European Tour 2013 - Nelson Mandela Championship

Here we go again! That wasn't a very long break, was it...?

And perhaps all the doom and gloom that some of us felt about the European Tour over the past few months doesn't look so gloomy anymore looking at the published 2013 calendar: 45 confirmed events on five continents (let's just hope they're more 'confirmed' than Valderama was this time last year), a verbal commitment that one or two more events may well pop up in those gaps as we move along, plus that potentially mouthwatering "Final Series" of four mega tournaments (> $30mil.) to finish with in October-November. The gloomy feeling returns somewhat though when you see that the season starts in Africa moving then across Asia and America only to reach the European shores in Spain, in the second half of April. And there's no better example epitomising Europe's current woes as a host for prfessional golf tournaments other than Spain, a country that only two years ago was hosting 6 tournaments on the ET calendar and who will host only one event next year, Open de Espana, even that one being without a confirmed location and prize fund at this stage... But on the plus side, there should be some interesting visits next year to Eastern Europe, including a return to Russia and a first time trip to the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, for the Volvo World Match Play.

The 2013 calendar starts this week in South Africa - nothing very new there - with a brand new event: the Nelson Mandela Championship, hosted by the Royal Durban GC in KwaZulu-Natal (only Durban itself is hosting as many ET events this season, as Spain and Germany combined!). It's nice to see finally a golf event in South Africa associated with the great man's name, although it's somewhat disappointing to see that none of the top three South African golfers - Oosthuizen, Els, Schwartzel (Goosen is excused) - have decided to associate their names with it at this point in time. Maybe next year... Which means Branden Grace will be a clear favorite and I bet he would love to start the new season with a win at home, just as he did in the previous one (that was actually in the 2nd event of 2012). But who knows, this year may well be George Coetzee's turn, he's come so close so many times and you feel it's just a matter of time... Larrazabal is the sole European top 100 presence in the field, but it's great to see almost all the new CT and Q-School graduates lining up this week, undoubtedly very keen to confirm their talent on the big stage. Good luck to them all!

P.S. I was wondering a while ago what will happen with the Singapore and Hong Kong events after the news of this new 'Final Series' finale to the ET in 2013 came through. These are now clearly out of the 2013 calendar, and although there are no confirmed news just yet, the rumour has it that the two important events are certainly not going away... On the contrary, I read that the Singapore Open organisers have already agreed to a new 5-year commitment to the big event (the Asian Major as they like to call it), and the two tournaments will in fact be, quite likely, the opening events of the 2014 season on the ET. Which would mean that the 2014 season could be even better for the European Tour, but let's just wait and see and not get too carried away at this stage...

Will keep an eye, of course, on the very strong event in Thailand, with Bubba, Hunter, Na, plus the top Chubsters: Westy, Oosty, Schwarzy (that's why they're not playing Mandela), Dyson, etc., as well as on the Australian Open, where Rose and Kyle Stanley are joining (finally) some of the top Aussie golfers...

Some interesting reports (and pictures) are coming through already...

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/golf/adam-scott-goes-short-for-the-future/story-fnaxw0m2-1226530033319

The claw grip...?! Some guys seem to be prepared to try anything other than the old fashioned short putter style... Mind you, can't really see a problem with that one if it works for him...

And a decent field coming togerher for January's Volvo Champions event in South Africa:
Colsaerts
Hanson
Jeev Milkha
Mechanic
Matteo
Franny Molinari
Paul Lawrie
Casey
Clarke
Grace
Oosthuizen
Goosen (if fit)


And I see Ross Fisher starts his 2013 campaign next week . . . . . in the Alfie Dunhill. That's one way to get your European events in early. With Kings Charl et Louis.

Indeed, and I forgot to mention that Sergio is in Thailand as well. Let's see what his laser-styled eyes can do this week...

Cheers pd.
Glad to see news on the ET, but saddened to see it mainly happens outside Europe.

Seems to be the nature of the Aussie media, every little 'secret' tends to get exposed down under. Remember that Tiger's big little secret exploded while he was over there a few years back...

I read reports that the organisers of the Australian Open were trying to negotiate having Rory to play the event since before his win at the USPGA. Then his price-tag was $1M, but that balooned to twice as much after he won at Kiawah, at which point the Aussies said pass... Apprently they had the same experience before him with Els, who's asking price went through the roof after he won the Open...

Nothing that new, as Tiger's super-stardom started all this a while ago. Ridiculous money anyway you look at it, makes you wonder where is it all going to end...

EDIT: Ah ha! I'm late, I see Golf Channel was running that story already...

Sad thing is that the Aussie Open (or any other National Open) feels it has to pay appearance fees of any sort, and yes, fully aware that the Canadian Open pays quasi appearance fees to the RBC-sponsored guys.
Besmirches the standing of the event and, surely, those extra mil could be better spent raising the prizemoney so that the best Aussies (in this case) could be persuaded to play.

Any suggestion that Rory would endure another week of "fatigue" just underlines that some people will do anything for money.
And that the Aussie Open sponsors just want him to turn up, don't care if he's in a fit state to compete.

The players have a lot of tournaments to pick from world wide so I certainly do not blame the top guys for going for appearance fees in the silly season. And I can’t say I blame the sponsors either, if they offer Tiger or Rory a couple of million for turning up then their gate receipts and TV revenue way higher. All comes down to money.

