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?

Thorbjorn Olesen Wins the 2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

A breezy cloudy fall afternoon on the Old Course at St Andrews, there's no better place to finish a round, let alone win a tournament. That's just what Danish golfer Thorbjorn Olesen did earlier today, winning the 2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with a score of 18-under and a two shot lead over Brooks Koepka and Chris Stroud. This is Thorbjorn's third European Tour victory, his first since the 2014 ISPS Handa Perth International. It also makes him the youngest Dane to win three times on the European Tour.

At the start of his round, things weren't looking promising for Olesen. He double bogeyed the second then bogeyed the third at the Old Course. He fought back though with back-to-back birdies on the next two holes. At this point, the top of the leaderboard was full of players, every update had a new person tied for first or second. Olesen wouldn't make any more birdies until the 15th hole but that was more than enough to secure his victory. Ironically enough, Olesen does have some history with the name Alfred Dunhill. In 2010, he finished second at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa.

St. Andrews was in pristine conditions as always and at times had to rely on the elements to make it tough. Good score were found here on the weekend though, mostly on Saturday. The scoring average today was probably right around 70, which may seem high. The low score of the day was a 6-under 65 shot by Chris Wood.

Newly turned pros Paul Dunne and Jimmy Mullen didn't score the best weekend, but still finished very well considering it's their professional debut. Dunne finished at 12-under T19 and Mullen at 10-under (T30). It may be too early to say, but I think we'll be seeing a lot more of these two in upcoming European Tour events.

Finally, here's how our picks did:

1) Tommy Fleetwood: T13 at 13-under
2) Graeme McDowell: T19 at 12-under
3) Danny Willett: T52 at 5-under


Tommy Fleetwood slipped under the radar this weekend and scored himself a nice T13 finish. Earlier today, GMac was T2 at one point after shooting a 31 on the front nine. Unfortunately he bogeyed the last three of four holes. It's still one of GMac better finishes though this year. Better luck next week to Danny Willett too.

And there you have it, sadly another edition of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship has come and gone. Join us for more European Tour coverage next week at the British Masters from Woburn Golf Club.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Thorbjorn Olesen Wins the 2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

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