Tag Archives: quiros

2012 Open diary: Andres Romero and Miguel Angel Jimenez fluff shots

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Ian Ladyman's Open all hours: Hope for us all as Romero and Jimenez fluff their lines

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UPDATED:

21:30 GMT, 17 July 2012

Given how frustrating and difficult this game is, it's reassuring to know that even the very best can make fools of themselves.

Early contenders for worst shot of the week here include Argentine Andres Romero who hit two drives 50 yards straight left into a bush on the 13th on Monday and dear old Miguel Angel Jimenez, who shanked a bunker shot straight right into another trap on the 16th.

Making his point: The Spaniard encountered trouble on the 16th

Making his point: The Spaniard encountered trouble on the 16th

When it rains…

The Open wouldn't take place without hordes of volunteers. Pity them as the rain teemed down yesterday as not only are they not allowed to use umbrellas but the blue jackets given to them by the organisers here are not even waterproof.

At least they were allowed home one hour early as most of the players had abandoned the course. If you see one, say thanks.

Sign this please

We reported how Lancashire lad Matthew Baldwin was taking souvenir photos on his way round the course. Well the former England Boys captain was at it again yesterday, taking a yellow '18th' flag from his bag and asking practice partners Lee Westwood and Keegan Bradley to sign it. Roles could be reversed in future years as Baldwin is said to be a serious talent.

Autograph hunter: Baldwin practiced with Westwood on Tuesday

Autograph hunter: Baldwin practiced with Westwood on Tuesday

Thumbs up for..

Big Spaniard Alvaro Quiros who thrilled the crowds by becoming the first player this week to thump his drive all the way through the green at the 336-yard 16th hole.

For those wondering, the car park made famous by Seve Ballesteros in 1979 is now a catering area. Anyone hitting it over there will be playing their second from in between the burger vans.

Thumbs down for…

The hordes of swing gurus, mind coaches and Bible salesmen (I made the last one up) who like to huddle round the players as they do their stuff on the driving range at these tournaments. Stand back please, chaps, the paying public can't see a darned thing.

Anyone for pizza: Ishikawa enjoyed a takeaway on Tuesday

Anyone for pizza: Ishikawa enjoyed a takeaway on Tuesday

Sight of the day on the range yesterday, by the way, was Ryo Ishikawa and pals sitting on the grass eating takeaway pizza.

Quote of the day

'Rory McIlroy said he shot minus four on the back nine in practice. If he keeps that up, he certainly will be in the hunt next week.'

The Open's official Twitter feed gets its days mixed up.

Dubai Desert Classic: Live leaderboard

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Dubai Desert Classic leaderboard: Keep up to date with the latest scores

The European Tour is at the Emirates Golf Club this week for the Dubai Desert Classic – the third and final leg of the Middle East swing.

Alvaro Quiros took the title last year and you can keep track of all the latest scores right here.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LIVE LEADERBOARD

Big hitter, big prize: Alvaro Quiros won the Dubai Desert Classic last year

Big hitter, big prize: Alvaro Quiros won the Dubai Desert Classic last year

Robert Rock at ease after beating Tiger Woods in Abu Dhabi

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Rock star who feels at home on the range after gunning down Woods in Abu Dhabi

Since staring down Tiger Woods to win in Abu Dhabi, Robert Rock has signed a deal with a six-star hotel and spent a night sleeping in his car.

He has also received the acclaim of one of his golfing heroes while tidying up at the driving range where he used to work full time.

No matter how great the rush to proclaim him the game’s next ‘Rock star’, the humble world from which he came resolutely refuses to give way. Refreshingly, the 34-year-old who might be the personification of the down-to-earth Midlander wouldn’t have it any other way.

Winner: Robert Rock is congratulated by Tiger Woods following his victory in Abu Dhabi

Winner: Robert Rock is congratulated by Tiger Woods following his victory in Abu Dhabi

One minute he’s lacing his sentences with thoughts that ooze drive and ambition; the next he’s saying he’ll never give up having a couple of pints after a round for fear he’d lose touch with normality.

After a week off he’s back on duty at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic today, and it’s fully in keeping with his new status that he’ll accompany world No 2 Rory McIlroy and defending champion Alvaro Quiros for the first two rounds.

The reception on the practice ground has been nothing less than wall-to-wall backslapping, although it’s typical Rocky that the highlight was a choice example of the mordant wit of David Howell.

‘Well done, but be careful. I beat him once too,’ said Howell, once the world No 10 who defeat-ed Woods in similar fashion in Shanghai in 2006 but has spent the past few years keeping his head just above oblivion.

Forty-eight hours after his victory, Rock was back at the Swingers Golf Centre in Lichfield where he learned his trade. Somebody brought in a DVD of the final day so he got to see the best bits.

‘A bit embarrassing because it was on a loop all day, but I had some tidying up to do at the academy,’ he said.

On a run: Rock was in sensational form in Abu Dhabi

On a run: Rock was in sensational form in Abu Dhabi

Rock was referring to the teaching academy he now has on site, which employs four pros. One of the things they do is go into the area’s schools offering free lessons and the headlines following Rock’s victory can only help the take-up rate.

Driving down to London on his way here last Saturday, he got stuck in the chaos in the snow on the M25. So much for the glamour world. Here he found himself watching people building snowmen on the motorway.

‘Very weird,’ he said. ‘After a while I just put the seat back and slept for a few hours.’