Yeah,
But McIlroy and Woods have both complained about length of season (self inflicted) and, in the long run, National organizations would be better off investing in their own players, Baddeley and Day just being two absentees.
I still find lack of sponsorship invested in Aussie, NZ and South Africa Opens utterly pathetic.

I think if I was absurdly rich like McIlroy and Nine Chins I'd be inclined to be more like an anti-hero and turn down paid invites. Focus on more quality than quantity.

I have a suspicion that that's effectively what they/their management are doing when asking for lottery winning amounts, i.e. deliberately pricing themselves out ("surely no one would be stupid enough to pay me a squillion dollars to turn up for perhaps 2 days...").

Not a great start for ET's new season!
First round postponed till Friday due to loads of rain and a waterlogged course. Not exactly what you'd expect when you play in Africa....

Great start for Schwartzel in Thailand, leading after a 65. Good starts also for Chopra, Westy, Sergio, Bubba and even for DC. Not so good news on Oosthuizen though, who had to withdraw due to some 'illness'...

Senden leading down under (and 6-under) with Rosey just two shots back...

How about that caddy fight in the Aussie open?

Don't know inco, kwini mentioned this on the owgr thread.
Must be something in the water down under... I imagine this
could've been even more 'exciting' if these two were Ogilvy and
Allenby's caddies instead...

Good day for Fraser, who obviously has read 606v2 and realised that
he has a very good chance to get into the top 50 this week.

But things obviously have gone from bad to worse with the Mandela
tourney in Durban. Hope they can get at least to finish 36 holes, and
hopefully this is not an omen for the rest of the 2013 ET season...

Schwarzel must've known the weather forecast well in advance and
instead of wasting time or playing darts in the locker room at home,
is cruising in Thailand. Looks like an almost done deal for him there,
4 shots in front after 2 rounds AND the second place is Chopra, who
is not necessarily known for his consistency over 4 rounds.
Good showing from Ishikawa today...

pd,
What will be the outcome owgr-wise if the tournament is truncated, 36 or 54 holes?
Isn't there a provision for a reduced number of points to be awarded? But, if so, do they somehow adjust the divisor also? If not, that would be unfair, surely?

25% points off for 36 holes (full points for 54 holes).
Yep, it is a bit unfair, I agree, but then Wednesday's budget
here was unfair as well according to many, and the one last year,
and the one before that, and... We're living in an imperfect world...

See news breaking that Ladies Euro Tour appointed a guy by the name Ivan Khodabakhsh from Azerbaidjan as the new CEO!?

A guy who has been one of the main rulers over the last period over some of the (allegedly) most corrupt international sports organisations, AIBA and WSB...

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sportingscene/2012/08/olympic-fix-the-case-of-the-azeri-boxer.html

Well done LET!! I'm sure Ivan can add some integrity to the game, proably by deporting some local Azerbaijanis and stage a tournament in their back yard.

"Nelson Mandela Championship" is a fitting name of the tourney. If it continues like this, it for sure will feel like 30 years in prison.

Finally they're off in Durban, albeit on a severely trimmed down, almost "fun size" course set up. This will likely set all sorts of 'records': par 65 course (par 31 on back nine), 8 par 3's (4 in a row), 5594 yards, etc...

Tim Clark the early leader after covering the back nine in 28 strokes, including 3x 2's in a row!!

Looking forward to see at least 5 or 6 59's (or lower) today...

...and the Sunshine Tour tells us what we were expecting, the Nelson Mandela Championship is cut down to a 36 hole event (no cut)...

"Sunshine" Tour?

Pity this tournament has descended into farce...............basically playing a pitch & putt course. The organisers deserve the tournament to conclude i suppose.......................does money won here count as official earnings??

Yep, it all counts for 2013 R2D...
Talking of farce spare a thought for the last day at the Aussie Open, where they managed to finish in the end a border-impossible wind-swept round...

Won in the end by Peter Senior, oldest ever winner at 53!!! And that's not all, the best round of the day (69) was recorded by Tom Watson, at 63!!!!!
Senden collapsed with an 82, while Rose threw away a few shots over the last few holes to finish T4.

Meanwhile, Schwartzel walked away with an 11-shot win in Thailand!!!

Haven't seen the details yet of Senden's round but a final round 82 must be pretty devastating for him.
Ironic that Peter Senior should win, again, what with all the long putter brouhaha and the fact that he's quietly accumulated millions on the Champions Tour but can't buy a win.

owgr points "earned" this week by two we thought we may never see again: Appleby and Clarke.

Meanwhile: Will Scott Jamieson win with a final round of 57? One for the pursuit of trivia methinks.

kwinigolfer wrote:owgr points "earned" this week by two we thought we may never see again: Appleby and Clarke.

Meanwhile: Will Scott Jamieson win with a final round of 57? One for the pursuit of trivia methinks.

Even Tom Watson grabbed some owgr points this week...

You'd think it's Tim Clark's to lose at this stage in Durban, he seems to enjoy himself through those short par 3s on the back nine yesterday. Just as well, he was on his way out of the top 100...

It was Appleby's biggest owgr grab in the last ~21 months!

Talking of Peter Senior, I liked his interview after the win...
"The wind doesn't worry me, I'm too short to worry about it"

More 'trivia' from Durban: 3 guys with scores in the 50's so far, while no one in the current top 100 scored in the 70s...

Odd coincidence that Mr Mandela was admitted to hospital over the weekend, as well as his tournament not being in the best of condition.

Or are these events linked...?