European Tour - Sicilian Open

First topic message reminder :

Only in its second year of existence, the Sicilian Open is moving venue about 100 miles up along the southern coast from the rather romantically called Donnafugata Golf Resort ('escaped or runaway lady'), which hosted the competition last year to the... Vegetable Golf Resort (Verdura)
Initially it all looked to be a longer (7375 yds) and tougher (?) venue this year, and that seemed to be confirmed judging from the early scores for last year's champion, Raphael Jacquelin (+3 after 12 holes) and for the local favorite and highest ranked player in the field, Matteo Manassero (+2 after 12 holes). But then if you look at the scorecard of the not so well known South African Alex Haindl (5 birdies in a row after the first 5 holes!!) it would suggest that it is all rather easy!? So, I'm confused... we'll see how things develop from here on...
Haindl leading at the moment together with Kjeldsen from Danemark (5-under after 12)...

jp,
You still have Jensen and Madsen as back up in Kenya . . . . and Thomas Bjorn of course but I'd feel he needs something extra special.

Good luck in your quest for a celebration:

jpedersen wrote:We do not sell the skin before the bear is shot, but there will be crowded in the Danish golf clubs in front of the television of tomorrow.

Should it become a Danish victory Olesen or Kjeldsen, then comes the Danish flag on top in all Danish golf clubs Monday.

That's what I call proper celebrations...

P.S. Do you actually have bears in Denmark (apart from the polar bears from Greenland)? Hope you didn't mean Bjorn there...

Pd, No, there's no real bears in Denmark.

Something about Olesen. He has never been involved in talent development courses, but has his golf upbringing in a small club, north of Copenhagen, Værløse Golf Club, where he still practise and plays when he is not busy on ET. He has never been inside the national team , which is rather atypical for a Danish player with as high a level.

When he have time, he still play for his home club i the national tournement.

Beautiful course, challenging winds ... but where are the crowds? Was there a national football game on TV today?

most euro tour events dont have much in the way of crowds!

Those that are there are probably following all the Sicilian golfers.
To be fair, crowds are pretty sparse at another sunny island: Maui.

You're absolutely right Kwin. I've often thought that if you really wanted to see a professional US tour stop, Hawaii's the place.

I think the only spectators at Maui are tourists.

Maui does not have much of a population base and probably most of the locals are in the tourist or service industry.

Plus I think the Kapalua course is extremely fan unfriendly. hilly with long walks from green to tee.

wood is 5 under through 5 - what a start!!!

Two Englishmen looking to spoil the Danish party today... Wood in Sicily (where did he come from...?) and Seve Benson in Kenya.... I wonder where Benson's parents got the inspiration for that first name...

wood is going for round of the year at this rate!!

Great to see Chris having a good go at this (he needs his 1st win just as much) but I like also how young Olesen is not giving up at all and keeps fighting for it! Great to see... Unfortunately only one could win...

Benson edges the playoff with Jensen to make it 1-0 in England vs Denmark!

Could have the potential to be a very good week for GB&I, still a good chance for Wood and Davis, and at the next tier down on the US minitours, Lincoln's David Skinns and Waterford's Seamus Power both won, on the Hooters Tour and eGolf Tour respectively.

Ned,
What a great name for a golfer: David Skinns!

We keep an eye on a lad on the Gateway Tour; last week's event included Tour winners Hensby and McLoughlin. I see there's an alleged Scot, Andrew Gunson, on that Tour also. Don't know anything about him, but his Bio says he comes from Irvine in Scotland, and lives in Irvine, California.


Thorbjorn's short game letting him down the past few holes - love his free swinging style though, not sure I've ever seen him before.

I am willing to accept a 1-1 between England and Denmark

Congratiolations to Seve - nice name

1 - 1?

Congratulations! Great to see. And very good to see Kjeldsen running back into form.

Nice win for Olesen, who will be celebrated with red / white flags of all 182 Danish golf clubs tomorrow.

Well played by Wood, who gave Sunday's round more excitement than I needed.

I have a good feeling for Olesen's future. I think we will see a lot to him in the years to come.

As it often happens, I just missed the most exciting bit... But delighted to see Olesen getting it done in the end! I think it shows us that he could well be the full package, not just a great talent, but also someone cool, calculated and a fighter as well, who I'm pretty sure, will win many more trophies in the future...

Enjoy the celebrations, jp! (sorry, no Carlsberg emoticon available )

Feel a bit sorry for Wood, another chance passing by... will it ever happen for him? Hopefully...