Now he’s back in his other world. Yesterday he agreed a two-year deal to represent the uber-opulent Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. ‘It must be the best hotel in the world,’ he said, with such a lack of PR gush you honestly took him at his word.

He also accompanied it with a brilliant anecdote. /02/08/article-0-11829EAA000005DC-763_233x423.jpg” width=”233″ height=”423″ alt=”Silver service: Rock poses with his cherished trophy” class=”blkBorder” />

Silver service: Rock poses with his cherished trophy

Only Ian Poulter among the top British pros has stories like these and has completed this ridiculous journey against all odds. It probably explains why Rock’s victory captured so many people’s imagination, including Sir Nick Faldo’s. He was in the gym at the time but emailed to say he couldn’t take his eyes off the television screen.

‘He sent me a picture of him watching me, which was slightly strange, but I’m not going to knock him. He’s always been one of my heroes,’ said Rock.

Having shown that his best golf is as good as anybody’s, can he now follow it up He stands at 58th in the world, which gets him into the Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona in a fortnight but not the Masters. He needs to climb into the top 50 to achieve that.

‘I’m secretly pleased I have the fabulous incentive of needing to kick on to get to Augusta,’ he said. ‘If I was already in the field for the Masters, it might have been difficult to get myself going. Now I’ve got all the motivation in the world — and my birthday falls on the day of the second round. Wouldn’t that be something to celebrate it at the Masters’

Among those who congratulated him on the practice ground on Tuesday was European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal, and making his team for this year’s match is another target that has moved deliciously into view.

So to today’s first round, where he lines up alongside McIlroy. ‘Do I feel like I’ve won the lottery Yeah, that’s about right,’ he said.

Luke Donald on verge of money list double in Dubai

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Donald moves into contention as McIlroy concedes money list challenge is over

Luke Donald is poised to complete the best year of his golfing life in real style on Sunday.

A third round 66 at the Dubai World Championship, coupled with a disappointing display from Rory McIlroy, means the world No 1 is within touching distance of an unprecedented double.

“It”s over – definitely,” McIlroy said after a 71 dropped him from third to eighth in an event he has to win just to have a chance. “And Luke deserves it.”

In the money: Luke Donald is on the verge of winning both money lists

In the money: Luke Donald is on the verge of winning both money lists

Nobody has ever topped the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic in the same season, but after taking the PGA Tour title in October by winning their final event there is even a chance for him to do the same on the European circuit.

If he does, it would be worth 1.7million to the 34-year-old English star, made up of the tournament first prize of 793,298 and an Order of Merit bonus of 951.957.

Needing “only” a top nine finish to clinch the “Race to Dubai”, as it is called, Donald burst from joint 12th place at halfway to fourth spot on 10 under par.

If McIlroy, who has been battling possible Dengue fever, fails to win, the race is all over regardless of where Donald finishes.

SpaniardAlvaro Quiros still leads, but a bogey six on the last for a 70 and 14 under total means Europe”s biggest hitter, for the fourth time in five seasons, is only two ahead of Scot Paul Lawrie, who eagled the same hole.

South African Louis Oosthuizen, like Lawrie a former Open champion, is third a stroke further back after also handing in a 66.

Falling short: Rory McIlroy

Falling short: Rory McIlroy”s challenge faded during his third round

Donald described his six-birdie, no bogey display as “the perfect round for me – exactly what I wanted.”

He had started his first two rounds with a bogey, but this time it was with a 14-foot birdie putt and he added more on the second, fifth and eighth to turn in 32.

With no sight of McIlroy on the leaderboards by then, Donald picked up further shots at the 15th and 16th.

He is not taking anything for granted yet, though.

“You can”t in this game. I would be foolish to think it”s over,” he said.

“Tomorrow it will be just like any other day in terms of my focus.

“It will be on trying to catch whoever is the leader and trying to win the tournament. I”m not going to count on anything.

“But if it all works out tomorrow night will be fun – it would be a pretty amazing feat. It”s history.”

McIlroy”s girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki, the tennis world No 1, turned up to watch on the back nine and saw the 22-year-old come home in a four under 32 with birdies at the 11th, 12th, 16th and 18th.

Sitting down on the job: Alvaro Quiros leads the way in Dubai

Sitting down on the job: Alvaro Quiros leads the way in Dubai

But the damage came earlier. He drove into sand on the third, then ran up a double bogey seven at the long seventh after hooking into an unplayable lie in a bush with a five-wood second and then leaving his chip short of the green.

Because of his health he is expected to pull out of next week”s event in Thailand and head home to try to regain full fitness as quickly as he can.

“I”m tired. I”m very tired,” he said.

“But I don”t want to say that”s the cause of playing the way I did on the front nine because I came back.

“I”m not 100 per cent, but that should not stop me. I was trying to stay patient and hit good shots, but I just couldn”t do it.

“Luke has played well all year and I expect him to have another solid round. I don”t think he”s been given enough credit for the golf he”s played, but from within the golfing family I am sure he will receive a lot of plaudits.”

Quiros eagled the seventh from eight feet and had four birdies, but there were also four bogeys on his card.

His closest overnight challenger, Swede Peter Hanson, managed only a 71 and Lawrie seized the chance to be in the final group on the final day of the final event when he played the last six holes in five under.

The closing eagle followed birdies on the 13th, 14th and 16th.