European Nations Cup

EGU Press Release 30th March 2009

ENGLAND REIGN IN SPAIN AT THE DOUBLE

England’s young golfers completed a clean sweep in Spain, winning the European Nations Cup while Sam Hutsby took the individual title.

The four-man team of Hutsby, Charlie Ford, Luke Goddard and Dale Whitnell led from start to finish at Sotogrande and their four round aggregate of 840, 24 under par, was four better than France and nine ahead of Spain.

With the best three scores to count each day, England made their intentions apparent from the start, their opening 206, Goddard shooting 68 and Hutsby and Ford 69, saw them leading by one from the French with Spain on 209.

But it was on day two that the foundations for victory were laid. Goddard and Whitnell went round in 68 while Hutsby supported with 69 to leave England on 411, 21 under par, seven strokes clear of France.

It was a similar story on the third day, England increasing their lead to eight strokes over Spain on 617 thanks to a 65 from Hutsby, 69 from Ford and 72 by Goddard.

The final day was played in difficult conditions, a strong wind coming from the opposite direction from the previous days. That was reflected in the scoring with only a handful of the field breaking par.

One of those was Hutsby whose 71 was backed by 76s from Ford and Whitnell, while France overtook the Spanish to take the silver medals.

In the individual prize, Hutsby finished tied with Spain’s Carlos Pigem, who led by four going into the final day.

But the Spanish international suffered in the wind, shooting 75 to Hutsby’s 71 and it was the Hampshire man who prevailed with a par at the first extra hole in a sudden death playoff to bring the title to England for the fifth time in ten years, following Gary Wolstenholme’s wins in 2000, ‘01, ‘03 and ‘05.

Leading final scores:

European Nations Cup
840 England; 844 France; 849 Spain; 855 Ireland; 866 Denmark, Wales; 870 Italy

Individual
274 S Hutsby (Eng) 69 69 65 71; C Pigem (Sp) 67 65 67 75
(Hutsby won playoff at first extra hole)
279 A Kaleka (Fra) 68 69 71 71
280 J Lopez-Lazaro (Fra) 69 69 69 73
Other scores:
285 C Ford (Eng) 69 71 69 76, L Goddard (Eng) 68 68 72 77
287 D Whitnell (Eng) 70 68 73 76

INTERNATIONAL FINAL QUALIFYING - ASIA

R&A Press Release

CHINESE NUMBER ONE HEADS FIELD AT IFQ – ASIA

30 March 2009, Sentosa, Singapore: Liang Wen-chong, China’s leading golfer and the first player ever from the country to make the cut at a Major – a feat he achieved at Birkdale last year – will start as the highest-ranked player in the field at International Final Qualifying – Asia when the event takes place at Singapore’s Sentosa Golf Club on Tuesday 31 March and Wednesday 1 April.

Currently 112 in the world, the 30-year-old from Zhongshan has had Tour wins in both 2007 and 2008 at the Singapore Masters and the Indian Open respectively, and he will be hotly tipped to earn one of the four qualifying places on offer.

While Liang has already had a taste of Open Championship competition, India’s rising young talent, Gaganjeet Bhullar, will be hoping to fulfil his childhood dream by securing his Major debut at Sentosa. Bhullar has been in good form lately, having posted three top-tens in the last three Asian Tour events that he has played.

“I’ve grown up watching golf on TV, especially The Open and it’s been my dream to play in this championship,” said the 20-year-old from Kapurthala.

All four of last year’s qualifiers – Danny Chia of Malaysia, Adam Blyth of Australia, Angelo Que of the Philippines and Chih-Bing Lam of Singapore – will return to Sentosa in an attempt to secure their places at consecutive Open Championships. Chia took last year’s IFQ by one shot from Blyth, yet it was Lam who was to shine at Birkdale in unfamiliar conditions.

An opening round 72 left him tied 15th after day one, a position which he consolidated, making the cut with a total of 147, the same score as former Open champions Ben Curtis and Justin Leonard.

“Playing all four rounds last year was one of the best experiences of my life,” said Lam ahead of IFQ. “Hopefully I can do it again.”

2005 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand, first played in The Open in 2006 where he finished a respectable tied-31st. The 42-year-old Thai, who has 10 victories on the Asian Tour, has once again set his sights on playing with the world’s elite.

“After my experience of playing in The Open in 2006 at Royal Liverpool, I had always wanted to get back to playing in a Major. It would be an honour for me if I can manage to pull it off.”


Play will commence at 08:00 local time on both Tuesday and Wednesday with live scores and stories published on Opengolf.com throughout the days of competition.

The full IFQ – Asia entry list and draw can also be found online at Opengolf.com.

Ryder Cup captains head for Mallorca

PRESS RELEASE

Ryder Cup captains Mark James, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam will headline one of the strongest fields of the 2009 European Senior Tour season when they tee up in the €300,000 inaugural Son Gual Mallorca Senior Open from May 8-10.
Scotsman Torrance, the current Senior Tour Order of Merit leader, will renew his battle for supremacy with Welshman Woosnam, who claimed the John Jacobs Trophy in his rookie season in 2008.
In-form Torrance captured his 11th Senior Tour title – and his second in three appearances – in the last Senior Tour tournament when he won the DGM Barbados Open by four strokes.
The 2002 Ryder Cup-winning captain, winner of 21 titles on the European Tour, also won the 2008 season ending OKI Castellón Open España – Senior Tour Championship and has targeted succeeding Woosnam as the Senior Tour number one, having topped the Order of Merit himself in 2005 and 2006.
Woosnam heads to Golf Son Gual in Palma hoping to add to the two Senior Tour titles he won in 2008 at the Parkridge Polish Seniors Championship and Russian Seniors Open.
Those victories helped the 2006 Ryder Cup-winning captain and former world number one become the first former Harry Vardon Trophy winner on the European Tour to win the John Jacobs Trophy on the Senior Tour and he has now set his sights on back-to-back Order of Merit crowns.
James, meanwhile, returns to Europe to make his first Senior Tour appearance of the 2009 season in Majorca looking to claim the €45,000 first prize.
The 55-year-old Englishman, European team captain at the 1999 Ryder Cup in Brookline, is searching for his second Senior Tour victory following his win in the European Senior Masters in 2005. James also has three US Champions Tour victories to his name including the Ford Senior Players Championship in 2004.
The trio of Ryder Cup captains will be joined in the field by many other of the leading Senior Tour players including former Ryder Cup players Gordon J Brand of England, who finished second behind Woosnam in the 2008 Order of Merit, Italian Costantino Rocca and Ireland’s Des Smyth.
All-time leading Senior Tour career money winner Carl Mason, a three-time John Jacobs Trophy winner, makes his first appearance of the new season as he attempts to continue his run of winning in each of his seasons on the Senior Tour.
Zimbabwean Tony Johnstone, winner of the 2008 Jersey Seniors Classic, also returns to action having spent the winter commentating in South Africa for Sky Sports.
The impressive field is one of the strongest to assemble on the Spanish island and will tackle the Thomas Himmel-designed course, which is owned by the Pamer family from Germany, with Langer Sport Marketing managing and promoting the event.
Andy Stubbs, managing director of the Senior Tour, said: “With entries soon to close for the inaugural Son Gual Mallorca Senior Open we are already delighted with the present quality of the field, which is certain to create a great deal of interest in Mallorca and help raise the island’s profile as a first-class golfing destination.”
For more information on Golf Son Gual email info@son-gual.com or visit www.son-gual.com