. While change in conditions are bad for the players, it's always great to watch as a spectator. The winner this week will be the player who can overcome these changes the best.

We have a great field this week, partially due to it being the Irish Open, being hosted by Rory McIlroy, and being played at Royal County Down. Due to this, we've put a little more thought into our picks this week:

1) Lee Westwood
2) Miguel Angel Jimenez
3) Tommy Fleetwood

1) Graeme McDowell

Lee Westwood has traditionally played pretty good on links courses. So has Miguel, who has had good finishes in the past British Opens (also played on links courses). He also may have some momentum from that 2nd place finish last week at the BMW PGA. Tommy Fleetwood may have some as well. We'll also be watching TGR favourite Graeme McDowell, who had a T6 finish last week.

Play kicks off early Thursday morning at around 2 AM Eastern Time. A notable group to watch is GMac, Jimenez, and Westwood, who tee off at around 2:50AM EST.

Stay tuned for our Weekend Update post on Friday,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland

Byeong Hun An Wins the 2015 BMW PGA Championship

From the start of this week, I'm sure no one had this man in mind to win the tournament, especially the way he did. Against all odds though, Byeong Hun An AKA Ben An has won the 2015 BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club, with a score of 21-under par, six shots ahead of Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thongchai Jaidee. This is the Korean-born's first European Tour win only his second professional win.

An's final aggregate score was 267, which was just one shot shy of tying the tournament record of 266, set back in 1961 by Brian Bramford. To par however, his score of 21-under is the lowest in tournament history, going back to the start of the under-par format. On top of that, he's also the first winner in 39 years to win on his tournament debut. He shot this final score with rounds of 71, 64, 67, and 65. His final round consisted of five birdies and an eagle. This, combined with a struggling Molinari, led to his large victory. This is definitely a career changing win for An, as he's now exempt into the next three British Opens and next US Open and receives mega WGC points (he was previously ranked 132 in the world).

Speaking of Molinari, he was leading going into the final round and was in the final group, along with An. However, he shot a 74 today (in a round the was up and down all day) which was very high considering the average round for a good finisher was a couple of shots under par. He finished the tournament in solo 5th.

Saturday's rounds were also filled with much excitement. To start, Tommy Fleetwood (who finished T6) scored an albatross (double-eagle) on Wentworth's par 5 552 yard 4th hole. And if that wasn't enough, TGR favourite Miguel Angel Jimenez made an ace on the par 3 154 yard 2nd. This was Jimenez's 2nd hole in one in just two weeks (his last was at last week's Spanish Open) and his 3rd one this season. That's why they call Saturday "Moving Day".

Finally, here's how our picks finished:

1) Graeme McDowell: T59 at 2-over
2) Danny Willett: T38 at 2-under
3) Chris Wood: 4th at 13-under

A poor finish yet again for GMac, who didn't have a sub-70 round all week. Willett finished off pretty decent, but the best week goes to Chris Wood, who shot a final round of 66, which included 7 birdies and a hole-in-one of the par 3 179 yard 14th (due to the ace, he also wins a new BMW i8).

And that's a wrap on what's been a very exciting week, especially this weekend. Our coverage will be staying in Europe next week for the Irish Open (formally the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation) at Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland.

Stay tuned for our picks for the tournament on Wednesday,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Ben Am Wins the 2015 BMW PGA Championship by a staggering six shots